General News

Atlanta – September 18, 2026 -- USG Water Solutions has appointed Christina Coen as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2026, succeeding John Flaugher, who moves into a strategic advisory role.

Coen brings chemicals and agtech leadership to water infrastructure

Coen joins from UPL Corp, where she served as Chief Transformation Officer, R&D and Sustainability Lead, and previously as Chief Marketing Officer overseeing global P&L for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio. Her prior roles span senior leadership positions at Nalco Water (an Ecolab Company), FMC Corporation, and Dow Chemical, covering R&D, transformation, marketing, and commercial leadership in agricultural and specialty chemicals.

Waltham, Mass. – September 18, 2026 -- Sales messages that tell B2B technology buyers they control a positive outcome hold attention 31% longer and produce 31% better recall than fear-based pitches, according to new neuroscience research from Allego, Inc. that challenges a nearly 50-year-old sales doctrine.

The study, conducted with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Carmen Simon of Enhancive, tests the real-world application of Prospect Theory, the 1979 model by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky holding that fear of loss motivates buyers more than potential gain. Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics partly for that work.

San Francisco – September 18, 2026 -- Kindred, the global home-swapping platform, has surpassed 500,000 nights swapped since launching in 2022, a threshold the company says confirms peer-to-peer home exchange has moved beyond niche travel behavior.

Kindred now counts 400,000-plus members across 150-plus cities

The platform reports a member satisfaction score above 9 out of 10 sustained through its recent growth phase. More than 90% of listed homes are members' primary residences rather than investment properties, distinguishing Kindred's model from short-term rental marketplaces and keeping that inventory outside the STR market.

Westminster, Colo. – – September 18, 2026 -- The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) has formalized deeper ties with the Aquatic Plant Management Society (APMS) after the two groups' shared leadership produced measurable research and policy gains at APMS's 66th Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, held July 13-16.

APMS honors WSSA scientists for research and publishing milestones

Ramon Leon, Ph.D., of NC State University received the APMS T. Wayne Miller Distinguished Service Award for converting the Journal of Aquatic Plant Management from a print-only format to open-access digital publication. Chris Mudge, Ph.D., of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won the society's top honor, the Outstanding Research Contributor award, for advancing aquatic plant management to protect U.S. water resources.

Dubai – September 18, 2026 -- Emaar Properties has signed on as title partner of Dubai Premier Padel P1, with the 2026 edition set for 8–15 November at Hamdan Sports Complex.

Emaar takes title sponsorship of eight-day international padel event

The tournament, rebranded Emaar Dubai Premier Padel P1, will host men's and women's competition on the Premier Padel circuit, combining ranking points and prize money with hospitality and fan experiences across the week-long schedule.

"The partnership reflects our commitment to creating distinctive experiences for residents and visitors and adds to Dubai's diverse lifestyle and leisure offering," said Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Executive Director of Emaar Properties.

Stockholm – September 18, 2026 -- Only 43% of shoppers believe AI will make their holiday shopping easier this year, down from 48% in 2025, according to new research from Sinch AB (publ) covering 2,501 consumers across eight markets ahead of Black Friday and the holiday season.

Confidence hinges on specific tasks, not AI broadly

While overall optimism about AI declined, confidence surges when AI is assigned a concrete function. 81% of shoppers trust an AI assistant to handle order tracking and shipping updates, and 74% trust it for pre-purchase questions. That confidence drops to 66% for account changes and 62% for payment or billing changes.

MANILA – September 18, 2026 -- Nearly 320,000 Chinese tourists had entered the Philippines as of September 9, making China the country's fourth-largest source market, Philippine Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Maria Christina G. Aquino said at a two-day Chongqing-Manila festival that drew roughly 400 business, political and cultural delegates to SM Mall of Asia on September 12.

Chongqing brands sign travel and cooperation deals in Manila

The event, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the Information Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and organized by the Western China International Communication Organization, staged seven themed exhibitions covering Bayu culture, Chongqing cuisine and 'Made in Chongqing' industrial output. Happyyou International Travel signed a cooperation agreement with Philippine tourism organizations during the accompanying 'China, An Opportunity: Chongqing Brands' conference.

Singapore – September 18, 2026 -- The National University Health System (NUHS) has treated more than 300,000 patients under its value-based care framework over the past decade, cutting hospital bed days by 18,225 and generating over SG$13 million in annual cost avoidance.

NUHS marked the milestone at its Appropriate and Value-Based Care (AVBC) Symposium 2026, officiated by Mdm Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and for Health. The event tracked the evolution of Singapore's Value-Driven Outcomes (VDO) framework, which NUHS first adopted in 2015 as the country's first healthcare cluster to do so.

London – – September 18, 2026 -- Naviq, the travel-focused AI company spun out of IBS Group in July 2026 with a $500 million investment and 2,000 employees, has been named a Horizon 2: Enterprise Innovator by HFS Research.

HFS Research cites Naviq's software heritage and sector-specific AI as key differentiators

The analyst firm credited Naviq's specialist focus on aviation, hospitality, cruise and airport operations for its ability to deliver measurable transformation outcomes rather than experimental AI pilots. Melissa Fersht, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, said IBS Group is shifting the travel industry from AI experimentation to AI execution, and that Naviq's combination of domain expertise and technical delivery forms a differentiator few providers can match.

Dallas – September 18, 2026 -- Scottish Rite for Children has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for pediatric orthopedic care by U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 Best Children's Hospitals rankings, marking the first time the institution has secured the top spot for two consecutive years.

Rankings draw on data from 114 hospitals nationwide

U.S. News develops the annual rankings in partnership with RTI International, which collected and analyzed data from 114 children's hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. Evaluation criteria include clinical outcomes, compliance with established best practices, and the level and quality of hospital resources tied directly to patient care. Scottish Rite has ranked among the nation's top pediatric orthopedic programs for nearly two decades, in collaboration with Children's Medical Center Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center.