When used to evaluate suspected NSTEMI among patients who present to the emergency department (ED), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and troponin I (hs-cTnI) diverge for both diagnosis and prognosis, according to a secondary analysis of the APACE study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that hs-cTnI had better diagnostic accuracy than hs-cTnT for myocardial infarction whereas hs-cTnT had higher prognostic accuracy for future risk of all-cause and CV death “These findings are of interest to clinicians because both assays are currently considered equivalent in both indications,” Luca Koechlin, MD (University of Basel, Switzerland, and GREAT Network, Rome, Italy), and colleagues write in their brief report While additional research is needed to test the possibility that combined use of the two tests could offer clinical benefits “it is reassuring for clinicians to know that both hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI perform exceptionally well for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction when applied within a triage algorithm such as the European Society of Cardiology 0/1-hour algorithm,” Koechlin told TCTMD via email “Both assays provide high safety for ruling out myocardial infarction and excellent accuracy for ruling it in.” around half of hospitals use troponin T and half troponin I with the choice most often made at an institutional level in consultation with clinicians Fred S. Apple, PhD (Hennepin Healthcare/Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis), commenting for TCTMD, expressed reservations about the analysis. It’s unclear from the paper when these patients were enrolled in APACE, which is ongoing or which assays were used and how long testing occurred after symptom onset these factors mean that the data are hard to interpret “This article doesn’t show anything convincingly new between high-sensitivity troponin I and high-sensitivity troponin T.” To truly know if there is a difference more details from the dataset are required Koechlin et al excluded patients with STEMI an unclear diagnosis despite having at least one elevated concentration of hs-cTnT/I Their dataset included 7,614 patients (median age 61 years; 34% women) of whom 18.3% had MI when using hs-cTnT and 17.3% when using hs-cTnI The researchers compared both tests against two independent central adjudications “This approach minimizes potential bias that could arise when the adjudicated diagnosis is based on either hs-cTnT or hs-cTnI.” hs-cTnT was better at predicting all-cause and CV death from around 90 to 1,800 days the AUCs for all-cause death were 0.82 with hs-cTnT and 0.79 with hs-cTnI (P < 0.001) Again these findings were confirmed in the validation cohort It’s not yet fully known what’s driving the discrepant performance between the two tests “Their underlying pathophysiological differences remain speculative The faster release of cTnI vs cTnT from necrotic cardiac tissue the higher ratio of hs-cTnI/hs-cTnT seen in myocardial ischemia inducing substantial cardiomyocyte necrosis and the stronger association of hs-cTnT with renal function may play a role.” “Because ‘false-positive’ values for hs-cTn carry a high risk for patient morbidity and the fact that their causes often differ between hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI the combined clinical use of these assays should be investigated in future studies,” they add said future studies should explore whether there are “specific clinical scenarios in which one assay may be superior to the other a deeper understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these differences is needed to guide clinical decision-making.” Cox is News Editor of TCTMD and Associate Director Editorial Content at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation Koechlin L, Boeddinghaus J, Doudesis D, et al. Diagnostic and prognostic performance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T vs I. J Am Coll Cardiol and topical videos covering the spectrum of CVD and presentations from major meetings right to your inbox TCTMD ® is produced by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation ® (CRF) CRF ® is committed to igniting the next wave of innovation in research and education that will help doctors save and improve the quality of their patients’ lives New at TCTMD? Enter the email you used to register to reset your password Sign up to receive the most important cardiovascular news This content is available for meeting attendees and/or Platinum Members Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Photograph Source: Office of Speaker Mike Johnson – Public Domain COUP D’ETAT: A sudden decisive exercise of force in politics and especially the alteration of an existing government by a small group Donald Trump faced growing scrutiny over his increasingly authoritarian and violent rhetoric Fox News host Sean Hannity gave Trump a chance to assure the American people that he wouldn’t abuse power or seek retribution in a second term in the White House Trump stoked the fire of the campaign by stating he won’t be a dictator “except for day one.” Trump has established a dictatorial record that has no parallel in American history He has shredded the balance of power that the Founding Fathers created 250 years ago undemocratic practices to weaken America’s democracy and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are conducting a bureaucratic war against the federal government and even the Constitution itself has been challenged The central aspect of the bureaucratic coup include a rolling purge of the civil service particularly at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as such regulatory agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Even the Central Intelligence Agency has been threatened the employees of the Agency for International Development (AID) were told to stay home and the following day Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared himself to be the acting administrator of AID who was a strong backer of AID while in the Senate blamed the change on high levels of “insubordination” among the senior leadership of the Agency (Rubio is also leading the charge to take back the Panama Canal but I’ll leave the foreign policy absurdities for another day.) Meanwhile Musk has taken credit for gutting AID by “spending the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.” In addition to putting Rubio in charge of AID Trump announced that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent would be acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau an activist director who was expanding the Bureau’s authority over the banks and other financial firms Chopra was serving a five-year term that was not set to end until late 2026 Bessent immediately ordered the Bureau’s staff to halt some of its most important work and to start no new enforcement investigations The same playbook is being followed at the EPA where career employees will be replaced by political appointees who have been lawyers and lobbyists for the oil and chemical industries EPA lost several thousand employees responsible for scientific research and enforcement laws he has already warned over one thousand employees that they could be “immediately terminated” at any time Joe Biden’s legacy on environmental matters the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cut off all federal grants A federal judge immediately issued a temporary restraining order in response to a lawsuit filed by 22 states for violations of the Impounding Control Act that reaffirmed the Constitution’s mandate for congressional control of funding Trump’s efforts to freeze trillions of dollars in federal spending have been blocked for now Musk has moved beds into OMB so that he and his staff could work late into the evening hours He deployed the same tactic when he ran Twitter and Tesla who received 16 Democrat votes in his confirmation hearing full access to the Department of Treasury’s payment system This is the largest data and privacy breach in U.S Musk sent several young computer programmers—including a recent high school graduate—into the department where they strong-armed civil servants into giving them full access to the system that cuts checks for all congressionally authorized government payments The leading civil servant in the Treasury Department was forced to resign when he refused to provide access to Musk’s “militia.” Senator Ron Wyden (D/OR) stressed that Musk’s “hatchet brigade has infiltrated a gold mine of data that every foreign spy and corrupt actor would love to see It is a prescription for nightmares.” This episode alone would constitute a coup if it were to take place in a foreign country called the past two weeks “a presidency that’s off the rails.” No it’s far worse; we are watching a coup d’etat Simply because there has been no violence associated with the actions of Trump who co-wrote the playbook for what we are witnessing (See “Project 2025”) does not mean that the undemocratic takeover of government isn’t underway who will soon be confirmed as director of OMB is the brain behind so much of Musk’s machinations to hollow out the U.S Vought once stated that he wanted the “bureaucrats to be traumatically affected we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.” One of Benjamin Franklin’s most famous and prophetic quotes was uttered in Philadelphia in 1787 in response to a citizen’s question regarding the outcome of the Constitutional Convention Franklin’s reply was that the convention was creating a “republic if you can keep it.” Franklin was emphasizing that the survival of the republic depended on the engagement and knowledge of its citizens more than 77 million Americans ignored the need for vigilance and engagement in defense of the republic and voted for Donald Trump in 2024 the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America must be occurring at McCormick Place in Chicago IT and informatics professionals from more than 120 countries worldwide gathering from Dec 1-5 to see new hardware and software up close and learn about new clinical innovations As it is everywhere else across healthcare artificial intelligence is transforming the imaging profession and a new KLAS study shows just how fast the changes are happening with little sign those approvals will slow so have attitudes about and adoption of new imaging AI platforms operational and reporting automations and other AI tools "Just over 50% of surveyed organizations are starting to use AI algorithms for at least one imaging use case," KLAS notes when 17% of interviewed organizations were piloting or live with an AI solution." To get a sense of all the many ways AI is changing the imaging and radiology landscape, KLAS researchers surveyed more than 200 organizations – about 25% of them imaging groups, and the rest U.S. health systems – to better understand which tools are finding favor in the "crowded market." Access the new imaging report here here's just a small sampling of some of the imaging IT news being showcased in Chicago this week Agfa is showcasing its integration of CARPL.ai into AGFA Healthcare Enterprise Imaging platform offering expanded flexibility and efficiency to radiologists RUBEE for AI offers expanded access CARPL's marketplace of 140 applications offers a unified platform that can help providers manage adoption of AI at scale and harness its value across clinical domains Aidoc announced its new CARE1 foundation model for CT imaging It stands for Clinical AI Reasoning Engine and the company says it's the first step in a multiyear investment in its CARE framework which was developed – trained on millions of exams – to help advance precision and speed in clinical AI: minimizing diagnostic delays optimizing workflows and improving patient outcomes Fujifilm announced several new imaging systems RSNA, among other news including a 1.5T MRI system with AI-powered workflow enhancements a next-generation ultrasound system that use cognitive technology for deep tissue visualization an all-in-one compact fluoroscopy C-arm and two digital radiography suites GE HealthCare, among other announcements at RSNA is touting its new Pristina Via mammography system which it designed to improve screening experience for patients and technologists alike It offers imaging professionals a new suite of leading-edge tools that balance the demands of diagnostic accuracy and fast-paced workflows to facilitate more patient-centered breast care and could help streamline workflow efficiencies amid a global shortage of technologists Hyland is showcasing some of its own new advancements which combines clinical imaging content with multiple specialties for AI-enabled insights for clinical research designed as a cost-effective image sharing approach that securely transfers imaging data without a VPN eliminating the need for costly CD burning and ingesting Konica Minolta and Fovia are teaming up to offer the advanced visualization technology in Konica Minolta's cloud-based Exa PACS The partnership is meant to offer customers leading 3D visualization and segmentation functionality that's secure the tools will provide flexibility for clinicians while offering significant advantages in cost management to healthcare organizations which develops technologies for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics announced a new collaboration with AstraZeneca to develop an AI-enabled digital pathology tool – Lunit SCOPE Genotype Predictor which is capable of analyzing H&E slide images to predict the likelihood of the tumor harboring NSCLC driver mutations such as Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor mutations Siemens Healthineers, which also has an array of news at RSNA recently enacted a 10-year $105 million partnership expansion that will see a new center for imaging excellence established at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center Healthineers and Siemens subsidiary Varian have provided most of the imaging equipment – MRI interventional radiology and radiation oncology – used at Wexner The new center for excellence will see Siemens scientists working with clinical and research teams across the Ohio State to develop new imaging applications for different disease cases This is just a small sampling of the hundreds of announcements at RSNA this week. For a longer list, see here More Whitepapers More Webinars © 2025 Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media In News by Porter AndersonOctober 2 Fondazione LIA’s new APACE: 30 million Europeans await the EU Accessibility Act Fondazione LIA’s APACE analysis reports that fewer than four in 10 European publishers are now producing accessible ebooks yet with the European Accessibility Act scheduled to go into force in June By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson fewer than four of 10 publishers are producing accessible ebooks yet The EU’s Accessibility Act goes into force on June 28 of next year and yet APACE is revealing that only 37.4 percent of Europe’s publishing houses have made the investments required to move into compliance—and a similar percentage say they expect to take that step by the end of 2024 The APACE survey clearly highlights a strong interest in specialized accessibility training covering various aspects: from producing accessible ebooks to providing alternative descriptions for images and creating accessibility metadata 93.1 percent reported not having access to or being aware of public funding to support the necessary investments or initiate training projects in this area On October 16, at 1 p.m. at Frankfurter Buchmesse, Publishing Perspectives will moderate The Accessibility Era: Are You Ready For It? Attendees will be presented with both the revelations of the new APACE data and an understanding of what’s necessary to meet the European Accessibility Act’s deadline in June several telling data points will come quickly to light: an estimate of the actual economic impact is difficult to make Some 62.4 of the publishers surveyed reported that they have not yet allocated a specific part of their budget to meet the directive’s requirements although 17.3 percent say they plan to do so by January 1 APACE’s new view into the actual state of readiness for the European Accessibility Act in Europe shows that there’s a great deal to be done—in a quickly dwindling period of time “So far,” says Ricardo Franco Levi, president of the Federation of European Publishers “innovation to ensure the accessibility of ebooks has been entirely entrusted to the social responsibility and sensitivity of European publishers “The APACE survey shows that publishers are responding admirably but it also highlights the lack of public policies to support the private sector’s efforts “I hope these findings will spur policy changes both in EU member states and the union itself given the ambitious goals of the European Accessibility Act.” The goal of APACE is to understand emerging challenges in complying with the European Accessibility Directive and identify the training needs required this first tranche of data makes it clear that much remains to be done “This survey highlights the growing commitment of the European publishing sector toward accessibility, ” says Fondazione LIA secretary-general Cristina Mussinelli “But it also underscores the need for continuous training collaboration between countries and stakeholders and the role of the European Union in supporting change “Many challenges remain for the sector such as the availability of efficient software for producing accessible versions as the current options are not fully adequate “Only through a joint effort can we be ready by June 2025 and ensure truly accessible publications for all.” “The work done by AIE and Italian publishers in constant collaboration with the Italian Union of the Blind has enabled our country to develop a model of excellence recognized internationally which anticipated the European Accessibility Act’s requirements for accessible content and digital publications it is crucial that all other players in the supply chain “APACE is a further support and acceleration in this direction and this survey is the necessary starting point to share and capitalize on our expertise across Europe.” The Apace Consortium includes Fondazione LIA; the Italian Publishers Association; the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels; the Bulgarian Book Association; the Accessibility Library CELIA; Dedicon; and the Lithuanian Audiosensory Library The LIA Foundation takes its name from Libri Italiana Accessibiliti (Accessible Italian Books), and was started in 2011 as an attempt supported by the Association of Italian Publishers (AIE) to catalogue accessible Italian books So broad has the reach and influence of Fondazione LIA become as a central driver of accessible publishing in world publishing markets that it’s LIA that has led the APACE project to determine just where the challenge of accessible publishing in Europe stands ahead of the new Accessibility Act’s deadline APACE, for Accelerating Publishing Accessibility through Collaboration in Europe, is co-financed by the European Commission as part of the Creative Europe program its mission being to survey and discern the state of the art as what is arguably history’s largest mandate for accessible publishing rolls onto the field empowered by the European Directive on accessibility requirements for products and services APACE makes its assessments through analysis of accessibility practices adopted by European publishers in fiction The goal is to understand emerging challenges in complying with the European Accessibility Directive and identify the training needs required. The full report from the APACE project is here Porter Anderson has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London's The Bookseller Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman Home » PT PAL’s construction of Emirati LPD proceeds apace PT PAL is on track to deliver a landing platform dock (LPD) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy on schedule according to an Indonesian shipbuilding official who was present at the NAVDEX 2025 exhibition held in Abu Dhabi from 17-21 February construction of the UAE Navy’s largest naval vessel commenced last year and then its keel was laid a couple of months later at PT PAL’s Surabaya shipyard on 24 April Andriana Santiegel, PT PAL’s Head of Production for the UAE LPD programme, told Naval News at NAVDEX 2025 that the 163m-long vessel is slated to be delivered to the Emirati authorities before the end of 2027 The AED1.5 billion (US$408 million) contract for this vessel had been signed at the preceding IDEX exhibition in February 2023 This deal followed a memorandum of understanding signed with the UAE on 1 July 2022 PT PAL displayed a different large-scale model to the one exhibited in 2023 There are changes to the upper superstructure it appears to be a more accurate depiction of the Emirati LPD since it also closely matches an image shown at the steel-cutting ceremony in February 2024 The LPD for the UAE Navy is nearly a third longer than Makassar– and Tarlac-class LPDs that PT PAL built for the Indonesian and Philippine navies there are obvious familial and design similarities to previously built LPDs This is because PT PAL has been able to leverage its previous experience on the Al Maryah project According to a specification sheet provided by PT PAL one marketing its “163m multirole mission ship” the generic vessel has a beam of 24m and it displaces 13,170 tonnes Propulsion comes from two 7,280kW engines that drive the ship to a top speed of 20 knots and a range of 10,000nm Naval News understands that this data refers to a design offered to Malaysia Visible on the scale model exhibited in Abu Dhabi is a 15-tonne crane and a stern well deck that can accommodate up to two landing craft utility Santiegel pointed out that the well deck depicted in PT PAL’s scale model is shorter than what it will actually be the aforementioned brochure states the vehicle deck of the 163m LPD can carry up to 16 main battle tanks six 8×8 armoured vehicles and an ambulance The design can also accommodate 500 embarked troops in addition to a standard complement of 150 crew a large flight deck can simultaneously fit three H225M-sized helicopters PT PAL declined to say what missions the Emirati LPD will perform but the UAE has previously called it a “multi-mission vessel” Tasks in its ambit are therefore expected to include amphibious sealift humanitarian assistance and acting as a seaborne helicopter platform Santiegel said armaments are mainly from Italy which most likely means they emanate from Leonardo Its weapon fit-out has not been fully confirmed but the model appears to depict a 76mm naval gun PT PAL had signed agreements with UAE companies such as Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) Yahsat and Tasneef covering indigenous content to be included in the LPD at that time PT PAL signed a strategic partnership agreement with Marakeb for a combat management system Santiegel indicated the actual combat management system was coming from Italy Chief Economic Programme Officer at the governmental Tawazun Council commented in 2023: “The localisation plan aims to enhance the capabilities of local entities in procuring end-user goods and services and to promote the use of local content by local companies This collaboration will help us to further strengthen our capabilities stimulate economic growth and development in the UAE by increasing the use of local resources and expertise.” Indigenous content will include two high-speed interceptor boats and two rigid-hull inflatable boats These are stored in alcoves on the hull sides below the flight deck PT PAL has created a lot of business building LPDs the Indonesian shipbuilder is currently constructing two 124m LPDs for the Philippine Navy and these will later join two 123m Tarlac-class Strategic Sealift Vessels that Manila commissioned in 2016-17 The keel for the Philippines’ first 124m-long, improved LPD was laid on 22 January 2024 the same day as first steel was cut for the second vessel The keel for the second LPD was subsequently laid on 29 May 2024 the Indonesian Navy has commissioned five LPDs and two hospital ships based on the Makassar-class design Naval News brings you news coverage of the latest naval defense shows & events We are also reporting on naval technology from all over the world HEALTH Minister Dr Christopher Tufton was advised by contractors Wednesday that the sheer walls of the ground floor of the Spanish Town Hospital will be done over the weekend Tufton was on a tour of the construction sites at Spanish Town Hospital and St Jago Park Health Centre on Wednesday “The pouring [of concrete for decking] will take approximately one day and once the pour is completed the next step is to build the upper floor So what they are going to focus on is the ground floor within the next month or so They are anticipating that by the middle of May we will be getting a crane on site,” said Orette Clarke programme manager at Health Systems Strengthening Programme which is overseeing the improvement of health-care infrastructure and services at 13 targeted facilities across the island who was answering questions posed by Tufton about progress made on the site said that some adjustments have been made to the project’s completion timeline which is currently being fine-tuned by the contractor and its technical team the overall project should be completed within 40 months eight months for supplying equipment and placing them inside the building and the remaining months is to operationalise the facility,” Clarke said the health minister said that although the pace of the project started slow because of design issues he is pleased with the progress made by the team “There is huge difference between this and Cornwall Regional and as you can see next door we built a new pharmacy and a new lab “We have learnt a lot from the Cornwall Regional experience and so we put a lot of planning in it Mr Clarke and his team and the contractors so far have complied We are comfortable with what is happening,” Tufton said The project is set to be completed by the first quarter of 2027 is undergoing redevelopment valued at approximately $5.5 billion The project involves constructing a state-of-the-art six-storey building spanning over 17,000 square metres The facility will also feature advanced diagnostic services all integrated with cutting-edge electronic health record systems the St Jago Park Health Centre is being expanded and refurbished at a cost of approximately $704 million The project includes constructing a new 634-square-metre building and renovating the existing 1,300-square-metre facility the centre will provide enhanced services such as dentistry This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions says the Agenda of undefeated WBC Continental Americas super-welterweight champion ”King” Callum Walsh 13-0 following his one round KO of Scot Dean Sutherland headlining Madison Square Garden Theater on the eve of St Patrick`s Day Tom who rates it as an A Plus Blockbuster tempered by cool precision says: ”This was definitely Callum`s best performance You can see the results of the coaching from Freddie Roach the placement of his punches and the landing of consistent power shots plus the accuracy was extremely impressive There`s a winner and a loser and Dean got the short end of the stick but I`m sure it`ll be a big learning experience for him ”Callum didn`t really give Dean any chance to get into any sort of rhythm He moves well and he has that European style of boxing It`s hard to think of anyone at one fifty-four who could take the punches that Callum was dishing out in such rapid fire I think we`ll have to move up Callum`s schedule a little bit I want to get him at least three fights this year With these type of performances it reminds me of how difficult it was to find opponents for Triple G With these type of performances from Callum wants to try to expose ”The King.” I think that`s a big incentive for people to challenge him the way he`s looking right now is so impressive At twenty four I haven`t that destructive type of performance in a very long time is definitely a leading Candidate for Knockout Of The Year the shillelagh and he`s really taken to promoting his fights We had the media training here in The Wild Card Gym he was doing numerous interviews for Ireland and over here in the USA ”There`s a fine balance between promoting the show and performing in the ring then doing the first pitch in the Dodgers Stadium in LA He threw the first pitch at the Yankee Stadium and I see a similar ability for Callum to balance promotion the training and when you are coached by Freddie Roach it`s such a great chemistry that it reminds me of another southpaw…Manny Pacquiao ”I`d also like to bring Callum to Mexico City some time this year We have a great relationship with Mauricio Sulaiman and the World Boxing Council I can see a publicity tour in Mexico City to expand Callum`s popularity with the Mexican fan base.” Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy Al Urbanski is the real estate editor of Chain Store Age He has covered CSA’s retail real estate beat since he joined the brand in 2016 Al is a veteran of the retail and and consumer products marketing industry with more than 30 years of reporting experience he served as the chief editor for a variety of publications including Sales & Marketing Management Al is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications Connect with Al on LinkedIn. openings topped the 5,000 mark and have continued rising every year since then increased greatly in the next two years The 7,327 stores closed in 2024 surpassed 2022’s number by almost 50% The uptick in closures during the final quarter signals potential challenges ahead for retailers according to a “State of the Market” report from Buxton a location intelligence software provider employed by chains that include Uniqlo including rising lease renewal costs and elevated bankruptcy rates continued to affect profitability for retailers in vulnerable subindustries The company sees great opportunities for expanding retailers due to the high levels of properties being vacated by brands such as Walgreens Landlords are reimagining and refilling their centers with entertainment and food and beverage uses Rents grew at an annual rate of 3.4% in 2024 The report notes that nontraditional service retail brands have accounted for 15% of all leasing activity over the last two years, and a recent report from CoStar predicted that service tenants will account for 20% of all retail leasing activity in 2025 Nearly all leading retail brands are introducing smaller store footprints to engage with customers in both urban and suburban locations. Mentioned in the report are Bloomingdale’s Bloomies stores, which range from 10,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. and Whole Foods Market’s Daily Shop a compact concept between 7,000 and 14,000 sq are ranging out into mixed-use developments and college campuses with much small footprints Also new to both urban and suburban retail centers are direct-to-consumer brands that choose locations next to complementary tenants leveraging their digital followings to drive in-store sales has introduced Chewy Vet Care clinics in key markets alongside retail offerings and Halara and Asteri Beauty are trading in their pop-ups for permanent locations. Buxton also mentioned the planned arrival of Netflix with its first retail-entertainment concept, Netflix House The report advises expanding retail brands to place an intense focus on Gen Z shoppers who now make up about 25% of the global population “This digitally native generation is entering its prime spending years projected to wield $12 trillion in global spending power by 2030,” the report said “Their unique preferences and behaviors are influencing where and how retailers invest in physical and digital spaces. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") has published findings from its multi-firm review of valuation processes for private market assets. Given the UK’s status as the largest centre for private market asset management in Europe and the importance of fair and robust valuation practices in private markets the FCA has addressed its review to valuation practices in the fund and portfolio management sector as well as advisory services in the private equity Good valuation practices: Against benchmarks of independence the FCA found that practices were generally robust Areas for improvement included expanding conflicts identification beyond fees and remuneration to include other conflicts Other observations include the need for firms to assess whether their valuation functions and committees are sufficiently independent firms need to put in place formal and consistent approaches to ad hoc valuations that are necessary for revaluation during market or asset-specific events Next steps: The FCA will continue to engage with firms and industry bodies and will follow-up with any firms identified as outliers in its review See more » Refine your interests » Back to Top Explore 2025 Readers' Choice Awards Copyright © var today = new Date(); var yyyy = today.getFullYear();document.write(yyyy + " "); JD Supra, LLC Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Row revolves around Supreme Court ruling trans women are not legally women I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The only ever judge to publicly say they are transgender in the UK is taking the government to the European Court of Human Rights over the ruling that trans women are not legally women under the Equalities Act The long-awaited judgment from the Supreme Court was hailed by gender-critical campaigners but led to warnings it would “exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society” Dr Victoria McCloud, 55, who stood down last year, is bringing action against arguing a breach of her rights under article six of the European Convention on Human Rights She claims the court refused to hear her views on how the ruling would affect her and other trans people Another trans person had also wanted to give evidence Dr McCloud came out as trans in her twenties and is one of about 8,000 people to have legally changed the sex on their birth certificate Dr McCloud sought to present evidence to the Supreme Court about how the outcome of the ruling would affect her and other trans people She has since accused them of “refusing to hear me or my evidence” The court’s ruling means that transgender people can be excluded from single-sex spaces if “proportionate” Gender-critical campaigners have hailed it as a victory but there are concerns it will put trans people at risk and exclude them from public life While the Supreme Court did consider arguments on how the ruling would impact trans people – including from Amnesty – it did not hear from trans activists Dr McCloud said the basis of her action was that “the Supreme Court refused to hear me to provide them with information about the impact on those trans people affected by the judgment and failed to give any reasons” She added: “Those are two basic premises of normal justice There were protest groups speaking on behalf of women in this court case but ordinary women were not actually represented as a whole and now we’re seeing the Conservatives saying that trans people have got to use the disabled loos which impacts the lives of disabled people The impacts of all of this have not been dealt with.” She added that rather than bringing clarity the judgement and subsequent statements had “brought chaos” dubbing it “biologically nonsensical” and “scientifically illiterate” The branch of the union which represents resident doctors, around 50,000 medics previously known as junior doctors, passed a motion on Saturday criticising the judgment, which ruled that trans women are not legally women under the Equalities Act. Earlier this month five judges from the Supreme Court, the highest court in the UK, ruled unanimously that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, in a decision that will have wide-ranging ramifications for trans women’s rights to use services and spaces reserved for women. It means that transgender women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces. govt and politics"},{"score":0.666945,"label":"/health and fitness/sexuality"},{"score":0.601248,"label":"/law govt and politics/government"},{"score":0.59677,"label":"/law The Second Church of Dorchester in Codman Square is in the middle of a major restoration project that includes repairs to the steeple Price and Saranya Sathananthan inside the historic edifice A multi-year restoration project at the Second Church of Dorchester in Codman Square continues to make progress this season as final plans are in the works for replacing the structure’s 218-year-old steeple which was removed for repairs in April 2023 While the steeple project is the high-profile update to the landmark building there are many other improvements and changes underway closer to the ground level that church leaders say are just as important to the worship space’s future “It has been in the community as a cornerstone since 1806,” said Rev the lead pastor at the Church of the Nazarene one of five congregations that use the worship space “It’s a meeting house where you have the meeting of minds The church and attached Meeting House on Washington Street were built to meet the demand of a growing town population that needed more space and amenities beyond what was available at the original church— First Parish on Meeting House Hill it’s is the oldest wooden church structure in the city of Boston that hosts active congregations It was built to replace an earlier structure that was destroyed by fire.) you could only live a half mile from the first church but when the community grew it was not sufficient They decided to do a second church,” said Price John Codman—Codman Square’s namesake — was ordained as the first minister at Second Church churchgoers included John Adams and Daniel Webster there hangs a bell cast by Paul Revere & Sons is a clock donated by Colonel William Baker Today’s Second Church is what Prince calls an “incubator of churches,” as it houses several congregations Price and Saranya Sathananthan of the Emmanuel Gospel Center which also worships and meets at the church have teamed up with the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA) to activate underutilized spaces in the building while trying to maintain its historic character “You want to be able to recognize and acknowledge the history and where we are in relation to that history but also make room for people to feel like this space is now their home,” said Sathananthan She added: “BSA helps us really imagine the Meeting House as a whole entity and how different spaces in the building connect with each other.” services are often held in the unheated sanctuary A beautiful lectern can be found at the front of this room but just to the side sits the original pulpit and chair once occupied by Rev Sermons can be heard throughout the room and from the upper balcony where additional seating is offered for larger services Though the room glistens with natural light and echoes with the sounds of a pipe organ the space is not very versatile because the original pews were built into the floor “The sanctuary space has all the original pews in it so it really limits what we can use that space for I have gotten a chance to connect with church leaders all over Boston and a lot of churches have moved to removing the pews so they can transform the space,” Sathananthan told The Reporter she and Price have a tough decision to make “Do we keep the pews and limit how we use the room because of the history and what it means to people to come in and sit where hundreds and thousands of people have sat and prayed and worshipped,” Sathananthan said “Or do we remove that and see what new things can happen?” director of community and collaborative design for BSA “the memory of places is tied considerably to the materials There are memories in this place that exist far beyond myself but resonate with community members and neighbors in ways I don’t fully understand,” said Peterson “The ability to reinvigorate the architecture as a hub of civic life requires an acknowledgment of that.” While a decision regarding the pews is yet to be made an underutilized prayer room is being transformed into an indoor greenspace “We had numerous conversations with different people in the community about what kind of space they would want,” said Sathananthan “We’re converting this prayer room into what we’re calling the Oasis Community Room It’s going to be filled with lots of plants and cozy furniture.” Sathananthan hopes this room can be where people visit throughout the day or do some work while surrounded by plants While changes on this first floor are evident things are happening on the bottom and top floors as well The only issue is these spaces are not handicap accessible something Meeting House staff and BSA members hope to change “There are some issues of accessibility and structural issues that were identified,” said Peterson “Beyond just thinking about what’s happening in spaces we’ve been able to help the Meeting House [staff] understand the infrastructure as a whole The architects have not come up with an accessibility solution but are still working on feasible tasks such as refurbishing several spaces in the basement visitors will discover a media studio with a white infinity wall as well as a sound booth and editing equipment Around the corner from the auditorium is a recently gutted kitchen “We’re looking to develop that space hopefully with someone interested in running or operating a commercial kitchen that would benefit food entrepreneurs and offer cooking classes and training,” said Sathananthan the building could be a great site for events like weddings or post-funeral gatherings Price suggested a couple could get married in the sanctuary host their reception downstairs in the auditorium While the lower levels of the Meeting House feel like a world of its own upstairs is home to the Emmanuel Gospel Center where Sathananthan is a researcher in residence The other spaces are multipurpose rooms that Price and Peterson will transform to reflect the community’s wishes “I think that’s the dynamic nature of life and spaces in general If you look at real estate how many storefronts change pretty often why can’t church spaces do that and meet a community need,” asked Sathananthan Download this week's Reporter print issue or subscribe today to "Dorchester's Hometown Weekly Newspaper!" Just $50 for 52 Issues in the continental US Download this week's Reporter print issue or subscribe today to "Dorchester's Hometown Weekly Newspaper!" Just $60 for 52 Issues in the continental US Deforestation continued last year at a rate far beyond pledges to end the practice by 2030 according to a major study published yesterday Forests nearly the size of Ireland were lost last year according to two dozen research organizations non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups with 6.37 million hectares of trees felled and burned This “significantly exceeded” levels that would have kept the world on track to eliminate deforestation by the end of the decade a commitment made in 2021 by more than 140 leaders Forests are home to 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial plant and animal species and crucial for regulating water cycles and sequestering carbon dioxide the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming since the beginning of the decade,” said Ivan Palmegiani a biodiversity and land use consultant at Climate Focus and lead author of the “Forest Declaration Assessment” report “We’re only six years away from a critical global deadline to end deforestation and set ablaze at alarming rates,” he said 3.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest — particularly carbon rich and ecologically biodiverse environments — disappeared a figure that should have fallen significantly to meet the 2030 objective researchers pointed to backsliding in Bolivia and Indonesia The report said there was an “alarming rise” in deforestation in Bolivia which jumped 351 percent between 2015 and last year The “trend shows no sign of abating,” it added with forests largely cleared for agriculture deforestation slumped between 2020 and 2022 that is partly down to demand for materials often seen as eco-friendly and a surge in nickel mining for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies While it remains the nation with the highest deforestation rates in the world The situation has significantly improved in the Amazon which has benefited from protective measures put in place by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva senior consultant at Climate Focus and coauthor of the report said “strong policies and strong enforcement” are needed we must make forest protection immune to political and economic whims,” she said The report comes in the wake of the European Commission’s proposal last week to postpone by a year (to the end of next year) its anti-deforestation law despite protests from non-governmental organizations “We have to fundamentally rethink our relationship with consumption and our models of production to shift away from a reliance on overexploiting natural resources,” Matson said Splunk is rapidly integrating its technology with Cisco’s portfolio creating a synergy that promises to improve observability and security for enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region In an interview with Computer Weekly on the sidelines of the .conf Go user conference in Singapore Splunk’s global senior vice-president and general manager of products and technology “Unlike some other Cisco acquisitions like Meraki and others that took a long time to begin integrating we started integrating from day one and doing it differently reorganising all of the observability capabilities from Cisco into Splunk,” he said Casey said within the first 120 days, Splunk had delivered new integrations between AppDynamics Splunk Observability Cloud and the core Splunk platform These integrations weren’t mere cosmetic changes “What we’ve done is around what we call ‘practical navigation’ between products so that you can start an investigation in AppDynamics or Observability Cloud and then drill into Splunk logs without having to initiate another search,” he explained Splunk has also introduced a “related content” feature that displays graphical representations of events within an application flow This cross-correlation provides users with a deeper understanding of incidents allowing them to seamlessly transition between event and observability views promising enhanced real-time threat detection and response capabilities “The extended portion of XDR is a good thing,” Casey said, adding that this will enable organisations to detect threats closer to the point of user and device interactions that are deeper in the network. “For example, XDR can detect an anomalous incident and quarantine a user or snapshot all the things the user is trying to touch to insulate you from ransomware attacks.” Casey also emphasised the complementary roles of XDR and security information and event management (SIEM) arguing that both are essential in security operations He explained that XDR excels at early detection and containment while SIEM provides comprehensive context and we’re making them very complementary.” In terms of securing AI and leveraging AI for security Casey noted that Splunk’s current platforms are already being used by customers to monitor AI systems focusing on access controls and other metrics Additionally, Splunk is actively investing in advanced AI capabilities such as detecting AI efficacy drift and bias “We’ve got some advanced research in that area,” Casey said promising further investment in those capabilities which will be integrated into existing Splunk tools as AI adoption grows On observability’s expansion beyond logs, metrics and traces, Casey acknowledged the potential of embedding observability within the code itself in what’s known as “shifting left” adding that partners can help to address those requirements “The volume and variety of tools that people use in software development makes it very hard for us to be an expert in every one of those. That’s a perfect partner play,” he said, noting the preference among customers for suppliers to play a more advisory role in code-level observability rather than take automated actions such as rolling back code changes that could inadvertently cause problems Casey also addressed the fragmented observability market acknowledging that the top vendors only account for a small fraction of the market share due to developer preferences and the proliferation of tools He suggested that the combined strengths of Splunk and Cisco can offer a solution by addressing the growing need for unified security and observability “Security teams and observability teams are starting to break through the blame game towards working more collaboratively together,” he said adding that this can help to minimise finger-pointing and resolve security incidents faster For users of Splunk’s IT operations capabilities Casey pointed to the ongoing update of technical adapters for Cisco devices to improve signal reliability and enhance the user experience Cisco Spaces and WebEx call centre applications further strengthens Splunk’s offering for IT operations teams Also in the pipeline are plans to leverage Splunk’s Edge Hub, which ingests data from operational technology (OT) devices, to improve the quality of feeds from Cisco hardware into Splunk, potentially delivering more insightful analytics. Across Asia-Pacific, Casey observed a faster adoption of Splunk Observability Cloud in the region compared to other geographies, particularly among customers in industries such as financial services, logistics, shipping and power. This is driven by the regulatory environment and need for compliance in critical infrastructure industries. He also pointed to companies such as Singapore Airlines as an example of a customer that is successfully tapping Splunk’s capabilities. “They’ve done a really good job of baking into their culture a focus on availability and instrumentation among their developers, but they’ve fundamentally standardised at the logging level, which is baseline visibility. They don’t use metrics as heavily yet, but now they’re maturing in that direction.” This exemplifies the journey that many companies in the region are undertaking, moving from basic event logging to a more comprehensive, consolidated observability strategy, Casey noted. Organizations must take steps to ensure compliance with emerging rules targeting foreign adversaries' access to U.S. citizens' ... A former federal deputy CIO testified that reauthorizing the Technology Modernization Fund will help the government continue IT ... Providing detailed background information is one way to help data privacy regulators during investigations of potential ... Dashlane CEO John Bennett tells Dark Reading’s Terry Sweeney that the advent of shadow AI use means that some AI agents and ... Staying ahead means cyber defenders can’t operate in silos. The launch of IBM’s Autonomous Threat Operations Machine and X-Force Predictive Threat Intelligence agent were announced at the ... Cilium's Hubble tool provides network observability while working in Kubernetes. This guide explains how Hubble works and how to ... A new 'digital circuit breaker' capability for HPE Private Clouds, increased visibility of third-party hardware with OpsRamp and ... The accuracy and relevance of AI responses are directly influenced by the quality of the prompt. Each tool performs differently ... Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux are RHEL-compatible distributions created after Red Hat announced the discontinuation of CentOS in 2020... Integrating AI into legacy data center infrastructure is challenging. Increased heat and load require advanced cooling systems, ... Monitoring Linux server performance is vital for optimal operation. System admins should consider these 19 performance monitoring... Data cleansing corrects errors to improve data quality, while data transformation changes data format and structure to support ... The data integration specialist's purchase provides users with complementary capabilities that enable them to send transformed ... The database vendor plans to add support for Model Context Protocol and automated vector embedding capabilities to make it faster... It could also be used to create clean energy here on earth Lasers that can harness bacteria’s natural ability to convert sunlight into energy could power missions to Mars and provide a source of clean energy on Earth The technology is inspired by the way plants and bacteria convert light into chemical energy through photosynthesis The aim is to repurpose the light-harvesting antennae from certain types of photosynthetic bacteria to “amplify” energy from sunlight and convert it into laser beams that can transmit that energy across space The scientists also hope that using organic materials rather than “perishable” artificial components means the lasers could be effectively re-grown in space – meaning they could be kept in operation without new parts having to be sent up from Earth. Unlike conventional semiconductor solar panels, which convert sunlight into electricity, this process would not rely on any electronic components. The project – called APACE – is first looking at developing the technology under laboratory conditions, before testing and refining its suitability for use in space. If it is successful, the researchers say it could be used by global space agencies to power space exploration – including lunar bases or missions to Mars – as well as providing a new way of transmitting clean, wireless energy on Earth. Professor Erik Gauger, from the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt, said the technology was potentially a “breakthrough in space power”. “Sustainable generation of power in space, without relying on perishable components sent from Earth, represents a big challenge,” he said. “Yet, living organisms are experts at being self-sufficient and harnessing self-assembly. “Our project not only takes biological inspiration but goes one step beyond by piggybacking on functionality that already exists in the photosynthetic machinery of bacteria to achieve a breakthrough in space power. “Our APACE project aims to create a new type of laser powered by sunlight. “Regular sunlight is usually too weak to power a laser directly, but these special bacteria are incredibly efficient at collecting and channelling sunlight through their intricately designed light-harvesting structures, which can effectively amplify the energy flux from sunlight to the reaction centre by several orders of magnitude. “Our project will make use of this level of amplification to convert sunlight into a laser beam without relying on electrical components. “We already know it is possible to grow bacteria in space, for example through studies on the International Space Station. Some tough bacteria have even survived exposure to open space. “If our new technology can be built and used on space stations, it could help to generate power locally and even offer a route to sending power to satellites or back to Earth using infrared laser beams. “This technology has the potential to revolutionise how we power space operations, making exploration more sustainable while also advancing clean energy technology here on Earth. “All major space agencies have lunar or Mars missions in their plans, and we hope to help power them.” The research team will begin by extracting and studying the natural light-harvesting machinery from types of bacteria that have evolved to survive in extremely low light conditions. These bacteria have highly specialised molecular antenna structures that can capture and channel almost every photon of light they receive – making them nature’s most efficient solar collectors. The researchers will also develop artificial versions of these structures and new laser materials that can work with both natural and artificial light-harvesters. The researchers then plan to combine these components into a new type of laser material and test it in increasingly larger systems. The first prototype of the new technology is expected to be ready for testing within three years. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies scientists say","description":"It could also be used to create clean energy here on earth The Space Foundation’s latest findings The total has now increased for the fourth consecutive year with new countries such as Senegal and Croatia joining the space industry The 259 launches in 2024 represent an average of one every 34 hours Such orbital launch attempts increased 16% With launch operators planning site improvements and the first flights of 24-launch vehicles The mass brought to orbit increased 40% to 1.9 million kilograms as operators transitioned to heavier satellites the report highlighted SpaceX as a primary driver of launch and spacecraft trends deploying almost 2,000 Starlink satellites and test launching the Starship vehicle four times Note that military spacecraft deployments increased 86% in 2024 as SpaceX launched more than 100 satellites for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office‘s Starshield constellation Among the other headline findings were growing demand for the tracking and removal of orbital debris And that publicly-listed space companies outperformed benchmark indexes with a strong performance in the second-half of 2024 Also noted was the increasing presence of AI it “is bringing value and efficiency to the space industry” This is in applications ranging from on-board in-space data processing to running simulations on digital twins that issues around the regulation of such AI remain “The Space Report 2024 Q4 paints an incredibly dynamic picture — record launches, more mass to orbit, and growing global involvement,” said Space Foundation CEO Heather Pringle “This sector is quickly expanding and there is promising effort to strengthen governance and sustainability Department of Commerce’s TraCSS system to help track and manage debris There is reason to have confidence in upward trajectory of the space economy and one of the best ways to sustain that growth is continuing to build capacity for others to join us.” The increase in activity brought new countries into the global space industry “Increasing launch activity is allowing more nations to enter the space industry: Senegal and Croatia deployed their first satellites in 2024 bringing the number of nations with an active satellite in orbit to 92 publicly traded space companies tracked in the S-Network Space Index in H2 recorded the strongest six-month performance in the history of the index after underperforming in the first half of 2024 This strong showing led the index to outperform benchmark indexes with a 26.4% gain over the full year.” To access the full paid-for report you have to visit Space Foundation‘s dedicated website Space Foundation is a US nonprofit advocate organisation for the global space ecosystem Among its other activities the Space Foundation bestows the General James E Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award and presents the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award See also: UK leads European workforce growth, Space Report 2024 Q3 highlights Tagged with: satellites Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Electronics Weekly is excited to launch it's own podcast brought to you by our editor Caroline Hayes You can hear interesting insights from a range of industry figures Catch all the episodes » Sign up for the Electronics Weekly newsletters: Mannerisms Gadget Master and the Daily and Weekly roundups Find out more » Read our special supplement celebrating 60 years of Electronics Weekly and looking ahead to the future of the industry Read the first ever Electronics Weekly online: 7th September 1960 We've scanned the very first edition so you can enjoy it Read the very first edition » Keep up with developments relating to space technology - satellite technology View our busy aerospace section » Keep up with developments relating to the Internet of Things (IoT) - Industrial IoT View our popular Internet of Things section » Keep up with developments relating to Power electronics - MOSFETs View our busy Power section » a new golf course by Nicklaus Design in the Dominican Republic The course was planned to open in the mid-2000s as part of the expansion of the Cap Cana development which also includes the Nicklaus-designed PuntaEspada layout that opened in 2006 Las Iguanas was abandoned due to the 2008 financial crash and has sat dormant for over 15 years the project was resurrected with Troy Vincent senior design associate at Nicklaus Design “Las Iguanas is going to be available for the public to use and very different to the private Punta Espada,” said Vincent “The biggest difference is the number of ocean holes we have the twelfth green touching the ocean the par-three thirteenth playing alongside it and fourteen’s tees playing away from it.” which were used to generate fill and help create contouring on the fairways and greens “There is plenty of room off the tee but the shot into the green is where the challenge lies,” said Vincent a lot of the greens are protected by bunkers.” A unique feature at Las Iguanas is a bluff that comes into play on some holes “It is visible behind the seventeenth green and is on the left side of the par-five eighteenth,” said Vincent This kind of natural feature can be difficult to design for “We demonstrated similar design skills for holes twelve to fourteen as there’s a lake running along the right side that connects to the ocean When you do it right and take advantage of what natures gives you The only routing change from the original plan comes at holes five and six with that area now marked for development purposes This has enabled Nicklaus Design to take advantage of a different area on the property that has a natural wetland “We have also toned down some elements as we thought some of the shaping was a bit too strong for the type of golfers that will be playing it,” said Vincent “The principal challenge will be the wind Ten is a great example – a short par four with a decent sized 36 fairway bunker on the inside of the dogleg and a greenside bunker front and centre You’re going to have to throw a shot up in the air and depending on what the wind is doing that day with Pure Dynasty seeded paspalum from Atlas Turf International the chosen variety “The reason we chose Pure Dynasty is to meet the schedule – we had a nursery but that is now gone,” said Vincent “As an architect that has had the opportunity to work with a number of different paspalums I can say that Pure Dynasty has performed wonderfully and I am thrilled with how the grow in process has gone.”; Nine holes are expected to open for preview play in October 2024 with the goal to complete the course next year Israel's attacks across the Gaza Strip have killed nearly 40 Palestinians as the regime targeted civilian areas over the last 24 hours The Israeli military launched multiple airstrikes on Monday evening Reports indicate that at least 20 civilians were killed and many others injured in the strikes targeting homes in Izbat Beit Hanoun Local sources revealed that the area remains heavily besieged by Israeli forces who have severely hindered access for ambulance and rescue teams attempting to reach the site of the airstrikes Israeli aircraft targeted refugee camps in al-Maghazi and Nuseirat with reports saying residential buildings were destroyed in the northern Nuseirat area as at least 7 Palestinians were killed and a number of others were injured as a result six civilians were confirmed dead and several others injured due to shelling in Beit Lahia A civilian was killed due to an Israeli drone strike east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip while two children were also killed and many others injured in an Israeli assault on the al-Maghazi camp an Israeli attack on a school providing refuge for displaced persons in Jabalia led to further civilian casualties Airstrikes targeting children in a residential area in Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza have resulted in additional casualties and injuries This is while Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on Monday that Israeli forces had carried out three "massacres" in the territory the previous day resulting in the deaths of 50 individuals and injuries to 84 others the ongoing acts of aggression by Israeli forces have killed at least 44,758 individuals and injured 106,134 others across the Gaza Strip potentially trapped under rubble or lost on the streets complicating rescue efforts amid the relentless bombardment and extensive debris The humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens as nearly the entire population of 2.3 million is now displaced with many seeking refuge in tents amid severe winter conditions unreliable communication and internet access along with a significant lack of humanitarian assistance all raise alarm over the dire situation for civilians in the region Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses: www.presstv.co.uk 1. Click the "share" button in the bottom bar At the just-concluded third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the commitment to steadily expanding institutional opening-up was reaffirmed with new concepts. First, the plenum called for harmonizing rules, regulations, management and standards relating to property rights protection, industrial subsidies, labor protection and other areas, to create a transparent, stable and predictable institutional environment. This demonstrates China's strong determination to align with high-standard international trade rules. Second, it emphasized on seizing the initiative to unilaterally open up to the least developed countries. In addition to opening China's commodity, service and capital markets, it also proposed an orderly opening of the labor market to the outside world. This shows that China does not demand reciprocal opening, which highlights its confidence in the opening-up policy. From pilots and tests to expansions and upgrades, China's institutional opening-up has achieved successes in recent years. First, pilot free trade zones have flourished. Between September 2013 and November last year, a total of 22 FTZs were established, which carried out over 3,400 pilot reforms, more than 1,700 institutional innovations and 278 innovations nationwide. Second, the business environment has significantly improved. From 2015 to 2020, China's global ranking in business environment rose from 90th to 32nd, with continuous improvements in the ease of starting a business, obtaining construction permits, getting electricity, registering property and obtaining credit. Third, restrictions on foreign direct investment have been reduced. From 2015 to 2020, China's FDI restrictiveness index dropped from 0.395 to 0.214. Restrictions on market access, equity, and personnel have been considerably relaxed, and the negative list for foreign investment access has been further shortened. Fourth, the service sector has been opened in an orderly manner. From 2018 to 2023, China's service trade restrictiveness index for 18 sectors, including courier and financial services, has dropped, thanks to reduced foreign investment access restrictions and other discriminatory barriers, as well as increased regulatory transparency. In the next five years, China's institutional opening-up is expected to expand steadily. First, the institutional opening-up in FTZs will be promoted on a larger scale, in a broader range of areas and at deeper levels. FTZs have already introduced the one-stop service system, free trade accounts and negative lists. The number of items on the negative list for investment access have been reduced from 190 to 27, with zero items in manufacturing and much relaxed access in the service sector. FTZs will fully align with international high-standard trade rules, with harmonized rules in opening-up the service sector, facilitating the flow of commodities, labor protection, government procurement, e-commerce, industrial subsidies, environmental standards, intellectual property protection and post-border management. In December 2023, the State Council issued the overall plan for comprehensively connecting with international high-standard economic and trade rules and promoting the high-level institutional opening-up of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which set out 80 measures across seven areas, including expanding opening in the service trade. Second, the business environment will become more market-oriented, law-based, and aligned with international rules. Efforts will be made to steadily align with international high-standard trade rules in areas such as intellectual property and competitive neutrality, establishing a regulatory and market system in line with international standards to reduce institutional transaction costs for the allocation of production factors. Paying taxes will be made easier by optimizing processes and reducing time and cost. Trading across borders will be facilitated by further cutting the cost and time to import and export. It will be less difficult for enterprises, especially private and foreign-funded ones, to get bank loans and credit. The enterprise bankruptcy system will be fully utilized to stimulate market vitality and stabilize market expectations. Third, market access for foreign investment will be further relaxed. The latest edition of China's negative list for foreign investment access includes 31 items and is expected to be further shortened, with all restrictions on the manufacturing sector removed. Equal support will be provided for both domestic and foreign enterprises, ensuring that foreign enterprises receive national treatment in accessing production factors, qualification licensing, standard setting, government procurement and bidding. Under the premise of ensuring national security, cross-border data flow restrictions and localization requirements will be minimized. Fourth, the service sector will be further opened-up. The negative list for the cross-border service trade will be fully implemented to orderly expand the opening-up of finance, telecommunications, internet, education, culture and healthcare sectors. Ma Yingying is an associate research fellow of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Su Qingyi is a senior fellow of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the CASS and director of the Department of International Trade at the CASS. The authors contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn. indispensable guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington follow the latest on tariffs and executive orders Stay on top of the latest events in US politics with the FT’s trusted and impartial coverage Insight and analysis on US politics from commentators such as Ed Luce and James Politi This subscription does not include access to ft.com or the FT App Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times The four LMP3 manufacturers have been out testing multiple times with their new-for-2025 challengers in recent weeks as the date for final homologation approaches Ginetta’s G61-LT-P3 Evo has been to a pair of French circuits – Magny Cours and Alès – over the past fortnight with Laurents Hörr and Mike Simpson turning laps in the car in hotter temperatures (and in the case of Alès The Yorkshire-based manufacturer told DSC that the new cooling package for the new V6 twin-turbo ORECA engine continues to produce highly encouraging results have been consistently quicker than its Gen 2 model its recent tests have come alongside Ligier (Magny Cours) and Duqueine (Alès) allowing it to get a read on how its car compares to its competitor’s models in the flesh for the first time There is still no news to report on customer sales though Ginetta believes in its product and is eager to get prospective customers behind the wheel in the coming weeks has tested its D09 at Portimão as well as Alès during the past month with the former a shared track test alongside ADESS’ AD25 continues to be bullish about Duqueine’s prospects for the new era of LMP3 He told DSC last week that interest from its existing customer base and beyond is high with four cars already sold for teams planning to race in the Le Mans Cup Next up for Duqueine is a run at Paul Ricard on October 7th and 8th right before the final homologation for the new cars at Le Mans on October 10th and 11th it has been hard at work testing the JS P325 its development chassis has completed 6,500 km of testing over six days at Barcelona and two days apiece at Paul Ricard and Motorland Aragon Olivier Pla has tested the JS P325 throughout its development The experienced Frenchman isn’t the only driver to have taken the wheel as he was joined by Ligier European Series and Le Mans Cup champion Gillian Henrion at Paul Ricard Production of its first batch of JS P325s is now underway too with the first customer deliveries planned for the end of October completing a straight-line test at the Beja Airport in Portugal with its AD25 as well as four days of testing at Portimão and a day at Estoril at the back end of the Summer period the AD25’s aero stability has been improving steadily over the course of the testing which has been completed by multiple drivers the car has completed more than 3,000 km on track Next on the task list for the Portuguese prototype is a crash test this week at Politecnico di Milano and an additional two-day test in Spain before the homologation deadline With the cars not yet testing in final homologated spec – and the final minimum weight of 1000kg only just set – it’s impossible to draw any conclusions on the performance hierarchy at this stage We will have to wait until after the ELMS finale in Portimão later this month to get a clearer picture All four manufacturers are expected to make an appearance on track for two days of running at the Portuguese circuit – with a pool of customers on hand – in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 season Author: Stephen Kilbey © 2023 dailysportscar.com. All Rights Reserved. Link Digital Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day It does reduce the number of completed mergers we see They’re looking for this type of business case and strategic rationale Of course that differs from a defensive merger — Kristin Stark, a principal at Fairfax Associates, in comments given to the American Lawyer on why most law firm merger talks are seen as offensive right now among Biglaw firms especially considering the fact that the legal sector is performing incredibly well and at least 12 mergers have been announced for 2025 already “We expect to see at least the same number of mergers in 2025 as in 2024 with the possibility for more if deals currently under consideration cross[] the finish line,” Fairfax noted in its year-end merger report This tweak to your financial management seems like a no-brainer Lexis Create+ merges legacy drafting tools with AI-powered assistance from Protégé and secure DMS integration enabled by the Henchman acquisition MyCase streamlines your firm so you can focus on winning cases See how much time you could save with our Law Firm Time Savings Calculator—try it now Technology firm Nvidia is now the world’s ninth most valuable brand The world’s 500 most valuable brands grew their brand value by 10% in the last year to $9.5trn a figure that outpaced global economic growth which stood at 3% Nvidia’s brand value has grown 98% in the last year putting it in the top 10 of worldwide brands for the first time according to Brand Finance’s Global 500 2025 research The technology firm was founded in 1993 as a computer chip business and has since capitalised on the AI boom with its chips often seen as market-leading and far ahead of its 2020 brand value of $4.7bn It now sits as the ninth most valuable brand While much of the growth of Nvidia is driven by AI it also has strong connections with the gaming space and is seen as a major tech player in much the same way as Microsoft or Google despite its relatively rapid growth The top four global brands remain the same as they were in 2024 with Apple holding the top spot for the second consecutive year with a brand value of $574.5bn Microsoft is in second place with a brand value of $461.1bn an impressive jump of 35% driven by its AI investments. Value of top 100 B2B brands up 10% versus last year, study finds The brands in fifth and sixth swapped places this year with Walmart ($137.2bn) leapfrogging Samsung ($110.7bn) The American retail giant saw its value rise by an impressive 42% in the past year. TikTok stays in seventh place ($105.8bn) despite a rocky year with its (now-delayed) ban in the United States dominating headlines, while its competition Facebook remains in eighth ($91.5bn). Elsewhere in the top 10, aside from Nvidia entering at ninth place, Chinese utilities firm State Grid jumped into 10th place from 12th ($85.6bn). All told this means that eight of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world are technology companies, further indicating the strength tech giants hold in the modern market and driving growth in brand value. The data also shows the growth of Chinese businesses in the West. Brand Finance tracked the brands that had grown the most in brand value since 2020 and it found that three different Chinese brands (TikTok, Pinduoduo and BYD) sat in the top 10. It’s something that David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, expects to see more of in 2025 praising the firms for “leading the charge” when it comes to creating value. “As China continues to refine its brand-building strategies and focus on quality, we expect to see more Chinese companies enter the global marketplace in 2025,” he adds. That’s not something you can necessarily say about the UK which once again struggled to place many brands in the top 100. The UK’s most valuable business is oil and gas firm Shell in 30th place – a fall from 23rd in 2024 – which has a brand value of $45.4bn, down from $50.3bn. HSBC is the second most valuable UK brand in 74th ($27.8bn), followed by professional services firm EY in 81st ($25bn) and energy giant BP in 113th ($18.3bn). Consumers often have a mixed relationship with technology seeing it as both a friend and a threat. It is the job of marketers to help navigate these concerns. With 2025 unlikely to bring cheer in terms of macroeconomic growth as brands face up a lacklustre era dubbed the “new normal”, what can marketers do to drive growth in this environment? Forget formulating strategies and focus on how AI can turbocharge each element of your plan, says EMEA marketing boss Yonca Dervisoglu. Accepting that not every innovation will succeed and learning to “celebrate the kills” is key to creating a culture where teams can push forward and grow, says Diageo’s breakthrough innovation director. Behavioural science does a good job of explaining why utilising The Famous Five paid off so handsomely for Great Western Railway. After winning the Premier League last Sunday, Liverpool FC’s senior vice-president of digital says the work for marketing is building up to an “even bigger crescendo”. At the end of every week, we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From Motorway’s CMO and CFO making their relationship a strategic partnership to Coca-Cola highlighting its “localness” in light of geopolitical tensions, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take. News Construction continues apace on the Euro American Innovation City 1st July 2024 Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “We are delighted with the progress on site in Hangzhou. The EIC is an important part of the city’s wider masterplan – and will significantly increase the number of apartments, commercial, and office buildings along the landscaped axis. We look forward to seeing the rest of our scheme come to life in the forthcoming months.” John Blythe, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, added: “The Euro American Innovation City will be a striking new addition to Hangzhou’s CBD. Its six slender towers offer spectacular views and are designed to maximise solar access and natural ventilation, creating view corridors into the development from the surrounding streets. The EIC welcomes the local community and celebrates its unique surroundings.” The two 200-metre-high office towers are adjacent to the Qiantang River and form a striking gateway to the complex. The development is permeable with multiple layers of access across three levels. Canopies extend outwards from the podium, indicating the various entry points to the scheme. Sheltered drop-off zones blur the lines between inside and outside, while providing direct and convenient access to the lobbies within. The office towers will attract international technology companies and deliver high-quality, flexible workspaces for government departments. Multi-level lobbies connect the bases of the towers, encouraging impromptu social interactions between workers. Within the towers, generous sky gardens and double-height green amenity areas provide a variety of pleasant breakout spaces. A landscaped, central public plaza is the focal point of the scheme. Joining the development’s offices and apartment buildings, the plaza provides a place for workers, residents, and the public to gather. It offers a natural backdrop for social gatherings and community events. Breathable green spaces are an important element of the scheme, improving physical and mental wellbeing in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ‘IT incubator’ is located on the north side of the plaza, at the top of the podium. It has been designed to attract emerging technology start-ups, with unique, landscaped terraces that can be viewed from the surrounding towers. Horizontally stacked planters evoke the dynamic form of the region’s tea plantations. The scheme is unified by a refined palette of high-quality materials, including stainless steel, stone, terracotta, and timber. the price of eggs skyrockets with no plans to address bird flu NIH prepares to shut down funding for cancer treatment it’s comforting to know that President Musk has it all under control. New York Times: Why Federal Courts May Be the Last Bulwark Against Trump With a compliant Congress and mostly quiet streets the president’s opponents are turning to the judicial branch with a flurry of legal actions The judiciary’s response to the legal challenges is continuing through the weekend. On Friday afternoon, Judge Carl Nichols, a district judge nominated by Mr. Trump. said he would issue a temporary restraining order halting the administrative leave of 2,200 employees at the U.S Agency for International Development and the looming withdrawal of nearly all of the agency’s workers from overseas Musk’s government efficiency program to the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems saying access would risk “irreparable harm.” A disturbing piece from Suzanne Schneider/The New European: and been replaced by something much more powerful – and troubling The two ascendent factions of the American right may advance fundamentally different economic and social visions but both reject neoliberal economic orthodoxies about free markets and the role of the state you have the traditionalists who have coalesced around the National Conservatism movement helmed by the Israeli-American political theorist NatCon has become an umbrella for the global right and made significant inroads with figures including Viktor Orbán Thinkers in this world sometimes sound more like Wolfgang Streeck than Milton Friedman rebuking the degrading effects of capitalism on families and communities and calling for states to intervene represent the triumph of instrumental reason in our new century They fetishise efficiency and understand the democratic state as an impediment to the sort of “progress” they desire For devotees to what the philosopher Curtis Yarvin calls turbocapitalism – wherein maximizing profit depends on seizing the state apparatus – invocations of laissez-faire are notably absent They have given up the libertarian lie that business can thrive without the state and are far more interested in conquering it but by directing economic and industrial policy and positioning their preferred firms as national champions This is not the free market but the patronage market The CFPB union has just sued Russell Vought over shuttering the agency New York Times: Vance Says ‘Judges Aren’t Allowed to Control’ Trump’s ‘Legitimate Power’ The declaration by the vice president came as court orders have temporarily blocked parts of the Trump administration’s agenda has repeatedly argued in recent years that presidents like Mr Trump can and should ignore court orders that they say infringe on their rightful executive powers it carried greater significance given that he is now vice president The post may also offer a window on the administration’s thinking toward the orders against it as Mr. Trump has openly violated numerous statutes like limits on summarily firing officials and effectively dismantling U.S.A.I.D It also raised the question of whether the administration would stop abiding by rulings if it deemed them to be illegitimately impeding his agenda When what Trump/Musk does is illegitimate And it’s the courts that decide that point less than 3 percent of federal workers have submitted their "deferred resignations." 7 percent voluntarily leave the government every yearhttps://t.co/sw8z8T57oQ AL.com: after NIH funding cuts cause concern in Alabama “While the administration works to achieve this goal at NIH targeted approach is needed in order to not hinder life-saving groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama,” Britt told AL.com is a Trump supporter who is distressed at what Trump is doing HuffPost: A Look At All The Lawsuits Coming For DOGE Musk also has not been vetted or approved by Congress. House Democrats attempted to subpoena him this week, but Republicans on the House Oversight Committee blocked the motion That’s because House Republicans are horrible in every sense of the word Will Bunch/Philadelphia Inquirer: Trump’s ‘mass deportation’ TV reality show is both fake and incredibly dangerous Trump's 'mass deportation' is so far a TV reality show of shackles Gitmo and raids to terrorize migrants and thrill MAGA The cruelty was the point when 104 undocumented migrants from India were placed in leg shackles and handcuffs and loaded onto a U.S Air Force C-17 last week for a grueling 40-hour deportation flight from the United States to the northern city of Amritsar in their native country [Long post, sorry]For all the noise & confusion, I feel like after the last 2 weeks or so I have a much clearer sense of the rough DOGE game plan that @elonmusk has in mindI haven't spoken to Musk so I don't know for sure but my impression is the plan is something like:1/… Margaret Sullivan/The Guardian: Here’s how Democrats should fight back against Trump It’s easy to be disgusted with the Democratic party right now. Donald Trump is running roughshod over the rule of law treating the US constitution like toilet paper His trusty pal Elon Musk is the arsonist in chief burning down worthy democratic institutions and installing his minions in the heart of government where they have gained access to citizens’ private information Much of what’s happening is illegal and unconstitutional And the Democrats, mostly, look less like an opposition party and more like stunned bystanders. As my Guardian colleague Moira Donegan put it, they are “out of touch Some Democrats in a new generation are punching back hard showing their colleagues how to overcome their reputation for spineless dithering Any cop that ever endorses a Republican again has no shame https://t.co/lyE06oCp5N Matt Robison on Trump’s gutting of foreign humanitarian aid: Not signed up for Daily Kos yet? Create a free account Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription Read The Retrospect after signing yet another strategic deal – this time to grow the firm’s core presence in CNS disorder drugs a Norstella company Pharma Intelligence UK Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 13787459 whose registered Polish cities have invested significantly in tram network reconstruction and expansion over the past two decades Rolling stock renewals enabled domestic suppliers to strengthen their businesses Already have an account? 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Part of Arc network, www.arc-network.com Log in for full access to stabroeknews.com Only one active session is allowed per subscriber Prime Minister Mark Phillips visited Wakenaam and Leguan islands in the Essequibo River on Friday to assess the ongoing construction of solar photovoltaic power plants costing over US$4 million which are part of government’s initiative to significantly enhance the energy infrastructure of the islands an Office of the Prime Minister release stated yesterday The Prime Minister was accompanied by CEO of Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Kesh Nandlall; Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Dr Mahender Sharma; along with regional officials and technical officers from GPL and GEA the solar project is part of the UAE/Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF) with a total investment of US$2.3 million and is estimated to be completed by the end of this year The facility will integrate with existing diesel generators allowing for a seamless transition between renewable and traditional energy sources The Prime Minister urged businesses on the island and community leaders to take advantage of the increased power supply for industrialisation and agro-processing activities This island is now poised for growth in sectors like agro-processing We encourage entrepreneurs to form cooperatives and explore new business ideas The energy you will have will support your efforts to grow the island’s economy.” He also drew comparisons with similar projects in other regions noting the potential for Wakenaam to follow in the footsteps of places like Mahdia and Leguan where infrastructure improvements have already paved the way for increased tourism and agricultural activities Nandlall informed that the current energy demand at Wake-naam stands at 450 kilowatts and the new solar infrastructure is expected to quadruple the island’s energy generation capacity which will ensure a more reliable and sustainable electricity supply Phillips inspected the progress of the US$1.785 million 600-kilowatt solar plant and during his visit was briefed by engineers and contractors on the status of the project which is expected to significantly enhance the island’s electricity supply and support its long-term development The facility is designed to optimise efficiency allowing Leguan to operate on solar and battery storage for designated hours reducing reliance on traditional diesel-powered generators is financed by the Inter-American Develop-ment Bank (IDB) and will be executed by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Digiflic Controls India Private Limited was awarded the contract to construct the solar farm The facility is expected to become operational by the end of May 2025 Phillips highlighted the project’s transformative impact referencing a similar initiative commissioned in Mahdia in 2024 that successfully powered the entire township through solar energy “I want you to understand that what you’re having here is an increase in the power that will be available to you on your island; this will contribute to whatever growth is planned for this island in terms of industry He also assured residents that “the government is committed to supporting Leguan’s growth” and will ensure that there is reliable and sustainable access to energy across the island he also encouraged businesses and agricultural enterprises to capitalise on the increased power supply to promote economic development and realise the island’s full potential inverters to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and transformers to regulate power distribution across the island He pointed out that the system also features a 1,200 kilowatt battery energy storage unit and that it is designed for a 20-year lifespan the facility is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by over 800 tons annually supporting Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 And Nandlall noted that Leguan is currently operating at a 450-kilowatt peak demand from the 1,200 kilowatts of available energy which is being generated using diesel engines He noted that with the addition of the 600-kilowatt solar farm the island now has more than enough available energy the government has also initiated a wind energy tender for a 0.5-megawatt wind power plant as part of a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to renewable energy development A FREE roundup of top news from Guyana you might otherwise miss Israeli warplanes have conducted fresh strikes on Lebanon killing six paramedics in the country’s south hours after two others lost their lives in air raids Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported on Monday that the deadly air raids hit the Islamic Health Authority center in the village of Arab Salim in the Nabatiyeh governorate the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported the killing of two paramedics in Israel’s Sunday attacks It said one of the victims lost his life in the assault on the Islamic Health Association Center in Houmine el-Tahta in Nabatiyeh and the other was killed in the attack that targeted a healthcare facility in the village of Hanaway in Lebanon’s South governorate The ministry further reported that two paramedics were injured in the Israeli bombing of an ambulance center in the town of Bazouriyeh situated in the Governorate of South Lebanon Israeli forces killed at least 15 paramedics and five bystanders in an attack on a civil defense center in the town of Douris near Baalbek Israel has been carrying out bloody acts of terror and aggression across Lebanon after the regime unleashed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in early October 2023 at least 3,481 people have been killed and 14,786 others injured in Israeli assaults on Lebanon More than 200 of the victims are emergency workers most of whom were killed over the past two months Rights groups have condemned Israel’s killing of emergency responders and healthcare workers as apparent war crimes Click the "share" button in the bottom bar Funding helps successful stop smoking programme continue its work Over 160 people each month across Leicestershire have accessed stop smoking services for help and support to quit smoking in the last year Leicestershire County Council is highlighting the progress of the proactive work to both stop and prevent smoking Using government cash the Smoke Free Generations is an initiative well under way targeting key groups and individuals to help reducing smoking and vaping across the county The work is delivered by the county council’s Quit Ready team in public health who have helped 1,217 people over the last year kick the habit as part of their general work with residents looking to improve their health and save money and targeted work with pregnant women are key parts of the work of Smoke Free Generations with 131 pregnant smokers already setting a quit date with their stop smoking advisor. The project offers home visits to all pregnant smokers and their partners to promote giving up as a family more than 600 young people have been given presentations on the dangers and risks of smoking and vaping and work has focused on the key target areas of (Charnwood and more work will take place across county secondary schools With more than 20.4% of manual workers identified as smokers proactive efforts in factories and industrial units have focused on raising awareness of smoking cessation support. 110 businesses have already been given information about the support available from the team which aims to ensure that more employees have access to the support they need to quit smoking when they’re ready “We have the lowest rate of smoking in the East Midlands We want to keep providing support to those who need it. business and schools will not only help to reduce the smoking rate but also help to stop young people taking up the habit to help a smokefree future for Leicestershire residents.” Several events are taking place to mark the historic event Around 7,100 pupils - 99.4% - secure a top three primary school preference Customers bought cars which were found to be faulty Assessments being made after issues with chimney spotted New video released gives snapshot of services provided by council Building work on new community facilities including an exclusive coffee shop a handy supermarket and boutique local shops is continuing at a great pace at Wellington Place Visitors to the development off Leicester Road will notice the vision for the community hub near Davidsons Homes’ parcel of the site starting to become a reality The buildings will form the heart of Wellington Place offering an attractive destination for visitors and local people to stroll around and enjoy Ethical coffee chain Esquires has been confirmed as one proprietor following its initial successful venture into the centre of Market Harborough A local Sainsbury’s will also open at Wellington Place giving buyers and local people a handy new place to shop said: “The community facilities at Wellington Place have been designed not just as a convenient pitstop for locals but a hub that people will be able to stroll around and enjoy “Visitors to our development at Wellington Place or even those using the new road connecting it to our Lubenham View development may have noticed the buildings appearing at a great rate It’s wonderful to see our vision begin to be realised and to see just how this section of the development will act as the focal point of the site there’s a lovely walk along the canal to The Waterfront a restaurant where you can enjoy a summer’s evening sat sipping a cool drink and watching the canal boats moored up nearby Or those that want to venture a little further afield could even cycle to Foxton Locks a historic site with the longest flight of locks in Britain Buyers could also walk along the main road to the centre of Market Harborough well-regarded restaurants and vibrant coffee shops await “Our Wellington Place local centre means though that you won’t have to leave the development if you don’t want to All facilities that could be needed are right here giving our buyers the best of both worlds.” The facilities at Wellington Place are set to open later this year For more information and to see the latest homes available to buy at Wellington Place Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals A Building Magazine Leading in the field of building news reporting Building Design & Construction Magazine is one of the most respected and referenced sources of building news enquiries@bdcmagazine.co.uk+44 1484 437312 Subscribe our newsletter to get the best stories into your inbox © 2025 BDC Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals TRINIDAD and Tobago has commenced the fabrication phase for the largest platform jacket to be made locally the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) said "The Manatee project continues apace with a local content win for the largest platform jacket fabrication in Trinidad and Tobago." Mc Dermott and Trinidad Offshore Fabricators Unlimited (TOFCO) hosted a ceremonial simulation of steel cutting to signal the commencement of the local fabrication phase for the Manatee Project The ministry said the local fabrication of jackets and piles (legs and supporting frame) for the Manatee Platform will kick-off in December 2024 The Manatee Project commemorated the first steel cutting ceremony for its topside in July 2024 at Mc Dermott’s Altamira Fabrication Yard in Mexico one week after the Final Investment Decision (FID) was made by Shell "demonstrating the fast pace at which the project is moving," the release said Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young said “This has been my third visit to the TOFCO yard in the last month to view fabrication projects that were a direct outcome of government policy and strategy coming together and the government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will continue delivering world-class opportunities to La Brea Point Fortin and other communities in Trinidad and Tobago.” a government-to-government agreement was made between government and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela allowing each country to independently develop its respective share of the Loran-Manatee field "Manatee is expected to start production in 2027 and once online Manatee is expected to reach peak production of approximately 104,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) (604 MMscf/d) The projected gas production will boost Trinidad and Tobago’s economy and earn foreign exchange though the utilisation of local services and hydrocarbon exports," the release said we are proud to partner with professional organisations like Mc Dermott and TOFCO We are confident that the Manatee Jacket will be completed on time and with high quality of craftsmanship and look forward to bringing this project online for TT.” TOFCO general manager Javed Mohammed noted the work ahead and the positive relationship between government and the project’s stakeholders “The journey ahead will be filled with challenges but it is through our collaboration and perseverance that we will turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and success as we set new standards in offshore construction." Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for La Brea Stephen Mc Clashie Member of Parliament for Point Fortin Kennedy Richards In Feature Articles by Porter AndersonFebruary 16 and the Netherlands are engaged in Europe’s ‘APACE’ led by Fondazione LIA Image – Getty iStockphoto: Flavio Vallenari As EU explanatory material for the initiative specifies the legislation requires accessibility in “products and services that have been identified as being most important for persons with disabilities while being most likely to have diverging accessibility requirements across EU countries.” The list of products and services this covers comprises: the goal of the APACE initiative is to “improve the reading opportunities—and thus the social inclusion—of more than 100 million people with visual impairments and print disability in Europe.” Fondazione LIA, which has led the development of APACE, was established in 2014 by AIE, the Italian Publishers Association that’s leading the 2024 Guest of Honor Italy program at Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 16 to 20) LIA ‘s secretary-general, Cristina Mussinelli, in comments made public in an earlier report about the program by Alessandra Rotondo for Giornale della Libreria points out that the nonprofit foundation’s work in expanding the available pool of accessible books in Italy throughout its digital publishing system means that LIA works “in collaboration with entities that guarantee access to publications for people with disabilities starting with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired (UICI) which has been an institutional member of the foundation since 2017 and with the support of the ministry of culture.” in creating and coordinating the EU-funded APACE project is expanding the approaches and techniques it has developed in Italy with the wider European bloc timed to coincide with the needs for bloc-wide response as the Accessibility Act comes in APACE is focused on “gathering facts and figures on the current level of adoption of accessibility practices in Europe,” according to Fondazione LIA’s project coordinator “with particular regard to ‘born accessible’ models which integrate accessibility into the production and distribution processes of digital books; thus identifying the specific skills and knowledge needed at each stage of publishing work to achieve the goal of accessibility.” A survey is being used to get a higher view of where things are in various EU member-states’ levels of preparation to fulfill the requirements of the new act for accessibility in regard to book publishing The results of that survey—and what those results indicate needs to be done—will of course be of interest to the news media in covering how well positioned Europe is for the implementation of the act and where the biggest challenges seem to lie that some of the supportive measures needed will involve: and other materials generated will be offered through the APACE program partly with input by people with disabilities “The involvement of publishers and people with disabilities from the initial design phase in the different activities,” Molinari told Rotondo taking into account the needs of content producers and readers at the same time.” More from Publishing Perspectives on trends and issues involving accessibility and world book publishing is here, more on the Italian market is here, and more on issues and publishing in Europe is here Kinaxis has appointed veteran Canadian finance executive Lynn Loewen to its board of directors as it continues its search for a new chief executive to replace John Sicard who will serve on the board’s audit committee Become an Ottawa Business Journal Insider and get immediate access to all of our Insider-only content and much more Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article people and issues that impact businesses in Ottawa and beyond More Videos View All | Submit an Expert Blog View All | Submit an Event thoughtful analysis and valuable insights for business leaders in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario EVENT ALERT: Mayor's Breakfast with Ontario Finance Minister on Wednesday