September 8, 2021

Moroccan wind + sustainable computing project continues development under a new name

Soluna Technologies Ltd. is now called Harmattan Energy, Ltd.

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Soluna Technologies, Ltd., known for the 900 megawatt (MW) wind farm and blockchain computing center under development in Dakhla, Morocco, is now called Harmattan Energy, Ltd. The Chief Executive Officer, John Belizaire renamed the company after Mechanical Technology, Inc. (MTI) acquired Soluna Computing — a spin-out focused on eliminating wasted renewable energy using sustainable computing — to become Soluna Holdings on August 12, 2021. The Harmattan Wind project in Morocco was not included in MTI’s acquisition of Soluna.

Harmattan Energy, Ltd. will hold the Harmattan Wind project and manage all development activities.

“Harmattan inspired our entire business model for Soluna, and it will be an important proving ground as the first-of-its-kind, vertically integrated wind, and blockchain computing project,” said Belizaire. “This project has the potential to be the largest in Africa, taking advantage of an enormous wind resource. Our business model of renewable energy development paired with sustainable computing can unlock economic opportunity across the continent.”

Named after the easterly trade winds of West Africa, Harmattan will continue developing the wind farm on over 10,000 hectares including on-site data centers that use renewable energy to power blockchain computing. Harmattan Energy will generate clean energy for high-intensity, batchable computing processes. This business model is solving two growing problems. First, it creates a beneficial use for “curtailed,” or wasted renewable energy. Second, it provides a pathway to make energy-intensive computing more sustainable.

Harmattan Energy, Ltd. will continue with previously conceived plans through its subsidiary A.M Wind, SARL to develop a Center of Excellence, create jobs, and partner with local stakeholders that include government, local organizations, and utility partners in Morocco.

The company retains its original shareholders, Brookstone Partners. It will be overseen by Matt Lipman, Managing Director at Brookstone. Mr. Belizaire will serve as interim CEO, until a replacement is named. The first phase of development of 100 MW is planned to start construction in 2022.

About Harmattan Energy, Ltd.

Formerly known as Soluna Technologies Ltd., Harmattan Energy, Ltd., was founded in 2018, and then renamed in 2021. Harmattan develops vertically integrated, utility-scale projects that combine its own renewable energy power plants with dispatchable computing facilities focused on cryptocurrency mining and cutting-edge blockchain applications. Soluna’s flagship project, Harmattan Wind, is a 900 MW wind site located in Morocco. The record-breaking productivity of the site brings a clean, low-cost, sustainable infrastructure layer to the blockchain.

Led by a world-class team of technologists and renewable energy experts, Harmattan’s mission is to better the world by making renewable energy the primary power source using computing as a catalyst.

Harmattan is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Morocco.

September 8, 2021

Medwish.com lance un plan mondial d’expédition gratuite pour livrer du matériel médical aux hôpitaux

SHANGHAI, 8 septembre 2021/PRNewswire/ — Medwish.com, la place de marché en ligne d’équipements médicaux B2B, a annoncé aujourd’hui que la livraison serait offerte sur plus de 10 000 produits médicaux dans l’ensemble de ses 14 sous-catégories, allant des lits d’hôpitaux, des moniteurs, des nébuliseurs à compresseur, des concentrateurs d’oxygène et du système de diagnostic par ultrasons jusqu’aux incubateurs à secousses, brancards hydrauliques, ventilateurs médicaux, caméras NIR 4K, défibrillateurs, etc.

Pendant la pandémie de COVID-19, les frais de fret international ont augmenté de 500 % dans la plupart des pays par rapport à l’année dernière. Cela a rendu extrêmement difficile l’exportation de dispositifs médicaux. De nombreux plans d’acquisition d’ingénierie hospitalière sont bloqués en raison du montant élevé des frais. L’augmentation du fret international aura un sérieux impact sur les exportations d’équipement au cours des prochains mois de 2021.

Medwish.com, une place de marché B2B professionnelle dans le domaine médical, est déterminé à amener plus de 400 fabricants d’équipements médicaux de Jiangsu à rejoindre sa plateforme afin de mettre en place une promotion d’expédition gratuite de septembre à décembre en réponse à la forte augmentation des frais d’expédition internationaux.

Face aux épidémies qui sévissent à l’étranger et à l’augmentation des frais de fret internationaux, Medwish.com s’associe à ses partenaires et est prêt à mettre de côté ses intérêts à court terme pour livrer des dispositifs médicaux au monde entier le plus rapidement possible afin de lutter contre l’épidémie. Dans le même temps, les clients du monde entier sauront qu’à Zhangjiagang, qui fait partie de la ville de Suzhou, dans la province de Jiangsu, il existe une plateforme médicale prête à établir une connexion entre les pays dont les frais de fret sont élevés.

« La promotion devrait commencer le 1^er septembre et durer 120 jours jusqu’au 31 décembre 2021. Le volume des transactions sur medwish.com devrait dépasser au moins 200 millions de dollars américains (1,3 milliard de yuans). Il est prévu que 1 200 conteneurs de 40 pieds de haut soient expédiés, pour une valeur d’environ 18 millions de dollars américains (environ 120 millions de yuans). S’il y a davantage de fournisseurs et de clients, il y aura davantage d’avancées », déclare Fola Wu, PDG de Medwish.com.

À propos de Medwish.com

La plateforme « MEDWISH » (www.medwish.com) est une place de marché mondiale B2B axée sur la fourniture et l’achat d’équipements et de dispositifs médicaux. L’équipe de Medwish coopère avec les principaux prestataires de services mondiaux dans des domaines tels que la logistique, l’assurance, le financement, le dédouanement, le paiement international, etc. Cette place de marché médicale élimine les difficultés des acheteurs mondiaux en intégrant des chaînes d’approvisionnement de haute qualité. Les acheteurs de Medwish.com travaillent essentiellement dans des hôpitaux récemment construits ou sont des agents étrangers.

Site web : www.medwish.com

Photo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1609312/1.jpg

September 8, 2021

Dickey’s Executes Monumental International Franchise Deal to Expand in Africa

Texas-style barbecue restaurant announces master agreement to open eight new locations across Botswana by 2032

Dallas, Texas, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dickey’s Barbecue Pit international expansion efforts are showing no signs of slowdown as the world’s largest barbecue concept is bringing its slow-smoked meats and savory sides to more of Africa!

Dickey’s announced today that the company signed a Master agreement with exclusive rights to grow its Africa presence by opening eight locations in Botswana over the span of a decade. The new locations will join Dickey’s first Africa restaurant in Cairo, Egypt. Dickey’s continues to expand its global footprint with additional locations open in Japan, Singapore, Philippines and United Arab Emirates and Master development agreements in place in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Brazil, Dubai, Pakistan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Georgia.

Located in the business district of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, Dickey’s 1,575-square-foot flagship location will offer dine-in seating for up to 60 guests, carryout, and delivery. In addition to serving its traditional American menu, Botswana’s first Dickey’s will also feature local favorites such as lamb shank.

“The owner operators offer a firm understanding of the cultural and financial factors related to Botswana and Dickey’s,” said Jim Perkins, vice president of international development and support at Dickey’s. “One of the Owner/Operators gained personal experience with the brand a few years ago while visiting her now husband who was studying at a University in Texas, which aided in driving this relationship forward during the pandemic. I could not be happier with their experience and energy – it is outstanding!”

The new Owner/Operators will travel to Dallas to attend Dickey’s training program – Barbecue University. While in the U.S., they will take advantage of visiting the various footprints that Dickey’s offers, including traditional brick-and-mortar, food trucks, non-traditional locations and more.

To learn more, follow Dickey’s Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. 

Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ At Dickey’s, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickey’s proudly believes there’s no shortcut to true barbecue and it’s why they never say bbq. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with ‘No B.S. (Bad Stuff)’ included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with international locations in the UAE and Japan. Dickey Family Restaurant brands have over 550 locations nationwide. In 2016, Dickey’s won first place on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list, was named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018 and was named to Hospitality Technology Industry Heroes in 2021. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the country’s 50 most influential women in foodservice in 2020 by Nation’s Restaurant News and was recognized as one of the top 25 industry leaders on Fast Casual’s 2020 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal and QSR Magazine. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.

Attachments

Chrissy Bachman
Dickey's Barbecue Pit
469-580-0459
cbachman@dickeys.com

September 8, 2021

HolyGrail 2.0, l’initiative relative aux filigranes numériques visant à révolutionner le recyclage des emballages plastiques, franchit une étape importante

Les essais semi-industriels commenceront lors de la prochaine phase de l’initiative européenne relative aux filigranes numériques, pilotée par l’AIM, l’Association des Industries de Marque, et alimentée par l’Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

BEAVERTON, Oregon, 7 septembre 2021/PRNewswire/ — Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) annonce aujourd’hui son entrée en phase d’essais semi-industriels, marquant la prochaine étape de développement de la solution de tri intelligent des déchets sur laquelle porte HolyGrail 2.0, l’initiative relative aux filigranes numériques dirigée par l’AIM, l’Association des Industries de Marque, et propulsée par l’Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

Les essais semi-industriels ayant débuté, HolyGrail 2.0 est sur la bonne voie pour lancer la phase très attendue de démonstration sur le marché et d’essais à l’échelle industrielle. Les produits filigranés numériques pourraient être déployés en magasin au Danemark, en France et en Allemagne au premier semestre de 2022.

En tant que fournisseur désigné de technologie de filigranes numériques, Digimarc travaille avec les deux fournisseurs de machines Pellenc ST et Tomra afin de développer des modules pour leurs unités de tri par détection. Des tests sont prévus en octobre 2021 dans deux sites d’essai. De plus, des démonstrations du prototype de l’unité de tri par détection auront lieu à l’Amager Resource Centre (ARC), à Copenhague, les 19 octobre et 18 novembre 2021. Les parties intéressées peuvent s’inscrire ici .

Cette étape importante marque la deuxième année du projet HolyGrail 2.0, qui compte maintenant plus de 130 entreprises et organisations provenant de part et d’autre de la chaîne de valeur de l’emballage.

Lire le communiqué de presse

À propos de Digimarc
Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) est un pionnier et un leader dans le domaine des solutions de filigrane numérique et de l’identification automatique des médias, notamment le conditionnement, les imprimés commerciaux, les images numériques, l’audio et la vidéo. Digimarc aide les clients à améliorer l’efficacité, la précision et la sécurité des chaînes d’approvisionnement physiques et numériques. Visitez www.digimarc.com et suivez-nous sur LinkedIn et Twitter pour en savoir plus.

À propos de l’initiative relative aux filigranes numériques HolyGrail 2.0
L’ initiative relative filigranes numériques HolyGrail 2.0 , pilotée par l’AIM (l’Association des Industries de Marque) et propulsée par l’Alliance to End Plastic Waste, est un projet pilote ayant pour objectif de démontrer, d’une part, que les filigranes numériques sont techniquement viables pour le tri précis des déchets d’emballage et, d’autre part, que l’analyse de rentabilité est économiquement viable à grande échelle. Les filigranes numériques sont des codes imperceptibles de la taille d’un timbre-poste qui couvrent la surface des emballages de biens de consommation et qui contiennent un large éventail d’attributs. Leur principe est le suivant : lorsqu’un emballage entre dans une installation de tri des déchets, le filigrane numérique est détecté et décodé sur la ligne de tri par une caméra haute résolution, qui peut ensuite, selon les attributs transférés (p. ex., produit alimentaire ou non alimentaire), placer l’emballage dans les flux appropriés. En rendant les flux de tri plus efficaces et plus précis, leur utilisation se traduit donc par des matières recyclées de meilleure qualité qui profitent à l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur de l’emballage.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/461519/digimarc_logo.jpg

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

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1609147/Holy_Grail_2_Point_0_Logo.jpg

September 8, 2021

Clashes Between South Sudan Forces Unsettle Western Equatoria State

JUBA , SOUTH SUDAN – The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) called on military commanders and political leaders Tuesday to end clashes in Western Equatoria state following the deaths of at least five people on Monday.

A joint team made up of South Sudan defense forces and Opposition Alliance forces was dispatched to Tambura to resolve the conflict, according to Major General Lul Ruai Koang, spokesperson for the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).

Reports circulated that fighting erupted between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army In Opposition (SPLM/A IO) and SSPDF forces loyal to General James Nando.

There are varying accusations of who was involved in the fighting that has destabilized the region and led locals to flee the town of Tambura.

Koang said the fighting involved a few soldiers but not full compliments of troops.

“That was not a clash between the two armies, it was a clash between elements from both sides,” Koang told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus radio program.

But SPLM-IO spokesperson Major General Lam Gabriel denied that the fighting involves opposition forces. The SPLM-IO is the political wing of the opposition group.

Father Emmanuel Bie Gbafu, the local parish priest, relocated to a United Nations base in Tambura for safety reasons.

Displaced families are sheltering at UNMISS camps in Tambura, and thousands of residents have fled the fighting, Gbafu said.

Gbafu said he heard gunshots in Tambura beginning early Monday but did not know “who was fighting who.”

“We don’t know who is doing the killing, (but) civilians are dying,” Gbafu said.

The violence is endangering the town’s nearly 10,000 residents, creating the risk of further displacement and increasing humanitarian needs, according to an UNMISS statement.

The statement quoted UNMISS chief Nicholas Haysom as saying it is “vital” that national and local political leaders “take urgent action to resolve tensions and bring communities together to avoid further loss of life, homes, and livelihoods.”

Aid workers are “caught in the crossfire while trying to carry out critical tasks,” Haysom said. He called on authorities to do more to ensure that aid agencies have safe access to people in need.

South Sudan’s Joint Defense Board vowed to end tensions by separating forces in the area.

“We know it’s civilian violence, but the presence of the IO and SSPDF in the areas is making the situation become more political,” SPLM-IO spokesperson Gabriel told South Sudan in Focus.

But Western Equatoria State Information Minister William Adriano Baiki said the conflict in Tambura is not between two ethnic communities but between warring forces.

Source: Voice of America

September 8, 2021

W. African Court Upholds Colombian Man’s Extradition to US for Trial

Lawyers for a Colombian businessman say they’re exploring their options after a court in the West African country of Cape Verde rejected their appeal to halt his extradition to the United States.

The Cape Verde high court’s written judgment, dated August 30 but published Tuesday on the court’s website, said Alex Saab must stand trial in the United States.

Saab is wanted on charges of laundering money through U.S. banks in connection with a Venezuelan bribery scheme. He has been held in Cape Verde since June 12, 2020, when he was arrested while his private plane stopped for fuel en route to Iran.

Venezuela’s socialist government had protested his arrest, saying Saab was acting as a special envoy to seek food, medical supplies and fuel for the South American country.

The U.S. government has imposed strict sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and others in his administration.

‘Political battle’

Geraldo Almeida, one of Saab’s attorneys, told VOA’s Portuguese Service that the case had turned into a “political battle taking into account” the U.S. government’s power.

Almeida said he and others on Saab’s defense team were not “throwing in the towel.”

But João Resende-Santos, a law professor at the Higher Institute of Legal and Social Sciences in Cape Verde, told VOA that no further appeals are available.

“The next step is the foreign affairs ministry to communicate to the U.S. Embassy in Cape Verde about the court’s decision. This administrative process is brief and the U.S. Embassy has 45 days to bring Alex Saab to the U.S.,” he said.

In early January, Cape Verde’s Court of Appeal in Barlavento ruled that Saab should be extradited to the United States. The defense appealed to the country’s Supreme Court, which in March upheld the lower court’s verdict.

Saab and another Colombian businessman, Alvaro Pulido Vargas, were indicted in July 2019 in U.S. federal court in Miami for allegedly joining in a bribery scheme from late 2011 through at least September 2015, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.

The men allegedly laundered approximately $350 million from bank accounts in Venezuela “to and through bank accounts located in the United States,” the Justice Department said.

Source: Voice of America