Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, foundational technology domains are converging to create new opportunities. In addition to their breakthrough potential, the simultaneous development of quantum, robotics, AI and more are accelerating mutual advancements.
What are the driving forces behind this convergence and how can organizations position themselves strategically within it for future growth?
Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
From tackling climate emergencies to rising geopolitical tensions and the accelerating infodemic, how can global collaboration safeguard economic growth while addressing today’s complex risks?
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Victor Ambros, Professor of Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School
The 2024 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine goes to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, tiny biological molecules that tell the cells in your body what kind of cell to be by turning on and off certain genes.
The Conversation Weekly podcast caught up with Victor Ambros from his lab at the UMass Chan Medical School to learn more about the Nobel-winning research and what comes next. Below are edited excerpts from the podcast.
How did you start thinking about this fundamental question at the heart of the discovery of microRNA, about how cells get the instructions to do what they do?
The paper that described this discovery was published in 1993. In the late 1980s, we were working in the field of developmental biology, studying C. elegans as a model organism for animal development. We were using genetic approaches, where mutations that caused developmental abnormalities were then followed up to try to understand what the gene was that was mutated and what the gene product was.
It was well understood that proteins could mediate changes in gene expression as cells differentiate, divide.
We were not looking for the involvement of any sort of unexpected kind of molecular mechanisms. The fact that the microRNA was the product of this gene that was regulating this other gene in this context was a complete surprise.
There was no reason to postulate that there should be such regulators of gene expression. This is one of those examples where the expectations are that you’re going to find out about more complexity and nuance about mechanisms that we already know about.
But sometimes surprises emerge, and in fact, surprises emerge perhaps surprisingly often.
These C. elegans worms, nematodes, is there something about them that allows you to work with their genetic material more easily? Why are they so key to this type of science?
C. elegans was developed as an experimental organism that people could use easily to, first, identify mutants and then study the development.
It only has about a thousand cells, and all those cells can be seen easily through a microscope in the living animal. But still it has all the various parts that are important to all animals: intestine, skin, muscles, a brain, sensory systems and complex behavior. So it’s quite an amazing system to study developmental processes and mechanisms really on the level of individual cells and what those cells do as they divide and differentiate during development.
Listen to Victor Ambros on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
You were looking at this lin-4 gene. What was your surprising discovery that led to this Nobel Prize?
In our lab, Rosalind Lee and Rhonda Feinbaum were working on this project for several years. This is a very labor intensive process, trying to track down a gene.
And all we had to go by was a mutation to guide us as we gradually homed in on the DNA sequence that contained the gene. The surprises started to emerge when we found that the pieces of DNA that were sufficient to confer the function of this gene and rescue a mutant were really small, only 800 base pairs.
And so that suggested, well, the gene is small, so the product of this gene is going to be pretty small. And then Rosalind worked to pare down the sequence more and to mutate potential protein coding sequences in that little piece of DNA. By a process of elimination, she finally showed that there was no protein that could be expressed from this gene.
And at the same time, we identified this very, very small transcript of only 22 nucleotides. So I would say there was probably a period of a week or two there where these realizations came to the fore and we knew we had something new.
You mentioned Rosalind, she’s your wife.
Yeah, we’ve been together since 1976. And we started to work together in the mid-’80s. And so we’re still working together today.
And she was the first author on that paper.
That’s right. It’s hard to express how wonderful it is to receive such validation of this work that we did together. That is just priceless.
Like it’s a Nobel Prize for her too?
Yes, every Nobel Prize has this obvious limitation of the number of people that they give it to. But, of course, behind that are the folks who worked in the lab – the teams that are actually behind the discoveries are surprisingly large sometimes. In this case, two people in my lab and several people in Gary Ruvkun’s lab.
In a way they’re really the heroes behind this. Our job – mine and Gary’s – is to stand in as representatives of this whole enterprise of science, which is so, so dependent upon teams, collaborations, brainstorming amongst multiple people, communications of ideas and crucial data, you know, all this is part of the process that underlies successful science.
That first week of the discoveries, did you anticipate at that point that this could be such a huge step for our understanding of genes?
Until other examples are found of something new, it’s very hard to know how peculiar that particular phenomenon might be.
We’re always mindful that evolution is amazingly innovative. And so it could have been that this particular small RNA base-pairing to this mRNA of lin-14 gene and turning off production of the protein from lin-14 messenger RNA, that could be a peculiar evolutionary innovation.
The second microRNA was identified in Gary Ruvkun’s lab in 1999, so it was a good six years before the second one was found, also in C. elegans. Really, the watershed discovery was when Ruvkun showed that let-7, the other microRNA, was actually conserved perfectly in sequence amongst all the bilaterian animals. So that meant that let-7 microRNA had been around for, what, 500 million years?
And so it was immediately obvious to the field that there had to be other microRNAs – this was not just a C. elegans thing. There must be others, and that quickly emerged to be the case.
You and Gary Ruvkun had been postdoctoral fellows at the same time at MIT, but by the time you made your respective discoveries, you’d both set up your own labs. Would you call them rival labs, in the same town?
No, I would certainly not call it rival labs. We were working together as postdocs basically on this problem of developmental timing in Bob Horvitz’s lab.
We just basically informally divided up the work. The understanding was, OK, Ambros lab will focus on lin-4 gene, and Ruvkun lab will focus on lin-14, and we anticipated that there would be a point that we would get together and share information about what we’ve learned and see if we could come to a synthesis.
That was the informal plan. It was not really a collaboration. It was certainly not a rivalry. The expectation was that we would divide up the work and then communicate when the time came. There was an expectation in this community of C. elegans researchers that you should share data freely.
Your lab still works on microRNA. What are you investigating? What questions do you still have?
One I find very interesting is a project where we collaborated with a clinician, a geneticist who studies intellectual disability. She had discovered that her patients, children with intellectual disabilities, in certain families carried a mutation that neither of their parents had – a spontaneous mutation – in the protein that is associated with microRNAs in humans called the Argonaute protein.
Each of our genomes contains four genes for Argonautes that are the partners of microRNAs. In fact, this is the effector protein that is guided by the microRNA to its target messenger RNAs. This Argonaute is what carries out the regulatory processes that happen once it finds its target.
These so-called Argonaute syndromes were discovered, where there are mutations in Argonautes, point mutations where only one amino acid changes to another amino acid. They have this very profound and extensive effect on the development of the individual.
And so working with these geneticists, our lab and other labs took those mutations, that were essentially gifted to us by the patient. And then we put those mutations into our system, in our case into C. elegans‘ Argonaute.
I’m excited by the very organized, active partnership between the Argonaute Alliance of families with Argonaute syndromes and the basic scientists studying Argonaute.
How does this collaboration potentially help those patients?
What we’ve learned is that the mutant protein is sort of a rogue Argonaute. It’s basically screwing up the normal process that these four Argonautes usually do in the body. And so this rogue Argonaute, in principle, could be removed from the system by trying to employ some of the technology that folks are developing for gene knockout or RNA interference of genes.
This is promising, and I’m hopeful that the payoff for the patients will come in the years ahead.
Victor Ambros receives funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Heath.
– ref. MicroRNA − a new Nobel laureate describes the scientific process of discovering these tiny molecules that turn genes on and off – https://theconversation.com/microrna-a-new-nobel-laureate-describes-the-scientific-process-of-discovering-these-tiny-molecules-that-turn-genes-on-and-off-241095
Source: Asia Development Bank
Improving statistical capacity in various areas of climate change relies on collaboration among governments, international development and research organizations, academia, and the private sector to foster innovation and the exchange of knowledge.
By pooling resources and expertise, new capacity building initiatives can drive the development of best practices in the compilation of climate change data and statistics, ensuring national statistics offices have the latest and most powerful statistical tools and methodologies at their disposal. Through these collaborative efforts, national statistics offices will be better positioned to contribute effectively to global climate action, bolstering efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.
ADB’s survey on the compilation of climate change statistics in Asia and the Pacific suggests that such collaboration is already underway among national statistics offices in member economies. Eighteen national statistics offices reported collaborating with other government agencies, sectors, or international organizations to address data gaps in statistics related to climate change. Other actions commonly taken by national statistics offices included use of administrative and big data and improvements to data infrastructure.
Figure 4. Measures Taken by National Statistics Offices to Address Data Gaps on Climate Change
Support provided by more advanced national statistics offices to their peers with fewer resources can also help build capacity and promote the exchange of best practices, ultimately contributing to the development of robust climate change statistics programs across Asia and the Pacific.
The survey showed that six of the 29 national statistics offices respondents in Asia and the Pacific indicated that they had provided support related to climate change statistics to other economies, either directly (three of six) or through associated organizations (four of six). Feedback from the six economies that provided support states that the most common types of assistance were for capacity building and project proposals. Other types of support included short-term assistance, provision of experts, and support on acquisition of technological and/or digital infrastructure and equipment.
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
The UK has today unleashed the largest package of sanctions to date against Putin’s shadow fleet of oil tankers.
Fresh sanctions unleashed against 18 Russian oil tankers and 4 liquified natural gas tankers – the largest sanctions action to date against Putin’s shadow fleet.
The Foreign Secretary continues his personal mission to crack down on the full spectrum of Russian malign activity.
The US and Canada sign up to the shadow fleet ‘Call to Action’ launched by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July, bringing the total number of signatories to 47.
The UK has today unleashed the largest package of sanctions to date against Putin’s shadow fleet of oil tankers.18 more shadow fleet ships will be barred from UK ports and unable to access world-leading British maritime services, bringing the total number of oil tankers sanctioned to 43.
The shadow fleet seeks to undermine sanctions and poses a clear and present danger. Environmental risks, such as oil spills, on our coastlines as a result of its flagrant violation of basic safety standards, but also risks to the security of global trade – the lifeblood of economic growth.
At the European Political Community Summit in July, the Prime Minister announced the shadow fleet call to action. Today the US and Canada have joined 44 European countries plus the EU in working together to tackle the risks posed by the shadow fleet.
The UK’s relentless action against the shadow fleet is putting grit into the system and starving Putin’s war machine of crucial revenues. The oil tankers targeted today have transported an estimated $4.9 billion in the last year alone. A significant number of the ships targeted by the UK to date have been forced to sit idling uselessly outside ports across the world, unable to continue pouring money into Putin’s war chest.
Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company, has been left desperately scrambling to rename and offload its vessels to dodge UK sanctions. Today we have targeted even more of its ships, further turning the screw on the mechanisms the Kremlin uses to fund its illegal war.
Alongside action against the shadow fleet, the UK is sanctioning 4 more LNG tankers and Russian gas company Rusgazdobycha JSC. We are continuing to ratchet up pressure on the beleaguered Russian gas industry, with flagship company Gazprom posting a significant net loss of $6.9 billion in 2023 – its first annual loss in more than 20 years.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said:
We must combat malign Russian activity at every turn, whether illicit tactics to bolster Putin’s war chest, their use of cyber-attacks or barbarism on the front line in Ukraine.
The UK is leading the charge against Putin’s desperate and dangerous attempts to cling on to his energy revenues, with his shadow fleet placing coastlines across Europe and the world in jeopardy.
I have made it my personal mission to constrain the Kremlin, closing the net around Putin and his mafia state using every tool at my disposal.
This new shadow fleet package comes in the weeks following recent UK actions to sanction both Russian cyber-crime gang Evil Corp, and Russian troops found to be using chemical weapons on the front lines in Ukraine. It represents the latest in a drumbeat of activity, with each package designed to target a distinct aspect of Russia’s malign behavior and reinforce the UK’s commitment to global security and the rule of law.
Sanctioned today are:
NS BORA (IMO 9412335)
ATLAS (IMO 9413573)
MOSKOVSKY PROSPECT (IMO 9511521)
NS ARCTIC (IMO 9413547)
CALLISTO (IMO 9299692)
SCF BAIKAL (IMO 9422457)
SCF SAMOTLOR (IMO 9421972)
SUVOROVSKY PROSPECT (IMO 9522324)
EASTERN PEARL (IMO 9285859)
KUDOS STARS (IMO 9288710)
SEA FIDELITY (IMO 9285835)
STRATOS AURORA (IMO 9288708)
TURBO VOYAGER (IMO 9299898)
AZURE CELESTE (IMO 9288722)
VARUNA (IMO 9332810)
SAI BABA (IMO 9321691)
ARTEMIS (IMO 9317949)
ANTAEUS (IMO 9299733)
MARSHAL VASILEVSKIY (IMO 9778313)
VELIKIY NOVGOROD (IMO 9630004)
MULAN (IMO 9864837)
EVEREST ENERGY (IMO 9243148)
RUSGAZDOBYCHA JSC
Today’s announcement comes as the United States and Canada have united in support of the European Political Community (EPC) Call to Action , demonstrating their shared determination to address the risks that the shadow fleet poses to the environment, maritime safety and security in Europe and beyond, the integrity of international seaborne trade, and respect for international maritime law.
Separately, the UK is taking steps to combat malign, Russian-backed maritime activity near the UK:
The Department for Transport is working alongside the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to challenge shadow fleet vessels with suspected dubious insurance to provide details of their insurance status as they pass through the English Channel.
Any actor that facilitates and supports Russia’s malign activities could be exposing themselves to sanctions
Ships specified under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 are prohibited from entering a port in the UK, may be given a movement or a port entry direction, can be detained, and will be refused permission to register on the UK Ship Register or have its existing registration terminated. In addition, the Oil Price Cap exception is not applicable to services in relation to specified ships, or to the supply or delivery of Russian oil or oil products in specified ships
The Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation has published guidance on the Russian Oil Services ban. Limited exceptions apply and licences may be granted for specified ships, as set out in Part 7 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
Media enquiries
Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk
Telephone 020 7008 3100
Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A letter from SSAC’s Chair to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about means-testing of Winter Fuel Payments.
A letter form the Social Security Advisory Committee’s (SSAC’s) Chair to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales from Winter 2024 to 2025, and the European Economic Area and Switzerland for winter 2024 to 2025.
The Social Security Advisory Committee considers it essential that the Department for Work and Pensions takes every reasonable step to ensure that all those eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment are supported in accessing it in a timely manner and accordingly provides a number of observations and recommendations for the Secretary of State to consider.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
How Homes England supported an ambitious developer based in Kent.
Levelling Up Home Building Fund Developer Case Study: Esquire Developments Ltd
Esquire Developments Ltd, an award-winning SME housebuilder, was established in 2011 and currently delivers approximately 120 homes annually across Kent and the South East.
Esquire Developments approached Homes England to support their project Millers Field, a 1.21-acre site in Maidstone, Kent and we provided a £2.68 million loan to transform the site into 9 attractive family homes.
Esquire Developments is known for its dedication to quality and sustainability, achieving up to 50% carbon reduction in their developments compared to current building standards. They also prioritise sourcing materials and supply chains locally, and all the homes in this project were equipped with air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging stations.
Following the successful completion of Millers Field, Homes England has supported Esquire Developments with a second scheme, Hill Farm in Sittingbourne, which is made up of 30 homes, 3 key worker homes and an overflow carpark for Demelza Children’s Hospice situated next to the development.
More information about the Levelling Up Home Building Fund can be found on our Levelling Up Home Building Fund — development finance page, and you can also arrange a call with one of our regional specialists by:
Source: The Holy See
Audience with a delegation of Ministers participating in the G7 Meeting on Inclusion and Disability, 17.10.2024
This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the G7 Meeting on Inclusion and Disability, to whom he delivered the following address:
Address of the Holy Father
Distinguished Ministers and Delegates,Ladies and Gentleman,
Excuse me for being late, but there were many things happening this morning. I greet all of you with gratitude and appreciation for your efforts to promote the dignity and rights of people with disabilities. When I was once speaking about people with disabilities, someone said to me, “be careful because we all have a disability!” All of us. It is true. This meeting, on the occasion of the G7, is concrete evidence of the desire to build a more just and inclusive world, in which each person, with his or her own abilities, can live to the full and contribute to the growth of society. Instead of speaking about disabilities, let us speak about different abilities because everyone has abilities. For example, I remember a group from a restaurant that visited here, which included both the cooks and waiters, and all of them were young men and women with disabilities. They all worked very well. I thank the Italian Minister for Disabilities, the Honourable Alessandra Locatelli, who is present today, for promoting this important initiative. Thank you.
Yesterday you signed the “Charter of Solfagnano”, the fruit of your work on such fundamental issues as inclusion, accessibility, independent living and the empowerment of persons. These themes are also present in the Church’s vision of human dignity. Indeed, every person is an integral part of the universal human family, and no one should fall victim to a throwaway culture, absolutely no one. This type of culture generates prejudice and damages society.
First, the inclusion of persons with disabilities must be recognized as a priority by all countries. I do not like the word “disability”, I prefer “differently abled”. Sadly, even today in some countries people find it hard to acknowledge the equal dignity of such persons (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 98). Creating an inclusive world entails not only adapting structures but also changing minds, in order that people with disabilities may considered full participants in social life. There can be no authentic human development without the involvement of the most vulnerable members of society. Universal accessibility is thus a great goal to be pursued, so that every physical, social, cultural and religious barrier may be eliminated and every individual can be enabled to develop his or her talents and contribute to the common good at every stage of life, from childhood to old age. It pains me when people live in a culture that discards old people. Old people offer wisdom but they are discarded as if they were a pair of old shoes.
Providing adequate facilities and services for people with disabilities is not only a matter of social assistance – it is not a policy of welfare – but it is about justice and respect for their dignity. All countries have the responsibility of ensuring the necessary conditions for the integral development of each individual within inclusive communities (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 107).
It is important, then, to work together in making it possible for persons with disabilities to choose their own path in life, free of the fetters of prejudice. The human person – let us remember – must never be a means but always an end! This means enhancing each person’s abilities and providing opportunities for dignified employment. Excluding people from the possibility of work is a grave form of discrimination (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 162). Work is the anointing of dignity. If you exclude the possibility, you take that away from them. The same thing can be said with regard to participation in cultural events and sporting activities: excluding people with disabilities is an affront to human dignity.
The new technologies can also prove to be a powerful means for increasing inclusion and participation, provided they are made accessible to everyone. These technologies need to be directed towards the common good and placed at the service of a culture of encounter and solidarity. Technology ought to be used wisely, in order to avoid creating further inequalities and to help overcoming those that already exist.
Finally, in speaking of inclusion, we must take into account the urgent needs of the earth, our common home. We cannot be indifferent to the humanitarian emergencies linked to climate crises and conflicts, which have the greatest impact on those who are most vulnerable, including persons with disabilities (cf. Laudato Si’, 25). It is our duty to ensure that those with disabilities are not left behind in such situations, and that they are properly cared for and protected. What is needed is a system of prevention and emergency response that takes into account their specific needs and guarantees that no one is excluded from protection and assistance.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I view your work as a sign of hope for a world that all too often disregards people with disabilities or unfortunately rejects them away before they are born, “returning them to the sender” after seeing a scan. I urge you to persevere in your efforts, inspired by faith and the conviction that each person is a precious gift to society. Saint Francis of Assisi, who bore witness to a boundless love for the most vulnerable, reminds us that true wealth is found in our encounter with others – this culture of encounter needs to be developed – especially with those who tend to be “discarded” by an ersatz culture of wellbeing. Among those who are victims of being discarded are grandparents. Grandparents and elderly are left in nursing homes. This is a very bad thing. It reminds me of a good story. There was a grandfather who lived with his family, but as he grew older, he would make a mess while eating. One day the father made a separate table in the kitchen and told his son, “Grandpa will eat in the kitchen, so that we can invite guests”. After some time passed, the father came home from work to find his five-year-old son playing with tables. He asked him, “What are you doing?”. The son replied “I’m making a small table”. “A small table? Why?”, asked the father. The son replied, “for you dad, for when you become old”. What we do with old people, our children will do with us. Let us not forget that. Together we can build a world in which the dignity of each person is fully recognized and respected.
May God bless you and always accompany you in this important undertaking. Thank you.
Source: Government of Italy (English)
The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, together with the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, held an informal meeting this morning with some of the Member States that have the most interest in the migration issue and in particular the matter of innovative solutions.
In addition to Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and the European Commission, the meeting was also attended by the leaders of Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia.
In particular, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the main points of action indicated in Monday’s letter on migration, including the matter of innovative solutions.
President Meloni presented the Italy-Albania agreement, the day after the first irregular migrants arrived at the port of Shengjin, underlining its role in the fight against human traffickers.
The leaders’ discussion focused on the ‘safe third country’ concept ahead of implementation of the rules under the new Pact on Migration and Asylum and on cooperation along the migration routes with the UNHCR and IOM regarding assisted voluntary returns, as well as on ‘return hubs’.
The leaders in attendance agreed to continue to maintain close operational coordination, also in view of the next European Council meetings, with the aim of strengthening the European Union’s migration policy and making it increasingly effective.
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
A joint initiative by companies and institutions based in and around Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel – the district surrounding its central railway station – intends to help improve the difficult situation in the area. Known as the BHV corporate initiative (BHV being an acronym for Bahnhofsviertel), it aims to make a positive contribution to the district and support selected social projects through constructive dialogue with the city. Representatives of the participating companies presented the initiative at a joint event today with Frankfurt’s mayor Mike Josef. Speaking at the K9 advice centre, one of the welfare facilities to receive financial support from the BHV corporate initiative, they reaffirmed their commitment to the district and called for further intensive efforts to find solutions to the area’s problems.
Mayor Josef highlighted the following: When I took office one and a half years ago, a particularly important topic was the situation in the station district. And it remains so to this day. The many meetings I have had over the past few months have included conversations with companies, their representatives and employees based in or near the station district. It has become clear that the situation in the district needs to change. He went on to say: I am pleased that many conversations have been very constructive. With the BHV corporate initiative, several companies and institutions have decided to provide financial support to social facilities in the station district. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks for this.
We have joined forces in a cross-sectoral initiative to improve the situation in the station district for people who spend time here for a multitude of different reasons. We want to achieve this by supporting tangible projects, said Stephan Bredt, chief operating officer at the Bundesbank, one of the institutions bringing ideas to the joint initiative. The Bundesbank, which has offices in and around the station district, is happy to contribute to its success by getting involved and providing good ideas. We see ourselves at the beginning of a long-term undertaking and invite other interested parties to join in.
The BHV corporate initiative, which currently comprises eleven companies and institutions with around 26,000 employees in and around the station district, is supporting various aid projects for people in need. Indirectly, these may also help to improve the district’s appearance. In a first step, the initiative will support four facilities in the district with funding of €100,000 each:
The K9 advice centre for projects that help people with drug addiction regain a foothold in labour market;
La Strada drug help centre to extend and renovate its community café and drug consumption rooms and expand its provision of medical care;
The night café on Moselstrasse to provide warm meals for people battling addiction;
Malteser Werke to expand their emergency medical service in the district as part of their proactive social work.
As a gateway to the city, the station district has great economic, cultural and social potential. In order to harness this, the current problems need to be tackled on a lasting basis, said Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, speaking on behalf of the companies involved. We welcome the initiative of the mayor and the municipal administration of Frankfurt to develop and implement forward-looking solutions for the station district. It is important that initial improvements are now quickly followed by further tangible steps. As corporate citizens, we want to exercise our social responsibility and make an active contribution to improving the situation and unlocking the district’s full potential.
The participants of the BHV initiative are making a long-term commitment. In addition to the specific financial support to social facilities provided by the companies involved, the initiative aims to liaise closely with the city on the progress made in the district. Moreover, participants are harnessing the initiative to improve the exchange of information with regard to the challenges and opportunities in the district. Other companies and institutions that would like to get involved are welcome to join at any time.
Current participants
Bank of America
Deutsche Bundesbank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Vermögensberatung
DWS
DZ Bank
Frankfurter Volksbank Rhein-Main
Helaba
Merz Pharma
Momeni Group
Nestlé Deutschland
US Senate News:
Source: The White House
Higher education should be a pathway to economic opportunity – not a lifetime of debt. That is why I have fought to make education more affordable and reduce the burden of student debt throughout my career.
When President Biden and I took office, only 7,000 people had ever been approved for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Today, I am proud to say that a record one million teachers, nurses, first responders, social workers, and other public service workers have received student debt cancellation. As I travel our nation, I meet many of these public servants who say they now have more money in their pocket to put towards buying a home, renting an apartment, getting a car, starting a family, and saving up for the future.
Our Administration has forgiven over $170 billion in student debt for nearly five million people throughout the country — more than any Administration in history. And while Republican elected officials do everything in their power to block millions of their own constituents from receiving this much needed economic relief, I will continue our work to lower costs, make higher education more affordable, and relieve the burden of student debt. I am fully committed to doing what is necessary to build an economy that works for every American.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its response to Consumer Scotland’s call for information, as part of Consumer Scotland’s review of consumer protection frameworks in the market for energy efficiency and low carbon heating products.
The CMA has published its response to Consumer Scotland’s call for information, as part of Consumer Scotland’s review of consumer protection frameworks in the market for energy efficiency and low carbon heating products.
Our response was informed by our own review of consumer protection in the UK green heating and insulation sector. It focuses on our key findings and recommendations, and our further work to build additional consumer confidence.
We will continue to co-operate with Consumer Scotland as its investigation progresses.
Source: City of Manchester
A brand-new animation about the lived experiences of young carers has premiered to a theatre audience as a revamped strategy to ensure they receive more support will be rolled-up out across the city.
The short video, created by former Manchester Metropolitan University student Yasmin Lee, was shown to a packed-out audience at HOME theatre which spotlights primary age children who have been identified as young carers through their schools and communities.
A young carer is usually someone under the age of 18, who has the responsibility of providing care for a loved-one who has a disability, illness or mental health condition. However, the definition can take various forms depending on the relationship to the carer and specific caring needs.
The animation aims to help raise awareness of how schools and organisations that work with children and young people can implement new ways of support, breaking down stigma and celebrating their efforts.
The Young Carers Strategy 2024-2028 is a refresh of the previous strategy which outlines an approach that is informed by the voice of Young Carers and is underpinned by a partnership approach.
The strategy emphasises the rights of Children and young people to assessment and support and continues to work with all Manchester schools and settings as well as Youth and Play providers to develop their offer of support for Young Carers.
The strategy advocates for the introduction of Young Carer Champions, which is a member of staff who can help young carers and inform other staff and pupils about what young caring is to stamp out misconceptions and tailor the right support for each pupil.
There are already 187 schools in Manchester that have designated Young Carers Champion.
The Young Carers in Schools Awards has also been created in schools to ensure that social workers, early years practitioners and all organisations that work with children and young people have the tools, resources and skills to support children with caring responsibilities, while also celebrating their hard-work and commitment to their loved-ones.
More information about young carers is available at Young Carers and the animation about the Young Carers Strategy can be watched online.
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, said: “It is important that children and young people who identify as young carers feel supported and celebrated.
“The updated Young Carers Strategy for Manchester aims to improve the experience of young carers in our city through collaboration with vital services such as schools and early years practitioners.
“It is great to see young carers proudly represented in this new animation which we hope will continue to inspire and educate people about the experience of young carers.”
Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh
A hard-hitting conference to raise awareness of Hate Crime was held recently at Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre – and left a huge impact on those in attendance.
Attended by Minister Aisling Reilly, the ‘Put Yourself in their Shoes’ event gave voice to a number of guest speakers from a variety of walks of life, who shared their very personal experiences of being a victim of Hate Crime.
Organised in partnership with Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Policing & Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and Victim Support NI, this event also focused on the Victim Support NI Hate Crime Manifesto which highlights how statutory, community and private sector partners can work collaboratively to improve support to victims and curb hate in society.
“Hate Crime incidents are something we unfortunately now hear about on an almost daily basis and everyone should be able to live a life free from fear and isolation,” commented the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Councillor Sarah Duffy.
“The individuals who spoke today were incredibly brave to share their story to help raise awareness of Hate Crime, and really made us all think about how we would feel if we were on the receiving end of it.”
Hate Crime is the perpetrator’s hostility or prejudice against any person or property on the grounds of the victim’s ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, political opinion or disability – and these incidents have continued to rise in Northern Ireland over the past decade.
“This conference was really informative and helped to increase awareness and understanding about Hate Crime and in particular, really opened our eyes to the hate incidents that people have experienced in our communities,” commented Alderman Mark Baxter, Chair of the PCSP.
“We would encourage everyone to report any incidents of Hate Crime and to never be afraid to speak out against it. We all need to tackle this together.”
To report a Hate Crime please contact the Police on 101 or online https://www.psni.police.uk/report You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 with complete anonymity.
For help, support and advice on Hate Crime, click here: https://hcasni.com/
This event was part funded by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and The Executive Office.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
The Board of Directors of Kvika banki hf. is set to approve the financial statements of the Group for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2024 at a board meeting on Wednesday 6 November. The financial statements will subsequently be published after domestic markets have closed.
On Thursday, November 7, a presentation for shareholders and market participants will be held as a part of Kvika’s Capital Markets Day. During the event, Kvika’s management will present the company’s strategic priorities following the expected sale of TM, and provide an overview of the key highlights from the third quarter financial results.
The event will take place at Harpa’s Northern Lights Hall from 12:00 to 16:00. The presentation will be conducted in Icelandic and a live stream of the event will be available.
The registration deadline for the event is October 25 and you can register here. Please note that registration for the event is limited due to capacity restraints.
Further information please contact Kvika‘s investor relations. ir@kvika.is
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — reAlpha Tech Corp. (“reAlpha” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AIRE), a real estate technology company developing and commercializing artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies, today announces the operational expansion of its subsidiary, Be My Neighbor (“BMN”). BMN, a veteran-operated mortgage brokerage company, has obtained its broker license in the State of New Mexico.
“Securing this license in New Mexico is a pivotal step in our expansion strategy,” said Nathan Nottingham, Chief of Staff of BMN. “We’re excited to bring our client-focused mortgage services to New Mexico, providing residents with a more personalized and efficient home financing experience.”
As part of its strategic growth plan, BMN will continue to expand into additional states, delivering accessible, transparent, and community-driven mortgage solutions.
About reAlpha Tech Corp.
reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) is a real estate technology company developing an end-to-end commission-free homebuying platform. Utilizing the power of AI and an acquisition-led growth strategy, reAlpha’s goal is to offer a more affordable, streamlined experience for those on the journey to homeownership. For more information, visit http://www.realpha.com.
About Be My Neighbor
Debt Does Deals, LLC (d/b/a Be My Neighbor) is a veteran-operated mortgage brokerage company operating in 27 states. The company believes that one house has the power to make a life-changing impact for a family and future generations. Their mission is to bring humanity back into the biggest financial real estate decision that a person will make in their lifetime by showing them how to build generational wealth through smart real estate decisions and actually enjoy the process along the way. For more information, visit bemyneighbor.mortgage.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about BMN’s recently acquired broker license in New Mexico; the anticipated benefits of BMN’s expansion into New Mexico and plan to expand into additional states; reAlpha’s and BMN’s ability to anticipate the future needs of the short-term rental market; future trends in the real estate, technology and artificial intelligence industries, generally; and reAlpha’s and BMN’s future growth strategy and growth rate. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “project”, “strive”, “budget”, “forecast”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: reAlpha’s limited operating history and that reAlpha has not yet fully developed its AI-based technologies; reAlpha’s ability to commercialize its developing AI-based technologies; whether reAlpha’s technology and products will be accepted and adopted by its customers and intended users; reAlpha’s ability to integrate the business of BMN into its existing business and the anticipated demand for BMN’s services in any of the markets reAlpha or BMN operates or provide services in; BMN’s ability to expand into additional states; reAlpha’s ability or the inability to maintain and strengthen reAlpha’s brand and reputation; the inability to accurately forecast demand for short-term rentals and AI-based real estate focused products; the inability to execute business objectives and growth strategies successfully or sustain reAlpha’s growth; the inability of reAlpha’s customers to pay for reAlpha’s services; changes in applicable laws or regulations, and the impact of the regulatory environment and complexities with compliance related to such environment; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in reAlpha’s U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings.
Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.
Although reAlpha believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. reAlpha’s future results, level of activity, performance or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking statements.
For more information about the factors that could cause such differences, please refer to reAlpha’s filings with the SEC.
Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and reAlpha does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Company Contact
Investor Relations
investorrelations@realpha.com
Media Contact
irlabs on behalf of reAlpha
Fatema Bhabrawala
fatema@irlabs.ca
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SYDNEY, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading global Forex and CFD broker Axi celebrates the one-year anniversary of the launch of their pioneering capital allocation program, Axi Select. Per the broker, Axi Select breaks away from traditional norms in the prop trading industry; instead, it stands out as the first funded trader-centric program that provides traders with a fair and realistic opportunity to progress into professional trading.
Indeed, Axi Select seems to have refined the existing models to one that invests in the trader’s potential. Greg Rubin, Head of Axi Select, says: “This past year, we’ve seen Axi Select really stand out among other similar programs by providing real opportunities for success and growth.” The program offers talented traders a pathway to access capital funding up to $1,000,000 USD and earn up to 90% of their profits, as well as the advantage to join the program with zero registration or monthly fees*. Moreover, Axi Select uses a Standard or a Pro live account, unrestrictive trading conditions, and a suite of tools to help traders on their trading journey.
The reception of the program has been phenomenal – since its launch in 2023, over 17,400 traders have joined Axi Select. Per Axi, September was a record month for Axi Select as the one-year celebration came with over $440K in trader payouts. Seasoned trader Moises C. comments on the program: “Axi Select’s leading and professional capital allocation program offers unmatched returns for traders. I believe it to be a benchmark of excellency within the industry that has transformed my life.”
To celebrate their one-year anniversary, Axi hosted an insightful discussion where Greg Rubin answers the most frequently Axi Select questions asked over the past year. You can view the video here: https://youtu.be/IZKwiox88I8.
About Axi
Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.
Contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com
*Standard trading fees apply.
The Axi Select program is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available to AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beam Global, (Nasdaq: BEEM), a leading provider of innovative and sustainable infrastructure solutions for the electrification of transportation and energy security, today announced the official launch of the BeamWell™ water desalination and e-mobility delivery system. This solution is designed to address critical needs for clean drinking water, mobility and electricity in regions facing humanitarian crises.
The BeamWell™ product is based on the patented EV ARC™ system and is a self-sufficient, self-contained operational system for use in war zones and remote or disaster areas where only salt, brackish or dirty water is available because a reliable clean water supply is not available or has been interrupted. The BeamWell™ system provides three essential services to regions in crisis: it turns seawater into fresh water, which is then stored in an integrated 3000-liter tank that is replenished daily; it provides a source of electricity which can be used for medical or communications devices as well as cooking and lighting; and it charges four integrated and bundled Benzina Zero electric mopeds for the rapid distribution of food, water, medications or other vital resources, to those in need.
“We are living in unprecedented times when wars and natural disasters such as the recent hurricanes in the U.S. are becoming commonplace,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Beam Global. “At the same time 40% of the world’s population lives by the sea and in areas which are most prone to natural disasters. By providing a container-transportable, rapidly deployed, off-grid power source paired with desalination and e-mobility, we are addressing three of the most essential needs in crisis situations: clean water, reliable power and the means to distribute aid. Beam Global is on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of those who are suffering.”
Enabled by Beam Global’s patented EV ARC™ platform, the BeamWell™ system is completely self-contained, shipping-container-transportable, and deploys in minutes with no construction, no electrical work and no requirement for any supporting infrastructure. It can be relocated as water supply challenges fluctuate. Beam Global EV ARC™ technology, which has already been successfully deployed thousands of times worldwide, uses patented tracking solar technology to generate and store clean energy for e-mobility. The BeamWell™ solution will also use this renewable energy to desalinate water and provide power and a means of delivering aid.
Recent estimates suggest around 60 million people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) lack access to clean and safe drinking water. As of October 2024, the water crisis in Gaza is severe, with nearly 2.3 million residents facing restricted access to clean water due to the ongoing conflict and damage to water infrastructure. This lack of access to clean water is contributing to a public health crisis, as waterborne diseases are spreading rapidly. Aid deliveries have included water, but the quantities are grossly insufficient to meet the needs of the entire population, and many organizations are having trouble providing continued support throughout the region during the prolonged conflict.
Beam Global is finalizing deployment plans, with the first BeamWell™ systems expected to be delivered to the Middle East through global aid organizations as soon as possible. This U.S.-based company’s collaboration with governments, NGOs and other international partners represents a significant step toward addressing urgent needs in regions affected by conflict and humanitarian crises.
For more information on the BeamWell™ water treatment system contact the Beam Team at BeamTeam@BeamForAll.com.
About Beam Global
Beam Global is a clean technology innovator which develops and manufactures sustainable infrastructure products and technologies. We operate at the nexus of clean energy and transportation with a focus on sustainable energy infrastructure, rapidly deployed and scalable EV charging solutions, safe energy storage and vital energy security. With operations in the U.S. and Europe, Beam Global develops, patents, designs, engineers and manufactures unique and advanced clean technology solutions that power transportation, provide secure sources of electricity, save time and money and protect the environment. Headquartered in San Diego with facilities in Chicago, Belgrade and Kraljevo, Beam Global has a deep patent portfolio and is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol BEEM. For more information visit BeamForAll.com, LinkedIn, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).
Forward-Looking Statements
This Beam Global Press Release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements in this Press Release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may,” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or results. These statements relate to future events or future results of operations. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause Beam Global’s actual results to be materially different from these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by law, Beam Global expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Media Contact:
Skyya PR
+1 651-335-0585
Press@BeamForAll.com
Investor Relations:
Core IR
+1 516-222-2560
IR@BeamForAll.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ecc68fa3-dd8d-430e-a9c6-41ed4143d62d
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9d93d87a-8cd6-488e-adec-1ec911d01850
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
A spokesman for the Department of Justice (DoJ) said that the four-day Fifth Session of the Elaboration of the Convention on the Establishment of The International Organization for Mediation concluded in Hong Kong today (October 17). Representatives from various countries completed negotiations on the Convention at the session and decided that the signing ceremony for the Convention will be held in Hong Kong in 2025.
The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) will be the world’s first intergovernmental international legal organisation dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, aiming to realise win-win co-operation between disputing parties. The IOMed is important for the implementation of settling international disputes by peaceful means as stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations and offers a new option to all countries for peaceful resolution of international disputes.
Following the signing of the Joint Statement on the Future Establishment of The International Organization for Mediation by China and other like-minded countries in 2022, the International Organization for Mediation Preparatory Office was established in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in February 2023 to co-ordinate the conclusion of negotiations on the Convention.
The spokesman for the DoJ said, “The establishment of the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong demonstrates the city’s unique advantages and opportunities in international mediation. Through important initiatives such as establishing the IOMed Preparatory Office in the HKSAR, completing the negotiations on the Convention, and facilitating the consensus among different parties on situating the future IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong, the Central People’s Government demonstrates its staunch support to HKSAR in establishing the city as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. Upon its establishment, the IOMed will provide friendly, flexible, economical and efficient mediation services, thereby building Hong Kong as a capital for international mediation.”
The spokesman said that the IOMed Preparatory Office will continue to perform the function as the IOMed’s interim secretariat until the IOMed is formally established.
Source: Transparency International
Brazil’s Prosecutor General, Paulo Gonet, has requested the dismissal of an investigation into Transparency International, citing a lack of evidence and the absence of concrete facts indicating any criminal conduct.
The investigation was based on false claims that Transparency International received funds from leniency agreements related to Operation Car Wash, a probe that exposed a vast corruption scheme within Brazilian state-owned enterprises nearly a decade ago.
In February, the Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli ordered an investigation into Transparency International, just a week after Transparency International published its 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, which highlighted setbacks in Brazil’s fight against corruption. The analysis specifically drew attention to Justice Dias Toffoli’s recent decision to invalidate evidence and suspend fines for corruption involving the large Brazilian companies Odebrecht (now Novonor) and J&F.
The Prosecutor General’s decision this week to request the dismissal of the case is also based on the lack of jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and, in particularly Justice Toffoli, to investigate such allegations. This raises concerns about a growing trend of baseless attacks targeting civil society organisations that work to expose corruption in Brazil.
François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, said:
“The attacks against Transparency International in Brazil, as in other parts of the world, are a direct response to our actions exposing corruption and underscore the importance of our work in confronting powerful interests.
“However, this should never be normalised or tolerated. The freedom and safety of activists and other professionals working in the public interest, such as investigative journalists, are fundamental elements of a democracy.”
Bruno Brandão, Executive Director Transparency International Brazil, said:
“Baseless attacks will not silence Transparency International Brazil and our mission to fight corruption. Our resolve is stronger than ever, and we will continue to expose wrongdoing, advocate for the protection of civic space and the rights of citizens and civil society to express their concerns and demand justice.”
Note to editors
See also:
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin held a meeting of the presidium (headquarters) of the Government Commission on Regional Development, where they discussed the results of work over nine months, as well as the main approaches to the implementation of the new national project “Infrastructure for Life” and key tasks for further work.
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Marat Khusnullin held a meeting of the Presidium of the Government Commission on Regional Development
“Based on the preliminary results of the work, we see positive dynamics. In total, since 2020, the volume of work in construction has grown by more than 30%, including almost 3% this year. More than 118 million square meters of housing are currently under construction. About 81 million square meters were commissioned in nine months. Urban development potential has grown by 12% since the beginning of the year – to 472 million square meters. We are also moving at a good pace in road construction. Thus, this year, more than 80 km of regional and local roads have already been built and reconstructed, about 3.6 thousand km have been repaired, including major repairs. Within the framework of the national project “BKD”, 95 million out of 108 million square meters of the top layer of the pavement were laid. I would like to note that this year we are completing the implementation of the national projects “Housing and Urban Environment” and “Safe High-Quality Roads”, so I would like to draw attention to the need to achieve the set goals in full. Their continuation will be the national project “Infrastructure for Life”. We are completing its preparation. We are also working to clarify the rules of the resettlement program from dilapidated housing. We have less than three months left until the end of the year. As a rule, it is during these months that the bulk of the commissioning of facilities occurs, so I ask the regional teams to speed up the pace of work and successfully complete all planned projects and tasks,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The participants also discussed the implementation of national projects and federal programs. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the regions that are leaders in meeting the indicators. Among them are the Chechen Republic, Penza Region, the Republic of Adygea, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Kursk Regions, the Republics of North Ossetia-Alania, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Voronezh Region, Kabardino-Balkarian, Chuvash Republics, Orenburg, Kostroma Regions.
The meeting also discussed in detail the implementation of road activities. Marat Khusnullin congratulated the participants on the upcoming Road Workers’ Day and thanked them for their productive work.
In addition, they raised pressing issues regarding the implementation of the large-scale project “Five Seas and Lake Baikal”, which is being implemented on the instructions of the President in nine regions of the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko focused on the development of regions where year-round seaside resorts are being created within the framework of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality Industry”.
“On the instructions of the President, we are implementing the Five Seas and Lake Baikal project, which promotes the growth of tourist flow and the socio-economic development of the regions as a whole. It is expected that the creation of new year-round resorts will give us 86 thousand new jobs, and also increase the tourist flow by 10 million people per year. Obviously, the project is large-scale, the maximum orchestration of resources and existing tools is needed. Regions should use not only federal budget funds within the framework of the national project (128 billion), but also use attracted investments and their own funds to create infrastructure facilities, and ensure control over the accuracy of calculations and budgets,” the Deputy Prime Minister explained.
During the headquarters meeting, he initiated instructions regarding the prioritization of projects by year, including in areas of supporting infrastructure: energy, roads, etc.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has information that the company FIPS Finance & Development is providing financial services in Germany on its website fips-finance.com without the required authorisation. The company is not supervised by BaFin. Customers are incorrectly led to believe that the website is operated by an Austrian company that is registered in the Austrian company register. This is not the case. It is a case of identity fraud.
Anyone wishing to conduct banking business or provide financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation.
BaFin is issuing this information on the basis of section section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).
BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
New team of experts to provide the latest scientific advice across a range of specialisms to support the department’s work.
A panel of scientific experts is set to provide education policy makers with advice on strategic and emerging issues through a new Science Advisory Council, the Department for Education announced today (Thursday 17 October).
Professor Russell Viner, the Department for Education’s Chief Scientific Adviser, has established a team of 12 experts with a range of specialisms to ensure access to the best and latest scientific advice – helping the department’s work to break down the barriers to opportunity by protecting children and ensuring the delivery of higher standards of education, training and care.
Led by Professor Dame Athene Donald as chair, the independent panel will provide scientific advice to the Department for Education on matters relevant to its policy and operations. This will include areas such as early identification and support of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), mental health support, online harms prevention, a sustainable and secure school estate and Artificial Intelligence and education technology.
The Council will also work with the Chief Scientific Adviser to identify and share emerging scientific trends with officials and facilitate effective links between the department and the wider scientific community.
Professor Russell Viner, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Education, said:
We are the department for opportunity, working to deliver better life chances for all – and that means being at the forefront of cutting-edge scientific evidence to ensure we are doing everything we can to break the link between background and success.
We must keep pace with technological and scientific advancements if we are to deliver the highest standards for the people we serve. Science alone can’t address the challenges the department faces – but it can inform robust, evidence-informed decision making.
Chair Professor Dame Athene Donald, Professor Emerita of Experimental Physics and former Master of Churchill College, University of Cambridge, will be supported by Deputy Chair, Professor Mark Mon-Williams. Mark is the Chair of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Leeds and the Founder Director of the Centre of Applied Education Research.
The other ten members have expertise in fields including economics, social science, statistics, operational research and engineering, physical and life sciences, ethics, and data science. Between them they have worked on studies looking at school health interventions, the impact of AI on learning, how digital technologies affect adolescent mental health, how childhood circumstances influence child development and early interventions.
Plenary meetings will be held quarterly and will include attendance by the Chief Scientific Adviser, a non-executive board member and other relevant officials. Smaller, task-relevant meetings and workshops will occur as needed in response to departmental requests and needs.
The panel members are:
Chair: Professor Dame Athene Donald, DBE, FRS, Professor Emerita of Experimental Physics and former Master of Churchill College, University of Cambridge.
Deputy Chair: Professor Mark Mon-Williams, Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of Leeds.
Professor Chris Bonell, Professor of Public Health & Sociology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Professor William J. Browne, Professor of Statistics & Head of the School of Education, University of Bristol.
Dr Claire Crawford, Associate Professor at the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, University College London.
Michael Cribb, Chartered Structural Engineer and Associate Director, Arup.
Dr Dougal Hargreaves, Houston Reader in Paediatrics & Population Health, Imperial College London.
Dr Sonya Krutikova, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Manchester, & Deputy Research Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Professor Rose Luckin, Professor Emeritus of Learner Centred Design, University College London.
Dr Amy Orben, Leader of the Digital Mental Health Group at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge.
Professor Paul Ramchandani, LEGO Professor of Play in Education, Learning and Development, University of Cambridge.
Professor Michael J. Reiss, Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University of London & University College London.
DfE media enquiries
Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carbon Streaming Corporation (Cboe CA: NETZ) (OTCQB: OFSTF) (FSE: M2Q) (“Carbon Streaming” or the “Company”) today announces that on October 16, 2024 it initiated arbitration proceedings and an Ontario court action to enforce its legal and contractual rights under the Rimba Raya PSA (as defined below). The Company had previously indicated that it would be evaluating all legal avenues to enforce its legal and contractual rights under the Rimba Raya PSA, the SAA (as defined below) and related agreements. Initiating the arbitration proceedings and the Ontario court action are an important step in preserving the Company’s legal and contractual rights.
The Company delivered a Notice of Arbitration to Infinite-Earth Limited and PT Infinite Earth Nusantara, the operators of the Rimba Raya project (“Infinite-Earth”) in accordance with the purchase and sale agreement between the Company and Infinite-Earth dated July 30, 2021, as amended on February 28, 2023 (the “Rimba Raya PSA“); a Notice of Arbitration to the shareholders of Infinite-Earth Limited in accordance with the strategic alliance agreement between the Company and the shareholders of Infinite-Earth Limited dated July 30, 2021, as amended on November 17, 2021 (the “SAA”); and issued a Notice of Action in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking declaratory relief against the principals of Infinite-Earth Limited and their related entities.
The dispute between the Company, Infinite-Earth, and the principals of Infinite-Earth Limited arises out of acts and omissions that the Company alleges are improper and in breach of the Rimba Raya PSA, the SAA, and related agreements.
On April 26, 2024, the Company announced that it was informed that PT Rimba Raya Conservation (“PT Rimba”), the local concession holder for the Rimba Raya project, had its Forest Utilization Business License (the “Concession License”) revoked by the Indonesian Government’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry (the “MOEF”). On May 15, 2024, the Company announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and determined the fair value of the Rimba Raya PSA to be nil. On July 11, 2024, the Court reached a decision on the claim filed by PT Rimba against the MOEF before the State Administrative Court of Jakarta (the “Court of Jakarta”) challenging the MOEF’s revocation of the Concession License and declared the MOEF’s revocation of the Concession License to be void. The MOEF subsequently appealed the Court of Jakarta’s decision, and on September 30, 2024, the Court of Jakarta upheld its decision. The MOEF has until Friday, October 18, 2024, to initiate an appeal to overturn the decision to the Supreme Court of Jakarta.
For a comprehensive discussion regarding the risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could further impact the Rimba Raya project and the Rimba Raya PSA, including without limitation, concerning the legal status of the Concession License and the Rimba Raya PSA, investors are urged to review the section of the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2024 dated as of August 12, 2024 entitled “Strategy and Outlook – Indonesia Update”, the section of the Company’s Annual Information Form dated as of March 27, 2024 entitled “Risk Factors” and the press releases dated April 26, 2024, May 15, 2024 and May 21, 2024, copies of which are available on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.ca.
About Carbon Streaming
Carbon Streaming aims to accelerate a net-zero future. We pioneered the use of streaming transactions, a proven and flexible funding model, to scale high-integrity carbon credit projects to advance global climate action and additional United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This approach aligns our strategic interests with those of project partners to create long-term relationships built on a shared commitment to sustainability and accountability and positions us as a trusted source for buyers seeking high-quality carbon credits.
The Company’s focus is on projects that have a positive impact on the environment, local communities, and biodiversity, in addition to their carbon reduction or removal potential. The Company has carbon credit streams and royalties related to over 20 projects around the world, including high-integrity removal, reduction and avoidance projects from nature-based, agricultural, engineered and community-based methodologies.
To receive corporate updates via e-mail, please subscribe here.
ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY:
Christian Milau, Interim Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 647.846.7765
info@carbonstreaming.com
http://www.carbonstreaming.com
Investor Relations
investors@carbonstreaming.com
Media
media@carbonstreaming.com
Advisories
The references to third party websites and sources contained in this news release are provided for informational purposes and are not to be considered statements of the Company.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking information, including, without limitation: statements regarding acts and omissions of Infinite-Earth and the shareholders and principals of Infinite-Earth Limited; and statements with respect to the status of the Concession License held by PT Rimba with the MOEF.
When used in this news release, words such as “estimates”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “will”, “believes”, “intends” “should”, “could”, “may” and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. This forward-looking information is based on the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. They should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the outcome of the final ruling with respect to the revocation of the Concession License held by PT Rimba; general economic, market and business conditions and global financial conditions, including fluctuations in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and stock market volatility; volatility in prices of carbon credits and demand for carbon credits; change in social or political views towards climate change, carbon credits and ESG initiatives and subsequent changes in corporate or government policies or regulations and associated changes in demand for carbon credits; limited operating history for the Company’s current strategy; risks arising from competition and future acquisition activities; concentration risk; inaccurate estimates of growth strategy; dependence upon key management; impact of corporate restructurings; reputational risk; failure or timing delays for projects to be registered, validated and ultimately developed and for emission reductions or removals to be verified and carbon credits issued (and other risks associated with carbon credits standards and registries); foreign operations and political risks including actions by governmental authorities, including changes in or to government regulation, taxation and carbon pricing initiatives; uncertainties and ongoing market developments surrounding the validation and verification requirements of the voluntary and/or compliance markets; due diligence risks, including failure of third parties’ reviews, reports and projections to be accurate; dependence on project partners, operators and owners, including failure by such counterparties to make payments or perform their operational or other obligations to the Company in compliance with the terms of contractual arrangements between the Company and such counterparties; failure of projects to generate carbon credits, or natural disasters such as flood or fire which could have a material adverse effect on the ability of any project to generate carbon credits; volatility in the market price of the Company’s common shares or warrants; the effect that the issuance of additional securities by the Company could have on the market price of the Company’s common shares or warrants; global health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics; and the other risks disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated as of March 27, 2024 filed on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.ca.
Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (the “Company” or “Orezone”) is pleased to announce its third quarter 2024 gold production results from its Bomboré Gold Mine:
Patrick Downey, President & CEO stated, “Q3 marked another strong operating period at Bomboré, with a quarterly record of 1.5 million ore tonnes processed. Through the quarter, the Company was successful in accessing, pre-stripping, and commencing production in the higher-grade, free-digging Siga Zone oxides in the south. However, mill feed from this newly accessed, higher-grade zone, was lower than planned during the quarter due to delays from heavy rains and a four-day plant shutdown including a full ball mill reline in late September.
With the conclusion of the rainy season and completion of all scheduled annual mill maintenance, we fully expect fourth quarter gold production to be the strongest quarter for the year with increased ore contribution from the Siga Zone. The Company is on track to meet the mid-point of its 2024 production guidance of 110,000 to 125,000 ounces, evidenced by the strong gold production of 6,331 ounces through the first 15 days of October, at a head grade of 0.85 g/t gold. With record gold prices and unhedged gold sales, we expect additional cash generation in the last quarter of the year.”
Bomboré Production Results (100% Basis)
| Unit | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 |
|
| Ore processed | Tonnes | 1,491,740 | 1,428,396 | 1,355,619 | 4,275,755 |
| Ore grade | Au g/t | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.78 | 0.68 |
| Plant recovery | % | 87.4 | 86.8 | 89.0 | 87.8 |
| Gold produced | Au oz | 26,581 | 25,524 | 30,139 | 82,244 |
| Gold sold | Au oz | 27,698 | 24,937 | 31,229 | 83,864 |
About Orezone Gold Corporation
Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bomboré mine achieved commercial production on its oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now focused on its staged hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets and M&A.
The technical report entitled Bomboré Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Company’s website.
Contact Information
Patrick Downey
President and Chief Executive Officer
Vanessa Pickering
Manager, Investor Relations
Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663
info@orezone.com / http://www.orezone.com
For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945-8977 or visit the Company’s website at http://www.orezone.com.
The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release.
QUALIFIED PERSONS
Dale Tweed, P. Eng., VP Engineering and Rob Henderson, P. Eng. VP Technical Services of Orezone, are Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 and have reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain information that may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “possible” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “will”, “could”, or “should” occur. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company being on track to meet the mid-point of its 2024 production guidance including the fourth quarter being the strongest quarter of the year, cash generation in the last quarter of the year and the hard rock expansion.
All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management and the qualified persons believe are appropriate in the circumstances.
All forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, delays caused by pandemics, terrorist or other violent attacks (including cyber security attacks), the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company’s most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
STEINHAUSEN, Switzerland, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) (“Transocean”) today announced a one-year contract for the Deepwater Conqueror with an undisclosed operator in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The contract is expected to commence in October 2025 and contribute approximately $193 million in backlog, including additional services.
About Transocean
Transocean is a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The company specializes in technically demanding sectors of the global offshore drilling business with a particular focus on ultra-deepwater and harsh environment drilling services and operates the highest specification floating offshore drilling fleet in the world.
Transocean owns or has partial ownership interests in and operates a fleet of 34 mobile offshore drilling units, consisting of 26 ultra-deepwater floaters and eight harsh environment floaters.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements described herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements could contain words such as “possible,” “intend,” “will,” “if,” “expect,” or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are beyond our control, and in many cases, cannot be predicted. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, estimated duration of customer contracts, contract dayrate amounts, future contract commencement dates and locations, planned shipyard projects and other out-of-service time, sales of drilling units, the cost and timing of mobilizations and reactivations, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with international operations, actions by customers and other third parties, the fluctuation of current and future prices of oil and gas, the global and regional supply and demand for oil and gas, the intention to scrap certain drilling rigs, the effects of the spread of and mitigation efforts by governments, businesses and individuals related to contagious illnesses, and other factors, including those and other risks discussed in the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in the company’s other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the SEC’s website at: http://www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. We expressly disclaim any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in our expectations or beliefs with regard to the statement or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. All non-GAAP financial measure reconciliations to the most comparative GAAP measure are displayed in quantitative schedules on the company’s website at: http://www.deepwater.com.
This press release, or referenced documents, do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and do not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”) or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of Transocean and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of Transocean.
Analyst Contact:
Alison Johnson
+1 713-232-7214
Media Contact:
Pam Easton
+1 713-232-7647
Source: European Parliament
This compendium brings together a set of briefings prepared by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) to guide Members of the European Parliament through the parliamentary hearings of Commissioners-designate in early November 2024. These public confirmation hearings form the backdrop to Parliament’s confirmation vote on the College of Commissioners put forward by Ursula von der Leyen, following her re-election as Commission President by the European Parliament in July 2024. In addition to an overview of the process, setting its historical and political context, this volume contains a briefing on each of the Commissioners-designate and their portfolios. Each of these briefings highlights some of the key issues and recent developments in the portfolio, as well as looking back on Parliament’s activity in the area in the last parliamentary term.
Source: European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending €34 million to German teledriving technology startup Vay to help it develop its operations in Europe. The EIB loan will enable the Berlin-based company to accelerate the development of technology that enables a vehicle to be safely driven on city streets by a professionally trained human driver located at a remote teledrive station. Vay launched its first commercial service in the US city of Las Vegas in January 2024.
Vay plans to offer door-to-door car sharing in more cities in Europe and North America, while it also develops business-to-business partnerships with car manufacturers and other strategic players in the sector.
“This investment once again demonstrates our commitment to supporting European tech pioneers with global ambitions, like Vay,” said EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer. “Developed here in Europe, their innovative technology opens up new ways to make passenger and goods transport more efficient while delivering clean, efficient and inclusive urban mobility in our cities.”
Vay’s technology enables professionally trained teledrivers to drive vehicles to the customer’s pick-up location remotely. Once the car arrives, the user takes manual control and drives as with any regular vehicle. After the journey is complete, the user can exit without worrying about parking because a teledriver handles parking or drives the car to the next customer. The system offers more sustainable, door-to-door mobility at half the cost of traditional ride-hailing.
Teledriving provides the distinct advantage of having a human driver remotely controlling the vehicle in real-time. As a result, the system of teledriven cars is simple to operate and offers a wide range of capabilities. This is different from fully autonomous vehicles, which face a greater number of technical and legal complexities.
“We are proud that EIB has decided to invest in Vay as these funds will be instrumental in further developing our technology and supporting the company’s growth,” said Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vay Thomas von der Ohe. “We share the same goal and are committed to promoting economic development within the European Union. Moreover, this investment will play a crucial role in strengthening the confidence and trust that EU regulators, partners and consumers have in Vay, paving the way for the commercial rollout of our services in European cities.”
Vay is the only company in Europe to operate on public roads without a safety driver. At the start of 2024, it expanded its reach by launching a commercial teledriving service in Las Vegas, establishing itself as a pioneer in teledriven vehicles. Committed to creating safer, more sustainable and liveable cities, Vay leverages its teledriving technology to optimise the use of its electric fleet – potentially reducing the number of cars on roads.
Vay is actively engaging with several cities and states across Europe and the United States to explore future launches of its teledriving service. In 2023, the company successfully conducted test drives without a safety driver on public roads in Hamburg, Germany. Following that significant milestone, Vay has been working closely with German authorities to prepare for the commercial launch of its service in Hamburg.
The EIB loan is supported by the European InvestEU programme, which aims to trigger more than €372 billion in additional investment in new technologies until 2027. The deal is aligned with the InvestEU objective of promoting research, development and innovation.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. Its key priorities are climate and the environment, development, innovation and skills, small and medium companies (SMEs), infrastructure and cohesion. It works closely with other EU institutions to foster European integration, promote the development of the European Union and support EU policies in more than 140 countries worldwide.
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the European Union’s policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
EIB venture debt is a quasi-equity investment product suitable for early and growth stage ventures, combining a long-term loan with an instrument linking the return to the performance of the company. The EIB has made over 100 venture debt investments since 2015 across Europe, totalling over €2.1 billion. With the backing of InvestEU, the EIB aims to support European ventures and scale-ups in the cleantech, deeptech and life sciences sectors.
Vay develops automotive-grade technology for remote driving (“teledriving”), paving the way for sustainable and driverless mobility services. In February 2023, Vay became Europe’s first and only company to operate driverless vehicles on public roads. In January 2024, Vay launched its first commercial mobility service in Las Vegas, USA. Founded in Berlin in 2018 by Thomas von der Ohe, Fabrizio Scelsi, and Bogdan Djukic, Vay has 150+ employees and offices in Berlin, Hamburg, and Las Vegas, USA.
Vay raised a USD 95m Series B funding round, attracting investors worldwide. These include Kinnevik, Coatue, Eurazeo, Atomico, La Famiglia, and Creandum, as well as prominent business angels such as former Alphabet CFO Patrick Pichette, former member of the Management Board for R&D, Design, CTO of Audi Peter Mertens and Spotify’s Chief Technology & Chief Product Officer Gustav Söderström. In 2024, Vay received a EUR 34m investment from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Source: European Parliament
B10‑0121/2024
European Parliament resolution on the urgent need to revise the Medical Devices Regulation
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Article 168 thereof,
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Article 35 thereof,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC[1] (MDR),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices and repealing Directive 98/79/EC and Commission Decision 2010/227/EU[2] (IVDR),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2020/561 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices, as regards the dates of application of certain of its provisions[3],
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/607 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2023 amending Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and (EU) 2017/746 as regards the transitional provisions for certain medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices[4],
– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas medical devices play a pivotal role in the healthcare industry, facilitating the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring and treatment of various medical conditions;
B. whereas people rely on these devices every day and expect them to be safe, available and affordable;
C. whereas after a series of scandals, in which patient safety was jeopardised for profits, including cases of leaking breast implants, the new MDR and IVDR were agreed;
D. whereas these regulations updated the rules on the placing on the market of medical devices for human use and their accessories, as well as the rules for making such devices and accessories available on the market and putting them into service in the EU; whereas they also contain rules on how clinical investigations concerning such devices and accessories are carried out in the EU;
E. whereas the main aim of the regulations is to improve patient safety by introducing more stringent procedures for conformity assessment (to ensure that unsafe or non-compliant devices do not end up on the market) and post-market surveillance;
F. whereas in 2020, amending Regulation (EU) 2020/561 was adopted to allow EU Member States and their authorities and institutions to prioritise the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; whereas the application of certain of the MDR’s rules was deferred by one year to ensure the smooth functioning of the EU’s internal market, to maintain a high level of public health protection and patient safety, to provide legal certainty and to avoid potential market disruption during the pandemic;
G. whereas in 2023, amending Regulation (EU) 2023/607 was adopted as regards the transitional provisions for certain medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, permitting extensions where needed;
H. whereas some of the manufacturers of medical devices remain persistently unprepared to meet the requirements of the regulations;
I. whereas some of the notified bodies who carry out the assessment and certification of medical devices have created an unpredictable work environment for manufacturers of medical devices;
J. whereas there is no clarity on any actual shortages of medical devices nor on risks posed by shortages for specific therapeutic areas; whereas more factual information is needed to properly address the situation;
K. whereas the European Database on Medical Devices (EUDAMED) is an integral part of the MDR and the IVDR;
1. Expresses its continued support for the strong and strict protection of patient health and safety, including through the correct implementation of the MDR and the IVDR; underlines that patient safety must never be compromised;
2. Regrets possible shortages of medical devices and risks thereof, notably in the areas of paediatric care and orphan devices, resulting mainly from a suboptimal implementation of the legal framework;
3. Points out that the President of the European Commission has tasked the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare with ensuring ‘the availability and competitiveness of medical devices, including by stepping up the implementation of current framework and evaluating the need for potential legislative changes’;
4. Welcomes the Commission’s ongoing non-legislative actions to support the transition to the new regulations, including advice and guidance on the clinical evidence needed for fee-free conformity assessment, training, coaching and internship activities for notified bodies and conformity assessment bodies, and support for the development of innovative and orphan devices;
5. Stresses that the ongoing evaluation of the MDR and IVDR will generate much needed data and should be concluded and its results fully taken into account in any future revision of the MDR and IVDR, which should be accompanied by the customary full impact assessment;
6. Underlines that citizens, including patients in particular, as well as governments, civil society organisations and manufacturers of medical devices, have a right to information on the processes used by notified bodies for the certification of medical devices, including information on the timelines and fees;
7. Regrets the fact that notified bodies seem to have been misusing their critical position in the value chain, and points to the fact that this endangers patient safety and treatment options;
8. Expects all manufacturers of medical devices to be able to meet the requirements of the MDR and IVDR without any further delay;
9. Expects all notified bodies to ensure, through their work, that safe and reliable medical devices obtain timely and affordable access to the market, in a predictable and consistent manner;
10. Calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to ensure that the notified bodies use common and transparent working methods; invites the Commission to explore the possibility of ensuring more harmonisation, transparency and predictability of the certification processes, timelines and fees of the notified bodies, by means of implementing or delegated acts;
11. Calls on the Commission also to investigate ways to increase the transparency of the entire certification process conducted by notified bodies, to ensure that the public, civil society, academia and governments can scrutinise the work done; stresses that this would enhance the safety of the medical devices;
12. Calls for the full implementation of EUDAMED in accordance with the agreed timeline;
13. Underlines that any future legislative proposal on medical devices should be patient-centred and should put patient safety first;
14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
Source: European Parliament
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will represent the European Parliament at the summit, where she will address the heads of state or government at 10.00 and hold a press conference after her speech.
When: Press conference at around 11.00 on 17 October
Where: European Council press room and via Parliament’s webstreaming or EbS.
At their meeting in Brussels, heads of state or government will discuss how the EU can continue supporting Kyiv against Russian aggression, and the EU’s response to the latest events in the Middle East, where Israeli forces continue their attacks on Gaza and in Lebanon, while Iran has launched missiles against Israel. EU leaders will also focus on making the European economy more competitive, following the publication of Mario Draghi’s report, which calls for a boost in public investment and wide-ranging economic reforms. They will also discuss ways to manage migration flows and ensure border protection, climate change and biodiversity, and the situation in Georgia, Moldova, Venezuela and Sudan.
Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel / Escalating violence in the Middle East
President Metsola marked the one-year anniversary of terrorist attacks in Israel at the opening of the 7-10 October plenary session in Strasbourg. Recalling the horror of that day “that will live in infamy”, President Metsola said nothing could ever justify the indiscriminate mass murder, rape, kidnapping and torture that occurred one year ago. Since then, too few have been able to make it back to their loved ones – “this house will continue to do what we can to help bring them all home”, she said.
The 7 October attacks triggered a cycle of war, death and devastation that has seen thousands killed in Gaza, and instability across the region, President Metsola stated. In remembering all those lost and taken, the President added that “Parliament’s calls for the immediate release of the remaining hostages will remain steadfast, our calls for ceasefire will remain resolute, and our efforts towards de-escalation will remain strong.” The work for real, dignified, long-term and sustainable peace will remain unwavering, she concluded. MEPs held a minute of silence in memory of all the innocent lives lost.
In a resolution adopted on 25 April, MEPs strongly condemn the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel and call for further sanctions against Iran. Parliament voices serious concern over the escalation and threat to regional security. MEPs reiterate their full support for the security of the State of Israel and its citizens and condemn the simultaneous rocket launches carried out by Iran’s proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen against the Golan Heights and Israeli territory before and during the Iranian attack.
At the same time, they deplore the attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus on 1 April, which is widely attributed to Israel. The resolution recalls the importance of the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, which must be respected in all cases under international law.
Further reading
Parliament marks one year from the October 7th attacks in Israel
Parliament condemns Iran’s attack on Israel and calls for de-escalation
Parliament calls on Israel to open all crossings to Gaza for humanitarian aid
Israel-Hamas war: MEPs call for a permanent ceasefire under two conditions
MEPs condemn Hamas attack on Israel and call for a humanitarian pause
President Metsola at the European Council: EU must remain coherent and united
Leading MEPs condemn attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel
MEPs to contact
David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE), Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Marie-Agnes STRACK-ZIMMERMANN (Renew, DE), Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence
Russia’s war against Ukraine
On 14 October, MEPs on the Trade Committee endorsed the Commission’s proposal to support Ukraine with an exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan of up to €35 billion. This is the EU’s contribution under the G7’s initiative to support Ukraine with up to $50 billion (approximately €45 billion) to address Ukraine’s urgent financing needs in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression. The repayment of this exceptional MFA loan and of the loans from other G7 countries will come from the extraordinary revenues made from immobilised Russian Central Bank assets, and enabled by the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, newly established under the Commission’s proposal. The plenary vote is scheduled during next week’s session in Strasbourg.
In a resolution adopted on 19 September, MEPs want EU countries to lift current restrictions hindering Ukraine from using Western weapons systems against legitimate military targets in Russia. The text states that if current restrictions are not lifted, Ukraine cannot fully exercise its right to self-defence and remains exposed to attacks on its population and infrastructure. Parliament underlines that insufficient deliveries of ammunition and restrictions on their use risks offsetting the impact of efforts made to date, and deplores that EU countries are offering less bilateral military aid to Ukraine. MEPs reiterate their call for member states to fulfil their March 2023 commitment to deliver one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, and to accelerate the delivery of weapons, air defence systems and ammunition, including TAURUS missiles. They also restate their position that all EU countries and NATO allies should collectively and individually commit to annual military support for Ukraine of no less than 0.25% of their GDP.
While calling on the EU and its member states to actively work towards achieving the broadest possible international support for Ukraine and identifying a peaceful solution to the war, MEPs say that any resolution must be based on full respect for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also view holding Russia accountable for war crimes and reparations, and other payments by Moscow, as essential aspects of any solution. To this end, MEPs want the EU and like-minded partners to establish a sound legal regime to confiscate Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU as part of efforts to compensate Ukraine for the massive damage it has suffered.
With Russia’s war against Ukraine raging on, Parliament reconfirmed on 17 July its view that the EU must continue to support Kyiv for as long as it takes until victory. The resolution, which sets out the newly-elected European Parliament’s first official position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, restates MEPs’ continued support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. It calls on the EU to maintain and extend its sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus, monitor and review its effectiveness and impact, and systematically tackle the issue of EU-based companies, third parties, and third countries that circumvent sanctions.
Further reading
Ukraine: Trade Committee endorses financial support backed by Russian assets
MEPs: Ukraine must be able to strike legitimate military targets in Russia
Newly elected Parliament reaffirms its strong support for Ukraine
MEPs approve trade support measures for Ukraine with protection for EU farmers
Parliament calls on the EU to give Ukraine whatever it needs to defeat Russia
EU sanctions: new rules to crack down on violations
MEPs: EU must actively support Russia’s democratic opposition
Yulia Navalnaya: “If you want to defeat Putin, fight his criminal gang”
Debate 12 March 2024: Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21 and 22 March 2024
Parliament wants tougher enforcement of EU sanctions against Russia
A long-term solution for Ukraine’s funding needs
How the EU is supporting Ukraine
MEPs to contact
David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Marie-Agnes STRACK-ZIMMERMANN (Renew, DE), Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence
Karin KARLSBRO (Renew, SE), rapporteur on macro-financial assistance to Ukraine
Competitiveness
On 17 September, Mario Draghi outlined his blueprint for making Europe more competitive through closer cooperation in core areas and massive investment in shared objectives.
Mr Draghi said that the EU needed to focus on three crucial issues: closing the innovation gap with the US and China; developing a joint plan to link the goal of decarbonisation with increased competitiveness; and boosting Europe’s security and reducing its dependence on foreign economic powers. A fit-for-purpose competitiveness agenda would require annual funding of between EUR 750 – EUR 800 billion for projects whose objectives were already agreed upon by the EU. Some of this money could come from private sources, but some would also need to be secured through public investment, including by new common debt issued specifically to fund key joint projects, Mr Draghi said.
In a debate following Mr Draghi’s address, many MEPs agreed with his analysis that the EU economy must urgently change course. The EU should focus, they argued, on competition and innovation in key industries, along with more public and private investments in social, green and digital transformations. Some MEPs called for greater sovereignty and freer markets, and stressed that fighting climate change sabotages the EU economy. Others observed that growth is compatible with clean innovative technologies and social investment, to help citizens to learn new skills.
Further reading
Draghi to MEPs: “Europe faces a choice between exit, paralysis, or integration”
MEPs adopt plans to boost Europe’s Net-Zero technology production
New EU fiscal rules approved by MEPs
MEPs to contact
Borys Budka (EPP, PL), Chair Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Migration
During a press point with the Estonian Prime Minister on 16 October, EP President Roberta Metsola stressed that it is “important that we implement the migration pact. We need to be fair with those eligible for protection, firm with those who are not, and harsh with smugglers and malign states like Belarus or Russia who seek to exploit those most vulnerable. Only a coordinated European approach can ensure the integrity of our borderless Schengen area.”
On 9 October, Parliament debated how to strengthen the security of Europe’s external borders and the need for a comprehensive approach and enhanced Frontex support. You can watch the debate here. On 7 October, MEPs discussed the reintroduction of internal border controls in a number of member states and its impact on the Schengen Area. Watch the debate here.
On 10 April, MEPs approved the new Migration and Asylum Pact. The package consists of ten legislative texts to reform the European migration and asylum policy and was agreed with EU member states. You can find the adopted texts here and watch the plenary debate here.
Further reading
MEPs approve the new Migration and Asylum Pact
MEP to contact
Javier ZARZALEJOS (EPP, ES), Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Foreign affairs: Georgia, Moldova, Venezuela, Sudan
In a resolution adopted on 9 October, MEPs say current democratic backsliding in Georgia effectively puts the country’s integration with the EU on hold. The text highlights how the ruling Georgian Dream party has pushed an increasingly authoritarian agenda, including on media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. Coupled with changes to the country’s electoral legislation and growing anti-EU rhetoric, MEPs say these laws violate the freedom of expression, censor media, impose restrictions on critical voices in civil society and the NGO sector and discriminate against vulnerable people. They also make clear that unless the legislation is rescinded, progress cannot be made in Georgia’s relations with the EU.
Against the backdrop of the continuing decline of Georgia’s democracy, Parliament demands that all EU funding provided to the Georgian government be frozen until the undemocratic laws are repealed. Any future funding of the Georgian government can only be disbursed under strict conditions, MEPs argue.
On 9 October, MEPs adopted a resolution issuing a strong warning against continued Russian attempts to derail Moldova’s pro-European trajectory. The text vehemently condemns Russia’s escalating malicious activities, interference and hybrid operations ahead of Moldovans going to the polls to vote in the country’s presidential election and constitutional referendum on EU integration on 20 October. MEPs highlight the role played by a plethora of malicious actors, including pro-Russian Moldovan oligarchs and Russia’s state-funded RT network, in carrying out voter fraud schemes as well as cyber operations and information warfare. They also call on the EU and its member states to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to Moldova to strengthen its institutional mechanisms and ability to respond to hybrid threats.
The European Parliament reaffirms its support for Moldova’s path towards EU accession, calling on the European Commission to include the country in the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) and to prioritise funding for EU candidate countries in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034. With EU accession talks with Moldova already having begun, MEPs call for a faster screening process and the timely organisation of the subsequent intergovernmental conferences.
In a resolution adopted on 19 September, Parliament says the EU should do its utmost to ensure that Edmundo González Urrutia, the legitimate and democratically elected President of Venezuela, can take office on 10 January 2025. MEPs “strongly condemn and fully reject the electoral fraud orchestrated by the regime-controlled National Electoral Council, which refused to make public the official result.” They recognise Edmundo González Urrutia as the country’s legitimate and democratically elected president, and María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela. They also strongly condemn the Venezuelan Government’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Mr González.
On 8 October, MEPs held a plenary debate on the situation in Sudan. You can watch the debate here.
Further reading
Parliament says Georgia’s democracy is at risk
Resolution: The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia
Parliament condemns Russia’s interference in Moldova
Venezuela: MEPs recognise Edmundo González as President
Resolution: Situation in Venezuela
MEPs to contact
David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nils UŠAKOVS (S&D, LV), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee
Climate change and biodiversity
A Parliament delegation will attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan between 18 and 22 November 2024. MEPs will also adopt a resolution during the 13-14 November plenary session, which will constitute the delegation’s mandate for talks with international partners.
Parliament will also send a delegation to the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, between 28 and 31 October 2024.
MEPs to contact
Lídia PEREIRA (EPP, PT), Chair of the delegation to the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference, Baku, Azerbaijan
Antonio DECARO (S&D, IT), Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
