A Latin American rural family. Credit: Santiago Billy / FAO
Opinion by Marco Knowles (rome)
Inter Press Service
Marco Knowles leads the FAO’s Social Protection Team
ROME, Sep 03 (IPS) – Urgent climate action is key to eradicating hunger and poverty, but climate mitigation policies can inadvertently exacerbate these issues in rural areas. Countries must design climate strategies that account for the impacts on the rural poor and that include social protection measures.
Last July, we were confronted with alarming statistics: 733 million people experienced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally. In Africa it was even higher, with one in five people going hungry. Climate change is a significant driver of this crisis.
Gradual changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns reduce returns to farming, on which poor people largely depend, and sudden events like floods and droughts devastate their crops and livestock. According to the World Bank, climate change could push as many as 135 million more people into poverty by 2030. Urgent action to curb climate change is therefore essential to the fight against poverty and hunger.
However, if we are not careful, climate mitigation efforts can undermine progress on eradicating poverty and hunger. A recent example is the European Union´s Regulation on Deforestation-free products that was introduced in June 2023. This regulation is intended to ensure that products bought and consumed in Europe do not contribute to deforestation through the expansion of agricultural land for the production of cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil or coffee.
But on the other hand, the costs of these policies fall disproportionately on rural poor people that do not have the resources and capacities to comply, including those that currently rely on clearing new lands for their livelihoods – estimated to account for about a third of deforestation.
As governments of 17 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia had forewarned, the EU’s Regulation is already having severe negative impacts among poorer people in poorer countries, in particular small-scale farmers.
Without support, they face huge challenges in complying with the complex, new procedures, and at the same time they often lack the capacities and resources to maintain or increase their agricultural production without expanding the land area under cultivation – this is even more true in a context of a changing climate change that reduces farming yields.
While progress on the climate agenda must continue at pace, the socio-economic trade-offs of climate policies for different population groups – especially the most vulnerable – need to be considered from the outset. Countries, especially those in which poverty and hunger are concentrated, need to be supported and encouraged to couple green policies with measures that enable smallholder farmers to meet new conditions or to transition to new and dignified livelihoods.
Social protection – which includes policies and programmes aimed at addressing poverty and vulnerability – can play a key role in easing these transitions. In the short-term, by providing regular cash income in compensation for any adverse social impacts of climate policies and, in the longer-term, by combining these payments with technical support, skills training and livelihood interventions that can help people to adjust to and thrive under new policy regimes.
This approach is already being implemented in several countries.
In China, a forest protection act affected approximately one million public forestry workers and 120 million rural households by reducing access to forest resources. To mitigate these impacts, public employees received assistance, such as job placement services, unemployment benefits and pension plans. As a result, two-thirds of the affected employees were either transferred to alternative jobs or retired, while 124 million households benefited from an income transfer.
In Brazil and Paraguay, social protection and complementary agricultural programmes are supporting rural households to adopt more sustainable and profitable farming practices. Paraguay’s Poverty, Reforestation, Energy and Climate Change (PROEZA) programme, provides households participating in the country’s flagship social protection scheme, Tekoporã, with technical support and additional cash. Thanks to this, small-scale farmers are adapting their agricultural practices to be more resilient to ever more frequent droughts while also increasing their production of native crops such as yerba mate.
Similarly, in Brazil, the Bolsa Verde programme provides cash payments to beneficiaries of the national social cash transfer programme, Bolsa Familia, in exchange for maintaining or restoring forests, protecting water sources, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Governments should be encouraged and supported in introducing and scaling-up social protection measures to ensure the poorest and most vulnerable do not bear the burden of addressing the climate crisis and greening the consumption of people in wealthier parts of the world.
We must therefore prioritize an approach that pays close attention to the social as well as the environmental consequences of policies to address climate change. Social protection programmes have a critical role to play building a future that is mutually beneficial to People and Planet.
Marco Knowles leads the FAO´s Social Protection Team. His areas of expertise include increasing access to social protection in rural areas and in leveraging on social protection for climate action. He also has substantive experience in providing evidence-based food security policy assistance and capacity development support.
The horseracing industry faces a significant challenge from unregulated illegal betting markets, which threaten the integrity of the sport while siphoning off billions of dollars in revenue. Perhaps the most notorious of those illegal operators is Citibet, an online platform that has become a significant concern for the Asian Racing Federation (ARF).
Black Market Entities Enjoy Specific Advantages
A recent report by Hong Kong-based media outlet South China Morning Post highlighted how Citibet operates mainly in southern China and is estimated to handle a gambling turnover of about $50 billion annually, rivaling legal betting markets. A recent report from the ARF’s anti-illegal betting task force revealed that Citibet’s operations were equal to roughly 25% of the legal turnover in Hong Kong horseracing.
Perhaps the most worrying aspect of Citibet’s operation is how it allows punters to bet on horses to lose, similar to legal exchange platforms. However, Citibet operates in complete secrecy, unlike these regulated offerings, refusing to share information with racing authorities. This lack of transparency creates a breeding ground for match-fixing and spot-fixing, compromising the sport’s integrity.
The reason behind this appeal of illegal operators like Citibet is that they can offer better returns to bettors since they do not have to bear the cost related to taxes and regulatory fees. Search practices undermine the financial stability of legal betting markets and deprive the sport of crucial funding that, among other things, guarantees horse welfare.
Setting Up an Illegal Bookmaker Is Easier than Ever
James Porteous, the HKJC’s senior due diligence & research manager, has been vocal in his criticism of illegal operators. According to Porteous, the proliferation of technology has made it easier than ever to become an illegal bookmaker. Aspiring operators can now access everything they need for just a few thousand dollars, enabling them to offer customers an experience not too dissimilar to high-profile regulated companies.
The illegals have zero regulatory overheads and zero concerns about reputational or ethical considerations about how they deploy technology to attract customers and boost their turnover.
James Porteous, HKJC’s senior due diligence & research manager
Making matters worse is the growing presence of cryptocurrency in the betting markets. The anonymity of cryptocurrency and the ease with which funds travel across borders have made it a favorite among illegal operators. While regulators can often contact traditional payment gateways and block payments to black-market businesses, crypto completely shuts down such measures.
As illegal operators like Citibet continue to expand their technology and reach, so too must the industry’s stakeholders increase their efforts in counteracting this growing menace, ensuring that the sport remains fair and preserving its financial health. Consumers must also take care to only engage with regulated offerings, which guarantee safety, accountability, and transparency.
Premier Padel, the leading official professional padel tour in the world, has unveiled a new partnership with sportsbook powerhouse Betsson. The new multi-year global agreement will cement the latter company as a dedicated sponsor of the tour.
Betsson Will Create Unique Padel Experiences
By teaming up with Premier Padel, Betsson will unlock many opportunities to promote its brand to padel enthusiasts. The company will further capitalize on this interest by offering a wide range of padel odds and unique padel experiences.
For example, Betsson will enhance the fan experience of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour by providing competitions, insights and unique content. Additionally, padel tennis aficionados can look forward to best-in-class ticketing and VIP experiences powered by Betsson during Premier Padel tournaments.
Premier Padel, for context, is an organization that offers a unified global padel tour, welcoming the best players in the world in spectacular tournaments. The organization is committed to raising fan interest in the sports alongside its trusted partners.
Speaking of trusted partners, Betsson will join the likes of Qatar Airways, Red Bull, Wilson, MejorSet, Mondo, Bullpadel and Playtomic in supporting the growth of padel. The operator has been actively involved in the padel sector for years and already boasts several partnerships, ambassadorships and sponsorship of FIP tournaments.
Previously, Betsson launched the Betsson Padel Tour in Sweden and sponsored the Mar del Plata Premier Padel P1 in Argentina.
Betsson Is Committed to Supporting the Padel Sector
Betsson Group’s chief commercial officer, Ronni Hartvig, commented on the new partnership, expressing conviction that no other betting company is as dedicated to padel as Betsson. He noted that quite a few Betsson employees are padel players themselves, meaning that partnerships such as the one with Premier Padel, are personal.
Now, we’re taking it a step further by becoming sponsors of the biggest tournament out there, and we are humbled and delighted of playing our part in the growth of the sport.
Ronni Hartvig, CCO, Betsson Group
Rob Mitchell, the commercial director of Premier Padel, was likewise pleased to welcome Betsson as its official betting partner. He said that this is an exciting time for Premier Padel, which continues to look at ways to grow the sport globally.
Our new partnership with Betsson will bring a new audience to Premier Padel tournaments and fans will experience new player information and in-tournament insights.
Rob Mitchell, commercial director, Premier Padel
In other news, Betsson recently set out to acquire Sporting Solutions, a UK-facing B2B firm that provides operators with cutting-edge sports betting technology. The acquisition, according to the operator, was in line with its M&A strategy.
July global air passenger demand as measured in revenue passenger kilometers increased 8 percent year over year, pushed by another double-digit increase in international demand, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Passenger demand reached an “all time high for the industry and in all regions except Africa,” IATA director general Willie Walsh said in a statement.
International demand in July increased 10.1 percent year over year, IATA noted, while international capacity as measured in available seat kilometers increased 7.4 percent. Global international load factor decreased 0.3 percentage points to 85.9 percent.
July domestic demand increased 4.8 percent year over year while domestic capacity increased 2.8 percent and load factor increased 1.7 percentage points to 86.1 percent.
Overall July global capacity increased 7.4 percent year over year.
“People need and want to fly. And they are doing that in great numbers. Load factors are at the practicable maximum,” according to Walsh. “But persistent supply chain bottlenecks have made deploying the capacity to meet the need to travel more challenging. As much of the world returns from vacation, there is an urgent call for manufacturers and suppliers to resolve their supply chain issues so that air travel remains accessible and affordable to all those who rely on it.”
[Report continues below chart.]
Total July regional demand and capacity increased most rapidly in the Asia-Pacific region, where demand increased 12 percent year over year and capacity grew 9.8 percent. Overall demand and capacity each grew at least 4.9 percent in every region.
The Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions in July each recorded double-digit-percentage year-over-year increases in international demand capacity. Brazil led domestic markets with a demand increase of 8.9 percent and a capacity increase of 7.1 percent.
Travel risk management firm International SOS has named former British Army veteran Giles Hill as its head of global security services, a new position for the company. Hill, who had chaired International SOS’s international security advisory board, served 33 years in the British Army, reaching the rank of three-star general. Hill will “be accountable for” and “spearhead the innovation and development of” International SOS’s global security services, the company said in a statement.
WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (IPS) – At least 55 governments in the past decade have restricted the freedom of movement for people they deem as threats, including journalists, according to a Freedom House report published last Thursday.
Governments control freedom of movement via travel bans, revoking citizenship, document control and denial of consular services, the report found. All the tactics are designed to coerce and punish government critics, according to Jessica White, the report’s London-based co-author.
“This is a type of tactic that really shows the vindictive and punitive nature of some countries,” White said. This form of repression “is an attempt to really stifle peoples’ ability to speak out freely from wherever they are.”
Belarus, China, India, Nicaragua, Russia, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that engage in this form of repression, the report found. Freedom House based its findings in part on interviews with more than 30 people affected by mobility controls.
Travel bans are the most common tactic, according to White, with Freedom House identifying at least 40 governments who prevent citizens leaving or returning to the country.
Revoking citizenship is another strategy, despite being prohibited by international law. The Nicaraguan government in 2023 stripped more than 200 political prisoners of their citizenship shortly after deporting them to the United States.
Among them were Juan Lorenzo Holmann, head of Nicaragua’s oldest newspaper, La Prensa. “It is as if I do not exist anymore. It is another attack on my human rights,” he told VOA after being freed. “But you cannot do away with the person’s personality. In the Nicaraguan constitution, it says that you cannot wipe out a person’s personal records or take away their nationality. I feel Nicaraguan, and they cannot take that away from me.”
Before being expelled from his own country, Lorenzo had spent 545 days in prison, in what was widely viewed as a politically motivated case.
Blocking access to passports and other travel documents is another tactic. In one example, Hong Kong in June canceled the passports of six pro-democracy activists who were living in exile in Britain.
In some cases, governments refuse to issue people passports to trap them in the country. And in cases where the individual is already abroad, embassies deny passport renewals to block the individual from traveling anywhere, including back home.
Myanmar’s embassy in Berlin, for instance, has refused to renew the passport of Ma Thida, a Burmese writer in exile in Germany. Ma Thida told VOA earlier this year she believes the refusal is in retaliation for her writing.
White said Ma Thida’s case was a classic example of mobility restrictions. For now, the German government has issued a passport reserved for people who are unable to obtain a passport from their home country — which White applauded but said is still rare.
“Our ability to freely leave and return to our home country is something that in democratic societies, people often take for granted. It’s one of our fundamental human rights, but it’s one that is being undermined and violated across many parts of the world,” White said.
Mobility restrictions can have devastating consequences, including making it difficult to work, travel and visit family. What makes matters even worse is the emotional toll, according to White.
“There is a huge psychological impact,” White said. “A lot of our interviewees mention especially the pain of being separated from family members and not being able to return to their country.”
In the report, Freedom House called on democratic governments to impose sanctions on actors that engage in mobility controls.
White said that democratic governments should do more to help dissidents, including by providing them with alternative travel documents if they can’t obtain them from their home countries.
BRAINTREE, Mass. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electude North America is pleased to announce the release of Heavy Vehicle Classroom, its expanded solution for heavy vehicle technology education. Electude is recognized as a global leader in e-learning for automotive technology. Electude has been developing new heavy vehicle learning materials for the last several years, culminating in the release of Heavy Vehicle Classroom.
Topical coverage is comprehensive including fundamentals, diesel engines, transmissions and drive systems, brake systems, steering suspension and trailers, electricity and electronics, air conditioning and accessories, preventative maintenance and hydraulics. Key topics – such as diesel after treatment, hydraulics and electronics – are up-to-date and covered in detail.
Heavy Vehicle Classroom adds numerous teaching and support features. Amongst these:
2,400 lesson modules
ASE test prep questions
351 lab task sheets, both digital and printable pdf
How-to modules that use video to demonstrate diagnostic, repair and maintenance procedures
e-book
Virtual labs
Pre-built Kahoot! modules
Lesson plans
Analytics dashboard
Darrell Christopher, Regional Director, North America, said, “Our product development team has worked hard to make Heavy Vehicle Classroom a premier product for teachers and students. We are proud of the high level of student engagement Electude delivers through its assessment based, highly interactive and visually superior heavy vehicle content. We’re excited to bring our customers this important new product.”
About Electude:
Electude has been a global innovation leader in automotive technology education for over 30 years. Electude is in use today globally by over 900,000 students and over 50,000 instructors in 70 nations, translated into 35 languages. Using an integrative, highly interactive gamified learning method, Electude has revolutionized the automotive education industry by empowering vocational students to learn effectively and give instructors custom time-saving tools. Electude North America provides a localized version of Electude to customers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Visit www.electude.com for more information.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
Central Downtown Astana with Bayterek tower. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Opinion by Katsuhiro Asagiri (tokyo/astana)
Inter Press Service
TOKYO/ASTANA, Aug 19 (IPS) – In a world increasingly shadowed by the threat of nuclear conflict, Kazakhstan is stepping up its efforts in the global disarmament movement. On August 27-28, 2024, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Kazakhstan will host a critical workshop in Astana. This gathering, the first of its kind in five years, is set to reinvigorate the five existing Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZs) and enhance cooperation and consultation among them.
This initiative aligns with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s Agenda for Disarmament, particularly Action 5, which emphasizes the strengthening of NWFZs through enhanced collaboration between zones, urging nuclear-armed states to respect relevant treaties, and supporting the establishment of new zones, such as in the Middle East. This effort reflects the global community’s ongoing push to reduce the nuclear threat and foster regional and global peace.
Kazakhstan’s Historical Commitment to Disarmament
Kazakhstan’s vision for a nuclear-free world is deeply rooted in its leadership in global disarmament efforts. This vision is not just aspirational; it is grounded in the country’s lived experience of the devastating impact of nuclear weapons. The Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeastern Kazakhstan, often referred to as “the Polygon,” was the site of 456 nuclear tests conducted by the Soviet Union between 1949 and 1989. These tests exposed over 1.5 million people to radiation, resulting in severe health consequences, including cancer and birth defects, as well as environmental degradation.
Kazakhstan’s dedication to disarmament is further highlighted by its initiative to establish August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, recognized by the United Nations. This date commemorates both the first Soviet nuclear test at Semipalatinsk in 1949 and the closure of the site in 1991, serving as a reminder of the horrors of nuclear testing and a call to action for the global community.
These zones prohibit the presence of nuclear weapons within their territories, reinforced by international verification and control systems. NWFZs play a crucial role in maintaining regional stability, reducing the risk of nuclear conflict, and promoting global disarmament.
Astana Workshop: A Critical Gathering for Disarmament
The upcoming workshop in Astana is a critical opportunity for states-parties to the five NWFZ treaties, alongside representatives from international organizations, to engage in vital discussions aimed at overcoming the challenges facing these zones. This gathering is particularly timely, given the escalating geopolitical tensions in regions where nuclear capabilities remain central to national security.
A key focus of the workshop will be on enhancing cooperation among the NWFZs, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament. This includes facilitating consultation between the zones and encouraging nuclear-armed states to adhere to the protocols of these treaties. The workshop builds on the 2019 seminar titled “Cooperation Among Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia,” co-organized by UNODA and Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan(Astana), which produced key recommendations aimed at revitalizing cooperation among NWFZs.
Participants will discuss strategies to advance the objectives of NWFZs, with an emphasis on strengthening security benefits for member states and fostering more robust consultation mechanisms. The workshop will also address the challenges posed by the reluctance of certain nuclear-armed states, particularly the United States, to ratify protocols related to several NWFZ treaties. Despite being a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the U.S. has yet to ratify protocols to treaties covering the South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga), Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba), and Central Asia. This reluctance has impeded the full realization of the security benefits these zones could offer.
Kazakhstan’s Leadership in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
Kazakhstan’s role in nuclear disarmament extends beyond NWFZs to include leadership in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). In March 2025, Kazakhstan will host the 3rd Meeting of State Parties to the TPNW at the United Nations, further solidifying its position as a champion of nuclear disarmament.
Kazakhstan has been a vocal advocate of the TPNW and has actively pushed for the creation of an international fund to support victims of nuclear testing and remediate environments affected by nuclear activities, in line with Articles 6 and 7 of the treaty.
The Vienna Action Plan, developed during the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW（１MSP）, outlines actions for implementing these articles, including exploring the feasibility of an international trust fund and encouraging affected states parties to assess the impacts of nuclear weapons use and testing and to develop national plans for implementation.
At the Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP), co-chaired by Kazakhstan and Kiribati, progress was made, but challenges remain. The informal working group on victim assistance, environmental remediation, and international cooperation presented a report, and its mandate was renewed, with the goal of submitting recommendations for the establishment of an international trust fund at the 3rd Meeting of States Parties (3MSP). Kazakhstan’s leadership in this area underscores its commitment to addressing the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons, drawing from its own experience with the devastating consequences of nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk.
Civil Society’s Crucial Role
As a part of the two day event, Soka Gakkai International (SGI) from Japan and the Center for International Security and Policy (CISP) will hold a side event in the evening of September 28 to screen the documentary “I Want to Live On: The Untold Stories of the Polygon,” highlighting the survivors of nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk. This documentary, produced by CISP with SGI’s support, was first shown at the UN during the second meeting of state parties to the TPNW in 2023. This side event is part of a broader initiative by SGI and Kazakhstan, which have co-organized several events focusing on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons at UN, Vienna, and Astana in recent years.
Also coinciding with the Astana workshop, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) will hold a conference convening civil society organizations and activists including Hibakusha from some countries. This confluence of governmental and civil society efforts in Astana marks a significant moment in the global disarmament movement. While diplomats and state representatives discuss policy and cooperation during the official workshop, the parallel activities organized by civil society will amplify the humanitarian message and emphasize the urgent need for a world free of nuclear weapons.
As global tensions rise, the Astana workshop represents a beacon of hope, a critical moment in the global journey toward disarmament. Through cooperation, dialogue, and a shared commitment to peace, the dream of a world free of nuclear weapons remains within reach. Kazakhstan, with the support of the international community, is at the forefront of this vital effort.
NEW YORK— 3P Learning, a global leader in online education for school-aged students, announces Mathletics, the company’s math program for intermediate learners, has achieved Level II certification under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Mathletics also earned the ISTE Seal this spring. These acknowledgments, granted to programs demonstrating exceptional quality and evidence-based positive impact on student success, come as education leaders double down on programs shown to increase academic achievement.
LearnPlatform by Instructure conducted an independent study in accordance with ESSA Level II requirements to evaluate the effectiveness of Mathletics in improving academic achievement. The study analyzed NWEA MAP® testing scores from 1,885 third- through fifth-grade students across eight schools within a single district. The comparison focused on the performance of 1,561 students who used Mathletics versus 324 who did not use the program.
The research team found:
Students who used the Mathletics program “moderately” or “heavily” had higher end-of-year scores than those who had not used the program often.
If a student at the 50th percentile had used Mathletics, it would result in the student moving to the 54th percentile on average—a 4 percentile point improvement.
Mathletics joins 3P Learning’s K-3 math program, Mathseeds, in achieving ESSA Level II certification. Combined, the duo provides a comprehensive, evidence-based math solution from kindergarten through middle school.
The ISTE Seal is awarded to educational technologies that excel in innovation, accessibility and enhancing student learning experiences. Mathletics was recognized for its:
Engaging and Personalized Learning: A gamified learning experience that tailors lessons to fit individual student needs.
User-Friendly Interface for Educators: An intuitive, navigable user experience including instructional videos for educators and differentiation tools to simplify classroom management.
Comprehensive Progress Tracking: A complete and comprehensive method for monitoring student progress via analytics and feedback.
“Teachers and administrators tell us every day that evidence of effectiveness is crucial,” said Katy Pike, Chief Product Officer at 3P Learning. “These results underscore the ability of Mathletics to significantly improve math skills and effectively narrow the achievement gap. When educators provide students with engaging activities and motivating challenges, learning math becomes fun and rewarding—that’s what leads to academic growth.”
3P Learning is a global leader in online education for school-aged students and offers a multi-award-winning suite of programs covering mathematics (Mathletics and Mathseeds) and reading (Reading Eggs). Serving more than 18,000 schools in over 130 countries, our classroom solutions have been created by experienced educators and are backed by over 20 years of research.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
Lufthansa’s premium lounge at Newark Airport includes a dining area for first-class passengers
Lufthansa has opened its newly renovated premium lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport inside Terminal B, the carrier announced Wednesday. The lounge is available to Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines’ first- and business-class customers, as well as to HON Circle and Senator status passengers, according to Lufthansa.
The nearly 6,400-sq.-ft. lounge had been closed for eight months during the $10 million renovation, which added a kitchen and opened up the space to seat about 165 guests, a 25 percent increase from the previous capacity. The entrance leads to a centerpiece “Skyline Bar” and various seating areas, including a “bistro area” with a seasonal rotating menu.
“One-third of the seating was designed for working and the other two-thirds was designed for relaxing,” said Lufthansa head of product Victoria Schuster during a media preview, adding that the lounge is the first with the company’s new “concept design.”
The space includes two private rooms for calls or meetings. There’s also a separate first-class dining section that serves a sit-down meal with seating for about 20 customers.
Delta Air Lines in July began adding its free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles loyalty members on Viasat-equipped flights between the United States and each Paris and Nice in France, the carrier announced Monday. The service on additional international flights will roll out on an ongoing basis.
In August, Delta plans to add the service on flights to and from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. September will see additional European countries added, including Iceland, Ireland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland. Israel also will be added in September, though service there is suspended through Aug. 31.
During October, the carrier will offer free Wi-Fi on flights between the U.S. and South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) followed by Hawaii. By January 2025, flights to and from Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal will be added, with South Africa and transpacific flights (Asia, Australia and New Zealand) slated to offer the service by mid-to-late 2025.
Delta began to offer domestic free inflight Wi-Fi to its SkyMiles loyalty program members in February 2023, and today “free, streaming-quality connectivity is available on nearly 700 aircraft—more than 90 percent of Delta’s domestic fleet,” according to the carrier.
Opinion by Witada Anukoonwattaka, Preety Bhogal (bangkok, thailand)
Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug 12 (IPS) – The rapid growth of digitalization has fundamentally altered commerce, impacting production and facilitating the movement of goods. The 2023 Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report (APTIR), has pointed out that although digital trade revenues of Asia and the Pacific account for a significant share of global trade, this growth is uneven, with trade concentrated in a few areas, leading to disparities across the region.
Different policy measures to establish an inclusive digital trade and e-commerce landscape have been used across the region. For example, research on internet courts in China showed how such public and digitized judicial systems benefit smaller and medium-sized firms compared to private dispute resolution mechanisms, which are highly costly.
Indonesia’s introduction of single submission for freight transport applications and its impact on sustainability in supply chains was another case study. This policy instrument has had significant impacts across multiple domains, such as increasing time effectiveness, reducing costs, and increasing transparency in shipping and port clearances.
Lessons learned and the way forward
There is a need to understand the specific digital trade policy instruments that promote sustainable development. It is critical to acknowledge key differences and similarities between trade and digital trade policy to strategically leverage their interlinkage to achieve the SDGs. Social development works in tandem with economic progress.
A key concern is the lack of data on cross-border e-commerce in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions, which hinders the implementation and evaluation of programs designed to promote the participation and productivity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
More concerted efforts to improve data measurement through private-public partnerships could be a possible policy intervention to address this issue. States should establish effective monitoring systems by improving the availability of economic statistics and third-party evaluations for measuring the progress and impact of SME support programs.
However, given the diversity in operations of SMEs across sectors, it is essential to devise and tailor policies that cater to their specific needs and realities.
There is also a need for sharing real-world examples of successful government initiatives and SME support programs so neighboring countries can draw lessons from them. There are doubts about the long-term usefulness of stand-alone Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) due to the lack of stringent legal provisions for possible breaches, unlike market-access free trade agreements (FTAs).
Lastly, the United States, which has played a pivotal role in advocating for an open global trade environment, gradually step back from its position, it is time to rethink the leadership that would guide the establishment of digital trade provisions in the future.
This involves showcasing how digital trade rules will be established and enforced moving forward. Who will provide such public goods for digital trade is a major question facing the global economy.
Given its rapid digital-economy growth, significant market size, and increasing influence in global digital trade, should that leadership come from the Asia-Pacific region?
Witada Anukoonwattaka is Economic Affairs Officer, Trade Investment and Innovation Division, ESCAP; Preety Bhogal is Consultant, Trade Investment and Innovation Division, ESCAP.
Super Group has published its financials for Q2 2024, outlining record-breaking revenues in the wake of its exit from the US market.
Super Group Excels Following Its US Exit
For Q2, the company reported revenue of €414.7 million ($453.2 million) marking an increase of 9% from €380.8 million in Q2 2023. The significant increase was attributed to growth from the company’s businesses in Africa and Canada, which offset declines in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets.
Loss for Q2 2024 stood at €0.8 million ($0.87 million) and includes non-cash charges of €36.8 relating to the impairment of DGC-related assets.
Adjusted EBITDA, meanwhile, was up 8% year-on-year to €81.9 million ($89.5 million) for the second quarter of 2024.
At the end of the quarter, Super Group had cash and cash equivalents of €306.8 million ($335.3 million), up from €241.9 million in the prior-year period. This increase was attributed to inflows from operating activities of €104.5 million ($114.2 million) and outflows from investing and financing activities of €42.9 million and €3.7 million, respectively. The figure also takes a gain of €7 million as a result of currency fluctuations into mind.
Super Group reported a vast increase in the number of monthly active consumers. Whereas the company recorded 3.7 million active consumers in Q2 2023, it now reported an increase in active players of 21% to 4.5 million.
CEO Menashe Wants to Make 2024 a “Super Year for Super Group”
Company representatives commented on the results, expressing excitement about the company’s financial position and FY2024 outlook. According to CEO Neal Menashe, the record-breaking Q2 results demonstrate the company’s exceptional business progress.
Menashe reflected on the exit from the US market, saying that he was glad to have optimized the company’s activity. He vowed to continue improving the company’s global footprint both in terms of geography and product.
On an additional note, CEO Menashe added that he glad to welcome Manchester City and South Africa’s Premier Soccer League to the company’s brand sponsorship portfolio.
Our outlook for the remainder of the year is strong, and we look forward to making 2024 a super year for Super Group.
Neal Menashe, CEO, Super Group
Alinda van Wyk, Super Group’s chief financial officer, added that the company’s sharpened focus on key markets continues to be a winning strategy. She provided an insight into the company’s expectations for FY 2024:
Given the strength we have seen in the first half of the year, we are confident in raising our ex-US Adjusted EBITDA guidance for the full year 2024 to greater than €300m. Finally, our debt-free balance sheet continues to show strength, and we were pleased to return capital to shareholders through the announcement of our first ever dividend.
International Airlines Group executives on a Friday second-quarter earnings call described the corporate travel segment as “resilient,” “steady” and in “good recovery.”
Though corporate still trails the leisure demand recovery, it has “different recovery rates across the airlines,” IAG CEO Luis Gallego said. IAG is composed of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Level and Vueling.
“At BA, we are still in volume around 65 percent and revenue around 80 percent compared with 2019,” Gallego said of corporate demand, adding that capacity at British Airways also has not recovered to 2019 levels.
“At Iberia, the volume is around 90 percent, and the revenue is above the revenue they had in 2019, with an increase in capacity,” Gallego said. For Aer Lingus, “volumes are close to 100 percent and revenue at 95 percent. So different performances, but a good recovery in general.”
Iberia CEO Marco Sansavini said that the carrier’s second-quarter corporate revenue from and to Latin America was ahead of that in the second quarter of 2019. “That’s the first time that’s happened since Covid, demonstrating the resilience of demand over there,” he said.
For BA, second-quarter North Atlantic business volume was up more than 13 percent year over year, BA chairman and CEO Sean Doyle said. “That really helped get a better mix of traffic across the network, and it helped us drive load factors up by a point to about 88 percent.”
Doyle added, however, that while volume through corporate channels is 65 percent of 2019 levels, “when we look at the purpose of travel through all channels, it’s a little bit higher,” he said. “We think the volume of people traveling for business is probably up to above 70 percent and revenue more like 85 percent, because we do see traffic that used to book through a business channel, some of that now is booking through our direct channel. But generally speaking, it’s steady improvement and steady growth, particularly across the North Atlantic routes.”
IAG Q2 Metrics
IAG reported second-quarter passenger revenue of more than €7.4 billion, up 9.9 percent year over year. Total revenue was nearly €8.3 billion, up from €7.7 billion a year prior. The company’s operating profit for the quarter was more than €1.2 billion, down about 0.8 percent year over year.
Capacity for the second quarter increased 8 percent compared with Q2 2023 for the total network. The North Atlantic accounts for about 32 percent of capacity, which increased 6.1 percent year over year. Europe (not counting Spain and the United Kingdom) is next with 27 percent of capacity, which increased 5.8 percent. Latin America and the Caribbean accounts for 18 percent of IAG capacity, which increased 17 percent during the second quarter. Asia-Pacific accounts for just more than 4 percent of the company’s capacity, but it increased nearly 32 percent year over year in Q2.
The outlook for 2024 includes continued strong demand for IAG’s core markets of the North Atlantic, Latin America and intra-Europe. Full-year 2024 capacity growth is projected to be 7 percent year over year, the same as for the third quarter.
Activists protest during the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS2024) in Munich over a affordable pricing for a drug currently sold by pharmaceutical firm Gilead. Credit: Ed Holt/IPS
by Ed Holt (munich)
Inter Press Service
MUNICH, Aug 02 (IPS) – Campaigners and experts have demanded a breakthrough HIV intervention hailed as “the closest thing to an HIV vaccine” must be made available as soon and as cheaply as possible to all who need it as its manufacturer faces protests over its pricing.
Activists led a massive protest during the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS2024) in Munich last week as a study was presented showing lenacapavir—a drug currently sold by pharmaceutical firm Gilead for more than USD 40,000 per year as an HIV treatment—could be sold for USD 40 per year as a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help prevent HIV infection.
Community groups working in prevention, as well as experts and senior figures at international organizations fighting HIV, called on the company to ensure it will be priced so it is affordable for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for 95 percent of HIV infections.
“It is no exaggeration to call lenacapavir a game changer. It could be life-changing for some populations. We need to see it produced generically and supplied to all low- and middle-income countries to the people who need it,” said Dr. Helen Bygrave, chronic disease advisor at Medecins sans Frontiere’s (MSF) Access Campaign.
During the event, data from a trial of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable, were presented. The results of the trial were announced by pharmaceutical firm Gilead last month and showed the drug offered 100% protection to more than 5,000 women in South Africa and Uganda.
Many experts and community leaders helping deliver HIV interventions who spoke to IPS described the drug as a real “game changer,” offering not just spectacular efficacy but relative ease and discretion in delivery—the latter key in combating stigma connected with HIV prevention intervention in some societies—compared to other interventions, such as oral PrEP.
But they warned there were likely to be challenges to access, with cost expected to be the main barrier.
Lenacapavir is currently approved only as a form of HIV treatment at a price of USD 42,000 per person per year.
While as a PrEP intervention it would be expected to be sold at a much lower price, an abstract presented at the conference showed that it could cost just USD 40 a year for every patient.
In a statement put out following the protests, Gilead said it was developing “a strategy to enable broad, sustainable access globally” but that it was too early to give details on pricing.
Critics claimed Gilead was not being transparent in its statement—the company talked of being committed to access pricing for high-incidence, resource-limited countries rather than specifically low- and middle-income countries—and there are fears that the price at which it is eventually made available as PrEP will be so high as to put it out of reach of the countries that are struggling most with the HIV epidemic.
“Cabotegravir, a two-month injectable form of PrEP, is currently being procured by MSF for low-income countries for USD 210 per person per year. We would not expect to be higher than that, and we would hope it would be more ‘in the ballpark’ of USD 100 per person per year,” said Bygrave.
She added that “questions have been asked of Gilead about its pricing for lenacapavir, and the company has been pretty vague in its answers.”
“Civil society needs to put continued pressure on Gilead about this issue because, without that pressure, I do not trust Gilead to do the right thing,” Bygrave, who took part in protests at the conference against Gilead’s pricing, said.
Some speakers at the conference set out a series of demands for the firm.
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, called on Gilead to license generic manufacturers to produce it more affordably through mechanisms such as the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a UN-backed programme negotiating generics agreements between originators and generic pharmaceutical companies.
Others, such as keynote speaker Helen Clark, Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, said such interventions must be seen as “common global goods, and ways must be found to make them accessible to all.”
“The pharmaceutical industry has been the beneficiary of much public research investment. With respect to HIV/AIDS, it has benefited from the mobilization of scientists and engaged communities who have advocated for investment in R&D and treatments. Prima facie, the notion that the companies can then make great profits from and not share the intellectual property created is wrong,” she said.
Others went even further, accusing some pharmaceutical firms of being parties to the creation of a de facto global two-tier system for medicine supply.
“Companies must share their medicines. We cannot accept an apartheid in access to medicine in which the lives of those living in the Global South are not regarded as having the same value as the lives in the North,” Archbishop Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Cape Town and HIV advocate, said at a UNAIDS press event during the conference.
Some of those who work with key populations stressed the need to push through all necessary approvals and set lenacapavir’s price at an accessible level as quickly as possible to save lives.
“It’s great to have innovation and get important new tools in the fight against HIV. But the question is: how long will it take to get them to the people who need them? Until then, they are just a great announcement—like a beautiful picture hanging up there that you can see but cannot actually touch. We need to give communities the funding and the tools they need to do their vital work,” Anton Basenko, Chair of the Board of the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), told IPS.
The calls came as campaigners stressed the exceptional potential of lenacapavir. It is not only its astonishing efficacy, but also its relative ease and discretion of delivery, which experts are excited about.
Stigma around HIV prevention, such as oral PrEP, which involves taking daily tablets, has been identified as a major barrier to the uptake of HIV interventions in some regions.
Some HIV healthcare specialists at the conference told IPS they had seen cases of women leaving clinics with bottles of tablets and, as soon as they heard them rattling in the bottle, threw them into the bin outside the clinic because the noise would tell others they were taking the tablets and leave them open to potential discrimination, or even gender-based violence.
“The lack of oral PrEP uptake and adherence among women and girls is due to a number of factors, such as stigma and worries about being seen with a huge bottle of pills. What about if you are in a relationship and your partner sees the bottle and starts asking whether you are cheating on them or something?
“A woman could go and get a lenacapavir injection a couple of times a year and no one would have to even know and she wouldn’t have to think about taking pills every day and just get on with her life. This drug could change lives completely. I would definitely take it if it was available,” Sinetlantla Gogela, an HIV prevention advocate from Cape Town, South Africa, told IPS.
The concerns around access to lenacapavir at an affordable price for low and middle income countries come against a background of record debt levels among poor countries, which experts say could have a severe negative impact on the HIV epidemic.
A recent report from the campaign group Debt Relief International showed that more than 100 countries are struggling to service their debts, resulting in them cutting back on investment in health, education, social protection and climate change measures.
Speakers at the conference repeatedly warned these debts had to be addressed to ensure HIV programmes, whether they include lenacapavir or not, continue. Many called for immediate debt relief in countries.
“African debt needs to be restructured to let countries get hold of the medicines they need,” said Byanyima.
“Drop the debt; it is choking global south countries, denying us what we need for health. Please let us breathe,” said Makgoba.
Erico Platt looks at the disarmament exhibition that she staged, “Three Quarters of a Century After Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Hibakusha—Brave Survivors Working for a Nuclear-Free World.” Credit: UNODA/Diane Barnes
by Thalif Deen (united nations)
Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 01 (IPS) – The upcoming 79th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which took place on August 6 and 9, 1945, remains a grim reminder of the destructive consequences of nuclear weapons.
The US bombings killed an estimated 90,000 to 210,000, with roughly half of the deaths occurring on the first day in Hiroshima.
But despite an intense global campaign for nuclear disarmament, the world has witnessed an increase in the number of nuclear powers from five—the US, UK, France, China and Russia—to nine, including India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
Is the continued worldwide anti-nuclear campaign an exercise in futility? And will the rising trend continue—with countries such as Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Korea—as potential nuclear powers of the future?
South Africa is the only country that has voluntarily given up nuclear weapons after developing them. In the 1980s, South Africa produced six nuclear weapons, but dismantled them between 1989 and 1993. A number of factors may have influenced South Africa’s decision, including national security, international relations, and a desire to avoid becoming a pariah state.
But there is an equally valid argument that there have been no nuclear wars—only threats—largely because of the success of the world-wide anti-nuclear campaign, the role of the United Nations and the collective action by most of the 193 member states in adopting several anti-nuclear treaties.
According to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the United Nations has sought to eliminate weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) ever since the establishment of the world body. The first resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1946 established a commission to deal with problems related to the discovery of atomic energy, among others.
The commission was to make proposals for, inter alia, the control of atomic energy to the extent necessary to ensure its use only for peaceful purposes.
Several multilateral treaties have since been established with the aim of preventing nuclear proliferation and testing, while promoting progress in nuclear disarmament.
Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director, Western States Legal Foundation in Oakland, California, which monitors and analyzes US nuclear weapons programs and policies, told IPS: “As we approach the 79th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world is facing a greater danger of nuclear war than at any time since 1945.”
“The terrifying doctrine of “nuclear deterrence,” which should long ago have been delegitimized and relegated to the dustbin of history and replaced with multilateral, non-militarized common security, has metastasized into a pathological ideology brandished by nuclear-armed states and their allies to justify the perpetual possession and threatened use—including first use—of nuclear weapons,” she pointed out.
“It is more important than ever that we heed the warnings of the aging hibakusha (A-bomb survivors): What happened to us must never be allowed to happen to anyone again; nuclear weapons and human beings cannot co-exist; no more Hiroshimas, no more Nagasakis!”
This demands an irreversible process of nuclear disarmament. But to the contrary, all nuclear armed states are qualitatively and, in some cases, quantitatively upgrading their nuclear arsenals and a new multipolar arms race is underway, she noted.
“To achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons and a global society that is more fair, peaceful, and ecologically sustainable, we will need to move from the irrational fear-based ideology of deterrence to the rational fear of an eventual nuclear weapon use, whether by accident, miscalculation, or design.”
“We will also need to stimulate a rational hope that security can be redefined in humanitarian and ecologically sustainable terms that will lead to the elimination of nuclear weapons and dramatic demilitarization, freeing up tremendous resources desperately needed to address universal human needs and protect the environment.”
In this time of multiple global crises, “our work for the elimination of nuclear weapons must take place in a much broader framework, taking into account the interface between nuclear and conventional weapons and militarism in general, the humanitarian and long-term environmental consequences of nuclear war, and the fundamental incompatibility of nuclear weapons with democracy, the rule of law, and human wellbeing,” declared Cabasso.
Dr. M.V. Ramana, Professor and Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Graduate Program Director, MPPGA at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, told IPS, “The glass is half-full or half-empty depending on how one looks at it.”
“The fact that we have avoided nuclear war since 1945 is also partly due to the persistence of the anti-nuclear movement. Historians like Lawrence Wittner have pointed to the many instances when governments have chosen nuclear restraint instead of unrestrained expansion.”
While South Africa is the only country that dismantled its entire nuclear weapons program, many countries—Sweden, for example—have chosen not to develop nuclear weapons even though they had the technical capacity to do so. They did so in part because of strong public opposition to nuclear weapons, which in turn is due to social movements supporting nuclear disarmament, he pointed out.
Thus, organizing for nuclear disarmament is not futile. Especially as we move into another era of conflicts between major powers, such movements will be critical to our survival, declared Ramana.
According to the UN, a group of elderly hibakusha, called Nihon Hidankyo, have dedicated their lives to achieving a non-proliferation treaty, which they hope will ultimately lead to a total ban on nuclear weapons.
“On an overcrowded train on the Hakushima line, I fainted for a while, holding in my arms my eldest daughter of one year and six months. I regained my senses at her cries and found no one else was on the train,” a 34-year-old woman testifies in the booklet. She was located just two kilometres from the Hiroshima epicenter.
Fleeing to her relatives in Hesaka, at age 24, another woman remembers that “people, with the skin dangling down, were stumbling along. They fell down with a thud and died one after another,” adding, “still now I often have nightmares about this, and people say, ‘it’s neurosis’.”
One man who entered Hiroshima after the bomb recalled in the exhibition “that dreadful scene—I cannot forget even after many decades.”
At a disarmament exhibition in UN Headquarters in New York, a visitor reads text about a young boy bringing his little brother to a cremation site in Nagasaki, Japan. Credit: UNODA/Erico Platt
A woman who was 25 years old at the time said, “When I went outside, it was dark as night. Then it got brighter and brighter, and I could see burnt people crying and running about in utter confusion. It was hell…I found my neighbor trapped under a fallen concrete wall… Only half of his face was showing. He was burned alive”.
The steadfast conviction of the Hidankyo remains: “Nuclear weapons are absolute evil that cannot coexist with humans. There is no choice but to abolish them.”
Addressing the UN Security Council last March, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that with geopolitical tensions escalating the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades, reducing and abolishing nuclear weapons is the only viable path to saving humanity.
“There is one path—and one path only—that will vanquish this senseless and suicidal shadow once and for all. We need disarmament now,” he said, urging nuclear-weapon States to re-engage to prevent any use of a nuclear weapon, re-affirm moratoria on nuclear testing and “urgently agree that none of them will be the first to use nuclear weapons.”
He called for reductions in the number of nuclear weapons led by the holders of the largest arsenals—the United States and the Russian Federation—to “find a way back to the negotiating table” to fully implement the New Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, or START Treaty, and agree on its successor.
“When each country pursues its own security without regard for others, we create global insecurity that threatens us all,” he observed. Almost eight decades after the incineration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons still represent a clear danger to global peace and security, growing in power, range and stealth.”
“States possessing them are absent from the negotiating table, and some statements have raised the prospect of unleashing nuclear hell—threats that we must all denounce with clarity and force,” he said. Moreover, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cyber and outer space domains have created new risks.”
From Pope Francis, who calls the possession of nuclear arms “immoral”, to the hibakusha, the brave survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to Hollywood, where Oppenheimer brought the harsh reality of nuclear doomsday to vivid life for millions around the world, people are calling for an end to the nuclear madness. “Humanity cannot survive a sequel to Oppenheimer,” he warned.
When Nagasaki marked the 78th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city last year, the mayor Shiro Suzuki, urged world powers to abolish nuclear weapons, saying nuclear deterrence also increases risks of nuclear war, according to an Associated Press (AP) report.
He called on the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers to adopt a separate document on nuclear disarmament that called for using nuclear weapons as deterrence.
“Now is the time to show courage and make the decision to break free from dependence on nuclear deterrence,” Suzuki said in his peace declaration. “As long as states are dependent on nuclear deterrence, we cannot realize a world without nuclear weapons.”
Russia’s nuclear threat has encouraged other nuclear states to accelerate their dependence on nuclear weapons or enhance capabilities, further increasing the risk of nuclear war, and that Russia is not the only one representing the risk of nuclear deterrence, Suzuki said.
Suzuki, whose parents were hibakusha, or survivors of the Nagasaki attack, said knowing the reality of the atomic bombings is the starting point for achieving a world without nuclear weapons. He said the survivors’ testimonies are a true deterrent against nuclear weapons use, the AP report said.
This article is brought to you by IPS Noram, in collaboration with INPS Japan and Soka Gakkai International, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.
Air New Zealand has removed its 2030 target to reduce its carbon intensity by 28.9 percent compared with a 2019 baseline, and it has withdrawn from the Scient Based Targets initiative, the carrier announced Monday.
The “levers” needed to meet the target that are “outside the airline’s direct control” include the availability of new aircraft, the affordability and availability of alternative jet fuels, and global and domestic regulatory and policy support, according to the carrier.
“In recent months, and more so in the last few weeks, it has also become apparent that potential delays to our fleet renewal plan pose an additional risk to the target’s achievability,” Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said in a statement.
The carrier is considering a new near-term carbon emissions reduction target “that could better reflect the challenges relating to aircraft and alternative jet fuel availability within the industry.”
Air New Zealand, however, remains committed to reaching its 2050 net zero carbon emissions target, according to the carrier.
Apollo Funds, a newly formed holding subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, has set out to acquire International Game Technology’s IGT Gaming & Digital business and Everi Holdings in a historic arrangement. The transaction values the two companies at approximately $6.3 billion.
This deal comes after an earlier agreement between IGT and Everi that saw the former company agree to separate the IGT Gaming business by way of a taxable spin-off to IGT shareholders and then combine it with Everi. Under the new arrangement, however, Apollo Funds will acquire both IGT Gaming and Everi, making them privately owned companies, and terminating the earlier agreement.
As per the deal, Everi shareholders will receive $14.25 per share in cash. IGT, on the other hand, will receive $4.05 billion of gross cash proceeds from the sale of IGT Gaming.
IGT noted that this money will be used to repay outstanding debt and pay out dividends. Following the sale, it plans to change its name and stock ticker symbol and focus purely on lottery gaming. CEO Vince Sadusky will oversee the separation of IGT Gaming.
Under the arrangement, IGT’s executive vice president of strategy and corporate development, Fabio Celadon, will serve as CFO of the combined enterprise. Everi’s CFO, Mark Lubay, on the other hand will be named chief integration officer.
The new entity is set to be headquartered in Las Vegas.
Provided the deal secures all necessary approvals, it would close by the end of Q3 2025.
All Parties Are Looking Forward to the Closing of the Deal
IGT CEO Sadusky commented on the deal, saying that it represents a “positive evolution” in the previously announced transaction with Everi.
This transaction will allow IGT Gaming to continue to invest in and enhance its growing core segments while providing customers with a more comprehensive portfolio of offerings.
Vince Sadusky, CEO, IGT
Randy Taylor, Everi’s president and chief executive officer, added that the transaction “maintains the integrity and strong strategic rationale” of the original agreement with IGT and also provides significant shareholder value.
By joining forces with IGT Gaming, we expect to continue to lead, innovate, and provide unparalleled value to our customers as a stronger player in the global gaming, FinTech, and digital industry.
Randy Taylor, president & CEO, Everi Holdings
Taylor added that the private ownership will better position Everi to accelerate the integration of the two organizations.
Daniel Cohen, partner at Apollo, also weighed in, saying that his team is excited about the deal with IGT and Everi.
We strongly believe in the value proposition of the combination and are confident these complementary gaming platforms will be even better positioned under private ownership to capture the opportunities ahead to grow and create value.
Daniel Cohen, partner, Apollo
Cohen concluded that he is looking forward to working with IGT Gaming and Everi’s teams.
Virgin Atlantic has ordered seven Airbus A330-900 aircraft to be delivered beginning in 2027, the carrier announced Tuesday. It will bring the airline’s total Airbus A330neo fleet to 19. The carrier currently operates the aircraft type to New York, Boston and Miami, with a “further three destinations to be delivered later this year, and four more by the end of 2026.”
As part of Virgin Atlantic’s “$17 billion fleet transformation,” the carrier in September 2024 will begin to retire its Airbus A330-300 aircraft and will be replaced with A330-900 planes. By 2028, the airline plans to operate a total of 45 “next-generation aircraft” including 19 A330-900s, 12 A350-1000s and 14 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
