The Government of Canada announces a significant investment to promote the vitality of official-language minority communities.
VAL THERESE, Ontario, October 18, 2024
Investing in Francophone daycare centres and French education promotes the vitality of official language minority communities and strengthens their sense of belonging.
Today, Marc G. Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages, and Member of Parliament (Nickel Belt), accompanied by Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament (Sudbury), announced an investment of more than $4.2 million in a daycare centre in Val Therese and the EarlyON Centre in Ontario. They made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.
The investment will allow for the construction of a new 88-place daycare centre in Val Therese, a project that will meet the growing needs of families in the community. This daycare centre will have five rooms: one for 10 infants, two for 30 toddlers, and two for 48 preschool-aged children. The official opening is scheduled for September 2025.
This initiative is in addition to another project, the construction of the new French Catholic elementary school in Val Therese. The integration of a daycare centre into this school will allow children to start learning in a French-speaking institution from early childhood, strengthening their education in the French language from an early age.
This project reflects the Government of Canada’s ongoing commitment to supporting French-language education and early childhood services, while promoting the development of local community educational infrastructure.
The investment was made through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection–Promotion–Collaboration, unveiled on April 26, 2023.
The Ontario government’s investment in the daycare centre and the EarlyON Centre amounts to nearly $1.4 million.
John Fragos Communications Advisor Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages john.fragos@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Supporting innovation and growth contributes to economic development in Quebec’s regions. That is why Annie Koutrakis, Member of Parliament for Vimy and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED, the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, today announced two repayable contributions totalling $800,000 for EVAH Corp. This CED support has enabled the business to cover external professional fees and to acquire equipment to ensure its growth by establishing a laboratory and research and development office in Laval focusing on animal health.
Founded in 2020, EVAH Corp., a biotechnology business that first began operating in Saint-Hyacinthe, works in the animal health sector. The business is positioning itself in an international market where the research and development of alternatives to traditional antibiotics is necessary. Its team of managers and scientists are focusing on the acquisition and development of technologies and collaborating with research and development experts to bring its solutions to the pre-commercialization stage.
An initial contribution of $500,000 has made it possible to cover external professional fees related to the certifications needed for technologies and scientific conferences, as well as professional fees related to the protection of intellectual property. The second contribution, in the amount of $300,000, has enabled EVAH Corp. to acquire and install laboratory and research equipment, including two collaborative robots, a biosafety cabinet, a spectrophotometer, a gel apparatus, as well as a centrifuge and ultracentrifuge.
The Government of Canada recognizes and supports innovative businesses and organizations that are a source of pride in their communities. Quebec’s economic growth relies on organizations with strong roots in the regional economy; they are key assets in building a sustainable, inclusive economy.
Quotes
“Our government is committed to investing to ensure our SMEs remain competitive and innovative. Thanks to CED’s support, Laval’s EVAH Corp. has been able to cover professional fees and acquire and install laboratory and research equipment to continue to innovate in the life sciences field. We are here to assist workers and Quebec and Canadian SMEs by helping them equip themselves well to build a stronger, more resilient, more sustainable economy together.”
Annie Koutrakis, Member of Parliament for Vimy and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED
“Helping a business grow and innovate so it can share an important technology with those living in Canada is a priority for our government. That is why we are supporting this promising project by EVAH Corp., which recently opened its new scientific laboratories in Laval. Its success and the spin‑offs of its projects will be felt across the Greater Montréal region and throughout the Quebec and Canadian economy as a whole. I am delighted with our government’s assistance for this business and the impact EVAH Corp. will have on the animal health sector.”
The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED
“We are grateful for the federal government’s support, which is enabling us to continue to innovate in the field of animal health. This new infrastructure in Laval marks an important step in EVAH Corp.’s growth and strengthens our ability to offer innovative solutions to meet the growing needs of the industry both in Canada and internationally.”
Michel Fortin, Co-founder and President and CEO, EVAH Corp.
Quick facts
The funding announced today has been granted under the Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF). This program targets businesses and economic organizations to help them prepare local economies for long‑term growth. This involves strategic investments in projects that will reduce Canada’s environmental impact and foster a green, resilient economy.
Funding has also been provided under CED’s Regional Growth through Innovation program. This program targets entrepreneurs leveraging innovation to grow their businesses and enhance their competitiveness, as well as regional economic stakeholders helping to create an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation and growth for all, across all regions.
In Quebec, SMEs account for 99.7% of the province’s businesses and 50% of its GDP.
CED is the key federal partner in Quebec’s regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow’s economy.
Associated links
Information
Media Relations Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions media@dec-ced.gc.ca
Marie-Justine Torres Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Cell: 613-327-5918 marie-justine.torresames@ised-isde.gc.ca
Chelmsford Science Festival event aims to help us make sense of rapid changes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world we live in, and a talk at the Chelmsford Science Festival is aimed at helping people make sense of these rapid changes, and how they will affect them.
During the talk at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) on Thursday, 24 October, ARU expert Dr Chris Callaghan will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a new world driven by AI, and how governments, financial markets and society will need to adapt.
In the interactive talk he will highlight some of his unique findings from work in leading journals, especially his recent focus on AI and technological change and its profound societal impacts.
Dr Callaghan will draw on research published in European Management Review, where it is argued that in the face of the climate emergency and other existential threats, academic fields need to work together more closely.
He will discuss how AI allows different areas of academia such as biology, physics and economics, which previously had operated in silos, to complement each other and work together to create rapid changes in the way we live and work.
Dr Callaghan, Senior Lecturer in the School of Management at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said:
“AI is new to us and there have been dire warnings about how it will replace jobs or create extreme unwanted consequences like overtaking human intelligence and causing an existential threat to our existence.
“The truth is AI has potential to be all-encompassing, cutting across all scientific disciplines and completely changing how we live. As a result, there will be some negatives but also lots of positives, and just like the way we live today, there will be winners and losers.
“No one area of science ‘owns’ AI and that is potentially very exciting because experts from all different areas of science will be able to collaborate more freely, potentially driving significant, rapid improvements to how we live.
“These changes are happening extremely fast and it can be overwhelming for people. This talk will explain what is happening, and how we can navigate the rapid changes coming our way.
“We need to be proactive and ensure our voices are heard, so that we can have some input into a future that is unfolding right now.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
GAD has shared information with European counterparts on our role supporting Scottish and UK governments in their management of public service pension provision.
Credit: Unsplash
The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has shared insights into how we can help with various challenges facing the UK public sector pensions.
Actuaries at GAD presented at the European Association of Public Sector Pension Institutions (EAPSPI) event, hosted by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) in Edinburgh.
EAPSPI is a network of European organisations involved in public sector pensions. It provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, best practices and policy developments across various countries.
Pension experts, policymakers, and stakeholders discussed issues around:
pension provision
reform
management
Expertise and insights
Delegates heard from GAD about insights into the actuarial valuation and cost control process for UK public service pension schemes.
Attendees included representatives from various pension systems across Europe, allowing for a broad and comparative discussion on how different regions manage pension provision.
GAD actuaries Greg Donaldson and Martin Smith presented detailed analyses of the cost control mechanism in place in the UK. This aims to maintain a fair balance of risk between the taxpayer and members of the schemes.
Credit: Shutterstock
UK and European comparisons
One of the key themes of the event was comparing pension provision across different regions including the UK, Slovenia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Belgium.
The event offered a unique opportunity to draw comparisons between these diverse systems, exploring how various countries address challenges such as:
pension adequacy
sustainability
demographic changes
Evolving challenges
Reflecting on the event, Greg Donaldson commented: “We were delighted to be invited by SPPA to attend this event. We shared information on GAD’s supporting role to both the Scottish and UK governments in their management of public service pension provision.
“It was an excellent opportunity to engage with colleagues from across Europe and discuss the various ways in which pension schemes are adapting to evolving challenges.
“The event facilitated the exchange of ideas and opinions. It’s clear that despite the differences in pension systems across Europe, there are many common themes and shared experiences.”
Martin Smith added: “It was interesting learning about the issues facing other European countries in terms of public sector pension provision and discussing how each were analysing and approaching such issues. The audience were very knowledgeable and were engaged with the sessions presented.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2
On the afternoon of October 15th, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense Senior Colonel Wu Qian answered recent media queries concerning the military.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on the afternoon of October 15, 2024. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by He Youwen)
(The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, theChinesetextshall prevail.)
I have four pieces of information at the top.
The first one.
At the invitation of China’s Ministry of National Defense, defense attachés from more than 60 countries including Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Jordan, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Canada and Argentina went to the PLA Eastern Theater Command area on October 14th for a five-day visit. This visit will help them better understand the Chinese path to modernization, especially the great achievements made by the people’s military in the new era, and will advance the friendly cooperation between the PLA and their militaries.
The second one.
According to the annual plan and the consensus reached between China and Thailand, the Commando 2024 joint army training will be held in Yunnan Province from mid- to- late October. The training focuses on joint counter-terrorism operations, including manned/unmanned coordination, special blasting, helicopter fast-roping, and joint search and clearing. It aims to improve interoperability between the Chinese and Thai armies and bolster regional stability.
The third one.
The PLA Army Engineering University will host the 11th International Army Cadets Week (IACW) in Nanjing from October 28th to November 3rd. Officer cadets from military academies of countries including Argentina, Egypt, Italy, Pakistan, and Singapore will participate in the event. Under the theme of “Enhancing the Capability of Junior Officers for Future Warfare”, this year’s IACW will have themed discussions, leadership challenges, live-fire shooting training, cultural exchange and other activities. The IACW is a platform for officer cadets to communicate and learn from each other.
The fourth one.
The PLA Army Command College will host the Zhongshan International Forum in Nanjing from October 21st to 25th. Army representatives from over ten countries including Laos, Cambodia, Iran, Tanzania and Kazakhstan will participate in the event. Under the theme of “Future-oriented and New Type Modern Army”, the forum will have themed discussions on such topics as “objectives and trends in army development”, “theoretical innovation for army combat and training”, “army deployment in MOOTW”, and “cultivation of army commanders and staff officers”. The forum will facilitate exchanges and mutual learning among the participants, and promote theoretical innovation for army development.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on the afternoon of October 15, 2024. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by He Youwen)
Question: It is reported that the recruitment of naval pilot cadets for 2025 has started. Please tell us more about it.
Wu Qian: The PLA Navy recently launched the naval pilot cadet recruitment for 2025. As usual, eligible high school graduates and fresh graduates from universities either with a bachelor’s or master’s degree could apply. In reference to the recruitment standards in major naval powers, the PLA Navy has loosened the criteria on eye sight, widening the scope of applicants to include those who have received vision correction surgery. To meet takeoff/landing requirements for carrier-borne aircraft in complex sea conditions, the Navy has added such testing items as stereoscopic vision, visual contrast sensitivity, magnetic resonance imaging and chest CT scanning, as well as a 15-hour airborne ability screening, to make the recruitment more science-based and precise.
Pursue your dream to fly in the Navy, and serve the country with dedication and loyalty. The recruitment of naval pilot cadets for 2025 started on October 15th. We welcome young people to join this cause for the brave and become dancers on the blade. For more details, please log on to http://www.hjzf.mil.cn.
Question: Naval forces from the United States, Japan, India and Australia conducted Exercise Malabar in the Indian Ocean on October 8th. Some reports say this exercise is directed at China and can enhance the Quad mechanism among the four countries in security areas. What’s your comment?
Wu Qian: China believes that security cooperation among relevant countries should not harm the interests of any third party or undermine regional peace and stability. The so-called Quad mechanism has become a sheer political tool for the United States to contain China and maintain its hegemony. We firmly oppose relevant parties to use China as an excuse to stir up confrontation and escalate regional tensions. A small circle bloc will not make any big difference. The Asia-Pacific should be a grand stage where countries join hands to cooperate, rather than an arena for geopolitical competition. We require relevant countries to give up their obsession with zero-sum mindset and put more efforts on protecting regional security, instead of doing the opposite.
Question: It is reported that the Japanese Defense Ministry recently released reports and photos about the movements of the PLA Navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier task group, which sailed around the Philippines, and was then joined by the aircraft carrier Shandong in Hainan. Please comment on that.
Wu Qian: We have noticed the media hype by the Japanese side. The Japanese photographer is trying to catch headlines, and is showing off his or her techniques again. Recently, the PLA Navy sent the Liaoning aircraft carrier task group to conduct training in waters of the South China Sea. This is a routine arrangement within the annual plan that is aimed to enhance the task group’s combat capability. The PLA will routinely organize similar training activities in the future.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on the afternoon of October 15, 2024. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by He Youwen)
Question: According to media reports, the US Government Accountability Office recently accused Raytheon of fraud in selling expensive weapons to Taiwan, which procured the Patriot missile system in 2013 and radar systems in 2017 from that company. A public opinion representative from the Kuomintang criticized US arms dealers as fraud dens. Do you have any comment?
Wu Qian: We firmly oppose US provision of weapons to China’s Taiwan region. I believe what the reports revealed is only a tip of the iceberg. The Democratic Progressive Party Authorities have been doing everything to court their masters in the US to buy weapons, which only wasted the hard-earned money of people in Taiwan. It is evident that what they bought are pieces of junk that only benefited corrupted officials and arms dealers. There are growing opposition and dissatisfaction from the local people.
Sky-high price and obsolete functions are two hallmarks of US arms sales to Taiwan. From mouldy bulletproof vest to expired ammunition to expensive missiles and radars, we can see that the Americans only care about American interests. “Taiwan Independence” is a dead end and outsiders are never reliable. Those who try to rely on US support for independence will only court their own destruction.
Question: Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba once suggested establishing an “Asian version of NATO” and working with Western countries in containing China. Officials from the Japanese Defense Ministry said China and Russia’s infringement upon Japan’s airspace is a regional and international concern. Please comment on that.
Wu Qian: In disregard of fact on the ground, the Japanese side often hypes-up the non-existent “China threat” to divert the international community’s attention from its military expansion. China is strongly opposed to this approach. It is known to all that Japan has broken away from its pacifist constitution and “exclusively defense-oriented” policy in recent years, and largely enhanced its military preparedness, such behavior has put its Asian neighbors and the international community on high alert.
We urge the Japanese side to stop forming exclusive military alliances and “cliques”, be very cautious with its words and deeds regarding military security, and do more for regional peace and stability.
Question: The Israel Defense Force recently attacked the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL). What’s your comment? Are Chinese peacekeepers safe?
Wu Qian: China is seriously concerned about and strongly condemns the Israeli military’s attack on the UNIFIL. China firmly opposes any attack on UN peacekeepers. We require a thorough investigation on the incident and hold those responsible accountable. We urge relevant parties to take real actions to prevent such an incident from happening again. The parties involved in the conflict must ensure the safety of the personnel and assets of the UNIFIL.
The Chinese peacekeeping units in Lebanon are safe now. China is closely monitoring the security situation in Lebanon, and will take additional measures to strengthen security protection of our troops.
WASHINGTON – Rashaud Williams, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday to 80 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and other related firearm charges, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur sentenced Williams on October 17, 2024, to 60 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, to run concurrently. Judge Arthur also sentenced him to 20 months in prison for threatening to injure or kidnap a person, to run consecutively.
Williams was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on May 3, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 1, 2023, Williams brought his car into a Petworth area auto shop for repairs. Later in the day, the shop owner called the defendant’s mother to tell her that the car would not be ready until the next day, after they obtained a needed part. Shortly after that call, Williams went to the auto shop and made threats to “shoot up” the entire establishment. The repairman’s girlfriend was there and tried to calm Williams down. Williams then turned the gun on her and threatened to shoot her, then pointed the gun at the owner before leaving.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton, Erica Rudolf, and Kathryn Bartz, who prosecuted the case.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A large-scale project to create a new look for the Ob River embankment, the calling card of Nizhnevartovsk and a favorite place for city residents to relax, was implemented within the framework of an agreement between Rosneft Oil Company and the government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug of Yugra.
The construction of the embankment was preceded by engineering arrangement of the coastline. Strengthening with metal structures and reinforced concrete retaining walls with waterproofing and artificial stone cladding was carried out. The drainage system is arranged taking into account the features of the relief, the level of underground waters and the depth of soil freezing.
The embankment is landscaped while preserving the natural relief of the area. Coverings for walking, running and cycling paths have been created. Viewing platforms, recreation areas with sun loungers and swings have been built in the walking areas. Lawns for family recreation have been profiled on the slopes. Modern play complexes made of environmentally friendly materials have been installed for children, which support the visual concept of the embankment.
Several locations are intended for holding cultural events – an open amphitheater, an exhibition complex and an area for holding folk craft fairs have been built on the boulevard. The entire embankment area is accessible to people with limited mobility.
Volunteers of Samotlorneftegaz and activists of the Movement of the First, who planted greenery, took part in the grand opening of the embankment. The organizers held a sports and musical warm-up for them.
Rosneft implements social projects aimed at creating favorable living conditions in the regions of its presence. In particular, it supports initiatives in the field of creating a comfortable urban environment.
Reference:
Samotlorneftegaz is one of Rosneft’s key production enterprises, developing the Samotlor field, the largest in Russia. Under the agreement between Rosneft and the government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, the company actively participates in the social development of the region. Thanks to the support of Samotlorneftegaz, over the past three years, more than 20 significant social infrastructure facilities have been opened in the region.
Among the largest are the buildings of the largest school in Nizhnevartovsk for 1,725 children and two kindergartens, a rollerdrome, the youth club “EcoQuant”, the technopark “EngineerUm”. An ice rink was built in the Nizhnevartovsk region, and a universal sports complex in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Samotlorneftegaz also supported the program to ensure Internet accessibility for the indigenous peoples of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. About 2 thousand residents of ancestral lands received a connection to the World Wide Web.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft October 16, 2024
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In the north-east of Moscow, construction of three educational facilities continues. The buildings are being erected within the framework of contracts for the participation of developers in the development of social, transport, and engineering infrastructure in the capital’s developing area. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“Thanks to participation agreements with investors, 1,475 school places and 200 preschool places will appear in the north-east of the capital. Thus, in Maryina Roshcha, an educational facility for 650 places is being built. In the Ostankino district, a kindergarten for 200 places is being built, as well as a school designed for 825 students. This will reduce the load on existing institutions and provide comfortable conditions for residents of these areas. The new educational facilities are planned to be completed in 2025,” Vladimir Efimov noted.
Attracting private investors allows developing educational infrastructure. After completion of construction, the institutions will be transferred to the city’s ownership.
All facilities are built within walking distance of residential buildings. This will allow children to quickly get to school. The institutions are becoming an important part of the social infrastructure in areas where new residential development is actively developing, including within the framework of the renovation program.
“Modern schools and kindergartens are built with an emphasis on multifunctionality. In addition to universal and specialized classrooms, they include sports halls and spaces for children’s creative development. For example, the school in Ostankino will be equipped with engineering and medical laboratory research complexes and a workshop for watercolor painting and drawing. Conditions will also be created for the education of children with disabilities,” added the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy
Educational facilities built under the participation agreement are designed according to the Moscow School standard. It represents uniform requirements for zoning, exterior and interior decoration of schools in the capital.
Earlier Sergei Sobyanin told on the development of social infrastructure in the north-east of the capital.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Review signals Government’s recognition of the challenges carers face and commitment to provide them with the support they need.
Former Disability Rights UK Chief Executive Liz Sayce OBE confirmed to lead review.
Work and Pensions Secretary recognises the concerns of carers, some of whom only breached earnings limit by a “small amount”.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP has announced today (16 October) that the Government will launch an independent review into Carer’s Allowance overpayments.
Led by Liz Sayce OBE, the former Disability Rights UK Chief Executive, now visiting professor in practice at LSE, the review will investigate the reasons why overpayments have occurred for some carers.
The review will focus on how and why overpayments were accrued, operational changes to minimise future overpayment risk and how the DWP can best support those with overpayments. A full term of reference will be published in due course.
It follows concerns over increasing reports of carers unknowingly accruing large amounts of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance, signalling the Government’s commitment to learn lessons and get to grips with the issues.
This review has been commissioned by the Secretary of State to get an independent view of the situation and its causes, and to recommend potential solutions for ministers to consider.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP, said:
I have been a lifelong champion of family carers and know many have been pushed to breaking point looking after the people they love.
This is not okay. We’re determined to learn lessons and put this right.
It’s brilliant that Liz Sayce has agreed to lead this with all the experience she brings.
Former Chief Executive of Disability Rights UK, Liz Sayce, said:
I’m delighted to be leading this important review which will make a difference to carers who offer such tremendous support to their loved ones every day.
My work aims to get to the bottom of how overpayments have occurred and how to prevent people who devote such time and care to others facing these difficulties in future.
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP, said:
Carers, whom we owe so much for the hard work they do, deserve to be supported, not punished.
In the last Parliament, the Work and Pensions Select Committee found that people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance were accruing large overpayments – often inadvertently.
We need to get to the bottom of what has been going wrong, and to put it right. This review will shed some light on why overpayments have occurred and is evidence of this government’s commitment to make positive change and support all those who care.
The government is also working on long-term reform of the social care system to improve support for both carers and those being cared for.
This includes the longer-term goal of creating a sustainable National Care Service and working collaboratively with unpaid carers themselves, sector partners, and carer organisations as part of that process.
Further Information
Further details, including the timeline, of the review will be announced in due course.
To be eligible for Carer’s Allowance, a carer must earn £151 a week or less after allowable deductions. If they exceed this earnings limit, they have a duty to inform DWP so that their entitlement can be reviewed.
Enhancing data transparency in the Czech real estate market
Providing insurers with reliable and accurate property valuation for underwriting
DENVER, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) (“Intermap” or the “Company”), a global leader in 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions, today announced that Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna (ČPP), a subsidiary of the Vienna Insurance Group, has subscribed to Intermap’s innovative solution for determining the market price of real estate properties.
Intermap and its partner Dataligence recently launched a solution that combines Intermap’s data and analytics for underwriting, reinsurance and claims with Dataligence’s world-class pricing and real estate databases. ČPP, a long-term user of Intermap’s Aquarius RMA, is the newest major EU insurance group customer to adopt this innovative solution.
This advanced property valuation process meets the growing demand for digitized property services in the Czech market, improving transparency in real estate data.
By utilizing Intermap’s up-to-date flood and natural hazard maps within its Aquarius RMA software, alongside Dataligence’s extensive real estate data, this solution enables accurate online property valuation. It processes comprehensive databases of flood, natural hazard, and real estate information to streamline transactions, providing insurers with reliable and precise property valuations for underwriting purposes.
“We chose this innovative solution because it will make it easier and more convenient for our clients to arrange insurance. At the same time, we see our partners as technology leaders whose data is accurate, robust and reliable,” said Michal Šimon, manager of non-life insurance at Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna.
“We are always excited when we find new ways to use our world-class pricing and real estate datasets,” said Milan Roček, founder and CEO of Dataligence. “Last year, we made our innovative tools available to the general public through the http://www.hypox.cz app, and the continued integration of online pricing into insurance companies’ systems embodies our vision for modern insurance and real estate services, where clients don’t have to worry about anything, yet their assets are reliably protected.”
“Intermap’s solutions for the insurance market use proprietary datasets that are integrated into insurance processes to provide insurers with comprehensive tools that can be used throughout a portfolio lifecycle,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “Our state-of-the-art software, analytics and data enable insurers to understand and underwrite natural hazard risks, then leverage data intelligence to actively manage and reinsure risk with attractive margins.”
Intermap’s services are more important than ever. According to Resources for the Future, “the private residential flood insurance market in the United States is currently small relative to the NFIP. We estimate that private flood insurance accounts for roughly 3.5 to 4.5 percent of all primary residential flood policies currently purchased.” With historic flooding recently, this demonstrates the need for dramatic increase in coverage. CoreLogic “estimates Hurricane Helene industry insured loss at $10.5B – $17.5B. Uninsured losses are estimated at $20B – $30B.” Moody’s RMS Event Response estimates total U.S. private market insured losses from the recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton will likely range between US$35 billion and US$55 billion. This estimate is for insured losses associated with wind, storm surge, and precipitation-induced flooding from these events.”
In Europe, the flood protection gap is 25%. Recent European Commission studies “show that insurance premiums written should at least be doubled to reach a harmonized level of penetration equal to 50%.” Intermap is uniquely positioned to meet this demand and address this need.
Intermap Reader Advisory Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth and run-rate, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “expect”, “project”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “will be”, “will consider”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap’s forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap’s Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.
About ČPP Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna (ČPP), a subsidiary of the Vienna Insurance Group, is a universal insurance company that offers its clients modern products and comprehensive insurance solutions in life and non-life insurance. The company operates through 6 regional headquarters, 100 branches and 220 offices throughout the Czech Republic. It has been operating on the Czech insurance market since 1995. Currently, ČPP manages 2.4 million contracts and its services are used by more than 1.3 million clients. ČPP is one of the Czech top five largest insurance companies.
About Dataligence The investment group Trigema bought a majority stake in CenovaMapa.org in 2022, largest real estate data platform on the Czech market. The cooperation has already resulted in a new application for end customers, http://www.hypox.cz, as well as the development of existing Dataligence platforms. Over the past few years, Dataligence, with the help of consulting company Deloitte, has become the most important provider of online real estate valuation data in the Czech Republic. For more information, please visit http://www.dataligence.cz.
About Intermap Technologies Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation.
Manchester City Council has named Tom Stannard as its new permanent Chief Executive to lead the delivery of the city’s strategy for the decade ahead.
He will become only the third Chief Executive to take the reins in more than a quarter of a century in a city which prides itself on stability. Tom was selected following a rigorous recruitment process.
He has been Chief Executive of neighbouring Salford City Council for the past four years, overseeing achievements including the transformative regeneration of Salford, an ambitious council housebuilding programme and high-performing children’s services. He has more than 27 years of experience in local government including senior posts in Oldham, Wakefield, Blackburn with Darwen and London boroughs.
Tom is nationally recognised as a leading voice in local government, public service reform and delivering inclusive growth and currently holds the lead CEO brief for Greater Manchester in the economy, business and international portfolio.
He is a Chartered Surveyor, Chair of the UK Institute of Economic Development, Commissioner for the UK Living Wage Foundation and National Spokesman for Health and Social Care for SOLACE (The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers.)
Tom joins one of the best performing councils in the country at a crucial time as Manchester presses ahead with its ambition to be world-class city with top class services. It is also a pivotal moment for the Council as it gears up to bring forward and oversee the delivery of the 2025-2035 Our Manchester Strategy, which will guide the city for the next 10 years. The new vision will go further on the achievements of the current strategy to ensure economic growth that benefits everyone, including through the city’s ambitious Making Manchester Fairer, housebuilding and zero carbon programmes.
Tom is expected to join the Council early in the New Year. Eamonn Boylan OBE will remain in post as Interim Chief Executive until then.
Leader of Manchester City Council Councillor Bev Craig said:
“This is a big job and we know the Chief Executive of Manchester is one of the most coveted positions in local government. That’s why I’m delighted that we’re appointing Tom Stannard – someone who shares our pride in the city and ambition to deliver for our residents.
“Tom was our unanimous choice in a highly competitive selection process. He is a nationally respected voice in local government with an impressive CV and a track record of delivery across regeneration, inclusive growth and improving council services. We were impressed by his energy and passion, his clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Manchester and his ideas for the future. He is already a well-known figure in Greater Manchester and beyond and we are confident that he will help us improve the city over the next decade.
“I’m looking forward to working alongside him and we can’t wait to welcome him as our new chief executive.”
Tom Stannard said:
“This is an exceptional role in an incredible city. I’ve spent a significant part of my career living and working in Greater Manchester and have a deep commitment to the city and its people. I’m eager to start work on the next chapter alongside Cllr Craig and all elected members.
“Manchester is a city which is competing on a global stage and successfully attracting investment, jobs and visitors and it’s important that we continue to maximise those strengths. Just as crucial is that the growth generated benefits the whole city, and I know that’s something the Council is already working on and determined to achieve.
“While being unapologetically ambitious for the city’s global future, I won’t lose focus on the need to deliver excellent day-to-day services for Manchester people in the here and now.”
TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Angus Gold Inc.(TSX-V: GUS | OTC:ANGVF) (“Angus” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce assay results from the first four (4) exploration holes that were completed on the BIF Gold Zone as part of its August 2024 drill program at the Golden Sky Project in Wawa, Ontario.
Highlights:
The main focus of the 2024 drill program was to improve both our understanding of the size of the BIF Gold Zone and the geometry of higher-grade ore shootsat depth.
Down-plunge drilling results at the BIF Gold Zone indicate the mineralized system is thick and continuous:
Hole GS24-157 returned 111.0 metres of mineralization grading 1.0 g/t Au, including 5.4 g/t Au over 3.0 metres and 6.0 g/t Au over 1.8 metres.
All down-plunge drilling results provided useful information for interpreting the preferred orientation of higher-grade ore shoots at depth to improve future targeting.
New gold mineralization intersected at 270 metres true depth:
Hole GS24-156 returned 9.6 metres of mineralization grading 1.1 g/t Au, indicating the system has significant depth potential.
Additional BIF Gold Zone drilling results expected in the coming weeks.
Breanne Beh, Chief Executive Officer of Angus, states: “We are very pleased with the results so far from our 2024 BIF drilling program, with additional results expected in the coming weeks. These four holes were designed specifically to improve our understanding of the size and geometry of the mineralization at the BIF Gold Zone. The results of GS-24-157 are incredibly encouraging as we were able to gain a better understanding of just how large this BIF-hosted gold system could potentially be. Within the mineralized intervals we had over a dozen high-grade samples between 2 and 8 g/t Au, confirming the potential for higher-grade shoots. We are currently modeling these results in 3D to identify preferred orientations of the high-grade mineralization. In addition, the discovery of another zone of mineralization at depth in GS-24-156 is very encouraging as it indicates the continued exploration potential of the 6.0 kilometres of banded iron formation present on the Golden Sky property. BIF-hosted gold deposits are extremely complex, however, we have made significant progress over a relatively short period of time. These current results were successful in providing the information we need to advance our model another step forward and will allow us to plan our next drill program to begin defining the high-grade zones.”
The 2024 drilling program on the BIF was designed to test new hypotheses regarding the structural controls on the gold mineralization. The four (4) drill holes published in this press release were designed with the intention of understanding the size of the low-grade envelope of gold mineralization in the BIF Gold Zone in addition to, improving the understanding of the geometry of the apparent high-grade ore shoots plunging within. All four holes returned numerous intersections of > 2.0 g/t Au material within a broad envelope of low-grade gold mineralization. This information is now being used to help improve the modelling of what were thought to be repeated high-grade ore shoots. Hole GS-24-157 was most successful at defining the extents of the gold system with two separate intersections of gold mineralization grading 1.0 g/t Au, one of 12.0 metres and the second of 111.0 metres, including a dozen high-grade intercepts >2.0 g/t Au. With these results we can begin to visualize how large the BIF Gold Zone system is. The thickness and continuity of the results continue to indicate strong potential for the area to host significant BIF-hosted gold mineralization.
In addition, hole GS-24-156 was successful at intersecting a new zone of gold mineralization grading 0.8 g/t Au over 16.9 metres, including 2.3 g/t Au over 1.0 metres and 2.4 g/t Au over 1.0 metres, at 270 metres true depth. This is the deepest hole that has been drilled on Angus’ BIF Gold Zone to date and indicates the continued potential for new zones of mineralization to be discovered.
Similar to GS-24-157, holes GS-24-154, GS-24-155 and GS-24-156 returned a pattern of repeating > 2.0 g/t Au intersections within a broad envelope of lower-grade Au mineralization. These initial results are encouraging and indicate the potential for repeated or stacked ore shoots within the large mineralized system. Notable intersections are listed in the table below.
Selected drill results from the 4 holes at the Golden Sky drilling program are, as follows:
Hole Number
From (m)
To (m)
Length (m)
Au g/t
Area
GS-24-154
10.9
14.0
3.1
1.6
BIF
including
12.8
14.0
1.2
2.8
GS-24-154
77.6
78.6
1.0
2.3
GS-24-154
85.5
130.0
44.5
0.7
including
98.0
99.0
1.0
3.7
including
100.0
101.0
1.0
2.5
including
103.0
104.0
1.0
2.9
including
118.0
119.0
1.0
2.3
including
122.0
123.0
1.0
2.5
including
125.0
126.0
1.0
2.1
GS-24-154
146.0
147.0
1.0
3.6
GS-24-154
158.0
166.0
8.0
1.1
GS-24-155
97.5
143.0
45.5
0.8
BIF
including
99.0
100.9
1.9
2.0
including
106.5
111.0
4.5
1.2
including
114.0
121.0
7.0
1.0
including
126.0
131.0
5.0
1.5
GS-24-155
158.0
162.0
4.0
2.0
GS-24-156
12.8
21.6
8.8
1.7
BIF
including
15.2
20.1
4.9
2.9
GS-24-156
82.1
89.0
6.9
1.0
including
87.0
88.0
1.0
2.9
GS-24-156
123.0
144.0
21.0
0.9
including
123.0
127.0
4.0
2.0
including
132.0
136.0
4.0
1.3
including
141.0
142.0
1.0
2.3
GS-24-156
269.0
285.9
16.9
0.8
including
276.3
285.9
9.6
1.1
including
278.0
279.0
1.0
2.3
including
283.9
284.9
1.0
2.4
GS-24-157
50.0
62.0
12.0
1.0
BIF
including
55.7
56.4
0.7
5.5
including
60.0
61.0
1.0
2.4
GS-24-157
107.0
218.0
111.0
1.0
including
108.0
109.0
1.0
2.6
including
112.0
113.0
1.0
2.3
including
115.0
116.0
1.0
2.7
including
131.0
133.0
2.0
3.8
including
139.0
141.0
2.0
4.7
including
145.5
147.0
1.5
3.9
including
158.0
160.0
2.0
2.9
including
173.0
174.0
1.0
2.8
including
179.0
182.0
3.0
5.4
including
185.0
186.0
1.0
2.4
including
202.0
203.8
1.8
6.0
including
215.4
218.0
2.6
2.6
(1) Assay results presented over core length. Additional drilling will be necessary to constrain the true width of the mineralized envelope of the gold system.
Figure 1: Surface Map – BIF new drilling, Golden Sky Airborne Magnetics Map
The Golden Sky Project The 100%-owned Golden Sky Project is located within the Mishibishu Lake Greenstone Belt of Northern Ontario, which is host to Wesdome’s high-grade Eagle River and the Mishi open-pit gold mines. The Company’s 290-square-kilometres land package is located approximately 50 kilometres west of the town of Wawa and is situated immediately between the two Wesdome mines.
The ongoing drill program on the Golden Sky Project is focused on the Dorset Gold Zone, which hosts a historic gold resource; the BIF Zone, a new gold zone discovery in a large banded iron formation; as well as the Eagle River Splay deformation zone, which shows potential for another extensive gold system. Angus’ drill programs on the near-surface Dorset Gold Zone have been successful at extending the strike length of the previously modelled zone from 750 metres to 1.7 kilometres. The Dorset Gold Zone historic estimated resource (using a 0.50 g/t Au cut-off) consists of an indicated resource of 40,000 ounces of gold (780,000 tonnes grading 1.4 g/t Au), and an inferred resource of 180,000 ounces of gold (4,760,000 tonnes grading 1.2 g/t Au). For greater details on the Golden Sky Project, please refer to the NI 43-101 technical report for the Golden Sky Project entitled, “NI 43-101 Technical Report Wawa Property Ontario, Canada” dated February 18, 2020, and available on the Company’s SEDAR profile.
Qualified Person The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Breanne Beh, P.Geo, who is a “Qualified Person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and Chief Geologist for the Company.
Quality Control During the last drilling program, assay samples were taken from the NQ core by sawing the drill core in half, with one-half sent to a certified commercial laboratory and the other half retained for future reference. A strict QA/QC program was applied to all samples; which includes insertion of mineralized standards and blank samples for each batch of 20 samples. The gold analyses were completed by fire-assayed with an atomic absorption finish on 50 grams of materials. Repeats were carried out by fire-assay followed by gravimetric testing on each sample containing 3.0 g/t gold or more.
About Angus Gold: Angus Gold Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company’s flagship project is the Golden Sky Project in Wawa, Ontario. The Project is immediately adjacent to the Eagle River Mine of Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This News Release includes certain “forward-looking statements” which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “will”, or “plan”. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the ability to anticipate and counteract the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the business of the Company, including without limitation the effects of COVID-19 on the capital markets, commodity prices supply chain disruptions, restrictions on labour and workplace attendance and local and international travel, failure to receive requisite approvals in respect of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
Business student Emily Laput ’26 (CLAS) created her own marketing and consulting firm when she was in high school. That impressed interviewers at NBC Universal in New York City, and helped her capture a coveted summer internship.
Across the city, recent alum Peter Spinelli ’24 (BUS, CLAS), is working as a production intern at ABC News. He is passionate about increasing the percentage of Gen Z adults who watch TV news.
And alumna Emilia Kwasniak ’24 (BUS) —a self-described “theater kid” who loved the Nickelodeon show “Victorious” when growing up—is now a long-term temporary employee at the first TV channel created exclusively for kids.
Students Eager to Apply Business Knowledge in Creative Industries
Professor Sami Ghaddar, of the Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department in the School of Business, says the news and entertainment industries have become increasingly attractive to UConn students because they offer a compelling combination of creativity, adaptability, and strategic opportunity.
“The diversity of work within these industries is undoubtedly a key factor. The ability to work across various mediums and platforms allows our students to apply their business skills in dynamic and innovative ways,’’ he says. “Moreover, the versatility of a business degree is evident in how students can navigate these rapidly changing fields, leveraging their entrepreneurial mindset to succeed in new and exciting ways.’’
Kelly Kennedy, Director of Transformative Learning at the School of Business, agreed. She’s meeting more business students who are looking for opportunities beyond traditional employment paths, reflecting a larger generational shift toward more personally meaningful work.
“Creative industries need to hire analytical business students who are adaptable, driven, and can navigate a fast-paced environment with ease,’’ she says. “The proximity to New York City offers UConn business students both alumni networking opportunities and access to prestigious companies, making it easier to secure competitive internships. Their success speaks to the quality of our academic and experiential programs that equip our business Huskies with the confidence, tenacity, and grit to redefine work on their own terms.’’
Emily Laput Applied for 200 Summer Jobs
This summer, Laput, an honors student majoring in marketing and communications, worked as a corporate communications intern at NBC Universal in New York City. But getting a dream summer internship wasn’t an easy task.
“Professor Kennedy forced me to think about what I want to do and where I want to be. I had worked at an energy nonprofit recently and wasn’t interested in the industry, but entertainment and media offered something new every day,’’ she says. “I applied for more than 200 summer positions, including 20 at NBC Universal, all with customized applications.’’
She got five first-round interviews at NBC Universal, two second-round interviews, and then the offer.
Emily Laput ’26 helped promoted a new Minions movie this year (contributed photo).
“I think what helped me stand out is that in high school I created my own marketing and consultancy firm, and I did fundraising and event planning,’’ says Laput. “Creating my own opportunities really gave me a great start. I’m a junior and I enjoy forging my own opportunities and finding a path to get ahead.’’
One of her favorite summer tasks was helping promote a new Minions movie, “Despicable Me 4.” Prior to the movie’s release on July 3, she led the creation of a “Day in the Life of a Minion” reel. A native of Beacon Falls, Laput had been the mascot at her high school, which gave her an edge in starting the project. She created an Instagram reel that showed the Minion at the Kelly Clarkson Show, watching a movie trailer, and even buying bananas at the company commissary.
“This job brings me so much joy, it’s so cool,’’ she said over the summer. “Who else walks into work with the Today Show filming when you enter your office? I was on the Today Show elevator and [anchor] Hoda Kotb said hello to me. That made my day, my whole summer, actually.’’
In addition, the network partnered with America’s VetDogs to socialize a puppy named Atlas, who will soon be placed with a veteran. Laput handled Atlas’ Instagram posts. She also worked on employee engagement projects and edited the company newsletters. She says the variety of work made the days interesting.
“When I’d walk into work every day, I’d think, ‘This job was made for me!,’” she says. Originally leaning toward event planning, she now wants to work in internal communications and employee engagement.
Laput says she’d advise other interns not to wait around for an assignment, but instead suggest projects that interest them.
“If you have an idea, there’s no risk in throwing it out there. If it isn’t possible, move on,’’ she says. “I think what makes me different is that I ask for work, express interest in things, like video editing, and come up with ideas. If you express your career goals clearly, it lets others know what projects you would enjoy working on, and that’s more exciting.’’
Peter Spinelli Believes It’s Important to Be Informed
Only 11% of Gen Z adults routinely watch the news on television. When Spinelli discovered that fact, as part of a research project for his Content Entrepreneurship class at UConn, he was disappointed.
“Now that I’m of voting age, I think it is important to know what’s going on in your state and in your country. I want to make sure people are watching,’’ Spinelli says. He believes that 24-hour news streaming and social media can help leverage engagement.
He has spent the last few months working as a production intern at ABC News in New York. His team recruits on-air talent for the network and some of its affiliates. Spinelli has traveled to journalism conferences in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas, to connect young journalists to the company.
Peter Spinelli ’24 added journalism courses to his academic work during his senior year (contributed photo).
“I feel lucky to be traveling with the team. I enjoy the recruiting aspect,’’ he says. “I could see myself being with this team permanently one day. But before I do, I want to gain experience in production.’’
Spinelli has also vetted potential employees, reviewing their reels and previous work. He has learned more about what the company seeks in on-air talent and gained insight into the decision making that goes on behind the scenes.
“Being a younger person in the room, they would ask me who I liked and what’s appealing to a younger person. I appreciated being included in the discussion,’’ he says.
Spinelli, a native of Shelton, had a marketing internship at a health-insurance company, but wasn’t enamored with the work. In 2023, he pursued an internship at WTNH in New Haven, and that fueled his interest in broadcast journalism and production. He helped reporters with their scripts, edited some videos, and got a chance to try many aspects of the business.
“I’d be at an animal shelter one day, surrounded by puppies, and at the site of a shooting the next day,’’ he says. “It was fast-paced, and I loved that it was something different every day.’’
In addition to his coursework as a double major in management and communication, Spinelli says serving as a UConn Tour Guide and as Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government prepared him well for his current job.
“As a tour guide, you’re working to present UConn in a positive light and answer questions about the university,’’ he says. “On the other side, the student government is often calling on the administration to do something better. During my time there, we created a food pantry because we knew there were students who were struggling and living on ramen. I have seen both sides.’’
“Those two jobs both involved telling the student story, from recruiting to advocacy,’’ he says. “Those two experiences prepared me for what I’m doing now, especially when it comes to being impartial and telling both sides of the story.’’
He credits the flexibility of UConn’s academic programs for allowing him to add journalism courses during his senior year. Before graduation, he applied to 50 jobs and internships. He says he feels lucky to have been hired by ABC, which is a Disney-owned company. His job runs until January, and he would love to stay on permanently.
One of the most surprising aspects of his job is how welcoming the talent is.
“They are very responsive to any request. They always come up to chat and never say no to posing for a photo or appearing in a silly video that I’m making for our team’s Instagram,’’ he says. “It’s great to know they’re the people they come across as on TV.’’
Emilia Kwasniak Enjoys the Business Side of Media
Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., Emilia Kwasniak was a proud theater kid. One of her favorite TV shows was “Victorious,” a Nickelodeon sitcom revolving around Tori Vega, a promising talent who attends Hollywood Arts, a fictional performing arts high school.
“It aligned well with me as a theater kid. In that show, all the performing arts kids are super cool,’’ she says, laughing.
Kwasniak says her long-term temporary job as a media planning coordinator at Nickelodeon involves importing shows, commercials, promos, and ratings, as well as scheduling and marketing strategy. She distinguishes herself by being a quick study and a conscientious worker.
Emilia Kwasniak ’24 is working at a place that inspired her as a child (contributed photo).
“I’m so happy to work somewhere that impacted me as a kid,’’ she says. “It is very collaborative here and I’m working with phenomenal people. I’m very lucky.’’
During her time at UConn, Kwasniak was an Honors student, photo producer for The Daily Campus, and Vice President of Internal Services for UConn Student Television.
But perhaps the most impactful experience was serving as Director of Media for the HuskyTHON Miracle Network Dance Marathon, which required a year-long commitment to strategizing and executing the fundraiser’s marketing campaign, including photography, videography, and managing a team of 10 student photographers. The event raised a record-breaking $1.7 million for Connecticut Children’s Foundation.
“Before this experience, working in the entertainment business seemed like a far-fetched dream. But HuskyTHON helped me realize that I could truly succeed in that environment. It’s the largest student-run organization on campus, so on top of the marketing experience I gained, it was also a big time commitment. I had to collaborate with a lot of people and cross-functional teams, which even included employees and families from Connecticut Children’s,’’ she says.
“There were so many email chains, meetings, and projects that I had to shift my attention to on a daily basis, while consistently maintaining the high quality of my work, so it taught me a great deal about what a professional workplace looks like,’’ she says. “It was essentially like an internship and equipped me with all the professional skills I needed to succeed.’’
Kwasniak’s greatest accomplishment in that role was producing the announcement video that brought the year-long campaign to life. “It surpassed 100,000 views on Instagram, which is an impressive accomplishment that helped me stand out during my Nickelodeon interview,’’ she says. “As the media planning coordinator, my role is to promote Nickelodeon’s short-and long-term campaigns on our channels, so it was helpful to mention my campaign announcement video and the tangible results that came from promoting it.’’
Kwasniak credits a one-credit career development course she took with Kennedy for giving her a foot in the door at Nickelodeon. Kennedy had assigned the students to reach out to conduct an informational interview with someone at a company where they might want to work.
“I knew someone who worked at Nickelodeon and asked for advice,’’ Kwasniak says. They had a great conversation, and the woman gave Kwasniak guidance to enhance her professional experiences.
“Right before graduation, she called and asked if I’d be interested in a temporary job. I said, ‘I’m beyond interested!’’’ she recalls. “If it weren’t for that class, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to reach out and ultimately wouldn’t have the job.’’
Kwasniak applied to UConn as a political science major, capitalizing on her love of history and social studies. But she kept exploring other options and wound up majoring in finance.
“I realized I can work on the business side of media and entertainment. I didn’t think I could create the content, but I could certainly help put it out,’’ she says. Today she promotes events and premiers, including the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show and The Kids’ Choice Awards.
“If I told 10-year-old me that I work at Nickelodeon now, she would probably think that I’m pranking her,’’ Kwasniak says. “As a kid, I didn’t even realize that working in entertainment was an option for me. I always had this expectation that becoming an adult and working an ‘adult job’ would be boring. Ten-year-old me would be so proud of me for finding a job that I am truly passionate about, and that I look forward to every day. And she would definitely think that I’m the coolest person in the world!’’
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Builders have begun commissioning work on the traction and step-down substation at the Kornilovskaya station on the Troitskaya metro line. The premises are located behind the second vestibule of the station complex. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“Work on the installation of utility networks is actively underway at Kornilovskaya. The project includes 54 different utility systems and almost 3.7 thousand units of primary equipment. The station’s traction and step-down substation, where commissioning has begun, consists exclusively of domestically produced components. The builders have installed the primary equipment and are tying it with cable and wire products. The next stage will be the commissioning and testing of high-voltage and power equipment,” said Vladimir Efimov.
The Kornilovskaya station of the Troitskaya metro line is located along Kaluga Highway at the intersection with Admirala Kornilova Street. It will become part of a transport hub. About 600 people work at the construction site every day.
“At the Kornilovskaya station complex, about 40 percent of the electric and low-current cables have been installed. At the same time, pipelines and air ducts are being installed, and external networks are being installed,” said the head of the Department for Construction of Transport and Engineering Infrastructure of the City of Moscow.
The traction and step-down substation is the power center of the station complex. It is designed to distribute power supply between all elements of equipment and the operation of engineering systems. According to the operating technology, polymer floors are installed here for the required level of dustlessness, water resistance and antistaticity.
The Troitskaya metro line will run from the ZIL station of the Moscow Central Circle to the city of Troitsk. It will become one of the longest radii of the Moscow metro and the largest outside the Moscow Ring Road. The line will have 17 stations, its length will be more than 43 kilometers. The expected passenger flow at the entrance will be more than 300 thousand people per day.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Harriet Cross.
Mr Jon Dean
Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Ms Harriet Cross, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.
Curriculum vitae
Full name: Jon Mark Dean
2022 to 2024
N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
2020 to 2022
New York, Counsellor Internal
2018 to 2020
United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
2015 to 2018
FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
2013 to 2015
Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
2013
Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
2012
New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Women’s Commission welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” Women’s Commission welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” *********************************************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Women’s Commission: The Women’s Commission (WoC) welcomes the initiatives on promoting women’s development in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (October 16). The Chief Executive announced in the Policy Address that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) will establish a network run by leading women from all walks of life and launch a mentorship programme, “She Inspires”. Under the programme, female university students will be paired with mentors from the senior management of different sectors, and will be provided with relevant training and activities. ???The Chairman of the WoC, Dr Eliza Chan, said, “The WoC is committed to enable Hong Kong women to have more opportunities to showcase their talent and promote the advancement of their careers. Hong Kong women have excelled across various sectors and demonstrated exceptional professionalism and leadership, while young people play an important role in shaping the future of our country and Hong Kong. I am very delighted to learn the launch of the mentorship programme ‘She Inspires’ by the Government to equip Hong Kong female university students with the strength to ‘hold up half the sky’. I hope that with the support of the Government, we could work together with outstanding women leaders across various sectors and unleash the power of women, thereby contributing to the development and advancement of women.” It is also mentioned in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address Supplement” that the HYAB will continue to put forward several women-related projects, including continuing to organise the Family and Women Development Summit, keeping the one-stop family and women information portal under review and enriching its content, continuing to encourage women’s groups and non-governmental organisations to make good use of the Women Empowerment Fund, and continuing to implement, through the Community Care Fund, the Maintenance Mediation Pilot Scheme. The WoC was established in 2001 and is committed to enable women in Hong Kong to fully realise their due status, rights and opportunities in all aspects of life. It adopts a three-pronged strategy, namely the provision of an enabling environment, empowerment of women through capacity building and public education to promote the well-being and interests of women.
Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024Issued at HKT 19:28
Rapid technological advancements are driving disruption in everything from employment, skills and education to international trade and industry. Meanwhile a fragmented geopolitical and geo-economic landscape has sidelined traditional models of international cooperation.
Amid these powerful forces, how is the United Arab Emirates navigating these headwinds to define the next decade?
Phunware Announces Next Generation AI-Driven SaaS Platform
Targets expansion into the Global Mobile App Market expected to exceed $420 Billion by 2028
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Phunware, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHUN) (“Phunware” or the “Company“), a leader in cloud enterprise solutions for mobile applications and related technologies, today issued a letter to stockholders from Mike Snavely, the Chief Executive Officer of Phunware, providing an update on Phunware’s existing and new business units and performance and achievements during 2024. The letter provides insight into Phunware’s transition to a new generative AI-based software development platform and several other new business initiatives, and its avenues for continued growth and success in 2025.
Dear Fellow Stockholders:
A letter to Stockholders is often written after the end of the year to reflect on successes and challenges and to share insights for the road ahead. However, the past few years have been anything but a normal path for Phunware and as I reflect on my first year as CEO, I felt the time was right to update you on 2024 and to share our vision for 2025 and beyond.
Our primary focus is to create value for our stockholders. One key measure of that is our market capitalization which has varied from $12M late last year to a high of about $120M in the first quarter, settling at about $55M as of the writing of this letter. It’s certain that some of our stockholders’ positions have benefited from this price volatility and some have not. We acknowledge this by saying that we have always acted, and will continue to act, in what we see as the best long-term interests of our stockholders.
Often, volatility drives opportunity, and over the months we have used the trading volume and price volatility to raise capital to stabilize the balance sheet and to provide the capital required to think bigger.
This letter explains what we intend to do with that capital. We couldn’t be more optimistic about our future, and I want to briefly share what we have been doing to strengthen our core business, enhance our operations and right-size our cost structure in service of our strategic vision. More importantly, I am excited to highlight new initiatives we are launching. I believe these steps will help the market at large see why we believe we are a great investment and that our best days are ahead of us.
I’ll remind you of our recent performance: so far this year, we have lowered our cash burn by more than half and have increased sales by two orders of magnitude in the first half of 2024 as compared to the same period in 2023.
Six Months Ended
2024
2023
Change
Bookings (contracts executed)
$
1,746
$
168
939
%
Revenue
1,932
2,640
-27
%
Gross profit
994
610
63
%
Net loss from:
Continuing operations
(4,923
)
(8,126
)
39
%
Discontinued operations
(2,667
)
100
%
Loss per share from:
Continuing operations
(0.65
)
(3.90
)
83
%
Discontinued operations
(1.28
)
100
%
We believe our sales engine is just getting underway
As we move toward the end of the year and into 2025, we continue to do the blocking and tackling to continue to sell and grow revenue. We have been able to recruit seasoned sales and marketing talent to help us get our message out to more customers and to win more deals. We are also announcing various initiatives to unlock additional markets and to position ourselves as the most advanced and highest potential company in mobile globally.
OurSoftware Businesscontinues to evolve to pick up new efficiencies and to unlock new markets
Phunware is a market leader in providing enterprise cloud solutions for mobile applications. Our location-based services and patented wayfinding technology sets us apart from our competitors, providing real-time indoor navigation with unmatched precision and customization. Our technology for seamless transition from indoor wayfinding to outdoor location sharing and geofencing is best in class. Phunware is widely known for creating first rate custom mobile applications for large enterprise customers with complex needs to engage with their end users and to facilitate profitable engagements and experiences.
Our software development platform for mobile applications is currently designed to create fully customizable apps and provide related services for larger enterprises. In the first half of 2024, we have seen dramatic growth (939% over the comparable period in 2023) in bookings. Our customers like what we do for them and notably we are getting terrific word of mouth references, accelerating our growth in major customers. Finally, we have added new features and functionalities to our existing products, including artificial intelligence features like an AI Personal Concierge for property guests and Intelligent Reporting for property owners.
Leveraging the Power ofGenerative AI, our Platform Will Enable Rapid Development and Monetization of Custom Mobile App Solutions
Today, we are announcing the development of a new generative AI-based platform designed to democratize access to world-class design, user experience and content creation so that businesses of any size can design, create, build, and deploy high-quality custom mobile applications in days or even hours. By leveraging generative AI, we believe that the new platform will simplify mobile app design and content creation and drastically reduce the need for expensive and time-consuming design and development investments.
This platform marks the next chapter in Phunware’s evolution, building on a decade and a half of providing custom mobile app solutions to several thousand U.S. and global customers, including some of the most recognized Fortune 100 & 500 brands.
The platform is designed to harness and integrate the power of generative AI to enable all businesses to quickly develop and monetize custom mobile app solutions, making them accessible to small and medium-sized businesses. We also expect to add new AI-related features and functionalities to all of Phunware’s mobile app offerings, reinforcing our position as a leader and innovator in the continually-growing mobile app market.
Phunware’s Competitive Advantages in a Multi-Billion Dollar Global Mobile App Market1 Our planned incorporation of AI into our SaaS platform is driven by our view that consumer engagement with mobile-first solutions and artificial intelligence technology will continue to play a critical role across industries. Key competitive advantages of this platform will include:
AI-Driven Customization: Generative AI frameworks provide customizable templates for rapid mobile app creation, reducing development costs and accelerating time-to-market, and include important features and functionalities such as AI-powered personal concierge and contextual engagement.
End-to-End Modular Design: Our independent software modules, such as location-based services, digital advertising tools such as programmatic advertising and real-time data analytics support flexible audience building and engagement strategies.
Advanced Location-Based Services (LBS): Our market leading indoor navigation and outdoor geofencing systems continue to offer even more precise geopositioning and collection of user data using a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, BLE, and sensor data for customized on-venue user engagement in sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, retail, residential, sports and convention centers, gaming facilities and other verticals involving large real properties or portfolios of properties.
Data Analytics: Our enhanced review and analysis of data of mobile app usage and user behaviors support assessment of intent and other metrics to drive user engagement, conversion and retention.
Multi-Industry Capability: Our platform is designed to provide low- or no-code custom mobile apps across a range of sectors, from hospitality and healthcare to other verticals such as advocacy, retail and ecommerce in the U.S. and other leading economies including China, Brazil and India.
The adoption of our generative AI-powered SaaS platform is expected to benefit our existing customers and all industry verticals and create meaningful opportunities for accessing new markets. Our platform is designed to automate the development intake process, reduce development costs and time-to-market, and enable innovation and user engagement through AI. We are leading the way to make AI-powered mobile applications accessible to enterprise and small and medium business customers alike.
We expect our new AI-powered SaaS platform will launch mid-2025. We also expect to further integrate AI and machine learning capabilities into our new platform in 2025. We intend to integrate AI-driven predictive analytics into the platform by Q3 2025, providing businesses with advanced tools for analyzing customer data to predict future behaviors. We also expect the new platform to offer seamless integrations of its mobile apps with additional cloud service providers, ensuring modern scalability, flexibility, efficiency and security for businesses of all sizes.
Digital Advertising Business
We also have a growing business in providing digital advertising campaigns for a range of customers. We work with agencies and directly with our own customers, from public companies to non-profit organizations to governmental entities. We place general awareness, performance-based and retargeting advertising campaigns for our customers, enabling them to successfully reach their audiences and achieve their marketing objectives. We have provided digital advertising and related placements to hundreds of customer campaigns in 2024 to date and continue to see strong demand for these services.
We plan to expand our digital advertising platform in several additional ways. We intend to relaunch our programmatic advertising capabilities into our core mobile platform. This will enable us to help our customers conduct more efficient, scalable digital advertising campaigns through our platform and through partnerships or alliances with one or more third-party programmatic advertising platforms. The integrated solution will be designed to utilize generative AI to help our customers personalize their digital advertising campaigns to individual users based on behavior, preferences and demographics to enhance user engagement and increase conversions. Finally, we intend to serve a global audience with these capabilities, tied to our mobile application portfolio growth.
Voter / Advocacy Engagement Business
We are also planning to invest in the application of our AI-powered platform to advocacy and voter engagement. You will recall that we developed and implemented the Donald J. Trump 2020 Presidential Campaign app, a highly regarded and well received voter / advocacy engagement app.
We think this was just the tip of the iceberg. Every election cycle, candidates set new records in spending and we believe that our AI-powered platform can help make that spend more impactful. Further, we believe that it is more important than ever for Phunware to help political candidates and voters connect, engage and participate in the voting process, and for individuals and organizations to become knowledgeable about, educate others about, and advocate for events, causes and issues that are important to them. Our platform can help them do just that.
We plan to continue to use our AI-powered platform to develop custom mobile apps for election campaigns, political action committees, and other organizations to identify, engage and turn out voters. Our mobile advertising solutions will be a part of driving voter engagement as well. We may invest in and partner with other technology providers and organizations that use mobile technologies to drive voter and advocacy engagement. We will likely pursue these opportunities both in the U.S. and with strategic partners and alliances globally.
Financial Strength
Our spend has been adjusted to fit the size of our business today and to focus investment on the future. We believe that sober execution against our business plan is the right way to deliver long-term stockholder value and we are focused on the careful stewardship of the company to bring our vision to life.
We have zero debt and believe we have adequate access to the necessary resources to support our investments and sustain our business as we invest in the evolution and growth of our company
We have seen dramatic improvement to our year-to-date software and advertising business bookings which we believe demonstrates a growing demand for our software and advertising offerings
We are judiciously investing in sales, engineering, AI, marketing and business development to fulfill our vision for the company’s future
We have not said much in the markets recently. In retrospect, we’ve probably said too little. Moving ahead, we intend to continue to provide our stockholders with additional updates on our businesses and products from time to time. Our focus will remain on platform launch, product roadmaps and timelines; innovation; operational efficiency; building thought leadership; and inorganic growth, including tactical and strategic acquisitions, investments, partnerships and alliances. And we will endeavor to keep stockholders advised of significant occurrences every step of the way.
I’ll end where I started…I believe Phunware’s best days are ahead. We look forward to continuing to create and enhance value for our stockholders, customers, employees and the consumers who use our products.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Mike Snavely
Chief Executive Officer
About Phunware
Phunware, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHUN) is an enterprise software company specializing in mobile app solutions. We provide businesses with the tools to create, implement and manage custom mobile applications and analytics, digital advertising and location-based services. Phunware is transforming mobile engagement by delivering scalable and personalized mobile app experiences.
Phunware’s mission is to achieve unparalleled connectivity and monetization through widespread adoption of Phunware mobile technologies, by leveraging brands, consumers, partners and digital asset holders and market participants. Phunware is poised to expand its software products and services audience and industry verticals through its new platform, utilize and monetize its patents and other intellectual property rights and interests, and update and reintroduce its digital asset ecosystem for existing holders and new market participants.
This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “expose,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. For example, Phunware is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the proposed offering and the timing and terms of such offering and its intended use of proceeds from such offering should it occur.
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC, including our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other filings that we make with the SEC from time to time. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. These risks and others described under “Risk Factors” in our SEC filings may not be exhaustive.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if our results or operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.
ORANGE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As privacy and safety become more pervasive issues—particularly for those in public-facing, at-risk professions—Ironwall by Incogni is stepping up to help combat the potential dangers brought about by easy access to online data. Through a complimentary risk assessment offer, the company aims to inform individuals such as judges, police officers, social workers, and election workers about the potential exposure of their personally identifiable information (PII) and the risks it poses to their safety.
“There are more than 4,000 data brokers collecting, sharing, and selling personally identifiable information about all of us all the time,” said Ron Zayas, CEO of Ironwall by Incogni. “Most people have a sense there is information available about them on the internet. But until they see how vast that volume of information is and how many ways it can be exploited, they will not fully understand the risk to themselves, their families, and their workplaces.”
To address these concerns, Ironwall has created a personalized risk assessment to help professionals gain specific insight into not just which websites are sharing and selling their PII, but also how this content can be used to uncover more sensitive information—such as an individual’s habits, relationships, politics, and affiliations—and how that knowledge can potentially be weaponized.
“For those in high-risk professions, just one malicious individual finding your home address online can lead to harassment, threats, or worse,” added Zayas. “With one easy-to-read risk assessment, it is our hope that anyone who sees their vulnerability will take action to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”
Ironwall by Incogni’s Suite of Services Ironwall by Incogni’s comprehensive privacy services go beyond data broker removal. The company performs a thorough search for PII across search engines, social media platforms, and people-finder sites. It also offers emergency protection for active threats, and preventive solutions that mask online activity by replacing authentic PII with content that cannot be traced back to its source.
For a complimentary risk assessment and to learn more about how to protect your privacy, visitIronwall Risk Assessment.
Images to accompany this release can be found here.
About Ironwall by Incogni Ironwall by Incogni strongly supports the idea of a safe and private internet. As a legally contracted agent, Ironwall works with superior courts, social work departments, and law enforcement agencies to search and remove personal information from websites in violation of state and federal privacy restrictions. Ironwall is a member of the Surfshark and NordSec family of companies. For more information, visit https://ironwall360.com/.
EASTON, Md., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TeraWulf Inc. (Nasdaq: WULF) (“TeraWulf” or the “Company”), a leading owner and operator of vertically integrated, next-generation digital infrastructure powered by predominantly zero-carbon energy, today announced the appointment of John Larkin as Senior Vice President, Director of Investor Relations. In this role, Mr. Larkin will report to Chief Executive Officer Paul Prager.
“John’s extensive experience in financial strategy and investor engagement will be critical as TeraWulf continues to scale and execute our growth plans,” said Paul Prager. “His deep expertise in capital markets will bolster our relationships with institutional investors and sharpen the communication of our financial performance and strategic milestones.”
With over 25 years of experience in capital markets across buy-side and sell-side roles, Mr. Larkin brings extensive knowledge and insight to TeraWulf. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Connacht Asset Management. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Susquehanna International Group, where he led the Event-Driven/Special Situations Desk and served as Assistant Director of Research. Mr. Larkin began his career at Citigroup, holding a variety of key positions.
“I’m thrilled to join TeraWulf during such an exciting and transformative period for the Company,” said John Larkin. “With its forward-thinking approach to sustainable digital infrastructure and rapid growth, TeraWulf is uniquely positioned to capture increased attention from the investment community. I look forward to driving investor engagement and contributing to the Company’s long-term success.”
About TeraWulf
TeraWulf develops, owns, and operates environmentally sustainable, next-generation data center infrastructure in the United States, specifically designed for Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing. Led by a team of seasoned energy entrepreneurs, the Company owns and operates the Lake Mariner facility situated on the expansive site of a now retired coal plant in Western New York. Currently, TeraWulf generates revenue primarily through Bitcoin mining, leveraging predominantly zero-carbon energy sources, including nuclear and hydroelectric power. Committed to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles that align with its business objectives, TeraWulf aims to deliver industry-leading economics in mining and data center operations at an industrial scale.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “plan,” “believe,” “goal,” “target,” “aim,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “continue,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “would” and other similar words and expressions, although the absence of these words or expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and beliefs of TeraWulf’s management and are inherently subject to a number of factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions and their potential effects. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among others: (1) conditions in the cryptocurrency mining industry, including fluctuation in the market pricing of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and the economics of cryptocurrency mining, including as to variables or factors affecting the cost, efficiency and profitability of cryptocurrency mining; (2) competition among the various providers of cryptocurrency mining services; (3) changes in applicable laws, regulations and/or permits affecting TeraWulf’s operations or the industries in which it operates, including regulation regarding power generation, cryptocurrency usage and/or cryptocurrency mining, and/or regulation regarding safety, health, environmental and other matters, which could require significant expenditures; (4) the ability to implement certain business objectives and to timely and cost-effectively execute integrated projects; (5) failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and/or on acceptable terms with regard to growth strategies or operations; (6) loss of public confidence in bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies and the potential for cryptocurrency market manipulation; (7) adverse geopolitical or economic conditions, including a high inflationary environment; (8) the potential of cybercrime, money-laundering, malware infections and phishing and/or loss and interference as a result of equipment malfunction or break-down, physical disaster, data security breach, computer malfunction or sabotage (and the costs associated with any of the foregoing); (9) the availability, delivery schedule and cost of equipment necessary to maintain and grow the business and operations of TeraWulf, including mining equipment and infrastructure equipment meeting the technical or other specifications required to achieve its growth strategy; (10) employment workforce factors, including the loss of key employees; (11) litigation relating to TeraWulf and/or its business; and (12) other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Potential investors, stockholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. TeraWulf does not assume any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement after it was made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or regulation. Investors are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements and the discussion of risk factors contained in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov.
Company Contact: Jason Assad Director of Corporate Communications assad@terawulf.com (678) 570-6791
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 16, 2024/APO Group/ —
Innovators and leaders from the most influential medical labs, hospitals, healthcare institutions, research centres and academia gathered in Dubai to discuss AI opportunities
Neurology and remote patient monitoring were among the key topics on the agenda for discussion
Tech enterprises and providers showcased the most impactful digital solutions to accelerate connectivity and drive transformation
Transformative health tech solutions were at the heart of conversations at GITEX GLOBAL’s GITEX DIGI_HEALTH 5.0 Dubai (www.GITEX.com), where thousands of tech enthusiasts and healthcare pioneers converged at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for a day of future health discussions.
The world’s largest tech event provided a platform to showcase the latest AI-driven digital health and health tech solutions, spotlighting innovations that are reshaping patient care on a global scale.
The event aligns with the UAE government’s pioneering efforts to advance the digital health ecosystem, with the UAE’s digital health market projected to reach USD $487.30 million by the end of this year. The show also supports Dubai’s commitment to adopting digital practices that benefit medical professionals and patients alike.
With AI-powered healthcare investments projected to make up 20% of global healthcare spending by year’s end, GITEX GLOBAL set the stage for industry leaders to explore how AI is revolutionising delivery and enhancing outcomes for millions of patients.
GITEX DIGI_HEALTH 5.0 Dubai brought together global professionals and leaders to build on that figure and discuss the impact the innovative tool is having on the day-to-day operations while also providing an outlook of what the future would hold. It attracted some of the biggest names in the global landscape including labs such as Biogen, Roche and Sanofi as well as tech giants Microsoft, M42, Lenovo. Also present were established medical institutions including Samsung Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, Roche and many more.
PioneeringRoboticand AI in Digital Health
The evolving role of robotics in health tech was a major focus of the showcase and conference programme. Denis Ledenkof, Founder ofRobosculptor, showcased how AI-powered robotics is transforming patient care via an autonomous platform for body treatments developed by health industry experts, emphasising robotic technology is providing plenty of benefits.
He said: “AI is a powerful tool and is leading to better patient preferences. When it comes to robotic treatments, they help improve the experience of patients by just giving them access to a wider range of therapies as well as enhancing accessibility.
“One example that we’re using is an application that functions similarly to a taxi or delivery app where people can scan for treatments and displays the information that users would be looking for.”
Alex Aliper, Co-Founder and President ofInsilico Medicine, a Hong Kong digital health unicorn – was part of another panel that delved into genomics. He discussed how precision medicine, powered by AI, is revolutionising genetic profiles – an approach set to transform treatments for diseases previously deemed incurable.
The future of AI in neurology
Meanwhile, following a study which showed that AI can reduce the risk of new vascular events by 25.6% in stroke patients, Aneesh Singhal, M.D, Director, Comprehensive Stroke Center & Vice-Chair of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, gave an overview of what to expect in the field of neurology.
In his presentation, he discussed the Golden Bridge II trial, which showed that the use of an AI-based clinical decision support system had a significantly greater impact on the number of vascular events and stroke care quality than standard care in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
Elsewhere, Jong-Soo Choi, Chief Technology Officer atSamsung Medical Centre, one of Korea’s most renowned hospitals, shared insights into cutting-edge technologies such as Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and gene therapy and how they are setting the stage for the next wave of change.
Smart lens among innovations unveiled
Dubai’s own deep tech company Xpanceo made waves with the unveiling of smart contact lens for 3D imaging, and another for data reading, demonstrating wireless data transmission capabilities integrated directly into the lens. These innovations are set to redefine the boundaries of how data in real time is perceived, pushing the digital health landscape into a new era of smart diagnostics.
Oracle Health also displayed its innovative Clinical Digital Assistant. Leveraging AI-powered driven voice recognition, the assistant autonomously documents physician-patient encounters, interprets the information, and accurately inputs a draft note into the Oracle Health EHR, allowing the physician to quickly review and approve the clinical documentation.
GITEX GLOBAL is seamlessly connecting the world’s largest network of tech events with GITEX EUROPE Berlin, GITEX ASIA Singapore, GITEX AFRICA Morocco, and GITEX NIGERIA all part of its portfolio. These events are fostering collaboration and driving innovation to shape the tech landscape of tomorrow.
GITEX GLOBAL this year announced the launch of GITEX DIGI_HEALTH 5.0 Expo-Summit in Thailand, from 10-12 September 2025, in a destination touted with one of the highest potentials to leapfrog the digital health industry, putting the spotlight on digital solutions to address the rising demands across Asia.
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After the announcement of “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, wrote to civil service colleagues this afternoon (October 16) and met with representatives from the four civil service central consultative councils and the four major service-wide staff unions to brief them on policy initiatives relating to civil service matters in the Policy Address. Mrs Yeung’s letter to civil service colleagues, entitled “Enhance Governance Capabilities and Continue to Strengthen Management”, outlined the policy initiatives including the strengthening of civil service management and promotion of digitalisation. She said, “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is making all-out, concerted efforts to build a vibrant economy, seek development opportunities and improve people’s livelihood. Civil servants must continue to serve the public proactively and render full support to the Chief Executive in his administration of Hong Kong, and do so with loyalty, dedication and a spirit of embracing challenges, reforms and innovation. This will elevate Hong Kong to new heights and build a better home for people.” Mrs Yeung added, “To move forward, we need a high-quality and efficient government team. For this reason, I had a meeting with civil service unions after the delivery of the Policy Address, so that the unions and civil servants would have a clear understanding and appreciation of the Government’s governing tenets and measures. This would enable them to render better support to the Chief Executive in his administration of Hong Kong and become a solid supporting force for Hong Kong’s advancement.”
Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024Issued at HKT 19:50
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:
The Chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC), Professor Stephen Cheung, welcomed the initiatives related to the construction of transport infrastructure and the development of the low-altitude economy announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” delivered today (October 16).
Professor Cheung said, “The Policy Address pointed out that the Government is actively following through the Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint for Hong Kong, under which the two railways projects, namely the Hung Shui Kiu Station and the Northern Link Main Line, are to commence construction this year and next year respectively, and at the same time pressing ahead with the two cross-boundary railway projects, namely the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai) and the Northern Link Spur Line; as well as actively taking forward the three smart and green mass transit systems in East Kowloon, Kai Tak and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and compressing the time required for construction. I welcome the Government’s effort to implement the major transport infrastructure projects in an orderly manner to drive economic development and strengthen the connectivity between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
“I note that the Policy Address announced that the Government will actively promote the development of the low-altitude economy in Hong Kong. I appreciate the Government’s foresight and eagerly anticipate the application of related technologies in various fields, such as the delivery of goods and passenger transportation.
“I am also pleased to note that the Government has set indicators for different measures and set out the ongoing policy measures, including the provision of automated parking spaces in newly completed government car parks and short-term tenancy car parks, the progressive implementation of the pilot schemes related to smart mobility under the Traffic and Transport Strategy Study, and facilitation of autonomous vehicles technology, in order to enhance transparency and ensure their timely implementation.
“The TAC will, as always, continue to earnestly offer views on various traffic and transport policies and measures for the Government to proceed with building and enhancing our transportation system, with a view to elevating and consolidating Hong Kong’s status as a high-quality liveable city and regional logistics hub.”
Sweden’s strategy for peace, security and stabilisation is a part of the governance of Sweden’s collective development, foreign and security policy. This strategy will contribute to conflict management and conflict prevention with a view to improving development opportunities and reducing humanitarian needs.
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The strategy will complement and strengthen other components of development assistance in conflict countries and areas with a high risk of conflict. Particular emphasis will be placed on coherence with bilateral and regional strategies related to contexts of conflict. Interventions guided by the strategy will be coordinated with relevant missions abroad and contribute to overall Swedish development cooperation in prioritised countries. In addition, the strategy will make it possible to promote the Government’s priorities in peace promotion, security and stabilisation in countries or situations where engagement is politically motivated but where there is no applicable country strategy.
CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Under the burden of high living costs, Canadians are making difficult sacrifices and finding ways to share expenses to make ends meet and save money. According to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index, conducted quarterly by Ipsos, nearly one-third (30%) of Canadians report that they have turned to bill-splitting strategies—such as carpooling, buying in bulk, sharing subscriptions and childcare, and cohabiting with others. More than one in ten (13%) indicate they are saving money by cohabiting with friends, partners, or family members, or by seeking out additional roommates or co-living spaces. Nearly three in 10 (28%) Canadians say they have even resorted to eating less to save money.
“We’re witnessing a bill-splitting boom as Canadians adapt to the high cost of living. Strategies like sharing expenses and co-living arrangements showcase not only resourcefulness but also the financial pressure many are facing,” says Grant Bazian, president of MNP LTD, the country’s largest insolvency firm. “These measures reflect the harsh reality of soaring living costs, compelling Canadians to find new ways to save. It’s particularly concerning that nearly three in ten report they are cutting back on food to make ends meet.”
Canadians are making other sacrifices to manage costs. Half (51%) say they have tried to save money by grocery shopping more strategically, and nearly half say they are avoiding impulse purchases (46%) or have stopped eating in restaurants or getting take-out (44%). The bill-splitting trend is more common among Canadians aged 18 to 34 and those living in British Columbia and Alberta. Similarly, co-habitation is more prevalent among younger Canadians, British Columbians, and those with lower income.
Cost-Cutting Measures and Lower Interest Rates Create Breathing Room in Some Household Budgets
Perhaps in part due to prudent cost-cutting efforts and with the pace of interest rates declining, Canadians are reporting some relief and improvements in their financial situation. The MNP Consumer Debt Index has increased by four points from the previous quarter to 89 points, signalling Canadians are feeling more positively about their personal finances. Canadians are building up the bank this quarter, reporting they have on average $155 more left over at the end of the month, reaching $937, the largest amount of money Canadians have had after all expenses in the last five years. Just over four in 10 (42%) Canadians say they are $200 or less away each month from financial insolvency – the lowest recorded proportion since September 2018 (40%).
“While cost-saving behaviours and lower interest rates have positively impacted Canadians’ perceived financial well-being, a significant minority—close to four in 10—still report being on the brink of insolvency, indicating they are struggling to make ends meet,” says Bazian. “Still, financial pressure is easing, providing individuals with more flexibility to manage their debts and invest in their future.”
Impact of Interest Rates on Debt and Financial Outlook
With Canadians expecting interest rates to continue falling over the next few years, perceptions of their ability to absorb interest rate increases have improved; one quarter (24%, +3pts) say they are much better equipped to manage an interest rate increase of one percentage point than they used to be, increasing three points since last quarter. More Canadians are looking positively to the future, with three in 10 (31%, +2pts) expecting their debt situation to improve when looking ahead one year from now, and fewer believing it will worsen (12%, -4pts).
Following three interest rate cuts this year, still almost half (48%, +1pt) of Canadians say even if interest rates decline, they are concerned about their ability to repay their debt. While slightly fewer this quarter say they will be in financial trouble if interest rates go up, more than half (54%, -3pts) still indicate they would be in trouble. Almost half of Canadians who are co-habiting (46%) or are bill-splitting (44%) are at risk of insolvency.
“Although inflation has eased and interest rates have fallen, many Canadians continue to feel the heavy burden of accumulated debt. Despite some relief, the difficult truth is that for those grappling with significant debt, cost-cutting measures alone may not provide the support they need,” explains Bazian. “Seeking guidance from a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can be a vital step for those looking to regain control of their financial situation, and bankruptcy is not the only recourse.”
Licensed Insolvency Trustees provide unbiased advice on options including debt consolidation, debt management plans, budgeting, and consumer proposals as well as bankruptcies. They are the only federally regulated debt professionals who are authorized to administer government-regulated insolvency solutions such as bankruptcies and consumer proposals.
“While bill-splitting strategies can offer temporary relief, they often don’t address the root of deeper debt issues. For those feeling overwhelmed by bills and debt, seeking advice from a Licensed Insolvency Trustee is a crucial step toward long-term financial stability,” says Bazian.
MNP’s extensive network of Licensed Insolvency Trustees provides free consultations in over 200 offices nationwide, delivering local, personalized support to help Canadians navigate their debt options.
Looking ahead to how Canadians plan to cut costs or save money in the year to come, the survey revealed the following:
Canadians’ Top Money-Saving Strategies For the Next 12 Months
Bill Splitting – 27%
Co-habitation – 14%
Creating a Budget / Recording All Expenses – 14%
Cancelling Subscriptions – 13%
Stopping Eating in Restaurants or Getting Takeout – 13%
Avoiding Impulse Purchases – 13%
Reducing Utility Consumption – 13%
Going Thrift Shopping – 12%
Finding Free or Low-Cost Entertainment – 12%
Grocery Shopping Strategically – 12%
Negotiating Bills – 11%
Cutting Vices – 10%
Moving Somewhere More Affordable – 10%
Splitting Grocery Costs / Buying in Bulk with Roommates, Friends, or Family – 9%
About MNP LTD
MNP LTD, a division of the national accounting firm MNP LLP, is the largest insolvency practice in Canada. For more than 50 years, our experienced team of Licensed Insolvency Trustees and advisors have been working with individuals to help them recover from times of financial distress and regain control of their finances. With more than 240 Canadian offices from coast-to-coast, MNP helps thousands of Canadians each year who are struggling with an overwhelming amount of debt. Visit MNPdebt.ca to contact a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or use our free Do it Yourself (DIY) debt assessment tools. For regular, bite-sized insights about debt and personal finances, subscribe to the MNP 3 Minute Debt Break Podcast.
About the MNP Consumer Debt Index
The MNP Consumer Debt Index measures Canadians’ attitudes toward their consumer debt and gauges their ability to pay their bills, endure unexpected expenses, and absorb interest-rate fluctuations without approaching insolvency. Conducted by Ipsos and updated quarterly, the Index is an industry-leading barometer of financial pressure or relief among Canadians.
Now in its 30th wave, the Index has increased to 89 points, up four points since last quarter. Visit MNPdebt.ca/CDI to learn more.
The data was compiled by Ipsos on behalf of MNP LTD between September 6 – September 11, 2024. For this survey, a sample of 2,000 Canadians aged 18 years and over was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 16, 2024/APO Group/ —
The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has appointed Dr Kennedy K. Mbekeani as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office, and Country Manager for Kenya, effective from 16 October 2024.
Mbekeani, a citizen of Malawi has over 25 years of senior experience in development finance, project management, policy advisory services, and knowledge generation at national and regional levels.
Prior to this appointment, he served as deputy director general for the Bank’s Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office. In this role he led the Bank’s business development and delivery for sovereign and non-sovereign investments, and provided advisory services to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and Mauritius. His efforts contributed to the Bank’s reputation as a trusted partner for high impact development projects in the region. He also managed relationships with governments and the private sector.
Mbekeani joined the Bank in 2009 as Chief Trade and Regional Integration Officer. Subsequently he has held various roles including lead regional economist, officer in charge and acting regional director respectively of the Bank’s South African Resource Centre. While serving as country manager for Uganda, he successfully expanded the Bank’s portfolio to over $2 billion.
Before joining the Bank, Mbekeani worked for the United Nations Development Programme as a trade, debt and globalisation advisor for East and Southern Africa. He also served as senior research fellow at the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, and senior economist at the National Institute for Economic Policy in South Africa.
He holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Economics and Statistics) degree from the University of Malawi, an MPhil in Monetary Economics from the University of Glasgow, and both an MA and PhD in International Economics from the University of California. He has authored numerous publications focusing on trade, regional integration, and infrastructure development in Africa.
Commenting on his appointment, Mbekeani said: “I am grateful and feel honoured by the confidence President Adesina placed in me through this appointment, as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office and country manager for Kenya. I look forward to working with the president, the Board of Directors, senior management, our teams and stakeholders to enhance the Bank’s operational efficiency, effectiveness and drive impactful developmental outcomes across the region.”
President of the African Development Bank Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr Akinwumi Adesina said: “I am delighted to appoint Dr. Kennedy Mbekeani as Director General for the East Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Office, and Country manager for Kenya. Kennedy brings extensive experience in managing operations, policy dialogue, coupled with astute diplomacy and well-tested ability to work effectively with countries and development partners. His knowledge of the Eastern Africa region and well-proven experience in delivering robust operations for the public and private sectors will strongly benefit the work and operations of the African Development Bank Group in East Africa and all countries in the region.”
Yaoundé (Agenzia Fides) – The mystery surrounding the health of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who has not appeared in public since the beginning of September, is growing. The Cameroonian Head of State did not attend the UN General Assembly or the Summit of French-speaking countries in Paris. His last appearance at an international gathering was the Summit of Heads of State as part of the China-Africa Forum in Beijing in early September. To counter the spread of news about the President’s alleged state of health, the Cameroonian government has banned the dissemination of such news since October 9. Officially, it is said that the President is in “very good health” and that he is “working and devoting himself to his duties in Geneva”. “He is doing well and will return to Cameroon in the next few days,” says the government spokesman. Meanwhile, an interreligious prayer for the health of the president and for peace in Cameroon was organized on the initiative of the Collective of Former Students of the Catholic Seminaries of Cameroon (CASEMCA) in collaboration with the Catholic Men’s Association (CHA), the “Union Catholique des Hommes Fils de Saint Joseph” and other Christian and Muslim communities and their religious associations. “The ecumenical ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 2 p.m. at the ‘Palais Polyvalent des Sports’ in Yaounde. It will be attended by religious dignitaries, high-ranking public and private figures, and citizens of all faiths,” the press release said. Paul Biya himself attended the minor seminary in Akono. The 91-year-old Cameroonian president is considered the dean of African Heads of State. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2024)
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Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – “The fact that the government under the newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has confirmed its will to conduct a thorough investigation into the Easter 2019 attacks is certainly a good sign. We look to the future with greater hope for justice. And we can say that we are confident,” said Peter Antony Wyman Croos, Bishop of Ratnapura, a city in central Sri Lanka, to Fides on the announcement that the new government in Colombo has confirmed the opening of a new investigation into the suicide attacks carried out on April 21, 2019 on three churches and three hotels, in which 279 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured. Government spokesman and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath once again publicly assured that the government will ensure justice and that no one involved in the attacks will be exempt from legal responsibility. “The Easter Sunday attacks will be thoroughly investigated. We assure the people of Sri Lanka that we will not pave the way for injustice. We will not hide or protect anyone. All those responsible for these acts will be brought to justice through legal channels,” said Herath. “Once the investigation is completed, we will submit a full report and also announce the action that will be taken,” he added, stressing that all investigation reports currently in the government’s possession will be carefully reviewed to ensure “completeness and accuracy.” Also during a visit to St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Negombo, one of the churches attacked in 2019, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake promised justice for the faithful: “There is a widespread belief in society that the Easter Sunday attacks may have been carried out for political reasons,” he said. Meanwhile, in recent days, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has initiated “contempt of court” proceedings against Nilantha Jayawardena, the former director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), for failing to pay full compensation to the victims of the 2019 attacks. The man had been ordered to pay 75 million rupees (around 25 thousand euros) in compensation to the victims of the Easter attacks, but has so far only paid 10 million rupees. On January 12, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the appeal of the victims’ families and sentenced four politicians and government officials, including former President Maithripala Sirisena, to pay a heavy fine for failing to prevent the attacks despite advance warnings from the intelligence services. In addition to former President Sirisena, these include: Pujith Jayasundera, Inspector General of Police; Hemasiri Fernando, former Minister of Defense; Sisira Mendis, former head of intelligence services. But while those responsible have been identified in the trials for “failure to take precautionary measures”, five years after the tragic events, nothing is known about the organizers and instigators of the massacres, a point on which the Catholic Church continues to call for “justice and transparency”. Another focus of the new government is the social sphere, an area in which the new government will be called upon to intervene to alleviate the serious economic crisis. Bishop Croos recalled that “people expect the new president to take measures to support the economy, alleviate the hardships of families and improve the employment situation. In addition to the medium and long-term measures, there is also an urgent need to support in the short term, especially the poorest, who are currently struggling to make a living”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2024)
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The free distribution of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for COVID-19 will end on October 27, 2024. The current stockpile of RATs, provided through federal government programs, is set to expire by the end of October and no additional tests will be distributed through government channels.
Read more about Government of Yukon announces changes to Rapid Antigen Test availability
The game, released by Chinese company Game Science on Aug. 19, 2024, is based on the legendary 16th century Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” The novel tells the story of a monk, Xuanzang, who journeys to India in search of Buddhist scrolls. The monkey Sun Wukong protects the monk by confronting and battling various demons and spirits.
Black Myth: Wukong has captivated millions with its stunning visuals and storytelling. It quickly became a cultural sensation in China and abroad, attracting widespread attention and praise for its graphic fidelity and technological sophistication.
As global affairsscholars, we see that the game’s success goes beyond the number of downloads or accolades. It’s what this success is driving within China’s technology sector that has far-reaching consequences.
Video games and global power
For years, China has been playing catch-up in the tech race, particularly in the production of semiconductors – the tiny microchips that power everything from smartphones to advanced artificial intelligence systems. The United States has maintained its dominance in this field by limiting China’s access to the most advanced chip-making technology.
As of 2024, China has shifted away from its aggressive “wolf warrior” diplomacy to a more cooperative approach in order to rebuild international ties. The government has also issued mandates for companies like Huawei to develop domestic chips. However, China’s success in boosting semiconductor development and production using these approaches has been limited.
Historically, video games have played a significant role in driving technological innovation in the semiconductor industry. From the early days of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System to the modern PlayStation 5, gaming has always pushed chipmakers to develop faster, more efficient processors and graphics processing units, or GPUs. The intense graphical requirements of modern games – high resolutions, faster frame rates and real-time rendering – demand the most advanced semiconductor technology. The development of advanced GPUs by companies like NVIDIA was directly influenced by the gaming industry’s needs.
Gamers require advanced processors to enjoy Black Myth: Wukong’s high-end visual and gameplay experience. Built using the state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 5 video game development tool, the game is a visual spectacle featuring lifelike graphics, seamless open-world environments and complex combat systems. The game is available for PlayStation 5 and PCs, and Game Science plans to release an Xbox version.
As Black Myth: Wukong sweeps across gaming platforms, it not only puts pressure on China’s semiconductor makers to build more and better chips, but it also reveals the vast market potential for high-performance hardware, especially for gaming PCs equipped with powerful GPUs. The game’s success showcases just how big the demand is.
China’s gaming industry has surged into a global powerhouse, yet it remains dependent on foreign-made chips. Coupled with the West’s restrictions on chip exports, Wukong has become a key catalyst for China’s semiconductor development, and domestic companies now face growing pressure to innovate.
This pressure aligns with Beijing’s broader technological ambitions. The government’s “Made in China 2025” plan calls for technological self-reliance, particularly in sectors like semiconductors, where China lags behind. And advanced GPUs haven’t been confined to the entertainment industry. They have become integral to advances in AI, including deep learning and autonomous systems.
Flexing China’s cultural muscle
While it might seem strange to link video games with geopolitics, Black Myth: Wukong is more than just entertainment. It’s a tool in China’s soft power arsenal. Soft power is nations influencing each other through cultural exports. For decades, the West, particularly the U.S., dominated global culture through Hollywood, music and video games.
Now, China is flexing its cultural muscle. The success of Black Myth: Wukong abroad, where it has been hailed as a game-changing title, is part of Beijing’s strategy to export its culture and technological prowess. Millions of gamers around the world are now being exposed to Chinese mythology, art and storytelling through a highly sophisticated digital medium.
‘China Stay Winning’ American YouTubers react enthusiastically to Black Myth: Wukong. (Audio NSFW)
But Black Myth: Wukong isn’t just a cultural triumph for China; it’s a warning shot. The country is taking advantage of its booming gaming industry to drive advances in a field that will define the future of technology. This game not only exports Chinese culture but also strengthens its tech base by accelerating the demand for domestic semiconductors.
While Black Myth: Wukong entertains millions, it also shows China’s growing influence in the digital realm. In the future, we might not look back at Black Myth: Wukong as just a successful video game, but as a catalyst that helped China close the technological gap with the West. Beijing is playing a long game, and video games like Black Myth: Wukong are turning out to be effective weapons.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
