A music therapy expert from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is to play a key role in a new project to help people with dementia continue to participate in the activities they love, while maintaining their independence.
Funding for the £1.97 million BRIDGES Dementia Network comes from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with support of the Alzheimer’s Society, and has been announced on the day of the World Dementia Council Summit in London.
Currently, around one million people in the UK have dementia, and this number is expected to increase to 1.4 million by 2040. At the same time, a survey by Alzheimer’s Society found that 85% of people say they would prefer to remain at home if diagnosed with dementia.
The national BRIDGES Dementia Network aims to revolutionise the role of technology in supporting independent living, helping those with dementia as well as their families.
Within the new project, Dr Ming Hung Hsu of Anglia Ruskin University’s Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research will co-lead work focusing on new innovations to allow people with dementia to continue to enjoy creative and recreational activities, in turn helping their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
Dr Hsu will work alongside researchers, care providers, and people with dementia to design new technology that is accessible, scalable, and meets the needs of different communities. Dr Hsu’s involvement in the BRIDGES Dementia Network, which is being hosted by the University of Sheffield, builds on his leadership in other national dementia care initiatives.
These include the NIHR-funded MELODIC project, which focuses on how music therapy can manage distress on NHS dementia wards, and the MediMusic project, funded by Innovate UK, which is investigating how AI-driven music interventions can support culturally diverse communities with dementia.
“The BRIDGES Dementia Network is a significant change in dementia research, moving beyond traditional models of care to develop new, person-centred technological innovations that support independent living. A major focus will be on art, sport, and culture, highlighting the impact of creative activities on people’s quality of life.
“Potential applications could include AI-powered personalised music platforms, interactive storytelling tools, virtual reality experiences, and digital platforms that encourage social engagement and physical activity. Through new technology like this, the aim is to maintain and enhance cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, mobility, and social connectivity for those living with dementia.”
Dr Hsu, Senior Research Fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)
“Dementia is a major challenge in the UK and globally. As people are living longer, the number of people living with dementia is increasing.
“With most people wishing to remain at home, we are investing in research that could lead to new technologies and innovations that will help keep people safe and independent.”
“One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. Research will beat dementia, and innovative networks like these will play an important part in helping people living with dementia today, and in the future, live independently for longer.
“As well as exploring ways to make daily life easier, and helping people with dementia feel more connected, they have the potential to ease pressure on the NHS. This could improve care for everyone as more people with dementia will be able to remain independent and cared for in the community for longer.
“As technology develops at pace, it’s critical we harness it, using AI, digital health, and community support to create simple, effective solutions. We’re excited to see what the future holds.”
Professor Fiona Carragher, Chief Policy and Research Officer at Alzheimer’s Society
The BRIDGES Dementia Network is led by Dr Jennifer MacRitchie at the University of Sheffield, and also includes academics from Lancaster University, London South Bank University, University College London, University of Cambridge, University of Kent and University of Leicester, as well as ARU. The network also involves a range of non-academic partners, including Innovations in Dementia, robotics company BOW, Lewy Body Society, Dementia UK, Kent County Council, and Sheffield City Council.
COFACE SA: Disclosure of trading in own shares (excluding the liquidity agreement) made on March 17, 2025 to March 21, 2025
Paris, 25 March 2025 – 17.45
Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse1
The main features of the 2024-2025 Share Buyback Program have been published on the Company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors/Disclosure-requirements, under “Own share transactions”) and are also described in the 2023 Universal Registration Document.
Q1-2025 results: 5 May 2025 (after market close) Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025 H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close) 9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)
FINANCIAL INFORMATION This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors
For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2023 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).
Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the websitewww.wiztrust.com.
COFACE: FOR TRADE As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment. Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets. with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring. Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets. In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.
COFACE SA is listed in Compartment A of Euronext Paris ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA
1 Also in pursuant to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (and updates); Article L.225-209 and seq. of the French Commercial Code; Article L.221-3, Article L.241-1 and seq. of the General Regulation of the French Market Authority (AMF); AMF Recommendation DOC-2017-04 Guide for issuers on their own shares transactions and for stabilization measures.
On March 25, 2025, Viridien successfully settled its issuance of $450 million in aggregate principal amount of 10% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 and €475 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.5% Senior Secured Notes due 2030 (together, the “Notes”). The Notes will be guaranteed on a senior secured basis by certain subsidiaries of Viridien.
Viridien also entered into a $125,000,000 super senior Revolving Credit Facility Agreement (the “RCF”) secured by the same security package as the Notes. No drawings have been carried out under the RCF save for part of an ancillary guarantee facility
The issuance of the Notes was a condition to the redemption by Viridien of all its senior secured notes due 2027 (the “Existing Notes”). That condition has now been satisfied.
The net proceeds from the issuance have been used, together with cash on hand, to satisfy and discharge today and subsequently redeem on April 1, 2025 in full the Existing Notes and to pay all fees and expenses in connection with the foregoing.
About Viridien
Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With our ingenuity, drive and deep curiosity we discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges. Viridienemploys around 3,400 people worldwide and is listed as VIRI on the Euronext Paris SA (ISIN: FR001400PVN6).
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This press release may include projections and other “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of United States federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the business, future financial condition, results of operations and prospects of Viridien S.A., including its affiliates. These statements usually contain the words “believes”, “plans”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “estimates” or other similar expressions. For each of these statements, you should be aware that forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Any such projections or statements reflect the current views of Viridien S.A. about future events and financial performance. No assurances can be given that such events or performance will occur as projected and actual results may differ materially from these projections.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. There will not be any sale of these securities in any such state or country in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state or country. The distribution of this press release may, in certain jurisdictions, be restricted by local legislations. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such potential local restrictions.
The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will be no offering of securities to the public in France or the United States.
No action has been, or will be, taken in any jurisdiction (including the United States) by Viridien S.A. that would result in a public offering of the Notes or the possession, circulation or distribution of any offering memorandum or any other material relating to Viridien S.A. or the Notes in any jurisdiction where action for such purpose is required.
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The securities are not intended to be offered, sold, distributed or otherwise made available to and are and should not be offered, sold, distributed or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the EEA. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, as amended or superseded, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”). Consequently, no key information document required by the PRIIPs Regulation for offering or selling the securities or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the securities or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.
UK MIFIR product governance / Professional investors and ECPs only target market – Solely for the purposes of each manufacturer’s product approval process, the target market assessment in respect of the securities has led to the conclusion that: (i) the target market for the securities is only eligible counterparties as defined in the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook (“COBS”), and professional clients, as defined in Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“UK MiFIR”); and (ii) all channels for distribution of the securities to eligible counterparties and professional clients are appropriate. Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the securities (a “distributor”) should take into consideration the manufacturer’s target market assessment; however, a distributor subject to the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the “UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules”) is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the securities (by either adopting or refining the manufacturer’s target market assessment) and determining appropriate distribution channels.
The securities are not intended to be offered, sold, distributed or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold, distributed or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom (“UK”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“EUWA”); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the “FSMA”) and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) a person who is not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the securities or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the securities or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.
In the United Kingdom, this press release is directed only at persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion Order”), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Financial Promotion Order or (iii) are other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “Relevant Persons”). The issue of the securities is only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire the securities will be directed only to Relevant Persons.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
New world-leading nature finance standards launched to encourage green investment
New standards will set the bar for nature investments, prevent greenwashing and helping business invest in restoring nature
Aerial shot of river
The Overarching Principles Standard is the first of its kind, supporting investment in high-quality projects which restore rich habitats.
The move marks the UK out as a world leader in the development of nature markets and will drive economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.
New government-backed pioneering green finance standards have been introduced today (Tuesday 25 March) to boost investment into nature and support economic growth, as well as helping to clamp down on “greenwashing”.
This landmark standard – launched by British Standards Institution (BSI) – will help nature-friendly investments across the UK to grow, by building confidence among businesses that these investments are making a real difference for our natural environment.
These new standards will bring a variety of benefits for the environment. Projects that could be supported include restoring wetlands, improving water quality, building flood resilience, and creating new habitats.
Through the Plan for Change this Government is working to deliver economic growth across the country, and to support this, we will make the UK the green finance capital of the world.
A healthy natural environment is crucial to economic growth. Without a healthy environment, there is no food, no business, and no economy. The Green Finance Institute found that nature-related risks including water shortages and soil health reduction could lead to a 6% reduction to GDP in the years ahead. That is why economic growth and nature restoration must go hand in hand.
This is the first standard for collective nature markets of its kind in the UK, and one of the first in the world, marking the UK out as a global leader and marks our ambition to pioneer nature markets which guard against greenwashing and lead to lasting environmental change.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed said:
“We need urgent action from across society to address the nature crisis, and businesses have a crucial role to play in that effort. By having clear standards, we can strike a blow to greenwashing and give businesses confidence that their investment is truly helping our natural world recover.
“Through the Plan for Change, this Government is working relentlessly to grow the economy and this move gets us one step closer to fulfilling our ambition to make the UK the green finance capital of the world.”
Scott Steedman, Director – General, Standards at BSI said:
“Today marks a key milestone for the Nature Investment Standards (NIS) Programme with the launch of updated overarching principles ready for adoption across the UK.
“The principles are designed to provide consistency and rigour for high-integrity UK nature markets that trade in real, measurable environmental benefits. This supports the goal of increasing investment into nature, helping to create new revenue streams for farmers, land managers and other suppliers of nature-based solutions.
“BSI, in its role as the UK National Standards Body, looks forward to working closely with Defra to enable the take up of the revised standard and its implementation in the market.”
The new Overarching Principles Standard was created following an established BSI market led process for standards development which included extensive consultation with businesses and land managers.
BSI is also launching a consultation on a first version of a Natural Carbon Standard, as part of a wider framework of standards. This will gather market views specifically on high integrity principles for projects selling nature-based carbon credits in UK markets. These credits will consist of habitats which store carbon, such as woodlands or peatlands, helping us to reach Net Zero while providing benefits for landscapes and wildlife.
The Overarching Principles Standard (BSI Flex 701) is immediately available for use by market participants and will support investment in high quality nature and sustainable farming projects in the UK.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
More information on the Overarching Principles Standard can be found here: [BSI Flex 701 v2.0 Nature Markets – Overarching Principles
The Overarching Principles and Natural Carbon standards are part of a family of standards which will apply to nature markets. Other standards are in development and will cover Biodiversity markets, Nutrients projects and schemes and guidance on how projects should engage with local communities. There is a new BSI navigation tool available on the BSI Nature Markets online Hub – to help stakeholders navigate the suite of BSI nature investment standards.
Further details of a formal assurance framework to verify compliance will be set out in due course.
The BSI have published research on assurance which sets out options for Government to ensure compliance with the new standards.
Negotiations update on an enhanced UK-Switzerland Trade Agreement
The sixth round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Switzerland took place in Switzerland between 3 and 10 March 2025.
Economic growth is the core mission of this government and FTAs have an important role to play in achieving this. We are seeking an enhanced FTA with Switzerland that guarantees market access for UK services suppliers, facilitates the seamless flow of data and ideas between two world-leading services powerhouses and provides long-term certainty on UK business travel to Switzerland. An enhanced FTA will contribute to growth and prosperity across the UK and build on our existing trading relationship with Switzerland. This currently supports 130,000 services jobs and more than £17 billion in services exports, including over £700m from Scotland and the North West.
The UK government’s focus in talks continues to be on agreeing ambitious outcomes in services, investment and digital trade which are not covered in the existing UK-Swiss FTA. During the latest round, good progress was made in financial services in particular, with both sides focussed on agreeing the most comprehensive chapter either country has signed. On digital trade, provisions on data, source code and cryptography were discussed.
A number of chapters were provisionally closed during this round, including customs and trade facilitation, and transparency.
The government will only ever sign a trade agreement which aligns with the UK’s national interests, upholding high standards across a range of sectors, alongside protections for the National Health Service.
The next round of negotiations is expected to take place in the UK in early summer 2025.
Any organisations or individuals interested in speaking to the Department for Business and Trade about negotiations with Switzerland should do so by emailing ch.fta.engagement@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
DENVER – Today, the Business Funding & Incentives division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced a three-year Rural Jump-Start (RJS) grant program to continue to encourage economic development and job creation in economically distressed, rural counties of Colorado as approved by the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC).
“Colorado is committed to supporting the small businesses that drive our economy and these grants will support businesses in our rural communities around the state. Colorado is one of the best places to start and grow a business, and we look forward to building on this important work to strengthen our economy,” said Governor Jared Polis.
Grants of $15,000, or $25,000 in identified coal transition communities, will support operating expenses for businesses that move to or start in designated RJS zones. Up to $630,000 is expected to be distributed over three years, supporting approximately 36 businesses and at least 120 new jobs, continuing the RJS program’s impact in rural communities.
“Companies in rural Colorado are creating incredible new technologies, enhancing our supply chain and creating valuable, good-paying jobs in their communities. Last year, the Rural Jump-start Program facilitated 212 new hires in our rural communities, and we are thrilled to continue the impact with these new operating grants,” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman.
The RJS Operating Grants announced today replace the original grant program, which sunsets at the end of this fiscal year. Eligible participating businesses are also eligible for relief from state income tax; state sales and use tax; county personal property tax; and municipal personal property tax (in participating municipalities). Qualified New Hires of participating businesses are also eligible for State income tax relief.
“The Rural Jump-start program was initiated in partnership with rural communities and has a proven track record of supporting new businesses and new jobs across Colorado’s rural counties. Implementing these new grants will enable more rural businesses to benefit from the program and contribute to their local communities and economies,” said OEDIT Deputy Director Jeff Kraft.
The RJS program was established by state statute in 2016 as a tax incentive program and expanded in 2021 to include operating and new hire grants. Currently, 35 Colorado counties have been approved as RJS Zones by the EDC and 33 companies are participating in the program.
About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that theFY 2026/2027 biennial state budget proposalthat he presented to the Connecticut General Assembly last month continues recent trends under his administration of increasing state funding for Connecticut’s town and city governments to support the administration and delivery of municipal services, even while the state has made challenging funding decisions and streamlined costs across state government.
Municipal aid is the largest category of state spending within the entire general fund. Since taking office since 2019, every state budget Governor Lamont has enacted has not only held municipal funding harmless, but it has also increased that funding each year.
“My budgets prioritized significant municipal aid investments because that funding is about more than ensuring our unique towns and cities are incredible places to live, but because that funding supports our children’s education and gives them the best opportunity at the starting line in life,” Governor Lamont said. “Over the last several years, our budgets have doubled municipal aid and PILOT funding, and in my next biennium proposal we kept with those investments by proposing more special education funding, community economic development grants, and school and local capital improvement projects.”
Over the last five years:
The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant to municipalities, which supports the operations of K-12 public schools, has increased 17%. The state’s per pupil spending of $22,000 is among the highest in the country (top five) and nearly $5,000 above the national per pupil average of $16,665.
PILOT fundingto municipalities has doubled.
General government aidto municipalities has doubled.
More than $400 million in state grants have been provided to the state’s most distressed municipalities through the Community Investment Fund, which Governor Lamont and the General Assembly established in 2022 to support capital improvement projects in towns and cities.
More than $3.3 billion has been provided to municipalities to fund school construction projects.
The FY 2026/2027 budget that Governor Lamont proposed and is currently being considered by the state legislature contains several areas of increases for municipal services, including:
An $85 million increase in the ECS grant to municipalities in FY 2026. This increase will bring ECS aid to municipalities a full two-years ahead of the schedule planned in the state’s current ten-year phase-in timeline.
A $40 million increase in the Excess Cost Grant in FY 2027 to support special education services.
The creation of a new state grant to municipalities called the High-Quality Special Education Incentive Grant, which will support the ability of school districts to provide high-quality special education programming in-district and regionally, reducing reliance on out-of-district placements and meeting students’ needs as identified by their individualized education program in the least restrictive environment. The budget proposal invests $10 million from the general fund and $4 million in bond funds in this grant program for FY 2027.
The largest expansion of preschool access in Connecticut history through the creation of the Universal Preschool Endowment, which will be seeded by $300 million from the FY 2025 surplus and in the following years will receive funding from any unappropriated surpluses in the general fund.
An investment of $9.9 million in FY 2027 to continue the Learner Education and Engagement Program (LEAP), which Governor Lamont established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help address chronic student absenteeism and engagement.
An investment of $700,000 in FY 2026 to eliminate reduced price lunch and breakfast fees for students statewide.
An additional investment of $12.4 million in FY 2027 to provide universal free school breakfast.
An investment of $5 million in FY 2027 to support a High Dosage Tutoring Grant program, which will serve nearly 12,000 students to provide tutoring support.
An investment of $350 million in FY 2026 and 2027 combined to continue grants through the Community Investment Fund.
The General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee are currently reviewing the governor’s budget proposal and are anticipated to act on it in the coming weeks.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
BRAZZAVILLE, Congo (Republic of the), March 25, 2025/APO Group/ —
The inaugural Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF) officially opened with welcome and keynote addresses by key industry leaders operating in the Republic of Congo’s energy sector. With an ambition to double oil production to 500,000 barrels per day by 2027, and with the upcoming launch of a new Gas Master Plan, CEIF 2025 offers a platform for attendees to connect with leaders in Congo’s energy market.
Speaking during the opening session Congo’s Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua outlined Congo’s potential as a key driver of energy in Central Africa, highlighting critical reforms and initiatives aimed at maximizing the country’s energy potential.
“It is with great pride and happiness that I’m taking the floor today to deliver the official opening of Congo Energy & Investment Forum,” Minister Itoua stated, adding, “The outline of this forum is in line with Congo’s National Development Goal of 2022-2026 and our ambitious vision to modernize infrastructure and create an inclusive investment environment.”
Meanwhile, Sébastien Brice Poaty, General Secretary of Congo’s parastatal Société National de Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) explained that Congo remains committed to the development of hydrocarbons, as well as renewable energy, to drive access throughout the country. Poaty indicated that the parastatal has finalized the Gas Master Plan – set to launch at CEIF 2025 – and is preparing for the coming adoption of the new Gas Code, which is expected later this year.
“This conference is part of a broader aspect on the future of the Congo. SNPC was created to valorize the energy potential of the Congo and support economic development while engaging in a sustainable transition,” stated Poaty, adding, “Investing in Africa remains one of the keys to the continent’s development.
Speaking on Congo’s potential to attract investment to the energy market, Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, stressed the importance of stability in the market. “Congo is an extremely valuable member of the OPEC family,” Al Ghais said, adding, “Congo’s oil will be essential considering the future growth of oil demand.”
Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General, the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) stressed the importance of the Congolese government to review its strategies and revitalize its hydrocarbons sector. Additionally, Dr. Ibrahim highlighted that, while the global energy landscape is undergoing a massive paradigm shift, Congo must remain committed to driving the development of its oil and gas resources.
“The Republic of Congo has long been a significant player in Africa’s oil and gas industry. As the third-largest producer in sub-Saharan Africa, with proven crude oil reserves of 1.8 billion barrels, Congo possesses immense potential for development in frontier basins,” he said.
The Opening Ceremony also included keynote presentations by key industry players in Congo’s energy industry including energy majors TotalEnergies and Eni, as well as independent producers Imperatus Energy and Ammat Global Resources and the African Energy Chamber.
“With increasing global competition for capital, future success in Congo depends on maintaining a competitive fiscal framework and a stable regulatory and legal environment to ensure long-term viability on investments,” stated Mike Sangster, Senior Vice President for Africa, TotalEnergies E&P.
Andrea Berberi, Managing Director, Eni Congo announced during his presentation that the company completed its ninth cargo of LNG on March 24, reaching 1 million cubic meters of LNG produced and exported in the market. “Today, we are proud to be part of this new sector in the Republic of Congo,” Berberi stated.
“There are great operators in the country working on different projects,” stated Massimiliano Mignacca, Director General, Ammat Global Resources, adding, “Ammat’s activities are notably in upstream, but we are committed along the entire lifecycle of hydrocarbons.”
Calling on Congo to replicate the success of neighboring oil producers such as Angola, NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, the African Energy Chamber, expressed his optimism for the country to capitalize on regulatory reforms and improved governance to attract global investment.
“At a time when we look at the energy industry, when we look at global shifts in energy, we look at Congo for energy stability. It is for that reason that Congo takes a very strong position, but we need to recognize that energy reforms need to happen,” stated Ayuk.
Meanwhile, Oumar Semega, CEO and Founder, Imperatus Energy Group noted that energy plays a key and strategic role for the Congo. “At Imperatus, we have a clear vision to create value across every stage of the oil and gas sector, from extraction to commercialization,” stated.
HERNDON, Va., March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 5000fish, the innovative software company behind the Yurbi brand, is proud to announce the release of Yurbi Version 12, a powerful upgrade to its embedded analytics platform. Designed specifically for software vendors and SaaS providers, Yurbi Version 12 empowers organizations to seamlessly integrate dashboards, reports, and self-service analytics into their applications. It eliminates the high costs, excessive complexity, or security vulnerabilities often associated with traditional BI tools.
Yurbi Logo
Yurbi Version 12 represents a major leap forward in embedded analytics, empowering software vendors to enrich their offerings and drive customer satisfaction. As the demand for robust analytics capabilities continues to grow, the release comes at a critical time when organizations are looking for cost-effective and user-friendly solutions that address the challenges of traditional business intelligence tools.
“Software vendors are under increasing pressure to deliver robust analytics capabilities,” said David Ferguson, Founder and CEO of 5000fish. “Yurbi Version 12 is designed to lift that burden—it’s secure, cost-effective, and effortlessly embeddable. Vendors can now focus entirely on innovating their core product while exceeding expectations with powerful, user- friendly analytics. We’re excited to help software companies unlock new revenue streams and enhance customer satisfaction with Yurbi.”
What’s New in Yurbi Version 12?
Yurbi Version 12 introduces significant enhancements designed to simplify data reporting, enhance user experience, and boost performance. Key updates include:
Modernized User Interface: A sleek design featuring collapsible navigation and streamlined action panels, delivering an intuitive user experience.
Enhanced Reporting and Insights: Real-time report previews and improved notifications ensure users can make informed decisions quickly.
Advanced Customization and Multi-Tenant Branding: Tailor Yurbi to meet specific needs with customizable branding options.
Performance and Accessibility: A fully responsive design ensures seamless access across devices, supported by backend optimizations that enhance speed and scalability.
Dashboard and Visualization Upgrades: Enhanced interactivity and dynamic visualizations enable users to explore data more effectively and uncover actionable insights.
A Vision for the Future
Yurbi Version 12 lays the groundwork for exciting future advancements, including AI-driven report automation and expanded visualization tools for KPI-based dashboards—set to launch later this year. This forward-thinking approach positions Yurbi as a leading choice for software vendors looking to stay ahead in an evolving market.
Experience Yurbi Version 12 Today
5000fish encourages software vendors and enterprise businesses to discover the transformative capabilities of Yurbi Version 12. Don’t wait—see how Yurbi’s powerful embedded analytics can transform your offerings. Schedule a live demo or start your free trial today. For more information, visit https://yurbi.com.
Example Yurbi v12 Dashboard
About 5000fish
5000fish, Inc. is a leading Business Intelligence software company focused on providing organizations with innovative tools for data-driven decision-making. The company helps businesses utilize their existing data to improve processes, increase efficiency, and achieve success. They offer two main products: Yurbi, a powerful BI platform that can be white-labeled and embedded into hosted or on-premise applications for interactive dashboards and self- service reporting, and DashboardFox, an agile BI solution designed for small to mid-sized businesses and enterprise teams, offering comprehensive analytics without recurring subscription fees.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Delinea, a pioneering provider of solutions for securing human and machine identities through centralized authorization, has been honored by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, with a 5-Star Award in the 2025 CRN Partner Program Guide. This annual guide is an essential resource for solution providers seeking vendor partner programs that match their business goals and deliver high partner value.
Delinea was recognized for several enhancements made to its partner program in 2024, including the launch of a new partner portal. This portal provides a centralized hub for partners to drive revenue growth and deliver more value to customers through resources like comprehensive training materials, sales tools, and marketing collateral. Delinea has also expanded its partner ecosystem and driven greater collaboration by embracing cloud marketplaces as a key sales channel, supporting multi-cloud strategies, co-marketing, and joint promotions.
“Earning a 5-star rating is a testament to our long-term commitment to partners, ensuring they are armed with the right tools and educational materials to support their customers’ identity security needs, no matter where they are in their journey,” said Kara Trovato, vice president of Channel Sales and one of CRN’s 2025 Channel Chiefs. “This is especially important at a time when the cybersecurity landscape is rapidly evolving in the age of AI as businesses are grappling with the explosion of human and machine identities. We have lots in store for our partners in 2025 as we supercharge our training and enablement offerings even more so they can support their customers with seamless, intelligent identity security.”
For the 2025 Partner Program Guide, the CRN research team evaluated vendors based on program requirements and offerings such as partner training and education, pre- and post-sales support, marketing programs and resources, technical support, and communication. The 5-Star Award is an elite recognition given to companies that have built their partner programs on the key elements needed to nurture lasting, profitable, and successful channel partnerships.
“Being featured on the 2025 CRN Partner Program Guide highlights the dedication these technology vendors have to evolving with solution providers, driving innovation, and supporting mutual success,” said Jennifer Follett, VP, U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN, at The Channel Company. “This critical annual project empowers solution providers to identify vendors that are committed to enhancing their partner programs and meeting the always-changing business needs of the channel and end customers. The guide provides deep insight into the distinctive value of each partner program so solution providers can make strategic partnership decisions with confidence.”
The 2025 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April 2025 issue of CRN and published online at www.CRN.com/PPG.
To learn more about Delinea’s partner program and become a partner, visit www.delinea.com/partners.
About Delinea Delinea is a pioneer in securing human and machine identities through intelligent, centralized authorization, empowering organizations to seamlessly govern their interactions across the modern enterprise. Leveraging AI-powered intelligence, Delinea’s leading cloud-native Identity Security Platform applies context throughout the entire identity lifecycle across cloud and traditional infrastructure, data, SaaS applications, and AI. It is the only platform that enables you to discover all identities – including workforce, IT administrator, developers, and machines – assign appropriate access levels, detect irregularities, and respond to threats in real-time. With deployment in weeks, not months, 90% fewer resources to manage than the nearest competitor, and a guaranteed 99.99% uptime, Delinea delivers robust security and operational efficiency without complexity. Learn more about Delinea on delinea.com, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
About The Channel Company: The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers, and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.
At the annual general meeting, the management’s review was presented, and the annual report for 2024 was approved, including the Supervisory Board’s proposal for a dividend payment of DKK 24 per share, corresponding to DKK 1,543m.
The motions proposed by the Supervisory Board, cf. item c (remuneration report) and item d (remuneration to the Shareholders’ Representatives and the Supervisory Board) were both adopted.
The Supervisory Board’s motion to the effect that the Bank be authorised to acquire own shares (item e of the agenda) was adopted.
The motions proposed by the Supervisory Board, cf. items f.1-f.3 of the agenda (motions of amendments to the Articles of Association) were all adopted. As the members in general meeting with a right to vote represented less than 90% of the share capital, an Extraordinary General Meeting is hereby called for the purpose of final adoption of the proposed amendments of the Articles of Association. Notice of the extraordinary general meeting will be given in a separate corporate announcement and will be available at Jyske Bank’s website.
Elected as new Shareholders’ Representatives (item g.1 of the agenda):
Electoral Region North: Diana Østergaard, Herning Steen Hintze, Skive
Electoral Region South: Camilla Avlbjerg Christiansen, Kolding Eva Berner, Faaborg Jesper Norup, Vejle Lisbeth Henricksen, Havndal Pia Møller Rasmussen, Copenhagen
Electoral Region East: Christel Arpalice Piron, Solrød Strand Lars Andersen, Fuglebjerg
The 27 Shareholders’ Representatives who sought re-election were all re-elected.
The two Supervisory Board members, Lisbeth Holm and Glenn Söderholm, were both re-elected (item g.2 of the agenda).
In addition, EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab was re-elected under item h.1 of the agenda as well as re-election of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab under item h.2 of the agenda.
At the subsequent meeting of the Shareholders’ Representatives, Birgitte Haurum was elected, and Anker Laden-Andersen was re-elected to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board elected Kurt Bligaard Pedersen as its chairman and Anker Laden-Andersen as its deputy chairman.
This is to give notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Jyske Bank A/S, which will be held on Thursday, 24 April 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at Vestergade 8-16, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark (entrance via Jyske Bank’s visitor entrance situated at Bankpassagen).
At the Annual General Meeting held on 25 March 2025, the motions to amend the Articles of Association were adopted. However, the members in general meeting with a right to vote represented less than 90% of the share capital, wherefore the final adoption of the proposed amendments to the Articles of Association is subject to adoption at an extraordinary general meeting.
The AGENDA for consideration and final adoption:
a.
Motions proposed by the Supervisory Board:
1
Reduction of Jyske Bank’s nominal share capital by DKK 27,651,180 (corresponding to 2,765,118 shares at a nominal value of DKK 10) from DKK 642,720,950 to DKK 615,069,770. With reference to S.188(1) of the Danish Companies Act we point out that the capital reduction takes place through cancellation of previously acquired own shares acquired by Jyske Bank in accordance with authorisation from members in general meeting. Hence, the capital reduction is spent on payment of capital owners. If the motion is adopted, Jyske Bank’s holding of own shares will be reduced by 2,765,118 shares of a nominal value of DKK 10 These shares have been bought back at a total amount of DKK 1,499,999,584 which implies that, apart from the nominal capital reduction, a total amount of DKK 1,472,348,404 has been paid to the capital owners in connection with the buy-backs. The capital reduction takes place at a share premium since it will be at 542.47 for each share of a nominal amount of DKK 10, corresponding to the average price at which the shares have been bought back.
In consequence of the above, the following amendment to the Articles of Association is proposed: Art. 2 to be amended to the effect that Jyske Bank’s nominal share capital be DKK 615,069,770 distributed on 61,506,977 shares.
2
Amendments to Art. 3(8), Art. 4(2) and (3), Art. 5(1) and (2) and Art. 24(2): “VP Securities Services” to be changed into “VP Securities A/S”.
3
To replace the existing authorizations in the Articles of Association, the Supervisory Board is authorized to carry out capital increases with and without pre-emption rights and to raise convertible loans with and without pre-emption rights by amending Art. 4(2), (3) and (5), Art. 5(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the Articles of Association. The amendments are considered together and are proposed to be changed to the following wording:
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Art. 4(2): As specified by the Supervisory Board in respect of time and terms and conditions, the share capital can be increased through the subscription of new shares without preferential subscription rights for existing shareholders. The increase may be in one or several issues by not more than a nominal amount of DKK 60m (6 million shares of a face value of DKK 10). The increase may be effected through cash payment or through acquisition of existing businesses or specific assets. The increase must in every case be effected not below the market price. The increase cannot be effected through part payment. The authorisation will be effective until 1 March 2030.
The new shares shall when issued and transferred be registered in the names of their holders at VP Securities A/S and in the Bank’s register of shareholders. The new shares are negotiable instruments, and there are no restrictions in their negotiability except for the provisions laid down in Art. 3 of the Articles of Association. Shareholders shall be under no obligation to have their shares redeemed in full or in part.
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Art. 4(3): As specified by the Supervisory Board in respect of time and terms and conditions, the share capital can be increased through the subscription of new shares with preferential subscription rights for existing shareholders. The increase may be in one or several issues by not more than a nominal amount of DKK 120m (12 million shares of a face value of DKK 10). The increase may be effected through cash payment or in any other manner. The increase may be offered at a favourable price. The increase cannot be effected through part payment. The authorisation will be effective until 1 March 2030.
The new shares shall when issued and transferred be registered in the names of their holders at VP Securities A/S and in the Bank’s register of shareholders. The new shares are negotiable instruments, and there are no restrictions in their negotiability except for the provisions laid down in Art. 3 of the Articles of Association. Shareholders shall be under no obligation to have their shares redeemed in full or in part.
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Art. 4(5): To be deleted.
–
Art. 5(1): The Bank may, following resolution by the Supervisory Board, up to 1 March 2030, on one or more occasions raise loans against bonds or other instruments of debt which bonds or instruments of debt shall entitle the lender to convert his claim into shares (convertible loans) and the Supervisory Board is authorised to carry out the related capital increase. Convertible loans may be raised with a conversion right to a maximum number of shares with a total nominal value corresponding to the maximum nominal amount at the time of raising the convertible loans by which the share capital may be increased using the remaining authorization in Art. 4(3), calculated in relation to the conversion price determined at the time of raising the convertible loans. Exercising the authorisation to increase the share capital in Art. 4(3), will hence reduce the authorisation to raise convertible loans in accordance with this provision. The Bank’s shareholders shall have a preferential subscription right to convertible loans. Where the Supervisory Board decides to raise convertible loans, when exercising the authorization in this provision, the authorisation to increase the share capital, cf. Art. 4(3), shall be considered to be utilised by an amount corresponding to the maximum conversion right. The term allowed for conversion may be fixed at a period exceeding five years after the raising of the convertible loan. For shares which shall be issued on the basis of the convertible loans mentioned in this provision, the Supervisory Board shall decide – with due regard to the time of subscription or utilisation of the conversion right – the time from when such new shares shall carry a right to receive dividend and other terms and conditions of the share issue. Shares issued on the basis of the convertible loans mentioned in this provision cannot be paid in by partial payment, are registered shares and are registered in the name of the holder in VP Securities A/S and the Bank’s register of shareholders upon issuance and transfer. The new shares are negotiable instruments and the same rules as apply to the existing shares in respect of rights and duties, redeemability and transferability shall apply.
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Art. 5(2): The Bank may, following resolution by the Supervisory Board, up to 1 March 2030, on one or more occasions raise loans against bonds or other instruments of debt which bonds or instruments of debt shall entitle the lender to convert his claim into shares (convertible loans) and the Supervisory Board is authorised to carry out the related capital increase. Convertible loans may be raised with a conversion right to a maximum number of shares with a total nominal value corresponding to the maximum nominal amount at the time of raising the convertible loans by which the share capital may be increased using the remaining authorization in Art. 4(2), calculated in relation to the conversion price determined at the time of raising the convertible loans. Exercising the authorisation to increase the share capital in Art. 4(2), will hence reduce the authorisation to raise convertible loans in accordance with this provision. The Bank’s shareholders shall not have a preferential subscription right to convertible loans which are offered at a subscription price and a conversion price to the effect that the right of conversion corresponds to the market price of the shares at the time the resolution to raise convertible loans by using the authorisation of this provision was passed by the Supervisory Board. The convertible bonds or other instruments of debt may be issued as payment upon the Bank’s acquisition of existing businesses or specific assets corresponding to the value of the convertible bonds or other instruments of debt. Where the Supervisory Board decides to raise convertible loans, when exercising the authorization in this provision, the authorisation to increase the share capital, cf. Art. 4(2), shall be considered to be utilised by an amount corresponding to the maximum conversion right. The term allowed for conversion may be fixed at a period exceeding five years after the raising of the convertible loan. For shares which shall be issued on the basis of the convertible loans mentioned in this provision, the Supervisory Board shall decide – with due regard to the time of subscription or utilisation of the conversion right – the time from when such new shares shall carry a right to receive dividend and other terms and conditions of the share issue. Shares issued on the basis of the convertible loans mentioned in this provision cannot be paid in by partial payment, are registered shares and are registered in the name of the holder in VP Securities A/S and the Bank’s register of shareholders upon issuance and transfer. The new shares are negotiable instruments and the same rules as apply to the existing shares in respect of rights and duties, redeemability and transferability shall apply.
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Art. 5(3): To be deleted.
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Art. 5(4): To be deleted.
b.
Authorisation to the Supervisory Board to make such amendments as may be required by the Danish Business Authority in connection with registration of the Articles of Association.
c.
Any other business.
Reference to Jyske Bank’s website for further information Where in this notice of a General Meeting, reference is made to Jyske Bank’s website for further information, this link can be used: https://www.jyskebank.dk/ir/generalforsamlinger.
Adoption of motions – requirements The motion to amend Jyske Bank’s Articles of Association (items a.1-a.3 of the agenda) at extraordinary general meetings shall only be finally adopted where adopted by three fourth of the votes cast as well as by three fourth of the voting share capital represented at the general meeting, cf. Art. 12(2) of the Articles of Association.
Size of the share capital, voting rights of the shareholders and registration date Jyske Bank’s share capital is DKK 642,720,950, comprising shares at a face value of 10. Any share amount of DKK 10 shall carry one vote, provided always that 4,000 votes are the highest number of votes any one shareholder may cast on his own behalf. Voting rights can only be exercised by shareholders or their proxies. For the voting right of a share to be exercised, the share shall be registered in the name of the holder in the Bank’s register of shareholders not later than on the day of registration, which is 17 April 2025, or the title to such share shall be notified and documented to the Bank within that same time limit.
Proxy and postal vote Shareholders may as from Friday, 28 March up to and including Wednesday, 16 April 2025 give voting instructions, appoint Jyske Bank’s Supervisory Board or a third party as proxy either electronically or by means of the Power of Attorney form.
Shareholders may attend the General Meeting by proxy and cast their votes by proxy.
In addition, shareholders may as from Friday, 28 March up to and including Wednesday, 23 April 2025 at 10.00 a.m. cast postal votes either electronically or by means of a form.
Proxies may be appointed or postal votes may be cast electronically at the Investor Portal via Jyske Bank’s website. A form for the appointment of proxies or for casting postal votes is available at one of Jyske Bank’s branches or can be downloaded from Jyske Bank’s website. Where the form is used, please forward the completed and signed form either by post to Euronext Securities (VP Securities A/S) at the address Nicolai Eigtveds Gade 8, 1402 Copenhagen K or by email to CPH-investor@euronext.com. The form must reach Euronext Securities (VP Securitas A/S) by the above-mentioned deadlines, and proxies must have been appointed or postal votes must have been cast electronically by the same deadlines.
Custodian bank Jyske Bank’s shareholders may choose Jyske Bank A/S as their custodian bank in order to exercise their financial rights through Jyske Bank A/S.
Questions from shareholders Shareholders are recommended to ask questions in writing before the general meeting about the items of the agenda or Jyske Bank’s financial position. Please send questions to Jyske Bank A/S, Juridisk Afdeling, Vestergade 8-16, DK-8600 Silkeborg or by email to Juridisk@jyskebank.dk. Questions and answers will be presented at the general meeting, and shareholders who have asked questions will receive replies directly from Jyske Bank. At the General Meeting, the management will also answer questions from the shareholders about matters of importance for the financial situation of Jyske Bank and questions for consideration at the General Meeting.
Additional information The following documents and information can be downloaded from Jyske Bank’s website from Friday, 28 March 2025: 1. Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting 2. The total number of shares and voting rights at the date of the notice 3. Agenda and full wording of motions. 3. The forms to be used when voting by proxy or by postal vote
Notification of participation Shareholders who wish to attend the General Meeting and cast their votes must notify their participation at the Investor Portal via Jyske Bank’s website as from Friday, 28 March 2025 up to and including Wednesday, 16 April 2025. Confirmation of registration and QR code for the General Meeting Portal will be submitted by email (also in case of powers of attorney to third parties), and therefore it is important that you register your email address at the Investor Portal. At the entrance to the general meeting, you press the submitted QR code in the email to register your attendance which is why you must bring your smart phone or your tablet. Any votes will also take place via the General Meeting Portal. Additional guidelines for using the General Meeting Portal will be available at the entrance to the general meeting. If you are unable to receive confirmation of registration to the general meeting by email, you may register for the general meeting by means of the sign-up form available at Jyske Bank’s website or by contacting one of Jyske Bank’s branches. If so, you must contact and confirm your attendance at the entrance to the general meeting which requires that you produce valid identification.
BOSTON, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sue Wohlford-Bork, Campus Technology Advisor at occupancy analytics software company Lambent, and Arla Jackson, Director of VolCard, Campus Vending, and Records Management at the University of Tennessee, will be featured speakers at NACAS South 2025. This event takes place March 30 – April 2 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Wohlford-Bork and Jackson will co-present a session titled Data Digest: Cooking Up Dining Innovations, which delves into the value of occupancy data in improving dining operations and experiences.
The NACAS South CX conference provides the premier exchange of campus-centric ideas, solutions, and connections. Designed and delivered by professional peers, the event gives attendees the best opportunity to find solutions to their needs and nurture relationships. Attendees can easily seek out other campus service leaders that have similar interests, requirements, and visions for how to empower campus communities.
Session Details:
Data Digest: Cooking Up Dining Innovations
Date/Time:
Sunday, March 30: 1:20 – 2:10 pm
Speakers:
Sue Wohlford-Bork Campus Technology Advisor, Lambent
Arla Jackson Director of VolCard, Campus Vending & Records Management, The University of Tennessee
The session will explore how leveraging occupancy analytics can transform campus dining operations, boost revenue, and enhance the student experience. The presenters will dive into three groundbreaking case studies that demonstrate the power of data-driven decision-making in auxiliary services:
Strategic Vending Machine Placement: Learn how our campus generated additional revenue by using occupancy data to optimize vending machine locations.
Smart Dining App Integration: Discover how integrating occupancy data with the Vol Dining App helped students avoid long lines and make informed dining choices, seamlessly fitting meals into their busy schedules.
Food Truck Profitability Enhancement: Explore how occupancy analytics improved the profitability and efficiency of campus food trucks, creating a win-win situation for both students and operators.
The presentation will challenge conventional thinking about campus dining operations, introducing innovative ideas that have the potential to become mainstream. By showcasing these cutting-edge applications of occupancy analytics, we aim to inspire attendees to think creatively about leveraging data to enhance their own campus services.
About Lambent Lambent is an occupancy analytics software company helping corporate and higher ed campuses optimize space utilization, facilities operations and real estate investments. Its SaaS platform, Lambent Spaces, leverages existing data sources such as Wi-Fi and sensors to provide anonymous and predictive analytics to inform decisions related to utilization, workplace experiences, planning, scheduling, and maintenance. The software delivers actionable intelligence so facilities professionals and space planners can make better use of the spaces they have. For more information, visit https://lambentspaces.com/.
AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Asure Software (NASDAQ: ASUR), a leading provider of Human Capital Management (HCM) software solutions, today highlighted exciting innovations emerging from its strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), focused on leveraging advanced AI technologies and services. This collaboration underscores Asure’s commitment to driving transformative advances in HR and payroll solutions through artificial intelligence.
Highlighted recently on AWS’s prominent machine learning blog, this partnership showcases how the integration of generative AI tools, such as Amazon Q in QuickSight, opens the door to groundbreaking possibilities across numerous business functions. While the current focus demonstrates a transformative shift in call center operations, the broader vision of this collaboration extends well beyond customer support. Future innovations made possible through generative AI and AWS services include predictive HR analytics, intelligent workforce management, personalized employee engagement platforms, and advanced compliance monitoring.
“Partnering closely with AWS allows Asure to explore, experiment, and quickly deploy AI-powered solutions that will fundamentally redefine the Human Capital Management landscape,” said Yasmine Rodriguez, CTO at Asure. “With AWS’s advanced tools and infrastructure, we’re not just addressing today’s challenges—we’re laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s opportunities in AI-driven business innovation.”
Asure and AWS are dedicated to exploring the vast potential of generative AI, aiming to empower businesses with unprecedented insights, increased productivity, and significant operational efficiencies. Future possibilities include automating complex payroll processes, creating dynamic compliance monitoring systems, and delivering highly personalized HR experiences at scale.
“This partnership with AWS significantly enhances our ability to innovate and adapt quickly,” continued Rodriguez. “Generative and agentic AI is poised to revolutionize every aspect of human capital management, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this exciting technological shift.”
Asure (NASDAQ: ASUR) provides cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) software solutions that assist organizations of all sizes in streamlining their HCM processes. Asure’s suite of HCM solutions includes HR, payroll, time and attendance, benefits administration, payroll tax management, and talent management. The company’s approach to HR compliance services incorporates AI technology to enhance scalability and efficiency while prioritizing client interactions. For more information, please visit www.asuresoftware.com.
Let me first thank MNI for inviting me to speak at this conference. To kick off, I will briefly discussthe economic outlook in the eurozone and the current lines of thought in the ECB’s monetary policy.
In presenting my remarks here, I will focus particularly on how the significant shifts in world politics of recent weeks will, in my view, affect the euro area economy and the European Central Bank’s monetary policy.
Slide 2: Geopolitics dominates economic outlook
Geopolitics currently dominates and weighs on the outlook for the global economy, and does so with exceptional force.
Russia’s illegal, brutal war of aggression in Ukraine has been going on for more than three years. It has shaken the European security order, and more recent events since the Munich Security Conference a month ago have marked a major disruption in the world order – in a way that is dangerous for Europe. This has forced the European Union to seek to strengthen its common defences.
It is clear that the United States is undergoing a fundamental change of direction both in its foreign and security policy and in its domestic political development. This is not necessarily just a temporary phenomenon, but may be a more permanent turn in US politics. And US foreign policy is now operating under a very different kind of rationality than it used to.
“America first” trade policy in the US is profoundly protectionist but highly unpredictable. There will be no winners in a trade war. Tariffs and the related uncertainty will hit investment and slow down growth everywhere. The latest indicators on the US economy point to weaker than expected growth, which would also affect growth prospects in Europe.
As a result of the turmoil in world politics in recent weeks, Europe has woken up to the necessity of strengthening common defence. The situation is acute, and many EU countries, led by Germany, have announced significant decisions to increase defence spending. Europe is now taking action and responding to the challenge of forming and financing a common, strong defence.
These defence investments will have to be made in a situation where the public deficits of EU Member States are already large. However, the investments required for defence are of such a magnitude that they cannot be financed simply by increasing taxation or cutting other public sector expenditure. It is therefore, in my view, justified, in the short term, to utilize the flexibility elements included in the EU’s new fiscal rules, provided that longer-term debt sustainability is not compromised.
This is why we also need common European financing solutions, implemented in a way that strengthens our common security and accelerates joint procurement and production – I am thinking of air defence and drone production, for example.
Slide 3: Bank of Finland’s scenario calculation: A trade war would weaken growth worldwide
Recent statements from the United States about imposing import tariffs have raised the threat of a trade war in the global economy. An analysis published a week ago by the Bank of Finland illustrates the significant risks that a trade war would pose to economic growth.
The study assumes that the United States would impose a 25% tariff increase on all imports from the euro area and a 20% increase on all imports from China. It also assumes that the euro area and China would impose equivalent tariffs on the United States. Moreover, the calculations take into account the potential economic effects of increased uncertainty affecting economic policy.
The scenario demonstrates that there are no winners in a trade war. As a result, world GDP would decline by more than 0.5% per year. The effects on the euro area and China would be even greater. A key aspect of a trade war is the rise in uncertainty, which we are already witnessing and which could lead to a reduced willingness to investment among businesses.
Efforts should, in any case, be made to prevent the threat of a trade war through a fair negotiated solution to mitigate the negative effects on growth. To support a negotiated solution, Europe should be prepared to respond to the imposition of tariffs with potential countermeasures.
It must also be said that when a brutal war is being fought on European soil, a trade war is the last thing we need right now – especially among allies.
Slide 4: Growth in the euro area economy picking up gradually
US tariffs and increased uncertainty are already having adverse effects on economic growth outlook in the euro area in the immediate and near term.
Europe’s response to the deterioration of the security situation will have its own effects on European economies, which are very difficult to quantify at this stage.
The growth outlook for the euro area remains subdued. According to the ECB’s March forecast, growth in the euro area is gradually picking up, but at a slower pace than expected, and growth risks are on the downside.
In addition to cyclical factors, the euro area economy is also experiencing structural problems. In the ECB’s new forecast, productivity growth is slower than before. The weakness appears to be more structural than previously. But it would be wrong to say that it is entirely structural.
One – if not the only – reason for Europe’s slow productivity growth is precisely the weak development of investment in recent years. The background is a great deal of uncertainty fuelled by geopolitics, but there were also tight financial conditions for a long time.
Let me reveal that I don’t belong to those who makes a crystal-clear distinction between structural and cyclical factors – it would be against my macroeconomic training. Rather, I see the distinction as a line drawn in water. Here, I feel like applying a giant of economics: “In the long run, we will all retire. But in the meantime, we need more productive investment.”
In other words: although the euro area’s longer-term challenges of growth and competitiveness cannot be solved by monetary policy, the fall in interest rates brings welcome room for manoeuvre for households and companies. Rate cuts have been supportive of the investments that are required to improve productivity. Of course, in the long term, the level and growth of investments is determined by their expected real returns.
Although there is little to be positive about in the security situation in Europe, the expected increases in defence spending and investment are at least likely to support GDP growth over the medium-term.
Slide 5: Euro area inflation stabilising at the 2% target
Inflation in the euro area is stabilising at the ECB’s 2% target. The path of disinflation has been pretty much in line with forecasts. Wage inflation has largely decelerated, and forward-looking wage indicators point to a clear slowdown in wage growth. Most measures of core inflation − which excludes energy and food prices − also point to a sustained convergence of inflation around the 2% target over the medium term.
Risks to the inflation outlook are two-sided. Protectionism in world trade dampens growth and increases uncertainty about the inflation outlook. Geopolitical tensions pose a wide range of risks to the energy market, consumer confidence and corporate investment.
Slide 6: ECB’s decision to ease monetary policy spurred by inflation stabilising and growth weakening
The ECB’s latest decision to ease monetary policy leaned on the fact that inflation is stabilising and growth weakening. Thus, the Governing Council decided to cut the key policy rate by 25 basis points.
The rate cut was the sixth since we started easing monetary policy. Since last June, the deposit facility rate has been lowered by a total of 1.5 percentage points, from 4% to 2.5%. Monetary policy is thus becoming meaningfully less restrictive.
The decision was based, as usual, on three elements: the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission.
We are not pre-committed to any interest rate path. Policy rates are set at each meeting based on the latest information and our comprehensive assessment, next time on 17 April. The Governing Council retains full freedom of action in times of pervasive uncertainty.
Slide 7: Europe is under challenge from the world of geopolitics – investment is needed now in security and productivity
Let me now conclude. The world is now experiencing a transition of potentially similar magnitude as 30 years ago, when the Berlin Wall fell, the Cold War ended and Europe united. At that time, the evolution of humanity took a step forward and security rooted in cooperation was strengthened.
Today the world only is in reverse gear: power politics has returned in a brutal way with Russia’s invasion, the United States is standing by Russia and playing sphere-of-influence politics, and China is challenging the entire international order.
But we must be able to navigate even in this geopolitically difficult terrain. With the Munich Security Conference, Europe has received yet another wake-up call.
At the same time, we must focus on our own economic problems. Europe needs investments in productivity growth – in human capital and in research and innovation. Protectionism highlights the need to complete the single market and expand the EU’s network of free trade agreements.
The stabilisation of inflation and the weakening of the growth outlook have supported monetary policy easing since last summer. The ECB’s monetary policy has been reasonably successful in bringing inflation down without inflicting unnecessary pain to the real economy.
The past few weeks have shown that Europe must urgently get its act together and stand united in the face of external security threats. In the coming weeks and months, Europe will have to demonstrate that it is taking action and meeting the challenge of strengthening its defence. There is no time to waste.
Thank you very much. I am happy to take any questions you have.
Thank you for inviting me to speak today. It’s always a pleasure to be back in my home town, and particularly here at Leicester University, not least because I went to school next door.
I am going to speak today about a topical subject – economic growth. The question I set myself is, what does it take to create a sustained increase in the growth rate of the economy in today’s world? I’m going to range quite wide in answering the question, drawing in the current situation here in the UK and the world, and some economic history too.
Economic growth is, quite simply, the rate of expansion of the size of the economy. Let me start by explaining how it matters to the Monetary Policy Committee when we decide on the appropriate level of interest rates to achieve our objective of price stability, the 2% inflation target. There are two parts to why growth matters for monetary policy – the outcome and the inputs. On the first, quite simply, low and stable inflation is the best contribution monetary policy can make to growth in the economy. The same goes for financial stability, our other core responsibility as the central bank, which is also a key condition for growth.
On the inputs side, growth matters because monetary policy decisions require us to assess the inflationary consequences of the pressure on economic resources in this country. That pressure reflects the balance between demand and supply in goods and services and labour markets. To observe that level of pressure, we can’t just look at actual national income or output and employment. If that’s all we did, we would be left saying “so what?” We have to compare the actual position with the productive potential of the economy (the supply capacity of the economy) and in doing so assess resource utilisation and thus the degree of pressure.
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Hill arguing that Congress should pass the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act to ensure that federal law holds foreign executives to the same insider trading standards as American executives.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“The American people are tired of watching the U.S. receive the short end of the stick in our global business deals. They don’t understand why some have let other countries lie, steal and cheat in our marketplaces, and they reelected President Trump to help us unstack the deck.
“During his first term, President Trump worked to level the playing field for American companies and investors. He signed my bill, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, into law to allow the Securities and Exchange Commission to delist Chinese companies from American stock exchanges if they refuse to open their books to our regulators.
“It’s common sense. Chinese companies that want to profit from American investors should be held to the same transparency standards as American companies. In the years since President Trump signed this bill into law, Chinese companies have begun to comply with American disclosure requirements. Regulators have already issued millions of dollars in sanctions and penalties against Chinese companies and individuals who were cooking their books or otherwise violating our laws to the detriment of American investors.
“Now we have an opportunity to build upon this work by stopping the executives of foreign companies from gaming our markets through insider trading.”
. . .
“A foreign passport should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card for insider trading in the American stock exchange. There is absolutely no reason why American executives should face a higher standard of transparency than their foreign counterparts.
“Let’s build on the momentum of Trump’s first term to protect American investors from foreign executives who don’t respect our markets. I urge my congressional colleagues to join me in eliminating this double standard.”
Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jason Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre, Toronto Metropolitan University
In his second inauguration address, United States President Trump began by declaring “the golden age of America begins right now” and closed with, “and our golden age has just begun.” Between these lines, he vowed to “tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”
Tying his trade policies to dubious claims about fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration, Trump’s approach appears less about economic strategy and more about asserting dominance. Invoking the language of imperial expansion, he even proposed the idea of making Canada the “cherished 51st state.”
Historians like American Richard White quickly drew parallels to the 19th-century Gilded Age when robber barons thrived, leaving social inequality in their wake.
The celebrated Canada-U.S. friendship — further entrenched over the past three decades by the 1989 Canada-U.S.free-trade agreement, cross-border activity and snowbirds wintering in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S. — has long balanced underlying tension stemming from the two nations’ power differences. This alludes to tensions inherent in friendships that have long been explored by philosophers.
A ‘great relationship?’
Trump’s recent sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports are only the latest chapter in a long history of economic clashes.
From the U.S.’s Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which hit Canada hard during the Great Depression, to Richard Nixon’s 10 per cent import surcharge in 1971 and the long fight over softwood lumber that persisted through the early 2000s despite Canada’s favourable World Trade Organization rulings, these conflicts expose the fragility of Canada-U.S. relations. The uneasy reality is that friendship between nations is never as stable as it seems.
The trade war has triggered a wave of cultural and economic nationalism in Canada that has gone beyond the “Buy Canadian” movement. At the National Ballet of Canada’s Swan Lake, recently, a stirring rendition of O Canada brought the audience to its feet.
Chrystia Freeland, now minister of transport and internal trade, voiced the nation’s outrage on CNN: “Canadians are angry,” she said, condemning the tariffs as a betrayal of what she called the “great relationship.”
Friendship ideals and power dynamics
But beneath the outrage lies a harsher truth: Canada’s “friend” status is conditional, tied to America’s shifting priorities. The real question isn’t whether Canada is a trusted ally — it’s whether it was ever more than a subordinate in this “friendship.” At stake is the concept of friendship between nations.
Philosophers exploring the intersection of friendship and politics offer a useful framework for understanding this imbalance.
Written in the post-Cold War era, French Algerian philosopher Jacques Derrida’s The Politics of Friendship, first published in French in 1994, questions the very possibility of pure, stable friendship, arguing that it is never equal or unconditional.
Instead, said Derrida, it is always a negotiation of power. Derrida questions idealized Aristotelian notions of friendship between nations — ideals that still quietly underpin our thinking about friendship, loyalty and betrayal.
Friendship in fiction, Aristotle
In his study of friendship in fiction, literary scholar Allan Hepburn points out that friendships are inherently political, foundational to social relations and embody democratic ideals of equality and fraternity, as Aristotle suggested.
Tyrannical systems, by contrast, lack true friendships, while an ideal democracy extends mutual respect to all citizens. In this way, strangers are recognized as equals and potential friends, regardless of legal obligation, as Derrida emphasized.
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he distinguished transactional and virtuous friendship. The former is built on mutual advantage or shared pleasure, which to Aristotle is the lesser kind of friendship.
In contrast, virtue-based friendship is both the most enduring and the rarest. Aristotle idealizes this latter type of friendship, describing it as “perfect friendship” in which individuals are “alike in virtue,” wishing well to each other as something good in itself, and are themselves morally upright.
This ideal friendship — expected to be stable, enduring and intrinsically valuable — underpins discourses about the bond between nations based on shared values.
Political scientist Evgeny Roshchin argues that friendship, as a historical concept in international relations, helped mediate the shift from hierarchical to equal political relationships, shaping sovereignty and political order.
In contrast, philosopher Simon Keller questions the idea of “friendship between countries,” asserting true friendship is reserved for individuals. He warns that comparing nations to friends may mislead us by shifting focus from genuine human connections to political dynamics.
Yet the Aristotelian model of the friend as “a second self” has significant limitations, often ignoring differences and reinforcing hierarchy. For Derrida, friendship is not a fixed, harmonious ideal but an ongoing, unpredictable negotiation that blurs the boundary between ally and adversary.
He contends: “‘Good friendship’ supposes disproportion. It demands a certain rupture in reciprocity or quality, as well as the interruption of all fusion or confusion between you and me.”
Even at its most personal, friendship is marked by power dynamics — who holds it, who benefits from it and who can be cast aside. Not a cynical rejection of friendship, however, Derrida’s model calls for broadening its moral and political dimensions.
Transactional structure
Derrida’s model applies to the Canada-U.S. relationship, which has long been framed as one of mutual respect, built on democratic values and shared economic interests. But its underlying structure is transactional.
The rhetoric of friendship has always served a function: to justify co-operation when it is useful and to smooth over conflict when it is not. The moment those interests diverge, the limits of the relationship become clear.
Trump’s tariffs have exposed this dynamic in the clearest possible terms. Canada’s position as a friend to the U.S. is fragile and contingent, shaped by the fluctuating interests of the more powerful side.
But the rupture is not new, nor is it a break from the norm. It’s simply a reminder of how the relationship has always worked. The question now is not whether Canada can restore its friendship, but whether it can afford to continue believing in it on the same terms.
Derrida’s model of friendship offers a way forward. His model defies the simplistic binary of friend and foe, loyalty and betrayal, as these terms are ultimately mutually constitutive. Derrida calls for relationships that embrace their inherent fragility.
For Canada, this doesn’t mean abandoning the discourse of friendship with the U.S. entirely, but rather acknowledging the bond’s fragile, conditional nature — always deferred, always on the brink of rupture.
The challenge for Canada is to redefine its position in North America beyond the framework of mutuality and dependence. At the policy level, with Canada-U.S. relations, this means diversifying trade and diplomatic ties, resisting automatic alignment and asserting independent leadership in global affairs.
At home, it means forging a national identity that is self-defined and free from the shadow of comparison.
Jason Wang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
MHRA launches new monthly safety bulletin and redesigned safety alerts
The new MHRA Safety Roundup provides a monthly summary of the latest safety advice for all medicines, medical devices, and healthcare products regulated by the MHRA, as part of our 3-year strategy to improve safety communications.
The MHRA has today (25 March 2025) launched a new monthly safety bulletin, the ‘MHRA Safety Roundup’, the latest step in a three-year Strategy for Improving Safety Communications to make medicines and medical device information clearer and more accessible for healthcare professionals.
The bulletin, which will be sent to subscribers and published online at the end of each month, provides a summary of all the MHRA safety alerts for the past month including drug safety updates (DSU), device safety information (DSI), national patient safety alerts, recalls and medicines notifications, and letters sent to healthcare professionals.
It also contains an MHRA news section highlighting key safety information about medicines, medical devices and healthcare products that may be of interest to readers.
As part of our commitment to delivering the first year’s goals of the strategy, we have redesigned all our MHRA safety alerts to make critical safety advice clearer and easier to action, utilising colour, and relevant imagery to better engage healthcare professionals who often need to disseminate the information to their patients.
Work continues to improve the MHRA safety communications, and the next focus will be on strengthening engagement with patients and the wider public, including through use of communication methods that are tailored to their needs.
Healthcare professionals can subscribe to the ‘MHRA Safety Roundup’ here. For further information on how to find and subscribe to individual safety communications, visit our website.
CHICAGO, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TWAICE, the leading provider of battery analytics software, and Modo Energy, a B2B SaaS platform providing energy data, analytics, and forecasting, announced today a pioneering integration that enables battery energy storage system (BESS) owners and operators in ERCOT to translate improvements in system performance into accurate financial insights. This partnership underscores Modo Energy and TWAICE’s shared commitment to delivering actionable insights for the energy storage industry, reinforcing the value of high-quality, real-time data in optimizing battery performance and maximizing asset value to drive the energy transition forward.
TWAICE customers in ERCOT can now use Modo Energy’s proprietary battery asset revenue performance data to assess the financial impact of performance adjustments and maintenance plans for their BESS. This enables a more accurate, asset-specific calculation of revenue at the exact settlement point. TWAICE customers will ultimately be able to realize greater BESS uptime – a boost for revenue as market data from the UK and ERCOT show that even a 1% improvement in BESS availability can increase revenue by $2,000 per megawatt per year.1
“Battery owners need more than just data – they need clear, real-time insights into financial performance,” says Quentin Scrimshire, CEO and co-founder at Modo Energy. “TWAICE is leading the way in battery health analytics, and this partnership brings greater precision to understanding the financial impact of performance optimization. By integrating Modo Energy’s benchmarking intelligence with TWAICE’s analytics, we’re giving battery owners the tools to make smarter, data-driven decisions with confidence.”
“The success of our customers is directly linked to the performance of their BESS assets,” says Stephan Rohr, Co-CEO of TWAICE. “With the integration of Modo Energy’s data, we’re giving our ERCOT customers a clear understanding of how performance improvements translate into measurable financial gains. By linking BESS performance with real-time revenue insights, asset managers can make data-driven decisions to maximize profitability.”
Two new features help operators identify the root causes of poor performance and availability In addition to the Modo Energy integration, TWAICE also announced today that all customers now benefit from two new tools in its analytics platform: Recoverable Energy and Usable Energy. These features provide BESS operators with an overview of how much energy is currently available for use, and how much can be regained by fixing underlying issues. BESS operators today often struggle to pinpoint the root causes of performance issues, including preventable energy losses caused by factors such as imbalances, weak cells or non-operating components. With Recoverable Energy and Usable Energy, operators can tackle these challenges and maximize availability through recommendations to fix performance bottlenecks and restore lost energy.
About TWAICE Since 2018, TWAICE has been leading the field of predictive battery analytics, meeting the demand for safe, durable, and highly available energy storage assets (BESS). TWAICE provides advanced software solutions for designing, validating, and operating batteries at scale, combining deep battery knowledge with artificial intelligence to generate actionable insights. While Battery Management System (BMS) and Energy Management System (EMS) providers offer basic monitoring capabilities, TWAICE exceeds the traditional service by providing advanced analytics that uncover hidden patterns and anomalies to optimize battery performance and lifespan. As an independent third-party, TWAICE ensures unbiased recommendations, free from ties to specific insurance companies, manufacturers or vendors.
About Modo Energy Modo Energy is a B2B SaaS platform providing data, analytics, and forecasting to help energy companies, funds, utilities, and banks optimize battery storage assets. The Modo Energy Terminal is the go-to platform for evaluating the commercial case for grid-scale storage—offering trusted revenue indices, customizable benchmarks, bankable forecasts, interactive market analysis, and policy insights. Trusted by thousands, Modo Energy helps teams navigate evolving markets, optimize investments, and make data-backed, bankable decisions in the energy transition.
Media Contacts TWAICE: Justin Williams Trevi Communications for TWAICE justin@trevicomm.com +1 (978) 539-7157
Modo Energy: Charlotte Owen Executive Assistant at Modo Energy charlotte@modo.energy +1 (925) 360-5899
___________________________ 1 Source: Modo Energy presentation at TWAICE Vision Summit 2024.
Headline: How AI agents and digital threads will transform the manufacturing industries
Manufacturing is set for a major transformation with AI agents. These AI agents are programs that interact with their environment, perceive data, and act on that data, enabling organizations to gain insights, speed up innovation, and transform value chains. At Hannover Messe 2025, Microsoft and our partners will showcase how these technologies are creating a more connected, efficient, and intelligent future for the industry. Organizations will see how they can move faster, adapt smarter, and lead with confidence.
Yet even with all this progress, for decades fragmented systems and heterogenous environments have kept digital threads within the industry largely aspirational, preventing most organizations from achieving synchronized operations. A persistent inability to connect modern technology solutions with aging infrastructure has also slowed the collaboration long promised to manufacturers. Together, unified data and AI are now enabling organizations of all sizes to break through these barriers, transforming digital threads from static, disconnected datasets to dynamic networks. With AI agents serving as the interface, every worker can surface the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), total cost of ownership (TCO), and return on investment (ROI) insights necessary to drive decision-making.
Explore Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing
At Hannover Messe 2025, Microsoft is showcasing how new AI agents and partnerships with leading software vendors can help manufacturers deliver secure, scalable innovation from the shopfloor to the boardroom. Attendees will experience firsthand how data-driven intelligence and AI-enabled solutions will reshape manufacturing.
AI agents supporting the development of frontline workers
Manufacturing transformation is reaching into every aspect of operations. Frontline workers now have access to AI agents providing them with enhanced guidance needed to make informed decisions. To expand this modern toolbox, we announced back at Ignite 2024 the public preview of Factory Operations Agent in Azure AI Foundry. An AI-powered assistant, Factory Operations Agent streamlines operations—enabling operators, production, and leaders to quickly access insights and optimize manufacturing processes through natural language querying. In doing so, the agent accelerates issue resolution and root cause analysis to improve productivity within day-to-day manufacturing operations.
As the industry struggles with turnover, worker skilling is an ever-present challenge. The World Economic Forum found that 63% of industry leaders believe skilling to be a significant barrier to growth.1 Manufacturers need no-code and low-code options that democratize the power of AI without the need for extensive coding. With this in mind, we are announcing the same Factory Operations Agent now available in Copilot Studio in public preview, where with one-click it can be easily integrated into products like Microsoft Teams.
Finally, we’re announcing the public preview of Factory Safety Agent in Copilot Studio. This low-code, customizable solution provides workers with answers to occupational health and safety (OHS) questions and guidelines. It can also streamline safety inspections and personalize workforce training.
Also, at Hannover Messe 2025, we will be showcasing state of the art technologies that will enhance the future of frontline work, like with our customer Sanctuary AI.
Sanctuary AI is shaping the future of frontline work, ushering in the era of autonomous labor with the power of Microsoft Azure. As frontline labor shortages intensify, manufacturers can explore deploying advanced general-purpose robots with dexterity-driven physical AI to automate repetitive, complex, and unsafe tasks to enhance operational efficiency. With Azure’s high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs), Sanctuary AI can train machine learning models at scale, pushing the boundaries of dexterous intelligence.
Advancing innovation in digital engineering with generative AI
Manufacturers shape their market leadership through digital engineering and design. By accelerating development and prototyping, and reducing time-to-market, AI-powered generative design is empowering manufacturers to create new high-performing, customer-centric products.
GenAI use cases to modernize manufacturing
Explore the value generative AI creates across the organization
Aras is introducing Aras InnovatorEdge, a low-code application programming interface (API) management framework embedded in the Aras Innovator® platform. This solution simplifies API creation and integration, enabling secure, scalable data connectivity and enhancing collaboration, operational efficiency, and decision-making across enterprises. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Fabric, unlocking deeper insights and optimizing decision-making across the digital engineering landscape.
Autodesk and Microsoft collaborate to create an AI-powered digital thread to help manufacturers gain efficiencies, reduce costs, and compete smarter. Autodesk® Fusion, the industry cloud for manufacturing, connects people, data, and process through the product development lifecycle. Autodesk Data solutions in Fusion Manage and Microsoft Fabric will enable efficient data management and process optimization. Additionally, Autodesk’s digital twin offerings with Tandem, factory simulation through FlexSIM, and factory operations management with Fusion Operations all benefit from this collaboration, ensuring that these tools work seamlessly across the IT and OT ecosystem.
Windchill by PTC is a crucial platform for engineering and manufacturing teams globally. To support manufacturers aiming to integrate AI across their value chains, PTC and Microsoft are partnering to develop an enterprise data framework and multi-agentic model within Microsoft Fabric. This collaboration extends digital thread capabilities beyond traditional product lifecycle management (PLM), integrating data from enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution system (MES) systems, and enabling AI-powered insights and workflows.
Preparing the factory edge for AI
AI is redefining factory operations, but to fully capitalize on shop floor investments, manufacturers need to integrate their on-premises industrial edge solutions with the cloud.
A core component of the Azure adaptive cloud approach, Azure IoT Operations is built on industry standards. Capturing data from industrial equipment assets and devices, Azure IoT Operations normalizes it at the edge—sending operational insights to the cloud and back.
Husqvarna is leveraging Azure IoT Operations and AI tools to digitally transform its factory floors. Their AI Vision Companion enhances visual quality control for chainsaw production, while AI chatbots assist night workers with troubleshooting, improving efficiency, and reducing downtime. With these new capabilities, Husqvarna expects to double their in-market connected devices and boost robotic lawn mower sales, expanding Azure IoT Operations from two to 40 factories globally by summer 2025.
Siemens and Microsoft have expanded their partnership, Siemens Industrial Edge works seamlessly with Microsoft Azure IoT Operations, making OT and IT data planes fully interoperable for manufacturing. This joint effort streamlines data flow between edge and cloud, enhancing machine performance, product quality, and maintenance efficiency, and enabling manufacturers to adopt AI and digital twin technologies for more adaptive, optimized production.
Making AI-powered digital threads a reality for manufacturers
The nervous system of industrial operations, digital threads weave together critical information, processes, and people across manufacturing segments. Grounded in unified operational (OT), information (IT), and engineering (ET) data, the electronic frameworks can empower individuals with relevant, timely insights. From initial concept to customer support, this continuous flow of data connects and enriches every aspect of manufacturing.
For over a century, Rolls-Royce has been a force for progress; powering, protecting, and connecting people everywhere. Today, with digital transformation at the forefront, the company is redefining how its world-class products are designed, built, and maintained. Hannover Messe 2025 visitors will see firsthand how AI and cloud technologies are shaping the future of aerospace. With the help of Siemens and Microsoft, Rolls-Royce is leveraging AI to streamline production, boost engine efficiency, and predict maintenance needs before issues arise. Rolls-Royce is also helping provide more efficient, reliable, and low-emissions energy solutions, powering everything from critical infrastructure to data centers. Rolls-Royce isn’t just keeping up with the digital revolution—it’s driving it.
Without AI, manufacturing data is difficult to navigate. Data quality, standardization, and integration have been unreliable. Microsoft is helping manufacturers make sense of their data to unlock the AI opportunity. With Microsoft Fabric, manufacturers can integrate data across different departments and teams. Traditionally, this data is trapped within separate systems. Parsec and Tulip integrations mark another major step in our ability to drive operational intelligence, enhancing shop floor and frontline execution.
Parsec, developer of the industry-leading MES, TrakSYS , today announced an upcoming integration with Microsoft Fabric and the factory operations agent in Azure AI Foundry solution to help deliver generative AI to manufacturing organizations. Dubbed TrakSYS IQ, this industry-defining functionality will enable users to retrieve and analyze factory data through a conversational user interface, bolstering productivity and data-based decision-making.
Tulip, a leader in frontline operations solutions, announces its integration with Microsoft Fabric. This integration enables the Tulip Frontline Operations Platform to deliver scalable analytics across multiple factories, leveraging rich datasets for machine learning to provide real-time feedback and alerts to supervisors and operators.
See Industrial AI in action at Hannover Messe 2025
The future of manufacturing is powered by AI. This year, at Hannover Messe 2025, attendees will have the opportunity to experience how Microsoft and its partners are supporting the industry transformation—from digital engineering, on factory floors, with frontline workers, and through digital thread. Join us at Hall 17, Stand G06.
Thanks to all partners and customers joining Microsoft at Hannover Messe 2025: ABB, Accenture Avanade, Autodesk, AVEVA, AVL, Bayer, Blue Yonder, Bosch, Bühler Group, C3.ai, Capgemini, Cognite, Databricks, EPLAN, Hexagon, Husqvarna, Kongsberg Digital, Litmus, MTEK, NVIDIA, NTT Data, o9, Parsec, PTC, PWC, Rescale, Rockwell Automation, Rolls-Royce, Sanctuary AI, Sandvik, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Sight Machine, Symphony AI, TeamViewer, TCS, and Tulip.
Explore Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing
1WEF: Skill Gaps are the Biggest Barrier to Transformation, Skillsoft.
Dayan Rodriguez
Corporate Vice President, Manufacturing and Mobility, Microsoft
As the Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing & Mobility at Microsoft, Dayan Rodriguez leads the sales strategy and vision across these industries to accelerate growth, build differentiated offerings and drive new business outcomes for customers and partners. Previously, Dayan served as global vice president and general manager for Honeywell Industrial Automation. Dayan enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading, learning, applying new technologies and staying active through various water sports activities.
he transatlantic slave trade is an indelible stain on the conscience of humanity.
For more than four centuries, enslaved Africans were kidnapped and trafficked; dehumanized, abused and exploited.
The depth and scale of the cruelty, inhumanity, and depravity of this practice is incomprehensible.
So, too, is the suffering, fear, pain and misery endured by those millions of people exploited for profit.
Today, we reflect on families ripped apart and communities decimated.
We remember the women, children, and men forced to work in agonizing conditions, savagely punished, and deprived of their dignity and human rights.
And we take strength in their resistance and demands for justice:
From revolution in Haiti, to the underground railroad in the United States, to countless individual acts of courage and defiance.
I deeply regret that several countries – including my own – were engaged in this immoral trade…
A trade driven by greed and built on lies – particularly the lie of white supremacy…
A trade enabled by insurers, bankers, shipping companies, legal systems and more…
That saw individuals, institutions and corporations amass unimaginable wealth on the back of human suffering.
When slavery was officially abolished, it was not the enslaved who were compensated, but the enslavers – receiving reparations equivalent to billions of dollars in today’s money.
In an even crueler twist, some slaves were forced to pay compensation.
Haiti had to fund payouts to those who had profited from its suffering – all in the name of securing its independence.
Dear Friends,
Today is not only a day of remembrance.
It is also a day to reflect on the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism and to strengthen our resolve to combat those evils today.
The obscene profits derived from chattel slavery and the racist ideologies that underpinned the trade are still with us.
Systemic racism has been embedded into institutions, cultures, and social systems.
And deeply rooted exclusion, racial discrimination and violence continue to undermine the ability of many people of African descent to thrive and achieve their full potential.
For too long, the crimes of the transatlantic slave trade – and their ongoing impact – have remained unacknowledged, unspoken, and unaddressed:
Links to slavery were buried…
Histories were rewritten, minimized or overlooked…
Ongoing harms were excused or dismissed…
And perpetrators seemed to hope their actions would be lost to the past.
Dear Friends,
They were wrong.
Thanks to the tireless work of affected leaders and communities, calls to acknowledge and repair the past can no longer be ignored.
This year, at both the African Union Summit and the Caribbean Community Heads of Government Meeting, I heard leader after leader make a powerful case for reparatory justice.
Some institutions and states are taking steps to acknowledge and address their pasts…
Museums and public spaces are commemorating the resistance of people of African descent, and celebrating their vast contribution to societies.
This is a start.
But we need much more.
The horrors of the transatlantic slave trade are an undeniable fact.
Acknowledging this truth is not only necessary – it is vital for addressing past wrongs, healing the present, and building a future of dignity and justice for all.
It is also important that reparatory justice frameworks are grounded in international human rights law….
Developed with the participation of affected communities…
And acknowledge the terrible harms caused.
I urge everyone to play their part in building inclusive societies free from the evils of racism:
That means countries complying with their international obligations – including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights…
Implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination…
And becoming Parties to the Convention if they are not already.
It means business leaders promoting equality and combatting racism.
And it means civil society, and everyday people continuing to push for justice, and taking a stand against racism wherever and whenever it appears.
Excellencies,
This mission is at the heart of the United Nations.
The human dignity of every person is our founding creed.
We must stand with everyone, everywhere to combat racial discrimination and hate, and to defend the human rights and dignity of all.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo, March 25, 2025/APO Group/ —
The Republic of Congo is expected to more than double natural gas production by 2027 according to an outlook by commodity company S&P Global Commodity Insights – technical partner of the Congo Energy & Investment Forum (CEIF). This production increase will be driven primarily by Chinese developer Wing Wah’s Banga Kayo and energy major Eni’s Marine XII FLNG developments.
The outlook was announced by Lucinda Valerie Ross, Senior Technical Research Analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights, during a Technical Presentation titled, Assessing the Role of Deepwater Gas in the Republic of Congo’s Energy Strategy, at CEIF in Brazzaville.
“Natural Gas production has historically been low [in Congo]. In response to increased production, Eni has been able to leverage pre-existing FLNG vessels in a phased approach to achieve first gas last year,” Ross stated, adding, “We need to attract investment to these projects in order to ensure sustained increased production in Congolese gas.”
The Marine XII project is set to produce 2.4 million metric tons of LNG annually in 2025. Production is expected to increase to 4.5 billion cubic meters per year by 2026, with LNG used for both domestic consumption and export.
Meanwhile, over a period of 25 years, the Banga Kayo permit, plans for a cumulative production estimated at nearly 30 billion cubic meters of associated gas. The project will be carried out in four phases, each progressively increasing the gas treatment and valorization capacity to meet local and regional LNG and LPG demand.
Natural gas currently accounts for over 70% of electricity generation in Congo. Meanwhile, natural gas, along with oil production, accounts for 35% of the country’s GDP and 75% of its exports.
Los Angeles, Calif. – On Friday, a supermajority of user research workers at Activision voted in favor of union representation with Communications Workers of America (CWA), either by signing a union authorization card or indicating that they wanted union representation via an online portal. The workers will be members of CWA Local 9400 in Los Angeles. Microsoft has recognized the union.
Activision User Research Union-CWA is the first group of video game user researchers to form a union, joining over 2,000 workers at Microsoft-owned studios to organize under the company’s neutrality agreement with CWA. With a union, user researchers are hoping to secure significant improvements at their workplace, including higher wages, job security and protections amid record-breaking layoffs in the video game industry, and transparency around promotions and career advancement.
“We are excited to join our fellow game makers across the video game industry to show what’s possible when workers can freely build solidarity in the workplace. Many of us were mobilized to do something about the layoffs in 2023 and 2024, and now we can look out for each other with a union,” said organizing committee member and quantitative user researcher Nicolaas VanMeerten.
In the video game industry, user research focuses on understanding players’ opinions, behaviors, and needs to deliver insights to their development teams. By hosting players in their studios, user research helps bridge the gap between those who design video games and those who play them.
“A union allows workers to create an industry that works for them, which is vital in an industry that we deeply care about,” said organizing committee member and user research moderator Pat Dimaandal. “Workers should not feel punished for pursuing a career that they love, and that’s why we’re organizing toward long-term, sustainable careers in this industry.”
“It is critical that workers have a protected voice on the job to ensure they receive their fair share. We are proud to welcome these workers to CWA and are looking forward to meeting Microsoft at the bargaining table to secure a fair union contract,” said Maurice Washington, President of CWA Local 9400.
The union’s certification comes just days after the successful launch of United Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA), an industry-wide video game union working to build worker power irrespective of employer or current job status. Over 350 dues-paying members have joined since the UVW-CWA launch at the 2025 Game Developer Conference.
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About CODE-CWA
The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.
DALLAS, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UPAY Inc. (“UPAY” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: UPYY) is delighted to announce that ACPAS, its South African subsidiary, proudly sponsored the MFSA #101 Compliance Workshop to MicroFinance, held at the Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre Johannesburg on March 13, 2025.
This highly anticipated event provided an essential platform for key industry players, regulators, and stakeholders to engage in critical discussions on compliance, regulatory advancements, and best practices within the microfinance sector. Attendees benefitted from insightful presentations, interactive panel discussions, and meaningful networking opportunities, all aimed at strengthening the industry’s compliance framework.
MFSA expressed its sincere gratitude to ACPAS for its ongoing sponsorship and unwavering commitment to the microfinance sector. The presence of ACPAS at the event was met with great enthusiasm, with industry participants acknowledging the company’s invaluable support in fostering an environment of collaboration and industry progression.
UPAY Inc. is proud of ACPAS’s continued involvement with the MFSA and its dedication to driving positive change in the microfinance landscape. The Company remains committed to supporting industry-wide initiatives that empower microfinance institutions and promote sustainable financial growth.
About ACPAS:
ACPAS is a leading Loan Management Software provider in South Africa, offering innovative solutions that streamline loan origination, management, and compliance processes. With a strong commitment to supporting microfinance institutions, ACPAS provides cutting-edge automation and data-driven tools that enhance operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. As a subsidiary of UPAY Inc., ACPAS continues to drive advancements in financial technology, ensuring sustainable growth for the microfinance industry. For more information, visit www.acpas.co.za
About UPAY:
UPAY is a publicly traded holding company at the forefront of the fintech industry. By investing in innovative technologies, UPAY delivers comprehensive Financial Software Platforms that offer full system automation, intelligent data solutions, and an enhanced user experience. The Company is dedicated to bridging the gap between clients and consumers in an evolving financial ecosystem, ensuring high engagement and lasting impact. For more information, visit www.upaytechnology.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined under applicable securities laws. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements because of new information, future events, or other circumstances. No information in this publication should be interpreted as any indication whatsoever of the Company’s future revenues, results of operations, or stock price.
In accordance with the regulatory requirements in force, Caisse Française de Financement Local announces that the French version of its Annual Financial Report 2024 was filed with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) on March 25, 2025, and that it can be obtained from its website: https://caissefrancaisedefinancementlocal.fr/investisseurs/publications/. The English version of the Annual Financial Report 2024 will be available around mid-April 2025 on the website: https://caissefrancaisedefinancementlocal.fr/en/investor/publications/.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
Washington, D.C. – Monday evening, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) hosted a live telephone town hall event with thousands of Oklahomans across the state. During the call, Senator Mullin addressed the recent devastating wildfires and took questions on DOGE cuts, border security, returning education to the states, and tariffs, among other topics. Click here to listen and see below for highlights.
On the devastating wildfires impacting Oklahoma:
“First, as we start this tele town hall meeting, we want to keep in mind that there’s a lot of families that are still hurting from the wildfires that took place and that are actually still taking place across Oklahoma. Christie’s, my wife, aunt and uncle who live in Stillwater, they lost their house and everything in it. And I know our family’s not any different than anybody else. All of us were impacted in some way. Our family is here to help personally, plus our office is here to help too. So, if there’s anything that comes up from the federal assistance side, we’ve been coordinating closely with Governor Stitt. Of course, you know, he lost his house out on the ranch, and had issues there too. But I can tell you him and I have talked on a regular basis. He is working with us on the federal side, in the coordination, making sure that it takes place. But if there’s a question that you have, someone that you that you know, or you may have been personally impacted, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.”
On waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government:
“The President was very clear. I mean, promises made, promises kept. I can’t repeat that enough. Promises made, promises kept by the President. When he came out there and he said he was going to hold the government accountable for the people again, and make the government work for the people again, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. And you see the left losing their loving mind over it, because he’s actually doing something that, truthfully, you can go back and find the video that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi talked about it in a forum in 2010… where they literally talked about exactly what DOGE is doing, except the Democrats never did it, and President Trump is doing it.”
On returning education to the states:
“Keep in mind, there was 4,200 employees that worked for the Department of Education, and they set policy for teachers to teach, and none of them were teaching. They were never designed to be educators… They weren’t teaching the students, but yet, they were trying to tell our teachers in Bixby, Oklahoma, or in Choctaw, Oklahoma, or Chickasa… how to teach their students in their classroom. And what President Trump is saying is, let’s put it back in the hands of the teachers. Let’s take the money, let the school board, and allow the superintendent and allow the principal and allow the teachers to be involved in how to educate their kids.”
“Where we went wrong was, we took the Department of Education and started thinking a lot of people from Washington, DC knew best how to teach our kids… You’re just going to see a lot more involvement out of your local school boards and a lot more responsibility going to your superintendent, your principal and your teachers in the classrooms.”
On deporting criminal illegal aliens:
“The President’s well within his authority to do it, he should be able to do it. I mean, why is it bad to be deporting illegals that are here illegally? Obviously, they’re here illegally. These same judges didn’t do one single thing to stop the previous administration from allowing these criminals to come into our country, and now when we’re trying to deport them out of our country, now all of a sudden, these judges are speaking up? That’s a problem… They don’t want them in their neighborhood.”
On false rumors about cuts to benefits:
“The President has made it very clear, we’re not cutting benefits to anybody, not anyone on Social Security, not anybody on Medicare, Medicaid or VA benefits. That’s absolutely not happening. Now are we looking at making cuts because they’re bloated? Yes. Are we looking at shrinking the workforce in some of these places? Absolutely. The critical ones, no. But the government has absolutely impregnated itself since COVID… We’ve just seen a lot more employees coming in than we should have.”
On tariffs:
“That’s why you see a huge boost in manufacturing coming back to the United States. You’re seeing foreign companies that have been shipping their products into the United States, now they are saying that they’re going to invest in our manufacturing, which is exactly what the President wants. And at the same time, we’re not looking for a trade war for anybody. We’re just looking to be treated fairly, and fairly means the same. We want you to be treated just like we’re being treated.”
Since the UK Labour government took office in summer 2024, calls have intensified to scrap both the “two-child limit” – which restricts support for children through universal credit to two children – and the overall benefit cap. With Chancellor Rachel Reeves resisting this pressure as she tries to manage deteriorating public finances, ways of tweaking the two-child limit policy have been proposed.
But as researchers of child poverty, we have no doubt that the best place to start reducing the high and rising numbers of children growing up in poverty in Britain today is by fully abolishing the two-child limit and the benefit cap.
We argue that both policies are astoundingly unfair. As our four-year research programme has documented, both are causing wide-ranging harm to children. They restrict children’s everyday experiences and damage their ability to thrive – which in the long run affects everyone in the UK.
Children live in poverty because their families don’t have an adequate income. This is partly a simple question of maths: wages don’t adjust when there are more mouths to feed. It’s also partly because things happen unexpectedly for some families – job loss, disability, relationship breakdown – leaving them needing extra support for a period of time.
Countries across Europe respond to these dual challenges by providing financial support that adjusts to family needs. Until recently, the UK did too. Indeed, the UK welfare state was one of the pioneers of “family allowances” in the post-war period.
But since 2017, the UK has reformed the system so that in families with three or more children, the support on offer when things go wrong deliberately and explicitly falls far short of what is needed. The UK’s two-child limit, an approach that differs to other countries in Europe, restricts means-tested support to two children in a family only. It bakes child poverty into the fibre of the UK.
Its sister policy, the benefit cap, limits the maximum benefit amount available to households without adults in work. This removes further help from some of the most vulnerable.
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The parents we spoke to frequently talked of difficulties in affording basic necessities for their children, including clothes and food. Many parents had resorted to using foodbanks or cut back on food spending.
The material impacts also affected children’s education and their social and emotional wellbeing. Jessica is a single mum of four. Her business went under during the pandemic and her partner left the household, leaving her affected by both the two-child limit and the benefit cap.
When a hole appeared in Jessica’s daughter’s school shoes, there was no money to replace them straight away. Her daughter went to school wearing trainers and was put in isolation for not adhering to the dress code. Jessica explained:
I got the phone call to say she had to go into isolation and, and things and I just said, “I’m not the type of person that just has £20 sat in the bank” … it was kind of a bit public shaming her really, taking her away and putting her in isolation.
Our interviews also showed that, despite parents’ best efforts to shield them, children are often aware of household financial hardship and in turn try to protect their parents. Christina, a mum of three affected by the two-child limit, said of her middle child:
He won’t say he needs new clothes and he won’t say his shoes don’t fit anymore … I think he’s got it into his head now that we can’t go out and spend or he can’t ask, and I feel so bad for that.
Our research also documents the importance of abolishing the benefit cap alongside the two-child limit. Otherwise, some families affected by the two-child limit won’t see much financial gain, while others will be newly pushed into the benefit cap.
Complete removal
Suggested alternatives to the full abolition of the two child limit include a “three-child limit”, or an exemption for children under five. These options would undoubtedly help some families, but would leave many of those in the greatest need still struggling.
Pound for pound, a three-child limit is less effective at reducing poverty than simple abolition, precisely because it is less well targeted on those in deepest poverty. An exemption for under fives would create a new cliff edge, removing significant support on a child’s fifth birthday, even though we know that the costs of children rise as children get older.
Further, these approaches continue to enforce a separation between what a family needs and its entitlement to support, and therefore will continue to embed child poverty as an institutional feature of our social security system. Children’s life chances will continue to be circumscribed by the number of siblings they have. Given what we know about the long-term costs of child poverty for society, these are short-sighted ways to save money today.
It is very encouraging that the government has committed to a child poverty strategy, and that the prime minister has said he will be “laser focused” on tackling child poverty.
But, as we wait for the strategy to be published, the number of children harmed by the two-child limit rises daily. Nearly two-in-five larger families are now affected and this is predicted to rise to 61% of larger families by the time the two-child limit has full coverage.
If the child poverty strategy is to have real impact, its starting point is straightforward: both the two-child limit and the benefit cap need to go, and urgently, before more damage is done to children’s lives.
Kate Andersen received funding from the Nuffield Foundation and the Research England Policy Support Fund facilitated by The York Policy Engine for the research reported in this article.
Kitty Stewart has received funding from the Nuffield Foundation for the research reported in this article.
Metrika, a leading provider of real-time, dynamic risk management solutions for digital assets and blockchain, collaborated with Moody’s Ratings on a proof-of-concept (PoC) to evaluate key risk indicators (KRIs) for digital assets, issued on multiple blockchains, focusing on operational challenges such as platform network health, governance breakdowns and others. This PoC provided an opportunity to explore insights into technological risks associated with digital assets across multiple blockchains. The collaboration helped evaluate potential approaches for identifying and addressing operational challenges in digital finance, including monitoring for issues that may emerge throughout the lifecycle of digital assets.
Nikos Andrikogiannopoulos, CEO of Metrika, emphasized the significance of the collaboration: “By bringing our technology together with Moody’s Ratings’ expertise in evaluating financial exposures, we demonstrated how digital asset risks can be quantified within traditional risk assessment systems. Transparency and risk management are critical to supporting institutional engagement in tokenized finance.”
“As tokenization gains momentum across industries, institutions need to be able to identify and manage potential operational vulnerabilities in digital finance effectively,” said Rajeev Bamra, Head of Strategy, Digital Economy at Moody’s Ratings. “The collaboration with Metrika allowed us to explore how digital finance risks can be systematically measured, ensuring transparency and data-driven insights as digital assets become more integrated into mainstream economy.”
The PoC helped advance the analysis of institutional-grade digital assets by demonstrating the applicability of Metrika’s specialized risk metrics with Moody’s Ratings’ expertise in assessing financial exposures. The approach enables quantifiable, real-time risk monitoring at both protocol and asset levels, addressing a critical need in the rapidly evolving tokenized finance landscape.
In this PoC, the collaboration explored how financial institutions could potentially benefit from:
Seamless incorporation of tokenized assets into established evaluation processes
Real-time risk insights to support informed decision-making
As tokenization continues to transform the marketplace, reliable assessments will become essential infrastructure for ensuring transparency and stability.
About Metrika
Metrika is the leading provider of real-time, dynamic risk management solutions for digital assets and blockchain. Metrika’s SaaS platform enables financial institutions, enterprises, and regulatory bodies to proactively monitor, assess, and mitigate risks across tokenized assets, stablecoins, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain networks. By transforming fragmented, manual risk processes into structured, automated frameworks, Metrika delivers advanced analytics and industry-aligned Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) tailored for the evolving digital asset ecosystem. Trusted by global financial leaders, including G-SIBs, asset issuers, asset managers, credit rating agencies, and regulators, Metrika empowers organizations to enhance transparency, strengthen compliance, and build operational resilience. More information available on: www.metrika.co