Letter

Ukraine war: Pope Francis should learn from his WWII predecessor’s mistakes in appeasing fascism

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Pope Francis has provoked fury by suggesting in a television interview that Ukraine should find “the courage to raise the white flag”.

Key Points: 
  • Pope Francis has provoked fury by suggesting in a television interview that Ukraine should find “the courage to raise the white flag”.
  • As Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli led the Catholic Church throughout the second world war.
  • However, while Hitler’s determination to eliminate the Jewish people was brought to his attention, he did not publicly condemn it.
  • Though he admired the authoritarian regimes of Franco in Spain and Salazar in Portugal, Pius XII was not pro Nazi.

‘Catholics will be loyal’

  • He told the German chancellor:
    I am certain that if peace between Church and state is restored, everyone will be pleased.
  • The German people are united in their love for the Fatherland.
  • I am certain that if peace between Church and state is restored, everyone will be pleased.
  • He feared that criticism of Hitler’s regime would provoke harm to German Catholics.
  • In August 1942 Pius XII received a letter from Andrej Septyckj, a Ukrainian Cleric, bearing news of the massacre of 200,000 Jews in Ukraine.
  • Pius XII flirted with public criticism of Nazi inhumanity in his 1942 Christmas Eve broadcast.

Evil then and now

  • As I discovered while researching my book, Reporting the Second World War - The Press and the People 1939-1945, he could have learned as much by reading British newspapers.
  • In autumn 1942, titles including The Times and Daily Mail reported the World Jewish Congress’s belief that a million Jews had already died.
  • Today, his successor might contemplate the damage inflicted on his wartime predecessor’s reputation by his meek collusion with the wrong side.
  • Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba responded caustically to Pope Francis’s crass comments with: “Our flag is a yellow and blue one.


Tim Luckhurst has received funding from News UK and Ireland Ltd. He is a member of the Free Speech Union and the Society of Editors

Ancient scrolls are being ‘read’ by machine learning — with human knowledge to detect language and make sense of them

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Using a non-invasive method that harnesses machine learning, an international trio of scholars retrieved 15 columns of ancient Greek text from within a carbonized papyrus from Herculaneum, a seaside Roman town eight kilometres southeast of Naples, Italy.

Key Points: 
  • Using a non-invasive method that harnesses machine learning, an international trio of scholars retrieved 15 columns of ancient Greek text from within a carbonized papyrus from Herculaneum, a seaside Roman town eight kilometres southeast of Naples, Italy.
  • The work of reading and analyzing the new Greek and Latin texts recovered from the papyri will fall to human beings.

Buried in ash

  • Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
  • But in 1752, excavation uncovered hundreds of papyrus scrolls in the library of an elaborate Roman villa.

Carbonized papyri


Starved of oxygen, the intense heat of Vesuvius’ pyroclastic flow carbonized (but did not ignite) the papyri. Resembling lumps of coal to the eye, 18th-century excavators did not immediately recognize them as ancient books.
The papyri are so brittle that many were destroyed by early attempts to access their texts. Studying them has therefore always required ingenuity. In 1754, a conservator and priest at the Vatican library devised a machine for slowly unrolling them.
More recently, multispectral photography has dramatically improved their legibility. But until now, a non-invasive method that would leave the scrolls intact remained out of reach. Its development marks a significant breakthrough. McOsker notes there are 659 items in the catalogue listed as “not unrolled,” but some of these are parts of scrolls.

Sparking innovation

  • The latter are essential as a reference point (or “control”) for innovative approaches.
  • The competition’s design encouraged transparency and collaboration: data published in the pursuit of smaller goals benefited all competitors.

Text mentions music, taste, sight

  • A PhD student studying machine learning, an engineer studying computer science and a robotics student were declared
    the victors.
  • According to McOsker, the text they retrieved mentions music twice, as well as the senses of taste and sight.

Hundreds of rolls to be studied

  • With hundreds of rolls yet to be studied, the new method of recovering the contents of the Herculaneum papyri is only getting started.
  • The production of scans at sufficiently high resolution can’t be done via ordinary equipment, but requires access to a facility with a particle accelerator.
  • Via current techniques, which involve a fair bit of manual manipulation, fully segmenting one scroll would cost US$1–5 million.

Critical minds needed

  • Their role is to analyze the model’s output of legible ancient Greek — and in so doing determine which approaches are most effective.
  • It requires mastery of ancient languages and ideas as well as the puzzle-solver’s ability to fill in the inevitable gaps.
  • For the challenge truly to succeed, we’re going to need critical minds as well as whizbang technology.


C. Michael Sampson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for 'the Books of Karanis,' a project that studies fragmentary Greek literature from the Egyptian village Karanis.

EQS-News: ENCAVIS successfully signed project refinancing agreements for Spanish solar parks Talayuela & La Cabrera of EUR 203 million

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Hamburg, 7th March 2024 – Hamburg-based wind and solar park operator Encavis AG, listed on the MDAX of Deutsche Börse AG (Prime Standard; ISIN: DE0006095003; ticker symbol: ECV) has signed two non-recourse project refinancing agreements in a total amount of EUR 203 million for its operating solar plants Talayuela and La Cabrera, Spain.

Key Points: 
  • Hamburg, 7th March 2024 – Hamburg-based wind and solar park operator Encavis AG, listed on the MDAX of Deutsche Börse AG (Prime Standard; ISIN: DE0006095003; ticker symbol: ECV) has signed two non-recourse project refinancing agreements in a total amount of EUR 203 million for its operating solar plants Talayuela and La Cabrera, Spain.
  • Both refinancing transactions have been structured, arranged, and managed by ENCAVIS' inhouse Project Finance team.
  • While ABN AMRO, Rabobank and Bankinter are financing partners of ENCAVIS for years, NatWest provides project financing to ENCAVIS for the first time.
  • In total, the refinancing includes EUR 181.5 million Term Loan Facilities (hedged by interest rate swaps), as well as EUR 13 million Letter of Credit Facilities and EUR 8.5 million Debt Service Reserve Facilities.

Cairn Homes Plc: Holding(s) in Company

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

In case of proxy voting: [name of the proxy holder] will cease to hold [% and number] voting rights as of [date]

Key Points: 
  • In case of proxy voting: [name of the proxy holder] will cease to hold [% and number] voting rights as of [date]
    3% threshold crossed upwards by Financial instruments.
  • iii Other reason for the notification could be voluntary notifications, changes of attribution of the nature of the holding (e.g.
  • As the disclosure of cases of acting in concert may vary due to the specific circumstances (e.g.
  • v Applicable in the cases provided for in Regulation 15(b) to (h) of the Regulations (Article 10 (b) to (h) of Directive 2004/109/EC).

NACC Thailand urges all to help combat corruption, clarifying that the country has the protection of witnesses and whistleblowers act to increase confidence among those involved

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 11 March 2024 - The Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Thailand encourages both locals and foreigners to participate in tackling the corruption problem, ensuring that there is a specified law to protect witnesses and whistleblowers to help officials detect corruption cases. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand Section 63 B.E.2560 (2017) places importance on the prevention and suppression of corruption by focusing on the participation of the public in the fight against or pointing out clues of corruption, and the state must provide measures to protect people who report corruption. Meanwhile, the Organic Act on the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption B.E. 2561 (2018), Section 131 and Section 133 empower NACC to provide safety protection to accusers, victims, petitioners, complainants, witnesses, whistleblowers who give statements or reports any clues or information about corruption. The law also protects the performance of duties to government officials who give statements or whistleblowing to the NACC. "Preventing and combating corruption requires the cooperation of all sectors, whether government agencies, private organizations, or civil society, to recognize the serious threats that arise and recognize the importance of the problem of corruption. Witnesses or people who have been damaged by corruption cases or whistleblowers are afraid to complain or give information regardless of corruption and bribery. This will create difficulty in tackling corruption and bringing perpetrators to justice. For that reason, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand; therefore, places importance on the prevention and suppression of corruption by focusing on the participation of the public in the fight against or pointing out clues of corruption, and the state must provide measures to protect people who report corruption," the NACC explained. Moreover, it pointed out that at present the problem of corruption in countries around the world has become one of the most important problems in many countries, including Thailand, where many related sectors have a common will to help prevent and suppress corruption. The nature of corruption is perceived only by the giver and the recipient, so when the benefits are balanced, it is difficult for either party to complain about this guilt as fear of causing themselves and other people around them to face trouble or being extorted by those who involved the bribes. Thus, Thai law is concerned with this problem so it gives full authority to the NACC to set up the regulations on Witness Protection B.E. 2562 (2019, providing guidelines for for requesting witness and whistleblower protection. The guidelines define that persons entitled to file applications and witness protection are covering accuser, victim, petitioner, complainant who gives statements, or the whistleblower including the spouse, parents, successor, or any other person who has a close relationship with the requester. To file a complaint or give information about corruption to the NACC, anyone can contact NACC provincial offices nationwide or other agencies to request witnesses' protection. In case, the witness or whistleblower is unable to present the complaint in person, it shall be done in writing or by letter, or by other means of communication such as telephone, fax, or electronic mail, or may authorize another person to act on their behalf. After receiving requests for witness and whistleblower protection, the NACC will provide officers to secure witnesses at residences or places requested by witnesses or whistleblowers or arrange for witnesses to stay or reside at a location designated by the office. That witness can ensure that the NACC will provide measures to conceal the personal data of witnesses and whistleblowers while arranging contact to ensure their well-being or regularly inspect the place where they live or stay. Moreover, the NACC will send a notification in writing to the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Protection of Rights and Liberties, or other agencies to implement additional security protection. To ensure that witnesses and whistleblowers will be able to live as normal, in case they cannot work or earn a living while being under protection, the NACC provides expenses and allowances as they are entitled to compensation. In case of damage to life, body, health, liberty, reputation, property or any other rights of witnesses, and other expenses for giving testify to the officers, the compensation for witness protection shall be disbursed at the rate specified by the Ministry of Justice or as determined by the government. The NACC concluded that the agency recognizes and values the protection of witnesses and whistleblowers as they are key persons who could help Thailand improve transparency and wipe away the corruption from Thai society, as well as increase the corruption perception index to a higher level equivalent to the international level. For whistleblowing of any misconduct by government officials, please contact the NACC Office Tel. 1205 or website: www.nacc.go.th ---------------------------------------------------- Reference: https://nacc.go.th/categorydetail/20180831184638361/20240304143021? Organic Act on Prevention and Combating Corruption B.E. 2561 (2018), Section 131 and Section 133 accompanying the National Anti-Corruption Commission Regulation on Protection and Assistance of Witnesses B.E. 2562 (2019) *This press release translation is funded by the National Anti-Corruption Fund (NACF). Hashtag: #IntegrityWay #AntiCorruption #ZeroCorruption #NACC #NACF

Key Points: 
  • The law also protects the performance of duties to government officials who give statements or whistleblowing to the NACC.
  • Witnesses or people who have been damaged by corruption cases or whistleblowers are afraid to complain or give information regardless of corruption and bribery.
  • The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Thailand is a constitutional independent organization and supervised by nine commissioners selected from various professions.
  • The NACC is supervised by the NACC Board and has the Office of the NACC as its administrative agency.

EQS-News: AUSTRIAN POST 2023 Results: Increase in 2023 revenue and earnings driven by strong parcel growth and improvement in bank99

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Parcel & Logistics Division recorded strong revenue growth of 16.6 % in 2023 with its Turkish business.

Key Points: 
  • The Parcel & Logistics Division recorded strong revenue growth of 16.6 % in 2023 with its Turkish business.
  • The Retail & Bank Division achieved a 6.1 % share of Group revenue in the 2023 financial year with revenue of EUR 168.6m.
  • Revenue in the Parcel & Logistics Division rose by 16.6 % to EUR 1,416.5m in the 2023 financial year.
  • The Austrian parcel business (Parcel Austria) saw revenue increase by 10.9 % to EUR 806.4m in the reporting period.

EQS-News: EVN AG: Business development in the first quarter of 2023/24

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The international project business also reported a decrease in revenue due to the largely completed wastewater treatment plant in Kuwait.

Key Points: 
  • The international project business also reported a decrease in revenue due to the largely completed wastewater treatment plant in Kuwait.
  • The cost of materials and services fell by 29.9% to EUR 127.7m consistent with the development of revenue in the international project business.
  • In addition to the earnings improvement at EVN KG, higher contributions were also received from Burgenland Energie and Verbund Innkraftwerke.
  • Based on these developments, EBITDA recorded by the EVN Group rose by 1.4% year-on-year to EUR 285.7m in the first quarter of 2023/24.

Cairn Homes Plc: Holding(s) in Company

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Emerald Opportunity Investment Fund, a sub fund of The Emerald Fund ICAV, is the sole limited partner and economic beneficiary of Emerald Everleigh Limited Partnership.

Key Points: 
  • The Emerald Opportunity Investment Fund, a sub fund of The Emerald Fund ICAV, is the sole limited partner and economic beneficiary of Emerald Everleigh Limited Partnership.
  • Emerald Everleigh Limited Partnership utilises the services of Goodbody Stockbrokers Nominees Limited as nominee, which holds 6,743,507 voting rights (1.04%) of the issuer.
  • In case of proxy voting: [name of the proxy holder] will cease to hold [% and number] voting rights as of [date]
    i.
  • iii Other reason for the notification could be voluntary notifications, changes of attribution of the nature of the holding (e.g.

Yandex N.V. Reminds Shareholders of upcoming EGM and Class A Meeting

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 4, 2024 — Yandex N.V. would like to remind shareholders that the Company’s EGM and Class A Shareholders meetings are scheduled to take place on 7 March 2024.

Key Points: 
  • Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 4, 2024 — Yandex N.V. would like to remind shareholders that the Company’s EGM and Class A Shareholders meetings are scheduled to take place on 7 March 2024.
  • Shareholders can vote either in advance of the meetings or at the meetings themselves.
  • We urge all shareholders who have not yet given voting instructions in respect of their shares to do so as soon as possible, as described below.
  • If you are planning to attend the Class A Meeting or the EGM in person, we kindly request you to provide advance notice by notifying the Company at [email protected] before 5.30 p.m. CET on March 4, 2024.

Cairn Homes Plc: Holding(s) in Company

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

iii Other reason for the notification could be voluntary notifications, changes of attribution of the nature of the holding (e.g.

Key Points: 
  • iii Other reason for the notification could be voluntary notifications, changes of attribution of the nature of the holding (e.g.
  • As the disclosure of cases of acting in concert may vary due to the specific circumstances (e.g.
  • v Applicable in the cases provided for in Regulation 15(b) to (h) of the Regulations (Article 10 (b) to (h) of Directive 2004/109/EC).
  • xiii If the person subject to the notification obligation is either controlled and/or does control another undertaking then the second option applies.