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Envoys to China visit Xiamen to help the World Heritage Convention

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The World Heritage Conference is about to be held. Fujian is ready to organize the conference at a high level to better show the world the Chinese style and tell the Fujian story. At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 22 foreign envoys were in Fujian from July 13th to 17th. They went to Xiamen, Longyan, Ningde, Fuzhou and other places to visit the Gutian conference site, inspect Ningde’s Xiaqi village, etc., to understand the economic and social development of our province. 22 foreign envoys arrived in Fujian. At the first stop, they came to Xiamen, known as the “Sea Garden”. The envoys admired the achievements made in the development of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone.

Visit the Yundang Academy to understand the practice and results of ecological governance and protection

After getting off the plane on July 14, the envoys went straight to Yundang Academy to learn about the practices and results of the ecological management and protection of Yundang Lake. Somalia’s ambassador to China, Awale Ali Kurane, also took notes seriously. The comprehensive management of Yundang Lake has promoted the black and smelly waters and the extinct fish and shrimps of Yundang Lake to become the “Xiamen City Meeting Room” with clear waters and green shores and the fragrance of birds and flowers. It has become a good place for citizens to relax. “I really appreciate Xiamen’s achievements in balancing economic development and environmental protection, which are also closely related to Xi Jinping’s thoughts on ecological civilization.” Samoa’s ambassador to China, Tapsaray Toomata, said Xiamen’s experience It is worth learning and learning from all countries. He who has been to Xiamen before has witnessed the changes in Xiamen with his own eyes: “The city is getting more and more beautiful, and its development is getting better and better. I also heard that Xiamen is an immigrant city. I believe that it can attract so many people and it is naturally unique. Charm.”

Set foot on Gulangyu Island and revel in the unique cultural atmosphere here

Afterwards, the envoys took the “Lujiang 99” passenger ship to visit the scenery on both sides of the Lujiang River and were excited about their upcoming visit to Gulangyu, the Museum of Architecture of the World. The Minister of the Syrian Embassy in China, Bruhan Al Khatib, has not put down his phone, and recorded video after video, “I will send these videos to my friends in various countries to let them know what a beautiful city Xiamen is. .” Set foot on Gulangyu Island, this is a cultural tour of Xiamen. Visiting the Gulangyu Historical and Cultural Exhibition Hall, Shuzhuang Garden, walking through the streets to the homes of local residents to listen to family concerts… The compact and substantial itinerary allowed the envoys to fully indulge in the unique cultural atmosphere of Gulangyu. “This afternoon was very beautiful. I fully felt Xiamen’s great emphasis on the protection of cultural heritage and its unremitting efforts in the inheritance of historical and cultural heritage.” Shang Mugan, Minister of the Malaysian Embassy in China, said that Xiamen is an important place for cultural heritage protection.

The charm of Xiamen is everywhere

Private envoys, just like many ordinary tourists who come to Xiamen, also like to “take freely”, but compared to other tourists, they are more obsessed with digging Xiamen’s local culture. For example, knowing that the sweet-scented osmanthus tree in Yundang Academy has a good meaning in traditional Chinese culture, the envoys named it “Lucky tree” and immediately triggered a wave of group photos. They appreciate Xiamen’s rapid development while retaining its own characteristics. There were also some interesting details at the scene. For example, the Mauritian ambassador to China Wang Chunwan wore a Tang suit, which stood out among the envoys. As a descendant of Chinese descent, he has a natural kindness to China, and this is also his fourth visit to Fujian. He said that Xiamen makes him feel particularly cordial because he has the same blue sea and blue sky as Mauritius. And Tapsaray Toomata, who has been to Xiamen many times, misses Xiamen’s sunshine and seafood in his heart. He said that Xiamen is one of his favorite Chinese cities. The moment he landed from rainy Beijing to sunny Xiamen, he really felt very good, “and I can eat Xiamen’s seafood again.”

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Former Marine Engineer Turned Supply Chain Executive Releases “From Engines to Algorithms,” Charting a New Framework for Operational Constraints

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Los Angeles, California, 22nd July 2026 — Niraj Jha, Senior Director of Logistics at Niagara Bottling LLC, the largest privately held beverage company in the United States, has released From Engines to Algorithms, a book drawing on his uncommon path from licensed marine engineer to supply chain leader to explain why technology does not make operational bottlenecks disappear, they just relocate them.

Jha spent four years at sea as a marine engineer before moving into logistics and manufacturing operations, a transition that forms the spine of the book. The title itself signals the arc: from the mechanical world of ship engines, where a single failed component can strand a vessel, to the algorithmic systems now running modern supply chains, where the failure points are just as real but far less visible.

At the center of the book is Jha’s “Law of Constraint Migration,” a framework he has developed over years of running manufacturing and logistics operations across dozens of plants and thousands of weekly truckloads. The core argument: every time an organization fixes its most visible bottleneck with technology , the constraint does not vanish, it migrates to the next weakest point in the system. Leaders who treat constraint-fixing as a one-time project, rather than a permanent discipline, end up chasing the same problem in a different disguise year after year.

“Systemic failure does not happen because of one big catastrophic event,” Jha said. “It starts with leaders having a static approach to problem solving , where this fix one constraint using technology and then move on without understanding where the constraint has moved.”

That principle was shaped in part by direct experience. Jha’s early engineering career included firsthand exposure to the operational and mechanical failure chains that can escalate quietly before becoming visible incidents, lessons he has carried directly into how he now evaluates risk in logistics networks spanning multiple plants, carriers, and third-party providers.

Since moving into supply chain leadership, Jha has held roles from plant director to his current position overseeing logistics strategy across a multi-state region, and is now deeply involved in Niagara Bottling’s AI strategy for manufacturing and supply chain operations. He holds several patents in manufacturing and supply chain technology, including three granted US patents around direct to store shipments, and has deployed AI-driven systems for automated palletizing, dynamic shipping, and operational incident handling.

From Engines to Algorithms is written for operators, not theorists. Jha’s stated approach throughout is practitioner credibility over metaphor: fewer abstractions, more direct account of what breaks in real operations and why. The book avoids the hedge-everything tone common in management literature in favor of decision-oriented conclusions.

Jha is a member of CSCMP’s Executive Inner Circle, an invitation-only group of senior supply chain executives, as well as the member of the World Economic Forum  and the Fast Company Executive Board. He has been featured as a keynote speaker in multiple industry forums and his writing has appeared in Beverage digest, supply chain management review, SupplyChainBrain, Fast Company, and other trade publications, and he continues to publish ongoing analysis on constraint migration, AI economics, and supply chain strategy through his Substack and LinkedIn.

From Engines to Algorithms is available now. Readers can learn more and find purchasing details at enginestoalgorithms.com.

About the Author

Niraj Jha is Senior Director of Logistics at Niagara Bottling LLC, where he is deeply involved in the company’s AI strategy for manufacturing and supply chain operations. A licensed marine engineer by training, he spent four years in deep-sea service before transitioning into supply chain and operations leadership, where he has spent sixteen years in various leadership roles. He holds several patents in manufacturing and supply chain technology and developed and conceptualized the Law of Constraint Migration.

Media Contact Visit enginestoalgorithms.com for more information.

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Said Abulafia on What a Bakery Founded in 1879 Can Teach Modern Businesses

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Tel Aviv–Jaffa business leader Said Abulafia shares lessons from a historic Arab family-owned bakery that has served customers for nearly 150 years.

Tel Aviv–jaffa, Israel, 22nd July 2026, ZEX PR WIRE Most businesses do not make it to ten years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 34.7% of private-sector establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023. Family businesses face another challenge: only about 30% transition to the second generation, and roughly 12% remain viable into the third.

That makes Abulafia Bakery’s history unusual. Founded in Jaffa in 1879, the historic Arab family-owned bakery has operated for nearly 150 years through political change, economic pressure, shifting customer habits, and several generations of family leadership.

Said Abulafia believes the bakery’s long history offers practical lessons for modern businesses trying to survive.

“When people hear that the bakery started in 1879, they think about history,” says Abulafia. “I think about responsibility. Every generation had to make decisions that kept the business alive. That is the real lesson.”

Longevity Starts With Trust

For Abulafia, the bakery’s staying power begins with customer trust. Customers return because they know what to expect. They recognize the product, the place, and the experience.

Modern businesses often focus on attention. Abulafia believes trust matters more.

“A customer who comes once is important,” he says. “A customer who comes back with their children or grandchildren tells you something much deeper. It means the business became part of their routine.”

That kind of loyalty is not built by a single strong campaign. It is built through years of consistency.

Consistency Is Not Old-Fashioned

In a fast-moving business environment, consistency can sound plain. Abulafia sees it differently.

For a bakery, consistency is operational. Ingredients must be reliable. Production has to stay controlled. Service has to feel familiar. Small changes are noticed quickly.

“If something changes in the product, regular customers know,” he says. “They may not explain it in technical terms, but they feel it. That is why consistency is not just a nice idea. It is part of the business model.”

Adaptation Without Losing Identity

Abulafia says one of the biggest challenges for heritage businesses is knowing what to change and what to protect.

A business founded in 1879 cannot operate exactly as it did in earlier generations. Costs change. Customer behavior changes. Competition changes. Operations must improve.

At the same time, moving too far from the core identity can weaken what has kept the business going.

“You have to modernize carefully,” says Abulafia. “If you change everything, you lose the reason people trusted you. If you change nothing, you fall behind. The work is finding the line between the two.”

What Modern Businesses Can Learn

Abulafia believes the bakery’s history offers several lessons that extend beyond hospitality.

First, businesses need a clear core. They should understand what customers return for and protect it.

Second, growth should not come before stability. A weak system becomes harder to manage as it expands.

Third, businesses should listen to repeat customers. Long-term customers often notice operational problems before leadership does.

“People talk a lot about innovation,” he says. “But sometimes the best information comes from a customer who has been coming to you for 20 years and notices when something feels different.”

Pressure Reveals Weakness

The bakery has faced many periods of uncertainty, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply disruptions, rising costs, and fluctuating demand. Abulafia says those periods forced the business to simplify and strengthen its systems.

“When conditions are easy, you can ignore problems,” he says. “When pressure comes, every weakness becomes visible. That is when you either fix the system or keep repeating the same mistakes.”

For Abulafia, pressure is not only a challenge. It is a test of how well a business is built.

A Call to Study Businesses That Last

Abulafia encourages entrepreneurs, operators, and family business owners to study long-running businesses, not only fast-growing ones.

Many modern business stories focus on rapid scale. Abulafia believes there is equal value in studying enduring companies.

“A business that lasts for generations has already answered questions many newer businesses are still trying to solve,” he says. “How do you keep trust? How do you adapt? How do you stay useful to people over time?”

Call to Action

Abulafia encourages business owners to take practical steps:

  • Identify what customers truly return for

  • Protect the parts of the business that create trust

  • Make changes gradually and measure the impact

  • Listen closely to long-term customers

  • Build operations that can survive difficult periods

“Longevity is not one big decision,” he says. “It is many small decisions made well over time.”

About Said Abulafia

Said Abulafia is a Tel Aviv–Jaffa-based business leader involved with Abulafia Bakery, a historic Arab family-owned bakery established in Jaffa in 1879. His work focuses on preserving the bakery’s legacy while adapting operations for modern customers, changing markets, and long-term continuity.

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Knot Expands into Canada, Partnering with RBC, the Country’s Largest Bank

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New York City, NY, USA, July 22nd, 2026, FinanceWire

Knot, the leading merchant connectivity platform, has announced its partnership with RBC, Canada’s largest bank, to make RBC cards the default payment method for millions of cardholders wherever they spend. Using Knot’s CardSwitcher, RBC cardholders can set their RBC card as the saved payment method at their favorite merchants directly from the RBC mobile app, without manually entering card details. The partnership marks Knot’s first expansion beyond the United States.

Keeping RBC Top of Wallet

One of the hardest moments in payments is the first one. When a cardholder gets a new RBC card, putting it to use means hunting down every merchant where a card is already saved and updating each one by hand, so a new card often sits idle for weeks before it sees real spend. The partnership removes that friction. From the RBC app, cardholders add their RBC card to their preferred merchants in a few taps and set it as the saved payment method at the places they already spend, from the day the card is in hand.

For RBC, that means a card that goes to work immediately instead of waiting to be activated across a cardholder’s everyday spend. Placing the card as the default at the merchants cardholders use most keeps it top of wallet, turning a new RBC card from an occasional choice into a go-to payment method from the start and driving repeat spend and deeper loyalty to RBC.

Expanding into Canada with the Country’s Largest Bank

For years, Knot has built the merchant connectivity layer across the United States, linking the people, financial institutions, and merchants behind everyday spend. RBC is where that infrastructure goes international for the first time. Canada is Knot’s first market beyond the U.S., and launching it with the country’s largest bank sets the standard for every market that follows.

RBC did not become Canada’s largest bank by standing still. They move early, they invest in their clients, and they push the industry forward. That is exactly the kind of partner Knot wants to build alongside, and the reason RBC is the right first step into a new market. Bringing CardSwitcher to Canadian cardholders is the start of a longer roadmap, both for what Knot and RBC build together and for where Knot goes next.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Its success comes from the 101,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring the company’s vision, values, and strategy to life so it can help its clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, RBC has a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to its more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S., and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

About Knot

Knot is the leading merchant connectivity platform, simplifying how consumers, merchants, and financial institutions interact. CardSwitcher is the foundation of Knot’s product suite, letting users update and manage card-on-file payments across hundreds of merchants. Building on the same connectivity infrastructure, TransactionLink delivers SKU-level transaction data, and SubManager gives users a single place to view and manage their subscriptions. By removing friction at every step, Knot helps financial institutions grow engagement, loyalty, and spend.

Users can learn more at KnotAPI.com and connect with Knot on X (@KnotAPIs) and LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com/company/KnotAPI).

Contact

Head of Growth
Jose Del Real
Knot
press@knotapi.com

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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