Category: PRESS RELEASES

The race continues, but the uncertainty does not. SS7 and SS8 were not about proving speed anymore. They were about proving that the lead built over six stages was never a fluke.

GWM Built for the Abyss, Proven as Champions

GWM Built for the Abyss, Proven as Champions

SS7 was 286 kilometers of sand fields made worse by a sandstorm that had swept through the region the night before. Surface conditions changed with every kilometer. The 3.0T V6 biturbo hybrid engine in the GWM TANK 700 Hi4-T managed higher thermal loads than expected and delivered the same precise torque output the terrain demanded. What kept the coolant temperatures within design specifications across every kilometer of that sandstorm-softened stage was the Hi4-T platform’s integrated thermal management circuit — the same system that regulates engine temperature in a production GWM TANK 700 Hi4-T driving through a Xinjiang summer, just with more sustained load. The intelligence of that system is that it doesn’t ask the driver to manage it. It manages itself.

SS8 unfolded along the Keriya River corridor — 288 kilometers through ancient riverbeds, poplar forest crossings, and salt flat compressions. This is where the 9HAT automatic transmission earns its name. Nine gears — the only production-derived automatic transmission of its kind developed in China — it means that the engine stays in its most efficient power band whether the vehicle is crawling through a riverbed at 15 kilometers per hour or sprinting across hard-packed salt flats at 140. The spread of ratios that a 9-speed provides means torque is always available where it’s needed, in the gear that suits the terrain, without the driver having to manage a series of manual swaps that cost seconds and add fatigue. Eight stages of that, in sand, in heat, in riverbed compression. The 9HAT completed eight stages without a single mechanical intervention.

Taklimakan Rally 2026: GWM Built for the Abyss, Proven as Champions

Taklimakan Rally 2026: GWM Built for the Abyss, Proven as Champions

The Hi4-T platform’s chassis geometry, with its long-travel suspension articulation, kept all four wheels loaded against the ground more consistently than conventional off-road architectures. That means torque isn’t lost to a floating wheel — it goes to the tire that’s actually in contact with the surface. Across 288 kilometers of constantly changing surface, that adds up to a meaningful advantage in both pace and endurance.

What the Taklimakan has always been — and what SS7 and SS8 confirmed once again — is a test of durability architecture rather than outright speed. The teams that survive it are not necessarily the ones with the most power. They are the ones with the fewest weak points in their engineering. The Hi4-T platform’s design principle is exactly that: build a vehicle where no single system is a liability, where nothing depends on a single point of failure, where the whole assembly is more resilient than any individual component. That is why there are zero retirements across eight stages and three categories. That is design philosophy, not luck.

The championship was never in question. It only took eight stages to prove it.

Contact: [email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9731765

Rabat, Morocco, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tax leaders from across the continent are meeting in Morocco’s capital city to discuss the impact of international tax issues on Africa, in the 11^th edition of the Africa Tax Symposium (ATS). Held in a North African country for the first time, the topical ATS programme will run from 3 to 5 June 2026.

Hosted by the IBFD Centre for Studies in African Taxation (IBFD-CSAT), the 11th Africa Tax Symposium tackles the practical challenges faced by governments and tax practitioners in the application of domestic law and tax treaties. Some of the key topics include the taxation of cross-border services, current tax treaty controversies, practical transfer pricing issues, the future of tax administration, and recent developments in global tax governance.

“The Africa Tax Symposium is the leading global conference on international taxation in Africa,” says Belema Obuoforibo, Chair of the IBFD Centre for Studies in African Taxation, and Member of IBFD’s Executive Board. “Over the past ten years, the Symposium has established itself as a key forum for impactful discussions on international tax policy and practice in Africa.”

“Taxation is an instrument of sovereignty, a lever for tax equity, a factor in competitiveness, but also a pact of trust between the state and the citizen,” states Mr. Youness Idrissi Kaitouni, Director General, General Tax Administration of Morocco. “Today, Africa must be a driving force, a fully engaged player in shaping the new rules of global tax governance…. It was in this spirit that, five years ago, Framework Law No. 6919 on tax reform set out the ambition for a profound overhaul of [Morocco’s] tax system.” The 11^th edition of ATS is held in partnership with the Morocco General Tax Administration.

The ATS is a renowned forum that uniquely represents a plethora of perspectives on taxation in Africa, offering a 360° view relevant to policy, practice, administration, industry, and academia. A careful selection  of notable, high-profile speakers will offer their insights, including Director-General of the Morocco General Tax Administration, Younes Idrissi Kaitouni; the First Lady of the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Veronique Herminie; the Commissioner of the Namibia Revenue Authority,  Sam Shivute, and many more world-class taxation experts.

The Symposium was preceded by the Masterclass on Selected Topics in International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, held 1-2 June 2026, offering practical, hands-on insights and comprehensive coverage on Permanent Establishment (PE) rules in practice, Pillar Two Global Minimum Tax (GMT ) rules, and the Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (QDMTT).

To learn more about the ATS event, taking place at the Sofitel Jardin des Roses Rabat, visit: 11th Africa Tax Symposium | IBFD 

The closing ceremony on Friday, June 5 at 12:35am is open to the press, followed by media interviews (upon request) at 2:00pm on June 5^th.

Yasmin El-Beih
IBFD
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9731210

Kate Walsh to join Oceana in Mombasa to meet with small-scale fishers and help elevate coastal voices in global ocean decision making

MOMBASA, Kenya, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ahead of the 11^th annual Our Ocean Conference taking place June 16-18 in Mombasa, Kenya, Oceana — the world’s largest ocean conservation organization — is calling on governments to strengthen protections for critical marine habitats, increase transparency in global fisheries, and put small-scale fishers and coastal communities at the center of ocean decision making.

This year marks the first time the Our Ocean Conference will be held on the African continent. Since its launch in 2014, the conference has generated more than 2,900 commitments worth over $169 billion in support of ocean action.

Betsy Njagi, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s State Department for the Blue Economy and Fisheries said, “For millions across Africa, the ocean is essential to food security, livelihoods, economic opportunity, and climate resilience. Yet marine ecosystems face growing threats. As the conference convenes in Africa for the first time, it marks an important milestone for ocean governance, marine conservation, and the sustainable blue economy. It is also an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and accelerate action to protect the ocean for future generations.”

Actor and ocean advocate Kate Walsh will join Oceana’s experts in Mombasa to meet with local fishers and community leaders to help amplify their perspectives on the importance of sustainable fisheries and healthy oceans for food security and livelihoods across Africa.

“I’m honored to meet with local fishers here in Kenya and hear directly from the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on healthy oceans,” said Walsh. “Their voices must be included as leaders make decisions that will shape the future of our oceans.”

Across Africa, hundreds of millions of people rely on the ocean for food and income, yet marine ecosystems are under increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

“On research trips over the years, I see the same patterns repeated from one coastline to another: marine ecosystems are facing greater pressures, fishing is becoming more dangerous, and fish are scarcer and more expensive,” said Dr. Christina Chemtai Hicks, a Kenyan British Professor at Lancaster University, Pew Marine Fellow, and Oceana Board Member. “Across Africa’s coastlines and around the world, fishing communities are exposed to declining fish populations, rising costs, and climate impacts. This conference is an opportunity for leaders to advance ocean policies that protect food security, livelihoods, and marine ecosystems together.”

Industrial fishing activity in African waters, including by foreign-owned fleets, continues to raise concerns about transparency, accountability, and equitable access to marine resources. Much of that catch is exported to wealthier nations, reducing what is available for local communities that depend on seafood for nutrition and livelihoods.

Improving transparency in global fisheries, including stronger monitoring of fishing activity and vessel ownership, public access to information, and stronger enforcement of existing regulations can help curb illegal and destructive fishing, provide data to rebuild fish populations, and support advocacy by small-scale fishers and coastal communities.

The conference also comes as Oceana expands its campaigns to Africa following the opening of its new office in Ghana earlier this year, strengthening the organization’s work to protect marine ecosystems, rebuild local fisheries, and ensure local fish support local communities.

“Oceans are a vital source of food, jobs, and economic security for millions of people across Africa,” said Sonia Kwami, Oceana’s Vice President in Ghana. “As leaders gather in Kenya, there is a real opportunity to advance practical solutions that protect marine ecosystems, rebuild fish populations, and ensure coastal communities and small-scale fishers can continue to thrive. After all, small-scale fishers should have priority access to fish in their own waters.”

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 350 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more.

Contact: Anna Baxter, [email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9731013