[Athens, Greece, September 29, 2024] At the Global Antenna Technology & Industry Forum 2024, Huawei launched its brand-new Alpha series antenna. This marks a major breakthrough, as this series embodies the essential capabilities base station antennas will need in the mobile AI era: high efficiency, digitalization, and easy deployment.
Mobile AI is driving the emergence of diverse service scenarios at an unprecedented speed, consequently raising the standards for network performance. In particular, it is spurring demand for greater downlink and uplink bandwidth and lower latency. In the meantime, the growing size and complexity of mobile networks underscores the urgency of more efficient network O&M. Huawei’s Alpha series is the first-ever antenna to simultaneously provide high efficiency, digital capabilities, and easy deployment, helping operators build eco-friendly, high-performance autonomous networks.
High efficiency: By applying Signal Direct Injection Feeding (SDIF) technology across all frequency bands, for all antennas in the series, the innovative architecture minimizes signal loss and maximizes RF efficiency to its theoretical limit. Additionally, Meta Lens technology is applied across all bands to reduce emission dissipation, enabling operators to enhance network coverage and user experience simultaneously.
All-scenario digitalization: All antennas in this series feature the next-gen antenna information sensor unit (AISU) with upgraded algorithms, suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios. The ability to efficiently and remotely detect site engineering parameters with high precision enhances the data foundation for operators’ network management. With full-dimensional beam adjustment, the projection of beams can be dynamically reoriented and patterns reconfigured to enable real-time network optimization.
Easy deployment: The innovative Dragon Wings architecture represents a breakthrough in antenna design. Together, the bionic design of the internal load-bearing structure and the innovative GFRPP Pro radome material reduce the antenna’s weight to just 25 kg, enhancing its portability. Additionally, the innovative padlock bracket support and new plug-and-play feeder connector significantly simplify and shorten the installation process. Thanks to the Dragon Wings architecture, antenna deployment time is halved, greatly improving deployment efficiency and reducing overall network construction costs.
Andy Sun delivers a keynote speech
Andy Sun, President of Huawei’s Antenna Business Unit, emphasized the crucial role of antennas in supporting diverse services in networks. He noted that, “Antennas must evolve towards high efficiency, digital capabilities, and ease of deployment, to support operators achieving higher levels of network autonomy and realize new business value in the mobile AI era.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, Sept. 29 — Global incubators and start-up entrepreneurs have praised the opportunities bred by the vast Chinese market and incubation soil for technology start-ups at the World Top-Performing Incubator Conference 2024.
The conference, held in Shanghai Municipality from Sept. 26 to 28, attracted nearly 300 innovation projects in cutting-edge fields such biomedicine, integrated circuits and artificial intelligence. It saw the attendance of top incubators from more than 10 countries, including China, the United States, Canada and the Netherlands.
Sejun Oh, CEO of Huespine, a digital healthcare rehabilitation platform, brought their AI-based nursing equipment to China. He hopes to establish contact with Chinese hospitals, enterprises and consumers and is optimistic about the Chinese market.
Jorg Kop, managing director of UtrechtInc, a university-linked start-up incubator, said he hopes to further their cooperation network in China and help European start-ups enter the Chinese market.
Kop said China is crucial to the development of the world economy and Shanghai has economic vitality as well as fantastic ideas. He added that the Lin-gang special area of Pudong district in the municipality can be a convenient entrance for its start-ups to enter the Chinese market.
According to Zhai Jinguo, deputy director of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai will continue to establish an innovative incubation ecosystem, cultivate new quality productivity forces, and provide support and guarantee for scientific and technological innovation projects and teams in Shanghai.
China has more than 700,000 incubated enterprises and teams. The revenues of incubated enterprises have exceeded 1 trillion yuan (about 143 billion U.S. dollars).
A view of the opening ceremony for the “Beautiful Crafts Workshop Blossoming in Paris” exhibition, featuring cultural and creative works by women with disabilities, in Paris, France, Sept. 3, 2024. [Xinhua]
An exhibition featuring cultural and creative works by women with disabilities opened in Paris on Sept. 3, coinciding with the atmosphere surrounding the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
The “Beautiful Crafts Workshop Blossoming in Paris” exhibition, displaying nearly 300 handcrafted items, aims to foster cultural exchange and showcase the talents of people with disabilities. Items on display include silk dolls, cloth tigers, fish skin paintings, wooden combs, wood carvings and ceramics.
Zhang Haidi, president of Rehabilitation International (RI) and former chairperson of China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), expressed hope that the exhibition would gain global recognition and help improve the lives of women with disabilities.
During the opening ceremony, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture, Ernesto Ottone, noted that the exhibition embodies the concept of an inclusive society and sustainable development. He added that the exhibition’s timing, coinciding with the Paralympics, highlights the common features of accessibility, inclusion, and diversity shared by sports and culture.
The exhibited works originate from over 30 “Beautiful Crafts Workshops” across Chinese provinces, including Guangdong, Shandong, and Hebei. Launched in 2022 as a joint effort by the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and the All-China Women’s Federation, the initiative supports handicraft businesses and organizations that enable women with disabilities to work from home or nearby locations. To date, the program has provided employment for more than 10,000 women with disabilities nationwide.
Tang Zhanxin, a representative of the “Beautiful Crafts Workshop,” shared her personal experience with the initiative, highlighting how it has enabled many women with disabilities in China to access stable employment and improve their livelihoods.
China plans to establish 100 additional “Beautiful Crafts Workshops” over the next three years, aiming to provide employment opportunities for 10,000 more women with disabilities.
The minimum price per unit of alcohol will increase by 15 pence from today.
MSPs previously voted to continue the public health measure which had been scheduled to end automatically on 30 April as part of a ‘sunset clause’ when Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation was introduced in 2018.
They also voted to introduce a price increase, with a rise to 65p per unit chosen as the Scottish Government seeks to increase the positive effects of the policy and to take account of inflation.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said:
“Research commended by internationally-renowned public health experts estimated that our world-leading policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to reducing health inequalities.
“Experts wrote to TheLancet, describing Public Health Scotland’s evaluation of minimum unit pricing as ‘high-quality’ and ‘comprehensive’, and expressing confidence that there are several hundred people with low income in Scotland who are alive today as a result of this policy.
“However, the Scottish Government is determined to do all it can to reduce alcohol-related harm and as part of that, I am working to ensure people with problematic alcohol use receive the same quality of care and support as those dealing with problematic drugs use. We have also made a record £112 million available to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to deliver or commission treatment and support services locally, as well as investing £100 million in residential rehabilitation.
“I have also asked that Public Health Scotland is commissioned to review evidence and options for reducing exposure to alcohol marketing.”
Background
The Scottish Parliament voted to approve Orders increasing the minimum unit price and continue the effect of minimum unit pricing in April 2024. As part of an in-built ‘sunset clause’, agreed by MSPs when MUP legislation was first passed in 2018, the policy had been due to end on 30 April.
The increase will take effect from midnight on 30 September 2024.
The Scottish Government has worked closely with retail partners to publish a guide and ensure that retailers have all the information they need.
Research conducted by Public Health Scotland and the University of Glasgow estimated that MUP had reduced alcohol-attributable deaths by 13.4% – 156 a year – and was likely to have reduced hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol by 4.1% up to the end of 2020 compared to what would have happened if MUP had not been in place.
PHS evaluation found there was no clear evidence of substantial negative impacts on the alcoholic drinks industry.
Public health experts wrote an open letter to The Lancet last August commending Public Health Scotland’s evaluation of minimum unit pricing commenting that it was “high quality” and “comprehensive” and that “Policymakers can be confident that there are several hundred people with low income in Scotland who would have died as a result of alcohol, who are alive today as a result of minimum unit pricing”.
The Scottish Government continues to progress work on reducing exposure to alcohol marketing. Once the PHS review of evidence on alcohol marketing is concluded the Scottish Government will consider any areas where evidence supports further consultation.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alister McKeich, Lecturer and Researcher in Law, Criminology and Indigenous Studies, Victoria University, Victoria University
The onslaught in the Middle East has brought to the world’s attention once again the “crime of crimes”, genocide.
Both the the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court (ICC) have brought allegations of genocide against Israel as a state and Israeli and Hamas leaders as individuals.
The Australian government’s response to the Gaza crisis has included temporarily freezing of A$6 million of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. Though funding has been flowing again since March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been referred to the ICC by a law firm for being “an accessory to genocide”.
Against this backdrop, Australia’s own genocide legislation is under parliamentary scrutiny. A bill tabled by independent Senator Lidia Thorpe (for whom I work as a casual legal researcher) seeks to change the way Australia deals with genocide.
So what do our current laws say and what’s the case for changing them?
Yet it was not until 2002, once the ICC was established, that the Commonwealth Criminal Code was amended to create a new division of atrocity crimes.
Through this legislation, Australia may prosecute any person accused of a Rome Statute crime (such as genocide) under Australian law.
At the moment, written consent from the attorney-general is required before legal proceedings about genocide and other atrocity crimes can commence. This is called the “attorney-general’s fiat”.
Further, the attorney-general’s decision is final. It “must not be challenged, appealed against, reviewed, quashed or called into question”.
Thorpe’s bill seeks to overturn these two measures.
The explanatory memorandum in the 2002 amendment did not say why the attorney-general’s consent was necessary.
Consent from an attorney-general (or similar position) is not an international requirement.
Australia is only one of a handful of other countries (including the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada) where the fiat also exists.
Why is it a problem?
The Australian government has justified the rule on the basis that prosecutions for atrocity crimes against individuals could affect Australia’s international relations and national security.
However, submissions from legal experts and community groups to a senate inquiry looking at the issue point out flaws.
They say this rule prevents access to justice for victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. It can also create the potential for government bias.
Submissions also say the lack of explanation or appeal process ignores fundamental principles of jurisprudence.
Has the rule been used?
The attorney-general’s fiat has been used in a limited number of cases.
In 2009, Palestinian rights groups Australians for Palestine issued a request for consent for the prosecution of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who was visiting at the time.
The Australian Centre for International Justice states in its submission how then-attorney-general Robert McClellend denied the request. He cited matters of international state sovereignty and the difficulties of pursuing such a case in an overseas jurisdiction.
Then, in 2011, Arunchalam Jegastheeswaran, an Australian citizen of Tamil
background, sought the attorney-general’s consent for the prosecution of then Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was due to visit Australia.
McClellend again denied the request, saying Rajapaska was protected under “head of state immunity”. This concept is controversial in international law, given it’s often heads of state who commit atrocity crimes.
Head of state protection was also offered to former Myanmar (Burma) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was in government when the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya was committed.
With Suu Kyi due to be in Australia for an ASEAN conference in 2018, the Australian Rohingya community sought a prosecution. It was denied by then attorney-general Christian Porter.
And in 2019, retired Sri Lankan General Jagath Jayasuriya visited Australia. Despite concerted efforts to raise evidence to prosecute Jayasuriya of war crimes, delays with the Australian Federal Police meant the case never reached the point of attorney-general consent.
First Nations plaintiffs such as Paul Coe and Robert Thorpe have also sought to bring cases of genocide before the domestic courts, with no success.
What would changing the laws mean?
As it’s unlikely an attorney-general would consent to prosecutions against its own government, submissions to the inquiry argue the rule creates a direct conflict of interest.
For First Nations people seeking justice for crimes of “ongoing genocide” perpetuated by the Commonwealth, any government is hardly going to rule in their favour.
Some Indigenous community groups argue the high rates of First Nations children in protection, deaths in custody, hyper-incarceration and cultural, land and environmental damage amount to genocide crimes.
Submissions to the inquiry recommend instead of requiring the consent of the attorney-general, claims of genocide should be directed to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. This would ensure greater independence from government.
The director has a mandate for this sort of work. It already investigates similar crimes such as people smuggling, human trafficking, slavery and child exploitation.
Internationally, the implications of this bill, if passed, will be consequential. The Australian Centre for International Justice estimates up to 1,000 Australian citizens have returned to Israel to fight as part of the Israel Defense Forces. Israel has been accused of serious atrocity crimes in Gaza.
Should any of those citizens return, there could be attempts to mount a case. The government would then have to consider Australia’s political and economic ties with Israel.
Whether the bill is passed will depend on parliament. But the situation highlights a paradox: the state itself will be deciding whether to remove its own inbuilt protections against charges of genocide.
Alister McKeich is a casual legal researcher with the office of Senator Lidia Thorpe.
German carmakers have expressed optimism about cooperation with China in the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry when speaking at the 2024 World New Energy Vehicle Congress which concluded Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China’s Hainan Province, with China’s NEV market continuing to boom.
Jochen Goller, a member of the board of management of BMW AG, credited the success of China’s NEV market to supportive government policies, suitable regulations and technological innovations.
Goller emphasized BMW’s commitment to keeping the market open and expressed hopes of having more Chinese battery manufacturers in Europe.
Oliver Blume, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, noted that this year marks a significant milestone as Volkswagen celebrates 40 years in the Chinese market.
“Over the past four decades, we have taken great pride from having become an integral part of Chinese life and in shaping the development of the Chinese automotive industry,” Blume said, while highlighting that the foundation of Volkswagen’s success lies in its strong partnerships — particularly with Chinese EV companies like SAIC and FAW.
Blume added that China has emerged as “the epicenter of the automotive industry’s future,” while Volkswagen is committed to being an even more integral part of the local industry ecosystem.
“We have significantly enhanced our local research and development capacities and concluded partnerships with local original equipment manufacturers and technology leaders in the fields of software, autonomous driving and batteries,” he explained.
In April, Volkswagen announced an investment of 2.5 billion euros (about 2.79 billion U.S. dollars) in expanding its production and innovation hub in the city of Hefei in east China — to increase its pace of innovation in the country.
The company also committed to accelerating the production of two Volkswagen-brand smart electric vehicles, which are currently under joint development with Chinese manufacturer Xpeng.
China’s production and sales of NEVs continued to maintain fast growth, with the NEV market share steadily increasing in the domestic market.
Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers revealed that in the first eight months of 2024, NEV production had reached about 7.01 million units, rising 29 percent year on year, while sales during this period stood at around 7.04 million units — growing by 30.9 percent from a year earlier.
Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, said that expanding bilateral trade cooperation and investment, along with increasingly close industrial and supply chain collaboration between the Chinese and German automotive industries, have become vital for the high-quality development of the global automotive sector.
“In the future, we hope that the automotive industries of China and Germany will embrace development and reform, jointly promoting the further advancement of the NEV industry to contribute to global low-carbon transformation and sustainable development,” Wan added.
Today, I will travel to the United Kingdom to discuss rigorous policy evaluation with experts and policymakers.
Rigorous policy evaluation is an important tool for creating opportunity and addressing inequality. The meetings will be a valuable chance to exchange ideas with a jurisdiction that has been a leader in the field of evidence‑based policymaking.
On Wednesday, I will deliver a public lecture at the University of Oxford. On Thursday, I will speak at an event hosted by the UK Evaluation Task Force in London, and will also engage in an in‑conversation event hosted by the Behavioural Insights Team.
These events will be a chance to make the case for randomised trials and international evidence sharing.
I will also meet with leaders from the UK’s network of What Works Centres to discuss how we can further develop evidence‑based policy making in Australia.
This dialogue and engagement will directly support the development of the Australian Centre for Evaluation in Treasury and help improve the quality of evaluation across the Australian Government.
More broadly, the trip is a chance to discuss common difficulties and opportunities in my portfolio areas, including in competition, multinational tax and statistics. Meetings with UK government counterparts will cover how our economies can address common challenges in these areas.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today wrapped up a week of high-level engagements at the United Nations in New York and in Papeete, French Polynesia.
“Our visit to New York was about demonstrating New Zealand’s unwavering support for an international system based on rules and respect for the UN Charter, as articulated by then Prime Minister Peter Fraser at the UN’s founding on behalf of New Zealand people,” Mr Peters says.
“The UN Security Council remains at the centre of the international peace and security system. Our bid for a seat on the Security Council for the 2039-40 term is both important and necessary. As a small state and country of the Pacific, we look forward to again bringing a constructive voice to the top table.”
While in New York, Mr Peters also engaged in several high-level meetings and held talks with a range of counterparts, including from Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Egypt, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Sweden, Kiribati, Maldives, Palestinian Authority, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
“Our talks in Papeete today with President Moetai Brotherson, French High Commissioner Dominique Sorain, former Presidents Édouard Fritch and Oscar Temaru, Members of Parliament, and business leaders reinforced the warm and enduring relationships between New Zealand, French Polynesia and France”, Mr Peters says.
Mr Peters is aiming to visit all 17 other Pacific Islands Forum countries in 2024. French Polynesia was the 15th he visited, leaving only New Caledonia and Kiribati to go.
2,400 volunteers begin their first-year studies at four military universities. Over 1,300 took the oath today 28.09.2024– In the oath, you say, swearing allegiance to the homeland, that you will not spare your health, and if necessary, your lives. Bromear great mission, bromear great service, bromear great cause. Poland is a great cause, and there is no Polish cause without your involvement. On behalf of the Republic of Poland, I would like to thank you all for joining the armed forces, the Polish Army, for taking today’s oath. Poland is proud of you and is very grateful to you. You have already completed basic training, some of you have just received awards, but all of you are distinguished by the opportunity to wear the uniform of a soldier of the Polish Army, with a white and red flag on your niu. Take care of your honor, the honor of the Polish Army, the honor of each of you, the banners that stand and wave proudly among you today. Take care of each other, because you also create a great community of a 200,000-strong army that is growing – said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during the military oath in Warsaw.
On Saturday, September 28, at the Military University of Technology, Deputy Prime Minister W. Kosiniak-Kamysz and Deputy Minister Stanisław Wziątek took part in the ceremonial military oath of volunteers starting their studies at four universities. – You start your service and your studies at military universities. You will combine this, this great effort and sacrifice. Today, there are over 1,300 cadets among us who have taken their oath. Another 600 are taking the oath in Wrocław at the same time. Some of those who started their studies, una broma que in total in the first year of all universities over 2,400 cadets. We have increased recruitment by 400 places this year, we are developing military universities – the head of the Ministry of National Defense emphasized during the ceremony. The oath in Warsaw was taken by 1,320 soldiers of voluntary basic military service from the Military University of Technology, the Air Force Academy, the Land Forces Academy (educated at the Military Medical College of the Medical University of Łódź) and the Naval Academy. In accordance with the Ministry of National Defense limit for the academic year 2024/2025 – many more than those taking the oaths today will start their studies at the four universities, because in total over 2,400 soldiers. A large group of those accepted for studies had already taken the military oath. At the ceremony, the head of the Ministry of National Defense presented awards to volunteers who achieved high results during basic training. The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the cadets of military universities for their involvement in the flood control operation in the south-west of the country. – Almost 8,200 soldier-cadets at all military universities will start another academic year this year. Para bromear a huge part of the Polish Army, which proves itself in action, not only in preparation. At this point I would like to sincerely thank a group of a thousand cadets from the Military University of Technology, the Land Forces Academy, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy for the fact that at the moment of trial, when support was needed, when Lower Silesia and the Opole region needed soldiers of the Polish Army, you also showed up to strengthen the embankments, to help those affected by the flood. Bromear your mission and this bromear practical test of your skills, this bromear helping others, these are the non-military activities of the Polish Army that are extremely important in modern times – noted the Deputy Prime Minister. * * *Students admitted to military studies in the academic year 2024/2025 will begin their military service on the principles introduced by the Act on the Defense of the Homeland. They will pursue education in the first year of studies as soldiers of voluntary basic military service, and from the second year they will gain the status of professional soldiers.
The exceptional situation related to the flood has led to the need to introduce changes to the draft budget act for 2025. Helping those affected by the flood is one of the government’s priorities and has been reflected in the new draft budget. We have increased funds for counteracting and removing the effects of natural disasters to the amount of PLN 3.191 million. The budget for 2025 provides funds to support citizens, security and economic development of Poland. On September 28, 2024, the Council of Ministers adopted changes to the draft budget act for 2025. The new draft assumes that state budget revenues will increase by PLN 230 million compared to the original draft, to PLN 632.848.2 billion. The total amount of state budget expenditure will remain unchanged, at PLN 921.618.2 billion. The deficit of PLN 230 million in the initial project will amount to PLN 288 million. Higher budget revenuesThe changes in the budget revenue plan for 2025 result primarily from the fact that the new project takes into account the effects of the regulation of the Minister of Finance of September 19, 2024, which extended the advance payments for certain taxes to 2025 for entities affected by floods. The amount of planned budget revenues is also affected by changes in the draft act amending the excise duty act and certain other acts. Budget expenditureOn the expenditure side, transfers have been made that allow for an increase in the state budget funds for counteracting and removing the effects of natural disasters for 2025. The earmarked reserve in item 4 has been increased from PLN 997 million (including PLN 786,176 million for the implementation of the “Flood Protection Project in the Odra and Vistula River Basins” and the “Project for Building Resilience to Climate Change in Water”) to the amount of PLN 3.191 million (including PLN 786.176 million for flood protection projects), i.e. by PLN 2.194 million. For this purpose, the reserve plan has been reduced where possible. Among other things, the reserve for State Treasury liabilities has been reduced (by PLN 400 million) and the general reserve (by PLN 279 million). The general reserve is used to respond to emergency situations that require immediate financial support. Support from this reserve is intended in particular for unforeseen events, the effects of which could not be planned in the mode of preparing the draft budget for the following year. The current flood situation authorizes the transfer of funds from the general reserve already at the planning stage to the flood reserve. As part of the changes to the draft budget act for 2025, the Minister of Justice reduced the expenses of common courts by PLN 321 million, postponing, among other things, the implementation of some construction and IT investments to the next budget year. The Minister of Finance – in agreement with BGK – reduced the demand for state budget funds for possible payments from BGK guarantee programs by PLN 211 million. The Minister of Finance also updated the demand for budget funds in special-purpose reserves in connection with new information that influenced the revision of forecasts. This concerns, among others, tasks currently financed from the Aid Fund, the financial projection of which ends in September 2025. The current implementation of some tasks indicates that the funds will be sufficient until the end of the year. This freed up the needs for the following months. The new draft budget act for 2025 also included auto-corrections of the budgets of non-governmental entities adjusting the increase in salaries to the level of 5% and in connection with the announcement of the average salary in the second quarter of 2024 by the President of the Central Statistical Office, on which the remuneration of judges is dependent. Increased expenditure on housing and science There was a further increase in expenditure on housing – item 39 of the special-purpose reserves for “Supplementation of expenditure on tasks in the area of housing” was increased by PLN 420.2 million to supplement the non-repayable support for social and municipal housing in connection with the planned change in the regulations on financial support for certain housing projects. The financing of the tasks of the National Science Centre was increased by PLN 50 million. The Centre is one of the most important institutions in the country financing basic research (grants). Investing in scientific research is crucial for the development of society, improving the quality of life and strengthening Poland’s position in the international arena.
September 23, 2024, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (TATTE) Building Level 3.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and the University of New Castle Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate their partnership in promoting scientific, socio-economic and educational international engagement including capability development and research activities on renewable energy for the benefit of both Samoa and Australia.
The signing of this MOU open doors to a wide range of collaborative efforts. It will promote technical support, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building initiatives that are essential to the sustainable management of our natural resources. Specifically, the partnership will enhance our capacity to design, implement, and monitor joint research projects, with a focus on the development of policies, research design, and educational materials.
The signing ceremony, held on September 23, 2024 marks a significant milestone in Samoa’s ongoing efforts to transition towards a renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As part of this MOU, both parties will work together to
(i) establish scientific cooperation in areas of mutual exchange of scientific information including in the publications and policies, research design and the development of educational materials;
(ii) the design, development and implementation of joint research, capability development and pilot projects and programmes;
(iii) joint training of MNRE staff through joint Australian-Samoan management of Masters research and PhD programmes.
“This MOU is more than a formal agreement; it is the beginning of an exciting journey. By combining our resources, expertise and passion, we will address critical environmental challenges, improves capacity in both countries and develop solutions that can make a real difference”, said Lealaisalanoa Frances Brown Reupena.
Professor Zee Upton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor from the University of New Castle also highlighted the importance of the collaboration, “we are honored to partner with Samoa on this crucial mission to advance renewable energy research. Our joint efforts will contribute to addressing global energy challenges, particularly for small island nations that face disproportionate risks from climate change.”
The Ministry acknowledges with much appreciation the University of Newcastle Australia and Professor Alan Broadfoot for his leadership and dedication to fostering this partnership.
On 27.09.2024 EfTEN Paemurru OÜ, a subsidiary of the EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS, signed a contract under law of obligation with Teearu Arenduse OÜ, a member of the RESTATE group, for the acquisition of a property located on Paemurru tee 3, Laabi village, Harju County, Harku Municipality, near Tallinn.
In cooperation with Eventus Ehitus OÜ, the fund will construct an ICONFIT production, trade and warehouse building on the property. Eventus Ehitus OÜ started construction in July 2024, and completion of the building is planned by the end of April 2025. The investment is financed from the fund’s equity and from the loan agreement to be signed with AS SEB Pank. Completion of the purchase transaction is planned by the end of this year at the latest. Total investment of the fund will be 5.9 million euros plus VAT.
The tenant of the property is ICONFIT (European Foods OÜ), the leading sports, diet and healthy food manufacturer in the Baltic States, who will after the completion of the building use the entire building under a long-term (10-year) lease.
EfTEN Paemurru OÜ is a 100% subsidiary of EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS. It is established in the Republic of Estonia with the share capital of 2,500 euros. Viljar Arakas and Tõnu Uustalu are members of the management board of the private limited company. The company does not have a supervisory board. The establishment of a subsidiary cannot be considered as the acquisition of a significant share within the meaning of the Tallinn Stock Exchange regulations. The members of the fund’s supervisory board and management board have no personal economic interest in the transaction in any other way.
Viljar Arakas Member of the Management Board Phone 655 9515 E-mail: viljar.arakas@eften.ee
The CEO of the Savings Banks Union, Karri Alameri, resigned from his position on 29th September 2024 and will pursue new challenges outside the Savings Banks Group. In the interim, the acting CEO will be chief strategy and development officer Kai Koskela. The recruitment process for a new CEO will begin immediately.
CENTRAL BANK OF SAVINGS BANKS FINLAND PLC
Additionalinformation:
Kai Koskela, acting CEO, chief strategy and development officer
The CEO of the Savings Banks Union, Karri Alameri, resigned from his position on 29th September 2024 and will pursue new challenges outside the Savings Banks Group. In the interim, the acting CEO will be chief strategy and development officer Kai Koskela. The recruitment process for a new CEO will begin immediately.
SP MORTGAGE BANK PLC
Additionalinformation:
Kai Koskela, acting CEO, chief strategy and development officer
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Ofqual is reminding schools and colleges of the importance of cyber security after a poll highlighted the risks associated with poor cyber hygiene.
Ofqual is reminding schools and colleges of the importance of cyber security after a poll highlighted the risks associated with poor cyber hygiene.
The prompt comes as a Teacher Tapp survey found 1 in 3 secondary teachers did not have cyber security training, in the last academic year.
Ofqual’s Executive Director of General Qualifications Amanda Swann said:
Losing coursework that is the result of many hours of hard work is every student’s nightmare. Even more distressing is losing a whole class or year group’s coursework because of weak cyber security on a school or college IT system.
Many schools and colleges take cyber security seriously, but this poll highlights that there is more to be done. I would encourage schools and colleges to visit the National Cyber Security Centre’s school resource guide to learn how to defend against cyber attacks.
The poll, which surveyed teachers across England, also found that:
34% of schools and colleges in England experienced a cyber incident during the last academic year
most commonly, 23% of schools and colleges in England experienced a cyber security incident due to a phishing attack
the north-west was hit hardest, with 40% of schools which responded having had a cyber incident, compared with 28% in the east of England
20% could not recover immediately, with 4% taking more than half a term to recover
9% of headteachers said the attack was critically damaging
1 in 3 teachers have not had cyber security training this year — of the two-thirds who have had training, 66% said it was useful.
Teachers who had experienced a cyber incident were asked how it affected them, their colleagues and students.
One teacher said:
[It happened] last summer before results days. From then on, all teaching staff were unable to access anything, so could not prepare for the year.
When back in school, we could not use the desktops and there were not enough laptops.
This went on for weeks and was utter chaos.
Another teacher said:
[It] caused a dip in belief about the security of our systems and led to difficult conversations with parents.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
We are looking for an Honorary Consul with an established network in the region of Bodø. An Honorary Consul is a voluntary position.
UK Government logo
We are looking for an Honorary Consul in Bodø.
As a candidate, you should have a very good understanding and knowledge of Bodø, including surrounding areas, and an established network that will help you to support British interests and to provide support to British Nationals who find themselves in difficulty. The position may also involve helping the British Embassy respond to crises.
As a British Honorary Consul you will work under the supervision of the Deputy Head of Mission and Vice Consul in Oslo and work closely with our consular, internal politics and public diplomacy teams. Depending on the needs of the British Embassy you will have the opportunity to work alongside other sections.
With your help we would like to continue to build on the particular relationship which Bodø and the United Kingdom have enjoyed.
The British Embassy is an inclusive and diversity-friendly organisation. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law.
The British Embassy in Norway is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas.
An Honorary Consul is a voluntary position defined by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Appointment
The appointment will initially be for a term of one year. At the end of the initial term, the appointment may be renewed for a further three years, subject to the requirements of the Superintending Post (the Embassy). Any further term will be for three years.
Number of hours
You are expected to work no more than four hours in an average week.
Honorarium
Your appointment is unsalaried, and carries no entitlement to a pension or terminal gratuity or any other benefit. You will receive however, a small annual honorarium.
Requirements
Security Clearance: Your appointment is subject to you receiving security clearance from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Conflicts of interest: You must not engage in any occupation or undertaking which might conflict with the interests of Her Majesty’s Government.
Exequatur: Your appointment is subject to you receiving an exequatur from the Norwegian Foreign Office.
Applications
All applicants should submit their CV (in English, up to two pages) and covering letter (in English, no more than two pages of A4) setting out their motivation for the role and how they meet the above criteria.
Between September 27 and 29, 2024, the foreign ministers of Canada and the Nordic countries met in New York and Iqaluit, Nunavut, for the Canada-Nordic Strategic Dialogue. This meeting delivers on the commitment for foreign ministers to hold a strategic dialogue, made at the Prime Minister level meeting in Iceland, on June 26, 2023. On September 27, 2024, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and the State Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland met in New York. On September 28 and 29, they traveled to Iqaluit, Nunavut where they were joined by the Foreign Minister of the Faroe Islands and an official from the Government of Greenland (Naalakkersuisut). In Iqaluit, Iceland was represented by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of State / Arctic Ambassador.
Canada and the Nordic countries enjoy a strong and deepening partnership, anchored in our common democratic values, shared interests in the North Atlantic and the Arctic region, as well as our commitment to the rules-based international order, multilateral cooperation, international law, democracy, human rights, and tackling disinformation. The transatlantic relationship is key to our collective security, and we will work together to strengthen this relationship. This is the foundation upon which we commit to work pragmatically together to address complex global challenges, including those arising from challenges to the global order.
In New York, substantive issues were discussed relating to Russia’s illegal and full-scale invasion of Ukraine, transatlantic cooperation, and the concerning developments taking place in the Middle East, including the Gaza Strip. The foreign ministers reiterated their steadfast support to Ukraine in the face of continued Russian aggression and re-affirmed their commitment to continue to provide Ukraine the means to defend itself for as long as it takes. They also condemned the hostile hybrid operations Russia conducts in response to support given to Ukraine.
The Iqaluit portion of the Dialogue focused on Arctic issues. As Arctic nations, Canada and the Nordic countries share a deep commitment to multilateral cooperation and international law, including UNCLOS. Inclusive engagement with those who live there, including Indigenous peoples, is essential to ensure a stable, prosperous and secure Arctic region. The foreign ministers committed to work together to achieve these goals. To this end, they agreed to explore means through which to deepen security dialogue amongst all like-minded states in the Arctic.
In Iqaluit, the delegation heard valuable perspectives from the Government of Nunavut, Inuit leaders including from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, National Defence officials and Canadian Rangers on the context, realities and challenges experienced by northerners in the Canadian Arctic. The foreign ministers expressed their strong concern over the intensifying impacts of climate change, notably in the Arctic. They re-affirmed their commitment to work pragmatically together to address complex climate change challenges, to promote sustainable economic growth in the Arctic, to foster regional stability and to support closer collaboration, including North-to-North and Indigenous-to-Indigenous connections.
Canada and the Nordic countries will continue to explore opportunities to deepen collaboration in addressing wildland fires in the North and securing healthy oceans and ecosystem-based resources as part of a comprehensive, knowledge-based, and sustainable approach to ocean management.
The foreign ministers recognize that our countries possess significant deposits of critical minerals and confirm their commitment to promote the responsible development of sustainable and resilient critical mineral value chains and to work together to advance economic well-being, defence and security, infrastructure, energy security and connectivity, including in the Arctic.
The foreign ministers agreed to continue the dialogue on shared policy priorities and to further strengthen the transatlantic cooperation between Canada and the Nordic countries.
Detectives investigating the murder of 15-year-old Daejaun Campbell in Woolwich have charged two more people.
Marko Balaz – 18 (20.12.05) of Sewell Road, SE2 appeared in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 28 September charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to next appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 1 October.
A 17-year-old male will appear in custody at Bromley Youth Court on Monday, 30 September charged with murder.
Balaz was arrested on Wednesday, 25 September and charged on Friday, 27 September.
The 17-year-old was arrested on Friday, 27 September and charged the following day.
Daejaun’s family have been updated with these developments.
Previously, Jacob Losiewicz 18 (26.07.06) of Church Manor Way, Abbey Wood appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to next appear at the Old Bailey on Monday, 30 September.
An investigation was launched after police were called approximately 18:35hrs on Sunday, 22 September to reports of a disturbance on Eglinton Road, SE18.
Officers attended and found Daejaun with a stab injury. Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics at the scene, he sadly died a short time later.
OMA SAVINGS BANK PLC, STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 30.9.2024 AT 8:45 A.M. EET, INSIDE INFORMATION
Inside information: Karri Alameri appointed as the CEO of Oma Savings Bank Plc
The Board of Directors of Oma Savings Bank Plc (OmaSp or Company) has appointed Karri Alameri, M.Sc. (Econ.), CEFA as the new CEO of the Company. Alameri will start in his position no later than 1 April 2025. Interim CEO Sarianna Liiri will continue in her position until Alameri starts.
Karri Alameri (b. 1963) has strong experience in the financial sector. Alameri joins OmaSp from the Savings Banks Group, where he has served as CEO since 2022. Prior to this, he has held several demanding management positions in the Savings Banks Group, OP Financial Group and Danske Bank.
“We started the search process for the new CEO in June, and I am very pleased with its rapid progress and outcome. Karri Alameri is distinguished in the financial sector and enjoys broad trust. We especially appreciate his strong leadership skills in different operating environments and market situations. Karri is the best possible choice as the CEO, and I am glad that we can get a CEO like him to continue implementing the Company’s strategy towards the next phase. I warmly welcome Karri to OmaSp,” says Jaakko Ossa, Chairman of the Board.
“OmaSp has skilled personnel and satisfied customers, and the bank has been able to find good growth areas. The flow of news has been exceptionally challenging in recent months, but I see that it is good to build the future success of OmaSp on the existing strengths and bring the bank back to a good growth and earnings track. I am excited to accept the position as the CEO of the largest savings bank in Finland”, tells Karri Alameri.
A prerequisite for the appointment is that the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA) has no objections to the appointment.
Oma Savings Bank Plc
Additional information: Jaakko Ossa, Chairman of the Board, tel. +358 40 044 0139 Minna Sillanpää, CCO, tel. +358 50 66592, minna.sillanpaa@omasp.fi
OmaSp is a solvent and profitable Finnish bank. About 500 professionals provide nationwide services through OmaSp’s 45 branch offices and digital service channels to over 200,000 private and corporate customers. OmaSp focuses primarily on retail banking operations and provides its clients with a broad range of banking services both through its own balance sheet as well as by acting as an intermediary for its partners’ products. The intermediated products include credit, investment and loan insurance products. OmaSp is also engaged in mortgage banking operations.
OmaSp core idea is to provide personal service and to be local and close to its customers, both in digital and traditional channels. OmaSp strives to offer premium level customer experience through personal service and easy accessibility. In addition, the development of the operations and services is customer-oriented. The personnel is committed and OmaSp seeks to support their career development with versatile tasks and continuous development. A substantial part of the personnel also own shares in OmaSp.
RIBER receives order to equip an autonomous pilot line for the design and manufacturing of optical devices in Europe
Bezons (France), September30,2024 – 8:00 am (CET) – RIBER, the global leader for Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) equipment serving the semiconductor industry, is announcing the sale of a fully automated MBE 412 cluster platform in Finland.
Based in Tampere, Finland, in the land of a thousand lakes, VEXLUM, a leading supplier of advanced laser devices for quantum technology applications, has ordered a MBE 412 cluster system to establish a pilot line for the growth of optical devices covering the visible and near-infrared spectrum. This line will mainly focus on VECSEL (Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) structures while also exploring other innovative technologies.
The MBE 412 cluster is a platform compatible with 4” substrates, offering great flexibility in terms of equipment, modularity, and adaptability, allowing users to continuously extend the machine’s capabilities. Equipped with the EZ TOOL instrumentation package for real-time in situ growth control and powered by the advanced Crystal XE control software, this fully automated system is the first of its kind in Finland, a key European country for the development and manufacturing of next-generation semiconductors, and the 25th in operation since its launch in 2010.
This new order will be delivered in 2025.
AboutVEXLUM Founded in 2017, Vexlum is a spin-off from the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), Tampere University of Technology. The team has been a leading research group in the area of VECSEL technology for almost two decades. In particular, the company focuses on development of III/V semiconductor materials enabling VECSELs at new wavelengths, scalable manufacturing processes, and application specific systems engineering. Recent breakthroughs include the use of VECSELs for quantum technology applications.
Vexlum capitalizes on a comprehensive knowledge in epitaxy, optoelectronics processes, and laser systems. The technical expertise is complemented by proven entrepreneurial skills. The company vision is to bring VECSEL technology to high impact applications with unique benefits in performance, cost, and usability.
About RIBER
Founded in 1964, RIBER is the global market leader for MBE – molecular beam epitaxy – equipment. It designs and produces equipment for the semiconductor industry, and provides scientific and technical support for its clients (hardware and software), maintaining their equipment and optimizing their performance and output levels.
Accelerating the performance of electronics, RIBER’s equipment performs an essential role in the development of advanced semiconductor systems that are used in numerous applications, from information technologies to photonics (lasers, sensors, etc.), 5G telecommunications networks and research, including quantum computing.
RIBER is a BPI France-approved innovative company and is listed on the Euronext Growth Paris market (ISIN: FR0000075954). http://www.riber.com
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French
UPDATE: As tap water is unfit for consumption in nine municipalities on the Left Bank, drinking water supply points are being installed. A green line has been set up to answer questions.
The SIG teams, with the support of the SIS and Civil Protection, are installing twelve drinking water supply points. These are “goats”, taps installed on public property, and mobile tanks. Residents must bring their own containers to obtain drinking water (see the addresses on the attached map). This equipment will remain installed until the water is drinkable again. Nine municipalities are concerned. These are Thônex, Choulex, Corsier, Vandoeuvres, Collonge-Bellerive, Hermance, Anières, Puplinge and Cologny.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
As referred to in the Company Announcement 05/2024, Interim Financial Report Q2 2024 on August 26, NNIT was close to signing a large important strategic contract. NNIT has entered into a contract with ATP (Udbetaling Danmark) for the delivery of their critical SAP Debtor system. Udbetaling Danmark is the authority responsible for the collection, disbursement, and control of a number of public benefits. – e.g., state pension and housing benefits.
The contract will initially run for six years with the possibility to extend twice for a two-year period. The contract was tendered by ATP at an estimated value of DKK 240 million incl. options, ad hoc solutions made to order and infrastructure operations to be delivered by a subcontractor.
Kasper Søndergaard Andersen, Senior Vice President of Region Denmark, says “We are exceedingly pleased to have won the project for the delivery of ATP’s Debtor system. Public digitalization is a strategic focus area in NNIT, and we are energized by the significant task of ensuring the continued welfare in Denmark. With this Debtor delivery, we are building on our long-standing relationship with ATP, and we will also have the opportunity to bring our recently fortified SAP business to the table and begin the substantial task of modernizing SAP”.
The contract has no implications for NNIT’s financial guidance for the full-year of 2024.
Media Relations Tina Joanne Hindsbo Media Relations Manager Tel: +45 3077 9578 tnjh@nnit.com
ABOUT NNIT
NNIT is a leading provider of IT solutions to life sciences internationally, and to the public and private sectors in Denmark.
We focus on high complexity industries and thrive in environments where regulatory demands and complexity are high.
We advise on and build sustainable digital solutions that work for the patients, citizens, employees, end users or customers.
We strive to build unmatched excellence in the industries we serve, and we use our domain expertise to represent a business first approach – strongly supported by a selection of partner technologies, but always driven by business needs rather than technology.
NNIT consists of group company NNIT A/S and subsidiaries SCALES, Excellis Health Solutions and SL Controls. Together, these companies employ more than 1,700 people in Europe, Asia and USA. Read more at http://www.nnit.com.
Then international investment position (IIP) fell by kr. 480 billion to kr. 958 billion in the first half of 2024 and now amounts to 34 per cent of GDP. The IIP is the value of Danish investments abroad (the assets) minus the value of foreign investments in Denmark (the liabilities). The fall in the IIP reflects that the value of liabilities increased more than the value of assets. Liabilities increased primarily due to price increases on Danish shares owned by foreigners, including especially shares in Novo Nordisk. Price increases meant that the value of foreign investors’ shares in Novo Nordisk increased by kr. 834 billion in the first half of 2024, which reduced the IIP correspondingly. Assets also increased, especially due to price increases on foreign shares owned by Danish investors. Price and foreign exchange rate changes will typically level out in the long term, with the development of the IIP primarily driven by balance of payments surpluses. That surplus was kr. 158 billion in the first half of the year and is a measure for Denmark’s savings abroad.
[chart title]
Note:
The change in the IIP from price changes on Novo Nordisk shares, other Danish listed shares, and foreign listed shares. The balance of payments is the surplus on the balance of payment current account. “Other” includes changes in the IIP from other price changes, foreign exchange rate changes, and other quantitative changes from revisions etc.Find chart data in the Statbank.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French
Federal Statistical Office
Neuchâtel, 30.09.2024 – Half of cultural workers have a part-time job, 14% have several jobs and a good quarter are self-employed. This is significantly more than in the economy as a whole. In Switzerland, full-time cultural workers earned a median salary of 69,600 francs in 2023, while their part-time colleagues earned 45,700 francs. In this area, a significant gender disparity can be noted: for a full-time position, a woman earned 78,000 francs while a man earned 98,000 francs. These are some of the recent results of the cultural economy statistics of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), which contain, for the first time, detailed data on salaries.
You will find this press release and further information on this topic on the OFS website (see link below)
Address for sending questions
Olivier Moeschler, OFS, Politics, Culture and Media section, tel.: 41 58 463 69 67, e-mail: poku@bfs.admin.ch
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Grisons in Italian
On the occasion of the anniversary of “500 years of the Three Leagues Free State”, the Office for Popular Education and Sports has developed a learning concept for the new teaching medium “Grisons at a Glance”. The learning concept entitled “In the Footsteps of the Three Leagues” promotes historical awareness among pupils and is available in digital format in all eight languages of schooling.
History surrounds us and the past leaves traces that reach the present. For the Canton of Grisons, it is very important to pass on its history and culture. Before Grisons became part of the Helvetic Republic, the Three Leagues laid the foundations for today’s Canton with its borders, culture and linguistic diversity.
In collaboration with the publishing house «Schulverlag plus», the Office for Popular Education and Sports has designed and developed a digital learning approach on the Free State of the Three Leagues. This learning approach is available to teachers as well as pupils in the form of entertaining and informative teaching units. Starting with the 500th anniversary celebrations, pupils engage with the history of the Canton of Graubünden and follow in the footsteps of the Three Leagues, exploring various questions about the origin and development of the Canton. Among other things, they discuss what happened in 1524, why there is talk of a Free State and why this alliance was signed. With the fictional story of Maurizio, Bertilla and Jovin address historical questions about the origins of the Canton, analysing various sources.
In digital format and in eight school languages«Colpo d’occhio Grigioni» is a digital teaching aid for the subject nature, human beings, society (NEUS) for the second cycle and takes into account the specific regional requirements of the Study Plan 21 Grigioni. Both the teaching aid and the learning approach «In the footsteps of the Three Leagues» have been published in the eight school languages: German, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader, Rumantsch Grischun and Italian.
Further jubilee activities and projectsThe numerous projects and activities in all language regions can be found at https://500.gr.ch.
Questions about the 500th anniversary celebrations:
Prime Minister Dr. Jon Domenic Parolini, Director of the Department of Education, Culture and Environmental Protection, Tel. 41 81 257 27 01, e-mailJondomenic.Parolini@ekud.gr.ch Daniel Camenisch, project manager “500 years of the Three Leagues Free State”, tel. 41 78 659 63 60 (reachable between 10:00 and 12:00), e-mailcamenisch@vinavant.ch
Questions about learning setup:
Josy Marie Künzler, Project Manager, Teaching Materials Service, Office for Popular Education and Sports, Tel. 41 81 257 22 61 (reachable from 10:00 to 12:00), e-mailJosy.Kuenzler@avs.gr.ch
Competent body: Department of Education, Culture and Environmental Protection
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
30 September 2024 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey – CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or “the Company”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), Europe’s leading alternative asset manager specialising in digital assets, today announced changes in the composition of the Executive Management Committee.
Graeme Dickson, Group General Counsel, has resigned to pursue other opportunities and as a result, has been removed from the Executive Management team of the Company with effect from the date of this announcement.
The Chief Executive Officer, supported by the wider Executive Management team, will carefully consider the options for a successor and will provide further details to the market, when available.
About CoinShares
CoinShares is Europe’s leading alternative asset manager specialising in digital assets, that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment management, trading and securities to a wide array of clients that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals. The firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Stockholm, the UK and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, in the US by the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Futures Association and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF.
Press release Nokia deployments with majority of world’s largest IXPs reflect push for scale, reliability and automation
Six of the world’s 10 largest IXPs have deployed Nokia networking infrastructure and cumulatively carry close to 45 Tbps of traffic during peak times
Performance at scale, security and AI-enhanced operations of Nokia IP, optical and DDoS solutions support buildouts of massive cloud networks
Stunning growth of regional clouds driven by unprecedented latency, security and bandwidth pressures as global digital economy flourishes
30 Sept 2024 Espoo, Finland: Nokia today reaffirmed its leadership and commitment to the global Internet Exchange market as it continues to work with more than 20 Internet Exchange Providers (IXPs), including six of the world’s 10 largest based on both peak traffic and number of members. As the local interconnection points for more than 5,000 member organizations, these six IXPs cumulatively transport close to 45 Tbps of traffic during peak times – a figure that’s set to grow as the Equinix Global Interconnection Index (GXI) 2024 predicts a stunning 34% five-year CAGR in interconnection bandwidth.
The expanding digital economy, proliferation of edge compute, and anticipated move of latency-sensitive AI models to regional clouds for local consumption are contributing to the need for what the GXI calls an Interconnection Oriented Architecture® (IOA). According to the GXI 2024 report, “The economics of data, density, velocity and experience demand localized exchange to move the highest volumes of data with the lowest latency to dense clusters of participants and population centers.”
Built to handle these current and future pressures, the characteristics of the Nokia IP, optical and security solutions align to those identified in the IOA and are central to why the Nokia portfolio has increasingly become the dominant choice of leading IXPs.
The Nokia FP5 800GE technology, deployed by leading European IXPs including Germany’s DE-CIX and the Netherlands’ NL-ix , provides the fastest possible performance in the industry and is realizing dramatic sustainability gains. Since deploying this technology, NL-ix has shown a reduction in power consumption from 0.8 watts to 0.1 watts per gigabit in parts of its network.
Thomas King, CTO at DE-CIX, said: “Nokia’s 800GE technology gives us the considerable runway needed to address future traffic growth in a cost- and energy-efficient way. 800GE optics consume the least amount of space and power per bit, and at the same time it provides the most headroom for traffic peaks of the future.”
Nokia has also played a leadership role in the standardization of Ethernet Virtual Private Networks (EVPNs). With industry-leading functionality and scalability, the SROS implementation of EVPN provides IXPs an ideal toolset to manage the increase in traffic. When Telehouse America selected Nokia to upgrade its NYIIX peering exchange infrastructure in the US, it deployed the Nokia EVPN solution to resolve multiple technical challenges.
Akio Sugeno, Vice President of Telehouse and founder ofNYIIX, said: “EVPN is a game changer for us. It is a next-generation VPN solution that provides a unified architecture, in both the control and data planes, and solved many of our requirements. With our new EVPN implementation from Nokia we police and control broadcast, unknown-unicast and multicast traffic entering our network while also rate-limiting ARP requests, so they do not flood our network. With this same protocol, we are also able to implement load balancing techniques between our edge and the customer’s network to increase resiliency and network availability. Finally, with EVPN’s auto-configuration capabilities we can simplify operational complexity across the entire lifecycle of our VPNs.”
Additionally, the virulent rise in cybercrime has made anti-DDoS solutions critical. Nokia partnered with NL-ix for an industry-first deployment of an anti-DDoS solution that performs mitigation directly on the router, avoiding dedicated scrubbing centers that would push up transport costs and impact latency. Nokia’s AI-enhanced Deepfield Defender actively detects DDoS attacks and then instructs Nokia’s FP5 silicon to block those packet flows without any impact on other router traffic.
Jan Hoogenboom, Founder and Chief Vision Officer at NL-ix, said: “With this innovative anti-DDoS solution from Nokia we can provide our customers with security across their entire area of operations as we pursue our goal of zero enterprise downtime. We are now a one-stop-shop for Europe-wide connectivity and security, saving our customers the hassle of working with multiple parties or making complex arrangements to be protected by a third party.”
Vach Kompella, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IP Networks business at Nokia, said: “As the nerve centers of the Internet, the world’s largest IXPs are host to every type of traffic and customer, and in response they have reset expectations around networking innovation – driving the highest levels of uptime, reliability and security with Nokia solutions. We are proud to be the leading provider of networking infrastructure solutions for these critical organizations.”
About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
Internet exchange giant NIC.br selects Nokia to boost internet connectivity in Brazil
Largest Internet Exchange Provider (IXP) in the world upgrading network to manage skyrocketing internet and traffic growth over next five years
NIC.br to scale network capacity, improve resiliency and increase automation, resulting in more advanced services for customers
Nokia to deploy IP routing technology, designed to handle world’s most demanding traffic environments, supporting Ethernet VPN (EVPN) services and 400/800G interfaces
30 September 2024
Espoo, Finland – Nokia announced it has been selected by the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), the largest IXP operator in the world, to increase the performance and reliability of Brazil’s internet infrastructure. Nokia’s cutting-edge IP routing solutions will support NIC.br’s mission of interconnecting the Brazilian Internet ecosystem and enable its expansion and reliability. The network upgrade comes as the country faces massive internet data traffic growth that is expected to reach 218.5 million users and over 50 terabits per second (Tb/s) in the next five years.
NIC.br is responsible for, among several initiatives, registering and maintaining .br domain, as well as operating the Brazilian Internet Exchange (IX.br), which connects more than 3,500 Autonomous Systems (AS) and facilitates data traffic among internet service providers, content providers, hosting services, hyperscalers and other network operators. With Nokia’s IP routing technology, NIC.br is able to scale up its network capacity, improve its resiliency and availability, and vastly improve automation, resulting in a better customer experience.
NIC.br will replace part of its existing technology with the Nokia 7250 Interconnect Router (IXR) and 7750 Service Router (SR) which support EVPN services and 400/800G interfaces. Nokia is an industry leader in standardizing and expanding the EVPN protocol. EVPN is a next-gen VPN solution that provides a unified architecture, in both the control and data planes, and supports a broad range of carrier and business VPN services and network infrastructures. EVPN delivers a variety of benefits to service providers and their customers, including greater network efficiency, reliability, scalability, and simplifies infrastructures with advanced automation.
Julio Sirota, IX.br Infrastructure Manager at NIC.br, said: “Nokia is a trusted and strategic partner for us, as they have proven their ability to deliver state-of-the-art network solutions that match our needs and expectations. By upgrading our network infrastructure with Nokia’s routing platforms, we will be able to provide faster and more reliable internet connectivity for our customers and partners, as well as foster the development of new applications and services that will benefit the entire Brazilian society.”
Vach Kompella, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IP Networks business at Nokia, said: “Internet exchange giants like IX.br from NIC.br are on the front lines for managing unrelenting internet and data traffic growth spurred by hyperscalers, ISPs, content providers and network operators. Keeping up with Brazil’s skyrocketing growth means increases in network capacity, reliability, and automation are critical to NIC.br’s network upgrade. Nokia’s routing solutions are designed to handle the world’s most demanding traffic environments and enable the delivery of high-quality services, like EVPN. We are delighted to work with NIC.br to help them scale, connect and empower the Brazilian internet ecosystem.”
About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br (https://nic.br/) is a non-profit entity that is in charge of the operations related to the .br domain, as well as the allocation of IP numbers and the registration of autonomous systems in the country. NIC.br has been implementing decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br since 2005. All the funds that are collected come from its entirely private activities. It takes actions and conducts projects that are of benefit to the infrastructure of the Internet in Brazil. Also part of NIC.br are: Registro.br (https://registro.br), CERT.br (https://cert.br/), Ceptro.br (https://ceptro.br/), Cetic.br (https://cetic.br/), IX.br (https://ix.br/), and Ceweb.br (https://ceweb.br), in addition to projects like Internetsegura.br (https://internetsegura.br) and the portal Best Practices for the Internet in Brazil (https://bcp.nic.br/). It also houses the office of the W3C Chapter São Paulo (https://w3c.br/).
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Third Meeting of the Interagency Steering Committee on Combating Cybercrime in Kazakhstan
Third Meeting of the Interagency Steering Committee on Combating Cybercrime in Kazakhstan, Astana, 18 September 2024 (OSCE/Akbota Sarzhanova) Photo details
On 18 September 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana held the third and final meeting of the Interagency Steering Committee on the development of Kazakhstan’s first Comprehensive Action Plan to Counter Cybercrimes and Crimes using Information and Communication Technologies for 2025-2029 (hereinafter, Action Plan). The initiative is part of the extrabudgetary project “Supporting the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Development of Effective Policies to Counter Cybercrimes (Phase I)”, implemented by the Office in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior of Kazakhstan, and with the support of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan.
The meeting brought together over 80 representatives from law enforcement and government agencies, including representatives from 20 police departments, leading national and international experts in combating cybercrime, as well as representatives from the private sector. Discussions focused on finalizing the draft of the Action Plan, refining the plan’s activities, and determining the methods and timelines for implementation.
Dr. Volker Frobarth, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, addressed the meeting, stating, “I would like to extend my gratitude to our key partner, the Ministry of Interior. Your staff are on the front lines of the daily fight against cybercrime. We recognize the significant challenges they face in investigating these crimes and bringing offenders to justice. Rest assured, both as an organization and as the Office, we are committed to providing full support to your Ministry in advancing initiatives aimed at combating cybercrime.”
This expert-level meeting builds on the progress made during the first and second meetings in this format, where participants reviewed key findings and recommendations for improving the country’s ability to combat cybercrime, based on the analysis of the current situation in Kazakhstan and the international experience of OSCE and OECD countries in effectively combating cybercrime. Special attention was paid to discussing mechanisms and methods to increase the effectiveness of countering new challenges and threats, improving the cybercrime prevention system, and ensuring respect for human rights and freedoms throughout the project’s implementation.
Deputy Minister of the Interior, Aidos Rysbaev, noted the importance of this collaborative effort, stating, “Since last year, we have launched a joint initiative with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and other government agencies to develop effective policies for combating cybercrime. The Interagency Steering Committee has been established under the Ministry of Interior, and a draft Action Plan is already in place.”
A key outcome of the meeting was the recognition of the need to strengthen and expand international co-operation, establish mechanisms for interagency interaction, and enhance partnerships within a “whole-of-society” approach, thereby improving the effectiveness of identifying, investigating, preventing, and mitigating cybercrimes.
The extrabudgetary project is supported by the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Norway, and aligns with Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to join the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. As Kazakhstan advances its cybercrime policies, the Action Plan will serve as a vital roadmap, ensuring the country is well-equipped to navigate the escalating challenges of the digital age.
