Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China is ramping up efforts to boost high-quality employment growth by developing more new professions, encouraging entrepreneurship and skills education, and tightening supervision of the human resources market to secure a fairer, healthier working environment for people.
Li Zhong, vice-minister of human resources and social security, said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday that high-quality employment is a priority of the nation’s socioeconomic development, and authorities must give more support to industries and companies that are better suited to create job opportunities.
He said authorities need to establish a forecast mechanism for human resources demands based on technological and industrial advancement and regularly publish information about professions or occupations in urgent demand to relieve the current structural imbalance between labor force supply and employers’ needs.
Li said the employment of young people, which requires systematic policy and financial support and the provision of smoother career promotion channels, remains a top priority for the ministry.
Senior officials have also attached importance to skills education and training, another important incubator of job opportunities.
Ministry spokesman Lu Aihong cited the outstanding performance of young Chinese at the recent WorldSkills competition while explaining the positive role of skills in realizing self-worth and boosting employment. The competition was held in Lyon, France, from Sept 10 to 15.
“It’s the seventh time China sent a delegation to compete in the WorldSkills, which is recognized as the Olympics of skills,” he said. “The 68 young people from China won 36 golds, nine silvers and four bronzes, showing the world their superior skills and upbeat spirits.”
Lu said 283 young Chinese have competed at WorldSkills since 2010, and the honors they have won have given them more space for self-growth and more job opportunities.
“Many of these candidates and medal winners have devoted themselves to passing down skills, becoming good examples for the young generation,” he added.
Li, the vice-minister, said the ministry will further optimize job services to ensure that people looking for work get fairer, easier access to more professional job-seeking guidance and services. He added that the ministry will also offer more support to entrepreneurs to help them start businesses.
“Also, we will continue to perfect the labor or working regulations and expand social security coverage to protect people’s working rights,” he said. “Improper or illegal behavior, including job discrimination, salary arrears or unreasonable layoffs, will be cracked down upon to ensure the stability and health of the job market.”
During the UN General Assembly, countries and donors rally critical investments to save women and girls’ lives and drive sustainable development.
As part of the global effort to secure sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all, governments and philanthropies have committed approximately US$350 million in new investments to expand access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health services.
Together, the landmark commitments announced today on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly — ranging from countries committing domestic resources for reproductive health supplies to donor governments pledging funds to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership and new commitments from private sector and foundation partners — will help transform the lives of women and girls in 54 countries.
“Investing in reproductive health supplies is a ‘best buy’ for development, empowering women, improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, and uplifting economies,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency. “The significant new resources that governments and philanthropies are committing to are a lifeline for millions of women, who can now enjoy reproductive freedom and the power of choice. Together, we must close the funding gap for reproductive health commodities so that every woman, everywhere, can exercise her fundamental rights.”
The contributions to UNFPA alone have the potential to reach more than 28 million people with reproductive health care, prevent more than 8 million unintended pregnancies, avert more than 2 million unsafe abortions, and save the lives of up to 9,000 women and girls.
Domestic financing commitments include:
The Kyrgyz Republic announced US$119,000 to domestic resources for family planning commodities.
The Republic of Madagascar announced a US$15 million government contribution to procure quality-assured contraceptives and maternal health medicines through UNFPA.
Nepal announced a US$600,000 government contribution to purchase quality-assured contraceptives.
Financing commitments from international donors include:
The Government of Canada announced US$84 million commitment to SRHR projects.
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) announced a US$100 million commitment to co-fund the WISH/Step-Up (Women’s Integrated Sexual Health) platform, strengthening donor coordination on funding access to SRH choices for communities in the Sahel and Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands committed to a multi-annual partnership.
Norway announced a US$12.3 million commitment to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership over 2 years.
The Government of Spain announced a US$18 million commitment to UNFPA.
Other commitments include:
The European Union and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a partnership to design new innovative financing mechanisms to expand contraceptive and SRH access for women in low- and middle-income countries.
As a catalytic in-kind investment, HELP Logistics (Kühne Foundation) committed to bringing their expertise to UNFPA’s supply chain strengthening activities to help ensure SRH services reach those who need them most.
A Smart Investment for Health, Prosperity, and Sustainable Development
“When we invest in healthy women, we invest in a healthy world,” said Dr. Anita Zaidi, President of the Gender Equality Division at the Gates Foundation. “Family planning is a proven, high-impact intervention that not only saves lives but also fuels economic growth, makes societies more resilient, and advances gender equality. Investing in family planning can help unlock a brighter, more sustainable future for us all.”
Increasing sexual and reproductive health financing pays off. Globally, every US$1 invested in family planning yields more than US$8 in benefits for families and societies. Addressing the women’s health gap – in which they currently spend 25 per cent more of their lives in poor health compared to men – will boost the global economy by US$1 trillion by 2040. That amounts to an increase in per capita GDP of nearly 2 per cent every year.
A World Made Possible by Family Planning
Furthering the impact of today’s domestic financing announcements, the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, and Nepal have ongoing commitments under FP2030 to expand access to family planning. FP2030 – a global partnership dedicated to putting family planning at the centre of global health, development, and gender equality – premiered a new video at the UN General Assembly featuring Nigerian football star Asisat Oshoala and former US Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star and American business owner Renee Montgomery speaking to all that has been made possible by continued investments in family planning and SRH.
“So much of our world has been made possible by family planning. By enabling more women to shape their lives and futures, family planning has helped women to finish their education, join the workforce, ascend to leadership positions, and achieve their dreams,” said Dr. Samukeliso Dube, Executive Director of FP2030. “The commitments made to family planning and sexual and reproductive health today will create limitless possibilities for women, for families, and for our collective future.”
Investing in Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health is Investing in the Future
Today’s commitments represent a critical step towards ensuring universal access to SRH services. While the work is far from over, these commitments get us closer to closing the current and expanding financing gap.
“There is no escaping the reality: even with the important pledges today, we still need to do more to ensure all women and girls have access to life-saving family planning when they want it,” said Sir Chris Hohn, Founder and Chair of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. “The shameful gap in funding for commodities and services must be met by strong domestic leadership – and sustained donor funding in service to country priorities. CIFF’s US$100 million investment in the WISH platform, on top of our US$100 million investment last year to end the commodity financing gap, is a demonstration of our commitment to prioritizing country-led solutions to ensure more women and girls can choose their futures.”
By unlocking sustainable financing and recharging political will for SRH, we can secure a healthier, more equitable world for future generations.
In a bid to bolster membership, diversity and revenue, the club has introduced additional membership categories for women. These memberships form part of a dedicated campaign to get more women on the greens, following a member and board supported strategic plan to grow women’s membership from 18% to 30% by 2027.
Despite the club’s commitment to gender representation, its status as a signatory to The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A)’s Women in Golf Charter and recognition as a 2023 Visionary of the Year by Golf Australia for its “whole-club approach to gender equity”, support among some members remains wanting.
A stunt that made waves
Controversy erupted at 13th Beach after its new women’s memberships were launched.
One male member, wearing a blonde wig and skirt, was captured approaching club staff to inquire about the new women’s membership options, remarking:
I’m identifying as a female now and I’m just about to inquire about the new membership deal.
The male member, and two others who filmed and shared the footage, were temporarily suspended from the club.
A key element to the controversy is the discounted membership compared to male golfers.
[The club] openly discriminates against males […] it is both fair and just for female members to pay the same subs as their male counterparts, as equality is a fundamental principle that we should uphold.
However, this statement conveniently denies the sport’s current and past issues with gender, race and class.
Historical and current barriers
Globally year-on-year, the growth of male golf participation outnumbers women, with women making up 23% of adult registered golfers worldwide.
Despite this rise, access issues and barriers to full participation for women and girls run deep.
A lack of visibility of female golfers can reinforce stereotypes of golf as a men’s game, while women can struggle with amenities and equipment designed for men.
Traditionally in Australia, women and girls have been restricted to “associate” or “lady” memberships – which often have lower status and fewer benefits.
Course access can also be problematic, with Saturdays often reserved for male players.
At many Australian clubs, Tuesdays are often referred to as “ladies day” which assumes women don’t have work or other commitments.
A poster on the Reddit forum, r/WomenGolf, has queried the different options for men and women’s golfers. Reddit
Being scrutinised and surveilled on the greens by male golfers is reported by women as a barrier – feelings of hyper-visibility, being mocked for their play and their bodies frequently undermines women’s enjoyment.
At the professional level, while the women’s game is increasing in prize money, media coverage and sponsorship, there is still significant room for change.
For female professional golfers, research also highlights a male-dominated and “sexist environment”.
Inclusivity is good for everyone
In a bid to increase participation among more diverse groups, Golf Australia is inspiring people to “go play and enjoy golf in their own way”.
As part of its “own way campaign,” programs have been designed for seniors, women and disabled players.
Recognising how differences such as race and culture shape golf participation, more community-facing programs are targeting improved diversity.
Including women’s voices in decision making is key to realising meaningful change – research clearly finds boards with diversity of thought and representation perform better.
Beyond the important inclusivity debates, there are clear commercial reasons to enable women’s participation.
Very recent industry research states there are an estimated 36.9 million latent women golfers around the world, and this group may be worth up to US$35 billion (A$51 billion) to the golf industry should they take up the sport more permanently.
Golf has a lucrative opportunity.
Valuing and enabling diversity in all areas should fill the coffers and genuinely position golf as a sport for all.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
As South Africa celebrates Heritage Day, Acting President Paul Mashatile emphasised the need to recognise the growing impact of climate change on the nation’s well-being and cultural heritage.
Delivering the keynote address during Heritage Day celebrations inFicksburg, Free State, Mashatile urged citizens to be mindful of how climate change threatens both livelihoods and cultural traditions.
The Acting President expressed his honour in addressing the nation on Heritage Day but noted that celebrations were overshadowed by severe weather affecting parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Free State.
“It is a great honour and privilege to address you at this significant occasion as we celebrate our country’s Heritage Day. Unfortunately, as we were looking forward to this day, some parts of our country, which include Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Free State, were impacted by severe weather conditions, exacerbated by climate change.
“In celebrating our heritage, we must be alive to the impact of climate change on not only our wellbeing, but also on our culture. Extreme weather conditions such as those witnessed over the past few days affect some of our cultural and heritage sites, therefore undermining our national goals to protect and preserve our culture for generations to come,” he said.
Mashatile expressed empathy for those affected by the recent extreme weather events in parts of South Africa.
“We empathise with those who were affected by the widespread extreme weather. We would also like to commend Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Government Departments for their prompt and robust multi-sectoral response. Additionally, we commend the provinces that were impacted for their prompt activation of their disaster response structures,” the Acting President said.
He said the response teams led by NATJOINTS remain on standby to respond to any eventualities and continue to assist affected communities.
“Even while these teams are committed to helping and saving those in need, we nonetheless ask that our people exercise caution and pay close attention to any warnings issued by the South African Weather Service.
“These meteorological conditions emphasise even more how important it is to increase our investments in technology that may improve weather predictions.
“We can save lives by providing early warnings of storms, heat waves, and disasters. Our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
The Acting President urged the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture to explore policy considerations concerning the impact of climate change on the nation’s historical heritage, but also provide direction on how best the country can preserve the national identity in this era of multiple global challenges. – SAnews.gov.za
(l-r) Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Sport; Anita Frier, Principal of Stoke Damerel Community College; Warren Phillips, Technical Project Manager at the Football Foundation, join students Moyosore, Kassim and Eonan on site at Stoke Damerel Community College as work gets underway
Work to improve a community sports facility has officially kicked-off.
As part of the city’s ongoing investment in sports facilities, Stoke Damerel Community College is set to become home to three multi-surfaced pitches, providing space for several different sports.
Work will focus on a brand new, 2G sand pitch, which whilst primarily suitable for hockey, is a multi-sports surface and can be used for a number of other activities.
Also in the plans is a smaller 3G pitch, specifically targeted at football and rugby use, which has been supported by a £250,000 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.
A renovation and upgrade of and existing grass pitch is also set to get underway.
The new additions will be for both school and community use with modern flood lighting to ensure that they can be used all year round
The plans complement the work already underway to transform the former Brickfields Sports Centre into a new community health and wellbeing hub that will be operated by the Argyle Community Trust.
Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure and HR, joined representatives from Stoke Damerel Community College and the Football Foundation to see work begin.
Sue said: “It’s always exciting to see projects that have been long in the planning get to the construction stage.
“I know that these facilities will be so well-received, not just by Stoke Damerel Community College students, but also by the city’s large sporting community.
“I look forward to seeing work complete and pitches in use by students and residents alike.”
Dan Cole, Senior Assistant Headteacher of Stoke Damerel Community College, said: “Our new sports facilities will elevate our sports programmes, offering our students and community first-rate resources to train, compete, and stay active.
“This is a significant step in advancing our commitment to fostering well-rounded students by encouraging both academic achievement and physical development”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country.
“Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.
“We’re delighted that works are now underway to deliver the new 3G and grass pitches at Stoke Damerel Community College and we’re excited to see the new facilities in action.”
Source: Switzerland – Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Bern, 24.09.2024 – Speech by President Viola Amherd, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), at the UN General Debate, New, York, Tuesday, 24 September 2024.
Check against delivery
Mr President Secretary-General Excellencies Ladies and gentlemen
On the morning of 3 March 2002, I put a card into the ballot box, on which I had written a determined ‘yes’. Our TV screens had been filled with various forecasts and figures from the early hours.
But it was only in the evening that the final result came through: after years of struggle and a fiercely contested campaign, Switzerland would join the United Nations.
Ultimately, it was a few hundred votes from the canton of Valais – my home region – that tipped the balance.
On that day, the Swiss people expressed their country’s desire to assume responsibility and take part in the world of international politics in a spirit of solidarity.
More than two decades have now passed. I am addressing you today, just a few days before Switzerland assumes the presidency of the Security Council. The world may have changed, but our principles have not.
Like many countries, we are following with concern the escalating tensions and emergence of new conflicts around the world.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing increasing levels of grave human rights violations as well as a growing, blatant disregard for internationally recognised borders. Might risks taking precedence over right, and the threshold for resorting to military force has clearly fallen significantly.
Only together can we counter the dynamic, captured so aptly by the great writer Ferdinand Ramuz a century ago: “Parce qu’un malheur ne vient jamais qu’un autre ne vienne ; les malheurs se marient entre eux, ils font des enfants.”
There are major challenges ahead: wars, disasters, the damage we are inflicting on our shared environment, technological advancements and the opportunities and risks they bring.
As the only truly global organisation, the UN has a crucial role to play in tackling these issues.
We can make a start right here, if we choose to work together better – regardless of our governmental and economic structures or our cultural differences.
We must not let our world fragment into blocs. We must show our willingness to negotiate principles with all major regions of the world, principles that are in our mutual interest and respected by all. And this must always be underpinned by international law.
Excellencies Ladies and gentlemen
The search for peace is paramount, and Switzerland is committed to playing its part.
Based on its tradition of good offices and solidarity, and because resignation and inaction should never be an option, this summer Switzerland brought together around 100 states and international organisations for the Summit on Peace in Ukraine.
Our goal was to provide an initial impetus for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law and the United Nations Charter. The conference at the Bürgenstock marked an important step in that direction.
The 94 signatory states of the Bürgenstock Joint Communiqué reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
We would like to renew our invitation to the international community to spare no effort in supporting concrete measures and this Joint Communiqué.
International law is the basis for our common endeavours for global peace, security and prosperity.
The Geneva Conventions, the 75th anniversary of which we are celebrating this year, govern the legal basis of war as well as the protection of the civilian population.
But the latest UN figures paint the international community in a poor light. Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not only inadequately protected, but in fact come under repeated attack.
We are witnessing violations of international humanitarian law, from Myanmar to Ukraine, from the Middle East to Sudan. My country has been strongly committed to ensuring that the Security Council adopts ceasefire resolutions, particularly for Gaza and Sudan.
It is urgent that these resolutions are now implemented and respected. Likewise, we urgently call for an immediate return to a total cessation of hostilities on both sides of the Blue Line.
The heavy toll paid by civilian populations in these current crises and conflicts strengthens Switzerland’s resolve to ensure that international humanitarian law remains an absolute priority. Pushing for greater compliance is at the heart of our work in the Security Council.
Protecting the civilian population in conflicts is neither self-evident nor guaranteed. It must be afforded higher priority in conflict situations.
Peace is and always will be the best way to protect civilian populations. To this end, Switzerland is also committed to civilian and military peacebuilding.
Even if some peace missions have been unable to meet all of their intended objectives, they nevertheless contribute to security, stability and peace in people’s everyday lives. When deciding which missions to deploy, we must overcome our disagreements. Peace is too precious a commodity to become a pawn of self-serving interests.
Together with our many international partners, Switzerland is continuing to contribute to peacebuilding as well as expanding its capacities where possible.
War and peace are not the only challenges we face. There are many others that we also need to urgently address:
Civilians not only require protection from armed conflict, but also from natural disasters, as has become increasingly clear in recent years. Climate change and loss of biodiversity are having an existential impact on ever more people.
It is crucial that we also maintain and expand our efforts in these areas, while forging ahead with pioneering developments. Many of the international environmental agreements are either not implemented at all or only inadequately. This is resulting in large-scale environmental destruction.
I am also concerned about the rise in disinformation, which undermines people’s ability to form their own opinions based on facts. Private and state actors spread disinformation at home and in other states to fuel polarisation, sow distrust and destabilise states.
Switzerland has and will always be committed to freedom of expression and media freedom.
Disinformation is toxic. We can counteract this by improving our understanding of what constitutes free speech and manipulation of the facts; by exposing illegitimate interference, by fostering open and fair debate, and, in our capacities as governments and international organisations, by providing transparent and factual information.
Excellencies Ladies and gentlemen
Switzerland has and always will be committed to strong and effective multilateralism.
All states must come together to find lasting solutions.
My country is shaped by regular democratic debate at all levels of government – local, regional and federal. We urgently need to see more of such constructive and peaceful debate if we are to address the existential challenges that face us.
Two days ago, we adopted the Pact for the Future. The pact is a strong commitment to multilateralism. One of the core elements of the pact is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – our roadmap, which we must implement together as quickly as possible.
“The idea must be born from the vision, like the spark from a flint.” That too is a quote from Ramuz – one that has lost none of its relevance. We need courage and confidence.
And we need a framework in which we can work together as partners to find solutions. That framework is the United Nations. Let us work together to make it stronger.
Thank you.
Address for enquiries
DDPS Communication Federal Palace East CH-3003 Bern
Headline: Verizon named Telecommunication Services Sponsor for FIFA World Cup 26 and Tournament Supporter for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027
Deal marks first-ever agreement between FIFA and the world-class network provider
Verizon will power experiences for fans and customers leading up to, during, and after FIFA World Cup 26 , while also ensuring state-of-the-art connectivity across stadiums
Collaboration to ensure everyone across the tournament can follow every second of the action
An agreement between Verizon and FIFA was announced today, with the world-class network provider named the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for the FIFA World Cup 26 in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., as well as a Tournament Supporter in the U.S for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 .
Building on Verizon’s reputation as the go-to communications network partner of choice for sports and entertainment powerhouses, Verizon will now be powering future FIFA World Cup experiences for fans, players, media and more. For the FIFA World Cup 26, Verizon’s connectivity services will play a vital role across stadiums, official sites and various parts of the tournament operations, in what is the first-ever deal between the two organizations.
“The FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup are events that bring together global communities with a shared passion for the game,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon. “Verizon is committed to powering experiences that fans love, whether they’re on the ground or on the go. Our partnership with FIFA will power this connection for soccer fans around the world and enable the type of experience that only Verizon can deliver.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino added: “Football unites the world, and to unite the world we need to ensure that everyone is connected. Verizon is joining us on this journey to make football truly global, and will create the network that brings fans, players, partners and media alike together in 2026. We believe in the power of unity and, together, we’re excited about how Verizon’s involvement in these two groundbreaking tournaments can help grow the global game.”
The FIFA World Cup 26, the pinnacle of men’s soccer, is coming to the U.S. for the first time since 1994 – as well as Canada and Mexico – and will be the largest ever held, with 48 teams playing 104 matches. In partnership with FIFA, Verizon will help cater for the influx of fans, players and visitors around the country – ensuring that networks across stadiums, communities and cities keep fans, players and every attendee connected to all of the action. In addition, Verizon will deploy a program for international fans to access the Verizon network upon landing in the U.S. and Canada, ensuring a reliable connection for all visitors.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be the tenth edition of the tournament, with 32 nations competing for glory. Brazil will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time, becoming the first ever South American nation to host the competition. The U.S. has hosted the competition twice and won it four times.
As an Official Tournament Supporter for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in the U.S., Verizon will bring experiences for fans leading up to, during and after the games, including activations, unique giveaways, player meet-and-greets ahead of the tournament, and more.
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading provider of innovative gaming and hospitality intelligence platforms, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Maropost for Marketing Cloud, its enterprise-grade email marketing tool built to personalize customer communications at scale.
Enhanced with QCI data, Marketing Cloud automates and elevates email marketing to high-value customers, making it more timely, relevant, and engaging. The combined solution connects casinos to their best customers on a deeper level by learning preferences, spotlighting interactions, and enabling VIP experiences
The partnership will be highlighted at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2024 in Las Vegas, where team members from Maropost will join QCI at their booth. Together, they will showcase how their integrated solutions empower casino operators to enhance player engagement, improve operational efficiency, and gain actionable insights.
“Maropost is a steadfast supporter of the gaming sector, and we are thrilled to partner with them,” said Dr. Ralph Thomas, CEO of Quick Custom Intelligence. “Connecting QCI data with Marketing Cloud allows us to offer our clients robust and compliant marketing automation tools. Our partnership is not just strategic; it’s essential for the industry’s continued growth and success.”
Andrew Cardno, QCI’s Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the urgency of the collaboration: “Maropost’s commitment to the gaming industry advances the industry’s capabilities. Their proven marketing automation platform, which sends more than 104 million emails each day, enables casino operators to effectively and compliantly deliver hyper-personalized offers, increasing response rates and driving revenue.”
Jarred Young, VP of Revenue at Maropost, highlighted the transformative impact of the partnership: “Our collaboration with QCI has been a game-changer for casino operators. By integrating QCI’s rich data with Maropost’s powerful email automation, we’ve unlocked next-level guest engagement. We’re proud to stand with QCI to deliver the solutions our clients urgently need.”
About Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI)
Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) is the pioneer behind the QCI Platform, an artificial general intelligence platform that seamlessly integrates player development, marketing, and gaming operations with real-time tools designed for the gaming and hospitality industries. Our advanced, highly configurable software is deployed in over 160 casino resorts across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Latin America, and The Bahamas. Managing over $24 billion in annual gross gaming revenue, QCI’s platform serves as a best-in-class solution for on-premises, hybrid, or cloud-based operations. Our data-driven, AGI-powered software facilitates swift, informed decision-making, optimizing resources, crafting effective marketing campaigns, and enhancing customer loyalty. Co-founded by Dr. Ralph Thomas and Mr. Andrew Cardno, QCI is headquartered in San Diego, with additional offices in Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix. For more information, visit www.quickcustomintelligence.com.
About Maropost
Only Maropost unites the commerce tools and insights growing brands need to engage customers and scale their business. Built on unified customer data and an enterprise-grade infrastructure, Maropost offers a complete, connected suite of marketing, merchandising and search, ecommerce, and retail solutions. Since its founding in 2011, Maropost has made multiple appearances on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list and G2’s leaderboard. A global company, Maropost proudly serves 5,000+ leading commerce brands across North America, Australia, and Europe, including Victoria Beckham, Sandro Paris, Untuckit, Scott Sports, James Perse, and Fujifilm. Learn more at www.maropost.com.
About Global Gaming Expo (G2E)
Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is the world’s premier international gaming trade show and conference, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from around the globe. G2E 2024 will take place in Las Vegas, showcasing the latest trends and technologies that are shaping the future of the gaming industry.
About Dr. Ralph Thomas
Dr. Ralph Thomas is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Quick Custom Intelligence. A product visionary in applied analytics, he has founded two companies delivering solutions in casino gaming, education, and adult learning. As a gaming industry veteran, Dr. Thomas has substantial experience implementing analytics into single and multi-property gaming companies to drive tangible and measurable gains to the bottom line. He has built business intelligence tools for multibillion-dollar casinos and is the co-author of seven books and over 80 articles on applied analytics and data science in gaming. An inventor on dozens of patents, Dr. Thomas understands gaming from raw data up through casino operations, giving him a unique, 360-degree view of the industry.
About Andrew Cardno
Andrew Cardno is a distinguished figure in the realm of artificial intelligence and data plumbing. With over two decades spearheading private Ph.D. and master’s level research teams, his expertise has made significant waves in data tooling. Andrew’s innate ability to innovate has led him to devise numerous pioneering visualization methods. Of these, the most notable is the deep zoom image format, a groundbreaking innovation that has since become a cornerstone in the majority of today’s mapping tools. His leadership acumen has earned him two coveted Smithsonian Laureates, and teams under his mentorship have clinched 40 industry awards, including three pivotal gaming industry transformation awards. Together with Dr. Ralph Thomas, the duo co-founded Quick Custom Intelligence, amplifying their collaborative innovative capacities. A testament to his inventive prowess, Andrew boasts over 150 patent applications. Across various industries—be it telecommunications with Telstra Australia, retail with giants like Walmart and Best Buy, or the medical sector with esteemed institutions like City Of Hope and UCSD—Andrew’s impact is deeply felt. He has enriched the literature with insights, co-authoring eight influential books with Dr. Thomas and contributing to over 100 industry publications. An advocate for community and diversity, Andrew’s work has touched over 100 Native American Tribal Resorts, underscoring his expansive and inclusive professional endeavors.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
DAKAR, Senegal, September 24, 2024/APO Group/ —
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) (https://BAL.NBA.com) and Speak Up Africa, an African-led, Senegal-based organization working with leaders and changemakers in Africa and beyond to solve Africa’s pressing sustainable development challenges, today announced the launch of the second edition of their mentorship program, “Teaming Up: African LeadHERs meet BAL4HER,” which this year will pair 10 young African female athletes and aspiring sports industry leaders with female executives in the sports industry. The program is part of the BAL and Speak Up Africa’s efforts to advance gender equity and public health, propel women’s leadership, and prepare the next generation for careers in sports business across the continent.
The second edition of the program, which will run from Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 – Sunday, June 1, 2025, will once again pair each mentee with an industry executive and experienced mentor who will guide them through a personalized development journey. Through monthly workshops, targeted goal-setting, and immersive learning experiences, the mentees will gain essential skills and knowledge to thrive in Africa’s sports industry and become advocates for critical health issues affecting women and girls. Applications (https://apo-opa.co/3ZzrFNG) are open now and will close on Monday, Oct. 7. The mentors for this year’s program include:
Ashley Combs (Senior Director of Player Marketing, Excel Management)
Aicha Diop (Director of Marketing, BAL)
Allison Feaster (Vice President of Team Operations & Organizational Growth, Boston Celtics)
Dr. Kensa Gunter (Director of Mind Health, NBA)
Ebony Hoffman (Assistant Coach, Seattle Storm)
Dr. Ndidi Onyejiaka (Mental Health Professional, Chicago Sky)
Jamila Wideman (Senior Vice President of Player Development, NBA)
“‘Teaming Up: African LeadHERs meet BAL4HER’ reflects the BAL’s commitment to supporting the development of young African women who will shape the future of the sports industry on the continent,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “As we continue our efforts to advance gender equity, we look forward to once again collaborating with Speak Up Africa to pave the way for a more inclusive, dynamic, and health-conscious basketball community.”
“Basketball is more than a game. It is a powerful catalyst for social change,” said Speak Up Africa Founder, Yacine Diop. “Through ‘Teaming Up: African LeadHERs meet BAL4HER,’ we’re igniting a movement that intertwines sports, gender equality and health. These young women leaders will break barriers on the court and in boardrooms, champion critical health issues, and inspire millions across Africa.”
Similar to last year’s program, mentees will have the opportunity to visit their mentors in their home countries, allowing them to engage with leading professionals in their workplace. This hands-on experience will allow mentees to forge meaningful connections, broaden their networks, and gain practical knowledge directly from industry leaders.
As part of the launch, BAL and Speak Up Africa hosted an event at the NBA headquarters in New York City that brought together sports industry leaders and stakeholders to discuss and address areas impacting women in African basketball. The event featured the Speak Up Africa LINGEER exhibition, a photo exhibition designed to drive greater inclusion in basketball by highlighting the impact of women across a range of roles and functions.
Launched in 2023 as part of Speak Up Africa’s African LeadHERs movement and the BAL’s “BAL4HER” initiative, last year’s program matched six young women from Egypt, Rwanda and Senegal with sports industry executives Amber Nichols (General Manager, Capital City Go-Go), Chin, Feaster, Ebony Hoffman (assistant coach, Seattle Storm), Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers (Vice President of Communications, Boston Celtics) and Kornelia Semmelink (NBA Africa Senior Director, Media Partnerships).
Contemporary ice hockey was pioneered in Canada, and the sport has historically been watched and played by Canadians.(Shutterstock)
Hockey has played a significant role in shaping Canada’s culture and identity over the years. As sport scholar Tony Patoine once put it, “hockey has become more than a simple pasttime: it is a true Canadian tradition, a quasi-religion.”
Despite these perceptions, however, we question the strength of such unification potential amidst recent changes to hockey culture. Can hockey continue to unify all of Canada?
‘Communitas’
Hockey’s purported sense of unity closely relates to the concept of “communitas,” coined by anthropologist Victor Turner, which describes the strong bonds of comradery that form between members of a group — and sometimes between members of disparate groups — where rank and status disappear.
However, not everyone experiences this sense of unity equally. Since social groups establish behaviours required for group membership, those who don’t align with these norms may feel excluded.
Former Hockey Night in Canada commentator, Don Cherry, was once praised for upholding values characteristic of hockey, including the promotion of violence, hyper masculinity and an overall adherence to “ideas of loyalty, fraternity, and mutual respect.” These values, once normalized within the hockey community, shaped how both players and fans were expected to act.
But as the game continues to evolve and these values are increasingly considered archaic and out of sync with the broader political culture fostered within Canada, we as Canadian sport and political science researchers, respectively, question if hockey still provides that sense of communitas for all of Canada.
Hockey in French Canada
Although Canadians often view hockey as a monolithic, universally adopted sport across Canada, a closer look reveals patterns of non-uniformity. Nowhere are such differences more apparent than in the historical development of the sport in Québec versus the rest of Canada.
As historian Emmanuel Lapierre wrote, “French Canadians appropriated hockey in their own manner and used it to tell a story about themselves,” a story that is, like the province of Québec itself, unique within the Canadian federation.
For much of Canadian history, Anglophone hockey players represented the in-group, while Francophone hockey players were often seen as outsiders. In the 1950s, for example, Francophone players in the NHL believed they were treated more harshly when it came to suspensions and fines.
Maurice Richard scoring his 500th goal on Oct. 19, 1957. At the time, he was the first and only professional NHL player to achieve such a feat. (Wikimedia Commons)
After Montreal Canadiens’ player Maurice “Rocket” Richard was suspended from the playoffs in March 1955 for punching an official, a massive riot broke out among fans. They raged through downtown Montréal, targeting Anglophone-owned buildings. This riot became a symbol of Francophone resistance to Anglophone dominance, serving as a stepping stone towards the Quiet Revolution and renewed French Canadian nationalism.
This, in turn, strengthened the sense of unity around hockey in Canada. Francophone hockey players began to be viewed as more equal to, and at the very least not controlled by, Anglophone players. Hockey was used to forge a sense of communitas amongst French Canadians, serving as a transcendent unifier in Canada.
But that was then, and it occurred within the context of a province historically rich with connections to French Canadian culture, where hockey’s unification potential was, therefore, heightened. Does this similar sense of communitas still exist in the rest of Canada with respect to hockey? Or has the sport’s ability to unite the nation become weakened in an era of unprecedented political polarization?
In 2023, Hockey Canada’s former CEO acknowledged the need to address racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in hockey culture. “Each topic, or part of culture that we’re trying to get at, that will determine who the audience is as we move forward,” he said.
As hockey navigates these changes, it must adapt to the growing emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion, alongside the impacts of an increasing immigrant population and the globalization of the game.
This evolution could mean the demise of “traditional” hockey values, and perhaps that is a good thing: misogynistic, “rock ‘em and sock ’em” mentalities don’t align with the values of a modern liberal democracy like Canada.
Still, for communitas to transcend division, hockey must also find a way to bring traditional fans along, who may have enjoyed the undertones of violence and masculinized definitions of loyalty, fraternity and respect, without alienating them.
Where should hockey go now?
Hockey’s role as a unifying force in Canada is well established. Not only is it still Canada’s official winter sport, but as outlined above, it has also served as a unifier for French and English Canada. Hockey has, moreover, unified Canadians during other key moments, such as Canada’s victory over the USSR in the 1972 Summit Series, which symbolized democracy’s triumph over communism.
However, hockey’s role as a unifying force has diminished over the years. For many Canadians, hockey is no longer “the best game you can name,” as Stompin’ Tom Connors once sang.
If hockey is to maintain its historic place as a contributor to Canadian nationalism and communitas, the sport must evolve. While some traditional values — such as teamwork, loyalty and respect — should be preserved, outdated notions like hyper masculinity and aggression no longer align with today’s values.
As Canada changes, so too must hockey. Canadian hockey culture and policies must better adapt to meet contemporary Canadian values like diversity and inclusivity.
The question for Canadians isn’t just the future of hockey, but what can unite us in today’s world. Communitas need not be confined to hockey, let alone a sport. Hockey has traditionally filled this unification role, but if it fails to keep up, what will take its place?
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Bern, 24.09.2024 – In her speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, 24 September, President Viola Amherd focused on peacebuilding and international humanitarian law. She emphasised Switzerland’s commitment to strong and effective multilateralism.
In various conflicts around the world civilian populations and infrastructure are not only afforded inadequate protection, but are being deliberately targeted, explained the President. International law, as the foundation of all joint efforts for peace, security and prosperity in the world, must serve as the basis for action. She cited Switzerland’s commitment to peacebuilding, including the Conference on Peace in Ukraine at the Bürgenstock, and called for focused and effective multilateralism. She warned against the fragmentation of the world into blocs and paid tribute to the central role of the UN as the only universal organisation to address common challenges.
The UN General Assembly was preceded by the Summit of the Future, which was aimed at strengthening international cooperation. Switzerland welcomes the Pact for the Future adopted at the summit as an important commitment to multilateralism. The Pact draws on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a reference framework, sets priorities in peacebuilding and places human rights at the heart of each chapter. The Pact for the Future is a call for action by all UN member states, said President Amherd at the weekend.
UN Security Council debate and bilateral meetings
The president’s programme during her visit to New York continues with her participation in a high-level debate of the UN Security Council on the topic of ‘Leadership for Peace’ on Wednesday. Ms Amherd will give a speech at an event on the equal participation of women in political decision-making processes, which will be attended by other female presidents and heads of government. An event on the inclusion of women in the peace process in Afghanistan has already taken place.
President Amherd is taking advantage of her time at the UN to meet with heads of state and government. She met with Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday. The talks with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince covered bilateral relations while focusing on the Middle East conflict; this subject was also addressed at the meeting with President Pezeshkian alongside the human rights situation in Iran, Switzerland’s protecting power mandate and the 2015 nuclear agreement.
A meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled for Tuesday evening, which is set to address issues including multilateralism and Switzerland’s presidency of the UN Security Council in October.
COLORADO SPRINGS – Today, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera joined members of Sports Corp, and the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region to celebrate the announcement that the Senior Games would return to Colorado in 2025. Competitors in the Colorado Senior Games can go on to compete in the National Senior Games. The event will promote health, wellness, and camaraderie among senior athletes, while also highlighting the vibrant spirit of Colorado’s senior community.
“Colorado is the best place to train and compete for athletes of all ages, and I am delighted to share that the Senior Games are returning to Colorado. The Senior Games provide community and opportunities for senior athletes, and I can’t wait to see the talent that lives right here in our state. In Colorado, we are proud to be one of the healthiest and most active states in the country, and were recently ranked second in the United Senior Health Rankings, making our athletes sure competitors in the national games next year,” said Lt. Governor Primavera.
The Colorado Senior Games presented by Medicare Mentors, is set to take place from June 6-8th, 2025, in Colorado Springs. The event will feature a wide variety of sports and activities for participants aged 50 and older, including track and field, pickleball, and more. The last Senior Games were held annually in Greeley up until 2018. Registration for the Colorado Senior Games will open on February 1, 2025. Seniors of all skill levels are encouraged to participate, whether they are seasoned athletes or looking to try something new. Information on registration, events, and volunteering opportunities will be available on coloradoseniorgames.org.
Throughout her career, Lt. Governor Primavera has championed Colorado’s aging population, including creating more resources, strengthening employment opportunities, and more. The Lt. Governor leads the Colorado Office of Saving Money on Health Care, which is focused on reducing healthcare costs for all, including older Coloradans. This includes everything from capping the cost of insulin, increasing access to insurance coverage through efforts like Reinsurance and the Colorado Option, and reducing prescription drug costs through the Prescription Drug affordability Board and importing lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada.
The government meeting took place today in a unique format. In the public part of the meeting, the ministers presented reports on the activities of their ministries in connection with the flood. El primer minister Donald Tusk announced that this formula will be in force during the next government meetings. Later in the meeting, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft act amending the Act on special solutions related to removing the effects of floods. Tomorrow the government will present information on its activities in the Sejm. In the afternoon, the head of government went to a meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. Concrete actions Today’s government meeting was devoted to the situation in southwestern Poland after the flood. In the public part, Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked ministers to present the activities of their ministries and propose specific solutions. “My intention is that each government meeting – in this dramatic time of flood and post-flood reconstruction – should begin with a specific report that should reach people immediately,” explained the head of government. The second part of the meeting of the Council of Ministers was devoted to the draft act amending the act on special solutions related to removing the effects of floods. “Para bromear 100 pages of amendments that will improve the existing law; they will make assistance easier and more flexible,” announced Donald Tusk. The government will be able to secure – together with European funds – up to PLN 23 billion for the “Reconstruction Plus” program. “It was very important for us to provide financing for aid and then reconstruction for the coming months and years – because some projects will last for many years,” the Prime Minister said. The government remains directly involved in supervising activities in the areas affected by the disaster – a meeting of the crisis staff will be held in Wrocław this afternoon. Los dos ministros se multiplican Internal Affairs and Administration The first information during the meeting of the Council of Ministers was presented by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration. Tomasz Siemoniak emphasized that the State Fire Service and the army are currently focusing on two goals. The first is to ensure safety in connection with the peak wave on the Odra River. “We are moving forces and resources, moving helicopters and various types of equipment, so that we have forces and resources in all places of danger – especially backwaters, seepage through embankments or water pouring through embankments in some places” – reported the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration. The second priority is to support residents in restoring normal functioning in the affected municipalities. “Here we do not reduce our commitment in any way. As for the forces of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Bromear couple approximately 25,000. professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters and policemen,” said Tomasz Siemoniak. The police continue to ensure the safety of residents of flooded areas, including: guarding their property against looters, running mobile posts and providing psychological support. The Central Office for Combating Cybercrime is also carrying out intensified activities. It focuses primarily on the fight against disinformation and the practice of conducting false collections. “I am asking you to follow our announcements carefully. Please check carefully whether this is a fake collection. This is what we are trying to eliminate,” the Minister of Interior and Administration emphasized the importance of the problem. The Ministry of Interior and Administration cooperates with voivodes in the field of paying benefits to the injured. Nearly 20,000 families have already received such support. The aid is also organized by the Government Agency of Strategic Reserves, which has released funds in the amount of PLN 12 million and provides, among others, temporary housing. Ministrosdos of National Defense Prime Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reminded that from the very beginning, all the armed forces of the Republic of Poland were involved in the fight against the flood: land forces, air forces, navy, special forces and Territorial Defense Forces. “The lines of effort of the army: help and evacuation of the population, taking care of life and health – the most important thing is para bromear. The second thing is securing the embankments, strengthening them as the wave moves. The third issue is the tidying up of the area – matters related to cleaning, unblocking communication routes,” the Minister of National Defense listed the activities of the services subordinated to him. The army also got involved, among others: in the organization of the field hospital in Nysa and the disinfection process. On Monday, September 23, the Feniks military operation began. “We immediately launched another operation – Operation Phoenix, aimed at reconstruction, returning to normality. In fact, it is about raising the level of reconstruction to an even better infrastructure than what was destroyed,” announced the head of the Ministry of Defense. The operation is scheduled at least until the end of the year. Soldiers will be present in areas at risk and affected by flooding until the effects of the flood are removed. The cost of Operation Feniks is estimated at approximately PLN 175 million. Our NATO and EU partners offer their help, for example by sending engineering teams to rebuild roads and bridges. “Para bromear is an expression of solidarity that Poland has always shown to countries in need,” noted the Minister of National Defense. El primer ministro Donald Tusk thanked for the information about offers of international assistance. “Good comes back in different situations, in different forms. We helped the Turks, we helped the Swedes not so long ago… The Greeks, of course, with forest fires. Today, the Swedes are sending us dehumidifiers, the Turks and Germans want to build bridges…” Poland will definitely benefit from the offer of help wherever it is useful. Ministrosdos of Digitization Primer Ministro y Ministro of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski presented, among others: actions his ministry took to launch satellite communications. 160 Starlink terminals were handed over to the State Fire Service, and 70 terminales – to the Police. The Ministry of Digitization also cooperates with mobile network operators to provide residents of disaster-affected areas with access to mobile networks. “We have gone from several tens of thousands of people cut off from the mobile network to less than a thousand” – político Krzysztof Gawkowski. Audit activities were commissioned to develop solutions that will avoid disconnection in similar situations in the future. The ministry cooperates with the Police in the fight against disinformation. Recently, increased hostile actions have been recorded on the Russian and Belarusian sides. 80-90% of this false content is removed as soon as it appears. Another important action is to launch flood alerts in the MObywatel application. Thanks to this, residents of individual voivodeships can quickly obtain information about the situation in the region. Citizens are also provided with information by the government-created website podz2024.gov.pl. Together with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Minister of Digitization decided to donate 16,000 laptops to the affected areas to be used by children. Ministrosdos Infraestructura El ministro Dariusz Klimczak announced that all roads in Lower Silesia have already been made passable. The situation is worse in the Opole Voivodeship. The head of the ministry reported, among others, from activities aimed at rebuilding the bridge in Głuchołazy. The section of the Kłodzko Główny – Kłodzko Miasto railway route is still impassable. “We anticipate that we will clear traffic on this section by September 30,” Dariusz Klimczak reported the good news. The railway organizes detours on some sections. We appeal to travelers to
analyze the information provided by carriers. The head of the Ministry of Infrastructure provided detailed data on alarm and warning states, meteorological and hydrological warnings and the condition of reservoirs. He paid particular attention to hydrological warnings against third-degree floods for the Lubusz, West Pomeranian, Lower Silesian and Greater Poland voivodeships. Ministrosdos of Finance El ministro Andrzej Domański reminded that his ministry had secured PLN 2 billion in the state budget for the implementation of the most urgent aid tasks related to combating the effects of the flood and was working to increase this amount. “We regularly issue decisions activating funds for voivodes, including the payment of flood benefits. We are also working together with the local government to provide direct assistance to the affected municipalities. We have, among other things, funds at our disposal from the reserve in the amount of PLN 738 million. The decision on the division of this reserve will be made together with the local government,” said Andrzej Domański. They can count on support, among others: borrowers whose mortgage obligation will be taken over by the state for 12 months, as well as entrepreneurs – it is possible, for example, to apply for a waiver of tax liabilities. Ministros dos Funds and Regional Policy The Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instructions, carried out a comprehensive review of the Cohesion Funds. “Up to several billion zlotys can be transferred for reconstruction and resilience purposes,” informed Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. The ministry she manages is creating a new priority within the Cohesion Funds. Dedicated to Bromea Sobre rebuilding in flooded areas and at the same time building resilience to such events. “These will be funds for energy infrastructure, water and sewage infrastructure, road infrastructure, but also funds for private beneficiaries, supporting budget funds for the reconstruction of houses that were destroyed during the flood,” said the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy. The process of redirecting funds is consulted with local government officials from flood regions. Ministry of Climate and Environment Led by Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska, the ministry clima observes, among others, the situation of environmental infrastructure and the state of groundwater. The State Geological Service has introduced a state of hydrogeological threat for the period from September 17 to 30 for the Lower Silesian and Opole voivodeships and the southern parts of the Lubuskie and Greater Poland voivodeships. The Ministry of Climate and Environment directed resources and forces to post-flood areas, thanks to which the number of households without access to electricity significantly decreased. “1,738 customers remain without electricity. At its peak there were almost 80,000 households. The biggest problem in this respect is still the Lower Silesian Voivodeship,” said Paulina Hennig-Kloska. At the request of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Council of Ministers adopted an amendment to the regulation on the state of natural disaster, which is intended to facilitate the removal of waste from areas affected by flooding. The ministry also launched subsidies for local governments for the purchase of, among others, aggregates, pump, dryers. Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy, reminded what the activities of her ministry focus on. “While the ministries and services directly involved in the fight against the element are putting a stop to it, we at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy have been looking from the very beginning where the wave is already receding, where the water is receding and where the people of the flooded areas need immediate, urgent social assistance and financial assistance” – emphasized Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk. The total funds paid for these benefits are 100 million 409 thousand. PLN. This number is still growing. The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has facilitated access to aid by simplifying the form for flood victims. The application may be submitted orally, and the entire procedure works according to the so-called one window. Social workers often come to injured people themselves. El primer ministro Donald Tusk thanked Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk for the initiative to introduce paid leave for those who clean the homes of their loved ones. “A couple of pretty obvious help. Everyone who gets involved and devotes their time, is not at work, but helps their loved ones and family in drying, cleaning, pumping water, etc., will be able to count on state support,” assured the Prime Minister. A provision on this form of assistance will be included in the draft bill developed by the government. Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna announced that the main task of her ministry is to provide residents of flooded areas with access to medical services. Ministrosdos has launched 3 hotlines. “One, the general one, where the patient can find out where the nearest clinic is, where the nearest pharmacy that has not been flooded is; where to go for help. And two more hotlines that concern people in mental health crisis – separately for adults and separately for children and adolescents,” explained Izabela Leszczyna. Psychological and psychiatric help also reaches flood victims through the mobile center. The Minister of Health thanked the employees of all hospitals and clinics who are showing great commitment during the crisis. The hospital in Nysa is at the stage of drying and disinfection. “There is great determination of the employees of the local community, the starosta of Nysa, to open this hospital. Both the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund absolutely support these efforts,” emphasized the head of the ministry. The State Sanitary Inspection focuses on collecting water samples, conducting laboratory tests and issuing disinfectants. Anyone can call the district sanitary and epidemiological station to ask for water testing or help with disinfection. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Adam Nowak, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, informed that according to data collected by the Restructuring Agency, 4,318 farmers who had a registered farm number were affected by the flood. “In accordance with the Prime Minister’s instruction to ensure that this assistance is quick and well-addressed, the first program will be support of approximately PLN 5,000 for a hectare of field containing unharvested agricultural produce, unharvested cereals – mainly corn, partly also soybeans, corn, potatoes and sugar beets” – Adam Nowak presented one of the proposals to help farmers. The ministry will also support farmers, among others: ensuring the possibility of remission of rents for arable land, exemption and remission of social security contributions in KRUS, and compensation for cereals and other agricultural produce that came into contact with flood waters. Another solution is quick advance payments for direct payments to farmers from flood-affected areas. The Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, requested the European Commission to activate the crisis reserve at the disposal of the Commissioner for Agriculture, and also asked voivodes for support in initiating the work of estimating commissions. Ministrosdos of National Education Thanks to the determination of school principals and teachers, currently only 63 institutions have suspended classes. Remote teaching is conducted in 9 schools. “In no case is the safety of the educational course of children and young people at risk at this time. All exams and all activities will take place as planned,” assured Barbara Nowacka, the Minister of National Education. Affected schools have formal and legal options to organize classes in other places. The Ministry of Education has prepared a number of supports for those affected. “To meet
the needs reported by teachers and parents, we organize green schools for children from flood areas. There is a special website at zielonaszkoly.gov.pl with a 24-hour hotline where you can report schools that need help and appropriate assistance. Currently, nearly 850 people have registered – students from schools in flood areas – and are ready to leave,” said Barbara Nowacka. The Ministry plans to extend the program until the holidays. There is a special telephone line of the Ministry of National Education for psychological support. More than 40 psychologists provide assistance around the clock. The ministry, headed by Barbara Nowacka, also coordinates the “Schools for Schools” project, under which willing school communities in the country can support students and institutions from flood-affected areas. Ministros dos Sportu i Turystyki El Ministro Sportu i Turystyki Sławomir Nitras presented information on the forms of support prepared by his ministry. The Ministry will allocate funds for the reconstruction of sports infrastructure, especially school facilities, as well as public and tourist facilities – tourist trails and parks. 50 millones de was secured to support tourist institutions and enterprises that suffered losses due to the cancellation of their stay or the impossibility of carrying it out. “We have secured 2 million PLN in the tourist budget for a program to promote Lower Silesia as a safe place for organizing tourism,” declared Sławomir Nitras. The resort will also support sports clubs. The government’s plans for the coming days. Today, the Prime Minister will take part in a meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. During Wednesday’s session of the Sejm, the government will present information on actions in the flood-affected areas. On Thursday, the first reading of the special act that was discussed by the Council of Ministers should take place in the Sejm. . So I am asking for full mobilization,” the Prime Minister asked the politicians. The head of government thanked the heads of ministries for urgently preparing legislative projects and announced the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, which will be held next Saturday.
Similar to supporting a political party, sports fandom aids in the formation of social identity. This happens when people look to form attachments with other individuals who they believe are similar to them in some way to cultivate positive self-esteem.
My preliminary research into these issues has shown that in men’s professional sports, there has often been hostility towards the introduction of newer, more inclusive causes into sporting events. In the National Hockey League, for example, some players refused to participate in Pride Night events on religious grounds.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) kneel during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Essentially, that means those who say athletes should “stick to sports” or “shut up and dribble” aren’t suggesting they don’t want any politics in sports. What they’re really saying is that they don’t want to see political views they oppose being represented in professional sports.
The patriotic causes that have routinely been championed by sports leagues and used for nation-building, such as the military, are viewed as apolitical and therefore appropriate in sports settings. Conversely, messages that are critical of a country or focus on historic inequalities have been deemed “inappropriate” and are excluded by sports because of potential fan backlash.
Can sports influence politics?
More recently, however, sports leagues and teams have begun to engage with social justice causes, such as LGBTQ+ rights in the U.K., Canada and the U.S..
As sports organizations adapt to changing social norms and embrace newer social causes, they hold tremendous potential to impact political attitudes. They can showcase the acceptance of marginalized groups in previously hostile spaces, and provide valuable representation.
The representative and psychological value of sports fandom suggests sport is an understudied area of political science, one I hope to build on in my future research.
For example, we do not yet fully understand the impact that sports teams holding Pride Nights has on attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Nor do we know how soccer clubs in England, as local symbols of a migrant workforce, may impact immigrant attitudes.
Finally, we do not know why certain women’s national soccer teams, like Canada, have been successful in protesting for equal pay while others, like the Spanish team, have failed.
Sport could have a valuable role to play in unpacking these political questions about protest and identity — and represents an exciting emerging research area in political behaviour.
Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A drawing competition for the wards of the employees of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, on the theme ‘Swabhav Swachhata Sanskaar Swachhata’ was organised on 22.09.2024 under SHS-2024. Children aged 5 years to 15 years participated in the event.
DFPD organised a workshop for health and wellbeing of Safai Mitras on 23.09.2024 at Krishi Bhawan under the ongoing Swachhta Hi Seva 2024. Dr. Sonal Chourey, MBBS, DFM had an interactive session with the Safai Mitras wherein she gave them health and cleanliness tips for not only their physical but also emotional and social wellbeing.
Swachhata Samvad on “Swabhav Swachhata-Sanskar Swachhata” was organised on 23.09.2024 at Krishi Bhawan which was attended by a large number of employees of the department.
A plantation drive was carried out by IGMRI Hapur in the staff colony under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign.
Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) organized a Swachhata karyakram at Hauz Khas, Delhi.
Deep Cleaning drive was carried out inside and outside of Hostel of National Sugar Institute, Kanpur .
A Cultural program was organized by Sports Promotion Committee of Food Corporation of India (FCI) Hqrs. in which various programs like Traditional Dance, Play and Singing were organised. Senior officers took part in the event. Chairman and Managing Director, FCI and senior officers encouraged the participants and employees of FCI headquarters to maintain cleanliness in all spheres of life.
The Officers and officials of FCI headquarters also visited the site of the identified Cleanliness Target Unit (CTU) Site at Sikandra Lane New Delhi. The campaign was headed by Sh. Karthikeyan Gopal, General Manager (Hqrs) and the mass cleanliness drive with NDMC staff was conducted . With their collective efforts the waste and garbage was cleared from the site for further restoration work in future.
On 21.09.2024 a collective cleaning of CTU site with Municipal Corporation – Gorai Beach, Borivali was done by the officers and employees of Food Corporation of India – Regional Office (Maharashtra), which is a popular destination known for its stunning beaches and palm and serene atmosphere.
FCI Zonal Office (East), Kolkata employees participated in the Cultural Program on SHS organized under Swacchta Hi Seva Campaign 2024 with the commitment to promote cleanliness.
The Central Warehousing Corporation organized a drawing competition under the “Swachhata Hi Seva 2024. Health Camp for Safaimitra and Contract labour was also organized at Corporate Office, New Delhi.
Distribution of dustbins to nearby colony residents, creating awareness about separating dry and wet waste, sanitation drive at nearby temple and cleaning of identified black spot was done by Regional Office, Hyderabad.
Regional Office, Chandigarh distributed sanitation kits to sanitation workers
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Painting and essay-writing competition was organized in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bengaluru by Regional Office, Bengaluru.
Various Warehouses in Kochi Region under Swachhata Ki Bhagidari carried out cleaning of public places. The Regional Office, Kochi also distributed PPE Kits to the safaiveers and helpers under Safai Mitra Suraksh Shivir.
Two of the country’s most iconic cultural celebrations, the Auckland Diwali Festival and the Auckland Lantern Festival, will continue to delight locals and visitors thanks to a new naming rights sponsorship agreement with the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) announced today.
The Auckland Diwali Festival, known as ‘The Festival of Lights’, draws over 60,000 attendees annually. Since its inception in 2002, the festival has been a vibrant showcase, featuring traditional and contemporary music, dance, and stalls offering Indian delicacies and crafts.
The Auckland Lantern Festival, founded in 2000, marks the culmination of the Chinese New Year festivities. As Auckland’s largest annual festival and New Zealand’s largest Chinese cultural festival, it attracts over 170,000 attendees each year. With its recent move to the Manukau Sports Bowl, the festival promises to deliver a fantastic celebration.
BNZ CEO Dan Huggins says, “We’re delighted to throw our support behind two of New Zealand’s best loved and attended festivals.”
“Our sponsorship of the Auckland Diwali and Lantern Festivals reflects our commitment to growing the social, cultural, and financial wellbeing of New Zealanders. These events align with that mission, bringing hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders from all backgrounds together each year to celebrate Aotearoa’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity.
“We are thrilled to help bring these free family-friendly events to life from 2023 and beyond.”
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Chief Executive, Nick Hill, says the partnership is a significant one.
“As one of New Zealand’s most recognisable brands, we are thrilled that BNZ is partnering with two of Auckland’s most popular cultural festivals. It’s a great example of how Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is working with the private sector to reduce the reliance on ratepayer funding, while still delivering world-class cultural experiences that inevitably make Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland a great place to live, work, and visit.”
This year’s Auckland Diwali Festival will take place on 4-5 November at Aotea Square and Queen Street. Auckland Lantern Festival will be held at the Manukau Sports Bowl from 22 -25 February next year.
The Bundesbank is once again offering the public a glimpse backstage. On 14 and 15 September, the German central bank is hosting an Open Day at its Regional Office in Hesse in Frankfurt’s city centre. We want to give everyone the opportunity to experience up-close how the Bundesbank operates. Our Open Day will offer entertaining and straightforward insights into the work we do day-in, day-out to ensure stable prices and a stable financial system, says Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel. President Nagel will be participating in interviews and discussions at the two-day weekend event, along with other Executive Board members. He will be joined on stage by Frankfurt’s Lord Mayor, Mike Josef, for a discussion of Frankfurt’s importance as a financial centre for Europe. Bundesbank experts will also take to the stage to talk with the audience about issues such as inflation, financial stability and a digital euro. History buffs will have the chance to visit an exhibition on the history of the Deutsch Mark in the former Reichsbank building. This will also be the venue for short talks about “From the Reichsbank to the Bundesbank”, a new study published in March on the history of the German central bank in the period from 1924 to 1970. Great prizes are up for grabs in the Bundesbank’s quiz show, and there will be live music to set the mood. Visitors will get another chance to touch a real gold bar in our popular gold room. A virtual reality cinema will enable the visiting public to experience areas otherwise inaccessible to them, such as the Bundesbank’s gold vault or the meeting room of the ECB Governing Council. In info tents spaced across the entire premises, our staff will be on hand to explain the Bundesbank’s many tasks, from A to Z. The street Taunusanlage, which borders the Regional Office premises, will be accessible for pedestrians on both days of the event. This will leave more space for visitors to really get to know the Bundesbank than at previous open days. A wide range of food and drink will be available in our food truck zone. In addition, the Regional Office canteen will open its doors to the public for the first time this year. Many of our stands are also aimed at younger visitors, who will have a chance to show off their sporting prowess at our football workshops on Taunusanlage, for example. They will also be able to touch counterfeit money and try out games on the theme of banking supervision. The Bundesbank experience will begin before you even reach the entrance. But visitors can also take a tour inside our main building – a real gem for fans of art and architecture, says Ulf Slopek, President of the Regional Office in Hesse. More information on the event and how to get there The Open Day will be held in Frankfurt’s city centre at the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Hesse, Taunusanlage 5, from 11:00 to 18:00 on Saturday, 14 September and on Sunday, 15 September. Visitors can enter via the main entrance on Taunusanlage. Please be ready to provide a valid official photo ID and avoid bringing large bags to the event. Bags will be checked; they can be left for the duration of the event in a designated tent. The Regional Office in Hesse is located centrally in Frankurt’s city centre. The nearest public transport stops are Taunuslage, Willy-Brandt-Platz and Hauptbahnhof, which are only a few minutes’ walk away. We therefore ask visitors to use public transport wherever possible. There is barrier-free access to many activities, including the virtual reality cinema, the info tents, the kids’ area and the gold room. Sign language interpreting will be provided at a number of the on-stage interviews. The on-stage events will be shielded by a rain cover. The outdoor programme may be reduced in the event of heavy rain or storms. The indoor programme will continue as planned whatever the weather.
Union MoS for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav Launches Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 2.0 to Protect the Health and Well-Being of India’s Youth Every year around 13 lakh people lose their lives due to tobacco in India. Tobacco has become a fashion statement among the youth but it can lead to dangerous diseases like cancer: Shri Prataprao Jadhav
“The development of the nation is closely linked to the health of its young population”
Renowned celebrities, sportspersons and influencers like Aparshakti Khurana, Manu Bhaker, Navdeep Singh, Ankit Baiyanpuria, Gaurav Chaudhary and Janhvi Singh addressed the gathering and shared insightful views
Posted On: 24 SEP 2024 3:27PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav launched the second edition of Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 2.0at a hybrid event held at Lady Hardinge Medical College, here today. He also virtually inaugurated Tobacco Cessation Centres in medical institutions across India. The objective of the campaign is to protect the health and well-being of young people from the harmful effects of tobacco.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Prataprao Jadhav said that “every year around 13 lakh people lose their lives due to tobacco in India.” He also cautioned that “tobacco has become a fashion statement among the youth but it can lead to dangerous diseases like cancer.”
Motivating the youth to prioritize their health over tobacco use, Shri Jadhav stated that “good health is intrinsically related to own as well as closed one’s happiness”. He also highlighted that the development of the nation is closely linked to the health of its young population and urged everyone to pledge to resist and quit tobacco. He also urged elders to take responsibility of ensuring the youth don’t fall into tobacco use.
He stated that this year’s 60-day campaign prioritizes five key areas:
Increasing public awareness about the dangers of tobacco, particularly among youth and rural communities;
Improving compliance with the revised guidelines for Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) to keep schools and colleges free from tobacco;
Strengthening the enforcement of tobacco control laws, especially COTPA 2003 and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019, to limit youth access to tobacco;
Promoting Tobacco-Free Villages, where communities work together to eliminate tobacco and create healthier environments; and
Boosting social media outreach, using digital platforms to deliver strong messages about the harms of tobacco and the benefits of quitting to young people.
All participants took the ‘Say No To Tobacco’ pledge to remain tobacco-free, followed by a photo session featuring students and celebrities. Renowned celebrities, sportspersons and influencers like Aparshakti Khurana, Manu Bhaker, Navdeep Singh, Ankit Baiyanpuria, Gaurav Chaudhary and Janhvi Singh addressed the gathering and shared insightful views.
The event witnessed the launch of an educational video by WHO to be released in all schools, sensitizing young students on the detrimental effects of tobacco use. Three important guidelines-Health Workers Guide,SOPs for Villages to be Tobacco Freeand theGuidelines for Law Enforcers for Effective Implementation of Tobacco Control Laws 2024were launched during the occasion. A testimonial video by Voice of Tobacco Victims (VoTV), a group of cancer survivors sharing their experience of battling cancer due to tobacco use was also run at the event. A bike rally by two famous biking groups – Harley Owners Group and Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run was also flagged off during the event to spread awareness on the campaign.
The event concluded with the Union Health Ministry officials urging all stakeholders to stay actively involved in the campaign by following its social media channels. The Ministry encouraged everyone to show their support by participating in the campaign’s activities and sharing updates on its progress, helping to amplify the message and reach a wider audience nationwide.
Background:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare introduced the first Tobacco Free Youth Campaign last year, on May 31, 2023, in celebration of World No Tobacco Day. The campaign centered around four main strategies: raising public awareness about the dangers of tobacco, promoting the establishment of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI), strengthening enforcement of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2023, and creating Tobacco-Free Villages. The campaign was a huge success, with over 1,42,184 educational institutions and more than 12,000 villages declared tobacco-free. Additionally, COTPA 2003 was strictly enforced, with numerous challans issued.
Building on this success, this year the Ministry launched the Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0 with the aim to motivate young people to resist or quit tobacco use. The campaign will run for 60 days. It will focus on offering educational materials, promoting initiatives such as enforcement drives and IEC activities and establishment of tobacco free villages and educational institutions to encourage a tobacco-free lifestyle among young people across India.
The Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 2.0 also emphasizes a ‘whole of government’ approach through an increased partnership and coordination between seven ministries – Ministry of Education, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs and Ministry of Tribal Affairs as well as law enforcement units.
The launch event of the campaign saw the in-person participation of over 500 people, and many participants joined online. Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary; Smt. Puniya Salila Srivastava, Officer on Special Duty, MoHFW; Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services, Smt. V Hekali Zhimomi, Additional Secretary, MoHFW; Dr Sarita Beri, Director, Lady Hardinge Medical College; Dr. Roderico Ofrin, WHO Representative to India, senior officials from MoHFW, celebrities, influencers, among others. More than 300 school students from nearby Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI), NSS volunteers from My Bharat initiative and representatives from civil society organisations also participated in the event.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Government appoints members to Council of Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Limited Government appoints members to Council of Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Limited *****************************************************************************
The Government announced today (September 24) that the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, has appointed or reappointed the following persons as Council members of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Limited for a period of two years, until the conclusion of the company’s Annual General Meeting in 2026. Mr Matt Fung Chi-ho (reappointment)Mr Irons Sze (reappointment)Mr Ivan Wong Siu-kei (reappointment)Ms Candy Chea Shuk-mui (new appointment)
Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 18:45
This post originally appeared on theTransform with Google Cloud blog. It was first published April 12, 2024; last updated with new use cases September 24, 2024.
Since generative AI first captured the world’s attention, there’s been a vigorous discussion about what, exactly, the new technology is best used for. While we all enjoyed those early funny chats and witty limericks, we’ve quickly discovered that many of the biggest AI opportunities are clearly in the enterprise, government, and with exciting new companies.
When we first published this post during Google Cloud Next ‘24, we showcased 101 of the best use cases out of the hundreds featured across the event. Now, we’re adding another 84 to the list as customers across the globe continue to put generative AI to work.
[If you’ve visited this post in the past, you can find the newest use cases listed at the top of each section.]
In a matter of months, organizations have gone from AI helping answer questions, to AI making predictions, to generative AI agents. What makes AI agents unique is that they can take actions to achieve specific goals, whether that’s guiding a shopper to the perfect pair of shoes, helping an employee looking for the right health benefits, or supporting nursing staff with smoother patient hand-offs during shifts changes.
In our work with customers, we keep hearing that their teams are increasingly focused on improving productivity, automating processes, and modernizing the customer experience. These aims are now being achieved through the AI agents they’re developing in six key areas: customer service; employee empowerment; code creation; data analysis; cybersecurity; and creative ideation and production.
Hundreds of Google Cloud customers have now put AI agents and gen-AI solutions into production throughout their businesses and the world — with many seeing a tangible return on investment. They have come to rely on Google Cloud technologies that include our AI infrastructure, Gemini models, Vertex AI platform, Google Workspace, and Google Distributed Cloud.
Here’s a snapshot of how 185 of these industry leaders are putting AI to use today, creating real-world use cases that will transform tomorrow.
Customer agents
Similar to great sales and service people, customer agents are able to listen carefully, understand your needs, and recommend the right products and services. They work seamlessly across channels including the web, mobile, and point of sale, and can be integrated into product experiences with voice and video.
1.Alaska Airlines is developing natural language search, providing travelers with a conversational experience powered by AI that’s akin to interacting with a knowledgeable travel agent. This chatbot aims to streamline travel booking, enhance customer experience, and reinforce brand identity.
2. Bennie Health uses Vertex AI to power its innovative employee health benefits platform, providing actionable insights and streamlining data management in order to enhance efficiency and decision-making for employees and HR teams.
3. Beyond 12, a tech-enabled nonprofit focused on student empowerment, has developed an AI-powered college coach to offer scalable coaching to first-generation students that’s available over text, app, and the web.
4. CareerVillage is building an app called Coach to empower job seekers, especially underrepresented youth, in their career preparedness; already featuring 35 career development activities, the aim is to have more than 100 by next year.
5. Character.ai built its realistic conversational chat platform using the full stack of Google Cloud AI services, including for model training and daily operations, allowing it to manage terabytes of conversations each day without interruption.
6. Click Therapeutics develops prescription digital therapeutics designed to treat disease. Its Clinical Operations team leverages Gemini for Google Workspace to transform complex operations data into actionable insights, so they can quickly pinpoint ways to streamline the patient experience in clinical trials.
7. Formula E can now summarize a two-hour long race commentary into a 2-minute podcast in any language, incorporating driver data and ongoing seasonal storylines.
8. General Motors’ OnStar has been augmented with new AI features, including a virtual assistant powered by Google Cloud’s conversational AI technologies that are better able to recognize the speaker’s intent.
9. Gojek, an Indonesia-based super app, launched “Dira by GoTo AI,” a Bahasa Indonesia AI-powered voice assistant integrated into their GoPay service, allowing customers to use voice command to eliminate typing and scrolling, and complete tasks like bill payments and money transfers with fewer steps.
10. GroupBy, an ecommerce service provider, developed an AI-first Search and Discovery Platform powered by Vertex AI Search for Retail. This solution is meticulously designed to optimize revenue, strengthen brand loyalty, and drive sales growth for B2C and B2B retailers.
11. Hotelplan Suisse built a chatbot trained on the business’s travel expertise to answer customer inquiries in real-time, and, following that success, it plans to use gen AI to create travel content.
12. Justicia Lab is developing an AI-powered assistant that will simplify legal processes for asylum seekers and immigrants; by uploading a picture from a legal letter or document, users can extract valuable information and then receive personalized guidance and next steps.
13. Mercado Libre has incorporated semantic search into its digital shopping platforms, using AI embeddings from the Vertex AI Agent Builder, which greatly improved product recommendations and discoverability for more than 200 million consumers across Latin America.
14. Motorola’s Moto AI leverages Gemini and Imagen to help smartphone users unlock new levels of productivity, creativity, and enjoyment with features such as conversation summaries, notification digests, image creation, and natural language search — all with reliable responses grounded in Google Search.
15. mRelief has built an SMS-accessible AI chatbot to simplify the application process for the SNAP food assistance program in the U.S., featuring easy-to-understand eligibility information and direct assistance within minutes rather than days.
16. Personal AI offers a “personal language model” using only the data of one individual or brand and allowing them to control and own how it is used. Built on your own data, facts, and opinions, it creates a responsive and interactive messaging experience that helps people be more productive and deepen relationships.
17. PODS worked with the advertising agency Tombras to create the “World’s Smartest Billboard” using Gemini — a campaign on its trucks that could adapt to each neighborhood in New York City, changing in real-time based on data. It hit all 299 neighborhoods in just 29 hours, creating more than 6,000 unique headlines.
18. Quora developed Poe, its own generative AI platform for people to discover and chat with AI-powered bots, including Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, Meta’s Llama, and Mistral’s Large 2 — many of which are hosted on Google Cloud’s purpose-built AI infrastructure.
19. ScottsMiracle-Gro built an AI agent on Vertex AI to provide tailored gardening advice and product recommendations for consumers.
20. Snap has deployed the multimodal capability of Gemini within its “My AI” chatbot and has since seen over 2.5-times as much engagement within Snapping to My AI in the United States.
21. Tabiya has built a conversational interface, Compass, that helps young people find employment opportunities; the platform asks questions and requests information, drawing out skills and experiences and matching those to appropriate roles.
22. Telecom Italia (TIM) implemented a Google-powered voice agent to address many customer calls, increasing efficiency by 20%.
23. UPS Capital launched DeliveryDefense Address Confidence, which uses machine learning and UPS data to provide a confidence score for shippers to help them determine the likelihood of a successful delivery.
24. Volkswagen of America built a virtual assistant in the myVW app, where drivers can explore their owners’ manuals and ask questions, such as, “How do I change a flat tire?” or “What does this digital cockpit indicator light mean?” Users can also use Gemini’s multimodal capabilities to see helpful information and context on indicator lights simply by pointing their smartphone cameras at the dashboard.
25. ADT is building a customer agent to help its millions of customers select, order, and set up their home security.
26. Alaska Airlines is developing a personalized travel search experience using advanced AI techniques, creating hyper-personalized recommendations that engage customers early and foster loyalty through AI-generated content.
27. Best Buy is using Gemini to launch a generative AI-powered virtual assistant this summer that can troubleshoot product issues, reschedule order deliveries, manage Geek Squad subscriptions, and more; in-store and digital customer-service associates are also gaining gen-AI tools to better serve customers anywhere they need help.
28. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is using Vertex AI to modernize transportation operations for a smoother, more efficient journey.
29. Etsy uses Vertex AI training to optimize their search recommendations and ads models, delivering better listing suggestions to buyers and helping sellers grow their businesses.
30. IHG Hotels & Resorts is building a generative AI-powered chatbot to help guests easily plan their next vacation directly in the IHG One Rewards mobile app.
31. ING Bank aims to offer a superior customer experience and has developed a gen-AI chatbot for workers to enhance self-service capabilities and improve answer quality on customer queries.
32. Magalu, one of Brazil’s largest retailers, has put customer service at the center of its AI strategy, including using Vertex AI to create “Lu’s Brain” to power an interactive conversational agent for Lu, Magalu’s popular brand persona (the 3D bot has more than 14 million followers between TikTok and Instagram).
33. Mercedes Benz will infuse e-commerce capabilities into its online storefront with a gen AI-powered smart sales assistant. Mercedes also plans to expand its use of Google Cloud AI in its call centers and is using Vertex AI and Gemini to personalize marketing campaigns.
34. Oppo/OnePlus is incorporating Gemini models and Google Cloud AI into their phones to deliver innovative customer experiences, including news and audio recording summaries, AI toolbox, and more.
35. Samsung is deploying Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 to their Galaxy S24 smartphones so users can take advantage of amazing features like text summarization, organization, and magical image editing.
36. The Minnesota Division of Driver and Vehicle Services helps non-English speakers get licenses and other services with two-way real-time translation.
37. Pepperdine University has students and faculty who speak many languages, and with Gemini in Google Meet, they can benefit from real-time translated captioning and notes.
38. Sutherland, a leading digital transformation company, is focused on bringing together human expertise and AI, including boosting its client-facing teams by automatically surfacing suggested responses and automating insights in real time.
39. Target uses Google Cloud to power AI solutions on the Target app and Target.com, including personalized Target Circle offers and Starbucks at Drive Up, their curbside pickup solution.
40. Tokopedia, an Indonesian ecommerce leader, is using Vertex AI to improve data quality, increasing unique products being sold by 5%.
41. US News saw a double-digit impact in key metrics like click-through rate, time spent on page, and traffic volume to its pages after implementing Vertex AI Search.
42-45. IntesaSanpaolo, MacquarieBank, and Scotiabank are exploring the potential of gen AI to transform the way we live, work, bank, and invest — particularly how the new technology can boost productivity and operational efficiency in banking.
Employee agents
Employee agents help workers be more productive and collaborate better together. These agents can streamline processes, manage repetitive tasks, answer employee questions, as well as edit and translate critical communications.
46. 2bots offers technology solutions, such as chatbots and virtual agents, built with Google Cloud’s AI solutions; these intelligent chatbots and content generation tools are transforming the way companies interact with their customers.
47. Augment is building an AI personal assistant that offers enhanced note-taking and collects information across your apps, including calendar, email, texts, and social media, so users can more quickly and easily find personal information and keep their lives organized.
48. Bayes Impact builds AI products to support nonprofits, and its flagship product, CaseAI, is a digital case manager that integrates with an NGO’s current system to add smart features to draft action plans tailored to a beneficiary’s unique history; caseworkers have saved 25 hours of work per week on average.
49. Bell Canada has built customizable contact center solutions for its business customers that offer AI-powered agents to address callers, and Agent Assist, which listens when a human agent is on, offering suggestions and sentiment analysis. AI has contributed $20 million in savings across customer operations.
50. Best Buy can generate conversation summaries in real time using Contact Center AI, allowing live agents to give their full attention to understanding and supporting customers, resulting in a 30-to-90-second reduction in average call time and after-call work. Both customers and agents have cited improved satisfaction.
51. Camanchaca, a Chilean seafood company, took only six weeks to develop Elon, a virtual assistant that aims to provide more efficient customer service through digital channels, enhancing Camanchaca’s customer interactions.
52. Certify OS is automating credentialing, licensing, and monitoring of medical providers for healthcare networks, relieving the burden of time-consuming and often siloed information.
53. Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs widely uses Gemini for Google Workspace, estimating that employees are saving an average five hours per week just with AI capabilities in Gmail. Gemini is also streamlining time-consuming, manual processes through uses like AI-generated transcriptions and auto-formatting of pharmaceutical lab results or FDA compliance documentation.
54. Dun & Bradstreet built an email-generation tool with Gemini that helps sellers create tailored, personalized communications to prospects and customers for its research services. The company also developed intelligent search capabilities to help users with complex queries like, “Find me all the companies in this area with a high ESG rating.”
55. England’s Football Association is training Vertex AI on the FA’s historical and current scouting reports so they can be transformed into concise summaries, helping national teams discover future talent.
56. Fireflies.ai can transcribe, summarize, and analyze meetings, recordings, and other voice conversations to save time and improve collaboration and information sharing across teams.
57. Fluna, a Pan-African digital services company, has automated the analysis and drafting of legal agreements using Vertex AI, Document AI, and Gemini 1.5 Pro, achieving an accuracy of 92% in data extraction while ensuring security and reliability for sensitive information.
58. Hemominas, Brazil’s largest blood bank, partnered with Xertica to develop an omnichannel chatbot for donor search and scheduling, streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency. The AI solution has the potential to save half-a-million lives annually by attracting more donors and optimizing blood supply management.
59. Hiscox used BigQuery and Vertex AI to create the first AI-enhanced lead underwriting model for insurers, automating and accelerating the quoting for complex risks from three days down to a few minutes.
60. LiveX AI delivers AI Agents that swiftly enhance product education, boost customer conversion, reduce churn, and provide personalized customer support, with the goal of offering everyone a seamless VIP experience across their customer journey.
61. Opportunity@Work is applying gen AI to scale a suite of software tools and APIs that help employers identify “STAR” job candidates — “skilled through alternative routes” such as community college, military service, and on-the-job experience — helping fill roles in a tight market and expand opportunities.
62. QuantumMetric has introduced Felix AI, powered by Gemini Pro, to simplify digital analytics and decision making. Felix AI automatically summarizes a user’s web or mobile session and consolidates the moments that matter most into short, readable summaries for customer service workers.
63. Randstad, a large HR services and talent provider, is using Gemini for Workspace across its organization to transform its work culture, leading to a more culturally diverse and inclusive workplace that’s seen a double-digit reduction in sick days.
64. Sprinklr built Sprinklr AI+ into its unified customer experience management platform, giving brands gen-AI capabilities for customer service, insights, social media management, and marketing that has enterprise-grade governance, security, and data privacy built-in.
65. Thomson Reuters added Gemini Pro to its suite of large language models approved for employee use; with its 2-million-token context window, Gemini makes some tasks as much as 10-times faster to process and can process entire documents in context.
66. Warner Bros. Discovery built an AI captioning tool with Vertex AI and saw a 50% reduction in overall costs, and an 80% reduction in the time it takes to manually caption a file without the use of machine learning.
67. The U.S. Air Force built a new proof-of-concept portal for searching, browsing, and reading e-published PDFs — all within a 90-day deadline that leveraged the prebuilt tools and speed of Vertex AI Search and Conversation.
68. Avery Dennison empowered their employees with generative AI to enable secure, flexible, and borderless collaboration for enhanced productivity to drive growth.
69. Bank of New York Mellon built a virtual assistant to help employees find relevant information and answers to their questions.
70. Bayer is building a radiology platform that will assist radiologists with data analysis, intelligent search, and to create documents that meet healthcare requirements needed for regulatory approval. The bioscience company is also harnessing BigQuery and Vertex AI to develop additional digital medical solutions and drugs more efficiently.
71. Bristol Myers Squibb is transforming its document processes for clinical trials using Vertex AI and Google Workspace. Now, documentation that took scientists weeks now gets to a first draft in minutes.
72. BenchSci develops generative AI solutions empowering scientists to understand complex connections in biological research, saving them time and financial resources and ultimately bringing new medicine to patients faster.
73. Cintas is using Vertex AI Search to develop an internal knowledge center for customer service and sales teams to easily find key information.
74. Covered California, the state’s healthcare marketplace, is using Document AI to help improve the consumer and employee experience by automating parts of the documentation and verification process when residents apply for coverage.
75. Dasa, the largest medical diagnostics company in Brazil, is helping physicians detect relevant findings in test results more quickly.
76. DaVita leverages DocAI and Healthcare NLP to transform kidney care, including analyzing medical records, uncovering critical patient insights, and reducing errors. AI enables physicians to focus on personalized care, resulting in significant improvements in healthcare delivery.
77. Discover Financial helps their 10,000 contact center representatives to search and synthesize information across detailed policies and procedures during calls.
78. HCA Healthcare is testing Cati, a virtual AI caregiver assistant that helps to ensure continuity of care when one caregiver shift ends and another begins. They are also using gen AI to improve workflows on time-consuming tasks, such as clinical documentation, so physicians and nurses can focus more on patient care.
79. The Home Depot has built an application called Sidekick, which helps store associates manage inventory and keep shelves stocked; notably, vision models help associates prioritize which actions to take.
80. Los Angeles Rams are utilizing AI across the board from content analysis to player scouting.
81. McDonald’s will leverage data, AI, and edge technologies across its thousands of restaurants to implement innovation faster and to enhance employee and customer experiences.
82. Pennymac, a leading US-based national mortgage lender, is using Gemini across several teams including HR, where Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail is helping them accelerate recruiting, hiring, and new employee onboarding.
83. Robert Bosch, the world’s largest automotive supplier, revolutionizes marketing through gen AI-powered solutions, streamlining processes, optimizing resource allocation, and maximizing efficiency across 100+ decentralized departments.
84. Symphony, the communications platform for the financial services industry, uses Vertex AI to help finance and trading teams collaborate across multiple asset classes.
85. Uber is using AI agents to help employees be more productive, save time, and be even more effective at work. For customer service representatives, they’ve launched new tools that summarize communications with users and can even surface context from previous interactions, so front-line staff can be more helpful and effective.
86. The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs is using AI at the edge to improve cancer detection for service members and veterans. The Augmented Reality Microscope (ARM) is deployed at remote military treatment facilities around the world. The prototype device is helping pathologists find cancer faster and with better accuracy.
87. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has improved the quality and efficiency of their patent and trademark examination process by implementing AI-driven technologies.
88. Verizon is using generative AI to help teams in network operations and customer experience get the answers they need faster.
89. Victoria’s Secret is testing AI-powered agents to help their in-store associates find information about product availability, inventory, and fitting and sizing tips, so they can better tailor recommendations to customers.
90. Vodafone uses Vertex AI to search and understand specific commercial terms and conditions across more than 10,000 contracts with more than 800 communications operators
91. WellSky is integrating Google Cloud’s healthcare and Vertex AI capabilities to reduce the time spent completing documentation outside work hours.
92. Woolworths, the leading retailer in Australia, boosts employees’ confidence in communications with “Help me write” across Google Workspace products for more than 10,000 administrative employees. It’s also using Gemini to create next-generation promotions, as well as for quickly assisting customer service reps in summarizing all previous customer interactions in real time.
93-97. Box, Typeface, Glean, CitiBank, and Securiti AI discuss developing AI-powered apps across the enterprise, with measurable returns on investment for marketing, financial services, and HR use cases.
98-99. Highmark Health and Freenome join Bristol Myers Squibb to explore how AI can improve efficiency and innovation across care delivery, drug discovery, clinical trial planning, and bringing medicines to market.
Code agents
Code agents are helping developers and product teams to design, create, and operate applications faster and better, and to ramp up on new languages and code bases. Many organizations are already seeing double-digit gains in productivity, leading to faster deployment and cleaner, clearer code.
100. Labelbox has built a fully managed AI model evaluation solution directly integrated into the Vertex AI platform, allowing Google Cloud users to seamlessly launch human evaluation jobs and set specific criteria for evaluation, such as question-answering and summarization; this eases and accelerates the ability to deploy human-in-the-loop AI systems with higher levels of trust and authority.
101. Leroy Merlin, a global home improvement retailer, developed its Pull Request Analyzer using Vertex AI. This generative AI solution summarizes code changes, helping developers understand projects faster and improve code review efficiency.
102. Linear, a product development platform, built Similar Issues, a feature that uses AI to detect and prevent duplicate or overlapping tickets and ensures cleaner and more accurate data representation.
103. Magic is building a developer platform with a 100-million-token context window, so organizations can upload extremely large code bases and more easily query and build on them using gen AI assistance.
104. Pinecone provides infrastructure for developers to build accurate, secure, and scalable AI applications, allowing companies to easily ground gen AI apps in their proprietary data for use in AI search, retrieval-augmented generation, coding agents, and more.
105. Regnology built its Ticket-to-Code Writer tool with Gemini 1.5 Pro to automate the conversion of bug tickets into actionable code, significantly streamlining the software development process.
106. Weights & Biases, a creator of AI tools for developers, created W&B Weave, a lightweight toolkit to track, evaluate, and debug gen AI applications built with Gemini, so teams can confidently go from demo to production.
107. Capgemini has been using Code Assist to improve software engineering productivity, quality, security, and developer experience, with early results showing workload gains for coding and more stable code quality.
108. Commerzbank is enhancing developer efficiency through Code Assist’s robust security and compliance features.
109. Quantiphi saw developer productivity gains of more than 30% during their Code Assist pilot.
110. Replit developers will get access to Google Cloud infrastructure, services, and foundation models via Ghostwriter, Replit’s software development AI, while Google Cloud and Workspace developers will get access to Replit’s collaborative code editing platform.
111. Seattle Children’s hospital is using AI to boost data engineering productivity and accelerate development.
112. Turing is customizing Gemini Code Assist on their private codebase, empowering their developers with highly personalized and contextually relevant coding suggestions that have increased productivity around 30 percent and made day-to-day coding more enjoyable.
113. Wayfair piloted Code Assist, and those developers with the code agent were able to set up their environments 55 percent faster than before, there was a 48 percent increase in code performance during unit testing, and 60 percent of developers reported that they were able to focus on more satisfying work.
Data agents
Data agents are like having knowledgeable data analysts and researchers at your fingertips. They can help answer questions about internal and external sources, synthesize research, develop new models — and, best of all, help find the questions we haven’t even thought to ask yet, and then help get the answers.
114. 180Seguros is powering its data management platform for employees with Google Cloud AI and BigQuery to improve operational metric tracking, allowing for 3X faster query times.
115. Addy AI is helping mortgage lenders and banks automate their lending processes with custom AI models trained on Vertex AI. For example, the platform can extract loan opportunity details from lengthy email threads with numerous attachments.
116. Bayer Crop Science has developed Climate FieldView, a comprehensive agricultural platform with more than 250 layers of data and billions of data points; AI-powered recommendations allow farmers to design and monitor their fields for greater yields and efficient fertilization, with the added benefit of reduced carbon emissions.
117. CME Group is building a first-of-its-kind cloud-based commodities trading platform with AI tools built-in, offering CME’s trading customers access to deeper insights and smarter trades as well as rapid experimentation on new trading strategies that won’t interrupt existing trade flows.
118. Digits is developing next-gen accounting software for startups and small businesses; using AI-driven bookkeeping, expense management, and financial analysis, Digits enables business owners to achieve financial clarity and focus on growth.
119. Elanco, a leader in animal health, has implemented a gen AI framework supporting critical business processes, such as Pharmacovigilance, Customer Orders, and Clinical Insights. The framework, powered by Vertex AI and Gemini, has resulted in an estimated ROI of $1.9 million since launching last year.
120. Full Fact, a UK-based nonprofit working in 18 countries to combat misinformation, is now using gen AI to actively monitor stories so its 30 fact-checking partner organizations can focus on addressing specific claims and harmful information.
121. Fullstory, a digital behavioral data platform, is building the ability to analyze and summarize user behavior on a site to create more informed and enriching chatbot experiences; responses are more relevant and accurate, ultimately improving virtual agent performance and customer experience
122. GamudaBerhad, a Malaysian infrastructure and property management company, has integrated a Gemini-powered conversational agent into its cloud-based Tunnel Insight platform, providing faster information and insights during construction projects.
123. IntelligenciaAI is using AI models to research novel new drugs, relying on Google Cloud’s AI-optimized infrastructure to deliver scalable research that is accurate and transparent to meet the stringent needs of medicine.
124. IPRally built a custom machine-learning platform that uses natural language processing on the text of more than 120 million global patent documents, creating an accurate, easily searchable database that adds more than 200,000 new sources a week.
125. Ipsos built a data analysis tool for its teams of market researchers, eliminating the need for time-consuming requests to data analysts, which is powered by Gemini 1.5 Pro and Flash models as well as Grounding with Google Search to enhance real-world accuracy from contemporaneous Search information.
126. Materiom, a startup researching zero-waste, bio-based alternatives to fossil-fuel-made products like plastics, is creating a gen AI tool that enables entrepreneurs to develop novel compostable materials with broad applications; AI offers faster research and information gathering to speed up the development process.
127. Mendel has built a clinical AI system designed to break down the longstanding silos in medical data, boosting accuracy, accessibility, and ultimately patient health outcomes.
128. NeuroPace, a medical device company, built a solution to quickly identify effective epilepsy treatment options best suited to different patients; by analyzing brainwave patterns, it can find similar patients and apply successful therapies, streamlining personalized care.
129. NotCo, a Chilean food tech company, partnered with Eleven Solutions to develop a conversational AI chatbot powered by Gemini; the chatbot has revolutionized data access, allowing employees to instantly query their SAP system and gain real-time insights for faster, data-driven decision-making.
130. SURA Investments, the largest asset manager in Latin America, developed an AI-based analysis model for employees that allows them to better understand customer needs and improve customer experience and satisfaction.
131. AI21 Labs offers a BigQuery integration called Contextual Answers that allows users to query data conversationally and get high-quality answers quickly.
132. Anthropic has partnered with Google Cloud to offer its family of Claude 3 models on Vertex AI — providing organizations with more model options for intelligence, speed, cost-efficiency, and vision for enterprise use cases.
133. The Asteroid Institute is using AI to discover hidden asteroids in existing astronomical data. This is a major focus for astronomers researching the evolution of the Solar System, investors and businesses hoping to fly missions to asteroids, and for all of us who want to prevent future large asteroid impacts on Earth.
134. Contextual is working with Google Cloud to offer enterprises fully customizable, trustworthy, privacy-aware AI grounded in internal knowledge bases.
135. Cox 2M, the commercial IoT division of Cox Communications, is able to make smarter, faster business decisions using AI-powered analytics.
136. Essential AI, a developer of enterprise AI solutions, is using Google Cloud’s AI-optimized TPU v5p accelerator chips to train its own AI models.
137. Generali Italia, Italy’s largest insurance provider, used Vertex AI to build a model evaluation pipeline that helps ML teams quickly evaluate performance and deploy models.
138. Globo, one of Brazil’s largest media networks, is using Service Extensions and Media CDN to fight piracy during live events by blocking pirated streams in real time.
139. Golden State Warriors are using AI to improve the fan experience content in their Chase Center app.
140. Hugging Face is collaborating with Google across open science, open source, cloud, and hardware to enable companies to build their own AI with the latest open models from Hugging Face and Google Cloud hardware and software.
141. Kakao Brain, part of Korean technology company Kakao Group, has built a large-scale AI language model that is the largest Korean language-specific LLM in the market, with 66 billion parameters. They’ve also developed a text-to-image generator called Karlo.
142. Mayo Clinic has given thousands of its scientific researchers access to 50 petabytes worth of clinical data through Vertex AI search, accelerating information retrieval across multiple languages.
143. McLaren Racing is using Google AI to get up-to-the-millisecond insights during races and training to gain a competitive edge.
144. Mercado Libre is testing BigQuery and Looker to optimize capacity planning and reservations with delivery carriers and airlines to fulfill shipments faster.
145. Mistral AI will use Google Cloud’s AI-optimized infrastructure, to further test, build, and scale up its LLMs, all while benefiting from Google Cloud’s security and privacy standards.
146. MSCI uses machine learning with Vertex AI, BigQuery and Cloud Run to enrich its datasets to help our clients gain insight into around 1 million asset locations to help manage climate-related risks.
147. NewsCorp is using Vertex AI to help search data across 30,000 sources and 2.5 billion news articles updated daily.
148. Orange operates in 26 countries where local data must be kept in each country. They are using AI on Google Distributed Cloud to improve network performance and deliver super-responsive translation capabilities.
149. Spotify leveraged Dataflow for large-scale generation of ML podcast previews, and they plan to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with data engineering and data science to build better experiences for their customers and creators.
150. UPS is building a digital twin of its entire distribution network, so both workers and customers can see where their packages are at any time.
151. Workday is using natural language processing in Vertex Search and Conversation to make data insights more accessible for technical and non-technical users alike.
152. Woven — Toyota‘s investment in the future of mobility — is partnering with Google to leverage vast amounts of data and AI to enable autonomous driving, supported by thousands of ML workloads on Google Cloud’s AI Hypercomputer. This has resulted in resulting in 50% total-cost-of-ownership savings to support automated driving.
152-153. Broward County, Florida, and Southern California Edison are using geospatial capabilities and AI to improve infrastructure planning and monitoring, generate new insights, and create regional resilience for communities facing climate challenges today and tomorrow.
154-155. Kinaxis and Dematic are building data-driven supply chains to address logistics use cases including scenario modeling, planning, operations management, and automation.
156-157. NOAA and USAID are among the U.S. government agencies using Google Cloud AI to unlock critical data insights to streamline operations and improve mission outcomes — all with an emphasis on responsible AI.
Security agents
Security agents assist security operations by radically increasing the speed of investigations, automating monitoring and response for greater vigilance and compliance controls. They can also help guard data and models from cyberattacks, such as malicious prompt injection.
158. Apex Fintech is using Gemini in Security to accelerate the writing of complex threat detections from hours to a matter of seconds.
159. Exabeam has built a generative AI copilot for security analysts into its New-Scale Security Operations Platform.
160. Fiserv, a developer of financial services technology, can now summarize threats, find answers, and detect, validate, and respond to security events faster with the Gemini in Security Operations platform.
161. NetRise developed Trace to provide software supply chain security by introducing AI-powered intent-driven searches; these allow users to search their assets based on the underlying motives or purposes behind the code and configurations, rather than solely relying on signature-based methods.
162. Palo Alto Networks is using Gemini to create a grounded AI assistant for 24/7 security platform support in order to improve agent efficiency and response time; grounding the assistant in organizational data and security protocols has greatly improved the accuracy of responses.
163. BBVA uses AI in Google SecOps to detect, investigate, and respond to security threats with more accuracy, speed, and scale. The platform now surfaces critical security data in seconds, when it previously took minutes or even hours, and delivers highly automated responses.
164. Behavox is using Google Cloud technology and LLMs to provide industry leading regulatory compliance and front office solutions for financial institutions globally.
165. Charles Schwab has integrated their own intelligence into the AI-powered Google SecOps, so analysts can better prioritize work and respond to threats.
166. Fiserv’s security operations engineers create detections and playbooks with much less effort, while analysts get answers more quickly.
167. Grupo Boticário, one of the largest beauty retail and cosmetics companies in Brazil, employs real-time security models to prevent fraud and to detect and respond to issues.
168. Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex XSIAM, the AI-driven security operations platform, is built on more than a decade of expertise in machine-learning models and the most comprehensive, rich, and diverse data store in the industry. Backed by Google’s advanced cloud infrastructure and advanced AI services, including BigQuery and Gemini models, the combination delivers global scale and near real-time protection across all cybersecurity offerings.
169. Pfizer can now aggregate cybersecurity data sources, cutting analysis times from days to seconds.
Creative agents
Creative agents can expand your organization with the best design and production skills, working across images, slides, and exploring concepts with workers. Many organizations are building agents for their marketing teams, audio and video production teams, and all the creative people that can use a hand. With creative agents, anyone can become a designer, artist, or producer.
170. AdoreMe marketers write differentiated product descriptions in one hour, a tedious task which used to take 30-40 hours a month thanks to Gemini for Google Workspace.
171. Globo, the largest media group in Latin America, is using Google Cloud’s AI to hyper-personalize content for its streaming users, and create a better experience for spectators.
172. Higgsfield.ai built a number of text-to-video apps for consumers, including Diffuse 2.0, which can combine users photos, videos, and texts through AI models to create more realistic avatars.
173. Jasper trains its suite of creativity-, writing-, and marketing-focused AI models on Google’s AI infrastructure, delivering on-brand, data-optimized assets faster and at scale to teams large and small.
174. Puma is using Imagen to customize product photos on its website, saving time and ensuring they are locally relevant across markets; PUMA India has already seen a 10% increase in click through rate.
175. RadissonHotel Group personalized its advertising at scale in collaboration with Accenture and using Vertex AI and Gemini models, training them on extensive datasets stored in BigQuery; ad teams saw productivity rise around 50% while revenue increased from AI-powered campaigns by more than 20%
176. SquareEnix is using customer data to develop AI-optimized marketing assets to keep its gamers engaged, sharing personalized emails suited to each player’s preferences, leading to a 20% increase in email opens and a 10% increased retention rate.
177. Urmobo, a mobile-device management platform, created a virtual agent, Odin, that significantly improved user experience and reduced support tickets by enabling clients to interact with the platform using natural language.
178. The World Bank is developing a tool to extract key information from research literature on the causal impact of development interventions, with the ultimate goal to empower decision-makers to allocate the $220B in annual aid and trillions in annual impact investing more effectively.
179. Belk ECommerce is using generative AI to craft better product descriptions, a necessary yet time-consuming task for digital retails that has often been done manually.
180. Canva is using Vertex AI to power its Magic Design for Video, helping users skip tedious editing steps while creating shareable and engaging videos in a matter of seconds.
181. Carrefour used Vertex AI to deploy Carrefour Marketing Studio in just five weeks — an innovative solution to streamline the creation of dynamic campaigns across various social networks. In just a few clicks, marketers can build ultra-personalized campaigns to deliver customers advertising that they care about.
182. Major League Baseball continues to innovate its Statcast platform, so teams, broadcasters, and fans have access to live in-game insights.
183. Paramount currently relies on manual processes to create the essential metadata and video summaries used across its Paramount+ platform for showcasing content and creating personalized experiences for viewers. VertexAI Text Bison is now helping to streamline this process.
184. Procter & Gamble used Imagen to develop an internal gen AI platform to accelerate the creation of photo-realistic images and creative assets, giving marketing teams more time to focus on high-level planning and delivering superior experiences for its consumers.
185. WPP will integrate Google Cloud’s gen AI capabilities into its intelligent marketing operating system, called WPP Open, which empowers its people and clients to deliver new levels of personalization, creativity, and efficiency. This includes the use of Gemini 1.5 Pro models to supercharge both the accuracy and speed of content performance predictions.
To find even more customers using our AI tools to build agents and solutions for their most important enterprise projects, visit the Google Cloud customer hub.
CAMDEN, N.J., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Conner Strong & Buckelew, a leading insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm,is pleased to announce that President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Tiagwad has been named one of Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2024 Most Admired CEOs. This honor is awarded to leaders in the region who have demonstrated exceptional business vision and organizational effectiveness while also making a positive impact in the community.
Under Mike’s visionary leadership Conner Strong & Buckelew has grown from a successful regional firm to one of the largest, most admired brokerage and employee benefits consulting firms in the country serving clients nationwide and abroad.
“The organization’s sustained success since Mike joined the firm in 2005 is a testament to the service-oriented structure and consultative approach he has created. He has elevated our ability to do more for our clients by spearheading investments in key areas like safety, risk management, data analytics, pharmacy services and claims advocacy,” said John Muscella, Executive Partner, Chief Financial Officer at Conner Strong & Buckelew. “By creating a client-centric business model focused on partnering with clients to ensure the best possible results, Mike has been instrumental in our ability to achieve a client retention rate near 99% and a Net Promoter Score among the highest in the industry.”
Creating Careers and a Unique Culture
Along with his team, Mike’s leadership has fostered a unique corporate culture of employee respect and empowerment that prioritizes professional development and mentoring and also promoting from within. A big believer in nurturing young talent, under Mike’s leadership, the organization has also built a nationally recognized internship program that has created a continual pipeline of talent to enter the insurance industry.
“Mike’s passion for attracting young people to the business and setting the stage for all employees to build lifelong careers here is reflected in our numbers. Today, 36 Conner Strong & Buckelew employees who started as interns are full time employees, including five who are partners. We have an impressive 97% employee retention rate and 69 employees that have been with the company for over 20 years,” commented Alexis Wolfson, Senior Partner, Chief Human Resources Officer at Conner Strong & Buckelew. “With Mike’s support we have also been able to build a long-term Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) strategy that shatters DEIA program stereotypes and aligns with the company’s business objectives.”
Philanthropic Work
Beyond encouraging a company culture of giving that has translated to thousands of volunteer hours and donations to hundreds of worthy organizations, Mike has been a personal champion of helping individuals and families struggling with addiction. He created the annual Deb Tiagwad Memorial Golf Outing with all proceeds going to support Caron Treatment Centers, a nonprofit, comprehensive addiction treatment and behavioral health organization. To date, the event has raised over $1 million to provide scholarships for individuals to participate in a year-long, post-treatment recovery program.
When asked about being named one of the most admired CEOs, Mike said, “It is quite an honor, but the recognition goes to my colleagues at Conner Strong & Buckelew. Together as a team, we have achieved great success and that is a credit to all our employees.”
From his business acumen to his approach to corporate culture to his charitable endeavors, Mike Tiagwad is certainly a leader to be admired. We congratulate him along with all of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2024 Most Admired CEO Honorees.
About Conner Strong & Buckelew
Founded in 1959, Conner Strong & Buckelew is a privately held firm headquartered in Camden, NJ. An industry leader in providing complex businesses with comprehensive consulting and brokerage solutions for commercial insurance and employee benefits, we have unique resources and expertise in a variety of areas, including captive and alternative risk solutions, owner and contractor-controlled insurance programs, risk control services, claims advocacy and consulting, population health, data analytics, benefit consortiums and technology-driven solutions.
Since 2021 we have been an autonomously operated member of BroadStreet Partners, an insurance brokerage holding company that invests in high-performing independent agencies using a unique co-ownership business model. Collectively with BroadStreet Partners, we are among the 15 largest insurance brokerage, risk management and employee benefits consulting firms in the United States, serving clients throughout North America and abroad.
Conner Strong & Buckelew, National Headquarters, TRIAD1828 CENTRE, 2 Cooper Street, Camden, NJ 08102
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at business luncheon Hong Kong-Spain: Partnering for Success in Madrid, Spain, today (September 24, Madrid time): Dr Peter Lam (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council), Ms Jarillo (Deputy Director General for Asia, Europe and Oceania, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise of Spain, Ms Laura Jarillo), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon. I’m delighted to be here, in Madrid, the dynamic capital and financial heart of Spain, a city renowned for its world-class museums and fine dining and wine, not to mention the best football club in Europe, if not the world. What more can a visitor ask for? Well, I can tell you that this speaker, and the young and energetic innovation and technology delegation here with me, are pleased to be here, with you, to talk about how Spanish and Hong Kong business can partner for success long-term, mutually rewarding success.Hong Kong, connecting Spain and Asia Ladies and gentlemen, like Spain, Hong Kong is back in business after the challenges of the COVID pandemic, back creating opportunity for a world of business. Spain, included of course. Hong Kong has long been recognised as one of the best connected cities in the world. Half the global population is no more than a five-hour flight away from us. Before the pandemic, Hong Kong International Airport operated 1 100 flights a day, covering 220 destinations. Today, passenger throughput is rebounding, reaching over 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on peak days, with full resumption expected by year’s end. As for cargo, our airport has been the busiest in the world for 13 of the last 14 years. This strategic connectivity is enhanced by Hong Kong’s institutional advantages, reinforcing our role as a “super connector” in Asia. The unique “one country, two systems” arrangement makes this possible. As part of China, Hong Kong enjoys convenient and sometimes priority access to the vast Mainland market, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a city cluster comprising Hong Kong, Macao and nine Mainland cities in Guangdong province. The Greater Bay Area’s collective population counts more than 87 million, with a GDP exceeding 1.8 trillion euros, surpassing that of Australia and the Republic of Korea. And, on a purchasing power parity basis, the per capita GDP of the Greater Bay Area is US$40,000, 75 per cent of Spain’s. (Note: HK’s is US$71,500) Hong Kong, let me add, is the most international city in China, thanks to the “two systems” that distinguish us. We are the only jurisdiction in China practising the common law system, our judiciary exercising its powers independently. Information, capital, goods and people flow freely in and out of our city. Our taxes are low and simple, with a currency pegged to the US dollar. Our regulatory systems and professional services align with the best international standards. Our commitment to the rule of law is exemplified by the Rule of Law Index, produced by the World Justice Project. In the latest Index, Hong Kong ranked 23rd and Spain 24th, both ahead of the United States. Hong Kong’s enduring strengths will continue to thrive, as our country is committed to the “one country, two systems” principle for the long term. This commitment has been reiterated by President Xi Jinping on multiple occasions, and reaffirmed at various high-level state and party meetings in Beijing. Last year, China and Spain celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. And those ties continue to grow. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sanchez was in Beijing, his second trip to the Chinese capital in two years. As political and economic ties between our two countries strengthen, Hong Kong is proud to play a pivotal role in fostering more two-way investments, and more economic, innovation and cultural exchanges.Financial Services One obvious area where we can contribute is financial services. Hong Kong, after all, is an international financial centre – number three worldwide, behind only New York and London, according to the latest Global Financial Centres Index, released today. We have a robust fund-raising market. Our stock market’s total capitalisation stands at 3.7 trillion euros, while assets managed by private equity and venture capital exceed 200 billion euros. Hong Kong is the leading biotech fund-raising hub in Asia, too. A defining feature of our capital market are the “Connect Schemes” with the Mainland. Under the schemes, Mainland investors can buy stock, bonds, ETFs and derivatives directly from Hong Kong, while foreign investors can buy similar financial products on the Mainland through Hong Kong. In short, Spanish companies looking to list or issue bonds in Hong Kong can tap the capital from both the Mainland and international markets. Hong Kong is also the world’s offshore renminbi hub. As the use of renminbi as a trade and reserve currency increases, businesses will naturally look for renminbi-denominated investment and risk-management tools. Hong Kong handles approximately 80 per cent of global offshore renminbi transactions, offering a wide range of investment and risk-management products. Then there’s green and sustainable finance. We have long been Asia’s leader in green finance, issuing, on average, more than 55 billion euros in green and sustainable debt a year over the past three years. Our green standards align with the best international practices. To take an example, the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance, released in May, is highly compatible with the European Union’s Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities. For green projects looking for funding, Hong Kong is simply Asia’s premier destination.Innovation and Technology No less important is our commitment to rise as a global innovation and technology hub, together with the Greater Bay Area. We have what it takes to realise that ambition. Hong Kong is home to five global top 100 universities, and our two medical schools are among the world’s top 40. We also support 29 labs and research and development centres in collaboration with prestigious universities around the world. Our start-up system is thriving, offering a variety of innovative products in fintech, green tech, biotech, supply-chain management, big-data analytics and more. And 20 per cent of our 4 200 start-ups were founded by overseas entrepreneurs. Many of them are based in our two main innovation flagships: Science and Technology Park and Cyberport. And you will soon hear more from senior executives from these institutions, Albert and Eric. Let me add that our delegation members, many of them founders and CEOs of start-ups, are eager to talk to you, to explore business opportunities together. Hong Kong boasts a full-spectrum financing market, including banks, private equity funds, venture-capital funds and a well-developed stock and bond market. These provide abundant financial support for tech companies local and global, at different stages of growth. Greater Bay Area cities, let me add, each offers distinct strengths in innovation and technology; from basic research to technological application, commercialisation, and advanced manufacturing. This year, the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index ranked the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster second, globally, for the fifth consecutive year. Now, allow me now to highlight a few I&T areas where Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area offer singular advantages, starting with artificial intelligence. Crucial to AI are algorithms, supercomputing power, data and application scenarios, all of which Hong Kong is blessed with. We serve as a convergence point for Mainland and international data. We are also investing in the necessary i
nfrastructure, including a supercomputer centre. Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area provide many different application scenarios for AI. Many AI companies, let me add, are choosing Hong Kong to develop their large language models and to go global. Biotechnology is also a priority. And we are planning to conduct clinical trials for the Greater Bay Area. We are also working on a “primary evaluation system” that will allow medicine and medical devices approved in Hong Kong to be widely used in the Greater Bay Area, the Asian region and around the world. Then there’s the Northern Metropolis, a 300-square kilometre area in Hong Kong bordering Shenzhen. The Northern Metropolis is destined to rise as an innovation and technology hub, a vast bridgehead for Hong Kong’s co-operation with other Greater Bay Area cities. Ladies and gentlemen, that just touches on the opportunities Hong Kong is actively pursuing. But let me say that we’re particularly focused on four areas: AI, biotech, fintech and new energy and new materials. We are bringing in strategic companies to help us develop those sectors. Since the end of 2022, we have attracted over 100 tech companies to Hong Kong. Together, they will invest about 6 billion euros and create more than 15 000 jobs in our city. We are equally keen on attracting talent. Since the launch of the new talent admission schemes and updating existing ones, to date, we’ve received some 360 000 applications under our various talent admission schemes. About 226 000 applications have been approved, and 150 000 professionals have already arrived in Hong Kong, I’m pleased to say.Concluding remarks Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong offers boundless opportunities for Spanish companies – as a gateway to the Chinese Mainland and throughout Asia, and as a hub for financial services and I&T. My thanks to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for hosting today’s luncheon, and to our Spanish partners, including CEOC, ICEX and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, for make this welcome gathering possible. I am happy now to take your questions, to hear your thoughts and ideas on how our two economies and peoples can deepen our co-operation, creating far-reaching opportunities that benefit us all. Thank you.
In the trailer for Ridley Scott’s hotly anticipated sequel to Gladiator (2000), a new gladiator (played by Paul Mescal) goes to battle in “the greatest temple Rome ever built – the Colosseum”.
He comes up against naval warfare, a cutthroat promoter (Denzel Washington) and a stampeding rhino. But how much of this really took place in Roman times? As always with films based in the past, pedantic historians will jump in to assess the degree of cinematic licence and historical misinterpretation. So it is with the forthcoming Gladiator II.
The trailer for Gladiator II.
Did gladiators fight rhinos?
One thing that certainly did not happen was a warrior mounted on a rhinoceros (even a non-computer-generated one) charging at a group of gladiators. However, there is a record of a rhino at the inauguration of the Colosseum in 80BC. It didn’t fight men, but a bull, bear, buffalo, bison, lion and two steers. The other rare mentions of rhinos in Rome are of those in menageries, to be admired as exotic creatures.
This Roman interest in foreign, wild animals was the basis of the initial beast spectacles which began in 275BC with an exhibition of captured war elephants. Such non-violent displays of animals continued into the imperial era, but in 186BC the first staged animal hunt (venatio), featuring both lions and leopards, took place and by 169BC beast hunts had become an official part of republican state festivals.
Later, under the emperors, collecting and transporting beasts, especially unusual and foreign ones, to be displayed – but more often killed – demonstrated imperial power, territorial control and the vastness of the empire. Thousands of animals were brought from Africa and elsewhere to Roman arenas to be slaughtered for entertainment and the meat from the dead animals was given away to the spectators (it was easier than trying to dispose of the many carcasses).
Those who fought the beasts were not gladiators but specially trained hunters (venatores) armed with spears. The venatio could also feature fights between animals, as with the Colosseum rhinoceros, but most often the contest consisted of bulls against an elephant or bear. Animal hunts outlasted gladiatorial combats as a source of spectator entertainment, but as both the size of the empire and imperial funds diminished, greater reliance was placed on domestically reared “wild” animals.
Were there sea battles in the Colosseum?
More credence in historical terms can be given to the film’s staged sea battle (naumachia) in the flooded Colosseum. Such spectacles were expensive to stage and were reserved for special occasions.
The first one recorded was for Emperor Augustus in 2BC. Held on an artificial lake, it featured 30 large ships carrying some 3,000 marines plus an unspecified number of rowers. Participants in a naumachia, typically either convicted criminals or prisoners of war, were expected to kill each other or drown, though, the demonstration of fighting ability and courage could gain them a pardon.
The Naumachia by Ulpiano Checa (1894) imagines naval warfare in the Coliseum. Museo Ulpiano Checa
The grandest sea battle was provided by Emperor Claudius on Lake Fucinus, a spectacle involving 100 ships and some 19,000 marines and oarsmen. It was at this event that the fighting men reportedly said “hail, emperor, we who are about to die salute you”, mistakenly assigned to gladiators in so many films, including the first Gladiator.
Literary sources (not always to be trusted in antiquity as they were often written well after alleged events) claim that the Colosseum was flooded for a sea battle at its inauguration. After some debate, historians now accept that the engineering mechanisms were in place so that, at least in its early days, the Colosseum could have accommodated a naumachia.
Did a thumbs down really mean death for a gladiator?
Gladiator II also showcases the misconstrued sporting legacy of the thumbs up signal to spare a defeated gladiator who requested mercy or the converse of a thumbs down from those who wished him to die.
The arena was a large, noisy place and hand signals were often used as a means of communication. Indeed, rather than verbally requesting mercy, the defeated warrior himself would raise the index finger of his right hand, or even the hand itself, both of which were recognised pleas for clemency.
When the crowd opted for the death of a fighter they indicated this by means of pollice verso, literally a turned thumb, with no direction specified. When the hand was waved the sign indicated that the gladiator’s throat should be cut by his conqueror. Those who wished to save the vanquished, but courageous, fighter gave the sign pollice compresso, a compressed thumb but one often hidden from sight so as not to cause visual confusion.
Gladiators were valuable assets. Promoters, who had paid a hiring fee (typically 10-20% of their value) for them to fight, were reluctant to incur the full asset value demanded as compensation should they die. Especially when, at the crowd’s insistence, they could have a choice in the matter.
In many instances the event had been promoted to curry favour with the spectators so to go against their wishes would be counterproductive. However, whether the ultimate decision-maker gave a thumbs up or thumbs down is debatable. The idea that this occurred seems to have developed around 1872 with the popularity of a painting by French artist, Jean-Léon Gérôme. In it he depicts vestal virgins giving the dreaded sign. Although titled Pollice Verso, it became conventionally referred to as “the thumbs down painting”.
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Wray Vamplew does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced a federal investment of $14.9 million for 20 projects to advance zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, codes and standards, and education across Canada.
Everyone has a role to play in tackling climate change. The widespread shift to electric vehicles (EVs) is critical to decarbonizing on-road transportation, which accounts for 18 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions — of which 50 percent is produced by light-duty vehicles (LDV), or passenger cars.
In addition, clean fuels, such as clean hydrogen, advanced biofuels, liquid synthetic fuels and renewable natural gas, will play a critical role in hard to decarbonize sectors such as industry and medium- and heavy-duty freight.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced a federal investment of $14.9 million for 20 projects to advance zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, codes and standards, and education across Canada.
Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Program Projects
Kang and Gill Construction Limited in Victoria, B.C.: An investment of $340,000 to install 68 EV chargers by March 31, 2024.
Halifax County Condominium Corporation #240 in Halifax, Nova Scotia: An investment of $110,000 to install 22 EV chargers by April 2023.
Halifax International Airport in Goffs, Nova Scotia: An investment of $180,000 to install 37 EV chargers by December 2024.
Park Royal Shopping Centre Holdings Ltd., West Vancouver, North Vancouver and Whistler, B.C.: An investment of $242,000 from NRCan to install 50 EV chargers by November 2023.
Concert Realty Services Ltd, Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $190,000 from NRCan to install 38 EV chargers by January 2025.
Westbank Projects Corp., Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $4,914,660 to install 2635 EV chargers by May 2025.
THE OWNERS, STRATA PLAN BCS4321, Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $150,000 to install 30 EV chargers by June 2024.
Austeville Properties Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $250,000 to install 50 EV chargers by October 2025.
1125 Denman Developments Limited Partnership by its general partner Denman Developments Ltd, Vancouver, BC: An investment of $500,000 to install 16 EV chargers by July 2025.
The Owners Strata Plan LMS1108 “The National,” Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $260,000 to install 60 EV chargers by May 2024.
Strata Corporation LMS4255 “Marinaside Resort,” Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $500,000 to install 140 EV chargers by May 2024.
1229488 BC Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $99,999, to install 23 EV chargers by March 2024.
Zero Emissions Vehicle Awareness Initiative
Plug’N Drive, Toronto, Ontario: An investment of $1,560,633 to raise awareness of electric vehicles across Canada through a comprehensive awareness and experiential campaign, featuring test drives targeting small and medium-sized communities with limited experience or exposure to electric vehicles.
Create Climate Equity Association in Coquitlam, B.C.: An investment of $100,000 to engage one or more lower-income, underserved, urban communities in the City of Vancouver, B.C., on transportation needs and develop a design for equity-based, zero-emission mobility solutions for the participating communities.
Steel River Group Ltd in Calgary, Alberta: An investment of $300,000 to empower and equip Indigenous youth with the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to lead sustainable transportation and clean energy initiatives in their communities.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Alberta: An investment of $247,045 to develop non-credit courses on the maintenance of hydrogen fuel cell buses and heavy-duty vehicles to educate fleet owners, operators and heavy-duty vehicle mechanics and technicians on the use and maintenance of MHDVs and raise public confidence and awareness in zero-emission MHDV.
HUB Cycling, Vancouver, B.C.: An investment of $241,545 to increase awareness and uptake of e-mobility for transportation across the province of British Columbia.
Minister Wilkinson also announced $3.6 million in funding for CSA Group to update codes and standards related to ZEV infrastructure through the Energy Innovation Program:
CSA Group, Toronto, Ontario, $3,616,373. The objective of this project is to establish and revise codes and standards, develop guideline documents, manage committees, perform literature reviews for zero-emission transportation infrastructure, covering advanced charging equipment, energy storage, management and various transportation modes.
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada – Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP)
Lastly, Minister Wilkinson announced a joint investment of more than $3.1 million through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for two green infrastructure projects in British Columbia. The projects will enhance access to clean transportation options, use B.C.’s clean electricity supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Public Electric Vehicle Charging Expansion – Phase 3 in Vancouver, B.C. o The federal government is investing $824,600 through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of British Columbia is investing $687,098 through the CleanBC Communities Fund. The City of Vancouver is contributing $549,802. o The project will install approximately 15 Level 2 and nine direct-current fast-charge electric vehicle charging ports around parklands in the city, along with electric and mechanical system upgrades.
Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in the District of North Vancouver, B.C.: o The federal government is investing $217,447 through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of British Columbia is investing $579,821 through the CleanBC Communities Fund. The District of North Vancouver is contributing $289,965. o The project will install a public network of approximately 10 Level 2 and two direct-current fast-charge electric vehicle charging ports along key transportation routes, in priority buildings and near multi-family and social housing in the district.
Blind and partially sighted supporters to avail of new commentary service at Brandywell games
24 September 2024
Visually impaired or blind spectators attending Derry City games at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium can now avail of a new service that will give them a live audio description of games.
The new programme has been designed to allow the supporters to listen to descriptive commentary that will be transmitted to a radio receiver through a headset from anywhere within the stadium. The commentary will be provided by Drive 105.
The new service will be available for Derry City’s forthcoming games versus Sligo Rovers, Bohemians and Shelbourne and is available to home and away supporters.
The equipment has been installed by stadium owners Derry City and Strabane District Council following a report on accessibility improvements at the stadium being approved by Elected Members of Council’s Health and Community Committee in May.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, said it will allow more supporters to enjoy the match day experience.
“This is brilliant news for blind and visually impaired supporters who can now be more involved and enjoy an enhanced match day at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.
“I have had the opportunity to attend a number of games in recent months when I experienced the noise and excitement for myself, and I am so delighted more people can now feel included and part of that.
“I would like to thank Council Officers for bringing the project to fruition so quickly, the RNIB for their input in the project development, Derry City FC who will manage the service at games and Drive 105 for providing commentary from their Match Night Live service.”
The service at the Ryan McBride Stadium is similar to the Soccer Sight programme that was successfully implemented at Windsor Park in Belfast.
Campaigns Officer for RNIB Northern Ireland, Michéal Smith, attended Friday’s match at The Brandywell and said: “RNIB Northern Ireland is delighted to be involved in this initiative.
“Blind and partially sighted fans should be able to enjoy watching a live football match in an accessible environment which welcomes both participants and those who visit sporting facilities to follow the action.
“Too often, access to and within grounds and stadia, the facilities on offer, the accessible communication and the return travel, can be difficult to negotiate or completely absent. In many cases this deters sports fans with sight loss from getting involved.
“Football is for everyone and we commend The Brandywell for introducing Audio Description technology to the stadium. Many thanks to stadium announcer Martin Bradley for all his assistance.
“We thank local RNIB volunteer Rory McCartney and Richard Moore from Derry’s Drive 105 community radio station for their brilliant work together to make this happen. We also thank Derry and Strabane District Council – particularly Councillor Emma McGinley, Councillor Aisling Hutton and Leisure Area Manager Steve Setterfield, for helping bring this project to fruition. This is a great example of the Council’s ongoing partnership with RNIB to help Derry/Londonderry become a ‘Visually Aware City.’”
Derry City’s Robert Martin added: “Derry City FC is delighted to note the success of the new ‘Brandywell Audio Assistant’ service that was trialled in our home game against Shamrock Rovers on Friday night.
“Anything that enhances the match night experience at the ground is warmly welcomed and no doubt our visually impaired supporters will be happy to make use of the headsets going forward.
“We congratulate all involved in the development of this project and encourage anyone who feels they may benefit from the service to speak with stadium stewards.
“The sets will be stored in the Communications room and signed in and out by an appointed club delegate.”
For further information on accessing the new service contact Rory McCartney (RNIB), [email protected].
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)
WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) – a leading advocate for women’s sports –joined NJ/NY Gotham FCto celebrate their National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title at the White House with President Joe Biden. In 2023, Gotham FC – which practices in Whippany, NJ and plays in Harrison, NJ – won the NWSL championship title after beating the OL Reign in the league finals. Today’s visit marks the first time a NWSL team has been invited to celebrate their championship at the White House.
Rep. Sherrill joined Gotham FC after she successfully passed legislation through the House of Representatives last week to award Billie Jean King with theCongressional Gold Medal.
“It was wonderful to celebrate NJ/NY Gotham FC’s championship today at the White House – congratulations to the players, coaches, and staff who worked incredibly hard to earn the title. With practice facilities in Whippany and game days in Harrison, Gotham FC represents the very best New Jersey has to offer,”said Rep. Sherrill. “The National Women’s Soccer League’s success – and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s fight for equal pay – is in no small part due to Billie Jean King’s decades of advocacy and hard work. I was so proud to lead efforts to award her the Congressional Gold Medal last week and I look forward to seeing how this generation of women carry the torch and grow opportunities for women in sports.”
Representative Sherrill has been a leader in fighting for Title IX in athletics. She introduced the bipartisan Women in NCAA Sports (WINS) Actto address the dramatic inequities between men’s and women’s collegiate athletics. Additionally, she helped lead efforts to pass the Equal Pay for Team USA Act, ensuring that all athletes representing the United States in global amateur athletic competitions receive equal compensation and benefits in their sport, irrespective of gender.
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, is on his way to Chengdu, Sichuan, this morning (September 24), where he has been invited by the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda to attend the ceremony seeing off the two giant pandas “An An” and “Ke Ke”. The Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Mickey Lai, and representatives from Ocean Park Hong Kong are also joining the visit. During his stay in Sichuan, Mr Yeung will visit the heritage sites and arts and cultural facilities in Chengdu to learn about the integrated development of culture and tourism, as well as the promotion of tourism development. Mr Yeung will depart from Sichuan for Hong Kong on the evening of September 25. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, will be the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 10:22
Swimmers in Queensland’s fastest-growing city are a step closer to having a second Olympic-sized pool to enjoy, with works now underway on the $23.1 million Beenleigh Aquatic Centre upgrade.
The 50-metre, eight-lane swimming pool, is expected to open in mid-2025 and replaces the current thirty-three-yard pool which opened in 1964.
As well as being a beacon for local swimming enthusiasts, the new Olympic-sized pool will enable Logan to support more training, competitions and community sporting events.
Representatives from the Australian and Queensland governments and the Logan City Council met in Beenleigh today to celebrate the milestone.
The upgrades also include an expanded children’s water play area, shaded seating areas, modern changeroom facilities, a kiosk, and accessible and family friendly amenities.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the Beenleigh Aquatic Centre will feature solar panelling to generate clean energy, enable storm water harvesting and use of recycled materials.
The project is funded through the $285.8 million SEQ Liveability Fund, one of 29 commitments being delivered under the SEQ City Deal, with the Logan City Council investing $13.4 million alongside contributions from the Australian and Queensland governments of $4.85 million each.
The project will create an estimated 89 direct jobs and 78 indirect jobs for the local community.
The indoor pool remains open to the public while works are completed and existing programs will continue uninterrupted.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Cities Jenny McAllister:
“The Logan community is right to be excited by works starting on these facilities.
“As the temperature ramps up in summer, this will be a welcome retreat for families on weekends and school holidays.
“It’s a very real possibility that some of our future Olympians will start honing their craft right here at the future Beenleigh Aquatic Centre.
“That’s why investing in community sporting infrastructure like this is so important to the Australian Government.”
Quotes attributable to Queensland Minister for State Development and Infrastructure Grace Grace:
“The new Beenleigh Aquatic Centre is a great example of a project that will help create a more liveable, sustainable and healthy community.
“That is what the Liveability Fund is all about – projects that leave a lasting and positive legacy in the community.
“The Beenleigh Aquatic Centre will support the region’s booming population and complement the work being done to deliver a successful Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.’’
Quotes attributable to State Member for Macalister Melissa McMahon:
“With less than 8 years until Brisbane 2032, we’re seeing the city’s newest Olympic sized swimming pool being build right here in Beenleigh.
“A new Olympic pool may see our future swimming heroes develop their skills locally and deliver the goods in 2032.
“And there is something for everyone with this upgrade with new areas for children and more family friendly amenities.
“This is great news for Beenleigh and Logan City.”
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Logan City Jon Raven:
“It will be a modern venue to take our young and fast-growing city into the future as we head towards the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Council is proud to deliver community infrastructure that turns our suburbs into connected neighbourhoods especially as our population grows.
“Last week we announced the nine court Logan Indoor Sports Centre for Logan Central, so we are well and truly starting our warm-up run for sporting success as the Olympics get closer.”
Quotes attributable to Logan City Councillor Karen Murphy:
“The old pool was more than 60 years old, so it is wonderful to see work begin full steam on this upgrade, which will complete stage two of the Dauth Park Masterplan endorsed by Council in 2018.
“I can’t wait to see locals splashing around and swimming laps here in Beenleigh.”
Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung is on his way to Chengdu, Sichuan, where he has been invited by the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda to attend a ceremony bidding farewell to An An and Ke Ke, two giant pandas bound for Hong Kong.
Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Mickey Lai and representatives from Ocean Park Hong Kong are joining Mr Yeung on the visit.
Mr Yeung will also visit heritage sites and arts and cultural facilities in Chengdu to learn about the city’s integrated development of culture and tourism, and its promotion of tourism development.
The tourism chief will depart for Hong Kong tomorrow evening. During his absence, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Raistlin Lau will be Acting Secretary.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Working visit of Marat Khusnullin to Zaporizhia and Kherson regions
September 24, 2024
Marat Khusnullin visited the Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 1 in Melitopol
September 24, 2024
Working visit of Marat Khusnullin to Zaporizhia and Kherson regions
September 24, 2024
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Working visit of Marat Khusnullin to Zaporizhia and Kherson regions
During his working visit, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin inspected a number of facilities and held a meeting to discuss the activities of the program for the socio-economic development of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, taking into account their imminent integration into the new national project “Infrastructure for Life”.
“It also includes the construction and repair of roads. The Zaporizhia region has picked up a very good pace in their restoration. We will allocate additional funds so that several dozen kilometers are additionally repaired by the end of the year,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
In Melitopol, Marat Khusnullin drove along a renovated section of Frunze Street. It was put in order to ensure safe access to School No. 23. There is also a medical facility and a manufacturing plant along the road. Then the Deputy Prime Minister stopped by Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 1. The repairs were carried out by the “Single Customer in the Sphere of Construction”. Now young athletes can train again in comfortable and modern conditions at the Youth Sports School.
In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister discussed the regional economic development plan with the Chairman of the Zaporizhia Region Government Irina Gekht and visited the production of spare parts and units for agricultural machinery of the Melitopol Industrial Company. He noted that the enterprise has good potential for growth. In particular, it is helped in this by the status of a participant in the free economic zone, which is managed by the Territorial Development Fund.
In the Kherson region, Marat Khusnullin and the regional governor Volodymyr Saldo paid attention to the topics of housing construction and industrial development, as well as agriculture.
“The housing supply in the region is quite low. The task is to expand construction so that people can improve their living conditions. The second point is the economy. We see its good growth, some activity of local enterprises, we hope to increase our own tax base,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
At the end of his working visit, the Deputy Prime Minister inspected the renovated main building of the Kherson Technical University, where 200 students began their studies this year.
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.
http://government.ru/nevs/52783/
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.
