KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) — AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation, has announced a new partnership with gene therapy company, Altheia Science.
“We are pleased that Altheia Science has placed their trust in our cell therapy and viral vector services, and our Milan site, at this important stage in their product’s lifecycle,” said AGC Biologics chief business officer JB Agnus in a statement.
Through this partnership, Altheia Science will advance its development of autoimmunity treatments.
“The AGC Biologics Milan site has a long-standing expertise in successfully developing stem cell-based gene therapies, from clinical testing up to commercialisation,” said Altheia Science chief executive officer Paolo Rizzardi.
“We believe this partnership is key in supporting our gene therapy programmes and making these innovative therapies available to patients.”
The AGC Biologics Milan facility has one of the strongest development and manufacturing track records in the global cell and gene industry, working with virtually any cell type and lentiviral, retroviral and adeno‐associated viral vectors.
AGC Biologics’ cell therapy services and viral vector capabilities leverage the latest technology and processes, including proprietary platforms developed to address the evolving advanced therapies industry.
On July 26, ahead of the Tenth NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) Review Conference that opens on August 1 at UN Headquarters in New York, Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda called on the five nuclear-weapon states to declare that they will never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict: the principle of “No First Use.”
Today the risk that nuclear weapons will be used is at its highest level since the Cold War. Ikeda, a passionate campaigner for nuclear abolition for over 60 years, urges the five nuclear-weapon states under the NPT — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China — to give substance to a joint statement made by their leaders on January 3, 2022, that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” by declaring policies of No First Use.
He proposes that the following points be included in the Final Document of the Review Conference:
-That the five nuclear-weapon states pledge to continue to abide by their January Joint Statement, immediately pursuing measures to reduce the risks posed by nuclear weapons in accord with their Article VI nuclear disarmament commitments.
-That the five nuclear-weapon states, as a matter of highest priority, declare their commitment to the principle of No First Use at the earliest possible date.
-That in order to give concrete form to the joint statement’s declaration that “none of our nuclear weapons are targeted at each other or at any other State,” the principle of No First Use be universalized as the security policy of all states possessing nuclear weapons as well as the nuclear-dependent states.
Ikeda urges: “We must remember that it was never the purpose of the NPT to establish continuing nuclear threat and confrontation as the inevitable fate of humankind.” He asks us to learn from the world’s hibakusha — the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and the testing of nuclear weapons — who insist that no one anywhere should suffer what they have endured.
Ikeda argues that commitment to No First Use would also free resources to protect people from shared threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
On August 4, during the NPT Review Conference, the SGI will hold a side event promoting No First Use together with other like-minded organizations.
Daisaku Ikeda (1928 – ) is a Buddhist philosopher, author and president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), an NGO promoting peace, culture and education in consultative status since 1983 with UN ECOSOC. Every year since 1983, Ikeda has authored peace proposals offering concrete approaches to resolving the complex global issues facing humanity, centering on the need to abolish nuclear weapons. www.daisakuikeda.org
Source: Soka Gakkai International
Contact: Joan Anderson International Office of Public Information Soka Gakkai +81-80-5957-4711 anderson[at]soka.jp
KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) — Yili Group has become the dairy partner for the G20 Indonesia Summit to be held this year.
Joyday, produced by PT Yili Indonesia Dairy, will bring the cool taste of ice cream to participants from worldwide, it said in a statement today.
This is Yili’s second collaboration with the G20 summit since the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, and it is in keeping with the company’s commitment to achieving “World Integrally Sharing Health” and values shared with the G20 Committee.
The Yili Indonesia Dairy Production Base, which opened in December 2021, manufactures Joyday brand ice cream for the Indonesian and Southeast Asian markets.
On completion of its second phase, the production base will become the country’s largest ice cream factory, with a daily production capacity of four million ice cream products.
“As one of the world’s top five dairy companies and Asia’s largest player in the industry, Yili has been actively embracing resources, markets and talent across the globe and fostering synergies and collaborations throughout the global industrial chain,” the group said.
Currently, Yili owns 74 production bases and 15 global innovation and research and development centres globally and has established partnerships with more than 2,000 enterprises in 39 countries and regions.
Yili adheres strictly to its New Vision for Value Creation in its global development. The company continues to innovate in order to provide high-quality dairy products and services to global consumers while meeting their nutritional needs and inspiring healthier lifestyles.
On July 13, Yili announced a new collaboration agreement with the G20 Committee to jointly support coral reef conservation in the Komodo National Park of Indonesia, covering reef restoration, beaches and underwater cleaning.
Yili has been actively assisting local communities, both domestic and global, in combating the pandemic, providing preferential subsidies to local partners’ businesses and donating masks and dairy products to help safeguard people’s physical and emotional health.
Basseterre, July 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After a two-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, St Kitts and Nevis will once again celebrate the annual “Restaurant Week” from July 14 to 24, 2022. With this, the twin island country is set to celebrate its culture, cuisine, and local ingredients with the island’s best chefs.
Restaurant week is an event where restaurants offer reduced or fixed price menus so that customers can try many different types of food that may normally be out of their price range.
Mid and upper-range establishments join restaurant week annually, but any restaurant can take part in the event. The general concept is that local restaurants partner with local tourist organizations or chambers of commerce to promote a week of lunch and dinner specials.
St Kitts and Nevis’ restaurant week will also shine a spotlight on Kittitian and Nevisian farmers. During each stage of the activities and competitions during the week, the restaurants will highlight the significance of farmers among the travellers. They will showcase the vibrant cultural and authentic cuisine of the twin island with magnificent events.
Among the events planned for this year is the Tasting Showcase, which will be held in both St Kitts and Nevis, where restaurants serve up dishes made from this year’s theme ingredient – sweet potato. The St Kitts Tasting Showcase takes place on July 10 and the Nevis version on July 16.
Another key event on the calendar will be Grill Fest on July 23, which “pays tribute to the grill masters as they vie for the title of Best Grill Master in two categories: poultry and seafood”. Every participating restaurant will offer savoury dishes and beverages to the attendees as they will witness the serving up of the tasty dishes featuring the sweet potato.
Participating restaurants will design one-off menus, each incorporating the theme ingredient. More than 50 restaurants will be participating in the event to give local experiences through culinary, entertainment and artisans.
One of the participating restaurants will be Serendipity, a cosy restaurant situated in the historic Fortlands, a short walk from downtown Basseterre. Both Serendipity’s extensive lunch and dinner menus will offer the patrons a wide variety of local and international cuisine.
Another restaurant, Four Seasons Resort Nevis, will participate in St Kitts and Nevis Restaurant Week and its three-course menu will surely showcase the talent of the Four Seasons culinary team. Natalia Ristorante resorts also expressed pleasure in announcing their participation in this annual tradition of dining out and celebrating local ingredients. Their chefs have curated a special three-course menu featuring simple Italian classics and sweet potato.
Besides this, the event will also feature restaurants such as Arther’s, Sunset Cafe, Park Hayyat and over fifty restaurants.
St Kitts and Nevis have built an excellent reputation for cuisine in recent years. Chefs on the islands guard local recipes zealously, but as well as Creole and West Indian fare, they also specialize in Chinese, Western and Indian dishes.
The restaurants of the twin island welcomed tourists with fresh fruit on the market and beach promenades selling mangoes, papayas, bananas and much more. Moreover, the country is also famous for imported drinks. In addition to that, the local cooking is simple, spicy and makes use of the plentiful fresh fish, vegetables, and fruit.
Restaurants such as Frigate Bay and Turtle Bay located in the capital, Basseterre and the southern peninsula resort area offer good options ranging from fine dining to family restaurants, serving a mixture of local and international cuisine to the visitors.
Moreover, St Kitts and Nevis cuisines incorporate the finest fresh local ingredients into simple, flavourful dishes. People will find many things to do in St Kitts, but none of them is more satisfying than sitting down and enjoying the local delicacies.
The country has paved the progressive path with the help of tourism and the Citizenship by Investment Programme. The Federation is profoundly known as one of the best nations providing economic citizenship.
Launched in 1984, the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere is a pioneer of the Citizenship by Investment industry. The Citizenship by Investment Programme of St Kitts and Nevis has also been regarded world’s best by the CBI Index 2021 of the Financial Times published in the PWM Magazine. St Kitts and Nevis have been ranked first for Citizenship Time, Due Diligence and Family in the Index.
St Kitts and Nevis is providing alternative citizenship to investors across the globe in exchange for the financial contribution to the country’s economy. It has also been regarded as the longest-running in the world for running the programme for more than three decades.
Interested candidates can apply for alternative citizenship of the country through the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF), which is popularly known as Fund Option. This investment option was established in the year 2018 to support various socio-economic initiatives in the country. The SGF supports the ongoing advancement of St Kitts and Nevis and provides the country with the potential to grow as a prospering small-island country. The investment will enhance the future of investors, as well as the future of St Kitts and Nevis.
Some of the key benefits offered by the Programme of St Kitts and Nevis are as follows:
• Open routes to a global market
• Opportunity to become a global citizen
• Enables to add additional dependants under one application
• Offers numerous business opportunities
• Diversify your portfolio
• An efficient platform for wealth planning
About St Kitts and Nevis:
One must visit the travel destination; St Kitts and Nevis is an exceptional place for travellers who love to relish a stay in the lap of nature. The twin island Federation is famous for sandy as well as silver beaches and coral reefs. The tourists are attracted to the beautiful and mesmerizing sights of the Federation. Moreover, St Kitts and Nevis have also regarded as the safest in the Caribbean region.
PR St Kitts and Nevis Government of St. Kitts and Nevis pr@csglobalpartners.com
Australian Health Insurer Chooses Boomi and Atturra To Provide Personalized Health Experiences (Graphic: Business Wire)
Australian health insurer boosts personalization, improves member value, and supports business compliance with connected data framework
CHESTERBROOK, Pa., July 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Boomi™, the intelligent connectivity and automation leader, today announced that Peoplecare, an Australian health insurance mutual fund, implemented The Boomi AtomSphere™ Platform to deliver improved member experiences and personalized health insurance with connected, accurate, and accessible data.
“We pride ourselves on making health insurance easy and prioritize value to ensure our members maximize their cover. Our legacy method of communication centered on members calling into our contact center, however today’s Australians are tech-savvy and demand omni-channel experiences across platforms and devices,” said Joanne Williams, enterprise solutions lead, Peoplecare. “We chose Boomi to help enable new, digital self-services, while also strengthening our existing contact center for those who still want to speak to a person. Boomi helped us unlock our blind spots, empowering us to provide more personalized and proactive communications to our members about their policies.”
Peoplecare, a member-owned and not-for-profit (NFP) organization since 1952, provides private health insurance services to Australians. Originally the health fund for John Lysaght Australia, the company later expanded into health insurance as an open fund in 2006. In the last year, Peoplecare restructured, kickstarting a modernization initiative to simplify its complex IT architecture and better meet the needs of its 33,000 members.
To centralize its data and create an IT environment capable of providing personalized experiences, including ensuring members get the best value with the right policy, Peoplecare selected Boomi’s cloud-native integration platform as a service (iPaaS) to integrate business-critical systems and myriad legacy and cloud applications across the business.
With all critical data accessible through a unified platform, Peoplecare can now make more member data visible and available on its member mobile app, and to its 140 contact center agents, in real-time. The benefits also extend to governance and compliance with the solution assisting Peoplecare to maintain compliance with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s (APRA) CPS 234 standard.
Williams said Peoplecare ultimately chose Boomi due to its ability to easily break down data silos with a simple drag-and-drop user interface that visualizes process flows. Given the company’s limited IT scope, Peoplecare wanted a solution that would support citizen integrators within the organization and sought a partner for the implementation.
Boomi introduced Peoplecare to trusted IT service provider Atturra to support the Boomi AtomSphere Platform implementation and establish standards for its integration practice.
“Peoplecare needed a solution and partner duo that aligned with its culture,” said Jason Frost, executive general manager, Atturra Data and Integration. “With experience enabling FSI clients across Australia and our hand-in-glove Boomi relationship, we were a great fit, offering up a solutions architect to work in-house that neatly slotted into the Peoplecare team for the initial roll out. We’re helping Williams and her team get it right from the start, creating a centralized data framework, instead of treating integration point to point.”
“Australians are increasingly prioritizing their health and demand services that offer more than what Medicare provides them,” said Nathan Gower, head of business development, Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) at Boomi. “With many private health options in the market, health insurance funds need to find a way to cut through the competition. By removing the bottlenecks across the company’s complex mutual and managed health fund operations, Peoplecare can now make more member data readily available, providing a more personable service and making the moments in a members’ lifetime health journey matter.”
Boomi has been positioned as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Integration Platform as a Service (EiPaaS) for eight consecutive years.
As a category-leading, global software as a service (SaaS) company with more than 20,000 customers – Boomi touts a growing user community of over 100,000 members, a worldwide network of more than 800 partners, and one of the largest arrays of global system integrators (GSI) in the iPaaS space. The company recently received the Gold Globee® Award in the Platform as a Service (PaaS) category, and has garnered a prestigious 5-star rating in the CRN Partner Program Guide, a definitive list of the most notable partner programs from industry-leading technology vendors that provide innovative products and flexible services through the IT channel. Boomi’s cloud-native, low-code platform helps organizations across all industries connect data applications, streamline workflows, and deliver more integrated customer experiences.
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Integration Platform as a Service, Eric Thoo, Keith Guttridge, Bindi Bhullar, Shameen Pillai, Abhishek Singh, September 29, 2021
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Note: Boomi was recognized as Dell Boomi from 2014 to 2019.
About Boomi
Boomi instantly connects everyone to everything, anywhere with its cloud-native, unified, open, and intelligent platform. Boomi’s integration platform as a service (iPaaS) is trusted by more than 20,000 customers globally for its speed, ease-of-use, and lower total cost of ownership. As the pioneer at fueling intelligent use of data, Boomi’s vision is to make it quick and easy for customers and partners to discover, manage, and orchestrate data, while connecting applications, processes, and people for better, faster outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.boomi.com.
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