Month: January 2023

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President extends New Year wishes to Lao people

Party Secretary General and State President Thongloun Sisoulith on Dec 30 delivered a speech extending wishes to all Lao people on the occasion of international New Year 2023.
My countrymen, year 2022 witnessed us facing a number of difficulties and challenges, including the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic and severe economic and financial difficulties. However, with the unity of the entire Party, state and the entire Lao people as well as the support and assistance from friendly countries, we have made to addressed the problems basically, saving the country from falling into a severe crisis, allowing the country to enjoy strong political stability, society to enjoy peace, economy to enjoy a gradual and constant recovery. These have laid fundamental basis for our country’s economy to grow over years to come.
As for the year 2023, we will continue to overcome such challenges and obstacles. Therefore, I call on all the Lao people, both in the country and abroad to focus all mental and physical efforts and courage on achieving our cause of national protection and development as planned, leading our country to a new step of development, with people enjoying peacefulness, society enjoying unstoppable peace and civilization.
On the occasion of welcoming New Year 2023, on behalf of the Party and government leaders and on my own behalf, I would like to extend best wishes to all Lao people both in the country and abroad a good health, happiness and continue to carry out your tasks with new and greater success thus elevating our country to new heights of development.
May the celebration of International New Year 2023 be full of joy and peace and safety, “Happy New Year 2023”.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Cuba shows infant mortality rate of 7.5 per thousand live births

Cuba registered an infant mortality rate of 7.5 per thousand live births in 2022, with 39 fewer deaths than in 2021 when that indicator was 7.6, authorities from the Ministry of Health reported on Jan 1, 2023 Public (MINSAP).
A note from that portfolio published on its website states that among the main causes of infant mortality in children under one year of age were perinatal conditions, mainly related to low birth weight, prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation, in addition to congenital malformations and sepsis.
After almost two years of confronting Covid-19, in 2022 the National Health System was engaged in maintaining control of the pandemic, the recovery of health activities and improving the indicators of prioritized programs.
The text adds that one of the most sensitive and decisive rates for the future of the country is the Maternal and Child Care Program (PAMI), which had the support of the Government and MINSAP in order to guarantee the well-being of children, pregnant women and postpartum women.
On the subject, the national head of PAMI, Dr. Noemi Causa, stated that among the actions taken were the implementation of measures to improve the Family Doctor and Nurse Program.
In addition, work was done on the development plan for the specialties of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neonatology, Pediatrics, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Surgery and Comprehensive General Medicine. New measures were also incorporated to reduce prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation, a comprehensive evaluation of the functioning of maternity homes was carried out to increase the occupational index, teaching activities and professional improvement were carried out.
Likewise, the link between State agencies, political and mass organizations, and the media was intensified to transmit messages that would contribute to preventing adolescent pregnancy, an indicator that decreased from 18 percent in 2021 to 17.8 percent last year.
Despite the efforts of the health personnel, the PAMI did not achieve the desired results, so that at the end of 2022, the Minsap Directorate of Medical Records and Statistics reports that 95,402 live births were reported on the island, three thousand 694 less than the previous year, and that the mortality rate was 7.5 per thousand live births.
The territories with the best rates were Cienfuegos (4.3), Holguin with (4.5), Sancti Spiritus (4.7), Matanzas (5.0), Artemisa (5.4), Pinar del Rio (5.9) and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud with 2.6.
The rest had higher indicators: Ciego de ivila with 6.2, Granma 6.6, Las Tunas 7.0, Villa Clara 7.3, Camagiey 9.1, Havana 9.5, Guantinamo 9.7, Santiago de Cuba 9.9 and Mayabeque 12.2.

Source: Lao News Agency

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Minovia Therapeutics to Present at Biotech Showcase on Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Company to be in San Francisco January 8-12, 2023, during 41st Annual J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference

WOBURN, Mass. and HAIFA, Israel, Jan. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Minovia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage global biotechnology company, today announced that the Company will be presenting at the Biotech Showcase on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

Time: 9:45 AM PST

Track: Franciscan C (Ballroom Level)

Biotech Showcase is an investor conference featuring insights from top investors and biopharma executives.

Interested parties can register to attend the event here:

https://informaconnect.com/biotech-showcase/registration-options/

Additionally, CEO Natalie Yivgi-Ohana and CBO Shai Melcer will be in San Francisco from January 8-12, 2023, during the 41st Annual J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference and will be available for meetings with investors.

Individuals interested in meeting with CEO Natalie Yivgi-Ohana and CBO Shai Melcer can contact shai.melcer@minoviatx.com

About Minovia
Minovia Therapeutics is a clinical-stage global biotechnology company committed to the discovery and development of novel approaches to treating diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Minovia’s Mitochondrial Augmentation Technology (MAT) platform is designed to extend and enhance human lives by restoring mitochondrial function using autologous stem cells enriched with healthy, functional mitochondria. This unique approach capitalizes on the natural ability of mitochondria to transfer between cells. The company’s initial clinical focus is on primary mitochondrial diseases, such as Pearson syndrome, a fatal pediatric disease, and hematological disorders that include mitochondrial dysfunction.

Findings on safety and efficacy of MAT, both pre-clinical and clinical, may be found in these publications:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41536-021-00167-7

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abo3724

Minovia was founded by leading researchers in mitochondrial biology and is headquartered in Haifa, Israel, with operations in Massachusetts.

For more information, visit http://minoviatx.com/.

Contact Information

Shai Melcer, CBO

3 HaSadna st., Tirat Carmel

Israel

Shai.melcer@minoviatx.com

+972-747033354

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8722760

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Matthews International Wins Over $200 Million in Orders in Fiscal 2023 First Quarter For the Energy Solutions Business

  • Order intake is more than twice fiscal year 2022 revenues for energy storage solutions business
  • Solidifies Matthews International’s position as a leader in the growing electric vehicle (“EV”) energy storage solutions industry
  • Company received orders from multiple manufacturers of EV, battery, and hydrogen fuel cell components

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ GSM: MATW) (“Matthews”), a global provider of industrial technologies and renewable energy equipment, today announced that total orders received by the Company during the fiscal 2023 first quarter for its energy storage solutions business exceeded $200 million. The orders have been received from multiple electric vehicle (“EV”), fuel cell, and battery manufacturers to provide equipment and services to the fast-growing business.

“We are very pleased to see continued strength in orders for our energy storage solutions. This order rate reflects industry interest in the proprietary nature of our unique solutions,” said Joseph Bartolacci, President and CEO of Matthews. “Over the past two fiscal years, our energy storage solutions business has more than tripled. With these orders, we are potentially on track this fiscal year for another year of very significant growth.”

About Matthews International Corporation

Matthews International Corporation is a global provider of industrial technologies, memorialization products and brand solutions. The Industrial Technologies segment designs, manufactures, services, and distributes high-tech custom energy storage, marking, coding and industrial automation technologies and solutions. The Memorialization segment is a leading provider of memorialization products, including memorials, caskets, cremation-related products, and cremation and incineration equipment, primarily to cemetery and funeral home customers that help families move from grief to remembrance. The SGK Brand Solutions segment is a leading provider of packaging solutions and brand experiences, helping companies simplify their marketing, amplify their brands, and provide value. The Company has approximately 12,000 employees in more than 26 countries on six continents that are committed to delivering the highest quality products and services.

Forward-looking Information

Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are included pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company’s actual results in future periods to be materially different from management’s expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove correct. Factors that could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from the results discussed in such forward-looking statements principally include changes in domestic or international economic conditions, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in interest rates, changes in the cost of materials used in the manufacture of the Company’s products, changes in mortality and cremation rates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of consolidation in the industries in which the Company operates, or other factors such as supply chain disruptions, labor shortages or labor cost increases, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of domestic or international competitive pressures, ability to achieve cost-reduction objectives, unknown risks in connection with the Company’s acquisitions, cybersecurity concerns, effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls, compliance with domestic and foreign laws and regulations, technological factors beyond the Company’s control, impact of pandemics or similar outbreaks, or other disruptions to our industries, customers, or supply chains, the impact of global conflicts, such as the current war between Russia and Ukraine, and other factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

For Investor Relations:

William D. Wilson
Senior Director, Corporate Development and Investor Relations
412.325.8418

Matthews International Corporation
Corporate Office
Two NorthShore Center
Pittsburgh, PA  15212-5851
Phone: (412) 442-8200

January 2, 2023 Contact: Steven F. Nicola William D. Wilson
Chief Financial Officer Senior Director
and Secretary Corporate Development

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8722570

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Brazil Bids Farewell to ‘King of Soccer’ Pele with 24-Hour Wake

The Brazilian coastal city of Santos, which sporting giant Pele turned into a byword for soccer brilliance during a glittering club career, started bidding goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.
Mourners lined up to see Pele’s body in an open casket in the center of the field at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos Football Club. Pele died on Thursday at 82 after battling colon cancer.
“Pele leaves millions of Santos fans across our country. He was the creator of Brazilian soccer,” said Antonio da Paz, a fan outside the stadium for the memorial that began at 10 a.m. (1300 GMT).
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the first to arrive for the service and said he would ask every country to name a stadium after Pele, the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player.
“Pele is eternal,” Infantino told reporters. “FIFA will certainly honor the ‘king’ as he deserves. We have asked all football associations in the world to pay a minute of silence before every game and will also ask them, 211 countries, to name a stadium after Pele. Future generations must know and remember who Pele was.”

Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Pele’s given name – was born in 1940 in the small country town of Tres Coracoes, but moved to Santos in 1956 and lived there for most of his life.
In the early hours Monday, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital.
Former Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto and Pele’s son Edinho helped placing his coffin in the field, TV footage showed. Floral wreaths were sent by the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid.
On Tuesday, a procession carrying Pele’s coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, ending at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.
Santos’ press office said some 5,000 journalists from all over the world had been accredited to cover the wake of Pele, who scored more than 1,000 goals for Santos.
Several government officials are expected to attend the memorial, including newly sworn-in Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, a longtime Santos supporter.
Sao Paulo state military police said in a statement they had prepared a special operation called the “King Pele Operation” to ensure public order.
“I’ll be here all day, 24 hours, from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m.,” fan Roberto Santos said. “Pele deserves it.”

Source: Voice of America

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Mastermind of Banksy Removal Could Face Years in Jail, Ukraine Says

The suspected mastermind behind the removal of a Banksy mural in a Ukrainian town could face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said Monday.
The artwork, depicting a woman in a gas mask and a dressing gown holding a fire extinguisher, was taken off a wall in the town of Hostomel on December 2, according to officials.
The ministry announced on its website that the man it believes orchestrated the operation had been handed a “suspicion notice.”
The artwork by the renowned British artist had been valued at $243,900, the ministry statement said.
“The criminals tried to transport this graffiti with the help of wooden boards and polyethylene,” it said.
“Thanks to the concern of citizens, the police and other security forces managed to arrest the criminals.”
The mural was retrieved.
Banksy confirmed he had painted the mural and six others in places that were hit by heavy fighting after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

Source: Voice of America