Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) plans to launch Apple Pay service in India next month, with Axis Bank serving as its first banking partner, Reuters, citing sources, reported.

Apple reportedly plans to roll out Apple Pay in phases in India, with the initial launch supporting Axis Bank credit cards first.

The company will gradually add more banking partners and is currently in talks with other major private banks, including HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, although commercial terms with those banks have yet to be finalized.
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AASTOCKS Financial News
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Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT (688825.SH) is preparing to dabble into the flash memory chip market currently dominated by Samsung Electronics and other foreign peers, Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the matter, reported. The move would expand its customer base amid a global memory shortage.

CXMT plans to establish an R&D production line for NAND flash memory at its new Beijing plant, two sources said. One source said the company has also set up a research institute in Beijing, with projects including NAND development.

A third source said CXMT discussed its NAND plans with customers, including a newly established startup that intends to purchase CXMT's NAND chips for storage products used in AI systems and supercomputers.

It remains unclear when the R&D production line will begin operations, or whether CXMT plans to move from the R&D and pilot production stage to large-scale commercial manufacturing. According to research firm TrendForce, Samsung (005930.KS) was the world's largest NAND supplier by revenue in 2Q26 with a market share of 29.3%. SK Hynix (000660.KS) ranked second, followed by Micron Technology, Inc. (MU.US) from the US.

This also means that CXMT, which mainly focuses on DRAM, will wrestle with Chinese peer YMTC in one of the fastest-growing segments of the semiconductor industry.
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Z.AI (02513.HK)'s GLM team disclosed the first public production-environment Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI) engineering practice among China's large models.

The Infra Agent powered by GLM-5.3 completed the design, debugging and optimization of the GLM-5.3-Flash inference infrastructure, enabling the model to improve its own operating system in reverse.

This marks the first publicly disclosed RSI case by a Chinese large-model developer operating in a production environment.

GLM-5.3-Flash was deployed on a cluster consisting of more than 100,000 domestic AI accelerators, representing a large-scale deployment previously lacking mature operational references.
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A related team from Tesla (TSLA.US) arrived in Ningbo on Wednesday (16th) and launched a new round of factory audits yesterday (17th) targeting the mass production of its robotics business, effectively paving the way for the mass production of Optimus, according to a report by 21st Century Business Herald citing sources. Relevant orders have already been placed with supply chain companies.

Tesla plans to roll out about 50,000 Optimus robots in 2026 and deploy them to Tesla gigafactories around the world.
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NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA.US) CEO Jensen Huang said the company projects chip sales in 2027 to double this year's level, and called for the establishment of a formal AI safety testing mechanism.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR.US) CEO Alex Karp called for the introduction of "reasonable guidelines" to regulate AI, but said the technology's "unlimited risks" may ultimately require nationalization.

As the market debates whether development of frontier AI should be slowed, Anthropic announced three indicators it believes the public should understand, namely AI-driven R&D, AI agent oversight, and allocation of Anthropic's internal computing resources.

A report by US research institution Rhodium Group said Chinese AI models are rapidly gaining adoption, but the related enthusiasm has yet to be reflected in revenue performance.
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King Charles III will press executives from NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA.US), OpenAI and Anthropic on AI safety issues at a summit in Scotland.

Buckingham Palace said the event to be held on Thursday will focus on how AI can be used to benefit society and the natural world, and will discuss a shared set of principles for technological development.

Charles will say at the summit that the development of AI - both in its nature and pace - is both fascinating and deeply concerning, according to excerpts from his speech.
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AASTOCKS Financial News
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Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA.US), said the company expected the number of chips sold next year to double from this year, as AI delivers significant benefits across different industries and economies. This marks the company's latest forecast indicating continued substantial growth over the next six quarters.

Previously, NVIDIA projected revenue for the fiscal year ending January 2028 to rally 70% to approximately USD673 billion, lifting analysts' expectations.

Regarding AI-related risks, Huang said product launches should be delayed when products are not adequately safe, while engineering improvements should continue.
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• XPENG announces that the G9L will be launched in 64 global markets, with its global launch set for October 12 at the Paris Motor Show.
• Built and designed for global users, the G9L will become the fourth XPENG model to be produced in Europe, marking four localized models within one year.

BEIJING, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- XPeng Inc. ("XPENG" or the "Company," NYSE: XPEV; HKEX: 9868), a leading global Physical AI company, today held its G9L China Launch Event in Beijing, China, and announced the G9L will be available in 64 global markets, with a global launch event scheduled on October 12 at Paris Motor Show.

The G9L is XPENG's Next-Gen AI Flagship SUV, available in both BEV and REEV versions. With an overall length of 5,120 mm and a wheelbase of 3,100 mm, the G9L features a golden wheelbase-to-length ratio of 0.605, delivering better space and handling agility than its segment peers. As a premium model, it embodies XPENG's latest innovations in physical AI, spanning smart driving and the intelligent cockpit, and offering flagship-level features and global standards. Specifically, powered by XPENG VLA 2.0 model, the G9L enables fast cross-region generalization, delivering a smooth, safe, and steady performance to more global markets. Meanwhile, the G9L features the same Turing AI chip as XPENG's humanoid robot IRON.

"Global car" is a key product strategy for XPENG. Under the philosophy of "Global Standards, Global Manufacturing," this means the car must meet global safety and quality standards, its R&D needs to adapt to the requirements of different markets, and bring industry-leading technologies to users worldwide.

The G9L meets the design standards of four major five-star safety ratings worldwide. It has completed 192 crash tests across four major protocols — Euro NCAP, ANCAP, C-NCAP, and CIASI — totaling more than 110 individual test items. Over a three-year period, it has also undergone global road testing across 26 countries and regions, with cumulative mileage surpassing 6.74 million kilometers. Its electric powertrain, engineered to global vehicle standards, delivers stability that stands up to extreme environments worldwide.

At the launch event, He Xiaopeng, Chairman & CEO of XPENG, also reviewed XPENG's latest progress in humanoid robot — the world's first automated production line for advanced general-purpose humanoid robots was officially commissioned, using "robots to produce robots". He said, "We believe in 'car as robot', over the past few years, we have built an in-house AI foundation based on our work in AI cars and humanoid robots, and it powers both." This also explains why the G9L is a tech flagship SUV: it runs on XPENG's industry-leading physical AI technology.

The G9L will begin production in both Guangzhou, China, and Graz, Austria. Following the G6, G9, and P7+, it becomes the fourth model to roll off the line at Magna's plant in Graz, Austria — sharing the same lines and the same factory as European luxury vehicles. Behind this is XPENG's deepening collaboration with Magna. After announcing a cooperation agreement in September 2025, XPENG leveraged Magna's mature production lines to assemble locally in Europe, launching four models within a single year.

At the end of the event, Mr. He also announced that the G9L Global Launch Event will be held on October 12 at the Paris Motor Show in France, where XPENG's booth is in Hall 6. The launch in France is merely the first stop, with the G9L to be introduced in 64 countries and regions.

If you are interested in XPENG's Paris Motor Show event, please contact:
[email protected] 

XPENG Paris Motor Show Press Kit:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I8SLTqDREdDCzeY5YUu8LjLe7jlPI6e2 

China's second World Humanoid Robot Games demonstrated significant progress in humanoid robots in mobility, speed and power, dexterous movements and autonomy, while raising the question of whether China's lead over the US in embodied AI is widening and when the US will host its first robot games, Morgan Stanley said in a report.

The broker noted that Tiangong Ultra won the large-category 100-meter final in 8.64 seconds, faster than Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds and far ahead of its winning time of 21.5 seconds last year. The improvement came from reducing torso and waist mass, as well as upgrading motors and control systems. Humans took about a century to shorten the 100-meter record by around 10%, while robots cut the humanoid robot record by about 60% within 12 months.

Chinese suppliers accounted for more than 97% of global humanoid robot shipments in 1H26, with the related market spiking 272% YoY and Chinese customers accounting for more than 85% of demand. Morgan Stanley's China industrial team recently raised its 2026 China shipment forecast to 50,000 units from 28,000 units and expected shipments to reach 446,000 units by 2030. YUSHU TECHNOLOGY (688836.SH), the first humanoid robot manufacturer listed in Mainland China, surged about 460% on its Shanghai debut, with valuation nearing USD50 billion, before later retreating about 45% to a market cap of around RMB190 billion, or about USD28 billion.

The broker believed shipment share is not the correct scoreboard, as the real gap lies in humanoid robot capabilities. The US still leads in frontier models, VLA development and simulation, while China controls scalable physical inputs and supply chains. The key question is whether the US software lead can be maintained long enough, as every fleet deployed in China is collecting real-world data that may narrow the software gap. YUSHU TECHNOLOGY allocated 48% of IPO proceeds to model R&D, indicating where integrators see the bottleneck.

Beijing used the five-day event to portray humanoid robots more as athletes than job replacers. State media described robots, AI and innovative drugs as the "new new trio" following EVs, batteries and solar energy, and the games themselves also served a promotional role. The broker believed gaining social acceptance for deploying humanoid robots may be as important as technological progress.

The report's China humanoid robot value chain covers brain systems, actuators, motors, reducers, bearings, structural components, sensors, batteries and integrators, involving companies including Huawei, MIDEA GROUP (00300.HK), XIAOMI-W (01810.HK), BYD COMPANY (01211.HK), GAC GROUP (02238.HK), BABA-W (09988.HK), XPENG-W (09868.HK), JOYSON ELEC (00699.HK), ROBOSENSE (02498.HK), LENS (06613.HK), SANHUA (02050.HK), IFLYTEK (002230.SZ), HORIZONROBOT-W (09660.HK), HESAI-W (02525.HK), BIDU-W (09888.HK), TENCENT (00700.HK), UBTECH ROBOTICS (09880.HK), CATL (03750.HK) and Hon Hai (2317.TW).
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SHANGHAI, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi XDC Cayman Inc. ("WuXi XDC", stock code: 2268.HK), a leading global CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) specializing in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and other bioconjugates, today announced an out-licensing collaboration with Ona Therapeutics on WuXi XDC's proprietary WuXiTecan-2 payload-linker technology platform. Ona Therapeutics is a global biotechnology company pioneering first-in-class ADCs to address treatment-resistant cancers.

Under the terms of the agreement, WuXi XDC will grant Ona Therapeutics an exclusive global license to its proprietary WuXiTecan-2 payload-linker technology for the development of an ADC candidate against a single target. Ona Therapeutics will combine its first-in-class target discovery capabilities with the WuXiTecan-2 platform. The total potential deal value includes an upfront payment, and certain development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments. Additionally, WuXi XDC will be eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales upon commercialization of the resulting ADC product. WuXi XDC will provide comprehensive chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) development and manufacturing support through its integrated ADC CRDMO platform.

This collaboration marks the second partnership between Ona Therapeutics and WuXi XDC in the ADC field. Building on their 2024 collaboration, in which Ona Therapeutics licensed technologies to support its ADC pipeline, the agreement reflects the continued strategic relationship between the two companies and Ona Therapeutics' confidence in the commercial value and global competitiveness of WuXi XDC's proprietary technology platforms.

Jimmy Li, Ph.D., CEO of WuXi XDC, stated: "We are truly honored to join forces once again with Ona Therapeutics. As an innovative biotech company focused on first-in-class targets, Ona's deep insights into novel targets are highly complementary to WuXi XDC's leading ADC technology platforms. With its hydrophilic linker delivering significantly enhanced ADC stability, the WuXiTecan‑2 platform has completed two out-licensing deals within just six months. This collaboration not only further validates the value of our WuXiTecan‑2 platform but also reaffirms WuXi XDC's commitment to empowering innovative biotech companies worldwide. Through our integrated, end-to-end CRDMO platform, we look forward to fully supporting Ona Therapeutics in accelerating this first-in-class ADC candidate into the clinic, bringing new treatment options to patients."

Valerie Vanhooren, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO of Ona Therapeutics, commented: "Partnering again with WuXi XDC and applying its WuXiTecan-2 payload-linker technology to our first-in-class ADC candidate represents an important step in advancing our pipeline. Our previous collaboration established a strong foundation, and we are pleased to build on that relationship as we work to accelerate this promising program toward the clinic with the aim of making a meaningful difference for patients with cancer."

About Ona Therapeutics

Ona Therapeutics is a spin‑off from IRB Barcelona and ICREA, based at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), and a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of first‑in‑class antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs) to address treatment‑resistant cancers. Ona applies a patient‑driven discovery platform to identify novel tumor‑specific antigens and epitopes associated with resistance biology and advanced disease. The Company's approach integrates deep biological insight with rigorous target validation, antibody engineering, optimized payload selection, and validated linker‑payload technologies to generate precision‑engineered ADCs with the potential to enhance therapeutic activity while limiting on‑target toxicity. Its precision-engineered ADC pipeline comprises first-in-class programs targeting aggressive and refractory cancer indications. https://ona-therapeutics.com/

About WuXi XDC

WuXi XDC Cayman Inc. (stock code: 2268.HK) is a globally recognized contract research, development, and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) specializing in bioconjugates. The company offers a wide range of innovative conjugation and payload-linker technologies to facilitate the development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Focused on early-stage research and development of ADCs and other bioconjugates, WuXi XDC offers comprehensive one-stop services from preclinical to commercial manufacturing. Its services cover antibody intermediates and other biologics intermediates, chemical payloads and linkers, as well as bioconjugate drug substances and drug products. For more information about WuXi XDC, please visit: www.wuxixdc.com

WuXi XDC Contacts
Investor: [email protected] 
Media: [email protected] 
BD: [email protected]