Media OutReach
Bühler GPIC Announces the Rollout of New Courses Focused on Grain Processing
Bühler Group established the GPIC as an R&D center dedicated to uncovering the hidden potential of local grains in Nigeria and Africa. It aims to bridge the technology gap in local grain processing and support customers in developing safe and affordable food using local grains.
The GPIC also functions as a training center to empower food processors across the region. It has hosted numerous training sessions for individuals and companies and, in collaboration with prominent NGOs such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), successfully trained over 60 rice millers. The flagship courses at the GPIC include the Fundamentals of Rice Milling and Optical Sorting levels 1, 2, and 3.
These courses are delivered both in classroom sessions and practical lessons using the modern equipment in the GPIC facility. The instructors are industry leaders with decades of experience in the field of rice milling and optical sorting, ensuring participants receive high-quality education and training.
Ashi Yangedue, Production Manager at Mafa Rice, has this to say: “The most important part of this training is the practical engagement and solutions that we have received for the challenges we have at our mills. This is an opportunity that no serious rice miller should miss.”
Racheal Bahago, of FBB Rice says, “I have learned how to set my machines to reduce the percentage of brokens, impurities and other rejected particles to make profit in my business. I encourage other rice millers to attend this training to be exposed to technologies and solutions that can improve their yield and business.”
Our goal is not only to educate but also to empower our participants with skills and knowledge that directly translate to increased profitability and efficiency in their businesses.
“Bühler is excited about the GPIC and the impact these new courses will have on the grain processing industry. By promoting education and skill development, we are contributing to food security and the sustainability and profitability of food production in Nigeria and Africa,” said Thomas Ogundiran, Managing Director of Bühler Nigeria.
With the roll-out of these new courses, the GPIC continues its mission to advance industrialization and local food production, providing practical and impactful education to individuals and companies dedicated to improving food security and economic prosperity in the region.
Mustafa Rajab, Head of the GPIC, says, “The introduction of these advanced courses represents a significant milestone for GPIC. We are committed to driving innovation in grain processing and supporting the growth of this industry in Nigeria and Africa.”
All who work in food production are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to upskill themselves and their staff in rice milling and optical sorting for better production results. NGOs and international NGOs interested in advancing food security in Africa through upskilling are also invited to get in touch with the Bühler GPIC and drive collaboration.
More information and registration links can be found in the training section of the GPIC website.
Hashtag: #Bühler
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Bühler
Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature in all its decision-making processes. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment, and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler solutions. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business.
As a technology partner for the food, feed, and mobility industries, Bühler has committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. It also proactively collaborates with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain. In its own operations, Bühler has developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, against a 2019 baseline).
Bühler spends up to 5% of turnover on research and development annually to improve both the commercial and sustainability performance of its solutions, products, and services. In 2024, some 12,350 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company with a history spanning 165 years, Bühler is active in over 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 31 manufacturing sites, and research and training centers in 26 locations.
www.buhlergroup.com 
Media OutReach
Tanoto Foundation Convened Global and National Leaders to Strengthen the Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) Ecosystem at the 2025 International Symposium on ECED
The symposium comes at a critical moment, as shared challenges across health, nutrition, education, and caregiving continue to shape early childhood development outcomes in Indonesia and globally, where many young children continue to face barriers to healthy development, from gaps in nutrition and care to limited access to quality early learning.
These challenges highlight the need for closer coordination across health, education, parenting, and social protection to ensure children receive holistic and equitable support from the earliest years.
Without strong cross-sector collaboration, Indonesia risks losing momentum in building its human capital and realising its demographic dividend towards Indonesia Emas 2045.
In partnership with key government ministries and cross-sector organisations, Tanoto Foundation convened the symposium as a platform to align policy, practice, and evidence across sectors, bringing together representatives from central and local government, international organisations, academia, civil society, and philanthropy.
The symposium featured two main discussion tracks focused on health and education, and parenting in early childhood.
The morning segment, “Synergising Health and Education for ECED”, focused on integrating health, nutrition, and early learning services, highlighting innovations in growth and development monitoring, nutrition interventions, and early stimulation within primary service systems.
The afternoon session, “Parenting and Early Learning”, placed families and caregivers at the centre of the ECED ecosystem, exploring responsive caregiving, interaction-based learning, and policy support to strengthen parents’ capacity to nurture children’s development.
Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin officially opened the symposium, emphasising the decisive importance of early childhood for national development.
“The age of 0 to 5 years is a highly decisive phase in determining whether a person will grow into a healthy, intelligent adult who can contribute to the nation, including to increase per capita income,” the Minister said.
“If we do not act quickly, we risk missing Indonesia’s demographic dividend. This is our responsibility to our children.”
The Government of Indonesia has reaffirmed early childhood development as a national priority through the Long-Term National Development Plan 2025 to 2045 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2025 to 2029, with Holistic and Integrated Early Childhood Development (PAUD-HI) designated as a key performance indicator.
Opening the afternoon session, Indonesian Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, highlighted the symposium’s contribution to policy strengthening.
“This forum brings together strategic cross sector perspectives. We encourage the resulting recommendations to be used to strengthen policies, regulations, and service innovations for early childhood development,” she said.
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Stella Christie, underscored the importance of science-based parenting and high-quality interaction.
“Caregiving with optimal interaction between children and caregivers has the greatest potential to maximise child development,” she said. “No technology, including artificial intelligence, can replace the power of human interaction.”
She added that children learn through curiosity, imitation, and everyday experiences, making responsive and evidence-based parenting critical for brain development and lifelong learning.
CEO of Tanoto Foundation Benny Lee reaffirmed the Foundation’s long-term commitment to early childhood development as a cornerstone of human potential.
“The early years are when the foundations of brain development, health, and character are formed,” Benny said.
“This is not the work of one institution. It requires a truly supportive ecosystem built through collaboration among government, civil society, academia, and philanthropy.”
He emphasised that Tanoto Foundation, founded by Sukanto Tanoto, Founder and Chairman of Royal Golden Eagle (RGE), views early childhood development as a primary investment, where collective action can deliver lasting and sustainable impact. “This symposium is about ensuring that every child receives the strongest possible start in life, every parent receives the support they need, and every sector moves forward together,” he said.
The symposium brought together up to 200 participants, with speakers from government, development organisations, academia, research institutions, and philanthropy.
Hashtag: #RGE #TanotoFoundation #Philanthropy #Indonesia #ECED #EarlyChildhood #Healthcare
https://www.tanotofoundation.org/en/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Tanoto Foundation
At Tanoto Foundation, we unlock human potential, help communities thrive, and create lasting impact. Founded in 1981 by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, we are an independent family foundation that believes in providing every person with the opportunity to realise his or her full potential. To do so, we catalyse systems change in education and healthcare. Our approach is impact-first, collaborative, and evidence-based. We invest for the long term and strive to develop leaders who can drive sustained, positive outcomes.
After decades of quiet, Can Gio is awakening on Vietnam’s southern coast, as fresh investment and grand designs breathe new life into the once-remote district of Saigon.
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 December 2024 – Six months after the groundbreaking of a 2,870-hectare coastal urban project backed by Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, Can Gio, once seen as a forgotten corner of Ho Chi Minh City, is now emerging as a new growth engine for Vietnam’s southern metropolis.
Breaking Isolation
For years, Can Gio was often left out of the city’s rapid development. Surrounded by dense forests and accessible mainly by ferry, it remained a world apart. Now, that is beginning to change.
Six months ago, the large-scale land reclamation project officially started construction. Locals call it a “game changer” that awakened a land long left behind. Along the coast that once lay quiet, a vast construction site has emerged, with heavy machinery working day and night. “I was very surprised by the speed,” said Prof. Pham Van Song, president of the Mien Dong University of Technology, noting that hundreds of hectares have already been filled and stabilized within months.
The project, developed by Vingroup through its real estate arm Vinhomes, represents one of the group’s most ambitious coastal developments, part of a long-term vision to extend Ho Chi Minh City’s urban footprint toward the sea. With billions of U.S. dollars in investment, it combines housing, tourism, and modern infrastructure within a single master plan that anchors Can Gio’s transformation.
Complementing this project, a series of major infrastructure works are also reshaping the district. By the end of 2025, the Phu My Hung–Can Gio high-speed railway, designed to reach 350 kilometers per hour, is expected to begin construction, linking the area to the city’s southern urban core. In 2026, the long-awaited Can Gio Bridge will break ground, cutting the journey to the city center to around 45 to 60 minutes.
At the same time, the Rung Sac interchange, with an investment of 3,000 billion VND (about 120 million U.S. dollars), will connect Can Gio directly with the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway. Expected to be completed in 2028, it will link Can Gio with both the Southwest and Southeast regions, including Long Thanh International Airport.
In addition, a sea-crossing expressway between Can Gio and Vung Tau, 50 meters wide and proposed by Vingroup, would stretch across the sea for more than 10 kilometers. The plan envisions a wide eight-lane road that could reduce travel between Can Gio and Vung Tau to under 15 minutes, creating a strategic connection between the two coastal economies.
These efforts fit within a broader regional plan that combines road, rail, water, and sea transport. Another key project is the Can Gio International Transshipment Port, covering 571 hectares with an investment of 50,000 billion VND. The port is designed to become a new symbol of Vietnam’s maritime economy, with its first phase scheduled to begin operations in 2027 and full completion before 2045.
“A Single Project Ignites the South”
According to Prof. Pham Van Song, the rise of Can Gio is a natural development, especially with the involvement of Vingroup through its Vinhomes Green Paradise project. He believes that Can Gio is moving from an ecological area on the fringe of development to a new center of growth. “All modes of transportation will be available in Can Gio,” he said. “The district’s GRDP will grow rapidly in line with ongoing construction and investment. Both the number of residents and visitors will surge. Local people will be the first to directly benefit from these projects, and their lives will become increasingly prosperous.”
The changes are already drawing attention from investors. Dinh Minh Tuan, southern regional director of Batdongsan.com.vn, said the number of searches related to Can Gio has tripled since the beginning of the year. After the Vinhomes Green Paradise project broke ground, property interest in the district doubled again. “Just one single project has heated up the entire southern market,” he said.
Experts say this follows a familiar pattern. In the 1990s, Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard helped turn southern Ho Chi Minh City into a thriving area and drew nearly two million residents. In the 2010s, the completion of the Thu Thiem Tunnel and Bridge attracted more than one million people to the city’s east. “Investors who followed the infrastructure development wave then saw huge gains,” Tuan noted. “Can Gio now stands at a similar starting point, but with a stronger push.”
With a population of about 80,000, Can Gio has long faced a single challenge: lack of connectivity. But, “with the series of large-scale investments now under way, Can Gio is expected to grow faster than many of the city’s earlier new urban areas,” said Tuan.
Hashtag: #Vinhomes
https://vinhomes.vn/enThe issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
Z.ai Open-Sources GLM-4.7, a New Generation Large Language Model Built for Real Development Workflows
The new model is designed around practical engineering workflows, with a focus on long-running task execution, stable tool calling, and multi-step reasoning, capabilities that have become increasingly important as developers deploy large language models in complex, agent-based systems.
Compared with its predecessor, GLM-4.6, GLM-4.7 shows notable gains in code generation, complex reasoning, and agent execution. According to Z.ai, the model delivers more consistent and controllable performance over extended tasks, while producing cleaner and more concise language output, addressing a common weakness in many open-source models.
To evaluate performance in realistic settings, Z.ai tested GLM-4.7 on 100 practical programming tasks in production-like environments such as Claude Code, spanning front-end, back-end, and command-execution scenarios. The company said GLM-4.7 achieved higher task completion rates and greater stability than GLM-4.6, and has since been adopted as the default model for its GLM Coding Plan.
Benchmark results also place GLM-4.7 among the strongest open-source models currently available. It scored 67.5 on BrowseComp and 87.4 on τ²-Bench, the latter marking a new high for open-source systems. In coding-focused evaluations, including SWE-bench Verified and LiveCodeBench v6, its overall performance approaches that of Claude Sonnet 4.5. In Code Arena’s large-scale blind evaluation, which aggregates votes from more than one million comparisons, GLM-4.7 ranked first among open-source models.
The model is available through the BigModel.cn API and has been integrated into Z.ai’s full-stack development platform, according to the company. As open-source models take on a more prominent role in the global technology ecosystem, Z.ai’s progress offers a clear indication of how such systems may continue to evolve, and what they might enable next.
Default Model for Coding Plan: https://z.ai/subscribe
Try it now: https://chat.z.ai/
Weights: https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-4.7
Technical blog: https://z.ai/blog/glm-4.7
Hashtag: #ZAI
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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