Theme news

Paris – September 23, 2026 -- A 200-gram smartphone requires more than 266 kilograms of raw material extraction, part of an annual global total exceeding 319 million tons of upstream materials pulled from the earth to manufacture smartphones alone, according to data cited by refurbished-tech marketplace Back Market.

The company estimates that figure equals the material weight of more than 900 Empire State Buildings extracted every year, driven in large part by a typical 2- to 2.5-year device upgrade cycle. Back Market is now calling for a legally mandated 10-year device standard covering durability, repairability and long-term software support, arguing that extending a smartphone's productive life to a decade instead of 2.5 years could avoid roughly 757 kilograms of raw material extraction per device.

London – September 23, 2026 -- Constellation Cold Logistics has appointed Abhy Maharaj as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2026, succeeding Carlos Rodriguez after four years at the helm.

Rodriguez moves to advisory role focused on M&A strategy

Rodriguez will transition to Constellation's Advisory Board, where he will support the company's acquisition strategy. Under his leadership since 2022, Constellation grew into a European leader in cold storage through acquisitions and new capacity development, according to Chair Nils S Andersen.

Jakarta – September 23, 2026 -- Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 02727, SSE: 601727) presented three energy transition solutions at Enlit Asia 2026, held Sept. 22-24 in Jakarta and attended by more than 11,000 delegates and 280 exhibitors across the ASEAN power sector.

Shanghai Electric targets thermal power decarbonization with hydrogen-blend gas turbines

The High-Efficiency Power & Decarbonization solution covers modular steam turbines for H- and F-class combined-cycle systems, heavy-duty gas turbines capable of running on up to 30% hydrogen blending, and coal-fired power retrofit packages aimed at cutting fuel consumption and lowering carbon intensity in markets such as Indonesia.

London – September 23, 2026 -- Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) has won the 'Excellence in Agricultural Financing Solutions – Tanzania' title at the Global Brand Awards 2026, organised by Global Brands Magazine.

TADB recognised for expanding farmer and agribusiness access to finance

The award cites TADB's contribution to agricultural financing in Tanzania, including expanding access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses while supporting sustainable agricultural value chains. The Bank's focus areas include smallholder farmer financing, agribusiness development, climate-smart agriculture and financial inclusion.

Suzhou, China – September 23, 2026 -- Innovent Biologics (HKEX: 01801) will present late-breaking Phase 3 data for its CLDN18.2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate IBI343/TAK-921 at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting in Madrid, running October 23-27.

Phase 3 gastric cancer trial secures late-breaking oral slot

Results from the registrational G-HOPE-001 study, comparing Arcotatug Tavetecan against treatment of physician's choice in previously treated advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, will be delivered as a late-breaking abstract (LBA77) during the October 23 proffered paper session. Dr. Kohei Shitara of Chiba, Japan, will present the first interim analysis of the randomized, open-label trial.

Amsterdam – September 23, 2026 -- Sungrow brought its all-in-one residential energy storage system, PowerHarbor, to the Benelux market for the first time at a dealer event that drew roughly 150 installers, distribution partners and VPP integrators.

Netherlands' net-metering exit reshapes storage economics

The Dutch government will end net metering on January 1, 2027, raising the value of self-consumption for solar households across the country. Dynamic electricity pricing and grid constraints are pushing installers and homeowners to prioritize when energy is used and stored rather than simply how much is generated.

Štip, North Macedonia – September 23, 2026 -- The 131.25 MW first phase of the Štip Wind Farm has reached financial close, making it North Macedonia's largest wind energy project to date and a milestone for Envision Energy's expansion in Southeastern Europe.

Alcazar Energy Partners Advances 396 MW Project Across Three Phases

Developed by Alcazar Energy Partners (AEP), an independent infrastructure fund manager, Štip is planned across three phases with total capacity of up to 396 MW. Once fully built, the project is expected to more than quadruple North Macedonia's installed wind capacity, supporting the country's shift away from coal-fired generation.

Barcelona – September 23, 2026 -- LEPAS, the mid-to-premium new energy vehicle brand under Chery Auto, has secured the Best Interior Design Award in the City Car category at the 2026 Torino Automotive Design Award (TADA) for its L6 model, with results announced on Sept. 11, 2026 in Turin, Italy.

Jury judged L6 cabin against 87 competing models

Samarkand, Uzbekistan – September 23, 2026 -- Timur Turlov, a candidate for FIDE President, has proposed that Ukraine nominate its own candidate for FIDE Vice President should his ticket win the September 26 election in Samarkand.

Turlov calls for a dedicated Ukrainian voice in FIDE leadership

Turlov, running alongside five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, made the proposal in a post on X, describing Ukraine as "one of the world's great chess nations" with generations of players and coaches. He argued that FIDE "cannot operate in isolation from what is happening in the world" and that Ukraine "should have its own voice in the room when decisions are discussed and made."

New York – – September 23, 2026 -- Better Business Advice has named Sharps Assure a top mail-back medical waste provider for dental offices, citing its sharps container range, dental amalgam disposal product, and prepaid return services.

Sharps Assure offers five container sizes to match variable dental waste volumes

The company provides 1-quart, 1.5-quart, 1-gallon, 2-gallon, and larger-capacity sharps systems, allowing practices to size disposal capacity to procedure volume rather than committing to fixed collection schedules typical of larger healthcare facilities.

Dent Assure Waste Amalgam gives dental offices a dedicated stream for restorative waste

Amalgam waste generated during fillings, removals, or equipment maintenance requires separate handling from standard sharps. Sharps Assure's dedicated product lets practices route this material away from ordinary sharps or office waste streams.

Beijing – September 23, 2026 -- Beijing Tegene Robots Co., Ltd. has introduced a four-model 3D Sorter portfolio for warehouse and parcel operations, with mechanical throughput reaching 40,000 parcels per hour on its highest-capacity unit.

Tegene splits its sorter line into four configurations for distinct operational needs

The portfolio includes the 3D Sorter for standard parcels and multi-destination sorting, rated at up to 24,500 pph and 1,000 chutes. The 3D Sorter M targets high-throughput, multi-layer operations at up to 40,000 pph. The 3D Sorter E handles non-conveyable items, flat parcels, envelopes and complex destination flows, with capacity up to 31,000 pph and 1,500 configurable chutes. The 3D Sorter X is built for modular chute expansion. Tegene notes actual output depends on parcel size, weight, packaging condition, destination count, site layout and induction method.

Manama – September 23, 2026 -- Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google X, has joined the speaker lineup for Fintech Forward 2026, set to take place 7-8 October 2026 at Exhibition World Bahrain under the theme 'Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure'.

Gawdat brings 27 years of tech leadership to the financial services debate

Gawdat's career spans IBM, NCR, Microsoft and Google, where he helped launch nearly half of Google's global operations before leading business at Google X, the lab behind self-driving cars, Project Loon and Makani. He is also founder of the One Billion Happy movement, host of the Slo Mo podcast, and author of bestsellers including Solve for Happy, Scary Smart and Unstressable.

New Taipei City – September 23, 2026 -- Caliway Biopharmaceuticals (TWSE: 6919) said on September 21 that its Phase 2 CBL-0202DD trial of CBL-514 met its primary efficacy endpoint, delivering statistically significant pain reduction in patients with Dercum's Disease compared with placebo, in both the Full Analysis Set (FAS) and Per-Protocol (PP) populations.

CBL-514 Cuts Pain Scores by 3.1 Points at Week 20 Versus Placebo

In the FAS population, patients treated with CBL-514 achieved a mean pain-score reduction of 3.1 points at Week 20, versus 1.9 points for placebo (p=0.005). In the PP population, the same 3.1-point reduction was measured against a 1.4-point placebo response (p=0.0002).

Newington, New Hampshire – September 23, 2026 -- SIG SAUER unveiled the P385 pistol at its invitation-only SIG NEXT event, claiming a 20 percent or greater reduction in muzzle rise depending on the model variant.

New Recoil System Cuts Muzzle Rise Across Five Model Variants

The P385 integrates a new SIG Recoil Dampening System, a low bore axis, and a precision-cut carbon steel barrel engineered for accuracy. The striker-fired pistol will ship in five configurations -- P385-MACH3D, P385-COMP, P385-FULL, P385-CARRY, and P385-COMPACT -- available in black and coyote brown finishes starting this fall and into early winter.

Gold Coast – – September 23, 2026 -- Carbon Trade eXchange (CTX) has launched CTX Corporate One, an invitation-only trading account that waives its account-opening fee for the first time in the exchange's 18-year history and replaces percentage-based commissions with a flat US$0.10 charge per credit, per side.

The move targets institutional-scale buyers and sellers of high-quality carbon credits, typically priced above US$10 per tonne of CO2e, rather than smaller retail or SME participants. CTX is extending invitations during New York Climate Week, inviting eligible organisations to 'request an invitation'.

CTX drops standard 2%-5% commission structure for its largest members

Standard CTX membership charges buyers 2% and sellers 5% of trade value plus an annual account fee. Corporate One eliminates both the account-opening fee and minimum balance requirement, replacing them with a flat per-credit fee that holds regardless of price movement.

Los Angeles – September 23, 2026 -- Brahma AI has raised $150 million through a preferred share issuance, anchored by a $100 million investment from Multiples Alternate Asset Management, with an additional $100 million in investor interest still pending allocation.

Funding will fuel R&D and a new Silicon Valley presence

The capital will accelerate research and development, expand Brahma AI's global go-to-market operations, and establish a significant presence in Silicon Valley. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. served as sole placement agent on the financing.

Anchor customers span entertainment, sports and healthcare

Brahma AI operates across four verticals: media & entertainment, sports, healthcare and advertising. Global anchor customers include Warner Bros, the NBA and Mayo Clinic, while strategic distribution partners include Google, Hakuhodo and DNEG.

Seoul – September 23, 2026 -- KT&G Corporation closed its participation in InterTabac 2026, the world's largest tobacco trade fair, after operating an exhibition booth roughly four times larger than its 2025 footprint at the Dortmund, Germany event held September 15-17.

KT&G expands booth fourfold to showcase combustible and next-generation product lines

The Korean manufacturer organized its expanded space into four themed zones by product category, displaying combustible cigarette brands ESSE and BOHEM alongside next-generation products (NGP), vapor devices and nicotine pouches. InterTabac drew roughly 800 companies from more than 70 countries across 12 exhibition halls this year.

Atlanta – – September 23, 2026 -- BlueCollar Cloud has secured a platinum sponsorship of SuiteWorld 2026, Oracle NetSuite's flagship user conference set for October 25-28 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.

BlueCollar Cloud will staff Booth 637 to pitch construction-specific ERP add-ons to NetSuite users

The company will meet contractors, project-based businesses, and NetSuite partners at the booth to demonstrate BlueCollar Projects, its NetSuite-native construction management and accounting layer. Discussions will target job costing, AIA-style billing, retainage, WIP reporting, cost codes, change orders, subcontracts, and project budgets -- functions BlueCollar Cloud says remain spreadsheet-heavy and manual for many contractors operating on NetSuite.

Indianapolis – September 23, 2026 -- eHealth, Inc. (Nasdaq: EHTH) has partnered with benefits administration platform BerniePortal to connect more than 5,000 employers and over 1,000 insurance brokers to individual health coverage options under the newly renamed Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense Arrangements, or CHOICE.

CMS renamed ICHRA to CHOICE arrangements as of September 3, 2026

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officially rebranded Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements as CHOICE arrangements earlier this month, a shift now embedded in the eHealth-BerniePortal distribution model. Under CHOICE, employers provide employees a defined contribution toward individual health coverage rather than a traditional group plan, shifting cost predictability and plan selection to the employee level.

Miami Beach, Fla. – September 23, 2026 -- Benjamin Eskenazi MD, FACS, founder of Avabello Aesthetics, has been named to the faculty of the 14th Annual IAFA Aesthetic Symposium, set for the Fontainebleau Miami Beach on November 6-7, 2026.

Dr. Eskenazi will co-instruct a pre-symposium injection masterclass on November 5

The five-hour Anatomy & Injection Masterclass runs from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. and is led by Professor Sebastian Cotofana, MD, PhD, PhD. The course combines cadaver dissections with live patient injection demonstrations and real-time facial ultrasound, covering neurotoxin treatment of the forehead, glabella and crow's feet, and filler treatment of the temples, tear troughs, cheeks, nasolabial folds, lips, chin and jawline. Dr. Eskenazi will perform live injections alongside co-instructors Terry Alford, DMD; Lanna Cheuck, DO; Barbara Brandt, APRN; Jill Campbell, MSN, FNP-C, CANS; and Shanna Concepcion, RN, CANS.