AirCarbon Exchange selects Eventus as partner to introduce first comprehensive market surveillance program for Voluntary Carbon Market

Validus platform also to support ACX derivatives market when launched

NEW YORK, ABU DHABI, SINGAPORE and LONDON, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Eventus, a leading global provider of multi-asset class trade surveillance and market risk solutions, and AirCarbon Exchange (ACX), the global exchange revolutionizing the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), today announced that ACX has selected Eventus as its partner to introduce the first comprehensive market surveillance program for the VCM, which was created to drive financing activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally.

ACX will use the Eventus Validus platform for trade surveillance, transaction monitoring and anti-money laundering (AML) in its spot and forthcoming derivatives markets globally.

Due to the emerging nature of carbon credits as an asset class, markets for carbon credits currently operate without the controls of more conventional financial instruments such as commodity derivatives. ACX launched in 2019 with a vision of bringing efficiency and liquidity to these voluntary markets, as well as to increase transparency and trust to levels seen in more established markets.

Thomas McMahon, CEO and Co-Founder of ACX said: “A key principle of ACX’s vision is our decision to partner with Eventus to develop, for the first time in the history of the VCM, a comprehensive market surveillance platform to monitor prohibited activities such as market manipulation or money laundering. With trade surveillance set to go live on ACX later this year, we expect that the enhanced integrity that this provides will further open up the Voluntary Carbon Market to as broad a range of participants as possible and hence increase the necessary investment in global carbon reduction and offset programs.”

ACX undertook a “rigorous assessment process” for potential trade surveillance partners, not only considering whether the system could appropriately support ACX’s market, but also whether it would allow ACX to meet all of its regulatory requirements on an ongoing basis in the multiple jurisdictions in which it operates. As a soon-to-be fully regulated Investment Exchange by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, ACX is required to operate an effective market surveillance and transaction monitoring program to identify, record, detect and prevent conduct amounting to market misconduct and/or “financial crime,” such as any attempt to breach international sanctions.

McMahon said: “Given the nascent nature and constant pace of development of the VCM, ACX required a market surveillance partner that not only provides a robust service but is agile enough to be regularly enhanced and refined as these markets grow and evolve. We identified Eventus as the partner best able to allow us to meet these requirements, particularly given the experienced team and flexibility of the Validus platform, enabling us to easily customize it to our unique requirements. Validus is also able to support both our established spot market for voluntary carbon credits, alongside the related derivative contracts that ACX intends to launch next year.”

Eventus CEO Travis Schwab said: “It’s truly exciting for us to play a role in ensuring the safety of these important markets, which can help attract liquidity as well as reinforce investor confidence. AirCarbon Exchange is leading the way – particularly in markets such as Singapore, the UAE and Africa – in establishing a robust carbon offset marketplace that can stand the test of time and grow, making a significant contribution to the future of our planet. Our deep experience in established markets, as well as more emerging exchange venues, enables us to offer ACX expertise, along with the full functionality and scalability of the Validus platform, as the exchange seeks to grow and promote further adoption of this valuable emissions-reducing tool.”

About Eventus

Eventus is a leading global provider of multi-asset class trade surveillance and market risk solutions. Its powerful, award-winning Validus platform is easy to deploy, customize and operate across equities, options, futures, foreign exchange (FX), fixed income and digital asset markets. Validus is proven in the most complex, high-volume and real-time environments of tier-1 banks, broker-dealers, futures commission merchants (FCMs), proprietary trading groups, market centers, buy-side institutions, energy and commodity trading firms, and regulators. The company’s rapidly growing client base relies on Validus and Eventus’ responsive support and product development teams to overcome its most pressing regulatory challenges. For more, visit  www.eventus.com.

About AirCarbon Exchange

AirCarbon Exchange (“ACX”) is a global exchange revolutionizing the voluntary carbon market. The Exchange’s client base comprises corporate entities, financial traders, carbon project developers and other industry stakeholders. ACX provides its participants with an efficient and transparent trading platform which is easy to use, frictionless and with the lowest transaction fees available on the market. Its underlying distributed ledger technology will allow the carbon market to scale efficiently to meet global ambitions of Net Zero.

ACX was recognized as the Best Carbon Exchange globally in Environmental Finance’s prestigious Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings 2021 – the largest and most closely watched survey of the world’s Voluntary Carbon Market. ACX was also named as the ‘Best Solution in Energy Trading’ by Wired UK and Publicis Sapient at their Global EnergyTech Awards, which spotlighted the companies that are ‘Winning the Race to Reinvent Energy’.

For more information or to trade carbon, please reach out to info@aircarbon.co or visit www.aircarbon.co.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1877698/AirCarbon_Exchange_Logo.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/635481/Eventus_Systems_Logo.jpg

MYSA Estate Property Management Selects Yardi Cloud Platform

Dubai-based real estate operator will utilise technology to further streamline assets throughout the United Arab Emirates

DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — MYSA, a subsidiary of Pearl Investment LLC, has chosen the Yardi® platform to enhance its end-to-end real estate operations from prospect nurturing to financial management.

The company will utilise solutions from Yardi’s Residential Suite; including Voyager for property management and accounting and RentCafe CRM which will digitise their entire leasing journey from lead to lease. Tenant services will be enhanced via a resident self-serve portal for payments and maintenance requests and a landlord dashboard will provide instant insight in relation to the business’s most important KPI’s.

“Yardi’s all-in-one solution will enable us to oversee the management of our portfolio through a single platform,” said Sajjad Kalam, managing director for MYSA Estate Property Management. “By implementing the cloud-based technology, we will be able to streamline the end-to-end process, access better insights and provide an enhanced service to our tenants.”https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1877693/MYSA_Logo.jpg

“Yardi technology will help digitise operations, simplify processes, automate complexities and help future growth,” said Neal Gemassmer, vice president of international for Yardi. “We’re excited to work with MYSA and are delighted that Yardi continues to further help companies with their real estate digitisation strategies across the Middle East.”

See how Yardi can transform your real estate operations through a fully connected solution.

About MYSA Estate Property Management LLC

MYSA, a subsidiary of Pearl Investment LLC, develops property management solutions for residential, commercial, hospitality and mall management. The company is passionate about creating the right space for its clients, building bespoke worlds. MYSA is the property management division of Flora Hospitality. For more information, please visit mysaestate.com.

About Yardi

Yardi® develops and supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all types and sizes of real estate companies. With 8,000 employees, Yardi is working with clients globally to drive significant innovation in the real estate industry. For more information on how Yardi is Energised for Tomorrow, visit yardi.ae.

Logo –  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/737275/Yardi_Logo.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1877693/MYSA_Logo.jpg

CCTV+: Macao government, CMG start new round of cooperation

BEIJING, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government and China Media Group (CMG) launched a new round of cooperation on Monday.

Four shows were released at the launching ceremony, featuring delicacies, tourism, aerial photography and the historic urban area of Macao using the 5G, 4K, 8K and AI technology of the CMG.

An agreement on the CMG sports channel was also signed online on the day so the people of Macao could continue to enjoy the programs.

The two sides also launched a cooperation list to further improve collaboration in the holding of sporting events and authorization of competition resources.

The document on the previous round of cooperation was inked in 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, and has since yielded fruitful results.

Link: https://youtu.be/xD0zQQ1rdag

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD0zQQ1rdag

COSTEP Highlights Manufacturing Workforce Development in Rio South Texas

MISSION, Texas, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — At the heart of any successful business is a motivated and capable workforce. And at the heart of any successful region is a strong and competent workforce pipeline. It equips companies with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the global marketplace. The Rio South Texas region understands that, and it demonstrates this understanding through the various public & private industry certified skills training programs, college-level dual-credit programs in high school, and the future-focused higher education institutions operating in Rio South Texas.

One great example of that is South Texas College’s (STC) collaboration with FESTO and Fuji Automatic Numerical Control (FANUC), providing certified training programs on some of the world’s most advanced Industry 4.0 manufacturing solutions to entering and experienced manufacturing industry professionals. FANUC is a leading supplier of robots, computer control systems, and factory automation, while FESTO’s solutions are among the world best in Industry 4.0 factory floor and digital twin environments.

And it isn’t just state-of-the-art manufacturing talent that is home-grown in Rio South Texas. The science of advanced materials used in the manufacturing processes of today and tomorrow is also being learned by the students in Rio South Texas, for example at The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in their advanced nanoscience laboratory. The laboratory’s research is primarily focused on experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics, with a wide range of solid-state phenomena being examined at the nano-structure system level. Partners for the program include the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA.

These are only a couple of examples of the workforce development programs in the Rio South Texas region being leveraged to provide local companies and prospective investors with talent in industries such as battery, biotech, mobility, energy, and aerospace! With a strong and competent workforce pipeline, as well as partners in North America and across the globe, the students of Rio South Texas educational institutions of today are quickly becoming the faces of globally successful companies of tomorrow.

If you are looking to manufacture products in North America for North America, take a look at what Rio South Texas has to offer. Our team at COSTEP would be glad to assist you, so please visit us at www.costep.org or connect with us at @COSTEP to learn more.

Contact: Matt Ruszczak, +1.956.682.6371, info@costep.org

.bit Raises $13M to Build Cross-chain Decentralized Identity Protocol

SINGAPORE, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — .bit (did.id) has raised $13 million to build cross-chain decentralized identity protocol. The Series A round, completed one year after the startup’s launch, was led by CMB International, HashKey Capital, QingSong Fund, GSR Ventures, GGV Capital, and SNZ.

.bit

.bit’s open-source blockchain protocol will provide permissionless decentralized identification for individual users and DAOs. Over the past 12 months, the project’s user and developer communities have experienced strong growth. So far, more than 38k independent addresses have registered for more than 110k .bit accounts, and nearly 100 mainstream wallets and Dapps have integrated with .bit (please check here).

In the web2 era, social profiles are stored on centralized databases by tech giants who can revoke access or alter data at will. Accounts may be blocked or deactivated at any time, leading to censorship and deplatforming. Utilizing web3 technology, .bit will empower individuals to truly own and control their data. Users will enjoy identity sovereignty, both as private persons and as corporate entities.

Initial applications for .bit’s decentralized identity protocol include Cryptocurrency transfer, decentralized domain resolution, personal profile display, etc. It is expected that .bit will eventually be used as membership and credential management for DAOs, brands and IPs, celebrities and fans, clubs and communities.

Further use cases for .bit’s decentralized identity product include supporting the one billion citizens who lack legal identification. This makes it impossible for them to prove their identity, obtain basic government benefits or healthcare, enroll in education, or exercise their right to vote.

As a cross-chain solution, .bit has supported Ethereum, Tron, Binance Smart Chain, Nervos CKB, and Polygon. In the future, .bit will cover all mainstream public chains such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Polkadot, Solana, etc., as well as software and hardware devices that support asymmetric encryption algorithms.

Forthcoming features under development include NameDAO, which will assign a portion of .bit protocol revenue to DAOs, and sub-accounts which will be issued to DAO members, brand adopters, and loyal supporters to strengthen web3 communities, and further lower the threshold for registering accounts, 4-9 digits accounts available to 100% and open up 3 digits accounts, which will announce the specific rules on the official Twitter very soon.

About .bit

.bit is a cross-chain decentralized identity protocol launched in July 2021. It has boasts over 110k accounts and integrated with 100+ wallets and dApps such as Trust Wallet, Torus, TokenPocket, imToken, iToken, BitKeep, AlphaWallet, HyperPay, MathWallet, WePiggy, NFTSCan, NFTGO, Relation, ShowMe, UneMeta, Dtools, Evolution Land, UniPass, Mail3, Link3.io, Quest3, 0xEcho, Transit Swap, 5Degrees, cc0.network, COCH, SeekDID, DASLA, SuperDID and many others. The startup comprises a small team of ten spread across the U.S., China, and Singapore, led by Tim Yoeh, Specer Shaw, Jeff Jin, Kyle Wright, who were colleagues at Tencent. Most of .bit’s members have extensive experience in Web3 industry.

For more information, find .bit online:

Website: https://did.id

Twitter: @dotbitHQ

Discord: https://discord.gg/did

GitHub: https://github.com/dotbitHQ

Team Blog: https://blog.did.id

Forum: https://talk.did.id

Medium: https://medium.com/@dotbit

NameDAO Website: https://namedao.xyz

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1878311/image1.jpg

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1874941/DAS_Logo.jpg

Judge rules US senator Graham must testify in Trump 2020 election probe

US Senator Lindsey Graham must testify before a grand jury in Georgia state, which is investigating possible 2020 election interference by former President Donald Trump, a federal judge ruled on Monday.

"The Court finds that there are considerable areas of potential grand jury inquiry falling outside the Speech or Debate Clause’s protections," Judge Leigh Martin May said in the 22-page ruling.

Graham's attorneys argued that a post-election telephone call Graham made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in November 2020 had a legislative purpose and therefore was covered by the Speech and Debate clause.

But, May countered that the grand jury has been impaneled to “investigat[e] the facts and circumstances relating directly or indirectly to possible attempts to disrupt the lawful administration of the 2020 elections in the State of Georgia.”

The judge also rejected the notion that sovereign immunity protected Graham from having to testify because he is a sitting US senator.

"Sovereign immunity fails to shield Senator Graham from testifying before the Special Purpose Grand Jury," May's ruling continued.

"If the Court were to accept Senator Graham’s sovereign immunity argument, it would mean that U.S. Senators would not be required to testify before state grand juries no matter the circumstances. The law would give them complete immunity based solely on their status as federal officials."

The judge said Graham's reasoning for being exempt from testifying because he is a high-ranking government official also does not apply to this case.

"The Court finds that the District Attorney has shown extraordinary circumstances and a special need for Senator Graham’s testimony on issues relating to alleged attempts to influence or disrupt the lawful administration of Georgia’s 2022 elections," said May.

"Senator Graham has unique personal knowledge about the substance and circumstances of the phone calls with Georgia election officials... Senator Graham’s potential testimony on these issues—in addition to his knowledge about topics outside of the calls such as his alleged coordination with the Trump Campaign before and after the calls are unique to Senator Graham," she added.

A spokesman for Graham said he will appeal the judge's ruling.

Source: Anadolu Agency

China urges engagement with Taliban, 1 year after Afghanistan takeover

China on Monday renewed its calls for the international community to engage with the Taliban, Afghanistan’s de facto rulers, one year after the group’s takeover of Kabul.

The Taliban’s seizure of power after almost 20 years took the world by surprise and led to a chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan.

China’s UN envoy Zhang Jun told reporters in New York that it was important to engage with the new administration to give them guidance and confidence so that they can move forward.

While China has not recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, it has diplomatic ties with the group.

“Those who have withdrawn should also exercise their responsibilities. They cannot simply say they left and forget everything,” Zhang said.

He also called for the release of Afghan funds, which remain frozen in the US, from the country’s central bank as soon as possible.

“There is no justification for anyone to freeze the assets that belong to Afghanistan,” he said.

The US has seized almost $9 billion of Afghan funds since the Taliban takeover, with the Joe Biden administration splitting frozen assets between the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and humanitarian aid for Afghan people.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Latvian foreign minister to visit Türkiye for talks

Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics will arrive in Türkiye on Monday on a two-day visit, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

“At the meetings, our bilateral relations along with Türkiye’s EU accession process and our cooperation within NATO as well as regional and international developments will be discussed,” the ministry said in a statement.

Rinkevics will also be received by Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Canada urged to bring in more Afghans facing risk of death from Taliban

Canada came under criticism Monday for the slow pace in bringing Afghan refugees into the country as the Taliban marks one year since taking back control in the beleaguered nation.

The government has brought in 17,300 Afghans who helped the Canadian military in its battle against the authoritarian Taliban, but that is a far cry from the 40,000 promised, says the head of Aman Lara, a non-profit group of Canadian veterans and former interpreters working to bring Afghans to safety in Canada.

“When we were unable to get them out a year ago, it was devastating,” said Brian Macdonald.

“These people that have helped Canada now have to stand up and go to an office that’s controlled by the Taliban and give their name and address and the dates of birth of their children,” he said. “It’s a very dangerous thing to do.”

But the Canadian government said it has added more staff to process applications and the country has one of the largest Afghan refugees programs in the world.

“We can hold our heads up high when we think about our response compared to that of our allies,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday, but she conceded “there is a lot more work to do” and that they “need to keep on working to bring more people from Afghanistan to Canada,” saying: “That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Macdonald also noted that with lives in danger, Canada needs to pick up the pace and get those Afghans away from the Taliban’s grasp and the risk of death.

“A year ago, we were panicking to get as many people out as possible,” he said. “We all thought — as veterans and other interpreters — that that window had closed, that the people we didn’t get out were stuck in Afghanistan.

“But what we’ve learned over the last year is we can still move them out. And we’re just going to keep doing that until we get as many people out as we possibly can.”

Source: Anadolu Agency