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LONDON: Is China a friend or foe to Europe? For some European countries, China is one of the largest trade partners and investors. There could be a positive, symbiotic connection, but sometimes Beijing appears to undermine those relationships. In the UK, details emerged in mid-December of an alleged Chinese spy who had developed close relations with, among others, Prince Andrew . The case of Yang Tengbo , also known as Chris Yang, highlights the challenges that countries looking to build closer ties to China face. Concerns over espionage, unfair trading practices and cyberattacks all appear to be the price of access to China’s substantial market and investment opportunities. The question countries such as the UK face is whether the costs are worth the benefits. WHO IS YANG TENGBO? Yang Tengbo is a 50-year-old Chinese businessman who has been a key figure in Sino-UK industrial relations for years. He serves as the executive chairman of the UK-Chinese Business Association and was a member of the 48 Group Club, another Sino-UK business association. He first arrived in the UK in 2002 and by 2013 had gained indefinite leave to remain. Through his various firms, which aim to provide advice to facilitate interactions between Chinese and UK entities, and his association positions he developed a range of close relations with high-level political figures in the UK. His relationship with Prince Andrew was so close as to be invited to the royal’s 60th birthday party and warrant the Duke of York’s senior advisor, Dominic Hampshire, to tell Yang that "outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on". Through this connection, Yang joined visits to St James’ Palace and Windsor Castle, and has been photographed alongside David Cameron, Theresa May and her husband in Downing Street. Yang’s level of access alarmed UK security forces. In 2021, he was stopped at the border and his digital devices were taken. The data from those devices led UK security services to believe that Yang was linked to the United Front Work Department, a Chinese government agency that utilises overseas Chinese citizens to gain influence and spy on individuals and organisations overseas. In 2023, Yang’s residency rights were cancelled and he was banned from the UK. AWKWARD TIMING While there are significant questions over Yang’s level of influence and any nefarious activity, it is far from the only incident of espionage or malign operations by China against the UK. In May, the UK accused Chinese hackers of accessing 270,000 payroll records of the UK armed forces. In January 2022, MI5 issued a security alert about an alleged Chinese agent, Christine Ching Kui Lee , who was alleged to be attempting to gain influence with UK parliamentarians on behalf of the Chinese government. These influence and espionage operations are not confined to the UK. Countries throughout Europe, North America and Asia have all attributed similar operations to some form of Chinese official backing. But the Yang case comes at a particularly awkward time for the UK’s new Labour government. Under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the government is eager to foster growth at all costs, deepening trade relations with as many countries as possible, including the United States, European Union members, India and China. The latest revelations about Chinese influence operations at the top of UK society is therefore embarrassing for the government as it attempts to smooth over its often bumpy relationship with Beijing. The difficulties London faces in its relations with Beijing were highlighted by Starmer’s response to a question about Yang. Rather than openly criticise Beijing, Starmer chose instead to suggest that it was “better to engage” with China and that he was “pleased with the engagement and the progress that we’ve made”. FRIEND OR FOE? The problem for many countries, especially those in Europe struggling with tepid economic growth and facing the prospect of a hostile trade relationship with the US under Donald Trump, is that China is too big a market to ignore. However, the price of doing business with China is often to downplay the influence operations, espionage, dumping and other malign activities that Beijing seems reluctant to dispense with. From China’s perspective, the goal of such operations is to learn more about and gain more influence over countries in the West that are seen as competitors or rivals. London is a particularly good target, not only as a major economy and global power, but a close ally to the United States, major contributor to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and significant defence power in its own right. The UK now must decide whether to paper over these unsightly activities by China for the sake of economic ties, or to make its position known to China. A key moment will be whether the government allows a new Chinese embassy to be built on the site of the former Royal Mint, the maker of UK coins, in east London, despite objections from local authorities. If approved, it would be China’s largest embassy in Europe and more than a third larger than the US’ own new embassy in south London. The number of diplomatic staff would give a huge boost to potential Chinese influence and espionage operations in the UK. It remains to be seen if that is a price the Starmer government is willing to pay. Christian Le Miere is a foreign policy adviser and the founder and CEO of Arcipel, a strategic advisory firm based in London.Puma Exploration Executes Definitive Agreements for McKenzie Gold ProjectWhere EV Stocks Are Going In 2025777 jili slot 。

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The home healthcare market is in a state of flux. The need for home healthcare workers is soaring as the population in the U.S. ages. In about ten years, 78 million people in the U.S. will be 65 or over. By 2060, The Institute on Aging expects the demographic will increase to 98 million and account for a quarter of the U.S. population. At the same time, the nation is aging, there is a dearth of home healthcare workers, and it looks like it's only going to get worse. Over the next decade, the institute expects the number of home health aide jobs to grow by 425,000, creating a shortage that will need to be filled. As it stands, about 95% of home and community-based care providers say they face moderate to severe staffing shortages, with 77% turning away new clients because of the lack of workers. What's more, 72% of providers say staffing shortages make it hard to meet quality standards. If nothing is done, that problem will only get worse. It's why some home healthcare providers are turning to technology, namely NurseMagicTM, for an assist. The brainchild of Amesite AMST , NurseMagic is a proprietary AI-powered app designed for nurses and home health care workers. The company reports it has closed on contracts with franchise owners representing nationally recognized brands that operate hundreds of locations across the country – resulting in recurring revenue in a total addressable market it estimates at $330 billion. Streamlining Work, Improving Care The AI-powered app, which Amesite reports has seen explosive growth since its launch this past summer, provides nurses and home healthcare professionals with a handy tool that writes comprehensive documentation instantly, can quickly translate medical terms into easy-to-understand language, create work emails, assist nurses in talking to patients with compassion, coach nurses on taking effective breaks during the day, convert images to text, provide key information about medications and collect instant feedback. Amesite says its AI app integrates seamlessly into the operational frameworks of home care agencies, enhancing workflow efficiency and supporting employee retention by lightening administrative burdens and reducing worker burnout. As a result, AI technology can enable agencies to make the most of existing resources and extend care to more clients who would otherwise be turned away due to staffing constraints, reports Amesite. Take the Senior Helpers franchise in Northern Orange County for one example. Since adopting NurseMagic, owner Steven Nickens said NurseMagic has been empowering his staff to get answers to questions quickly through the app, saving time and ensuring accurate results. "NurseMagic’s technology is transforming my organization with its intuitive and easy-to-use platform," said Nickens. "NurseMagic is both powerful and incredibly easy to use, making it accessible to everyone on my team.” Nickens isn't alone in his assessment. Joshua Porter, owner of the Spokane North BrightStar Care franchise, said he uses NurseMagic to support the company's rapid growth. “As a new franchise owner with extensive business and engineering experience, I'm thrilled to share how quickly we're growing. When I discovered NurseMagic, I immediately recognized it as a must-have to stay competitive in today's market," said Porter, noting there are no hidden fees or messy contracts when bringing NurseMagic into the fray. Growth Driven By NurseMagic In addition to improving the quality of care for patients, NurseMagic is also aiming to help healthcare franchises grow their businesses. That's certainly the case at the Fargo Senior Helpers franchise, with owner Tanya Ferber saying the app is enabling her to go after more medically complex clients in the new year. Plus, incorporating NurseMagic into her business attracts more tech-savvy healthcare workers. "It's a value-added tool for my business and takes our quality to the next level," says Ferber. It's not just home healthcare franchises that benefit. Amesite says that by selling NurseMagic to franchise owners from well-known brands in the home health and home care industries, its revenue should grow and cement NurseMagic's status as a must-have tool. "We made two tactical decisions: first, to build a best-in-class infrastructure that delivers top-tier compliance, security and low operating costs; and second, to price NurseMagic accessibly, at a sustainable margin, focusing on scaling sales rather than maximizing margins with a few customers," said Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, CEO of Amesite. "These choices position us to meet the strong demand in our industry and drive widespread adoption." Since launching NurseMagic a mere five months ago, the company says it has met several milestones, including launching a paid individual subscription , meeting HIPAA compliance requirements for paid enterprise customers and generating revenue in the home care market . The U.S. population is getting older at the same time that there is a shortage of nurses and home healthcare workers available to tend to the aging population. Those who are working are stressed and doing more with less. NurseMagic can fill that gap, presenting nurses, home health care workers and franchises with an AI-driven tool to improve the quality of life for workers and the care for patients, the company argues. It’s a win-win, which is why Amesite has been hitting so many milestones in 2024, and expects revenue to ramp up in the new year. Featured photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash . This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food and facilities management, announced today that Avendra International acquired the Quantum Cost Consultancy Group. The acquisition further enhances the company’s position as a leading global professional procurement and supply chain services provider, to a wide range of clients including hotels, hospitality and leisure resorts, healthcare, and educational institutions worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219109142/en/ Quantum has customer spend of nearly half a billion dollars (converted to US currency) and has operations in Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Zanzibar, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. “We are very pleased to bring Quantum into our portfolio,” said Autumn Bayles, Aramark’s Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Group Purchasing Organizations. “Both companies share a similar vision and culture and adding Quantum positions us to better globally serve not only the hotel category, but several other hospitality markets in the Quantum geographies.” Quantum’s associates and clients can expect a seamless transition to Avendra International over the coming weeks. Their CEO will continue to lead the Quantum business and operations will remain unchanged. “We are excited to begin our next chapter as part of Avendra International,” said Alex Casajuana, Chief Executive Officer of Quantum. “Our associates, clients and suppliers will not see any changes in how the company operates and we are now better positioned to provide stronger outcomes for our clients and suppliers.” Quantum manages, to varying degrees, the expense categories that a hotel establishment might incur, including food and beverage, housekeeping and non-consumable products, services, energy and telecommunications, maintenance expenditures, small equipment, and insurances. “Our purchase of Quantum is part of our strategy to expand the footprint of Avendra International and strengthen our purchasing capacity in hospitality related products, services and engineering solutions in particular,” said Ian Murphy, Aramark’s European Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Group Purchasing Organizations. In addition to hotels, Quantum also serves restaurants, gaming establishments, and senior and youth residencies. This purchase represents part of Aramark’s “tuck in” acquisition strategy to position the company for continued profitable growth. About Avendra International Avendra International is a leading strategic procurement and supply chain partner to a wide range of organizations, including hotels, hospitality and leisure resorts, healthcare, and educational institutions worldwide. Avendra International leverages $20.5 billion in procurement power and combines supply chain resources backed by Aramark’s global footprint across 15 countries. What makes us stand out is our team of local experts who are deeply knowledgeable about the cultural, industry and sector-specific nuances of each country we operate in. Whether clients aim to reduce costs, boost efficiency, drive innovation, or achieve sustainability targets, we provide the support they need to succeed. By harnessing our tailored solutions, advanced technology, and industry expertise, we enable organisations to thrive. About Aramark Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 15 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Because of our hospitality culture, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet. Aramark has been recognized on FORTUNE’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies,” The Civic 50 by Points of Light 2024, Fair360’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” and “Top Companies for Black Executives,” Newsweek’s list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” and earned a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219109142/en/ Chris Collom, 215-238-3593,collom-chris@aramark.com KEYWORD: PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT RETAIL RESTAURANT/BAR LODGING DESTINATIONS TRAVEL FOOD/BEVERAGE SOURCE: Aramark Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 01:40 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 01:38 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219109142/en

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