Day: June 7, 2023

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St Kitts and Nevis citizens can now travel easier and faster to Canada

Basseterre, June 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Government of St Kitts and Nevis is proud to announce that after sustained and meaningful dialogue between itself and the government of Canada, Kittians and Nevisians can now travel visa-free to Canada.

The policy applies to St Kitts and Nevis nationals who have had a Canadian visa over the past ten (10) years, as well as those who have a current non-immigrant US visa.

St Kitts and Nevis nationals who fit the above categories are required to apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), for which a response is usually received the same day.

First time applicants who do not have a US or Canadian visa are still required to apply for a visa to enter Canada.

Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the addition of 13 countries to the eTA program, of which St Kitts and Nevis is one. Eligible citizens will be able to travel faster, easily, and more affordably to Canada for up to six months for either business or leisure.

“This is indeed positive news for our citizens, and we are happy about the strength of our relationship with Canada and look forward to announcing more positive aspects resulting from this partnership,” said Prime Minister Terrance Drew.

As a CARICOM (Caribbean Community) and fellow Commonwealth, St Kitts and Nevis is an important partner for Canada. Both countries share strong cultural and people-to-people ties.

Chantal Mabanga
PR St. Kitts and Nevis
+44 (0) 207 318 4343
Chantal.Mabanga@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8854173

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International Dialogue Centre’s Secretary General Calls for Continued Commitment to Universal Peace through Interreligious Dialogue in Audience with Pope Francis

Rome, Italy, June 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, His Holiness Pope Francis received His Excellency, Dr. Zuhair Alharthi, Secretary General, International Dialogue Centre, KAICIID.

The Secretary General expressed gratitude for the Vatican’s historical role in helping to establish and support the International Dialogue Centre’s interreligious and intercultural dialogue programmatic work, globally.

The late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, in his role as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the late Pope Benedict XVI, met in 2007 to discuss the founding of a new interfaith initiative. That initial gesture of reaching out across centuries of misunderstanding, of setting aside their own certainties in favour of dialogue with the other, has informed KAICIID and its work ever since. The Holy See remains a Founding Observer of the International Dialogue Centre, ensuring our mandate is delivered.

“The Vatican has played a significant role in raising the importance of interreligious dialogue as a necessary means towards creating universal peace,” said the Secretary General. “I am honoured to meet with Pope Francis to reaffirm our efforts in dialogue and the importance of an enhanced commitment to these efforts ahead of his visit to our Host Country, Portugal, for World Youth Day,” he added.

About The International Dialogue Centre – KAICIID
The International Dialogue Centre – KAICIID is an intergovernmental organization that promotes peace and understanding through interreligious and intercultural dialogue by strengthening capacity at the local, national, and regional level through education on dialogue practices; increasing understanding of religious and cultural diversity through leadership for dialogue training, and promoting dialogue and social cohesion through conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and development policies. Learn more at www.kaiciid.org

 

Attachments

Hermínio Santos
LPM
+351 925 606 430
hs@lpmcom.pt

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8853960

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Most Profitable Crypto Miners Now Delivered Worldwide

BM Pro
BMPRO

Most Powerful Crypto Miners in the World

NEW YORK, June 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crypto mining enthusiasts around the world can now have the world’s most profitable crypto miners delivered to their doorsteps. Bitmanu has just started worldwide delivery of its BM 1, BM 2, and BM Pro miners. Within a relatively short lifespan, these ASIC miners have already hit the headlines because of their excellent profitability.

Bitmanu launched in early 2021 and immediately caught the attention of the industry experts with the high hash rates of its mining rigs. The hash rates of BM 1, BM 2, and BM Pro are higher compared to any other hardware available in the market. These mining rigs have been enhanced further with the recent introduction of Bitmanu’s private and unique Bitstream, which now allows them to efficiently mine multiple coins.

Hash Rates of Bitmanu Miners

BM Pro BM 2 BM 1
Bitcoin 3900 TH/s 1220 TH/s 760 TH/s
Litecoin 400 GH/s 128 GH/s 80 GH/s
Dash 75 TH/s 25 TH/s 15 TH/s
Monero 32 MH/s 10 MH/s 6 MH/s

Many users of Bitmanu miners have informed that they were able to fully recover their investments in approximately a month. This has been made possible not only by the high hash rates of these rigs, but also their low power consumptions. In spite their extraordinary computational power, BM 1, BM 2, and BM Pro consume only 650W, 850W, and 2200W respectively.

Mining Profits per Month

  BM Pro BM 2 BM 1
Bitcoin $7000 $2400 $2000
Litecoin $9500 $3200 $3000
Dash $26,000 $9000 $5000
Monero $21,000 $6400 $3800

*Calculation is done based on the current market price and mining difficulty

Interestingly, a high percentage of Bitmanu’s delighted customers include casual crypto miners with no or very little exposure to crypto mining. Bitmanu is probably the first company ever to design uncomplicated mining rigs with the goal of democratizing a field that has traditionally been dominated by technology experts.

To find out more about Bitmanu, please visit https://bitmanu.com/

About Bitmanu: Bitmanu is a manufacturing company created, owned, and managed by a team of investors and noted crypto industry experts dedicated to bringing the benefits of latest technological innovations to the public. The company offers a stunning range of crypto miners that offer superfast return on investment, and can be set up and used by all regardless of their experience and knowledge.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf754322-fcec-47b6-9c8b-d38a18d37ebd

Media Contact

Alex Torum

media@bitmanu.com

+1 347 973 5948

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000823978

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Mattermost Announces “Customer-Controlled AI Architecture” for Enhancing Operational Workflows in Defense, Government and Technology Organizations

Self-hosted, open source solution enables AI-augmentation of mission-critical operations while maintaining full data control and avoiding vendor lock-in

Palo Alto, CA, June 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mattermost, Inc., the leading secure collaboration platform for technical teams, today announced a new “Customer-Controlled AI Architecture” enabling defense, government and technology enterprises to apply generative AI technologies to enhancing or replacing operational workflows while meeting stringent data control requirements and avoiding lock-in to vendor-specific platforms.

“If you’re part of an organization that has clear competitors or adversaries, then you’re in a race right now to unlock the power of AI for gaining speed and decision advantage,” said Ian Tien, Mattermost CEO. “Our release today serves organizations competing in that race who also need to meet strict security and sovereignty requirements.”

The open source, self-managed solution provides feature-rich, chat-based collaboration across web, desktop and mobile experiences to engage with colleagues as well as AI bots powered by an interchangeable set of open source AI platforms, known as large language models, or “LLMs”. The system can be fully controlled by a customer within their private network or data center, and can even be deployed to air-gapped networks disconnected from the internet.

Benefits of Mattermost’s customer-controlled AI platform include:

  • Fully-featured chat-based collaboration including 1-1 and group messaging across, web, desktop and mobile, with file and media sharing, search, integrations, custom emojis and emoji reactions, syntax highlighting and custom rendering.
  • Conversational AI bots that can be added to channels and engaged like human users to respond to questions and requests based on different LLMs that can be downloaded and run as part of the framework, including models from the HuggingFace AI community.
  • Scalable AI model framework that can scale up to deploy on a private cloud or data center using large and powerful open source LLM models for group work, or scale down to run on a commodity laptop, without the need for specialized hardware required by typical AI models, for individual developers to prototype and explore LLM capabilities.
  • Conforming security and compliance platform that can accommodate a broad range of custom security and compliance requirements, including automated scanning of the platform’s open source code base, monitoring and securing of all incoming and outgoing network traffic and deployment to restricted networks.

This new framework is an initial release in a series of reference architectures that Mattermost, Inc. intends to offer.

“While open source LLMs are in their infancy, we see them on course to materially accelerate operational collaboration,” adds Tien. “They’ll increase the attention and focus on our most impactful discussions, while reducing the drudgery of sifting through daily information flows. While we are starting with an open source, private cloud framework, over time we intend to add integration with proprietary, public cloud based AI models, because we believe enterprises are best served with a range of solutions to meet different needs.”

The Mattermost AI Framework is available for download on GitHub’s open source platform at https://github.com/mattermost/mattermost-ai-framework.

About Mattermost 

Mattermost provides secure collaboration for technical and operational teams that need to meet nation-state-level security and trust requirements. We serve technology, public sector, and national defense industries with customers ranging from tech giants, to the U.S. Department of Defense, to governmental agencies around the world.

Our self-hosted and cloud offerings provide an extensible hub for technical communication across web, desktop and mobile for incident collaboration, operational workflows, integration with Dev/Sec/Ops and in-house toolchains, and leading unified communications platforms.

We are built on an open source platform vetted and deployed by the world’s most secure and mission critical organizations, that is co-built with over 4,000 open source project contributors who’ve provided over 30,000 code improvements towards our shared product vision, which is translated into 20 languages.

To learn more, visit www.mattermost.com.

Mattermost and the Mattermost logo are registered trademarks of Mattermost, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Amy Nicol
Mattermost
+1 (650) 667-8512
media@mattermost.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8853788

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Dave & Buster’s to open 20 stores in India and Australia

The entertainment destination announces international franchise partnership with the Malpani Group and NightOwl Entertainment

DALLAS, June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dave & Buster’s, the ultimate destination for food, drinks, and entertainment, announces two more significant deals for its global expansion plans. The first deal includes a 15-store partnership in India with the Malpani Group, and the second deal comprises a 5-store partnership with the NightOwl Entertainment Group in Australia. These strategic alliances mark Dave & Buster’s second and third multi-store franchise agreements, firmly cementing the brand in the APAC and MEA regions with a total of 31 stores committed to development since global expansion plans were announced in 2022.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Malpani Group to bring the Dave & Buster’s experience to the Indian consumer, as India’s vibrant economy has ranked the country in the top 5 globally. The Malpani Group, known for its passion for innovation and diversified growth, is poised to dominate the indoor and outdoor entertainment industry,” said Antonio Bautista Chief International Development Officer for Dave & Buster’s. He added, “Likewise, we’re delighted to join forces with the NightOwl Entertainment Group, a forward-thinking hospitality and entertainment company revolutionizing the industry in Australia. Australia’s dynamic market presents a significant opportunity for growth, and the NightOwl Entertainment Group, renowned for its innovative approach, is the ideal partner for our brand. We can’t wait to bring our unparalleled entertainment experience to this vibrant market.”

Jai Malpani, Director of Malpani Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. “We are delighted to partner with Dave & Buster’s, an established brand with a proven track record in the entertainment industry,” said Malpani. “We believe their expertise in family entertainment and dining experiences will complement our portfolio, and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

David Heaton, the Founder and CEO of NightOwl Entertainment, also shared his excitement for the partnership. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with the brand that pioneered location-based entertainment and continues to be the point of reference globally in this space,” said Heaton. “We’re confident that together, we’ll bring unparalleled experiences to our customers.”

Dave & Buster’s has implemented several strategic initiatives to ensure a successful global expansion, including a customizable footprint tailored to meet specific market requirements and the localization of menu offerings with high regional resonance to cater to local preferences and tastes. They have also introduced a proprietary dynamic pricing model to offer flexible pricing options, launched global marketing programs that are demographically agnostic yet locally executable, and implemented a unique amusement strategy and packages to differentiate themselves in the market.

Dave & Buster’s is also excited to offer localized entertainment and late-night programming for customers and introduce immersive experiences to enhance customer engagement in the competitive socializing space. With these initiatives, Dave & Buster’s is confident they will provide an exceptional experience to their global customers.

About Dave & Buster’s
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Coppell, Texas, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc., is the owner and operator of 200 venues in North America that offer premier entertainment and dining experiences to guests through two distinct brands: Dave & Buster’s and Main Event. Dave & Buster’s has 152 stores in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada and offers guests the opportunity to “Eat, Drink, Play and Watch,” all in one location. Each store offers a full menu of entrées and appetizers, a complete selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and an extensive assortment of entertainment attractions centered around playing games and watching live sports and other televised events. Main Event operates 52 centers in 17 states across the country and offers state-of-the-art bowling, laser tag, hundreds of arcade games, and virtual reality, making it the perfect place for families to connect and make memories. For more information about each brand, visit www.daveandbusters.com and www.mainevent.com

About Malpani Group:
The Malpani Group from Sangamner is a well-diversified business house with interests in renewable energy, FMCG products, real estate, hotels, and more. However, the group’s success story goes beyond its diverse portfolio of businesses. The Malpani Group has always been committed to customer satisfaction and social responsibility, which has been the key to its phenomenal growth.

Currently, the Malpani Group is one of the leading owners and operators of amusement and water parks in India. They operate India’s largest theme and water park, Imagicaa, along with five other parks in India. Their amusement and water parks have become a popular destination for families, thrill-seekers, and tourists, offering a unique and immersive experience for all ages. With their unwavering commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction, the Malpani Group has set a new standard for business success and social responsibility, reflecting their strong belief in giving back to society.

About NightOwl Entertainment
Established in 2008, NightOwl Entertainment is one of Perth’s largest hospitality groups. Operating several venues across Perth and building many more nationally! Each with a distinct identity and target demographic. In the business of pubs and clubs and now location Based Entertainment practicing a strong corporate ethos and boasting one of the most sophisticated management systems in the industry, with centralized processes and procedures, best practice data analytics, and bespoke in-house training for staff.

Media Contact:
Antonio Bautista
Antonio.Bautista@daveandbusters.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8852831

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Industry, young entrepreneurship, electric vehicles to be Trkiye’s priorities in new term

In the new term, Trkiye’s Industry and Technology Ministry plans to boost industrial competitiveness, support young entrepreneurs, and make the country a next-generation hub for electric vehicles. Taking over the role as minister a day after his appointment on Saturday, minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir vowed to endeavor for a “fully independent Trkiye” under the country’s “National Technology” initiative. Kacir is expected to release a roadmap in the coming days on how the country will reach its goals, especially for structural transformations prioritizing high added value in strategic industries. Projects One major priority of the ministry in the new term will to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To do so, it plans to back their digitalization efforts and establish an SME Investment Bank to help meet their financing needs. It also intends to support SMEs affected by twin earthquakes that struck southern Trkiye in February, leading to widespread destruction and over 50,000 deaths. Young entrepreneurs will be given more access to financing, as well as training and other activities to encourage entrepreneurship. Steps are also planned to strengthen the country’s start-up ecosystem. To promote products and services provided by IT companies, international technology marketing offices will be established in five countries by 2028. Research and development work will also be a priority, with plans to increase spending in that field to 2% of national income. As part of Trkiye’s National Technology Entrepreneurship Strategy, the country aims to be among the world’s 20 most-developed ecosystems. One target in this area will be to create 15 “Turcorns,” or Turkish companies with a valuation of at least $1 billion, and five decacorns, companies with a value exceeding $10 billion. As part of harmonization efforts with the European Green Deal, green transformation of the Turkish manufacturing industry will also be promoted. The country’s network of fast charging stations for electric vehicles will be expanded as part of another initiative. In line with making Trkiye a next-generation base for electric cars, mass production of homegrown automobile Togg, will be expanded to 1 million vehicles by 2030. Investment battery production will be completed by developing sub-components with battery modules and packages, while the establishment of a battery testing center in the country will also be encouraged. As part of the Turkish National Space Program’s work on a lunar mission, unmanned spacecraft will be developed, along with a hybrid fuel and a unique and indigenous space rocket engine. Efforts to send a Turkish national to the International Space Station for a science mission will be completed, as well. Another aim is to make Trkiye’s Antarctic Scientific Research and Science Base permanent and gain consultant country status in the Antarctic Treaty System. To boost the competitiveness of Trkiye’s manufacturing industry, digital transformation work will be stepped up, while clustering enterprises will receive support. Measures will also be taken to increase R and D, innovation and design activities by improving competence, cooperation, governance and financing.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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European stocks close lower, except in Italy, Spain

European stocks closed lower Wednesday, except in Italy and Spain. The STOXX Europe 600, which includes around 90% of the market capitalization of the European market in 17 countries, was down 0.88 points, or 0.19%, to finish at 460.80. The UK’s FTSE 100 fell 3.76 points, or 0.05%, to end the session at 7,624. Germany’s DAX 30 lost 31 points, or 0.2%, to 15,960, while France’s CAC 40 trimmed six points, or 0.09%, to 7,202. Italy’s FTSE MIB, on the other hand, increased 18 points, or 0.07%, to 27,055 at the final bell. Spain’s IBEX 35 rose 49 points, or 0.53%, to close at 9,359.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Binance’s crypto token hits lowest in 5 months amid US charges, asset freeze

The world’s biggest cryptocurrency trading platform, Binance’s own blockchain-based native token BNB, saw its price Wednesday plummeting to the lowest level in five months, according to official figures. Price of the trading platform’s native crypto token dove to $253.4 during the day — the lowest since Jan. 4. BNB partially recovered later to $262.2 at 2.06 p.m. EDT for a daily loss of 7.1%. It is down a massive 14.4% in the past seven days. The native token for the Binance platform and its ecosystem still ranks fourth among cryptocurrencies based on market capitalization with a value just above $40 billion, according to data from the digital asset price-tracking website CoinMarketCap. The decline in value comes after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said earlier it filed an emergency action application seeking a temporary restraining order to freeze assets of the company’s American subsidiary Binance.US. The SEC filed 13 charges Monday against Binance entities and CEO Changpeng Zhao for violating several US securities laws, which included operating unregistered exchanges, broker-dealers and clearing agencies, misrepresenting trading controls and oversight on the Binance.US platform and unregistered offer and sale of securities.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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4 arrested on migrant smuggling suspicions along Balkan route

Four suspects in Germany and Romania have been arrested in a joint organized migrant smuggling investigation, EU authorities announced on Wednesday. German, Romanian, and Serbian officials detected 93 incidents during the probe and believe the suspects were involved in the smuggling of more than 870 migrants, according to a statement by Europol. Three of the suspects were located in Romania and one in Germany, said Europol, which added that they may have used trucks to carry the migrants along the Balkan route further into Europe, often in inhumane conditions. Authorities raided 15 locations and seized mobile phones, electronic equipment, documents, and cash in various currencies, along with three vehicles, it said. Findings show irregular migrants paid up to pound 10,000 ($10,725) to get to Germany from Trkiye. German and Romanian authorities have been investigating members of the criminal network since the end of 2022, after several irregular migrants were caught in an attempt to cross the borders between Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. In Romania, the criminal network’s local unit gathered migrants in the western city of Timisoara before transporting them to Germany. This Romanian cell was involved in renting and managing locations where the migrants were hidden in the Arad and Timisoara areas, according to Europol. Authorities said that to spot and avoid possible police checks, members of the criminal group scouted ahead of the trucks carrying the migrants. “During this last leg of the smuggling route towards Germany, the migrants were placed in extremely dangerous conditions, facing a lack of ventilation and other threats to their safety. In some cases, the migrants would be forced to hide amongst cargo under such conditions for several consecutive days,” Europol said. In addition to Germany, Romania, and Serbia, the investigation included Austrian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Polish, and Turkish authorities.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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EC & UNDP launch Cyprus Digital Heritage website

The European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched on Tuesday the Cyprus Digital Heritage website (www.cyprusdigitalheritage.com). Funded by the EU through the Aid Programme, the new website aims to safeguard and showcase Cyprus’ cultural treasures, ensuring their longevity and making them accessible to all people of Cyprus, as well as to a global audience, a UNDP press release said. The website includes virtual tours featuring cultural heritage sites restored and conserved by the bicommunal Technical Committee of Cultural Heritage (TCCH). These sites hold significant cultural and historical value for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, representing a bridge between their shared past and a foundation for building a common future. “Visitors can embark on a virtual journey through the magnificent historical landmarks of Cyprus, experiencing their grandeur and significance from the comfort of their own homes. Through these immersive virtual tours, users can explore monuments and archaeological wonders, gaining a deep appreciation for the historical and cultural legacy of Cyprus,” the press release said. The Cyprus Digital Heritage website also provides a user-friendly interface that allows visitors to navigate through a vast array of curated content. The platform features interactive maps, 3D reconstructions, and other multimedia elements, enhancing the virtual tour experience and enriching the exploration of Cyprus’s cultural treasures. Furthermore, the Cyprus Digital Heritage website serves as an invaluable resource for education, researchers, and cultural enthusiasts. Kjartan Björnsson, Deputy Director and Head of Unit for Cyprus Settlement Support at the Directorate-General Reform of the European Commission, highlighted the support of the European Commission in protecting and safeguarding the diversity of cultural heritage of Cyprus and in raising the public awareness of the role that heritage plays in peacebuilding. Speaking about the launch of the web site, Björnsson said that “the Cyprus Digital Heritage website presents an opportunity to stimulate dialogue, foster understanding and connect the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, thereby hopefully paving the way for the reunification of Cyprus.” Jakhongir Khaydarov, UNDP Cyprus Head of Office, expressed his appreciation for the project’s bi-communal nature and its potential for confidence-building, stating, “the launch of the Cyprus Digital Heritage website, featuring TCCH sites, represents a remarkable collaboration between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.’ He said by promoting dialogue, understanding, and pride in the shared heritage, ‘this initiative contributes to building trust and fostering a sense of unity among Cypriots.” The website is in line with the European Commission’s recommendations on digitalisation of cultural heritage, contributing to the objectives of Europe’s Digital Decade, and with UNDP’s commitment to sustainable development and cultural preservation. According to the press release, since 2012, over 123 cultural heritage sites island-wide have been conserved, structurally supported, physically protected or restored by TCCH and UNDP with the financial support from the European Union amounting to almost pound 25 million. Overall, the TCCH has received pound 35.6 million from several donors to implement its priorities for the preservation of the island-wide cultural heritage of Cyprus.

Source: Cyprus News Agency