Shanghai – October 12, 2026 -- Shanghai Ark Biopharmaceutical (ArkBio) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance of its investigational new drug application for AK0406, allowing a phase II trial of the long-acting antiviral drug-Fc conjugate for influenza prevention in the general U.S. population.

CDC data shows 24,000 U.S. flu deaths despite vaccines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the 2025–2026 influenza season caused at least 32 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths in the United States. ArkBio says shifting circulating viruses and variable immune response limit vaccine protection, particularly among older adults and immunocompromised people.

Seoul – October 12, 2026 -- South Korea's GCCL and LabConnect signed a memorandum of understanding on October 12 to link their North American and Asia-Pacific (APAC) central laboratory capabilities for joint sales and project execution in global clinical trials.

Partners formalize a relationship spanning more than 20 years

The agreement builds on a collaboration that has run for more than 20 years. It aims to improve the operational efficiency of global trial projects by combining each company's regional expertise. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The signing took place at GCCL's headquarters. GCCL CEO Kwan-goo Cho attended, as did LabConnect's Jeff Mayhew, Founder and Strategic Commercial Advisor, and Joshua Gentile, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial Sales and Marketing.

Austin, Texas – October 12, 2026 -- Aeon Industrial has placed more than 10,000 of its MERC high-voltage electronic safe-and-arm devices into production, one of several milestones behind its selection to the inaugural 2026 Austin Deep Tech 50.

Aeon wins eight-figure defense contract and Army interceptor selection

The vertically integrated defense manufacturer secured a key eight-figure defense contract in recent weeks. It was also selected for the U.S. Army's interceptor challenge with its layered air and missile defense architecture.

The MERC production order followed successful performance at the Department of War's Drone Dominance initiative. MERC is a low-cost safe-and-arm device that supports time, proximity, and impact fuzing across drones, missiles, and interceptors.

Aeon also delivered ahead of schedule on a complex U.S. Army contract covering development of an all-up weapon system and warhead, including successful live testing.

Kansas City – October 12, 2026 -- Rosnet, the restaurant data and operations platform serving 84 franchise brands across more than 6,000 locations, has moved into a new purpose-built headquarters in Kansas City's Northland after years in an underground business park in Parkville, Missouri.

Rosnet staffs more than 90 people across 13 states

The company has added clients, expanded its team and strengthened its leadership bench over the past year, according to the company. Derek Slayton leads the executive team as CEO. Kansas City remains the hub of operations, and Rosnet says it has been based in the city for more than 25 years.

M33 Growth completes majority investment earlier this year

Rosnet is backed by M33 Growth, which completed a majority investment in the company in 2026. Rosnet says the partnership gives it the capital to scale faster than at any other point in its history. The source does not disclose the transaction value.

Chicago – October 12, 2026 -- CME Group's Corn futures traded a record 1,206,376 contracts on Oct. 9, topping the previous daily high of 1,128,597 contracts set on March 29, 2019, by 77,779 contracts.

USDA report above expectations drives the rush to reposition

Traders turned to Corn futures after last week's USDA report to adjust positions and manage price risk. The market had priced in lower yields after a challenging summer, but the report showed ending stocks, yields and production all above expectations, according to John Ricci, CME Group's Global Head of Agricultural Products.

Ricci said CME Group remains focused on "equipping clients to manage their risk in any market environment."

Milwaukee – October 12, 2026 -- A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) raised its quarterly cash dividend rate 6% to $0.38 per share, extending a record of more than 30 consecutive years of dividend increases.

Board approves increase for both Common and Class A Common Stock

The board of directors approved the higher rate, which applies to the company's Common Stock and Class A Common Stock.

Payment set for Nov. 16 to holders of record on Oct. 30, 2026

The dividend is payable on Monday, Nov. 16, to shareholders of record as of Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.

Chairman and CEO Shafer points to cash generation and business resilience

Steve Shafer, chairman and chief executive officer, said the 30-plus-year run of annual increases reflects the resilience of the business and the strength of its cash generation. He added that the increase reflects the company's confidence in its future.

Paris – October 12, 2026 -- Changan Automobile will launch the NEVO Q05 in Spain and Italy by the first quarter of 2027, after the model made its European debut at Mondial de l'Auto 2026.

Changan adds NEVO line to DEEPAL a year after its European entry

The NEVO line follows the introduction of the DEEPAL line in Europe last year. Changan says NEVO has served more than one million families globally. The NEVO Q06 is planned as a further addition, though the source gives no launch date.

Changan's European portfolio now spans the CHANGAN brand, its DEEPAL and NEVO lines, and AVATR.

Plug-in hybrid versions widen the DEEPAL range

The DEEPAL S05 and S07 are already on sale in Europe in battery-electric versions. The left-hand-drive S05 PHEV has now joined them. The S07 PHEV will be introduced across major European markets later this year.

Lehi – October 12, 2026 -- Gargle, Inc., a dental-focused digital marketing company, is extending its search measurement to cover how dental practices appear in AI-generated answers on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI search experiences, alongside traditional Google rankings.

The company delivers the analysis through its AI Search & Marketing Visibility Report and ongoing search optimization services. Both are designed to show practices where they stand across traditional and AI-driven discovery channels.

Gargle bundles five visibility areas into one reporting framework

The approach evaluates the following areas together:

CHICAGO – October 12, 2026 -- CME Group has completed initial performance testing for CME Globex in the cloud and reports faster round-trip times for trading, along with an accelerated build of its Aurora Cloud Region and co-location facility.

Aurora facility is ahead of schedule, with client testing targeted for mid-2027

The Aurora facility will host Google Cloud's new specialized platform for trading CME Group markets, which the exchange operator describes as industry-first. CME Group targets mid-2027 for client testing. Its Dallas disaster recovery facility has been open for testing since June 2026.

Livestock markets will migrate from Aurora in late 2027, skipping Dallas

CME Group will move its livestock markets to the cloud out of the Aurora Cloud Region in late 2027. The previously planned interim relocation to Dallas is no longer necessary.

Philadelphia – October 12, 2026 -- Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX) and Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Inc. (HPSI) christened 'Makua' on October 10, the first of three Jones Act-compliant containerships worth approximately $1 billion in total, with delivery scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

Three newbuilds will replace three vessels in Hawaii and CLX services

The ships are being built for Matson's China-Long Beach Express (CLX) and Hawaii services. They will replace three vessels currently deployed on those routes. The second ship is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2027, and the third is expected in the second quarter of 2028.

Matson Chairman and CEO Matt Cox said the three additions over the next 18 months will improve operating efficiencies and reliability and increase capacity in the Hawaii and CLX services.