Day: April 17, 2024

Categories
Press Releases

Duck Creek Hosts Annual One Duck Creek Summit to Build Connection, Belonging and Community

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, hosts its One Duck Creek Summit in Columbia, South Carolina, bringing employees together from across the globe. Attendees are recognized for their roles in the many councils and programs that help Duck Creek create a culture of excellence in insurance and technology.

The diverse group will convene over the next two days to discuss the past year’s goals and objectives and plan for the future to continue enhancing Duck Creek’s award-winning culture. Duck Creek endeavors to foster a culture of belonging and respect, where every voice is heard and valued.

“As a global company, we recognize the importance of having a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and customers we serve,” said Amy Bayer, Global Director of DE&I, Engagement & Culture at Duck Creek. “We believe our DE&I programs are imperative for our employees, but also a strategic advantage that enables us to innovate, collaborate, and deliver better solutions for our clients. The One Duck Creek Summit is a great opportunity to celebrate our achievements, share best practices, and inspire each other to continue building a great culture.”

The Summit kicks off with Mike Jackowski, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek Technologies. Jackowski will highlight the importance of promoting strong company values that focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B) and a positive employee experience. The Summit also features keynote speakers which empower employees to connect and learn about other successful workplaces and cultures.

“We are proud to recognize and celebrate the different backgrounds, ideas and experiences our employees bring to Duck Creek,” said Courtney Townsend, Chief People Officer at Duck Creek Technologies. “Nurturing an environment of belonging and inclusion is the foundation of an exceptional employee experience and a source of competitive advantage and innovation. Our flexible-first, global workplace allows us to attract and retain the best talent, regardless of location, and empowers our employees to work in ways that suit their preferences and needs.”

One of the highlights of the annual summit is a social impact event. This year, Duck Creek has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities in Columbia. Summit attendees will support their Pack-a-Smile program, offering close family members of children receiving care at local hospitals a quick, nutritious bagged lunch. This allows family members not to have to leave the bedside or wonder when or where their next meal will come from.

About Duck Creek Technologies
Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X.

Media Contacts:
Dennis Dougherty
dennis.dougherty@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9090905

Categories
Press Releases

At Our Ocean Conference, Global Fishing Watch welcomes international partnerships to enhance ocean management

Key collaborations will bolster fisheries governance through greater transparency, data-sharing and policy reform

ATHENS, Greece, April 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Fishing Watch, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through transparency of human activity at sea, has announced three pioneering collaborations with Greece, Panama and the West African Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) in a bid to harness technology and data-driven solutions for enhanced transparency, improved fisheries management and greater ocean sustainability.

The partnerships, unveiled at the 9th Our Ocean Conference held in Athens, Greece, will leverage open data to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, promote sustainable fisheries management and enable marine protection through deepened engagement with governmental bodies spanning three continents. In addition, they will provide Global Fishing Watch the opportunity to highlight transparency as a critical marine management tool and advance policy reforms regarding the adoption of vessel tracking methods like automatic identification systems (AIS) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS), as well as regional data sharing practices.

“Today’s announcements mark a milestone in our collaborative efforts to mobilize open data and technology in the fight against illegal fishing and toward improved global fisheries management,” said Tony Long, chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch. “More importantly, our expanding network of partnerships shows that governments and multilateral institutions are increasingly recognizing the role Global Fishing Watch can play in achieving better and more transparent ocean governance.”

“Collaborative partnerships, political will and open data can drive tangible impact and help deliver lasting results for a sustainable ocean future for all,” Mr. Long added. 

Leveraging Technology for Ocean Action

Presented at an official conference side event co-hosted by Greece, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation and Global Fishing Watch, the partnership with Greece commits authorities to utilizing Global Fishing Watch’s platform, which provides visualizations and analysis of fishing activity, for critical support in bolstering the country’s marine protection efforts.

“Greece commits to establishing a scientific monitoring and surveillance system for all its marine protected areas that will be supported with advanced monitoring techniques and digital tools, such as remote sensing and automatic communication with sea vessels,” Dr. Petros Varelidis, Secretary-General for Natural Environment and Waters of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy, confirmed. “The support of Global Fishing Watch and the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation will enable us to monitor fishing activity in near real-time.”

A ‘significant step forward’ against IUU fishing

The Our Ocean Conference also welcomed a new partnership between Global Fishing Watch and the seven West African SRFC Member States comprising Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Through the new three-year agreement with SRFC, Global Fishing Watch will support Member States with analysis and generated insights to inform targeted monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) actions, bolstering countries’ abilities to manage activity in their waters and safeguard livelihoods and regional economic and environmental ecosystems.

The 5,500 kilometer coastline of West Africa is home to some of the most diverse fisheries in the world and maritime activity plays a key role across the region. Indeed, fisheries and aquaculture directly contribute US$24 billion to the African economy, with the demand for fish expected to increase by 30 percent by 2030. Inadequate monitoring and enforcement, however, have led to rampant IUU fishing, with nearly 40 percent of fish caught illegally, resulting in substantial economic losses and environmental degradation.

“The collaboration with Global Fishing Watch represents a significant step forward in the fight against illegal fishing in West Africa,” said Dr. Khallahi Brahim, Permanent Secretary of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission. “By joining forces, Global Fishing Watch and the SRFC can help transform fisheries governance, protect marine resources and secure the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on the fishing industry.”

The new partnership will work to ensure that SRFC Member States are fully equipped for better cooperation, monitoring and compliance, and also help establish cross-cutting initiatives with key stakeholders in ocean governance. The collaboration will pave the way for policy reforms and seek to establish AIS usage and data sharing as central pillars of SRFC Member States’ governance practices. It will also support government agencies in developing and retaining capacity to harness data and technology to strengthen management, including MCS, enforcement and marine protection.

Charting a new era of ocean governance

Global Fishing Watch’s activity on the margins of the Our Ocean Conference also saw the renewal of an ongoing collaboration with the Government of Panama, first launched in 2019, aimed at building an improved, collaborative framework for data-sharing and policy development.

The updated agreement reflects a deepened relationship between the two parties and a growing commitment to fisheries transparency. Supplementing the VMS data of its vast international fleet, which has been visible on the Global Fishing Watch map since October 2019, Panama will now share vessel data from its list of international licenses, including fishing licenses, areas of operation and information related to fishing support vessels. Over the next five years, Global Fishing Watch will also provide technical and data-driven assessments for the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama to help inform national policies and regulations related to fisheries management.

“We are pleased to announce the renewal of the memorandum of understanding with Global Fishing Watch in our tireless fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” said Hamed Tuñón, General Administrator, Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama. “Our strengthened alliance reflects the continued commitment of both parties to protecting our oceans and preserving their biodiversity. Together, we will continue to use innovative technology and collaborative strategies to ensure the sustainability of our valuable marine resources.”

“Now, more than ever, the global community must rally behind landmark initiatives to protect our ocean, combat harmful practices, and achieve ambitious conservation targets such as safeguarding at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030,” Mr. Long concluded. “Achieving these critical commitments will be virtually impossible without Global Fishing Watch’s innovative ocean monitoring technology and expertise.”

Attachments

Kimberly Vosburgh
Global Fishing Watch
5185902979
KIMBERLY@GLOBALFISHINGWATCH.ORG

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9090876

Categories
Press Releases

TokenEx and IXOPAY to Merge, Enabling Merchants to Optimize the Use of Multiple Payment Processors

Payments Optimization Platform for Global Commerce Delivers Omnichannel Tokenization, Payments Orchestration, and Card Lifecycle Management

TokenEx_IXOPAY_Merge
TokenEx_IXOPAY_Merge

TokenEx and IXOPAY merged on April 17, 2024 to become IXOPAY, a TokenEx Company.

TULSA, Okla. and VIENNA, Austria, April 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TokenEx, the leading cloud tokenization provider, and IXOPAY, the leading independent payments orchestration platform, today are announcing their definitive agreement to merge, creating a new leader in global payments optimization. The combined company will be called IXOPAY, a TokenEx Company, and Marc Olesen will lead the combined organization as CEO. Customers will benefit from a comprehensive platform that enables increased authorization rates and decreased interchange fees for merchants, along with PCI-certified secure payment data.

This merger brings together the strengths of TokenEx’s expertise in tokenization of payment data, and IXOPAY’s world-class payments orchestration, including transaction routing & reconciliation capabilities.

“This merger marks a significant milestone in the payments industry,” said Marc Olesen, CEO. “By joining forces, IXOPAY, a TokenEx Company is uniquely positioned to help merchants develop a payments strategy that optimizes the use of multiple payment processors to enhance both top and bottom-line results.”

TokenEx’s merger with IXOPAY marks a pivotal step in the transformation of the payments industry toward supporting a multi-processor approach to payments, delivering a complete unified payments platform that includes:

  • Omnichannel Tokenization — Universal Tokens enable merchants to use one payment token for in-person and online transactions and all payment processors. This eliminates storing payment data in multiple systems, reduces system complexity, and provides unified customer data.
  • Payments Orchestration — This highly scalable payments orchestration platform for merchants delivers intelligent routing, cascading, and state-of-the-art risk management functions as well as centralized reconciliation and settlements along with plugin-based integration of over 200 acquirers, Alternative Payment Methods, and payment service providers.
  • Card Lifecycle Management — A complete set of capabilities for managing the entire transaction lifecycle at scale, including updating expired cards, leveraging the efficiency of network tokens, streamlined routing with BIN Lookup, and authenticating transactions with 3D Secure.

“By merging with TokenEx we not only bring together our unique capabilities to become the most comprehensive payments platform for global merchants, but we can also utilize the expertise of the TokenEx team to provide first-class service to our primarily European customers in the U.S. market,” said Rene Siegl, Founder and Executive Chairman of IXOPAY. “For merchants who value the competitive advantage that comes with treating payments as strategic, IXOPAY, a TokenEx Company will ultimately deliver a complete omnichannel payments optimization platform with best-in-class tokenization and intelligent transaction routing — giving merchants unprecedented control over their revenue and the competitive edge to thrive in global commerce.” Both Rene Siegl, Founder and Nathalie Siegl, CEO will remain with IXOPAY, a TokenEx Company as executives.

About TokenEx

TokenEx is a cloud tokenization and payment optimization provider committed to helping organizations safely and compliantly process and transmit sensitive data. Its industry-leading solution for data protection can secure and desensitize any structured data element to reduce risk, streamline operations, and enable critical business processes.

About IXOPAY

IXOPAY is a best-of-breed payment orchestration platform offering flexible and independent global payment processing options. IXOPAY provides smart transaction routing with cascading, state-of-the-art risk and fraud management, fully automated reconciliation and settlements processing, comprehensive reporting and access to hundreds of acquirers, payment service providers and alternative payment methods.

Media Contact:

Nicholas Mueller

nmueller@tokenex.com

510-289-2001

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27147864-91b0-4683-aa19-d4c4690d323a

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9089826

Categories
General

Paris Saint-Germain beats Barcelona and qualifies for Champions League semi-finals


Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-1 in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

Paris Saint-Germain’s goals were scored by Mbappé, Dembélé, and Vitinha in the 40th, 54th, 61st, and 89th minutes, while Raphinha scored Barcelona’s only goal in the 12th minute of the match, as Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the Champions League semi-finals.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Categories
General

Transport Minister Meets ICAO Secretary General

Seoul, HE Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti met with HE Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Juan Carlos Salazar on the margin of the State of Qatar’s participation in the International Civil Aviation Conference organized by the ICAO in Seoul, South Korea.

During the meeting, aspects of cooperation between the State of Qatar and ICAO were discussed, as well as enhancing bilateral cooperation in civil aviation, and the latest developments in the field.

In a related context, HE Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti met with HE Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Republic of Korea Park Sangwoo, on the sidelines of Qatar’s participation in the aforementioned conference.

The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation in transport and mobility activities, and ways to develop them, particularly with regards to taking advantage of the industrys advanced and smart technologies.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Categories
General

Minister of Labour: Qatar is Making Continuous, Growing Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking Crimes

Muscat, HE Minister of Labour and Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, affirmed that the State of Qatar is making continuous and growing efforts to combat human trafficking crimes, starting from a commitment to Islamic Sharia laws that prohibit all forms of human degradation.

HE Minister of Labour led the delegation of the State of Qatar participating in the fifth session of the Government Forum to Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East, held on April 17-18 in the Sultanate of Oman.

The fifth session of the forum, held under the theme “Combating Human Trafficking through Labour Legislation and Procedures,” was attended by ministers and heads of relevant agencies from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

During his speech in the opening session, he highlighted that the National Committee fo
r Combating Human Trafficking in Qatar works on coordinating various agencies to monitor, prevent, and combat human trafficking, in addition to training efforts and capacity building of national cadres and law enforcement officials.

He noted that the Ministry of Labour has implemented many initiatives to raise community awareness and activate the role of labour inspection by providing them with trafficking indicators to monitor cases and enhance community awareness of regulatory, legal, and procedural aspects, thereby safeguarding human dignity and protecting rights.

HE the Minister explained that the legislative updates in the work environment in recent years have considered combating all practices associated with human trafficking, whether it involves forced labour or any practices that may entail such exploitation, both within the state and in labour-exporting countries.

HE Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri emphasized that the phenomenon of human trafficking has become a global issue posing a threat to all so
cieties and represents a significant challenge to the will of the international community. He pointed to the need for international efforts to be combined to combat this phenomenon through enhancing the mechanism of consultation and cooperation based on unified action among states and all parties concerned with combating it in the Middle East region.

He also stated that the State of Qatar has strengthened the framework of international cooperation in facing common challenges by supporting the United Nations plan to combat human trafficking since its launch.

The forum addresses topics related to forms of human trafficking in the work environment, alongside reviewing some experiences in the Middle East regarding combating human trafficking issues and attempting to reduce them. The forum also features participation from a group of international and regional experts specialized in combating human trafficking, as well as representatives from committees concerned with combating human trafficking in member states
of the permanent secretariat of the Government Forum to Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Middle East.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Categories
General

HH the Amir Receives Written Message from Transitional President of Chad

Doha: HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received a written message from HE Transitional President of the Republic of Chad Lt. Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them.

The message was received by HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, during his meeting Wednesday with Director of the Civil Office at the Presidency of the Republic of Chad Idriss Youssouf Boy who is currently visiting the country.

The meeting discussed a number of regional and international issues of common interest, especially the developments in the African continent.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Categories
General

Minister of Transport Participates in Ministerial Session at International Civil Aviation Conference in Seoul

Seoul, HE Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti participated in the ministerial session held on the sidelines of the International Civil Aviation Conference organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in the capital Seoul, in the presence of HE ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar.

The session discussed the ICAO’s efforts in planning for and developing the foundations and technologies of air navigation, developing the air transport industry to ensure its security, safety and growth, in addition to a number of issues that enhance the environmental and sustainable development of the global civil aviation industry.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Categories
General

Qatar Participates in International Civil Aviation Conference in Seoul

Seoul, The State of Qatar is taking part in the International Civil Aviation Conference organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in conjunction with the Republic of Koreas Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, in the capital Seoul.

HE Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti is heading the State of Qatars delegation to the conference which is attended by HE ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar, several ministers, and heads of delegations from 86 countries.

The conference will discuss topics relating to ICAO’s work in the legal field, aviations safety and security, and current issues on aviation law and practice.

The State of Qatar is a member of the ICAO Council and contributing significantly to the Organizations programs, including training and upskilling the workforce through scholarships for the developing countries, training opportunities for workforce from Africa, and from Latin America in the future, all of which are aimed at a sustainable future for
the aviation industry.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Categories
General

4 Killed, 25 Injured in Traffic Collision in Pakistan

Islamabad, At least four people were killed and 25 others were injured as a result of a bus collision on Wednesday in Sindh province, southern Pakistan.

Pakistani Police said that the accident occurred when a bus that was heading from the city of Larkana to the city of Karachi collided with an oil tanker and a small truck on the Indus Highway in Jamshoro district, resulting in the death of four people and the injury of 25 others, who were taken to hospital, Radio Pakistan reported.

On September 10, 2023, six people were killed and 57 others were injured, as a result of a traffic accident involving a bus in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan due to lack of infrastructure, poor car maintenance and reckless driving.

Source: Qatar News Agency