Category: 3. Business

TransLink’s new five-year plan outlines 34 actions shaped by feedback, focused on reliability, convenience, and comfort

NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – Better real-time transit information, more reliable elevators and escalators, easier ways to report cleanliness issues, and continuing design work for Bus Rapid Transit are among the improvements TransLink is advancing through its new Customer Experience Action Plan.

The five-year plan outlines 34 actions shaped by customer feedback and focuses on making every transit trip easier and more comfortable. The actions are built around five priorities that customers identified : Operational Reliability, Communication, Frequency and Convenience, Safety and Security, and Comfort and Cleanliness.

“Customers have been clear about what matters most to them, and this plan is our commitment to act on that feedback,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “From real-time information to accessibility, safety, and comfort, we’re focused on delivering practical improvements people can see, feel, and rely on every day.”

Some initiatives identified to improve the customer experience include:

• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
  • Next phase of design for three BRT corridors, including Metrotown-North Shore, Langley-Haney Place, and King George Boulevard. BRT will provide fast, frequent, and reliable service by operating with dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority at intersections, and weather-protected stations.
• SeaBus Terminal Upgrades
  • Modernizing SeaBus terminals for better customer flow, comfort, and convenience. This includes replacing aging operational equipment such as the loading bay doors, emergency exit ramps, and ventilation systems in the south terminal skywalk.
• Major Bikeway Network (MBN)
  • Expanding the region’s cycling network, connecting to transit hubs and regional destinations to create a safer, more connected system for active transportation.
• Elevator and Escalator Upgrades
  • Multiple projects underway to replace aging elevators on the Expo Line and escalators on the Millenium Line, improving accessibility, reducing maintenance downtime, and providing more modern, spacious facilities.
• Real-Time Information Improvements
  • Enhancing real-time transit information, including the speed and accuracy of service alerts so that customers can better plan their journey.
• Cleaning and Maintenance Text Line Expansion
  • Expanding TransLink’s Cleaning and Maintenance Text Line to include more SkyTrain stations and introducing this service at select bus loops and exchanges so riders can enjoy a more comfortable trip.
• Safe Spaces Program
  • Improving customer safety at transit hubs by working with frontline staff to identify problem areas and making practical improvements that make stations brighter and more welcoming.

The plan was developed through extensive research, including input from more than 1,000 customers, transit staff, key business stakeholders, and a review of best practices from across the industry.

TransLink’s previous Customer Experience Action Plan delivered or is actively working on 33 of the 37 initiatives that include a wide range of upgrades and improvements for customers. Including:

• The opening of the first public washroom at Metrotown Station.
• Creation of the Transit Volunteer Program, which has grown to 130 active community volunteers since launching in 2022.
• Launch of the R6 Rapid Bus in Surrey, which recorded more than 5.2 million boardings in 2024, and is now the sixth busiest bus route in the region.
• Contactless Interac Debit payment across buses and fare gates, making TransLink the first agency in Canada to fully integrate this payment option systemwide.

This announcement demonstrates TransLink’s commitment to ongoing improvement, also reflected in the upcoming extension of HandyDART service hours until 2 a.m., which will improve service availability for customers starting January 11.

More information:
2026-2030 Customer Experience Action Plan

Media contact:
TransLink Media Relations
E: media@translink.ca

NEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. again rejected a takeover bid from Paramount and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix.

Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back its the sale of its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has made efforts to sweeten its $77.9 billion hostile offer for the entire company.

WATCH: Proposed Warner Bros. sale prompts concerns among Hollywood’s creative community

Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. It again recommended shareholders support the Netflix deal.

“Paramount’s offer continues to provide insufficient value, including terms such as an extraordinary amount of debt financing that create risks to close and lack of protections for our shareholders if a transaction is not completed,” Warner Bros. Discovery Chair Samuel Di Piazza Jr. said in a statement. In contrast, he added, the company’s agreement with Netflix “will offer superior value at greater levels of certainty.”

Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s hostile bid is still on the table. Warner shareholders currently have until Jan. 21 to “tender” their shares.

Late last month, Paramount announced an “irrevocable personal guarantee” from Oracle founder Larry Ellison — who is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — to back $40.4 billion in equity financing for the company’s offer. Paramount also increased its promised payout to shareholders to $5.8 billion if the deal is blocked by regulators, matching Netflix’s breakup fee.

In its Wednesday letter to shareholders, Warner expressed concerns about a potential deal with Paramount. Warner said it essentially considers the offer a leveraged buyout, which includes a lot of debt, and also pointed to operating restrictions that it said were imposed by Paramount’s offer and could “hamper WBD’s ability to perform” throughout a transaction.

The battle for Warner and the value of each offer grows complicated because Netflix and Paramount want different things. Netflix’s proposed acquisition includes only Warner’s studio and streaming business, including its legacy TV and movie production arms and platforms like HBO Max. But Paramount wants the entire company — which, beyond studio and streaming, includes networks like CNN and Discovery.

If Netflix is successful, Warner’s news and cable operations would be spun off into their own company, under a previously-announced separation.

A merger with either company could take over a year to close — and will attract tremendous antitrust scrutiny along the way. Due to its size and potential impact, it will almost certainly trigger a review by the U.S. Justice Department, which could sue to block the transaction or request changes. Other countries and regulators overseas may also challenge the merger. And politics are expected to come into play under President Donald Trump, who has made unprecedented suggestions about his personal involvement on whether a deal will go through.

Trade groups across the entertainment industry have continued to sound the alarm about both deals.

In a statement addressed to a Congressional antitrust subcommittee on Wednesday, Cinema United — which represents more than 60,000 movie screens worldwide — reiterated it was “deeply concerned” that Netflix’s acquisition could harm both moviegoers and people who work in theaters, pointing to the streaming giant’s past reliance on its online platform. The group said its concerns were “no less serious” for Paramount’s bid — warning of consequences of further consolidation overall, which it said could result in job losses and less diversity in filmmaking.

Sobi® (STO: SOBI) today announced that topline results from the Phase 2a EMBRACE study evaluating Gamifant® (emapalumab) for interferon-gamma (IFNγ)-driven sepsis (IDS), showed proof-of-concept with observed improvement in organ dysfunction and survival.

Based on the observed data from this research collaboration with the Hellenic Institute for the Study of Sepsis (HISS), Sobi and HISS will advance emapalumab in IDS and discuss the next clinical development steps with regulatory authorities. An update on next steps will be provided in due course and data from the EMBRACE study will be published at an upcoming medical conference.

About sepsis and IFNγ-driven sepsis (IDS)  

Sepsis is a serious condition in response to an infection that can lead to organ failure and is a leading global cause of mortality. A recent large study, published in eBioMedicine in 20241 describes different sepsis endotypes, suggesting varying endotypes require differentiated treatment strategies. Approximately 20% of the patients studied are of the newly described IFNγ-driven sepsis (IDS) endotype. IDS is marked by elevated levels of CXCL9 and detection of IFNγ and poor clinical outcomes, with a 28-day mortality rate ranging from 40 to 43%. 

About the EMBRACE study  
The EMBRACE study (NCT06694701) was a Phase 2a, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted at 24 sites in Greece. The study was sponsored by the Hellenic Institute for the Study of Sepsis (HISS) as part of a research collaboration with Sobi. The trial investigated whether Gamifant, an anti-IFNγ antibody, can improve clinical outcomes in patients with the interferon gamma-driven sepsis (IDS) endotype and absence of sepsis-induced immunoparalysis. IDS is characterized by elevated levels of CXCL9 and detectable IFNγ and is associated with poor patient outcomes. By targeting this inflammation pathway, the EMBRACE trial aims to reduce mortality, improve organ function, and accelerate recovery. The trial design includes three arms (a total of 75 patients enrolled), two groups receiving  Gamifant, (low and high doses) alongside standard-of-care treatment, and one group receiving placebo alongside standard-of-care treatment. The primary endpoint is a ≥1.4-point decrease in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score from baseline to the end of treatment (28 days). Secondary endpoints include 28-day mortality, safety, pharmacokinetics, and changes in key inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP, IL-6, ferritin, IFNγ, and CXCL9. 

About Gamifant
Gamifant® (emapalumab) is an anti-interferon gamma (IFNγ) monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralises IFNγ. When IFNγ is secreted in an uncontrolled manner, hyperinflammation occurs within the body. Gamifant is indicated for administration through intravenous infusion over one hour twice per week until haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). 

In the USA, Gamifant is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric (newborn and older) patients with primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) with refractory, recurrent or progressive disease or intolerance with conventional HLH therapy. Gamifant is also approved in the US for the treatment of adult and pediatric (newborn and older) patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)/macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in known or suspected Still’s disease with an inadequate response or intolerance to glucocorticoids, or with recurrent MAS. 

Primary HLH is a rare syndrome of hyperinflammation that usually occurs within the first year of life and can rapidly become fatal unless diagnosed and treated. 

About HISS   

The Hellenic Institute for the Study of Sepsis (HISS) is a non-profit, academic institute which fosters the activities of young researchers in the fields of systemic inflammation and sepsis. Since 2010, HISS has published 125 peer-reviewed publications including the publication of guidelines for sepsis in Greece, led the organization of 15 conferences, and of 35 clinical studies. HISS focuses on precision immunotherapy and is the Sponsor of the major randomized controlled trials SAVE-MORE and ImmunoSep. The data from these studies have been published in journals such as Nature Medicine and JAMA. 2,3. For more information, please visit https://sepsis.gr .

Sobi

Sobi® is a global biopharma company unlocking the potential of breakthrough innovations, transforming everyday life for people living with rare diseases. Sobi has approximately 1,900 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. In 2024, revenue amounted to SEK 26 billion. Sobi’s share (STO:SOBI) is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More about Sobi at sobi.com and LinkedIn.

Contacts

For details on how to contact the Sobi Investor Relations Team, please click here. For Sobi Media contacts, click here.

This information is information that Sobi is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 6 PM CET on 7 January 2026. 

Reference 

1: Interferon-gamma-driven elevation of CXCL9: a new sepsis endotype independently associated with mortality. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Evangelos J. et al. eBioMedicine, Volume 109, 105414 

2: Early treatment of COVID-19 with anakinra guided by soluble urokinase plasminogen receptor plasma levels: a double-blind, randomized controlled phase 3 trial. Kyriazopoulou, Evdoxia et al. Nature Medicine 2021 Oct;27(10):1752-1760. 

3: Precision Immunotherapy to Improve Sepsis Outcomes. The ImmunoSep Randomized Clinical Trial. Giamarellos-Bourboulis EJ, et al. JAMA, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.24175. 

Update to recall of specific batches of SMA Alfamino infant formula due to the possible presence of cereulide (Update 1)

Wednesday, 07 January 2026

Message:

Further to food alert 2026.01, batch 51700017Y1 of SMA Nutrition Alfamino infant formula is also subject to recall.

Furthermore, the correct expiry date of batch 51210017Y1 is May-27. 

Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.

Questions and answers. 

Nestlé is advising its customers that have purchased any of these batches to contact them: 

Via its online form, sharing a photo of the product and the batch code: www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb/getintouch

By calling its careline on 1800 931 832. 

Nature Of Danger:
Cereulide toxin is produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. The toxin may be pre-formed in a food and is extremely heat resistant. Consumption of foods containing cereulide toxin can lead to nausea and severe vomiting. Symptoms can appear within five hours. The duration of illness is usually 6 to 24 hours.

Action Required:

Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers & retailers:
Retailers are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. 

Wholesalers/distributors are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated batches and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retailer customers. 

Consumers:
Parents, guardians and caregivers are advised not to feed the implicated batches to infants or young children. 

If there’s information on your credit report that’s correct but not so great, it can make it harder to get credit with good terms. But there are things you can do yourself for free to help fix your credit. Credit repair companies also charge to do the same things. Before you consider paying, though, know the rules these companies have to follow — rules dishonest companies and scammers often break.

Before they do any work for you, credit repair companies have to write up a detailed contract that explains your legal rights (like your three-day right to cancel without any charge) and the total cost of their services. It’s illegal for credit repair companies to lie about what they can do for you, charge you before they help you, or ask you to lie on credit applications. Credit repair companies also can’t legally remove negative information from your credit report that’s correct and up to date.

Here are some ways to help fix your credit:

• Fix mistakes in your credit reports. Get your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com. If you see a mistake, write to the credit bureau and the business that reported the information. For more information, read Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports.
• Pay your bills on time, pay off debt, and don’t take on new debt. It takes time to improve your credit. If there’s accurate negative information in your credit report, credit repair companies can’t remove it for you legally. It’ll go away with time.
• Find real help. Your local credit union, university, or military personal financial manager might be able to recommend a non-profit credit counseling program that can help.

Read Fixing Your Credit FAQs to learn more about credit, credit repair, and how to help improve your credit. 

Published on January 07, 2026

By Office of Communication

The Arlington Economic Development Corporation (EDC) supports small businesses through various innovative programming. The industry-specific small business cohort, the latest free offering from the Arlington EDC, connects Arlington-based small businesses to subject matter experts through programming that directly addresses the challenges and opportunities in their sector. 

Since September 2025, there have been two cohorts — professional services and construction — serving 20 Arlington businesses. The program is geared towards established companies who are looking to take their business to the next level through scaling, sustainability and strategy refinement. 

“We strive to offer a range of programs for different levels of entrepreneurship, and thought it was especially important to provide tangible, industry-specific insights as well as information beyond just startup basics,” said Kay Brown-Patrick, assistant executive director of the Arlington EDC. 

“In addition to class content, the program gives participants access to networking with like-minded professionals, potential clients and key industry experts,” she said.  

Bwana Thurman, CEO of financial education and technology company BluPrint Worldwide, is a graduate of the professional services cohort. 

“My experience was informative and enlightening. One piece that has been extremely useful to me was how to improve my client experience and do a deep dive into my analytics,” Thurman said. 

For Juan F. De Leon, CEO of De Leon’s Designs and graduate of the construction cohort, the experience went a step beyond the useful information provided in sessions — it made him feel seen. 

“There are a lot of programs and services for more white-collar professions, but construction folks are not often well-represented. This is something that I’ve been looking for, and it felt so good that it catered to our community,” said De Leon. 

“I’m proud to have the certificate hanging in my office.” 

The cohorts received a proclamation from Mayor Jim Ross on Jan. 6, 2026 to recognize their work in the community and commitment to entrepreneurship. 

The next cohort, geared toward the Food & Beverage industry, will take place in March 2026. To learn more about the program, visit the Business Resources page at ArlingtonTxEDC.com or join our newsletter list for the most up-to-date information.