TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) (“AgnicoEagle” or the “Company“) today announced that it will release its third quarter 2024 results on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, after normal trading hours.
Third Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call and Webcast
Agnico Eagle’s senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 11:00 AM (E.D.T.) to discuss the Company’s financial and operating results.
Via Webcast:
To listen to the live webcast of the conference call, you may register on the Company website at www.agnicoeagle.com, or directly via the link here.
Via Phone:
To join the conference call by phone, please dial 416.945.7677 or toll-free 1.888.699.1199 to be entered into the call by an operator. To ensure your participation, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call.
To join the conference call without operator assistance, you may register your phone number here 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call to receive an instant automated call back.
Replay Archive:
Please dial 289.819.1450 or toll-free 1.888.660.6345, access code 80122#. The conference call replay will expire on November 30, 2024.
The webcast, along with presentation slides, will be archived for 180 days on the Company’s website.
About Agnico Eagle
Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects in these countries as well as in the United States. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading environmental, social and governance practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Shweta Singh, Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Management, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
OpenAI, the company that made ChatGPT, has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) system called Strawberry. It is designed not just to provide quick responses to questions, like ChatGPT, but to think or “reason”.
This raises several major concerns. If Strawberry really is capable of some form of reasoning, could this AI system cheat and deceive humans?
OpenAI can program the AI in ways that mitigate its ability to manipulate humans. But the company’s own evaluations rate it as a “medium risk” for its ability to assist experts in the “operational planning of reproducing a known biological threat” – in other words, a biological weapon. It was also rated as a medium risk for its ability to persuade humans to change their thinking.
It remains to be seen how such a system might be used by those with bad intentions, such as con artists or hackers. Nevertheless, OpenAI’s evaluation states that medium-risk systems can be released for wider use – a position I believe is misguided.
Strawberry is not one AI “model”, or program, but several – known collectively as o1. These models are intended to answer complex questions and solve intricate maths problems. They are also capable of writing computer code – to help you make your own website or app, for example.
An apparent ability to reason might come as a surprise to some, since this is generally considered a precursor to judgment and decision making – something that has often seemed a distant goal for AI. So, on the surface at least, it would seem to move artificial intelligence a step closer to human-like intelligence.
When things look too good to be true, there’s often a catch. Well, this set of new AI models is designed to maximise their goals. What does this mean in practice? To achieve its desired objective, the path or the strategy chosen by AI may not always necessarily be fair, or align with human values.
True intentions
For example, if you were to play chess against Strawberry, in theory, could its reasoning allow it to hack the scoring system rather than figure out the best strategies for winning the game?
The AI might also be able to lie to humans about its true intentions and capabilities, which would pose a serious safety concern if it were to be deployed widely. For example, if the AI knew it was infected with malware, could it “choose” to conceal this fact in the knowledge that a human operator might opt to disable the whole system if they knew?
These would be classic examples of unethical AI behaviour, where cheating or deceiving is acceptable if it leads to a desired goal. It would also be quicker for the AI, as it wouldn’t have to waste any time figuring out the next best move. It may not necessarily be morally correct, however.
This leads to a rather interesting yet worrying discussion. What level of reasoning is Strawberry capable of and what could its unintended consequences be? A powerful AI system that’s capable of cheating humans could pose serious ethical, legal and financial risks to us.
Such risks become grave in critical situations, such as designing weapons of mass destruction. OpenAI rates its own Strawberry models as “medium risk” for their potential to assist scientists in developing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.
OpenAI says: “Our evaluations found that o1-preview and o1-mini can help experts with the operational planning of reproducing a known biological threat.” But it goes on to say that experts already have significant expertise in these areas, so the risk would be limited in practice. It adds: “The models do not enable non-experts to create biological threats, because creating such a threat requires hands-on laboratory skills that the models cannot replace.”
Powers of persuasion
OpenAI’s evaluation of Strawberry also investigated the risk that it could persuade humans to change their beliefs. The new o1 models were found to be more persuasive and more manipulative than ChatGPT.
OpenAI also tested a mitigation system that was able to reduce the manipulative capabilities of the AI system. Overall, Strawberry was labelled a medium risk for “persuasion” in Open AI’s tests.
Strawberry was rated low risk for its ability to operate autonomously and on cybersecurity.
Open AI’s policy states that “medium risk” models can be released for wide use. In my view, this underestimates the threat. The deployment of such models could be catastrophic, especially if bad actors manipulate the technology for their own pursuits.
This calls for strong checks and balances that will only be possible through AI regulation and legal frameworks, such as penalising incorrect risk assessments and the misuse of AI.
The UK government stressed the need for “safety, security and robustness” in their 2023 AI white paper, but that’s not nearly enough. There is an urgent need to prioritise human safety and devise rigid scrutiny protocols for AI models such as Strawberry.
Shweta Singh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh
The argument about the origins of COVID has always been heated, and nowadays it feels more like a brawl than a scientific debate.
Some say that ground zero for the pandemic was a live animal market in Wuhan, China. Others argue that SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID) leaked from a nearby laboratory that was studying similar viruses. Both are plausible scenarios.
Proponents of the market hypothesis have been aggressively vocal in recent weeks. In August, an anonymous editorial in a leading medical journal talked about the “hubris needed to underpin alternative hypotheses” and “fanciful ideas … more in keeping with popular movies”.
A commentary in another journal lamented that scientists were being harassed for rejecting the lab leak hypothesis. With breathtaking hypocrisy, the same commentary then attacked a junior researcher who favours that hypothesis, dismissing her work as “conjecture, correlation and anecdote”.
We can at least agree that the virus was present in the Wuhan market. Samples collected from market stalls and drains in early January 2020 contain SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. A recent analysis of this material, published in the journal Cell, claimed to show that the common ancestor of the viruses at the market was the common ancestor of the whole pandemic.
That sounds compelling, until you realise that all of these samples were collected weeks after the pandemic began and none came from a live animal. Unaccountably, no samples were collected before the market was closed and the animals destroyed. Primarily for this reason, most commentators – including me – consider these latest results suggestive but not definitive.
The lack of samples from animals is a problem. No one believes that this virus originated in Wuhan. The natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses are horseshoe bats, and no infected colonies have been found within 1,500km of the city.
So it must have been brought into the market from somewhere. Yet no SARS-CoV-2 has been found along the supply chains for the animals sold there.
Could a person rather than an animal have brought SARS-CoV-2 into the market in late 2019? That’s entirely possible. Many of the viruses near the base of the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral tree came from people with no links to the market. Several, including a cluster from Guangdong Province, were not even from Wuhan.
Despite the many uncertainties and unanswered questions, it would be much easier to accept the market hypothesis if the pandemic had begun in one of the hundreds (or possibly thousands – no one seems to know for sure) of other Chinese cities that had similar markets in 2020.
After all, the 2002 outbreak of the original SARS coronavirus (a very close relative of SARS-CoV-2) began in a market selling civet cats and other animals in, as it happens, Guangdong.
Yet the epicentre of the COVID pandemic was less than 20 kilometres from China’s pre-eminent coronavirus research lab, the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That is an extraordinary coincidence, and you’d need compelling evidence that the market was the source (or that the lab wasn’t) to dismiss it. The evidence we have simply isn’t that strong.
That said, there is no evidence – at least, not that the Chinese authorities have shared – that SARS-CoV-2 was present in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, though some closely related viruses were. I cannot know if it was or wasn’t, but it didn’t have to be.
Scientists from the institute went on coronavirus-hunting expeditions to places such as Guangdong. Scientists from the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention – just a five-minute walk from the market – were making their own expeditions, too. There’s an obvious and plausible alternative route to the first human case.
Dismissed as a conspiracy theory
Yet as far back as March 2020, on a bare minimum of evidence, the idea that a lab was involved in any way was already being dismissed as a conspiracy theory.
Two years ago, one of the most strident proponents of the market hypothesis claimed that his latest research “lays to rest the idea that the virus escaped from a laboratory”. An author of the new analysis in Cell says alternative explanations are “fanciful” and “absurd”.
Who is all this bombast supposed to win over? Not scientists who can read the research papers, take note of the caveats and make their own judgments. Not politicians who have taken an ideological stance on the issue, particularly in the US. And not the intelligence agencies who many believe are our best hope for getting at the truth.
I have studied the origins of human viruses for 25 years but, having examined the evidence, I still don’t know how the COVID pandemic began. I do know that the question is important and that debating it should be encouraged, not stifled.
Mark Woolhouse receives funding from the European Union and the Wellcome Trust. He is a member of the Scottish Government’s Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and has advised the Scottish and UK governments, and the WHO, on pandemic preparedness and response.
The UK’s new government is intent on building 1.5 million homes over the next five years. It’s all part of the plan to address the housing supply and affordability crisis.
Many of these homes are to be built in the form of large communities or new towns of more than 10,000 housing units each. Some English new towns built after the second world war, such as Milton Keynes, Harlow and Basildon, have been successful economically. But the building of new towns has ground to a halt since the 1990s.
The importance of large developments for housing supply in the UK has increased dramatically in the last 25 years. We have put together new evidence that reveals a significant shift in the source of housing supply. These days, an increasing share of new homes are coming from large developments.
At the turn of the century, very large developments of at least 500 units made up only single digits of the total percentage of potential housing supply. Today, such developments represent 38% of permitted housing units. These very large projects only made up 0.2% of applications over the 25 years, but make up a disproportionately large chunk of new housing supply.
This graphic shows the share of permitted new homes from 2000 to 2023 for applications of different development sizes across the UK.
Proportion of new homes by development size
Our research, undertaken with the support of our research assistant Alex Gallagher, explores the barriers that developments face in terms of paperwork and waiting time for a decision. We show that the amount of paperwork increases dramatically with the size of the project, going from one application for projects involving one unit, to more than eight applications for projects involving 500 or more units.
The additional paperwork is generated by things like environmental surveys, infrastructure needs and public utilities.
Northstowe in Cambridgeshire, which was planned to be the largest new town since Milton Keynes was built in the 1960s, also required funding for local infrastructure. Developers were obliged to contribute more than £120 million, most of which went to the construction of local schools. The development was left in limbo for around four years due to a delay to the expansion of the A14 trunk road, upon which the new town was entirely dependent. It is still not complete, with residents frustrated at the lack of infrastructure.
In the case of Buckshaw Village, a new Lancashire development built on a former munitions factory, developers had to decontaminate the site. This required a £10.5 million contract to decontaminate more than 850 buildings.
Of course many of these requirements are necessary, and beneficial for long-term planning. But it demonstrates that building a new town goes far beyond constructing houses.
Decade-long delays
In our research we also find that the time taken to reach a planning decision rises dramatically from projects involving one unit to projects involving two to nine units, and keeps rising for larger projects. The average time from the first application to the last decision is just over four years and four months for projects with more than 500 units. But even projects involving just one unit can expect to wait nearly a year.
For bigger projects, waiting times for a decision are over 11 years in some cases (the most delayed 10%). One example is Ebbsfleet Valley – another newly planned town near London with large potential – which has seen only 4,000 of 43,000 planned homes built since planning began in 1996.
The time taken for a planning decision plays a role in this delay. The borough councils resolved to grant outline planning permission (which lets a developer know if its plans are acceptable in principle) in 1998, two years after the application was submitted. But outline planning permission was not actually granted until November 2002. And then the need to supply more plans caused further delays, which meant building did not start until 2006 – 10 years after the original outline was filed.
The long wait times for decisions, added to the fact that bigger developments must file additional applications, mean that housing supply from large projects is slow to be realised.
These barriers have important implications for developers, which have to weigh the cost savings of large developments against the increased chance of obstacles that these larger developments are likely to throw up. So are new towns the most effective way to build a large amount of housing units in a short space of time?
New towns are most comparable to the large-scale developments that represent an increasing share of residential units in the UK since the early 2000s.
While these development schemes can deliver large amounts of housing alongside local infrastructure (at the developer’s expense rather than local government), they are unlikely to do so in the short term as they also face the toughest barriers under planning regulations.
Therefore, so-called infill developments (that is, new buildings on unused or under-used land) as well as smaller and medium-sized developments, should not be neglected.
Urban extensions and new neighbourhoods in the sites we’re already living in may provide ways to keep costs and uncertainties of new infrastructure to a minimum – even while planning larger developments or the new towns of the future.
Amrita Kulka receives funding from Research England.
Nikhil Datta receives funding from the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Economic and Social Research Council, and Research England.
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – In the diocese of Bunia, capital of the province of Ituri in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, two churches desecrated by a rebel group have been closed. This was announced by the Bishop of Bunia, Dieudonné Uringi Uuci, during the Mass on Sunday 22 September. Bishop Uringi stressed in his statement: “In view of the reprehensible acts committed by elements of the armed Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), who closed the churches of Kpandroma and Jiba during the night of 28-29 August, acts that are classified as desecration and which are prohibited under can. 1211 require penance, and considering the threat to the physical and moral integrity of the priests working in these churches and the arbitrary taking hostage of two faithful collaborators of the priests, as well as the deliberate intention to extort money for the release of these faithful with the sole aim of harming the Church, and considering our and the immediate ordinary authority pursuant to Can. 381, paragraph 1, we decree the closure for an indefinite period of time of the “Marie-Reine” parish of Jiba and the Kpandroma pastoral unit.” Bishop Uringi also decided to recall the priests working in the two parishes. Can. 1211 states: “Sacred places are violated by gravely injurious actions done in them with scandal to the faithful, actions which, in the judgment of the local ordinary, are so grave and contrary to the holiness of the place that it is not permitted to carry on worship in them until the damage is repaired by a penitential rite according to the norm of the liturgical books.” The bishop stressed that the violence began after the Church called for dialogue and the laying down of weapons. The CODECO militiamen then demanded to meet the priests. When they did not find them, they attacked their employees, looted the premises and blocked the doors of the two churches. A similar incident had already occurred six months ago in one of the affected parishes. The militiamen had mistreated and imprisoned several priests and demanded the release of CODECO prisoners. Various Lendu militias are united in the armed group. The name of a cooperative, unusual for a guerrilla group, derives from the fact that when CODECO was founded in the 1970s, it was an agricultural development cooperative made up of Lendu farmers. Over the years, land disputes with Hema nomads led to two groups arming themselves, and CODECO eventually became a name for a union of various Lendu militias fighting against the Hema. CODECO is accused of several crimes against humanity, including massacres in villages and refugee camps. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
Share:
TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) (“AgnicoEagle” or the “Company“) today announced that it will release its third quarter 2024 results on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, after normal trading hours.
Third Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call and Webcast
Agnico Eagle’s senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 11:00 AM (E.D.T.) to discuss the Company’s financial and operating results.
Via Webcast:
To listen to the live webcast of the conference call, you may register on the Company website at www.agnicoeagle.com, or directly via the link here.
Via Phone:
To join the conference call by phone, please dial 416.945.7677 or toll-free 1.888.699.1199 to be entered into the call by an operator. To ensure your participation, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call.
To join the conference call without operator assistance, you may register your phone number here 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call to receive an instant automated call back.
Replay Archive:
Please dial 289.819.1450 or toll-free 1.888.660.6345, access code 80122#. The conference call replay will expire on November 30, 2024.
The webcast, along with presentation slides, will be archived for 180 days on the Company’s website.
About Agnico Eagle
Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects in these countries as well as in the United States. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading environmental, social and governance practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.
by Antonella PrennaPourcine (Agenzia Fides) – “Although the international spotlight on Haiti has long since faded, newspapers and media no longer report on it, the situation has not changed or improved in any way”. This is what the Italian Camillian Father Massimo Miraglio complains to Fides about the reality he found upon his return to Haiti after a long forced break in Italy.”Despite the intervention of the UN units led by the Kenyan force, which arrived on the island on June 25 and which have been reinforced in recent days by additional soldiers from Jamaica and Belize, the situation is still disastrous. It can be said that the presence of these troops in Haiti is almost ineffective. They complain of a lack of material, fear of loss of life and restrictive rules of engagement”, says the missionary. “In fact, the capital, Port au Prince, remains in the hands of armed gangs that spread terror among the population. All activities remain almost paralyzed. The entrances to the south and north of the capital are completely blocked, with various groups demanding bribes from people who stop them on the way. But this only applies to public transport and trucks, which in many cases are confiscated instead of letting them through. The exit to Jeremie, 200 km south of the capital, is also closed; it is practically impossible to get there by land. In this sad situation for the majority of the Haitian population, the new school year begins on October 1,” explains Father Massimo, who has lived on the island for almost twenty years.”We cannot hide the fact that the start of the school year will be accompanied by great fears and many difficulties. Many children will not go to school and many schools will be closed, especially in Port-au-Prince, due to the presence of armed gangs. Many children will not be able to go to school because they do not have the money to buy the minimum school supplies. Consider that 80 percent of schools in Haiti are private and costs are rising every year, while families are plunged further into poverty,” the missionary says. In Jeremie – where the Camillians have a parish – the situation is also dramatic and many children are unlikely to be able to start the school year on time on October 1st. “Books, like all school materials, are prohibitively expensive and difficult to get from the capital. The same goes for uniforms and school bags for students. Finding a decent pair of shoes to send them to school has become very difficult and expensive. In short, it promises to be a very difficult school year for children in Haiti,” adds Father Miraglio.”In our parish in Pourcine, in the mountainous hinterland of Jeremie, 250 students will be enrolled in primary and kindergarten this year,” explains Father Massimo, who is the parish priest (see Fides, 28/9/2023). “We have managed to build two very simple small buildings out of local wood, tents and sheet metal, which will accommodate six elementary school classes and two kindergarten classes. With just as much effort, we have managed to complete the teaching staff. They are all very young and the only ones who are prepared to teach in such a distant place despite the prospect of a salary. This will be the second school year in which the school will open here in the Pic Makaya mountains.”Among the various projects that the missionaries want to implement on the Caribbean island, the Camillians’ top priority is the establishment of a medical clinic on site. “We would like to set up a small outpatient clinic in the parish to save the sick from having to travel long distances; our “Foyer Saint Camille” in Port au Prince is far away. In addition, this week we will organize a mobile clinic with a group of Cuban doctors and the support of a local organization, with which we can provide first aid to the sick in a mountain region and bring people from two neighboring valleys. This is also a difficult undertaking, because to reach the place where we want to set up the clinic, we need more than four hours on foot and the same time to return to the paths along the slopes, which are very dangerous, especially in this rainy season.”“Following the charism of our founder, Saint Camillus, we want to work in this area with groups of chronically ill people, children with nutritional problems and the elderly who are often abandoned and alone in their homes. We hope to be able to set up an outpatient clinic by 2025, we are very grateful to the “Madian Orizzonti” organization of the Camillian Missionaries of Turin, who have supported us with great affection and we trust in the support of many other people who will meet us on our way,” stresses the missionary. “At the moment, unfortunately, the province is not free of problems due to the enormous difficulties in communication with the capital. It is very complicated to receive all kinds of goods from Port au Prince because Haiti is a country where everything is very centralized and everything comes from the capital. Recently, transport from the province to the capital, Jeremie, has also been difficult due to the rising prices of diesel and gasoline,” he reports.”In Pourcine Pic-Makaya, in our community, work is continuing on the aqueduct, we bring the water from the source to the center of the village. This is very important, not only because it shortens the distance between the source and the valley where most people live, but above all because it allows us to purify the water and avoid/limit the constant and frequent epidemics of cholera and intestinal diseases. In addition to the aqueduct, work to support agriculture is also continuing. We hope to create a coffee nursery in the coming months in the area that in the past provided some prosperity. But we do not give up hope and we continue to fight for better living conditions,” said Father Miraglio. “The aqueduct, the schools, the kindergarten, the mobile clinics, all these are important aspects to revive the hope of the population and ensure that their living conditions improve and prevent people from leaving these rural towns to concentrate in the metropolis or in the provincial towns that, like Jeremie, are already overcrowded and where there is no possibility of giving work and hope to these people who leave the countryside to come to the city. With courage and determination we continue our commitment alongside these rural populations, we try to support them in their faith, to accompany them so that one day they can have a decent standard of living,” he concludes. (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
MM
Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – The ongoing military escalation in Lebanon has developed into a “comprehensive aggression against various Lebanese regions, resulting in the martyrdom of thousands of citizens and the displacement of hundreds of thousands from southern Lebanon and the BekaaValley. These are “crimes” that “show the disregard for the principles of international law, the rules of the Geneva Conventions and all conventions governing on armed conflicts”. This is emphasized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), based in Beirut, which in a statement released yesterday called on the international community to “intervene as soon as possible and issue a clear position condemning the war crimes against civilians by launching raids, and the systematic destruction of property and the interruption of food and health supplies.”In light of the tragic events in Lebanon, the Council held an emergency meeting of the General Secretariat chaired by the Secretary General, Lebanese Orthodox Christian Professor Michel Abs. Participants in the meeting prayed together for peace and discussed “urgent humanitarian issues and ways to support families.” Without mentioning the Israeli army by name, the MECC in its communiqué “strongly condemns the killing of innocent people, children, women, the elderly, and other civilians, and deplores the attacks carried out by aggressor forces on densely populated areas that have led to the death of some 500 people in one day and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens from their areas”. The text also urges “the provision of international protection for civilians so that organizations and associations can supply them with the necessary materials for a decent life”.During the meeting, the participants also set up a working group to coordinate local initiatives to support families displaced from their areas.”We all live in a situation where fear, pain, anger and anxiety are mixed,” said Maronite priest Rouphael Zgheib, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Lebanon and professor at the Jesuit University “Saint Joseph”, to Fides. “The uncertainty about what awaits us weighs on everything. It is not clear who can stop all this and whether the attacks are just the beginning.” The Israeli army’s bombings are directed against targets identified as possible bases of the Shiite Hezbollah Party. A strategy that has also been hitting small Shiite enclaves and villages in predominantly Christian areas for days. “This morning,” Father Rouphael Zgheib told Fides, “the small Shiite village of Maaysra in the Keserwan area, a historical settlement area of Catholic communities, was bombed. It is a village just a few kilometers from the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké.”The bombings in central Lebanon are causing fear among the population. Mistrust and suspicion are also increasing after the deadly danger also came from pagers and walkie-talkies, making it dangerous to speak to or approach people belonging to the Shiite community and directly or indirectly linked to Hezbollah. “This uncertain situation,” adds Father Zgheib, “is also affecting the relief efforts for the displaced and injured. Hospitals are collapsing, they were not prepared to treat the many people wounded in the face and eyes by pagers that became bombs.” “Churches and schools are opening to welcome the displaced, and there are many individual initiatives of solidarity with Christians and Muslims fleeing the south and other affected areas,” he affirms. “However, this spontaneous solidarity is accompanied by mistrust. The propaganda and political polarization of recent years have fueled distrust and triggered mutual attacks between the various parties, who accuse each other of betraying Lebanon and being a disaster for the country. The economic crisis has also limited the willingness to help those in need. This leads many to help only members of their own family network and confessional group,” the priest concludes. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
Share:
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “I am saddened by the news from Lebanon, where in recent days the intense bombings have claimed many victims and caused destruction,” said Francis during the general audience in front of thousands of pilgrims and tourists. “I hope that the international community will make every effort to stop this terrible escalation. It is unacceptable. I express my closeness to the Lebanese people, who have already suffered too much in the recent past.”And let us pray for everyone, for all the peoples who suffer as a result of war: let us not forget tormented Ukraine, Myanmar, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, all the suffering peoples. Let us pray for peace,” added the Pope, who reiterated during today’s 500th general audience of his pontificate that one should not speak to the devil. “The strongest proof of the existence of Satan is found not in sinners or the possessed, but in the saints,” the Pope explained. He continued the cycle of catechisms on the theme “The Spirit and the Bride” and today focused on the role of the Holy Spirit as “our ally in the fight against evil”.”It is true that the devil is present and working in certain extreme and “inhuman” forms of evil and wickedness that we see around us,” said Pope Francis. “But by this route, though, it is practically impossible to reach, in individual cases, the certainty that it is truly him, given that we cannot know with precision where his action ends and our own evil begins. This is why the Church is so prudent and so rigorous in performing exorcism, unlike what happens, unfortunately, in certain films!”.”It is in the life of the saints, precisely there, that the devil is forced to come out into the open, to place himself “against the light,” he stressed. All the saints, all the great believers testify to their struggle with “this obscure reality”and one cannot honestly assume that they were all deluded or mere victims of the prejudices of their time. He was more skeptical about the attempt to deduce the existence of the devil from the evil in the world. “And yet our technological and secularized world is teeming with magicians, occultism, spiritualism, astrologers, sellers of spells and amulets, and unfortunately with real satanic sects.” Unfortunately, modern technology offers “countless means” to give an opportunity to the devil. “Think of online pornography, behind which there is a flourishing market: we all know this. It is the devil at work, there. And this is a very widespread phenomenon, which Christians should beware of and strongly reject.” But Christians should not be discouraged by “knowing the devil’s action in history.” “Christ overcame the devil and gave us the Holy Spirit to make His victory our own.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
Share:
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his visit to Madrid, Spain, today (September 25, Madrid time).
In the morning, he led a delegation of technology start-ups to attend an exchange session organised by the IESE Business School, in which the delegation’s start-ups met and connected with over 10 Spanish start-up entrepreneurs, representatives of venture capital funds, investors, and enterprises for business matching. The IESE is one of the top business schools in Europe and the world, and has close collaborations with several universities in Hong Kong, as well as with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport.
Mr Chan introduced the new advantages and new opportunities in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the policies and measures of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in promoting innovation and technology, along with the recent flourishing development of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology ecosystem. Representatives of start-ups and investors from both economies also introduced their businesses and development strategies, with a view to enhancing mutual knowledge and understanding, and opening up more opportunities for collaboration.
Thereafter, Mr Chan met with the Dean of the IESE Business School, Professor Franz Heukamp, to exchange views on the business environments of Hong Kong and Spain, as well as promoting academic exchanges and co-operation between the two places. Mr Chan welcomed the IESE to further leverage Hong Kong’s international academic environment, as well as convenient connections with Mainland China and Asia, to deepen exchanges with various academic institutions and businesses in Hong Kong, promoting more bilateral co-operation in education, company executive training, and other business areas.
Mr Chan will leave Madrid this afternoon local time, and proceed to visit London, the United Kingdom.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has welcomed an initiative by Just Water Partnerships (JWPs), which supports investments in water resilience and sustainability in low- and middle-income countries.
While participating in a panel discussion at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America, the Minister said there is a need for partnerships in the water sector to ensure that people have access to clean and fresh water.
“As the government of South Africa, we support a growing cohort of partners who are interested in developing the concept of Just Water Partnerships.
“We also believe that carefully and collaboratively structured JPWs can protect existing water resources and will leave no one behind regarding the provision of water and sanitation services, and ensure that water supplies are managed sustainably,” Majodina said on Wednesday.
The JWPs concept was formulated following a report by the Global Commission for the Economics of Water (GCEW), which highlighted that traditional economics have failed the water sector, and that a new approach to the economics and governance of water should be taken to achieve a more sustainable, just and prosperous future for all.
JWPs are thus conceived as platforms that facilitate financial and governance actors (multilateral development banks, regional development banks, development finance institutions, national governments, city and local authorities, and public development banks) to support investments on their own balance sheets, as well as to catalyse greater private finance.
The Minister said the JPW concept mirrors the Department of Water and Sanitation’s commitment to build public-private partnerships to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone in the country.
This is in line with achieving Sustainable Development Goals 6.1 and 6.2, which aim to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all and ensuring access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation.
“Therefore, this confirms a need for such a platform to not only ensure that investments are used efficiently and transparently, but also in a way that prioritises women, girls and others facing marginalisation globally,” Majodina said. –SAnews.gov.za
In the first six months of 2024, U.S. net natural gas exports (exports minus imports) averaged 12.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), 1% (0.1 Bcf/d) more than the same period last year and 2% (0.3 Bcf/d) less than in 2023, according to our Natural Gas Monthly. Since 2019, increases in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and exports by pipeline to Mexico have led the growth in U.S. natural gas exports. The United States has exported more natural gas than it imports since 2017.
The United States trades natural gas by pipeline with Canada and Mexico and as LNG with more than 40 countries. The United States imports more natural gas by pipeline from Canada than it exports, and it exports more natural gas by pipeline to Mexico than it imports. The United States has been a net exporter of LNG since 2016.
The large buildout of LNG export capacity enabled LNG exports to grow from an annual average of 0.5 Bcf/d in 2016 to 11.9 Bcf/d in 2023. Currently, the United States has seven LNG export terminals in operation and five terminals under construction. In 2023, the United States was the world’s largest LNG exporter. By the end of this year, we expect two new LNG export facilities—Plaquemines LNG and Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3 (an expansion of the existing Corpus Christi LNG export terminal)—to start LNG exports.
Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Monthly Note: Includes waterborne liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by vessel (excludes exports by truck and ISO container). Other includes LNG imports into Northeast Gateway and Cove Point.
U.S. natural gas pipeline imports from Canada play an important role in balancing the U.S. natural gas market, particularly in the winter. Most natural gas imported by pipeline from Canada arrives in the Western and Midcontinent regions of the United States. In 2023, net U.S. pipeline imports from Canada averaged 5.2 Bcf/d, of which 83% was imported into the western United States. In the first six months of 2024, net U.S. pipeline imports from Canada averaged 5.4 Bcf/d, an increase of 11% (0.5 Bcf/d) compared with the same period in 2023, mainly because of increased imports into the Midcontinent region.
Since the end of natural gas production in eastern Canada (offshore Nova Scotia) and growth in production in the U.S. Appalachia region, U.S. exports of natural gas by pipeline into eastern Canada exceeded imports from eastern Canada, making the eastern United States a net exporter of natural gas by pipeline to eastern Canada for several years since 2017.
Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Monthly, U.S. natural gas pipeline exports and imports by point of exit and entry Note: Net pipeline imports=imports minus exports. Positive sign denotes net imports. Negative sign denotes net exports. U.S. aggregations by region include the following states: Western (Idaho, Montana, and Washington), Midcontinent (Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota), and Eastern (Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont).
U.S. net pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 6.3 Bcf/d in the first six months of 2024, 7% (0.4 Bcf/d) more than over the same period last year and 2% more (0.1 Bcf/d) than the 2023 annual average. U.S.-Mexico cross-border pipeline capacity is set to expand as two new natural gas pipeline projects with a total capacity of 5.3 Bcf/d have received regulatory approvals. These projects are primarily targeting LNG export capacity being developed in Mexico that will be supplied with natural gas sourced from the United States.
Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Monthly, U.S. natural gas pipeline exports and imports by point of exit and entry Note: Net pipeline exports are calculated as imports minus exports. Negative sign denotes net exports.
Principal contributors: Victoria Zaretskaya, Katy Fleury
Federal ChancelleryBern, 25.09.2024 – The Mastodon instance that the Federal Chancellery has been managing for the Federal Administration for a year will be closed. Its duration was limited to one year. The conditions for its continuation have not been met.The Federal Chancellery and the Federal Administration have been using social media for their communication for many years, in accordance with their statutory information mandate. To fulfill this mandate, they are constantly reviewing whether other platforms that have not yet been used would be suitable for their communication.In September 2023, the Conference of Intelligence Services (CSI) decided to launch a pilot experiment on the decentralized Mastodon platform. The Federal Chancellery therefore opened the «social.admin.ch» instance on which members of the Federal Council and the departments could manage their official accounts. The duration of the experiment was limited to one year.Mastodon has some of the characteristics for government-level communication. Thanks to its decentralized organization, the platform is not subject to the control of a single company or state censorship authorities. Its source code is publicly accessible, complies with data protection and is not controlled by algorithms. Few active usersA total of five accounts were operated by three departments on the «social.admin.ch» instance, and an additional account was operated by the Federal Chancellery for the entire Federal Council. The six accounts of the Confederation had around 3,500 followers. On platforms such as X or Instagram, the Federal Council and the Federal Administration have significantly more followers for the same number of accounts. In addition, the contributions from the Mastodon accounts of the Federal Council and the Administration had a rather low interaction rate (likes, shares, comments). And last but not least, the number of active users on Mastodon is once again decreasing worldwide. The CSI therefore believes that the conditions for a continuation of the pilot are not met. The Mastodon accounts of the Federal Council and the Federal Administration are closed from today, while the «social.admin.ch» instance will be closed at the end of the month.Address for enquiriesUrs BrudererHead of the Communications Section058 483 99 69urs.bruderer@bk.admin.chPublished byFederal Chancelleryhttps://www.bk.admin.ch/bk/it/home.html
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
NEW YORK, United States of America, September 25, 2024/APO Group/ —
In a significant milestone for the Zambia Lobito Rail Project, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has signed concession agreements with the governments of Angola and Zambia for the financing, construction, ownership and operation of the transformational railway project. The agreements, which were signed yesterday in a ceremonial signing hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the Biden Administration’s G-7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79), paves the way for the Corporation to spearhead and complete the development of the railway.
Last year, AFC was appointed lead developer on the Zambia Lobito rail project in collaboration with the United States Government, the European Union, the African Development Bank and the governments of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. The project involves the construction of approximately 800km greenfield rail line connecting the Benguela rail line in Luacano, Angola, to the existing Zambia Railways Line in Chingola, Zambia. Once completed, the trade corridor will facilitate the efficient movement of goods and promote investments in agriculture, health, digital infrastructure, mining, and electricity access along the corridor.
Concurrent to signing the concession agreements, AFC also signed an agreement to receive US$ 2 million grant funding from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (https://apo-opa.co/3zINnnM), towards completion of the environmental and social studies for the project. The grant, which marks the first time the Corporation will tap into USTDA funding, will facilitate comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) to ensure that the Zambia Lobito Rail Project aligns with international best practices and environmental standards.
AFC will play the pivotal role of lead developer on the rail project which not only offers an efficient evacuation route for minerals and metals from the region but helps establish a trade corridor across Africa from the Port of Lobito on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the Port of Dar es Salam in Tanzania on the coast of the Indian Ocean, facilitating global and intra-African trade. The railway is expected to create economic benefit of approximately $3 billion across both countries, reduce emissions by approximately 300,000 tons per year and add over 1,250 jobs across construction and operations.
The Honourable Minister of Transport for Angola Mr Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu noted, “We are pleased to partner with Africa Finance Corporation on this transformative project which will deepen our nation’s role as a regional logistics hub, boosting trade not only with Zambia but with the rest of the world.”
Mr Frank Tayali MP, Honourable Minister of Transport for Zambia added, “The Zambia Lobito Rail Project is an important milestone in our efforts to modernise infrastructure, enhance the competitiveness of our economy, and improve the livelihoods of our people. We look forward to partnering with Africa Finance Corporation to deliver on this groundbreaking project.”
“The Zambia Lobito Rail Project represents a game-changing development for the region, unlocking tremendous potential for trade, industrialisation, and socio-economic growth.,” said Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. “AFC is proud to partner with the governments of Angola and Zambia to deliver worldclass rail infrastructure, which will accelerate industrial development in Africa, promote regional integration and provide a vital export route for copper and other critical minerals for the global energy transition,” he added.
The corridor will provide an alternative strategic route to international export markets for Zambia and DRC. It will offer the shortest route for export and imports, linking key mining regions, agricultural clusters and businesses in Zambia and DRC to the Port of Lobito. It will significantly facilitate the movement of cargo from the Copperbelt and Northwestern Provinces, through Angola to the Western markets.
The Company announces today that a supplementary prospectus dated 25 September 2024 to the base prospectus dated 14 May 2024 (the “Base Prospectus“), in relation to the establishment of its £3,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme (the “EMTN Programme”) has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority and is available for viewing.
To view the full document, paste the following URL into the address bar of your browser:
Alastair Pate Group Head of Investor Relations Email: osbrelations@osb.co.uk t: 01634 838 973
Jens Bech Group Commercial Director t: 01634 835 796
Brunswick Robin Wrench/Simone Selzer t: 020 7404 5959
Notes to Editors
About OSB GROUP PLC
OneSavings Bank plc (OSB) began trading as a bank on 1 February 2011 and was admitted to the main market of the London Stock Exchange in June 2014 (OSB.L). OSB joined the FTSE 250 index in June 2015. On 4 October 2019, OSB acquired Charter Court Financial Services Group plc and its subsidiary businesses. On 30 November 2020, OSB GROUP PLC became the listed entity and holding company for the OSB Group. The Group provides specialist lending and retail savings and is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, part of the Bank of England, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. The Group reports under two segments, OneSavings Bank and Charter Court Financial Services.
Portsmouth, Va. — In a significant milestone for Navy Medicine and the Chaplain Corps, four Navy chaplains graduated from the prestigious Pastoral Care Residency (PCR) program at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP), Sept. 20. This program, a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs (VA), has been training Navy and VA chaplains since 1984, equipping them with advanced pastoral care and counseling skills critical to the holistic well-being of patients and military service members. The PCR program is a one-year residency accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). During this intensive training, chaplains complete over 1,600 hours of clinical experience, learning under certified CPE educators from VA Medical Centers. Navy chaplains who complete the residency earn a subspecialty code, which signifies their expertise in pastoral counseling and their capability to work within multidisciplinary medical teams.
“The residency provides chaplains with the necessary tools to minister to both patients and care providers,” said Capt. William Hlavin, Chaplain for Naval Medical Forces Atlantic and co-executive director of the East Coast PCR program. “This provides them the ability to address not just the body and mind, but also the soul, which contributes to spiritually ready personnel.”
Graduation marks the culmination of rigorous training that includes both military treatment facility (MTF) and VA medical center rotations. Chaplains are required to complete detailed clinical work, reading reflections, and preparation for board certification. The residency is a prerequisite for board certification as a clinical chaplain, a credential that signifies an even higher level of professionalism and commitment to continuous learning.
One of the recent graduates, Lt. Cmdr. Reginald Jones stated, “The Pastoral Care Residency is essential for providing holistic care. Doctors can heal the body, psychologists the mind, but chaplains work with the soul. We sit with patients and families in some of their most challenging moments and help them process deep emotional and spiritual pain.”
This year’s cohort marks another successful chapter in the Navy’s commitment to pastoral care, with new PCR residents already preparing to begin their journey this October. As military and VA hospitals face increasing mental health challenges, the role of clinically trained chaplains is becoming more crucial.
“This field of study is more needed now than ever,” said Jones. “With mental health issues on the rise, having chaplains trained to do ‘soul work’ can be a game-changer, even aboard ships like destroyers. Sailors face a unique set of challenges, and the ability to address issues of the soul may keep them in the fight.”
As the PCR program continues to grow, the Navy Chaplain Corps is positioned to meet the spiritual needs of service members, their families, and medical professionals with unparalleled care and professionalism.
NMFL, headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally focused medical expertise and capabilities to meet Fleet, Marine and Joint Force requirements by providing equipment, sustainment and maintenance of medical forces during combat operations and public health crises. NMFL provides oversight for 21 NMRTCs, logistics, and public health and dental services throughout the U.S. East Coast, U.S. Gulf Coast, Cuba, Europe, and the Middle East.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — illumin Holdings Inc. (TSX:ILLM, OTCQB:ILLMF) (“illumin” or “Company”), a Journey Advertising technology company that empowers marketers to make smarter decisions about communicating with online consumers, today announced that Simon Cairns, Chief Executive Officer, and Elliot Muchnik, Chief Financial Officer, will participate in the following upcoming conferences.
Wedbush Securities AdTech Conference
Management will participate (virtually) in a fireside chart at the Wedbush Securities AdTech Conference on Thursday, October 10th at 12:15 pm ET, and will also host virtual investor meetings.
TD Securities Technology Conference
The Company will also participate in the TD Securities Technology Conference taking place in Toronto from November 25- 26th. Management will also host investor meetings on Tuesday, November 26th.
For more information about the conferences or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with management, please contact your representatives at Wedbush Securities and TD Securities.
About illumin:
illumin is a journey advertising platform that enables marketers to reach consumers at every stage of their journey by leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms and real-time data analytics. The Company’s mission is to illuminate the path for brands to connect with their customers through the power of data-driven advertising. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, illumin serves clients across North America, Latin America, and Europe.
Disclaimer in regard to Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements included herein constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect, in particular, new information or future events.
Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby, visited Graiseley Family Hub last Wednesday 18 September to see at first hand an area which has successful embedded Family Hubs and the Families First for Children Pathfinder (FFCP), meeting staff along with children and families.
A Family Hub is a place where children, young people and their families can go when they need support of which eight have been set up in Wolverhampton.
The FFCP programme aims to test new ways to reform the children’s social care system, ensuring early support, family help and intervention is available for families facing challenges, helping them to overcome adversity and stay together where possible.
Ms Daby said: “I’ve loved my visit here today. It’s been great to meet all the people that help to support families, children and young people: visiting the Family Hub, being able to have a tour and meet a young person today – it’s been delightful.
“I was impressed with the way in which I was able to meet representatives from the Health Visiting and School Nursing Services, the Police and Midwifery. It was great to hear about the support given to mothers in areas such as breastfeeding. I also liked hearing about what’s being done with the LGBTQ+ community and how diverse needs are being met.
The Minister added: “I get a sense that people have job satisfaction, and I observed that people have a genuine need to want to improve families and children’s lives: there was a lot I was impressed with.”
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet member for Adults and Wellbeing for City of Wolverhampton Council said: “This visit has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the collaboration between ourselves and the Wolverhampton 0-19 Service, as well as demonstrating how well we’ve managed to achieve frontline support for families.”
Alison Hinds, Director of Children’s Services, added:” We are always more than willing to host any visits to be able to share what we believe is the great work we’re doing in this space; I felt very proud of listening to a parent, a carer and a young person who we have been working with speaking with Minister Daby about how they have welcomed the support from the Hub.”
Rachel King, Deputy Director for the Families First for Children Pathfinder for the council, said: “Minister Daby was really approachable, genuinely interested and supportive of the work we do. Hopefully, what we were able to demonstrate in the short time we had will influence ongoing discussions centrally.”
Denise Williams, Service Manager, Family Hubs for the council added: “We enjoy sharing the work we do across the city and staff from across the partnership, as well as families, found Minister Daby to be really approachable and supportive of the work that we are doing collectively in the Family Hubs.”
Catherine Draycott, School Nurse Team Leader, said: “It was lovely today to welcome Minister Daby to Wolverhampton. We were honoured that she took the time to sit with our 0-19 service and ask questions about our service – she could tell how passionate we are about developing these services in Wolverhampton.”
Marion Astbury, Matron for Health Visiting, added: “It was a real pleasure to speak to the Minister and her colleagues to showcase the fantastic work being done by our staff. There was genuine interest in how we are supporting our families and the challenges we face in delivering our service.”
NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FactSet, a global financial digital platform and enterprise solutions provider, today announced that the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated its near-term, company-wide sustainability initiative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to combat the global climate crisis.
This validation follows FactSet’s 2022 near-term emission reduction commitment, confirming the company’s goals have been reviewed by corporate climate experts and are inline and attainable according to SBTi’s guidelines. These goals include reducing scope 1, direct and owned company emissions; scope 2, indirect and off-site company emissions; and scope 3, indirect value chain emissions.
FactSet’s commitment involves:
FactSet Research Systems Inc. commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 45% by its 2030 fiscal year from its fiscal 2023 base year levels.
FactSet Research Systems Inc. commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 25% by its 2030 fiscal year from its fiscal 2023 base year levels.
As outlined in FactSet’s 2023 Sustainability Report, FactSet commits to measuring and disclosing its GHG emissions to drive business goals and reach a net zero future. As FactSet progresses towards its decarbonization targets, FactSet will be researching and implementing alternate strategies to adapt its operations to decrease its scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
“At FactSet, we are committed to upholding the highest standards to achieve our sustainability goals,” said Bénédicte Godet Crochet, Chair of the Sustainability Committee at FactSet. “As we receive this validation from the Science Based Targets initiative, we continue to progress our efforts towards making a meaningful impact on our planet and community. This achievement marks a significant milestone in our sustainability journey, and we are proud to be a player in reaching a net-zero future.”
This validation is in accordance with FactSet’s sustainability plan, which is reinforced by the company’s executive-sponsored Sustainability Committee, a group that supports and executes sustainability goals and initiatives, as well as previous pledges with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI).
About FactSet FactSet (NYSE:FDS | NASDAQ:FDS) helps the financial community to see more, think bigger, and work better. Our digital platform and enterprise solutions deliver financial data, analytics, and open technology to more than 8,200 global clients, including over 216,000 individual users. Clients across the buy-side and sell-side as well as wealth managers, private equity firms, and corporations achieve more every day with our comprehensive and connected content, flexible next-generation workflow solutions, and client-centric specialized support. As a member of the S&P 500, we are committed to sustainable growth and have been recognized amongst the Best Places to Work in 2023 by Glassdoor as a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award winner. Learn more at www.factset.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
FactSet Investor Relations Contact: Ali van Nes +1.203.810.2273 Avannes@factset.com
PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HP Inc. today announced it has acquired Vyopta, an Austin based provider of collaboration management solutions, offering analytics and monitoring for large, unified communications and collaboration (UC) networks. Vyopta brings extensive expertise and infrastructure to turbocharge the development of HP’s Workforce Experience Platform and provide customers with more insights and capabilities.
The HP Workforce Experience Platform, launched earlier this year, is designed to improve the employee experience and simplify IT management by giving customers control over their digital ecosystem from a single pane of glass. Today’s news marks the next step in the Platform journey to create a more comprehensive workplace view for customers and set HP further apart from competitors.
“With the addition of Vyopta’s unique capabilities, HP has a tremendous opportunity to unlock fulfilling employee experiences and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Faisal Masud, President, HP Digital Services. “Vyopta has revolutionized the way organizations deliver collaboration experiences by providing contextual intelligence, unified visibility, and actionable alerts across a wide range of business collaboration applications, devices, and infrastructure. Together, we will deliver more AI-driven, streamlined, and comprehensive insights that enable an agile, resilient, and productive workforce.”
This acquisition will accelerate HP’s existing platform strategy and expand its capabilities to include space and application management, offering customers:
Enhanced Fleet Management with Vyopta as a core feature that provides multi-vendor monitoring, analytics, space utilization and occupancy tracking, and planning insights.
End-to-End Insights based on telemetry captured from on premises and cloud collaboration technologies to deliver visibility across devices, applications, infrastructure, and networks and proactive troubleshooting, recommendations, and data-driven workplace decisions.
AI-Powered Platform with accelerated Managed Collaboration Solutions integration and enriched datasets for employee experience management.
Rebuilt SaaS Platform using a modern microservices architecture with improved integrations, scalability, and security
Vyopta was founded in 2007 and transforms how organizations deliver exceptional collaboration experiences by providing contextual intelligence, unified visibility, and actionable alerts for business collaboration applications, devices, and infrastructure.
About HP HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.hp.com.
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (“Synchronoss” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SNCR), a global leader and innovator in personal cloud platforms, today announced the latest version of its carrier-grade Synchronoss Personal Cloud platform. Unlike over-the-top (OTT) solutions, the new Synchronoss Personal Cloud offers a tailored white-label solution for service providers to enable subscribers to manage, backup and optimize all types of digital content across a range of mobile devices, laptops, and computers.
Available now, the latest Synchronoss Personal Cloud introduces several enhanced features and capabilities that are designed to increase awareness and drive subscriber engagement:
Memories – an AI curated personalization of user’s content in a movie format that users can enjoy and share with their family and friends.
AI-Enhanced Genius with One-Click Editing – allows users to edit and optimize photos with an array of AI filters and transformations.
Improved Backups – significant enhancements to improve backup and notification management.
Tip Cards – new in-app communications “tiles” allow carriers to provide relevant tips to their subscribers to drive awareness and adoption of new features.
“The newest version of Synchronoss Personal Cloud enables our service provider partners to deliver robust cloud solutions with enhanced user experiences aimed specifically at improving engagement,” said Jeff Miller, President and CEO of Synchronoss. “With the introduction of Memories and AI-Enhanced Genius features, subscribers can effortlessly curate, share, and optimize their digital content – all within an intuitive and consistent interface. We are very proud to announce these new capabilities and are excited for subscriber feedback based on the user experience testing we have done.”
Delivered as a white-label solution through leading communications service providers, telecom carriers, and mobile operators, Synchronoss Personal Cloud currently supports over 10 million mobile and broadband subscribers worldwide. Synchronoss’ flexible and highly scalable platform enables operators and service providers to rapidly launch and offer personal cloud solutions across tiered plans, value-added bundles, and premium features, effectively minimizing churn and increasing average revenue per user (ARPU).
About Synchronoss Synchronoss Technologies (Nasdaq: SNCR), a global leader in personal Cloud solutions, empowers service providers to establish secure and meaningful connections with their subscribers. Our SaaS Cloud platform simplifies onboarding processes and fosters subscriber engagement, resulting in enhanced revenue streams, reduced expenses, and faster time-to-market. Millions of subscribers trust Synchronoss to safeguard their most cherished memories and important digital content. Explore how our Cloud-focused solutions redefine the way you connect with your digital world at www.synchronoss.com.
BILLERICA, Mass., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E Ink (8069.TW) the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, today announced their collaboration with Delvaux at Paris Fashion Week. Delvaux’s Helios capsule showcases four designs using E Ink Prism 3 which merge traditional textiles with innovative technologies.
Inspired by E Ink’s color-changing Prism film—dynamic electronic ink technology defined by its fully programable, reflective, and low power consumption—Delvaux imagined redefining what luxury can be. Over the past two years E Ink and Delvaux have worked closely together to push the boundaries of technology – ultimately creating a product that weaves material innovation and leather mastery together to create a completely unique and personalized experience.
“Our Helios project unifies extreme tradition with extreme innovation. Once more, it’s the fruit of an encounter and truly collaborative work which started more than two years ago between E Ink’s and Delvaux’s teams,” said Jean-Marc Loubier, Delvaux’s CEO. “The start, in January 2022, is the discovery of E Ink’s innovative technology with new materials, light, and colours at CES in Las Vegas. Our project demonstrates the drive to mix this extraordinary tech with our leather mastery and create outstanding bags, for real, daily use. Commitment and collaboration pushed our two companies well beyond their comfort zones to reach a historic result.”
“E Ink has explored how to integrate our films into textiles for a number of years,” said Tim O’Malley, Associate Vice President of E Ink’s US Business Unit. “In Delvaux we found a partner that had the vision to imagine new possibilities in how the two materials could work together harmoniously. The resulting designs highlight how innovative materials like E Ink Prism can be seamlessly woven into a traditional material, honoring both history and the future.”
le Caprice and le Pin mark the first implementation of E Ink’s unique technology in any luxury maison. The two companies are working together to bring the collection to market.
Founded in 1829, Delvaux has remained at the forefront of luxury leather goods for nearly two centuries because of its savoir-faire, uncompromising craftsmanship, and the outstanding quality of its creations. The visionary and pragmatic Brussels-based luggage maker foresaw the travel revolution approaching and filed its first world patent for a woman’s leather handbag in 1908 with ‘le Princesse’, becoming the inventor of the modern handbag.
As a global leader in ePaper technology, E Ink is not only committed to delivering innovative technology via advanced manufacturing processes but is also prioritizing sustainability. The company is actively focused on reducing carbon emissions throughout the product design and manufacturing processes by conducting carbon footprint verification and providing customers with a sustainable framework for the design and integration of ePaper products.
About E Ink
E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital, transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink’s electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E Ink has been recognized for their efforts by receiving, validation from Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and is listed in both the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Indexes. Listed in Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit www.eink.com. E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green.
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (“Tactile Medical”; the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TCMD), a medical technology company providing therapies for people with chronic disorders, today announced the publication of a new clinical study in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, Venous and Lymphatic Disorders. This study assessed outcomes associated with use of the Company’s Flexitouch advanced pneumatic compression device (APCD) in Veterans with lower extremity lymphedema. Notably, this 52-week study represents the largest peer-reviewed, prospective, clinical trial investigating PCDs and lymphedema ever published in the United States.
The prospective, longitudinal, pragmatic study publication, titled “Longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life and clinical outcomes with at home advanced pneumatic compression treatment of lower extremity lymphedema”, was authored by Padberg et al. and included 179 Veterans across four participating VA medical centers. The primary outcome measures included disease-specific health-related quality of life (QoL) endpoints obtained at baseline and again at each of 12, 24, and 52 weeks. The secondary outcome measures assessed limb circumference, cellulitis events, skin quality, and therapy compliance over the course of 52 weeks. Among the patients included in the study, chronic venous insufficiency was the most common etiology of lymphedema (phlebolymphedema), presenting in approximately 63% of study participants. Further, mild lymphedema was the most common disease stage, presenting in 68% of patients.
The secondary endpoint results demonstrated several statistically significant improvements, baseline to 52 weeks, with reductions in limb girth, cellulitis events, and skin hyperpigmentation. Among these results, the following were observed:
Limb girth decreased by 1.4 cm
Cellulitis events decreased from 21.4% to 6.1%
Skin hyperpigmentation decreased from 75% of patients to 40%
There were additional improvements also noted in compliance and limb girth reduction which included:
92% patient compliance (defined as used for 5 to 7 days per week) with Flexitouch at 8 weeks and 72% patient compliance at 52 weeks
74% patient compliance with compression garments at 52 weeks, compared to 64% at baseline
6% limb girth reduction at 12 weeks in patients with moderate (stage 2) and severe (stage 3) lymphedema.
“We sincerely thank the clinical researchers, patients, and VA Medical Centers for advancing peer-reviewed evidence that supports clinical and patient benefits of our Flexitouch therapy,” said Sheri Dodd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tactile Medical. “Achieving these impressive study results, including outstanding compliance over a 1-year timeframe, validates the importance of APCD therapy outcomes and demonstrates a patient experience that supports strong adherence to therapy. We are proud to provide Veterans the at-home tools they need to improve their clinical symptoms and quality of life.”
About Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (DBA Tactile Medical)
Tactile Medical is a leader in developing and marketing at-home therapies for people suffering from underserved, chronic conditions including lymphedema, lipedema, chronic venous insufficiency and chronic pulmonary disease by helping them live better and care for themselves at home. Tactile Medical collaborates with clinicians to expand clinical evidence, raise awareness, increase access to care, reduce overall healthcare costs and improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of patients each year.
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company, today announced the launch of a new China Client Division within Corporate Risk and Broking, North America (CRB NA), marking a significant milestone in the company’s strategy to expand its presence and broaden offerings focused on the Chinese market.
The new China Client Division is part of the broader Asia Risk Division, established in December 2023, which encompasses country-specific teams for Japan, South Korea, India, and China. These particular groups were created to address the specific cultural and economic dynamics of each country, alongside their distinctive approaches to risk management in each market. All practice groups within the Asia Risk Division report to Christopher Condello, Head of the Asia Risk Division within CRB NA, who spearheads this strategic expansion and focuses on delivering innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of Chinese clients.
This new China client strategy includes the appointment of Jie Yan as China Client Division Leader, effective September 1, 2024. With more than a decade of industry experience, Yan brings a wealth of expertise and cultural understanding of the nuances specific to the Chinese market. She has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and robust market knowledge aligned with driving growth and cultivating deep client relationships, making her the ideal selection to lead this new division and execute the China strategy.
Christopher Condello, Head of the Asia Desk, CRB NA, WTW, commented, “We are excited about the opportunities this new division presents and I am confident that, under Jie’s leadership, we will be able to deliver unparalleled support and service to our Chinese clients with operations in North America. Our focus is on building a market-specific team that can deliver tailored solutions for clients in this key market.”
About WTW
At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance. Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you. Learn more at wtwco.com.
New business volume (NBV) was $9.2 billion, down 10% from August 2023.
Month over month, NBV was down 17% from $11.1 billion in July 2024.
Year to date, cumulative NBV was up 3.5% compared to 2023.
Additional findings include:
Receivables over 30 days were 2.2%, down from 2.5% the previous month and down from 2.3% in the same period in 2023.
Charge-offs were 0.4%, down from 0.5% the previous month, and up from 0.3% year over year.
Credit approvals totaled 76%, unchanged from July.
Total headcount for equipment finance companies was up 1.2% year-over-year.
Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index in September is 61.9, up from the August index of 58.4, and the highest level in more than two years.
ELFA President and CEO Leigh Lytle said, “The Fed’s decision to begin lowering interest rates will support demand for equipment, even if some businesses wait for rates to fall further before investing. That wait-and-see approach showed up in our August MLFI as new business volumes declined. However, ELFA members expect acquisitions to pick up once we‘re past the election and interest rates fall a bit further. That sentiment was also reflected in our Foundation’s recent Monthly Confidence Index, which showed that equipment finance executives are very optimistic about their organizations’ prospects over the next four months. Finally, credit conditions remain healthy, which will allow lessors and financiers to service new demand when it shows up later this year.”
Marci Slagle, CLFP, President, BankFinancial Equipment Finance, said, “It appears there is still a slight slowdown in the equipment finance industry, which was heavily weighted in the decrease in origination activity at banks, which led to a dip in new business volume. However, it’s reassuring to hear that portfolio quality is remaining stable, with improvements in receivables and a reduction in losses. What was not baked into these numbers was the Fed rate drop this month. This will help stimulate fourth quarter growth, for both independent lessors and banks. The anticipation of further rate reductions may indeed boost demand, encouraging businesses to invest in capital expenditures. It’s definitely a pivotal time for both independent lessors and banks as we navigate these changes, but I think we are going to start trending in the right direction.”
About ELFA’s MLFI-25 The MLFI-25 is the only near-real-time index that reflects capex, or the volume of commercial equipment financed in the U.S. It is released monthly from Washington, D.C., one day before the U.S. Department of Commerce’s durable goods report. This financial indicator complements reports like the Institute for Supply Management Index, providing a comprehensive view of productive assets in the U.S. economy—equipment produced, acquired and financed. The MLFI-25 consists of two years of business activity data from 25 participating companies. For more details, including methodology and participants, visit www.elfaonline.org/knowledge-hub/mlfi.
About ELFA The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) represents financial services companies and manufacturers in the $1 trillion U.S. equipment finance sector. ELFA’s 575 member companies provide essential financing that helps businesses acquire the equipment they need to operate and grow. Learn how equipment finance contributes to businesses’ success, U.S. economic growth, manufacturing and jobs at www.elfaonline.org.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iHit Tech is excited to announce its first participation in the ANTYS New Tobacco Exhibition, representing a pivotal entry into the Southeast Asian market. This event offered a valuable opportunity for iHit Tech to connect with local brand representatives and explore the current dynamics of the Southeast Asian vape market, as well as the emerging trends for ceramic coil vaping products.
At the exhibition, iHit Tech showcased a comprehensive range of atomization technology solutions, including the iHit Solo, iHit Dual, and iHit Pro. These innovative products collectively highlight several key advantages:
1. Pure Atomization and Visibility: iHit solutions ensure a clean vaping experience while offering a transparent view of the atomization process, enhancing user engagement.
2. High Burst and TPM Release: With exceptional burst capability and high Tokes Per Minute (TPM) delivery, iHit tech solutions elevate the quality of the vaping experience. Users can enjoy substantial vapor volume while savoring a richer aromatic profile.
3. Optimal Balance of Atomization and E-liquid Supply: iHit Tech has achieved the perfect equilibrium between atomization speed and E-liquid supply, ensuring consistent performance and satisfaction.
With these cutting-edge tech solutions, iHit Tech is at the forefront, collaborating with brand partners to deliver exceptional flavor and performance for vaping users.
iHit Solo: – Type: Single Ceramic Coil Solution – Pod Capacity: 2-4 mL (Pod Kit) / 8-12 mL (Disposable) – Power Range: 5.5 – 11W – TPM: 7 – 13 mg/puff – Nicotine Delivery: Evenly released with every puff – Advantages: Fully atomized for excellent flavor reproduction, ensuring a satisfying vaping experience.
iHit Dual: – Type: Double Ceramic Coil Solution – Pod Capacity: >10 mL (Pod Kit) / 10-15 mL (Disposable) – Power Range: 12 – 20W – TPM: 15 – 20 mg/puff – Nicotine Delivery: Double release for enhanced satisfaction – Advantages: High power burst capability with elevated TPM, providing a robust and flavorful vaping experience.
iHit Pro: – Type: World’s Smallest Ceramic Coil with Twin-Mesh Heating Film Solution – Pod Capacity: 2 – 4 mL (Open Pod System) – Power Range: 13 – 18W – TPM: 13 mg/puff – Vapor Quality: Silky and pure vapor – Advantages: Features a single coil supporting two atomization modes: one shot at 13W and two shots at 18W, providing flexibility for users. Notably, the iHit Pro boasts a lifespan 3 times longer than traditional mesh cotton coils.
As iHit Tech continues to explore opportunities in the Southeast Asian market, we are committed to collaborating with local partners to drive the development of high-quality products that meet the evolving needs of consumers.
Hit Every Puff!
iHit launched by SMISS as a healthcare-focused atomization technology brand. iHit and SMISS share the same vision: Leading the global intelligent atomization manufacturing and accelerate the world’s shift to healthy life.
MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Heliene Inc., a customer-first provider of North American-made solar PV modules, today announced the sale of approximately $50M Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (45X credits). The transaction was facilitated by Basis Climate, a leading facilitator of clean energy tax credit transfers.
Heliene is able to claim eligibility for these tax credits under the guidelines of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Section 45X credits. Heliene manufactures high-quality, U.S.-made solar modules that feature a high volume of domestically-sourced components at its existing factory in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. The company is now building a new module factory in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro-area, with a planned start up of May 2025.
“Monetising our 45X tax credits through this sale is instrumental in continuing the growth of Heliene’s domestic manufacturing capacity,” said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene, Inc. “This transaction provides long term sustainability, hence enabling us to expand our commitment to offering developers reliable, quality modules that feature the highest possible volume of domestic content. We’re grateful to the team at Basis Climate for facilitating this important deal. Together we’re building a stronger, bankable U.S. solar supply chain.”
This deal is believed to be among the first within the solar manufacturing industry. Heliene will use funds from this sale to reduce debt and support ongoing efforts to expand its U.S. cell and module manufacturing footprint and grow its domestic, clean energy workforce.
“Congrats to Heliene and Basis Climate for closing this transaction, which we believe is a testament to the strength of the Heliene business and the resiliency of the 45x manufacturing tax credit framework,” said Ethan Shoemaker, Partner and head of the Infrastructure Credit platform at OIC, who led an investment into Heliene in Spring 2023. “We continue to be impressed by Martin and his team, who are leading the charge for the domestic solar industry through consistent execution, innovation, and creativity.”
“We are proud to have participated in this landmark deal for Heliene and the domestic solar industry more broadly. Basis supported Heliene in the sale of their 45X credits to a profitable domestic manufacturer. This was an all-American transaction,” noted Erik Underwood, Basis Climate’s CEO. He continued, “we used visual language models to help review thousands of supporting documents to substantiate these tax credits. We look forward to applying learnings to many more deals to come.”
This tax credit transfer sale follows several months of strategic dealflow completed by Heliene, which is focused on bolstering its domestic manufacturing footprint and shoring up the U.S. solar supply chain. This included a strategic sourcing agreement with cell manufacturer Suniva, a partnership and multi-year contract with Norsun for the supply of U.S.-made wafers, and a joint venture with Premier Energies to jointly build a U.S.-based solar cell manufacturing facility.
About Heliene
Heliene is one of North America’s fastest-growing domestic module manufacturers serving the utility-scale, commercial, and residential markets. With an in-house logistics team and remarkably responsive support staff, Heliene delivers competitively priced, high performance solar modules precisely when and where customers need them to accelerate North America’s clean energy transition. Founded in 2010, Heliene consistently ranks as a highly bankable module manufacturer and has production facilities located in Canada, and the USA. For more information, visit www.heliene.com.
Basis Climate is a leading facilitator of clean energy tax credit transfers, providing a seamless and efficient platform for businesses and individuals to monetize their tax credits generated from renewable energy projects. The company’s mission is to unlock the full potential of clean energy tax credits by connecting credit generators with motivated buyers, ultimately accelerating the transition to a clean and sustainable future. By leveraging technology and standardized diligence and transaction processes, Basis is able to support the full range of clean energy tax credits established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
SEATTLE, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Do you have a Cleocatra? Perhaps a Vampug or Terri-fido. Because whether they’re spooky, sweet or somewhere in between—it’s time to break out the costume box for Trupanion’s Tricked Out for Treats Pet-tacular, a pet costume contest to run throughout October.
Starting October 1, Trupanion invites pet parents to share photos of their furry friends in (pet safe!) costumes for a chance to win a custom pet portrait, pet-tacular swag, global spotlight opportunities, and ultimate bragging rights. And with eight tricked-out categories like ‘Solo Stunner’ for pet close ups and ‘Clinic Charmer’ spotlighting pets and veterinary team members, there’s something for everyone. Including ‘Adorably Adoptable’, a great way for Trupanion to team up with shelter and rescue organizations nationwide in order to find adoptable pets new homes.
“When developing this initiative, we knew we wanted to create something fun and lighthearted, but with a deeper purpose,” said Margi Tooth, CEO & President of Trupanion. “That’s why we chose to shine a spotlight on shelter and rescue pets with the Adorably Adoptable category to connect these pets with potential families.”
Submissions for the Adorably Adoptable category will receive extra attention on the campaign’s showcase page, where visitors will be able to see available pets. They’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about each pet’s shelter/rescue organization and connect with the team directly — whether they’re interested in adopting or want to explore ways to support their mission.
“We’re looking forward to celebrating the fun, laughter, and love our pets bring into our lives each and every day with this campaign,” added Tooth. “It will be wonderful to share these joyful moments with the world and we are so excited for the opportunity to connect pets available for adoption with their forever homes.”
Here’s How It Works
Say Cheese: Starting October 1, trick out your pet in their finest and snap some pics.
Tag, Brag & Vote: Submit your photos to trickedout.trupanion.com, tag one of the categories that best fits your pet’s paw-some personality, then share one social media to get as many votes as possible.
Tune In: Don’t miss our virtual pet-tacular, streamed at trickedout.trupanion.com on October 30 at 12pm PST/3pm EST. Come meet the best-dressed pets, have lots of laughs, and find out who’s the “pick of the patch” in select categories.
Visit trickedout.trupanion.com for more information and to submit your pet’s photo.
Know ashelterorrescueinterested in showcasing adoptable pets? Encourage them to pre-register for the campaign via email at shelterlove@trupanion.com before October 1.
About Trupanion
Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Puerto Rico and Australia with over 1,000,000 pets enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet’s recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet owners with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol “TRUP”. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. Policies are sold and administered by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). For more information, please visit trupanion.com.
TAMPA BAY, FL, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform announced today that it has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Accelerate Program and simultaneously launched its KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training (KSAT), PhishER Plus, Compliance Plus, and SecurityCoach in AWS Marketplace. Customers can now procure KnowBe4 products through AWS Marketplace using their AWS committed spend. In addition to streamlined procurement, it simplifies product onboarding shortening implementation time, which is much needed as organizations race to meet compliance requirements and implement cybersecurity best practices.
According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, phishing was the most used threat action variety, representing 22% of data breaches and was the second most seen threat action in all incidents. Phishing and other social engineering tactics can bypass security technologies by targeting humans directly. Employees across many organizations are likely still failing to recognize phishing emails, allowing attackers to successfully execute their attacks.
The AWS ISV Accelerate Program maintains rigorous standards, and KnowBe4 underwent a comprehensive evaluation, including architectural and security reviews, to gain acceptance. This process ensures the quality and design of our offerings meet AWS’s high standards. Proof of customer excellence was also reviewed to validate the successes KnowBe4 customers have achieved across industry verticals.
A joint KnowBe4 and AWS customer, Martha’s Vineyard Bank, developed a robust security awareness culture with KnowBe4’s KSAT: “KnowBe4 had a number of innovations. We could have [training in] shorter vignettes, they could provide phishing tests to our employees, and [could] make them realistic not only to help our employees through the business line but for their personal lives as well,” said John Shorrock, training and development manager, Martha’s Vineyard Bank.
“With our strong collaboration with AWS, our customers now have greater flexibility and speed in how they can procure and implement KnowBe4 products,” said Prashant Pai, EVP of global business development, KnowBe4. “This allows us to collaborate closely with AWS field sellers globally while providing customers with simplified access to KnowBe4, enabling them to achieve a robust security culture and reduce human risk.”
KSAT, PhishER Plus, CompliancePlus, and SecurityCoach are now generally available in AWS Marketplace, and KnowBe4’s platform is available globally. For more information on KnowBe4 and its platform or to learn more about our participation in the AWS ISV Accelerate Program, please visit here.
About KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 70,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. The late Kevin Mitnick, who was an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as their last line of defense and trust the KnowBe4 platform to strengthen their security culture and reduce human risk.
PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pivotal, the market leader in light electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced it has reached an industry-leading milestone. Specifically, the Pivotal team and its customers have now completed 1,117 crewed flights in BlackFly aircraft, a first in the emerging category of light eVTOL aircraft and all powered-lift eVTOLs.
“Surpassing 1,000 human-piloted light eVTOL flights is an unmatched achievement,” said Ken Karklin, Pivotal CEO. “Whether for pure recreation, short commutes in rural areas, visits with neighbors, or to explore new terrain – once trained and approved, every pilot loves hopping into this single-seat eVTOL and taking off straight up into the sky.”
By simplifying flight controls and reducing complexity, Pivotal’s novel tilt aircraft immerses the pilot in the wonder of flight, minimizes points of failure, and offers a high degree of safety.
“I’ve always sought out the latest advancements in aviation. Pivotal’s eVTOLs provide an incredible flight experience,” said BlackFly owner, Dave Cook. “I’ve had the opportunity to showcase my aircraft at shows alongside my other rides. When I fly in this aircraft, people want to talk with me all about it.”
BlackFly, Pivotal’s heritage development vehicle and pre-production eVTOL aircraft, have been delivered to individual owners nationwide via its Early Access Program. Additionally, friends and family of these early adopters who are seeking to fly are also receiving comprehensive training to become approved light eVTOL pilots, enabling them to adventure with BlackFly.
Aircraft delivered through Pivotal’s Early Access Program (EAP) established a two-way communication channel with a select group of owners to provide invaluable feedback on every aspect of their customer experience. Participants in the program purchased a BlackFly prototype light eVTOL aircraft. The Program is closed to new participants as the company moves towards final qualification and production of BlackFly’s production successor, Helix.
Today, customers can place orders for the Helix, Pivotal’s new production aircraft. The Helix builds on the innovation delivered in the BlackFly. https://pivotal.aero/helix.
About BlackFly eVTOL Pivotal’s prototype eVTOL, the BlackFly, is a fixed-wing aircraft built on Pivotal’s third-generation eVTOL platform. The entire aircraft tilts for vertical takeoff and landing, rather than wing assemblies or rotors rotating to reorient thrust, reducing weight, complexity, and eliminating multiple points of failure. At the heart of this vehicle lies a robust fault-tolerant design, bolstered by triple modular systems for safety and reliability. Capable of manned, unmanned, and optionally manned missions, the light eVTOL aircraft can take off and land on pavement, dirt, or grass –– there’s no landing gear, simply a fuselage wear strip. The BlackFly complies with FAA Part 103 (Ultralight) category in the United States for flight in Class G airspace.
About Pivotal Pivotal designs, develops, and manufactures light eVTOL aircraft. As an industry pioneer, Pivotal is renowned for the BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to be commercially available and delivered to buyers in the United States. Pivotal announced the Helix, its first production aircraft, in October 2023 and opened sales in January 2024. The company’s distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been under continuous improvement for well over a decade, and today, Pivotal has the most mature technology in the light eVTOL category. Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal vehicles are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For videos and more information, visit https://pivotal.aero.