Contribution will strengthen infrastructure for the nonprofit’s new child care cost-sharing program.

(St. Louis, Mo., February 18, 2026) Child Care Aware of Missouri (CCAMO) recently received a $50,000 donation from Aetna to support Child Care Works, the newest initiative administered by CCAMO designed to increase family access to affordable, high-quality child care through locally coordinated cost-sharing exchanges.

The support from Aetna is important at a time when many Missouri families are struggling to balance the rising cost of child care with work and other basic needs. Aetna’s contribution will directly support Child Care Works in making child care more affordable, providing families with quality child care options, which can lead to greater employment opportunities, improved quality of life and overall health benefits. Child Care Works launched in late 2025 as Missouri’s first statewide child care cost-sharing initiative.

Modeled after the Tri-Share approach, Child Care Works divides the cost of child care among employers, families and either state government or a philanthropic partner, making it easier for working parents to find and afford reliable care while helping employers retain a stable workforce.

“Access to reliable, high-quality child care is directly tied to a family’s health and stability,” said Dr. Michelle Bucknor, Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Better Health. “When parents know their children are safe and supported, it is easier to stay employed, keep medical appointments and manage chronic conditions. Our support for Child Care Works reflects our commitment to addressing the real-life barriers that affect health, far beyond the walls of a clinic or hospital.”

“Child Care Works was created to make quality child care a realistic option for more Missouri families who don’t qualify for state child care subsidy,” said Robin Phillips, CEO of Child Care Aware of Missouri. “Aetna’s investment strengthens this new program by helping employers, families, and community partners share costs, stabilize the child care workforce, and keep parents connected to the jobs that power our state’s economy.”

Founded in 1999, CCAMO is a statewide nonprofit that focuses on a comprehensive early childhood education experience through impactful programs and partnerships. The organization’s services include resource and referral, workforce development, child care business supports, advocacy and policy work. For more information, call (314) 535-1458 or visit  www.mochildcareaware.org .

AUSTIN, Texas– INTX Insurance Software, a complete Insurance Operating System for specialty P&C insurers, MGAs, reinsurers and captives, today announced that Xitus has selected INTX as its core insurance operating system to support and scale global run-off, LPT, IBT and captive (re)insurance- operations across its subsidiaries, Xitus Bermuda, Xitus UK, Xitus Europe including its latest acquisition of Chevron Captive, Insco. 

Xitus expanded its use of the INTX platform for capital visibility across long-tail portfolios and faster execution of LPTs and acquisitions. INTX supports this work by enabling enhanced portfolio monitoring, reporting, and coordination tied to acquisitions and loss portfolio transfers. 

“As an early adopter, we are growing the relationship with INTX because the platform gives us the control to manage our business at scale and as our transaction volume and geographic footprint expand, INTX is the core system we can rely on to operate with confidence and control,” said Benjamin Dovey, Head of Commercial & Operations at Xitus. “INTX brings structure to historically fragmented and manual processes and gives our team confidence to move quickly as we take on more transactions.” 

Unlike general-purpose core systems, INTX is designed for the operational and financial realities of legacy and captive insurance. As transaction activity increases and management of reinsurance treaties becomes more complex, by implementing the INTX platform Xitus puts the operational structure in place to manage that evolution with a modern approach, combining specialized expertise with a unified technology designed to scale. 

“Runoff and captive portfolios demand a level of financial control and the ability to utilize Predictive AI Actuarial modelling that legacy systems were never designed to deliver. INTX gives organizations like Xitus real-time visibility and governance across complex, multi-entity portfolios as they scale globally,” said Rob Lewis, CEO of INTX Insurance Software. “Our platform gives leadership real-time visibility into reinsurance and claims activity that provides clean data for their predictive AI Models and regulatory oversight.”

For Aamir Dalvi, stepping onto the set of Kennedy meant stepping into Anurag Kashyap’s way of seeing cinema. It was a space where performance was not pushed, emotions were not explained, and silence was treated as dialogue.

Talking about working with Kashyap, Aamir says the director dismantled many of his instincts as an actor. “Anurag never wanted anything loud or dramatic from me. At first, it’s unsettling, because as actors we’re trained to fill silence, to justify emotion. Here, he was asking me to trust it.”

That trust, Aamir explains, did not come overnight. Even after Anurag sir saw the first shots of the character, the process remained about observation rather than instruction. “He wouldn’t over-explain scenes or spell out emotions. Sometimes he’d just watch and say very little, or in fact nothing. What spoke instead was his smile or a shift in energy. It was like a vibe check after each shot. With sir, you slowly realise he wants the character to exist, not perform. That kind of faith pushes you into uncomfortable territory, but it also frees you.”

It is this approach that shaped Salim Kattawala into a presence rather than a personality. Quiet, controlled, and deeply unsettling, the character never announces himself. “When you stop performing and allow stillness to take over, the character begins to breathe on its own,” Aamir shares. “That’s when it becomes dangerous, because it feels disturbingly real.”

Though Kennedy marks his first Bollywood film as an antagonist, Aamir says working with Kashyap shifted his focus away from labels. “This was my first time playing an antagonist in a Bollywood film, and it came with a certain weight. But Anurag sir never framed it as good or bad. He only spoke about honesty. I kept thinking that if I’m going to be remembered for this, it has to be honest, even the ugly parts.”

That emotional honesty followed him home. “There were days later when I felt heavy and unsettled, even though the scenes were quiet. Nothing dramatic had happened, yet something stayed with me. That’s when I realised the character had entered me quietly, the same way he enters the film.”

He ends with a thought that lingers. “If a character leaves me disturbed and unfinished, I know something has been done right. Salim didn’t leave me soon after the shoot ended. He stayed, and I think that’s exactly what Anurag sir wanted the audience to feel too.”

Starring Rahul Bhat alongside Sunny Leone, Kennedy unfolds as a bleak, immersive noir where survival comes at a cost. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film premieres on ZEE5 on February 20.

Celebrate the spirit of the Lunar New Year at Vintage Asia, JW Marriott Kolkata – a specially curated menu “A Taste of Prosperity,” available from February 17th to 22nd. This festive experience blends traditional Cantonese techniques with modern flavours, featuring signature dishes like the five-spiced Aromatic Duck, Devil’s Crab Meat, and artisanal dim sum such as the Morel Mushroom Philadelphia Dumpling.

From the fiery Wild Pepper Fish to the comforting Golden Onion Moon Faan Rice, every plate is designed to bring flavor and fortune to your table. Guests can also enjoy contemporary highlights like Wasabi Prawns or Singaporean Crab Noodles, followed by a decadent Chocolate & Matcha parfait to ensure a sweet and prosperous start to the new year.

At: Vintage Asia, JW Marriott Kolkata

Dates: 17th to 22nd, 2026

National Productivity Council (NPC), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and CIMP is jointly organised Conclave on National Productivity Week Celebration on Wednesday, 18th February 2026 at CIMP campus.

The theme of the conclave was “Clusters as Growth Engine: Maximizing Productivity in MSMEs – Towards Viksit Bharat @2047 through Competitive MSME Clusters”.

The conclave began with the lighting of the lamp by dignitaries and the welcome note was delievered by Shri Kumod Kumar, CAO, CIMP and, Chair- Bihar Chapter, PHD chamber of commerce & Industry. He said, “MSMEs are rightly called the backbone of sustainable growth. In Bihar, they hold immense potential to transform the state’s economy by creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and driving inclusive development.”

The Chief Guest at the conclave was Shri Mihir Kumar Singh, IAS, Development Commissioner, Bihar. Addressing the conclave he said “The true measure of Bihar’s progress lies not only in large-scale infrastructure or industrial growth, but in the empowerment of its people at the grassroots. Sustainable development must begin in our villages and small towns, where every initiative in education, health, and livelihood creates a ripple effect of prosperity. By strengthening MSMEs, agriculture, and local enterprises, Bihar can build a model of inclusive growth that uplifts communities and ensures that development reaches the last mile.”

Smt. Neerja Sekhar, IAS, Director General, National Productivity Council, said, “Clusters are the lifeblood of productivity and innovation. At NPC, we have worked tirelessly to nurture these clusters, enabling them to collaborate not only across India but also on international platforms. By strengthening linkages, fostering knowledge exchange, and building capacity, NPC has helped clusters evolve into engines of competitiveness and sustainability. My early years working in Bihar remain close to my heart, as they taught me the value of grassroots engagement and the immense potential that lies in empowering local enterprises. That experience continues to inspire my commitment to ensuring that clusters become catalysts for inclusive growth across the nation.” 

The other dignitaries present will be Smt. Neerja Sekhar, IAS, Director General, National Productivity Council; Prof. ( Dr.) Rana Singh, Director, CIMP; Shri Kumod Kumar, CAO, CIMP and, Chair- Bihar Chapter, PHD chamber of commerce & Industry; Ms. Shweta M Devtale, Asstt. Director, MSME DFO, Patna; CA Ashish Rohtagi, Former Vice President

Bihar Industry Association; Dr Sanjeev K Jain, Joint director & Head, CIPET Bihta; Shri J.K Singh, Regional Director, NPC, Patna; and Shri B K Sinha, Secretary General, Bihar State Productivity Council. 

Speaking at the conclave CA Ashish Rohtagi, Former Vice President, Bihar Industry Association said, “Industry associations play a vital role in bridging entrepreneurs with policy makers. Bihar’s industrial growth story is being shaped by collaboration, resilience, and the spirit of enterprise.”

Dr. Sanjeev K. Jain, Joint Director & Head, CIPET Bihta said “Innovation in plastics and materials technology is central to modern industry. At CIPET Bihta, we are committed to equipping Bihar’s youth with skills that make them globally competitive.”

Shri J.K. Singh, Regional Director, NPC, Patna said, “Productivity is the cornerstone of sustainable development. NPC has been working to strengthen clusters in Bihar, ensuring that local enterprises can thrive and connect to national and international markets.”

Shri B.K. Sinha, Secretary General, Bihar State Productivity Council said, “Grassroots productivity initiatives are essential for Bihar’s progress. By empowering small enterprises and fostering collaboration, we can build a model of growth that is both inclusive and sustainable.”

The conclave bought together policymakers, industry leaders, academicians, and experts to deliberate on the role of MSME clusters as engines of growth and their contribution to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

There was also open house discussions among startups and the dignitaries. The vote of thanks was delivered by Shri B K Sinha, Secretary General, Bihar State Productivity Council.

Delhi, Feb 18th: Vegas Mall, Dwarka successfully hosted the Biker’s Breakfast Run today at its vibrant Central Piazza in collaboration with Red FM, as a promotional lead-up to the much-awaited Riders Music Festival 2025. The event witnessed an enthusiastic turnout of prominent biker communities from across the city, transforming the venue into a high-energy hub of roaring engines, music, and camaraderie. The initiative created strong buzz and engagement, setting the tone for the upcoming festival. The morning began with a lively breakfast gathering, offering riders an opportunity to network, interact, and celebrate their shared passion for biking.

The Central Piazza came alive with vibrant moments, photo opportunities, and spirited conversations, culminating in the official riders’ flag-off. The ceremonial send-off marked an exciting highlight of the event, amplifying visibility and anticipation for the Riders Music Festival 2025.

Speaking on the occasion, Ravinder Choudhary, Vice-President, Vegas Mall, said, “We are delighted with the tremendous response to the Biker’s Breakfast Run. The passion and energy of the biker community truly reflect the spirit of the Riders Music Festival 2025. At Vegas Mall, we remain committed to curating engaging experiences that bring communities together and create memorable moments for our visitors.

Feb, 18 :Gurgaon-headquartered GNA Energy today launched ‘Vidyut AI’ at the India AI Impact Summit. The platform has been developed as an AI-enabled intelligence layer designed to work in sync with the government’s India Energy Stack (IES) framework.The India Energy Stack is the Ministry of Power’s proposed digital public infrastructure for the electricity sector aimed at enabling seamless data exchange, transparency and innovation across the power ecosystem.

GNA Energy, a Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)-regulated over-the-counter (OTC) platform, said Vidyut AI will transform structured power-sector datasets into real-time decision support for utilities, generators, traders and regulators.The company said the platform is aimed at accelerating data-driven decision-making across the electricity value chain at a time when India’s power markets are witnessing rapid structural shifts, increasing short-term trading volumes and growing regulatory oversight.

“India’s power sector generates enormous volumes of operational and market data every day. Vidyut AI transforms this complexity into clarity. By enabling instant access to actionable intelligence, we are empowering utilities, generators and market participants to make smarter, faster decisions,”

said Sanjeev Kumar, Managing Director, GNA Energy.

According to the company, Vidyut AI bridges the gap between granular system data and boardroom-level decisions by converting raw data into automated summaries, trend analyses and downloadable reports.For distribution companies (DISCOMs) the platform provides real-time access to procurement data, deviation settlement mechanism (DSM) exposure, open access transactions and demand forecasting analytics. Power generators can track bid performance, plant dispatch patterns, clearing prices and revenue optimisation metrics. Transmission utilities and system operators can gain simplified access to congestion patterns and grid performance analytics while traders and market participants can use natural-language search to compare contracts and track price trends.Regulators and policymakers can also leverage the system for automated trend analysis and faster regulatory impact assessment, the company said.

GNA Energy stated that Vidyut AI is been built on a secure and scalable architecture suitable for enterprise-grade deployment with a strong emphasis on transparency, compliance and market efficiency.The launch comes amid a broader push for technology-led reforms in India’s power sector including digitisation of operations, enhanced market transparency and data-backed governance.GNA Energy is a CERC-regulated OTC platform focused on building next-generation digital infrastructure for India’s electricity markets with expertise spanning market design, utility operations and data management.

Mo is a mushroom on a mission. As the latest in a long line of Planetary Wellbeing pioneers at Four Seasons Resorts Maldives he is – in his own words – “tired of being kept in the dark.”

“We’re the evolution of two decades of earth-friendly initiatives here at Four Seasons Maldives, yet these Four Seasons people hardly ever talk about us, they just get on with it,” bemoans the outspoken oyster mushroom. “That’s why I’m taking a stand as Official Spokesmushroom.”

By “us,” Mo is referring to his fellow 150-strong United Featheration of chickens, ducks and quail; the 100-variety Garden Gang of herbs, vegetables and fruits; the 8,000 or so Orchid Crew and many more unsung island-based heroes.

Every day, some five kilograms (11 pounds) of Mo’s mushroom brethren, along with huge quantities of Garden Gang colleagues, put themselves forward as Zero-Mile Champions. They travel 200 to 400 metres (650-1,300 feet) by bicycle across sandy terrain to numerous on-site restaurants (within the Resort). Once there, they take star turns in a wide range of soups, salads, mains, desserts and drinks.

“It’s a tough job – we don’t ever get to see those who volunteer,” says Mo. “Unlike the lazy show-off orchids – there are 8,000 of those working here yet only 500 of them are ever on duty for a month at a time before taking a six-month break to revitalise; it’s a scandal.”

In the Blu Beach Club kitchen, Mo passes the time between arrival and evening service by chatting with his fellow Zero Mile volunteers. “There’re quite a bit of manhandling and hanging around,” he says, “but you could say it’s our life’s work so we don’t mind.”

Dinner is a taste explosion of signature dishes, packed with island-fresh flavours: Landaa Happy Egg served with local pumpkin cream, seeds and seaweed; White Snapper Carpaccio with Kulafilha leaf, melon and passion fruit; Slow-Cooked Rainbow Runner with cauliflower, dill and roasted lemon.

After dinner, Mo is unavailable for comment. But back in the Mushroom House, his son is not concerned: “If he’s not still in the kitchen he will have gone to the Compost Club to rest and regenerate. We honestly give our all; Four Seasons really should give us more credit.” 

Watch this space for more on-the-ground updates from the Resorts’ Planetary Wellbeing pioneers as they reveal how Four Seasons is doing things differently in the Maldives.

New Delhi, Feb 18th: Udaan, a large-scale Artificial Intelligence education initiative powered by Sunstone, has equipped over 10,000 students from Classes 11 and 12 with early, practical exposure to AI and emerging technologies. The initiative was conducted across three campuses in North India, bringing school students into real college learning environments and helping them experience how future skills are applied in practice.

The sessions were hosted at HiTech Institute of Engineering & Technology, Ghaziabad; IITM Murthal, Sonipat; and the Institute of Technology & Management (ITM), Dehradun. Students experienced campus life firsthand while gaining exposure to AI tools and real-world applications that are shaping modern careers.

With Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforming how students learn, work, and build careers, Udaan was designed to address a growing gap in early exposure to industry-relevant skills. The initiative reached students across academic streams, school boards including CBSE and State Boards, and both government and private institutions. By introducing AI at the school level, the programme aims to build awareness, confidence, and readiness for a technology-driven future.

Commenting on the initiative, Ankur Jain, Co-Founder and CBO, Sunstone, said, “AI is no longer a future skill. It is a present necessity. Through Udaan, we wanted students from every background to understand how AI can shape their learning journeys and future careers.”

During the programme, students participated in a structured learning experience that included interactive workshops on AI tools, hands-on lab sessions, and short assessments designed to reinforce practical understanding. They also received certificates of participation and gained insight into how AI tools are used by college students to enhance productivity, research, and problem-solving.

The initiative witnessed strong participation across regions. At HiTech Institute of Engineering & Technology, Ghaziabad, 3,200 students from 48 schools across Ghaziabad, Hapur, and nearby areas attended the sessions, with particularly strong engagement during hands-on lab exercises. IITM Murthal, Sonipat hosted 2,500 students from 40 schools, where practical demonstrations helped students understand real-world applications of AI beyond textbooks. At ITM Dehradun, 2,300 students from 37 schools participated, creating awareness around technology-driven learning and AI-enabled problem solving.

As part of Udaan, a Faculty Development Programme on Artificial Intelligence in Education was also conducted to ensure educators remain equipped to guide students in a technology-enabled learning environment. The sessions were led by experienced trainers and industry professionals who shared practical insights on AI tools, classroom integration, and evolving skill requirements in the digital era.

More than 100 school teachers participated in the programme, gaining hands-on exposure to AI-driven teaching approaches and modern learning tools. By strengthening educator capability alongside student learning, Udaan aims to create long-term impact and support the development of a future-ready education ecosystem.

Egypt, Cairo, Feb 18 – ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation and a leading provider of enterprise IT management solutions, today added new causal intelligence and autonomous AI capabilities in Site24x7, its full-stack observability platform. These enhancements transform how enterprises handle outages, shifting from firefighting to autonomous resilience. By drastically reducing mean time to recovery (MTTR) and ensuring service-level agreement (SLA) compliance, Site24x7 helps IT teams safeguard the customer experience and retain trust.

Modern IT environments are increasingly fragmented across hybrid clouds, microservices, and dynamic networks, generating massive volumes of telemetry and predictive anomaly signals every second. When an incident occurs, this complexity turns troubleshooting into a needle-in-a-haystack search, often leading to prolonged downtime. IT teams struggle to correlate anomaly signals and events across these layers, delaying the critical fix to restore normalcy, jeopardizing brand reputation.

“Hybrid and cloud-native architectures have made IT operations highly interconnected, while IT managers are under constant pressure to resolve incidents quickly amid growing complexity,” said Srinivasa Raghavan, director of product management at ManageEngine. “By combining predictive anomaly detection, intelligent event correlation, service dependency context, and AI-driven causal insights, Site24x7 cuts through alert noise to show not just what is broken, but what caused it and what it impacts, helping teams identify the true fault faster and significantly reduce MTTR while minimizing service disruption.”

“Triaging and resolving incidents in hybrid environments with growing infrastructure complexity can quickly become a nightmare, especially when SLA commitments are on the line,” said Pravir Kumar Sinha, IT leader at Synechron, a global IT services company and one of the early customers to access the feature. “With Site24x7 AIOps , we’re able to filter out nearly 90% of alert noise, pinpoint issues faster, and accelerate resolution. This helps us achieve stronger SLA adherence, reduce MTTR, and ultimately deliver reliable digital experience for customers.”

The introduction of autonomous AI in Site24x7 represent a practical step toward more autonomous IT operations by analyzing observability data, reducing cognitive overload, and turning insights into clear, actionable guidance. “With MCP providing the control and governance layer, we ensure this intelligence is applied securely and within enterprise guardrails. This empowers IT leaders move toward agentic workflows with confidence, stay ahead of the AI adoption curve, and strengthen the resilience of their critical digital services,” said Raghavan.

Key capabilities include:

• Domain-aware causal correlation with predictive anomaly detection: Detects anomalies and correlates related signals across applications, infrastructure, and networks into a single, context-rich problem—so teams can quickly understand what is connected and where to start.
• Customizable AI Agents with governed, task-driven automation: Enables customers to create and tailor AI Agents, set approved guardrails using solution documents, and assign tasks that guide agents from analysis to guided action—making response workflows more consistent across teams.
• MCP-enabled agentic foundation for customers: MCP provides the enabling layer for customers to build and operationalize agentic use cases on top of observability data—standardizing how agents access data, follow approved guidance, and execute tasks within enterprise-ready controls and auditability.
• Orchestrated remediation with Qntrl: Co-ordinates downstream actions through structured workflows and repeatable runbooks, powered by Zoho’s workflow and orchestration platform Qntrl, with approvals and traceability built in to support controlled automation.

These AIOps capabilities are now available for all users in Professional and Enterprise plans.

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