Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
The Bundesbank has now launched the digital exhibition “From Brutus to Brandt – Coins as eyewitness and testament to our past”, which provides insight into the role that coins play as communicators of historical events. Coins are more than just a means of payment. They convey messages that have persisted for centuries, said Bundesbank Executive Board member Burkhard Balz at the exhibition’s launch. Coins make a piece of history tangible, Mr Balz continued.
The exhibition guides visitors through historical eras from antiquity to the present day using eight coins from the Bundesbank’s numismatic collection. These include the Brutus aureus coin, which recalls the assassination of the Roman ruler Julius Caesar in 44 BC, and a € 2 commemorative coin marking the Warsaw genuflection by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt in 1970. The exhibition also includes a € 200 gold coin minted to celebrate the introduction of euro cash in 2002. These coins are associated with significant moments in German and European history, said Mr Balz.
When designing the digital exhibition, the Bundesbank placed particular emphasis on accessibility and user-friendliness. It is available in German and English and can be accessed on any device with internet access. Visitors to the German version of the exhibition can embark on a journey that provides not only a visual but also an auditory experience. The individual sections of the exhibition take the form of short stories.
The digital exhibition “From Brutus to Brandt – Coins as eyewitness and testament to our past” will be available on the Bundesbank’s website for four years. The Bundesbank’s first digital exhibition “BLACK-RED-GOLD” on the history of Germany’s gold reserves will remain available on its website until 2026.
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.
Source: CoreLogic – Analysis By Nick Goodall, CoreLogic NZ Head of Research
$1 million isn’t what it used to be when it comes to owning property. That being said the $1 million figure still carries an outsize significance for many people.
$1 million + sales activity is dominated by Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Starting with recent agreed sales (contract date since 1st June), it’s no surprise to see that many of the $1 million+ deals have been in the ‘usual suspects’, including areas such as Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Ōtautahi Christchurch, and Tāhuna Queenstown. Indeed, the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland super-city accounts for 52% of all $1 million+ sales across NZ in the past three months, with around half that figure coming in just two sub-markets; Auckland City and North Shore, markets with some very sought-after suburbs.
An arbitrary number
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong and Türkiye enter into tax pact
Hong Kong and Türkiye enter into tax pact
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The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, signed in Hong Kong today (September 24) a comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement (CDTA) with Türkiye. This signifies the Government’s sustained efforts in expanding Hong Kong’s CDTA network, in particular with tax jurisdictions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Representing the Government of Türkiye was the Commissioner of the Turkish Revenue Administration, Mr Bekir Bayrakdar. This CDTA is the 51st agreement that Hong Kong has concluded. It sets out the allocation of taxing rights between the two jurisdictions and will help investors better assess their potential tax liabilities from cross-border economic activities. Mr Hui said, “Türkiye is participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The signing of the CDTA between Hong Kong and Türkiye at the Fifth Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum highlights the commitment of the two jurisdictions to deepening tax co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative. I have every confidence that this CDTA will further promote economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and Türkiye, and contribute to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative through enhanced connectivity. “We will continue to negotiate with trading and investment partners with a view to expanding Hong Kong’s CDTA network. This will enhance the attractiveness of Hong Kong as a business and investment hub, and consolidate the city’s status as an international economic and trade centre.” In accordance with the Hong Kong-Türkiye CDTA, Hong Kong companies can enjoy double taxation relief in that any tax paid in Türkiye, whether directly or by deduction, will be allowed as a credit against the tax payable in Hong Kong in respect of the same income, subject to the provisions of the tax laws of Hong Kong. Moreover, the Hong Kong-Türkiye CDTA also provides the following tax relief arrangements:(a) Türkiye’s withholding tax rate for Hong Kong residents on dividends will be capped at 5 per cent or 10 per cent (depending on the percentage of their shareholdings); while that on interest and royalties will be capped at 10 per cent, and further reduced to 7.5 per cent if the interest is received by a financial institution in respect of a loan or debt instrument with a maturity period exceeding two years, or if the royalties are for the use of, or the right to use, industrial, commercial or scientific equipment;(b) Hong Kong airlines operating flights to and from Hong Kong and Türkiye will be taxed at Hong Kong’s corporation tax rate on their profits, and will not be taxed in Türkiye; and(c) Profits from international shipping transport earned by Hong Kong residents arising in Türkiye will not be taxed in Türkiye. The CDTA will come into force after the completion of ratification procedures by both jurisdictions. In Hong Kong, the Chief Executive in Council will make an order under the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112), which is subject to negative vetting by the Legislative Council. Details of the Hong Kong-Türkiye CDTA can be found on the Inland Revenue Department’s website (www.ird.gov.hk/eng/pdf/Agreement_Turkiye_HongKong.pdf).
Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 20:15
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Source: The Holy See
Intervention of Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell
Intervention of Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung, O.C.D
Intervention of Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee
Intervention of Miss Gabriela Su-Ji Kim
At 11.30 this morning, a press conference, “Towards World Youth Day Seoul 2027” was livestreamed from the Holy See Press Office.
The speakers were: His Eminence Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung, O.C.D., of Seoul, president of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for Seoul 2027, Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, general coordinator of World Youth Day Seoul 2027, and Miss Gabriela Su-Ji Kim, a young Korean.
The following were also present in the hall and available to the press: Dr. Gleison De Paula Souza, secretary of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, the Reverend Fr. Franco Galdino, coordinator of the Youth Office of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, and the Reverend Fr. Peter Yang, executive secretary of the Local Organizing Committee of Seoul 2027.
The following are their interventions:
Intervention of Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell
Good morning everyone and thank you for being here today!
The Holy Father has chosen the city of Seoul, Korea, as the venue for the next World Youth Day in 2027. For the latest WYD which was held in Lisbon, Portugal, young people went on pilgrimage to the western border of Europe, and now they are being asked to set out for the Far East as ‘a marvellous sign of the universality of the Church and our dream of unity’, in the words of the Holy Father.[1]
The Church in Asia and Korea
After World Youth Day in Manila in 1995, it is coming to Asia again, the ‘cradle of the world’s major religions’, with its ‘intricate mosaic of its many cultures, languages, beliefs and traditions, which comprise such a substantial part of the history and heritage of the human family’ as St John Paul II said in his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia.[2]
Every World Youth Day is a golden opportunity for the local Church hosting it to celebrate its distinct culture and faith together with other Churches. In Korea, Catholics make up 11% of the population. Although a minority, the Church is full of vitality and initiatives of all kinds. It is enriched by the heroic witness of so many martyrs, and it continues to radiate, very strongly, a light of faith and hope that reaches all believers in every part of the world.
So what are the opportunities presented by World Youth Day in Seoul? First of all, like every WYD, it is an opportunity for all young people to rediscover the beauty of Christian life, and to bring to the ordinary circumstances of daily life a renewed desire to be disciples of Jesus and faithful to his Gospel. The rediscovery of Christian life, then, can be fertile ground for the blossoming of many vocations, to marriage or to the priesthood and consecrated life. All of this will have great benefits for the Church in Korea, for the Asian continent, and for the Church globally.
Secondly, Asia is very receptive to the coexistence of cultures, to dialogue and to complementarity. This will be of great help to young pilgrims on their path of learning to become messengers of peace in a world so torn by conflict and confrontation.
Thirdly, the dynamic Asian context will help young people to think about the dialogue between faith and modernity. They live in a world where they are confronted by challenges of global scope. These include a loss of meaning and purpose felt in some societies, the digital revolution, the climate crisis, economic inequalities, etc. The big questions that these challenges raise will stimulate young people to make their personal contribution so that contemporary culture may be permeated and transformed by the Gospel, with its power, light and freshness.
The theme of the journey from Lisbon to Seoul: 2023-2027
As you know, every year young people are invited to celebrate World Youth Day in their local Churches on the Solemnity of Christ the King. Last week, the Holy Father’s Message for the 39th WYD to be celebrated on 24 November was published, ‘Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary’ (cf. Is 40:31). This theme marks the stages of an inner pilgrimage that began with the invitation made in Lisbon to arise and set out (cf. WYD Lisbon 2023).
For the Jubilee Year of 2025, young people are called to be pilgrims of hope in Rome and, over the next two years, they will be guided along a path that will culminate in World Youth Day in Seoul 2027. The two themes for this path are included in the documentation you have received that has just been published. The theme chosen by the Holy Father for the 40th WYD is: ‘You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me’ (John 15:27); the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the 41st WYD is: ‘Take courage! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33).
That last theme — I will repeat it, ‘Take courage! I have overcome the world!’ (John 16:33) — will therefore be the theme of the 41stWYD in Seoul in 2027.
Both themes are taken from the Gospel of John. They belong to what is known as Jesus’ ‘farewell discourse’ (cf. John 13-17), when he prepares his disciples to experience the mystery of his passion and death, in the certainty of his resurrection. The two themes focus, therefore, on witnessing and on the courage that stems from Jesus’ paschal victory.
The traditional handing over of the WYD Cross and Icon: 24 November 2024
As is customary after every international WYD, the young people of Lisbon will hand over the symbols of WYD to the young people of Seoul: the Youth Cross and the icon of Mary Salus populi romani. This is an evocative ‘passing of the baton’ that will mark the beginning of the Korean Church’s spiritual preparation for World Youth Day. I am announcing that this handover will take place on 24 November, the Solemnity of Christ King of the Universe, during Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
The Youth Cross, also known as the WYD Cross, is always a pilgrim cross. Young Koreans will carry it everywhere — in the cities, in the countryside, among the suffering, the imprisoned and the poor — to bring closeness and consolation to all. However, it is also a jubilee cross because it was entrusted by St John Paul II to young people at the end of the Holy Year of Redemption in 1984. This aspect takes on special significance this year because of the approaching Jubilee. St John Paul II entrusted it to young people with these words: ‘Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity, and announce to everyone that only in the death and resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption.’[3]
The Cross will be taken by young people to Asia, accompanied by the icon of Mary Salus populi romani, a sign of Mary’s maternal affection and of the Church’s own maternal concern for all humanity.
Our hope is that many young people, even those who have never participated in a WYD, will walk a path over the next three years — above all an interior one –, and come to meet each other in Asia together with the Successor of Peter, and may they all bear courageous witness to Christ together.
_________________________
[1] Angelus, Apostolic journey of Pope Francis to Portugal on the occasion of the 37th World Youth Day, Parque Tejo
(Lisbon), Sunday, 6 August 2023.
[2] John Paul II, Post-synodal exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia, no. 6.
[3] John Paul II, To young people when entrusting them with the Cross of the Holy Year of Redemption, Sunday 22 April 1984.
Intervention of Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung, O.C.D
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Holy Father for proclaiming the theme scripture for World Youth Day Seoul 2027.
In the coming year, young people from around the globe will gather in Rome to celebrate a jubilee year as pilgrims of hope who “hope in the Lord and will run without growing weary.”
This jubilee seeks to renew the young people’s hearts in Christ as they embrace the Pope’s invitation, carrying the newly declared motto with them on their pilgrimage to Seoul, resting on the eastern edge of Asia.
The Korean Catholic Church stands as a testament to the voluntary and dynamic faith of its first believers, who embraced the seeds of the Gospel without the assistance of missionaries, guided by the Holy Spirit. In 2027, numerous young people from all over the world will gather to meet the young believers of Korea, who have inherited the steadfast faith of their ancestors. Together, they will rekindle a passionate zeal for faith.
During times of persecution, the early Korean faithful sent earnest letters to the Pope, fervently requesting missionaries to preserve their gifted faith and to unite with the universal Church. This appeal moved Pope Gregory XVI to establish the Vicariate Apostolic of Chosun, thereby dispatching missionaries and enabling the faith to flourish despite persecution. Just as he did with the early Korean Church, the Pope has once again embraced our Church’s request, inviting young people from all over the world to join the WYD pilgrimage by attending the WYD Seoul 2027.
The pilgrimage of WYD Seoul 2027 will be more than just a large gathering. It will be a meaningful journey where young people, united with Jesus Christ, reflect on and discuss the modern challenges and injustices they face. It will be a grand celebration, allowing everyone to experience the vibrant and energetic culture created by Korean youth. It will also be an opportunity to immerse in and share the dynamic and passionate culture that Korea’s youth have created. Furthermore, through this celebration, Korean young people will gain the invaluable chance to exchange and engage with the concerns and passions of their peers.
Through this collective journey, WYD pilgrims will become “courageous missionaries,” inspired to live out the joy of the Gospel they have found. The Church, united through this period, will listen carefully to the young voices and accompany the youth throughout the pilgrimage. I pledge my utmost commitment to ensuring that the youth from around the world may experience the profound joy of being the integral members of the Church. To young people around the world, we warmly invite you to join us for World Youth Day Seoul 2027!
Thank you.
Intervention of Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee
First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our Holy Father for providing the theme scripture that resonates deeply with the circumstances faced by the Catholic Church of Korea and the challenges confronting today’s youth.
Korea stands in a unique context distinct from previous World Youth Day hosts, characterized by the harmonious coexistence of diverse religious traditions. Within this environment, the Catholic Church of Korea has steadfastly embodied the Christian virtues of “forgiveness” and “sharing,” fostering these values in society while coexisting peacefully with other faiths. Amid the persistent reality as a “divided nation,” the Church has diligently worked to resolve the conflicts inherent in this division over the past seven decades, seeking peace and unity for the Korean people. The emergence of K-Catholic and K-faith among our youth is a testament to these sustained efforts. Our young people and young faithful remain open to interreligious dialogue and aspire towards harmonious and peaceful coexistence.
Preparations for the World Youth Day, aimed at sharing our spiritual heritage with the youth worldwide, have already begun in earnest. Following the selection of the host city last year, the Local Organizing Committee was inaugurated in December, alongside the formation of a preliminary research team of young individuals dedicated to spreading the spirituality of World Youth Day. Starting from February 2024, we launched a campaign dedicated to offering a billion Rosaries. This summer, we held a talk concert (at the front yard of Myeongdong Cathedral) fostering genuine conversations among young people and celebrated the Kick-off Ceremony of the World Youth Day Seoul 2027.
From this autumn, we will host Youth Masses and Youth Encounters in 19 deaneries across our diocese. In May of the coming year, we will host a diocesan-wide youth festival. Obviously open to all young people so practically it will be nationwide festival. More importantly, Seoul LOC is always collaborating with Doc of Bishops Conferences of Korea.
Through the Mystery of Life Awards, we encourage young scholars devoted to Christian spirituality to participate and share their scholarly contributions with the universal Church and the global community. As we approach the Jubilee Year, we expect to bring approximately 1,000 young pilgrims to participate in the Jubilee of Youth. It is our fervent hope that through this pilgrimage, they will come to discern the empowering force of hope bestowed by faith and experience a profound personal encounter with Christ within the universal Church.
The logo for WYD Seoul 2027, capturing the vision and aspirations of this momentous event, centered around the theme, “Take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), chosen by the Holy Father. Central to the logo is a cross; the red and blue colors symbolize Christ’s triumphant victory over the world. The left element, reaching upward, signifies God in Heaven, while the right element, pointing downward, symbolizes Earth, illustrating the fulfillment of God’s will on Earth through their unity.
Inspired by traditional Korean art, the overall design employs brushstroke techniques unique to Korean painting and subtly incorporates the Hangul characters representing “Seoul.” At the same time, the logo captures the vibrant energy of youth and skillfully incorporates the letters WYD into its composition.
Additionally, the red on one side of the cross symbolizes the blood of the martyrs, harmonizing with the empowering theme, “Take courage.” The blue represents the vitality of youth and symbolizes God’s calling. Together, these colors echo the Taegeuk pattern on the Korean flag.
Finally, the yellow color that shines behind the cross represents the Christ, who is the “Light of the World.” Christ has overcome the world. He shines upon our Church like the sun rising from the East. And He guides the Church towards unity.
Through this diverse symbolism, the logo for the WYD Seoul 2027 integrates the multiple meanings of martyrdom, youth, Seoul, WYD, and the cross, celebrating the glory of victory achieved through the Holy Spirit. It heralds the call to the young people of Korea and the world to proclaim the faith of the martyrs to the world of our time.
Beyond the symbolism of the logo, we are dedicated to ensuring that the fruits of World Youth Day lead to genuine growth and renewal within the Church. We will undertake this journey, moving forward step by step with unwavering trust in the Lord and with courageous resolve.
Thank you.
Intervention of Miss Gabriela Su-Ji Kim
Youth Leadership and opportunities for evangelization
Hello, my name is Kim Suji Gabriella and I am here to share my passion for youth leadership and the role I hope World Youth Day will have in rekindling our faith. First, I would like to express my gratitude to the Holy Father, who invited everyone to Korea for the next World Youth Day in Seoul, as well as to all those who are working to prepare for this event. My journey in serving youth began as a catechist for middle and high school students in my parish. After experiencing WYD Krakow in 2016, I had the honor of attending the Synod Journeying with Young People in Rome in 2017 as a Korean delegate. This precious experience of meeting and interacting with the Pope and fellow young people has fueled my commitment to serve in the Church.
The COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world prevented many from attending church. As the dark days stretched on, many young people drifted away from the faith, and community dissolved. Now that we can gather once more, we face the challenge of a scattered flock, struggling to pass on the experience of faith. However, I am confident that WYD Seoul 2027 will provide a crucial opportunity to rekindle the flames of faith, not only in Korea but also around the world.
We have been invited to embark on a journey to live the spirit of the Synod. With a joyful “Yes,” we will join with young people from around the world. Through WYD Seoul 2027, we will forge a path of unity, hope, courage, and passion, welcoming people from all walks of life, not just Catholic believers, to walk together in harmony. I trust that our Lord Jesus Christ will walk with us on this pilgrimage to the “Far East” and beyond and I am hopeful that all of you in this room will accompany us as well. Thank you.
MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –
Source: The Holy See in Italian
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Archdiocese of Seoul
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – From a land where faith was transmitted “without the assistance of missionaries”, young people will be called to become “courageous missionaries” who can bear witness to the joy of the Gospel in every corner of the planet. This is the hope of the organizers of the next World Youth Day, scheduled to be held in Seoul in 2027, which already has its logo and theme. “Be of good courage: I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16:33) is the theme chosen by the Pope, while the logo depicts a red and blue cross. These colors symbolize Christ’s triumphal victory over the world. Inspired by traditional Korean art, the overall design uses the unique brushstroke techniques of Korean painting and subtly incorporates the Hangul characters that represent Seoul. Furthermore, the red on one side of the cross symbolizes the blood of the martyrs, harmonizing with the theme of “courage”. The blue represents the vitality of young people and symbolizes God’s call. Together, these colors reflect the Taegeuk motif of the Korean flag. The yellow that shines behind the cross represents Christ, who is the “Light of the World” and shines on the Church like the sun that rises from the East and guides the Church towards unity. Both were announced this morning during a press conference held in the Vatican, attended by Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, the Dicastery under which the organization of World Youth Day falls, Peter Soon-Taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul and President of the Local Organizing Committee of Seoul 2027, Paul Kyung Sang Lee, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul and General Coordinator of WYD Seoul 2027. “The pilgrimage to WYD Seoul 2027 will be more than a simple gathering,” said the Archbishop of Seoul, specifying that what will begin with the Jubilee “will be a significant journey in which young people, united with Jesus Christ, will reflect and discuss the modern challenges and the injustices they face. It will be a grand celebration that will allow everyone to experience the vibrant and energetic culture that young Koreans have created. It will also be an opportunity to immerse themselves in and share the dynamic and passionate culture that young Koreans have produced. Furthermore, through this celebration, young Koreans will have a valuable opportunity to engage and share the concerns and passions of their peers.” Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee noted that Korea “is in a unique context, different from previous World Youth Days, characterized by the harmonious coexistence of different religious traditions. In this context, the Korean Catholic Church has consistently embodied the Christian virtues of ‘forgiveness’ and ‘sharing’, promoting these values in society and peacefully coexisting with other faiths. In a persistent reality of a ‘divided nation’, over the past seven decades the Church has worked diligently to resolve the conflicts inherent in this division, seeking peace and unity for the Korean people. The emergence of K-Catholic and K-Faith among our young people is a testimony to these efforts. Our young people and our young believers remain open to interreligious dialogue and aspire to harmonious and peaceful coexistence”. The journey to Seoul will, however, pass through Rome first. As is customary after every international WYD, in fact, the young people of Lisbon will deliver the symbols of WYD to the young Koreans, namely the Youth Cross and the icon of the Salus populi romani on November 24, Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe, during the Holy Mass that will be presided over by the Pope in St. Peter’s Basilica. “Our hope is that many young people, even those who have never participated in a WYD, in the next three years will travel a path, especially an interior one, to meet in Asia together with the Successor of Peter and to give together a courageous testimony of Christ”, concluded Cardinal Farrel. (FB) (Agenzia Fides 24/9/2024)
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –
Source: Switzerland – Federal Chancellery
Federal Chancellery
Bern, 24.09.2024 – –
The federal popular initiative «Pour une nutrition sûre – thanks to the reinforcement of sustainable indigenous production, in front of denrées vegétales foodstuffs et à une eau potablere potablere (initiative sur l’alimentation)», launched on 16 August 2024, in information abouti . The Federal Chancellery found, after verification, that 112’736 of the 113’060 deposited signatures are valid.
Address for envoi de questions
Beat FurrerChargé d’information058 465 02 45beat.furrer@bk.admin.ch
Author
Federal Chancelleryhttps://www.bk.admin.ch/bk/fr/home.html
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, today announced its financial and operating results for the fiscal fourth quarter and year ended June 30, 2024.
“We delivered on our promises in fiscal 2024 with the advancement of our world-class lithium brine assets and by securing a strategic partnership with global energy major, Equinor,” said David Park, CEO and Director of Standard Lithium. “Standard Lithium holds globally-significant lithium brine assets in the Smackover with the potential to help meet the growing demand for sustainable lithium production in the U.S. We are the most advanced DLE play in North America, having proven direct lithium extraction at a commercial scale. The Standard Lithium team has done an outstanding job of differentiating itself from the pack by systematically de-risking its business, including the consummation of it’s partnerships with Equinor and Koch. Now, with the recent announcement of the conditional DOE grant of US$225 million, is the time for us to prioritize, focus and execute. We look forward to working closely with our partners to advance our South West Arkansas and East Texas projects.”
Highlights Subsequent to the Fourth Quarter Ended June 30, 2024
All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Highlights
Consolidated Financial Statements
This news release should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and MD&A for the year ended June 30, 2024, which are available on the Company’s issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Q4 AND FISCAL YEAR 2024 RESULTS CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST
The Company will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024 on Tuesday, October 1st at 3:30 p.m. ET. Access to the call is available via webcast or direct dial.
Conference Call and Webcast Details
Standard Lithium Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results Call and Webcast
October 1, 2024 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Participant Information:
USA / International Toll +1 (646) 307-1963
USA – Toll-Free (800) 715-9871
Canada – Toronto (647) 932-3411
Canada – Toll-Free (800) 715-9871
Attendee Webcast Link:
https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/719576289
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by the highest quality resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and purification process. The Company’s flagship projects are located in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor ASA, Standard Lithium is advancing the South West Arkansas project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively exploring promising lithium brine prospects in East Texas. Additionally, the Company is advancing the Phase 1A project in partnership with LANXESS Corporation, a brownfield development project located in southern Arkansas. Standard Lithium also holds an interest in certain mineral leases in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.
Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.
Qualified Person
Steve Ross, P.Geol., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and Vice President Resource Development for the Company, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information in this news release.
Twitter: @standardlithium
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target”, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
President Biden Addresses the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, on September 24, 2024.
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Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
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Source: United Nations secretary general
Excellencies,
I want to begin by thanking the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, and WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesusas, as well as all of our distinguished guests present for this special occasion.
Our gathering today marks a critical milestone; we are one year away from the next UN high-level meeting on NCDs, and just less than six years out from the 2030 SDG deadline.
Yet despite the ticking clock above our heads, underinvestment in health services has become a deadly norm; the gap between the need for, and availability of, quality care and support for people affected by NCDs remains as wide as ever.
Meanwhile, the SDGs, intricately linked with NCDs and mental illness, are careening off-track.
We are best placed to improve health outcomes for NCDs only if we fully know and understand the complex relationship between NCDs and the global goals.
Excellencies,
Let me briefly outline this connection on three fronts.
First, we must fully understand the link between health, climate change and air pollution.
Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, storms and floods, impact people living with NCDs by worsening their conditions.
When food systems are disrupted, the opportunities and capacities to maintain healthy diets diminish.
When the air we breathe is toxic, our health can no longer be sustained. Ninety-nine per cent of humanity breathes polluted air – leading to an estimated 8 million premature deaths – including more than 700,000 children under five.
Small island nations understand this deadly interplay all too well, and I commend the bold action championed by many on this front.
Second, NCDs and the economy are inextricably linked.
High out-of-pocket payments for NCD treatment push many people into poverty. Chronic conditions also take people out of work with little or no alternative income, continuing the vicious cycle.
Third, and finally, let me underscore the tragic connection between health, conflict and emergencies.
We are living through a time where conflicts are raging across the globe. In times like these of crisis, the needs of people living with NCDs and mental health conditions, are often left unmet and left behind.
Access to essential medicines is cut off.
Acute mental distress increases.
The impacts of COVID-19 still linger on. The world is still catching up on delayed vaccinations and key health services, most of which are related to the prevention of NCDs.
Excellencies,
We are gathered here today because only political will can help turn the tide. Your political commitments and actions are critical to building more resilient health systems that address these equity gaps.
To succeed in the fight against NCDs, governments must act decisively by integrating One Health principles, strengthening national NCD action plans, ensuring equitable access for vulnerable populations, and allocating sustainable funding to public health initiatives that reduce NCD risk factors and address root causes.
The critical role of research for development, robust data systems, accelerating innovation and technologies in advancing solutions to NCDs is also key.
So today, my ask of you is simple: let’s collaborate across borders, sectors, and disciplines to build a more resilient, healthy world for all.
I hope our conversation today will spark optimism and the bold decision-making that is needed at this critical juncture.
We have 52 weeks left to the next high-level meeting on NCDs – let’s make them count.
Thank you.
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English
A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
A series of recruitment talks organised by the Civil Service Bureau in Beijing and Shanghai wrapped up today, attracting over 1,800 Hong Kong people who are interested in applying for civil service posts in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
Five recruitment talks on the administrative officer (AO) and executive officer (EO) grades were held at the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Shanghai (SHETO), East China University of Political Science & Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Renmin University of China, and China University of Political Science & Law respectively.
The participants, mostly university students, joined the talks online or in person.
At the seminars, participants were introduced to the entry requirements, training programmes, examination and interview arrangements, as well as tips on preparing for AO and EO grade exams.
In addition, the bureau had specifically arranged for serving AO and EO colleagues who had studied or lived on the Mainland to share their work and personal experiences.
The bureau’s representatives also attended a SHETO event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, taking the occasion to introduce the AO and EO grades to the young participants, with a view to encouraging them to apply for civil service posts in the Hong Kong SAR Government.
A joint recruitment exercise is being held for the civil service grades of AO, EO II, assistant trade officer II and transport officer II. The application deadline is October 4.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
RISHON LEZION, Israel, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — B.O.S. Better Online Solutions Ltd. (“BOS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BOSC), an integrator for supply chain technologies, announced today that it will release its financial results for the third quarter of 2024 before the market opens on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 (instead of Thursday, November 28, 2024, as previously announced).
BOS will host a video conference call on November 27, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. EST.
To access the video conference call, please click on the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83701495535?pwd=5rANXKpCp1hbrHYRIHIBIdKbBZSaUF.1
About BOS
BOS leverages cutting-edge technologies to optimize supply chain operations across three key divisions. The Intelligent Robotics division streamlines industrial and logistics inventory processes. The RFID division efficiently marks and tracks inventory, and the Supply Chain division effectively manages inventory supply.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
CashX’s Self-Service Kiosks and Mobile Wallet App Launch Across the OPMX Retail Network in California, Colorado and Texas Beginning in October 2024
SAN DIEGO and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CashXAI Inc. (“CashX”) and OPMX are pleased to announce that they have signed an international agreement to install CashX Self Service Financial Services Kiosks at OPMX customers’ retail locations including approximately 500 supermarkets in California, Colorado and Texas. This expands CashX’s reach to comprise 5,000 retailers across the United States and over 5,000 locations in Mexico and Latin America.
In addition to physical kiosk access, CashX offers its CashX Mobile Wallet Application, which enables consumers digital access to all their financial needs without an evaluation of financial history. This mobile solution consists of services including check cashing, money transfer, mobile recharge, bill payment, gift cards, e-tickets and other high demand financial transactions.
Stephen Combe, CEO of CashX, said, “We are delighted to partner with OPMX and expand their offering with accessible financial offerings, providing additional vital services to the Latin Community. Pharmacies and supermarkets have long been a hub in Latin neighborhoods and stocked with OPMX’s well known and trusted brands and products that provide that close-to-home feel to consumers from other countries. With our recent steps to innovate CashX’s financial services infused with AI retail sector marketing technology, we provide consumers an adjacent essential utility that digitizes and simplifies routine purchases.”
Fernando Garces, CEO of OPMX, commented, “We proudly maintain a strong presence in well-recognized locations that cater to the Hispanic community. Our strategic distribution network allows us to reach our valued customers in these vibrant communities, making our products readily available and accessible to those who matter most to us – adding Financial Services and helping our customer’s gain access to financial freedom is a key extension to our mission. We would also like to thank our channel partner, Mr. Quedon Baul for bringing this opportunity to us and facilitating the partnership between OPMX and CashX.”
CashX Rollout Plan
Installation of CashX solutions will begin in October 2024 in approximately 500 retailers in California, Colorado and Texas, with a parallel rollout throughout Mexico. Further expansion to all states and additional key countries in Latin America is expected in early 2025. The total network is expected to cover 5 countries and over 15,000 retail locations.
The second phase of the rollout will launch CashX’s next generation of kiosks with AI integrated retail marketing strategies of consumers at point of sale, which is empowering the future interplay of business, consumers and retail advertising.
About CashXAI Inc.
CashXAI Inc., a leader in financial innovation, offers a dynamic platform for individuals lacking traditional banking access. The CashXAI mobile app simplifies converting cash into digital currency, supporting transactions from check cashing to money transfer without requiring a bank account. With an extensive retail network, CashXAI provides unparalleled financial freedom and management capabilities, empowering users to effortlessly control their finances from anywhere. CashXAI stands at the forefront of bridging financial gaps for underbanked communities. Further illustrating CashX’s innovative business structure, its previously announced intellectual property license agreement with Alpha Modus permits CashX with the exclusive right to use all of Alpha Modus’ patented intellectual property in connection with CashX’s promotional, advertising, and operational functions, including co-development arrangements with Alpha Modus, within the Exclusive Industry. The “Exclusive Industry” means the industry relating to self-service kiosks located in retail food, drug and convenience stores for the purpose of serving Unbanked and Underbanked consumers, by offering banking, phone and insurance solutions to the consumer. An “Unbanked” consumer means a person that does not have a checking or savings account with an FDIC-insured institution, and an “Underbanked” consumer means a person that has or had a checking or savings account with an FDIC-insured institution, but regularly uses non-traditional banks such as Venmo or the Cash App, or lenders such as a check cashing company or payday lender.
For more information, please visit the CashX website at https://cashx.ai/.
About OPMX
OPMX are leaders in the Latino pharmaceutical market in the United States through stores and brands that connect consumers with their countries of origin, evoking trust and a feeling of being close to home.
Latino consumers have a strong sense of cultural identity and pride in their heritage, and by seeing brands that represent their culture, they can feel an emotional connection to the products and companies behind them. With a focus on quality, cultural relevance, and a dedication to serving the Hispanic market in the United States, our pharmaceutical products stand as a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing innovative, effective, and compassionate healthcare solutions to this vibrant and diverse audience. Discover more at www.opmx.us
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainty and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of all filings of the Company that are contained in the Edgar Archives of the Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC.gov.
Media Contact Details
CashX
André Mouton andre.mouton@cashx.ai
OPMX
Ricardo Silveira, COO r.silveira@opmx.us
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
DALLAS, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TriumphPay announced today the addition of Ascent Global Logistics (“Ascent”), a leading global provider of expedited, time-critical logistics solutions, to the TriumphPay Network, as a full audit and payments participant. By joining the TriumphPay Network, Ascent is taking a significant step toward providing a more streamlined payment experience.
“At Ascent, our carriers are at the heart of everything we do, and their success directly impacts the level of service we provide to our customers,” said Jack Korslin, chief financial officer of Ascent Global Logistics. “We’re excited to begin our partnership with TriumphPay by rolling out enhanced payment solutions to our carriers in our brokerage business segment, with plans to expand to the rest of our carrier network in the near future.”
Adding Ascent to the TriumphPay Network represents another significant milestone for the ongoing growth and expansion of the network. In the second quarter, network engagement was $51.3 billion in unique brokered freight transactions, nearing 50% of the freight market.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ascent Global Logistics to our network,” said Aaron P. Graft, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Triumph Financial. “As we continue to build the density of our network, adding new brokers is critical to achieving our long-term goals. Creating density is the foundation for delivering even greater efficiency and value to our customers. With each new participant, we’re enhancing the ecosystem and network effect, making it more beneficial for all participants.”
TriumphPay provides innovative payment processing solutions tailored for the transportation industry. These solutions empower freight brokers to achieve heightened operational efficiency, improved financial transparency, and enhanced fraud mitigation.
Ascent joins leading, notable U.S. freight brokers on the TriumphPay Network. For more information, visit www.ascentlogistics.com and www.triumphpay.com.
About TriumphPay
TriumphPay is the premier network for freight brokers, factors, shippers and carriers in the North American trucking industry, offering a structured, secure data exchange. The TriumphPay Network and integrated technology solutions remove friction and reduce fraud in the presentment, audit and payment of approximately $51.3 billion in unique brokered freight transactions. TriumphPay is a division of TBK Bank, SSB, Member FDIC, and a member of the Triumph Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFIN) portfolio of brands. For more information, visit us at www.triumphpay.com.
About Ascent Global Logistics
Ascent Global Logistics, headquartered in Belleville, Michigan, is a leading global provider of expedited, time-critical logistics solutions and other direct transportation services. The company connects customers to its extensive carrier network, internal ground fleet and airline via its proprietary, digital PEAK freight marketplace, which provides robust carrier capacity and transparent pricing, backed by 24/7/365 logistics experts. Ascent’s offerings include air charter and ground expedited solutions as well as truckload, less-than-truckload, global forwarding, brokerage, and managed transportation services. The experienced Ascent team solves customers’ most challenging logistics needs by providing industry-leading service and top-tier satisfaction. To learn more, visit www.ascentlogistics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financial’s expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 13, 2024. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information.
Source: Triumph Financial, Inc.
Investor Relations Contact:
Luke Wyse
Triumph Financial, Inc.
Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations
lwyse@tfin.com
Media Contacts:
Amanda Tavackoli
Triumph Financial, Inc.
Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communication
atavackoli@tfin.com
Kelli Finn
Ascent Global Logistics
Director of Marketing
media@ascentlogistics.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
PORTLAND, Maine, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northeast Bank (the “Bank”) (NASDAQ: NBN) announced today that since June 30, 2024, the Bank has purchased primarily commercial real estate loans in the amount of unpaid principal balance of $805 million. Because the purchases closed primarily late in the quarter, there will be minimal impact on earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2025. The Bank has funded and intends to fund the purchase of these loans primarily relying on brokered deposits and Federal Home Loan Bank advances.
Discussing the purchases, Rick Wayne, Chief Executive Officer said, “We are very pleased with this quarter’s purchased loan activity, which represents the second largest quarterly loan purchase volume in the Bank’s history. We have developed a reputation in the loan purchase market as a strong and reliable counterparty. Our experienced, professional, and dedicated team allows us to take advantage of the opportunities that have been and are available to the Bank.”
About Northeast Bank
Northeast Bank (NASDAQ: NBN) is a full-service bank headquartered in Portland, Maine. We offer personal and business banking services to the Maine market via seven branches. Our National Lending Division purchases and originates commercial loans on a nationwide basis. ableBanking, a division of Northeast Bank, offers online savings products to consumers nationwide. Information regarding Northeast Bank can be found at www.northeastbank.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), in our annual reports to our shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “assume,” “outlook,” “will,” “should,” and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters. Although the Bank believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable estimates and assumptions, they are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Bank’s control. The Bank’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, changes in general business and economic conditions on a national basis and in the local markets in which the Bank operates, including changes which adversely affect borrowers’ ability to service and repay loans; changes in customer behavior due to political, business and economic conditions, including inflation and concerns about liquidity; turbulence in the capital and debt markets; reductions in net interest income resulting from interest rate volatility as well as changes in the balances and mix of loans and deposits; changes in interest rates and real estate values; changes in loan collectability and increases in defaults and charge-off rates; decreases in the value of securities and other assets, adequacy of credit loss reserves, or deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and investments; changing government regulation; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; changes in legislation or regulation and accounting principles, policies and guidelines; cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, and future pandemics; the risk that the Bank may not be successful in the implementation of its business strategy; the risk that intangibles recorded in the Bank’s financial statements will become impaired; changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements; and the other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Bank’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and updated by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted to the FDIC. These statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Bank does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
For More Information:
Richard Cohen, Chief Financial Officer
Northeast Bank, 27 Pearl Street, Portland, ME 04101
207.786.3245 ext. 3249
www.northeastbank.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Agreements to Significantly Improve Balance Sheet by Reducing Total Debt, Deferring Principal and Interest Payments, and Substantially Lowering Near-Term Cash Needs
SEATTLE, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Banzai International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNZI) (“Banzai” or the “Company”), a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today announced that it entered into agreements with lenders and service providers to write off up to $5.6 million of outstanding liabilities and restructure a further $19.2 million of its existing debt obligations, improving the Company’s overall financial position by amending certain credit obligations and extending the maturity of certain debt facilities. Including the previously executed Cantor Fitzgerald fee restructuring, this represents a total of $28.8 million in anticipated reduced and restructured liabilities.
Banzai has reached an agreement with creditors to eliminate approximately $15.3 million of debt via a combination of private placement and debt restructuring, with participation from insiders including Alco Investment Company (“Alco”).
As part of the debt restructuring, a term loan with CB BF Lending is being converted to a fixed-price convertible with a maturity date extended to February 19, 2027, a two-year extension. This substantially increases the cash runway and improves working capital; we believe it will also enable the Company to achieve its near-term growth initiatives.
“These agreements are delivering on our commitments and taking meaningful steps to significantly reduce our debt burden and strengthen Banzai’s financial position,” said Joe Davy, CEO of Banzai. “I am confident that this restructure will provide the financial flexibility needed to significantly improve the company’s balance sheet, allowing us to continue executing our strategy to build a data-driven platform with essential marketing technology solutions that integrate seamlessly.
“We are committed to making progress in improving liquidity and strengthening our capital structure to position us for long-term success. We appreciate the support of our lenders and stakeholders who have demonstrated their belief in the Company’s strategy and future,” concluded Davy.
About Banzai
Banzai is a marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions for businesses of all sizes. On a mission to help their customers achieve their mission, Banzai enables companies of all sizes to target, engage, and measure both new and existing customers more effectively. Banzai customers include Square, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Thinkific, Doodle and ActiveCampaign, among thousands of others. Learn more at www.banzai.io. For investors, please visit https://ir.banzai.io.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “target,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “propose,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “predict,” “potential,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar variations and expressions. Forward-looking statements are those that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Examples of forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding Banzai International, Inc.’s (the “Company’s”): future financial, business and operating performance and goals; annualized recurring revenue and customer retention; ongoing, future or ability to maintain or improve its financial position, cash flows, and liquidity and its expected financial needs; potential financing and ability to obtain financing; acquisition strategy and proposed acquisitions and, if completed, their potential success and financial contributions; strategy and strategic goals, including being able to capitalize on opportunities; expectations relating to the Company’s industry, outlook and market trends; total addressable market and serviceable addressable market and related projections; plans, strategies and expectations for retaining existing or acquiring new customers, increasing revenue and executing growth initiatives; and product areas of focus and additional products that may be sold in the future. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and development of the industry in which the Company operates may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Therefore, investors should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include changes in the markets in which the Company operates, customer demand, the financial markets, economic, business and regulatory and other factors, such as the Company’s ability to execute on its strategy. More detailed information about risk factors can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the heading “Risk Factors,” and in other reports filed by the Company, including reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake any duty to update forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
Investor Relations:
Chris Tyson
Executive Vice President
MZ Group – MZ North America
949-491-8235
BNZI@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us
Media
Rachel Meyrowitz
Director, Demand Generation, Banzai
rachel.meyrowitz@banzai.io
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
PHOENIX, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Award-winning real estate technology innovator Lofty today unveiled an enhanced Enterprise platform, purpose built to support the unique and complex needs of all brokerages – both traditional and virtual. Top brokerages including Epique Realty, Lucido Global, and REAL rely on the AI powered platform, proven to help boost agent productivity and accelerate profitable growth. Featuring enhanced reporting capabilities, extensive custom branding options, and an innovative new pricing scheme, Lofty’s Enterprise platform provides the foundation brokerage owners need to recruit and retain a powerhouse team and effectively compete in today’s market while also helping them to reduce their technology costs. To learn more about Lofty, visit HERE.
All-in-One Platform Expressly Built for Modern Brokerages
Lofty’s Enterprise platform features a new flexible org structure designed to fit brokerages of all types – including both traditional and virtual models – and effectively scale as the business grows. With enhanced reporting capabilities to help increase agent and team productivity, capture campaign ROI and critical performance metrics, the updated platform delivers the operational intelligence needed to drive the business forward. New pricing models include a unique revenue-sharing option that empowers brokerages to significantly reduce their cost of ownership, and with a robust library of custom white label options, Lofty Enterprise helps customers amplify brand loyalty efforts.
The award-winning platform is also a lynchpin to recruiting and retaining a powerhouse team. Lauded for its easy to use and intuitive interface, Lofty ensures agents are up and running quickly and immediately benefit from access to an all-in-one platform, designed to support the entire real estate process, from search to settlement. By automating time consuming, mundane tasks through intuitive AI capabilities, Lofty empowers agents to focus on building essential customer relationships to close more deals faster. And with an unwavering commitment to innovation, Lofty delivers new features regularly– from marketing automations and social media content development to sleek IDX templates and effective smart plans – to support evolving agent needs.
Top Brokerages Rely on Lofty Enterprise Platform
Large brokerage customers who rely on Lofty’s Enterprise platform report increased agent adoption, significant time and cost savings and accelerated business growth. In just one year since implementing Lofty Enterprise, fast growing virtual brokerage Epique Realty has increased their agent base by 342%, more than 2,000 agents. Today, 90% of Epique agents rely on Lofty, an adoption rate three times higher than with the company’s previous CRM. According to CEO and Co-Founder, Josh Miller, “If you’re a large, growing brokerage, I encourage you to consider Lofty as your platform of choice. We currently manage more than 500k leads through Lofty with no plans to slow down. Lofty has the massive scale we need to grow our business, the features our agents require to be successful, and the powerful technology backbone to support our commitment to innovation.”
As Chief Strategy Officer for Lucido Global, Robert Lucido Jr. understands the power of innovative technology to drive efficiencies, support scalability and boost the bottom line. In fact, since relying on Lofty, Lucido Global has increased business growth by more than 40%. “Everything we do is about optimizing the value of time and Lofty is instrumental in helping us achieve this goal. Almost immediately, Lofty helped us eliminate more than 41% of labor intensive, manual data entry, recouping value time and ensuring our agents stay focused on revenue generating activities,” reports Lucido.
“With so much pressure to demonstrate bottom line results amid continued market uncertainty, we understand why brokerage owners may be hesitant to invest in technology right now,” said Stuart Sim, Vice President, Industry Development Lofty. “Yet with interest rates trending down, now is exactly the right time to implement an end-to-end tech platform, designed to help agents work smarter not harder, and maximize the opportunity for new revenue. Rest assured, our Enterprise platform was purpose-built and thoughtfully priced to support the complex and unique needs of brokerages, proven to deliver the results needed to effectively grow the business. Brokerage owners should feel confident that an investment in Lofty is an investment in their future.”
To learn more about how Lofty can help you meet your business growth goals, visit www.lofty.com.
About Lofty Inc.
Lofty Inc. (formerly Chime Technologies) provides an AI-powered platform that helps real estate professionals increase their productivity and accelerate business growth. Featuring award-winning technology, the Lofty platform is designed to optimize every step of the real estate journey, from search to settlement. By leveraging one unified hub, customers can automate marketing programs, streamline the sales process, and maximize collaboration between agents empowering them to spend more time building relationships and their business. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Lofty operates as a US subsidiary of Moatable, Inc. (OTCPK: MTBLY). For more information, visit lofty.com.
For More Information:
Sarah Murray
Attune Communications
sarah@attunecommunications.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
To Nasdaq Copenhagen
24 September 2024
Mortgage bond auction
Nykredit will conduct an auction on Friday 27 September 2024 through Bloomberg’s auction system AUPD.
The auction will be held with 1 October 2024 as value date, and bids correct to two decimals will be accepted at the auction. Bids must be made in terms of amount and price. Bids above the cut-off price will be settled in full and bids at the cut-off price may be accepted on a pro rata basis.
The following covered bond will be offered:
| ISIN: | Name: | Currency: | Offering: |
| DK000954527-9 | Cita 3M NYK 32H SDO April 2027 RF | DKK | 1,000m |
Questions regarding the auction may be addressed to Nykredit Realkredit A/S, Group Treasury, Christian Mauritzen, tel. +45 44 55 10 14 or Lars Mossing Madsen, tel. +45 44 55 11 66.
Other questions may be addressed to Corporate Communications, tel. +45 44 55 14 50.
Attachment
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
To Nasdaq Copenhagen
24 September 2024
Mortgage bond auction
Nykredit will conduct an auction on Friday 27 September 2024 through Bloomberg’s auction system AUPD.
The auction will be held with 1 October 2024 as value date, and bids correct to two decimals will be accepted at the auction. Bids must be made in terms of amount and price. Bids above the cut-off price will be settled in full and bids at the cut-off price may be accepted on a pro rata basis.
The following covered bond will be offered:
| ISIN: | Name: | Currency: | Offering: |
| DK000954527-9 | Cita 3M NYK 32H SDO April 2027 RF | DKK | 1,000m |
Questions regarding the auction may be addressed to Nykredit Realkredit A/S, Group Treasury, Christian Mauritzen, tel. +45 44 55 10 14 or Lars Mossing Madsen, tel. +45 44 55 11 66.
Other questions may be addressed to Corporate Communications, tel. +45 44 55 14 50.
Attachment
Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the company Investment-Group and the services it is offering. BaFin suspects the operators of the website trade-mgrp.pro of offering consumers financial and investment services without the required authorisation. The operators claim to be supervised by the European Financial Supervisory Authority. There is no such authority; BaFin has already issued a warning to this effect. On 1 July 2024, BaFin also published a warning regarding an identical offer on the website investmgrp.com.
Anyone wishing to conduct banking business or provide financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation. Information on whether a particular company has been granted authorisation by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.
The information provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).
BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 24, 2024/APO Group/ —
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) on 20 September 2024 approved a $129.71 million loan to Tanzania for the implementation of a youth-focused agribusiness program.
The loan will fund the first phase of the “Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiatives for Agribusiness” program, which aims to create business opportunities and jobs for young people in key agricultural sectors.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $241.27 million. In addition to the Bank’s loan, which covers 53,76 percent of the cost, the funding package includes grants of $1.15 million from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund and $210,000 from tropical vegetable seed firm East-West Seed. The Tanzanian government will provide $110.41 million, representing 45.76 percent of the total.
Patricia Laverley, the Bank’s Country Manager for Tanzania, said: “This project is expected to incubate and empower approximately 11,000 ‘agripreneurs,’ including at least 6,000 young agribusiness owners.” She added that the program will facilitate access to finance for an additional 2,500 young people already involved in agribusiness but lacking access to commercial loans. We expect each agribusiness run by a young person will employ an average of five workers.”
The project will implement strategies to raise awareness and manage knowledge using youth-oriented information and communication technologies. It will also provide training and support for agrifood business incubation and acceleration, with a particular focus on the recruitment of female applicants.
Digital technologies, including satellite technology and artificial intelligence, will be utilized to improve agricultural productivity and decision-making processes for young farmer cooperatives.
As of 30 June 2024, the African Development Bank approved 25 projects in Tanzania, with a total commitment of $3.48 billion.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mike Muller, Visiting Adjunct Professor, School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
A new round of angry exchanges has broken out between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
On September 1, Cairo wrote to the UN security council to protest against Ethiopia’s continued filling of Africa’s second largest reservoir and bringing two more power generating turbines into operation. Egypt sees any new infrastructure development on the Nile as a potential threat, since the river is the source of over 98% of the country’s water.
Egypt calls this a violation of international law and Ethiopia’s obligations to “prevent significant harm”. Ethiopia’s policies, it says,
could result in an existential threat to Egypt … and would consequently jeopardise regional and international peace and security.
Ethiopia has told Egypt to “abandon its aggressive approach” towards the dam. Ethiopia says that it must allow the Blue Nile’s water to flow through the dam’s turbines and on to Egypt to generate the hydropower for which it has been built, thus guaranteeing the overall flow to Egypt.
I have tracked the Nile disputes since the 1970s, first as a development journalist, then as a civil engineer and senior public servant. More recently, my research on water and regional integration for regional development agencies has provided further insights. My 2021 study considered the lessons to be learnt for today’s water challenges from centuries of the use and management of Nile waters.
Read more: Innovations on the Nile over millennia offer lessons in engineering sustainable futures
Ongoing tension between Egypt and Ethiopia over control of the Nile River has a long history. Therefore, in one sense, the row between Egypt and Ethiopia is nothing new.
The countries went to war as far back as 1874, even as they both were also battling European colonialism. Ethiopia won the war of 1874 and, 20 years later, beat back Italy’s attempt to colonise it, at the battle of Adwa.
However, Egypt gained long term advantage from treaties negotiated by the British, which gave Cairo almost total control over the Nile. Egypt is still asserting the rights and privileges conferred by those colonial era treaties even though they are being challenged by other Nile countries. In my view, this is because Egyptians are still trapped by their past fears. As Norwegian professor Torje Tvedt has explained, these fears were deliberately entrenched by past colonial authorities.
With these perspectives, my view is that the current controversy over the Ethiopian dam still reflects historical conflicts rather than a careful analysis of present challenges.
Now 90% complete, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has begun to generate electricity. A series of good rainy seasons have allowed the reservoir to start filling rapidly without affecting Egypt’s water availability.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam offers not just cheap green electricity for Ethiopia and the sub-region as well as reliable irrigation supplies and flood control for Sudan. Once filled, its storage could offer supply security and increase the amount of water available for Egypt as well.
What, then, are the issues that have prompted Egypt’s recent protests and what are the possible solutions to the problems raised?
The immediate technical challenge is to continue filling the dam without disrupting flows to Sudan and Egypt. The filling process might have to be interrupted if there is a regional drought. So recent developments, notably the greater focus on the rate at which the dam will be filled rather than the legality of its construction, suggest that there is a shift in positions which neither side is yet willing to acknowledge publicly.
This shift will be supported when other future-focused issues are raised. For instance, there must be negotiations about the supply of electricity to support Sudan’s irrigation expansion, although this is on hold due to the war in Sudan. In the longer term, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia could cooperate to use the GERD’s storage to help Egypt to manage its Aswan High Dam more efficiently. Aswan currently suffers very high evaporation losses, which could be reduced if its reservoir levels were better controlled. The GERD could help to do this.
Unfortunately, the history of colonial Britain repeatedly threatening to cut Egypt’s Nile water supplies has been deeply imprinted in Egyptian public consciousness. It is understandable that Egyptians still fear a similar threat from Ethiopia. The responsibility now falls on Ethiopia to show good faith in its operation of the dam and to work with Egypt to change the combative discourse.
Egypt’s repeated complaints have alerted Ethiopia and international organisations of the need to act carefully. If there is another regional drought, Ethiopia will need to slow the rate at which it completes filling its dam. Informal liaison structures are monitoring the situation and such a response would help to build a more constructive engagement with Egypt.
Water is a patient teacher. Every season provides an opportunity for those who live with its natural cycles to understand it better. The hope is that, if the three countries experience the benefits of some seasons of the dam’s operation, the natural cycle will reveal the potential for cooperation and mitigate the conflict.
Read more: Sudan’s catastrophe: farmers could offer quick post-war recovery, if peace is found
When peace returns to Sudan, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will enable a vast expansion of irrigation to develop its role as a regional breadbasket. The dam will also help to manage Nile floods which regularly cause death and destruction, even to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.
Efforts to promote cooperation between the East African countries that share the White Nile have been relatively successful. However, such cooperation on the Blue Nile will need much greater trust between the parties. To achieve this trust, the countries and their people will have to overcome centuries of cultural and political preconceptions. This will require much patient work and interaction, which is not easy in the current climate.
– Egypt’s fears about Ethiopia’s mega-dam haven’t come to pass: moving on from historical concerns would benefit the whole region
– https://theconversation.com/egypts-fears-about-ethiopias-mega-dam-havent-come-to-pass-moving-on-from-historical-concerns-would-benefit-the-whole-region-239418
Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
by Marta Zhao and Laura Gomez RuizHangzhou (Agenzia Fides) – China, the city of Hangzhou and the Chinese Catholic community have never forgotten Father Martino Martini.The great Jesuit missionary, appreciated by the emperors and welcomed at the court of the Qing Dynasty, was born in Trento, Italy, 410 years ago, on September 20, 1614. Even today, his story and his testimony arouse unexpected sympathy.As part of the celebrations organized by the Italian Embassy in Beijing for the 700th anniversary of the death of the traveler and merchant Marco Polo, the theme “In the footsteps of Marco Polo: Martino Martini” presented for the first time a series of important Italian personalities who, at different times and in different capacities, contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about China in the West.The Chinese President Xi Jinping has publicly expressed his appreciation for Martino Martini. In an article published in the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera on March 20, 2019, on the eve of his official visit to Italy, Xi Jinping described the Jesuit as a pioneer of the group of Italian sinologists who “have played a bridging role in relations between China and Europe, starting with Martino Martini’s first grammar of the Chinese language written for the West.”In Italy, the Martino Martini Study Center, based in Trento, now publishes, among other things, the biannual magazine “Sulla Via del Catai” on cultural relations between Europe and China.In the city of Hangzhou, a park bearing his name has been created around his mausoleum. Protected by the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Authority, the site has become a kind of sanctuary for Chinese Catholics. The mausoleum, which is currently being restored, houses the remains of 15 famous Jesuit missionaries who ended their earthly lives near the beautiful Xizi Lake. Among them are Father Prospero Intorcetta (1626-1696), Father Nicolas Trigault (1577-1629), Father Lazaro Cattaneo (1560-1640) and Father Emmanuel Diaz (1574-1659).In 2018, an exhibition on the cartographic work of Martino Martini was inaugurated at the headquarters of the China-Italy Center in Hangzhou to celebrate the 375th anniversary of the arrival of the great missionary in that city (see Fides, 13/6/2018).The Catholic community of Hangzhou had organized an academic conference in 2010 to mark the 350th anniversary of the construction of the cathedral. Six well-known academics from Chinese universities and researchers working with Catholic institutions such as the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies (FICS) and the Guang Qi Press of the Diocese of Shanghai presented joint studies on the life and mission of the Jesuit in the presence of the Italian Consul in Shanghai. The legacy of Martino Martini was presented as “a strong impulse for today’s mission, so that it fulfills its mission with his sense of missionary responsibility, his courage and his dedication” (see Fides, 22/1/2010).The affection and veneration shown to the figure of Martino Martini are proportional to the intensity with which he lived his time and dedicated his life to proclaiming the Gospel in China.Martino Martini was born in Trento on 20 September 1614. In 1631 he entered the Society of Jesus as a novice. After studying at the Roman College under the influence of his mentor, the German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher, he entered the Eastern mission in 1640, traveling by ship from Lisbon in Portugal via Goa in India (November 1640) to Macao in China, where he arrived in August 1642. The following year he was sent to mainland China, thus beginning his legendary journey of cultural exchange between China and Europe. He wrote the first Western Chinese grammar and related works that contributed to cultural exchange, bridged the gap between China and Europe, and had a lasting influence on the emergence and development of Sinology in Italy.The period of his stay in China, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, was a time of great social unrest. The Jesuits, who had built good relations with influential sections of Chinese society and the political hierarchy, were worried about the development of the situation. The Chinese name they chose, Wei Kuangguo, encompassed all his good wishes: it indicated the will to defend and support the country and the desire for peace and prosperity in the world.But the unrest and conflict in China also divided the Jesuits and the Spanish mendicant orders and even infiltrated the Society of Jesus itself. The controversy over the Chinese translation of the divine name and the possibility that the new Christians should continue to practice the cult of the dead according to Chinese culture did not subside, but reached an intensity that even Martini could not contain, both inside and outside the order. An issue that was to shape the rest of his life.His travels and his writing formed the common thread in the second half of his life. During the first eight years of his stay in China (1643-1650), Martini traveled between the two capitals and to Hangzhou and Jinhua in Zhejiang. In the fourth year of Shunzhi’s reign (1647), Martino Martini, with the help of Zhu Shi, a parishioner of Lanxi in Zhejiang, wrote the “Qiu You Zhuan” (Treatise on Friendship, Hangzhou, 1661), which was based on the humanist thought already developed by the other Jesuit Matteo Ricci in his work of the same name, the first written in Chinese by the Italian Jesuit from Macerata.The southern part of Zhejiang, where Martino Martini was, was a region where Spanish monks also worked. He agreed with the information given by his confrere Matteo Ricci and was well aware of the differences with the Spanish Cistercians on the question of Chinese rites. In addition, the Spanish Dominican Juan Bautista Morales (1597-1664) had already traveled to Rome to express his objections to the Jesuits’ attitude in this dispute. When the Jesuit mission in China decided to send a representative to Europe to explain the situation from their point of view, the choice fell on Martino Martini.In 1651, the Jesuit traveled to Europe to defend the position of the Society of Jesus on the issue of Chinese rites. Thanks also to his good offices, in 1656 the Holy See issued an edict in favor of the Jesuits.During his travels in Europe, Martino Martini published three works in Latin: “De Bello Tartarico Historia”, “Novus Atlas Sinensis” and “Sinice Historia Decas Prima” (of which he also announced the publication of the sequel). These works were the most systematic, thorough and effective representations of China circulating in Europe at the time.In 1657 he returned to China and continued his mission in Hangzhou, where he completed the construction of the Church of the Redeemer in 1661 and died on June 6 of the same year at the age of 47. (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)
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Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Tuesday, 24 September 2024
Iquitos (Agenzia Fides) – “We need authorities to defend the rights of girls, boys and young people of indigenous peoples, because they cannot continue to be excluded,” says Mariluz Canaquiri, a member of the indigenous people of the “Kukama Kukamiria” in the Peruvian Amazon, who complains about the decline in education among indigenous peoples.”The authorities do not care about the education of indigenous children, there is no adequate infrastructure and not enough bilingual teachers to teach them in our language,” says Canaquiri, who is also president of the women’s rights organization “Federation of Kukama-Kukamiria Women”.Intercultural bilingual education (IBE) is one of the educational policies in the South American country of 33 million inhabitants and 55 recognized indigenous peoples, four from the Andes and 51 from the Amazon.According to the results of the latest National Evaluation of Learning Outcomes (ENLA) published by the Ministry of Education, only 5.6 percent of fourth-grade elementary school students (10 and 11 years old) in IBE institutions in the Amazon region achieved the expected results. “There is no bilingual intercultural education here,” Canaquiri said. “How are they supposed to learn when our identity, our culture, our way of seeing the world are not taken into account in any way in the curriculum, and in logistical conditions where the school building is an area covered by branches and tree trunks in unbearable heat,” she noted in a statement to an international non-governmental organization.Although the first policy in favor of indigenous students was launched in 1972, more than half a century ago, it has always received little interest from the State, even though IBE is one of their individual and collective human rights. “They hire teachers because they speak Quechua, Shipibo, Asháninka or the equivalent, but when they go to school they do not apply the IBE. Sometimes they teach only in Spanish, sometimes they speak the children’s mother tongue, but everything else they read and write in Spanish,” reported one analyst.There are 24,000 schools affiliated to the IBE throughout the country, where most reinforce the students’ native language and teach them Spanish. Education policies try to ensure that the school population of indigenous peoples is bilingual and has oral and written skills, but studies by local researchers show that success is becoming increasingly limited.Despite this precarious situation, a small school in the rural community of Accollya, in the municipality of Soccos, almost 3,400 meters above sea level, in the province of Huamanga, one of the 11 provinces of Ayacucho, stands out positively. In the Andean department, affected by an internal armed conflict that Peru experienced between 1980 and 2000, the school is supported by an NGO and has a single teacher with 33 years of experience, but who has always been actively committed to bilingual intercultural education through training and in-depth courses. “I work in Spanish from Monday to Thursday and in Quechua on Fridays, using the notebooks that the ministry provides us for each subject,” says the teacher, who teaches ten students in first, second and third grade, aged six to eleven. “The response from the children is very good, from the first grade they learn to read and write, now it is September and the youngest can already read. That is the advantage of teaching different classes, because they motivate each other,” stressed the teacher.Also significant is the important contribution of the Catholic Church in the Amazon region in the field of education and health, where it has often taken the place of the State. Hundreds of missionaries have been true promoters of respect for human dignity throughout history. Religious and lay people from dozens of countries have sacrificed their lives in the most remote places to make the Amazon a place of coexistence and respect for the dignity and rights of all, especially the most vulnerable, largely indigenous peoples.Other initiatives to promote learning and the establishment of school libraries in these areas include the commitment of the “yachacs”, the wise men of the community, who hold intergenerational meetings and encourage reading among students and their families.The indigenous school population is estimated at 1.2 million nationwide, with the vast majority coming from the Quechua (700,000) and Aymara (300,000) peoples from the Andean areas of the country and the rest from Amazonian language groups such as Asháninka, Shipibo Konibo, Awajún and others.The Kukama Kukamiria people live mainly in the department of Loreto, the largest in the Peruvian Amazon. According to the Ministry of Culture, the population of the communities of the Kukama Kukamiria people is estimated at 37,053. Of these, 1,185 have declared that they speak the Kukama Kukamiria language, which represents 0.02% of the total number of indigenous languages in the country. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)
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Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) – “The situation we find ourselves in after the political and social crisis of last August is delicate. There are still tensions in society, there are protests, especially among young people. The massive student protests have led the Prime Minister to leave the country and flee abroad. The new interim government led by Mohamed Yunus now has the difficult task of healing the political, social and economic wounds, restoring trust, but also maintaining the rule of law, because there are also some worrying signs,” said the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, Subroto Boniface Gomes, in an interview with Fides.The Bishop points to possible “dangers” arising from the student protests. “For example, in some Catholic schools in the diocese of Dhaka, students tried to force the dismissal of some teachers, duly selected and paid by the school administration, just because they did not agree with the new course or because they dared to criticize the student protest. This led to a crisis in our schools, which are attended by 95% Muslim or non-Christian students,” he explains. “Faced with the attempt to impose this or other measures by force, such as admitting girls wearing burqas in school, the Archbishop first decided, in a resounding decision, to close two schools. One was a girls’ school, the other is run by the Brothers of the Holy Cross. The joint intervention of the parents’ committee, religious representatives and school staff enabled dialogue, a peaceful solution to the crisis and the reopening of the schools. We could not give up on our values and principles. But it is an example that the legitimate rights of students must not interfere with and undermine democracy, the rule of law or the rights of others,” said Bishop Gomes.Another aspect to keep under control “is the return or creation of radical Islamic groups and parties that could affect the lives of religious minorities or promote an Islamization agenda.” “We must be vigilant in this regard because the temptation of extremism is just around the corner. It is important not to polarize society. We trust that the new Yunus government will turn the tide in the spirit of upholding democratic principles, respect for the constitution and fundamental freedoms for all citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation,” said the bishop.In July this year, thousands of students took to the streets to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate a controversial quota system for access to coveted government jobs. The government of Prime Minister Shehik Hasina responded to the demonstrations by deploying police and paramilitary forces, who shot at the crowd. The protests thus became a movement against Hasina and his party, the Awami League, which has ruled the country for 15 years, often delegitimizing or arresting political opponents and dissidents. The official number of victims of the repression is around 1,000 dead and hundreds injured. On August 5, the head of government finally fled abroad, seeking refuge in India. The army then dissolved parliament and appointed 84-year-old economist Muhammad Yunus, known as the “banker of the poor”, as head of a transitional government. He is known for the “Grameen Bank”, which specializes in the microcredit system and for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. His executive is now leading a delicate transition period until new elections.(PA) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)
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Source: The White House
Since his first day in office, President Biden has been committed to restoring American leadership at the United Nations. Our world today faces many challenges that no one country can or should confront alone. But when the United States shows up and leads at the UN, we can rally global action to tackle problems that affect us all. That is why the Biden-Harris Administration has worked tirelessly at the UN to advance American values, safeguard human rights for all, and address conflict and instability. Alongside our allies and partners from around the world, we have worked with UN agencies to tackle the climate crisis, shape our digital future, and fight poverty and disease.
At a time of increasing geopolitical challenges and growing global needs, strong and effective American leadership at the UN is more critical than ever. The Biden-Harris Administration has worked to strengthen American leverage at the United Nations, uphold the UN Charter, and keep human rights at the core of the organization. Without robust American engagement, our competitor nations would gain leverage to advance their interests and values at our expense.
The Biden-Harris Administration has also been committed to reforming and adapting the UN to the needs of the 21st century. For example, President Biden announced a new U.S. openness to expanding the membership of the UN Security Council, including permanent seats for Africa and Latin America. The UN is not a perfect organization, but given the scale of today’s challenges, the world needs global institutions that are more inclusive and effective.
Over nearly four years, the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership at the UN has delivered results for the American people. At the UN, we have:
Responded to Threats to International Peace and Security
Protected and Upheld Universal Human Rights
Advanced Gender Equity and Equality
Shaped Our Digital Future, Promoted Labor Rights, and Tackled Synthetic Drugs
Strengthened Global Health Cooperation, Advanced Sustainable Development, and Bolstered Climate Action
Strengthened American Presence at the United Nations
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