Hangzhou – October 18, 2026 -- The 4th Liangzhu Forum opened on October 18 in Yuhang, Hangzhou, with hundreds of Chinese and foreign guests, after the event was written into the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan this year.

Forum becomes a permanent national-level dialogue mechanism

Launched in 2023, the forum has advanced civilizational dialogue between China and Belt and Road partner countries. Following three previous sessions, it has evolved into a permanent national-level mechanism for dialogues on civilizations. This year's theme is "Bridging the Past and Future: Safeguarding Cultural Heritage for Our Times."

The edition coincides with the 90th anniversary of the discovery of the Liangzhu Site. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.

Guangzhou – October 18, 2026 -- BLUETTI showed commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage systems from 64kWh to 240kWh at the 140th Canton Fair, held October 15 to 19. The company also presented portable and residential products aimed at global distributors and developers.

C&I systems cover peak shaving, arbitrage and backup

The C&I range supports peak shaving, energy arbitrage, critical-load backup and flexible capacity expansion. BLUETTI also presented integrated solar, storage and EV charging systems. These coordinate solar generation, battery storage and EV charging demand, and are designed to reduce grid dependence and manage peak demand.

Singapore – October 18, 2026 -- HistoIndex and Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly run preclinical evaluation and characterization of therapeutic candidates for fibrotic diseases, including cancer-associated fibrosis.

A*STAR pipeline candidates will be measured with HistoIndex's AI-based tissue analysis

The agreement pairs A*STAR's therapeutic development capabilities with HistoIndex's proprietary imaging technology and fully quantitative, AI-powered tissue analysis. HistoIndex's platform will provide objective, sensitive and accurate measures of fibrosis and treatment response across A*STAR's pipeline. Researchers are expected to use the data to decide which candidates to advance.

Shenzhen – October 18, 2026 -- More than half of cloud data center capital expenditure is expected to go to memory and storage, excluding HBM, by 2027, according to a projection by Morgan Stanley's Daniel Yen presented at the 5th GMIF Innovation Summit. The forum, themed "The Future Built on AI Memory and Storage," was co-hosted by the Shenzhen Memory Industry Association (SMIA) and Peking University's School of Integrated Circuits at the Renaissance Shenzhen Bay Hotel.

Yen said global data center capex will stay strong in the coming years. He named six paths to overcome the "memory wall": process migration, design changes, advanced packaging, memory peripherals, PIM/CIM and new materials.

Tokyo – October 18, 2026 -- NTT DATA has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Sustainability Strategy Services 2026 Vendor Assessment, which evaluated 16 vendors on how they help enterprises embed sustainability into corporate strategy, operations and value creation.

IDC assesses 16 vendors on strategy, operations and generative and agentic AI use

The assessment also covers how each vendor integrates generative and agentic AI into sustainability service delivery. IDC says the market is moving from compliance-led engagements toward sustainability as a lever for enterprise value creation and operational resilience.

NTT DATA organizes its portfolio around five growth levers

IDC describes the portfolio as built on five business growth strategy levers: Climate and Nature, Corporate Sustainability, Sustainable Value Chain, Sustainable IT, and what the firm calls Smart in Sustainability.

Shanghai – October 18, 2026 -- Mabwell's Nectin-4-targeting antibody-drug conjugate 9MW2821 (Bulumtatug Fuvedotin, "BFv") achieved a 30.0% objective response rate in 60 efficacy-evaluable triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients previously treated with a topoisomerase I (Topo I) ADC, according to Phase II data to be presented orally at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.

Phase II data show 80% disease control and 8.7-month response duration

The study (CTR20242376) evaluates 9MW2821 as monotherapy or combined with a PD-1 monoclonal antibody in locally advanced or metastatic TNBC. Data are as of April 10, 2026.

Los Angeles – October 18, 2026 -- FF EAI Robotics Ecosystem Inc. (NASDAQ: FFR) expects to need no more than $150 million in total financing before reaching positive operating cash flow, which it targets no later than the third quarter of 2028, according to a weekly investor update from Faraday Future founder and Global CEO YT Jia.

FFR schedules Nasdaq listing ceremony and first Investor Day for October 26

FFR will hold its listing ceremony and first Investor Day at the Nasdaq Tower in New York on October 26. Management will present strategy and business plans and meet investors in person. Formal invitations were due to go out the day after the update.

Guangzhou – October 18, 2026 -- TAILG presented 22 electric two-wheeler models at the 140th Canton Fair, led by the T91 Ultra-L (X9), which carries a 74V 90Ah lithium battery rated for up to 150 km of range.

Flare Series targets long-range and charging flexibility

The fair opened in Guangzhou on October 15 under the theme "Powered by Tech, Go Further." TAILG's Flare Series anchored its booth. The T91 Ultra-L (X9) is compatible with AC charging stations, which the company says gives commuters and longer-distance riders more charging options.

Smart displays feature across the motorcycle and e-bike lineup

TAILG also showed electric motorcycles, electric bicycles and e-bikes. The T77L and T51N have TFT smart displays that let riders monitor vehicle information in real time.

Barcelona – October 18, 2026 -- Young adults who received antibiotics from childhood onward had 1.5 times the odds of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at age 24 (95% CI 1.0–2.2), according to a study presented at UEG Week 2026.

Study tracks 2,853 Swedish participants from age 9–11

Researchers analysed data from 2,853 participants in the Swedish BAMSE birth cohort. Antibiotic prescriptions came from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, covering 2005, when participants were aged 9–11, until one year before IBS was assessed at age 24.

At 24, 10.0% of participants had IBS. Antibiotic exposure was higher among those with IBS, at 87.8%, versus 80.2% among those without. The 1.5-times odds ratio was adjusted for sex and family socioeconomic status.

Guangzhou – October 18, 2026 -- The 140th Canton Fair, which opened on October 15, is hosting more than 700 New Collection events, a 15% increase from the previous session. The fair runs in three phases.

Canton Fair opens first dedicated New Collection Gallery with three sections

The gallery debuts at the 140th edition and sits near the high-traffic platform connecting Area A and Area B. It is split into a product display area, a digital interactivity area and a business matching area.

Organizers say the layout combines product showcase with commercial matchmaking. It is meant to help buyers and exhibitors connect faster and to support on-site trade discussions and demand matching.