February 2022 – Page 22 – Uganda Newswire

February 1, 2022

Chargebee Raises Another $250M to Meet Surging Demand from Growing Subscription and SaaS businesses

Funding led by Tiger Global and Sequoia more than doubles valuation to $3.5B in just 9 months

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chargebee, the leading subscription management platform, today announced the closing of a $250 million investment round co-led by Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital, along with returning investors including Insight Partners, Sapphire and Steadview Capital. This round follows a previous round in April raising $125 million at a $1.4 billion valuation, bringing the total investment in the company to $470 million.

More businesses are becoming or being born as recurring revenue businesses. UBS financial services firm predicts that this “subscription economy” will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2025, more than doubling its current $650 billion estimate. As the market grows, so does the opportunity for Chargebee’s global customer base. The new round of funding will be used towards product innovation and global expansion to support the billing and revenue needs of current and future subscription businesses, as well as strategic corporate growth initiatives.

“We built Chargebee to solve infrastructure issues facing high-growth subscription businesses with a product roadmap laser focused on replacing in-house systems orchestrating the complex parts of revenue intelligence like billing and payments. As subscription offerings continue to rapidly evolve, our focus remains on providing a flexible growth engine to power, capture and understand revenue, all in real time,” said Krish Subramanian, CEO and co-founder of Chargebee. “This round of funding will drive innovation to empower the next generation of businesses leveraging subscription billing models to quickly start, scale and transform.”

Chargebee manages revenue operations for subscription-based businesses ranging from early-stage startups to larger enterprises, including Freshworks, Calendly, Doodle and Pret a Manger. Through simple and seamless integrations, Chargebee captures the entire revenue lifecycle from first interaction to the closing of the books each month, empowering teams to make business growth decisions with confidence.

“We believe every company will be a subscription company in the future. The predictability of a subscription business model is extremely attractive, and Chargebee is the leading revenue management partner for the subscription economy. Its platform offers customers a real-time 360-degree view into revenues and user behavior and the intelligence they can use to quickly adapt and make better business decisions. Sequoia’s investment reflects the growing market need and belief in the Chargebee team,” said Tejeshwi Sharma, MD, Sequoia India.

The company recently expanded offerings to build a unified revenue management platform with strategic acquisitions of leaders in revenue recognition (RevLock) and churn deflection and retention (Brightback). In the last year, the platform also added capabilities to optimize revenue growth with new payment methods and gateways, support for one-time payments to meet local tax and e-voicing regulatory and compliance requirements, enhanced reporting and analytics and updated integrations with ERPs (Netsuite and Microsoft Dynamics) and CRMs (Hubspot and Zoho) to support more complex sales motions. The company has also expanded globally with new offices and investments in Australia and India and partnerships with industry leaders including GoCardless, Salesforce, Hubspot and PayPal.

About Chargebee

Chargebee is the subscription management platform that automates revenue operations of over 4,000 subscription-based businesses from startups to enterprises. The SaaS platform helps subscription businesses across verticals, including SaaS, eCommerce, e-learning, IoT, Publications, and more, manage and grow revenue by automating subscription, billing, invoicing, payments, and revenue recognition operations and provides key metrics, reports, and business insights. Founded in 2011, Chargebee counts businesses, like Okta, Freshworks, Calendly, and Study.com amongst its global customer base. Learn more about Chargebee at www.chargebee.com

Media Contact
Penny Desatnik
penny@chargebee.com

February 1, 2022

Lantronix Launches Application-Specific Industrial IoT Solutions Based on Its New G520 Series Cellular Gateways

Solutions target three verticals: Industry 4.0, Security and Transport

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRX), a global provider of secure turnkey solutions for intelligent IT and Internet of Things (IoT), today announced its launch of application-specific industrial IoT solutions that address concerns in Industry 4.0, Security and Transport markets with its G520 Series Smart cellular IoT devices and services. Now available are the G520 Industrial, a competitive cellular industrial protocol converter router; and G520 Security, a high-speed LTE CAT13 and 5G communication router to reduce cybersecurity threats. G520 Transport will be launched later in 2022.

The G520 industrial and security gateways offer a complete solution and comes pre-configured with Lantronix’s award-winning ConsoleFlow™ cloud-based device management, which increases operational efficiency by providing a single pane from which to manage remote assets. It also comes pre-configured for Lantronix Connectivity Services, which provide North American and global cellular data plans and VPN security with an easy-to-use cloud platform to manage SIMs and services.

“In response to the rapidly growing Industrial IoT market, Lantronix delivers competitive solutions that address and solve the market’s challenges,” said Paul Pickle, CEO of Lantronix. “Our offerings of software, hardware and connectivity services provide our customers with the proven integration and ease-of-use needed for success in today’s IoT-driven world.”

According to Berg Insight, global cellular IoT device shipments increased by 14 percent in 2020 to reach 302.7 million units and are forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.8 percent to reach 629.6 million units by 2025.

Now available are:

G520 Industrial, which is an industrial-grade competitive Protocol conversion router with LTE communication, multiple interfaces and Fieldbus protocol conversions (e.g., Modbus, DNP3 and IEC) that are provisioned in minutes using the ConsoleFlow platform.
G520 Security, which supports high-speed LTE cat13 and 5G, reducing the possibility of cyberattacks with its dedicated quantum Security chip and Lantronix’s proprietary InfiniShield™ software suite while its small form factor and Power Over Ethernet function simplify deployment.

Coming soon is:

G520 Transport, which delivers the ultimate hybrid solution based on Lantronix’s 25 years of experience in telematics gateways and Wi-Fi mobile routing. With Wi-Fi on vehicle, location base, sensor enabled and CAN bus reading, G520 Transport is an easy-to-deploy and safely managed solution.

For more information, visit https://www.lantronix.com/products/g520/

About Lantronix

Lantronix Inc. is a global provider of secure turnkey solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Remote Environment Management (REM), offering Software as a Service (SaaS), connectivity services, engineering services and intelligent hardware.

Lantronix enables its customers to accelerate time to market and increase operational up-time and efficiency by providing reliable, secure and connected Intelligent Edge IoT and Remote Management Gateway solutions.

Lantronix’s products and services dramatically simplify the creation, development, deployment and management of IoT and IT projects across Robotics, Automotive, Wearables, Video Conferencing, Industrial, Medical, Logistics, Smart Cities, Security, Retail, Branch Office, Server Room, and Datacenter applications. For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

Learn more at the Lantronix blog, which features industry discussion and updates. Follow Lantronix on Twitter, view our YouTube video library or connect with us on LinkedIn.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in this news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature, including without limitation statements related to our solutions, technologies and products. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, future business, financial condition, or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this news release. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as the effects of negative or worsening regional and worldwide economic conditions or market instability on our business, including effects on purchasing decisions by our customers; the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our employees, supply and distribution chains, and the global economy; cybersecurity risks; changes in applicable U.S. and foreign government laws, regulations, and tariffs; our ability to successfully implement our acquisitions strategy or integrate acquired companies; difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights; the level of our indebtedness, our ability to service our indebtedness and the restrictions in our debt agreements; and any additional factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 11, 2021, including in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of such report, as well as in our other public filings with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in our future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Lantronix Media Contact:
Gail Kathryn Miller
Corporate Marketing &
Communications Manager
media@lantronix.com
949-453-7158

Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:
Jeremy Whitaker
Chief Financial Officer
investors@lantronix.com
949-450-7241

Lantronix Sales:
sales@lantronix.com
Americas +1 (800) 422-7055 (US and Canada) or +1 949-453-3990
Europe, Middle East and Africa +31 (0)76 52 36 744
Asia Pacific + 852 3428-2338
China + 86 21-6237-8868
Japan +81 (0) 50-1354-6201
India +91 994-551-2488

February 1, 2022

Sweegen Blazes New Territory in Sugar Reduction with Forward Progress in Brazzein

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sweegen, a pioneer in wellness ingredient technologies and innovations, announced today the commercialization of its newest advancement in sweetness, the high-intensity sweetener brazzein. Starting this month, food and beverage brands seeking new ways to create better-for-you and reduced sugar products can begin product development activities with Sweegen’s Ultratia™ brazzein.

Samples are ready for brands interested in expanding their sugar reduction toolkits with cost-competitive ingredients to sugar. Brazzein is 500 to 2,000 times sweeter than regular sugar and low-calorie, making it an excellent alternative to sugar, artificial sweeteners, and old generation nature-based sweeteners such as stevia rebaudioside A.

“In 2021, Sweegen launched our Taste Blazer concept, which is a promise to the food and beverage industry that we will help forge a new path for creating truly better-for-you foods,” said Sally Aaron, senior vice president of marketing. “Sweegen’s Ultratia™ brazzein is a key tool to help brands explore entirely new ways to improve the health profile of existing and new products.”

Brazzein is a protein sweetener that promises little to no bitter aftertaste and helps reduce sweet linger, thereby reducing the taste challenges that have historically been a problem in the natural sweetener space. Brazzein is ideal for sugar reduction across various food and beverage applications.

“With Sweegen’s growing and proprietary portfolio of Signature Sweetness Solutions, product developers have more creative possibilities for developing mainstream reduced sugar foods and beverages, as well as innovations for popular diets such as Keto and low-to-no carbohydrate lifestyles,” said Aaron. “With Sweegen’s Ultratia™ brazzein, coupled with our portfolio of advanced stevia sweeteners, and our Flavors for Taste Modulation, featuring bitter blocking technology, brands now have modern tools for creating great-tasting products with consumer appeal,” said Aaron.

The pressure for mainstream food and beverage products to migrate to a healthier sugar and calorie profile has never been greater. Just last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region announced a new, voluntary Member State-led Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network to promote healthier diets and reduce overweight and obesity levels across the European region. The United Kingdom, which will lead the Network in its first three-year term, reports that sugar intake exceeds recommendations across all age groups in the country. The WHO reports that excess sugar consumption is true in many other countries in the European region.

“We’re charting new territory in sugar reduction solutions by bringing Sweegen’s Ultratia™ brazzein to market,” said Steven Chen, chief executive officer.

Brazzein’s extraordinary qualities enable it to join the ranks of other high-intensity sweeteners in a highly competitive way. Still, the quest to scale and commercialize has proven difficult until now. Found sparingly in nature, brazzein derives from the West African climbing plant’s fruit, oubli. To scale brazzein sustainably, Sweegen uses a proprietary precision fermentation process, a technology that produces clean and sustainable ingredients. In addition to scaling the manufacturing process, Sweegen is currently pursuing a range of global regulatory approvals.

“The launch of Sweegen’s Ultratia™ brazzein demonstrates our prioritized commitment to opening access to groundbreaking sugar reduction solutions for the global food and beverage industry,” said Chen. “We envision a better world through the lens of better foods for health and wellness.”

About Sweegen
Sweegen provides sweet taste solutions for food and beverage manufacturers around the world.

We are on a mission to reduce the sugar and artificial sweeteners in our global diet. Partnering with customers, we create delicious zero-sugar products that consumers love. Our portfolio has the best modern sweeteners, such as Bestevia® Rebs B, D, E, I, M, and N, and Ultratia™ brazzein, along with our deep knowledge of flavor modulators and texturants, Sweegen delivers market-leading solutions that customers want, and consumers prefer. Well. Into the Future.

For more information, please contact info@sweegen.com and visit Sweegen’s website, www.sweegen.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, among other statements, statements regarding the future prospects for Reb M stevia leaf sweetener. These statements are based on current expectations but are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are beyond the control of Sweegen, Inc.

Relevant risks and uncertainties include those referenced in the historic filings of Sweegen, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements and therefore should be carefully considered. Sweegen, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements due to new information or future events or developments.

Attachments

Ana Arakelian
Sweegen
949-709-0583
ana.arakelian@sweegen.com

February 1, 2022

Pepperstone has announced its new partnership with industry leading social charting platform TradingView.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Pepperstone has announced its new partnership with industry leading social charting platform TradingView. From today, Pepperstone’s customers around the world can gain access to TradingView’s advanced charts and analysis, powerful trading tools and interact with the world’s largest social network of traders.

Speaking on behalf of Pepperstone, Chief Marketing Officer, Tony Gruebner, said:

“TradingView offers one of the most impressive and in high demand web based charting tools and social trading community experiences. At Pepperstone we are client obsessed and always looking to offer leading technology and tools to enrich the trading experience. We are very excited to work with Spotware and cTrader to include TradingView as part of our extensive trading technology portfolio that allows clients to trade the way they want to trade.”

Pepperstone’s integration with TradingView has been powered by Spotware Trading Technology. Alexander Geralis, Spotware’s Head of Business Development, said:

“We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Pepperstone, by powering their integration into TradingView. This collaboration represents a new undertaking for Spotware and it’s an important step in our company’s journey, which is in line with the core values of our company in putting trader needs first. On behalf of both Spotware and cTrader, we look forward to both – this partnership, and to supporting other third-party service integrations in the future.”

TradingView’s community and super-charting features, combined with Pepperstone’s transparent pricing, fast execution, extensive product offering and award-winning client service, will see great opportunities for traders in the future.

Pepperstone integration with TradingView will be coming soon to China and Germany.

About Pepperstone

Established in 2010, Pepperstone has grown to become an award-winning online global forex and CFD broker known for delivering exceptional client service The Pepperstone Group has related entities across the globe and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySec), the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and The Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA).

https://www.pepperstone.com/

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February 1, 2022

WPP’s Gain Theory Named A Leader in Marketing Measurement and Optimization Solutions

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gain Theory, a global foresight consultancy that accelerates growth for ambitious brands, has been named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Marketing Measurement and Optimization Solutions, Q1 2022.

The Forrester MMO wave evaluates and benchmarks the most significant marketing measurement and optimization providers against current offering, strategy, and market presence. Forrester categorizes providers as either Leaders, Strong Performers, Contenders or Challengers.

The Forrester report states that “Large global enterprises with complex marketing budgets in search of high-touch services should put Gain Theory on their short list” and notes that Gain Theory’s “services offering really shines among the competitive set.”

Gain Theory received the highest scores possible across 13 criteria, defined as superior relative to other vendors in the evaluation. Gain Theory’s highest scores include the use case criteria of ‘Brand Portfolio Management’, ‘Omnichannel Marketing Strategy and Planning’ and ‘Insights Driven Business’. Full marks were also given to Gain Theory in the criteria of ‘Unified Measurement Methodology’, ‘Marketing Strategy Consulting’, ‘Business Strategy Consulting’ and ‘Change Management Consulting’.

Of note is the top mark possible given to Gain Theory in ‘Unified Measurement Methodology’. The report states “Gain Theory’s long-term approach is to advance its planning and optimization recommendations by incorporating more customer behaviors and data signals.”

With regard to Gain Theory’s ability to advise on enterprise-wide business growth levers, top marks were also given in the ‘Business Strategy Consulting” criterion which evaluated vendors’ ability to apply its measurement and optimization capabilities across areas such as customer churn analysis, pricing analysis, demand generation analysis and other functional insights.

“At a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty, organizations need a more holistic and future-facing approach to accelerating growth. We have enabled our clients to do this by activating smart business strategies that fuse hindsight, insight, and foresight. We are delighted about our position as a Leader in Forrester’s Wave report,” said Gain Theory Global CEO, Manjiry Tamhane, “It confirms for us the unique value that we deliver to our clients globally who trust us to focus on what matters the most, simplify the complex at speed, and ultimately make a meaningful difference to their business performance.”

About Gain Theory

Gain Theory is a global foresight consultancy, focused on accelerating growth for ambitious brands.

Our experts in data, advanced analytics, technology and consultancy fuse hindsight, insight, and foresight to improve investment decisions and activate growth at speed.

Available in 62 markets, our award-winning solutions and highly specialized vertical expertise support clients via four measurement and optimization pillars: Foundations for Growth, Data Excellence, Growth Accelerators and Activating for Growth.

To focus on what matters the most for clients, Gain Theory’s proprietary Marketing Effectiveness Index evaluates and benchmarks marketing effectiveness maturity – establishing critical gaps standing in the way of accelerated growth. Built on data, the Marketing Effectiveness Index benchmarks against sector and industry to help inform transformational roadmap priorities.

Gain Theory is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP).

Find out more at www.gaintheory.com and follow our social channels via LinkedIn or Twitter.

For press queries please contact:
Claudia Sestini
Global CMO, Gain Theory
claudia.sestini@gaintheory.com

February 1, 2022

Africa’s first voco hotel is open in South Africa’s trendy district, Rosebank Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has opened voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank – the first voco property in Africa. As one of IHG’s newest hotel brands, voco combines the reassurance of a global brand with the informality and charm of an individual hotel.

The Bank, Rosebank’s striking new architectural gem, is a short distance from the Gautrain (Metro Express) and surrounded by the buzzing walk-work-play district of Rosebank. voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank takes space, sophistication and artistry to the next level, with a range of beautifully appointed rooms and suites featuring the thoughtful, relaxed and unstuffy design so characteristic of the voco brand, as well as an enviable collection of original local artwork.

An upscale sanctuary in the heart of one of the city’s trendiest districts, an international business hub renowned for its shopping, art and design, and exclusivity, voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank delivers on the promise of its name – ‘to invite’ or to ‘come together’ in Latin.

Africa’s first voco hotel: voco The Bank Johannesburg, King room

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG said: “As part of our growth strategy in Africa we have partnered with Valor to expand our footprint on the Continent. Valor has been our long-term partner in the United States and the United Kingdom, and we are delighted to open our first voco hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank is a best in class property and a great entry to market for IHG. voco The Bank is a distinct hotel with an individual character in the buzzing “walk-work-play” district of Rosebank and will be a great addition to the destination. This new opening in the trendy hub of Rosebank adds to the momentum we are building in the IMEA region with six voco hotels openings in key cities.”

The 131-room hotel embodies the characteristics of voco with exclusive features and distinctive hallmarks, setting it apart for a memorable stay. Every guest will experience the voco signature ‘come on in’ warm welcome, promising a swift and simple check in, with dedicated voco hosts available throughout the guest’s stay as resident experts, and a locally inspired welcome treat. As part of the transformational works carried out at the property, the guest rooms benefit from the voco design concept with thoughtful comforts like cosy bedding made from 100% recycled materials, Antipodes high quality organic amenities in larger dispenser bottles, and high-speed Wi-Fi, Smart TVs, executive desks and in-room refreshments. So, guests can relax and indulge in some ‘me time’ when they stay at voco.

Double volume ceilings, chic modern bathrooms and valet parking complete this distinctive upscale experience, while business travellers will be delighted with thoughtful features such as the in-room hand-held clothes steamers and large workspace with international adaptors and USB ports.

For a taste of ‘voco life’, the exciting and modern mid-century inspired all-day eatery, Proud Mary, is located on the ground floor of The Bank building, while Workshop17, a haven for remote working, can be found just one floor up. voco Johannesburg Rosebank also features a fully equipped gym.

Guests staying at voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank can enjoy in-room dining selecting from Proud Mary’s innovative menu featuring delicious small plates, salads, grills and a boutique wine list you would find at no other eatery in town.

With its strong commitment to ensuring the highest levels of sustainability, reflected in the multi award-winning building’s use of mainly renewable energy sources and voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank’s leading global sustainable practices, guests will be assured that their stay is both the epitome of comfort whilst being easy on the planet.

“We know that nowadays guests like to feel that they are making a difference,” said Jessica Redinger, General Manager of voco The Bank Johannesburg. “We’ve gone out of our way to minimise the impact of our hotel on the environment, using best-practice sustainable guidelines where-ever we can. But it is just important for us to look after our guests while also looking after the planet. So, we have not sacrificed our world-class amenities and the comfortable and friendly guest experience that people have come to expect from voco.”

Occupying six floors of this mixed-used building, voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank shares this innovative space with signature tenants such as Rand Merchant Investments, Bespoken Man Barbers and Tailor Me, with the Rosebank Mall, The Firs and The Zone shopping districts being right on its doorstep.

For guests on the clock, private Workshop17 meeting and event spaces can be booked seamlessly through voco The Bank Johannesburg Rosebank.

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February 1, 2022

JOURNÉE MONDIALE DES MTN 2022 : 100 MONUMENTS DANS LE MONDE ENTIER S’ILLUMINENT ENSEMBLE POUR SENSIBILISER AUX MALADIES TROPICALES NÉGLIGÉES

ABOU DHABI, Émirats arabes unis, 31 janvier 2022 /PRNewswire/ — À

Expo 2020 Dubai Al Wasl Plaza - Credit_Chris Pike

l’occasion de la troisième Journée mondiale des maladies tropicales négligées (MTN), qui a eu lieu le 30 janvier 2022, 100 monuments dans 32 pays se sont illuminés à l’unisson, dont le clocher The Bell Tower à Perth, la tour de Tokyo, la Grande Muraille de Chine, la gare de New Delhi, le pont Cheikh Zayed à Abou Dhabi, l’Expo 2020 de Dubaï, le Kenyatta International Convention Centre, le Colisée de Rome, le Jet d’eau de Genève, les chutes Niagara, la Tour CN, la bibliothèque présidentielle Jimmy Carter et le Christ rédempteur de Rio de Janeiro.

Un accent particulier a été mis sur les monuments importants des pays endémiques, notamment le Bangladesh, le Brésil, le Burundi, la République démocratique du Congo, l’Éthiopie, le Ghana, l’Inde, le Kenya, le Libéria, le Mexique, le Niger, le Nigeria, les Philippines, le Rwanda, le Soudan du Sud et le Soudan. Annoncées initialement à Abou Dhabi en 2019, les 100 illuminations visent à mettre en lumière les MTN, car la Journée mondiale des MTN soutient l’objectif de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) d’éradiquer au moins une MTN dans 100 pays endémiques d’ici 2030.

Rome Colosseum - Credit_Alessio Rubicondi

La Journée mondiale des MTN est un mouvement international qui vise à galvaniser la communauté mondiale de la santé et à faire participer le public à l’effort urgent d’éradication des MTN. Cette année, Unis pour combattre les MTN a profité de la Journée pour lancer le mouvement 100 % Engagé, dont le but est d’obtenir des engagements politiques et financiers soutenant la Déclaration de Kigali sur les MTN.

Thoko Pooley, directeur exécutif d’Unis pour combattre les MTN, a déclaré : « Aujourd’hui, en nous appuyant sur le succès de la Déclaration de Londres sur les MTN et en reconnaissant l’évolution du paysage mondial, nous utilisons la Journée mondiale des MTN 2022 comme catalyseur d’action. Nous lançons la campagne 100 % Engagé, un mouvement mondial visant à obtenir des ressources accrues pour les maladies tropicales négligées, et essentiel pour faciliter le leadership et la responsabilité politique des programmes de MTN dans les pays affectés, par l’aval et la signature de la nouvelle Déclaration de Kigali sur les MTN. »

Canada Niagara Falls - Credit_Lucas Claxton - GiantShoeCreative

Grâce aux efforts diplomatiques dirigés par les Émirats arabes unis pour obtenir la reconnaissance officielle de cette journée auprès de plusieurs États membres de l’OMS, cette dernière a officiellement reconnu la Journée mondiale des MTN en mai 2021. La Cour du prince héritier d’Abou Dhabi continue de jouer un rôle de premier plan dans l’établissement de partenariats et le soutien de la Journée mondiale des MTN, par l’entremise de l’initiative Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), un portefeuille de programmes de santé mondiaux axés sur l’accélération des progrès vers l’élimination de la maladie, motivés par l’engagement personnel de Son Altesse le cheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, prince héritier d’Abou Dhabi.

Philippines SM MALL OF ASIA GLOBE_Credit - Erwin Barleta

Nassar Al Moubarak, directeur principal de la Cour du prince héritier d’Abou Dhabi, a affirmé : « La Journée mondiale des MTN joue un important rôle catalyseur pour transformer la sensibilisation en action – il est non seulement primordial que le public en sache davantage sur ces maladies, mais aussi que les donateurs, les pays endémiques et les autres parties prenantes collaborent pour éradiquer les MTN dans les pays touchés. Au cours des dernières décennies, des progrès incroyables ont été réalisés pour faire disparaître les MTN; pourtant, une personne sur cinq dans les communautés les plus vulnérables du monde entier souffre toujours d’une de ces maladies pouvant être évitées et soignées. Nous sommes heureux de constater que la Journée offre une plateforme pour accroître la sensibilisation grâce à la nouvelle campagne 100 % Engagé et à des efforts comme les illuminations. Nous espérons que ce mouvement continuera de prendre de l’ampleur et de susciter de nouveaux partenariats et engagements nécessaires pour éliminer les MTN pour de bon. »

Les MTN sont un groupe de maladies transmissibles qui peuvent être évitées et soignées, mais qui continuent pourtant de toucher plus de 1,7 milliard de personnes dans le monde, dont 1 milliard d’enfants. Ces 20 maladies provoquent d’immenses souffrances : elles affaiblissent, défigurent et peuvent être mortelles. Les MTN créent des cycles de pauvreté et coûtent chaque année des milliards de dollars aux pays en voie de développement.

https://worldntdday.org/

Leaning Tower of Pisa - Credit_Vanessa Salvati

Christ the Redeemer in Brazil - Credit_Roberto Antunes

Kenya Kenyatta International Convention Centre - Credit_Lameck Ododo

UNESCO World Heritage Kinderdijk Mills - Credit_Sylvia

Rwanda Kigali Convention Centre - Credit_Andre Rugema

UAE Emirates Palace - Credit_Jonathan Gibbons

Great Wall of China, Simatai - Credit_WTown

February 1, 2022

Des journalistes de 55 pays africains participent à une conférence de presse organisée par l’Église Shincheonji

NEW YORK, 31 janvier 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Des médias de 55 pays africains ont participé à une conférence de presse organisée par l’Église Shincheonji de Jésus, le Temple du Tabernacle du Témoignage, le 28 janvier. L’événement comprenait des interventions du président de l’Église Shincheonji, Man Hee Lee, et un résumé des faits saillants concernant la dernière série de l’Église, intitulée « Témoignage sur les paraboles des secrets du ciel et leur véritable signification ». La conférence de presse a été organisée à la demande des journalistes et des pasteurs africains de tout le continent.

Africa Press Conference of Shincheonji Church

Le tout nouveau séminaire en ligne de l’Église Shincheonji sur les paraboles de Jésus a débuté le 3 janvier et se poursuivra jusqu’au 28 mars. Il fait suite au succès de la série précédente de l’église, qui a témoigné des prophéties et de leurs accomplissements inscrits dans le livre de l’Apocalypse pendant 10 semaines en 2021, du 18 octobre au 27 décembre. Jusqu’à présent, le nombre de vues cumulées sur YouTube a atteint 8 millions. À la suite de ce séminaire sur l’Apocalypse, l’Église Shincheonji a signé des protocoles d’accord avec plus de 1 200 pasteurs et séminaires dans 57 pays. Sur ce total, 235 protocoles d’accord ont été signés dans 16 pays d’Afrique.

« Je souhaite que tout le monde, dans le monde entier, vienne étudier la parole du séminaire de Shincheonji pour changer leur vie », a déclaré Stephen Ogwang, secrétaire général de Born Again Churches en Ouganda.

Environ 300 journalistes ont participé à la conférence de presse du 28 janvier. Le président Lee, qui a répondu aux questions sur les séminaires et les protocoles d’accord, a demandé à tous les attachés de presse de promouvoir le témoignage sur la prophétie et l’accomplissement de l’Apocalypse et le fait que les secrets du royaume des cieux sont accessibles à tous.

La série « Témoignage sur les paraboles des secrets du ciel et leur véritable signification » est diffusée deux fois par semaine sur la chaîne YouTube de l’Église Shincheonji, dans 24 langues différentes.

Rendez-vous sur le site Internet de Shincheonji Americas pour plus d’informations : www.scjamericas.org

CONTACT POUR LES MÉDIAS : Gina Del Gigante, 16466287365, revelation@scjamericas.com

Photo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1736581/Photo_Main_Image.jpg

February 1, 2022

FID Oil AGREEMENT TO BOOST ECONOMY – PRESIDENT MUSEVENI

KOLOLO CEREMONIAL GROUNDS, KAMPALA: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is optimistic that Uganda’s oil and gas project will go a long way in boosting the country’s economy.

This after the French energy conglomerate Total Energies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation - CNOOC reached a deal with Uganda and Tanzania to invest more than US$10 billion in developing crude oil production between the two East African countries.

"This project is a very important one for this region. You hear that for the next few years, Mr. Pouyanne (Total Energies Chief Executive) and CNOOC people are going to put in US$10 billion in this effort. This money will boost our economy, " he said.

According to the President, whereas Uganda discovered crude oil reserves in 2006, oil exploration efforts in Uganda date back as far as 1920 by the British after seepage of oil was discovered at a place called Kibiro near Lake Albert. But their efforts to trace the origin of the seepage failed after 36 years of searching between 1920 and 1956. He resurrected the search for oil when he captured power in 1986.

"When I came into the government in 1986, I read the file where a British commissioner of geological survey in 1956, wrote and said - it seems the oil was there but it evaporated and went away and closed the file. I wish that file could be found and put in the museum," he said.

He later took it upon himself to train Ugandans in petroleum and geology after Shell BP, a British petroleum company, showed interest in exploring Uganda’s oil at a time when no Ugandan had knowledge about exploration.

"This was the decision I took because I did not see how I could allow Uganda to be involved in something like this with ignorant people on my side, " Museveni said before introducing historicals in Uganda’s oil exploration journey that included among others; Ernest Rubondo, the Executive Director Petroleum Authority of Uganda and Former Permanent secretaries Ministry of Energy and Mineral development Mr Fred Kabagambe Kaliisa and Robert Kasande who he sponsored to train in oil studies.

These together with oil exploration companies like Heritage and Tullow later succeeded in their discovery in 2006 but production has been repeatedly delayed by disagreements between the government and oil firms.

Government geologists estimate that the country's gross reserves stand at 6.5 billion barrels (1 =159 litres), while recoverable oil is seen at 1.4 billion barrels.

The final investment decision was announced Tuesday by Total Energies Chairman and Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne in the presence of other joint venture partners in Uganda’s Oil and Gas sector.

"In the name of the joint venture partners and in the name of Total Energies, I declare the final investment decision for the Lake Albert development project; Tilenga, King Fisher and East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project," said TotalEnergies Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said at a ceremony also attended by a delegation from the People’s Republic of Tanzania led by the Vice President Philip Isdor Mpango.

Vice President Mpango said with the implementation of this shared project, the two countries are set to increase their foreign direct investment flows in addition to the trade between the two countries that more than tripled to over 260m dollars in 2020 compared to the average for the past 5 years.

"With this project, the two countries are projected to realise their record level of foreign direct investment flows to the tune of $3.5 billion over the period 2022 to 2025 which is an increase of over 60% compared to the current levels of foreign direct investment flows," Mr Mpango said.

He reiterated commitment from the government of Tanzania to support the project and urged the people of the two countries to take ownership of the project by ensuring security and safety of oil infrastructure.

President Museveni thanked the president of the United Republic of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan and his predecessor John Pombe Magufuli (RIP) for accepting to be part of the project and buying 15% of the shares.

"When this oil project came, I was very happy to see that it goes through Tanzania so that our Tanzanian brothers and sisters also benefit something, given their great contribution (thru Mwalimu Julius Nyerere) to Uganda. Mwalimu Nyerere supported Uganda and Africa as a whole. It is good that his people will benefit from this pipeline, " Museveni said.

The agreement between the government of Uganda and Total Energies will cover the development of oil fields, processing facilities and a pipeline network in Uganda, plus an export pipeline through Tanzania to carry landlocked Uganda's crude to a port on the Indian Ocean.

Out of the $10 billion, $3.5 billion will be spent constructing a heated pipeline linking oil fields in western Uganda to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania. At 897 miles, the pipeline will be one of the world’s longest.

"This milestone puts us on the path to first oil in 2025," Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu said in a speech ahead of the signing adding that close to 160,000 jobs are expected to be created during the project's development.

At the same ceremony, a memorandum of understanding on Renewable Energy between the governmentof Uganda and Total Energies EP Uganda was signed. Minister of Energy & Mineral Dev't, Ruth Nankabirwa, signed the MoU with Philippe Groueix, General Manager of Total Energies EP Uganda

The ceremony in Kampala, marked by fanfare, was also attended by the Vice President of Uganda Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, Ministers and stakeholders in the oil and gas from Tanzania and Uganda.

Source: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Uganda Media Center (News Updates)

February 1, 2022

UNICEF Uganda Humanitarian Situation Report No. 6 – January – December 2021

Highlights

• Uganda recorded a cumulative total of 152,571 COVID-19 cases in 2021, including 3,369 deaths.

• Uganda was home to over 1.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers, 58 per cent of whom were children, as of November 2021.

• In 2021, flooding displaced 24,303 people and affected 351,242 more, through the destruction of homes, crops, and infrastructure, and the disruption of livelihoods. Forty-eight per cent of the affected people were vulnerable children.

• In 2021, with support from UNICEF, over 140,000 children were vaccinated against polio; over 37,000 children received severe acute malnutrition (SAM) treatment; over 65,000 children accessed psychosocial support services; and over 92,322 children received formal or non-formal education, including early childhood education.

• In 2021, 133,768 people were provided with sufficient quantities of safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Over 621,000 people were reached with critical WASH supplies (including hygiene items) and services.

• A total of 14,207,000 people were reached with risk communication messages on access to services related to the treatment or prevention of COVID-19.

Source: UN Children's Fund