HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intelligent Product Solutions (IPS) today announced that it received a New York Product Design award, for its product design work on the EON Laser, a FDA-cleared, touch-free, and pain-free fat reduction device by Dominion Aesthetic Technologies. A global product design and development firm, Intelligent Product Solutions is a subsidiary of Forward Industries (NASDAQ: FORD).
The New York Product Design awards honor the efforts of talented product designers, design teams and manufacturers from all over the world. It recognizes the contributions they have made to daily living, with their practical and ingenious creations.
“At IPS, we’re proud to receive this award for our innovative medical device design of this revolutionary product,” said Bob Wild, CEO of Intelligent Product Solutions. “Working with Dominion Aesthetic Technologies, together we are redefining the future of aesthetic medicine, leveraging our expertise in product design.”
The EON Laser introduces revolutionary technology in subcutaneous fat reduction, offering patients the industry’s first touch-free and painless treatment option, delivering safer outcomes and eliminating recovery time. Utilizing laser energy, the EON Laser locally raises the temperature of subcutaneous fat, triggering lipolysis (the breakdown and metabolization of adipose tissue) while simultaneously cooling the skin, offering patients a pain-free alternative with unprecedented results. The scientifically proven EON Laser has received multiple FDA clearances and can be found at esthetic surgery centers and med-spas across the United States, offering patients a non-invasive alternative to liposuction and other surgical interventions.
“It’s such a wonderful surprise to learn that EON has be recognized for its beautiful design,” said Janet Campbell, founder and Chairman of the Board, Dominion Aesthetic Technologies. “It couldn’t have been possible without the support of Intelligent Product Solutions. We are excited about the future of EON delivering the first of its kind non-invasive robotic fat reduction treatments. EON is dedicated to providing incredible patient outcomes with the safest fat reducing treatment available.”
About Intelligent Product Solutions
Intelligent Product Solutions (IPS), a subsidiary of Forward Industries (NASDAQ: FORD), is an award-winning global product design and development company with headquarters in New York. IPS offers a full range of expert product design and engineering services, with an expertise in medtech and wearable technology solutions. Its clients are among the leading brands in consumer electronics and medical devices, including Neuvotion, Google, Verizon, Zebra Technologies and Steinway. To learn more about IPS, visit https://intelligentproduct.solutions or contact info@ips-yes.com. Visit IPS on social media:https://www.linkedin.com/company/intelligent-product-solutions/
For more media information, contact: Lisa Hendrickson, LCH Communications for IPS Lisa@lchcommunications.com 516-643-1642
Headline: Introducing new Surface Copilot+ PCs for Business
As organizations look to the future, accessing and unlocking value through both the cloud and endpoints will become a cornerstone of every AI strategy. Combining the scalability of cloud compute with the efficiency of local AI compute through powerful Neural Processing Units (NPU) with a groundbreaking new category of PCs: Copilot+ PCs. These devices are built to deliver unparalleled performance and intelligence.
Today, we are excited to announce the latest additions to our Surface for Business Copilot+ PC family: Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, now available with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2). Starting Feb. 18, business customers can choose between Intel and Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs from Surface, and experience the most advanced, intelligent and secure PCs available across both platforms.
In response to one of our top customer requests to provide more cellular connectivity options for mobile work, we are thrilled to share that for the first time, 5G will be coming to Surface Laptop for Business, available later in 2025[i]. This laptop has been redesigned from the ground up to exceed our customers’ expectations for a connected Windows 11 Copilot+ PC and is also equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2).
To round out our business offerings, we are also excited to introduce the new Surface USB4 Dock, new experiences with Microsoft Teams Rooms on Surface Hub 3 and the public preview of Security Copilot in the Surface Management Portal.
New Surface Copilot+ PCs for Business
Customers are choosing Surface Copilot+ PCs today for the best in performance, battery life and security. Paired with Microsoft 365 Copilot[ii] and enhanced AI processing power, these devices transform the employee experience to amplify your team’s efficiency and creativity through Copilot+ PC experiences designed for work.
“At CES, we showcased Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) and partnered with Microsoft to ensure that it delivers exceptional performance, longer battery life and cutting-edge security for the Windows ecosystem. We’re excited to introduce new Surface for Business Copilot+ PCs and provide businesses with a wider range of AI-powered devices to enhance efficiency and productivity. Our partnership will continue to drive momentum in the category.” Jim Johnson, Senior Vice President and Interim General Manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group
Surface Laptop for Business with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2)
Available starting Feb. 18, 2025, starting at $1,499.99 (MSRP)
Customers choose Surface Laptop because it redefines the premium PC built for work, combining a sleek modern design with incredible performance and industry-leading security. It’s designed to strike the perfect balance between power and portability, maximizing productivity while being a device that employees are proud to carry and use.
The new Surface Laptop for Business is built with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), an incredible battery that lasts up to 22 hours[iii], anti-reflective displays with ultra-thin bezels, Wi-Fi 7[iv], more ports and an optional smart card reader[v].
Available in two sizes, the 13.8-inch display offers a larger viewing area than traditional 14-inch screens within a more compact frame, while the 15-inch version provides even more viewing space while remaining easy to carry.
This thin and compact design delivers on the critical fundamentals that businesses rely on. When compared to Surface Laptop 5, the new Surface Laptop delivers up to 26% faster performance for multi-tasking[vi], up to 2x faster graphics performance[vii], up to 3x the battery life when on Teams calls[viii] and can easily power new AI-powered experiences through the NPU.
The keyboard on Surface Laptop provides an exceptional typing experience, perfected for comfort, speed and sound with every keystroke. The large precision haptic touchpad delivers realistic feedback when tapped or clicked. Designed for inclusivity, the touchpad allows users to easily adjust pressure sensitivity and use intuitive touch gestures for easier navigation.
Advancements in laptop design support our customers’ sustainability goals, a critical factor when equipping a large workforce with new devices. The new Surface Laptop contains more recycled content than any other Surface device including 100% recycled rare earth metals in the magnets[ix] and featuring our first ever battery cell to make use of 100% recycled cobalt[x].
For the first time ever, we’re adding cellular connectivity to our Surface Laptop lineup. Surface Laptop 5G will be available later in 2025, enabling your team to work comfortably and productively from virtually anywhere. We’ll share more details on Surface Laptop 5G in the coming months.
The new Surface Laptop is a true business machine, designed to meet the needs of modern professionals and enhance productivity in any work environment.
Surface Pro for Business with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2)
Available starting Feb. 18, 2025, starting at $1,499.99 (MSRP)
Surface Pro is the go-to device for customers that are looking for a device that can do it all, offering powerful performance, incredible versatility and enterprise-grade security from Microsoft. It quickly adapts to your team’s needs, whether that is typing a report with a Surface Pro Keyboard[xi], taking notes with the Surface Slim Pen[xi] or using the AI-powered ultrawide camera to keep you in frame on Teams calls. With the versatile design of Surface Pro, it can replace the need to use a tablet and a laptop with one device that can give you the best of both.
The new Surface Pro is built with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), delivers up to 28% more performance[xii], up to 98% more graphics performance[vii] and up to 2x the battery life during Teams calls[xiii] compared to Surface Pro 9. It also features enhanced local AI processing power with an NPU to amplify your team’s intelligence, efficiency and creativity through Copilot+ PC experiences designed for work.
When paired with the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard[xi], Surface Pro transforms into a highly versatile Windows laptop. The keyboard can be used either attached or wirelessly, allowing users to adapt quickly and work efficiently in any environment, from the office to an airplane or train seat. This flexibility enables users to have a comfortable and premium typing experience that enhances productivity wherever they work.
The 13-inch PixelSense display extends the versatility of Surface Pro even further. It’s designed to be used easily with touch and pen input as a tablet or a laptop, and the anti-reflective and adaptive color technology helps users to clearly see the content on the screen in almost any lighting environment and reduces reflections by up to 50%. The new optional OLED display delivers new levels of peak brightness and immersive colors that improve readability in even fluorescent office lighting environments or even in direct sunlight.
Surface Pro also offers versatile and secure sign-in options. Customers can sign in with facial recognition with the built-in Windows Hello Camera or the built-in NFC reader with security keys like the YubiKey 5C NFC to securely get to work without using a password. Surface Pro is also certified for use with Imprivata Enterprise Access Management (EAM), enabling healthcare providers to tap their NFC-enabled badge or security key to quickly sign in and out. This enhances healthcare workflows and safeguards patient data by logging users off instantly, reduces errors by preventing clinicians from charting under the wrong profile, and increases productivity by providing fast and secure user switching.
Across industries – from retail to education – our customers call out the importance of sustainability in making device purchases, and Surface Pro is designed with those goals in mind. The enclosure is made with a minimum of 89% recycled content, including 100% recycled aluminum alloy and 100% recycled rare earth metals[xiv]. It is also designed for serviceability, with replaceable components such as the motherboard, battery, cameras and a removable SSD that can be accessed through an easy-to-open door behind the kickstand[xv].
Surface Pro is the perfect device for on the go productivity, delivering lightning-fast performance, AI-accelerated power, all in a thin, light and versatile package.
Secure by design and by default
In line with Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative commitment, security is our top priority, and we’re intently focused on designing our products to be secure by design and by default. We continually raise the bar to deliver robust defense against the evolving threat landscape for both our customers and the entire Windows ecosystem.
Windows 11, our most secure operating system yet, dramatically reduces exposure to attack by enabling advanced security tools and technologies by design and by default. This protects against phishing, malware, ransomware and other evolving threats.
Beyond Windows, every layer of a Surface device, from the hardware to the cloud is maintained and protected by Microsoft. This gives customers ultimate control, proactive protection and peace of mind wherever and however they work. Our team constantly thinks about how malicious actors could threaten your business and seamlessly ensures you always have the latest through Windows Update, ensuring you and your teams remain protected and secure.
Copilot+ PCs are the most secure Windows PCs ever, with the Microsoft Pluton security processor enabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs. Pluton, a chip-to-cloud security technology designed by Microsoft and embedded by silicon partners directly into the CPU, ensures Zero Trust principles at the core. This design helps protect sensitive information such as passwords, user identities and encryption keys from potential attacks. It acts as a secure vault within the computer, ensuring that even if someone gains physical access to the device, they cannot easily steal critical data.
Pluton receives regular updates directly from Microsoft, ensuring it always has the latest security features and protections against evolving threats. Microsoft is also working across the Windows ecosystem to update the capabilities of Pluton by introducing the Key Storage Provider (KSP) on Intel Core Ultra (Series 2), Snapdragon X Series and AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors. This will allow for more secure storage and management of cryptographic keys, further strengthening the overall security of the device, and we’ll share more details on this in the coming months.
This comprehensive approach ensures every layer of a Surface device is protected, providing a seamless and secure experience for users and peace of mind for IT professionals.
Learn more about what’s new with Microsoft Pluton on the Windows IT Pro Blog.
Unlocking AI productivity with Windows
These great new Surface Copilot+ PCs are part of an expanding ecosystem of Windows commercial solutions that serve every job, in every organization. We’re listening to our customers and providing them with more choice so that they can find a Copilot+ PC that fits every need.
At Ignite, we introduced several AI features that enhance workflows, and boost communication and collaboration by tapping into the NPU on Copilot+ PCs. One of these new experiences is the new and improved Windows Search experience[xvi]. It allows users to find files using associated words and phrases, without needing to remember exact file names or content for both local and active OneDrive for Business files. For example, users can find a document about sustainability by searching for “green presentation.” They can also search images based on their content, including text found in an image. Removing the need for precise keyword matching in file names or content can save valuable time, enabling users to intuitively search for files, information or settings in the ways that they can easily remember.
Windows, combined with Microsoft 365 and Surface devices, provides a powerful platform for businesses to securely boost productivity, simplify workflows and enhance collaboration. With tools like Windows Autopatch, Autopilot in Intune, and Windows Backup and Hotpatch, deploying and managing these new PCs securely has never been easier.
New Security Copilot in Surface Management Portal (Preview)
Available in public preview starting Feb. 24, 2025
Streamline the management of Surface devices within your organization with the Surface Management Portal in Microsoft Intune. This powerful tool provides IT admins with a centralized platform to monitor, manage and secure all Surface devices, ensuring they are always up-to-date and performing optimally. Capabilities like device health monitoring, warranty and servicing management help businesses maintain a secure and efficient IT environment, reducing downtime and enhancing productivity of their employees.
We are excited to share that later this month, customers will have access to Security Copilot in the Surface Management Portal. Copilot provides the power of generative AI in Intune to simplify and enhance the device management experience for IT admins.
With Copilot, IT admins can quickly search for and resolve specific device issues, summarize warranty information, and access support tickets and service orders related to their organization’s Surface devices. This reduces the time and effort needed for routine maintenance tasks, creating more time to focus on other initiatives. In addition, Copilot pulls contextually relevant data from your Intune-enrolled Surface devices along with public information into a single view, streamlining the management process and enhancing overall efficiency.
We’ve been in private preview with a select group of customers, allowing us to gather critical feedback and insights that have shaped the current experience. Starting Feb. 24, customers can join the public preview, and the insights and learnings we’ll gain can help us shape the future of the Surface Management Portal.
Learn more about Security Copilot in Surface Management Portal on the Surface IT Pro Blog.
New Surface USB4 Dock
Available starting Feb. 18, 2025, at $199.99 (MSRP)
Enhance your team’s workspace with the new Surface USB4 Dock, the essential dock for productivity and connectivity. Connect and power devices like the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with accessories via two USB-C, one USB-A, Ethernet and HDMI ports. This new dock delivers fast charging with the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with up to 65W power passthrough and enables fast data transfer of up to 40 Gbps. Dual 4K monitor support, via USB-C or HDMI transforms your workspace into a three-screen powerhouse.
New Surface Hub 3 experiences
Surface Hub 3 is the first-party Teams Rooms touch board. We’ve brought iconic Surface design together with the inclusive and collaborative Teams Rooms experiences that define the meeting space. It’s helped our customers create a consistent experience across Hub and other conference rooms and collaborative spaces, for both the teams meeting in those spaces and the IT administrators managing the technology.
Now, we’re partnering with Teams to bring new experiences to Surface Hub 3. Microsoft Edge on Surface Hub 3 will offer seamless access to websites, third-party web apps and personal content[xvii], with an easy-to-use home screen button for walk-up browsing. Edge will run in Kiosk Mode for privacy and security, and Edge sessions can be shared into Teams meetings.[xviii] General availability for Edge on Hub 3 is targeting Q3 2025.
Employees want the option to share content however is best for them – so we’re also adding Miracast support to Teams Rooms on Windows devices. Miracast makes it possible to wirelessly project content from a Surface PC to Surface Hub 3.
Learn more about the new experiences coming to Surface Hub 3 on the Surface IT Pro Blog.
Order today
With Windows 10 End-of-Support upcoming on Oct. 14, 2025, now is the time to transition your fleet from Windows 10 to Windows 11 with confidence. After providing 10 years of updates and support, Windows 10 PCs will no longer receive security or feature updates. Our focus is to help businesses and their employees stay protected and more productive by moving to Windows 11 PCs. Surface Copilot+ PCs are the ideal choice to modernize your business. They offer a powerful combination of hardware, software and unparalleled security, to support your business needs while future-proofing to take advantage of new Copilot+ PC experiences being released in the future.
As you trial and deploy Copilot+ PCs in your environment, consider Surface as your partner to unlock exclusive AI features to help drive bottom-line business results. With options for both Intel and Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, Surface provides the flexibility to meet your specific business requirements. Order your Surface Copilot+ PCs today and experience the future of business productivity.
Visit Surface.com/Business to learn more, find a partner or order the new Surface Pro and new Surface Laptop directly from the Microsoft Store. When shopping at Microsoft.com, customers can take advantage of free shipping and an extended 60-day price protection and return window.
Footnotes: [i] Surface Laptop with 5G will be available later in 2025 and not available in all areas. eSIM and 5G support are also not available in all areas; compatibility and performance depend on carrier network, plan and other factors. See carrier for details and pricing
[ii] Copilot for Microsoft 365 sold separately and requires a qualifying volume license or subscription. Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365.
[iii] Up to 22 hours of battery life based on local video playback test on Surface Laptop 15-inch, 7th Edition with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2). Based on local video playback test. Testing conducted by Microsoft in January 2025 using preproduction software and preproduction Surface Laptop 13.8-inch Intel Core Ultra 5 256GB, 16GB RAM devices and Surface Laptop 15-inch Intel Core Ultra 7 256GB, 16GB RAM devices. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback of a .mov file through the Windows Media Player application in 1080p at 24 FPS. All settings were default except screen brightness set to 150 nits with Auto-brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
[iv] 6GHz band not available in all regions.
[v] Integrated smart card reader available only on Surface Laptop 15-inch, 7th Edition with Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2). See Surface.com/Business for more information.
[vi] Tested January 2025 using CineBench 2024 Multi-Core benchmark. Up to 26% faster comparing Laptop 13.8-inch with Intel Core Ultra 7 processors to Surface Laptop 5 13.5-inch with Intel Core i7. Up to 12% faster comparing Surface Laptop 15-inch with Intel Core Ultra 7 processors to Surface Laptop 5 15-inch with Intel Core i7.
[vii] Based on 3D Mark WildLife Extreme Unlimited performance testing conducted by Microsoft in January 2025.
[viii] Based on a Microsoft Teams 10-person video call test. Testing conducted by third-party lab in January 2025 using preproduction software and preproduction Surface Laptop 15-inch, 7th Edition Intel Core Ultra 7 266V, 16GB RAM, 256 GB and Surface Laptop 5 15-inch Intel Core i7-1265U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during a Microsoft Teams 10-person video call. All settings were default except screen brightness set to 150 nits with Auto-brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Tested with Windows 11. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
[ix] Enclosure includes A Cover, C Bucket, D Cover. 100% recycled aluminum alloy in A Cover, C Bucket and SIM Tray. 100% recycled rare earth metals in magnets. Based on validation performed by Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. using Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Recycled Content, dated June 20, 2024.
[x] Contains 1.5% recycled cobalt, consisting of 100% recycled cobalt in the battery cell. Based on validation performed by Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. using Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Recycled Content, UL ECVP 2809-2, Second Edition, dated June 20, 2024.
[xi] Surface Pro Keyboard, Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, Surface Slim Pen sold separately.
[xii] Based on Cinebench 2024 multithread performance testing conducted by Microsoft in January 2025.
[xiii] Based on a Microsoft Teams 10-person video call test. Testing conducted by third-party lab in January 2025 using preproduction software and preproduction Surface Pro, 11th Edition Intel Core Ultra 7 236V, 16GB RAM, 256 GB storage and a Surface Pro 9 with an i7-1225U processor, 16GB RAM and 256GB storage. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during a Microsoft Teams 10-person video call. All settings were default except screen brightness set to 150 nits with Auto-brightness disabled. Wi-Fi was connected to a network. Tested with Windows 11. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.
[xiv] Enclosure includes bucket and kickstand. 100% recycled aluminum alloy in bucket. 100% recycled rare earth metals in magnets. Based on validation performed by Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. using Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Recycled Content, UL ECVP 2809-2, Second Edition, dated June 20, 2024.
[xv] Solid State Drive (SSD) Retention is only available on Microsoft Surface devices in which the SSD is marketed as removable per the Technical Specifications. Solid State Drive (SSD) Retention is included in both Extended Hardware Service Plus and Microsoft Complete for Business Plus and is also available as an Optional Add-on when purchasing Microsoft Extended Hardware Service and Microsoft Complete for Business. Devices returned to Microsoft with a missing Solid State Drive (SSD) are subject to a Solid State Drive (SSD) replacement fee unless the device is enrolled in the Drive (SSD) Retention offer.
[xvi] Releasing first to our Windows Insider community on Copilot+ PCs for select languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish) and file formats, starting early next year, before rolling out more broadly to our customers. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs
[xvii] Software license required.
[xviii] Pre-release product shown; subject to change prior to commercial release.
ATLANTA – Today Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Commissioner John King and leaders from industries across Georgia, unveiled his tort reform package that levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize insurance costs for businesses and consumers, increases transparency and fairness, and ensures Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
“As I said in my State of the State address earlier this month, our legal environment is draining family bank accounts and hurting job creators of all sizes in nearly every industry in our state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “After months of listening to our citizens, businesses, and stakeholders across the spectrum, it is clear the status quo is unacceptable, unsustainable, and jeopardizes our state’s prosperity in the years to come. This tort reform package protects the rights of all Georgians to have access to our civil justice system, and ensures that those who have been wronged receive justice and are made whole. I look forward to working with our partners in the General Assembly to pass this comprehensive and commonsense package, and achieve meaningful progress on this important issue during this legislative session.”
“My position on this important issue has always been the same,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “If we want to continue to be the No. 1 state in which to do business, we must foster a business-friendly climate. We have to work together to ensure that we put families and consumers first by tackling the hidden costs we all pay thanks to Georgia’s current tort laws. I look forward to working with those in the General Assembly to move these bills through the legislative process.”
“For a long time now, I’ve said that Georgia’s legal climate amounts to a hidden tax on families and small businesses, driving up costs and threatening our long-term future,” said Commissioner John King. “That’s the message we’ve heard across the entire state, too. The plan Governor Kemp is rolling out today will tackle a failed status quo, level the playing field in our courtrooms, and help ensure Georgia’s long-term prosperity and security. I’m all-in to help him get it across the finish line.”
“For an unprecedented eleven consecutive years, Georgia has been named the Number One Place to do Business,” said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. “Because of Governor Kemp’s leadership and efforts to maintain that designation, we have heard from countless businesses of every size across the state about the issues they are facing—and the consensus is clear. Our current legal environment is in need of common-sense reform. The House is looking forward to working alongside Governor Kemp and stakeholders throughout Georgia to balance the scales of justice in our courtrooms and return stability to our insurance markets—all while respecting the rights of our citizens with legitimate claims to be made whole.”
These much-needed reforms strike the right balance by protecting every Georgian’s constitutional right to civil justice while also bringing Georgia more in line with the legal environments of our neighboring states that we compete with for jobs and investment.
Below are the specific policy areas addressed by the legislation:
Reevaluates the Standard for Negligent Security Liability (“Premises Liability”): Ensures businesses should only be liable for what they directly control. If signed into law, the legislation would hold property owners liable for failures to keep their property safe for their customers and the public, but protect establishments for simply opening their doors and employing hardworking Georgians in communities and neighborhoods that need them.
Truthful Calculation of Medical Damages in Personal Injury Cases (“Phantom Damages”): Requires the plaintiff to only seek damages in the amount actually paid (or will be paid in the future) for a medical bill, rather than the inflated amount that is currently introduced in evidence – ensuring Georgians who are successful in their litigation are made whole, and have their costs covered, while protecting consumers from inflated costs being passed on to them.
Eliminates the Ability to Arbitrarily Anchor Pain and Suffering Damages to a Jury (“Anchoring”): Prohibits the use of anchoring tactics by attorneys in closing arguments so the jury can use their own discretion—rather than artificial benchmarks like the cost of fighter jets, or the number of miles a truck drove, or the salary of a professional athlete—all of which are real examples from cases.
This bill does NOT place ANY limit on the jury’s discretion. In fact, the Governor’s legislation protects the jury’s decision making from irrelevant and improper arguments from counsel – empowering the jury to decide an award amount on their own.
Bifurcated Trials: Permits a party in a case to move for bifurcation of the trial, so that liability must be established before the jury hears evidence detailing the extent of the plaintiff’s damages. This clarifies important procedure in the courtroom and gives both sides of a case the same opportunity to have their arguments heard.
Allow a Jury to Know Whether the Plaintiff Wore Their Seatbelt (“Admissible Seatbelt Evidence”): Remove the current exclusion from the evidence code that prevents the defendant from showing evidence the plaintiff was not wearing his or her seatbelt in an auto accident. Allowing admission of seatbelt evidence at trial may be used by the defense to mitigate damages, particularly where the plaintiff’s failure to use this essential safety feature results in significantly worse injuries for the plaintiff.
Eliminate Double Recovery of Attorney’s Fees: Closes an important loophole that allowed plaintiff’s counsel to recover their fees twice for the same lawsuit. Courts will remain able to award attorney fees—but only once.
Eliminate Plaintiff Dismissal During Trial: Amends the timeline for voluntary dismissals – putting an end to the practice of plaintiffs dismissing a case and refilling in or “cherry pick” a more favorable jurisdiction to them after the defense has already racked up the cost of preparing and beginning the trial.
Motion to Dismiss Timing Changes: Changes the civil practice act to allow a defendant to file a motion to dismiss in lieu of an answer – cutting down unnecessary discovery expenses while a motion to dismiss is pending.
Reforming and Bringing Transparency to Third Party Litigation Funding:
First, the legislation bans hostile foreign adversaries from using our litigation climate to undermine our vital security and economic interests – protecting Georgia businesses and consumers from foreign actors who may fund litigation to obtain trade secrets or advance their own political interests against the interests of the citizens of this state.
Second, the legislation protects consumers from predatory lenders that want to take advantage of litigants in vulnerable situations by prohibiting litigation funders from having any input into the litigation strategy or from taking the plaintiff’s whole recovery and making sure plaintiffs are aware of their rights.
Third, increases transparency for all parties—the courts, opposing litigants, and the plaintiffs themselves.
Above all, Governor Kemp’s tort reform package puts families and consumers first by tackling the hidden costs we all pay thanks to Georgia’s current tort laws.
You can watch the Governor unveiling this planhere.
Rouge Bouillon continues to remain closed between Clarendon Road and Palmyra Road as investigations continue into the stability of an adjacent building wall, affected by a burst water main.
The Government of Jersey is monitoring and facilitating ongoing meetings held with all relevant stakeholders to ensure public safety. These include Highways, Network Management, Drainage, Building Control, Jersey Water, CYPES and other key parties, alongside property owners impacted by the issue.
Statement from Constable Simon Crowcroft of St Helier: “I fully understand the frustration and inconvenience that the ongoing closure of Rouge Bouillon is causing for residents, businesses, and commuters.
“This is a highly complex situation involving multiple parties, and ensuring the safety of everyone remains our priority.
“We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the public as investigations and repair work continue. We hope to provide a firm timetable for the necessary works and the reopening of the road next week.
“The Minister for Infrastructure and I wish to see the Ring Road re-opened as soon as possible.
“In the meantime, I urge Islanders to continue using alternative routes where possible, and I thank everyone for their understanding during this challenging period.”
Current Status with investigatory and repair work:
private parties (residents and private owners) responsible for the affected buildings are undertaking detailed investigations and repair work, which are expected to take some time
the situation is highly complex with several adjacent walls & buildings that are unsafe and severely cracked
multiple parties are involved, including Infrastructure and Environment (I&E), Jersey Water, structural engineers, building surveyors, loss adjustors, and insurance companies.
Alternative routes and safety assurance
We have considered other options to manage the traffic around the closure however, the decision to retain the current traffic arrangement is based on the following factors:
reversing Clarendon Road poses additional safety risks for residents and pedestrians
allowing right-turn access onto Clarendon Road from Val Plaisant could cause severe traffic congestion, particularly near the Gyratory
•reversing Midvale Road, while potentially useful, would necessitate signal junction changes, creating confusion, complications, and further safety concerns.
We advise the traveling public to continue to avoid the area and use alternative routes to access town where possible.
Public impact
We understand that the closure has significant impacts on daily travel and local businesses. The road will only reopen once the buildings are stabilised and all risks of structural collapse have been mitigated.
Next steps
A further update on the situation will be provided in seven days.
MIAMI, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First American Bank is excited to announce the addition of Stephen Penney as the newest Associate Advisor to its team, furthering the bank’s efforts to build and grow its wealth management business in Florida. Stephen joins the bank from Deutsche Bank, bringing over 8 years of experience in the financial services industry. His deep expertise in wealth management, combined with a passion for client service, will be invaluable as the bank continues to expand its offerings and deliver personalized financial solutions to clients across the state.
In his own words, Stephen shared, “I joined First American Bank because of its strong family-owned foundation and commitment to client service. I’m excited to contribute to a growing institution with a clear vision for the future.”
As an Associate Advisor, Stephen will specialize in wealth planning, helping individuals, families, and businesses achieve their financial goals. He will leverage his extensive experience in financial services to craft tailored strategies that address clients’ unique needs.
About Stephen Penney Stephen Penney is a wealth management professional with over 8 years of experience in the financial sector. Prior to joining First American Bank, Stephen served as a client associate at Deutsche Bank, where he provided exceptional support to top advisors and high-net-worth clients. He also held the role of Investment Specialist on Bank of America’s trade desk. Stephen holds an MBA from the University of Florida, is FINRA licensed, and is actively pursuing the CFA designation.
Outside of his professional life, Stephen enjoys sailing on Biscayne Bay, learning to play golf, and spending time with friends and family.
First American Bank investment products are not FDIC insured, not bank guaranteed, and may lose value.
Contact: Teresa Lee 305-631-6400 tlee@firstambank.com
NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis, a WTW business, (NASDAQ: WTW), today announced the appointment of Pat Donnelly as the new Head of Risk & Broking (R&B), North America, reporting to Lucy Clarke, President, R&B.
Donnelly, a highly respected and accomplished leader in the insurance and risk management industry, brings a wealth of experience having held various leadership roles at Marsh, JLT and Aon.
Most recently, he has served as President, Specialty & Global Placement at Marsh. Donnelly joined Marsh as part of the acquisition of JLT. His other Marsh experience includes President, Marsh U.S. and Canada, overseeing the company’s insurance broking and risk advisory businesses across North America.
Earlier in his career, Donnelly was the CEO of JLT Specialty in North America, where he successfully built the company’s U.S. retail business. His extensive background also includes a significant tenure at Aon, where he held the position of Chief Broking Officer for U.S. Retail.
“We are so excited to welcome Pat as the new Head of Risk & Broking for North America. Pat is one of the leading figures in our industry globally, widely respected as a committed, inspirational and thoughtful leader by clients, carriers and colleagues. His experience makes him the perfect fit for this critical role.
“His leadership will be instrumental in driving growth, continuing and strengthening our specialist approach and ensuring that we deliver exceptional service and value to our clients.”
Donnelly will be based in Chicago and is expected to join WTW in the second quarter of 2025.
About WTW
At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.
Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.
NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Order.co, a B2B ecommerce platform that simplifies purchasing, today announced that it has been awarded the ‘Winter 2025 Leader’ Award in the Procurement and AP Automation categories by SourceForge, the world’s largest software review and comparison website.
“It’s my pleasure to award the ‘Winter 2025 Leaders’ on SourceForge,” said SourceForge President, Logan Abbott. “Order.co has been named a Leader this Winter in the Procurement and AP Automation categories, and their high volume of outstanding user reviews on SourceForge is a testament to the excellent solution they provide to their customers.”
The SourceForge Winter 2025 winners attained enough high ratings to place them in the top 5% of favorably reviewed products out of the 100,000 on SourceForge. Order.co boasts over 140 ratings on SourceForge from satisfied customers, with many sharing their excitement about the platform’s “easy, streamlined ordering.” Key features like consolidated monthly invoices with net terms, seamless GL coding, and real-time budget tracking have driven Order.co’s stellar customer reviews.
“We are proud to be recognized as a Winter 2025 Leader by SourceForge,” said Zach Garippa, CEO & Co-Founder of Order.co. “This award is especially meaningful to us because it comes directly from our customers. This recognition is a reflection of their experience using our product to solve their toughest procurement and accounts payable problems, and we’re incredibly grateful for their trust and partnership. We look forward to continuing to innovate and deliver value.”
About Order.co
Order.co is a procurement and accounts payable automation software that helps businesses cut costs and complexity with every order. Hundreds of companies, like WeWork and Hugo Boss, leverage Order.co to centralize purchase-to-pay workflows, scale operations, gain total control over spending, and save an average of 5% on products.
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York City, Order.co has raised $50M in funding from industry-leading investors like MIT, Stage 2 Capital, Rally Ventures, 645 Ventures, and more.
About SourceForge
SourceForge.net is the world’s largest software comparison directory, serving nearly 20 million users every month and featuring user reviews, product comparisons, software guides, and more. SourceForge’s mission is to help businesses find the best software to fit their needs and their budget.
Media Contact
Allison Reich Senior Manager of Brand, Content & Enablement Allison.reich@order.co
Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to return inflation to our 2% goal in a timely manner.
Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions. The statement also covers:
• how the economy is performing
• how we expect prices to develop
• the risks to the economic outlook
• the dynamics behind financial and monetary conditions
Published and recorded during our press conference on 30 January 2025
Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 30 January 2025 www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conf…_january.en.html
Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement, 30 January 2025 www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conf…418aa0f4.en.html
Monetary policy decisions, 30 January 2025 www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/20…0b29e622.en.html
Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 30 January 2025 www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conf…fb5af6f3189be827
European Central Bank
www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html
You can also listen on all major podcast platforms.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
VMD response to concerns raised following media reports of serious adverse events in cats administered Solensia.
The VMD is aware of media reports and concerns, including those raised on social media, following cases of serious adverse events in cats administered Solensia 7 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats.
Solensia 7 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats is an authorised injectable veterinary medicinal product containing the active substance frunevetmab. It is indicated for the alleviation of pain associated with osteoarthritis in cats.
The VMD assesses the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines before and after authorisation to ensure that the benefit-risk balance remains positive. The VMD’s Pharmacovigilance team monitors all reports of suspected adverse events (both adverse reactions and lack of efficacy reports) from authorised veterinary medicinal products that are submitted to the VMD from veterinary professionals and from animal owners.
The Veterinary Medicines Regulations also requires Marketing Authorisation Holders (MAHs) to monitor and report on the benefit-risk of their veterinary medicines on a continuous basis, including reporting adverse events within 30 days of awareness. All reports received by the VMD are evaluated and where appropriate, actions based on available data may be taken – for example adding additional warnings on the packaging or changing the way a product is used.
We would like to reassure veterinary professionals and cat owners that we are constantly reviewing adverse event report data to ensure that the overall benefits of each UK licensed veterinary medicine product, when used in accordance with its labelling, outweighs the risks posed by their potential adverse events.
As with any veterinary medicinal product marketed in the UK, Solensia has been subject to continuous monitoring since it was first authorised in February 2021.
No medicine is 100% risk free. The VMD does not publish specific adverse event data, however information on adverse events that have been known to occur following administration of a particular product are summarised in sections 3.6/4.6 of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC).
About the SPC
The SPC is a document describing the properties and the officially approved conditions of use of a medicine. The SPC and associated product information are updated as new information is available, and the latest version of an SPC can be found on our publicly available Product Information Database.
Product information also physically accompanies every authorised veterinary medicinal product when marketed and it is important for veterinary professionals to ensure that this information is reviewed prior to administering the product. A rolling 6-month list of Summary of Product Characteristic (SPC) changes for veterinary medicines can be found on the Connect monthly medicines update page Vet practice & supply.
The SPC and associated product information for Solensia, including a list of Post Authorisation Assessments that have occurred since the products were first authorised, can be found on this database.
The following adverse events were already listed in the product information: alopecia, dermatitis, pruritus, injection site reaction (e.g. pain and alopecia) and skin disorders (e.g. skin scab, skin sore).
Reporting incidence rate
Based on Periodic Safety Update Report data that has been received for Solensia since authorisation, the incidence of adverse events in animals was 0.0025.[i]
This means that according to the data the VMD has received, fewer than 3 animals have experienced a suspected adverse event for every 1000 doses of Solensia sold.
This includes reports where more than one product was used, reports when the product was used off-label, that is using a medicine in a way that is not specified on the product’s label, or reports where, on further evaluation, there were other reasons for the adverse reaction occurring. We will continue to review data as it is received, and further data-led actions will be taken if appropriate.
Jurisdictions
There may be differences in the data that appears on product information in different jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction follows specific legislation and guidelines which regulate the safety information to be included on the veterinary medicine label and information leaflet during the authorisation process and the procedures to change this label as necessary, once the medicine is placed on the market and following analysis of post-marketing pharmacovigilance data.
The reporting of adverse events is critical to increasing the volume of data available for ongoing monitoring in order to protect animal health, public health and the environment, and we strongly encourage reporting of adverse events by both veterinary professionals and animal owners.
To report an adverse event, we would advise veterinary professionals to contact the Marketing Authorisation Holder/MAH (pharmaceutical company) for the product and animal owners to contact their veterinary practice and/or the MAH for the product.
A MAH’s contact details can be found:
within the product information that comes with a medicine
The VMD does not give individual clinical advice, for advice on individual cases we would advise veterinary professionals to contact the MAH.
The VMD cannot help with complaints or concerns regarding the conduct of veterinary surgeons, including the way an animal has been treated using veterinary medicines. These concerns should be addressed to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
To receive these pharmacovigilance updates via email, please click on the ‘Get emails about this page’ button. In addition, changes to authorisations most relevant to vets are published monthly in the Vet Record (the official journal of the British Veterinary Association).
[i] Incidence of adverse events is rounded to 4 decimal places and is calculated by dividing the number of doses of a product sold during the period by the number of animals experiencing a suspected adverse event.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES KEATING, 52, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 20 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding his former employer of more than $1.4 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Keating was an Assistant Vice President and surety bond claims handler at Allied World Insurance Company (“Allied World”). He later served in the same capacity at Crum and Forster subsidiary U.S. Fire Insurance Company, where he also handled claims on Allied World surety bonds. All surety bond claims were handled through Allied World’s offices in Farmington, Connecticut.
Between 2017 and 2021, Keating defrauded Allied World in two ways. First, he used a shell company, American Construction & Industrial LLC, to bill Allied World for unnecessary claims work that was not performed and took the proceeds for himself. Second, he solicited and received kickbacks from Allied World vendors through another Keating-owned company, Surety Risk Solutions (also known as “SRS” or “SR5”), without the knowledge of his employer. Keating also caused these vendors to use another company in which he had an undisclosed ownership interest, Kodiak Asset Recovery, for asset searches at vastly inflated prices. Keating profited nearly $1 million through American Construction & Industrial LLC, more than $350,000 in kickbacks through Surety Risk Solutions, and nearly $125,000 through Kodiak Asset Recovery.
Judge Bolden ordered Keating to pay restitution of $1,226,603.97, which represents the loss to Allied World of $1,446,491.95, less $219,887.98 that he previously repaid as part of a civil judgment.
On July 30, 2024, Keating pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
WASHINGTON — At today’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing for Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) pressed Lutnick on conducting a fair census count, protecting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from Project 2025 threats, consulting with Hawai‘i leaders on Pacific fisheries decisions, and strengthening artificial intelligence (AI) safety.
First, Schatz asked Lutnick if he would pledge to carry out the census in an apolitical manner. Lutnick responded, “I promise you we will count each whole person. That’s what the Constitution says, and we will stick right to it rigorously.”
Schatz then questioned whether Lutnick agreed with Project 2025’s threat to “dismantle” NOAA, to which Lutnick replied, “No.”
Schatz also raised the issue of NOAA’s impact on the Hawai‘i Longline Fishery, asking, “Do I have your assurance that before NOAA, National Marine Fisheries, or anyone makes a move regarding our fishery in the Pacific that you will consult with our office, and our delegation, and the state of Hawai‘i?”
In response, Lutnick said, “I’d be delighted to consult with your office… On the things that matter to you, I will happily commit to working with your office. That sounds like it would make me better at my job, so I’d appreciate your input.”
Schatz brought up President Trump’s repeal of President Biden’s AI executive order, including potential impacts to the AI Safety Institute, asking, “What do we do in place of this and how quickly can we get it done? Because that part of this was one of the few things that we were not arguing about when it comes to AI policy.”
Lutnick said, “The Department of Commerce has the gold standard when it comes to cybersecurity standards, so I think AI standards along the lines of that gold standard, that same model will be very effective. So that if you think of it as standards, I think we can get bipartisan agreement that we can find the right way to set those standards.”
Schatz said he would continue to urge the Department of Commerce to ensure greater AI safety.
Since the previous Trump Administration attempted to interfere with the count for political purposes, Schatz has led efforts to ensure a fair census. He has introduced legislation to ensure any future proposed changes are studied and tested.
Video of Senator Schatz’s full exchange at today’s hearing is available here.
ProVen Growth and Income VCT plc Interim Management Statement for the nine months ended 30 November 2024
ProVen Growth and Income VCT plc (the “Company”) presents an Interim Management Statement for the nine-month period ended 30 November 2024. The statement also includes relevant financial information between the end of the period and the date of this announcement.
Performance
Unaudited 30-Nov 2024
Unaudited 31-Aug 2024
Unaudited 31 May 2024
Audited 29-Feb 2024
Pence
Pence
Pence
Pence
Net Asset Value per share (“NAV”)
51.7
51.5
54.7
54.7
Dividends paid since class launch (originally as ‘C’ Shares)*
79.90
79.90
78.40
78.40
Total Return (NAV plus dividends paid since ‘C’ Share class launch)
131.60
131.40
133.10
133.10
* Dividends paid represents dividends paid in respect of the Original ‘C’ Shares between their launch in 2006 up until their conversion in 2009 and as Ordinary Shares since the ‘C’ Share conversion. ‘C’ Shares were converted into Ordinary Shares on a one for one basis in 2009.
Dividends paid or declared On 5 November 2024, the Company announced an Interim dividend for the year ending 28 February 2025 of 1.25p per share. This dividend was paid on 17 January 2025 to Shareholders on the register at 20 December 2024. Payment of this dividend will reduce the NAV per share as shown above to 50.45p and increase dividends paid to date to 81.15p per share.
Investment portfolio summary at 30 November 2024 Portfolio summary
Cost
Valuation
Venture capital investments
£’000
£’000
Picasso Labs, Inc. (t/a CreativeX)
4,546
11,425
Luxury Promise Limited
6,020
9,360
MPB Group Limited
1,194
6,476
Gorillini NV (t/a Gorilla)
2,886
6,464
Social Value Portal Ltd
2,542
5,472
Dash Brands Ltd
3,282
5,277
Infinity Reliance Limited (t/a My 1st Years)
2,769
5,057
Utilis Israel Ltd (t/a Asterra)
2,144
4,803
Papier Ltd
4,703
4,703
Lupa Foods Limited
284
4,585
Other investments
81,716
60,970
Total investments
112,086
124,592
Cash and cash equivalents
39,655
Other net current assets
(2,186)
Net Assets
162,061
Unquoted investments are valued at fair values established using the International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines.
Investment activity during the three-month period ended 30 November 2024
Investment additions
There were no additions made in the quarter to 30 November 2024.
Investment disposals
Cost
Market value at 1 March 2024
Disposal proceeds
Gain against cost
Realised gain/ (loss) in period
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Lupa Foods Limited (loan repayment)
362
468
468
106
–
Buckingham Gate Financial Services Limited
–
150
155
155
5
362
618
623
261
5
Investment activity from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, a follow on investment was made in Social Value Portal Ltd at cost of £118,000.
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, Lupa Foods Limited was fully disposed of, realising £4,574,000 of proceeds for the Company. Commonplace Digital Limited was disposed of for consideration of shares in Zencity Technologies Ltd.
Changes to share capital
Ordinary Shares of 1.6187p each
As at 1 September 2024
315,001,048
Shares bought back during the 3 months to 30 November 2024
(4,402,488)
Shares issued during the 3 months to 30 November 2024
3,129,865
As at 30 November 2024
313,728,425
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, 1,797,547 Ordinary Shares were issued on 5 December 2024 pursuant to the offer for subscription that opened on 6 November 2024 and were allotted at an average price of 53.38p, based on the net asset value of 51.5p per Ordinary Share, being the net asset value as at 31 August 2024.
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, 1,094,340 Ordinary Shares were issued under the Company’s Dividend Reinvestment Scheme (“DRIS”) in relation to the dividend paid on 17 January 2025.
Offer for Subscription ProVen VCT plc and ProVen Growth and Income VCT plc (the “Companies”) announced on 6 November 2024 that they had published a Prospectus (comprising Securities Note, Registration Document and Summary) in respect of a combined offer for subscription to raise up to £30,000,000 (up to £15,000,000 for each Company) by way of an issue of new ordinary shares in the Companies, with an over-allotment facility of up to a further £10,000,000 (up to £5,000,000 for each Company).
Material events Other than the matters described above, there were no material events during the period from 1 September 2024 to 30 November 2024 or in the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement.
Further information Further information regarding the Company can be found on the Company’s website: www.proveninvestments.co.uk or by contacting Beringea, the Investment Manager at info@beringea.co.uk or by telephone 020 7845 7820.
Beringea LLP Company Secretary Telephone 020 7845 7820 -End
As the new year unfolds, it’s time to turn your dreams into reality with Samsung’s Blue Tag Sale, running from 13 January to 2 March 2025. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your home appliances, tech gadgets, or enhance your lifestyle, Samsung’s latest innovations are here to help you make your 2025 a year of progress and transformation.
Featuring cutting-edge products packed with advanced AI technology, Samsung is your partner in elevating your home and turning it into a space that works harder for you. We can help you turn last year’s dreams, into this year’s upgrade. From the kitchen to the living room, from productivity to entertainment, Samsung is committed to helping you create the home and lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.
Samsung believes in making your home a place where technology supports your goals and where AI-driven solutions empower you to live better, work smarter, and enjoy more. So start the new year with a Samsung upgrade that will elevate your home.
Thanks to this year’s Blue Tag Sale offers of up to 30% off, you can get a wide selection of Samsung products, each designed to enhance your personal, professional, and lifestyle goals. Whether you want a smarter, more efficient kitchen, a seamless entertainment setup, or a connected home, Samsung’s ground-breaking technology helps you level up in every area.
Deals to Jumpstart Your Year
Take advantage of the incredible Blue Tag Sale offers including these:
Side by Side Fridge, Non-Plumbed Water & Ice Dispenser, Gentle Black, 617L (RS64DG53R3B1FA) – Now at R29,999* (Save R2,100). The sophisticated, modern design of this fridge makes it a perfect addition to any kitchen.
Side by Side Fridge, Plumbed Water & Ice Dispenser, Gentle Silver, 617L (RS65DG54R3S9FA) – Now at R28,999* (Save R2,200). Samsung’s SpaceMax technology offers more storage capacity inside, while maintaining a sleek, space-efficient exterior.
These fridges deliver both functionality and style. They make smart living simple with SmartThings, enabling energy monitoring and usage patterns from the app. It is designed for families who need more from their home appliances. Plus, when you purchase any of the above fridges, you’ll receive a complimentary Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE 5G, allowing you to stay connected and productive throughout the year.
Redemption steps:
BUY
Simply purchase any participating refrigerators. Purchase on or before 23 February 2025.
COMPLETE
Complete the redemption form, upload all required documents before the 31 March 2025. Upon successful submission and verification, an email will be sent to the participant, who will receive their gift within 7 to 14 working days.
The Samsung Blue Tag Sale runs from 13 January – 2 March 2025, in Samsung stores, online, the Samsung Shop App, as well as participating retailers. Don’t miss out!
Headline: Calling all small business champions of the circular economy
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Launched in 2021, the Small Business Champions Initiative celebrates organisations that empower small businesses to participate and succeed in global trade. This year, the organisers – the International Chamber of Commerce, International Trade Centre and World Trade Organization’s Informal Working Group on Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises, in partnership with United Nations Trade and Development – will recognise concepts and initiatives that help small businesses embrace the circular economy.
Along with the recognition, the winners will be invited to Geneva for an award ceremony on 27 June 2025. The International Trade Centre will additionally award each winner US$4,000 prize money to support the development or further scaling of their winning project and issue an award certificate.
What are we looking for and who can participate?
Small businesses, enterprises, industry associations, chambers of commerce and non-governmental organisations leading initiatives such as awareness-raising campaigns, competitions, capacity building, training, mentoring and networking programmes related to the circular economy
Small businesses engaged in the circular economy with innovative business concepts that reduce, prevent or repurpose waste
All proposals must have a clear link to international trade and include an action plan (see past competitions for reference).
Submit your proposal
Proposals should be submitted through this form by 28 March 2025. The winning proposals will be jointly selected by representatives from the competition organisers. For additional information, consult this guide.
Related publication
Sustainability
Circular economy: Challenges and opportunities for businesses and policymakers
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Rubbish later caught fire, disrupting town – Lancashire and Devon men guilty of waste crime
Fire-ravaged unit at Westwood Business Park in Margate
Routine complaints about flies in a seaside town unearthed a vast cavern of illegally-stored waste.
No wonder the flies, as well as rats, were interested. David Weeks and Lee Brookes had built up a massive stockpile of rubbish, neatly packaged in black plastic.
The Environment Agency prosecuted the pair, resulting in suspended prison sentences totalling 20 months between them for filling a Margate warehouse with the waste.
It was spring 2017. As the weather warmed up, frustrated residents rang the local council to report swarms of flies close to an anonymous building.
Officials at Thanet District Council contacted the Environment Agency, which began an investigation. It discovered the illegal storage of thousands of bales of household and construction waste inside the building, unit P, on the Westwood Business Park.
Baled waste stored inside unit P before the fire.
A director of Devon-based DW Land Ltd, Weeks signed a one-year lease with the building’s owners at the start of 2017.
Lorry after lorry dumped waste
But no sooner was the ink dry on the lease that lorry after lorry began arriving in Margate from across the home counties – a procession of 220 vehicles over three months, offloading 6,000 blocks of waste and placed in the building.
Totnes businessman Weeks employed Brookes’ firm, OMC Outdoor Maintenance Company, of Whitworth, in Lancashire, to secure and manage unit P. Weeks told the Environment Agency he was the agent for two companies wanting the site for an energy-from-waste plant.
Judge Simon Taylor KC heard the waste had left legal sites in Hampshire and Hertfordshire, bound for the Kent coast, to be stored inside the building, but outside the law. Neither Brookes nor Weeks obtained an environmental permit for the storage of waste.
Risk became reality when building went up in flames
Matt Higginson, environment manager for the Environment Agency in Kent, said:
Weeks and Brookes profited financially from payments made to the sites where the waste originated and from its storage in Kent.
Not getting an environmental permit for the building, avoiding the cost and requirements of getting one, Weeks and Brookes gave themselves an unfair advantage over legitimate waste operators
A permit for the site would have required a plan to manage the risk of fire. Risk became reality when the building went up in flames. The disruption for local people went on for almost a month.
This case proves you must use firms authorised to take away your waste. Check the register of waste carriers’ licences on gov.uk.
Throughout 2017 and 2018, Weeks and Brookes gave the Environment Agency several excuses as to why they couldn’t clear the waste from the building.
On 18 September that year, the building caught fire. Kent Fire and Rescue Service fought the blaze for 25 days. At its peak, rubbish burst out of the packaging. Although no cause for the fire has ever been found, roads and businesses had to close, and the disruption led to operations cancelled at the local hospital.
View of fire-ravaged unit P at Westwood Business Park in Margate.
It was only a year later, towards the end of 2019, and almost three years after the first delivery of rubbish, what waste survived the fire was finally removed by the battered building’s new owner.
Weeks and Brookes gave scant assistance to the Environment Agency’s investigation. Even after the fire, the pair kept a very low profile.
David Weeks, 55, of School Hill, Totnes, Devon, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. He also to pay £5,000 in costs, and a victim surcharge of £140.
Judge Taylor also gave Weeks 150 hours unpaid work and 20 hours of rehabilitation activity aimed at preventing him from reoffending. He’ll have to wear an electronic tag to monitor his daytime movements for the next two months.
Lee Brookes, of Tonacliffe Way, Whitworth, Lancashire, received a sentence of four months in prison, suspended for a year. He was also given 80 hours of unpaid work and the same 20 hours of rehabilitation programme. The court also ordered the 49-year-old to pay costs of £1,000 and a £115 victim surcharge.
At the hearing on 21 January, the court was told Weeks was fined almost £10,000 seven years ago for his part in the management of a site in Plymouth where 13,000 tonnes of wood was stored illegally.
The two men pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to knowing their respective companies, DW Land and OMC Maintenance, ran the waste operation in Margate without an environmental permit between 13 January 2017 and 22 August 2019, against regulation 12 (1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
DW Land Ltd, of Paignton Road, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon, and OMC Outdoor Maintenance Company Ltd, also of Tonacliffe Way, Whitworth, Lancashire, are no longer trading.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City Political Economy Research Centre, City St George’s, University of London
After six months of talking down the economy and warning of tough times ahead, the UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has changed her tune. She is now much more optimistic about Britain’s economic prospects and has announced a raft of measures including major pension reforms designed to unlock cash to boost growth and productivity.
But Labour’s political problem is that none of her plans will have an immediate impact on the UK’s anaemic growth rate – the economy has virtually flatlined for the last six months. From day one Reeves has put growth at the centre of her plans, and a lack of it will mean tough choices in the spring, when she must spell out government spending plans for the next three years.
The government is focusing on a wide range of “supply side” reforms, including unleashing pension funds to invest in Britain, as well as relaxing the planning system and building infrastructure – many of which have an uncanny resemblance to measures once proposed by former prime minister Liz Truss.
At the heart of these plans is a big increase in investment in infrastructure to boost productivity – things like roads, public transport and technology – where Britain lags behind its major rivals.
But there’s a big catch. The independent spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), estimates that it will take years – or even decades – for infrastructure projects to transform the British economy, with only a 0.1% boost in growth in the near term for every additional 1% on public investment.
Without other measures that have a more immediate impact, the political risk to Labour is that its pledge to make everyone better off may feel hollow to voters.
The challenges are particularly acute for big transport projects, as the debacle of HS2 illustrates. Even with changes to the planning system, work on expanding Heathrow airport is unlikely to start before 2030. And major projects like the Lower Thames crossing between Kent and Essex and the Sizewell C nuclear reactor in Suffolk have been in the planning stage for nearly 20 years.
Electricity supply is another crucial area, with the need for more renewable energy and an expansion of the grid. This will now need to be financed largely by private capital as the government has scaled back its “green new deal”.
So how exactly will all these big plans be financed? The government is hoping to unleash additional investment from the UK pension fund industry, by changing the rules to allow defined benefit (sometimes called final salary) schemes with surpluses to invest more widely.
Although there is currently £160 billion available in these schemes, this could change if interest rates fall. It is also not clear how attractive such UK infrastructure investment would even be. Many projects, such as in privatised industries like water and electricity, will at least partly be funded by increased charges to consumers.
The government’s own spending plans to increase public investment are relatively modest. These plans bring government capital spending (which allows for borrowing under the fiscal rules) just slightly above the historic average.
Planning reform could also prove problematic. Although the government is changing some of the rules, especially in relation to housebuilding, planning decisions will be still made by local authorities. In many cases these will face strong local opposition, potentially delaying decisions.
This points to the larger political problem for the government. The changes will not eliminate the tension between the government’s growth and environmental objectives, with the latter potentially a crucial issue in many of the marginal seats won by Labour in the last election.
Heathrow expansion will put the government’s climate targets in serious jeopardy. Dinendra Haria/Shutterstock
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the need to pull out the “weeds” of regulation as vital to growth plans. He has already sacked the head of the key regulatory agency, the Competition and Markets Authority. But allowing more consolidation of British industry could create monopolies, which tend to raise prices, increase profits and neglect investment.
There are even greater concerns over possible deregulation of the financial sector, which could abolish many of the safeguards established after the global financial crisis in 2008.
What’s missing?
The government is much less clear on what it is going to do about the supply of skilled labour than the availability of capital. Shortages of skilled workers could limit progress on these big infrastructure projects if workers are also needed to build housing.
Government plans for boosting skills training, and the funding for further and higher education, are still works in progress. Meanwhile, limits on immigration will reduce the number of skilled construction workers. And the details of the government’s plan to boost the labour force by getting more people on disability benefit back to work have yet to be spelled out.
As Labour sets out its long-term growth plan, dark clouds are looming. In particular, in global terms the British economy is one of the most dependent on international trade and investment. But most of its trade is with its two largest trading partners – the EU and the USA.
Growing protectionism in the US, coupled with a lack of access to EU markets caused by Brexit, could have a significant effect on Britain’s growth. The UK economy is projected by the IMF to grow by just 1.6% this year, which is still weak by historic standards.
It may be of little consolation to the public if this is higher than in France and Germany. Reeves may well find that’s simply not enough to satisfy the expectations of voters.
Steve Schifferes 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: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that MICHAEL BRIAN DEPETRILLO, (“DEPETRILLO”), age 43, from New Orleans, was charged, on January 27, 2025, in a bill of information with violating Title 7, United States Code, Section 13(a), the Commodity Exchange Act.
According to the bill of information, DEPETRILLO was not properly registered as a Commodity Pool Operator (“CPO”) or an Associated Person (“AP”) of a CPO with the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). DEPETRILLO, through various companies including, Meteor, LLC; NOLA FX Capital Management, LLC; ELC Enterprise Solutions, LLC; and Argosapolis, LLC, acted as a CPO and AP of a CPO and embezzled client funds in violation of federal law. DEPETRILLO, while acting as an AP of unregistered CPOs, represented to victim investors that their funds would be pooled and invested in the NOLA FX FUND, that would be used to trade foreign currency pairs on a leveraged, margined, or financed basis (“retail forex”).
DEPETRILLO told investors that pooling their funds would be beneficial to them. DEPETRILLO further represented to certain investors, that either METEOR or NOLA FX CAPITAL managed the NOLA FX FUND. In at least one representation, however, DEPETRILLO identified “NOLA FX Capital,” not the NOLA FX FUND, as the pooled investment vehicle. DEPETRILLO lured investors by claiming he was investing their funds by trading in the foreign currency exchange, gold futures options, stocks, and cryptocurrency. Instead of trading as promised, DEPETRILLO misappropriated pool funds. DEPETRILLO then used these misappropriated pool funds to: (1) make lulling payments to existing pool participants; (2) pay his personal expenses, such as rent, private air travel, and online gambling; and (3) trade in his personal trading accounts. To conceal DEPETRILLO’s misappropriation, he created and issued fictitious account statements in the names NOLA FX FUND and NOLA FX CAPITAL. The fictitious account statements purported to show that: (1) DEPETRILLO had traded forex using pool participant funds, and (2) the NOLA FX FUND and NOLA FX CAPITAL had achieved significant trading returns for pool participants because of his profitable forex trading. In fact, DEPETRILLO never deposited pool participant funds into trading accounts belonging to NOLA FX FUND or NOLA FX CAPITAL, and he never achieved the trading returns represented on the false account statements. DEPETRILLO also did not set up the forex pool in the manner required by the regulations, did not receive pool participant funds in the name of the forex pool, and commingled pool participant funds with his own funds. DEPETRILLO took in approximately $9.2 million in investor funds from approximately 60 victim investors during a seven-year period.
If convicted, DEPETRILLO faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, plus the amount of any proceeds, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans stated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). The FBI is seeking information that may help identify potential victims of DEPETRILLO’s fraudulent scheme. FBI encourages the public to report any information to http://fbi.gov/depetrillovictims.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit and Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Nikolaos Kargopoulos, Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town
Giraffes are among the world’s most recognisable animals. With their elongated necks and long legs, their gracious movements and unique coat patterns, they have inspired people’s imaginations for centuries.
But is a giraffe just a giraffe? Or is there more variety between the animals at a genetic level than is evident just from looking at them?
For more than a decade many researchers have compared the DNA of giraffes from all parts of Africa. These studies have revealed that there are four distinct giraffe species: the southern (Giraffa giraffa), Masai (Giraffa tippelskirchi), reticulated (Giraffa reticulata), and northern (Giraffa camelopardalis) giraffe.
Different giraffe species face different risks. Some are among the most threatened large mammals in the world. While the southern and the Masai giraffe are relatively numerous and their populations estimated at approximately 45,000 and 50,000 individuals respectively, the situation does not look quite as rosy for the reticulated and the northern giraffe. Based on the latest estimates from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), only 16,000 and 6,000 individuals respectively remain in the wild.
Therefore, it is critical to verify whether there are indeed different species of giraffe or not so that direct conservation efforts for the most threatened species can be increased before it’s too late.
The concept of species is fundamental in biology – but there is no consensus on its definition. There are many different approaches depending on individual scientists’ points of view. The best possible way to clarify the taxonomy (the system that organises living entities into groups) of organisms is through multiple approaches.
But there haven’t been many based on their skulls. That’s where our new study comes in. By examining the skulls of more than 500 giraffes from across the African continent, we were able to show that there are significant differences in the skull shapes of the different types of giraffe – and confirm that there are four species.
Giraffe skulls are important to the animals’ reproduction and evolution. That’s because of their ossicones, the horn-like structures that are longer and wider in males than in females.
The size and shape of the ossicones is important in the dominance of males and their mating success with female giraffe. While some preliminary data already suggested some potential differences in the ossicone morphology between the giraffe species, limitations on the available specimens and the methodologies at the time reduced the validity of the results.
For our research we used state-of-the-art equipment and methodologies, and we studied more than 500 giraffe skulls from all over Africa. The skulls were directly sampled in the field from across their natural range in Africa, as well as museum collections, wildlife authority offices, and taxidermists in different countries in Africa, Europe and the US.
Map showing the geographical range of the extant giraffe species and subspecies as well as representative male skulls of each subspecies in lateral view. Kargopoulos et al 2024, CC BY
This extensive study required help from many different partners. While the project was initiated and guided by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the University of Cape Town, many colleagues in Africa, Europe and North America contributed.
We used a handheld 3D scanner to capture the skulls’ shape in 3D. Then we used 3D geometric morphometrics methods to compare the shape of the giraffe skulls and find out if we could group them and find any significant differences. We chose so-called landmarks – specific points on the skulls – and captured their coordinates in space (their 3D distance from the centre of mass of the skull).
Finally, specialised software was used to compare the differences in the coordinates of landmarks between our specimens and to conduct statistical analyses to show if these differences were significant or not.
Skull variations
These rigorous analyses allowed us to show skull variations between four species.
These differences mostly concerned the ossicones. But there were also minor differences in their face, eye sockets, the region around the teeth, and the back part of the skull.
The most striking difference concerned the median ossicone of the males. This is a smaller third ossicone situated in the midline of the skull above their eyes. We determined that there is a general trend in the size and shape of this ossicone that follows geography and taxonomy. In southern giraffe, the third ossicone is practically a small protrusion; in northern giraffe it is large and pointed; the Masai and reticulated giraffe have ossicones that are somewhere between those two forms.
Such differences are likely important in the way individuals of a species recognise each other, thus affecting their reproductive success. Males with more developed ossicones intimidate their rivals to gain access to territory and females.
Attention for individual species
Our study is confirmation of what scientists have known for almost a decade and supports the taxonomic split of the giraffe.
We strongly believe that the IUCN needs to stand tall for these animals and reassess their status. It is time for each giraffe species to get separate and enhanced attention, both locally and internationally, in particular when it comes to their conservation. Giraffes and their wild habitats must be protected before it’s too late.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
For the International Holocaust Remembrance Day the ECB held a ceremony on Monday, 27 January 2025 in the Grossmarkthalle Jewish memorial.
The European Central Bank annually commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, including those deported from Frankfurt’s Grossmarkthalle. This year, we feature a special photo exhibition, “Survivors, Faces of Life after the Holocaust,” by renowned photographer Martin Schoeller. The exhibition showcases 56 portraits of Holocaust survivors, including Maurice Gluck, who was also present for a discussion.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
In recent days, information attacks by fraudsters have resumed, with their victims most often being students from Russian universities.
Students of the State University of Management are receiving calls allegedly from the GUU Testing Center demanding that they provide a password for the “Gosuslugi” portal. In fact, the Testing Center does nothing of the sort now. Be careful! These are scammers! Do not give your password to anyone under any circumstances!
Recently, the following blackmail scheme has also been used: on behalf of university employees or security officials, information is anonymously conveyed to a potential victim that money for the Ukrainian Armed Forces was transferred from his card (or corresponding notes were made in his personal file). In order to supposedly “rehabilitate” himself, cybercriminals offer to complete tasks for the “curator”. Do not do anything under any circumstances!
Fraudsters may have a set of personal data. By substituting numbers and forging voices, they gain the victim’s trust and put pressure on them on behalf of the rector, a representative of the FSB or the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Be extremely vigilant!
What to do if you receive a call or message that you are not sure is authentic or that scares you, makes you wary, or calls for immediate action in your own interests: – end the conversation immediately, do not correspond with unfamiliar users; – inform your immediate supervisor or teacher about what happened; – check the identity of the contact – if the caller or writer from an unknown number introduces himself as someone you know, contact him at the current number.
Remember that scammers are in no hurry and can “accompany” you for a long time, contacting from different numbers on behalf of different people. Do not take any urgent actions, take a break to understand the situation and not become a victim. For example, briefly describe the situation in a search engine and add the word “scammers”. Most likely, a similar scheme will already be described on the Internet, and you will see that they are trying to deceive you.
Vigilance, caution, calmness and critical thinking will help you in any difficult situation, do not give in to panic and fear!
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/30/2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
The focus of the meeting will be on cutting edge ideas, approaches, and tools in the area of statistical data editing. In addition to the traditional presentations, the agenda of the meeting anticipates interactive discussions related to particular topics within this field.
The target audience of the expert meeting includes senior and middle-level methodologists, statisticians and researchers, working on editing and imputation of statistical data derived from surveys, censuses, administrative and external sources.
Moving towards the standardized process of automatic statistical data editing using machine learning techniques – Ieva Burakauskaitė (State Data Agency, Statistics Lithuania)
Full conditional distributions for handling restrictions in the context of automated statistical data editing – Christian Aßmann (Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories)
Application of the MissForest algorithm for imputing income variables in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions – Blandine Bianchi (Swiss Federal Statistical Office)
Assessment of Manual vs Automated Survey Editing and Imputation – Sean Rhodes (U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service)
Lightning Talk: Random forest imputation of nutritional information for statistics on food consumption in Norway – Magne Furuholmen Myhren (Statistics Norway)
Session 4: Selective editing and outlier detection
Detecting Extreme Numerical Outliers in Trade Data: A Novel Method for Highly Asymmetric Distributions – Andrea Cerasa (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)
The European One-Stop-Shop for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Official Statistics (AIML4OS): WP8 Use Case focused on data editing – Steffen Moritz (Destatis, Germany)
The European One-Stop-Shop for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Official Statistics (AIML4OS): WP9 Use Case focused on imputation – David Salgado (Statistics Spain)
Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
About the meeting
The workshop will address questions of business and data ethics in the current evolving landscape of Official Statistics. With adoption of new technologies and methodologies, old policy and guidelines of National Statistical Offices are no longer cover all aspects of business operations, so progress in data ethics is now more important than ever. Business ethics is also gaining importance, as NSOs must act as moral agents upholding ethical behavior. Addressing both these questions is essential to maintain public trust and credibility in an evolving and data driven environment.
The target audience of the includes senior and middle-level managers responsible for business, institutional and data ethics in their NSOs. As well as communication experts who handle ethical issues within their NSOs.
Detailed information and examples of topics to be covered in the meeting, registration, contributions and other organizational aspects can be found in Information Notice #1.
Do statistical ethics apply equally to all – NSOs and other official statistics producers, whether regional/international or other national statistical authorities? Andreas Georgiou (Amherst College)
Revision of the Swiss Official Statistics Charter: opportunities and risks. Peter Laube (Swiss Ethics Council for Official Statistics), Marcus Baumann (Federal Statistical Office, Switzerland)
Rules of Professional Ethics in the State Statistics Bodies of the Republic of Belarus. Volha Pazharytskaya (National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus)
Towards a data ethics program for the Australian Bureau of Statistics: Considering privacy, ethics and trust for our innovative data uses. Joanne Hillermann (ABS, Australia)
Building trust culture in the office – examples of ethics-driven proactive internal communication at Statistics Poland. Anna Borowska and Olga Świerkot-Strużewska (Statistics Poland)
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lumia Foundation and SEN Group have officially commenced construction and tokenization of the highly anticipated Lumia Towers by SEN, the first project under their landmark $1 billion real estate tokenization agreement. Valued at $220 million, the twin towers will redefine modern urban living by integrating luxurious residential spaces with Turkey’s first dedicated crypto hub.
Located in Istanbul, Turkey, the Lumia Towers by SEN project symbolizes a powerful collaboration between Lumia Foundation, created by US-based visionaries Kal and Yanush Ali, and Turkey’s SEN Group, a leader in sustainable and earthquake-resistant real estate development.
A vision introduced in Davos
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Lumia Foundation’s co-founder Yanush Ali, Chief Blockchain Architect Deniz Dalkilic, and Chief Product Officer Diego Grassano, presented the Lumia Towers by SEN project and the broader tokenization initiative. Their series of presentations, hosted by Webit, CVLabs, and Blue Hat Founders, emphasized how blockchain technology can revolutionize real estate markets and empower global investors.
“This is our debut at Davos, and we’re honored to be here at the invitation of our partner Binance, who has been instrumental in supporting Lumia as the only full-cycle RWA blockchain,” said Yanush Ali, co-founder of Lumia Foundation. “Events like these define global industry trends, and asset tokenization is poised to become a major focus for 2025. That’s why we chose the World Economic Forum as the stage to announce our groundbreaking $220 million twin skyscraper project in Istanbul. This development isn’t just a milestone for us—it’s a statement. We’re tokenizing the entire project, creating Turkey’s first Crypto hub, and setting a new standard for innovation in real estate and blockchain technology.”
Diego Grassano, reflecting on the project’s innovation, remarked: “With Lumia Towers, we are not just building structures; we are building opportunities. Tokenization allows anyone, anywhere, to become a part of something extraordinary.”
Deniz Dalkilic highlighted the blockchain aspect: “Our mission is to create a seamless bridge between Real World Assets and DeFi ecosystems. Lumia Towers is just the beginning of what blockchain can achieve in transforming industries.”
Empowering small investors By tokenizing real estate properties, Lumia Foundation aims to democratize access to high-value investments. Traditional real estate investments often require significant capital, making them inaccessible to smaller investors. However, with the Lumia Towers by SEN project, token ownership begins at just $1, enabling investors worldwide to participate.
This innovation aligns with the growing trend of Real World Assets (RWA), a market projected to reach $10 trillion by 2030. Lumia Foundation’s efforts are further amplified by its collaboration with Binance, with the two organizations sponsoring Webit, a leading technology and innovation event.
A milestone for blockchain and real estate The $1 billion framework agreement between Lumia and SEN Group is a testament to the potential of combining blockchain with real estate development. The construction of Lumia Towers by SEN is not just a step forward for the partnership but a significant contribution to Turkey’s economic growth and global leadership in blockchain innovation.
“This partnership represents the perfect synergy of cutting-edge technology and real-world application,” said Kal Ali, co-founder of Lumia Foundation. “Turkey has enormous potential to set new standards in innovation, and we are proud to be a part of this transformative journey.”
About Lumia Foundation Lumia Foundation is a next-generation blockchain platform focused on tokenizing Real World Assets and integrating them into the DeFi and Web3 ecosystems. Created by US-based visionaries Kal and Yanush Ali, Lumia combines innovative technology with a vision for financial inclusion.
About SEN Group SEN Group is a Turkish real estate developer specializing in sustainable and earthquake-resistant housing. Known for its innovative construction techniques, the company is committed to advancing Turkey’s urban landscape with cutting-edge technologies
Disclaimer: This content is provided byLumia Foundation. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
ProVen VCT plc Interim Management Statement for the nine months ended 30 November 2024
ProVen VCT plc (the “Company”) presents an Interim Management Statement for the nine-month period ended 30 November 2024. The statement also includes relevant financial information between the end of the period and the date of this announcement.
Performance
Unaudited 30-Nov 2024
Unaudited 31-Aug 2024
Unaudited 31 May 2024
Audited 29-Feb 2024
Pence
Pence
Pence
Pence
Net Asset Value per share (“NAV”)
64.0
62.9
65.6
65.2
Dividends paid up to date*
86.00
86.00
84.25
84.25
Total Return (NAV plus dividends paid since 10p Share consolidation)
150.00
148.90
149.85
149.45
*Dividends paid represent dividends paid since the consolidation of 5p Ordinary Shares into 10p Ordinary Shares in October 2012. Prior to this date, the Company paid dividends totalling 113.95p on the 5p Ordinary Shares.
Dividends paid or declared On 5 November 2024, the Company announced an Interim dividend for the year ending 28 February 2025 of 1.5p per share. This dividend was paid on 17 January 2025 to Shareholders on the register at 20 December 2024. Payment of this dividend will reduce the NAV per share as shown above to 62.5p and increase dividends paid to date to 87.5p per share.
Investment portfolio summary at 30 November 2024 Portfolio summary
Cost
Valuation
Venture capital investments
£’000
£’000
MPB Group Limited
1,684
10,230
Gorillini NV (t/a Gorilla)
4,624
9,074
Luxury Promise Limited
5,680
8,928
Infinity Reliance Limited (t/a My 1st Years)
4,731
7,440
Picasso Labs, Inc. (t/a CreativeX
2,729
5,706
Access Systems, Inc. (t/a AccessPay)
3,737
5,661
Social Value Portal Ltd
2,458
5,351
Farmer J Limited
3,670
5,314
Lupa Foods Limited
309
4,925
Moonshot CVE Ltd
2,298
4,680
Other Venture Capital investments
83,269
63,099
Total Venture Capital investments
115,189
130,408
Cash and cash equivalents
43,438
Other net current assets
(1,799)
Net Assets
172,047
Unquoted investments are valued at fair values established using the International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines.
Investment activity during the three-month period ended 30 November 2024
Investment additions
There were no additions made in the quarter to 30 November 2024.
Investment disposals
Cost
Market value at 1 March 2024
Disposal proceeds
Gain against cost
Realised gain/ (loss) in period
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Lupa Foods Limited (loan repayment)
385
502
502
117
–
Buckingham Gate Financial Services Limited
–
57
59
59
2
385
559
561
176
2
Investment activity from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, a follow on investment was made in Social Value Portal Ltd at cost of £132,000.
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, Lupa Foods Limited was fully disposed of, realising £4,914,000 of proceeds for the Company. Commonplace Digital Limited was disposed of for consideration of shares in Zencity Technologies Ltd.
Changes to share capital
Ordinary Shares of 10p each
As at 1 September 2024
268,709,951
Shares bought back during the 3 months to 30 November 2024
(3,030,427)
Shares issued during the 3 months to 30 November 2024
3,343,547
As at 30 November 2024
269,023,071
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, 1,930,047 Ordinary Shares were issued on 5 December 2024 pursuant to the offer for subscription that opened on 6 November 2024 and were allotted at an average price of 65.03p, based on the net asset value of 62.9p per Ordinary Share, being the net asset value as at 31 August 2024.
In the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement, 1,103,805 Ordinary Shares were issued under the Company’s Dividend Reinvestment Scheme (“DRIS”) in relation to the dividend paid on 17 January 2025.
Offer for Subscription ProVen VCT plc and ProVen Growth and Income VCT plc (the “Companies”) announced on 6 November 2024 that they had published a Prospectus (comprising Securities Note, Registration Document and Summary) in respect of a combined offer for subscription to raise up to £30,000,000 (up to £15,000,000 for each Company) by way of an issue of new ordinary shares in the Companies, with an over-allotment facility of up to a further £10,000,000 (up to £5,000,000 for each Company).
Material events Other than the matters described above, there were no material events during the period from 1 September 2024 to 30 November 2024 or in the period from 1 December 2024 to the date of this announcement.
Further information Further information regarding the Company can be found on the Company’s website: www.proveninvestments.co.uk or by contacting Beringea, the Investment Manager at info@beringea.co.uk or by telephone 020 7845 7820.
Beringea LLP Company Secretary Telephone 020 7845 7820 -End
Oxford City Council’s Planning Committee approved the planning application for the redevelopment of Oxpens on 21 January 2025.
“After years of land assembly, the redevelopment of Oxpens is an important step forward for Oxford and we’re pleased it has been approved so it can advance to the next stage.
“This is a unique opportunity to redevelop one of the city’s largest remaining brownfield sites and is the largest housing development site in the city centre for generations. It will transform the area and kick start the wider regeneration of Oxford West End, helping it to realise its full potential.
“Oxpens will deliver much-needed housing, with 50% being affordable, provide high-quality office and laboratory space in a highly sustainable location for jobs, a new hotel and public spaces, including an outdoor amphitheater, 750sqm of publicly accessible playspace, and improved walking and cycling routes.
“The plans will create new opportunities for residents and businesses, supporting economic growth and helping to build a better future for our city.”
Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member Business, Culture and Inclusive Economy
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda has named Natalia Díez Riggin as Senior Advisor and Acting Director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs.
“I’m thrilled that Natalia has joined us after her tenure working for Chairman Scott on the Senate Banking Committee,” Acting Chairman Uyeda said. “Her expertise will help guide us as we focus our efforts at the SEC on capital formation and ensuring companies aren’t impeded by ineffective regulation.”
Ms. Riggin joined the SEC after serving as a Senior Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for Chairman Tim Scott of South Carolina. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Legislative Director for U.S. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana as well as Staff Director for the Economic Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Banking Committee. Earlier in her career, Ms. Riggin served as a policy aide to U.S. Senators Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Mark Kirk of Illinois, respectively. Ms. Riggin received a B.A. in political science and history from the University of Illinois Chicago.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard is visiting Peru on 30–31 January. Her visit will include a meeting with Peru’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmer Schialer. Ms Malmer Stenergard will also host the Sweden Peru Mining Summit at which Government representatives, companies and agencies from Sweden and Peru will discuss sustainable mining and the green transition.
“I look forward to visiting Peru together with Swedish companies to discuss how we can better cooperate on key issues to promote sustainable mining, and to deepen our countries’ cooperation on business issues, the green transition and innovation,” says Ms Malmer Stenergard.
The aim of the visit is to solidify and develop the already good relations between Sweden and Peru and to further strengthen political and economic ties. Sweden and Peru have a long history of bilateral relations stretching back some 90 years. Peru is a vital partner for Sweden in the region. The visit presents opportunities to broaden and deepen cooperation on investment, trade and the green transition and sustainability, as well as developing our security dialogue.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Solaja Mayowa Oludele, Lecturing, Olabisi Onabanjo University
Plastic waste in Nigeria presents a dual challenge: cleaning up environmental pollution, and tapping into its economic potential.
Many countries worldwide face similar challenges. India, for one, has chosen policies that give producers of plastic the responsibility to manage their waste. Rwanda has banned single-use plastic and promoted recycling initiatives led by communities.
These approaches show it’s possible to address plastic waste issues while fostering economic opportunities.
In Nigeria, informal collectors of plastic bottle waste are central to achieving both of these goals. They turn waste into monetary value.
Previous research has highlighted the environmental and economic benefits of collecting plastic bottle waste. There’s been less attention on what shapes perceptions of waste collection as a business, particularly in Nigeria.
This article explores that gap, looking at the socio-cultural, economic and environmental influences on those perceptions.
I am a researcher in the areas of plastic waste management, environmental governance and sustainable development. My work includes studying homes made from recycled plastic bottles in sustainable community-based housing projects.
Here I’ll be drawing from an exploratory survey conducted in the Ijebu area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Using a questionnaire, we surveyed 86 participants who had at least five years of experience in the plastic waste industry.
The study identified factors like education, family size, religion, gender, age, and economic dynamics as relevant to participation in the business of plastic bottle waste collection.
Understanding these influences might help the government to target policies.
Our study found that participants with higher education levels better understood the economic benefits of plastic waste collection as a systematic form of business. The less educated participants viewed waste collection more as a hand-to-mouth way of earning a living.
Education programmes built into waste management campaigns could improve recognition of waste collection as a structured and profitable business opportunity and develop a business-like culture among the collectors.
Parenthood, family size and financial obligations
Family size was a factor affecting perceptions of plastic bottle waste collection as a business. People with large families saw waste collection as a feasible way to provide food, housing, education and other essentials.
However, the association of waste collection with income instability highlights the need to formalise and stabilise the sector. Waste collection must be made into a sustainable and reliable business model.
Religion and cultural norms
Religion and cultural beliefs emerged as influences from our survey. This was evident in the responses of people who followed African traditional religions and Islam.
These respondents viewed waste collection as financially feasible, aligning with religious teachings that emphasise resource management and stewardship. For example, Islamic teachings on israf (avoiding wastefulness) and zakat (charity) promote efficient resource use and economic activities that benefit communities.
Similarly, African traditional religion often emphasises communal responsibility and the sustainable use of resources. These religious principles underscore the cultural acceptance of waste collection as both a practical and a morally guided economic activity.
Other cultural norms, such as the value placed on communal responsibility and cooperation, also influenced attitudes towards waste collection. In communities with a strong tradition of collective action, where unity and mutual support are highly valued, waste collection is often viewed as a collaborative effort.
These cultural norms reinforce the idea that waste collection is not just an individual task, but a collective duty that benefits the entire community.
Gender plays a role in perception and practice in waste collection. Our survey found that male participants were more likely than female participants to perceive this activity as a business.
As constrained as they are by lack of access to resources, women are involved in separating and marketing reusable items. Measures like microfinance could increase women’s engagement and business opportunities.
This would empower women and make waste collection a more inclusive and sustainable business.
Age and desire to be an entrepreneur
Perceptions were influenced by age in our study. Younger individuals, up to 14 years old, viewed plastic bottle waste collection as a gateway to employment. Adults aged 33-38 used their experience to get better returns on the business.
This age-based distinction suggests that different stages of life bring unique motivations and approaches to waste collection.
Policy actions that support entrepreneurship at various life stages can promote long-term engagement in the industry. This will help formalise waste collection as a sustainable and profitable business.
Economic and social factors
Income opportunities affected participants’ experiences more than social factors. Oftentimes, this determined how long they stayed in the business. Those earning more were likelier to reinvest and grow, while lower earnings often led to disengagement or exit. This highlights the importance of financial incentives in shaping waste collection practices.
Social connections also play a role in fostering collaboration. It facilitates teamwork and the exchange of ideas, and creates a sense of shared purpose and collective outcomes among participants.
Strengthening these economic and social bonds can formalise plastic bottle waste collection, making it a more efficient and profitable business.
The study has significant application to Nigeria’s waste management industry. Adding education programmes into waste management programmes will improve people’s business skills.
Well-coordinated intervention strategies can remove cultural and gender-specific barriers. For instance, cooperatives and microfinance may make waste collection more financially appealing.
Strategies can also draw on cultural norms to increase community acceptance of waste collection and make it more inclusive.
Samuel Oludare Awobona, a doctoral student at Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria, contributed to this research.
– Nigeria’s plastic bottle collectors turn waste into wealth: survey sheds light on their motivation – https://theconversation.com/nigerias-plastic-bottle-collectors-turn-waste-into-wealth-survey-sheds-light-on-their-motivation-247819
Dallas, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SuperOps, the groundbreaking AI-driven IT platform transforming operations for IT service providers and internal IT teams, today announced it has raised $25 million in Series C funding, led by March Capital with participation from existing investors Addition and Z47. This brings SuperOps’ total funding to $54.4 million, a testament to the company’s exceptional growth and market disruption. Over the past year, SuperOps has tripled its customers and expanded its footprint to 104 countries, cementing its status as a global leader.
SuperOps is now taking its proven expertise in Managed Service Provider (MSP) technology into the broader IT market with the launch of its revolutionary Endpoint Management tool. Designed to supercharge IT team productivity, the tool enables IT teams to achieve more with fewer resources.
SuperOps founders: Arvind Parthiban and Jayakumar Karumbasalam.
“IT teams worldwide are navigating complex challenges, including remote work and rising cybersecurity threats,” said Arvind Parthiban, Co-Founder and CEO of SuperOps. “At SuperOps, we are empowering these IT heroes with tools that transform their operations, reduce costs, and fuel growth. After revolutionizing the MSP space, we are thrilled to bring our AI expertise to internal IT teams with the launch of our Endpoint Management tool. The high demand and early successes validate that this is the future of IT operations.”
Over the last four years, SuperOps has become a trusted partner for MSPs worldwide, helping thousands of such service providers optimize operations through its unified AI-powered platform. Now, internal IT teams—already comprising 20% of SuperOps’ customer base—stand to benefit from the same transformative technology.
SuperOps provide full asset oversight across user IT services.
The foundation of SuperOps’ success lies in its relentless focus on AI innovation. In 2024, the company unveiled Monica, a hyper-contextual AI guide that analyzes the MSP’s dataset to deliver personalized insights, automate routine workflows, and accelerate decision-making. With Monica, MSPs and IT teams have seen up to a 30% improvement in operational efficiency.
SuperOps plans to use the new funding to expand its AI research and development, scale its offerings for mid-market and enterprise MSPs, and further extend its global reach. With IT spending projected to hit $5.74 trillion in 2025 (Gartner), the stakes have never been higher.
“The SuperOps team has proven their capability to disrupt the MSP technology market. With rapid product advancements and significant growth in global markets, SuperOps has become a major player. We are excited to support the expansion of their AI platform and scaling of their offerings to larger MSPs and internal IT teams,” said Ravi Rajamony, Vice President at March Capital.
The Series C round, entirely backed by existing investors, highlights the continued confidence in SuperOps’ vision and execution.
“SuperOps has disrupted the stagnant MSP tools space, creating real value for MSPs through true innovation, and its entry into IT Endpoint Management promises to have similar impact. We are excited to continue to support the SuperOps team on their mission to empower IT service providers to scale, streamline operations and thrive in an increasingly competitive market,” said Todd Arfman at Addition.
Tarun Davda, Managing Director at Z47 added: “We are delighted to be part of SuperOps’ impressive growth. The platform has improved the businesses of MSPs worldwide. I am impressed by the team’s customer-centric approach to innovation, and their AI advancements. I am confident that SuperOps will continue to outpace the competition and create significant value for IT service providers”.
About SuperOps SuperOps is an AI SaaS company offering a unified PSA-RMM platform for future-focused MSPs and IT teams. The company was founded in 2020 by serial entrepreneur Arvind Parthiban and Jayakumar Karumbasalam. With a deep commitment to innovation and a focus on customer success, SuperOps equips MSPs with the tools they need to streamline operations, enhance service delivery, and scale their businesses. SuperOps is backed by marquee investors, March Capital, Addition, Z47, Elevation Capital, and Tanglin Venture Partners.
About March Capital March Capital is a top-tier venture growth firm headquartered in Santa Monica, California and has been investing globally since 2014. March is committed to partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to build great technology companies and to scale them globally. With $1.65B+ in capital over 4 funds and across 25+ market-leading technology companies, March accelerates the digital transformation of enterprise applications, cloud & data infrastructure, vertical software, and scientific discovery. Our vision is to create a best-in-class technology investment platform by combining intense sector focus, patience, access to a global leadership network (including founding The Montgomery Summit), and high-impact portfolio engagement to inspire and to accelerate extraordinary AI-native companies like CrowdStrike, Essential AI, Forter, Generate:Biomedicines, Nile, and Uniphore. For more information, please visit www.marchcp.com.
About Z47 Z47 is a “founders-first” venture capital firm with an AUM of $3.5 billion, spanning over 100 investments since 2006. Our commitment is to founders who are determined to lead India to its destiny as a developed nation by 2047. We partner with early-stage startups, offering founders a unique blend of expertise, experience, and empathy. Our investment focus includes FinTech & Services, Consumer Brands & Tech, B2B Commerce & Manufacturing, and Enterprise SaaS & AI. Z47’s Enterprise SaaS & AI portfolio includes companies like Krutrim, Neysa Networks, MoEngage, Atomicwork, and more. We take pride in being a trusted partner to pioneering founders of industry-leading companies such as Ola, Ola Electric, Razorpay, Dailyhunt, Five Star Business Finance, Country Delight, and Of Business, among others. Z47 has offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. For more information, visit www.z47.com or write to newsroom@z47.com.
