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LONDON, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking two decades since its inception, the Henley Passport Index 2026 reveals a widening divide between the world's most and least mobile populations. Based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the index ranks all global passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. While a record number of passports now cluster at the top of the rankings, those at the bottom remain increasingly isolated, underscoring a growing global mobility gap. Singapore retains its position as the world's most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations. At the opposite end, Afghanistan once again ranks last, with access to just 24 destinations. The resulting 168-destination gap illustrates the scale of global mobility inequality in 2026 — a dramatic widening since 2006, when the difference between the then top-ranking US passport and Afghanistan was only 118 destinations. "Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly," says Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners. "Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation." This imbalance is intensifying even as international travel demand continues to grow. IATA forecasts that airlines will carry more than 5.2 billion passengers globally this year. "A record number of people are expected to travel in 2026," says IATA Director General Willie Walsh. "But as many governments look to tighten their borders, technological advances such as digital ID and digital passports should not be overlooked by policymakers. Convenient travel and secure borders are possible." UK Records the Steepest Year-on-Year Losses, US Back in the Top 10 Japan and South Korea rank joint 2nd in 2026, each offering visa-free access to 188 destinations. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland follow in 3rd place with access to 186 destinations, ahead of an unprecedented group of 10 European countries tied for 4th. Europe continues to dominate the upper tiers, with notable exceptions including UAE (5th), New Zealand (6th), Australia (7th), Canada (8th), and Malaysia (9th). The US has returned to the Top 10 after briefly dropping out in late 2025, but this recovery masks a longer-term decline for both the US and the UK, which jointly held 1st place in 2014. Over the past year, both countries recorded their steepest annual losses in visa-free access, shedding seven and eight destinations respectively. Over the past two decades, the US has fallen six places to 10th, while the UK has dropped four places to 7th. "Passport power ultimately reflects political stability, diplomatic credibility, and the ability to shape international rules," says Misha Glenny, award-winning journalist and Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. "As transatlantic relations strain and domestic politics grow more volatile, the erosion of mobility rights for countries like the US and UK is less a technical anomaly than a signal of deeper geopolitical recalibration." Biggest Risers and Fallers Over the Decades The UAE stands out as the strongest performer on the Henley Passport Index over the past 20 years, adding 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbing 57 places to 5th on the rankings with access to 184 destinations visa-free, driven by sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalization. Countries across the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have also made significant gains, led by Albania (+36 to 43rd), Ukraine (+34 to 30th), Serbia (+30 to 34th), and North Macedonia (+27 to 38th). Bolivia is the only country on the index to have seen an overall decline in visa-free access over the past 20 years, falling 32 places to rank 61st in 2026. If we consider just the past decade, Kosovo has recorded the biggest rise, climbing 38 places, while China has risen 28 places, positioning both countries as joint 59th on the index, with access to 81 destinations visa-free. Open Borders, Closed Doors While US passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 179 destinations, America allows only 46 nationalities to enter without a prior visa, ranking 78th globally on the Henley Openness Index — one of the widest gaps worldwide between outbound mobility and inbound access. China, by contrast, now permits visa-free entry to 77 nationalities and ranks 62nd, following the addition of more than 40 countries over the past two years. "There is a visible shift underway in the global balance of power, marked by China's renewed openness and the USA's retreat into nationalism," says Dr. Tim Klatte, Partner at Grant Thornton China. "As countries increasingly compete for influence through mobility, openness is becoming a critical component of soft power." Analysis commissioned for the Henley Global Mobility Report 2026 warns that a late-2025 proposal by US Customs and Border Protection could effectively end visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program. Citizens of 42 allied nations may be required to submit extensive personal, biometric, and digital data, with implementation possible as early as February. "This level of data collection enables real-time ideological screening and creates the risk that personal information could be shared, repurposed, or weaponized," warns Greg Lindsay, non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. These proposals follow the most extensive simultaneous expansion of US travel bans in modern history. From 1 January 2026, full or partial entry restrictions now apply to 39 countries. Mobility Planning Accelerates as Risk Management Becomes a Priority Demand for additional residence and citizenship rights continues to rise. In 2025, Henley & Partners received applications from 100 nationalities, with overall volumes up 28% year-on-year. The US is now the firm's largest client market. "Americans are continuing their scramble for alternative residence and citizenship amid ongoing political turbulence," says Prof. Peter J. Spiro, Professor at Temple University Law School. "What was once seen as an extreme contingency has become a mainstream form of risk management." Read Full Press Release
BANGKOK, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine has developed ER-VIPE, a virtual emergency-room simulation platform designed to strengthen teamwork, communication, and critical-thinking skills among future healthcare professionals. Supported by the university's Second Century Fund (C2F) since 2020, the program enables students from five disciplines—medicine, nursing, pharmacy, radiologic technology, and medical technology—to train together through high-pressure emergency scenarios that mirror real clinical challenges. ER-VIPE Simulation Game Builds Medical Students’ Soft Skills for Real-World Emergency Care ER-VIPE is integrated into the Interprofessional Collaboration for Patient Safety course held at the Chulalongkorn Healthcare Advanced Multi-Profession Simulation Center. Players assume different professional roles through avatars and work as a team to triage and treat diverse cases under strict time limits. Although game-based, the training emphasizes serious skill-building: leadership, clear communication, mutual support, and situational awareness, based on TeamSTEPPS—an internationally recognized framework for improving patient-safety outcomes. Asst. Prof. Dr. Khuansiri Narajeenron, the creator of ER-VIPE, stresses that strong clinical skills alone are not enough. "If we don't communicate or see the bigger picture, medical errors will occur," she said, noting that collaborative thinking remains a global challenge in healthcare. Research from the program shows improved teamwork, reduced stress, better communication, and increased resilience among students who train with ER-VIPE. The platform was developed through interdisciplinary collaboration, including Architecture, Engineering, and Communication Arts, to accurately map emergency-room workflows. ER-VIPE currently features three patented scenes: a COVID-era respiratory-failure case, cardiac ischemia requiring resuscitation, and a crowded ER scenario emphasizing patient flow, prioritization, and cross-disciplinary coordination. National-level gamers, pre-clinical students, and even administrators have been able to use the system after a brief orientation. The training has expanded beyond undergraduates to include first-year medical residents, graduate students, and multidisciplinary hospital staff. The program has demonstrated significant benefits, including shifts from "silo thinking" to system-based thinking and measurable reductions in treatment errors. Interest has also grown among rural-doctor training programs, highlighting ER-VIPE's potential to support nationwide healthcare development. A fourth scene—focused on accidents in older adults, including ethical considerations and AI-based soft-skill assessment—is now underway with support from the Chulalongkorn Innovation Fund. Expected to be completed this year, it will be the world's first simulation of its kind. Ultimately, ER-VIPE aims to cultivate healthcare teams who communicate better, think together, and deliver safer, more effective care. Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/276022/ Media Contact: Chula Communication CenterEmail: Pataraporn.r@chula.ac.th
SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei Digital Power held the Top 10 Trends of Smart PV & ESS Launch 2026, themed "All-Scenario Grid-Forming, Unleashing AI, and Forging Excellence: Advance Renewables as Main Energy Sources." Eric Zhong, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Smart PV & ESS Product Line, Huawei Digital Power, unveiled the trends along with the accompanying white paper, providing insights and practical paths for accelerating PV, wind, and energy storage systems (ESS) as main energy sources of renewable power systems while promoting high-quality industry development. Huawei released the Top 10 Trends of Smart PV & ESS Zhong noted that the industry is now entering a phase of deeper value creation, shifting from single-point innovations to integrated advances. Drawing on its expertise in PV and energy storage, Huawei released the top 10 trends. Trend 1: PV+wind+ESS Synergy Will Enable Renewables to Become Predictable, Controllable, Stable Power Sources Future utility-scale PV+wind+ESS plants must have five core characteristics: two pillars (stable and controllable power generation and costs) and three elements (independent operation with 100% renewables, full-link intelligent collaboration, and high safety and quality throughout the lifecycle). Trend 2: Grid-forming ESS Will Become a Key Support for Ensuring Power Grid Stability and Balance Grid-forming ESSs are becoming ubiquitous. They smooth out fluctuations in renewable power generation, enhance power supply stability, participate in energy markets, and provide ancillary services such as frequency regulation and peak shaving. Trend 3: Generation-grid-load-storage Synergy Will Drive Regional Autonomy and Global Coordination of Power Supply The AI-powered intelligent dispatch technology makes possible the in-depth collaboration and efficient coordination among power generation, grid, load, and ESS. Trend 4: In the Residential PV+ESS Scenario, Transition AI-enabled to AI-native, Delivering the Optimal Energy Experience In residential PV+ESS scenarios, products are evolving from AI-enabled to AI-native. AI is fully embedded in the design, experience, and O&M phases, moving beyond a basic strategy of maximum self-consumption to a proactive strategy of optimal energy experience. Trend 5: High Frequency and Density Will Drive an Increase in PV+ESS Device Power Density The power density of PV inverters and PCSs is expected to increase by more than 40% in the next few years. This will greatly improve the quality and efficiency of PV+ESS systems. Trend 6: High Voltage and Reliability Will Drive LCOE Reduction Better voltage resilience in key components and insulation materials is accelerating the shift toward high-voltage architectures. Meanwhile, safety measures are moving from reactive response to proactive prevention. Trend 7: Battery ≠ ESS, System-level Battery Management Is Essential to Safe and Stable Operation Digital technologies are used to accurately and reliably manage batteries from cells to systems. This is essential for higher discharge capacity, enhanced safety, longer service life, and simplified O&M of ESSs, which has become a basic requirement for a high-quality ESS. Trend 8: A Mature Grid-forming Technology System Will Accelerate the Construction of a Renewable Energy System The grid-forming ESS is evolving from a "passive follower" to an "active architect" of the power grid. Grid-forming technologies move beyond single-function roles toward systematic, deeply integrated applications. Trend 9: AI Agents Will Enable Renewable Power Plant Automation AI agents will be integrated into renewable energy plants at an ever-increasing pace. Cloud-edge-device synergy will help achieve power plant automation. Trend 10: Safety Quantification Will Drive Safety Capability Improvement Across the Energy Storage Industry ESS safety is shifting from sample-based checks to comprehensive, system-level assessments across the entire lifecycle. By defining measurable safety indicators and continuously enhancing capabilities to meet rated requirements, the industry can finally resolve long-standing issues.
PANAMA CITY, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HTX, a leading global crypto exchange, has officially launched Round 2 of the SunPump Ecosystem Trading Competition. This event invites users to engage in both spot and futures trading for a chance to share a 10,000 USDT prize pool. The competition is designed to boost activity across key SunPump ecosystem tokens while providing traders with additional incentives and diversified market opportunities. Round 2 runs from 10:00 (UTC) on January 5 to 10:00 (UTC) on January 18, 2026. During the period, users can participate by visiting the official event pages and trading designated SunPump ecosystem tokens in either the spot or futures markets. Eligible participants will be ranked based on their trading volume and rewarded accordingly. Two Trading Tracks Covering Spot and Futures Markets Spot Trading Competition Event Page: https://www.htx.com/en-us/assetactivity/web/tradinggame?activityId=571 Reward Pool: 5,000 USDT Eligible Tokens: TRX, SUN, BTT, JST, STEEM, WIN, NFT, SUNDOG, and SUNCAT. To further incentivize participation, margin trading volumes for the designated tokens will be calculated at three times their actual volume when determining leaderboard rankings, increasing users' chances of earning rewards. Futures Trading Competition Event Page: https://www.htx.com/en-us/mars/web/activity-center?callId=176760066398921 Eligible Contracts: USDT-margined perpetual contracts for TRX, SUN, BTT, JST, STEEM, WIN, and SUNDOG. Participants can earn rewards through two categories: First-time futures traders on HTX who complete an eligible trade can receive instant rewards in $HTX tokens out of an 1,000 USDT prize pool. Active traders with sufficient cumulative trading volume will compete on the leaderboard to share a 5,000 USDT futures prize pool, with top-ranked users receiving higher allocations. Strengthening the Link Between HTX and the SunPump Ecosystem The launch of SunPump Ecosystem Trading Competition underscores HTX's continued commitment to supporting high-potential blockchain ecosystems and expanding diversified trading scenarios for users. By integrating spot and futures markets around SunPump-related assets, HTX aims to enhance liquidity, encourage broader ecosystem participation, and provide users with more dynamic ways to engage with emerging on-chain narratives. Looking ahead, HTX will continue to deepen its collaboration with the SunPump ecosystem and introduce more interactive trading events, reinforcing its role as a global Web3 gateway that connects users with innovative projects and meaningful market opportunities. About HTX Founded in 2013, HTX (formerly Huobi) has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses. As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of "Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance," HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide. To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord.
SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- X Square Robot, a pioneer in general purpose embodied AI, announced on January 12 the completion of its Series A++ funding round, raising about US$140 million (RMB 1 billion). The funding attracted world-class investors, including ByteDance and HongShan, along with several other strategic Chinese partners. With leading tech companies such as Alibaba Group and Meituan already backing it from previous rounds, X Square Robot has demonstrated compelling model capabilities and product potential that continue to attract investor confidence. "We're honored to have the strong endorsement of our world-class strategic investors," said WANG Qian, founder and CEO of X Square Robot. "At X Square, we believe the key to enabling robots to truly master real-world tasks lies in the 'robot brain'—a foundation model for the physical world that parallels virtual LLMs to shatter generalization bottlenecks. This investment underscores shared confidence in our role as a catalyst for technological progress and will accelerate our expansion into high-value applications." WALL-A: Integrating VLA with World Models for Continuous Real-World Evolution Founded in December 2023, X Square Robot is a trailblazer in developing general-purpose end-to-end embodied AI foundation models in China. The company's in-house developed VLA model, WALL-A, pioneered a system paradigm that deeply integrates VLA with World Models, ranking among the world's most advanced systems. By using World Models to predict actions and causal inference to understand feedback, the model significantly enhances the zero-shot generalization capabilities of robots performing mobile manipulation tasks in unstructured environments. Simultaneously, large-scale real-robot reinforcement learning (RL) allows the foundation model to learn through physical interaction. This data-driven approach enables the robot to autonomously refine its skills and perform complex tasks in real-world environments. Alongside the development of WALL‑A, X Square Robot introduced WALL‑OSS in September 2025, an open‑source version of its model family designed to democratize embodied intelligence and accelerate community‑driven innovation. "The next phase of competition in embodied intelligence is essentially a battle of foundation models built on data closed-loops and their capacity for model evolution," noted Mr. Wang. To win this race, X Square Robot is also adhering to a closed-loop iteration of hardware, data, and models. As the first company in China to scale up real-world data resources, it has developed advanced data capture tools—including teleoperation, exoskeletons, and Universal Manipulation Interface (UMI). The company has also established a model-driven data pipeline that generates high-quality data at scale. By using the foundation model to provide feedback on hardware design and data processing, X Square Robot is improving acquisition efficiency and model performance, creating a self-reinforcing "flywheel". A First in Robotics: Fully Autonomous Food Delivery Using Foundation Models This end-to-end adaptability is proof that embodied AI has moved into practical, real-world deployment. A landmark breakthrough was recently demonstrated in autonomous food delivery, powered by Wall-A, where the Quanta X1, X Square Robot's wheeled bimanual robot, successfully navigated indoor and outdoor tasks to complete a delivery in an open environment. During the mission, Quanta X1 handled challenges such as strong winds, deformed packaging, and visual occlusions. Much like a human, the robot used the model's causal inference to "fill in the blanks" when objects were partially hidden. When encountering operational stalls or friction, the robot autonomously self-corrects and completes the task loop without any human intervention. This capacity is also demonstrated in complex logistics; facing piles of parcels, the robot utilizes zero-shot generalization to identify irregular items. Notably, the model's evolution has unlocked the potential of high DoF (degree of freedom) dexterous hands, mastering human-like skills from tool use to precise card dealing—successfully conquering the "last centimeter" of precision manipulation. From Full-Stack R&D to Multi-Scenario Deployment Driven by model and data requirements, X Square Robot has deeply defined its hardware architecture, releasing two high-performance robots: Quanta X1 and the Quanta X2, a wheeled humanoid robot. Meanwhile, X Square Robot also uses in-house developed core components—including robotic arms, joint modules, and controllers—establishing a solid foundation for mass production and commercial scale. "X Square Robot continues to iterate across our three core pillars: models, data pipelines, and hardware," said Wang. "By leveraging our technical depth and full-stack R&D, we consistently push the boundaries of robot performance." Today, X Square Robot's solutions are driving "a new era where embodied intelligence powers every layer of productivity." Its technologies are increasingly deployed across key industry verticals—from advanced manufacturing and autonomous logistics to senior healthcare services. Email: contact@x2robot.com
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, The article is from Shuzhi Society: AISpeech, a leading conversational AI platform provider, presented its latest breakthroughs in the intelligent mobility sector. With a focus on end-to-end conversational AI, AISpeech showcased the strength and innovation of China's AI technology on a global stage. AISpeech's Smart Mobility Solutions Debut at CES 2026 Orphi Voice Assistant: Omni-scenario Interaction Breakthrough AISpeech introduced its Orphi Voice Assistant, an intelligent in-vehicle interaction system built on its end-to-end voice and speech technology. Orphi provides flexible and customized in-vehicle dialogue system for automakers worldwide, integrating voice processing, recognition, synthesis, language understanding, noise suppression and other functionalities. Key features include full-duplex wake-free interaction, multi-intent understanding within one sentence, and "say what you see" functionality, all of which significantly enhance driving safety and the naturalness of human-machine interaction. Leveraging voiceprint recognition and multi-zone sound source localization, Orphi offers personalized responses for passengers in different seating positions, delivering a seamless and intelligent in-car interaction experience. Global Mobility Enabled by over 40 Languages Designed for global deployment, Orphi Voice Assistant supports over 40 languages—including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and others—with deep optimizations for regional accents, linguistic habits, and cultural nuances. This capability is backed by AISpeech's two championships in the Grand Challenge at ICASSP 2023 (2023 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing), a signal processing contest focusing on multi-speaker and multi-lingual speech synthesis. The system further demonstrates its adaptability through region-specific tuning, such as enhanced accent recognition for North America and tailored speech patterns for Europe, enabling seamless interaction across diverse linguistic environments. Global Partnerships: Empowering Domestic and International Brands AISpeech is dedicated to co-developing in-car voice and speech interaction experiences with global partners. The company has collaborated with top international brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audi, while also working closely with leading Chinese automakers such as BYD, SAIC GM Wuling, Great Wall Motor, and IM to help them expand globally. At AISpeech's CES 2026 booth, visitors experienced near-human conversational interaction through a smart cockpit equipped with the multilingual voice system. Its stable performance in noisy environments, accurate recognition of complex commands, and low-latency, high-accuracy responses drew praise from international attendees. A representative from a European automaker noted, "AISpeech's voice system delivers impressive performance in speech naturalness, adaptability to accents, and comprehension of less-common languages, demonstrating a solid foundation for serving the global market."
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