general_news

Mainz – September 13, 2026 -- German broadcaster ZDF and Swiss broadcaster SRF launched a new international leadership forum, the Streamium Days, bringing executives from public and private media companies across Europe together at ZDF's Mainz headquarters on September 7-8, 2026.

ZDF director calls turnout beyond expectations

Dr. Florian Kumb, Director Audience at ZDF, said the event exceeded expectations in every respect, citing the openness of discussions and participants' willingness to share knowledge and experience. He described the media industry as being in the midst of profound change, making cross-border learning and shared responses to digital transformation increasingly urgent.

Toronto – September 13, 2026 -- The Sales Factory has ranked #2 globally in the Outsourced Sales category of G2's Summer 2026 Grid Reports, marking the third consecutive quarter the outsourced sales and lead generation firm has held a top position on the review platform. The company also earned Leader status in the Lead Generation category, based entirely on verified customer reviews and market presence data compiled by G2.

G2 rankings rely solely on verified buyer reviews, not marketing spend

G2, described as the world's largest software and services marketplace, builds its quarterly Grid Reports from authenticated user reviews combined with market presence metrics. Leader status requires companies to sustain high customer satisfaction scores alongside demonstrated market traction, a methodology G2 says filters out purchased visibility.

Singapore – September 13, 2026 -- TÜV SÜD has opened its new Global Decarbonisation Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Singapore, backed by an investment exceeding $24 million with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Investment builds on SustainCERT acquisition to scale digital carbon verification

The Munich-based testing and certification group launched the CoE following its recent acquisition of Luxembourg-based SustainCERT, an accredited validation and verification body specializing in digital measurement, reporting and verification (dMRV). The combined capabilities target carbon data integrity, carbon markets and independent assessment services as governments prepare to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Vienna – September 13, 2026 -- Elizaveta Rîmscaia of Moldova was crowned Overall Champion at the Julius Meinl International Barista Cup 2026 Grand Finale, held September 4 in Vienna's MuseumsQuartier, beating 14 other national champions across three brewing disciplines.

Austrian barista Mario Benetseder claims cappuccino title on home turf

Benetseder secured the win in the Cappuccino discipline, judged on the interplay of espresso and milk plus latte art execution. Stefan Kot of Poland took the Espresso category, evaluated on taste, balance and crema, while Luka Darispanashvili of Georgia won Signature Drink for creativity and flavor cohesion.

Competition drew over 350 applicants across 15 countries

National qualifying rounds ran in 15 markets including Austria, Italy, Germany, China, Georgia and Croatia, narrowing more than 350 barista applicants down to 15 national champions who advanced to the Vienna final.

Denver – September 13, 2026 -- AidKit, a Certified B Corp providing technology infrastructure for government and nonprofit aid programs, has been named to Fast Company's 2026 list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators, selected from more than 1,200 applications reviewed by Fast Company editors.

AidKit's Community Advisory Council brings aid recipients into system design

The recognition centers on AidKit's Community Advisory Council (CAC), an employee-originated program that embeds people with lived experience of receiving aid directly into the design of benefit systems. The initiative grew from concerns raised by staff in product, operations and impact teams that public benefit systems are typically built for recipients rather than with them, often collecting feedback too late to improve outcomes.

Eaton, Ohio – September 13, 2026 -- Bullen Ultrasonics' Miller Williams Facility in Eaton, Ohio, has been named a 2026 IndustryWeek Best Plants Award winner, one of four North American manufacturers recognized this year for quality, automation and continuous-improvement performance.

Facility posts final customer yields above 98% with cycle times cut 14%

The plant maintains final customer yield levels exceeding 98%, with first-pass yield regularly topping 97%. Targeted continuous-improvement efforts reduced production cycle times by approximately 14% in key areas.

Stuart, Fla. – September 13, 2026 -- Health In Tech, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIT) has been named one of Newsweek's America's Greatest Mid-Market Companies 2026, ranking among the 100 highest-scoring U.S. public mid-market firms selected from an initial pool of approximately 4,300 companies.

Newsweek ranking screens nearly 4,300 firms on financial and workforce data

The list, compiled by Newsweek in partnership with Plant-A Insights Group, evaluated companies using financial strength, market performance, workforce data, employee feedback, innovation and patent metrics, independent sustainability assessments, and public records review. A proprietary scoring model narrowed the field to the final 100 honorees for 2026.

Wellesley Hills, Mass. – – September 13, 2026 -- Cure Alzheimer's Fund (CureAlz) has appointed Drs. Michelle Arkin, Ronald B. DeMattos, Donna M. Huryn, and Kalpana Merchant to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), adding decades of pharmaceutical drug-discovery experience to the nonprofit's research-funding strategy.

Board addition brings direct experience from an FDA-cleared Alzheimer's drug

Ronald B. DeMattos spent more than 20 years in neuroscience discovery at Eli Lilly, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Neurobiologics, where he led development of candidates that advanced to clinical studies including donanemab, the FDA-cleared amyloid-lowering antibody marketed as Kisunla for early Alzheimer's disease.

San Bruno, Calif. – September 13, 2026 -- Chariot Defense, a maker of software-defined power distribution systems for the battlefield, has appointed four defense and venture capital veterans to its Board of Advisors, following a $34 million Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz and a $7.4 million contract with the Pentagon's Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU).

Unterföhring – – September 13, 2026 -- Germany's women's basketball team reached its first-ever FIBA World Cup quarterfinal after a 94-56 win over South Korea at the home tournament, setting up a broadcast showcase for ProSieben MAXX. The German broadcaster will air the quarterfinal against reigning European champions Belgium live on Thursday, September 10, with coverage starting at 17:15 and tip-off at 17:45.

Belgium enters the matchup unbeaten in the tournament

Belgium, ranked among the strongest teams in the field, has not lost a game at the 2026 FIBA Basketball World Cup, raising the stakes for the German side's historic quarterfinal debut.

ProSieben MAXX deploys its established 'ran Basketball' broadcast team

Presenter Christoph Dommisch, Olympic champion Sonja Greinacher, and commentator Matthias Killing will provide on-site coverage of the match as part of the network's ongoing home World Cup broadcast slate.