Category: General

Meyer Burger Technology AG is now offering its premium solar panels in Australia, a significant and growing market. The company will present its product portfolio “Made in Germany, designed in Switzerland” at the country’s largest solar trade show, the Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition from May 3 to 5 in Sydney.

BayWa r.e. will be Meyer Burger’s first distributor in Australia. “BayWa is well known in the Australian market as a supplier of German-made solar panels, and we believe Meyer Burger will fill an important gap in the Australian market,” said Durmus Yildiz, managing director of BayWa r.e. Solar Systems in Australia. “For us it is particularly important that Meyer Burger is adhering to sustainable manufacturing and sourcing practices, aiming to continuously reduce the carbon footprint of its high-performance modules.”

The products available in Australia are Meyer Burger White, Meyer Burger Black and Meyer Burger Glass, all of which contain highly efficient heterojunction solar cells produced in the company’s own production facilities in Germany’s “Solar Valley”. Compared to conventional technologies, the solar panels feature higher energy yields over their expected lifetime of more than 30 years.

“The Australian solar market, with its high demand for sustainable products manufactured to high social and ethical standards, offers an excellent opportunity for Meyer Burger,” says Brendan Kay, Head of Sales of Meyer Burger in Australia. “With our solar panels, the customer can harvest more solar energy from the rooftop – even at very high temperatures. This advantage is even larger with the glass-glass product, which, when installed appropriately, converts sun into electricity even on the back side with a bifacial efficiency of over 90 percent.”

Meyer Burger’s Australian sales team will give a presentation at the trade show on May 4 at 9:30 a.m., detailing the product portfolio and patent-protected heterojunction/SmartWire technology and providing insights into the company.

Source: Xinhua Finance Agency

On this episode of The Modus Operandi, host Manila Chan takes a deep dive into the World Health Organization’s “pandemic treaty,” which saw the imposition of certain restrictions on the lives of citizens of foreign countries. Dr. David Bell joins the show to talk with Manila about the WHO’s reach and influence across the world

Source: Russia Today

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday expressed the conviction that social partners would contribute to reaching compromise agreements with a direct positive impact for workers and guaranteeing their rights, which is also what the State seeks, he said, noting that the Government’s recent compromise proposal for the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) aimed at this direction. In a written statement to mark the International Workers’ Day, President Christodoulides states that, ‘today we honour the anniversary of Labour Day as a reminder of the importance of the social struggles that led to safeguarding workers’ rights.’ He said that, the State must ensure that working conditions are safe and dignified, that salaries are fair and satisfactory, that rules are applied and that laws are adhered to without any discrimination, adding that, Cyprus has a long history of industrial peace, due to, among other things, ‘the high sense of responsibility and the maturity of the social partners who adopt decisions and policies, which over time respond to the needs of society and the abilities of the economy.’ President Christodoulides expressed ‘strong conviction’, that, ‘at this difficult time’, the social partners will act accordingly, and compromise agreements will be reached ‘with a direct positive impact for the workers and for guaranteeing their rights, just as the State seeks, through the efforts it makes with the recent compromise proposal for COLA, which aims in this direction’. Workers on Monday are honouring the International Workers’ Day throughout the country. SEK trade union had organised an event at its headquarters in Nicosia, addressed by its General Secretary Andreas Matsas and Labour Minister, Yiannis Panayiotou, in the presence of House President, Annita Demeriou, MPs and other officials. PEO trade union is holding a march and a bicommunal event in the afternoon in Nicosia. The union’s General Secretary Sotiroula Charalambous but also AKEL leader Stefanos Stafanou, will address the event, while attendees will march to the football pitch in the Ledra Palace buffer zone area to meet with the march organised by Turkish Cypriot unions, followed by a concert by bicommunal band ‘Rock for Peace – Solidarity, Reunification Social Justice’.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

On March 28, 2023, Array is thrilled to announce that it has secured a $10 million investment from Temasek Family, a leading global investment firm. This investment marks a significant milestone for Array.

The first round of funding raised $10 million in equity financing, which is a strong indication of Array’s potential and value. Array has already gained significant attention and support from investors, and this second round of funding is even more remarkable.

Array is thrilled to reveal that its valuation after this investment is rumored to be over $100 million, making it one of the most valuable algorithmic currency systems in the market. Array is grateful for this massive investment from a well-respected family, which is a strong indication of the potential and value that it brings to the table. Array believes that this investment also suggests that the family has faith in its vision and the team behind it.

Array has developed innovative and disruptive technology that has caught the attention of investors and industry experts alike. Its algorithmic currency system is designed to be more stable, efficient, and scalable than traditional cryptocurrencies, making it a promising candidate for a variety of use cases, including payments, remittances, and investment.

Its smart contract platform, ArrayFi, is also a significant development in the blockchain space. It enables decentralized applications to be built on top of its network, leading to a more decentralized and democratic financial system. ArrayFi is a fully decentralized finance (DeFi) smart contract platform driven by its self-invented AI algorithm, ArrayGo. Based on the bonding curve smart contract, ArrayGo has all the advantages of maintaining stability and preventing risks while being greatly improved. ArrayGo operates independently, without any human or institutional control, and is driven solely by market actions. Unlike traditional bonding curves that are set up by centralized controllers, Array-Go learns, observes, and predicts, making ArrayFi a groundbreaking DeFi project in the market.

Source: Xinhua Finance Agency

This year’s Eurovision song contest, which will be held in May in the U.K., has an official Instagram account, on which every participant is asked to share their “favorite photo.” Pasha Parfeni, Moldova’s participant, has posted the most original one to date. The singer, who was chosen during the national round to participate in this year’s Eurovision, posted a video showing a picture of his car. He goes on to tell viewers that he wants to sell the car to support his and his band’s participation in the competition, saying, ‘We really need some money …”

lol Wish he’s gonna get so much income from the song and gonna be invited to many shows to be able to buy another great car to compete for next Eurovision.

In the grand final of Etapa Na?ionala 2023, Moldova selected their representative for this year’s Eurovision in Liverpool. After multiple rounds of elimination, Parfeni emerged as the winner with his song “Soarele si Luna,” (The Sun and the Moon”) despite not being one of the original favorites. This will be Parfeni’s second time representing Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2012, Parfeni won the Moldovan national selection for Eurovision with his song “Lautar” and represented his country in the contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he came in 11th place with 81 points.

Now, 11 years later, Parfeni will perform in the first semi-final on May 9 in Liverpool.

Moldova’s first participation in Eurovision was in 2005. Last year, the Moldovan band Zdob ?i Zdub made their third appearance in the competition, accompanied by the Advahov brothers.

Their distinct fusion of Moldovan folk music and the band’s innovation in their song “Trenule?ul” captured the audience’s hearts and gave them seventh place with 253 points.

Speaking at a press conference in April, Pasha Parfeni said:

During this entire period, I felt the support of the public. Any contest, especially Eurovision, is a team contest. I am grateful that my team is the Republic of Moldova.

Last year’s competition was won by Ukraine’s Kulash Orchestra with their song “Stefania.” The usual pattern is for the subsequent contest to be held in the winner’s country but the war in Ukraine prevented this.

This year’s contest will be held from May 9 to 13.

Source: Global Voices

The annual Greek Independence Day Parade took place on Sunday along the Fifth Avenue, in New York, despite heavy rain. Members of the Greek and Cypriot diaspora had the chance to see the Evzones, members of the elite regiment of the Greek army that stand guard in front of the Hellenic parliament and the Presidential Mansion, parading in the street. Greek and Cypriot organizations, associations, students and teachers of Greek schools also marched on Fifth Avenue. On Friday, a smaller parade was held by the Presidential Guard through the streets of southern Manhattan, from St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero to Bowling Green Park for a ceremony to raise the Greek flag. Present at the event were, among others, the Consul General of Greece, Dinos Konstantinou, the Permanent Representatives of Greece and Cyprus to the UN, Ambassadors Evangelos Sekeris and Andreas Hadjichrysanthou, respectively, and the Ambassador of Greece to the US Alexandra Papadopoulou. The Archbishop Elpidophoros of America said, among others, that “by raising the blue and white flag of Greece and that of Cyprus we remind all of us that the fight to defend freedom never ends. We raise it with pride and joy, because we know that it represents the blood and toil of our ancestors,” he said.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

If a trip to the lake with your fishing rod just isn’t an option, an Israeli company has created a method of 3D bioprinting your very own ‘fresh’ fish – which, it says, will be ready for cooking immediately.

Stakeholder Foods has developed a 3D printed grouper fish fillet from stem cells, which are then processed via bioprinting technology into a fish-like shape. The product, which was created in conjunction with Umami Meats, mimics the taste and texture of natural fish, and it could be on supermarket shelves later this year.

“In the coming months, we intend to announce our plans for bringing this world-class cultivated fish to the market,” said Mihir Pershad, CEO of Umami Meats at a tasting event in Israel last week, via The Telegraph. “In the first tasting, we showcased a cultivated product that flakes, tastes and melts in your mouth exactly like excellent fish should,” he explained.

The development of the technology could have myriad benefits, particularly as it pertains to food scarcity – but also to the global issue of overfishing. Marine experts have estimated that around one third of global fish stocks are currently being overexploited. Grouper fish, in particular, are considered at risk of extinction.

Additionally, biologically engineered fish is free from pollutants such as microplastics, which might affect traditionally harvested seafood stocks.

The grouper fish fillets are created by combining fish stem cells with various nutrients, which are subsequently processed into bio-inks and then into a printer. The process of printing takes just a few minutes, and the product can then be immediately cooked and eaten.

Stakeholders are also working to create entire cuts of 3D-printed meat, including steaks and other seafood like eel. In 2020, the fast-food giant KFC partnered with a Russian bioprinting company to produce artificial chicken nuggets.

Source: Russia Today

The National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme – a measure that rewards farmers for recording weights of dairy beef animals – will soon close to applications.

Applications to the scheme must be made on agfood.ie, with the closing date for applications being May 2nd 2023.

The scheme includes a payment rate of up to €20 per eligible calf weighed – subject to a maximum of 50 calves, meaning that grant aid of up to €1,000 is available for holdings meeting this criteria.

Those eligible to apply to the scheme are: the owner of an active herd number with Herd Owner status, who submits a Basic Income Support for Sustainability application in 2023, and had a male calf of a dairy breed or a male or female calf of a beef breed sire born to a dairy breed dam in your herd.

Those participating in the scheme are required to weigh a minimum of five eligible calves and submit details to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF). Calves must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of weighing and been registered on the holding they are being weighed on for a minimum of 10 days prior to the date of weighing. These calves must also have been born between July 1st 2022 and June 30th 2023. All weights should be submitted within seven days of weighing and must be submitted before November 1st, 2023.

Source: BBC

Trkiye on Sunday welcomed the holding of constitutional referendum in Uzbekistan in a “peaceful and calm atmosphere.” “We attach great importance to the stability and prosperity of Uzbekistan, with which we have deep-rooted ties, and wish that the results of the referendum would be auspicious for the friendly and brotherly Uzbek people,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Trkiye will continue to support the reform process in Uzbekistan, it added. Uzbekistan on Sunday voted on the referendum, which envisions major legislative changes, including increasing the country’s presidential term from five to seven years.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Ireland, Larisa Gerasko, has called for a boycott of Jameson whiskey after the brand re-entered the Russian market, albeit to a limited degree.

Jameson, owned by the French company Pernod Ricard, resumed sales in Russia late last year, citing the need to protect its local teams, as well as to avoid facing legal trouble over “intentional bankruptcy” in the country. Gerasko, however, has rejected the rationale, calling for a boycott of the brand until it withdraws completely from Russia.

“On the one hand, this company wants to protect a few employees, but tens of thousands of Ukrainians, every single day, have been killed by Russia,” the envoy told Irish media on Sunday, urging “all companies” to help Kiev and stop trading with Moscow.

The ambassador vowed to stop purchasing Jameson products and called on ordinary consumers, as well as restaurants and pubs, to follow suit. Gerasko claimed she tried to raise the issue directly with the manufacturer weeks ago, but received no response.

“Of course we are disappointed we haven’t heard from them,” she said. “We are very concerned because, by trading with Russia, companies finance the Russian war machine.”

The Pernod Ricard Group acknowledged the issue for Irish media, promising to sort it out in the weeks to come, “including stopping the export of our international brands while ensuring the welfare and safety of our team, conceding the local legal constraints.”

“We continue to work hard to find the best solution to this difficult dilemma,” the company said.

Apart from Jameson, the Pernod Ricard Group owns multiple top spirits brands, including Swedish Absolut vodka, Beefeater London, Chivas Regal, Havana Club, Malibu, Ballantine’s, and others. The group halted exports to Russia in March 2022, shortly after the beginning of the ongoing hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.

Last month, the company admitted resuming sales of Absolut in Russia, sparking a backlash from pro-Ukrainian groups and top Swedish officials. The Swedish PM, Ulf Kristersson, for instance, said he was “very surprised” to hear the company had resumed exports. Absolut promptly gave in to the mounting pressure, agreeing to halt exports again and promising to exercise its “duty of care towards our employees and partners, we cannot expose them to massive criticism in all forms.”

Source: Russia Today