AI Is Shipping Faster Than Customers Can Adopt It, New Research Finds

AMSTERDAM, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Instruqt, the hands-on adoption platform used by software companies to onboard developers, customers, and prospects, today released its annual report, The State of Developer Adoption – the first independent benchmark of how marketing, sales, and education teams are responding to the widening gap between the pace of AI feature releases and the pace at which customers can actually adopt them.

The report, fielded by SlashData 2026 across 424 marketing, sales, and developer education practitioners at North American software companies, found that 92% of respondents face at least one significant developer adoption challenge. The most cited causes point to an operational problem, not a product one: misalignment across teams (27%), technology complexity (26%), and the difficulty of keeping content accurate as products ship weekly (25%).

The data points to a significant difference in outcomes among organizations that use hands-on learning experiences. Organizations using hands-on labs were approximately 50% more likely to report developers reaching productivity within two months than those that did not.

“The pace of AI innovation has fundamentally changed how software companies think about adoption,” said Adriaan Knapen, CEO of Instruqt. “Organizations have less time than ever to help customers understand, evaluate, and adopt new capabilities before the next wave of innovation arrives. The companies pulling ahead aren't the ones shipping more features. They're the ones who have figured out how to align marketing, sales, and education around a single hands-on experience the customer can actually touch.”

The adoption gap is now an operational gap

The report frames a structural shift in how B2B software companies need to operate. Marketing builds one demo. Sales builds a different one for POCs. Education rebuilds it again for onboarding. Every handoff loses context, every release breaks the content, and every customer starts over. The teams that flatten that motion into a single, reusable, hands-on experience are the ones converting AI investment into AI adoption.

Other notable findings from the report:

  • Community remains the most underutilized adoption lever. Developer community spaces received the highest perceived effectiveness rating of any adoption practice in the survey, with one in three practitioners ranking them in their top three. Yet adoption levels sit at roughly the same level as static video tutorials, suggesting underinvestment in the format that works best.
  • High-impact pre-sales experiences remain underused. Proofs of concept are rated more effective than their adoption levels suggest, pointing to underutilization in pre-sales motions.
  • Different teams define successful hands-on experiences differently. Sales teams prioritize realism in hands-on experiences (39% rank production-like environments as the single most important characteristic), while education teams prioritize real-time guidance and feedback.
  • AI adoption is growing, but confidence is not. Half of practitioners describe their AI use as extensive, yet more than one-third plan to reduce it, citing accuracy and content freshness concerns.

Why this matters for the AI category

For developer-focused software companies, the report suggests that customer adoption is becoming an increasingly important determinant of growth as innovation cycles accelerate. Many of the industry's fastest-growing software companies have invested heavily in hands-on education, self-paced labs, interactive product experiences, and developer enablement programs as part of broader adoption strategies. The pattern, the report argues, is no longer a “nice to have” enablement motion. It is the growth motion.

Earlier this month, Google Cloud Security selected Instruqt to launch its Agentic SOC experience at Google Cloud Next 2026, training 50 practitioners in a single workshop with a dedicated Vertex AI environment per participant.

“On the AI front, Instruqt is fantastic because it allows us to spin up a dedicated Vertex environment per participant,” said Keith Manville, Customer Engineer at Google Cloud Security. “That changes what's possible in a workshop.”

The State of Developer Adoption report, including methodology and respondent demographics, is available today at instruqt.com/ai-adoption. The full methodology, including the SlashData survey instrument and respondent breakdown, is published with the report.

About Instruqt

Instruqt is the hands-on adoption platform that B2B software companies use to turn complex products into experiences customers can actually use. Marketing teams use Instruqt to drive qualified leads through interactive product experiences. Sales teams use it to run higher-quality demos and POCs without the setup tax. Education teams use it to scale onboarding and certification with real environments instead of slideware. Customers include Google Cloud, MongoDB, Elastic, HashiCorp, Red Hat, and Puppet. Learn more at instruqt.com.

About SlashData

SlashData is the leading analyst firm in the developer economy, tracking developer trends across mobile, desktop, IoT, cloud, web, AR/VR, machine learning, and games. The firm's research is based on surveys of more than 40,000 developers in 165+ countries annually.

Tyler Crumpler 
VP of Marketing
Instruqt 
(919) 417-2146 
[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1001185296)

CGTN: 70 Jahre chinesisch-afrikanische Beziehungen – gemeinsame Herausforderungen und ein gemeinsames Streben nach Modernisierung

PEKING, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dieses Jahr markiert das 70-jährige Jubiläum der chinesisch-afrikanischen Beziehungen. CGTN hat einen Artikel veröffentlicht, der Afrikas herausragende Rolle in Chinas Außenpolitik hervorhebt und die Entwicklung der chinesisch-afrikanischen Partnerschaft über Jahrzehnte hinweg zurückverfolgt. Der Artikel untersucht zudem, wie die Vertiefung der Zusammenarbeit in den letzten Jahren dazu beigetragen hat, die Stimme und Vertretung des Globalen Südens zu stärken und eine ausgewogenere und demokratischere Weltordnung voranzutreiben.

Anlässlich des 70-jährigen Jubiläums der chinesisch-ägyptischen Beziehungen tauschten der chinesische Präsident Xi Jinping und der ägyptische Präsident Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi am Samstag Glückwunschbotschaften aus; dabei wurde auch ein weiterer Meilenstein gewürdigt: das 70-jährige Bestehen der chinesisch-afrikanischen Beziehungen.

Xi betonte, dass die Beziehungen zwischen China und Ägypten in den vergangenen 70 Jahren einen Vorbildcharakter in Bezug auf Freundschaft, Solidarität und Zusammenarbeit unter den Entwicklungsländern erlangt haben. Zudem setzten sie Maßstäbe für Chinas Zusammenarbeit sowohl mit den arabischen Staaten als auch mit den afrikanischen Ländern.

Aus einer Freundschaft, die in gemeinsamen historischen Herausforderungen wurzelt, ist inzwischen eine dynamische Partnerschaft entstanden. Heute stehen gemeinsame Entwicklung, Modernisierung und die stärkere Positionierung des Globalen Südens im Mittelpunkt der Zusammenarbeit.

Von Solidarität zu strategischer Partnerschaft

Das Fundament der chinesisch-afrikanischen Freundschaft wurde in einer Phase tiefgreifender politischer Umbrüche gelegt.

In den 1950er bis 1970er Jahren unterstützte China zahlreiche afrikanische Länder in ihrem Streben nach Unabhängigkeit und Selbstbestimmung. Die afrikanischen Staaten trugen ihrerseits maßgeblich dazu bei, dass die Volksrepublik China 1971 ihren rechtmäßigen Sitz in den Vereinten Nationen zurückerhielt. Von den insgesamt 76 Ja-Stimmen für die entsprechende Resolution kamen 26 aus Afrika – ein wichtiger Grundstein für das bis heute bestehende gegenseitige Vertrauen.

Anfang dieses Jahres besuchte der chinesische Außenminister Wang Yi Afrika und setzte damit eine 36-jährige Tradition fort: Jedes Jahr ist der afrikanische Kontinent das Ziel der ersten Auslandsreise des chinesischen Außenministers – ein Beleg für den Stellenwert der Beziehungen zwischen China und Afrika.

In den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten hat sich die Zusammenarbeit zwischen China und Afrika deutlich ausgeweitet. Mit der Gründung des Forums für China-Afrika-Kooperation (FOCAC) im Jahr 2000 wurde ein institutioneller Rahmen für die Zusammenarbeit geschaffen. Weitere Impulse erhielt die Partnerschaft durch Chinas Afrika-Politik, die auf Aufrichtigkeit, konkreten Ergebnissen, Freundschaft und gegenseitigem Vertrauen basiert. Im Jahr 2015 werteten beide Seiten ihre Beziehungen zu einer umfassenden strategischen Kooperationspartnerschaft auf und starteten die „Zehn Kooperationspläne“, womit sie eine solide Grundlage für die rasche Modernisierung auf dem gesamten afrikanischen Kontinent schufen.

Auf dem FOCAC-Gipfel 2024 verständigten sich China und Afrika darauf, ihre Beziehungen zu einer krisenfesten Schicksalsgemeinschaft für die neue Ära auszubauen. Darüber hinaus weitete China bis 2025 den zollfreien Marktzugang von ursprünglich 33 auf alle 53 afrikanischen Staaten aus, die diplomatische Beziehungen zu China unterhalten. Damit wurde China zur ersten großen Volkswirtschaft, die sämtlichen afrikanischen Partnerländern mit diplomatischen Beziehungen einseitig Zollfreiheit für alle Produktkategorien gewährt.

Der renommierte tansanische Ökonom Humphrey Moshi bezeichnete die Zusammenarbeit zwischen China und Afrika als ein bedeutendes Beispiel für die Solidarität des Globalen Südens. Eine solche Solidarität, so Moshi, ermögliche es Entwicklungsländern, sich von „passiven Teilnehmern“ zu „aktiven Mitgestaltern“ internationaler Normen und Strukturen zu wandeln.

Modernisierung durch praxisnahe Zusammenarbeit

Während das politische Vertrauen das Fundament bildet, fungiert die wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit als verlässlicher Stabilisator und Wachstumsmotor dieser Partnerschaft.

Nach Angaben der Allgemeinen Zollverwaltung Chinas erreichte das Handelsvolumen zwischen China und Afrika im Jahr 2025 mit 348 Milliarden US-Dollar einen historischen Höchststand. Gegenüber dem Vorjahr entspricht dies einem Anstieg von 17,7 Prozent. China blieb damit zum 17. Mal in Folge Afrikas wichtigster Handelspartner. Auch 2026 setzte sich diese Entwicklung fort. Allein im ersten Quartal erreichte das Handelsvolumen zwischen China und den afrikanischen Staaten 646,56 Milliarden Yuan (92,2 Milliarden US-Dollar). Das entspricht einem Zuwachs von 23,7 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahreszeitraum.

Gleichzeitig hat die „Belt and Road“-Initiative die Infrastrukturvernetzung auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent spürbar vorangebracht. Durch die Modernisierung des Eisenbahnnetzes mit Projekten wie der TAZARA-Eisenbahn und der Normalspurbahn Mombasa–Nairobi entstanden Infrastrukturprojekte mit Signalwirkung, die beispielhaft für die hochwertige Zusammenarbeit zwischen China und Afrika im Rahmen der Initiative stehen.

Nach Angaben des chinesischen Außenministeriums hatte China bis 2023 mit 19 afrikanischen Staaten Schuldenerlassabkommen geschlossen oder entsprechende Vereinbarungen getroffen. Damit leistete das Land den größten Beitrag zu den Maßnahmen zur Aussetzung des Schuldendienstes im Rahmen der G20-Initiative.

Parallel dazu hat China über Stipendienprogramme, berufliche Qualifizierungsmaßnahmen und akademische Austauschprogramme Zehntausende afrikanische Fachkräfte ausgebildet. Bis Juni 2025 wurden in 15 afrikanischen Ländern insgesamt 17 Luban-Werkstätten eingerichtet. Zudem hat der chinesisch-afrikanische Hochschulkooperationsplan – eine Partnerschaftsinitiative zwischen chinesischen und afrikanischen Hochschulen – inzwischen 114 Einrichtungen des tertiären Bildungssektors vernetzt.

Paul Frimpong, Exekutivdirektor und Senior Research Fellow des Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory, erklärte, Chinas Beitrag zur Entwicklung Afrikas werde zunehmend sichtbar.

„Der Austausch von Wissen, Fähigkeiten und Erfahrungen zwischen China und Afrika in Bereichen wie der Fertigungsindustrie und der grünen Energie prägt Afrikas Weg zur Modernisierung und Eigenständigkeit nachhaltig“, sagte er.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-05-30/China-Africa-ties-at-70-Path-to-a-shared-dream-of-modernization-1NzbT7rDWhy/p.html


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729806)

CGTN : 70 ans de relations sino-africaines : d’un passé de luttes communes à un projet partagé de modernisation

PÉKIN, 01 juin 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cette année marque le 70e anniversaire des relations sino-africaines. CGTN a publié un article soulignant le rôle prioritaire de l’Afrique dans la politique étrangère chinoise, tout en retraçant la construction et le renforcement du partenariat sino-africain au fil des décennies. Cet article analyse également la manière dont l’approfondissement de la coopération au cours des dernières années a accru l’influence et la représentation du Sud global, tout en favorisant l’émergence d’un ordre international plus équilibré et plus démocratique.

L’échange de messages de félicitations entre le président chinois Xi Jinping et son homologue égyptien Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, samedi, à l’occasion du 70e anniversaire des relations sino-égyptiennes, a également souligné une étape plus vaste : sept décennies de relations entre la Chine et l’Afrique.

Xi Jinping a souligné qu’au cours des 70 dernières années, les relations sino-égyptiennes ont constitué un modèle d’amitié, de solidarité et de coopération entre pays en développement, mais aussi une référence pour la coopération entre la Chine et les États arabes ainsi qu’entre la Chine et l’Afrique.

Aujourd’hui, les relations sino-africaines sont passées d’une amitié forgée dans la lutte commune à un partenariat dynamique consacré au développement, à la modernisation et à l’essor des pays du Sud.

De la solidarité au partenariat stratégique

Les fondements de l’amitié sino-africaine ont été posés durant une période de profonds bouleversements politiques.

Des années 1950 aux années 1970, la Chine a fermement soutenu les pays africains dans leurs luttes pour l’indépendance et la libération nationales. En retour, les nations africaines ont joué un rôle déterminant dans le rétablissement du siège légitime de la République populaire de Chine auprès des Nations Unies en 1971. Sur les 76 votes favorables à la résolution, 26 provenaient de pays africains, qui ont alors jeté les bases d’une confiance mutuelle particulièrement solide entre la Chine et l’Afrique.

Plus tôt cette année, le ministre chinois des Affaires étrangères, Wang Yi, s’est rendu en Afrique. Ce faisant, il a perpétué une tradition vieille de 36 ans consistant à faire du continent la première destination étrangère annuelle du ministre chinois des Affaires étrangères, un choix qui témoigne de l’importance accordée aux relations entre la Chine et l’Afrique.

Au cours des deux dernières décennies, la coopération sino-africaine a connu un développement rapide. En 2000, la création du Forum sur la coopération sino-africaine (FOCAC) a offert un cadre institutionnel à la coopération, tandis que la politique chinoise en Afrique, fondée sur la sincérité, les résultats concrets, l’amitié et la bonne foi, a continué d’orienter les relations bilatérales. En 2015, les deux parties ont porté leurs relations au rang de partenariat stratégique global en lançant les « Dix plans de coopération », un événement qui a jeté les bases d’une modernisation rapide du continent africain.

Puis, lors du sommet du FOCAC de 2024, la Chine et l’Afrique ont encore renforcé leurs relations afin de les ériger en véritable communauté de destin pour l’avenir. La Chine a par ailleurs élargi, en 2025, son régime d’accès sans droits de douane, qui concernait auparavant 33 pays africains, à l’ensemble des 53 pays africains ayant des relations diplomatiques avec Pékin. Elle est ainsi devenue la première grande puissance économique à offrir un accès unilatéral, en franchise de droits, à l’ensemble des catégories de produits à l’ensemble des pays africains avec lesquels elle entretient des relations diplomatiques.

Humphrey Moshi, économiste tanzanien renommé, a qualifié la coopération sino-africaine d’exemple significatif de la solidarité du Sud global. Il a déclaré que cette solidarité permettait de transformer les pays en développement de « participants passifs » en « acteurs actifs de l’élaboration des règles internationales ».

Poursuivre la modernisation par la coopération concrète

Si la confiance politique constitue le fondement des relations sino-africaines, la coopération économique est devenue à la fois un pilier de stabilité et un moteur de croissance de ce partenariat.

Selon les données publiées par la GACC (Administration générale des douanes chinoises), les échanges commerciaux entre la Chine et l’Afrique ont atteint un niveau record de 348 milliards de dollars en 2025, soit une hausse de 17,7 % par rapport à l’année précédente. La Chine a ainsi conservé sa position de principal partenaire commercial de l’Afrique pour la dix-septième année consécutive. Cette dynamique s’est poursuivie en 2026. Au premier trimestre seulement, les échanges commerciaux de la Chine avec les pays africains ont totalisé 646,56 milliards de yuans (soit 92,2 milliards de dollars), en progression de 23,7 % sur un an.

Dans le même temps, l’initiative « Belt and Road » a profondément transformé la connectivité du continent africain en modernisant le réseau ferroviaire grâce à des projets phares tels que la ligne Tazara et la ligne à écartement standard Mombasa-Nairobi. Ces projets font figure de référence en matière de coopération de haute qualité entre la Chine et l’Afrique dans le cadre de cette initiative.

Selon le ministère chinois des Affaires étrangères, la Chine avait signé des accords d’allègement de la dette ou conclu des ententes en ce sens avec 19 pays africains en 2023, ce qui en fait le principal contributeur aux efforts de suspension du service de la dette dans le cadre du G20.

Parallèlement, la Chine a formé des dizaines de milliers de professionnels africains grâce à des bourses d’études, des formations professionnelles et des programmes d’échange éducatif. En juin 2025, la Chine avait établi 17 ateliers Luban dans 15 pays africains, tandis que le plan de coopération universitaire Chine-Afrique, une initiative d’enseignement supérieur qui associe des universités chinoises à des institutions africaines, avait déjà tissé des liens entre 114 établissements d’enseignement supérieur.

Paul Frimpong, directeur exécutif et chercheur principal de l’Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory, un centre de réflexion et de conseil spécialisé dans les relations sino-africaines, a déclaré que la contribution de la Chine au développement de l’Afrique produisait des résultats de plus en plus tangibles.

« Le partage par la Chine de ses connaissances, de ses compétences et de son expérience dans des secteurs tels que l’industrie manufacturière et les énergies vertes a un impact profond sur la transition de l’Afrique vers la modernisation et l’autonomie », a-t-il ajouté.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-05-30/China-Africa-ties-at-70-Path-to-a-shared-dream-of-modernization-1NzbT7rDWhy/p.html


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729806)

CGTN: 70 anos das relações China-África: Das lutas compartilhadas a um sonho comum de modernização

PEQUIM, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Este ano marca o 70º aniversário das relações China-África. A CGTN publicou um artigo destacando o papel prioritário da África na política externa geral da China, e como a parceria China-África foi desenvolvida e fortalecida ao longo de décadas. O artigo também aborda como o aumento da cooperação nos últimos anos ajudou a ampliar a voz e a representação do Sul Global, e a contribuir para o avanço de uma ordem internacional mais equilibrada e democrática.

No sábado, presidente chinês Xi Jinping e o presidente egípcio Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi trocaram mensagens de felicitações em comemoração ao 70º aniversário dos laços China-Egito. A ocasião também destacou um marco mais amplo: sete décadas de relações China-África.

Xi observou que nos últimos 70 anos as relações China-Egito se tornaram um modelo de amizade, solidariedade e cooperação de países em desenvolvimento, bem como uma referência para a cooperação da China com os Estados árabes, e da China com a África.

As relações China-África evoluíram de uma amizade desenvolvida de lutas compartilhadas para uma parceria dinâmica dedicada ao desenvolvimento, à modernização e à ascensão do Sul Global.

Da solidariedade à parceria estratégica

As bases da amizade China-África foram desenvolvidas durante um período de profunda mudanças políticas.

Das décadas de 1950 a 1970, a China apoiou firmemente os países africanos nas suas lutas pela independência e libertação nacional. As nações africanas, por sua vez, tiveram um papel decisivo na restauração da cadeira legítima da República Popular da China nas Nações Unidas em 1971. Dos 76 votos a favor da resolução, 26 foram de países africanos – estabelecendo uma base sólida para a confiança mútua China-África.

No início deste ano, o ministro das Relações Exteriores da China, Wang Yi, visitou a África dando continuidade a uma tradição anual de 36 anos de tornar o continente o destino da primeira viagem ao exterior do ministro das Relações Exteriores da China, destacando a importância das relações China-África.

Nas últimas duas décadas, a cooperação China-África se expandiu rapidamente. A criação do Fórum de Cooperação China-África (FOCAC) em 2000 estabelecendo um quadro institucional para a cooperação, enquanto a política africana da China de sinceridade, resultados reais, amizade e boa-fé orientou ainda mais as relações bilaterais. Em 2015, eles elevaram seus laços com uma parceria cooperativa estratégica abrangente e lançamento dos “Dez Planos de Cooperação”, estabelecendo uma base sólida para a rápida modernização em todo o continente africano.

Na conferência FOCAC de 2024, a China e a África ampliaram ainda mais suas relações com uma comunidade para todos os climas com um futuro compartilhado para a nova era. A China também expandiu a isenção de impostos de 33 países africanos para todos os 53 países africanos com laços diplomáticos até 2025, tornando-se a primeira grande economia a conceder tratamento unilateral de tarifa zero em todos os produtos para todos os países africanos com os quais tem relações diplomáticas.

Humphrey Moshi, um proeminente economista tanzaniano, descreveu a cooperação China-África como um exemplo significativo de solidariedade com o Sul Global. Ele disse que essa solidariedade ajuda a transformar os países em desenvolvimento de “participantes passivos” em “formadores ativos” de regras internacionais.

Aumento da modernização por meio da cooperação prática

Embora a confiança política seja a base das relações China-África, a cooperação econômica passou a ser o fator de estabilização e do crescimento da parceria.

De acordo com dados divulgados pela Administração Geral da Alfândega da China, o comércio entre a China e a África atingiu um recorde de US$ 348 bilhões em 2025, um aumento de 17,7% em relação ao ano anterior, com a China continuando a ser a maior parceira comercial da África pelo 17º ano consecutivo. E isso teve continuidade em 2026. Somente no primeiro trimestre, o comércio da China com os países africanos atingiu um total de 646,56 bilhões de yuans (US$ 92,2 bilhões), um aumento anual de 23,7%.

Por outro lado, a Iniciativa do Cinturão e Rota reformulou a conectividade em todo o continente, atualizando o sistema ferroviário com projetos como a Ferrovia Tazara e a Ferrovia de Bitola Padrão de Mombaça-Nairobi, dois projetos emblemáticos que estabelecem exemplos de cooperação de alta qualidade do Cinturão e Rota entre a China e a África.

De acordo com o Ministério das Relações Exteriores da China, a China assinou entendimentos ou acordos de redução de dívida com 19 países africanos até 2023, tornando-se o maior contribuinte para os esforços de suspensão do serviço da dívida no âmbito do G20.

Além disso, a China treinou dezenas de milhares de profissionais africanos com a concessão de bolsas de estudo, treinamento vocacional e programas de intercâmbio educacional. Em junho de 2025, a China estabeleceu 17 Oficinas de Luban em 15 países africanos. O plano de cooperação universitária China-África, uma iniciativa de ensino superior que une universidades chinesas a instituições africanas, conectou 114 instituições de ensino superior.

Paul Frimpong, diretor executivo e pesquisador sênior do Centro África-China de Políticas e Assessoria, disse que a contribuição da China para o desenvolvimento da África está cada vez mais visível.

“O compartilhamento de conhecimentos, habilidades e experiência da China em setores como manufatura e energia verde está tendo um impacto profundo na jornada da África em direção à modernização e à autossuficiência”, disse ele.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-05-30/China-Africa-ties-at-70-Path-to-a-shared-dream-of-modernization-1NzbT7rDWhy/p.html


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729806)

CGTN: العلاقات الصينية الإفريقية في عامها السبعين: من مسيرة النضال المشترك إلى حلم مشترك بالتحديث

بكين, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  يصادف هذا العام الذكرى السبعين للعلاقات الصينية الإفريقية. نشرت شبكة CGTN مقالاً يسلّط الضوء على الدور المحوري لإفريقيا في السياسة الخارجية للصين بشكل عام، مستعرضًا في الوقت نفسه كيف تشكّلت الشراكة الصينية الإفريقية وتعززت على مدى عقود. كما يتناول المقال كيف أسهم تعميق التعاون خلال السنوات الأخيرة في تعزيز صوت وتمثيل دول الجنوب العالمي، وساهم في إرساء نظام دولي أكثر توازنًا وديمقراطية.

في الوقت الذي تبادل فيه الرئيس الصيني Xi Jinping والرئيس المصري Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi، يوم السبت، برقيات التهنئة بمناسبة الذكرى السبعين للعلاقات بين الصين ومصر، سلّطت هذه المناسبة الضوء أيضًا على إنجاز أوسع نطاقًا، يتمثل في مرور سبعة عقود من العلاقات بين الصين وإفريقيا.

أشار Xi إلى أن العلاقات بين الصين ومصر أصبحت، على مدى السنوات السبعين الماضية، نموذجًا للصداقة والتضامن والتعاون بين الدول النامية، ومعيارًا يُحتذى به للتعاون بين الصين والدول العربية، وكذلك بين الصين وإفريقيا.

تطورت العلاقات بين الصين وإفريقيا اليوم من صداقة تشكّلت عبر نضالات مشتركة إلى شراكة ديناميكية مكرّسة للتنمية والتحديث ونهوض دول الجنوب العالمي.

من روحالتضامن إلى شراكة استراتيجية

تشكّلت أسس الصداقة بين الصين وإفريقيا في ظل مرحلة شهدت تحولات سياسية كبرى.

من خمسينيات إلى سبعينيات القرن الماضي، دعمت الصين بقوة الدول الإفريقية في نضالاتها من أجل الاستقلال الوطني والتحرر. في المقابل، أدت الدول الإفريقية دورًا حاسمًا في استعادة المقعد الشرعي لجمهورية الصين الشعبية في الأمم المتحدة عام 1971، فمن أصل 76 صوتًا مؤيدًا للقرار، جاء 26 صوتًا من دول إفريقية، وهو ما وضع أساسًا متينًا للثقة المتبادلة بين الصين وإفريقيا.

في وقت سابق من هذا العام، زار وزير الخارجية الصيني Wang Yi القارة الإفريقية، مواصلاً تقليدًا ممتدًا منذ 36 عامًا يقضي بجعل القارة الإفريقية الوجهة الأولى لوزير الخارجية الصيني لزياراته الخارجية السنوية، ما يبرز أهمية العلاقات بين الصين وإفريقيا.

على مدى العقدين الماضيين، شهد التعاون بين الصين وإفريقيا توسعًا سريعًا، فقد وفّر إنشاء منتدى التعاون الصيني الإفريقي (FOCAC) عام 2000 إطارًا مؤسسيًا للتعاون، بينما واصلت سياسة الصين تجاه إفريقيا، المبنية على الصدق والنتائج الملموسة والصداقة وحسن النية، توجيه العلاقات الثنائية نحو الأمام. في عام 2015، ارتقى الجانبان بعلاقاتهما إلى شراكة تعاونية استراتيجية شاملة، وأطلقاخطط التعاون العشر، ما أرسى أساسًا متينًا للتحديث السريع في مختلف أنحاء القارة الإفريقية.

خلال قمة منتدى التعاون الصيني الإفريقي (FOCAC) لعام 2024، ارتقى الجانبان بعلاقتهما مجددًا إلى مستوى مجتمع متماسك في جميع الظروف، يتمتع بمستقبل مشترك في العصر الجديد. كما وسّعت الصين نطاق الإعفاء من الرسوم الجمركية ليشمل جميع الدول الإفريقية البالغ عددها 53 دولة التي تربطها بها علاقات دبلوماسية بحلول عام 2025، بعد أن كان يقتصر على 33 دولة إفريقية، لتصبح بذلك أول اقتصاد رئيسي يمنح معاملة أحادية الجانب تتمثل في إلغاء الرسوم الجمركية لكافة فئات المنتجات لكل دولة إفريقية تربطها بها علاقات دبلوماسية.

وصف Humphrey Moshi، وهو خبير اقتصادي تنزاني بارز، التعاون بين الصين وإفريقيا بأنه مثال مهم على تضامن دول الجنوب العالمي. وقال إن هذا التضامن يساعد على تحويل الدول النامية منمشاركين سلبيينإلىفاعلين مؤثرينفي صياغة القواعد الدولية.

دفع عجلةالتحديث من خلال التعاون العملي

بينما تشكّل الثقة السياسية الأساس للعلاقات بين الصين وإفريقيا، أصبح التعاون الاقتصادي بمثابة عامل استقرار ومحرك للنمو في هذه الشراكة.

وفقًا للبيانات الصادرة عن الإدارة العامة للجمارك الصينية، بلغ حجم التجارة بين الصين وإفريقيا رقمًا قياسيًا قدره 348 مليار دولار في عام 2025، بزيادة قدرها 17.7% عن العام السابق، حيث ظلت الصين أكبر شريك تجاري لإفريقيا للسنة السابعة عشرة على التوالي. وقد استمر هذا الزخم حتى عام 2026، ففي الربع الأول فقط، بلغ حجم التجارة بين الصين والدول الإفريقية 646.56 مليار يوان (92.2 مليار دولار)، بزيادة سنوية قدرها 23.7.%

وفي الوقت نفسه، أعادت مبادرة الحزام والطريق تشكيل الترابط في مختلف أنحاء القارة من خلال تطوير أنظمة السكك الحديدية عبر مشاريع مثل خط سكة حديد تازارا وخط السكك الحديدية القياسية مومباسا-نيروبي، وهما مشروعان رائدان يشكلان نموذجًا للتعاون عالي الجودة في إطار مبادرة الحزام والطريق بين الصين وإفريقيا.

وفقًا لوزارة الخارجية الصينية، وقّعت الصين اتفاقيات لتخفيف عبء الديون أو توصلت إلى تفاهمات في هذا الشأن مع 19 دولة إفريقية حتى عام 2023، ما يجعلها أكبر مساهم في جهود تعليق سداد الديون ضمن إطار مجموعة العشرين.

وفي السياق نفسه، درّبت الصين عشرات الآلاف من المهنيين الأفارقة من خلال المنح الدراسية والتدريب المهني وبرامج التبادل التعليمي. واعتبارًا من يونيو/حزيران 2025، أنشأت الصين 17 ورشة عمل باسم “Luban” في 15 دولة إفريقية، في حين ربطت خطة التعاون الجامعي بين الصين وإفريقيا، وهي مبادرة للتعليم العالي تجمع بين الجامعات الصينية ونظيراتها الإفريقية، 114 مؤسسة للتعليم العالي.

قال Paul Frimpong، المدير التنفيذي والباحث الأول في Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory، إن مساهمة الصين في تنمية إفريقيا باتت أكثر وضوحًا بشكل متزايد.

وأضاف: “إن تبادل الصين للمعرفة والمهارات والخبرات في قطاعات مثل التصنيع والطاقة الخضراء يؤثر تأثيرًا عميقًا على مسيرة إفريقيا نحو التحديث والاعتماد على الذات.”

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-05-30/China-Africa-ties-at-70-Path-to-a-shared-dream-of-modernization-1NzbT7rDWhy/p.html


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729806)

Orano Increases Ownership in Cigar Lake Mine in Canada

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orano Canada Inc. (Orano Canada) and Cameco Corporation (Cameco) have reached an agreement to jointly acquire TEPCO Resources Inc. (TEPCO) 5% ownership in the Cigar Lake Joint Venture. Orano is pleased to announce that, upon closing, this transaction will increase its share by 2.129% to a total of 42.582% of the joint venture. Cameco’s ownership will also rise to a total of 57.418%.

“This agreement reflects the strength of our long-term relationship with Cameco and our shared commitment to supporting energy security through reliable, low-carbon nuclear energy. At Orano, we remain focused on investment and operational excellence in support of our customers worldwide,” said Xavier Saint Martin Tillet, Senior Executive Vice President, Orano Mining Business Unit.

“We are pleased to increase Orano’s ownership stake in the Cigar Lake mine,” said Pascal Bastien, President and CEO, Orano Canada. “This investment reflects our long-term confidence in Saskatchewan and its importance to Orano’s future growth in the global nuclear fuel cycle. We thank our long-standing partner, TEPCO, for its contribution to this operation over many years. Together with Cameco, we remain committed to the safe and reliable operation of the Cigar Lake mine and McClean Lake mill, while continuing to support our employees and the communities where we operate.”

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions and should be closed in the third quarter of 2026.

About Orano Canada

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Orano Canada Inc. is a leading producer of uranium, accounting for the processing of 19.8 million pounds of uranium concentrate produced in Canada in 2025. Orano Canada has been exploring for uranium, mining and milling in Canada for more than 60 years. Orano Canada is the operator of the McClean Lake uranium mill and a major partner in the Cigar Lake (currently 40.453% increasing to 42.582%), McArthur River (30.2%) and Key Lake (16.7%) operations. The McClean Lake joint venture is owned by Orano Canada (77.5%) and Denison Mines (22.5%). Orano toll mills the ore from the Cigar Lake mine at the McClean Lake mill.

The company employs about 500 people in Saskatchewan, including nearly 400 at the McClean Lake operation where over 44% of employees are self-declared Indigenous. As a sustainable uranium producer, Orano Canada is committed to safety, environmental protection, and contributing to the prosperity and well-being of neighbouring communities.

Orano Canada Inc. is a 100% subsidiary of Orano Mining, part of the multinational Orano group. As a recognized international operator in the field of nuclear materials, Orano delivers solutions to address present and future global energy and health challenges. Its expertise and mastery of cutting-edge technologies enable Orano to offer its customers high value-added products and services throughout the entire fuel cycle. Every day, the Orano group’s 18,500 employees draw on their skills, unwavering dedication to safety and constant quest for innovation, with the commitment to develop know-how in the transformation and control of nuclear materials, for the climate and for a healthy and resource-efficient world, now and tomorrow.

Visit Orano at www.oranocanada.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @oranocanada

Media Contact
Carla Vipond
T: +1 (306) 343-4518
C: +1 (306) 260-9976
[email protected]

 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729767)

Zoom launches ZoomMate: the first AI teammate built to turn conversations into completed work

  • Generally available today, ZoomMate combines agentic search, AI-generated presentations and deliverables, and automated execution in Salesforce, Jira, Slack, ServiceNow, and more

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) announced the launch of ZoomMate, an agentic AI work surface to help people move from workplace conversations to execution without losing context along the way. Built on Zoom’s system of action vision announced in March, ZoomMate connects live conversational context to agentic search, workflow execution, custom agents, and AI content creation.

ZoomMate helps users overcome the friction introduced by fragmented tools and incomplete workflows by surfacing information across Zoom and connected business systems, creating deliverables from meeting and enterprise context, and coordinating follow-through across workflows without switching tools. This shift reflects Zoom’s long-term vision for a system of action that moves conversations into completed work.

“What drew me to Zoom was a simple truth: no other company sits where Zoom sits — at the center of every conversation where work decisions get made,” said Russell Dicker, chief product officer at Zoom. “ZoomMate is built on this insight. Before, during, and after the meeting, ZoomMate connects what was decided to what needs to happen next across every system where your work lives.”

“The market is moving away from isolated AI helpers and toward tools that can better connect decisions, data, and workflows across an organization,” said Melody Brue, vice president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Many AI offerings operate on the edges of work, with limited access to the real-time context affecting decisions. ZoomMate approaches this differently because it sits inside the conversations where those decisions unfold. This can give it live business context and help make its recommendations more grounded in the work that teams are actually doing.”

ZoomMate capabilities: Search, orchestrate, and complete

ZoomMate introduces advanced agentic AI capabilities that help teams move from insight to completion.

Agentic Search: Bring enterprise knowledge into every conversation

  • ZoomMate helps users search across Zoom, the web, and third-party systems to find the most relevant information for a project, account, ticket, policy, or business question.
  • By connecting to data sources such as ServiceNow, Salesforce, and Workday, and indexing across users’ integrated enterprise systems, ZoomMate can surface information from enterprise files, including customer records, open issues, service tickets, knowledge articles, project updates, files, and other business content.
  • Relevant context from Zoom Meetings, Phone, Chat, and other connected collaboration platforms — including Google and Microsoft — can be directly integrated into the flow of work, so users always have what they need without switching tools or breaking focus.
  • Results are grounded in the organization's connected knowledge and designed to respect enterprise access controls, permissions, and governance.
  • Unlike enterprise search tools that index documents alone, ZoomMate connects the files, the records, and the conversations behind them.

Orchestrate: Coordinate follow-through across teams, apps, and systems

  • ZoomMate’s agentic layer enables proactive coordination and execution across systems, combining AI workflows with intelligent agents that can act, learn, and adapt within enterprise environments.
  • Agents can monitor ongoing projects, identify next steps from meeting context, and automatically initiate follow-up actions, ensuring continuity from conversation to completion.
  • Coordinates real-time task execution across meetings, apps, and systems to turn recurring processes into repeatable workflows.
  • Schedules events in Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook and routes requests to appropriate systems.
  • Updates records, creates follow-up tasks, drafts customer communications, and triggers onboarding or support workflows.
  • Reduces handoff gaps by connecting conversational context with execution.

Complete: Turn meetings and enterprise context into finished deliverables

  • ZoomMate turns meetings into finished work, automatically creating presentations, documents, spreadsheets, reports, and project plans from meeting conversations and enterprise context so teams can move from discussion to execution faster.
  • Leveraging Zoom's AI Productivity Suite, ZoomMate can update deliverables as decisions evolve, keeping plans, documents, and other outputs current in real time without manual syncing.
  • Unlike AI tools that solely rely on prompts or manual context, ZoomMate understands what was discussed to generate grounded, relevant outputs directly from meeting context, delivering content in the form of presentations, documents, and spreadsheets.

How teams can use ZoomMate

ZoomMate integrates into existing team workflows to provide real-time assistance and continuity from the first meeting to the final deliverable. By connecting conversational context with enterprise data, teams can automate repetitive administrative tasks and focus on high-value execution.

  • Knowledge workers: Users can ask ZoomMate to pull key information from Google Docs, open Jira issues, and surface recent Slack discussions before a meeting starts. Then, they could ask ZoomMate to manage and schedule events in Google Calendar or Outlook without having to hunt down each person’s availability. And finally, ZoomMate can help users track down specific information across various documents and data sources, such as Google Drive and SharePoint, for project updates, while using the conversation as the source of truth.
  • Sales teams: ZoomMate can retrieve account details from Salesforce before a call, update opportunity records immediately after, and draft follow-up proposals using the meeting transcript, without the rep switching applications.
  • Product and engineering teams: ZoomMate can pull project background from Google Docs, identify open Jira issues, surface relevant discussions from collaboration tools, and turn action items into structured plans or status updates that reflect the latest decisions.
  • HR and operations teams: ZoomMate can answer general policy questions from connected knowledge bases, route employee requests to the appropriate system, and automatically trigger onboarding workflows when a new hire's start date is confirmed.

Conversations as the orchestration layer for modern work

As AI becomes embedded across workplace software, the next challenge is not simply generating more content or summarizing more meetings — it is helping teams complete the work that conversations create. Zoom believes that conversations are the context layer for modern work because they capture decisions, intent, approvals, objections, and next steps that drive meaningful business outcomes.

ZoomMate is built around that idea. By connecting conversational context with enterprise systems and agentic execution, ZoomMate helps teams move from discussion to action without rebuilding context across disconnected tools. It reflects Zoom’s broader platform vision: a conversation-centric system of action where live collaboration becomes completed work.

ZoomMate is available today for online and direct customers in North America, starting at $20 per user per month with included AI credits. Availability for additional industry verticals and regions, including EMEA and APAC, is expected to roll out later this year.

*Note: While ZoomMate is generally available, it may not be accessible to all users right away, as it is being rolled out gradually.

About Zoom
Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) is a system of action for modern work, turning live collaboration into completed results. From entrepreneurs to global enterprises, customers choose Zoom to seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and drive outcomes across meetings, phone, contact center, and more — all with the built-in assistance of Zoom AI. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Lacretia Nichols
[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729472)

Bitdeer Launches SEALMINER DL1 Hydro Achieving 52.5 GH/s and 149 J/GH Power Efficiency

SINGAPORE, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure, today announced the launch of its latest hydro-cooling mining machine, the SEALMINER DL1 Hydro. Designed for Scrypt algorithm mining, the DL1 Hydro integrates Bitdeer’s proprietary ASIC technology with a hydro-cooling thermal management system.

The SEALMINER DL1 Hydro is engineered to address hashrate density and energy consumption requirements for industrial-scale operations. By utilizing a hydro-cooling architecture, the machine is designed to maintain operational stability while managing the thermal demands of high-density data center environments.

Key Specifications of the SEALMINER DL1 Hydro*:

  • Hash Rate: 52.5 GH/s
  • Power Efficiency: 149 J/GH
  • Power Consumption: 7,823 W
  • Supported Coins: Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Bellscoin (BELLS), Junkcoin (JKC), Luckycoin (LKY), and Pepecoin (PEP)

The DL1 Hydro features a standardized 2U form factor and a net weight of 21kg. This compact design facilitates optimal rack space utilization and streamlines installation in professional mining facilities. In addition to its compact form factor, the machine offers flexible performance modes to accommodate fluctuating power costs and network conditions.

In addition to the standard configuration, its proprietary High Hashrate Mode reaches an output of up to 55 GH/s at 157 J/GH for scenarios requiring enhanced performance, while the Low Power Mode prioritizes energy efficiency, delivering 42.5 GH/s at 132 J/GH to allow for precise operational optimization based on specific requirements.

The launch of the SEALMINER DL1 Hydro reinforces the focus on improving operational stability and hashrate density through hydro-cooling technology. Bitdeer will continue to uphold its principles of “Innovation, Efficiency, and Stability”, delivering high-quality and reliable products and services to miners worldwide.

*Note: Product performance may vary by ±5% in hashrate and power efficiency, and by ±10% in power consumption. Final specifications are based on delivered units.

About Bitdeer Technologies Group

Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive Bitcoin mining solutions for its customers and building AI computational infrastructure to support the AI revolution. Bitdeer handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, data center design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. Bitdeer also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed data centers across multiple countries, including the United States, Norway, Bhutan, and Ethiopia.

About SEALMINER

SEALMINER, a pioneering brand of mining machines under Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR), specializes in offering efficient and sustainable mining solutions. SEALMINER integrates Bitdeer's self-developed SEAL series of mining chips manufactured using advanced process nodes. By continuously improving power efficiency ratios, SEALMINER is dedicated to providing innovative, efficient, and reliable products and services to customers worldwide. To learn more, visit https://www.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @Bitdeer and LinkedIn @Bitdeer.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the expected performance, efficiency, deployment, mining output, or potential returns relating to Bitdeer’s products. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, changes in cryptocurrency market prices, network difficulty and global hash rate, mining pool performance, electricity costs, operating conditions, regulatory developments, supply chain constraints, technological performance of the products, as well as potential risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as those discussed in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, many of which are beyond Bitdeer’s control. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.

References to specific cryptocurrencies (including LTC, DOGE, BELLS, JKC, LKY, and PEP) are descriptive of algorithmic compatibility only and do not constitute investment advice, an offer, a solicitation, or a recommendation to acquire, hold, or trade any cryptocurrency or other digital asset.

Contacts

For Promotional Partnerships
[email protected]

For Sales Consultations:
[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45544ee3-9cf6-4e4a-819d-773ea02114ba


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9729597)

Otherwander Opens in the Heart of Soho, London

 

Images

LONDON, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Redefining the modern city stay from £70 per night, Otherwander opens in Soho, London.

In the electric heart of Soho, London, a new chapter in modern hospitality begins.

Opening on 92 Dean Street, Otherwander Soho introduces a seamless, design-led stay in one of the world’s most dynamic neighbourhoods, from £70 per night. It is a stay designed for the way people move today; reimagining the role of the hotel in modern travel, not as a destination, but as a base that keeps guests connected to the beating heart of the city.

At the core of the concept is the pod, which are called nests. Available as single or double, each pod is designed to optimise comfort, safety and efficiency. Premium bedding, lighting and temperature controls, blackout windows, sound-softened walls and integrated storage creates a calm, enclosed space that contrasts with the pulse outside.

From booking to arrival, the experience is fully digital. Guests check in online and access both the building and their private pod using a QR-enabled Wanderpass stored in their mobile wallet. The result is a frictionless journey that removes traditional barriers, allowing guests to move through the city on their own terms.

Built for a life in motion

Just moments from the Elizabeth line at Tottenham Court Road station, Otherwander Soho places guests at the centre of it all. Surrounded by theatres, cafés, boutiques, restaurants and nightlife, it offers a seamless way to arrive, reset, and step straight back into the city. Inviting you to stay out longer, and to say yes more often.

Born from the belief that travel should feel effortless, Otherwander Soho features 566 pods and strips the hotel experience back to its essentials. 

Social by Design

Beyond the pods, Otherwander Soho offers a guest-exclusive social hub where guests can hang out, access fresh coffee, pastries, snacks, and a self-serve bar offering beers, wines, and cocktails.

Shared spaces are designed with the same attention to detail, featuring spa-quality bathrooms with rain showers and dedicated vanity areas, making it easy to reset before heading back out.

Otherwander Soho CEO, Fredrik Korallus says: “Otherwander Soho represents a distillation of what guests truly need – and should pay for. No frills, no wasted space, no friction. We offer a seamless, fully digitised guest journey, considered design, a comfortable night’s sleep, and exceptional value in the epicentre of one of the world’s greatest cities.”

And Soho is just the beginning.

Designed with global scalability in mind, Otherwander Soho aims to grow beyond the UK into major cities worldwide, carrying the same spirit of freedom, discovery, and effortless living wherever it goes.

Otherwander Soho is open from 1st June 2026.
To discover more and book your stay, visit here.
For more information or to book a press stay, please contact: [email protected]

About Otherwander Soho
Otherwander Soho is a next-generation pod hotel brand for modern explorers, redefining urban stays through smart design, seamless technology, and cultural immersion. Born in the heart of Soho, London, Otherwander Soho offers efficient, design-led accommodation for travellers who value experience over excess. From private pods to intuitive self-service amenities, every detail is designed to remove friction from travel and make space for discovery.

Notes to editors

  • Otherwander Soho is located on Dean Street, adjacent to the Elizabeth line entrance at Tottenham Court Road station
  • Accommodation includes single pods for solo travellers and double pods for couples or friends
  • Pod features include: premium bedding, blackout window, sound-softened walls, luggage storage, USB charging ports, and superfast Wi-Fi
  • Shared facilities include spa-quality bathrooms with rain showers, touch-free taps, and toxin-free toiletries, plus dedicated vanity areas with hair dryers
  • Social spaces include on-demand vending (coffee, pastries, snacks) and a self-serve bar with beers, wines, and cocktails
  • Sustainability is integrated throughout the building, including multi-stage filtered water systems to reduce single-use plastics and smart sensors that optimise energy use by powering down spaces when not in use
  • Prices start from £70 per night

Media Contact: [email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3c411e3-9c06-49c8-9898-0a7ad6faf6fb
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3c17edd-7ca4-42b3-b54a-b23648477e85


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1001185178)

Delegates Push for Greater Accountability, Community Inclusion as GEF Crosses Major Environmental Milestones

Noemi Hernandez Rodriguez Borjas at the first of the 71st GEF Council Meeting. Credit: IISD/ENB/Danny Skilton

Noemi Hernandez Rodriguez Borjas at the first of the 71st GEF Council Meeting. Credit: IISD/ENB/Danny Skilton

By Kizito Makoye
SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan, Jun 1 2026 – While the Global Environment Facility (GEF) said its eighth replenishment cycle (GEF-8) was about to exceed environmental targets for biodiversity protection, marine conservation, ecosystem restoration, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, governments and civil society groups called for stronger safeguards to ensure that local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and smaller implementing agencies are not left behind as funding mechanisms become more complex.

The 71st GEF Council Meeting is taking place at the Congress Center in the ancient city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Amid the optimism, delegates cautioned that billions of dollars flowing into efforts to restore forests, protect oceans and combat climate change must also deliver accountability and earn the trust of the communities whose livelihoods are affected.

The delegates endorsed the final work programme under GEF-8, which is expected to bring overall programming to 97 percent of available resources before the four-year cycle ends.

Officials described the programme as politically significant, marking it as the final package of projects before negotiations on the ninth replenishment cycle (GEF-9), which will guide billions of dollars in environmental financing over the coming years.

“We see good progress, and we know that programming is anticipated to be 97 percent by the end of the GEF-8 cycle,” Dr Dawda Badgie, a council member from The Gambia, said, noting that several environmental indicators had surpassed their targets.

Fred Boltz, the GEF’s Head of Programming, said resources across most funding windows would be fully committed by the end of the current four-year cycle.

“In all focal areas, integrated programmes, blended finance, the small grants programme and efforts by indigenous peoples and local communities will yield extraordinary results from GEF-8 investment, achieving or greatly surpassing six of ten GEF-8 outcome targets,” Boltz told delegates.

According to GEF officials, investments under GEF-8 are expected to place well over hundreds of millions of hectares of land and sea under improved biodiversity management, restore more than 10 million hectares of ecosystems, improve management of 59 transboundary water systems and benefit more than 32 million people worldwide.

Boltz said climate investments alone are expected to deliver more than 2.2 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, while marine conservation efforts will contribute to the creation or improved management of more than 1.9 billion hectares of marine protected areas – equivalent to more than five percent of the world’s oceans.

He said targets related to marine protected areas, ecosystem restoration, emissions reductions, shared water ecosystems and sustainable fisheries management are expected to be significantly exceeded by the end of the cycle.

Among the highlighted initiatives was a conservation financing mechanism in Madagascar that combines blended finance resources with climate adaptation funding to support an outcome-payment bond for biodiversity conservation, including the protection of the island’s iconic lemurs.

Boltz said land degradation funding would also be fully utilised, helping restore more than 10 million hectares of land and ecosystems worldwide.

Key projects include support for the Great Green Wall initiative across the Sahel and a water-land management programme in Central Asia covering two river basins that support about 80 percent of the population in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The chemicals and waste portfolio, expected to reach 95 percent utilisation, is projected to eliminate more than 260,000 metric tonnes of hazardous chemicals and waste through programmes reducing pollution and promoting cleaner industrial production.

One initiative seeks to eliminate mercury use in the non-ferrous metals sector, including copper and aluminium production, industries experiencing growth due to increasing demand from electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.

The international waters portfolio is expected to be 99 percent committed by the end of GEF-8.

The fund is supporting implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement in more than 60 countries and has helped improve management of 59 shared water systems globally.

Blended finance resources under GEF-8 are expected to be fully deployed, supporting initiatives such as debt-for-nature swaps in Latin America and the Caribbean and renewable energy investments in small island states.

“The Latin America and Caribbean Debt for Nature Conversion Facility helps countries address debt burdens and support biodiversity conservation at the same time,” he said.

The GEF’s Small Grants Programme, which supports conservation efforts at the community level, is also expected to fully use its allocation.

Boltz said local civil society organisations would help place nearly seven million hectares of landscapes and 300,000 hectares of marine habitats under improved management practices, benefiting around 870,000 people, half of whom are women.

He added that support for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) would expand under GEF-8, including funding for 10 Indigenous-led conservation initiatives by the end of 2026.

The fund has invested in youth leadership through the 10-million-dollar Fonseca Leadership Programme, which has supported 250 fellows from 52 countries, 42 percent of whom are young women.

Mohamed Bakarr, who oversees the GEF’s integrated programmes, said that all 11 integrated initiatives approved under GEF-8 were fully programmed.

Together, they deploy USD 1.65 billion in GEF resources and mobilise an additional USD 11.2 billion in co-financing across 98 countries.

“The integrated programmes mobilise 45 percent more co-financing per project on average,” Bakarr said, adding that governments were contributing significantly higher shares of funding than in previous replenishment cycles.

The June 2026 work programme includes 16 projects requiring USD 129.5 million in GEF financing and US$11.9 million in agency fees, for a total allocation of USD 141.3 million.

The projects are expected to leverage USD 828 million in co-financing, resulting in a co-financing ratio of 6.4 to one.

The work programme will support environmental initiatives in more than 19 countries, including seven least-developed countries and four small island developing states.

Delegates hailed a renewable energy initiative in Uzbekistan, which they expect will mobilise more than USD 1 billion in private investment.

Japan’s representative, Yoko Yamoto, described the project as an icon for GEF presence in Central Asia.

“We welcome the development of the NGI project in Uzbekistan, the host country for this session, and especially raising the GEF’s presence in Central Asia,” Yamoto said.

However, the same project attracted criticism.

Representing the GEF Civil Society Organisation Network, Sagar Aryal argued that civil society organisations and affected communities had not been consulted during the project’s design phase.

The criticism reflected broader concerns that GEF’s financial instruments may advance faster than mechanisms designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and community participation.

“The Stakeholder Engagement Plan is promised only before CEO endorsement, not before this Council takes a decision today,” Aryal said. “As GEF scales up blended finance, this question matters more, not less. We ask that community engagement and consultations be required before Council approval and not deferred after it.”

Civil society groups also praised greater support for community-led conservation.

Aryal highlighted continued support for the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and a new Global Flyways Grant Mechanism focused on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

“Together, these two projects represent close to 20% of this work programme going to or directly through civil society,” he said. “This is the highest share we have seen… it shows what is possible.”

“As GEF-9 begins, we ask, can this be the floor and not the ceiling?” he added.

Delegates also criticised the concentration of projects among implementing agencies, noting that almost two-thirds of projects were submitted by just Conservation International and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In response to the criticism, Boltz affirmed that, despite the concerns, overall allocations stayed within limits.

“UNDP share presently is at 29.8 percent for GEF-8 overall,” he said, noting that medium-sized projects and enabling activities involving other agencies would help improve diversification.

The Secretariat also defended the programme’s performance, stating that GEF8 was on track to meet or exceed several core environmental targets.

Boltz said six of ten core indicators were on track and that terrestrial and marine conservation areas supported under GEF-8 had surpassed 2 billion hectares, up from 1.5 billion hectares in GEF-7.

As the meeting moved toward endorsing the final work programme, consensus emerged that GEF-8 is ending as one of the institution’s most successful replenishment cycles in environmental results, programming and co-financing. But delegates said success alone would not shield the institution from growing demands for greater inclusion, transparency and institutional diversity.

Note: The Eighth Global Environment Facility Assembly is underway until June 6, 2026, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
This feature is published with the support of the GEF. IPS is solely responsible for the editorial content, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of the GEF.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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