‘India has no interest in weakening US Dollar’: EAM Jaishankar responds to Trump’s threat to BRICS nationsMOFA-AUKMIN Emphasizes Importance Of Cross-Strait Peace And StabilityLPGA, USGA to require players to be assigned female at birth or transition before pubertyBHOPAL (India), Dec 5 — Just after midnight as poisonous plumes of smoke wafted through the Indian city of Bhopal four decades ago, Gas Devi was born, gasping for every breath. Her feeble cries were drowned out by the screams of men, women and children as they ran to escape the cloud of highly toxic gas leaking from the Union Carbide factory on the night of December 2, 1984. Some 3,500 people were killed in the immediate aftermath, and up to 25,000 are estimated to have died overall in the world’s deadliest industrial disaster. Forty years later, the horror continues to blight the lives of those like Devi — as well as countless others born with deformities since that fateful night. Devi, a daily wage labourer, has constant pain in her chest, one of her lungs is not developed fully and she keeps falling sick. “My life is a living hell,” Devi told AFP, speaking at her shanty in Bhopal, the capital of the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Even if she wanted, she cannot forget the night she was born. “My parents named me Gas,” she said, her eyes welling up. “I believe this name is a curse. I wish I had died that night”. Twenty-seven tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC), used in the production of pesticides, swept through the city of over two million people after one of the tanks storing the deadly chemical shattered its concrete casing. As the white cloud of MIC shrouded areas close to the factory, people started collapsing in the streets. Nathuram Soni, now 81, was among the first to rush out. “People were frothing from their mouths. Some had defecated, some were choking in their own vomit,” said Soni. A handkerchief tied over his nose, Soni used his pushcart to carry his wailing neighbours, many of them infants, to hospital. Unrelenting tragedy Rashida Bee, co-founder of the Chingari Trust charity that offers free treatment to children of gas-affected families, believes those who died were fortunate. “At least their misery ended,” she said. “The unfortunate are those who survived”. Her trust has seen more than 150 children being admitted this year alone with cerebral palsy, hearing and speech impairments and other disabilities. She blames the disorders on the accident and the contamination of the groundwater. Testing of groundwater near the site in the past revealed cancer- and birth defect-causing chemicals 50 times higher than what is accepted as safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency. “This tragedy is showing no signs of relenting,” said Rashida, 68, who has lost several members of her family to cancer since the accident. “The soil and water here are contaminated — that is why kids are still being born with deformities.” Union Carbide, which was acquired by the Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company in 2001, routinely dumped chemical waste years before the disaster, campaigners say. Large evaporation ponds outside the factory were filled with thousands of litres of liquid waste. Toxins penetrated the soil and the water supplying several neighbourhoods. Dow Chemical did not respond to AFP’s request for comment. Tasleem Bano, 48, is convinced of a link between the plant and congenital illnesses. Her son Mohammed Salman’s limbs were splayed when he was born. “His twin brother died in the womb. Salman survived but he could not speak a word till he was six years old,” she said, showing her son’s braces that help him to stand. “Doctors say he is like this because of the gas,” said Tasleem, who inhaled the fumes as a young girl living close to the factory. Salman, 12, could only respond with a toothy grin when asked his name. Like Salman, hundreds of children at the Chingari centre struggle to speak, walk or eat their meals. ‘Corporate massacre’ At the nearby Sambhavna Trust clinic, there is a steady queue of gas survivors seeking treatment. “Data very clearly shows that mortality in the exposed population compared to a matched controlled (population) is much higher,” said Satinath Sarangi, founder of Sambhavna. “In 2011, we’d taken stock through our registered cohorts and we found there was 28 percent more mortality among the gas exposed.” Sarangi, 70, said the MIC fumes damaged the immune system of affected populations and caused chromosomal aberrations, something corroborated by medical research. “Children of gas-exposed parents have much higher prevalence of congenital malformations.” In 1989 Union Carbide, in a partial out-of-court settlement with the Indian government, agreed to pay $470 million in compensation to the victims. But the victims themselves were not consulted in the negotiations, and received just $500 each. The current owners have refused to pay further compensation for the catastrophe that continues to unfold till this day. In 1991, Warren Anderson, Union Carbide chairman and chief executive at the time of the disaster, was charged in India with “culpable homicide not amounting to murder”. But he never stood trial. Anderson died aged 92 in a nursing home in Florida in 2014. A plea seeking compensation of 500,000 rupees ($5,920) from the Indian government for each victim diagnosed with cancer or kidney ailments is languishing in courts. Rachna Dhingra, a social activist from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, said true justice still evades the survivors. “Until today, not a single individual has gone to jail — even for a day — for killing more than 25,000 people and injuring half a million people, and contaminating the soil and groundwater,” she said. “People in the city are continuing to fight because there is no legal mechanism to hold these corporations accountable worldwide. “Bhopal has taught corporations how to get away with murder.” — AFP
Recap: New Windows AI features at the heart of Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs debuted exclusively on laptops equipped with Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X processors a few months ago. While the latest x86 chips from Intel and AMD also have integrated NPUs and carry the Copilot+ label, they have yet to receive any OS-level generative AI functionality. Windows 11 Insiders using CPUs from recent lineups such as Intel Core Ultra 200 and AMD Ryzen AI 300 can finally begin testing Copilot+ features like Recall and image generation. The GenAI features were previously exclusive to Snapdragon X chips. Dev channel participants can get started by updating to build 26120.2510. Other users can join the Microsoft Insider Program by registering on the website , then navigating to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Get Started and selecting Dev Channel before rebooting. Using new GenAI features might require installing the latest AMD and Intel NPU drivers, available on TechSpot or each manufacturer's website. Recall, likely the most essential yet controversial Copilot+ feature, "remembers" user activity by periodically taking screencaps and reading on-screen text. The functionality aims to help users retrieve information, but serious security concerns led Microsoft to delay it and later reintroduce Recall on an opt-in basis. Activating the feature allows users to open previously accessed files or programs through natural language text prompts if they've forgotten the locations or file names. Recall also contains a function called Click to Do, through which users can copy, summarize, or rewrite selected text using prompts. Additionally, Copilot allows the Paint and Photos apps to generate images from text prompts. Photos can also use prompts to restyle existing pictures. Snapdragon X PCs have gradually received Windows Insider builds with new GenAI features over the last few months. Paint recently received automatic fill-and-erase functionality, and Photos can upscale pictures using super-resolution upscaling. It remains unclear when this and other functionality will expand to x86 Copilot+ systems. The exclusivity period stems from Qualcomm's early cooperation with Microsoft on the Copilot+ initiative, which aimed to use the introduction of onboard GenAI to boost Arm Windows adoption. Snapdragon X CPUs were the first to meet Microsoft's Copilot+ standards by including NPUs capable of at least 40 TOPs, but similarly-specced x86 processors from Intel's Core 200V series and AMD's Ryzen AI 300 lineups soon followed. Bringing GenAI to the standard version of Windows 11 could broaden its reach, but customer enthusiasm for the technology has yet to solidify. Recent sales charts suggest that AI PC adoption is driven primarily by more extended battery life and typical upgrade cycles.WASHINGTON (AP) — The Commerce Department's efforts to curb China's and Russia's access to American-made advanced computer chips have been “inadequate” and will need more funding to stymie their ability to manufacture advanced weapons, according to a report published Wednesday by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WASHINGTON (AP) — The Commerce Department's efforts to curb China's and Russia's access to American-made advanced computer chips have been “inadequate” and will need more funding to stymie their ability to manufacture advanced weapons, according to a report published Wednesday by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WASHINGTON (AP) — The Commerce Department’s efforts to curb China’s and Russia’s access to American-made advanced computer chips have been “inadequate” and will need more funding to stymie their ability to manufacture advanced weapons, according to a report published Wednesday by the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The Biden administration imposed export controls to limit the ability of China and Russia ability to access U.S.-made chips after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. The agency’s Bureau of Industry and Security, according to the report, does not have the resources to enforce export controls and has been too reliant on U.S. chip makers voluntarily complying with the rules. But the push for bolstering Commerce’s export control enforcement comes as the incoming Trump administration says it is looking to dramatically reduce the size and scope of federal government. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” to dismantle parts of the federal government. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. BIS’s budget, about $191 million, has remained essentially flat since 2010 when adjusted for inflation. “While BIS’ budget has been stagnant for a decade, the bureau works diligently around the clock to meet its mission and safeguard U.S. national security,” Commerce Department spokesperson Charlie Andrews said in a statement in response to the report. Andrews added that with “necessary resources from Congress” the agency would be “better equipped to address the challenges that come with our evolving national security environment.” In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, chair of the subcommittee, pointed to an audit of Texas Instruments that showed the Russian military continued to acquire components from Texas Instruments through front companies in Hong Kong to illustrate how the export controls are failing as an effective tool. The committee’s findings, Blumenthal said, suggest that Texas Instruments “missed clear warning signs” that three companies in its distribution chain had been diverting products to Russia. Texas Instruments did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “While Congress must provide BIS more resources to undertake its critical mission, it is long past time for BIS to make full use of the enforcement powers Congress has conferred upon it and take aggressive steps to cut the flow of U.S. semiconductors into the Russian war machine,” Blumenthal wrote. It’s not just Texas Instruments that’s the issue. The subcommittee in September published a report that found aggregated exports from four major U.S. advanced chip manufacturers nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022 to Armenia and Georgia. Both of those countries are home to front companies known to assist Russia in acquiring advanced chips made in the U.S. despite export controls. China, meanwhile, has created “vast, barely disguised smuggling networks which enable it to continue to harness U.S. technology,” the subcommittee report asserts. Washington has been gradually expanding the number of companies affected by such export controls in China, as President Joe Biden’s administration has encouraged an expansion of investments in and manufacturing of chips in the U.S. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. But Chinese companies have found ways to evade export controls in part because of a lack of China subject matter experts and Chinese speakers assigned to Commerce’s export control enforcement. The agency’s current budget limits the number of international end-use checks, or physical verification overseas of distributors or companies receiving American-made chips that are the supposed end users of products. Currently, Commerce has only 11 export control officers spread around the globe to conduct such checks. The committee made several recommendations in its report, including Congress allocating more money for hiring additional personnel to enforce export controls, imposing larger fines on companies that violate controls and requiring periodic reviews of advanced chip companies’ export control plans by outside entities. ___ Boak reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Advertisement Advertisement
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CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Technip Energies (PARIS:TE) and LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) (“LanzaTech”) announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has committed up to $200 million in federal funding and authorized the initiation of Phase 1 of their Sustainable Ethylene from CO2 Utilization with Renewable Energy Project (Project SECURE). Project SECURE, led by Technip Energies in partnership with LanzaTech, aims to provide an integrated commercial process which takes captured carbon dioxide from ethylene production and recycles it with low carbon intensity hydrogen to create sustainable ethanol and ethylene. This joint technology solution is intended to first be deployed in the U.S. Gulf Coast region for integration directly into an existing commercial ethylene cracker and has significant replication potential for ethylene crackers worldwide. Globally, there are approximately 370 ethylene steam crackers, over 40 percent of which use Technip Energies’ technology, including eight in the US. LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology, which has benefited from previous DOE support, can also be utilized in any industry with waste carbon, allowing other sectors to profit from capturing and recycling carbon-rich emissions into valuable ethanol, instead of sequestering or releasing them into the atmosphere. OCED has committed up to $200 million throughout the project duration to Project SECURE to fund the design, engineering, construction, and equipment for the commercial-scale integrated technology unit. Today’s announcement represents the award of nearly $20 million for the first of four phases to be funded by OCED over the course of the project. During Phase 1 of the project, Technip Energies and LanzaTech will conduct a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study, develop project plans, provide documentation and reports necessary to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, and engage with local community and labor stakeholders. Arnaud Pieton, CEO at Technip Energies, stated “ We are pleased to receive the Phase 1 award from the OCED and begin the engineering design work to progress the development of this innovative technology. The global population is expected to continue to rise by 2050, bringing with it a greater demand for consumer goods that rely on ethylene. While addressing this growing demand, we absolutely need to decarbonize ethylene production. We not only need to do something about carbon but very importantly with carbon. That is what our partnership with LanzaTech on this technology is all about. Leveraging our long-lasting leadership in ethylene, we are committed, together with LanzaTech, to develop this technology at scale and continue to explore ways to decarbonize ethylene production.” Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, Chair and CEO of LanzaTech stated, “ We are thrilled to reach this milestone and commence work on this important project. Ethylene is a key building block for thousands of chemicals and materials, and is often referred to as the world’s most important chemical. Our project not only increases the efficiency and value of existing ethylene production infrastructure, but also creates high-quality jobs and supports local communities . Circularizing our global carbon economy requires combining ambition with action, and we are grateful for the shared vision and support of the OCED to advance this replicable technology, strengthening our domestic manufacturing base for valuable commodities .” OCED’s mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption, and the equitable transition to a decarbonized system. OCED will provide oversight of the project by evaluating the status and quality of implementation at each phase of the project. Through its phased approach to project management oversight, OCED will review and evaluate the project’s progress, including community benefits, which impact OCED’s decision to continue to provide federal funding and allow a project to progress to the following phase. About Technip Energies Technip Energies is a global technology and engineering powerhouse. With leadership positions in LNG, hydrogen, ethylene, sustainable chemistry, and CO2 management, we are contributing to the development of critical markets such as energy, energy derivatives, decarbonization, and circularity. Our complementary business segments, Technology, Products and Services (TPS) and Project Delivery, turn innovation into scalable and industrial reality. Through collaboration and excellence in execution, our 17,000+ employees across 34 countries are fully committed to bridging prosperity with sustainability for a world designed to last. Technip Energies generated revenues of €6 billion in 2023 and is listed on Euronext Paris. The Company also has American Depositary Receipts trading over the counter. For further information: www.ten.com Contacts Technip Energies About LanzaTech LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) is the carbon recycling company transforming waste carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and protein for everyday products. Using its bio-recycling technology, LanzaTech captures carbon generated by energy-intensive industries at the source, preventing it from being emitted into the air. LanzaTech then gives that captured carbon a new life as a clean replacement for virgin fossil carbon in everything from household cleaners and clothing fibers to packaging and fuels. By partnering with companies across the global supply chain like ArcelorMittal, Coty, Craghoppers, REI, and LanzaJet, LanzaTech is paving the way for a circular carbon economy. For more information about LanzaTech, visit https://lanzatech.com . LanzaTech Global, Inc. Investor Relations Kate Walsh VP, Investor Relations & Tax Investor.Relations@lanzatech.com Media Relations Kit McDonnell Director of Communications press@lanzatech.com Important Information for Investors and Securityholders Forward-Looking Statements This Press Release contains forward-looking statements that reflect Technip Energies’ and LanzaTech’s (the “Companies”) intentions, beliefs or current expectations and projections about the Companies’ future results of operations, anticipated revenues, earnings, cashflows, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects, anticipated growth, strategies and opportunities and the markets in which the Companies operate. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “intend”, “foresee”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “may”, “estimate”, “outlook”, and similar expressions, including the negative thereof. The absence of these words, however, does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on the Companies’ current expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future developments and business conditions and their potential effect on the Companies. While the Companies believe that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Companies will be those that the Companies anticipate. All of the Companies’ forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are significant or beyond the Companies’ control, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companies’ historical experience and the Companies’ present expectations or projections. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. For information regarding known material factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results, please see Technip Energies’ risk factors set forth in Technip Energies’ 2023 Annual Financial Report filed on March 8, 2024 and in Technip Energies’ 2024 Half-Year Report filed on August 1, 2024, with the Dutch Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) and the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) which include a discussion of factors that could affect Technip Energies’ future performance and the markets in which the Company operates. For information regarding LanzaTech’s risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results, please see information contained in LanzaTech’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other existing and future filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date they are made. The Companies undertake no duty to and will not necessarily update any of the forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except to the extent required by applicable law.