Archive: August 24, 2026

First micro-documentary on Haiyang Big Yangko Dance released

YANTAI, China, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Haiyang sits on the southern tip of the Jiaodong Peninsula, under the administration of Yantai city, Shandong province. Endowed with majestic mountains and a scenic coastline, the city derives its name from its location north of the Yellow Sea. In 1398, the Ming government established Dasong Garrison in present-day Haiyang, Shandong. In 1425, to celebrate Commander Zhao Tong, who concurrently served as Zhenfu (Military Supervisor), having five generations living under one roof, Dasong Garrison integrated elegant classical music with local folk dance traditions to create the Big Yangko Dance dance. The performance debuted officially on the day an imperial gold plaque inscribed with Qiye Yanxiang (Seven Leaves Spreading Auspiciousness) was unveiled. From then on, Haiyang Big Yangko Dance began to thrive.

Over six centuries, Haiyang Big Yangko Dance has taken root amid the city’s mountains, coastline and local customs. It has gradually evolved into a well-established dance system, embodying a folk art style that is powerful and uninhibited, robust and dynamic, and yet equally festive, lively, and vibrant.

Haiyang Big Yangko Dance brings the DNA of this intangible cultural heritage to life through its vivid Nine Major Roles. These nine characters act as living folk symbols and grassroots cultural envoys, embodying the honest local ethos through their physical performances. Apart from the nine leading roles, supporting performers, known as miscellaneous players in Haiyang Big Yangko Dance, portray figures such as donkeys, land boats, opera characters and mythical figures. Their improvisational acts add richer narrative layers to Big Yangko Dance performances.

“No Big Yangko Dance, no Spring Festival.” This local saying epitomizes the cultural identity of Haiyang people. “Big Yangko Dance fills the first lunar month celebrations with play, the second with bustle, and lingers playfully into the third.” “Big Yangko Dance ushers in spring” has become a vital way for locals to express festive joy and strengthen community bonds during Chinese New Year. This is far more than a simple folk performance; it embodies the community’s gratitude and reverence for the ocean—a belief deeply ingrained in the lifeblood of Jiaodong fishing communities.

Haiyang is renowned as the Home of Chinese Folk Art. Haiyang Big Yangko Dance enjoys national acclaim and is recognized as one of the three major Big Yangko Dance styles in Shandong. In 2006, it was inscribed on the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, evolving into a cultural tourism attraction and a hallmark of Haiyang’s external promotion. The year 2024 marked another milestone for Haiyang Big Yangko Dance: It clinched the Shanhua Award, the highest honor in Chinese folk art.

Like a brilliant cultural pearl, Haiyang Big Yangko Dance radiates the civilizational brilliance of generations of Haiyang people, heralding their aspirations for an even better life.

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From Syrup Diversion to Sugar Production: SED’s Integrated Process House Solution for Shivshakti Sugars’ 7,500 TCD Plant

SED will execute the design, engineering, equipment supply, erection and commissioning of the sugar crystallization section on an accelerated timeline, with key equipment dispatch targeted by 15 September and plant commissioning scheduled by 31 October 2026.

MOHALI, India, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In an industry where steam economy, process stability, and recovery efficiency directly determine plant profitability, Shivshakti Sugars Limited, Belagavi, Karnataka, has placed its trust in Spray Engineering Devices Limited (SED) for strengthening of the evaporator station and addition of a sugar crystallization section for 7500 TCD in existing syrup production plant. The project will support the plant’s conversion to plantation white sugar production at 340 TCH, marking a significant step toward higher efficiency and modernized sugar manufacturing.

“For us at SED, engineering has never been about supplying equipment; it is about owning performance. With Shivshakti Sugars, we are bringing together process design, energy efficiency, and operational control in a way that works at plant scale. The aim is simple: build systems that run reliably and help sugar producers operate more efficiently and at greater scale,” said Mr. Vivek Verma, Managing Director, SED.

Under the proposed scope, SED will supply and commission a comprehensive process package covering condensate juice heater, falling film evaporator, condensate heat recovery, spray continuous pan for A, B & C massecuite, vacuum, sealing and vertical crystallizers with associated automation. The package includes condensate heaters, two 5,000 m² falling film evaporators, three Spray Continuous Pans with capacities of 110, 45 and 35 TPH, at A, B and C massecuite duty respectively along with vacuum, air-cooled and vertical crystallizers for low grade massecuite.

The technology package is designed to utilise low-grade vapour more effectively and improve process control. SED’s Spray Continuous Pan technology enables continuous massecuite boiling with individual chamber control of vapour, temperature, level and consistency, while the evaporator system includes recirculation and provisions for online chemical cleaning.

SED will undertake design and engineering for its supplied equipment, along with transportation, erection, and commissioning. The plant will be commissioned by October 31, 2026, with provisions linked to schedule performance.

The project represents another application of SED’s integrated process engineering approach in the sugar sector, combining equipment design, energy-saving systems and process automation within a single plant-level solution.

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Nara Lokesh Welcomes Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan Ahead of Popcorn Maize Seed Launch in Musunuru

luru (AP), 24 August 2026

TDP National Working President Nara Lokesh on Monday welcomed Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan to Eluru ahead of a programme at Musunuru for the launch of India’s first non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed.

As part of the welcome, Mr. Lokesh presented the Vice-President with an Etikoppaka wooden toy depicting Lord Sri Rama and the Ram Mandir, along with a traditional Mangalagiri shawl. The Etikoppaka toy, a GI-tagged handicraft from Andhra Pradesh, is known for its intricate lacquer work and use of natural dyes.

Mr. Lokesh said he looked forward to joining the Vice-President and the Governor at Musunuru for the launch, describing the occasion as an important step towards agricultural innovation and greater value creation for farmers.

This morning, it was a pleasure to welcome the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan Ji, and the Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Shri S. Abdul Nazeer Ji, to Eluru. We look forward to joining them at Musunuru for the launch of India’s first non-GMO popcorn… pic.twitter.com/ixFEKWZGog

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) August 24, 2026

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will also participate in the programme at Katrenipadu in Musunuru mandal, where the hybrid seed will be unveiled.

Mr. Lokesh has been emphasising innovation and value addition as ways to create more opportunities for farmers. His participation in the Musunuru programme reflects the State’s focus on promoting specialised crops and linking farm production with processing and markets.

The initiative is being organised by Gourmet Popcornica, which works with farmers cultivating popcorn maize and has established a popcorn processing facility at Musunuru. The programme brings cultivation, seed development and food processing together around a specialised crop.

The new hybrid is intended for popcorn production and is described as both non-GMO and high-expansion. While non-GMO indicates that the crop has not been genetically modified through genetic engineering, the hybrid has been developed by crossing selected parent plants to combine desirable traits.

Its high-expansion characteristic refers to the ability of the kernels to expand substantially when heated, a key feature for popcorn production.

The initiative will also support crop diversification by giving farmers access to a specialised market linked to food processing. For Andhra Pradesh, such farm-to-processing models offer scope for increasing value from agricultural produce rather than relying solely on conventional commodity markets.

During the visit, the Vice-President is also scheduled to felicitate farmers and address agricultural stakeholders and other participants.

Consortium launches cross-regional pilot on post-quantum security with participation from banks and regulatory stakeholders

Convened by the Responsible Fintech Institute with Safeheron as technology partner, to evaluate and eventually open-source quantum-resilient infrastructure for wallet generation and digital asset transfers in a regulated, cross-jurisdiction setting.

SINGAPORE, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and Safeheron have launched a pilot initiative to evaluate post-quantum cryptography for digital asset transactions, with participation from selected financial institutions and regulatory stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions. The initiative is designed to move quantum-safe financial infrastructure from concept into practical testing with participating institutions.

The pilot will focus on a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) research program built around a multi-party computation (MPC) protocol that supports ML-DSA-65, the NIST FIPS 204 digital signature standard, with participant testing covering wallet generation and on-chain transfer activity on the quantum-resistant NEAR testnet. The initiative brings together banks and regulators from multiple jurisdictions to examine cross-border interoperability, operational resilience and governance considerations in parallel with technical evaluation.

“No single bank, vendor, or regulator solves this alone,” said Chia Hock Lai, Chairman of the Responsible Fintech Institute. “By bringing policymakers and financial institutions across jurisdictions together to test the same post-quantum architecture, and transparently sharing that research with every participant, we are building a compliance and security reference the whole industry can stand on — and a standard we all helped write.”

“AI is accelerating the pace of change and likely bringing the quantum threat closer to reality — quantum-ready infrastructure has never been more critical, and the time to act is now,” said Jag Foo, Chief Security & Policy Officer at Safeheron. “By integrating NIST’s post-quantum signature standard with advanced MPC technology, we are building the architecture required to secure the next generation of financial networks. Safeheron has long advocated for open-source cryptography, because accountability and good governance demand it. We intend to open-source our PQC code. Cryptography securing institutional assets should stand up to independent scrutiny, not ask for trust.”

“As the financial sector prepares for future cybersecurity challenges, initiatives that encourage collaboration and knowledge-sharing among industry participants are increasingly important,” said António Henriques, CEO of Bison Bank. “We are pleased to support discussions around post-quantum security and to contribute to broader industry understanding of how financial institutions can prepare for the evolving risk landscape.”

“We welcome the industry’s initiative to identify a reliable protocol that safeguards digital asset transactions,” said David Peters, Managing Director of the Gelephu Financial Services Office. “Ensuring the continuing integrity of these transactions and protecting client funds is critical to the smooth functioning of the investment market.”

“Preparing for the potential impact of quantum computing on the financial system requires early engagement, collaboration and a better understanding of how post-quantum technologies can operate in practice,” said Alan Decelis, Head of Supervisory ICT Risk and Cybersecurity at the Malta Financial Services Authority. “The MFSA welcomes initiatives that bring together regulators, financial institutions and technology experts to explore these challenges in a controlled environment. Participating in this initiative provides a valuable opportunity to contribute a supervisory perspective while developing our understanding of the operational, governance and resilience considerations associated with the transition towards quantum-safe financial services.”

Why quantum-safe infrastructure matters

Quantum computing is widely expected to create long-term risks for the public-key cryptography that underpins large parts of today’s financial system, and financial-sector transition planning has become increasingly important. As noted in a 2025 paper on quantum-readiness for the financial system published by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the transition requires coordinated planning, cryptographic agility and phased migration, rather than a simple algorithm swap.

At the same time, regulators are sharpening their focus on AI- and quantum-driven cyber risks. In July 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) announced the AI-Driven Cyber and Technology Risk Taskforce (ACT), an industry-wide initiative to strengthen collective cyber and technology resilience against emerging threats from frontier AI models. Regionally, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has embedded quantum readiness into its Fintech 2030 strategy, launching a Quantum Preparedness Index and whitepaper to benchmark banks’ transition to post-quantum cryptography and signalling an ambition to achieve full sectoral quantum-ready status by 2030.

Within this pilot, participating institutions will test a shared application environment that enables quantum-resistant MPC signing under consistent conditions, while regulators take part in an observer role during the first phase and contribute to a governance workstream in the next stage. The proof of concept also envisages publication of a whitepaper covering the research, protocol design and testing findings so that the wider market can assess and build on the results, reinforcing the sector’s collective learning and preparedness. Furthermore, the underlying protocol technology will eventually be open-sourced to maximize transparency, encourage independent security auditing, and promote accountable, industry-wide standards.

About the pilot

The proof of concept is positioned as a collaborative effort for regulated financial institutions, with Safeheron leading protocol and engineering work and the Responsible Fintech Institute leading governance, convening and cross-jurisdiction stakeholder coordination. Current participants include regulators such as Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Gelephu Financial Services Office (GFSO) and Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) alongside participating banks including Bison Bank and DK Bank, with additional institutions in discussion to join.

Participating financial institutions will contribute to the evaluation of operational, governance and interoperability considerations associated with post-quantum cryptographic approaches. Levels of participation may vary depending on the role and scope agreed by each institution.

The pilot has been structured to stay close to real institutional operating models, including a tentative non-custodial 2-of-2 MPC participation design intended to minimize operational burden while preserving institutional control over key ownership. Its broader objective is to help the market better understand how secure digital asset transaction flows could evolve across regions as financial institutions prepare for a quantum-safe future, in alignment with evolving supervisory expectations on cyber resilience and quantum readiness.

About the Responsible Fintech Institute

The Responsible Fintech Institute is an independent nonprofit organization focused on bridging traditional and decentralized finance through standards, governance and responsible adoption. In this pilot, it convenes regulators, banks and market infrastructure stakeholders across jurisdictions and supports governance and publication of the initiative’s research findings.

About Safeheron

Safeheron is a digital asset custody and operating system infrastructure provider focused on advanced cryptographic infrastructure, including multi-party computation and trusted execution environment capabilities. In this pilot, it is responsible for the PQC-enabled MPC protocol, ML-DSA-65 signing implementation and testing application used by approved participants.

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