Day: July 29, 2021

Posted on

DARE-19 Phase III Collaboration between AstraZeneca, Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and George Clinical Shows Treatment’s Well-Established Safety Profile Was Consistent in Patients with COVID-19

OVERLAND PARK, KS, July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The findings of DARE-19, a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III trial examining Dapagliflozin in patients with cardiometabolic risk factors hospitalized with COVID-19, have been published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.  The study was a collaboration of  George Clinical, a global scientifically-backed clinical research organization and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and was funded by AstraZeneca.

Prior to the study, it was established that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with cardiometabolic risk factors had an elevated risk of organ failure and death.  DARE-19 was the first large, randomized controlled study of hosptialized patients with COVID-19 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors.  Detailed results from the primary analysis of the DARE-19 Phase III trial assessing the potential of Farxiga (dapagliflozin), a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, to treat patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who are at risk of developing serious complications, showed that the trial did not achieve statistical significance for the two primary endpoints. However, there were numerically fewer events of death or new or worsened organ dysfunction in the Farxiga group compared with placebo.

The primary endpoint of prevention was defined as new or worsened respiratory, cardiovascular or kidney organ dysfunction during hospitalization or death from any cause during the 30-day treatment period. Numerically fewer events were observed in the Farxiga group across all components of this composite endpoint. Cardiac, renal and metabolic comorbidities have been associated with poor outcomes and death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19  The second primary endpoint of recovery, which assessed change in clinical status (improvement or deterioration) compared to baseline, showed no overall difference between the treatment groups.

“The ability to rapidly start and execute this study during the midst of a major global pandemic is a credit to the entire cross-functional project team,” stated George Clinical Chief Business Officer, Sean Hart. “In a month we broke down barriers to go from concept to our first patient in the trial, and the team displayed extraordinary commitment needed to successfully manage this research during this pandemic personally and professionally.”
Mikhail N. Kosiborod, MD, a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Vice President of Research at Saint Luke’s Health System, and a member of George Clinical’s Scientific Leadership was the principal investigator of DARE-19.  The study was an international Phase III trial in 1,250 patients evaluating the efficacy and safety of Farxiga in addition to background local standard of care therapy in adults who are hospitalized with COVID-19 at the time of trial enrollment. Patients enrolled in DARE-19 also had a medical history of hypertension, type-2 diabetes (T2D), atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure (HF) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stages 3-4 and received Farxiga or placebo for 30 days. The trial was conducted in collaboration with Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, the global sponsor, and George Clinical, a global contract research organization.

“DARE-19 is one of the few randomization controlled, double blind clinical trials for COVID-19 that has been completed during the pandemic. This accomplishment is due to the tireless work and commitment of our Investigators, site staff and the study team members across the sponsor, George Clinical, and our partners. Their dedication to the project during a time of significant personal stress is the key reason these results are available for the scientific community,” said Emily Akin, Project Director for George Clinical.

About George Clinical

George Clinical is a leading global clinical research organization founded in Asia-Pacific driven by scientific expertise and operational excellence. With more than 20 years of experience and more than 300 people managing 38 geographical locations throughout the USA, Asia-Pacific region and Europe, George Clinical provides the full range of clinical trial services to biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic customers, for all trial phases, registration and post-marketing trials.

Contact:          mreabold@georgeclinical.com

Website:         https://www.georgeclinical.com

LinkedIn:         https://www.linkedin.com/company/george-clinical-pty-ltd

Twitter:           https://twitter.com/george_clinical

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/georgeclinical

For more information of George Clinical, contact:

Donna McDonnell

M +1-901-229-5345

E dmcdonnell@georgeclinical.com

W georgeclinical.com | georgeinstitute.org

Donna McDonnell
George Clinical
901-229-5345
dmcdonnell@georgeclinical.com
Posted on

FALANA & FALANA Issues the Following Statement: Detention of a Wrong Person Nullifies Detention

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In its judgment of March 15, 2021 the Ecowas Court of Justice detailed the extensive violations of Cape Verdean law (along with international law) that occurred in the arrest and detention of Alex Saab. Consequently, the Court issued a binding unanimous decision in which it declared that Alex Saab’s detention and subsequent imprisonment were illegal and that, therefore, he should be released immediately, and that the extradition process should be closed. The epochal judgment was read by the Rapporteur of the Court, Justice Januária Tavares Silva Moreira Costa, a former Minister of Justice of Cape Verde.

The Attorney-General of Cape Verde, Mr. Jose Landim has said that the judgment of the Ecowas Court should be ignored on the ground that it is not binding on the Cape Verdean authorities. However, having admitted that the arrest warrant in the June 29, 2020 Extradition Request is not in the name of Alex Saab but in the name of another person, Mr. Landim has prayed the Constitutional Court to regard the grave error as a “trivial mistake” which he now seeks to amend.

Another point mentioned by the Attorney General is that the Red Alert which he claims was the basis for making Alex Saab’s initial arrest was not supported by an arrest warrant. It is on record that the United States did not provide a valid arrest warrant to either Interpol or Cape Verde and that there is no arrest warrant authorized by any court in Cape Verde that supported the detention of Alex Saab on June 12, 2020. Even though the Attorney-General has no answer to the incurable errors that have characterised the illegal arrest and detention of Alex Saab he has urged the Constitutional Court to overlook them.

We are convinced that the Constitutional Court will have no difficulty in rejecting the submissions of the Attorney-General as they are not grounded in law. More so, that it is trite law that a court is under a legal obligation to nullify the arrest or detention of any criminal suspect or political detainee carried out outside the ambit of the enabling law. In Singh v Delhi 16 Sup. Ct. Journal 326 it was held : “This Court has often reiterated before that those who feel called upon to deprive other persons of their personal liberty in the discharge of what they consider to be their duty, must strictly and scrupulously observe the forms of rules of the law.”

The learned author in Maxwell’s Interpretation of Statute, 12th Edition at Pages 251- 256 examined the principle to be observed on ‘Statutes Encroaching Rights and at Page 251 said:

“Statutes which encroach on the rights of the subject whether as regards person or property, are subject to a strict construction in the same way as Penal Acts. It is a recognised rule that they should be interpreted if possible so as to respect such rights and if there is any ambiguity the construction which is in favour of the freedom of the individual should be adopted.”

There are cases in jurisprudence of various countries (including of West Africa) when a clerical mistake or a spelling error of the defendant’s name served as a basis for the court to drop charges or for police to release a person. For instance:

  1. In Adegbenro Noah v Attorney-General of the Nigerian Federation (Suit No ID/33M/90). The detainee, Adegbenro Noah challenged his detention under the State Security (Detention of Persons) Decree No 2 of 1984 at the Lagos State High Court. In justifying the detention of the Applicant the military regime filed a detention order in the name of “Adegbenro Nuah”. The Court quashed the detention order and ordered the immediate release of the Applicant on the ground that Adegbenro Noah was not the same person as Adegbenro Nuah.
  2. In Maxwell Okudoh v. Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command (Suit No:M/32/84) the Applicant was detained at Mushin Police Station in Lagos under Decree 2 of 1984. In his judgment delivered on 30/4/1984 the Judge held that “It is clear that under the above section 1(1) of Decree No. 2 of 1984 that the Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters can only detain a person for four reasons. In this case, the Chief of Staff has detained for acts prejudicial to public order. Can he do so? I answer that question in the negative. In consequence of the above pronouncements, I hereby order that the applicant, Maxwell Okudoh shall be discharged and released forthwith by the Respondent or whosoever is holding him in custody and such persons shall for the avoidance of doubt include the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters.”
  3. In Moses Emerson v Inspector-General of Police (Nigerian Law of Habeas Corpus In Moses Emerson v Inspector-General of Police (Nigerian Law of Habeas Corpus Page 266) the 1st respondent’s return to the writ indicates that the detainee in this case has been detained for acts prejudicial to “Public Order”. This is not in my opinion the same thing as “public security”. They are not synonymous. On the basis of the error on the face of the detention order the Court ordered the release of the Applicant from custody.
  4. In Commissioner of Police v Agbaje Nigeria Law of Habeas Corpus page 42. It was stated by the judge that it is unlawful to detain a person in a police station when the detention order states that he be detained in a civil prison.
  5. Hong Kong riot police descended upon a court on 4 November 2019 after the justice department was forced to drop charges against five defendants over a spelling error. The arrestees – aged between 19 and 24 – were charged with possessing explosive substances. However, on the consent to prosecute document, the name of a defendant Yau Kin-wai was wrongly written in English as “Yau Kai-fai.” The term “custody” was also missing from the official charge of “possession or custody or under his control” of the explosives. Barrister Douglas Kwok, who represented the defendants, challenged the legitimacy of the document and urged for his clients’ release. The five people’s charges were dropped after Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai said the hearing could not continue even if the document were to be amended.

In view of the foregoing, the detention of Alex Saab cannot be justified under the Cape Verdean law and international law. The Attorney-General has admitted that the warrant of arrest is not in the name of Alex Saab but in the name of another person. The Constitutional Court cannot afford to be used by the Attorney-General to justify the illegality of the arrest and detention of Alex Saab. Furthermore, the prayer for the amendment of the incurable defect of the warrant ought to be rejected as the detaining authorities have failed to comply with the provisions of the Constitution and Criminal Code of Cape Verde with respect to arrest and detention of Alex Saab. Having regards to the facts and circumstances of this case the Constitutional Court should not hesitate to reject the illegal prayer of the Attorney-General and order the immediate release of Alex Saab from illegal custody.

FEMI FALANA, SAN, FCI Arb.

Media Contact:

22, Mediterranean Street, Imani Estate,
Off Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama District, ABUJA

Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: +2348033004903 Correo electrónico: fflitigation@gmail.com

Posted on

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC PUBLISHES SECOND QUARTER 2021 PRESS RELEASE

The Hague, July 29, 2021

“We are stepping up our shareholder distributions today, increasing dividends and starting share buybacks, while we continue to invest for the future of energy. The quality of Shell’s operational and financial delivery and strengthened balance sheet have given the Board confidence to rebase the dividend per share from Q2 2021 onwards to 24 US cents. We are also launching $2 billion of share buybacks, which is targeted to be completed by the end of this year.

Total shareholder distributions for 2021 are expected to be around the middle of the 20-30% range of CFFO from the previous four quarters. Our progressive dividend policy to grow dividends per share by 4% annually, subject to Board approval, remains unchanged.”

Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden

STEPPING UP DISTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS

  • Another quarter of strong operational and financial delivery, with $14.2 billion CFFO excl. WC and $5.5 billion Adj. Earnings.
  • Shell moves to the next phase of the capital allocation framework, consistent with our Powering Progress strategy:
    • Dividend rebased to 24 US cents per share, an increase of over 38% from Q1 2021; maintaining ~4% annual growth
    • Share buybacks targeted at $2 billion in the second half of 2021
    • Targeting AA credit metrics through the cycle; $65 billion net debt milestone retired
  • Disciplined cash capex: remains below $22 billion in 2021.
$ million Adj. Earnings1 Adj. EBITDA (CCS) CFFO ex. WC CFFO Cash capex
Integrated Gas 1,609 3,364 4,350 3,761 880
Upstream 2,469 6,714 5,444 5,056 1,696
Oil Products 1,299 2,608 3,365 2,213 882
Refining & Trading 112 676
Marketing 1,187 1,932
Chemicals 670 1,036 1,225 1,133 895
Corporate (399) (101) (208) 454 30
Less: Non-controlling interest 115 115
RDS Q2 2021 5,534 13,507 14,176 12,617 4,383
Q1 2021 3,234 11,490 12,683 8,294 3,974

1 Income/(loss) attributable to shareholders for Q2 2021 is $3.4 billion. Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures can be found in the unaudited results, available on www.shell.com/investors.

$ billion Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021
Divestment proceeds 0.7 0.9 0.2 3.4 1.3
Free cash flow 0.2 7.6 0.9 7.7 9.7
Net debt 77.8 73.5 75.4 71.3 65.7

Q2 2021 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

INTEGRATED GAS, RENEWABLES AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Key data Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 outlook
Realised liquids price ($/bbl) 55.74 58.97 —
Realised gas price ($/mscf) 5.41 6.32 —
Production (kboe/d) 967 938 870 – 920
LNG liquefaction volumes (MT) 8.16 7.49 7.4 – 8.0
LNG sales volumes (MT) 16.38 15.92 —
  • Adjusted Earnings and CFFO benefited from higher realised prices, partly offset by lower trading and optimisation margins.
  • Trading and optimisation contributions to earnings were significantly below average, mainly due to supply disruptions.
  • Strong cash conversion, with CFFO excluding working capital of $4.3 billion, benefiting from variation margin inflows in gas and power trading.
  • Q3 2021 production and LNG liquefaction volumes outlook is impacted by maintenance activities.

UPSTREAM

Key data Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 outlook
Realised liquids price ($/bbl) 55.17 62.53 —
Realised gas price ($/mscf) 3.64 4.31 —
Liquids production (kboe/d) 1,579 1,558 —
Gas production (mscf/d) 5,126 4,082 —
Total production (kboe/d) 2,462 2,262 2,100 – 2,250
  • Higher Adjusted Earnings than in Q1 2021, driven by higher prices and a one-off release of a non-cash tax provision of approximately $600 million.
  • Continued strong cash conversion, with CFFO excluding working capital of $5.4 billion.
  • Production 8% below Q1 2021, driven by gas demand seasonality and increased maintenance.
  • Q3 2021 total production is expected to be impacted by lower seasonal gas demand.

OIL PRODUCTS

Key data Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 outlook
Sales volumes (kb/d) 4,164 4,552 4,300 – 5,300
Refining & Trading sales volumes (kb/d) 1,944 2,145 —
Marketing sales volumes (kb/d) 2,220 2,406 —
Refinery utilisation (%) 72 76 73 – 81
Global indicative refining margin ($/bbl) 2.69 4.17 —
  • Strong Marketing earnings driven by improved retail unit margins and volumes.
  • Improved refining margins as well as higher intake and utilisation than in Q1 2021.
  • Trading and optimisation contributions to earnings were average.
  • Marginally higher operating expenses than in Q1 2021, driven by recovery in volumes.
  • Strong cash conversion with CFFO excluding working capital of $3.4 billion.

CHEMICALS

Key data Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 outlook
Sales volumes (kT) 3,583 3,609 3,600 – 3,900
Manufacturing plant utilisation (%) 79 82 77 – 85
  • Higher base chemicals margins due to higher utilisation, partly offset by lower intermediate margins resulting from lower spreads in key value chains.
  • Marginally higher operating expenses than in Q1 2021, driven by maintenance catch-up.
  • Strong cash conversion including timing impact of dividends from joint ventures and associates.

CORPORATE

Key data Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 outlook
Adjusted Earnings ($ million) (666) (399) (600) – (700)
  • Corporate segment Adjusted Earnings were a net expense of around $400 million, impacted by favourable movements in deferred tax positions.
  • The latest full year estimate for Corporate Adjusted Earnings is lowered to a net expense of $2,300 – 2,600 million. This excludes the impact of currency exchange rate effects.
  • Net debt decreased by $5.5 billion to $65.7 billion in Q2 2021 driven by higher cash flow from operations partly offset by a working capital outflow.

UPCOMING INVESTOR EVENTS

28 October 2021 Third quarter 2021 results and dividends

USEFUL LINKS

Q2 2021 results materials and share buyback announcement

Quarterly Databook Q2 2021

Dividend announcement Q2 2021

Q2 results webcast registration

ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE (NON-GAAP) MEASURES

This announcement includes certain measures that are calculated and presented on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) such as IFRS, including Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EBITDA, CFFO excluding working capital movements, Cash capital expenditure, free cash flow, Divestment proceeds and Net debt. This information, along with comparable GAAP measures, is useful to investors because it provides a basis for measuring Royal Dutch Shell plc’s operating performance and ability to retire debt and invest in new business opportunities. Royal Dutch Shell plc’s management uses these financial measures, along with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, in evaluating the business performance.

This announcement contains a forward-looking Non-GAAP measure for cash capital expenditure. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of this forward-looking Non-GAAP measure to the most comparable GAAP financial measure because certain information needed to reconcile the Non-GAAP measure to the most comparable GAAP financial measure is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measure with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are estimated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Royal Dutch Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

All amounts shown throughout this announcement are unaudited. The numbers presented throughout this announcement may not sum precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures, due to rounding.

The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. “Subsidiaries”, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as “joint ventures” and “joint operations”, respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as “associates”. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”, “ambition”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “goals”, “intend”, “may”, “milestones”, “objectives”, “outlook”, “plan”, “probably”, “project”, “risks”, “schedule”, “seek”, “should”, “target”, “will” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition;                     (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, July 29, 2021. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.

The content of websites referred to in this announcement does not form part of this announcement.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.

The financial information presented in this announcement does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434(3) of the Companies Act 2006 (“the Act”). Statutory accounts for the year ended December 31, 2020 were published in Shell’s Annual Report and Accounts, a copy of which was delivered to the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, and in Shell’s  Form 20-F. The auditor’s report on those accounts was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditor drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying the report and did not contain a statement under sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Act.

The information in this announcement does not constitute the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements which are contained in Shell’s second quarter 2021 and half year unaudited results available on www.shell.com/investors.

CONTACTS

  • Media: International +44 207 934 5550; USA +1 832 337 4355
Posted on

Workplace Stress and Absenteeism Among Key Findings in Workplace Options Wellbeing Study

Wellbeing Infographic

Workplace Stress and Absenteeism

RALEIGH, N.C., July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Workplace Options (WPO), a global provider of integrated employee wellbeing solutions, today announced key findings from its wellbeing study.

The study measured 24,000 participants over a three-month period and was focused on employee mental health issues. The findings are part of an initiative that WPO plans to share quarterly to identify global workplace wellbeing trends.

Based on the study, findings reveal that 32 percent of employees contacting the service centers seeking emotional support were experiencing workplace issues. The top three issues identified were workplace stress (45 percent), conflict/tension (24 percent), and performance issues (16 percent).

“We believe this data will help CEOs and other company leaders better understand the issues faced by their employees and, therefore, respond with more relevant solutions,” shares Alan King, President and CEO of WPO. “Our study clearly shows that workplace stress and conflict need greater attention.”

According to WPO’s Vice President of Clinical Crisis & Specialty Services, Dr. Kennette Harris, individuals experiencing workplace issues or conflict may have physical and emotional symptoms that impact their work performance.

“Stomach issues, fatigue, and headaches are common physical symptoms associated with stress, while irritability, anxiety, and apathy are common emotional reactions,” shares Dr. Harris. “Over the long-term, unmanaged stress can contribute to a number of health issues, including cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression.”

The study revealed that the most frequently reported emotional symptom was stress (55 percent), followed by anxiety/panic (19 percent).

Decreased productivity and increased absenteeism, which often accompany workplace stress and conflict, are key concerns among employers, especially in countries that are currently struggling with staffing in the wake of COVID-19. WPO’s workplace wellbeing study found that of the employees reporting workplace concerns, one out of three reported they missed at least one day of work as a result. In fact, the average number of workdays missed was 18.

According to WPO’s report, the countries with the highest rates of absenteeism due to workplace issues are the following:

1. United Kingdom: 47%
2. France: 15%
3. United States: 10%

WPO offers several services to support employees dealing with work-related stress, including counseling and mindfulness training. Earlier this year, WPO launched Revive, a program designed to support employees facing burnout or at risk of burnout.

WPO has harnessed data from its service centers as a global service provider and created a sophisticated, interactive, real-time reporting dashboard built especially for clients to analyze and utilize the data to maximize their wellbeing programs.

For more information about WPO’s services, the study, and the client dashboard, visit www.workplaceoptions.com.

About Workplace Options

Workplace Options helps employees balance their work, family, and personal needs to become healthier, happier, and more productive, both personally and professionally. The company’s world-class employee support, effectiveness, and wellbeing services provide information, resources, referrals, and consultation on a variety of issues ranging from dependent care and stress management to clinical services and wellness programs.

Drawing from an international network of credentialed providers and professionals, Workplace Options is the world’s largest integrated employee support and work-life services provider. Service centers in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Portugal, France, Belgium, UAE, Singapore, Japan, China, India, and Indonesia support more than 70 million employees across 116,000 organizations and more than 200 countries and territories.

To learn more, visit www.workplaceoptions.com.

Marsha Fisher
Marsha.fisher@workplaceoptions.com
800.699.8011 x 71428

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38f47c20-5b8c-4af2-b1ce-9a684d0a777c

Posted on

Synchronoss แต่งตั้ง Christina Gabrys เป็นประธานเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายกฎหมาย

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) ผู้นำระดับโลกและผู้ริเริ่มในด้านคลาวด์ การส่งข้อความ และผลิตภัณฑ์และแพลตฟอร์มดิจิทัล วันนี้ได้ประกาศแต่งตั้ง Christina “Chrissy” Gabrys เป็นประธานเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายกฎหมาย Gabrys สืบทอดตำแหน่งต่อจาก Ronald Prague ซึ่งกำลังจะก้าวลงจากตำแหน่งหลังจากร่วมงานกับบริษัทมาเป็นเวลา 15 ปีเพื่อแสวงหาความสนใจด้านอื่น ๆ ในบทบาทใหม่ของเธอ Gabrys จะดูแลงานด้านกฎหมายทั้งหมดของบริษัท

“Ron มีบทบาทสำคัญในการสร้าง Synchronoss อย่างที่เราเป็นอยู่ทุกวันนี้ ความเป็นผู้นำของเขาในการเจรจาต่อรองและปิดข้อตกลงกับลูกค้า การเข้าซื้อกิจการและความพยายามทางการเงินอื่น ๆ ของบริษัท ซึ่งรวมถึงความทุ่มเทของเขาในการเพิ่มทุนของบริษัทที่ประสบความสำเร็จเมื่อเร็ว ๆ นี้ เป็นสิ่งที่ประเมินค่าไม่ได้และเราจะคิดถึงเขามาก” Jeff Miller ประธานและ CEO ของ Synchronoss กล่าว “ผมขอขอบคุณ Ron สำหรับสิ่งที่เขาทุ่มเทให้กับธุรกิจ เราจะถือว่าเขาเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของครอบครัว Synchronoss เสมอ และขอให้เขาประสบความสำเร็จในความพยายามครั้งใหม่ Ron ยังได้จัดทำแผนการเปลี่ยนผ่านอย่างละเอียดซึ่งจะช่วยให้ Chrissy ทำหน้าที่รับผิดชอบใหม่ได้อย่างรวดเร็วขณะที่เราต้อนรับเธอเข้าสู่ทีมผู้บริหารอาวุโส”

ล่าสุด Gabrys ดำรงตำแหน่งผู้ช่วยที่ปรึกษาทั่วไปและประธานเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายดูแลการปฏิบัติตามกฎหมายของ Synchronoss ซึ่งเธอได้ทำงานร่วมกับลูกค้าและพันธมิตรทั่วโลก ในฐานะประธานเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายดูแลการปฏิบัติตามกฎหมายของบริษัท เธอได้ปรับปรุงโปรแกรมการปฏิบัติตามกฎระเบียบเพื่อให้มั่นใจว่ามีแนวทางปฏิบัติที่ดีที่สุดสำหรับนโยบายและขั้นตอนขององค์กร รวมถึงการกำกับดูแลทั่วทั้งองค์กร Gabrys เข้าร่วม Synchronoss ซึ่งเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของการซื้อกิจการ Openwave Messaging ซึ่งเธอเป็นที่ปรึกษากฎหมายของอเมริกาและเอเชียแปซิฟิก

“ฉันรู้สึกเป็นเกียรติที่ได้ดำรงตำแหน่งประธานเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายกฎหมาย และหวังว่าจะได้ทำงานร่วมกับสมาชิกในทีมของ Synchronoss ทั่วโลก เพื่อช่วยให้ลูกค้าของเราสามารถติดต่อกับสมาชิกในรูปแบบที่เชื่อถือได้และมีความหมาย” Gabrys กล่าว “ฉันยังต้องการแสดงความขอบคุณอย่างจริงใจต่อ Ron การให้คำปรึกษาและการวางแผนอย่างขยันขันแข็งของเขาได้ทำให้การเปลี่ยนผ่านที่ราบรื่นในขณะที่ฉันเริ่มงานในบทบาทใหม่นี้”

เกี่ยวกับ Synchronoss
Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ: SNCR) สร้างซอฟต์แวร์ที่ช่วยให้บริษัทต่าง ๆ ทั่วโลกสามารถเชื่อมต่อกับผู้ติดตามด้วยวิธีที่เชื่อถือได้และมีประสิทธิภาพ ชุดผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ให้บริการของบริษัทช่วยให้เครือข่ายมีความคล่องตัว ลดความซับซ้อนของการเริ่มต้นใช้งาน และดึงดูดสมาชิกเพื่อเพิ่มกระแสรายได้ใหม่ ลดต้นทุน และเพิ่มความเร็วในการออกสู่ตลาด สมาชิกหลายล้านคนไว้วางใจให้ผลิตภัณฑ์ Synchronoss เพื่อเชื่อมโยงกับบุคคล บริการ และเนื้อหาที่พวกเขาชื่นชอบ นั่นเป็นเหตุผลที่พนักงาน Synchronoss มากความสามารถมากกว่า 1,500 คนทั่วโลกพยายามอย่างหนักในทุก ๆ วันเพื่อสร้างโลกที่เชื่อมโยงกัน เรียนรู้เพิ่มเติมที่ www.synchronoss.com

ติดต่อด้านสื่อ

สำหรับ Synchronoss:
Anais Merlin, CCgroup UK
Diane Rose, CCgroup US
อีเมล: synchronoss@ccgrouppr.com

ติดต่อนักลงทุน
สำหรับ Synchronoss: Todd Kehrli/Joo-Hun Kim, MKR Investor Relations, Inc., อีเมล: investor@synchronoss.com

Posted on

Nikkiso Cryogenic Services นำโรงงานแยกอากาศในอินเดียกลับมาใช้ใหม่ เพื่อการจัดหาออกซิเจนที่สำคัญ

TEMECULA, แคลิฟอร์เนีย, July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (ต่อไปนี้ขอเรียกว่า “กลุ่มบริษัท”) บริษัทในเครือของ Nikkiso Co., Ltd (ประเทศญี่ปุ่น) ภูมิใจที่จะประกาศว่าพวกเขาได้ดำเนินการนำโรงงานแยกอากาศในเมือง Patcheru, Hyderabad ประเทศอินเดีย กลับมาใช้ใหม่ โครงการนี้ดำเนินการร่วมกับรัฐบาลพรรคเตลังกานา (Telangana, TEL) และมูลนิธิกรีนโก (Greenko Foundation, GKO)

เนื่องจากวิกฤตโรคระบาดที่เกิดขึ้นอย่างต่อเนื่องในอินเดีย รัฐบาลอินเดียจึงออกคำสั่งให้เริ่มการดำเนินการและผลิต LOX (Liquid Oxygen) เพื่อตอบสนองความต้องการเร่งด่วนสำหรับออกซิเจนทางการแพทย์อีกครั้ง GKO ได้นำโรงงานผลิตออกซิเจนเก่าที่ปิดตัวลงกลับมาใช้ใหม่ โดยเช่าจากบริษัท Air Water India Private Limited (AWI) เป็นระยะเวลา (2) สองปี

ในเดือนพฤษภาคม 2021 กลุ่มบริษัทได้ร่วมมือกับ GKO ในการนำโรงงานกลับมาใช้ใหม่ Nikkiso Cokogenic Services ให้การสนับสนุนทางเทคนิคที่สำคัญและชิ้นส่วนอะไหล่ รวมถึงตัวขับหัวฉีดและส่วนประกอบการสั่นสะเทือน และ Nikkiso Cosmoyne India Pvt Ltd. ให้การสนับสนุนบริการภาคสนาม เพื่อสนับสนุนคำขอเร่งด่วนนี้ เราได้จัดหาส่วนประกอบที่สำคัญได้ภายในเวลาสามวัน ซึ่งโดยปกติจะใช้เวลา 12-14 สัปดาห์ ภายในวันที่ 22 มิถุนายนนี้ ไซต์งานจะกลับมาเปิดดำเนินการอย่างเต็มรูปแบบอีกครั้ง

Jim Estes ประธาน Nikkiso Cryogenic Services กล่าวว่า “เราภูมิใจที่ได้มีบทบาทในการต่อสู้กับโควิด และเทคโนโลยีและการทำงานเป็นทีมที่ต้องใช้เพื่อทำให้โรงงานนี้พร้อมใช้งานในระยะเวลาอันสั้น”

กลุ่มบริษัทมีส่วนสำคัญในการให้การสนับสนุนทั่วโลกอย่างต่อเนื่องสำหรับการจัดหาออกซิเจนที่สำคัญตลอดช่วงการแพร่ระบาดของโรคโควิด

เกี่ยวกับ CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES

Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (ปัจจุบันเป็นสมาชิกของ Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) บริษัทสมาชิกผลิตอุปกรณ์แปรรูปก๊าซไครโอเจนทางวิศวกรรมและโรงงานที่มีกระบวนการขนาดเล็กสำหรับก๊าซธรรมชาติเหลว (LNG), บริการที่ดีและอุตสาหกรรมก๊าซสำหรับอุตสาหกรรม Cryogenic Industries ก่อตั้งขึ้นเมื่อ 50 ปีที่แล้ว เป็นบริษัทแม่ของ ACD, Cosmodyne และ Cryoquip และเป็นกลุ่มที่ควบคุมโดยทั่วไปซึ่งมีหน่วยงานปฏิบัติการประมาณ 20 แห่ง

สำหรับข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม โปรดไปที่ www.nikkisoCEIG.com และ www.nikkiso.com

ติดต่อด้านสื่อ:

Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com

Posted on

African Death Toll From COVID-19 Increasing

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the continent’s death toll from COVID-19 has jumped 17 percent in the past month. In a media briefing Thursday, the Africa CDC said the infection rate has also increased and warned some countries are testing less often for the virus than needed.

In his weekly online press briefing from Ethiopia, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengosong, gave a grim picture of the continent’s COVID-19 situation during the month of July.

“There has been an average increase of four percent of new cases over that time period … in terms of new deaths in the last four weeks, we’ve recorded an average of 17 percent new deaths [in the continent’s most populous countries] over same period … in terms of testing as a continent, as of today we have conducted about 58 million COVID tests and last week alone the continent conducted about 1.3 million tests but that represents a decrease of 19 percent over the previous week,” Nkengosong said. “Overall positivity rate stands at 11.2 percent.”

Overall, the continent recorded 239,000 coronavirus cases last week and 6,700 deaths, an increase of 700 deaths over the previous week.

The Africa CDC blames the increased deaths on virus-spreading events like the recent looting in South Africa and the celebration of Eid al-Hajj, the end of the Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca.

It also blames the delta variant, the most contagious form of coronavirus, which has spread across the globe in recent weeks.

The continent’s public health agency was happy that some African countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya have managed to limit the virus while allowing economic activities to go on.

Africa has so far received about 80 million vaccine doses from COVAX, the UN-backed global initiative to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.

The senior director for Africa at the U.S. National Security Council, Dana Banks, said Wednesday her country has started to ship some ten million vaccines to Africa.

“We are happy to announce that we will be sending over 5 million doses to South Africa … of Pfizer vaccines as well as 4 million doses of Moderna vaccine to Nigeria…. So we’re very excited about that and we hope that these will go a long way in helping to provide safety and health security for the people of Nigeria and South Africa, which will then enable them to get back to their regular activities, their economic activities, and help them to build back better,” Banks said.

The World Health Organization has said at least 700 million vaccines will be sent to Africa by the end of the year, enough to vaccinate about 30 percent of the continent’s 1.3 billion people.

However, Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director, said African governments and health officials need to do more to encourage people to get the vaccines.

“With the expected influx of vaccines, it’s crucial that countries scale up all the aspects of vaccine rollout to reach as many people as possible,” Moeti said. “This entails mobilizing adequate resources including finances for the vaccination activities, for the logistics and for the personnel as well as addressing any concerns by communities including those fueled by misinformation to increase vaccine confidence and demand.”

So far, less than 2 percent of Africans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The continent has officially recorded 6.5 million cases of the disease, although the real number is believed to be significantly higher.

Source: Voice of America

Posted on

World Leaders Pledge $4 Billion to Public Education Affected by Pandemic

Thursday marks the second and final day of the Global Education Summit in London, hosted by Kenya and the United Kingdom. International governments and corporations pledged to donate $4 billion for the Global Partnership for Education, which provides fair access to public education in 90 countries and territories that account for 80% of children out of school.

The summit emphasized the importance of equitable access to education amid warnings that COVID-19 has exacerbated already under-resourced public education programs in less economically developed countries. Experts alerted the organization that it was unlikely for those forced out of schools due to the pandemic to return.

Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister and chair of the partnership, noted that the pandemic affected access to education in all nations but poorer countries where families may lack internet connection or electricity were devastated.

Gillard said that this pledge puts the partnership on track for completing the goal of raising $5 billion over five years.

Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, Kenyan Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, warned of the pandemic’s devastating impact on global education, saying “education is the pathway, the way forward.”

Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Pakistan and activist for female education, spoke to the summit leaders and stressed the significance of accessible education for young girls who are often discriminated against. She warned that 130 million girls were unable to attend school because of the pandemic and said that “their futures are worth fighting for.”

Addressing the conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his government’s commitment to girls’ education and its goal of enrolling 40 million more girls in school by 2026.

“Enabling them to learn and reach their full potential is the single greatest thing we can do to recover from this crisis,” Johnson said.

Johnson faced criticism for advocating for girls’ education while simultaneously cutting the U.K.’s overseas aid budget. The prime minister pledged $602 million to the Global Partnership for Education, while slashing $5.6 billion from the U.K.’s international development allowance.

British officials said that the budget cut is temporary and was a necessary action due to the economic strain from pandemic recovery.

The Global Partnership for Education also received criticism for continuing funding to partner countries that openly discriminate against students. Investigations by Human Rights Watch uncovered open exclusion of pregnant students in Tanzania and Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh.

Source: Voice of America