MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Central Bank of Russia –
The value of imports of goods and services in Q3 2024 increased mainly due to increased domestic demand and a stronger ruble on average over the quarter.
At the same time, the value of exports of goods and services remained close to last year’s level. Companies changed the directions of deliveries, and this had a positive effect on exports. However, restrictions in a number of foreign countries and a reduction in oil production due to OPEC agreements leveled out this positive effect.
As a result, with stable exports and expanding imports, the positive balance of the current account of the balance of payments decreased compared to the same period in 2023.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Dmitry Chernyshenko took part as a moderator at the plenary session “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa
October 17, 2024
Dmitry Chernyshenko took part as a moderator at the plenary session “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa
October 17, 2024
Dmitry Chernyshenko took part as a moderator at the plenary session “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa
October 17, 2024
Dmitry Chernyshenko took part as a moderator at the plenary session “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa
October 17, 2024
Dmitry Chernyshenko took part as a moderator at the plenary session “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa
October 17, 2024
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Dmitry Chernyshenko took part as a moderator at the plenary session “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa
At the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – Sports Power” in Ufa, a plenary session on the topic “Sport – a comprehensive view of the future” was held. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at it.
“The prospects and the future of world sports really need serious, substantive discussion, a joint search for an answer to the question of how to overcome the difficult challenges of our time, prevent a split in the international sports family, cleanse sports of vulgar politicization, double standards, perverted rules, humiliating discrimination, including on the basis of citizenship and nationality of athletes,” the head of state emphasized.
The moderator of the plenary session was Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
At the beginning of his speech, he quoted the President’s words: “Our country has been and remains one of the leading sports powers on the planet, the birthplace of great athletes, victories and records.” The Deputy Prime Minister noted that successes in the development of sports are achieved thanks to the synergy of efforts at all levels – government bodies, sports federations, societies, leagues, clubs, the media, as well as the contribution of the citizens themselves.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, sport is a powerful tool for interethnic dialogue, a means of building peace, friendship, and cooperation, including in the international arena.
“Russia always remains true to the principle: sport is a universal language of communication, and it should be outside of politics. For our part, we consistently defend the ideals of fair, open sports competition and continue to strengthen our sports sovereignty. Now we are all consolidated around our President and are using this moment to build a modern sports management system, involving all industry participants, including public organizations, in key processes,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.
Russia continues to develop new formats of international competitions, free from the jurisdiction of politicized international sports organizations. One of the most striking examples is the “Games of the Future” project.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the importance of developing sports infrastructure and increasing the level of public involvement in physical education and sports.
“President Vladimir Putin set the task of involving 70% of our citizens in regular physical education and sports by 2030. To achieve this goal, the Strategy for the Development of Physical Education and Sports was adopted, which defines the main areas of development of the industry until the end of the decade. We see that the results are already truly tangible. Today, more than 56% of people are involved in physical education and sports, and the provision of sports facilities has reached 61.5%. There are about 350 thousand sports facilities of various levels in Russia. Funds for the creation of non-capital structures are also planned in our budget law. This is more than 19 billion, which will allow us to build 350 sports facilities annually,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.
In 2023, 72 major sports facilities were put into operation. The plan for this year is another 85. Under the federal project “Business Sprint”, about 150 smart sites and modular halls were opened last year, and another 97 are planned for this year.
There are about 24 million people registered in the GTO system. About 11 million of them successfully passed the standards and received badges.
Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Bashkortostan Andrey Nazarov shared Bashkortostan’s experience in supporting non-governmental organizations in the sports industry.
“Along with supporting state and municipal sports institutions, we involve and support non-governmental organizations. There are 133 public associations of physical culture and sports orientation registered in the republic, of which 122 are accredited regional sports federations,” said the acting Prime Minister.
The event was also attended by the Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Kovalchuk, the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Iraq Ahmed Al-Mubarka, the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Teju Lal Chaudhary, the President of the All-Russian Phygital Sports Federation Nikita Nagorny, the Minister of People’s Power for Youth and Sports of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Arnaldo Sanchez, the Minister of Sports and Leisure of the Togolese Republic Lidi Bessi-Kama, the Deputy Governor of the Vologda Region Alexander Povetkin, the head coach of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team Irina Viner, and Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Editor’s note: Today, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai shared the following note to employees.
Hi Googlers,
It’s been an exciting few days for AI across our products. We saw NotebookLM with Audio Overviews go viral, added more ways to find information in Search and Lens, and launched a revamped Google Shopping for the AI era. We also just shared a big milestone in our work to help doctors use AI to detect diabetic retinopathy: 600,000 screenings and counting, and we’re expanding access to more people across India and Thailand. There’s a lot more to come.
AI moves faster than any technology before it. To keep increasing the pace of progress, we’ve been making shifts to simplify our structures along the way, including the creation of Google DeepMind and the joining of the Platforms & Devices teams. As a next step, Prabhakar and I have been thinking through how to structure our Knowledge & Information team for the Gemini era, and today we shared the following changes:
The Gemini app team led by Sissie will join Google DeepMind under Demis. As the name suggests, the Gemini app is the direct consumer interface to the latest and greatest Gemini models. Bringing the teams closer together will improve feedback loops, enable fast deployment of our new models in the Gemini app, make our post-training work proceed more efficiently and build on our great product momentum.
The Assistant teams focused on devices and home experiences will move to Platforms & Devices so they can sit closer to the product surfaces they’re building for and bring our AI-powered home initiatives into one team and focus on improving user experience.
In parallel to this, Prabhakar has decided it’s time to make a big leap in his own career. After 12 years leading teams across Google, he’ll return to his computer science roots and take on the role of Chief Technologist, Google. In this role, he’ll partner closely with me and Google leads to provide technical direction and leadership and grow our culture of tech excellence. Nick Fox, a longtime Googler and member of Prabhakar’s leadership team, will be stepping up to lead K&I, which includes our Search, Ads, Geo, and Commerce products.
Prabhakar’s leadership journey at Google has been remarkable, spanning Research, Workspace, Ads, and K&I. He led the Gmail team in launching Smart Reply and Smart Compose as early examples of using AI to improve products, and took Gmail and Drive past 1 billion users. Across K&I, Prabhakar and team have achieved significant growth and innovation: from launching AI Overviews, a groundbreaking advancement in Search that benefits hundreds of millions of users worldwide to introducing new search modalities like Circle to Search, video understanding, and “shop what you see” in Lens — all while improving core Search functionality. Maps and Shopping have transformed with AI-driven features like immersive view and virtual try-on. And in Ads, we’ve made real progress with AI-powered ad formats and streamlined campaign management, while continuing to innovate with Performance Max to empower millions of businesses.
I’m so grateful to Prabhakar for the strong foundation and leadership bench he’s built across K&I. That includes his incredible senior leaders and Nick who is ready to hit the ground running in his new role as SVP of K&I!
Over the past few years, Nick has been instrumental in shaping Google’s AI product roadmap and collaborating closely with Prabhakar and his leadership team on K&I’s strategy. And throughout his career, Nick has demonstrated leadership across nearly every facet of K&I, from Product and Design in Search and Assistant, to our Shopping, Travel, and Payments products. He was also a pioneering leader in Ads, where he helped establish a rigorous quality and user-focused approach that remains key to our success. Nick has launched innovative consumer products like Google Fi and spearheaded complex initiatives such as RCS messaging. I frequently turn to Nick to tackle our most challenging product questions and he consistently delivers progress with tenacity, speed, and optimism.
Congratulations to Nick, and a heartfelt thank you to Prabhakar for his leadership through numerous technology shifts and for building a strong foundation for the future.
Never before have we had the opportunity to make such rapid advances in computer science, and apply them so quickly to global-scale challenges, in a way that can help people in their daily lives. Since the start of my career, I’ve been excited by the “magic cycle” of research, where real-world challenges motivate new foundational and applied research, which in turn has a positive impact in the real world. Today, with the right infrastructure, talent and approach, we’re able not only to make rapid breakthroughs in everything from AI to algorithms to computing infrastructure, but to put those technologies to work to improve people’s daily lives and have societal impact faster than ever before, sometimes in a matter of months.
I’m seeing this firsthand as I’ve recently stepped up to lead Google Research, so I wanted to share a perspective on the incredible progress we’re seeing — and how important research is in driving helpful innovation.
Our approach: impact-driven curiosity
Google itself in fact began with research. “The anatomy of a large-scale hypertextual Web search engine,” published in 1998, explored how PageRank could provide a fundamentally better way to find info on the web, But it didn’t stop with a research paper — it was applying that research that produced Google. Over the past 26 years, that approach to implementing research — quickly — has transformed not only our company, but also how people can interact with the world’s information. Indeed, much of the rapid progress in AI we see all around us today grew from Google Research’s invention of the Transformer.
In all of our research, we ask ourselves: How can we make a step change, not just incremental? What’s impossible today, that we could make possible? And what is the greatest impact we can have — how can this make a real difference in the world?
Google Research today includes fundamental and applied work in foundational machine learning and algorithms, computing systems and quantum AI, and science, AI & societal impact. And across all these domains, we run initiatives on efficiency in machine learning, factuality & grounding in AI systems, and new data techniques.
Breakthroughs for the benefit of people and the planet
We motivate our research by going after the biggest questions that matter to advance science and make a difference to people and to communities globally. What are the most effective ways to mitigate climate change? How can we help make billions of people healthier? How can we enable new experiences? And to do all this, can we break through limitations in computing and AI systems? Each of those becomes an inspiring research challenge — and in so many cases we’ve already translated research into solutions.
For example, to address climate change, in a trial with American Airlines we used AI to help reduce contrails by 54%, demonstrating that airlines can verifiably avoid contrails and thereby reduce their climate impact. To help address the growing wildfire crisis, we partnered with leading wildfire authorities to develop FireSat, an upcoming AI-powered global satellite constellation to detect and track wildfires the size of a classroom — within 20 minutes. And consider flood forecasting — when our team at Google Research began the project in 2018, experts I met with said it was likely impossible to forecast riverine floods. But by developing AI that can build a global hydrologic model, we’ve not only proven it’s possible, but applied it to provide communities accurate early warnings and help save lives.
But perhaps one of the biggest undertakings involves advancing computing itself, and how it can fundamentally alter the scope of problem-solving. We’ve developed state-of-the-art attention models and use graph mining to improve retrieval quality. We’re also working on approaches to grounding large language models, such as by training models to rely on source documents for summarization and evaluating factual consistency. This research has led to improvements like the double-check feature in the Gemini app. We’ve made AI more efficient with research on speculative decoding, efficient inference techniques, and cascades, and we’ve helped improve privacy with federated learning and differential privacy. And our quantum computing team just published new results in Nature affirming that as we reduce the error rate in our quantum processors, we reach levels of computation that can’t be matched by even the world’s most powerful classical computers — putting us on track to crack open an entirely new computational capability for the world.
These are just a few examples of the type of work done across Google Research.
Why partnership is crucial for turning research into impact
Of course, as we turn research towards impact, we’re acutely aware that technology is not automatically beneficial — you can’t “invent it and forget it,” simply releasing powerful technologies on the naive assumption that they will be helpful. It requires careful stewardship, partnership and a fundamentally human-centric view of how to design and guide emerging technologies. That’s one reason we do our research in partnership with a multitude of researchers in academia and many others, while creating tools and best practices that support a truly global research ecosystem with the aim of steering new technologies towards beneficial outcomes. We actively engage in advancing socio-technical research to bolster our AI principles — including on equitable datasets, interpretability, and algorithmic fairness — and there’s important work ahead to make our AI models even more efficient, factual, robust and safe.
We have the greatest impact when we’re working with research partners. Since 2005, Google has worked with more than 1,000 research institutions and invested over $400 million dollars in academic research worldwide, much of this led by Google Research. We find experts across disciplines, roll up our sleeves, dive into the research, and make scientific advances together. In our connectomics research, we’ve partnered with Harvard to use AI to make the most detailed mapping yet of neurons in the human brain, revealing newly discovered structures — all towards helping scientists understand fundamental processes such as thought, learning and memory. Google Research also engaged in a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Howard University and other HBCUs to build a high-quality African-American English (AAE) speech dataset that Google — and others — will use to improve speech products. This is related to our overall effort to reduce barriers and better serve communities by enabling technology to work in many more languages.
With our partners, and through Google’s own products, we use our research advances to benefit billions of people. For example, as populations swell and shift in the Global South, millions of people’s buildings aren’t represented on any map, and they risk missing out on essentials like electricity, healthcare and mail delivery. So Google Research in Africa has used AI to make big improvements to the Open Buildings dataset — transforming blurry, low-res satellite imagery into useful, high-res building outlines so partners like the World Bank, the World Resources Institute, UN Habitat, WorldPop and Sunbird AI can use it to ensure global development includes everyone. Along with our SKAI effort, this has helped our partnership with the UN to boost damage assessment.
In another sphere, our Operations Research team recently showed how cargo shippers could double their profit, deliver 13% more containers and use 15% fewer ships. This is not only helpful for businesses, but good for supply chains globally.
Finally, we of course partner extensively with product teams to drive innovation across Google — and our responsibility also includes keeping an eye on the horizon, exploring the art of the possible, and imagining how we can apply our breakthrough technologies for maximum benefit in years to come.
Towards the future
We feel great urgency given the scope of problems facing humanity — but also great optimism because of what we’ve been able to do already. Our multi-decade track record shows that Google Research is second-to-none in delivering helpful advances. We’ve delivered breakthroughs that have shaped Google’s identity as a company, helped inaugurate new fields in computer science, and advanced the frontiers of innovation and technology with thousands of publications. The advances we’ve shared are already assisting people – from their everyday tasks, to their most ambitious and imaginative endeavors — and addressing society’s most pressing challenges, from healthcare to education to climate change and climate science.
We’ll keep sharing our breakthroughs on our Google Research blog, at conferences and at other events. We’re eager to explore — and invent — the future alongside all the partners and communities we work with.
Did you know doctors and nurses spend more than a third of their work week on paperwork? This includes maintaining detailed patient records, completing insurance forms and referrals, documenting procedures performed, organizing documentation for claims and inputting claim information into the system. A study published today by Google Cloud and The Harris Poll sheds light on the extent of this burden — and it also highlights how generative AI (gen AI) can help.
Clinicians, including doctors and nurses in the United States, report that nearly 28 hours of each week are lost to administrative tasks, leaving less time for what truly matters: patient care. It’s no wonder that 82% of clinicians report feeling burned out. This isn’t just a doctor problem: Insurance staff face an even bigger mountain of paperwork, spending 36 hours a week on administrative duties, such as maintaining member records and compiling documentation for claims.
Burnout, errors and less time with patients
This administrative overload is contributing to many of healthcare’s biggest challenges:
Burnout and staffing shortages: 82% of clinicians, 81% of medical staff and 77% of claims staff agree that administrative work contributes to feelings of burnout. Furthermore, 85% of provider executives and 78% of insurance company (payor) executives report that excessive administrative work has led to staffing shortages.
Reduced time with patients: 8 in 10 providers say administrative tasks detract from time spent with patients, and 68% believe this negatively impacts the quality of care. This sentiment is echoed by 93% of clinicians, 88% of medical staff, and 94% of claims staff, who believe they could dedicate more time to patient care if their administrative burden was lessened.
Increased risk of human error: Two-thirds of providers and 89% of payors express significant concern about human error in administrative tasks, with 22% and 49%, respectively, being “extremely” concerned.
Generative AI solutions
However, there is a promising solution to help with many of these tasks: gen AI. The study found that healthcare professionals are open to using generative AI, with 91% of providers and 97% of payors saying they feel positively about AI’s potential to ease administrative burdens. The general public feels the same, with 72% of respondents saying using AI is a worthwhile way to allow their healthcare providers more time to talk to them. Here are a few ways gen AI can help:
Making it easier to search patient documents and medical records
Creating clinical documents, like discharge summaries, progress notes and referral letters, giving clinicians more time to focus on reviewing and finalizing the documents
Getting prior authorizations approved faster by pre-populating forms, flagging potential issues and suggesting relevant clinical guidelines
Speeding up turnaround times in medical imaging by creating initial drafts of reports, allowing radiologists to prioritize complex cases and collaborate more effectively
While AI can’t replace human compassion and expertise in healthcare, it can support healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus more on people, not paperwork. By easing administrative burdens, AI can pave the way to a more efficient, accurate, and human-centered system where the needs of patients are always at the forefront.
SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today unveiled a new law enforcement bulletin highlighting 10 new California Organized Retail Crime (ORC) bills that were signed into law by the Governor on August 16, 2024. These laws are essential tools to help law enforcement address organized retail crime in California. These laws will take effect on January 1, 2025, except for AB 1972, which took effect immediately on August 16, 2024.
“The only way we can take these criminals down is by beating them at their own game,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We need to be equally nimble, coordinated, organized—and then some. I am thankful for great partners like CHP, local law enforcement and district attorneys. We must be a united front that spans law enforcement, prosecutors, retailers, and online marketplaces. This bulletin summarizes the new laws that can be used as tools to fight organized retail crime head on.”
“The CHP’s organized retail theft investigation teams are making significant progress, dismantling criminal networks that target our retailer,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Their relentless efforts, strong partnerships with local businesses, and focus on community safety show that we are actively tackling organized theft head-on.”
The new laws summarized in the bulletin represent a comprehensive approach to addressing criminal behavior by focusing on the aggregation of related offenses. This means that when multiple offenses are committed that are connected in some way, they can be treated as a single, more serious violation. This provision aims to ensure that individuals who engage in a pattern of criminal activity are held accountable for the full extent of their actions.
Additionally, the new laws include different provisions that allow for arrests to be made under suitable conditions. This empowers law enforcement to take decisive action when they encounter situations that warrant an arrest. Furthermore, the legislation seeks to enhance penalties for significant thefts, reflecting a zero-tolerance stance on property crimes that have a substantial impact on victims and communities. By increasing the consequences for these serious offenses, the laws aim to deter individuals from engaging in such criminal behavior and to ensure that those who do are met with appropriate repercussions.
Overall, this legislation is a proactive measure that guarantees that individuals who violate the law will face suitable consequences for their actions. It underscores a commitment to maintaining order and protecting the rights and safety of citizens, while also addressing the complexities of criminal behavior in a more nuanced and effective manner.
Despite its resilience, the Mauritanian economy is expected to slow down in 2024 and in the medium term, in a context marked by the persistence of downside risks linked to an escalation of geopolitical tensions in the region, delays in the start of operation of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, and weather shocks.
A prudent rule-based fiscal policy would help preserve debt sustainability. Developing the banking sector and sustaining the implementation of the national governance action plan and the new investment code would foster the role of the private sector and enhance prospects for inclusive growth.
IMF and Mauritania reached staff-level agreement on the Third Review of Mauritania’s economic program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Second Review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)”
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Felix Fischer, visited Nouakchott during October 3–16, 2024 to conduct the 2024 Article IV consultation and to hold discussions on the Third Review of Mauritania’s ECF/EFF and the Second Review of the RSF arrangement, and at the end of the mission, Mr. Fischer issued the following statement:
“The Mauritanian economy is expected to slowdown in 2024 with a growth rate estimated at 4.6 percent (compared to 6.5 percent in 2023) reflecting sluggish extractive sector. The economic growth in 2025 is projected at 4.2 percent, reflecting a slowdown in the mining sector, moderated by the expected start of the GTA gas project. The growth outlook is subject to significant risks, including an escalation of geopolitical tensions in the region, additional delays in the start of operation of the GTA gas project, and the occurrence of weather shocks.
“Anchoring fiscal policy to the non-extractive primary balance would reduce the impact of fluctuations in commodity prices on the economy and maintain debt sustainability. After a tightening since 2022, conditions are favorable to shift towards monetary policy easing. The mission encourages the ongoing reforms aimed at financial sector development and stability, which would enhance financial sector contribution to economic development. The timely adoption and implementation of the new investment code will contribute to level the playing field among all market participants and foster private sector-led inclusive growth.
“IMF staff and Mauritanian authorities have reached a staff level agreement on policies to complete the Third Review of Mauritania’s blended ECF/EFF and the Second review of the RSF. Subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Mauritania will receive a disbursement of SDR 6.4 million (about $ 8.6 million) under the ECF and EFF arrangements and SDR 29.72 million (about $ 39.7 million) under the RSF arrangement, bringing the total disbursement under the EFF/ECF and the RST to SDR 89.7 million (about $ 119.7 million).
“Performance under the program is robust — all quantitative targets for end-June 2024 have been met. Fiscal consolidation is proceeding in line with the fiscal rule aimed at converging in the medium term towards the fiscal anchor (defined by the non-extractive primary deficit) of 3.5 percent of GDP. Capitalizing on Mauritania’s substantial tax potential, better domestic revenue mobilization will help create fiscal space to meet Mauritania’s significant development needs while preserving the medium-term budgetary framework credibility.
“The structural reform program, integrating climate considerations, is advancing well. The mission noted the progress made in finalizing the draft laws on SOEs, asset declaration, and conflicts of interest, and encourages the authorities to finalize these important reforms in line with their Governance Action Plan.”
“The team met with His Excellency the President of the National Assembly Mohamed Ould Megett, His Excellency, the Prime Minister Moctar Ould Diay, the Governor of the Central Bank Mohamed Lemine Dhehby, the Minister of Economy and Finance Sid’Ahmed Bouh, and the Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget Codioro N’Guenor. The team held also meetings with the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Energy and Oil, the Minister of Mining and Industry, the Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, , other senior government officials, the civil society, the banking association and other representatives of the private sector, and donor community.
“The IMF team would like to thank the Mauritanian authorities and various stakeholders for the excellent hospitality and cooperation and candid discussions during the mission.”
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew William Jones, NERC Independent Research Fellow in Climate Science, University of East Anglia
Fires have long been a natural part of forest ecosystems, but something is changing. Our new study shows that forest fires have become more widespread and severe amid global heating, particularly in the high northern latitudes such as Canada and Siberia where fires are most sensitive to hotter, drier conditions.
The implications of this are alarming, not just for the ecosystems affected or the cities engulfed by smoke downwind, but for the planet’s ability to store carbon and regulate the climate. The trend we discovered contrasts with declining fire extent in savannah grasslands, which may reflect the expansion of farming and changing rainfall patterns.
We established the leading causes of forest fires in different parts of the world using an AI algorithm. It grouped forest regions into distinct zones with similar fire patterns and underlying causes, uncovering the worrying extent to which climate change is fuelling the expansion of forest fires in Earth’s high northern latitudes.
More fires in ‘extratropical’ forests
Since 2001, emissions from fires in forests outside of the tropics, like parts of the boreal forest in the far north of North America and Eurasia, have nearly tripled. This rise is largely the result of hotter, drier weather occurring more frequently, combined with forests growing more efficiently in places where the cold once stunted their growth.
Climate change is creating ideal conditions for larger, more intense fires, which accelerate climate change in turn by releasing more carbon to the atmosphere. In fact, we found that global carbon emissions from forest fires have increased by 60% over the past two decades. The largest contributions come from fires in Siberia and western North America.
A conifer forest in north-western Canada after the 2023 fire season in which more than 6,000 fires burned through 15 million hectares. Stefan Doerr
This trend shifts the focus of forest fire emissions from tropical forests, where fires set to make room for farmland have long contributed carbon to the atmosphere. Conservation policies have reduced deforestation rates since the early 2000s in some regions, particularly Amazonia. By contrast, increasing fires in northern forests, such as the taiga – the forest of the cold sub-arctic region – are driven by changing climate conditions and generally started by lightning, which makes them harder to prevent.
Not only is the area affected by fires expanding but the fires themselves are growing more severe and releasing more carbon, according to our new findings. This corresponds with an earlier study that found fires are doing more damage to ecosystems globally than in the past. Fires are burning through drier and more flammable vegetation as global temperatures rise and droughts become more frequent.
In northern forests, more severe fires can burn deep into the soil and release carbon that has accumulated over centuries. Forests can remain net carbon emitters for decades after burning and the more severe fires become, the longer it takes forests to rebound and recapture carbon lost during the fire.
What does this mean for the planet?
The steep rise in fire emissions from forests outside the tropics is a clear signal that the capacity of Earth’s forest to store carbon is at increasing risk.
Forests, particularly in northern regions, absorb and store CO₂ from the atmosphere. But as fires expand and become more severe, these vital carbon sinks are weakened. This undermines the global effort to tackle climate change as forests offset emissions from human activities that burn fossil fuels.
Forest fires, long considered part of the natural carbon cycle, are increasingly driven by human-caused climate change. Yet, international reporting standards don’t differentiate between “natural” levels of forest fire emissions and the higher emissions we’re seeing due to climate change.
This allows excess fire emissions caused by humans to fall outside the scope of national carbon budgets tracked by organisations like the United Nations. Gaps emerge between the carbon emissions we think we’re managing and the actual amount that’s passing between the land and the atmosphere.
What drives fires in different regions varies, so addressing this growing threat requires tailored approaches. Outside of the tropics, proactive forest management is essential. Carefully managed fires and thinning out vegetation can mean fires ultimately cause less damage when they do ignite. Monitoring vegetation growth, alongside fire-favourable weather conditions, can help identify and prioritise areas for intervention.
In tropical forests, reducing ignitions (especially during droughts) and preventing forest fragmentation is key to protecting these ecosystems and their carbon stocks. This may help prevent the more extreme fires that turn tropical forests from carbon sinks into sources.
Increasing fires are a symptom of climate change
Limiting the burning of fossil fuels is central to minimising future fire risk. Without drastic cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, more severe and widespread forest fires are likely, with increasing damage to ecosystems, biodiversity and the climate.
Our study also highlighted the importance of updating international reporting standards on carbon emissions. As forest fires become more closely linked to human-driven climate change, it’s crucial that fire emissions be included in national carbon budgets to provide a more accurate picture of the planet’s carbon fluxes.
There is also a risk of overestimating how much carbon is stored by reforesting areas, especially outside the tropics. Many carbon offset schemes rely on planting new trees or delaying the harvest of existing ones to absorb CO₂, but if the growing threat of forest fires isn’t properly accounted for, these projects could fail to deliver the carbon savings they promise.
Forest fires are no longer just a natural occurrence. As they shift north and intensify, these fires are a clear symptom of human-caused climate change.
It’s essential to recognise the growing role that fires play in the carbon cycle. By doing so, we can better manage fire risks, safeguard forests and ensure a more resilient future for the planet.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Matthew William Jones receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Stefan H Doerr receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the FirEUrisk project funded via the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101003890.
Crystal A. Kolden 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.
Highland Council Trading Standards are warning residents to be on their guard following reports of an unsolicited text message claiming to be from the UK Government Living Allowance Office.
The text reads:
“UK Government Living Allowance Office Last Time Reminder: Due to the reduction of winter heating subsidy, you can no longer receive it, and the uk government has decided to advance the living subsidy to allow you to survive the winter.
We will reopen applications. Please apply for your living subsidy in the link as soon as possible after receiving the information. If you do not submit an application before 2024/10/15, we will cancel your qualification and reallocate the funds.”
Mark McGinty Trading Standards Team Leader states: “Please be careful when you receive a text message from a Government Body, it’s not usually something that Government Bodies do, and if you think the text means something to you please go to your original source and check things out that way” He also offered this advice to anyone receiving such a text message:
Never click on any links in the text
Be suspicious
Beware of pressure selling tactics. These can include being told time is of the essence
Always check with the Government Body in another way, the .gov website is a good starting point.
Do not rely on a number provided in the text
Do not provide any personal information
Report the text by using 7726
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Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
TOKYO, Japan, October 17, 2024/APO Group/ —
The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a landmark 51.67 billion Japanese yen (US$421 million) concessional donor loan (CDL) agreement towards the African Development Fund.
The loan, pledged by the Japanese government at the 16th general replenishment of the resources of the African Development Fund in December 2022, will support much-needed development in Africa’s least developed and fragile countries. The country is a top donor to the African Development Fund, having contributed the largest loans to the 14th, 15th and 16th replenishments of the Fund.
Present at the signing ceremony on Tuesday 15 October, Deputy Vice Minister Daiho Fujii of the Finance Ministry expressed optimism that Japan’s concessional donor loan, together with grant contributions, would support African countries to address various challenges relating to climate change, lack of infrastructure, fragility, regional integration, private sector development, and debt management and transparency.
“Through fruitful discussions, we reaffirmed that the African Development Fund has been playing a significant role in supporting low-income countries in Africa through its concessional loans and grants. We commit to working together toward a successful ADF-17 replenishment discussion next year,” Fujii said.
Japan and other donor countries met in Cotonou last week to review the progress made against operational priorities and policy commitments at the midpoint of the ADF-16 period that ran from 2023 to 2025. Fujii congratulated the African Development Bank Group on the successful mid-term review of the 16th cycle of ADF.
African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who is marking his fifth visit to the Asian nation, commended Japan’s government for its unwavering support. He expressed the Bank Group’s appreciation for Japan’s broader partnership, particularly through JICA’s Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa initiative – an innovative multi-component framework for resource mobilisation and development.
Adesina said: “We wouldn’t have had a successful ADF-16 replenishment without Japan’s continued support for concessional donor lending. It is important to sign these agreements, but it is the lives we touch that matter. We deliver what we promise. We keep our word”.
He highlighted the significant impact of projects completed under the African Development Fund. “This year alone, 500,000 people have been connected to electricity, one million provided with water and sanitation, 2.5 million to improved transport, and 2.7 million to health services.”
In her speech, JICA Executive Senior Vice President Katsura Miyazaki described the signing ceremony as symbolic.
She said: “African countries are facing multiple crises. Rising energy and food prices, supply chain disruptions, and worsening debt sustainability are having a serious impact on African countries. The African Development Fund is critical to addressing these challenges.
Japan’s journey with the African Development Fund
The African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional lending window of the Bank Group was established in 1972 and became operational in 1974.
Japan joined the Fund in June 1973 and has contributed to all its replenishments, significantly increasing its contributions over time.
Over the past 50 years, the ADF has played a pivotal role in providing concessional resources and knowledge services to low-income African countries, consistently demonstrating clear value for money. The ADF delivers transformative ideas and catalytic financing to these countries, including those in fragile situations. As a major source of financing, the ADF’s operations are efficient and deliver a strong development impact, cementing its reputation as a trusted and strategic partner for its stakeholders.
Japan’s critical role in supporting the ADF was underscored by its extension of the largest concessional donor loan contributions to both ADF-15 and ADF-16, as well as the largest bridge loan provided to ADF-14. The Mid-Term Review (MTR) of ADF-16, successfully concluded in Cotonou in October 2024, highlighted several key achievements.
Headline: Study: Microsoft 365 Copilot drove up to 353% ROI for small and medium businesses
As a small or medium-sized business (SMB) leader, you’ve likely heard a lot about generative AI and how it’s transforming businesses of all sizes. To better understand how AI is helping businesses grow and compete, Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to study the potential return on investment (ROI) of Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMBs.
The results of the study are eye-opening. Forrester’s New Technology: Projected Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMB1 projects that over a three-year period, businesses can experience a return on investment (ROI) ranging from 132% to 353%.2
Moreover, the study reports that businesses are already experiencing the transformational impact of AI for their organizations in the following areas:
Faster time to market
Increased productivity
Improved employee satisfaction
Let’s take a closer look at how early adopters of Copilot have used the power of AI to transform their businesses, while keeping their data secure with enterprise data protection.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Focus on what matters most with Microsoft 365 Copilot and the power of AI.
Investing in Copilot delivers substantial returns for SMBs
The Forrester study demonstrates the transformative results that AI can help bring to businesses—making Copilot not just a productivity tool but a strategic investment for long-term growth:
6% increase in net revenue
20% reduction in operating costs
25% acceleration in new-hire onboarding
“Upskilling on AI now is absolutely critical to being prepared for its capabilities in a few years. In five years, running a business without Copilot would be like trying to run a company today using typewriters instead of computers.”
—Forrester Study: Head Vice President of Technology Services, IT Services and Business Consulting
Turning innovation into action with faster time to market
Bringing new products to market faster and promptly meeting customer demands are critical for business success. Forrester’s study highlights how Copilot can help accelerate revenue growth and open doors to additional business opportunities.
The study found that 24% of businesses experienced a 16% to20% reduction in time to market for new products, and 27% of businesses saw improvements in time to market ranging from 11% to 15%. These improvements can help you enhance your agility and increase competitiveness in the market.
“With Copilot, we have faster turnarounds…with the ability to turn things around more quickly, clients can come to us with more work. It can be 15% more business.”
—Forrester Study: Head Vice President of Technology Services, Managed Technology Solutions
You can optimize your business processes by working with Copilot to map out your workflow and ask Copilot for recommendations to eliminate inefficiencies. Then you can share the list of recommendations with your team for feedback before deciding how to move forward. Copilot can help ensure projects move forward without delays—ask Copilot to provide updates on your team’s progress to quickly identify where support is needed.
Increasing productivity across your business
Employees at small and medium-sized businesses often wear multiple hats, doing jobs across different departments, and sometimes having less time to spend on their own projects. Copilot can help address this challenge by taking on routine, repetitive tasks, helping teams to focus on more strategic work.
Forrester’s study shows that 51% of businesses using Copilot reported a 1% to10% reduction in supply chain costs, while 59% saw operating costs decrease by 1% to 20%. This can help you to shift resources toward growth-focused initiatives without overwhelming your team.
“In terms of getting the information to the various departments and having my legal assistants then redo it, so they can enter that data and answer questions from other departments more easily. My guess is on contract review we’ll save at least 50% of time in the coming years.”
—Forrester study: General Counsel, Chief Diversity Officer at the Staffing, IT, and Business Solutions Firm
With Copilot, your team can quickly find critical details from client contracts or vendor agreements and have emails from key clients prioritized, helping to ensure that the most urgent emails are addressed first. Copilot can also gather data from spreadsheets and text documents, analyze it, and create easy-to-understand charts and tables for faster decision-making.
Enhancing employee satisfaction and retention
The study also highlights Copilot’s impact on employee satisfaction. By freeing up time for employees to collaborate more effectively and take on more fulfilling tasks, SMBs have experienced or anticipated, on average, an 18%increase in employee satisfaction, with a corresponding 11% to 20% reduction in employee churn.
“People have a lot of anxiety [about going] on vacation because of what they’re going to miss. Well, the ability to ramp up fast with summarization on a lot of those key meetings doesn’t just save the person the time, but it also is going to save the other leaders in the organization the time to have to ramp them up.” —Forrester study: President, Staffing, IT, and Business Solutions
Use Copilot to help pull together training materials and build presentations so you quickly bring new team members up to speed. Copilot’s meeting and email summaries also allow your employees to stay on top of work, even when they miss a meeting. This can help reduce stress and help create smoother transitions between projects, fostering a more inclusive and productive work environment.
Now is the right time to invest in AI. We are here to help.
With potential benefits like increased revenue, faster time to market, and significant ROI, Microsoft 365 Copilot can be a valuable investment for SMBs looking to thrive in a competitive market.
To find out more about the Forrester findings and learn how you can best implement Copilot for your business, please join our webinar on October 31, 2024, 9 AM PST to 10 AM PST.
To use Copilot across all your Microsoft 365 apps and work data, you can purchase Microsoft 365 Copilot as an add-on to your Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Standard, or Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscriptions. If you do not already have these core productivity offerings, you can purchase them now.
Find out more about Microsoft 365 Copilot or reach out to a Microsoft Cloud Solution Partner to learn more.
You can also learn how to make Copilot part of your everyday business activities by exploring the new Copilot Success Kit for Small and Medium-Sized Business, which provides resources on licensing, technical requirements, and AI capabilities.
Sources:
“New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact : Of Microsoft 365 Copilot for SMB,” a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft. Results are based on Microsoft 365 Copilot customer interviews and surveys of over 200 companies with up to 300 employees across various industries, from retail to financial services.
Forrester modeled a range of projected low-, medium-, and high-impact outcomes based on evaluated risk. This financial analysis projects that the composite organization accrues the following three-year net present value (NPV) for each scenario by enabling Microsoft 365 Copilot:
Projected high impact of a $955,000 NPV and projected ROI of 353%.
Projected medium impact of a $658,000 NPV and projected ROI of 243%.
Projected low impact of a $358,000 NPV and projected ROI of 132%.
BOSTON, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, a leading and innovative provider of solutions in the SaaS P&C insurance core platforms market, today announced Duck Creek Technologies has been positioned by Gartner as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® “Magic Quadrant™ for SaaS P&C Core Platforms, North America”. The evaluation was based on specific criteria that analyzed the company’s overall Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.
Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of providers in markets where growth is high, and provider differentiation is distinct. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players. The research enables you to get the most from market analysis in alignment with your unique business and technology needs.
“Our low-code, configurable SaaS platform helps insurance carriers stand out in today’s competitive market. We continue to enhance our platform through AI, machine learning and by bringing new solutions to carriers, including Payments Facilitator, to grow their business with speed, efficiency and an excellent customer experience,” said Michael Jackowski, CEO of Duck Creek Technologies. “We are proud to be recognized again this year by Gartner as a Leader in the P&C insurance technology space. As we look ahead, we will continue to enrich our platform by providing more for carriers to stay ahead of their competition including eliminating upgrades through Active Delivery and increasing efficiency and scalability with multi-tenancy.”
View a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant report to learn more about Duck Creek’s strengths and cautions, among other provider offerings, here
Source: Gartner Reports: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for SaaS P&C Insurance Core Platforms, North America, Sham Gill, James Ingham October 2024
Gartner Disclaimer: Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
About Duck Creek Technologies
Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit http://www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X.
TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ninepoint Partners LP (“Ninepoint”) is pleased to announce that the Ninepoint 2024 Short Duration Flow-Through Limited Partnership II (the “Partnership”) has completed the second and final closing in connection with its offering of Class A and Class F limited partnership units (the “Units”) pursuant to a prospectus dated September 18, 2024. The Partnership raised $12,290,500 on the sale of an additional 491,620 Units for aggregate gross proceeds of $24,997,900. The Units are being offered at a price per Unit of $25.00 with a minimum subscription of 100 Units ($2,500).
Ninepoint is a leading manager of Flow-Through Funds in Canada. Since its inception in 2017, Ninepoint has successfully raised more Flow-Through Fund capital than any other asset manager in Canada.
The Partnership intends to provide liquidity to limited partners through a roll-over to the Ninepoint Resource Fund Class in the period between January 15, 2026 to February 28, 2026.
InvestmentObjectiveofthePartnership The Partnership’s investment objective is to achieve capital appreciation and significant tax benefits for limited partners by investing in a diversified portfolio of Flow-Through Shares (as defined in the Prospectus) and other securities, if any, of Resource Issuers (as defined in the Prospectus).
AttractiveTax-ReductionBenefits Flow-through partnerships are one of the most effective tax reduction strategies available to Canadians. Ninepoint anticipates that investors participating in the Partnership will be eligible to receive a tax deduction of approximately 100% of the amount invested.
ResourceExpertise The Partnership will be sub-advised by Sprott Asset Management LP (“Sprott”), one of Canada’s leading investment advisors in small and mid-cap resource companies. Over its long history of investing in the resource sector, Sprott has developed relationships with hundreds of companies. Its experienced team of portfolio managers is supported by a team of technical experts with extensive backgrounds in mining and geology.
Portfolio manager Jason Mayer will manage the portfolio of the Partnership and will be supported by Sprott’s broader team of experienced resource investment professionals.
Agents The offering is being made through a syndicate of agents led by RBC Dominion Securities Inc. which includes CIBC World Markets Inc., TD Securities Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Manulife Wealth Inc., iA Private Wealth Inc., Raymond James Ltd., Richardson Wealth Limited, Canaccord Genuity Corp., Desjardins Securities Inc., Ventum Financial Corp. and Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc.
About Ninepoint Partners LP Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading alternative investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.
For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit http://www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com.
Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions “expects”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “will” and similar expressions to the extent that they relate to the Partnership. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Partnership’s, Ninepoint’s and Sprott’s current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Although the Partnership, Ninepoint and Sprott believe the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Neither the Partnership, nor Ninepoint or Sprott undertake any obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law.
This offering is only made by prospectus. The Partnership’s prospectus contains important detailed information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from one of the dealers noted above. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision.
EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IronSight (Pack Energy Services Ltd.), a leader in real-time field service management solutions, is excited to announce that it is receiving advisory services and up to $2.64 million in funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). This vital support will accelerate IronSight’s research and development (R&D) initiatives, helping the company introduce new technologies, expand its workforce, and further position itself as a global leader in field operations software.
The advisory services and funding from NRC IRAP will enable IronSight to create new job opportunities in R&D and product development, contributing to the growth of the local economy. As IronSight expands, it is poised to add skilled professionals to its team, driving innovation and supporting the growing need for enhanced efficiency and sustainability in sectors such as energy production, utilities, and logistics.
In addition to job creation, IronSight will integrate advanced Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and machine learning capabilities into its platform. These technologies will provide real-time predictive analytics, resource optimization, and compliance automation, enabling clients to achieve unprecedented efficiency and safety in field operations. These innovations will help companies meet sustainability targets, reduce operational downtime, and minimize their environmental footprint.
“The support from NRC IRAP is instrumental not only in helping us accelerate technological advancements but also in creating new jobs and contributing to the economic growth of Alberta and Canada,” said Shawn Martens, President and Co-Founder of IronSight. “This support will allow us to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions, helping industries streamline operations, improve safety, and enhance profitability. We are excited to push the boundaries of what’s possible in field operations.”
IronSight’s enhanced platform, already equipped with real-time tracking, mobile access, and digital documentation, will now incorporate predictive maintenance, automated compliance tracking, and AI-powered operational insights. These advancements are expected to create a significant impact for clients, reducing energy consumption, optimizing resource use, and driving operational excellence across critical industries.
“This support helps us advance our development of innovative technologies in industrial field services, driving digital transformation and operational excellence,” Martens added. “We’re committed to driving innovation that improves operational efficiency while helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals. Our solutions empower industries to perform better, safer, and more sustainably.”
About IronSight
IronSight is a real-time field operations platform designed to enhance operational performance, streamline workflows, and improve collaboration for industrial service providers, energy producers, and mining operations.
Founded by Shawn Martens and Adam Jessome, IronSight connects people, processes, and technology to create more efficient, intelligent workflows. By leveraging advanced technology and real-time data, IronSight empowers organizations to achieve operational excellence while promoting safety, sustainability, and productivity.
Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder briefs the news media at the Pentagon. The briefing will also be livestreamed on Defense.gov.
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Your military is an all-volunteer force that serves to protect our security and way of life, but Service members are more than a fighting force. They are leaders, humanitarians and your fellow Americans. Get to know more about the men and women who serve, who they are, what they do, and why they do it.
For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
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Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!
Ms. Basima Abdulrahman is the founder and CEO of KESK, the first Iraqi greentech company which synergizes green power and cloud computing technologies to build alternative energy projects in the country.
Ms. Abdulrahman was a participant of the panel “Women, Peace, and Security: How to Promote Stability in Conflict-affected Countries by Funding Female Entrepreneurs” at the 5th World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum in Bahrain on 16 May 2024.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Briefings tomorrow
-IPC report
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Lebanon
-Lebanon/Humanitarian
-Syria/Lebanon
-Chad
-Women/Peacekeeping
-Poverty Index
-Eradication of poverty
IPC REPORT
The Secretary-General said that he is alarmed by today’s IPC report findings that high displacement and restrictions on humanitarian aid flows mean that the people of Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. One year into the conflict, famine looms. This is intolerable, the Secretary-General said.
Mr. Guterres said that crossing points must open immediately, bureaucratic impediments must be removed, and law and order must be restored so that UN agencies can deliver lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
Earlier today, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization said that the latest findings of the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) report, collecting the work of 16 UN agencies and NGOs, make clear that the risk of famine persists across the whole Gaza Strip. Given the recent surge in hostilities, there are growing concerns that this worst-case scenario may materialize.
Between September and October 2024, the whole territory is classified in IPC Phase 4 – Emergency. About 1.84 million people across the Gaza Strip are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, classified in IPC Phase 3 – Crisis – or above, including nearly 133,000 people facing catastrophic food insecurity, which is IPC Phase 5. Acute Malnutrition is ten times higher than before the escalation of the hostilities.
The report adds that nearly the entire population has been displaced multiple times, risking injuries or death from shelling and aerial bombardments, while many vulnerable groups are unable to relocate or find safe shelter. The majority are living in temporary makeshift camps with an alarming density of almost 40,000 people per square kilometre.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Our colleagues from Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that the ongoing Israeli military operations in northern Gaza are putting tens of thousands of civilians in grave danger. OCHA stresses once again that civilians in the north and across Gaza must be protected. Moreover, the military offensive in northern Gaza is also choking off people’s access to the essentials for their survival, including water.
Intense hostilities, evacuation orders, and loss of access to numerous water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in northern Gaza have rendered a number of systems for water production and wastewater collection inoperable. In Jabalya and Beit Lahya, water production from municipal wells is currently at zero. That’s according to our partners, who are also doing everything possible to provide access to water for people throughout Gaza. As of a week ago, they reported that 638 cubic metres of water were being distributed in northern Gaza on a daily basis through water trucking. For your reference, daily water distribution throughout all of Gaza prior to October 2023 was 380,000 cubic metres.
Meanwhile, in central Gaza, we and our humanitarian partners working to support water, sanitation and hygiene services there are preparing for winter and taking urgent steps to mitigate the risk of flooding. These include rehabilitating wastewater pumping stations in Deir al Balah and removing solid waste and cleaning stormwater channels in An Nuseirat refugee camp. Partners are also rehabilitating drainage systems and working to procure dewatering pumps.
Also in central Gaza, the World Health Organization reports that the second round of the polio vaccination campaign there concluded yesterday, with more than 181,000 children receiving the vaccine and over 148,000 children getting vitamin A supplements. Eight health facilities in central Gaza will continue to provide polio vaccines for families who were unable to bring their children to be vaccinated over the past three days.
The second round of the polio vaccination campaign is expected to start in southern Gaza tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, OCHA warns that Israeli settler violence in the context of the ongoing olive harvest season is threatening people’s safety and livelihoods. Since the beginning of the month, OCHA has documented 32 attacks by Israeli settlers, during which 39 Palestinians harvesting olives were injured and about 600 trees and saplings were vandalized, sawn off, or stolen.
Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)
In mid-2023, Pakistan faced significant economic challenges, including due the devastating floods of the previous year. Since then, economic stability has been restored through careful policy-making. However, challenges remain, such as a narrow tax base, elevated spending pressures for social and development needs and building climate resilience, as well as low productivity and weak growth. MCD Director Jihad Azour will be joined by Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to discuss the government’s ambitious policy and reform agenda and the path to sustainable growth.
DENVER – Today, Governor Polis delivered the keynote address at the Colorado Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting to highlight Colorado’s economic success.
“Colorado has one of the best economies in the country and we continue working to ensure it remains the best place to launch and grow a business. Since taking office, we have brought thousands of new jobs to Colorado. From cutting taxes, to addressing housing costs, expanding access to quality education and more, ours is a great place for individuals, families, and businesses to plant their roots,” said Governor Jared Polis.
At the meeting, the Chamber announced the “Coolest Thing Made in Colorado” award, which was voted on by members of the Chamber. Freedom Trax was announced as the winner. Freedom Trax is a motorized off-road attachment designed for manual wheelchairs that helps navigate difficult terrain, breaking down barriers to access for Coloradans using wheelchairs in Colorado’s great outdoors.
“Small, innovative businesses and products like Freedom Trax are driving our economy forward and helping Coloradans of all abilities access our great outdoors. Congratulations on being named the coolest thing made in Colorado! I am proud to celebrate this innovation and your impact on our great state,” said Governor Polis.
In the last year, Governor Polis has signed laws cutting property, sales, and income taxes, breaking down barriers to housing Coloradans can afford, investing in Colorado workforce and connecting Coloradans to needed skills to fill available jobs, expanding access to low-cost education and more. All critical to a strong economy and a strong workforce.
As a key part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Team Canada Trade Missions help Canadian businesses open doors in dynamic markets, unlock new opportunities and connect with government and industry leaders. Diversity is Canada’s strength, and Team Canada supports and advances inclusive trade, which contributes to more competitive, innovative and successful businesses.
October 17, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
Since the Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan nearly a year ago, these large-scale missions have visited Malaysia, Vietnam and the Republic of Korea and will soon visit Indonesia and the Philippines. Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, announced that she will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to Australia from February 16 to 21, 2025. These trade missions have allowed more than 650 representatives from over 440 Canadian organizations from more than 15 sectors gain market exposure and pursue commercial opportunities and partnerships. The Team Canada model has proven to be effective at generating economic impact for Canada: for example, the trade mission to Japan led to at least 70 new contracts with an overall value estimated at close to $30 million CAD.
As a key part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Team Canada Trade Missions help Canadian businesses open doors in dynamic markets, unlock new opportunities and connect with government and industry leaders. Diversity is Canada’s strength, and Team Canada supports and advances inclusive trade, which contributes to more competitive, innovative and successful businesses.
During the Team Canada Trade Mission to Australia, Canadian companies will learn about opportunities in key sectors of focus:
agri-food and agritech
clean technologies and clean energy
mining equipment technology and services
information and communications technologies (with a focus on digital infrastructure and smart cities)
Following this trade mission, Minister Ng will lead the Team Canada Trade Mission to Thailand and Cambodia in May 2025. Canada will also send business delegations to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Brunei Darussalam in 2025.
Register nowto join Minister Ng in Australia to help grow your Canadian business in a global market. Stay tuned for more details on other trade missions in 2025.
The Indo-Pacific is Canada’s second-largest regional export market, after the United States, with yearly 2-way merchandise trade valued at $257 billion in 2023.
Launched in November 2022, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is creating opportunities to expand trade and investment, grow good jobs and build supply chain resilience.
The Indo-Pacific region is rapidly becoming an increasingly important global centre of economic dynamism and strategic challenge, offering Canadian companies unparalleled opportunities for expansion, market exploration, and strategic partnerships. It accounts for over one-third of the world’s economic activity. By 2030, the region is expected to become home to two-thirds of global middle class. By 2040 it is projected to make up over half of the global economy.
Team Canada Trade Missions help Canadian exporters and innovators expand and diversify their international business portfolios and reach in the region, strengthening their supply chains and facilitating long-term trade and investment opportunities that contribute to the growth of the Canadian economy.
Canadian participants gain direct benefits from Team Canada Trade Missions, such as getting market intelligence, access to key local interlocutors, and increased visibility and profile in the market. Canadian businesses have yielded a number of immediate successes and promising outcomes, including, for example, the signature of Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), as well as securing sales contracts, new strategic partnerships, or local representation.
Huzaif Qaisar Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development 343-575-8816 Huzaif.Qaisar@international.gc.ca
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02)
Providence, RI – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has awarded $600,000 in funding to the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Center for Forensic Sciences to reduce the backlog of DNA casework and ensure justice can be served for victims of both violent and non-violent crimes. With this funding, the state’s crime lab expects to typically process cases within 30 days for violent crimes and 90 days for non-violent crimes.
“No victim of a crime should have to wait for justice to be served because of insufficient resources to analyze DNA evidence in a timely fashion,” said Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former U.S. Attorney and Rhode Island Attorney General. “This federal funding will help retain qualified forensic scientists, make upgrades to the state’s laboratory, and bring justice and closure to victims throughout Rhode Island.”
“This federal funding will help the state’s crime lab effectively process DNA samples, solve more cases, and help law enforcement bring perpetrators to justice,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.
“Justice ought to be delivered swiftly to victims of crime and their families, and this federal funding will make this a reality for Rhode Islanders by reducing the backlog of DNA casework and holding perpetrators accountable,” said Congressman Magaziner.
“As forensic technology advancements help investigators better match DNA found at crime scenes, it’s critically important that we invest in new instruments and training to help secure justice for victims of crime in Rhode Island — no matter how much time has elapsed,” said Congressman Amo. “This federal investment by the Department of Justice will reduce the casework backlog and bolster our state’s capacity to process incoming DNA cases quickly and efficiently.”
This grant funding,which comes through the Department of Justice’s DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program, will help the Center for Forensic Sciences’ Forensic Biology and DNA Laboratory continue to reduce the backlog of DNA casework. Funding will also prevent future backlogs with the purchase of new DNA analysis instruments, an upgraded laboratory information management system, and increased education and training opportunities for scientists. With these investments, the Forensic Biology and DNA Laboratory expects to reduce the DNA casework backlog by at least 125 cases and continue to be able to process incoming cases within an average 90-day time frame for non-violent crimes and a 30-day time frame for violent crimes.
SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Backblaze, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLZE), the cloud storage innovator providing a modern alternative to traditional cloud providers, will report financial results for its third quarter ending September 30, 2024 on Thursday, November 7, 2024 after market close.
Following the release of results, Backblaze will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET) on November 7, 2024 to discuss the results.
Phone registrants will receive dial-in information via email.
An archive of the webcast will be available shortly after its completion on the Investor Relations page of the Backblaze website at https://ir.backblaze.com.
About Backblaze
Backblaze is the cloud storage innovator providing a modern alternative to traditional cloud providers. We deliver high-performance, secure cloud object storage that customers use to develop applications, manage media, secure backups, build AI workflows, protect from ransomware, and more. Backblaze helps businesses break free from the walled gardens that traditional providers lock customers into, enabling them to use their data in open cloud workflows with the providers they prefer at a fraction of the cost. Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Backblaze (NASDAQ: BLZE) was founded in 2007 and serves over 500,000 customers in 175 countries around the world. For more information, please go to http://www.backblaze.com.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — World Network, formerly known as Worldcoin, today made a series of groundbreaking announcements during its exclusive global event in San Francisco, hosted by co-founders Sam Altman and Alex Blania. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve at a rapid pace, World is introducing new infrastructure to empower individuals and create systems that benefit everyone.
Here are the key updates from the event:
1. Next-Generation Orb: Expanding the Reach of Proof of Human Verifications
World unveiled the latest Orb, a revolutionary new device that enhances the efficiency and scalability of World ID verifications. Powered by the latest NVIDIA Jetson chipset, the new Orb offers nearly five times the AI performance compared to its predecessor. Its updated design reduces complexity with 30% fewer parts and includes a removable external SD card for full auditability.
The new Orb enables the creation of more flexible verification models, including flagship locations, on-demand Orbs, and self-serve kiosks—accelerating the deployment of proof of human verifications across the globe.
2. World ID 3.0: Credentials and Enhanced Privacy Features
The launch of World ID 3.0 introduces new features like World ID Credentials, allowing users to store and use information from their NFC-enabled passports on their devices. This enables World ID holders to verify their age, nationality, or passport ownership without revealing their full identity.
Additionally, World ID 3.0 brings stronger privacy protections with AMPC (Advanced Multiparty Computation) and World ID Deep Face, a new tool designed to combat online fraud and enhance security in digital interactions.
3. World App 3.0: The Super App for Humans
World announced the release of World App 3.0, a redesigned platform built to scale with the expanding World Network. It now supports Mini Apps, allowing third-party apps to integrate directly with World ID, Wallet, and Contacts, all while maintaining user anonymity.
The updated World App also includes enhanced wallet features like Vault and World Pay (where available), and it supports World ID Credentials, offering greater utility and security for users.
4. World Chain Mainnet Launch
The highly anticipated World Chain mainnet is officially live. With the migration of over 15 million World ID holders and World App users to the network, World Chain is the first blockchain designed specifically to prioritize human activity and transactions.
World Chain is supported by leading blockchain services, including Optimism, Alchemy, Uniswap, Safe, Dune, and Etherscan, ensuring a robust and scalable infrastructure for users worldwide.
5. Worldcoin Becomes World Network
As the scope and scale of the project continue to expand, Worldcoin has officially rebranded as World Network. The name change reflects the project’s broader mission to accelerate progress for all humanity. World Network now stands on three key pillars: World Chain, World ID, and Worldcoin—a network of verified humans designed to ensure an optimistic future where humans remain at the center of AI development.
About World Network
Initially developed by Sam Altman, Alex Blania and Max Novendstern, World Network is intended to be the world’s largest, most inclusive identity and financial public utility accessible by everyone: an open network supported by a global community of developers, individuals, economists, and technologists. Stewarded by the World Foundation, the project aims to expand global economic participation and accessibility.
About Tools For Humanity
Tools for Humanity (TFH) is a global technology company established to accelerate the transition towards a more just economic system. It led the initial development of World Network and operates the World App. It is governed entirely independently of the World Foundation. Over time, TFH will continue to develop important tools supporting World Network and beyond. Tools for Humanity Corporation is a Delaware (U.S.) corporation headquartered in San Francisco, California. To learn more, visit: https://www.toolsforhumanity.com/
WESTLAKE, Texas, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Goosehead Insurance, Inc. (“Goosehead” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GSHD), announced today that it will report its third quarter 2024 results after the market close on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
The company will hold a conference call to discuss results at 4:30 PM ET on October 23rd. To access the call by phone, participants should go to this link (registration link), and you will be provided with the dial in details. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available on Goosehead’s investor relations website at ir.gooseheadinsurance.com.
A webcast replay of the call will be available at ir.gooseheadinsurance.com for one year following the call.
About Goosehead
Goosehead (NASDAQ: GSHD) is a rapidly growing and innovative independent personal lines insurance agency that distributes its products and services through corporate and franchise locations throughout the United States. Goosehead was founded on the premise that the consumer should be at the center of our universe and that everything we do should be directed at providing extraordinary value by offering broad product choice and a world-class service experience. Goosehead represents over 150 insurance companies that underwrite personal and commercial lines. For more information, please visit goosehead.com or goosehead.com/become-a-franchisee.
Addresses India-Malawi Business Meet There is an immense scope for enhancing India-Malawi cooperation in the fields such as agriculture, mining, energy, tourism: PRESIDENT MURMU
Posted On: 17 OCT 2024 6:33PM by PIB Delhi
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, reached Lilongwe, Malawi this morning (October 17, 2024), on the final leg of her State Visits to Algeria, Mauritania, and Malawi. At the Kamuzu International Airport, the President was received by H.E. Mr Michael Usi, the Vice President of Malawi and other dignitaries. She was accorded a ceremonial welcome and was warmly greeted by children. A traditional cultural performance was also presented before the President at the airport.
This is the first ever State Visit from India to Malawi. The President was accompanied by the Minister of State, Shri Sukanata Majumdar, and Members of Parliament, Shri Mukeshkumar Dalal and Shri Atul Garg.
Later, the President graced and addressed the India-Malawi Business Meet.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Malawi is a country rich in natural reserves and fertile agricultural land. On the other hand, India has a large consumer base with increasing demand for energy, minerals and food for its large population. Both our countries can come together to find synergy in many areas. There is an immense scope for enhancing our cooperation in the fields of agriculture, mining, energy, tourism, etc.
The President was happy to note that the bilateral trade between India and Malawi has been growing. India is currently the fourth largest trading partner of Malawi. India is also one of the largest investors in Malawi with over 500 million US dollars worth of investments in various sectors.
The President said that the India-Malawi partnership is not confined to governments alone, as Africa has emerged as an important trade and investment destination. India’s private sector is at the forefront of driving this impetus. There are growing investments by Indian companies, both multinational and SMEs, in Africa in a range of sectors.
The President expressed confidence that the discussion held at the India-Malawi Business Meet would prove to be a significant milestone in developing commercial relations between the two countries.
In the evening, the President will address members of the Indian community at a Reception.
The Thirteenth Tripartite Governors’ Meeting among the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the Bank of Japan (BOJ), and the Bank of Korea (BOK) was held in Beijing, China on October 17, 2024. Governor PAN Gongsheng of the PBOC chaired the meeting, and Governor UEDA Kazuo of the BOJ and Governor RHEE Chang Yong of the BOK attended the meeting.
The Governors exchanged views on recent economic and financial developments.
The Fourteenth Tripartite Governors’ Meeting will be hosted by the BOJ in 2025.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
The FBI Atlanta Division is warning the public that verified social media accounts are being hijacked by cybercriminals for the purposes of spreading scams and malicious software. Cybercriminals are targeting established social media accounts with large followings. By successfully taking over these accounts through targeted phishing or social engineering techniques, the cybercriminals broaden the reach of their fraudulent campaigns to vast amounts of followers. The campaigns become more effective because the followers trust the verified accounts.
Cybercriminals are taking advantage of these hijacked accounts to spread cryptocurrency scams. Cryptocurrency “giveaway” scams often include links to malicious websites that steal the victim’s wallet information. Cybercriminals are also using hijacked accounts to post links to free software downloads, which ultimately link to malware. This info-stealing malware takes the victim’s usernames, passwords, and cookies, enabling the cybercriminals to compromise other accounts.
For followers of social media, here are tips to protect yourself from scams and malware shared online:
Do not assume verified influencers or creators are always in full control of their posts. Pay attention to red flags such as a post seeming out of the ordinary or too good to be true.
Take extra caution when the post uses a sense of urgency to click a link or visit a website for things like cryptocurrency giveaways or free software downloads.
If you are concerned about a website link, look up the website’s registration information by searching for its “WHOIS” data. Proceed with caution if the site was registered recently and from an overseas country such as Russia.
For social media influencers or creators, here are tips to keep your accounts from being hijacked:
Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Be skeptical of emails claiming to be from social media companies asking you to relogin with your account credentials. Apply this same skepticism when receiving e-mails about collaboration opportunities that ask you to click suspicious links.
Monitor the login activity and connected devices to your account.
Anyone who is a victim of an account takeover or Internet scam should report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at http://www.ic3.gov.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, pled guilty before United States District Judge J. Paul Oetken to one count of wire fraud for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately 55 artworks. SCHIFF will be sentenced by Judge Oetken on January 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by lying to them and diverting millions of dollars her clients had entrusted to her. Instead of using client funds as promised, Schiff used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle. Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder that the Southern District of New York will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in fraud wherever we may find them, including the art market.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
From 2018 through May 2023, SCHIFF engaged in a scheme to defraud clients of her art advisory business, Schiff Fine Art (“SFA”) by diverting her clients’ funds—profits from the sale of her clients’ artworks or payments they made to purchase artwork—to pay her own personal and business expenses. SCHIFF advised clients regarding the purchase and sale of artworks and bought and sold artworks on behalf of clients in exchange for a commission. In her role as an art advisor, SCHIFF acted as an intermediary between art galleries and auction houses, and her clients, who were art collectors. Typically, when SCHIFF’s clients bought or sold artworks, payments were routed through SCHIFF’s business, SFA. In addition, when SCHIFF sold artworks on behalf of a client, she often had custody or control of the artworks to coordinate the sale. At times, SCHIFF, through SFA, also sold artwork on consignment on behalf of artists and other galleries.
Starting in about 2018, SCHIFF began defrauding her clients in two ways: (1) not remitting payments to her clients when she sold their artwork while not disclosing to her clients that their artworks had, in fact, been sold; and (2) not purchasing artworks on behalf of clients despite representing to her clients that she would purchase certain artworks on their behalf using their funds. Instead of using client funds as promised, SCHIFF diverted her clients’ money to pay her business and personal expenses. SCHIFF lied to her clients and galleries in furtherance of her fraud scheme. For example, when defrauding clients in connection with selling their artwork, SCHIFF at times lied to clients, claiming she had not sold the artwork, or the buyer was delayed in making the payment and SCHIFF still had custody of the artwork when, in fact, SCHIFF had sold the artwork, received payment from the buyer, and delivered the artwork to the buyer. When defrauding clients in connection with purchasing artwork on their behalf, SCHIFF lied to galleries from which she was supposed to purchase artwork on behalf clients, blaming delays in payment on clients when, in fact, clients had already paid SCHIFF for the purchase of the artwork but she had diverted the funds for her own use. Over several years, SCHIFF defrauded at least twelve clients, one artist, the estate of another artist, and one gallery, collectively, of at least approximately $6.5 million. During her fraud, SCHIFF lived lavishly and incurred substantial debts, which she paid in part using her victims’ diverted funds.
In about May 2023, SCHIFF could no longer conceal her scheme due to mounting debts. SCHIFF confessed to several clients that she had stolen their money.
* * *
SCHIFF, 54, a Manhattan resident, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Under the terms of her plea agreement, SCHIFF agreed to forfeit approximately $6.4 million.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team and the FBI/New York Police Department’s Joint Major Theft Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Ong and Cecilia Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.
strong>RALEIGH, N.C. – A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is opening Friday, Oct. 18 in Jefferson (Ashe County) to assist North Carolina survivors who experienced loss from Helene.
The Ashe County DRC is located at:
Family Central Parks and Recreation Center
626 Ashe Central School Rd.
Jefferson, NC 28640
Open: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through Sunday
A DRC is a one-stop shop where survivors can meet face-to-face with FEMA representatives, apply for FEMA assistance, receive referrals to local assistance in their area, apply with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans and much more.
FEMA financial assistance may include money for basic home repairs, personal property losses or other uninsured, disaster-related needs, such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral or dental expenses.
Centers are already open in Asheville, Bakersville, Boone, Brevard, Hendersonville, Lenoir, Marion and Sylva with additional centers scheduled to open in the coming days. To find those center locations go to fema.gov/drcor text “DRC” and a zip code to 43362. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology.
Homeowners and renters in 39 North Carolina counties and tribal members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can visit any open center, including locations in other states. No appointment is needed.
It is not necessary to go to a center to apply for FEMA assistance. The fastest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via the FEMA app. You may also call 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su hosted an unveiling of the U.S. Department of Labor’s AI Best Practices, a comprehensive roadmap designed to ensure artificial intelligence enhances job quality and safeguards workers’ rights and well-being.
The online event, which took place on Oct. 16, 2024, brought together labor, business, non-profit and government leaders to focus on the critical importance of ethical use of AI as its impact continues to grow in workplaces throughout the nation. President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence emphasizes that the responsible development and use of AI require a commitment to supporting America’s workers. The AI Best Practices are an important step towards promoting worker well-being when AI is used in the workplace.
Acting Secretary Su emphasized how artificial intelligence will transform jobs and the workplace. Underscoring the department’s mission to ensure responsible AI use, the Acting Secretary said: “We have a shared responsibility to ensure that AI is used to expand equality, advance equity, develop opportunity and improve job quality.”
The department’s best practices are designed to guide employers and developers as they develop and deploy AI so that workers are empowered and workplace conditions are improved.
Leaders echoed the importance of responsible AI development and deployment in promoting innovation and worker protection.
“Workers are the experts in how technology impacts their work. Unions give them a seat at the table so that we design technology that enhances their jobs, not degrades them,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “The Department of Labor’s new AI best practices are an important new tool to help employers understand the value of engaging their workers to ensure that these technologies actually improve productivity, work and workers’ lives.”
“We applaud the Department of Labor’s best practices on AI and worker well-being,” said Partnership on AI CEO Rebecca Finlay. “These decision-making guides build on our Shared Prosperity Guidelines, co-created with our multistakeholder community. Together, we are working to ensure that the benefits of AI are broadly shared so we have a future of work that works for all of us.”
“We must ensure that AI serves the country’s workers. Incorporating worker perspectives is an important part of the AI principles, part of our company approach, and a key component of our partnership with AFL-CIO. We applaud Acting Secretary Su’s leadership in implementing these principles and we look forward to continuing this discussion,” said Microsoft Corp. Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Amy Pannoni.
“The advantages gained from AI need to be fairly distributed among patients, payors, healthcare workers and providers, with special attention to workers who might see their work transformed by the new technology,” said SEIU United Healthcare Workers’ Research Director and Assistant to the President for Strategic Campaigns David Miller.
Learn more about the department’s AI Principles and Best Practices.