Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated: Thu Oct 31 09:17:08 UTC 2024 No watches are currently valid
Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aurora Mobile Limited (NASDAQ: JG) (“Aurora Mobile” or the “Company”), a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China, today announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 before the open of U.S. markets on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
Aurora Mobile’s management will host an earnings conference call on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 7:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:30 p.m. Beijing time on the same day).
All participants must register in advance to join the conference using the link provided below. Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. Conference access information will be provided upon registration.
Participant Online Registration: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIbffdeba3d6fd4cb59da31309ca6efd3f
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Aurora Mobile’s website at https://ir.jiguang.cn/.
About Aurora Mobile Limited
Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) is a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China. Since its inception, Aurora Mobile has focused on providing stable and efficient messaging services to enterprises and has grown to be a leading mobile messaging service provider with its first-mover advantage. With the increasing demand for customer reach and marketing growth, Aurora Mobile has developed forward-looking solutions such as Cloud Messaging and Cloud Marketing to help enterprises achieve omnichannel customer reach and interaction, as well as artificial intelligence and big data-driven marketing technology solutions to help enterprises’ digital transformation.
For more information, please visit https://ir.jiguang.cn/
For more information, please contact:
Aurora Mobile Limited
E-mail: ir@jiguang.cn
Christensen
In China
Ms. Xiaoyan Su
Phone: +86-10-5900-1548
E-mail: Xiaoyan.Su@christensencomms.com
In US
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004
Email: linda.bergkamp@christensencomms.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
To Nasdaq Copenhagen
Lars Moesgaard is leaving Nykredit Bank’s Executive Board
Lars Moesgaard is leaving his position as Head of Banking Retail and member of the Executive Board of Nykredit Bank as a result of reorganisation.
Tonny Thierry Andersen, Group Managing Director, says:
“In recent years, Nykredit Bank has welcomed many new customers who opt for the attractive value propositions a customer-owned bank can offer. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Lars Moesgaard for his contribution to the Bank’s development, and I wish Lars all the best in the future.”
Nykredit Bank’s Executive Board will subsequently consist of Dan Sørensen and Søren Kviesgaard.
Contact:
Questions may be addressed to Press Relations, tel +45 31 21 06 39.
Attachment
Source: Isle of Man
Notice is hereby given that Julie Oates ACA, which was registered under the Designated Businesses (Registration & Oversight) Act 2015, has been de-registered in accordance with 12(1)(a) of this Act with effect from 31/10/2024.
Source: Samsung
Samsung is thrilled to announce the launch of its highly anticipated 2024 Black Friday campaign, bringing shoppers a season filled with Blockbuster Deals on premium products. This year, the tech giant is rolling out the red carpet for South Africans, and redefining the Black Friday narrative as an opportunity for every shopper to become the leading character in their own shopping story.
It is going to be “ifilim”, as South Africans would say, as everyone gears up for this iconic annual shopping bonanza. Samsung will play its role and stick to the script by bringing its A-game with premium products at low prices, ensuring that every deal is a plot twist that leaves shoppers cheering for more. With incredible markdowns on a wide range of products, shoppers can access these deals from 1 November – 2 December, both online and at participating retailers nationwide. Read on to get a preview of what’s coming up.
Unmissable Electronics and Home Appliance Deals
Be prepared to get more this summer as Samsung has an impressive line-up of blockbuster deals for electronics and home appliances too. Elevate your kitchen with the RS64 Side by Side fridge, Non-plumbed Water & Ice dispenser, Gentle Black, 617L, now just R24,999*, offering a remarkable R6,000 saving, or the RB30 Bottom Freezer with Water Dispenser and Cool Pack, Metal Graphite, 303L, which is available for R9,999*, saving you R3,500.
You can do your laundry like the main character with the WW11CGP44DSB AI 11kg Front Loader with Eco bubble washing machine, which is a steal at R12,999*, saving you R500 plus you score Buy & Get rewards worth R4,000, or you could opt for the WD70TA046BX 7/5kg Front Load Washer / Dryer Combo with Eco Bubble Technology, yours for only R10,999*, saving you R1,000.
Work, watch and play with the 32″ Smart Monitor M7, available for R7,999*, saving you R3,000. For film aficionados who enjoy feeling like part of the action, the 98” Q80C 4K TV is available for R99,999* plus get R32 000 worth of gifts and enjoy hassle free signature service. While the 85” Crystal UHD DU8000 4K TV can find a new home in your lounge for only R22,999*, saving you a joy-inducing R10,000. To complement the viewing experience with great audio, you could get the Q600C Q-Series soundbar at R5,499*, giving you a saving of R2,500.
“Get more this summer with Samsung, our range of electronics and home appliances are designed to elevate your lifestyle and transform your home into a connected smart home. Through our SmartThings ecosystem, we empower families to not just get more from their devices, but to truly live more. Imagine seamlessly controlling your home environment—from optimising AI energy savings, to automating daily tasks—making life easier and more enjoyable. Our products work together to enhance your everyday experiences, creating a network of products that adapt to your needs. We believe in helping you create your dream home while providing exceptional value for your spend. Embrace the summer season with technology that simplifies your life and enriches your moments, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—making memories with loved ones,” said Mike van Lier, Vice President: Consumer Experience at Samsung Electronics.
For more Blockbuster Deals, visit www.samsung.com/za and https://samsungair.co.za/shop/[1]
[1]Recommended retail price
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
East China’s Fujian Province on Thursday issued the second highest-level emergency response to Typhoon Kong-rey, the 21st typhoon of this year.
In anticipation of the storm’s impact, railway and maritime authorities have suspended several train services and halted 71 coastal passenger ferry routes affecting 190 vessels. Meanwhile, 115 coastal construction projects have been stopped until further notice.
Specialized rescue forces, including rescue ships, helicopters, and patrol boats, have been deployed on standby to respond to potential emergencies, according to the Fujian maritime authorities.
There remains a possibility that Kong-rey could make landfall along the coasts of Fujian or Zhejiang provinces on its northeastward path, according to the National Meteorological Center.
The center issued an orange alert for Kong-rey on Thursday morning, warning that the storm will bring torrential rains to eastern areas, including Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu provinces, and Shanghai, from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response, and a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
More than 20 people have been hospitalized following a fire in southwest China’s Chengdu City on Thursday, local authorities said.
The district fire department said it received the fire alert at 11:02 a.m., and they were able to quickly put out the fire in the city’s Wuhou District at 11:15 a.m., adding that those affected by the incident have been hospitalized but are not in any critical condition.
Witnesses at the scene said open flames were pouring out from the shop on the ground floor, but a number of fire trucks and ambulances quickly participated in the rescue mission.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
The 2024 World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF) hosted a thematic session in Beijing on Oct. 23 focused on “AI Governance Innovation: Building an International Trust Foundation for Cultivating the Ecology of Science and Technology Governance”. The session brought together global experts and scholars, representatives of international organizations, and industry leaders to explore the innovative breakthroughs of artificial intelligence (AI), its applications across various industries, and the necessary frameworks for managing associated risks.
Attendees take part in the “AI Governance Innovation: Building an International Trust Foundation for Cultivating the Ecology of Science and Technology Governance” thematic session at WSTDF 2024, Beijing, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo courtesy of WSTDF]
AI as a catalyst for sci-tech advancement
Wan Gang, chairman of WSTDF 2024 and president of the China Association for Science and Technology, emphasized the critical role of AI in advancing scientific research. “We hope to establish a new paradigm for cutting-edge scientific research that is fundamentally supported by artificial intelligence, accelerating the development of new industries and building new engines for growth,” Wan stated. He further called for joint efforts to promote the alignment and coordination of laws, regulations and standards, and establishing evaluation, education, warning and control mechanisms for AI applications to enhance the credibility, reliability and controllability of AI.
At the conference, experts and industry leaders engaged in in-depth discussions on AI’s technological breakthroughs and its industrial applications. Qiao Hong, president of the World Robot Cooperation Organization and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted that AI has become a driving force of the technological revolution, finding extensive applications in intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, health care and financial services. She presented the “2024 Outlook for the Top 10 Frontier Technology Trends in AI,” covering advancements in general AI technologies, large-scale pre-trained models, embodied intelligence and generative AI, showcasing the boundless potential and possibilities of AI.
Qiao said, “These cutting-edge technologies hold immense potential. The advancements will not only make daily life more convenient and efficient, but also spur innovation and drive progress across a wide range of industries.”
As a cutting-edge field within AI, embodied intelligence is transitioning from concept to reality, drawing significant attention at the conference. Chang Lin, founder and CEO of Leju Robotics, noted that embodied intelligence and humanoid robots have shifted from niche concepts to mainstream relevance. “The rapid development of AI, especially large models, has greatly enhanced the adaptability of humanoid robots, significantly improving their general capabilities,” said Chang. “This progress paves the way for robots to take on flexible, intelligent tasks in household settings, potentially transforming everyday life.”
Han Fengtao, founder and CEO of Spirit AI, emphasized that while embodied intelligence is not a new term, recent technological breakthroughs have brought it into the mainstream. In the robotics industry, for example, “the core advancement has reduced the need for human intervention at every stage,” Han explained. With technologies like text-to-image and text-to-action generation, robots are now capable of performing tasks with greater autonomy, he said.
Ethical challenges and the need for responsible AI governance
As artificial intelligence rapidly advances, ethical concerns and social challenges have emerged.
Zhang Ping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, pointed out that while breakthroughs in generative AI bring convenience, they also pose security and ethical challenges. “Issues like identity fraud through AI-generated content, and inappropriate messaging are rising,” he said.
Zhang shared research progress from a Beijing AI safety governance lab, which focuses on building a theoretical framework for general AI to ensure safe, controllable development. The lab is also pioneering super-alignment technologies to better align AI outputs with human values and decisions. Additionally, they are enhancing interpretability and automating assessments to confirm that general AI aligns with societal good.
Huang Tiejun, a professor at Peking University, echoed these concerns, warning of the risks in commercial AI applications. He urged companies to prioritize human welfare, even when faced with lucrative business opportunities, emphasizing that global regulation is essential to prevent AI-dominant corporations from monopolizing benefits, concentrating wealth and worsening social inequality.
Chang Lin stressed the importance of adopting a responsible approach to AI, highlighting the need for companies to continuously address and resolve emerging risks. Meanwhile, founder and CEO of Accelerated Evolution, Cheng Hao, added that ensuring AI safety is a complex matter, which involves physical and algorithmic domains. He explained that robot malfunctions or algorithmic errors could harm humans, underscoring the need for safety mechanisms that allow systems to stop in hazardous situations.
Global cooperation to shape AI for humanity
Experts at the session emphasized the critical need for international collaboration and effective global governance to address associated risks and challenges.
Huang Tiejun, also director of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, highlighted that AI’s immense power must be managed on a global scale to prevent its misuse by a few companies. “International cooperation on AI governance is essential,” he stated. “This is a shared challenge for humanity, and we must use technical safeguards to ensure AI’s benefits aren’t abused.”
Huang said that scientists worldwide share more consensus than division regarding AI’s development. He noted that scientific collaboration is often more open than political cooperation. “Platforms like the WSTDF play a vital role in advancing the AI industry. Despite current global complexities, in-person exchanges ease tensions and increase collaborative opportunities,” he added.
Framing it within the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, Huang emphasized that AI development must advance the common welfare of all. “Guiding AI to benefit humanity is the direction we must follow.”
Chang Lin noted that, despite geopolitical challenges, grassroots international exchanges remain robust and active. “We must overcome obstacles and keep advancing global partnerships,” Chang said.
Gong Ke, former president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, highlighted the importance of supporting developing regions, noting that many international conflicts stem from unequal development. He stressed the role of advanced technology in helping developing nations achieve sustainable growth. “Enhanced productivity can be a driving force for peace,” Gong said.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
The 2024 World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF) held a thematic session in Beijing on Oct. 24 focused on “Cross-Industry Resource Collaboration and Integration to Provide Innovative Application Scenarios for Enhancing the Intelligent Manufacturing Industry.” Leaders, scholars and business representatives from around the globe took part in the event, with the aim of sharing global insights to promote collaboration across industries and drive innovation in intelligent manufacturing.
The session was hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology, organized by the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing, supported by the Beijing International Science and Technology Exchange Center and co-organized by the ASEAN Federation of Smart Industry.
Attendees take part in the “Cross-Industry Resource Collaboration and Integration to Provide Innovative Application Scenarios for Enhancing the Intelligent Manufacturing Industry” thematic session at WSTDF 2024, Beijing, Oct. 24, 2024. [Photo courtesy of WSTDF]
Participants in the event agreed that intelligent manufacturing is crucial to the global technological revolution and industrial transformation. They emphasized the importance of intelligent, green and integrated industrial manufacturing for sustainable global progress.
Lu Daming, vice president of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society (CMES), said: “Efficiently integrating cross-sector resources and innovating in intelligent manufacturing applications are crucial for enhancing manufacturing competitiveness and facilitating a transformation toward smarter, greener and service-oriented operations.” Lu also highlighted the CMES’s ongoing efforts to foster an open, collaborative and mutually beneficial innovation ecosystem to address the challenges within the intelligent manufacturing sector.
Chee Fai Tan, president of the ASEAN Federation of Smart Industry, stressed the growing importance of cross-sector collaboration in today’s globalized world. China, a global leader in resources, has made substantial strides in intelligent manufacturing, offering valuable insights to ASEAN countries, he said. Tan urged increased cooperation among nations to drive innovation in the intelligent manufacturing industry by exploring new application scenarios.
Several business leaders shared their experiences on how they are transforming manufacturing to be smarter, greener and more sustainable.
Zhan Jingtao, vice president of Siemens (China), illustrated the immense potential of intelligent manufacturing in achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable development. “Our CNC factory in Nanjing has significantly boosted production efficiency and product quality by blending virtual design with real-world application, increasing factory efficiency by 20%, flexibility by 30%, and reducing time-to-market by 20%, while cutting CO2 emissions by 3,300 tons annually,” he said.
Ni Yueyong, director of environmental affairs at Mitsubishi Electric (China) Co. Ltd., shared the company’s successful journey toward efficient carbon neutrality. By integrating production, energy and environmental management systems, Mitsubishi Electric has optimized its operations and reduced its carbon footprint. The company has transformed seven of its Chinese factories into national-level green factories, with one achieving zero carbon emissions in 2021. Ni emphasized the significance of efficient carbon neutrality, which combines environmental sustainability with economic benefits, and encouraged wider adoption of the approach.
Zhu Shiming, chief engineer at Phoenix Contact Asia-Pacific Nanjing Co. Ltd., discussed how the company is helping businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, reap the benefits of digital transformation. By improving digital infrastructure and data quality, the company is enabling businesses to overcome obstacles in industrial and factory applications.
The session also highlighted the critical roles of international cooperation and talent development in advancing the industry. Henry Adamson, an academician of the European Academy of Sciences and chief scientist at the Guangdong Greater Bay Area Institute of Integrated Circuit and System, emphasized the need for greater international collaboration, particularly through talent exchange programs, to propel technological advancements. “China must create more innovation platforms to attract and cultivate top scientific and technical professionals,” he stated.
“Technological exchange transcends borders,” said Lee Chean Chung, chairman of the Malaysia-China Technology Promotion Association, noting that international forums on technological development are vital for fostering cooperation.
He emphasized the importance of establishing mechanisms for mutual benefit and moving beyond zero-sum thinking: “Only by elevating the living standards of all humanity can we truly achieve maximum benefits.”
Lee said that the Belt and Road Initiative has strategically supported technological collaboration between China and Malaysia. He also noted that China’s three global initiatives — the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative — provide an extensive framework for technological cooperation.
Goi Bok Min, vice president for internationalisation and academic development at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, stressed the importance of integrating both hard and soft skills in education to meet the demands of the 21st century. He highlighted the university’s role in designing industry-aligned courses and promoting hands-on learning to enhance student skills, further supported by joint research initiatives with prominent academic institutions to foster innovation.
Yang Huayong, chairman of the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing, presents the forum’s consensus statement at WSTDF 2024, Beijing, Oct. 24, 2024. [Photo courtesy of WSTDF]
At the conclusion of the session, Yang Huayong, chairman of the International Coalition of Intelligent Manufacturing, presented the forum’s consensus statement. It stressed the pivotal role of intelligent manufacturing in driving the new global scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. “We must expand the application scenarios for intelligent manufacturing, embrace sustainable development principles, and foster cross-sector resource integration to collaboratively enhance the new quality productive forces,” the statement declared.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
Beijing has led China’s modernization efforts for four consecutive years, according to the “2024 Chinese Modernization Index Report” released Wednesday by the School of Statistics of Renmin University of China.
The report evaluates the progress of Chinese modernization across five key areas: economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology.
The assessment framework comprises 24 indicators, including innovation, economic security, political participation, government efficiency, law-based governance, cultural engagement, social security, and pollution control.
The report highlights steady progress in China’s modernization journey over the past four years, with the most notable improvement seen in ecological conservation, demonstrating China’s commitment to green development. Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang province topped the rankings in this respect, each scoring over 80.
Beijing is also ranked first in social modernization, driven by expanded coverage in areas like education, eldercare, and healthcare.
The report recommends further economic development, strengthening government performance, promoting green development principles, and increasing people’s cultural participation.
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The State University of Management, together with the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, co-organized the VI Russian Sociogender Forum with international participation “Social, demographic and spiritual security of the family institution in the context of the formation of a new social world order.”
As part of the Forum, on October 25, 2024, a meeting of the scientific section “Trust as a socio-gender basis for the formation of a family, stable development of family relations and successful solution of strategic tasks of the demographic policy of Russian society and the state” was held at the Institute of Public Administration and Law of the State University of Management.
In the reports that covered modern challenges and trends in this area, of particular interest were cases and studies of the problems of gender socialization of women, trust and mistrust between the sexes, socio-psychological mechanisms and strategies for successfully resolving family conflicts, including divorces, the share of which in 2022 increased to 68%, while 70 years ago this figure was 4%. In Russia, according to the results of 2023, the total fertility rate, reflecting the average number of children born to one woman during the reproductive period (from 15 to 50 years), turned out to be “terribly low” and amounted to 1.41.
The moderator of the section “Trust as a socio-gender basis for the formation of a family, stable development of family relations and successful solution of strategic tasks of the demographic policy of Russian society and the state” was the head of the relevant scientific school, professor of the department of sociology, psychology and history of our university Viktor Krivopuskov.
The scientific discussion was also attended by professors of sociology T.E. Petrova, I.V. Mkrtumova, V.V. Krivopuskov, professors of psychological sciences N.A. Tsvetkova, N.A., O.A. Ovsyanik, M.V. Iontseva, I.E. Sokolovskaya, candidate of historical sciences K.A. Aramyan, candidate of psychological sciences L.Yu. Shuraeva, candidate of economic sciences, head of the Center for Mediation and Social and Legal Assistance, branch of the State Budgetary Institution “Resource Center for Guardianship and Trusteeship “Assistance” of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the City of Moscow O.E. Gracheva, as well as graduate students, master’s students and bachelors of the university.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/31/2024
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: European Central Bank
31 October 2024
Bank interest rates on new loans to, and deposits from, euro area corporations
(percentages per annum)
Data for cost of borrowing and deposit interest rates for corporations (Chart 1)
The composite cost-of-borrowing indicator, which combines interest rates on all loans to corporations, decreased in September 2024. The interest rate on new loans of over €1 million with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to three months decreased by 31 basis points to 4.72%, driven by the interest rate effect. The rate on new loans of the same size with an initial rate fixation period of over three months and up to one year fell by 31 basis points to 4.47%, driven by the interest rate effect. The interest rate on new loans of over €1 million with an initial rate fixation period of over ten years decreased by 22 basis points to 3.58%. In the case of new loans of up to €250,000 with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to three months, the average rate charged fell by 12 basis points to 5.02%.
As regards new deposit agreements, the interest rate on deposits from corporations with an agreed maturity of up to one year fell by 14 basis points to 3.28% in September 2024. The interest rate on overnight deposits from corporations stayed almost constant at 0.88%.
The interest rate on new loans to sole proprietors and unincorporated partnerships with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to one year decreased by 22 basis points to 5.19%, driven by the interest rate effect.
Bank interest rates for corporations
i.r.f. = initial rate fixation
* For this instrument category, the concept of new business is extended to the whole outstanding amounts and therefore the business volumes are not comparable with those of the other categories. Outstanding amounts data are derived from the ECB’s monetary financial institutions balance sheet statistics.
Data for bank interest rates for corporations (Table 1)
Bank interest rates on new loans to, and deposits from, euro area households
Data for cost of borrowing and deposit interest rate for households (Chart 2)
The composite cost-of-borrowing indicator, which combines interest rates on all loans to households for house purchase, decreased in September 2024. The interest rate on loans for house purchase with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to one year decreased by 11 basis points to 4.59%. The rate on housing loans with an initial rate fixation period of over one and up to five years fell by 6 basis points to 3.82%. The interest rate on loans for house purchase with an initial rate fixation period of over five and up to ten years decreased by 10 basis points to 3.52%. The rate on housing loans with an initial rate fixation period of over ten years fell by 10 basis points to 3.27%, mainly driven by the interest rate effect. In the same period the interest rate on new loans to households for consumption decreased by 7 basis points to 7.75%.
As regards new deposits from households, the interest rate on deposits with an agreed maturity of up to one year remained broadly unchanged at 2.97%. The rate on deposits redeemable at three months’ notice stayed constant at 1.75%. The interest rate on overnight deposits from households remained broadly unchanged at 0.37%.
Bank interest rates for households
i.r.f. = initial rate fixation
* For this instrument category, the concept of new business is extended to the whole outstanding amounts and therefore the business volumes are not comparable with those of the other categories; deposits placed by households and corporations are allocated to the household sector. Outstanding amounts data are derived from the ECB’s monetary financial institutions balance sheet statistics.
** For this instrument category, the concept of new business is extended to the whole outstanding amounts and therefore the business volumes are not comparable with those of the other categories. Outstanding amounts data are derived from the ECB’s monetary financial institutions balance sheet statistics.
Data for bank interest rates for households (Table 2)
The data in Tables 1 and 2 can be visualised for individual euro area countries on the bank interest rate statistics dashboard. Additionally, tables containing further breakdowns of bank interest rate statistics, including the composite cost-of-borrowing indicators for all euro area countries, are available from the ECB Data Portal. The full set of bank interest rate statistics for both the euro area and individual countries can be downloaded from ECB Data Portal. More information, including the release calendar, is available under “Bank interest rates” in the statistics section of the ECB’s website.
For media queries, please contact Nicos Keranis, tel.: +49 69 1344 7806
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – At the Faculty of Design of NUACA
The international week “Design without Borders” was held in Yerevan on October 21-26 at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA). The event was held jointly with the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and the Saint Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design and was intended to unite specialists and students in the field of design.
In his welcoming speech at the opening of the week, Dean of the Faculty of Design at NUASA Artashes Melikyan noted that he was glad to welcome everyone to the university and expressed hope for successful cooperation.
NUASA Vice-Rector for International Relations Vardges Yedoyan also gave a welcoming speech. He noted that an interesting working week was ahead: lectures, discussions, excursions, and wished all participants success.
The delegation of SPbGASU included representatives of the Faculty of Architecture: Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design Elena Voitsekhovskaya, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design Zoya Aksenova, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Environment Design Pavel Loshakov, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Drawing Konstantin Tarasov, Associate Professor of the Department of Landscape Architecture Ksenia Yakovleva and students Anna Kotova, Laura Nanieva, Ekaterina Kondratovich, Bogdan Lobanov and Daniil Sinyakov.
The week included lectures and workshops on current design trends, technological innovations, the effects of artificial intelligence, creating experiences, and more. 20 leading industry experts presented their experience and shared their knowledge, and students had the opportunity to improve their skills in practice. In addition, the program included study visits to historical and cultural sites and museums in Armenia.
Representatives of SPbGASU spoke about current trends and achievements in the academic and extracurricular work of the architectural faculty. The reports aroused genuine interest, became a reason for questions from colleagues and led to serious discussions.
The participants confirmed the high level of SPbGASU and, in a broader sense, the prestige of St. Petersburg as a world cultural center.
Our participants got acquainted with the organization of the educational process at the NUASA Design Faculty, the content, methodology and material base of training, saw samples of coursework and graduation works in various areas of training, visited classrooms, fine art studios, model and geodetic workshops, discussed key topics today, in particular, the use of artificial intelligence methods in design and training. The parties considered the prospects for further cooperation: summer schools, conferences, internships, scientific work and the possibility of joint publications.
Students of the Faculty of Architecture of SPbGASU performed well as speakers: NUASA teachers noted their high motivation, cultural level and professional outlook.
Ksenia Yakovleva shared her impressions of the trip: “The exchange of professional experience in educational, work and cultural aspects was useful for students and teaching staff. Many topics related to trends in education were discussed at the round tables. In addition, the topics of preserving cultural heritage, opportunities and the degree of involvement of architects in the improvement of the urban environment were touched upon.
Our students actively participated in master classes and gave presentations, where they confidently demonstrated not only their projects, but also demonstrated motivational and professional qualities, once again confirming the high level of training at SPbGASU.
Official and informal meetings, acquaintance with culture and history, excellent organization made this trip rich and unforgettable. The contacts established during the working trip to Yerevan will be used for further exchange of experience and expansion of international relations.”
Third-year student of the Department of Landscape Architecture Bogdan Lobanov noted: “Thanks to this trip, I realized how important it is to communicate and be part of a large student architectural community. I would like to maintain and deepen such connections.”
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the SAB Invest Hang Seng Hong Kong ETF Listing Ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today (October 31, Riyadh time):
Diana (Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, Ms Diana Ferreira Cesar), Rosita (Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hang Seng Investment Management Limited, Ms Rosita Lee), Mr Al-Hussan (Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Exchange, Mr Khalid Abdullah Al-Hussan), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is a great pleasure to join you today in celebrating the fast-growing financial collaboration between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.
I am delighted to congratulate SAB, Hang Seng Investment Management and the Saudi Tadawul for this cheering listing.
Following last November’s listing, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, of the first Asian ETF (exchange-traded fund) investing in Saudi Arabia, the SAB Invest Hang Seng Hong Kong ETF is just another remarkable product that encourages mutual access of our two markets.
Today’s ETF invests into the Tracker Fund of Hong Kong, which tracks more than 80 of the largest, most liquid stocks on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It creates another channel for Saudi investors to participate in Hong Kong’s equity market on a diversified basis, covering such key sectors as finance, technology and property, in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
And the Tracker Fund itself is an eligible ETF for Southbound trading under our Stock Connect Scheme with the Mainland, meaning that it will enjoy the liquidity of the investment from the Mainland, too.
The Hong Kong Stock market is, of course, a global market, boasting capitalisation of more than US$4.5 trillion. That’s 12 times our GDP.
It counts more than 2 600 listed companies, including some 1 460 from the Mainland. And they represent nearly 80 per cent of our market capitalisation. In other words, HK is the global fund raising platform for Mainland companies.
Investing in our market, by extension, is investing in the Mainland economy, which will prove to be a rewarding endeavour as our country, China, is forecast to grow on a relatively faster pace on a sustainable basis for the long term.
But the benefits are much more. Last year, we reached an MOU with the Saudi Tadawul, enhancing co-operation in such areas as cross-listings. We also encourage Saudi issuers to secondary list on our Stock Exchange. We believe these will be important steps to drive more mutual flow of capital, and widening the accessibility to both markets and enhancing their liquidity.
Hong Kong is connecting issuers, investors and capital around the world and are forging more two-way capital flows with the Middle East, China, Asia and beyond.
I’m glad that the ETF listed today is helping to deepen our efforts in connecting emerging markets with global capital. It is more than a financial product; it signifies our determination to create innovative ways to co-operate, to realise mutually rewarding opportunities with Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
I would like to thank all the parties for your hard work. And for that, I look forward to more mutually beneficial cross-border financial innovation to emerge to benefit our markets and our people.
I wish you all the best of business, and investing, long down this 21st century of opportunity. Thank you.
By Teagan Laszlo, Queensland University of Technology
For Samantha Magick, journalism isn’t just a job. It is a lifelong commitment to storytelling, advocacy, and empowering voices often overlooked in the Pacific.
As the managing editor and publisher at Islands Business, the Pacific Islands’ longest surviving news and business monthly magazine, Magick’s commitment to quality reporting and journalistic integrity has established her as a leading figure in the region’s news industry.
Magick’s passion for journalism began at a young age.
“I wanted to be a journalist when I was like 12,” Magick recalls. “When I left school, that’s all I wanted to study.”
She remembers her family’s disapproval when she would write stories as a child, as they thought she was “sharing secrets”. Despite that early condemnation, Magick’s thriving journalism career has taken her across continents and exposed her to diverse media landscapes.
After completing a Bachelor of Communications with a major in journalism at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Australia, Magick began her career at Communications Fiji Limited (CFL), a prominent Fijian commercial network.
She progressed over 11 years from a cadet to CFL’s news director.
Guidance of first boss
Magick attributes some of her early success to the guidance of her first boss and CFL’s founder, William Parkinson. She considers herself fortunate to have had a supportive mentor who led by example and dared to take risks early in life, such as founding a radio station in his 20s.
After leaving CFL, Magick’s career took her across the globe, including regional Pacific non-government organisations, news publications in Hawai’i and Indonesia, and even international legal organisations in Italy.
Magick, who is of both Fijian and Australian heritage, returned to Suva in 2018, where she began her current role as Islands Business’s managing editor.
“I’ve chosen to make my life in Fiji because I feel more myself here,” Magick says, reflecting on her deep connection to the island nation.
Magick’s vision for Islands Business focuses on delving into the deeper, underlying narratives often overshadowed by breaking news cycles and free, readily available news content.
“We need to be able to demonstrate the value of investigation, big picture reporting rather than the day-to-day stuff,” Magick says.
Magick prides herself on creating a diverse and inclusive newsroom that reflects the communities it serves.
Need for diverse newsroom
“You have to have a diverse newsroom,” she emphasises, recognising the importance of amplifying marginalised voices. “For example, there is a conscious effort to make sure our magazine is not full of photos of men shaking hands with other men.”
Magick also believes journalists have a responsibility to advocate for change, as demonstrated by Islands Business’s dedication to tackling pressing issues from climate change to media freedom.
“Why would I give a climate change denier space?” Magick questions when discussing the need to balance objectivity and advocacy. “Because it’s kind of going to sell magazines? Because it’s going to create a bit of a stir online? That’s not something we believe in.”
Despite her success, Magick’s career has not been without challenges. Magick worked through Fiji’s former draconian media restriction laws under the Media Industry Development Act 2010, while also navigating the shift to digital media.
Magick emphasises the need to constantly upskill and re-evaluate strategies to ensure she and Islands Business can effectively navigate the constantly evolving media landscape.
From learning to capitalise on social media analytics to locating reputable information sources when many of them feared to speak to the journalists due to the risk of legal retribution, Magick believes flexibility and perseverance are crucial to staying ahead in media.
In her early career, Magick also faced sexism and misogyny in the media industry. “When I think back about the way I was treated as a young journalist, I feel sick,” Magick says as she reflects on how she and her female colleagues would warn each other against interviewing certain sources alone.
Supporting aspiring journalists
The challenges Magick has faced undoubtably contribute to her dedication to supporting aspiring journalists, as evident through Kite Pareti’s journey. Starting as a freelance writer with no newswriting experience in March 2022, Pareti has since progressed to one of two full-time reporters at Islands Business.
Pareti expresses gratitude for the opportunities she’s had while working at Islands Business, and for the mentorship of Magick, whom she describes as “family”.
“Samantha took a chance on me when I had zero knowledge on news writing,” Pareti says. “So I’m grateful to God for her life and for allowing me to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Magick reciprocates this sentiment. “Recently, I am inspired by some of our younger reporters in the field, and their ability to embrace and leverage technology — they’re teaching me.”
Magick anticipates an exciting period ahead for Islands Business, as she aims to attract a younger, professionally driven, and regionally focused audience to their platforms.
When asked about her aspirations for journalism in the region, Magick says she hopes to see a future where Pacific voices remain at the centre, “telling their own stories in all their diversities”.
Teagan Laszlo was a student journalist from the Queensland University of Technology who travelled to Fiji with the support of the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme. This article is published in a partnership of QUT with Asia Pacific Report, Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN) and The University of the South Pacific.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
KIGALI, Rwanda, October 31, 2024/APO Group/ —
The Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the development impact investment arm of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), has announced the Republic of Malawi’s accession to the FEDA Establishment Agreement.
This key milestone reflects the Fund’s growing support across Africa, bringing the total number of participating countries in FEDA to eighteen. Malawi’s accession to FEDA highlights the Fund’s growing momentum, following the recent accession of Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, the Arab Republic of Egypt and Equatorial Guinea among others, to its membership.
New memberships are crucial to broadening the scope of FEDA’s interventions and advancing its mission of delivering long-term capital to African economies with a focus on industrialization, intra-African trade and value-added exports. The rapid growth of FEDA reflects the strong support and confidence African states have in its mandate.
Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank and Chairman of the Boards of both Afreximbank and FEDA, commented: “We welcome the Republic of Malawi to the growing FEDA family. This step lays the groundwork for an enhanced and more effective cooperation and gives the country better access to the full range of interventions offered by Afreximbank Group. The dividends of Malawi’s accession are best illustrated by the launch of the Magwero Industrial Park project, being developed by Arise IIP in collaboration with Afreximbank and FEDA. The project which aims to unlock Malawi’s manufacturing export potential represents a significant investment in the country.”
Marlène Ngoyi, Chief Executive Officer of FEDA, said: “The signing of the FEDA Establishment Agreement builds on FEDA’s investment in strategic projects in Malawi, through Arise IIP, that aim to promote industrialisation, intra-African trade and value-added exports. FEDA will continue supporting Malawi to foster an environment that promotes economic diversification and enhances value-added production.”
FEDA’s recent key strategic investments across the continent, include a further USD300 million capital injection in Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP) in October 2024, its strategic investment in Team Drogba, competing in the inaugural E1 Series, the world’s first-ever all-electric boat racing championship and the partnership with the Republic of Malawi in June 2024 to develop the Magwero Industrial Park to expedite Malawi’s industrialization process.
Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
xinde.org
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Immersed in the Mystery of the Word of God, to perceive the infinite Love and salvation of the Lord: this is the experience shared by 15 Chinese Catholic bishops who lived together the annual spiritual retreat with the theme ‘Synodality and Encounter with the Lord’.The retreat was held from 15 to 18 October at the National Seminary in Beijing.The retreat was led by priest John Baptist Zhang – founder of the digital and print communication platform Xinde.org, and also responsible for Jinde Charities, the main Catholic charitable work in China.The bishops listened to meditations on the obedience of the Virgin Mary, and how beg that the mercy and healing given by Jesus can animate the pastoral work associated with episcopal ministry.During the evening ‘Spiritual Conversations’, the bishops also openly discussed how to face and overcome the sense of loneliness that sometimes marks their condition, and also how to make an appropriate discernment in the face of the different and sometimes conflicting opinions and requests of the members of the Church community.The annual retreat of the Chinese bishops was strongly supported by the leaders of the body called the College of Chinese Bishops, led by the Bishop of Shanghai Joseph Shen Bin.The initiative manifested concern for the formation of bishops and their spiritual condition. Bishop Shen Bin also took part in the final day of the retreat and presided over the evening Eucharistic Concelebration.During the retreat, the Bishops present were able to put aside hesitations and indecisions, re-embracing with enthusiasm the mission of proclaiming the Gospel in the condition in which they find themselves. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 31/10/2024)
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Source: Scotland – City of Dundee
A Strathmartine Community Clean-Up has taken place this week as part of the Take Pride in Your City campaign.
The initiative is part of the Dundee-wide environmental effort to make a positive difference to all city neighbourhoods, parks and open areas.
The Community Clean-Up took place in the areas around Balgowan Avenue and Beauly Square where additional works were carried out by Council staff including the removal of litter and debris, strimming, general tidying of communal areas where required as well as sweeping to path & street areas.
Climate, Environment & Biodiversity Convener Cllr Heather Anderson said: “There is a wide variety of great work taking place in the city through the Take Pride umbrella.
“The Community Clean-Ups have proven to be a successful addition where additional environmental work is carried out and residents can also make use of skips to dispose of their waste appropriately.
“Council employees have listened to direct feedback from local residents in areas throughout the city to improve the condition and appearance of neighbourhoods.”
The Community Clean-Up initiative has taken place in several areas throughout the city with further Clean-Ups planned to take place in the future as well.
Information about upcoming Community Clean-Ups is communicated directly with residents in the areas prior to taking place.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 4
UK Export Finance can now provide financial support for overseas projects that source critical minerals for use in major UK industries.
Lithium, an example of a critical mineral
Chancellor announces availability of export credit financing to help British industries access a stable, long-term supply of critical minerals.
There is high global demand for critical minerals which are increasingly vital to long-term industrial growth, emerging technology and the net zero transition.
The Chancellor has announced that UK Export Finance (UKEF), the government’s export credit agency, will offer financial support for overseas projects that supply critical minerals fuelling UK industrial growth and the net zero transition.
By securing contracts which increase and diversify UK access to critical minerals, this will help the UK to build economic resilience and lower the risk of supply-chain disruption in major industries like automotive, defence and aerospace.
‘Critical minerals’ are raw materials like lithium, graphite and cobalt which are essential to the UK’s largest exporting sectors. They are used in range of emerging and sustainable technologies like electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines.
Financing will be offered in the form of credit guarantees to overseas companies, helping them access debt financing for projects which supply UK exporters with critical mineral products – including both raw and processed materials.
It is expected that UKEF will work with other ECAs and public financial institutions to finance eligible projects and support investment into new supply routes.
This would make it easier for UK manufacturers to secure contracts with critical mineral suppliers in countries with vast mineral deposits, including Australia, which holds large deposits of lithium.
There is intense global competition for critical minerals like lithium, tin and cobalt which are essential for industrial growth, British industries and our journey towards net zero.
As the energy transition pushes demand to new highs, this financing offer will help UK companies to get a seat at the table, build international partnerships and secure their critical mineral needs.
Helping exporters to access these vital resources will support UK industrial growth and our leadership in emerging technology.
We welcome the new export finance offering for critical minerals, which supports UK manufacturers and supply chain security. The offer demonstrates the importance of critical minerals to UK Government, and showcases the UK’s strengths as a serious buyer of these strategically important materials.
We look forward to working closely with UKEF and supporting the development of this offer into secure, resilient, responsible critical mineral supply chains for the UK and MSP partners.
Green Lithium’s refinery in Teesside will be a future importer of critical raw materials and, following processing, a UK exporter of battery chemicals. This new export finance offering from UKEF is precisely the sort of initiative that will help UK businesses strengthen relationships with international partners and contribute to the development of stronger international supply chains, while also supporting critical minerals industrial development in the UK.
It is a welcome development from the UK Government, and a facility that will be of interest to several of our international supply chain partners.
The UK government is a founding member of the US-initiated Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), which aims to help member economies secure a stable access to critical minerals.
Today’s announcement follows the recent launch of an MSP finance network, in which UKEF is working with other export credit agencies and financial bodies to help de-risk and increase financing for critical minerals projects.
UKEF has also used its existing products to support UK capability in critical minerals production. It recently announced a guarantee supporting machinery exports to one of Central Asia’s largest copper-production facilities.
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Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prairie Provident Resources Inc. (“Prairie Provident” or the “Company”) (TSX:PPR) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its previously announced equity rights offering (the “Rights Offering”), which expired at 5:00 p.m. (Mountain time) on October 28, 2024.
Prairie Provident issued an aggregate of 480,000,000 common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”) pursuant to the Rights Offering and the Standby Commitment (defined below) at a price of $0.025 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $12.0 million. This includes the 400,000,000 Common Shares issued in the initial closing described below. Following completion, there are 1,196,405,336 Common Shares issued and outstanding.
As previously announced, the Company’s principal shareholder, PCEP Canadian Holdco, LLC (“PCEP”), fully exercised its basic subscription privilege under the Rights Offering to purchase 400,000,000 Common Shares in an initial closing completed on September 27, 2024, and also provided a standby commitment to purchase up to an additional 64,000,000 Common Shares not otherwise subscribed for under the Rights Offering by others (the “Standby Commitment”). In addition to the 400,000,000 Common Shares purchased on the early exercise of its basic subscription privilege, PCEP acquired 15,434,906 Common Shares under the Standby Commitment at the same subscription price of $0.025 per share. Following closing of the Rights Offering and Standby Commitment, PCEP holds 956,360,015 Common Shares, or approximately 79.9% of the total Common Shares outstanding.
Of the 64,565,094 Common Shares purchased under the Rights Offering by shareholders other than PCEP, 41,429,021 were issued pursuant to exercise of the basic subscription privilege and 26,136,073 were issued pursuant to exercise of the additional subscription privilege. These numbers include 16,600,046 Common Shares acquired by directors and management of the Company under the Rights Offering (2,087,453 pursuant to the basic subscription privilege and 14,512,593 pursuant to the additional subscription privilege).
No fees or commissions were paid by the Company in connection with the Rights Offering or the Standby Commitment.
Net proceeds from the Rights Offering are expected to fund a capital program focused on drilling at least two wells in the Basal Quartz formation before the end of 2024, workovers to enhance the productivity of existing wells and general corporate purposes. A portion of the net proceeds was also used to settle a US$2.3 million advance under the Company’s second lien note facility, by way of a $3.13 million setoff (being the Canadian dollar equivalent of the advance) against the $10.0 million subscription price paid by PCEP on the early exercise of its basic subscription privilege.
For details regarding the Rights Offering, please see Prairie Provident’s rights offering circular dated September 13, 2024, a copy of which is available under the Company’s issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or from its website at www.ppr.ca.
ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT
Prairie Provident is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta, including a position in the emerging Basal Quartz trend in the Michichi area of Central Alberta.
For further information, please contact:
Dale Miller, Executive Chairman
Phone: (403) 292-8150
Email: investor@ppr.ca
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SED attends China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education in Beijing (with photo)
SED attends China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education in Beijing (with photo)
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The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (October 31) attended the 25th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) in Beijing to share Hong Kong’s experiences in promoting internationalisation and diversification of higher education, and promote the “Study in Hong Kong” Brand. CACIE is a high-level and comprehensive platform for global educators to engage in dialogue and practical co-operation. Under the theme “Education for All, the Unknown and the Future”, this year’s Conference aims to forge a consensus on global education development and reform. Thousands of people from different countries and regions attended. In her keynote speech at the plenary session of CACIE on Hong Kong’s efforts in promoting internationalisation and diversification in the higher education sector, Dr Choi said that Hong Kong has five universities funded by the University Grants Committee which are ranked among the world’s top 100. Coupled with a sound education infrastructure, outstanding research talent and strong research capabilities, Hong Kong’s reputable brand name of quality education is widely recognised and acknowledged both locally and globally. “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” announced the establishment of the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents to take forward the work of invigorating the country through science and education, and accelerate the building of an innovative talent pool. At the same time, the Government launched a number of key initiatives, including supporting capacity expansion and quality enhancement of local institutions; stepping up overseas publicity to attract more non-local students to study in Hong Kong; strengthening collaboration with universities from all over the world to broaden students’ international horizons; promoting synergistic development of higher education in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to complement each other’s strengths; and nurturing cross-disciplinary talent, and pressing ahead with the development of universities of applied sciences to create multiple pathways for young people. She said that the Government has been actively supporting the establishment of alliances between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to gather high-quality teaching and research resources, and to achieve mutual benefits through deepening co-operation among member institutions in areas such as scientific innovation and talent exchanges, thereby enhancing the level and standard of regional co-operation, and developments on different fronts. During the Conference, Dr Choi exchanged views on the latest trends and developments in global education with other guests, including Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress Mr Ding Zhongli; the Governor of Victoria, Australia, Professor Margaret Gardner; Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan Mr Otabek Mahkamov; the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of International Education in the United States, Dr Allan Goodman; and the Ambassador of France to China, Mr Bertrand Lortholary. In addition, Dr Choi met representatives of Hong Kong post-secondary education institutions participating in the Expo to learn about the promotional efforts of publicly funded and self-financing institutions in expanding their international network and recruiting students from around the world to study in Hong Kong.??? Dr Choi will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Ends/Thursday, October 31, 2024Issued at HKT 17:43
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
A major takeout from the inquiry into the national response to COVID is that a lack of trust would likely mean a less cooperative public during a future pandemic.
Trust spiked early in the crisis, as fear ran high and people turned to known institutions and authority figures. Later, trust declined and frustrations rose, with people reacting against harsh measures.
Criticism has grown in retrospect. In a 2024 survey, 54% said the government’s handling at the time was appropriate. This had been 80% at the pandemic’s peak. By 2024, 29% said the government had overreacted; they were more likely to rate its performance poorly than were people earlier.
The review, by an independent panel, stressed the importance of better communication and coordination in planning for future crises. But a few wrinkles should also be considered.
If we had another pandemic in five years, people would indeed be more resistant to restrictions. But if the next similar crisis was, say, 50 years on, the then-public’s attitude would be anyone’s guess. Trust might surge and subside in a similar pattern.
The change in views is unsurprising. Looking back, memories of the threat fade somewhat – because overall Australia did well – while those of the restraints (some of them notable overreach) loom larger.
The pandemic’s lift in public trust was a blip – driven by extraordinary circumstances – in a long-term decline. This decline is a serious intractable problem in our democracy, as in many other countries.
You’d have to be super optimistic to expect a revival in trust in the foreseeable future. But if it continues to fall away, the foundations of our political institutions and our society will become shakier.
In the United States, Donald Trump made a huge assault on people’s trust in the electoral system after he lost the 2020 presidential election. There’d be fears he would do the same if he loses next week.
Thankfully, in Australia trust around election management remains absolutely solid. But there’s mounting concern about the corrosive effect of misinformation and disinformation in the political debate and, equally, distrust of proposals to curb these.
The polarisation in our media is a much paler version of what we see in the US, but is still wearing away at trust.
Distrust and cynicism are closely related, and can be fuelled by relatively small things.
Australians have always been disrespectful of the political class. To a degree this can be positive, if it is healthy scepticism. But if it descends into a belief politicians are more likely to serve themselves than serve the public good, that pulls democracy downwards.
Independent Helen Haines wrote this week: “in a world of aggressive lobbying, of jobs for mates, and acceptance of pork-barrelling, it is no surprise that in Australia there is diminishing trust in politics and governments”.
The furore over Anthony Albanese obtaining Qantas upgrades, arising from Joe Aston’s just-published The Chairman’s Lounge, might be seen as small beer, as “scandals” go.
But it raises suspicions, justified or not, in voters’ minds about decision-making. If big corporations are so cosy with politicians, are the politicians more likely to lend them sympathetic ears?
After all, the pursuit of access and influence is behind much of the money that’s donated to politics. The same applies to privileges extended.
Integrity is vital to trust. It didn’t pass the integrity test for Albanese to have accepted upgrades from Qantas, especially for personal travel, when he was transport minister in the former Labor government, overseeing regulation of the airline.
After dodging for days – he said it took a long time to check his records – Albanese finally denied ever contacting then Qantas chief Alan Joyce (or other executives) to request upgrades. But, it will be asked, did a mates network mean he didn’t need to?
Albanese is highly sensitive over the Qantas story, insisting to colleagues and others it is just a media beatup.
The affair has chipped away at public trust not just in the prime minister but, to an extent, more generally, as scrutiny stretched to travel largesse received by opposition figures, including Peter Dutton asking to use Gina Rinehart’s plane.
Research for the COVID inquiry showed a distrustful public wants more transparency from their politicians.
It’s a paradox that we’ve seen an expansion of mechanisms for transparency, yet there’s the perception, and often the reality, of things being deeply opaque.
In the upgrades affair, Albanese has made much of the fact he declared everything on his parliamentary register of interests. Yet that doesn’t get us to the core of the relationship between a senior politician and key people in an airline.
It’s the same with the gambling industry. What has been going on behind the scenes to delay the government’s decision on gambling reform, expected months ago? We can find from the record the donations the gambling industry gave, but not the influence exerted privately.
The increasing professionalisation of politics may have worked against trust. It distances voters from the politicians, and provides more tools for manipulating public opinion.
This may be one reason why “community candidates”, with their grassroots campaigning, have appealed. But the apparent shyness of Simon Holmes à Court, whose Climate 200 fund donates to some of these candidates, about finding himself on the Australian Financial Review’s “covert power” list only turned more attention to the backstory of money and politics.
Concern about integrity and trust was a driver of the Albanese government’s establishment, with much fanfare, of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Now a scathing report released this week threatens to undermine public trust in that body.
It followed the NACC’s decision not to investigate six people referred to it by the royal commission into Robodebt.
Robodebt had delivered a massive blow to people’s trust in government and the public service, and it was vital full accountability was pursued.
The NACC head, Paul Brereton, delegated the decision-making on whether to open an investigation to another commissioner, because he’d had a professional relationship with one of the people referred.
But, in a damning report, the Inspector of the NACC found Brereton had not adequately excused himself.
“I found that the NACC Commissioner’s involvement in the decision-making was comprehensive, before, during and after the 19 October 2023 meeting at which the substantive decision was made not to investigate the referrals,” the Inspector concluded.
Brereton’s response has been to say mistakes happen, the important thing is to correct them, and this will be done – through the appointment of an “eminent person” to review whether the referrals should be investigated.
Both government and opposition are declaring faith in Brereton. But crossbench senator David Pocock argues Brereton should go. Anthony Whealy, former judge and chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, told the ABC that while Brereton hadn’t committed a sackable offence, in his shoes he would step down, to protect the NACC’s reputation.
Is that the price of maintaining trust in this institution that was supposed to help restore trust?
Michelle Grattan 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.
– ref. Grattan on Friday: furore over Anthony Albanese’s Qantas perks chips away at public trust in politicians – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-furore-over-anthony-albaneses-qantas-perks-chips-away-at-public-trust-in-politicians-242589
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Rosneft Day was held at the Company’s key partner university in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa State Petroleum Technological University (USPTU). 34 subsidiaries, including 10 enterprises of Bashneft, Rosneft’s largest asset in the region, took part in the job fair and presentations.
During the Rosneft Day, vacancies for students and graduates of universities and colleges were presented. Today, the most popular vacancies among blue-collar jobs are: oil and gas production operator, chemical analysis laboratory assistant, process unit operator, instrument operator, repairman, process unit repairman, process pump operator, commodity operator, general machine operator, electrician for repair and maintenance of electrical equipment, electric and gas welder.
Oil refiners from Bashneft-Novoil held a quiz for students on the topic of “Oil refining and more”, the winners won tickets to the cinema. Orenburgneft held a game of “oil monopoly”. Guests of the fair could also attend a lecture on “Hydraulic fracturing – a discipline at the intersection of sciences” from RN-GRP. The master class “Career roasting” and a meeting with foreign students were held by RN-Service employees. All participants of the events received memorable souvenirs.
Rosneft, as part of the corporate continuous education program “school – college/university – enterprise”, is implementing projects to attract talented youth and form an external personnel reserve. In the Republic of Bashkortostan, the program has been implemented for several years. This year, 49 schoolchildren entered the 10th “Rosneft-classes”. In addition, in Ufa, in pilot mode, 25 9th-grade students were enrolled in the “Rosneft-class”. The Ufa Fuel and Energy College (UTEK) acted as a partner of the pilot.
There are six Bashneft corporate groups in Ufa State Petroleum Technical University and Ufa Energy Company in various training areas, including: oil and gas geology and geophysics, solid fuel, oil and gas processing technology, design and operation of oil and gas processing equipment, etc. In specialized groups, students combine work in production with training according to an individual schedule. Training in specialized subjects is carried out with the involvement of expert teachers from among Bashneft employees. Students also participate in career guidance and corporate events of the Company.
In partnership with Bashneft enterprises, the following basic departments were created at USPTU: “Technologies of Petrochemical Processes”, “Welding of Oil and Gas Structures”, “Bashneft Processing”, and “Bashneft – Environmental Engineering”.
The scientific institute “RN-BashNIPIneft” supervises 7 basic and graduating departments at USPTU. This year, the institute opened two new basic departments at the university: “Lean Technologies and Innovations in the Oil and Gas Complex” and “Oil and Gas Field Equipment for Well Operation and Repair”. Also in 2024, a new master’s program MPE Petroleum Engineering in the direction of “Oil and Gas Engineering” was opened for foreign students at the Department of “Field Pipeline Systems” of USPTU. RN-BashNIPIneft specialists teach master’s students the design, development and production of oil and gas fields on land and offshore, work in Rosneft software products, introduce innovative well drilling technologies, etc. The first students of the program were 10 applicants from Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Ufaorgsintez annually holds the Unified Oil Refinery Cup in Oil Refining Olympiad and the Petrochemistry, Chemical Technology and Automation Olympiad for senior students at the University. In addition to certificates and gifts, winners and prize winners receive additional points that are taken into account when applying for a master’s degree at USPTU, and are also invited to interviews at Bashneft enterprises for possible employment.
Reference:
Ufa State Petroleum Technological University is one of the leading technical universities in Russia. With the support of the Company, a unique scientific and educational center “NK Rosneft – Ufa State Petroleum Technological University” was created there.
Since 2001, Rosneft and USPTU have been partners in the field of training qualified personnel, scientific and innovative activities, as well as the implementation of international educational projects of the Company with Tsinghua University (PRC) and Qatar University.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft October 31, 2024
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.
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Rosneft held the 6th corporate scientific and practical conference on hydrogeology and water supply, bringing together more than 50 Russian experts in this field. The conference was traditionally organized by the Company’s scientific institute in Izhevsk.
One of the priority tasks of the Rosneft-2030 strategy is to achieve leading positions in industrial safety, labor protection and the environment. The company pays great attention to the rational use of water resources.
During the conference, experts discussed a number of key challenges facing the Russian oil and gas industry. The key topic of discussion was the results of the implementation of the RN-Aqua software package, developed by specialists from the Izhevsk Scientific Institute, into production. The participants noted the positive experience of working with this product, identifying areas for further expansion of its functionality.
The conference also featured scientific and applied reports devoted to the updating and development of new areas of work and competencies in hydrogeology, as well as best practices used in the design of hydrogeological work.
Reference:
Since 2018, a specialized Rosneft institute for hydrogeology and water supply has been operating on the basis of the Izhevsk Scientific Institute. The institute carries out comprehensive work on hydrogeology in all regions of the Company’s operations, including all types of design and reporting documentation for water production and placement of associated water, conducts experimental filtration studies and is engaged in the development of specialized software.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft October 31, 2024
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The value of residential mortgage loans approved in September was $17.3 billion, a 20.6% drop compared with August, the Monetary Authority announced today.
Mortgage loans financing primary market transactions dropped 27.2% to $5.6 billion, while those financing secondary market transactions decreased 15.4% to $10 billion.
Loans for refinancing decreased 25.1% to $1.8 billion.
Mortgage loans drawn down during September amounted to $15.4 billion, a 3.6% reduction from August.
The number of mortgage applications in September dipped 15.9% month on month to 4,977.
The outstanding value of mortgage loans increased 0.1% month on month to $1.872 trillion at the end of September.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Stockholm, 31st of October 2024 – Virtune, a leading Swedish regulated crypto asset manager and issuer of exchange-traded products (ETP), announces that it has reached one billion SEK in assets under management.
Virtune is proud to announce that it has reached a significant milestone in its growth journey by achieving 1 billion SEK in assets under management (AUM). This marks an important step in the vision of becoming the leading asset manager within crypto in the Nordics. Virtune offers 100% physically backed exchange-traded products within crypto that are available for both institutional and private investors and collaborates with industry-leading partners such as Coinbase as the custodian.
Since its inception, Virtune has been committed to educating the market about exchange-traded products, crypto assets, the market development, and how Bitcoin and other crypto assets can form a natural part of a traditional investment portfolio. In addition to this, Virtune is driving the development of crypto assets forward by listing innovative and reliable crypto ETPs that meet the market’s demands for transparency, security, and growth. This success reflects the trust of Nordic investors and the hard work of the Virtune team.
Virtune’s products are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Euronext Amsterdam, Euronext Paris, and Boerse Stuttgart. Virtune’s product portfolio today includes 12 ETPs, divided into three categories:
Single asset ETPs that provide exposure to a single crypto asset:
Virtune Bitcoin ETP
Virtune XRP ETP
Virtune Avalanche ETP
Virtune Chainlink ETP
Virtune Arbitrum ETP
Staked single asset ETPs that provide exposure to a single crypto asset combined with staking for enhanced returns:
Virtune Staked Ethereum ETP
Virtune Staked Solana ETP
Virtune Staked Polkadot ETP
Virtune Staked Cardano ETP
Virtune Staked Polygon ETP
Index ETPs that provide exposure to a basket of 10 leading crypto assets:
Virtune Crypto Top 10 Index ETP SEK
Virtune Crypto Top 10 Index ETP EUR
Christopher Kock, CEO of Virtune, comments: “Today, Virtune reached a critical milestone as we exceeded 1 billion SEK in assets under management. Since our market entry on May 15, 2023, we have been passionate and dedicated in educating the market about crypto assets as an asset class and their purpose, as well as about exchange-traded products in a professional and transparent manner. We are pleased with the strong reception in the Nordic market with accelerating interest also from Nordic institutional investors. We will continue our tireless work and the entire Virtune team is fully motivated and engaged in our mission to drive the acceptance of crypto assets forward among institutional and retail investors in the Nordics. We look forward to accelerating our growth further and achieving many more milestones ahead.”
If you, as an (institutional) investor, are interested in meeting Virtune to discuss the possibilities with our ETPs for your asset management/discretionary asset management offering, to learn more about Virtune and/or the company’s ETPs, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@virtune.com. You can also read more about Virtune and our ETPs on www.virtune.com and register your email address on our website to subscribe to our newsletters that covers updates on Virtune’s upcoming ETP launches and other news related to digital assets.
Stockholm, 31st of October 2024
Press contact
Christopher Kock, CEO Virtune AB (Publ)
Christopher@virtune.com
+46 70 073 45 64
Virtune with its headquarters in Stockholm is a fully regulated Swedish digital asset manager and issuer of crypto exchange traded products on regulated European exchanges. With regulatory compliance, strategic collaborations with industry leaders and our proficient team, we empower investors on a global level to access innovative and sophisticated investment products that are aligned with the evolving landscape of the global crypto market.
Cryptocurrency investments are associated with high risk. Virtune does not provide investment advice. Investments are made at your own risk. Securities may increase or decrease in value, and there is no guarantee that you will recover your invested capital. Please read the prospectus, KID, terms at www.virtune.com.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Intermediate Capital Group plc
Holding(s) in Company (Correction)
On 21 October 2024, it was announced that JPMorgan Chase & Co. had notified Intermediate Capital Group plc (the “Company”) that its holding had fallen below the minimum threshold for notification.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. subsequently notified the Company on 30 October 2024 that the last notification it provided to the Company was incorrect and that its holding had not fallen below the minimum threshold for notification.
Accordingly, the TR1 notification published on 21 October 2024 should be disregarded and shareholders should instead refer to the TR1 notification published on 20 August 2024.
Ends
Contacts
Andrew Lewis
Company Secretary, ICG plc
+44 (0) 20 3545 1344
Chris Hunt
Shareholder Relations, ICG plc
+44 (0) 20 3545 2020
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
GRAND-LANCY, Switzerland, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Temenos (SIX: TEMN) today announced that it has been named a Leader in the 2024 IDC MarketScapes for Digital Core Banking Platforms in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific.[1] Temenos attributes this recognition to the rich functionality of its core banking platform, helping banks enhance their customer experiences and increase business agility.
In North America, the IDC MarketScape evaluated 10 technology vendors, while the IDC MarketScapes for APAC and EMEA assessed 15 vendors each. In this competitive global landscape, Temenos is one of just two vendors to be named a Leader in all three evaluations.
Jerry Silva, Vice President, IDC Financial Insights, said: “The Temenos Core Banking solution portfolio is a cloud-native and cloud-agnostic composable microservices-based offering. It uses a modern technology stack that can evolve to cater for new needs as they arise. This enables banks to compose, extend, and deploy banking capabilities at scale via cloud and SaaS, or to deploy on premise. The solution is used by clients all over the world and Temenos has earned a reputation for being customer-centric and collaborative.”
Barb Morgan, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Temenos, commented: “We’re proud to be recognized by the IDC MarketScape as a market leader across multiple regions in digital core banking platforms. We believe this demonstrates the proven value of our comprehensive core banking solutions, providing banks globally with the agility they need to innovate faster and elevate the digital banking experience for their customers. We are committed to keep investing on Temenos’ core banking platform and delivering solutions that create long-term value and success for our customers.”
The IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures vendor go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of vendor strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Vendor market share is represented by the size of the icons.
[1] Source: IDC MarketScape: North American Digital Core Banking Platforms 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US50463523, September 2024); IDC MarketScape: EMEA Digital Core Banking Platforms 2204 Vendor Assessment (doc #EUR150463623, September 2024); and IDC MarketScape: Asia Pacific Digital Core Banking Platforms 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #AP50463723, September 2024).
About IDC MarketScape
IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers.
About Temenos
Temenos (SIX: TEMN) is the world’s leading platform for composable banking, serving clients in 150 countries by helping them build new banking services and state-of-the-art customer experiences. Top performing banks using Temenos software achieve cost-income ratios almost half the industry average and returns on equity 2X the industry average. These banks’ IT spend on growth and innovation is also 2X the industry average.
For more information, please visit www.temenos.com.
Source: Reserve Bank of India
|
Data on sectoral deployment of bank credit for the month of September 20241 collected from 41 select scheduled commercial banks, accounting for about 95 per cent of the total non-food credit deployed by all scheduled commercial banks, are set out in Statements I and II. On a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, non-food bank credit2 in September 20243 grew at 14.4 per cent, as compared to 15.3 per cent a year ago. Highlights of the sectoral deployment of bank credit3 are given below:
Ajit Prasad Press Release: 2024-2025/1407 |
Source: Securelist – Kaspersky
Headline: Loose-lipped neural networks and lazy scammers
One topic being actively researched in connection with the breakout of LLMs is capability uplift – when employees with limited experience or resources in some area become able to perform at a much higher level thanks to LLM technology. This is especially important in information security, where cyberattacks are becoming increasingly cost-effective and larger-scale, causing headaches for security teams.
Among other tools, attackers use LLMs to generate content for fake websites. Such sites can mimic reputable organizations – from social networks to banks – to extract credentials from victims (classic phishing), or they can pretend to be stores of famous brands offering super discounts on products (which mysteriously never get delivered).
Aided by LLMs, attackers can fully automate the creation of dozens, even hundreds of web pages with different content. Before, some specific tasks could be done automatically, such as generating and registering domain names, obtaining certificates and making sites available through free hosting services. Now, however, thanks to LLMs, scammers can create unique, fairly high-quality content (much higher than when using, say, synonymizers) without the need for costly manual labor. This, in particular, hinders detection using rules based on specific phrases. Detecting LLM-generated pages requires systems for analyzing metadata or page structure, or fuzzy approaches such as machine learning.
But LLMs don’t always work perfectly, so if the scale of automation is large or the level of control is low, they can leave telltale indicators, or artifacts, that the model was poorly applied. Such phrases, which recently have been cropping up everywhere from marketplace reviews to academic papers, as well as tags left by LLM tools, make it possible at this stage of the technology’s development to track attackers’ use of LLMs to automate fraud.
One of the clearest signs of LLM-generated text is the presence of first-person apologies and refusals to follow instructions. For example, a major campaign targeting cryptocurrency users features pages, such as in the screenshot below, where the model gives itself away by first apologizing, then simulating instructions for the popular trading platform Crypto[.]com:
As we see, the model refuses to perform one of the basic tasks for which LLMs are used – writing articles:
I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, I cannot provide specific articles on demand.
This specific example is hosted at gitbook[.]io. Besides the apology, another giveaway is the use of the letters ɱ and Ĺ in “Crypto.coɱ Ĺogin”.
On another page targeting Metamask wallet users, hosted at webflow[.]io, we see the LLM response:
I apologize for the previous response not meeting your word count requirement.
This response is interesting because it implies that it was not the first in the chat with the language model. This indicates either a lower level of automation (the attacker requested an article, saw that it was short and asked for a longer one, all in the same session), or the presence of length checks in the automated pipeline, suggesting that overly brief responses are a common issue. The latter is more likely, because if a human had formatted the text, the apology would hardly have ended up inside the tag.
Artifacts can appear not only in web page text. In one page mimicking the STON[.]fi crypto exchange, LLM apologies turned up in the meta tags:
I’m sorry, but I don’t have enough information to generate a useful meta description without clear target keywords. Could you please provide the specific keywords you would like me to incorporate? I’d be happy to create an engaging, SEO-friendly meta description once I have those details. Just send over the keywords whenever you’re ready.
LLMs can be used not only to generate text blocks, but entire web pages. The page above, which mimics the Polygon site (hosted at github[.]io on a lookalike subdomain with the word “bolygon”), shows a message that the model has exceeded its allowable character limit:
Users can access a wide rangeAuthor’s Note: I apologize, but it seems like the response got cut off. As a language model, I’m limited to generating responses within a certain character limit.
In addition, the page’s service tags contain links to an online LLM-based website generation service that creates pages based on a text description.
In another example, on an adult clickbait page that redirects to dubious 18+ dating sites, we see a model apologize for declining to write content related to data leaks:
I’m sorry for any misunderstanding, but as an AI developed by OpenAI, I am programmed to follow ethical guidelines, which means I cannot generate or provide content related to leaked material involving [model name] or any other individual.
The phrase-turned-meme “As an AI language model…” and its variations often pop up on scam pages, not only in the context of apologies. That’s exactly what we see, for example, on two pages targeting users of the KuCoin crypto exchange, both located at gitbook[.]us.
In the first case, the model refuses to work as a search engine:
As an AI developed by OpenAI, I can’t provide direct login links to third-party platforms like KuCoin or any other specific service.
In the second, we see a slight variation on the theme – the model states that it can’t log in to websites itself:
As an AI developed by OpenAI, I don’t have the capability to directly access or log in to specific websites like KuCoin or any other online platform.
Another fairly clear LLM sign is the use of “While I can’t…, I can certainly…”-type constructions.
For instance, a page hosted at weblof[.]io reads as follows:
While I can’t provide real-time information or direct access to specific websites, I can certainly guide you through the general steps on how to log in to a typical online platform like BitMart.
On another page, this time at gitbook[.]us, the LLM declines to give detailed instructions on how to log in to a Gemini account:
While I can’t provide specific step-by-step instructions, I can certainly offer a general overview of what the process might entail.
One more page, also on gitbook[.]us, is aimed at Exodus Wallet users:
While I cannot provide real-time information or specific details about the Exodus® Wallet login process, I can offer a comprehensive solution that generally addresses common issues related to wallet logins.
Another key sign of LLM-generated text is a message about the model’s knowledge cutoff – the date after which it no longer has up-to-date information about the world. To train LLMs, developers collect large datasets from all over the internet, but information about events that occur after training begins is left out of the model. The model often signals this with phrases like “according to my last update in January 2023” or “my knowledge is limited to March 2024”.
For instance, the following phrase was found on a fake site mimicking the Rocket Pool staking platform:
Please note that the details provided in this article are based on information available up to my knowledge cutoff in September 2021.
On another scam site, this time targeting Coinbase users, we see text written by a fresher model:
This content is entirely hypothetical, and as of my last update in January 2022, Coinbase does not have a browser extension specifically for its wallet.
A fake page from the same campaign, but aimed at MetaMask wallet users, employs an even more recent model to generate text:
As of my last knowledge update in January 2023, Metamask is a popular and widely used browser extension…
Artifacts of this kind not only expose the use of LLMs to create scam web pages, but allow us to estimate both the campaign duration and the approximate time of content creation.
Finally, OpenAI models have certain word preferences. For example, they are known to use the word “delve” so often that some people consider it a clear-cut sign of LLM-generated text. Another marker is the use of phrases like “in the ever-evolving/ever-changing world/landscape”, especially in requested articles or essays. Note that the presence of these words alone is no cast-iron guarantee of generated text, but they are pretty strong indicators.
For example, one such site is hosted at gitbook[.]us and belongs to a campaign with stronger signs of LLM usage. There we see both the phrase
In the dynamic realm of cryptocurrency
and the classic “let’s delve” in the instructions for using a physical Ledger wallet. On another Ledger-dedicated page (this time at webflow[.]io), we find “delve” rubbing shoulders with “ever-evolving world”:
On yet another page at gitbook[.]us, this time aimed at Bitbuy users, the telltale “ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency” and “Navigating the Crypto Seas” raise their clichéd heads – such metaphor is, although poorly formalized, but still a sign of the use of LLM.
As mentioned above, LLM-generated text can go hand-in-hand with various techniques that hinder rule-based detection. For example, an article at gitbook[.]us about the Coinbase crypto exchange containing “let’s delve” uses Unicode math symbols in the title: Coinbase@% Wallet.
Due to font issues, however, the browser has trouble displaying Unicode characters, so in the screenshot they look like this:
As part of the same campaign, KuCoin was honored with yet another version of the page at gitbook[.]us. This time we see obfuscation in the title: Kucoin® Loᘜin*, as well as the less screaming but still telling “let’s explore” along with the familiar “delve”:
we delve into the intricates of KuCoin login
Let’s explore how you can access your account securely and efficiently
Let’s delve into the robust security measures offered by this platform to safeguard your assets.
Lastly, one more page in this campaign, hosted at webflow[.]io, invites potential iTrustCapital users to “delve into the ever-changing precious metals market.” In this example, “Login” is also obfuscated.
As large language models improve, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the tasks they do well or poorly, are becoming better understood. Threat actors are exploring applications of this technology in a range of automation scenarios. But, as we see, they sometimes commit blunders that help shed light on how they use LLMs, at least in the realm of online fraud.
Peering into the future, we can assume that LLM-generated content will become increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-written. The approach based on the presence of certain telltale words and phrases is unreliable, since these can easily be replaced with equivalents in automatic mode. Moreover, there is no guarantee that models of other families, much less future models, will have the same stylometric features as those available now. The task of automatically identifying LLM-generated text is extremely complex, especially as regards generic content like marketing materials, which are similar to what we saw in the examples. To better protect yourself against phishing, be it hand-made or machine-generated, it’s best to use modern security solutions that combine analysis of text information, metadata and other attributes to protect against fraud.
