Month: March 2022

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LeddarTech revela valor da fusão e percepção de dados brutos na Automotive Tech.AD Berlin (Alemanha) de 3 a 5 de abril de 2022

Tecnologia de percepção ambiental para uma condução autônoma mais segura com detecção melhor

QUEBEC CITY, March 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A LeddarTech®, líder global no fornecimento da tecnologia de detecção ADAS e AD mais flexível, robusta e precisa, tem o prazer de anunciar sua participação na Automotive Tech.AD Berlin no Titanic Chaussee Hotel Berlin como expositora e palestrante principal.

4-5 de abril de 2022: LeddarVision™ Demonstrator Space da LeddarTech (ao vivo e virtual)

Junte-se à equipe da LeddarTech para demonstrações reais de LeddarVision. O único software de fusão e percepção de sensores que usa fusão de dados brutos para simplificar conjuntos de sensores complexos, eliminar a dependência de hardware e fornecer aos clientes a flexibilidade de soluções de escala rápida em todos os modelos de veículos, proporcionando maior desempenho de ADAS e AD.

Conheça o CTO da LeddarTech, Pierre Olivier, pioneiro em sensoriamento com mais de 30 anos de experiência que fará apresentações nesses eventos durante a conferência:

  • Domingo, 3 de abril de 2022, 19h45 – 23h CET: Sessão Informal

Tema: O Caminho para a Automação Plena – Progresso e Desafios

  • Segunda-feira, 4 de abril de 2022, 10h – 10h30 CET: Apresentação

Tema: Tecnologia de Detecção e Percepção – Soluções que Resolvem Desafios Críticos de Detecção

Conheça a LeddarVision, uma plataforma de fusão e percepção de sensores de dados brutos que gera um modelo ambiental 3D RGBD abrangente com suporte a múltiplos sensores para configurações de câmera, radar e LiDAR. Esta solução centrada em software oferece desempenho de percepção superior por meio de planejamento de caminho, detecção de espaço livre e detecção, rastreamento e classificação aprimorados de objetos.

Sobre a Automotive Tech.AD Berlin

A Tech.AD Europe estimula você com novas ideias, conexões e inspiração. Este evento é dirigido a engenheiros e especialistas automotivos avançados de OEMs, fornecedores de soluções e institutos de pesquisa líderes com foco na aprendizagem de máquina AI +, tecnologias de percepção e sensor, arquiteturas de software e plataformas AV, testes e validação, veículos comerciais e implantação antecipada, conectividade e 5G, infraestruturas e cidades inteligentes, segurança e proteção, e muito mais. Junte-se a mais de 500 dos especialistas e executivos de veículos autônomos técnicos mais influentes em Berlim e online! Participe do evento também juntamente com a LeddarTech pessoalmente ou de forma digital registrando-se hoje mesmo no https://www.autonomous-driving-berlin.com/.

Sobre a LeddarTech

Fundada em 2007, a LeddarTech é uma empresa abrangente de sensoriamento ambiental completo, que viabiliza que os clientes resolvam desafios essenciais de sensoriamento, fusão e percepção em toda a cadeia de valor. A LeddarTech fornece soluções de percepção escaláveis econômicas de Nível 2+ ADAS ao Nível 5 de plena autonomia com LeddarVision™, uma plataforma de fusão e percepção de sensores de dados brutos que gera um modelo ambiental 3D abrangente a partir de uma variedade de tipos e configurações de sensores. A LeddarTech também dá suporte aos fabricantes LiDAR e integradores de sistemas automotivos de Nível 1-2 com o LeddarSteer™ de direção de feixe digital e o LiDAR XLRator™, uma solução para desenvolvimento LiDAR de estado sólido de grau automotivo com base na LeddarEngine™, e componentes principais de parceiros globais de semicondutores. A empresa é responsável por muitas inovações de aplicações com sensor remoto automotivos e de mobilidade avançadas, com mais de 100 tecnologias ADAS aprimoradas patenteadas (concedidas ou pendentes), e capacidade de condução autônoma.

Para mais informação sobre a LeddarTech, visite www.leddartech.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook e YouTube.

Contato:
Daniel Aitken, Vice-Presidente, Marketing Global, Comunicações e Relacionamento com o Investidor, LeddarTech Inc.
Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ramal 232
daniel.aitken@leddartech.com

Contato de Relações com Investidores: InvestorRelations@leddartech.com
https://investors.leddartech.com/

Os logotipos Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarSteer, LeddarEngine, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, LeddarCore, LeddarEcho, VAYADrive, VayaVision, XLRator e afins são marcas comerciais ou marcas comerciais registradas da LeddarTech Inc. e suas subsidiárias. Todas as outras marcas e nomes de produtos são ou podem ser marcas comerciais ou marcas comerciais registradas usadas para identificar produtos ou serviços de seus respectivos proprietários.

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Gene-Editing Technologies, Fluid Mechanics Breakthroughs, and Solutions to Unfathomable Mathematical Equations Recognized by King Faisal Prize

The Prize’s 44th session awards eminent figures in each of its Arabic Language & Literature and Service to Islam categories

Riyadh, March 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Two mathematicians and a scientist were among this year’s King Faisal Prize’s seven laureates who received their prizes on 29 March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for having enriched humanity with key and invaluable achievements and discoveries, and excelled in the fields of Medicine, Science, Arabic Language & Literature, and Serving to Islam.

The Medicine Prize was awarded to Professor David Liu, Richard Merkin Professor and Director of the Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, who invented the first gene “base editor” in 2016.

This technology laid the foundation for possibly treating thousands of genetic diseases like sickle cell disease and muscular dystrophy. Professor David Liu used “base editors” in mice to correct the genetic mutation behind progeria, a rare condition characterized by premature aging, retarded development, and early death. Still, more work needs to be done before gene “base editors” can be used in humans.

Initiating a revolution in genome editing, “base editors” have received great global demand. They were distributed over 9,000 times to more than 3,000 laboratories around the world. Scientists were able to publish more than 300 papers on this technique, used in different organisms ranging from bacteria to mice.

“Base editing” is a precise genome editing method; like a genetic pencil, that rewrites DNA base letters, which cause genetic mutations and potentially genetic diseases. This technology, which is in constant development, chemically rewrites one DNA base to another by rearranging the atoms of one DNA base to resemble a different base. In 2019, Professor David Liu created with his team “prime editing” which offers more targeting flexibility and greater editing precision.

With over 75 issued U.S. patents, Professor Liu was referred to as the “Gene Corrector” by Nature magazine topping its list of “Ten People Who Mattered This Year” in 2017 and was included in the “Foreign Policy Leading Global Thinkers list”. He is also a biotech entrepreneur, cofounding “Editas Medicine”, which uses CRISPR therapies (tool for editing genomes) to “discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize transformative, durable, and precise genomic medicines for a broad class of diseases”.

The Science Prize (Mathematics) was awarded jointly to Professor Martin Hairer, Chair in Probability and Stochastic Analysis at Imperial College’s Department of Mathematics, and to Professor Nader Masmoudi, a distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the New York University of Abu Dhabi and head of his Research Center on Stability, Instability and Turbulence.

Professor Martin Hairer developed the theory of regularity structures which gave a precise mathematical meaning to several equations that were previously outside the scope of mathematical analysis. He published his theory in 2014 providing tools and manuals for solving many previously incomprehensible equations called the stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs). These equations involve chance and describe how randomness throws disorder into different phenomena like coin tossing, stock price changes, wind movement in a tunnel, or forest fire growth. He transformed the area of SPDEs by introducing fundamental new techniques and was able to solve equations like KPZ equation which describes the evolution of the boundary at which two substances meet over time.

Professor Hairer is a world leader in probability theory and analysis and has authored a monograph and over 100 research articles. His work has been distinguished with several prizes and awards, most notably the LMS Whitehead and Philip Leverhulme prizes in 2008, the Fermat prize in 2013, the Fröhlich prize and the Fields Medal in 2014, a knighthood in 2016, and the Breakthrough prize in Mathematics in 2020.

As for Professor Nader Masmoudi, he was able to unlock the mystery around many physics problems which remained unsolved for centuries. He found a flaw in “Euler’s” mathematical equations which for more than two centuries described the motions of fluids under any circumstance. He discovered that Euler’s equations do not apply to all circumstances, as previously thought, and proved that they could break or fail under certain conditions related to fluids. His work helped solve and understand many problems related to fluid-modeling like weather predictions and airplane turbulence.

For the past 20 years, Professor Masmoudi’s research has been at the forefront of Partial Differential Equations, Fluid Mechanics, and Dynamical Systems. He has been cited by more than 8000 papers for his works in pure and applied mathematics. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Best Scientific Paper Award in Annales de l’Institue Henri Poincaré, a Chair from the Fondation Sciences Mathematiques de Paris, The Fermat Prize, and the Chair Schlumberger from the IHES in Paris.

In addition to Medicine and Science, King Faisal Prize recognized this year the achievements of outstanding thinkers and scholars in the field of Arabic Language & Literature, and honored exemplary leaders who played a pivotal role in serving Islam, Muslims, and humanity at large.

The Arabic Language and Literature Prize about “Arabic Literature Studies in English” was awarded to Professor Suzanne Stetkevych, Chair of the Department of Arabic & Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, and to Professor Muhsin Al-Musawi, Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literary Studies at Columbia University.

Professor Suzanne Stetkevych was awarded the prize for her extensive research and work analyzing Arabic literature with unmatched depth from the pre-Islamic period to the revivalist period. Her research approach resulted in the renewal of the critical perspective and methods of studying classical Arabic poetry.

Professor Muhsin Al-Musawi received the prize for being a well-established authority in the field of Arabic literature demonstrating his encyclopedic knowledge in both classical and modern Arabic literature. His research and studies have made great impact on students and researchers in the field of Arabic studies, both in the Arab world and the West. He handled Arabic literature as a world literature.

The Service to Islam Prize was awarded to the former Tanzanian President His Excellency Ali Hassan Mwinyi and to Professor Hassan Mahmoud Al Shafei. His Excellency Ali Hassan Mwinyi actively participated in Islamic advocacy, spreading the spirit of religious tolerance, educating Muslims, and translating many Islamic resources and references into Swahili language. In parallel, Professor Hassan Mahmoud Alshafei served Islamic sciences through teaching, writing, authenticating, and translating, and has contributed to the establishment of the International Islamic University in Islamabad and the development of its colleges’ curricula.

The Islamic Studies Prize for this year on “Islamic Heritage of Al- Andalus” was withheld because the nominated works did not meet the criteria of the prize.

Since 1979, King Faisal Prize in its 5 different categories has awarded 282 laureates from 44 different nationalities who have made distinguished contributions to different sciences and causes. Each prize laureate is endowed with USD 200 thousand; a 24-carat gold medal weighing 200 grams, and a Certificate inscribed with the Laureate’s name and a summary of their work which qualified them for the prize.

Attachments

Maysa Shawwa
King Faisal Prize
00966581747005
Maysa.Shawwa@kff.com
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Synchronoss Personal Cloud Habilita o Serviço PicStorage da Kitamura

Varejista Multimídia Oferece Solução PicStorage Cloud para Milhões de Clientes

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (“Synchronoss” ou a “Empresa”) (Nasdaq: SNCR), líder global e inovadora em nuvem, mensagens e produtos e plataformas digitais, anunciou hoje que a Kitamura, principal varejista de multimídia do Japão, lançou uma versão de marca branca na nuvem pessoal Synchronoss com o nome PicStorage.

A Kitamura é uma das principais varejistas do Japão que oferece serviços e produtos relacionados à imagem, incluindo câmeras, impressão de fotos, dublagem de vídeos, estúdio de fotos, álbuns de fotos e mais. A empresa tem mais de 1.000 lojas em todo o país, com mais de 20 milhões de visitantes pagantes a cada ano e aproximadamente 10 milhões de consumidores registrados nos seus serviços online. Com essa integração, a Kitamura poderá fornecer uma experiência online e de varejo perfeita, com a nova oferta de nuvem pessoal de marca branca.

“Além das nossas parcerias com operadoras e provedores de serviços, a Synchronoss está explorando novos aplicativos para a nossa plataforma na nuvem”, disse Yosuke Morioka, Gerente Geral da Synchronoss Japan. “Nossa colaboração com a Kitamura e o lançamento do PicStorage é apenas um exemplo de como a Synchronoss Personal Cloud pode ser aproveitada como um serviço de valor agregado em vários setores e verticais. “

A Kitamura oferecerá o PicStorage como um serviço por assinatura. Ele incluirá um aplicativo de marca e acesso a um portal online para armazenamento, gerenciamento e compartilhamento de conteúdo digital.

“O lançamento do PicStorage é uma extensão perfeita do nosso portfólio de produtos e serviços”, disse Hajime Yanagisawa, Diretor Digital e Diretor Administrativo da Kitamura. “Atualmente, milhões dos nossos clientes poderão proteger seus conteúdos digitais na nuvem e compartilhá-los com amigos e familiares. O PicStorage permite que o cliente experimente novas maneiras de organizar e curtir suas fotos e memórias. A Kitamura continuará a expandir este serviço com serviços relacionados a fotos que melhorarão a experiência do cliente.”

Além da Kitamura, a Synchronoss tem clientes nos EUA, Europa e Ásia, incluindo Verizon, AT&T, Tracfone, Assurant, Allstate Protection Plans, Telkomsel, BT, Proximus e SFR.

Sobre a Kitamura
A Kitamura é uma empresa líder em produtos e serviços fotográficos e relacionados a vídeos do Japão. A empresa possui os maiores laboratórios internos do Japão (fábricas de processamento de fotos e vídeos) e fornece seus serviços e produtos por meio de mais de 1.000 lojas de varejo em todo o país e online. A empresa tem por missão fornecer serviços para moldar as lembranças dos clientes, no presente momento e também nas próximas décadas, restaurar fotos e reviver memórias preciosas.

Sobre a Synchronoss

A Synchronoss Technologies(Nasdaq: SNCR) cria software que capacita empresas ao redor do mundo a se conectarem com seus assinantes de forma confiável e significativa. O conjunto de produtos da empresa ajuda a agilizar as redes, simplificar a integração e envolver os assinantes, permitindo novos fluxos de receita, redução dos custos e aumento da velocidade no mercado. Centenas de milhões de assinantes confiam nos produtos da Synchronoss que se mantêm em sincronia com as pessoas, serviços e conteúdo que elas gostam. É por isso que mais de 1.500 funcionários talentosos da Synchronoss em todo o mundo se esforçam todos os dias para reimaginar um mundo em sincronia. Saiba mais em www.synchronoss.com

Contato de Relações com a Mídia:
Domenick Cilea
Springboard
dcilea@springboardpr.com

Contato de Relações com Investidores:
Matt Glover / Tom Colton
Gateway Group, Inc.
SNCR@gatewayir.com

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Synchronoss Personal Cloud permet le service PicStorage de Kitamura

Le détaillant multimédia proposera la solution cloud PicStorage à des millions de clients

BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey, 29 mars 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (« Synchronoss » ou la « Société ») (Nasdaq : SNCR), un leader mondial et innovateur en matière de produits et plateformes numériques, de messagerie et de cloud, a annoncé aujourd’hui que Kitamura, le principal détaillant multimédia au Japon, avait lancé une version en marque blanche du Synchronoss Personal Cloud sous la dénomination PicStorage.

Kitamura est l’un des principaux détaillants japonais proposant des services et des produits liés à l’image, y compris des appareils photo, l’impression de photos, le doublage de vidéos, un studio photo, des albums photo, etc. Le détaillant compte plus de 1 000 points de vente au détail à travers le pays, avec plus de 20 millions de visiteurs payants chaque année et environ 10 millions de consommateurs inscrits à ses services en ligne. Grâce à cette intégration, Kitamura sera en mesure de fournir des expériences de vente fluides en ligne et en magasin, avec la nouvelle offre de cloud personnel PicStorage.

« En plus de nos partenaires opérateurs et fournisseurs de services, Synchronoss explore de nouvelles applications pour notre plateforme cloud », a déclaré Yosuke Morioka, directeur général de Synchronoss Japan. « Notre collaboration avec Kitamura et son lancement de PicStorage n’est qu’un exemple de la manière dont le Synchronoss Personal Cloud peut être exploité en tant que service à valeur ajoutée dans de nombreux secteurs et marchés verticaux », a-t-il ajouté.

Kitamura proposera PicStorage en tant que service par abonnement. Celui-ci comprendra l’application de la marque et l’accès à un portail en ligne pour stocker, gérer et partager du contenu numérique.

« Le lancement de PicStorage constitue une extension parfaite pour notre portefeuille de produits et de services », a déclaré Hajime Yanagisawa, directeur informatique et directeur général de Kitamura. « Des millions de nos clients pourront désormais sauvegarder leur contenu numérique dans le cloud et le partager avec leurs amis et leur famille. PicStorage permet au client de découvrir de nouvelles façons d’organiser et de profiter de ses photos et souvenirs. Kitamura continuera d’étendre ce service avec des services liés à la photo qui amélioreront l’expérience client ».

En plus de Kitamura, Synchronoss compte des clients aux États-Unis, en Europe et en Asie, parmi lesquels Verizon, AT&T, Tracfone, Assurant, Allstate Protection Plans, Telkomsel, BT, Proximus et SFR.

À propos de Kitamura
Kitamura est une société de premier plan en produits et services de photo et vidéo au Japon. La société possède les plus grands laboratoires internes (installations de traitement de photos et vidéos) du Japon et fournit ses services et produits via plus de 1 000 magasins de détail à l’échelle nationale et en ligne. Elle s’est donné pour mission de fournir des services pour façonner les souvenirs de ses clients non seulement sur le moment, mais aussi pour les décennies à venir, permettant aussi de restaurer les photos et de raviver de précieux souvenirs.

À propos de Synchronoss

Synchronoss Technologies (Nasdaq : SNCR) est un développeur de logiciels permettant aux entreprises du monde entier de se connecter à leurs abonnés de manière fiable et pertinente. Sa gamme de produits contribue à rationaliser les réseaux, simplifier l’intégration et interagir avec les abonnés afin de créer de nouvelles sources de revenus, de réduire les coûts et d’accélérer la mise sur le marché. Plusieurs centaines de millions d’abonnés font confiance à Synchronoss pour rester en phase avec les individus, les services et les contenus qu’ils aiment. C’est pourquoi plus de 1 500 talentueux collaborateurs de Synchronoss à travers le monde s’efforcent chaque jour de repenser un monde synchrone. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur www.synchronoss.com.

Contact pour les relations avec les médias :
Domenick Cilea
Springboard
dcilea@springboardpr.com

Contact pour les relations avec les investisseurs :
Matt Glover / Tom Colton
Gateway Group, Inc.
SNCR@gatewayir.com

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Bahrain to set up region’s largest Technology Park

Manama, Bahrain on Wednesday announced a plan to set up the region’s first state-of-the-art data center to cater for the needs of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

stc Bahrain, an operating company part of stc Group, a digital enabler, has announced a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications to launch a first-of-its-kind technology park in the region.

stc Bahrain signed an agreement for acquiring 55,000 square meters’ land on lease from the government of Bahrain to develop the project in Al Qurain.

The project will also be one of the first initiatives in energy efficiency, driving local innovation towards the use of renewable energy.

The new technology park will push new boundaries in the digital field and contribute to Bahrain’s digital economy in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

In addition to diversifying the economy, the project will focus on uplifting local talent within the tech field. Furthermore, it will offer benefits to local citizens through the localised storage of data that will be closer to end users.

“We are pleased with the launch of such an initiative which serves in achieving the objectives of the Fifth National Telecommunications Plan and the recently launched ICT and Digital Economy Strategy which aims at further developing the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in the Kingdom in line with various initiatives put forth to achieve the Kingdom’s comprehensive development goals, led by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and in establishing a world-class digital infrastructure,” Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed said.

Talking to Bahrain News Agency (BNA) on the sidelines of the agreement signing ceremony, Kamal bin Ahmed said that he was pleased to sign a partnership agreement with stc for establishing, one of the biggest data centre in our region, Technology Park.

“Today, everybody’s talking about the digital economy and the need to benefit from digital economic and economic benefits when you have the digital infrastructure,” he said.

stc Bahrain Board Chairman Mohammed Alhakbani thanked the Government of Bahrain for its trust in stc Bahrain to deliver one of the most impactful technology parks that will enable building a data Mena hub as part of stc Group strategy dare2.0.

“We are hoping to continue our strategic partnership to develop more tech projects in the future that will empower the digital economy,” he said.

“We are very excited to be at the forefront of one of the most important technology projects within Bahrain. The new technology park will provide the foundation for the digitisation of sectors across Bahrain, nurture local talent, and host the growing demand for data,” Eng. Nezar Banabeela, CEO of stc Bahrain, told BNA.

“As digital enablers, we are proud to be one of the key players leading the path of Bahrain’s journey to digital transformation and empowering the tech ecosystem.”

The project is in line with stc Group strategic objectives to build a Mena digital hub and invest in breakthrough technologies as a global telecommunications and ICT player. stc Bahrain has been instrumental in driving transformation within Bahrain – a population that is tech-savvy with an advanced digital infrastructure, he added.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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Blinken Urges Algeria to Rethink Stands on Russia, Western Sahara

ALGIERS, ALGERIA — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a three-nation tour of the Middle East and North Africa on Wednesday with appeals for Algeria to limit ties with Russia and look to improve relations with neighboring Morocco.

“The countries of North Africa and the Middle East have experienced themselves the consequences of Russia’s military campaigns before,” Blinken said, noting Russian interventions in Syria and Libya and the impact on energy and food security that the Ukraine conflict is having.

“The international community must increase the pressure on Russia to end this unprovoked and unjustified war,” he said.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has in the past referred to Russia as a “brotherly country,” and has maintained pressure on Morocco over its claim to the disputed territory of the Western Sahara, where Algeria backs independence fighters.

‘Stand with the victim’

After meeting with Tebboune, Blinken said the Ukraine conflict should cause all countries to re-evaluate relations with Russia and express their support for the territorial integrity of other states.

“I know that that’s something Algerians feel strongly about,” he said.

“There are times when one issue emerges that is so clearly black and white,” he said. “It’s important to stand with the victim and to stand with the principles that have also been violated.”

Algeria has had close ties with Russia since its independence from France in 1962 and is a major purchaser of Russian weaponry.

It is also locked in a bitter dispute with Morocco over the status of the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara. Algiers opposes a plan by Rabat to retain control of the territory while granting it semi-autonomous status.

Algerian officials provided no immediate readout of Tebboune’s meeting with Blinken.

Blinken and other U.S. officials have praised the Moroccan plan as “serious, realistic and credible” but have not explicitly endorsed it as the path to a resolution. Earlier this month, Algeria angrily recalled its ambassador to Spain after the Spanish government offered the same assessment — an enormous departure from its earlier stance of considering Morocco’s grip on Western Sahara an occupation.

Blinken did not repeat the phrase at his news conference in Algiers and instead said only that the U.S. fully supports U.N. efforts to resolve the situation.

“We’re very focused on diplomacy,” he said.

Blinken came to Algeria a day after meeting senior Moroccan officials in Rabat, where he praised Morocco’s improvements in ties with Israel.

And on Monday, Blinken had been in Israel’s Negev Desert where he and the Israeli foreign minister participated in a historic gathering with their counterparts from Arab nations, including Morocco, that have normalized relations with Israel.

‘Abraham Accords’

Morocco, along with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, was one of the countries to fully normalize relations with Israel during the Trump administration’s push to negotiate the so-called “Abraham Accords,” in which the U.S. pledged significant support in exchange for such recognition.

For its part, Morocco won U.S. recognition for its claim to Western Sahara in return for its agreement with Israel.

In a rare endorsement of a Trump foreign policy initiative, the Biden administration has signaled its full backing for the Abraham Accords and pledged to try to expand and strengthen them.

But, while the administration has not revoked Trump’s decision on Western Sahara, it has taken few steps to advance it, and plans to build a U.S. consulate there have not advanced since Trump announced them in 2020.

That has led to questions about whether Washington is fully on board with Moroccan sovereignty over the former Spanish colony.

Source: Voice of America

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Nigeria: Africa’s richest man opens continent’s biggest fertilizer plant at the cost of $2.5 billion

LAGOS, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has opened the largest fertilizer plant on the continent. The plant, based in Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria, was opened at the cost of $2.5 billion.

The plant was commissioned by Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari. Located at the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos State, the plant is designed to produce 3 million tonnes of urea per year.

The fertilizer plant will target Africa and other markets. The immediate market target of the plant is to export to Brazil, which relies heavily on Russia for imports of fertilizer. The war in Ukraine has cut off supplies from Russia, threatening a global food shortage and higher prices.

Speaking at the launch of the plant, the Nigerian billionaire noted that shipments will also go to the United States, India and Mexico.

“It is an ambitious project that will reduce unemployment in Nigeria,” Dangote said. “The plant will boost productivity and enhance output across the nation as products from plants have reached the African market, and across Brazil, India, and Mexico.”

Nigeria consumes about 20kg of fertilizer per hectare of arable land and the plant is expected to reduce the high cost of importing fertilizers which have been found to contribute to the high cost of food production.

Also, the plant is expected to boost Nigeria’s agriculture output, as the sector accounts for 20% of Nigeria’s gross domestic product, with crop production contribution the highest with the farming subsector.

“Low fertilizer usages have been the reason for low yield of agriculture products. Our goal is to make fertilizer available in quantity for our farmers. We are rolling out initiatives that will transform the agric sector for all,” Dangote said at the launch.

The launch of the fertilizer plant comes on the back of reports that the Nigerian businessman has started assembling vehicles in Nigeria under the brand name Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN).

The vehicles are being assembled at the new Greenfield Ultima Assembly Plant which is located in the northwestern region of Nigeria. The assembly plant will reportedly assemble 120 vehicles in a day running two shifts.

Dangote, who is also the world’s richest Black man, saw his wealth grow by $1.3 billion in January, putting his fortune at $20.4 billion, nearly the GDP of Senegal ($24.9 billion). The growth came on the back of a surge in the share prices of his cement company. Dangote Cement contributes to nearly half of the entrepreneur’s net worth. Dangote Cement produces 45.6 million metric tons annually and has operations in 10 countries across Africa

Source: Nam News Network

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Bahrain’s Ambassador visits Marsun Public Company in Thailand

Bangkok, Bahrain’s Ambassador to Bangkok Muna Abbas Mahmoud Radhi, participated in the introductory visit to Marsun Public Company Limited for Shipbuilding and Repair, along with a number of ambassadors of friendly countries accredited to Thailand.

The visit was organized by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Director-General of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Darm Boontham welcomed the ambassadors, expressing his government’s aspiration to cooperate with friendly countries through Marsun, one of the leading private shipbuilding and repair companies in Thailand.

The CEO reviewed its goals and work in the civil and military shipbuilding industry, expressing his aspiration to cooperate with friendly countries in the field of shipbuilding and repair.

The ambassadors expressed their thanks for this initiative organized by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Marsun Public Company Limited, to introduce the industries offered by the company and to encourage cooperation with countries in the field of shipbuilding and repair.

Source: Bahrain News Agency