The Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced that the Bank’s 10th Annual Meeting will be held in Beijing in June 2025.
A ceremony took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan to mark the end of the 2024 AIIB Annual Meeting and the handover to the host country of the 2025 AIIB Annual Meeting.
Lan Foan, AIIB Governor for China, Chair of the AIIB Board of Governors for 2025 and host of the 2025 AIIB Annual Meeting, received the gavel in a ceremonial transfer from Laziz Kudratov, AIIB Governor for Uzbekistan and Chair of the AIIB Board of Governors for 2024 and host of the 2024 AIIB Annual Meeting.
“We are grateful for the continued support from both the Governments of China and Uzbekistan,” said Jin Liqun, AIIB President and Chair of the Board of Directors. “The AIIB Annual Meetings are an important opportunity to seek invaluable insights and guidance from our shareholders on our Bank’s strategic direction and initiatives. Active engagement with our shareholders has been essential for promoting transparency and cooperation, which underpins AIIB’s growth and impact.”
“Since its establishment, with the joint support of all Members and the joint efforts of the Management and staff led by President Jin Liqun, AIIB has achieved remarkable results in its business operations and has been fully recognized by the international community,” said Minister Lan Foan. “AIIB has become a new and important member of the multilateral development bank family and has made positive contributions to promoting global economic governance reform and achieving common global development. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of AIIB, and we look forward to reflecting on the Bank’s achievements over the past decade and collaborating to shape the development blueprint of the Bank for the next 10 years.”
The dignitaries also expressed their appreciation to the people and government of Uzbekistan for hosting the 2024 AIIB Annual Meeting.
About AIIB
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow in Asia and beyond—infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in 2016 and have since grown to 110 approved Members worldwide. We are capitalized at USD100 billion and AAA-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated September 20, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One Lakh Fifty thousand only) on The Bihar Awami Co-operative Bank Ltd., Patna (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of section 26A read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act) and for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under the provisions of section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of BR Act.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the Bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.
The bank had:
failed to transfer eligible amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed period; and
failed to review risk categorisation of its customers as per the prescribed periodicity.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 26 — Water reclaimed from treated residential sewage and collected rainwater has become the second most important urban water supply source for the Chinese capital of Beijing, according to the municipal water authority.
In the year 2023, the city recycled 1.28 billion cubic meters of water, of which 1.18 billion cubic meters was used for ecological and environmental purposes to replenish the city’s natural water resources, according to the department’s data.
“The amount of recycled water accounted for nearly 30 percent of the city’s total water consumption last year, a record high, making it the stable second water source in Beijing,” said Fu Chaochen, Beijing Water Authority director of sewage treatment and reclaimed water management.
Since the beginning of 2023, Beijing has extended its sewage collection pipe network by 729 km and renovated 50 km long rainwater drainage pipelines. The city’s sewage treatment capacity has reached 7.85 million cubic meters per day, said Fu.
Six water recycling plants are currently under construction in Beijing. Meanwhile, the water authority has launched a massive cleaning work of rainwater drainage ditches and outlets for better rainwater collection.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has announced that highly efficient and dedicated teams are on standby with an expected drop in temperatures later this week, with a possibility of snow.
While the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has not issued an official weather warning, the weather service predicts the possibility of snow over the high lying areas of the Western Cape from 29 September 2024, which will spread into the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal by 30 September 2024.
Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said the Road Incident Management Systems (RIMS) led by South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) comprising of all key role players on the national, provincial, and municipal road networks were putting together a consolidated plan.
“They are identifying areas where joint operations and coordination will be established – covering all notorious roads and areas identified from past experiences.
“The department’s Road Traffic Inspectorate is establishing a satellite centre on top of Van Reenen’s Pass to ensure quick action and road closure to mitigate against people getting trapped in the snow,” the MEC said.
This satellite centre will start operating on Saturday afternoon and operate on a 12-hour shift.
Traffic law enforcement officials are already involved in the coordination of possible road closures and observation of major routes in consultation with the N3 Toll Concession.
“The focus is on the N3 between Harrismith, Tugela Toll, R617 between Kokstad and Underberg, N2 Ingeli and N3 Mooi River, and others. We wish to indicate that the team will also be responsible for escorting trucks and vehicles to ensure that there is no congestion on the road.
“However, members of the public and motorists are urged to reschedule or postpone their journeys in anticipation of any eventuality. Prevention is better than cure.
“Motor graders are currently being sharpened to respond with … urgency to remove any snow before accumulating on the road. More than 10 graders will be stationed in identified routes to ensure that our response is faster,” the MEC said.
The province has 21 graders which will be on standby as part of strengthening prevention measures.
“On Wednesday, we interacted with SAWS. They informed us that KwaZulu-Natal will be affected by snowfall from Monday into Tuesday. The areas that are expected to be affected include Ladysmith, Underberg, Drakensberg as well as Giant Castle, and other high-ground area.
“In addition, they emphasised that, in all likelihood, snowfall will stop on Tuesday but will be followed by rainfall in various parts of the province, including Durban and other coastline areas,” Duma said.
The MEC said the provincial government has started engaging with key stakeholders to ensure that everyone works together to avoid any crisis and ensure the safety of road users.
“We have continuous engagements with road freight industry stakeholders such as operators – trucking companies – companies that are managing and supplying drivers.
“The South African National Taxi Council and bus councils, bus and truck associations are key stakeholders as we strengthen our road safety measures. We do not want to leave out port operators and the entire value chain of fast-moving consumer goods,” Duma said.
The provincial government has assigned engineers in consultation with SANRAL to look at the impact of the recent heavy snowfall on the road infrastructure.
“The truck congestion on N3 last weekend compels us to intensify our plans aimed at modernisation and development of rail transport – both freight and passenger.
“Working with the Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and other main roleplayers, as KwaZulu-Natal we believe that we must ensure that we deploy wagons to move cargo from road to rail, with a specific focus on certain goods, such as coal.
“In addition, we want to improve rail services in the province so that it could serve as the backbone of public transport while at the same time recognising the huge challenges currently facing commuter rail services in KwaZulu-Natal and throughout the country,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
On September 26, 2024 the Trade Remedy Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) made an affirmative preliminary determination in its injury investigation involving the antidumping duty case concerning Portland Cement and its Clinker from Vietnam.
According to the affirmative preliminary determination, the Trade Remedy Commission found that there is a reasonable indication that an industry in Taiwan(ROC) is threatened with materially injured by reason of imports of Portland Cement and its Clinker from Vietnam that are alleged to be sold in Taiwan(ROC) at less than normal value.
Under the jurisdiction set forth in the Regulations Governing the Implementation of the Imposition of Countervailing and Antidumping Duties, the MOEA shall make an investigation, conducted by the International Trade Administration, as to whether there is any injury to a Taiwan(ROC) industry. As a result of the MOEA’s affirmative preliminary determination, the Ministry of Finance will continue to conduct a dumping investigation of imports of Portland Cement and its Clinker from Vietnam, and its preliminary determination will be made within 70 days (if not extended) after the next day of receipt of a notice of the foregoing determination.
A public version of the injury investigation report in Chinese will be available after October 26, 2024 from the International Trade Administration’s website (https://www.trade.gov.tw/).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Speech by CE at Kick-off Ceremony of 40th Anniversary Celebration of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (English only) (with video) Speech by CE at Kick-off Ceremony of 40th Anniversary Celebration of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (English only) (with video) ******************************************************************************************
Following is the video speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Kick-off Ceremony of the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) today (September 26): Mr Charles Yang (Council Chairman of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), Professor Gillian Choa (Director of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), staff and students of the HKAPA, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to speak to you all, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. First of all, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the Academy on its ruby jubilee, a key milestone in the institution’s development. Since its establishment in 1984, the Academy has remained committed to nurturing new generations of performing arts professionals in a diverse, cross-disciplinary learning environment. The Academy has gone from strength to strength in the past four decades, becoming Asia’s top performing arts institution. The Academy’s international reputation is testament to its holistic approach to performing arts education. This year heralds the beginning of a new chapter for the Academy, with the launch of its visionary 10-year strategic plan from 2024 to 2033. From talent development and technology-enabled arts practices, to campus development and cultural influence, the exciting plans and new projects will further consolidate the strengths of the Academy. The Government supports the Academy’s efforts in nurturing cultural talent for Hong Kong and the country. We believe that the Academy’s potential establishment of a new campus in the Northern Metropolis could provide much-needed space for programme development. Meanwhile, we also support the Academy in bringing in a higher proportion of non-local students to its programmes. These developments, I am certain, could enrich Hong Kong’s talent pool in performing arts in light of the industry’s evolving needs. As an international metropolis boasting a fine blend of cultures, Hong Kong enjoys unparalleled connectivity with the Mainland and the rest of the world. I am confident that the Academy will continue to thrive as a performing arts educational hub, nurturing artists and arts practitioners that shape Hong Kong’s future as a dynamic East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. I take the opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts and dedication of the Academy’s Council, teaching staff, students and alumni. Your passion and hard work are key to the Academy’s success. My appreciation also goes to donors, industry partners and everyone who has supported the Academy all along. The Government looks forward to continuing joining hands with you in advancing Hong Kong’s cultural development. On that note, I wish the Academy a wonderful celebratory year ahead and every success in the future. Thank you.
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 20:00
The Government of Canada recognizes the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, commemorated under the Residential School System National Historic Event
September 26, 2024 Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, Quebec Parks Canada
Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada will participate in the unveiling ceremony of two commemorative plaques highlighting the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, which is commemorated under the Residential School System National Historic Event.
Open from 1955 to 1973, the Amos Indian Residential School was part of the residential school system for Aboriginal children that was formally established by the federal government during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Please note that this advisory is subject to change without notice.
The details are as follows:
Date: Monday, September 30, 2024
Time: Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. (EDT) Media are requested to arrive by 9:45 a.m. (EDT)
Location: Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, Quebec
The exact location of the press conference will be given to accredited media only. Media representatives wishing to participate in the media availability should register with pc.media@pc.gc.ca.
-30-
Information and RSVP: Media Relations Parks Canada Agency 855-862-1812 pc.media@pc.gc.ca
Some nanoparticles take the form of sheets or fibres. But nanomaterials all have one thing in common – their structure contains components with dimensions in the nanometre scale – that’s more than 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Research shows that nanomaterials often perform better than the same materials made at a larger scale. They have huge potential, but currently their manufacture can result in harmful environmental effects due to the use or production of hazardous chemicals.
I’m one of many researchers studying how to create, manipulate and apply these materials sustainably to develop new technologies and improve existing ones. This offers advantages across many applications, including aerospace, solar panels and electronics.
Silica nanomaterial is already all around you, but you probably don’t even realise it. Silica (SiO₂), a compound that contains both silicon and oxygen, is commonly found in rocks. It is one of the most mass produced nanomaterials worldwide, with an expected market of US$5 trillion (£3.8 trillion) by 2025.
It’s used to make things you encounter every day, from improving the strength of concrete or the durability of rubber tyres, plus it enhances the cleaning properties and consistency of toothpaste. Silica nanomaterial could have exciting high-value applications, like medicines and wastewater treatment.
While silica products might be great, the way they are made is often not great for the environment, or even economically feasible. Manufacture is key to overall product sustainability, but it’s often invisible to consumers. As such, it’s an aspect that most people consider far less than, for example, whether something will be recycled.
Making silica often requires energy-intensive processes, or makes nasty waste products that are difficult to safely dispose of. Trying to reduce the environmental footprint for existing processes is not enough. Developing new production methods is paramount to ensuring that new technologies, such as more advanced solar panels, can both help society and have less impact on the environment than traditional manufacture.
I am part of the Green Nanomaterials Research Group at the University of Sheffield, where my colleagues and I are working hard to develop sustainable, scalable and economical routes to functional nanostructured materials. We address aspects from discovery to manufacturing, applications and commercialisation, considering the performance, scalability, environment and cost.
A greener approach to chemistry
We aim to make better nanomaterials for important applications, while considering the environmental impact at every stage of a nanomaterial’s life, from raw materials through to the use and disposal of product and any by-products. This approach is known as “green chemistry”, a concept developed in 1998 that has been used to develop strategies for greener routes to nanomaterials.
Some algae, including these diatoms, make silica naturally to build cell walls and are studied in the development of bio-inspired silica. Diana Will/Shutterstock
Silica nanomaterial suits this green chemistry approach because it is already made in nature by plants and sponges as structural support. What better teacher for green chemistry than to learn from nature itself? My research group created bio-inspired silica, a product that can be made at room temperature, and in the mild conditions under which silica is made in biology naturally.
Now, colleagues in my research group are scaling up bio-inspired silica production, exploring its use in different applications and making different nanomaterials. Meanwhile, I’m exploring how changing the conditions under which we make silica can improve the properties, like surface area, that make it function better.
There’s huge scope for green nanomaterials to advance essential technologies, and if green silica could be scaled up, the potential for substantial change drug delivery and renewables is vast.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
In a surprise announcement, Keir Starmer told Labour party conference that his government would end homelessness for veterans. “Homes will be there for heroes,” the prime minister said.
Labour has promised to build 1.5 million new homes as part of its manifesto. In his speech, Starmer also said that care leavers and victims of domestic abuse will have a “guaranteed roof over their head”.
I’ve been involved in research about veteran homelessness for ten years. While Starmer’s promise is welcome, it will be hard to achieve. Government data reported that there were 2,110 homeless families with an armed forces veteran in England in 2022-23, a 14% increase from the previous year.
But that figure is likely to underestimate overall levels of housing insecurity among veterans. Many people who leave military service could be considered “hidden homeless”, particularly female veterans who are unlikely to engage with formal services and young service leavers who easily slip through the cracks of existing provision.
Those who have been lucky enough to find the right service at the right time may live in veteran-specific housing, including supported accommodation. Others may have found help through Operation Fortitude. This government-run referral scheme for veterans at risk of homelessness has housed over 400 people since it began in September 2023. But these services aren’t enough to ensure stable and secure housing for all veterans.
The scale of the housing crisis has widened the gap between military and civilian life. Service leavers now need to save more and for longer than they did in the past to have any hope of closing the gap between their entitlements in military accommodation and the cost and availability of civilian housing.
While in the military, service members’ accommodation is deeply subsidised. Today, a service family with two children could be entitled to a three-bedroom house, paying around £320 a month. For single personnel, it could be as little as £106 per month. In 2013 (the most recent available data), most personnel paid less than 12% of their salary for accommodation charges. The civilian population at the time paid between 20% and 40% for housing.
However, many service members do not consider what they might do once that support ends. The people most vulnerable to homelessness after military service are those who are discharged quickly, for example for medical or disciplinary reasons. They might be required to leave military accommodation within weeks (or sometimes hours), and haven’t had chance to plan for life after the military.
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Many of the veterans and service members my colleagues and I interviewed for our research spoke of the lack of planning and ability to save. One told us: “When you join at 18 and get a salary at the same time as all my mates’ student loans, you think you’re a multi-millionaire.”
Our research suggests that home ownership at the point of discharge is out of reach for many. Social housing is not an option for many veterans, who do not qualify if they are single or have available savings.
Social housing allocation rules require applicants to have a local connection to qualify. The government said it will bring in changes to fully exempt veterans, care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. Veterans are currently exempt from this for five years. But the exemption is irrelevant if there are no suitable properties available, and veterans are consequently likely to be in temporary accommodation.
Housing in the private rented sector is expensive to secure and costly to maintain. Many service leavers find themselves returning to the parental home, sometimes after many years of successful service.
Transitioning to civilian life
The move from military to civilian life is hard to navigate. While it is certainly true that many service leavers thrive in civilian life, others struggle to find the right support and resources. They may not have the financial literacy and planning to know how to navigate the housing system. One veteran described feelings of “abandonment” after leaving service:
I joined at 16. I did 15 years. I left at 31. The Royal Navy were my parents. … I didn’t know where to go or what to do.
Many service leavers are affected by trauma and PTSD, as well as other mental health or substance abuse problems. Like civilians suffering from these conditions, these interconnected issues can exacerbate housing insecurity. And long wait times for mental health services can reduce the chances of finding long-term housing as they struggle to maintain tenancies, pay bills on time and keep stable employment.
How then, can the government and military best help veterans at risk?
The first 12 months after leaving service are critical to help the transition to civilian life and ensure service leavers have accommodation. In that time, service leavers should be given an automatic referral to a time-limited housing support scheme if they have nowhere to go.
They could also be given the option to remain in military accommodation with support to give them time to transition. Another direct solution would be to give service leavers money for private rented sector or mortgage deposits.
These solutions can’t just start when people leave service. Better mental health support and improving financial literacy while still in service is critical.
And any solutions can’t be short-term. The homeless veterans I have met over the years were often discharged many years before they experienced homelessness. Evidence suggests that within five years post-discharge is a critical time for rough sleeping to be established. Support for those who left service some years ago also needs to be part of the offer.
Lisa O’Malley receives funding from Forces in Mind Trust.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jenny Woodley, Senior Lecturer in Modern American History, Nottingham Trent University
For decades, Black history in the UK has been siloed from the mainstream, as if incidental to the nation’s history. Black History Month in October is dedicated to celebrating Black heritage, but the rest of the year, it feels largely neglected and ignored. Public historian and broadcaster David Olusoga, is at the forefront of efforts to integrate Black history into our national story.
His latest book, Black History for Every Day of the Year, co-created with two of his siblings, Yinka and Kemi, is another contribution to that work. This attractive and substantial book has an entry for each calendar day detailing an event, person, place, or theme associated with black history.
There are biographies of artists, musicians, activists, politicians, filmmakers, writers, and scientists. We learn about legal cases, such as Brown v Board of Education, when racial segregation in US schools was ruled unconstitutional, and the Mansfield Judgment, a 1772 British ruling which decided the fate of enslaved African James Somerset, and was used by abolitionists in their campaign to end slavery.
We get to see important objects, like the Benin Bronzes, a collection of sculptures created by skilled artisans in the Kingdom of Benin – now part of Nigeria – which were looted by British forces in 1897. They were then given to institutions like the British Museum, where some are still on display.
The book narrates histories of violence and injustice, from centuries of enslavement and brutal colonial rule, to South Africa’s Sharpeville massacre when, in March 1960, 69 people protesting apartheid laws were killed by the police.
The tragedy of the 1981 New Cross fire in south London, where 14 young Black people were killed in a suspected arson attack on a house party, is recounted as is the racist murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence, also in south London in 1993.
It tells stories of resistance and resilience, such as the uprising of enslaved people in Jamaica in 1760, known as Tacky’s revolt, and the 1961 Freedom Rides, when Black and white students challenged racial segregation on American buses and were met with violence.
In Britain it examines the Bristol bus boycott of 1963, a four-month-long protest against the bus company’s refusal to hire Black or Asian drivers. Many of the events and names will be familiar to some readers but there is likely to be plenty that is new and novel.
It is not a book which invites intensive reading, but rather the joy is to dip in and out, finding connections between entries, dates and themes. The popularity of social media “On This Day” posts suggests many readers will enjoy connecting past with present.
At the end of the volume, as well as a glossary of terms, are 12 timelines which place some of the entries into a more cohesive – though potentially more limiting – narrative.
For example, they outline Black resistance to slavery, abolitionist movements, and histories of imperialism and colonialism. Both here and throughout the book readers are pointed to connections between the entries. The text is enhanced by beautiful illustrations at the beginning of each month, which explore objects, places and themes associated with the entries, and the timelines are likewise creatively illustrated.
Black History for Every Day is educational and informative, but it is written with a deft touch and its format, along with the illustrations and inclusion of photographs, mean it is also engaging and accessible.
The scope of the histories included is global and many are transnational, showing the connections between the struggles and stories of people of African descent across the world. However, the majority of entries are associated with British and US history. This is not surprising given the authors’ research interests and the likely market for the book.
While it is apparent that an attempt has been made to be geographically and chronologically diverse, around a third of the 366 entries deal with US history, suggesting that our understanding of Black history is still often dominated by its American iterations.
The book is not attempting to break new ground. The timeline of the US civil rights movement, for example, begins with the Supreme Court ruling to desegregate education in 1954 and includes the acts of nonviolent direct action which have dominated the widely accepted “master narrative” of the era.
However, the book does at least go slightly beyond the usual cut-off point to include the Black Panther Party’s breakfast program, which addressed poverty and hunger in the Black community between 1969 and 1980, and the murder of Black Panther deputy chairman Fred Hampton, who was killed in 1969 at the age of 21.
The entry for Martin Luther King Jr. claims he organised the Montgomery bus boycott, ignoring the contributions of black women who were the driving force behind the movement. This is somewhat modified by the entry for activist Rosa Parks, which acknowledges the work of the Women’s Political Council in Montgomery.
The book’s purpose is not to be comprehensive; it cannot be, given its breadth. Rather, each entry is intended to serve as an introduction. The authors explain they hope people will be inspired to find out more after reading it.
Taken together, the daily entries narrate centuries of discrimination, violence and injustice against people of African descent. But they also tell stories of Black resilience, innovation, talent and achievement. The Olusogas’ book is published in time for Black History month in the UK, but it makes the case for engaging with black history beyond a single month every year.
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Jenny Woodley has received funding from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust.
Cosmic microwave background shows fluctuations in temperature.ESA/Planck Collaboration
Given how unfathomably large the universe is, it is perhaps understandable that we haven’t yet cracked all its secrets. But there are actually some pretty basic features, ones we used to think we could explain, that cosmologists are increasingly struggling to make sense of.
The standard model originated some 25 years ago and has successfully reproduced a whole plethora of observations. But some of the latest measurements of large-scale structure, a topic which I work on, indicate that the matter is less clustered (smoother) than it ought to be according to the standard model.
This result has cosmologists scratching their heads looking for explanations. Some solutions are relatively mundane, such as unknown systematic errors in the measurements. But there are more radical solutions. These include rethinking the nature of dark energy (the force causing the universe’s expansion to accelerate), invoking a new force of nature or even tweaking Einstein’s theory of gravity on the largest of scales.
At present, the data cannot easily distinguish between different competing ideas. But the measurements from forthcoming surveys are poised to take a giant leap forward in precision. We may be on the cusp of finally breaking the standard model of cosmology.
This is article is part of our series Cosmology in crisis? which uncovers the greatest problems facing cosmologists today – and discusses the implications of solving them.
The early universe
To understand the nature of the current tension and its possible solutions, it is important to understand how structure in the universe formed and subsequently evolved. Much of our understanding comes from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The CMB is radiation that fills the universe and is a leftover relic from the first few hundred thousand years of cosmic evolution after the Big Bang (for comparison, the universe is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old).
Scientists discovered the CMB by accident in 1964 (garnering them a Nobel prize), but its existence and properties had been predicted years earlier.
In excellent agreement with some of the earliest theoretical work, the observed temperature of the CMB today is an incredibly chilly 3 Kelvin (-270°C). However, at very early times, it was sufficiently hot (millions of degrees) to enable the fusion of all of the light elements in the universe, including helium and lithium, into heavier ones.
The CMB’s spectrum (light broken down by wavelength) suggests it must have been in thermal equilibrium with matter in the past – meaning they had the same distribution of energies. Matter and radiation can only reach thermal equilibrium in very dense environments. So measurements of the CMB convincingly demonstrate that the universe was once an extremely hot and dense place, with all the matter and radiation packed into a very small space.
As the universe expanded, it quickly cooled. And as it did so, some of the free electrons that existed at the time were captured by protons, forming atoms of hydrogen. This “era of recombination” happened around 300,000 years after the Big Bang. After this point, the universe was suddenly less dense so the CMB radiation was “released” to travel without impediment, and it has not significantly interacted with matter since.
As the radiation is very old, when we make measurements of the CMB today, we are learning about the conditions of the early universe. But detailed mapping of the CMB tells us a great deal more than this.
A key insight from CMB maps obtained with the Planck telescope is that the universe was also exceptionally smooth at early times. There was only a 0.001% variation from place to place in the density and temperature of the matter and radiation in the universe. If there had been more extreme variation, that matter and radiation would have been much more clustered.
These variations, or “fluctuations”, are of fundamental importance to how structure subsequently evolved in the universe. Without these fluctuations, there would be no galaxies, no stars or planets – and no life. A very interesting question is, where did these fluctuations come from?
Our current understanding is that they are a result of quantum mechanics, the theory of the microcosmos of atoms and particles. Quantum mechanics shows that empty space has some background energy which allows sudden, local changes, such as particles popping in and out of existence. The quantum nature of matter and energy has been verified to remarkable accuracy in the laboratory.
These fluctuations are thought to have been blown up to large scales in a very rapid period of expansion in the early universe called “inflation”, although the detailed mechanism behind inflation is still not fully understood.
Over time, these fluctuations grew and the arrangement of matter and radiation in the universe became more clustered. Regions that were slightly denser had a stronger gravitational pull and so attracted even more matter, which increased the density, which strengthened the gravitational pull, and so on. Regions of slightly lower density lost out, becoming emptier with time – a cosmic case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
The fluctuations grew to such an extent over time that galaxies and stars started to form, with galaxies being distributed in and along the familiar filaments and nodes that make up a “cosmic web”.
The standard explanation
The rate at which fluctuations grow over time, and how they are clustered in space depends on several factors: the nature of gravity, the constituent components of matter and energy in the universe, and how these components interact (both with themselves and with each other).
These factors are encapsulated in the standard model of cosmology. The model is based on a solution to Einstein’s general theory of relativity (our best understanding of gravity) that assumes the universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales – meaning it looks the same in every direction to every observer.
It also assumes that the matter and energy in the universe is composed of normal matter (“baryons”), dark matter consisting of relatively heavy and slow-moving particles (“cold” dark matter) and a constant amount of dark energy (Einstein’s cosmological constant, denoted Lambda).
Since its origin approximately 25 years ago, the model has successfully explained a great many observations of the universe on large scales, including the [detailed properties of the CMB].
And until very recently, it also provided excellent fits to a variety of measurements of the clustering of large-scale structure at late times. In fact, some measurements of large-scale structure are still very well described by the standard model and this may be providing an important clue as to the origin of the current tension.
Remember that the CMB shows us the clustering of matter (the fluctuations) at early times. So we can use the standard model to evolve that forward in time and predict what it should, theoretically, look like today. If there is a fit between this prediction and observations, that is a very strong indication that the ingredients of the standard model are correct.
The ‘S8’ tension
What has changed recently is that our measurements of large-scale structure, particularly at very late times, have significantly improved in their precision. Various surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey and the Kilo Degree Survey have found evidence for inconsistencies between observations and the standard model.
In other words, there is a mismatch between the early time and late time fluctuations: the late-time fluctuations are not as large as expected. Cosmologists refer to this clash as the “S8 tension”, as S8 is a parameter that we use to characterise the clustering of matter in the late-time universe.
Depending on the particular data set, the chance of the tension being a statistical fluke may be as low as 0.3%. But from a statistical point of view, that is not enough to firmly rule out the standard model.
However, there are strong hints of the tension in a variety of independent observations. And attempts to explain it away due to systematic uncertainties in the measurements or modelling have simply not been successful to date.
For example, it had previously been suggested that perhaps energetic non-gravitational processes, such as winds and jets from supermassive black holes, could inject enough energy to alter the clustering of matter on large scales.
However, we have shown using state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (called Flamingo) that such effects appear to be too small to explain the tension with the standard model of cosmology.
If the tension is indeed pointing us to a flaw in the standard model, this would imply that something in the basic ingredients of the model is not correct.
This would have huge consequences for fundamental physics. For example, the tension may be indicating that something is wrong about our understanding of gravity, or the nature of the unknown substance called dark matter or dark energy. In the case of dark matter, one possibility is that it interacts with itself via an unknown force (something beyond just gravity).
Alternatively, perhaps dark energy is not constant but evolves with time, as early results from the Dark Energy Survey Instrument (Desi) may indicate. Some scientists are even considering the possibility of a new (fifth) force of nature. This would be a force of similar strength to gravity that operates over very large scales and would act to slow the growth of structure.
But note that any modifications of the standard model would also need to account for the many observations of the universe that the model successfully explains. This is no simple task. And before we jump to grand conclusions, we must be sure that the tension is real and not simply a statistical fluctuation.
The good news is that forthcoming measurements of large-scale structure with Desi, the Rubin Observatory, Euclid, the Simons Observatory and other experiments will be able to confirm if the tension is real with much more precise measurements.
They will also be able to thoroughly test many of the alternatives to the standard model that have been proposed. It may be that within the next couple of years we will have ruled out the standard model of cosmology and profoundly changed our understanding of how the universe works. Or the model may be vindicated and more reliable than ever. It’s an exciting time to be a cosmologist.
Ian G. McCarthy receives funding from UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). He works for Liverpool John Moores University.
In 2018, the Australian philosopher Kate Manne coined the word “himpathy” to describe what she called “the inappropriate and disproportionate sympathy powerful men often enjoy in cases of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, homicide and other misogynistic behavior”.
What makes somebody more likely to feel himpathetic, either to somebody facing accusations in the public eye, or in their own workplace?
In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to a human behaviour expert whose research seeks to understand what makes some people more inclined to support perpetrators of sexual misconduct than the victims.
Samantha Dodson is an assistant professor of organisational behaviour and human resources at the University of Calgary in Canada. She first started researching the ways people react to accusations of sexual misconduct around the time of the #MeToo movement, as women came forward with accusations of sexual harassment in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein case.
Dodson and her colleagues wanted to understand why some people are predisposed to express sympathy towards male perpetrators of sexual misconduct, or himpathy. Over a series of five studies, both analysing public comments on X related to the #MeToo movement and through lab-based psychology experiments. Her team used moral foundations theory to build a profile of the kinds of people more likely to be himpathetic.
Moral foundations theory argues that there are innate moral concerns that everybody holds to different levels. These concerns include respect for authority, loyalty, staying pure, being fair and being caring toward other people.
Don’t rock the boat
What we found is that when people strongly value things like loyalty, respect for authority and purity, they’re more likely to feel sympathy toward the man accused of sexual misconduct and feel anger toward the women who made that allegation.
Dodson says people who hold these moral values very strongly are more likely to see allegations as a threat to the stability of a company, or institution. And, as a result, they’re also less likely to believe a victim.
It also leads to people being more likely to seek punishment for the women who made the accusations and less likely to seek punishment for the men who have been accused.
Overall, Dodson found the vast majority of people in their studies were “not himpathetic” and it’s just a small subset of people who react this way.
The challenge is if those people are in positions of authority, or … if you have one person that you work with who’s himpathetic and you’re a victim you might experience some iciness from them or ostracism.
Their work also looks at how managers can better deal with accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace as a result of their findings.
Listen to Samantha Dodson talk about her research and the recommendations from it on The Conversation Weekly podcast, which also features an introduction from Eleni Vlahiotis, business and economy editor at The Conversation in Canada.
A transcript of this episode is available on Apple Podcasts.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Sound design was by Michelle Macklem, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer.
A glistening big wheel and Christmas market are set to return to Broadgate as part of the city’s Christmas offer.
The big wheel will be open from Friday 15 November for both adults and children to ride throughout the day and into the evening, whilst market stalls selling a range of festive food, drinks and gifts will be in place in Broadgate too.
Festive lights will be on in the city centre on the same day, ahead of a magical free family event, the Festival of Christmas.
The Festival of Christmas will take place on the evening of Wednesday 20 November, the same date that sees the start of late-night shopping in Coventry. Details are yet to be revealed but visitors can expect a trail of festivities in locations around the city centre from 4pm – 9pm.
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Events, Coventry City Council said: “We are delighted to see the return of our popular Christmas market to Broadgate along with the big wheel which was enjoyed by so many last year. There will be no price increase for the big wheel – all ticket prices will remain the same as last year.
“This year the city centre will see a new event, the Festival of Christmas, which will be free to attend and will replace the traditional Christmas lights switch on.
“It will allow us to utilise our city space effectively and means everyone can enjoy the big wheel and Christmas market at the same time as our new Festival of Christmas, which I am sure will be a big hit with young people and families.”
Late night shopping will start on Wednesday 20 November. Coventry City Council will be offering free parking for entry after 3pm on the following dates in Council run, city centre car parks:
Wednesday 20 November 2024
Wednesday 27 November 2024
Wednesday 4 December 2024
Wednesday 11 December 2024
Wednesday 18 December 2024
Cllr Patricia Hetherton, Cabinet Member for City Services, added: “The arrival of our big wheel, Festival of Christmas and Christmas market shows we are committed to having a Christmas offer in the city centre that residents can enjoy.
“The festive lights really do brighten our city centre. They can be enjoyed by those who are in the city centre in the evening late night shopping or spending time in Coventry’s restaurants and bars. The lights are used for a number of occasions including Remembrance Day and Christmas, as well as Diwali where lights will also be switched on along Foleshill Road.
“The financial challenges that we face as a council mean we may not be able to do as much as we would like or what we have done in the past, but I’m sure the offer will see people enjoy them whilst visiting the city centre.”
Joanne Glover, chief executive of Coventry BID, said: “Christmas is always a very special time in the city centre and it’s set to be a jam-packed six weeks for businesses and families alike.
“There will be plenty to see and do and we are looking forward to the celebrations and making it another festive season to remember.”
Supplied by The Giant Wheel Company, the wheel is over 100ft at its highest point, and provides stunning views of the city.
Subject to planning permission approval, the wheel and markets will open to the public on Friday 15 November. The wheel and markets will operate every day until Sunday 5 January, except Christmas Day.
The city’s Christmas offer is being delivered by Coventry City Council in partnership with Visit Coventry and Coventry BID.
More details about the Festival of Christmas, the big wheel and Christmas market will be revealed soon.
Around 70 of the best independent traders will be heading to St George’s Hall next month to showcase a vast array of stunning and unique products.
The artisan market, which has FREE entry, returns on Sunday 6 October, after the huge success of the inaugural event back in June. Running from 10am to 4.30pm expect stalls filled with beautiful artwork, jewellery, candles and one-off homeware pieces.
There will also be a whole host of goodies ranging from chocolates, to cheeses and chutneys, right through to a large selection of crafted pieces.
Outside the Hall, the food zone will be the perfect place to take a break from browsing, with a variety of hot food vendors offering light bites or more substantial meals. And why not sit back and relax inside with a drink and enjoy the live music performances which will be taking place throughout the day.
The first market took place on 16 June and attracted more than 3,000 visitors. There are already plans for a winter instalment of the market, which will take place on Sunday 3 November.
Liverpool is home to a well-established markets offer, from the weekly Great Homer Street Market (Greatie Market) – to a regular programme of farmers’ and craft markets. Please visit the Council’s markets webpages for more information.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Harry Doyle, said: “There is already an autumnal nip in the air and this artisan market is the perfect, family-friendly way to while away an October day.
“We were delighted with the numbers who came out in June to support local traders, so we knew it couldn’t be just a one-off event. We know that markets, done right, can be hugely popular and we have never been shy about our ambition to grow our markets and make them a key part of our destination offer which will not only appeal to residents, but will also bring in visitors from outside of the city.
“I’m sure this next instalment will prove to be popular once again, and that we can make this a permanent, seasonal offer at the Hall.”
Local trader and textile designer specialising in unique, bespoke city landscapes, Sandra Hepworth, said: “The market was a big hit in June, and I’m so pleased we’re returning to St George’s Hall again. It’s a place where visitors can enjoy a vast array of high-quality products created by local traders, and get that personal, friendly interaction that makes artisan markets like this really stand out from the crowd.
“And of course being located in such amazing surroundings really gives this venue the edge. I know so many people who are excited to come along in October – not only to check out the unique pieces for sale, but also to enjoy this incredible heritage gem, which many will be visiting for the first time.”
Scientists will work with Medannex to help accelerate treatment for bone cancer
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is collaborating with Scottish biopharmaceutical company Medannex on a £313,000 project to develop a new treatment for a childhood bone cancer.
Thanks to funding from Innovate UK’s Cancer Therapeutics programme, Medannex will work with senior scientists at ARU’s School of Life Sciences and world-leading paediatric oncologists to prepare its first-in-class therapy MDX-124 for a clinical study focusing on paediatric osteosarcoma.
MDX-124 is the first clinic-ready agent to target annexin-A1, a protein known to drive numerous cancers and other diseases. In preclinical tests, MDX-124 has been shown to stop the growth and spread of certain cancers, as well as harnessing the immune system to attack tumours. MDX-124 is currently being evaluated in a first-in-human Phase 1b oncology study in adults (‘ATTAINMENT’).
Recent data mining of a paediatric genomics database and staining of tumour tissue has revealed that annexin-A1 is highly expressed in osteosarcoma, making MDX-124 a strong candidate to treat this form of cancer.
Osteosarcoma is a rare primary cancer of the bone characterised by a high degree of malignancy, strong invasiveness, rapid disease progression and a high mortality rate. Approximately 50% of cases are in children and young adults, representing about 2% of all paediatric cancers.
In the UK, around 65% of children with osteosarcoma survive for five years after diagnosis, however this drops to only 24% for those with metastatic disease. Therefore, there remains a significant unmet clinical need for novel therapies like MDX-124.
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with Medannex to explore this innovative approach to childhood cancer treatment and we look forward to generating key data in the coming months.”
The project’s Clinical Advisory Board is led by Professor Pamela Kearns, Chair of Clinical Paediatric Oncology at the University of Birmingham, who said:
“This grant award will allow Medannex to tackle the critical unmet need for new treatments in osteosarcoma. I look forward to helping guide the company’s development in this area and exploring the potential of MDX-124 to radically improve patient outcomes.”
Medannex CEO, Ian Abercrombie, said:
“We’re grateful to Innovate UK for this resounding endorsement of the potential of our first-in-class therapy to make a real difference to osteosarcoma patients and their families. Our team is excited to drive the project forward with the support of our scientific collaborators and specialist clinical advisors.”
Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, will fund £231,000 of the project costs, with the remainder financed by Medannex.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitwave, the leading enterprise finance platform for digital assets, is excited to announce an important platform update, expanding its powerful segregated inventory tracking capability to all customers as part of the core service offering.
With this update, every Bitwave customer can now benefit from account-specific cost basis tracking, ensuring compliance with the latest IRS rules without any added cost or system changes.
With the release of final IRS regulations (T.D. 10000), the long-standing “universal wallet accounting” standard will sunset, significantly shifting how many businesses manage and report digital assets across multiple self-custody wallets and addresses. Starting Jan 1, 2025, the cost basis of digital assets must be individually tracked for each account (like a wallet or exchange).
Bitwave’s account-level cost basis tracking function has long been an essential part of the platform for businesses managing digital assets. Previously available as part of the Bitwave Advanced Accounting module, this powerful feature is now included in the Bitwave Core offering for all customers.
“At Bitwave, we’ve always prioritized giving our customers the tools they need to stay ahead of regulatory changes,” said Bitwave CEO and Co-Founder Pat White.
“Our account-level tracking feature has been a key part of our platform for years, and we’re excited to make this functionality available to all customers to make compliance simple and secure.”
Key benefits of the product change include:
Seamless Compliance: Businesses can now track cost basis by individual wallet, ensuring full compliance with the IRS’s new digital asset reporting regulations.
Feature Now Available to All: Wallet-by-wallet tracking, which has always been a part of the Bitwave platform, is now included in the Bitwave Core service, giving all customers access to this critical functionality.
Effortless Implementation: Existing Bitwave users can immediately take advantage of this feature, ensuring compliance with no additional costs or system upgrades.
As regulatory guidance for digital assets evolves, Bitwave remains at the forefront with innovative tools that enable businesses to operate with confidence.
This latest update demonstrates Bitwave’s commitment to empowering its customers with cutting-edge solutions for digital asset tax tracking, accounting, and regulatory compliance.
About Bitwave
Bitwave is the #1 digital asset sub-ledger and on-chain finance platform. Built for enterprises and institutions, Bitwave delivers the reliability, security, and control demanded by today’s leading finance teams.
Bitwave automates on-chain accounting workflows, streamlines regulatory compliance, and simplifies tax reporting complexity with a comprehensive, audit-ready platform. Trusted by Fortune 100 companies and pioneering crypto-native projects alike, Bitwave enables the digital asset economy with scalable financial operations.
BOSTON, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Teledyne DALSA, a Teledyne Technologies [NYSE:TDY] company and global leader in machine vision technology, is pleased to announce its next generation AI-powered BOA™3 smart camera for industrial automation and inspection.
The new BOA3 smart camera is designed to leverage the best features from previous BOA generations and combine them with new sensor and AI (Artificial Intelligence) inspection technologies developed by Teledyne. BOA3 is a highly integrated vision system in a compact, rugged smart camera format designed to meet the needs of the most complex, demanding machine vision applications.
“The new BOA3 is an exciting next step in our smart camera development,” said Szymon Chawarski, Product Line Manager, Vision Systems. “Its modular and flexible architecture will allow us to offer new and powerful solutions for embedded machine vision inspections.”
BOA3 offers sensor resolutions from 1.2 to 12MP, integrated or C-mount lens options, onboard I/O, and includes easy-to-use machine vision software, all in one common platform. BOA3 smart cameras deliver the flexibility and uncompromised functionality to enable quick, cost-effective embedded machine vision deployments.
BOA3 comes with iNspect™, an easy-to-use, no-code inspection development software with tools for positioning, part locating, pattern matching, measuring, barcode reading, feature or defect detection, including automatic reading of characters (OCR) based on a pre-trained AI inference network. Combine the broad range of traditional vision tools with powerful AI Classification or Object Detection models created in Astrocyte™, Teledyne DALSA’s GUI-based AI Trainer software.
Camera Details and Availability
BOA3 models with 1.2, 5MP, and 12MP monochrome sensors are available immediately. Color versions are planned for release at the end of 2024. New sensor and lens options will be added to the platform in 2025.
Find out more about BOA3 smart cameras at VISION in Stuttgart, Germany from October 8-10 at Teledyne booth 8 B10. Please visit the BOA3 product page for more information. For sales enquiries, visit our contact page.
Teledyne DALSA is part of the Teledyne Vision Solutions group and a leader in the design, manufacture, and deployment of digital imaging components for machine vision. Teledyne DALSA image sensors, cameras, smart cameras, frame grabbers, software, and vision solutions are used in thousands of automated inspection systems around the world and across multiple industries. For more information, visit http://www.teledynedalsa.com/imaging.
ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monarch Private Capital (Monarch), a nationally recognized impact investment firm that develops, finances and manages a diversified portfolio of projects generating both federal and state tax credits, is pleased to announce the closing of tax equity financing for the historic preservation and adaptive reuse of 1904 Farnam, a major redevelopment project located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The $25 million development, spearheaded by Clarity Development, will transform the historic building into 54 studio and one-bedroom units, providing much-needed affordable housing for the community. The financing includes Nebraska Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) as well as State Historic Tax Credits (HTCs), making it a powerful tool for community revitalization.
The 1904 Farnam project will offer affordable housing options to tenants earning 40%, 50%, and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). All units will be located in a seven-story, elevator-serviced building with ground-floor commercial space, designed to support the local economy and meet community needs. The development is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Originally constructed in 1927 as The Union State Bank building, 1904 Farnam is a significant part of Omaha’s architectural and economic history. The building, which exemplifies early Art Deco design, reflects the spirit of modernity that characterized the 1920s and 1930s. Situated in the heart of Omaha, it has long been a landmark of the city’s growth and development. Of note, the building is located directly across the street from Omaha’s City Hall and the District Courthouse; furthermore, Omaha’s streetcar main route from Downtown to Midtown Omaha will run down Farnam Street.
“Being part of a development that benefits the community in such a meaningful way is a privilege,” said Rick Chukas, Partner and Managing Director of Historic Tax Credits at Monarch Private Capital. “This project not only preserves a piece of Omaha’s history but also addresses the critical need for affordable housing in the downtown area. We are proud to support developments that have a positive impact on communities.”
“The 1904 Farnam project is a great example of how LIHTC financing can be used to create affordable housing in areas that need it most,” said Steve LeClere, Partner, LIHTC at Monarch Private Capital. “With the help of Nebraska LIHTCs, we’re able to transform a historic building into modern, affordable housing while preserving the character and history of Omaha.”
The redevelopment of the Farnam Building continues its legacy as an integral part of the downtown business community, while providing much-needed affordable housing in Omaha. Monarch Private Capital’s involvement underscores its commitment to community impact and sustainable development.
For more information about Monarch Private Capital and its investment initiatives, please visit http://www.monarchprivate.com.
About Monarch Private Capital
Monarch Private Capital manages impact investment funds that positively impact communities by creating clean power, jobs and homes. The funds provide predictable returns through the generation of federal and state tax credits. The Company offers innovative tax credit equity investments for affordable housing, historic rehabilitations, renewable energy, film and other qualified projects. Monarch Private Capital has long-term relationships with institutional and individual investors, developers, and lenders participating in these federal and state programs. Headquartered in Atlanta, Monarch has offices and professionals located throughout the United States.
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Personal AI, the leading platform for building AI workforces in regulated industries, today announced that its proprietary Small Language Model (SLM) technology and AI Training Platform are now available on Google Cloud Marketplace. This move allows customers to quickly purchase and deploy Personal AI, streamlining the procurement process for enterprises looking to leverage SLMs.
Personal AI’s platform enables organizations to create networks of AI Personas, each representing key roles and expertise within the company. These AI Personas are exclusively trained on proprietary data, ensuring high accuracy, transparency, and privacy – crucial factors for regulated industries such as legal, financial services, consulting, and government.
“Our mission at Personal AI is to redefine how the modern workforce creates AI Personas and collaborates with them in professional environments,” said Suman Kanuganti, CEO and Co-founder of Personal AI. “By joining Google Cloud Marketplace, we’re making it easier than ever for organizations to access our cutting-edge AI Training Studio. This collaboration will accelerate the adoption of AI workforces, allowing businesses to scale their expertise, streamline workflows, and make more informed decisions while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security.”
Personal AI’s availability on Google Cloud Marketplace offers several benefits to customers, including simplified billing and reduced procurement cycles. This aligns with Personal AI’s commitment to providing flexible, scalable solutions that cater to businesses of all sizes.
“Bringing Personal AI to Google Cloud Marketplace will help customers quickly deploy, manage, and grow the AI Training Platform on Google Cloud’s trusted, global infrastructure,” said Dai Vu, Managing Director, Marketplace & ISV GTM Programs at Google Cloud. “Personal AI can now securely scale and support customers on their digital transformation journeys.”
About Personal AI Personal AI develops a horizontal AI training and collaboration platform, focused on private, Small Language Models (SLMs) that multiply the capabilities of enterprise teams. Their technology enables organizations to build networks of AI Personas, each representing key roles within companies. These AI Personas are exclusively trained on proprietary data, ensuring unparalleled accuracy, transparency, and privacy. For more information, please visit https://personal.ai
NEW YORK and WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bishop Street Underwriters (“Bishop Street”), a multi-boutique insurance platform owned by RedBird Capital Partners (“RedBird”), today announced it has made a strategic equity investment in Verve Services, LLC (“Verve”), a leading, full-service auto insurance managing general agency (“MGA”). This partnership marks Bishop Street’s entry into Specialty Private Passenger Auto. Through this equity investment, Verve is positioned for continued innovation and accelerated growth in the auto insurance industry.
“Dan and his team have built Verve into a differentiated passenger auto insurance MGA. They have an exceptional platform that combines advanced analytics with a deep understanding of the market, which drives superior outcomes and has supported their position as a leader in the specialty auto insurance space,” said Chad Levine, Chief Executive Officer of Bishop Street.
“Verve’s focus and commitment to utilizing data and analytics to deliver industry-leading loss ratios that significantly outperform industry results for its insurance and reinsurance partners is perfectly aligned with our strategic vision at Bishop Street. We are excited to build on this momentum and drive value creation for all of Verve’s partners,” said Chad Weber, President of Bishop Street.
“While Bishop Street is predominantly focused on building a diversified platform of commercial-lines MGAs, we will be opportunistic as it relates to differentiated personal-lines MGA businesses, like Verve. Dan and the rest of the Verve team have built a great business, and we look forward to partnering with them for their next stage of growth,” said Mike Zabik, Partner of RedBird Capital.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bishop Street as a key strategic partner. They are the ideal fit for the next stage of Verve’s growth,” said Dan Lazarek, Chief Executive Officer of Verve Services, LLC. “This partnership brings invaluable expertise from a company with a proven track record in both insurance infrastructure and data-driven AI. We look forward to revolutionizing the auto insurance industry together.”
About Bishop Street Bishop Street Underwriters, a RedBird Capital portfolio company, seeks to partner with Managing General Agents (“MGAs”) as well as niche underwriting teams. Bishop Street aims to combine their best-in-class (re)insurance executive team’s vision with RedBird’s strong track record, expertise, and network in the financial services sector to build a differentiated platform that is uniquely positioned to capitalize on secular growth tailwinds in the industry. For more information, please go to http://www.bishopstreetuw.com.
About RedBird Capital Partners RedBird Capital Partners is a private investment firm that builds high-growth companies with strategic capital solutions for founders and entrepreneurs. The firm currently manages $10 billion in assets on behalf of a global group of blue chip institutional and family office investors. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird integrates sophisticated private equity investing with a hands-on business building mandate that focuses on three core industry verticals – Financial Services, Sports and Media & Entertainment. Over his 30-year investment career, Cardinale has partnered with founders and entrepreneurs to build some of the most iconic growth companies in their respective industries. For more information, please go to http://www.redbirdcap.com.
About Verve Services, LLC Verve is a full-service auto insurance managing general agency (MGA) built on a culture of transparency, trust and faith. The company has developed a unique platform that identifies, filters, underwrites, acquires, and services profitable, low-frequency private passenger auto customers. By utilizing a scalable technology and distribution platform, Verve is transforming the auto insurance industry. The company analyzes both internal and external data, using advanced predictive analytics to uncover profitable niches within the $316 billion private passenger auto insurance market. Through its data-driven approach, Verve consistently exceeds industry benchmarks, delivering superior underwriting profits while providing exceptional value and significant returns to its insurance and reinsurance partners. This has established Verve as a trusted leader in the evolving auto insurance landscape. For more information, please go to http://www.goverve.com.
SINGAPORE, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing, today announced the successful testing of its latest Bitcoin mining chip, SEAL02, following tape-out.
SEAL02 uses one of the most advanced process nodes in partnership with TSMC, a world-leading semiconductor foundry. An exceptional power efficiency ratio of 13.5 J/TH – while running at low voltage, ultra power-saving mode – was indicated in SEAL02 chip’s verification and prototype tests, achieving the power efficiency milestone outlined in the SEALMINER technology roadmap announced in June 2024.
Linghui Kong, Chief Business Officer of Bitdeer, commented, “We are thrilled about achieving SEALMINER’s power efficiency target as reflected in our roadmap. Our ongoing commitment to R&D is making possible innovative and superior solutions that will set new benchmarks for efficiency and transparency to benefit the wider mining ecosystem.”
SEAL02 will be integrated into the Company’s upcoming SEALMINER A2 mining machines, with mass production scheduled to commence in November 2024.
Additionally, R&D work on the Company’s upcoming chip, SEAL03, is ongoing and the Company’s product release milestone is on track.
Bitdeer has a full-fledged team of professional engineers dedicated to R&D across key domains, including ASIC design, algorithm development, platform architecture, software and hardware. The Company will continue to work alongside its customers in contributing to the security of the Bitcoin decentralized network.
About Bitdeer Technologies Group
Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive computing solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan. To learn more, visit https://www.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @ BitdeerOfficial and LinkedIn @ Bitdeer Group.
Investors and others should note that Bitdeer may announce material information using its website and/or on its accounts on social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Therefore, Bitdeer encourages investors and others to review the information it posts on the social media and other communication channels listed on its website.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.
Senior Company leaders will participate in a panel discussion highlighting the energy transition on September 26th, 2024.
New York, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” of “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing portable, clean energy solutions, today announced that several senior executives will participate in a panel discussion at the ArcStone-Kingswood Growth Summit 2024, taking place in Toronto Canada on September 26, 2024.
The ArcStone-Kingswood Growth Summit 2024 will offer exclusive access to insightful sessions and expert-led panels on listing and cross-listing companies. Investors will have the opportunity to engage with executive management from both private and public companies across a range of high-growth sectors, including Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Energy, and more.
NANO Nuclear will take part in a panel discussion titled “Traditional Energy & Energy Transition” on September 26th. This session will be moderated by Jack Bensimon, Managing Partner, ArcStone Securities and Investments Corp.
“It is a pleasure for us to participate in this cross border growth summit,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “We are passionate in our mission to revolutionize the way industries around the world utilize nuclear energy. The Growth Summit in Toronto will continue our international reach, as well as discuss how advanced nuclear solutions can reshape the energy landscape in Canada. I am delighted to attend and look forward to our panel discussion, which will be an informative and exciting feature of the day.”
Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. to Participate in an ArcStone-Kingswood Growth Summit 2024 Panel Discussion Titled “Traditional Energy & Energy Transition.”
The event will showcase over 30 public and private companies from around the world, with more than 400 institutional investors, family offices, retail wealth advisors, high net worth individuals, and industry professionals expected to attend. The conference will include corporate presentations, panel discussions, one-on-one investor meetings, cocktail receptions, and an invitation-only VIP dinner, bridging the gap between Canadian and U.S. capital markets, and offering a platform for companies to highlight their growth potential and connect with key investors.
“I am delighted to see NANO Nuclear take part in this year’s ArcStone – Kingswood Growth Summit,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “NANO Nuclear is dedicated to innovation, like our proprietary microreactors and ancillary business lines, for the wider nuclear energy industry. Events like this are essential, as they provide a platform for business leaders and stakeholders to collaborate on addressing the challenges of today and planning for tomorrow.”
About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across four business lines: (i) cutting edge portable microreactor technology, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation and (iv) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.
Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s products in technical development are “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.
Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.
HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.
Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com Business Tel: (212) 634-9206 PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE: NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE NANO Nuclear Energy TWITTER
This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release or related events contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) nuclear fuel manufacturing submission and the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (v) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the business of a start-up business operating a highly regulated industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and the NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IMPACT Silver Corp. (IPT:TSX.V, ISVLF:OTCQB, IKL:FRA), based in Vancouver, BC, focused on silver and zinc exploration and production, today announced that Steven Gold, will present live at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference, hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on October 1st 2024.
DATE: October 1st TIME: 11:00 AM ET LINK:https://bit.ly/3z584tW Available for 1×1 meetings: September 30, October 1 and October 2, 2024
This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.
It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.
IMPACT Silver Corp. (TSXV:IPT, OTCQB:ISVLF) is a successful intermediate mineral producer and explorer with three mining projects in Mexico.
Royal Mines of Zacualpan Silver-Gold District: IMPACT owns 100% of the 211 km2 Zacualpan project in central Mexico where four underground silver mines and one open pit mine feed the central 500 tpd Guadalupe processing plant. To the south, the Capire Project includes a 200 tpd processing pilot plant adjacent to an open pit silver mine with an NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource of over 4.5 million oz silver, 48 million lbs zinc and 21 million lbs lead (see IMPACT news release dated January 18, 2016, for details and QP statement). Company engineers are reviewing Capire for a potential restart of operations to leverage improving commodity prices. Over the past 18 years, IMPACT has developed multiple exploration zones into commercial production and has produced over 12 million ounces of silver, generating revenue more than $271 million, with no long-term debt.
Plomosas Zinc-Lead-Silver District: Plomosas is a high-grade zinc producer in northern Mexico with exceptional exploration upside potential. The Company recently restarted mining operations and is expected to reach design capacity production levels over the next six months. Exploration potential at Plomosas is exceptional where only 600m of the 6 km-long structure have seen modern exploration. This is in addition to other exploration targets on the 3,019-hectare property including untested copper-gold targets with indications of high-grade material from surface. Regionally, Plomosas lies in the same mineral belt as some of the largest carbonate replacement deposits in the world.
About Virtual Investor Conferences® Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
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TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fairfax India Holdings Corporation (“Fairfax India”) (TSX: FIH.U) announces that the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) has accepted a notice filed by Fairfax India of its intention to commence a Normal Course Issuer Bid for its Subordinate Voting Shares through the facilities of the TSX (or other alternative Canadian trading systems) effective September 30, 2024. Purchases will be made in accordance with the rules and policies of the TSX and the Subordinate Voting Shares purchased by Fairfax India will be cancelled and/or reserved for share based payment awards.
The notice provides that Fairfax India’s board of directors has approved the purchase on the TSX, during the period commencing September 30, 2024 and ending September 29, 2025, of up to 5,585,509 Subordinate Voting Shares, representing approximately 10% of Fairfax India’s public float of 55,855,093 Subordinate Voting Shares as at September 16, 2024. As at September 16, 2024, Fairfax India had outstanding 105,152,447 Subordinate Voting Shares. Under the bid, Fairfax India may purchase up to 7,286 Subordinate Voting Shares on the TSX (or other alternative Canadian trading systems) during any trading day, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume on the TSX for the prior six months (being 29,147 Subordinate Voting Shares), all as calculated in accordance with the rules of the TSX. This limitation does not apply to purchases made pursuant to block purchase exemptions.
Fairfax India is making this Normal Course Issuer Bid because it believes that in appropriate circumstances its Subordinate Voting Shares represent an attractive investment opportunity and that purchases under the bid will enhance the value of the Subordinate Voting Shares held by the remaining shareholders.
Pursuant to its existing Normal Course Issuer Bid, Fairfax India sought and received approval from the TSX to purchase up to 5,646,788 Subordinate Voting Shares, and has purchased to date 552,848 Subordinate Voting Shares during the last twelve months through open market purchases on the TSX and other alternative Canadian trading systems at a volume weighted average price per share of US$13.80.
Fairfax India also announces that it has entered into an automatic share purchase plan (the “ASPP”) with a designated broker to allow for the purchase of its Subordinate Voting Shares under its Normal Course Issuer Bid at times when Fairfax India normally would not be active in the market due to applicable regulatory restrictions or internal trading black-out periods. Before the commencement of any particular internal trading black-out period, Fairfax India may, but is not required to, instruct its designated broker to make purchases of Subordinate Voting Shares under the Normal Course Issuer Bid during the ensuing black-out period in accordance with the terms of the ASPP. Such purchases will be determined by the broker in its sole discretion based on parameters established by Fairfax India prior to commencement of the applicable black-out period in accordance with the terms of the ASPP and applicable TSX rules. Outside of these black-out periods, Subordinate Voting Shares will be purchasable by Fairfax India at its discretion under its Normal Course Issuer Bid.
The ASPP is effective as of September 30, 2024 and will terminate on the earliest of the date on which: (a) the maximum annual purchase limit under the Normal Course Issuer Bid has been reached; (b) the Normal Course Issuer Bid expires; or (c) Fairfax India terminates the ASPP in accordance with its terms. The ASPP constitutes an “automatic securities purchase plan” under applicable Canadian securities laws.
About Fairfax India
Fairfax India is an investment holding company whose objective is to achieve long term capital appreciation, while preserving capital, by investing in public and private equity securities and debt instruments in India and Indian businesses or other businesses with customers, suppliers or business primarily conducted in, or dependent on, India.
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading crypto exchange and web3 company, hosted its inaugural Blockchain4Her Awards at the SheFi Summit in Singapore on September 17, 2024, with five winners announced across two categories. The event saw over 1,000 participants from around the world, with 100+ nominations received for the Awards. The event was supported by 12 major partners, including tier-1 media BeInCrypto, Crypto.News, The Coin Republic, Input Communications, Genzio, as well as leading community bodies like the Women in Web3 Switzerland.
The Blockchain4Her Awards is an initiative that celebrates and promotes women in the blockchain industry. Launched as part of Bitget’s broader Blockchain4Her program, it addresses the gender disparity in the blockchain space, where female-led startups receive only a small fraction of total funding. The awards feature two main categories – the Rising Female in Blockchain Award and the Innovative Web3 Female EntrepreneurAward.
Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, delivered a keynote at the SheFi summit where she exclaimed Bitget’s commitment to supporting women in blockchain. With the $10 million Blockchain4Her initiative, Bitget is taking steps towards empowerment by providing “role models, mentorship, networking, and targeted support, we’re ensuring that more women can step into leadership roles in the blockchain space,” said Chen.
Bitget announced three winners for the ‘Rising Female in Blockchain Award’ category – Alexandra Nicorici, Gesa Schneider, and Rebecca Matsumura.
Alexandra Nicorici is the founder and host of the OOO podcast, a popular Web3 marketing podcast that connects marketing professionals to leading founders who are building transformative communities and products in the industry.
“Two years ago, if someone had told me I would receive a Rising Woman in Web3 Award, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was struggling a lot, in an industry that is not only a boys club, but not very mature yet,“ said Alexandra. “Today, I am more proud of myself and all the amazing women in Web3 who are rising, being present and contributing to this amazing industry.” Through her influence, Alexandra has helped several Web3 and crypto startups grow and drive valuable partnerships over the years.
Gesa Schneider is a renowned Devcon Scholar at the Ethereum Foundation and an active advocate at The Female Factor – one of the largest global communities for female leaders. “To be recognized as a Rising Female in Blockchain is such a great honor,” said Gesa during the Blockchain4Her Awards. “It validates my work to pioneer Web3 innovations for a sustainable future.”
The third winner is Rebecca Matsumura, an Associate Attorney at Fenwick & West. For almost a decade, Rebecca has provided legal guidance to blockchain and fintech firms, helping them manage compliance in the complex regulatory landscape. She is pioneering a new generation of women in law who want to step into the dynamic legal space of Web3 and crypto. Through this award, Bitget celebrates her transformative contribution to increasing inclusivity and openness in this niche sector.
The award for Innovative Web3 Female Entrepreneur went to Maika Isogawa, the co-founder and CEO of Webacy – one of the fastest-growing blockchain security suites. Tech and security have been historically quite underrepresented sectors for women, and the gap is more concerning in the Web3 industry. However, leaders like Maika have been actively inspiring change in this sector. Maika was also listed among the Forbes 30 under 30.
The winners were decided by a panel of four judges, including the CEO of Bitget Gracy Chen, the co-founder of Hacken Yevheniia Broshevan, leading venture capitalist Tess Hau, and the founder of SheFi Maggie Love Wu.
The awards are supported by a $10 million commitment from Bitget to promote diversity and inclusivity in the sector. The support loop for Blockchain4Her focuses on Elevating, Empowering, Educating, and Embracing women in blockchain. Bitget aims to ensure that women in Web3 have the appropriate resources, opportunities, and representation needed to succeed in their role.
The Blockchain4Her campaign provided scholarships for educational programs like SheFi’s 8-week blockchain course, mentorship opportunities, and participation in major industry events. The overall aim is to build a gender-diverse ecosystem where women play a significant role in driving technological advancements and leadership in blockchain. As a part of the campaign, Bitget is also establishing an alumni group, where female entrepreneurs and leaders can exchange ideas and build networks to grow their careers.
After the success of the campaign at SheFi, Bitget is set to host various Blockchain4Her events in different regions.
About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 45 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading, AI bot and other trading solutions. Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more. Bitget inspires individuals to embrace crypto through collaborations with credible partners, including being the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Professional Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM, as well as a global partner of Olympic Athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team).
Risk Warning: Digital asset prices may fluctuate and experience price volatility. Only invest what you can afford to lose. The value of your investment may be impacted and it is possible that you may not achieve your financial goals or be able to recover your principal investment. You should always seek independent financial advice and consider your own financial experience and financial standing. Past performance is not a reliable measure of future performance. Bitget shall not be liable for any losses you may incur. Nothing here shall be construed as financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use.
As a result of numerous allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed being reported in the media, we are now asking any potential victim-survivors who may not have come forward before to do so.
We recognise the significant step many people have already taken in reporting allegations, and know there are many reasons others may have not yet come forward.
We must ensure every victim-survivor who has reported offences or is considering reporting has the confidence and ability to speak to us.
Officers are currently making contact with other organisations, including lawyers representing individuals whose allegations have featured in recent media coverage, to ensure they have the opportunity to speak with us and report any offences.
Additional, specialist support for those who have made contact with us in the past, along with those who come forward, has been put in place and this will continue as our enquiries progress.
This support will be provided by specially trained officers with experience in dealing with sexual offences who will work with victim-survivors and provide links to external support agencies should this be required.
It is important to make clear at this stage that it is not possible for criminal proceedings to be brought against someone who has died.
This means there is no prospect of any conviction relating to Al Fayed himself.
However, we must ensure we fully explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences.
As such, we are carrying out full reviews of all existing allegations reported to us about Al Fayed to ensure there are no new lines of enquiry based on new information which has emerged.
Commander Stephen Clayman said: “We recognise the significance of the allegations made against Mohamed Al Fayed and the impact this has had on those affected. It is vital that any victims have a voice and are able to report any allegations if they have not done so before, and know that they will be taken seriously. We have specialist teams to ensure all those victims who make contact with us are supported in the best way possible.
“I understand that for many years many people have sought answers in relation to this case. We will do everything possible to update on our progress when we can, but it is crucial we do this thoroughly and we do it right.”
There are various ways to contact police about your experience:
Information and further advice on speaking to police if you have been the victim of a sexual offence, or to access independent support groups, can be found on our website.
Allegations
At this time we have identified 19 allegations which resulted in crimes being recorded involving Al Fayed relating to 19 separate women that were reported to the Met between 2005 and 2023.
The offences were alleged to have taken place between 1979 and 2013. Of these reports, three were allegations of rape, 15 were sexual assault and one related to trafficking.
Between 2005 and 2023 we approached the Crown Prosecution Service on five occasions – two of these, in 2009 and 2015, were to pass full files of evidence. The remaining three approaches were for early investigative advice.
In all 19 allegations that were reported to police there was no further action taken against Mohamed Al Fayed.
We have now received new allegations from people who have not previously contacted us about Mohamed Al Fayed. We are not confirming the number at this time.
Source: Republic of France in English The Republic of France has issued the following statement:
Ministers,
Representatives of the United Nations agencies, international organizations and civil society organizations,
Executive Director of UN Women,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our countries have chosen to officially adopt feminist foreign policy.
By doing so, they pledged to make the rights of women and gender equality a priority.
Because feminist foreign policy is a political commitment: to combat violence against women and girls all over the world; to defend and, as decided in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, make gender equality effective; and to reaffirm and promote the universality of the rights of women and girls everywhere that they are under threat.
And it is on the basis of these principles that I will have the honour and pleasure of welcoming you to France in 2025 as agreed for the next Feminist Foreign Policy Conference.
2025 will also mark the 30th anniversary of two key documents in the advancement of the rights of women and girls around the world: the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We must continue to enforce this reference framework and go even further.
That is why France enshrined the freedom to choose an abortion in its Constitution on 8 March 2024. Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights means respecting women’s right to control over their own bodies. We must protect that right from any regression, and it must remain an absolute priority for our group. We invite all States to give the right to abortion the highest level of legal protection.
Going further also means taking into account the challenges presented by the rapid development of new digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
In 2023, France launched the Laboratory for Women’s Rights Online, an international platform created to fight online violence against women and girls. By doing so, we are building the first forum of this kind, which will be both a space for dialogue and an incubator for projects.
The upcoming AI Action Summit, set to take place in Paris in February 2025, will also be an opportunity to address gender bias and barriers to the rights of women and girls online.
This autumn, France – with the Netherlands – will present a draft resolution to combat online violence against women and girls to the General Assembly. They are the primary victims, and it is time that the international community tackles this issue.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Violence is also perpetrated against women and girls in the context of war. We cannot resign ourselves to what is happening in Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s policy of segregation is erasing women from society. We have made respect for the rights of women a clear condition for political dialogue to resume. That condition must be met. We should not, cannot, abandon Afghan women and girls. It would be a moral failure.
Nor can we omit to condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric sexual violence committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October last year.
And we cannot forget the lives of Yazidi women, shattered by the genocidal terrorism of Daesh.
Relentlessly fighting sexual and gender-based violence and impunity will remain central to our work. France was the first to support the fund launched by Nadia Murad and Doctor Mukwege, and supported the first International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence at The Hague in March. We will continue to work to support female victims of sexual violence, as we are doing in Ukraine for the victims of Russian atrocities, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The international community should not limit its understanding of feminism to the protection of victims. I mentioned the upcoming anniversary of the Beijing Declaration next year; I now want to highlight the role of women as drivers of change for peace, sustainable development and prosperity. Involving women and girls in decision-making processes is both a moral imperative and a condition for our prosperity.
We therefore support the draft general recommendation No. 4 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems. It is a major step forward. I also commend the work of the Committee and thank Minister Nicole Ameline for her enlightening presentation.
As we know, women play a crucial role in responding to crises and, together, ensuring peace and security. With this in mind, I hope to one day address a female Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as her envoy for the political participation of women and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
I would like to reiterate that France supports the voices of those who defend these rights, often risking their lives, all over the world. The Support Fund for Feminist Organizations, a French initiative, is the world’s leading fund in terms of financing and geographic scope. I am committed to enshrining it in the long term.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In conclusion, I would like to express France’s support for all women and girls whose voices have been stifled and silenced, and whose freedoms and rights have been denied and trampled. France stands with you, and with them.
As of 8:00 a.m. eastern time on September 26, Hurricane Helene was expected to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle late Thursday with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, creating the potential for significant disruptions to energy infrastructure. Hurricane Helene is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States this hurricane season. The other three named storms that made landfall so far this hurricane season (Beryl, Debby, and Francine) were either Category 1 or 2 hurricanes.
Hurricane Helene’s forecasted path toward the Florida Big Bend coast takes it away from the most prolific oil and natural gas-producing areas near Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
However, trade press reports indicate that earlier in the week multiple companies including bp, Chevron, Equinor, and Shell evacuated staff at offshore oil platforms and paused some production in the Gulf of Mexico. Data compiled by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) indicate that 29% of oil production (511,000 barrels per day) and 17% of natural gas production (313 million cubic feet per day) on offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were shut in as of 12:30 p.m. eastern time on September 25. Personnel have been evacuated from 17 production platforms, nearly 5% of the 371 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. Coast Guard reports several ports along the Gulf Coast are closed. Inbound and outbound vessel traffic to Port Tampa Bay, where over 17 million tons of petroleum- and natural gas-related products move through in a typical year, has ceased. The duration of the port closures and impacts from Hurricane Helene on trade movements for petroleum and natural gas remain uncertain.
High winds, flooding, and storm surge from Hurricane Helene might affect energy infrastructure such as power plants as well as power transmission and distribution lines. Utilities in Florida are preparing for high volumes of power outages.
To help analysts assess potential energy-related storm effects, EIA maintains energy disruption maps that display energy infrastructure and real-time storm information.
Pentagon Spokesman LtCol Garron Garn, USMC, provided the following readout:
The Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (A/USDP), Ms. Amanda Dory, met with Israel Ministry of Defense Director General (DG) Eyal Zamir at the Pentagon, September 25.
A/USDP Dory reinforced the Administration’s enduring support for Israel’s security. She and DG Zamir discussed the range of threats faced by Israel and the importance of pursuing diplomatic solutions essential for lasting security. DG Zamir thanked A/USDP Dory for the support provided by the United States. The leaders exchanged views on Israel’s ongoing operations against Hamas and Lebanese Hizballah, the need to release all hostages in Gaza immediately, and the imperative to minimize harm to civilians in conflict zones.
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today a $12.9 million award via the Defense Production Act Investments (DPAI) program to Nano One Materials Corp. (Nano One). The award will help optimize and increase Nano One’s production of active materials for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes at its Candiac, Québec and Burnaby, British Columbia facilities.
The effort, which uses funds appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), directly bolsters the National Defense Industrial Strategy’s objective to expand support for domestic production of critical materials in key supply chains, as well as the IRA’s goals of increasing domestic energy production and promoting clean energy. Canada has been considered a “domestic source” for DPA funds since 1992.
“Shoring up domestic production capabilities across key nodes of the large-capacity battery supply chain is essential for meeting growing battery demands,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (ASD(IBP)). “This award is another important advance towards increasing the availability of safer, lower-cost, and longer-lasting battery materials, which will strengthen U.S. national security.”
“Canadian businesses are seizing job-creating opportunities delivering secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals to our allies, while building up the North American battery supply chain,” said Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Canada. “Today’s announcement at the Nano One facility in Candiac, Quebec, further cements Canada’s place as a reliable global supplier in sustainable battery production with our American partners while complementing over CAD $20 million in investments and support by the Government of Canada. We will continue to advance collaboration with the United States, including through the Energy Transformation Task Force and the Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration.”
With these funds, Nano One will demonstrate commercial-scale production of LFP cathode active materials, critical precursors in the large-capacity battery supply chain. LFP has considerable advantages for military applications, including high-power, advantageous safety characteristics, and a high cycle life. Additionally, all LFP inputs can eventually be sourced in North America, further reducing reliance on foreign sources.
This is the latest of 60 awards made by the DPAI program across multiple areas, totaling $602 million since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2024. DPAI is overseen by the OASD(IBP)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion, and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) directorate.
About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP))
The OASD(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future.
