NEW YORK , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) is pleased to announce that it released a total of 2,367 new part numbers in 2024, including introductions from SMP's Vehicle Control and Temperature Control divisions. New coverage for late-model import and domestic vehicles was added across all powertrains, including advanced internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid and electric. Standard's ongoing commitment to advanced internal combustion engine (ICE) technology is evident in this year's releases. The Standard® Gas Fuel Injection program expands with the introduction of ten new Direct Injection High-Pressure Fuel Pumps covering 2.5 million import and domestic vehicles, and GDI High-Pressure Fuel Pump Kits were added for GM cars and SUVs. Additionally, 31 Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) and Multi-Port Fuel Injection (MFI) Fuel Injectors were added. Standard's Turbocharger program expanded with the addition of several new Turbocharger Kits, as well as an array of related components such as Intercoolers, Bypass Valves, Wastegate Solenoids and more. Thirteen new Oil Filter Housing Assemblies and Kits were introduced with coverage for Chrysler, Ford, BMW, Toyota, Audi, Volvo and more. Emission control systems are increasingly complex, and Standard® has them covered more than ever before, with extensive additions to its evaporative emission, exhaust gas recirculation, and crankcase emission programs. Multiple Canister Purge Solenoids and Valves have been introduced, as well as over 30 EGR Tubes, Engine Crankcase Breather Hoses for nearly 14 million vehicles, and Fuel Vapor Canisters for popular Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Multiple powertrain-neutral categories are forecasted to grow, and Standard® has released extensive coverage in these categories. A total of 72 ABS Speed Sensors were added to Standard's product line this year, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) categories also saw substantial increases, with the addition of 53 new Park Assist Cameras and 76 Park Assist Sensors covering millions of late-model vehicles. Electronic Parking Brake Actuators were also released for over 13 million vehicles including the 2023-19 Mazda 3, 2024-23 Ford Heavy Duty trucks and Jeep SUVs through 2024. Four Seasons® introduced new coverage which included Hose Assemblies for millions of import and domestic vehicles. New Compressors were also added, with coverage for popular vehicles like the 2023-22and 2023-21 Hyundai Elantra. Coverage for hybrid and electric vehicles expands with Electric Coolant Pumps for the 2022-16 Lexus RX450h, 2019-17 Toyota Highlander, 2019-18 Toyota Prius C and more. Four Seasons' Air Door Actuator program has expanded, with dozens of new numbers, offering coverage for Ford, Chrysler, Subaru, Infiniti, Toyota and more. Additional categories that see expansion include Water Inlets, Water Outlets, Evaporators, Heater Cores and more. Jack Ramsey , Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, SMP, stated, "We are proud of the expansion displayed by both divisions in 2024. Our distribution partners continually look to SMP for the highest-quality components along with expansive coverage, and we are committed to exceeding their expectations." All new applications are listed in the catalogs found at StandardBrand.com and 4S.com , and in electronic catalog providers. About SMP With over 100 years in business, Standard Motor Products, Inc. is a leading independent manufacturer and distributor of premium replacement parts in the automotive aftermarket and a custom-engineered solutions provider to vehicle and equipment manufacturers in diverse non-aftermarket end markets. SMP sells its products primarily to retailers, warehouse distributors, original equipment manufacturers and original equipment service part operations in the United States , Canada , Europe , Asia , Mexico and other Latin America countries. For more information, download the SMP ® Parts App or visit SMPcorp.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/standard-motor-products-releases-2-367-new-numbers-in-2024--302336665.html SOURCE Standard Motor Products, Inc.WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association.
PSNI's new gender pronoun name badges branded "woke nonsense" by DUP Policing Board memberISLAMABAD: Celebrated academician Dr Muhammad Zahid Latif assumed the office of Rector National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST). Holding a Doctorate from the prestigious Peking University, China, an MPhil degree with distinction, and four master’s degrees, Dr Zahid brings with him extensive experience of research & development and has been on the faculty of some of the leading higher education institutions at home and abroad. He is also a retired three-star general and erstwhile Federal Secretary Defence Production with hands-on experience in cutting-edge technologies and domestic as well as international defence industries. Dr Zahid also holds the honour of delivering lectures at the universities and think tanks across USA, UK, and China. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
BEREA, Ohio — Browns safety Juan Thornhill heard the criticism of his effort against the Saints. “I had no choice but to hear it, if I’m being honest,” Thornhill said on Monday. “If you have social media, you’re going to see it. But I definitely heard it.” Thornhill felt the wrath of Browns Twitter — or Browns X, formerly Browns Twitter — on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Saints quarterback Derek Carr to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with 12:40 left in the second quarter to put the Saints ahead, 14-6, in Week 11. More Cleveland Browns coverage ‘Let it snow some touchdowns!’ Hear the best moments of Jameis Winston mic’d up during Browns’ win over Steelers Browns safety Juan Thornhill responds to criticism; the latest on George Pickens-Greg Newsome fight: Berea Report (Video) What’s next for the Browns after beating the Steelers? Monday’s Sports 4 CLE Week 12 NFL Preview: Find everything you need to know with our Week 12 NFL preview. Valdes-Scantling caught the ball at the Saints 37 and sprinted down the right sideline . When he caught the ball, Thornhill was at the Saints 43 on the opposite numbers and started chasing the play. Except it didn’t look like he was chasing the play as hard as he could have, especially as Valdes-Scantling maneuvered his way around Browns defenders to sneak into the end zone. MVS! MVS! 71 yards 🔥 📺: #CLEvsNO on FOX 📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/gSFM2nlcCg “I know that one play, it wasn’t me, that’s just not me as a player,” Thornhill said. “I never give up on plays.” Thornhill said playing with Valdes-Scantling in Kansas City made him believe he wouldn’t be able to catch the speedy wideout. “I knew his speed, if I’m being honest,” Thornhill said. “He caught it, broke away, I was like, there’s no way I’m catching this guy. But then he got to the point where he started weaving and I probably could have caught him maybe at the 1- or 2-yard line if I would’ve went all out. But that won’t happen again.” His mistake was amplified, not just because of social media but because the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. Browns coaches noticed and talked to him about it, too. “We talked about it and they were saying I need to give more effort on that play and I know it, they know it, everybody knows that I need to give more effort, so it’s nothing I can hide from,” he said. “It’s obvious I didn’t try as hard as I possibly could.” Stories by Dan Labbe Browns safety Juan Thornhill responds to criticism; the latest on George Pickens-Greg Newsome fight: Berea Report (Video) Why Browns right tackle Jack Conklin deserves to be singled out, even if it costs him some money Is Jameis Winston a real quarterback option for the Browns next year? Postgame podcast He responded against the Steelers, living up to an Instagram story he posted earlier in the week, writing “Me Thursday” over a clip from the movie “Forrest Gump” of Tom Hanks’ character running as fast as he can. Thornhill had seven tackles, his most since the opener against Dallas and, according to data from Pro Football Focus , allowed one catch in coverage for six yards. “I thought all the safeties played well, tackled well, but Juan in particular I thought was good,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. “I felt like I was a part of a lot of plays, a lot of run plays,” Thornhill said. “Not a whole lot of passing action, but definitely a part of a lot of the run plays.” Thornhill’s role is evolving in the second half of the season. Last year, Thornhill rarely left the field when he was healthy, playing every defensive snap in five games and more than 96% of the defensive snaps in three others. He missed five games while dealing with calf injuries and a sixth when he sat out the finale in Cincinnati. This year, after playing 95% of the defensive snaps against the Cowboys Week 1, he went on injured reserve with a calf injury. He returned and played about half the defensive snaps in Week seven against Cincinnati and then more than three-quarters of the team’s defensive snaps against Baltimore and the Chargers. Coming out of the bye, however, he started splitting time with second-year safety Ronnie Hickman, an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State who started four games as a rookie. Hickman played 28 snaps to Thornhill’s 23 in New Orleans and the two again split time against Pittsburgh, with Thornhill playing 33 snaps and Hickman 22. “Ronnie earned the opportunity to be on the field,” Thornhill said. “He’s a really good player. He makes a lot of plays, so when they came down to me and told me that they wanted to see Ronnie play a little bit more, I mean, I understand. The guy, he’s made plays, so why would you have him sitting on the sideline when you know he can get on the field and make plays?” The Browns signed Thornhill to a 3-year, $21 million deal in 2023, bringing him in from Kansas City to replace John Johnson III, banking on the two-time Super Bowl champion to add experience and play-making on the backend of Jim Schwartz’s scheme. He has become an easy target during the Browns’ struggles this season as he has been unable to replicate the production he had with the Chiefs, where he had eight interceptions and 20 passes defensed in 65 games. In two years with the Browns, he has just two passes defensed and no interceptions. “As a (defensive back), everybody wants to get an interception,” Thornhill said. “All of us want it, but you can’t start doing extra things, like going chasing plays. When you chase plays, that’s when bad things happen. It’s a little frustrating. I can’t even lie to you. I feel like any DB would be frustrated, but I think those opportunities will start coming soon.” As far as fingers pointing at him outside the building whenever there’s a blown coverage or a big play, he’s not fazed by it. “If you’re watching it on TV and you see me chasing the ball down and no one next to the ball carrier, you automatically assume it’s on me,” he said. “But I mean, that’s part of the game. I’m a free safety. I’m the last line of defense, so if something bad goes wrong, I’m there to make it up. If I don’t make the tackle, it’s similar to the quarterback. A lot of people are going to point fingers at you, but it’s fine. I’m able to take the heat and I’m cool with that.” It doesn’t lessen the sting, however, from having his effort called out inside the building. “It definitely hurt,” he said. “When you’re a competitor, a guy that takes pride in his effort, playing hard at all times. and then someone calls you out on the play, meaning you didn’t give enough effort, it hurts. It stings, for sure.” Which is why he repeated three separate times in his media scrum some form of, “it just won’t happen again.” Thursday night against the Steelers was a good start. Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.
Takeaways from Biden's Africa trip: Pardon of son Hunter overshadows official business
ISLAMABAD: Calling the decision “biased”, Pakistan on Thursday vociferously reacted to the imposition of United States (US) sanctions on National Development Complex (NDC) and three other commercial entities. ‘’Pakistan considers the US decision to impose sanctions on NDC and three commercial entities as unfortunate and biased’’, said the Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday. She said that Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia. The latest installment of sanctions defies the objective of peace and security by aiming to accentuate military asymmetries. ‘’Such policies have dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond’’, Mumtaz added. The FO spokesperson emphasised that Pakistan’s strategic programme is a sacred trust bestowed by 240 million people upon its leadership. The sanctity of this trust, held in the highest esteem across the entire political spectrum, cannot be compromised. Pakistan terms US sanctions on entities as unfortunate, biased “We also regret the imposition of sanctions on private commercial entities. Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever, ”she pointed out, while claiming strict adherence to non-proliferation norms, licensing requirement for advanced military technology to other countries have been waived off in the past. She elaborated that such double standards and discriminatory practices not only undermine the credibility of non-proliferation regimes but also endanger regional and international peace and security. On Wednesday, in light of the continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan’s long-range missile development, the United States designated four entities for sanctions pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. The NDC, located in Islamabad, Pakistan, has worked to acquire items in furtherance of Pakistan’s long range ballistic missile programme - including special vehicle chassis intended to be used as launch support equipment for ballistic missiles and missile testing equipment. The United States assesses NDC is responsible for Pakistan’s development of ballistic missiles, including the SHAHEEN-series ballistic missiles. Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, located in Karachi, Pakistan, has worked for NDC to supply a range of equipment to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program. Affiliates International, located in Karachi, Pakistan, has facilitated procurements of missile-applicable items for NDC and others in support of Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme. Additionally, Rockside Enterprise, located in Karachi, Pakistan, has worked for NDC to supply a range of equipment to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024CNOOC Limited and 80883 announces that Huizhou 26-6 Oilfield Development Project has commenced production. The project is located in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, with an average water depth of approximately 110 meters. The main production facilities include a new intelligent drilling production platform, as well as the adaptively-modified “NAN HAI FEN JIN” FPSO. A total of 19 development wells are planned to be commissioned, including 2 oil production wells and 17 gas production wells. The project is expected to achieve a peak production of approximately 20,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2027. The main products include light crude and natural gas. Huizhou 26-6 Oilfield Development Project is CNOOC Limited’s first deep buried hill reservoir development project in the South China Sea. The Company has been actively adopting the state-of-art technologies. The first intelligent offshore drilling production platform in China was built for this project, to realize efficient development of the offshore oil and gas resources. The new project will contribute to the economic and social development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest in this project and is the operator. Source: CNOOC LimitedIt’s an opinion that will be as popular as a rendition of the national anthem on Merseyside. But should not bow to the pressure of keeping , and allow him to leave instead. No one player is bigger than a club. Not even someone like Salah, who has made an immeasurable contribution to Liverpool's recent history. Liverpool supporters are amongst the most knowledgeable on the planet when it comes to football. They are also the most emotional. Come and join The Daily Star on , the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X. Fear not, we're not leaving , but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on , and see us social better than the rest. You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a . So what are you waiting for?! Let's And those fans are now using Salah's trademark goal celebration to make public their demands that the 'Egyptian King' must not be allowed to leave Anfield. "He Fires A Bow. Now Give Mo His Dough," reads the banner that is being brandished at games home and away. Salah is out of contract at the end of this season. Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news? Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star Football email newsletter! From the latest transfer news to breaking stories, get it all in your email inbox. It only takes a matter of seconds. Simply , then provide your email address and that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top football stories. You can also sign up for our sport email, Off the Ball, for all the latest darts, boxing, snooker, F1 stories and more, And he's thrown a hand grenade into the stand-off between himself and his club, by revealing he's not been offered a new deal. If this doesn't change before the start of 2025, Salah can start talking to rival clubs. And the man himself admits, as things stand, "he's more out than in". But the panic now sweeping through millions of Liverpool fans around the world will not be shared by Salah. He can't lose. He either goes on to get a lucrative new deal at the age of 32, or he leaves and secures a contract elsewhere, complete with eye-watering signing on fee. In the meantime, Salah's continued brilliance on the pitch is continuing to increase the heat on the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, to do the popular thing instead of the sensible one. Salah's 12 goals this season are the main reason Arne Slot's side now have a commanding eight point lead at the top of the table. While Salah remains a world class performer, still at the top of his game and more than capable of achieving success. The longer this scenario continues without a solution, the louder the noise from the stands will become. But FSG have to remain true to their beliefs when it comes to their well-publicised 'Moneyball' strategy. An approach which doesn't include long and expensive deals for players in their 30s. Some sources claim Salah wants a deal in the region of £1m-a-week. But he will be 33 before the start of next season, and like it or not, unlike Trent Alexander-Arnold, is not part of the long-term future under Slot. Slot succeeded last summer and was handed the task of building on the German's legacy. Winning more league titles than the one Klopp managed. Turning Liverpool into serial winners like have been. This will take time, despite City's astonishing demise in recent weeks. And however many times Salah wants to remove his shirt to remind people how ripped he still is, time is something he simply doesn't have on his side. Football remains a business - and handing Salah a new deal makes little sense. FSG have to take the emotion out of the equation, and have skin thick enough to cope with being unpopular for a spell. Salah, meanwhile, should be focusing on helping Liverpool win only their second title in more than three decades, instead of stirring the pot. Helping Liverpool give him that fairy tale finish. Then he can do what most players his age do, and waltz off to Saudi Arabia to pocket a pension most people can only dream about.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. Supporters of transgender rights rally Wednesday outside the Supreme Court in Washington. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. People attend a rally March 31, 2023, as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, near the Capitol in Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, left, and plaintiff Joaquin Carcano address reporters after a June 25, 2018, hearing in Winston-Salem, N.C., on their lawsuit challenging the law that replaced North Carolina's "bathroom bill." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Demonstrators against transgender rights protest Wednesday during a rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. For many trans and nonbinary people, bathrooms can be complicated places to navigate — a fact highlighted by the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is far from an outlier when it comes to failing to provide safe and equitable bathrooms for transgender people. According to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ+ policy, 13 states have a policy that prevents transgender people from safely or legally using public bathrooms. But data shows that even in states with trans-friendly policies, transgender and nonbinary people report high rates of harassment in public bathrooms. Advocates say everyday people can have a big impact in interrupting discrimination in gendered restrooms. The 19th shows how anyone can help prevent abuse. Sex-segregated restrooms have historically been a hostile space for Tat Bellamy-Walker, a Seattle-based journalist and Black gender-fluid trans person. In graduate school and at journalism internships, they had to go far out of their way to find all-gender single-stall restrooms they could use safely. "You never forget being told you don't belong in a restroom, you never forget not having a place to dispose of sanitary products if you're on your period in the men's bathroom," Bellamy-Walker said. "It's just clear you do not belong in public spaces." Allies can help tremendously by locating and pointing out gender-neutral bathrooms to friends or family who might need them. This is especially important for people planning events or parties. Make sure your space has safe bathrooms. Carrie Soto, a South Dakota parent of a transgender child, said she lives by the mantra "see something, say something." That means speaking up when there is bullying and harassment and volunteering to accompany a trans/nonbinary friend or family member when they have to head into a public bathroom. "Validate a trans person's fears and anxiety about the situation," Soto said. " If [my daughter] uses a gendered restroom and feels anxious, I go with." It may seem obvious, but transgender health advocate Jamison Green notes this step can really help trans people feel safe. Consider first that according to 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey , 59 percent of trans people avoided using a public restroom due to fear of harassment. Data from 2022 found that 6 percent of trans people said they were physically or verbally attacked while trying to use a bathroom, while 4 percent were denied access to a bathroom. "If you see someone who you clock as trans or nonbinary, just smile or pay them a non-provocative compliment. ... Wish them good day or good evening, and move on," Green said. "Of course that only goes for the women's room! In the men's room, talking is extremely rare." Green recommends that cisgender people offer a kind, silent nod. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., allow residents to opt for "X" gender markers on their IDs in addition to selecting "M" or "F." Still, in every state, regardless of laws, most bathrooms in government buildings, schools, businesses, places of worship and cultural institutions are gendered. Advocates say people can help change this by simply asking businesses and building owners for more options to accommodate all genders. "Advocacy is the most important part of the fight for transgender rights," Lambda Legal notes in its guide to restrooms. "And if employers adopt pro-trans policies proactively, instead of waiting for a transgender person to pave the way, there's much less chance of having problems down the line." The internet is full of rants not appropriate for a news article about people using the only single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms available not for safety but for ... well, pooping. As a result, gender-neutral bathrooms, especially in airports, are almost always occupied. There are many reasons why a cisgender person might need a single-occupancy bathroom (accessibility, illness, child care and, yes, even a little more privacy). Just like accessible stalls, it's a kindness to leave gender-neutral restrooms unoccupied when you don't need them. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.
BEDFORD, Mass. — Novanta Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVT) (the “Company”), a trusted technology partner to medical and advanced technology equipment manufacturers, announced today that management will be participating at the CJS Securities 25 Annual New Ideas for the New Year Investor Conference on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, which is being held virtually. Novanta is a leading global supplier of core technology solutions that give medical and advanced industrial original equipment manufacturers a competitive advantage. We combine deep proprietary technology expertise and competencies in precision medicine and manufacturing, medical solutions, and robotics and automation with a proven ability to solve complex technical challenges. This enables Novanta to engineer core components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance, tailored to our customers’ demanding applications. The driving force behind our growth is the team of innovative professionals who share a commitment to innovation and customer success. Novanta’s common shares are quoted on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “NOVT.” More information about Novanta is available on the Company’s website at . For additional information, please contact Novanta Inc. Investor Relations at (781) 266-5137 or . Investor Relations Contact: Ray Nash (781) 266-5137
NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.Underneath a granite hill in southern China, a massive detector is nearly complete that will sniff out the mysterious ghost particles lurking around us. The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory will soon begin the difficult task of spotting neutrinos: tiny cosmic particles with a mind-bogglingly small mass. The detector is one of three being built across the globe to study these elusive ghost particles in the finest detail yet. The other two, based in the United States and Japan, are still under construction. Spying neutrinos is no small feat in the quest to understand how the universe came to be. The Chinese effort, set to go online next year, will push the technology to new limits, said Andre de Gouvea, a theoretical physicist at Northwestern University who is not involved with the project. “If they can pull that off,” he said, “it would be amazing.” Neutrinos date back to the Big Bang, and trillions zoom through our bodies every second. They spew from stars like the sun and stream out when atomic bits collide in a particle accelerator. Scientists have known about the existence of neutrinos for almost a century, but they’re still in the early stages of figuring out what the particles really are. “It’s the least understood particle in our world,” said Cao Jun, who helps manage the detector known as JUNO. "That’s why we need to study it.” There’s no way to spot the tiny neutrinos whizzing around on their own. Instead, scientists measure what happens when they collide with other bits of matter, producing flashes of light or charged particles. Neutrinos bump into other particles only very rarely, so to up their chances of catching a collision, physicists have to think big. “The solution for how we measure these neutrinos is to build very, very big detectors,” de Gouvea said. The $300 million detector in Kaiping, China, took over nine years to build. Its location 2,297 feet (700 meters) underground protects from pesky cosmic rays and radiation that could throw off its neutrino-sniffing abilities. On Wednesday, workers began the final step in construction. Eventually, they'll fill the orb-shaped detector with a liquid designed to emit light when neutrinos pass through and submerge the whole thing in purified water. It'll study antineutrinos — an opposite to neutrinos which allow scientists to understand their behavior — produced from collisions inside two nuclear power plants located over 31 miles (50 kilometers) away. When the antineutrinos come into contact with particles inside the detector, they'll produce a flash of light. The detector is specially designed to answer a key question about a longstanding mystery. Neutrinos switch between three flavors as they zip through space, and scientists want to rank them from lightest to heaviest. Sensing these subtle shifts in the already evasive particles will be a challenge, said Kate Scholberg, a physicist at Duke University who is not involved with the project. “It’s actually a very daring thing to even go after it,” she said. China’s detector is set to operate during the second half of next year. After that, it’ll take some time to collect and analyze the data — so scientists will have to keep waiting to fully unearth the secret lives of neutrinos. Two similar neutrino detectors – Japan’s Hyper-Kamiokande and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment based in the United States – are under construction. They’re set to go online around 2027 and 2031 and will cross-check the China detector’s results using different approaches. “In the end, we have a better understanding of the nature of physics,” said Wang Yifang, chief scientist and project manager of the Chinese effort. Though neutrinos barely interact with other particles, they’ve been around since the dawn of time. Studying these Big Bang relics can clue scientists into how the universe evolved and expanded billions of years ago. “They’re part of the big picture,” Scholberg said. One question researchers hope neutrinos can help answer is why the universe is overwhelmingly made up of matter with its opposing counterpart — called antimatter — largely snuffed out. Scientists don't know how things got to be so out of balance, but they think neutrinos could have helped write the earliest rules of matter. The proof, scientists say, may lie in the particles. They'll have to catch them to find out.
-- First Half Revenue of $85.7 million , increase 1.5% year-over-year -- -- First Half GMV of $107.3 million , down 7.0% year-over-year -- SHANGHAI , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jowell Global Ltd. ("Jowell" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: JWEL), one of the leading cosmetics, health and nutritional supplements, and household products e-commerce platforms in China , today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024 . First Half 2024 Financial and Operational Highlights and June 30, 2023. stores or store-in-shop (an integrated store), selling products they purchased through Jowell's online platform LHH Mall under their retailer accounts, which provides them with major discounts. Total Revenues Total revenues for the first half 2024 were $85.7 million , representing an increase of 1.5% from $84.4 million in the same period of 2023. Our weighted average unit price was $5.16 per unit for the first half of 2024, which represented an increase of 4.2% as compared to $4.95 per unit for the same period of 2023. Our health and nutritional supplements revenue for the first half of 2024 increased by about $11.1 million , or 182.1%, as compared to the same period of 2023. The increase in health and nutritional supplements revenue was mainly due to the increase in sales of premium brand health and nutritional supplements. We have stepped up our promotions on these items during the Chinese New Year holidays in the first half of 2024 in an attempt to offer more promotional discounts in response to the overall market downturn. Operating loss was $4.0 million for the first half of 2024, compared with the operating loss of $6.6 million in the same period of 2023. The decrease in operating loss for the first half of 2024 was mainly due the decrease of marketing expenses, as well as reduction of operating expenses as discussed above. Net Loss Net loss was $3.8 million , a decrease of 47.1% compared with net loss of $7.1 million in the same period of 2023, which was mainly due the factors mentioned above. Loss per Share The Company computes earnings (loss) per share ("EPS") in accordance with ASC 260, "Earnings per Share" ("ASC 260"). Each of the Company's Preferred Share has voting rights equal to two Ordinary Shares of the Company and each Preferred Share is convertible into one Ordinary Share at any time. Except for voting rights and conversion rights, the Ordinary Shares and the Preferred Shares rank pari passu with one another and have the same rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions. For the first half ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, the Company had no potential ordinary shares outstanding that could potentially dilute EPS in the future. Cash and Cash Equivalents For the first half of 2024, the Company reported a net loss of $3.8 million , a negative operating cash flow of $41,012 and an accumulated deficit of approximately $29.8 million . The Company's principal sources of liquidity are sales revenues, proceeds from a private placement and a registered direct offering. As of June 30, 2024 , the Company had cash and restricted cash of approximately $0.8 million , held by the variable interest entity (VIE) Shanghai Juhao Information Technology Co., Ltd. ("Shanghai Juhao") with banks and financial institutions inside China as the Company conducts its operations primarily through the consolidated VIE in China ; the Company's working capital as of June 30, 2024 was $13.4 million . Due to the uncertainty of the current market environment, management believes it is necessary to enhance the collection of its outstanding accounts receivable and other receivables, and to be cautious in terms of its operational decisions and project selections. As of October 31, 2024 , approximately $1.8 million , or 62%, of its accounts receivable balance as of June 30, 2024 were collected, and approximately $9.9 million , or 93%, of its advances to supplier balance as of June 30, 2024 were utilized. In addition, the Company's Form F-3 registration was declared effective on August 31, 2022 , and the Company may also seek equity financing from outside investors if necessary. Based on the latest business plan of the Company, Shanghai Juhao has reduced its promotion efforts and marketing expenditures since the second half of 2023, which reduced the cash used in operating activities. Management believes that the above-mentioned factors, including cash on hand of approximately $0.8 million , will provide sufficient liquidity for the Company to meet its future liquidity and capital requirements for at least the next twelve months. About Jowell Global Ltd . Jowell Global Ltd. (the "Company") is one of the leading cosmetics, health and nutritional supplements and household products e-commerce platforms in China . We offer our own brand products to customers and also sell and distribute health and nutritional supplements, cosmetic products and certain household products from other companies on our platform. In addition, we allow third parties to open their own stores on our platform for a service fee based upon sale revenues generated from their online stores and we provide them with our unique and valuable information about market needs, enabling them to better manage their sales effort, as well as an effective platform to promote their brands. The Company also sells its products through authorized retail stores all across China , which operate under the brand names of " Love Home Store " or "LHH Store" and "Best Choice Store". For more information, please visit http://ir.1juhao.com/ . Exchange Rate The Company's financial information is presented in U.S. dollars ("USD"). The functional currency of the Company is the Chinese Yuan, Renminbi ("RMB"), the currency of the PRC. Any transactions which are denominated in currencies other than RMB are translated into RMB at the exchange rate quoted by the People's Bank of China prevailing at the dates of the transactions, and exchange gains and losses are included in the statements of operations as foreign currency transaction gain or loss. The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with ASC 830, "Foreign Currency Matters". This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("USD" or "$") at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. The exchange rates in effect as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were RMB1 for $0.1403 and $0.1412 , respectively. The average exchange rates for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 were RMB1 for $0.1407 and $0.1444 , respectively. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development; financial condition and results of operations; product and service demand and acceptance; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; changes in technology; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov . The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Jowell Global Ltd. Ms. Jessie Zhao Email: [email protected] and outstanding at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively * outstanding at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively *{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-12-19T22:15:06+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-12-19T22:15:06+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-12-21T02:26:04+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22723/news/featured/brd-hosts-stakeholder-engagement-workshop-to-accelerate-clean-energy-access-in-rwanda", "headline": "BRD hosts stakeholder engagement workshop to accelerate clean energy access in Rwanda", "description": "The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) organised an awareness workshop on December 19 to engage various stakeholders, including Participating Financial...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22723/news/featured/brd-hosts-stakeholder-engagement-workshop-to-accelerate-clean-energy-access-in-rwanda" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/19/66784.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/19/66784.jpg" }, "articleBody": "The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) organised an awareness workshop on December 19 to engage various stakeholders, including Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) such as Commercial Bank, Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), and Energy Service Companies (ESCs) working in Off Grid solar home systems (OG-SHSs), Clean Cooking (CC), Productive Use of Energy (PUE). Participants from both public and private institutions also participated as key stakeholders in the successful implementation of the “Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT)” project. The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the project's objectives and foster collaboration among stakeholders to ensure its success. The ASCENT is a $ 400 million Government of Rwanda project funded by the World Bank/International Development Association (IDA) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to support Rwanda’s goal of achieving universal energy access. The project will be implemented by BRD and Energy Development Corporation Limited (EDCL). BRD part of the project focuses on increasing access to off-grid electricity, clean cooking solutions, and productive uses of energy (PUE) in 30 districts across the country. ALSO READ: Rwanda needs $1.5bn to achieve universal energy access by 2029 According to Philbert Dusenge, the ASCENT Project Coordinator at BRD, the project will invest $27.5 million (part to be implemented by BRD), focusing on providing off-grid electricity to remote areas, clean cooking solutions, and PUE. He explained that the project operates under a result-based financing model, where contracted ESCs will distribute technologies like solar home systems, PUE technologies, and clean cooking products. The project also offers a line of credit facility to ESCs directly through BRD or on-lending through PFIs. Subsidies will be offered to address the affordability of these technologies, enabling Rwandans to access improved energy solutions that help mitigate climate change by reducing emissions and deforestation, he said. He also highlighted the project’s focus on small businesses, such as restaurants, in transitioning from harmful cooking methods like charcoal to clean cooking technologies. The PUE component will help small businesses access affordable technologies like irrigation systems, which will enable them to continue farming and generate income even when seasonal Rains are inconsistent, Dusenge added. BRD will oversee technical assistance, institutional capacity-building, and project implementation support through its various subcomponents. ALSO READ: 70% of industrial parks operational as gov’t woos more investors The Environmental Risk Management Specialist for the ASCENT project, Lydie Pacifique Igiraneza, emphasised the aims of the project to reduce emissions and improve environmental health while highlighting the importance of grievance redress mechanisms. We anticipate grievances from beneficiaries regarding product malfunctions, eligibility issues, or product non-receipt and to address this, ESCs are required to set up call centres with toll-free numbers to resolve complaints. Additionally, financial institutions involved in the credit facility must also implement grievance mechanisms to address concerns from their clients, she said. Igiraneza also pointed out that the project's distributed products may generate electronic waste (e-waste), which could harm the environment if not properly managed. We have put in place an environmental code of practice to ensure compliance with regulations on safe e-waste management. Only certified entities will handle the collection, treatment, and disposal of e-waste to prevent environmental harm, she stated. She emphasised the need to maximise the positive impacts of the project while minimising any negative effects through careful management of both social grievances and environmental risks. ALSO READ: Lawmakers propose clean cooking solutions for schools to check firewood use Aphrodise Uwiragiye, an Engineering Risk Analysis Specialist at the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), believes that the ASCENT project is beneficial as it will enhance staff capacity and improve the quality of inspections. This project will support us in conducting our routine inspections more effectively, ensuring that consumers receive high-quality solar home systems,” he stated. He also emphasised RICA's crucial role in regulating the project while also advising importers to always seek an import permit before bringing products into Rwanda to ensure compliance. No solar home systems can enter Rwanda without RICA inspection and clearance. We ensure that products meet the required standards and regulations, helping to prevent substandard products from entering the market, he added. In his address, Alphonse Kanyandekwe, the acting Director of Engineering and Urban Planning Standards at Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), explained that the ASCENT project aligns with the Government of Rwanda's goal of ensuring universal access to energy. He further reiterated that the Government of Rwanda is exploring means to upgrade the present capacity of the testing laboratory to further reduce the turnaround time from months to a few weeks or even days. RSB is responsible for developing national standards, providing testing services, and certifying products in the energy sector, including those related to off-grid energy, clean cooking solutions, and productive uses of energy, he said. Kanyandekwe addressed concerns about the turnaround and time for results, emphasising that their lab is one of the few in the region capable of conducting these tests, which has improved efficiency despite the high volume of samples received. In the past, testing could take up to eight months due to the complexity of tests required for cooking solutions, such as thermal efficiency and emissions. However, recent improvements have reduced the turnaround time from eight months to about two months, he added.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessica Agasaro" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }Standard Motor Products Releases 2,367 New Numbers in 2024
Core Scientific's director Yadin Rozov sells $1.9 million in stock
The Magic Mountain is a sweeping critique of totalitarian Europe. 100 years later, its warnings about extremism feel urgentNEW YORK , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) is pleased to announce that it released a total of 2,367 new part numbers in 2024, including introductions from SMP's Vehicle Control and Temperature Control divisions. New coverage for late-model import and domestic vehicles was added across all powertrains, including advanced internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid and electric. Standard's ongoing commitment to advanced internal combustion engine (ICE) technology is evident in this year's releases. The Standard® Gas Fuel Injection program expands with the introduction of ten new Direct Injection High-Pressure Fuel Pumps covering 2.5 million import and domestic vehicles, and GDI High-Pressure Fuel Pump Kits were added for GM cars and SUVs. Additionally, 31 Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) and Multi-Port Fuel Injection (MFI) Fuel Injectors were added. Standard's Turbocharger program expanded with the addition of several new Turbocharger Kits, as well as an array of related components such as Intercoolers, Bypass Valves, Wastegate Solenoids and more. Thirteen new Oil Filter Housing Assemblies and Kits were introduced with coverage for Chrysler, Ford, BMW, Toyota, Audi, Volvo and more. Emission control systems are increasingly complex, and Standard® has them covered more than ever before, with extensive additions to its evaporative emission, exhaust gas recirculation, and crankcase emission programs. Multiple Canister Purge Solenoids and Valves have been introduced, as well as over 30 EGR Tubes, Engine Crankcase Breather Hoses for nearly 14 million vehicles, and Fuel Vapor Canisters for popular Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Multiple powertrain-neutral categories are forecasted to grow, and Standard® has released extensive coverage in these categories. A total of 72 ABS Speed Sensors were added to Standard's product line this year, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) categories also saw substantial increases, with the addition of 53 new Park Assist Cameras and 76 Park Assist Sensors covering millions of late-model vehicles. Electronic Parking Brake Actuators were also released for over 13 million vehicles including the 2023-19 Mazda 3, 2024-23 Ford Heavy Duty trucks and Jeep SUVs through 2024. Four Seasons® introduced new coverage which included Hose Assemblies for millions of import and domestic vehicles. New Compressors were also added, with coverage for popular vehicles like the 2023-22and 2023-21 Hyundai Elantra. Coverage for hybrid and electric vehicles expands with Electric Coolant Pumps for the 2022-16 Lexus RX450h, 2019-17 Toyota Highlander, 2019-18 Toyota Prius C and more. Four Seasons' Air Door Actuator program has expanded, with dozens of new numbers, offering coverage for Ford, Chrysler, Subaru, Infiniti, Toyota and more. Additional categories that see expansion include Water Inlets, Water Outlets, Evaporators, Heater Cores and more. Jack Ramsey , Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, SMP, stated, "We are proud of the expansion displayed by both divisions in 2024. Our distribution partners continually look to SMP for the highest-quality components along with expansive coverage, and we are committed to exceeding their expectations." All new applications are listed in the catalogs found at StandardBrand.com and 4S.com , and in electronic catalog providers. About SMP With over 100 years in business, Standard Motor Products, Inc. is a leading independent manufacturer and distributor of premium replacement parts in the automotive aftermarket and a custom-engineered solutions provider to vehicle and equipment manufacturers in diverse non-aftermarket end markets. SMP sells its products primarily to retailers, warehouse distributors, original equipment manufacturers and original equipment service part operations in the United States , Canada , Europe , Asia , Mexico and other Latin America countries. For more information, download the SMP ® Parts App or visit SMPcorp.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/standard-motor-products-releases-2-367-new-numbers-in-2024--302336665.html SOURCE Standard Motor Products, Inc.The Tema Metropolitan Football Association (TMFA) has made history by launching the maiden edition of the Girls Colts/Juvenile Championship, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at developing grassroots women's football in the Greater Accra Region. The launch took place on Saturday, November 23, 2024, in Tema, and marked the first time such a championship has been organised in the region. Seven clubs are set to participate in this historic tournament, which forms part of the Association's broader Women's Football Strategy under the Ghana Football DNA framework. The initiative is designed to promote and nurture young female talent at the grassroots level, further emphasising the association’s commitment to the growth and development of women's football in Ghana. The Girls Colts/Juvenile Championship is providing a platform for young girls to showcase their talent and develop their skills in a structured and competitive environment. The championship also serves as a critical step in creating a pathway for young players to transition into higher levels of the game, including the national women's teams. The Greater Accra Football Association, under whose jurisdiction the championship falls, expressed its pride in being part of this groundbreaking initiative. They underscored the critical role of grassroots football in building the future of the sport in Ghana, particularly for young girls who aspire to excel in football. The TMFA Girls Colts/Juvenile Championship is expected to inspire and empower the next generation of female footballers in Ghana while solidifying the association's vision of making women's football a key pillar of its development agenda. With this maiden edition, stakeholders are optimistic about the tournament’s potential to transform grassroots women's football in the Tema Metropolis and beyond. GFA COMMUNICATIONS Get all the latest football news sent directly to your inbox‘World at dawn of third nuclear age’, armed forces chief warns