New rackable pallet supports heavy loads, provides load stability and features unique design qualities to streamline operations.

Whether it's addressing labor shortages, increasing productivity or accommodating a growing SKU portfolio, the incorporation of palletizing and depalletizing systems has become vital for beverage warehouses.

Logivations W2MO uses neural networks running on a GPU, which can "learn" certain patterns so that goods can be automatically recognized, counted and/or measured.

Thanks to the patented nozzle seal technology in LEIBINGER printers, clogs are now a thing of the past, ensuring smooth, uninterrupted production and maximum efficiency.

We know from talking to hundreds of music teachers over the years that students' practicing habits are always a point of discussion. We've seen parents fall into a whole range of attitudes. Here are a few that we've seen.

The election is going to dominate early November trading so making moves based on seasonals is unwise. That said, it's useful to keep them in mind as the dust settles.

• November is the best month for USD/JPY
• Best month for the Nasdaq
• Third-best month for the US dollar
• The November through February is strong for gold
• Second-best month for the S&P 500
• Second-best month for the MSCI world index
• Second-best month for the German DAX
• Best month for the Nikkei 225
• The final month of the seasonal slump for oil. Seasonals neutral in Dec-Jan then strongly positve from Feb-June

Going into last November, the S&P 500 had declined for three straight months but that month marked a turning point as it recouped nearly all the gains in what was the beginning of a five-month rally. This time, we're coming into the month with better momentum, though October was negative for stocks.

Warped Games, an indie game studio consisting of web3 and veteran game developers who have a legacy in creating player-focused games like LEGO Universe, Jumpgate, and Dragons and Titans, is on a mission to onboard millions of players to expand the Warped Universe, an immersive blockchain-powered game where players’ actions and decisions shape the environment and influence each season’s direction. After extensive exploration, Warped Games selected Sui as the blockchain to support this ambitious vision, thanks to its player-friendly approach and innovations in the Move language.

The announcement of Warped Games becoming an official partner with Mysten Labs arrives at a pivotal moment for blockchain gaming. With games like "Off The Grid" making strides toward mainstream adoption, this new collaboration marks another significant step in expanding blockchain gaming’s reach to a wider audience.

James Wing, Head of AAA Gaming Partnerships for Mysten Labs, commented on the official partnership: "Warped Games embodies what is exciting about this industry - founders and products that are built with passion to boldly address the wants of modern gamers. We are tremendously excited to partner with our friends at Warped and aid them in their journey to pioneer a new age of games on Sui."

Warped Universe: Empowering Players

Player empowerment is at the core of Warped Universe’s design. Here, players will be able to engage in PvE action in single-player or co-op mode, with an innovative multi-genre design giving players the flexibility to choose between turn-based or real-time genres across both ground and space gameplay. Players will also get to choose missions that influence the broader “meta-game,” affecting the balance of light and gravity for all, leading to wild and chaotic scenarios as each season aims to build a unique solar system in the Universe. This level of control redefines what it means to participate in a player-driven virtual world.

Breaking Barriers to Blockchain Accessibility

One of the largest obstacles facing blockchain adoption today is its intimidating complexity for newcomers. Traditional blockchain experiences involve managing seed phrases, navigating wallets, high fees, slow speed, and unfriendly, often intimidating transactions—barriers that can alienate potential users. Sui’s design eliminates these hurdles by offering a seamless, user-friendly blockchain experience required by games like Warped Universe, aiming to appeal to a mainstream gaming audience.

With Sui’s zkLogin feature, players can access the blockchain and create wallets using familiar credentials, like passkeys or existing logins, removing the need for seed phrases and technical know-how. For those who prefer greater control, Warped Universe will also allow players to connect their own self-custodied wallets, giving them the option to manage their assets independently. This accessibility empowers users to focus on what matters most—the game experience itself.

Enhanced NFT Utility with Move

Sui’s Move language and object model empower Warped Universe to create NFTs that go beyond static assets, offering dynamic, context-rich tokens that evolve with each player’s journey. Sui treats each asset as an individual, on-chain object with unique IDs and customizable fields, allowing NFTs to reflect player progression and deepen in-game immersion.

Innovations extend to the use of closed-loop tokens for in-game purchases and season pass NFTs, which act as "time capsules", allowing players to revisit exclusive content from past seasons. With each season in Warped Universe serving as a self-contained story arc, these season passes aren’t just NFTs—they’re gateways to the game’s evolving history, creating lasting value and enhancing player ownership.

Kiosk: Marketplace Re-Imagined

Kiosk is a decentralized system designed for commerce applications on the Sui network, similar to traditional markets where vendors sell goods or services from small, standalone booths. Just like in those markets, where individual sellers operate their own kiosks, owning the products on display and managing their own sales, with Kiosk, shared objects are owned by individual parties who store assets and may list them for sale as well as utilizing custom trading functionality, such as royalties and the ability to rent assets.

Walrus: Re-Defining Digital Ownership in Warped Universe

As Warped Universe expands, decentralized storage will play a crucial role in ensuring the authenticity and accessibility of in-game assets. Mysten Labs’ Walrus protocol is set to support this need, providing a secure and efficient way to store raw data and media files—such as images, audio, video, and other game assets—at low cost without compromising performance. Unlike traditional NFTs, which often store metadata off-chain on platforms like IPFS or AWS, Walrus enables both the NFT and its metadata to be stored in a decentralized manner. This integration introduces new ways for players in Warped Universe to experience genuine ownership of their digital assets, giving them the ability to store in-game captures or statistics, and creating a more immersive and reliable player-driven experience.

High Performance, Scalability, and Environmental Responsibility

In Warped Universe, players aren’t just playing a game; they’re building and defending entire solar systems each season, with their achievements and digital assets minted and transacted on-chain in the background. This model requires a blockchain capable of handling high transaction volumes both efficiently and affordably. Sui’s high throughput and low transaction costs make this possible, providing fast, cost-effective, and seamless on-chain transactions that support a robust gaming economy.

Sui also prioritizes environmental sustainability by using a delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus model rather than energy-intensive proof-of-work. With its efficient Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture, Sui can process large transaction volumes with minimal environmental impact—aligning perfectly with Warped Games’ vision of a sustainable, responsible gaming ecosystem.

“With Sui, we can create an immersive, evolving on-chain gaming ecosystem where players can own, modify, and evolve assets without compromising the gaming experience,” said Adam Straney, Managing Director at Warped Games. “This approach lets us build an interconnected universe on a blockchain that’s fast, scalable, and environmentally responsible, supporting our vision of an accessible, seamless player-owned economy. Gamers can focus on having fun, with blockchain as a supportive tool rather than the centerpiece."

Looking Ahead with Warped Universe and Sui

Currently, the blockchain element in Warped Universe is the $WARPED token, an ERC-20 token designed to give holders a voice in game design, seasonal voting, discounts, potential rewards, and exclusives. While specific plans for the token’s future are yet to be announced, the Warped Universe team is committed to keeping current holders top of mind as they explore expanding to the Sui blockchain. Plans for the WARPED token, on-chain assets, skins, seasonal passes, and other elements will be shared in due time—stay tuned for updates.

As Warped Universe continues to develop, the teams at Warped Games and Mysten Labs are dedicated to working closely together to explore practical blockchain integration in games, enhancing player ownership, scalability, and immersive gameplay. Together, through Warped Universe and the Sui blockchain, they’re building a unique, player-driven experience that showcases the future of blockchain gaming.

About Warped Games

Warped Games (https://warped.games/) is an indie game studio dedicated to creating immersive, player-driven gaming experiences with a focus on blockchain integration. Known for pushing the boundaries of web3 technology, the team behind Warped Games combines industry veterans from both gaming and tech to bring innovative worlds like Warped Universe to life.

About Mysten Labs

Mysten Labs is a technology company focused on advancing blockchain infrastructure to support next-generation applications. Founded by experts in distributed systems, Mysten Labs developed the Sui blockchain, a high-performance, user-friendly platform designed to make blockchain technology accessible and scalable for mainstream audiences.

LiteFinance has entered into a multi-year partnership with Premier League football club Leicester City as their Official Trading Partner.

We are excited to announce that LiteFinance has entered into a multi-year partnership with Premier League football club Leicester City as their Official Trading Partner. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for LiteFinance as we expand our presence into the world of sports, aligning our brand with one of England’s most admired football clubs. Leicester City Football Club is pleased to confirm LiteFinance as its new Official Trading Partner.

Established in 2005, LiteFinance has grown into a leading online broker, offering high-speed trading services in 29 international languages. Our platform is designed to empower clients with financial freedom, providing access to a comprehensive range of trading instruments in the currency, commodity, stock, and agricultural markets. Through this partnership, we aim to bring our innovative, accessible trading solutions to a broader audience, enhancing the experience for both our clients and Leicester City’s global fanbase. Shared Values and Vision Both LiteFinance and Leicester City share a commitment to excellence, innovation, and a global outlook. The Foxes have a significant following, particularly in Southeast Asia, where they enjoy one of the largest social media reach outside of the Premier League’s traditional top six clubs. This partnership will allow LiteFinance to engage with new audiences and create memorable experiences for football fans and our clients alike. Visibility and Engagement As part of this partnership, LiteFinance will benefit from extensive brand visibility, including pitch-facing LED advertising, logo placements on interview backdrops, and a selection of digital advertising. Additionally, our clients will have exclusive access to branded promotional materials, such as custom merchandise, and will be able to participate in special contests and promotions designed to bring excitement and memorable experiences to football fans. These initiatives are tailored to enhance engagement and connect with Leicester City supporters meaningfully. Statements from Leadership Kristina Leonova, CEO of LiteFinance, commented: “We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with Leicester City. This partnership reflects our mutual commitment to excellence and innovation. It will allow us to connect with new audiences and create impactful experiences while delivering on our promises and setting new standards of success.”LiteFinance is proud to partner with Leicester City Football Club and looks forward to a fruitful relationship that will bring value to both organizations and the communities we serve. We are confident that this collaboration will set the stage for innovative initiatives and successful outcomes in the future. Leicester City Commercial Director, Dan Barnett, added: “This collaboration marks an exciting chapter for us as we continue to expand our global reach with new partners. We look forward to working closely with LiteFinance to further elevate the Club's presence on the international stage in unique ways.”

For some context, these subsidies did come to an end in May but were reinstated in August through to October to cope with the warmer weather. Subsequently, they were continued until this year-end but the funds had to be drawn from reserves in the budget for the fiscal year that started in April.

NHK is now reporting that the government is considering keeping these subsidies from January through to March next year. Amid a higher cost of living in key populated areas such as Tokyo, the measure above is mainly to try and combat rising consumer prices.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to yesterday's passage by the House Judiciary Committee of H.R.4330 - Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act (PRESS Act), which would establish protections for journalists at the federal level regarding the revelation of their confidential sources except in defined circumstances such as threats to national security, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced today that Alex Siciliano has joined the organization as senior communications strategist, effective April 27. Siciliano reports to NAB Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Michelle Lehman.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In response to passage by the Senate Judiciary Committee of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

Washington, D.C. -- In response to the House Judiciary Committee's markup of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), the following statement can be attributed to NAB CEO and President Curtis LeGeyt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to passage by the Senate Judiciary Committee of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to today’s passage by the House Judiciary Committee of H.R. 4250 - Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act (PRESS Act), which provides federal-level protections for journalists regarding disclosure of confidential sources, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), in collaboration with Hispanic media groups and organizations, today announced a first of its kind coalition focused on get out the vote (GOTV) efforts for the Hispanic community. The nonpartisan coalition consisting of 13 organizations is dedicated to increasing voter registration and voter turnout in the Hispanic community for the 2024 national elections.

Washington, D.C. – From content creation to delivery to revenue, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the broadcast, media and entertainment industry. NAB Show is the epicenter for exploring the latest advancements, impacts, opportunities and challenges AI is making throughout the production pipeline. Sessions will delve into tools and efficiencies, disinformation and deep fakes, content security and cyber security issues.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), in collaboration with members of the Hispanic Media GOTV Coalition, today launched Martes de Acción (Tuesdays of Action), an initiative aimed at encouraging Hispanic voter participation and strengthening civic engagement ahead of the November elections.

Commercial Changes / Commercial viability

Commercial Changes / Commercial viability

Manufacturing

Room 29, Parliament Buildings

Room 30, Parliament Buildings

Stanford Medicine bioethicist Tyler Tate found high levels of success in ballet, miming, acting, fencing and collegiate tennis. But his love of storytelling ultimately led him to medicine.

The post From ballet to medicine, a love of stories has driven this bioethicist appeared first on Scope.

Our researchers picked cells from all over the human body — cells of all shapes, sizes and abilities. From the brain to the heart to the intestines.

The post The cells that stoke the imaginations of Stanford Medicine scientists appeared first on Scope.

Custom designing proteins — a breakthrough recognized by the latest Nobel Prize in chemistry — could yield treatments that stop the worst of COVID-19 before it begins.

The post Stanford Medicine experts help Nobel winner custom design proteins for COVID-19 therapy appeared first on Scope.

The Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Infrastructure has criticised the delays in the issuing of Blue Badges for those with mobility problems.

In this program Suhas Uliyar (Vice President of Mobile Strategy Product Management for Oracle) and Mark Johnson (Chief AI Scientist, Oracle Digital Assistant product team) discuss artificial intelligence, what’s new in the Oracle Digital Assistant platform, and why data is the new oil.

Hackmakers: Part 2: Jim Grisanzio talks with Jason Lowe about his experiences participating at the Hackmakers World Innovation Day​ Hackathon in April 2021. Jason spoke about the people, skills, and software technologies that Oracle contributed to the event and some of history and upcoming hackathons as well. Developers and non-developers alike came together to work on projects to help support the people in need around the world -- and in the process they learned valuable new skills they can use in their careers. The experience was a continuum of learning for everyone.

Oracle and other organizations sponsored the event in collaboration with UNESCO and UNEP. The areas of focus for the projects included health, education, and work -- all based on the larger list of United Nations world development goals. 

Jason Lowe, Master Cloud Specialist Engineer, Oracle, @jlowe000

Podcast Host: Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris
https://developer.oracle.com/team/ 

WARSAW, 6 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today criticized the call by the Prosecutor General of Tajikistan for the reintroduction of the death penalty, and expressed concern over recent discussions related to removing the bans on capital punishment in some other OSCE participating States.

“Countries in the OSCE have committed themselves to consider the complete abolition of capital punishment, not to reconsider that abolition,” the ODIHR Director said. “Yesterday’s call by the Prosecutor General in Tajikistan for the reintroduction of capital punishment in that country is completely out of place in a region where most of the countries recognize the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of a punishment that fails to act as a deterrent and makes any miscarriage of justice irreversible.”

Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General, Yusuf Rahmon, told a press conference yesterday that perpetrators of premeditated murder, terrorists and traitors must be punished by death. His words followed similar statements by other leaders, among them President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Viktor Orban of Hungary, suggesting that the reinstitution of the death penalty should be opened for discussion.

Tajikistan suspended the application of the death penalty in 2004, while Turkey and Hungary completely abolished capital punishment, in 2004 and 1990, respectively.

“Rather than reversing its course, it is my hope that Tajikistan will take further steps toward the complete abolition of the death penalty,” he said. “It is also my hope that Turkey, remains with the vast majority of the OSCE participating States and will continue to  act as a strong advocate for the global abolition, as it has in recent years.”

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NEUM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a two-day alumni meeting for over 20 students who attended the OSCE-organized Youth and Security Summer School when it was held for the first time last year. The peace and security studies students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka discussed current security challenges and ways to promote youth participation in the development of a comprehensive security policy for BiH.

“The meeting is an excellent opportunity for enhancing the knowledge and capacity of future security professionals. It provides a platform for them to actively participate in developing and implementing security policy,” said Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “The recommendations they produced will be forwarded to the BiH Council of Ministers’ Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Monitoring and Implementation of Security Policy.”

Damjan Jugovic, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and member of the OSCE’s Youth Advisory Group said: “This is a chance for us to get more acquainted with the work of different security and intelligence agencies in BiH and support the co-operation between students from different universities.”

The students also expressed hope that affiliation with the summer school would help them in their future careers. “Having met peers from Mostar and Banja Luka, I realized that we all think alike. We want change and a better future. I am sure the practical knowledge we gained from the school will increase our chances for employment,” said Jovana Bilinac, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo.

The main goal of the Summer School on Youth and Security of the OSCE Mission to BiH is to promote the development of democratic institutions through education of young security experts. The school provides a forum for them to discuss a wide range of security- and policy-related issues and increases their participation in political life as well as decision-making processes.

The organization of the alumni meeting was supported by the Hungarian Embassy in BiH. 

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Improving the situation of Roma in Ukraine by enhancing co-operation between Roma civil society organizations and national and regional authorities was the focus of a roundtable meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine in Kyiv on 24 November 2015.

Some 40 participants from Ukrainian national and regional authorities, Roma civil society and the international community, discussed the challenges faced by Roma in the areas of education, employment, housing and policing.

“Further efforts are needed to implement a strong anti-discrimination approach in all policies targeting the integration and protection of Roma and, in particular, of Roma women,” said Mirjam Karoly, ODIHR Senior Adviser on Roma and Sinti Issues. “Measurable progress at the local level can only be achieved if policies are needs-based and have concrete objectives that are matched with measurable indicators and realistic budgets.”

Andriy Vitrenko, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine for European Integration, stated that the Ministry was tasked in 2013to facilitate the implementation of the Strategy on the Protection and Integration of the Roma National Minority into Ukrainian Society up to 2020. “In order to achieve the goals set out in the Strategy, close collaboration among a number of ministries at the national level and good co-ordination with regional and local level authorities are needed.”

During the meeting, the participants emphasized that many Roma lack personal documents, hindering them from exercising their fundamental, social and political rights.

Volodomyr Kondur, Chairperson of the Roma Coalition, said: “We welcome the adoption of national and regional policy documents addressing the problems Roma face, but we want to see effective and sustainable results and ask for ensuring involvement of the Roma civil society in all stages of policy implementation and evaluation.”

The roundtable meeting was organized as a follow-up to ODIHR’s Situation Assessment Report on Roma in Ukraine and the Impact of the Current Crises and in line with the 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Roma and Sinti.

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• ODIHR expresses concerns on recent evictions of Roma in joint statement with other global and regional human rights organizations
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The first meeting of the ‘Follow Us’ Initiative for 2016, facilitated by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, took place in Skopje from 12 to 14 February 2016. The meeting brought together 18 prominent women working in politics, media, academia and civil society from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade, to take stock of achievements and plan future activities.

The participants reviewed the initiative’s successes such as the Dialogue Academy for young women from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština, and the promotion of the dialogue through the ‘Follow Us’ documentary. They recognized the importance of furthering the inclusion of more women in this process in order to expand the dialogue across different sectors and agreed on an action plan of concrete activities for 2016. Additionally they developed longer-term frameworks for action in key areas affecting women’s lives and equality.

In a joint statement, the members of ‘Follow Us’ Initiative said: “We agreed to implement joint activities in the following areas: economic empowerment of women, gender in education, prevention of gender-based violence, political participation and representation of women at all levels, engendering media and the portrayal of women in media and public life, and promotion of dialogue among youth.

We also reconfirm the importance of dialogue and co-operation and highlight the contribution of women to it by taking concrete steps to bring the two societies closer together.”

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• OSCE to organize 2016 Dialogue Academy for Young Women
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Serbia’s legal framework for governing elections to the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council is fairly comprehensive although there are a few minor issues with implementing the laws and regulations, partly as a result of gaps in the law. This is the conclusion of a joint Report launched on 24 May 2016 by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The OSCE Mission and ODIHR followed the elections of judges and prosecutors to the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council throughout Serbia in December 2015, in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), a local civil society organization. The election processes were conducted without any major irregularities observed.

The Report makes a number of recommendations, largely similar for both the judicial and prosecutorial councils, including amending and further developing the legal framework regarding the election process for the judicial and prosecutors’ councils, the candidates’ nomination process, and procedures for resolving disputes and providing effective remedies.

The findings and recommendations resulting from the election monitoring will help inform the public about the ongoing judicial reform process in Serbia. The relevant state institutions and justice stakeholders will also have an objective assessment to assist them in further strengthening the independence, accountability and efficiency of the Serbian judiciary.

The Report is available at: https://www.osce.org/odihr/242346

The OSCE Mission to Serbia and ODIHR stand ready to continue supporting the legal reform efforts of the Serbian authorities in line with the recommendations of this report and OSCE commitments.

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The OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, organized a two-day workshop in Ohrid on policing in a multi-ethnic society on 11 and 12 July 2016. Some forty police officers of different ethnicities working in Ohrid and Bitola police stations attended the event and exchanged information and experiences related to multi-ethnic policing.

The workshop also served as a platform for generating ideas on future measures to foster effective functioning of ethnically mixed police units and ensure the acceptance and equal treatment of police officers coming from smaller communities.

The workshop is one of the ways the Mission is supporting efforts to strengthen police capacities and build trust across multi-ethnic communities. 

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• OSCE Mission to Skopje supports face recognition on-site training for border police officers

PAVLODAR, Kazakhstan, 12 July 2016 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on public participation mechanisms in environmental decision-making took place today in Pavlodar for some 25 representatives of the national and local government offices, the private sector, civil society and academia.

The event concludes the project on the environmental decision-making process and raising awareness of the Aarhus Convention’s provisions supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and implemented in partnership with the Pavlodar Aarhus Centre.

The participants discussed challenges in accessing environmental information and finding ways to promote more effective implementation of the Aarhus Convention. They also reviewed project results and research findings and developed follow-up recommendations to be considered by the relevant authorities.

“Considering the importance of the role of state agencies in the development of public participation in decision-making and seeking to improve this process, I consider the work of the roundtable discussion to be highly important,” stated Aigerim Kabyltayeva, Deputy Head of the Division on Subsoil Use Management, Environment and Water Resources of the Pavlodar region.

Colin McCullough, Political Officer of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, noted that public participation contributes to a transparent and open process and improves the quality of decisions. “We hope that today's event will strengthen co-operation between all parties in addressing environmental issues in the region and will help to better understand the need to develop joint approaches to solve them,” he said.

The event is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s efforts at promoting good governance and environmental protection. It complements the host government’s plans to improve compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention and to implement the related Maastricht Recommendations on Public Participation in Decision-making in Environmental Matters.

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WARSAW, 3 June 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed concern today over yesterday’s sentencing by a court in Dushanbe of two leaders of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT) to life imprisonment, and 11 other high-ranking party officials to jail terms ranging from two to 28 years.

“The harsh sentences handed down yesterday, following the earlier ban of the IRPT and the arrest and harassment of its members and their families and lawyers, raise concerns in relation to the commitments Tajikistan has made as an OSCE participating State to uphold key values of democracy, including political pluralism and political participation,” the ODIHR Director said. “ODIHR has raised this issue with the authorities in the past, and asked for more information on the rationale behind these actions.”

The IRPT party officials were convicted and sentenced by the court on charges that they had conspired in and taken part in the organization of an army coup in the country in September 2015. At that time, the Supreme Court banned the party as an “extremist and terrorist organization”.

The trials leading up to yesterday’s sentences were held behind closed doors, with the proceedings off-limits to the media as well.

“Fair-trial rights are a central element of the rule of law, and measures limiting public scrutiny of and access to criminal proceedings can only undermine confidence that these rights are being upheld,” Director Link said. “ODIHR continues to stand ready to support the Tajik authorities in fulfilling the country’s OSCE commitments in the areas of political pluralism and the rule of law.”

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VIENNA, 14 June 2016 – Preventing and responding to the terrorist radicalization of youth north and south of the Mediterranean was in focus of the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group meeting held today in Vienna.

“We need to step up efforts to prevent radicalization amongst youth”, said the Chairperson of the Contact Group, Permanent Representative of Austria to the OSCE Christian Strohal. “Ensuring the participation of youth, socially, economically and politically, is very important in this regard.”

Fadwa Al Ahmadi, a youth activist from Tunisia, stressed the need to create spaces for youth to express themselves: “Youth empowerment is crucial in preventing violent extremism in North Africa. We must help them to be heard.”

Véronique Roger-Lacan, the Permanent Representative of France to the OSCE, said: “We support wholeheartedly the efficient work carried out by the UnitedCVE team, in their relationship with the youth of the OSCE’s 57 participating States. We call on civil society to maintain its engagement against the radicalization of youth. We continue to co-operate in the fight against recruiters and terrorists.”

French filmmaker Fabienne Servan Schreiber, who works on creating counter-narratives to radicalization in film, stressed the importance of working with parents affected by violent extremism and sharing their stories: “Parents are on the frontlines and must be at the centre of the fight against violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism.”

“We must help parents to help their children,” said Valérie de Boisrolin, President of the French Association Syrie-Prevention-Famille, whose daughter left to Syria in 2013. “There is such ignorance about religion among young people who leave to fight in Syria. We also need to make youth aware of the reality of terrorism on the ground, violence and abuse. We must unite and do all we can to work with young people who come back from the hands of ‘Daesh’.” 

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier launched in 2015 the organization-wide campaign ‘OSCE United in Countering Violent Extremism’ (#UnitedCVE) to underscore that the OSCE stands together as one in countering violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism.

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COPENHAGEN, 29 June 2016 – Following the suicide bombings yesterday at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, killing at least 36, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement:

“I condemn in the strongest terms yesterday’s horrific suicide bombings at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. This sort of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians is absolutely unacceptable, and my deepest sympathies go out to the victims, their families, and the people and government of Turkey.

“As the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is set to gather in Tbilisi, Georgia, for its 25th Annual Session later this week, I urge all of us to recommit ourselves to building a more stable, secure and peaceful world, and to redouble our efforts to fighting terrorism in all its forms."

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• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council
• OSCE PA human rights committee Chair Ignacio Sanchez Amor deplores the killing of journalist Pavel Sheremet, calls for exhaustive investigation

Dean Linda Livingstone interviews Fortune Editor-at-Large Patricia Sellers, who offers her thoughts on the Fortune Most Powerful Women, the magazine's 9th annual review of female executives leading the largest businesses in the United States. (Part 1 of 2)

Dean Linda Livingstone continues her interview with Fortune Magazine Editor-at-Large Patricia Sellers, who discusses her thoughts on former HP CEO Carly Fiorna, who had recently released her book "Tough Choices: A Memoir." (Part 2 of 2)

Grade A residential projects in Phuket are valued at 337 billion baht and are expected to grow by 10-20% annually over five years, driven by demand from affluent buyers globally, according to C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy.

"Ready? This is it." "Kaboom!" Time for something a bit different. This is a video game movie but it's not like most other video game movies. Though at first glance it does remind me of that upcoming Minecraft Movie coming in 2025. Masala Games has revealed a fun teaser trailer for Detective Dotson: The Movie, an animated movie that's a companion piece to the game made in Unreal Engine 5. Dotson is an aspiring Bollywood star turned reluctant detective. Dotson and his friends will seek to unravel a plot that threatens the entire nation of India. The game is currently available to play on Steam and it's likely the movie will also be released on Steam as well (or just online via YouTube - stay tuned for final release details). Masala's CEO Shalin Shodhan explains: "The events in the movie happen right before the start of the game. So... kind of the perfect origin story of Dotson." There's only a few glimpses of footage in this and while it is a movie, it still looks like a glorified, extended video game cut scene turned into a "movie" to watch. Have a look below. Here's the first official trailer for Masala […]

"You don’t change the world by following the rules. Max has revealed an official trailer for a documentary series titled Call Me Ted, tell the story of "the man who changed media forever." Yep it's a doc about Ted Turner, the original founder of CNN back in 1980. Turner is actually still alive - he's currently 85 years old. The series spans most of his life and career. In one episode covering the 1980s: Ted’s focus on launching CNN prompts him to sell the last of his billboard business and to end his sailing career. His interest in protecting the environment and promoting world peace leads to yet another ambitious — and expensive — concept known as the Goodwill Games. And so much more in his life - so many TV networks and ambitious ideas and even baseball. Featuring interviews including Jane Fonda, John Malone, Christiane Amanpour, Alan Horn, his children, and others. This 6-part doc series will already be out this week on Max if anyone wants to dive in. Looks interesting, plenty to learn from Ted about the media saturated world we're now in. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Keith R. Clarke 's film Call Me […]