June 26, 2024

A21 Launches Host Applications for Walk for Freedom 2024

Celebrating a Decade of Impact

DALLAS, TX, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A21, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating human trafficking through awareness, intervention, and aftercare, is thrilled to announce that applications to become a host for the 2024 Walk For Freedom are now live. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the world’s largest anti-human trafficking event of its kind, taking place on October 19th, 2024.

Since its inception in 2014, Walk For Freedom has united people worldwide, activated cities, reduced vulnerability, and multiplied freedom. We have seen over 350,000 participants take millions of steps for freedom in over 500 cities globally. The event has reached over 2 billion people through media coverage and social media and distributed over 1.4 million awareness and prevention materials.

Bring Walk For Freedom to Your City

Hosts are the catalysts for local action and global impact. They set the foundation for community mobilization, inspire others to stand for justice, and help build a legacy of freedom for future generations. As a host, you can bring Walk For Freedom to your city, raising awareness and driving action against modern-day slavery.

How Awareness Leads to Recovery

Last October, one day after participating in the Walk for Freedom in Kolkata, India, a man noticed signs of trafficking in his neighborhood. Armed with the knowledge and resources distributed during the walk, he immediately alerted local authorities, who then raided the house and rescued the girls.

“This time, when I spotted it, it stirred my heart,” said Gourav Singha Roy. “We are educated people. We are young people, living in cities, [with] urban lives. Yet, we are blind to many things that seem very normal to us. For example, little children working in the shop below the age of 14 years is something which is not right, which is illegal.”

His awareness, sparked by the Walk For Freedom event, led to the rescue of two young girls from forced labor. This story underscores the profound impact of awareness, education, and local action in the fight against human trafficking.

For more on Roy’s story, watch the CNN Freedom Project Report here.

Key Details for Hosts

Event Date: October 19, 2024
Application Deadline: September 19, 2024
Eligibility: Hosts must be 18 years or older and have a co-host for the event.
Responsibilities: Hosts are responsible for organizing, preparing, communicating, managing costs, and promoting their local walk.

Host Application Process

Apply: Submit your application online.
Review: A21 will review your application.
Interview: Selected candidates will be invited for a 30-minute interview.
Decision: Applicants will be notified via email about their acceptance.

Support for Hosts

A21 provides comprehensive support to ensure the success of each Walk For Freedom event, including:

Direct Contact with A21: Access to a dedicated team via phone, email, Zoom, and webinars.
Digital Resource Kit: Includes posters, flyers, fact sheets, day-of signage, planning guides, and more.

Join the Movement

This year, we need your leadership more than ever. Together, we can disrupt modern-day slavery and create a world where freedom thrives. Apply to become a Walk For Freedom host and make a difference in your community.

For more information and to apply, visit www.A21.org/WalkForFreedom.

About A21:
A21 is a global nonprofit organization determined to eradicate human trafficking through awareness, intervention, and aftercare. Currently operating across over 20 countries worldwide, A21 is a global anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to abolishing slavery everywhere, forever. Through partnerships and the efforts of supporters all over the globe, A21 believes slavery can be prevented, victims can be identified and assisted, perpetrators can be brought to justice, and millions of survivors can step into a life of independence. A21.org

Interviews:
Should you be interested in speaking with an A21 representative about the Walk For Freedom or the impact of current events on human trafficking, please don’t hesitate to contact: lauren.w@a21.org

Press artwork:
Walk for Freedom Photos

Video:
2023 Walk For Freedom Recap Video

Attachments

Lauren Wittel-Henrie
A21
lauren.w@a21.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9169215

June 26, 2024

Anaqua Launches AI-Powered IP Management Platform AQX® 11

New IP management platform drives efficiency and surfaces insights empowering organizations to excel in a competitive landscape

BOSTON, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology, today announces the launch of AI-powered AQX® 11—Anaqua’s most significant platform release in 20 years—to help corporations and law firms achieve maximum value from their IP assets. The launch coincides with the first day of the Anaqua Experience Conference and is part of the company’s 20th-anniversary celebrations.

An IP platform designed for operational and strategic advantage, AQX 11 brings a fresh look and feel to the world of IP management while dramatically enhancing decision-making capabilities and efficiency for IP attorneys and operations teams. A suite of new features includes:

AI Capabilities: AI Patent Summaries and AI Patent Auto-Classifier streamline patent review and classification processes, reducing manual work and enhancing data accuracy. With these AI capabilities, users can easily summarize patent claims and inventions, and automatically classify and map both internal and competitor patents to their organization’s proprietary classification system, providing a comprehensive view of the competitive landscape.

Attorney Workspace: For the first time, attorneys can quickly access critical data related to IP matters in one central place. Attorneys can accelerate and improve decision-making by having all pertinent information surfaced, including Office Actions, Foreign Filing, Annuity Decisions, and more.

Automation: Document Auto-Processing is a significant advancement, eliminating the manual work involved in docketing PTO communications, reducing errors, and enabling IP teams to concentrate on validating data accuracy and performing higher-level tasks, rather than data entry.

Domain Name Management: A new module tracks and manages Domain Name information alongside IP assets, providing a holistic view of an organization’s portfolio that is aligned with the way business owners manage these critical assets.

Innovation Management: Organizations can accelerate innovation and maximize value by facilitating early and frequent involvement of IP attorneys in strategic planning through Innovation Management. The module improves idea capture and development from the entire customer organization, streamlines collaboration across teams, and provides efficient tools for managing inventor and non-inventor contributions, ultimately enhancing speed to market and ensuring the best ideas are protected and implemented.

Product Management: A new feature gives visibility into patent contributions by tying patents, trademarks, and financial data to product families, enabling a clear understanding of the IP assets that drive product value. This enhanced visibility, including Patent Evaluation data in subject relationships, simplifies licensing opportunities and informs IP renewal decisions.

“Today is a milestone as we launch AQX 11,” said Bob Romeo, Anaqua CEO. “Powered by AI and enhanced automation, it’s a leap forward in IP management technology. As we celebrate Anaqua’s 20th anniversary, this release highlights our progress and commitment to innovation. We are excited to commemorate our anniversary and share this achievement with our global client community, who have been integral in making this possible.”

Vincent Brault, Senior Vice President of Product & Innovation at Anaqua, further emphasized the significance of the release: “AQX 11 reflects extensive collaboration with our valued client community. This release empowers our clients to optimize operational efficiency and strategic decision-making through groundbreaking AI capabilities and automation. By enabling IP practitioners to extract vital insights from essential data and streamline portfolio decisions and patent classification, AQX 11 sets a new standard in IP management technology.”

For more information about AQX 11 and to request a demo, please visit anaqua.com.

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premier provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX^® and PATTSY WAVE^®, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on Anaqua’s LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Glagolev
Director, Communications
Anaqua
617-375-5808
aglagolev@anaqua.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9157793

June 26, 2024

Anaqua lance la plateforme de gestion PI AQX® 11, alimentée par l’IA

La nouvelle plateforme de gestion PI permet d’améliorer l’efficacité et d’obtenir des analyses précises, permettant ainsi aux entreprises d’exceller dans un environnement compétitif

BOSTON, 26 juin 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, fournisseur leader de technologies de gestion de l’innovation et de la propriété intellectuelle (PI), annonce aujourd’hui le lancement d’AQX® 11, alimenté par l’IA – la version la plus importante de la plateforme d’Anaqua en 20 ans – pour aider les entreprises et les conseils en propriété industrielle à tirer le maximum de valeur de leurs actifs de PI. Ce lancement coïncide avec le premier jour de la conférence Anaqua Experience et fait partie des célébrations du 20^ème anniversaire de la société.

Plateforme de PI conçue pour développer un avantage opérationnel et stratégique, AQX 11 prend une nouvelle apparence, tout en améliorant considérablement les capacités de prise de décision et l’efficacité des avocats, juristes et personnels administratifs en propriété intellectuelle. Parmi les nouvelles fonctionnalités, on peut citer :

Intelligence Artificielle : Les outils AI Patent Summaries et AI Patent Auto-Classifier optimisent les processus d’examen et de classification des brevets, en réduisant le travail manuel et en améliorant la précision des données. Grâce à ces fonctionnalités d’IA, les utilisateurs peuvent facilement résumer les revendications de brevets et les inventions, et classer et cartographier automatiquement les brevets internes et ceux des concurrents selon le système de classification propre à leur entreprise, offrant ainsi une vue d’ensemble du paysage concurrentiel.

Espace de travail des avocats : Pour la première fois, les avocats peuvent accéder rapidement aux données essentielles relatives aux questions de propriété intellectuelle en un seul endroit. Ils peuvent accélérer et améliorer leur prise de décision en ayant accès à toutes les informations pertinentes, y compris les actions de l’office, les dépôts internationaux, les décisions relatives aux annuités, etc.

Automatisation : L’automatisation du traitement des documents est une avancée significative qui élimine le travail manuel lié à l’enregistrement des communications des Offices des brevets et des marques, réduit les erreurs et permet aux équipes de propriété intellectuelle de se concentrer sur la validation de l’exactitude des données et l’exécution de tâches de plus haut niveau, plutôt que sur la saisie de données.

Gestion des noms de domaine : Un nouveau module permet de suivre et de gérer les informations relatives aux noms de domaine en même temps que les actifs de propriété intellectuelle, offrant ainsi une vision globale du portefeuille d’une entreprise, et qui s’aligne sur la manière dont les propriétaires d’entreprises gèrent ces actifs essentiels.

Gestion de l’innovation : Les entreprises peuvent accélérer l’innovation et maximiser sa valeur en facilitant l’implication précoce et fréquente des conseils en propriété industrielle dans la planification stratégique grâce à un module de gestion de l’innovation. Ce module améliore la capture et le développement d’idées provenant de l’ensemble de l’entreprise cliente, optimise la collaboration entre les équipes et fournit des outils efficaces pour gérer les contributions des inventeurs et des non-inventeurs, ce qui accélère la mise sur le marché et garantit que les meilleures idées sont protégées et mises en œuvre.

Gestion des produits : Une nouvelle fonctionnalité permet de visualiser les contributions en matière de brevets en liant les brevets, les marques et les données financières aux familles de produits. Ceci permet de comprendre clairement les actifs de propriété intellectuelle qui augmentent la valeur des produits. Cette visibilité accrue, y compris les données d’évaluation des brevets dans les relations avec les sujets, simplifie les opportunités de licence et éclaire les décisions de renouvellement de la propriété intellectuelle.

« Aujourd’hui est une étape importante puisque nous lançons AQX 11 », a déclaré Bob Romeo, PDG d’Anaqua. « Alimenté par l’IA et une automatisation améliorée, c’est un bond en avant dans les technologies de gestion de la PI. Alors que nous célébrons le 20^ème anniversaire d’Anaqua, ce lancement souligne nos progrès et notre engagement en matière d’innovation. Nous sommes ravis de célébrer notre anniversaire et de partager cet accomplissement avec notre communauté mondiale de clients, qui ont joué un rôle essentiel dans la réalisation de ce projet. »

Vincent Brault, Vice-président senior du produit et de l’innovation chez Anaqua, a souligné l’importance de cette version : « AQX 11 est le résultat d’une collaboration étendue avec notre communauté de clients. Cette version permet à nos clients d’optimiser l’efficacité opérationnelle et la prise de décision stratégique grâce à des capacités d’IA et d’automatisation révolutionnaires. En permettant aux acteurs de la propriété intellectuelle d’extraire des informations vitales à partir de données essentielles et de rationaliser les décisions relatives aux portefeuilles et à la classification des brevets, AQX 11 établit une nouvelle norme en matière de technologie de gestion de la propriété intellectuelle. »

Pour plus d’informations sur AQX 11 et pour demander une démonstration, veuillez consulter le site anaqua.com.

À propos d’Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. est un fournisseur de premier plan de solutions et services technologiques intégrés de gestion de la propriété intellectuelle (PI). Ses logiciels, AQX® et PATTSY WAVE®, combinent les meilleurs outils pour définir une stratégie de PI avisée. Ses technologies, qui reposent notamment sur des workflows et des capacités d’analyses avancés, offre un environnement de travail intelligent conçu pour prendre de meilleures décisions et optimiser les opérations de PI. Aujourd’hui, près de la moitié des 100 premiers déposants de brevets américains et des marques mondiales, ainsi qu’un nombre croissant de cabinets de conseils en PI dans le monde, utilisent les solutions Anaqua. Plus d’un million de décideurs, avocats, juristes, gestionnaires et innovateurs utilisent les logiciels Anaqua pour leurs besoins de gestion de la PI. Le siège de la société est situé à Boston, avec des bureaux aux États-Unis, en Europe, en Asie et en Australie. Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez consulter le site anaqua.com, ou la page entreprise d’Anaqua sur LinkedIn.

Contact presse :
Amanda Glagolev
Directrice de la communication
Anaqua
+1-617-375-5808
aglagolev@anaqua.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9157793

June 26, 2024

Oil regulatory authority refutes dirty fuel importation

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says there is no imported dirty fuel in the country.

The Authority said it would never encourage importation of dirty fuel into the country and ensured that only quality protroleum products are consumed by Nigerians.

Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMDPRA, made this known while speaking with newsmen after a meeting with the oil marketers and local refiners on Tuesday in Abuja.

Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals had accused the Authority of granting licenses to oil marketers to import dirty fuel into the country.

The Vice President, Oil and Gas, at Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Devakumar Edwin, had accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria of doing everything to frustrate the survival of Dangote Refinery.

Ukoha, while addressing newsmen said the sulphur content in the fuel even in this June was not above the lawful limit.

‘There is no dirty fu
el being brought in and I have given you the statistics for June.

‘What we have on the average from the imports have continued to go down from 200 Parts Per Million (PPM) on the average and now we have it far below the 50 PPM that is provided under the law,’ he said.

He recalled that the ECOWAS), Heads of States in 2020 endorsed a declaration, adopting the African Fuel Roadmap that requires that certain products have as a minimum 50PPT per a million litres of sulphur.

The Executive Director said while it encouraged almost an immediate enforcement, on import to comply with that standard, the same treaty deferred enforcement for local refiners up to Dec. 31, 2024.

According to him, though the time for enforcement on local refineries is not due, the plants are complying on their own.

‘And with the refineries there is no need to enforce that until the end of this year. But they themselves are already taking steps to see that is also guaranteed,’ he said.

Ukoha noted that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in
2021, Section 318 also captured and upheld the ECOWAS treaty.

‘So as an Authority what have we done since we came into being? We started by engendering compliance. We saw a downward trend up to 2022-2023 December,’ he said.

The Executive Director admitted there was a spike in the sulphur content of imported products between December 2023 and January 2024, which resulted in a vigorous enforcement in February.

‘In December and in January 2024, we noticed a spike in the sulphur content of products being imported. And again now began strong enforcement from Feb. 1,

‘I am happy to tell Nigerians that up until as we speak in June, the average sulphur content in every Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) that is brought into Nigeria is far below what the 50 PPM provision is in the law,” he said.

According to him, the new refineries are even built with plant sulphurisation limit which will reduce it to 10PPM.

‘But we are not very anxious about that because even the new refineries that are coming on have within their desig
n of the plants the sulphurisation limit that we will see in the nearest future going down as low as 10PPM.

‘So, I will like to assure Nigeria that this is a mandate that the Authority takes very seriously and that we are here to guarantee the wellbeing and health of Nigeria and there is no dirty fuel we will encourage to come into Nigeria,’ he said.

Ukoha further said that the meeting with the oil marketers and refiners was aimed at promoting collaboration in a manner that would guarantees energy security within the country.

‘Our discussions covered considerable issues, very significant and profound. Issues of pricing, competition have been raised and we will continue to engage with every operator to see that we land at a place that is ultimately beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians,’ he added.

Also, Gabriel Ogbechie, the Group Managing Director of Rain Oil Limited said the meeting agreed on level playing field for efficient collaboration in the sector.

Source: South News Agency of Nigeria

June 26, 2024

World Drug Day: Tinubu rallies support for drug war

President Bola Tinubu has pledged more support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in its fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The President made the pledge as Special Guest of Honour, at the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, otherwise known as World Drug Day, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Speaking on the theme: ‘The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention,’ Tinubu enjoined all and sundry to support the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative launched by NDLEA three years ago.

The President was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume.

‘I commend and urge everyone to redouble their efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking in the country.

‘On this score, I wish to reassure you of this administration’s support. The Renewed Hope Agenda places the youth at the centre of its focus. Therefore, we ensure that our young people are protected from anything that could derail their future or destroy their po
tential,’ he said.

He noted that illicit drugs and substances had wreaked havoc on individuals, families, communities and countries worldwide.

‘In the face of such a formidable challenge, prevention is the most potent weapon that we can deploy. Prevention not only saves lives; it also saves resources that would otherwise be spent on treatment and rehabilitation.

‘It empowers individuals to make informed choices, promotes healthy lifestyles and creates resilient communities capable of withstanding the pressures of drug abuse.

‘Investing in prevention is not merely a moral imperative, a prudent way of safeguarding our future.

‘By allocating resources towards evidence-based prevention programmes, we can break the vicious cycle of drug abuse and protect our youth from falling prey to the menace,’ said Tinubu.

He stated that, ‘the assignment before us as a country requires that we prioritise evidence-based prevention strategies, allocate adequate resources and foster partnerships for greater impact.

‘This
government will support NDLEA to build on the success recorded in the past few years. We shall work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we have positive statistics from the next national drug use survey that will be conducted in the country.’

He urged all Nigerians to join hands in this noble cause, saying it is an assignment for all patriotic citizens, including religious leaders, traditional leaders, educational institutions, opinion leaders, and civil society organisations.

‘NDLEA has created a formidable platform for cooperation vis-à-vis its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy initiative,’ he said.

Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, said the ‘Save Our Families’ social advocacy campaign launched at the ceremony by the President, was designed to prevent and tackle drug use through early detection and intervention.

He said the newly produced special drug test kits was a necessity in every home, school and workplace, and that the Drug Integ
rity Test initiative would metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian.

‘The test is intended for secondary school students, students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and returning students, workers in government and private offices and individuals seeking political offices as well as prospective couples before taking their marriage vows.

‘The drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and early detection of the individual’s status of drug use for the purpose of appropriate intervention including treatment and rehabilitation.

‘Let me also add that our drug integrity test, which has been adopted by some government institutions and tertiary institutions in the country, is a preventive mechanism,’ said Marwa.

He said the Agency had produced tens of thousands of special test kits capable of detecting 15 different substances, which were available in all its commands across the country.

‘This is for use in homes, schools, workplaces and others. Apart from helping i
n early detection of drug abuse especially by our youths so that we can get them help in form of treatment, this will also create some deterrence effects,’ he said.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s World Drug Day, Marwa said drug use prevention lied at the heart of NDLEA’s strategy in addressing the drug problem because it was far more effective and cost-efficient to prevent drug abuse than to deal with its consequences.

‘In this regard, we have used our WADA social advocacy initiative to campaign vigorously at the grassroots and create awareness for our people to shun illicit substances.

‘WADA is a sensitisation and advocacy initiative that employs the whole of society approach to engage all stakeholders including the government sectors, institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations.

‘This is with emphasis on youths in and out of school, community gatekeepers including traditional and community leaders, as well as religious leaders among others.

‘I am proud to state that the programme has been a
tremendous success as an effective tool of advocacy for social action and an awareness driven vehicle for public engagement and collaboration against the drug scourge,’ he explained.

He stated that between 2021 and 2024, the Agency embarked on 6,423 sensitisation and education programmes targeting young people in school and 987 programmes for Out of School youths in order to create awareness on the dangers associated with drug use.

‘This is in addition to the millions of homes reached with our anti-substance abuse messages through our aggressive and impactful media campaigns using various traditional and new media platforms,’ he said.

The outgoing United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Dr Oliver Stolpe, also made a number of recommendations.

‘After the exceptionally successful testing of the school-based drug prevention programme UNPLUGGED involving half a million secondary school children in Nigeria, the programme should be rolled out to all 28, 000 public and private s
econdary schools.

‘We need to enhance the resilience against drug use among the millions of out-of-school children, for example through sports-based initiatives such as Line Up Live Up (LULU).

‘Furthermore, we need to strengthen families in their ability to recognise and address drug use in effective and constructive ways,’ he said.

Stolpe further said: ‘Most importantly, there is an urgent need to repeat the 2018 national drug use survey. Without up-to-date data, there is no way in which we can assess whether our collective efforts have long-term impact and address the actual priorities.’

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who emphasised the importance of testing in schools expressed the ministry’s support for NDLEA drug test campaign.

According to him, the most important place where this prevention fight should start is the education sector.

‘And we will do our own part, even last week, it was something we considered and promised to review the existing policies so that we can work with NDL
EA to take it to secondary schools and primary schools.

‘To establish at all levels compulsory and sustained testing, it has to be compulsory and sustained, right through the years and period of their education,’ he said.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Rep. Abass Adigun, called for more budgetary provisions for NDLEA in the face of its multi-faceted mandate.

‘We at the national assembly are ready to work with the NDLEA and we need the federal government to look into this,’ said Adigun.

Source: South News Agency of Nigeria

June 26, 2024

NAMA upgrades surveillance system to enhance airspace safety

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has begun upgrading surveillance infrastructure in airports and other remote installations to enhance safety and security of the nation’s airspace.

Its Managing Director, Mr Ahmed Farouk, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

Farouk also said that President Bola Tinubu had approved an onsite visit to Spain by critical staff of the agency to inspect some facilities and engage technology solution providers.

He said that NAMA received a team from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to discuss salient issues on safety and security of the nation’s airspace.

According to Farouk, the collaboration between NAMA and NAF is critical to the sustenance of Nigeria’s airspace safety and security.

‘NAMA handles civil operations, while the air force oversees security. Our close collaboration is vital for maintaining a safe and secure airspace,’ he said.

He quoted the leader of the NAF delegation, AVM Abubakar Abdulkadir, as saying that NAF recently deployed ne
w platforms designed for national air defence.

Farouk also quoted Abdulkadir as saying that NAF had completed day training and was about to finish night training which would enable rapid interception of any intrusion in the airspace.

Source: South News Agency of Nigeria