Information on the total number of voting rights and shares

REGULATED INFORMATION

Mont–Saint–Guibert (Belgium), September 30, 2022, 10:30 pm CET / 4:30 pm ET "" In accordance with article 15 of the Law of 2 May 2007 on the disclosure of large shareholdings, Nyxoah SA (Euronext Brussels and Nasdaq: NYXH) publishes the belowinformation following the issue of new shares.

  • Share capital: EUR 4,440,069.16
  • Total number of securities carrying voting rights: 25,846,279 (all ordinary shares)
  • Total number of voting rights (= denominator): 25,846,279 (all relating to ordinary shares)
  • Number of rights to subscribe to securities carrying voting rights not yet issued:
    • 55 "2016 ESOP Warrants" issued on November 3, 2016, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 27,500 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);
    • 100 "2018 ESOP Warrants" issued on December 12, 2018, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 50,000 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);
    • 460,500 "2020 ESOP Warrants" issued on February 21, 2020, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 460,500 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares); and
    • 1,378,125 "2021 ESOP Warrants" issued on September 8, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 1,378,125 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares).

*

* *

For further information, please contact:

Nyxoah
Jeremy Feffer, VP IR and Corporate Communications
jeremy.feffer@nyxoah.com

+1 917 749 1494

Attachment


Madison Newbond Hotel Lending Platform Originates $20 Million Loan for the Balfour Hotel in Miami Beach

NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Madison Newbond, the institutional lending platform of Madison Realty Capital and Newbond Holdings that provides first mortgages, mezzanine loans and preferred equity to hotel owners and developers nationwide, today announced that it has provided a $20 million loan to FullG Capital's equity sponsorship group for the acquisition of the Balfour Hotel Miami Beach (the "Balfour"), an independent boutique hotel located at 350 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Florida.

Located within Miami's famed South Beach Art Deco District and situated less than one block from the beach, the Balfour contains 82 guestrooms across two towers, as well as an upscale restaurant and bar, an outdoor plunge pool, complimentary beach services, and approximately 1,300 square feet of rooftop terrace space. The hotel is managed by Driftwood Hospitality Management under a third–party hotel management agreement.

Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co–Founder of Madison Realty Capital, said, "Miami is no longer just a top destination for domestic and international leisure travel, but has rapidly become a growing hub for corporations and financial firms seeking to relocate their headquarters. We are pleased to provide a flexible financing solution to facilitate the acquisition of a superbly well–located hotel in one of the most liquid and dynamic hospitality markets in the country."

Drew Coles, President of FullG Capital said, "Madison Realty Capital is a highly experienced lender in the Miami hospitality market with a reputation for certainty of execution. We are thrilled to leverage Madison Newbond's attractive financing capabilities to complete the acquisition of the Balfour."

Neil Luthra, Founding Partner at Newbond, added, "Madison and Newbond's extensive operating experience enables us to efficiently underwrite hospitality lending opportunities and provide borrowers with a reliable financing partner in today's choppy credit environment. The Balfour perfectly exemplifies this, and we are excited to work with the FullG Capital team to bring their business plan to life."

Madison Realty Capital has significant experience investing in hotel and luxury condominium developments in Miami and across South Florida. Notable transactions include an $85 million loan to The Related Group, BH Group, Teddy Sagi's Globe Invest, and Wanxiang Group Corporation for the acquisition and pre–development of a luxury condominium project on Fisher Island in Miami Beach, a $76 million loan to The Related Group for the development of District 225, a 343–unit luxury condominium project in Miami, a $210 million loan to Fort Partners for the construction of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale, and a $105 million loan to Fort Partners for the acquisition and modernization of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami.

Madison Newbond launched in November 2021 with approximately $500 million of initial lending capacity and has plans to add scale in line with existing opportunities.

About Madison Realty Capital

Madison Realty Capital is a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm that, as of August 31, 2022, manages approximately $9.5 billion in total assets on behalf of a global institutional investor base. Since 2004, Madison Realty Capital has completed approximately $21 billion in transactions providing borrowers with flexible and highly customized financing solutions, strong underwriting capabilities, and certainty of execution. Headquartered in New York City, with an office in Los Angeles, the firm has approximately 70 employees across all real estate investment, development, and property management disciplines. Madison Realty Capital has been named to Commercial Observer's prestigious "Power 100" list of New York City real estate players. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.madisonrealtycapital.com.

About Newbond Holdings

Newbond Holdings, founded by Neil Luthra and Vann Avedisian in 2021, is a real estate investment and operating platform focused on debt and equity investments across multiple real estate product types with a hospitality focus as well as investments in related operating businesses and technology platforms. The partners at Newbond have completed over $15 billion of debt and equity transactions. As a vertically integrated operating and investment platform, Newbond is uniquely positioned to create significant value beyond the typical investment process through creative structuring, operations and the development of single and multiple asset brands.


Annexation of a State’s Territory is a Violation of the Charter & International Law, Warns UN Chief

Remarks to the Press by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Russia’s decision to annex Ukrainian territory. Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elías

By Antonio Guterres
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 30 2022 – The Kremlin has announced that a ceremony will take place Friday in Moscow that will launch a process of annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

In this moment of peril, I must underscore my duty as Secretary-General to uphold the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN Charter is clear.

Any annexation of a State’s territory by another State resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the UN Charter and international law.

The United Nations General Assembly is equally clear.

In its landmark Friendly Relations Declaration of 24 October 1970 —repeatedly cited as stating rules of general international law by the International Court of Justice — the General Assembly declared that “the territory of a State shall not be the object of acquisition by another State resulting from the threat or use of force” and that “no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal”.

And I must be clear.

The Russian Federation, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, shares a particular responsibility to respect the Charter.

Any decision to proceed with the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned.

It cannot be reconciled with the international legal framework.
It stands against everything the international community is meant to stand for.
It flouts the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations.
It is a dangerous escalation.
It has no place in the modern world.
It must not be accepted.

The position of the United Nations is unequivocal: we are fully committed to the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

I want to underscore that the so-called “referenda” in the occupied regions were conducted during active armed conflict, in areas under Russian occupation, and outside Ukraine’s legal and constitutional framework.

They cannot be called a genuine expression of the popular will.

Any decision by Russia to go forward will further jeopardize the prospects for peace.

It will prolong the dramatic impacts on the global economy, especially developing countries and hinder our ability to deliver life-saving aid across Ukraine and beyond.

It is high time to step back from the brink.

Now more than ever, we must work together to end this devastating and senseless war and uphold the UN Charter and international law.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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UN’s High-Level Meeting of World Leaders Falls Short of Gender Empowerment

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous addresses the inaugural meeting of the UNGA Platform of Women Leaders at UN Headquarters during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, 20 September 2022. Credit: UN Women/Ryan Brown

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 30 2022 – When the UN’s high-level meeting of world leaders concluded last week, the head count seemed lopsided: 190 speakers, including 76 Heads of State, 50 Heads of Government, 4 Vice-Presidents, 5 Deputy Prime Ministers, 48 Ministers and 7 Heads of Delegations—overwhelmingly male.

Among the 190 speakers, there were only 23 women, “a figure that represents around 10 per cent of leaders who participated this year”, according to the UN.

The President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary struck a note of political consolation when he said: “But though their numbers are small, women leaders “pack a punch”, to quote former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who moderated this year’s first General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders”.

But the reaction from rights activists and civil society organizations (CSOs) was mostly negative.

Antonia Kirkland, Global Lead on Legal Equality at Equality Now told IPS “the dismal number of women leaders speaking at UNGA this year is very worrying given the regression on women’s rights in many parts of the world, including in the United States, where the UN General Assembly meets”.

There is a well-documented correlation, she said, between peace and security generally, economic development and women’s rights, which has an impact on everyone.

“The low number of female leaders speaking at UNGA is less than half the already low number of women parliamentarians worldwide (just over 26% according to IPU).”

“And as it becomes harder and harder for civil society to access the United Nations, women’s rights organizations have less of an opportunity to hold governments accountable to their legal obligations and commitments to ensure gender equality,” Kirkland declared.

The criticisms come amid longstanding complaints of how women are marginalized in the highest levels of the UN since its creation.

The male/female ratio for the Secretary-General stands at 9 vs zero. And the Presidency of the General Assembly (PGA), the highest policy-making body at the UN, is not far behind either.

The score stands at 73 men and 4 women as PGAs– even as the General Assembly elected another male candidate, as its 77th President, and who serves his one-year term beginning September 2022.

Since 1945, the only four women elected as presidents were: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India (1953), Angie Brooks of Liberia (1969), Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of Bahrain (2006) and Maria Fernando Espinosa Garces of Ecuador (2018).

Meanwhile, women Heads of State and Government met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week to discuss global issues in the newly created UNGA Platform of Women Leaders.

The event, under the theme of “Transformative solutions by women leaders to today’s interlinked challenges”, highlighted the fact that women’s full and effective political participation and decision-making are crucial to addressing global priorities effectively, decisively, and inclusively, according to UN Women.

With the presence of President Katalin Novák of Hungary, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa of Samoa, and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja of Uganda, as well as Prime Minister Evelyna Wever-Croes of Aruba and Prime Minister Silveria E. Jacobs of St. Maarten, and former Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, the event was hosted by the Office of the President of the General Assembly and UN Women, in cooperation with the Council of Women World Leaders (CWWL).

Purnima Mane, a former Deputy Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Assistant-Secretary-General, told IPS that in June 2022, the UNGA passed a resolution commemorating the International Day of Women in Diplomacy which acknowledged the contribution of women globally at all levels of decision making who work for the achievement of sustainable development, peace and democracy.

“And yet, we recognize that women are grossly under-represented at most levels in the UN including national delegations and senior levels of the diplomatic corps.”

While women’s political representation at senior levels is on the rise in many countries over the last few years, especially women serving as heads of State, she pointed out, it still has a long way to go with only 28 of the 193 Member states having Women heads of State of government.

This low representation of women was evident in the recent UNGA session, she said.

Of the 190 speakers, 23 were women, a figure that represents around 10 per cent of the leaders who participated this year – a number that is still “woefully low”, said Mane, a former President and CEO of Pathfinder International

It is significant, she said, that many of this small group of women leaders “pack a punch” as stated by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who moderated this year’s first General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders.

At this newly launched General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders, the female heads of State of several countries like Aruba, Bangladesh, Hungary, Iceland, St. Maarten, Samoa and Uganda, addressed the group.

“Undoubtedly this comment from Former New Zealand PM Clark gives us pause to think. It is true that some of the women leaders like those of Finland and many other Member States, have caused the world to sit up and take notice of their achievements.”

Many of the countries with female leadership are making a difference at the country level, focusing on gender equity and ensuring laws and policies which foster these.

“These countries are also doing better in terms of development goals and making a difference in their region as a whole, also inspiring women around the world to recognize their potential. Imagine what the world would be like if this number of women leaders increased significantly, to the benefit of not just their countries, but also their regions and the world,” she added.

The actions these women leaders have taken speak for themselves – they are pioneering and have yielded much-needed benefits, said Mane.

“Data are plentiful to show what a difference these women leaders are making both domestically and internationally. Yet their numbers grow far too slowly”.

“While numbers do not tell the whole story, they certainly indicate the source of the problem, and the world loses out in moving faster towards development and greater equity,” she declared.

Addressing the meeting of women leaders, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, said: “When more women lead in political and public life, everyone benefits, especially in crises”.

A new generation of girls see a possible future for themselves. Health, education, childcare, and violence against women receive greater attention and better solutions.

“We must find every possible way to amplify the assets women leaders bring. This Platform is an opportunity to do just that.”

Recent global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate, and conflicts, have shown the positive difference women’s leadership and decision-making can make in executive positions, parliaments, and public administration, she said.

For example, the UNDP–UN Women COVID-19 Global Gender Response Tracker shows that governments with higher women’s representation in parliaments adopted a higher number of gender-sensitive policy measures in response to COVID-19, including policies aimed directly at strengthening women’s economic security.

Out of the 193 Member States of the United Nations, only 28 women serve as elected Heads of State or Government, she pointed out.

Whilst progress has been made in many countries, the global proportion of women in other levels of political office worldwide still has far to go: 21 per cent of the world’s ministers, 26 per cent of national parliamentarians, and 34 per cent of elected seats of local government.

According to a new UN report, at the current pace of progress, equal representation in parliament will not be achieved until 2062, said Bahous.

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iceland and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders, said: “It is my strong belief that the world needs more women leaders and more diverse leaders, people with all kinds of backgrounds and life experiences”.

“The decisions leaders make affect all people in our societies. These decisions should be made by people who have a real and deep understanding of how most people live, of what their concerns are, and are therefore responsive to their needs.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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What Stray Dogs Need in Thailand: Family and Love

Junwoo Na and Jeeyoon Na campaign to save street dogs.

Junwoo Na and Jeeyoon Na campaign to save street dogs.

By Junwoo Na and Jeeyoon Na
Bangkok & California, Sep 30 2022 – When I started living in Thailand, I noticed something peculiar that I had never seen in other countries I had visited before. It was the stray dogs. I ran into so many stray dogs when jogging on the streets.

At first, I was scared of them because they might attack me, as I had read in news articles. Surprisingly, most of these stray dogs in Thailand seemed friendly. Unfortunately, since they slept on dirty streets and drank sewage water, they contracted various diseases such as rabies, babesiosis, inflammation of the lungs, canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, etc.

Woods, a little Bichon Frisé, is looked after at home, but stray dogs in Thailand live tough lives.

Woods, a little Bichon Frisé, is looked after at home, but stray dogs in Thailand live tough lives.

As a pet owner, I felt they were not supposed to be on the streets. Imagine, my Woods, a little Bichon Frisé, out on dirty streets bitten by ticks and getting rabies! It just breaks my heart. Every time I look at the stray dogs in Thailand, they look like my Woods. And I wondered, “Where do these stray dogs come from? And why do Thai people leave them on the streets?” Then I had a big awakening and decided I needed to help these stray dogs. This is how I began my public campaign and fundraising for stray dogs.

Before launching my campaign, I wanted to get some facts about health-related issues for stray dogs and found that they also affect Thai people’s welfare. Last year, I read a news article about a 39-year-old woman in Surin, Thailand, who died of rabies after taking care of stray animals.  A study revealed that almost 87.5% of dogs in Thailand have rabies and are not vaccinated against the disease. This was shocking to me, especially because getting a rabies vaccine for the dog is the first thing to do when adopting a dog in Korea, where I grew up. Knowing that humans rarely survive rabies infections, many Thai people are concerned about the stray dogs around them carrying rabies. I decided to organize a campaign to support rabies vaccination for stray dogs in Thailand because rabies affects the welfare of dogs and people.

Junwoo Na and Jeeyoon Na’s campaign included meetings with the founder of the Voice Foundation, Chollada Sirisant, and UZZUZZU MY PET’s CEO, Jongse Kim, and fundraising drives for stray dogs.

Junwoo Na and Jeeyoon Na’s campaign included meetings with the founder of the Voice Foundation, Chollada Sirisant, and UZZUZZU MY PET’s CEO, Jongse Kim, and fundraising drives for stray dogs.

While organizing the campaign, I found something unique about Thai culture regarding the motivation for raising dogs. Unlike in South Korea, where dogs are treated as life companions for people, Thai people raise dogs to show off their status. As Thai royal families love dogs, many Thai people follow suit. But then, without having enough resources to maintain proper care for their dogs, people abandon these poor creatures onto the streets. And that’s how they end up having so many stray dogs. I realized that without changing Thai people’s minds about dogs, there would be more stray dogs would suffer. My ultimate goal is to spread the message that we have to be responsible for how these dogs become abandoned on the streets, and that, by doing so, we will be able to build a safer community where dogs and humans can happily coexist. The message is clear: Dogs are family. As we need proper health care, they need one too.

So let me talk about my campaign. To spread our message, we designed t-shirts with our slogan, ‘Dogs are Family.’ We also printed out a poster explaining that ‘Dogs’ Lives Matter,’ and that this campaign is for both people and dogs. Thanks to the support from a digital character company, ‘UZZUZZU MY PET’, we could use their characters as a mascot of our campaign.

We also had a very special interview with the founder of the Voice Foundation, Chollada Sirisant. In her interview, she explained that many Thai people are not aware of the money that it takes to keep a dog as a pet. Some people abuse the Buddhist beliefs that value the lives of all animals and abandon dogs at the Buddhist temples.

Even now, there are stray dogs that keep breeding and creating more stray dogs. This is a serious ethical problem, as more and more dogs wander around the streets, where they do not belong, and inevitably become susceptible to rabies. Due to the irresponsible behavior of humans, more dogs are getting in danger, eventually affecting us humans with the fear of rabies.

According to Chollada, adopting stray dogs isn’t always best for them because some of the rescued dogs wish to go back to the street. This means that so long as they get their rabies vaccine and get neutered, Thai people can coexist with stray dogs. Time will play a role in shaping the new ecosystem.  I have seen how animal farms in Korea were reported and brutally criticized on social media, ending the inhumane treatment of dogs in Korea.  I believe there is also hope for a change in Thai culture.

I look forward to seeing changes in how Thai people think of animal rights as more people get motivated and get involved in our actions via social media.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 Note: Junwoo Na was the team leader

Edited by Hanna Yoon


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Bombardier Introduces Innovator, Investor and F1 Team Owner Toto Wolff as Worldwide Brand Ambassador

MONTREAL, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bombardier today introduced Toto Wolff as its worldwide brand ambassador. For many years, Toto has turned to Bombardier jets to quickly, efficiently and smoothly travel between business and motorsport engagements around the world. With this longstanding experience in hand, Toto will support Bombardier through a range of activities and touchpoints.

“Toto is a visionary leader and entrepreneur who embodies the spirit of innovation, excellence, performance and competitiveness that have all become synonymous with Bombardier business jets around the world," said ric Martel, President and CEO, Bombardier. "We are particularly proud that Toto's discerning eye and quality–driven mindset have led him to deepen his ties with Bombardier through this agreement. We look forward to showcasing our capabilities and continuing to promote the Bombardier brand around the world."

"As a full–range Bombardier customer for over 15 years starting with the Learjet and Challenger Series through to the Global 6000, I appreciate and admire the exceptional level of quality and ceaseless innovation Bombardier stands for," said Toto Wolff. "Bombardier shares my drive for high–performance, often facilitating it, and I'm looking forward to drawing on my experiences as I represent this fantastic brand around the world".

Toto will support Challenger and Global business jet products""including the latest, sustainably designed, Challenger 3500 super midsize jet, and the performance leading Global 8000 flagship aircraft""as well as innovative initiatives, such as the recently unveiled Bombardier's EcoJet Research Project. Toto will also serve to highlight Bombardier's expanding worldwide service center network, which recently celebrated significant growth milestones in Singapore and Melbourne, Australia, and is poised for further inaugurations this year alone in London, UK and Miami, Florida. More specifically, Toto will focus ambassadorial duties around the service network's turnkey refresh, refurbishment and upgrade offerings that are now available in more geographies, following facility openings and enhancements.

About Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff is Team Principal, CEO & co–owner of the Mercedes–AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. A former racing driver turned investor, Toto started his career by founding a tech–focused venture capital firm in Austria. He entered F1 with an ownership stake in the Williams F1 Team in 2009, before acquiring a 30% stake in the Mercedes–Benz works team in 2013. Toto has led the team, featuring the most successful F1 driver of all–time, Lewis Hamilton, to unprecedented heights, becoming the most successful sports team in the world based on consecutive world championships.

About Bombardier
Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, focused on designing, manufacturing, and servicing the world's most exceptional business jets. Bombardier's Challenger and Global aircraft families are renowned for their cutting–edge innovation, cabin design, performance, and reliability. Bombardier has a worldwide fleet of approximately 5,000 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments, and private individuals. Bombardier aircraft are also trusted around the world in special–mission roles.

Headquartered in Montral, Qubec, Bombardier operates aerostructure, assembly and completion facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The company's robust customer support network includes facilities in strategic locations in the United States and Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the UAE, Singapore, China, and an Australian facility opening in 2022.

For corporate news and information, including Bombardier's Environmental, Social and Governance report, visit bombardier.com. Learn more about Bombardier's industry–leading products and customer service network at businessaircraft.bombardier.com. Follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger, Global and Global 8000 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For Information
Mark Masluch
Senior Director, Communications
Bombardier
+1 514 855 7167

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13ccfb40–d1a3–440e–919e–655db79b4f68


[INVNT GROUP]™ Expands Global BrandStory Project Launches Hypnogram™ – The Creative Multimedia Studio

New York, NY, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT, expands experiential storytelling capabilities launching Hypnogram, a creative global boutique and studio focused on multimedia experiences that span the physical and digital world.

Hypnogram supports brands and organizations by translating ideas and messages into unimagined experiential multi–sensory moments through motion design, tech/art installations, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality, across public and private spaces, including live shows and product launches, conferences and B2B events, festivals, public spaces, performance arts, hospitality, and the metaverse.

[INVNT GROUP] represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward thinking brands everywhere, impact the audiences that matter anywhere. The GROUP consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative–led culture consultancy, Meaning; production studio & creative agency, HEV'; events for colleges and universities, INVNT Higher Ed; digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM; the original live brand storytelling agency, INVNT; and now, Hypnogram, the creative multimedia studio.

"Innovative storytelling is in our DNA. This multimedia studio led by CEO Pavel Popov, the visionary ex–managing partner at Radugadesign USA and Radugadesign China, deepens our global expansion strategy, augments our core capabilities, and offers clients end–to–end creative solutions that drive audience engagement through immersive, next–generation multimedia experiences and events," said INVNT CEO and [INVNT GROUP] COO, Kristina McCoobery.

"We live in an amazing time when digital and physical world are blending. Multimedia designers across the globe are pushing the boundaries of visual art, transforming events and installations into unforgettable experiences and cultural landmarks. Our mission is to become an industry–leading agency in multimedia design. When we combine what hypnogram brings to the table with the incredible, diverse capabilities of [INVNT GROUP], we are able to create added value for our partners around the world", said Pavel Popov, CEO of Hypnogram.

Hypnogram is based in the U.S., operates globally, and is actively developing the China market, recently launching two 3D billboard projects commissioned by Vivo, a multinational technology company, and of the one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in China.

Rooted at the nexus of experiential marketing, art/design and technological innovation, [INVNT GROUP]'s addition of Hypnogram enhances the group's ability to imagine and fulfill creative, immersive, multimedia spectacles that change the relationship between brands and those who come into contact with them.

Paul Blurton, Chief Creative Officer of [INVNT GROUP], who leads [INVNT GROUP] creative teams globally and across disciplines, will guide Hypnogram's growth, through a combination of new clients and projects, and integration with other businesses within The GROUP.

Paul adds, “Multimedia content, design and application is an essential component of the work we do for our clients; it has been a part of our world for years, and continues to play an ever–increasing role, as brands seek those unforgettable, visually stunning "wow moments" that communicate their story in previously unimagined ways. In Pavel, we have brought a trusted partner into the business, who brings with him an unrivalled global network of creators, artists, designers, animators, programmers and technicians that enable us to bring to life almost anything we can dream up. It's a natural and additive extension of our commitment to being the best brand storytellers in the world."

For more information on Hypnogram visit: http://hypnogram.com/

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Triller Inc. Secures $310 Million Equity Funding from Global Emerging Markets (GEM) in connection with Upcoming Public Listing

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Triller Inc.("Triller") and GEM Global Yield LLC SCS (“GGY”) today announced a binding $310 million investment from GEM, the Luxembourg based private alternative investment group, in the form of a share subscription facility. Under the agreement, GEM will provide Triller with up to $310 million in equity capital for a 36–month term following a public listing of Triller's common stock.

Triller will not be obligated to draw the full $310 million but can do so in part or in whole at its discretion. Triller will control both the timing and amount of all drawdowns and will issue stock to GEM on each drawn down from the facility. Triller will also issue warrants to GEM, further aligning the interests of the companies.

Triller filed its private S–1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month and is submitting what it anticipates being the final S–1 concurrently with the closing of this facility. The expectation is that trading will commence in early Q4 2022.

"Triller has been growing tremendously," said Mahi de Silva, CEO and Chairman of Triller. "At our inception in 2019, we were a zero–revenue company; now we are on track to break $100 million in revenue this year. The Triller app has been downloaded more than 350 million times, and the company works with dozens of the world's largest brands and thousands of top artists, disrupting the entire creator community."

Triller has 10 business lines, eight of which are at break–even or profitable, and effectuates 750 million interactions per quarter, each of which is a potential monetizable transaction for the company in the future.

With the capital infusion from GEM, Triller will be able to make additional acquisitions to strengthen its toolbox for the creator community and reach breakeven or profitability in the short–term. Assuming it draws upon the full $310 million equity facility, Triller will have raised more than $600 million dollars and, upon its IPO, will be virtually debt free.

"Triller is breaking all the rules of the closed garden systems. It is challenging the way the old establishment takes advantage of creators and users by keeping 99 percent of the money within the system for itself," said De Silva. "The reason the industry is so set on MAU, DAU and the like is that is how much time someone spends within one company's particular closed garden and means that the social networks "own' the user, revenue, brand and information.

"Triller breaks that system wide open. As an open garden, our goal is to put the power back in the hands of the creators and users, allowing creators and brands to connect directly. We provide tools to maximize those connections and how well each can be monetized. In addition, looking at the number of interactions we facilitate helps us to forecast future revenue since each one of those is a potential transaction fee for us."

About Triller Inc.

Triller is the AI–powered open garden technology platform for creators. Pairing music culture with sports, fashion, entertainment, and influencers through a 360–degree view of content and technology, Triller encourages its influencers to post the content created on the app across different social media platforms and uses proprietary AI technology to push and track their content virally to affiliated and non–affiliated sites and networks, enabling them to reach millions of additional users. Triller additionally owns VERZUZ, the live–stream music platform; combat sports brands Triller Fight Club, Triad Combat and BKFC; Amplify.ai, a leading customer engagement platform; FITE.tv, a premier global PPV, AVOD, and SVOD streaming service; Thuzio, a leader in B2B premium influencer events and experiences; Fangage, a platform for creators to engage fans and monetize content and Julius, a platform for brands and agencies to harness creators for social engagement and social commerce.

About GEM
Global Emerging Markets ("GEM") is a $3.4 billion, Luxembourg based private alternative investment group with offices in Paris, New York and The Bahamas. GEM manages a diverse set of investment vehicles focused on emerging markets and has completed over 530 transactions in over 70 countries. Each investment vehicle has a different degree of operational control, risk–adjusted return, and liquidity profile. The family of funds and investment vehicles provide GEM and its partners with exposure to: Small–Mid Cap Management Buyouts, Private Investments in Public Equities and select venture investments. For more information: http://www.gemny.com


Poverty Impacts on Efforts to End Child Marriage, say Parliamentarians

Ricksani Alice, 19, who was married at a young age but is now back in school hoping to complete her education thanks to the Spotlight Initiative talks with UNFPA Gender Programme Officer Beatrice Kumwenda at Tilimbike Safe Community Space in Chiludzi village, Dowa, Malawi on November 2, 2020. Credit: UNFPA ESARO

Ricksani Alice, 19, who was married at a young age but is now back in school hoping to complete her education thanks to the Spotlight Initiative talks with UNFPA Gender Programme Officer Beatrice Kumwenda at Tilimbike Safe Community Space in Chiludzi village, Dowa, Malawi on November 2, 2020. Credit: UNFPA ESARO

By Cecilia Russell
Johannesburg, Sep 29 2022 – Child marriage continues to be a scourge in many African countries – despite legislation and efforts of many, including parliamentarians, to keep girls in school and create brighter futures for them. This was the view of participants in a recent webinar held under the auspices of the African Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (FPA) and UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO).

The webinar, supported by the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) and the Japan Trust Fund, heard how progressive legislation prohibiting marriage for adolescents under 18, and in one case, 21, was not enough to stop the practice.

Dr Kiyoko Ikegami, Executive Director, and Secretary General, APDA, noted in her opening address that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected child marriage prevention programmes and increased poverty and inequality, which was a driving force in child marriages.

Chinwe Ogbonna, UNFPA ESARO Regional Director a.i, said while there had been considerable achievements since the 1994 ICPD conference in Egypt – the work was not yet done.

She encouraged the parliamentarians to commit themselves to actions they agreed to at a regional meeting in Addis Ababa in June, which included “amplifying evidence-based advocacy.” In Africa, she said, teenage pregnancy and HIV prevalence are high. Gender-based violence was on the rise, and femicide and the harmful practices of child marriage, and female genital mutilation continued.

The webinar heard from members of parliament in various countries across the African continent.

Fredrick Outa, from Kenya, FPA Vice-President, told the delegates that while Kenya had made ambitious commitments, FGM was an area of concern. Kenya was committed to strengthening coordination in legislation and policy framework, communication and advocacy, integration and support, and cross-border cooperation to eliminate FGM.

Kenya aimed to eliminate GBV and child and forced marriages by “addressing social and cultural norms that propagate the practice while providing support to affected women and girls.”

An MP from Zambia, Princess Kasune, said it was of concern that the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) of 2018 indicated that 29 percent of women aged 20-24 reported being married before 18. The country had various programmes to address this, including partnering with traditional rulers and civil society to fight early child marriage.

“Chiefs and headmen have made commitments in the fight against child marriage …. Traditional rulers are themselves champions in the fight against child marriage,” Kasune said.

She said the practice continues even though the Marriage Act prescribes 21 as the minimum age for marriage.

However, customary law differed, and there needed to be consistency in legislation.

The other crucial campaign against early marriages was to keep children in school. While the government had employed 30 000 teachers in rural areas, more was needed.

“Keeping children in school was critical to lowering the incidence of child marriage,” Kasune said.

Muwuma Milton, MP Uganda, agreed that culture played a part in eliminating harmful practices like child marriage. The country was applying a multifaceted approach to eliminating this – including school feeding schemes, providing sanitary packs for girls, and encouraging young mothers to return to school after delivery.

“A challenge is that the country has unmet needs for family planning services, which stands at 30%, and there is a culture that believes that once a girl reaches menstruation age, they are old enough to get married,” Milton said.

Matthew Ngwale, an MP from Malawi, noted that his country adhered to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocol that condemns the marriage of people under 18. The Malawian constitution, Marriage, Divorce, the Family Relations Act (2015), and the Childcare Justice and Protection Act all reinforce this policy.

But, Ngwale said, despite “progressive legislation, Malawi has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, where approximately 42% of girls get married before the age of 18, and 9% are below the age of 15. Approximately 7% of boys marry before the age of 18.”

He also noted that child marriage is higher in rural than urban areas. Rural girls are 1.6 times more likely to marry early than their urban counterparts.

Poverty is a clear driver, with women in the predominantly ‘poor’ south marrying at a slightly lower age than those in the ‘wealthier’ north and central regions.

“In Malawi, children from more impoverished families are twice as likely to marry early than those from wealthier families,” Ngwale said, and in a country where data shows that 51.5% of the people live below the poverty line, which is higher in rural areas at 60% compared to urban areas at 18%.

Traditional initiation practices, done as part of a rite of passage when a girl reaches puberty, encouraged early sexual activity, Ngwale said, and the prevalence of child marriage is higher among matrilineal than patrilineal groups.

“Due to food insecurity, child marriage often becomes a more likely coping mechanism as families seek to reduce the burden of feeding the family,” he said.

Climatic challenges, such as droughts and floods, have become more frequent and catastrophic.

Child marriage impacts secondary school completion rates. In Malawi, only 45% of girls stay in school beyond 8th grade.

“Most young girls who leave school due to child marriage have few opportunities to earn a living, making them more vulnerable to GBV. Child marriage lowers women’s expected earnings in adulthood by between 1.4% and 15.6%,” he said.

However, the Malawi government had created a conducive environment for civil society organizations to work with the government to end child marriage – including the official Girls Not Brides National Partnership.

Pamela Majodina, MP Republic of South Africa, told the webinar the country was committed to the objectives of ICPD25. It has passed laws, including the Domestic Violence Act, Children’s Act, Sexual Offences Act, and Child Justice Act, where it is a criminal offense to have sex with a child under 16 – regardless of consent.

Goodlucky Kwaramba, MP Zimbabwe, said her country was committed to reducing teenage pregnancies from 21.6% to 12% by 2030 and delivering comprehensive Family Planning services by 2030.

An MP from Eswatini, Sylvia Mthethwa, said her country, with 73 percent of the population below 35 and youth unemployment at 47 percent, was committed to ensuring that youth was front of mind. While senators were mobilizing financial resources, the National Youth Policy and National Youth Operational Plan had been developed.

Meanwhile, in Tanzania, some successes were already recorded Dr Thea Ntara, MP Tanzania, said rural areas were fully supported in the rollout of free ARVs, and adolescent and youth-friendly SRH services have been available in more than 63% of all health facilities since 2017.

Note: The webinar series is based on a recommendation of the African and Asian Parliamentarians’ meeting to Follow-Up on ICPD25 Commitments held in June 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Eidosmedia partners with Sophi.io on AI-powered print automation

TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eidosmedia, a developer of digital publishing solutions for leading news–media groups worldwide, has partnered with Sophi.io, an AI–powered automation, optimization and prediction platform developed by The Globe and Mail, to bring seamless print laydown automation to Eidosmedia customers.

The solution brings the entire print page layout process down from hours to just minutes, without the use of templates. Publishers can dramatically improve productivity and cut costs, all within the Mthode platform they currently use.

"The complexity of print page layouts has until now defied the easy automation that speeds the publishing of online formats," said Marco Cetola, Eidosmedia Sales and Partner Program Director. "For our customers, especially large regional groups and national titles, print editions continue to be a major source of revenue. There's intense interest in ways to cut production times and costs in this important publishing channel."

"The fit between our print edition building routines and Sophi's AI engine turned out to be very good," said Marco. "We were quickly able to start training the pagination model on existing layouts, and we had the first results in a matter of days".

"The productivity boost obtained is exceptional," said Marco, "especially for daily publications where the page–design operation is usually running against the clock." In fact, a typical 32–page print edition can be paginated in minutes compared to several hours for a manual operation.

Sophi–powered print automation is different than other print production solutions in that it is completely template–free. It uses smart AI to ensure that a publisher's printed pages look and feel as though they were produced by experienced editors and page designers. Each page is designed from scratch following each individual brand's design vocabulary. The final output is a print–ready PDF or InDesign file that's ready in minutes.

Among those who stand to benefit from the new technology are page designers themselves. Page designers have been under pressure for some time to increase their productivity as publishers try to cut costs. With fewer hands to lay out growing numbers of pages, the designer's job has in many cases become a stressful race against time. The automation engine will take routine tasks off their hands so they can devote more time to the front pages, features and special layouts where their creativity can really add value.

"Page automation is the greatest innovation in the publishing industry since the personal computer replaced typewriters," said Marco.

Gabe Gonda, VP at Sophi.io, commented: "Sophi is delighted to be entering a partnership with Eidosmedia to deliver our print automation technology through the Mthode platform. Eidosmedia is a first–class CMS vendor with deep knowledge of its clients' evolving needs. This partnership will help deliver a unique and high–value solution to some of the best newspaper publishers in the world."

About Eidosmedia

Eidosmedia (www.eidosmedia.com) is a global leader in content management and digital publishing. Eidosmedia solutions are used by news–media organizations throughout the world to create and deliver portfolios of news products ranging from advanced digital formats to traditional newspapers and magazines.

About Sophi Inc.

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) was developed by The Globe and Mail to help content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. It is a suite of AI and ML–powered automation, optimization and prediction solutions that include Sophi Site Automation, Sophi for Paywalls and Sophi for First Party Data. Sophi also powers one–click automated laydown of template–free print publishing. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to your business.