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GMAT™ Focus Edition Stands Alone in Business School Assessment as Previous Version Sunsets

RESTON, Va., Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After nearly three months of successful delivery of the GMAT™ Focus Edition, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) today confirmed that it has become the only version of the GMAT exam available to prospective test takers around the world. GMAC, a global association representing leading business schools, delivered the updated version of the most widely used business school exam last fall in parallel with the existing GMAT to facilitate candidates’ in–progress preparation and applications for business school.

First launched seven decades ago, the GMAT has been the gold standard by continuously evolving to ensure it maintains its psychometric rigor while remaining a highly relevant indicator of candidate preparedness for graduate business programs. The test was revamped last year with a more efficient test taking experience and flexible new features to better support candidates on their journey of business education and career.

“We have been reassured and encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received from many who have taken the latest edition of GMAT and gained newfound confidence to pursue advanced business education,” said Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC. “I believe that we have achieved what we set out to do at the inception of the redesign more than two years ago, allowing business school aspirants to best demonstrate their capabilities in the most relevant and in–demand skillsets like critical thinking and data intelligence. We are confident that business schools will benefit from the uptick of demonstrated interest and commitment from a more expansive and inclusive global applicant pool.”

GMAC revealed the GMAT Focus Edition after extensive research efforts involving hundreds of school professionals and in–depth concept testing with thousands of prospective students globally. With just three 45–minute sections, including the newly developed Data Insights section, it is nearly one hour shorter than the previous version of the GMAT and requires less content to prepare. While the previous version of the GMAT exam is no longer available, its scores continue to be valid for five years. Test takers and schools have been provided with helpful information so that they can readily make use of scores from both exam editions during this period.

“The redesign makes the exam more focused, more accessible, and less daunting. But more focused doesn’t mean easier or less valuable. It just means smarter,” said Rodrigo Malta, managing director of MBA recruitment and admissions at University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business.

Sun Long, executive director of international MBA program at China’s Fudan University, noted that his school is amongst the many top business schools around the world with a positive view of the latest iteration of GMAT. “It has helped bring us closer to meeting the needs of MBA program candidates while improving upon business schools’ talent selection in the ever–changing business environment.”

About GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is a mission–driven association of leading graduate business schools worldwide. GMAC provides world–class research, industry conferences, recruiting tools, and assessments for the graduate management education industry as well as resources, events, and services that help guide candidates through their higher education journey. Owned and administered by GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) exam is the most widely used graduate business school assessment.

More than 12 million prospective students a year trust GMAC’s platforms, including mba.com, GMAC Tours, and BusinessBecause, to learn about MBA and business master’s programs, connect with schools around the world, prepare and register for exams, and get advice on how to successfully achieve their business education and career goals. GMAC is a global organization with offices in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.gmac.com

Media Contact:

Teresa Hsu
Sr. Manager, Media Relations
Mobile: 202–390–4180
thsu@gmac.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030785)

Sanborn Map Company, Inc. erweitert globale Präsenz mit der Gründung von Sanborn Geophysics, ULC

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Die Sanborn Map Company, Inc. freut sich, die Gründung ihrer kanadischen Tochtergesellschaft Sanborn Geophysics, ULC mit Sitz in der Nähe von Toronto bekanntzugeben. Sanborn Geophysics wird sich auf geophysikalische Vermessungsdienstleistungen und den Verkauf von Ausrüstung konzentrieren und damit einen neuen Markt für Sanborn erschließen.

Sanborn Geophysics ist bestrebt, die Erfassung von Geodaten und die Möglichkeiten der Luftvermessung zu verbessern, und baut dabei auf das umfangreiche Fachwissen von Sanborn im Bereich Geodaten auf. John Copple, CEO von Sanborn, dazu: „Die Gründung von Sanborn Geophysics erweitert die bereits umfangreichen Fähigkeiten von Sanboarn in den Bereichen Geodatenerfassung und Luftvermessung. Wir sind in der einzigartigen Lage, nicht nur spezielle Daten zu sammeln, sondern dies auch mit unserer eigenen hochmodernen Ausrüstung zu tun.“

Sanborn Geophysics wurde durch den Kauf der Vermögenswerte von Nuvia Dynamics, Inc. ermöglicht. Sanborn konnte außerdem Mitarbeiter einstellen, die nachweislich über Erfahrung in der geophysikalischen Vermessungstechnik verfügen und Sanborn Geophysics verstärken. Einige der Mitarbeiter von Sanborn Geophysics verfügen über mehr als 25 Jahre Erfahrung und waren zuvor für Nuvia Dynamics Inc (früher bekannt als Pico Envirotec Inc) tätig. Beide Unternehmen können auf eine beachtliche Erfolgsbilanz bei der Entwicklung geophysikalischer Vermessungstechnologien für die Mineralien– und Ölexploration sowie für geotechnische Anwendungen verweisen. Sanborn wurde von der Environmental Financial Consulting Group, LLC (EFCG) unterstützt. Die Bedingungen wurden nicht bekanntgegeben.

„Sanborn Geophysics wird neue Möglichkeiten für das Unternehmen schaffen, sowohl im Inland als auch international. Mit dieser Investition wollen wir unseren Kunden die besten Geodatenlösungen bieten“, so Copple.

Über die Sanborn Map Company:
Die führende Rolle von Sanborn bei der Erstellung hochwertiger Geodaten begann 1866. Heute ist Sanborn führend in der Erfassung von Geodaten und in der technologischen Innovation und hat sich verpflichtet, seinen Kunden die besten umfassenden und modernen Geodatenlösungen anzubieten, die auf ihre Situation zugeschnitten sind. Als einer der größten Anbieter von End–to–End–GIS–Produkten und –Dienstleistungen in den USA bietet Sanborn u. a. folgende Leistungen an: Schrägaufnahmen, Orthobilder, Lidar–, Sonar–, geophysikalische und hyperspektrale Daten und Kartierungen, sichere Datenspeicherung und Streaming von unserem eigenen Datenzentrum, räumliche Analysen, kundenspezifische Anwendungsentwicklung, strategische GIS–IT–Planung und technische Beratung, kommerzielle Daten– und Cloud–Plattformen, Sanborn SAAS–Geodatenlösungen, Personalverstärkung und verwaltete GIS–Programmdienste. Der Vorteil von Sanborn ist, dass wir unseren Kunden helfen, die richtigen Daten und Technologien zu finden und Lösungen zu entwickeln, die ihren Bedürfnissen, ihrem Budget sowie ihren Systemanforderungen entsprechen. Die ISO 9001:2015–Zertifizierung von Sanborn ist ein weiterer Beweis für das Engagement des Unternehmens für Qualität. 

Für Medienanfragen:
Tom Harrington Jr, PhD
Chief Marketing Officer
tharrington@sanborn.com
(617) 413 7057


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030760)

The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. accroît sa présence mondiale avec le lancement de Sanborn Geophysics, ULC

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, 01 févr. 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. a le plaisir d’annoncer la création de sa filiale canadienne, Sanborn Geophysics, ULC, située à proximité de Toronto. Sanborn Geophysics se spécialisera dans les services d’études géophysiques et les ventes d’équipements, ce qui représente un nouveau marché pour Sanborn.

Dans son engagement pour faire évoluer les capacités dans la collecte des données géospatiales et les levés aériens, Sanborn Geophysics s’appuie sur la solide expertise de Sanborn dans le domaine des données géospatiales. John Copple, PDG de Sanborn, a commenté : « La création de Sanborn Geophysics élargit les capacités déjà étendues de Sanborn en matière de collecte de données géospatiales et de levés aériens. Nous sommes dans une position privilégiée nous permettant non seulement de recueillir des données spécialisées, mais de le faire à l’aide de notre propre équipement à la pointe de la technologie ».

Sanborn Geophysics est le résultat de l’acquisition d’actifs auprès de Nuvia Dynamics, Inc. Sanborn a également été en mesure d’embaucher des employés qui ont fait leurs preuves dans le domaine de la technologie des levés géophysiques afin de doter Sanborn Geophysics d’un personnel compétent. Certains employés de Sanborn Geophysics ont plus de 25 ans d’expérience et ont auparavant travaillé pour Nuvia Dynamics Inc (connue précédemment sous le nom de Pico Envirotec Inc). Les sociétés précédentes présentent toutes deux un bilan remarquable en matière de développement de technologies de levés géophysiques pour la prospection minière/pétrolière et les applications géotechniques. Sanborn a bénéficié du soutien de The Environmental Financial Consulting Group, LLC (EFCG). Les modalités de la transaction n’ont pas été divulguées.

« Sanborn Geophysics créera de nouvelles opportunités pour l’entreprise, tant au niveau national qu’international. Cet investissement permettra de fournir les meilleures solutions géospatiales à nos clients », a ajouté John Copple.

À propos de The Sanborn Map Company :
Dès 1866, Sanborn s’est forgée une position de leader dans la création de données spatiales de qualité. Aujourd’hui, l’entreprise est à la pointe de la collecte de données spatiales et de l’innovation technologique et s’engage à offrir à ses clients les solutions géospatiales les plus complètes et les plus modernes, adaptées à leur situation. Sanborn est l’un des plus grands fournisseurs de produits et de services SIG de bout en bout aux États–Unis. Son offre comprend : l’imagerie oblique, l’imagerie ortho, les données lidar, sonar, géophysiques et hyperspectrales et la cartographie, le stockage sécurisé des données et le streaming à partir de notre propre centre de données, l’analyse spatiale, le développement d’applications personnalisées, la planification stratégique et le conseil technique en SIG–TI, les données commerciales et les plateformes cloud, les solutions géospatiales SAAS de Sanborn, le renforcement du personnel et les services gérés des programmes SIG. Grâce à Sanborn, les clients peuvent identifier les données et la technologie adéquates, et bénéficient de solutions qui correspondent à leurs besoins, à leur budget, et à la configuration du système requise. La certification ISO 9001:2015 de Sanborn constitue une nouvelle preuve de son engagement envers la qualité. 

Pour les demandes d’information des médias :
Tom Harrington Jr, PhD
Directeur du marketing
tharrington@sanborn.com
(617) 413 7057


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030760)

Sanborn Map Company, Inc. Expande Presença Global Com o Lançamento da Sanborn Geophysics, ULC

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Sanborn Map Company, Inc. tem o prazer de anunciar o estabelecimento da sua subsidiária canadense, a Sanborn Geophysics, ULC, localizada nos arredores de Toronto. A Sanborn Geophysics se concentrará nos serviços de levantamento geofísico e vendas de equipamentos, abrindo um novo mercado para a Sanborn.

Com o compromisso de avançar a coleta de dados geoespaciais e a capacidade de levantamento aéreo, a Sanborn Geophysics baseia–se na extensa experiência com dados geoespaciais da Sanborn. John Copple, CEO da Sanborn, comentou: “A criação da Sanborn Geophysics expande a já extensa coleta de dados geoespaciais e a capacidade de levantamento aéreo da Sanborn. Estamos posicionados de forma única não apenas para coletar dados especializados, mas para fazer isso com o nosso próprio equipamento de última geração.”

A Sanborn Geophysics foi habilitada pela compra de ativos da Nuvia Dynamics, Inc. A Sanborn também conseguiu contratar funcionários com um histórico comprovado na área de tecnologia de pesquisa geofísica para a equipe da Sanborn Geophysics. Alguns dos funcionários da Sanborn Geophysics têm mais de 25 anos de experiência e já trabalharam na Nuvia Dynamics Inc (ex–Pico Envirotec Inc). Ambas as empresas anteriores têm um histórico de destaque de realizações no desenvolvimento de tecnologias de pesquisa geofísica para exploração mineral/petrolífera e aplicações geotécnicas. A Sanborn foi apoiada pelo The Environmental Financial Consulting Group, LLC (EFCG). Os termos da transação não foram divulgados.

“A Sanborn Geophysics criará novas oportunidades para a empresa, tanto nacional como internacionalmente. Com esse investimento poderemos oferecer as melhores soluções geoespaciais para os nossos clientes”, disse Copple.

Sobre a Sanborn Map Company:
A liderança da Sanborn na criação de dados espaciais de alta qualidade teve início em 1866. A Sanborn está na vanguarda da coleta de dados espaciais e da inovação tecnológica e tem o compromisso de oferecer aos clientes o melhor em soluções geoespaciais abrangentes da última geração adaptadas à sua situação. Como um dos maiores fornecedores de produtos e serviços completos de GIS nos EUA, as ofertas da Sanborn incluem: imagens oblíquas, imagens orto, lidar, sonar, dados geofísicos, hiperespectrais e mapeamento, armazenamento seguro de dados e streaming do nosso próprio data center, análise espacial, desenvolvimento de aplicativos personalizados, planejamento estratégico e consultoria técnica GIS–IT, dados comerciais e plataformas em nuvem, soluções geoespaciais Sanborn SAAS, aumento de pessoal e serviços gerenciados por programas GIS. O ponto forte da Sanborn é a ajuda que ela proporciona aos clientes para a identificação de dados e tecnologia corretos, e a criação de soluções que atendam às suas necessidades, orçamento e requisitos do sistema. A certificação ISO 9001:2015 da Sanborn é mais um exemplo do seu compromisso com a qualidade. 

Consultas da Mídia:
Tom Harrington Jr, PhD
Diretor Financeiro
tharrington@sanborn.com
(617) 413 7057


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030760)

BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) completes acquisition of Arc Metal AB in Sweden

  • Acquisition adds smelting capability to serve spent automotive catalyst customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa
  • Complements ECMS’s global recycling operations and precious metal services
  • Broadens range of materials that can be processed by ECMS

ISELIN, N.J., Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) has completed the acquisition of Arc Metal AB in Hofors, Sweden. The asset purchase adds toll smelting and processing of spent automotive catalyst in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and further complements ECMS’s existing global precious metal recycling operations in Cinderford, UK, Seneca and Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Caldwell, Texas, USA.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome our new colleagues with the successful acquisition of Arc Metal,” said Tim Ingle, Senior Vice President, Precious Metal Services and Recycling, ECMS. “Now we can turn our attention to growing our recycling business in EMEA by meeting increased customer demand for spent automotive recycling and utilizing our expanded capabilities to process high carbon containing materials, like silicon carbide found in spent automotive catalyst materials.”

The additional smelting capacity at the Sweden site will also increase utilization of new refinery capacity in Seneca, South Carolina. Recycled catalysts go through a smelting process and are then refined to produce the high purity precious metal needed to make new catalysts and other end use products, supporting a circular economy.

In addition, the acquisition bolsters ECMS’s ability to deliver its 100 percent recycled metal offering Verdium™, which is based on mass balance. Recycled platinum group metals can lower carbon emissions by up to 97 percent, in comparison to refining mined or primary materials1. One kilogram of Verdium saves over thirty metric tons of carbon, enabling customers to verify their carbon reduction, track progress to their sustainability goals and help lower their Scope 3 emissions. UL Solutions has provided independent, third–party validation of the physical chain of custody and mass balance accounting of Verdium.

To learn more about BASF’s recycling business, visit www.basf.com/ecms.

1 Source: Sphera Solutions GmbH (2022): GaBi Database Edition 2022, SP37

About BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions
Leveraging its deep expertise as a global leader in catalysis and precious metals, BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) serves customers in many industries including automotive, aerospace, indoor air quality, semiconductors, and hydrogen economy, and provides full loop services with its precious metals trading and recycling offering. With a focus on circular solutions and sustainability, ECMS is committed to helping our customers create a cleaner, more sustainable world. Protecting the elements of life is our purpose and this inspires us to ever–new solutions. ECMS operates globally in 15 countries with over 4,500 employees and 20 production sites.

Media Relations contact:
Betsy Arnone
Phone: +1 973–519–9808
betsy.arnone@basf–catalystsmetals.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030038)

Excavation of colossal caverns for Fermilab’s DUNE experiment completed

Lead, South Dakota, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Excavation workers have finished carving out the future home of the gigantic particle detectors for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. Located a mile below the surface, the three colossal caverns are at the core of a new research facility that spans an underground area about the size of eight soccer fields.

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, DUNE scientists will study the behavior of mysterious particles known as neutrinos to solve some of the biggest questions about our universe. Why is our universe composed of matter? How does an exploding star create a black hole? Are neutrinos connected to dark matter or other undiscovered particles?

The caverns provide space for four large neutrino detectors—each one about the size of a seven–story building (see 2–minute animation). The detectors will be filled with liquid argon and record the rare interaction of neutrinos with the transparent liquid.

Trillions of neutrinos travel through our bodies each second without us even knowing it. With DUNE, scientists will look for neutrinos and examine the behavior of a neutrino beam produced at Fermilab, located near Chicago, about 800 miles east of the caverns. This will be the world’s most intense neutrino beam and will travel straight through earth from Fermilab to the detectors in South Dakota. No tunnel is necessary for the neutrinos’ path.

“The completion of the excavation of these enormous caverns is a significant achievement for this project,” said U.S. Project Director Chris Mossey. “Completing this step prepares the project for installation of the detectors later this year and brings us a step closer towards fulfilling the vision of making this a world–class underground facility.”

 Engineering, construction and excavation teams have been working 4,850 feet below the surface since 2021 at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, home of the South Dakota–portion of DUNE. Construction crews dismantled heavy mining equipment and, piece by piece, transported it underground using an existing shaft. Workers then reassembled the equipment, and workers spent almost two years blasting and removing close to 800,000 tons of rock.  

Workers will soon begin to outfit the caverns with the systems needed for the installation of the DUNE detectors and the daily operations of the research facility. Later this year, the project team plans to begin the installation of the insulated steel structure that will hold the first neutrino detector. The goal is to have the first detector operational before the end of 2028.

“The completion of the three large caverns and all of the interconnecting drifts marks the end of a really big dig. With no lost–time accidents in over three years, we reached a major achievement,” said Fermilab’s Michael Gemelli, who managed the excavation of the caverns by Thyssen Mining. 

The DUNE collaboration, which includes more than 1,400 scientists and engineers from over 200 institutions in 35 countries, is eager to start the installation of the particle detectors. They have successfully tested the technology and assembly process for the first detector and preparations for the technology of the second detector is underway at the European research laboratory CERN.

Fermilab is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, Fermilab is located near Chicago, Illinois, and operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance LLC. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on Twitter at @Fermilab.

The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.

Attachments


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030228)

The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. Expands Global Presence with Launch of Sanborn Geophysics, ULC

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. is pleased to announce the establishment of its Canadian subsidiary, Sanborn Geophysics, ULC located just outside of Toronto. Sanborn Geophysics will focus on geophysical survey services and equipment sales, opening a new market to Sanborn.

With a commitment to advancing geospatial data collection and aerial survey capabilities, Sanborn Geophysics builds upon Sanborn's extensive geospatial data expertise. John Copple, CEO of Sanborn, remarked, “The creation of Sanborn Geophysics expands Sanborn’s already extensive geospatial data collection and aerial survey capabilities. We’re uniquely positioned to not only collect specialized data but to do so with our own state–of–the–art equipment.”

Sanborn Geophysics was enabled by the purchase of assets from Nuvia Dynamics, Inc. Sanborn was also able to hire employees who have a proven track record in geophysics survey technology to staff Sanborn Geophysics. Some of Sanborn Geophysics employees have over 25 years of experience and previously worked for Nuvia Dynamics Inc (formerly known as Pico Envirotec Inc). Both prior companies have a distinguished record of accomplishment in developing geophysics survey technologies for mineral/oil exploration and geotechnical applications. Sanborn was supported by The Environmental Financial Consulting Group, LLC (EFCG). Terms were not disclosed.

“Sanborn Geophysics will create new opportunities for the company both domestically and internationally. This investment is to provide the best geospatial solutions for our clients,” said Copple.

About The Sanborn Map Company:
Sanborn’s leadership in the creation of high–quality spatial data began in 1866. Today Sanborn is at the forefront of spatial data collection and technology innovation and committed to offering clients the best in comprehensive state–of–the–art geospatial solutions tailored to their situation. As one of the largest providers of end–to–end GIS products and services in the U.S., Sanborn offerings include: oblique imagery, ortho imagery, lidar, sonar, geophysical, and hyperspectral data and mapping, secure data storage and streaming from our own data center, spatial analytics, custom application development, GIS–IT strategic planning and technical consulting, commercial data and cloud platforms, Sanborn SAAS geospatial solutions, staff augmentation, and GIS program managed services. The Sanborn advantage is to help customers identify the right data and tech, and to create solutions that match their needs, budget, and system requirements. Sanborn’s ISO 9001:2015 certification is a further demonstration of its commitment to quality. 

For Media Inquiries:
Tom Harrington Jr, PhD
Chief Marketing Officer
tharrington@sanborn.com
(617) 413 7057


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9029925)

Ceridian Becomes Dayforce

TORONTO and MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Dayforce, Inc. (NYSE: DAY; TSX: DAY) (the “Company”), a global human capital management (HCM) leader that makes work life better, today announced its change in legal name and brand from Ceridian to Dayforce. Dayforce is the Company’s flagship HCM platform, which delivers value to thousands of organizations and millions of workers globally and has consistently been ranked as a market leader based on a rich history of innovation and excellence.

With this brand evolution, the Company continues to set a new standard for the HCM industry – one that is fueled by a commitment to help today’s boundless workforce become more engaged, empowered, efficient, and purposeful. This includes ongoing investment in simplicity at scale through AI–driven innovations and best–in–class experiences across every stage of the customer journey – helping organizations realize their full people potential, operate with confidence, and unlock quantifiable value.

“As one united brand – Dayforce – we firmly believe we can amplify our promise to make work life better,” said David Ossip, Chair and CEO, Dayforce, Inc. “Dayforce represents our products, company, and community at its best. As Dayforce, we will further our ability to foster the happiest customers, the most engaged employees, the best products, and the greatest return for the market.”

Ossip shares more in the blog: We are Dayforce, which can be found on the Company’s new website.

To learn more:

About Dayforce  
Dayforce makes work life better. Everything we do as a global leader in HCM technology is focused on improving work for thousands of customers and millions of employees around the world. Our single, global people platform for HR, payroll, talent, workforce management, and benefits equips Dayforce customers to unlock their full workforce potential and operate with confidence. To learn how Dayforce helps create quantifiable value for organizations of all sizes and industries, visit dayforce.com.   

Forward–Looking Statement
This press release contains forward–looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our legal name change, the benefits of our unified branding, our investments in AI–driven innovations and best–in–class experiences, and our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward–looking statements. Forward–looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. These forward–looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward–looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

This press release should be read in conjunction with the risks detailed in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information,” “Forward–Looking Statement”, “Risk Factors” and other sections of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10–Q, Annual Reports on Form 10–K and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission are posted on our website and are available from us without charge.

Media Contact
Teri Murphy
647–417–2117
Teri.Murphy@dayforce.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9029887)

MGA Entertainment Establishes Four Subsidiaries to Support its Fast Growing International Business in the European Union

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MGA Entertainment, Inc. (MGA), one of the largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world, announced today it has established four wholly–owned subsidiaries in the European Union (EU) to support its fast growing international business. The four subsidiaries – MGA Toys Iberia S.L. (led by Managing Director Mila Gonzalez), MGA Entertainment Greece (led by Managing Director Panos Kalogeropoulos), MGA Entertainment Italy SRL (led by Managing Director Andrea Signorelli), and MGA Toys France (led by Managing Director Thierry Thivolle) – will support marketing and sales administration efforts, staffed by employees who have worked for MGA Entertainment in each of the markets, now employees of their respective subsidiary in the same roles. This move demonstrates the company’s commitment to growing its businesses in those markets and to its international business overall. 

“Our business outside of the U.S is strong and increasingly important to MGA Entertainment. Establishing these new subsidiaries will allow us to grow our business more quickly in these important markets,” said MGA Entertainment Founder & CEO Isaac Larian. “I look forward to working closely with the teams in each of these markets to continue to bring new, innovative, and fun MGA toys and products to consumers across the EU.”  

MGA previously announced its plans to merge with Zapf Creation AG, Europe’s leading manufacturer of nurturing dolls. MGA’s wholly–owned German subsidiary has entered into negotiations of a merger agreement which is expected to close in late Spring 2024.

###

About MGA, Entertainment, Inc.
MGA Entertainment is one of the largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices globally, the company creates innovative, proprietary, and licensed consumer products and entertainment properties, including toys, games, dolls, apparel, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods, movies, and television series. The MGA family includes award–winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes®, Rainbow High™, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse™, Fluffie Stuffiez™, Na! Na! Na! Surprise™, Micro Games of America™, BABY born®, and Zapf Creation®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgae.com or check us out at LinkedIn, Threads, Instagram and Facebook. 

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9030048)

Nuclear Disarmament: A Natural Buddhist-Catholic Alliance, says Japanese Leader

Interview with Hirotsugu Terasaki, DG of Peace and Global Issues of SGI by Victor Gaetan at UN. Credit: Katsuhiro Asagiri, President of INPS Japan.

 
“Jesus and Buddha were peacemakers and promoters of non-violence,”

Pope Francis, May 28, 2022

By Victor Gaetan
Nagasaki (Agenzia Fides) – , Feb 1 2024 (IPS-Partners)

At the United Nations headquarters in New York City, on the third floor, a solemn statue of St. Agnes, holding her namesake lamb, stands as a disturbing reminder of nuclear destruction.

The saint, known for resisting multiple attempts to kill her, survived an atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki by the United States on August 9, 1945. The bomb exploded 500 meters from Urakami Cathedral, Asia’s largest Catholic church at the time. The bomb incinerated 60-80,000 people, of whom no more than 150 were soldiers. St. Agnes was found face down in the cathedral’s rubble.

Declassified Pentagon documents solve the puzzle of why Nagasaki was targeted despite not being included in the initial list of targets: at the last-minute, the city was added in handwriting, by an unknown hand, to obliterate the most historic Catholic community in Japan as retribution Retribution for the Vatican’s 1942 establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan. The US couldn’t forgive the Vatican for establishing diplomatic relation with its enemy, Tokyo).

Hibakusha Voices

In front of the UN’s St. Agnes statue, I met anti-nuclear campaigner, Hirotsugu Terasaki, director general of the lay Buddhist movement, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), representing some 12 million people worldwide. Founded in 1930, Soka Gakkai is Japan’s largest organized religious group.

SGI is dedicated to the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th century Japanese Buddhist priest. Soka University in Tokyo and Aliso Viejo, California are also associated with the faith tradition. A regular collaborator with the Holy See, SGI was a participating partner at the Vatican’s 2017 conference “Prospects for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament.” Pope Francis sent public condolences when SG’s highly influential third president, Daisaku Ikeda, died last November at age 95.

Hiromasa Ikeda, vice president of SGI meeting with Pope Francis during the Vatican conference “Prospects for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarmament.” Credit: Centro Televisivo Vaticano

Terasaki was at the UN to attend the second Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), an ambitious disarmament treaty—the first prohibiting countries from possessing nuclear arms—signed by 93 countries, most recently Sri Lanka. It went into effect January 22, 2021.

Terasaki explained that SGI’s disarmament commitment stretches back over half a century and is directly connected with his country’s tragic experience of nuclear holocaust. The Soka Gakkai youth division in Japan started a campaign in 1972 aimed at “protecting the fundamental human right to survival” by gathering and documenting the wartime testimonials of Japanese nuclear survivors known as hibakusha (bomb-affected-people). Over the next 12 years, students collected thousands of testimonies, which eventually filled 80 volumes.

“My personal involvement brought me face-to-face with the harrowing accounts of hibakusha,” Terasaki recalled. “There were some who initially agreed to being interviewed, but once it began, they were voiceless, choked by the weight of their anguish and pain. Yet, there were those who bravely shared their persistent suffering and trauma. I was in a state of utter shock witnessing their visceral outpourings of pain. It shook the depth of my soul. These testimonials seared in my consciousness the inhumanity of nuclear devastation.”

Of 650,000 hibakusha recognized by the Japanese government, over 113,000 are alive. To this day, they influence the contemporary disarmament movement by inspiring its leaders: “These individuals form the foundation of building peace,” summarized Terasaki.

Partnering with ICAN

A fortuitous partnership helped amplify SGI’s anti-nuclear commitment in 2007. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (which won a Nobel Peace Prize for creating public awareness of the catastrophe of nuclear weapons in 1985) initiated the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and asked SGI to sign on as an early collaborator to help gain global approval of the TPNW. Both were especially committed to mobilizing youth.

Terasaki remembered, “To realize our vision of a nuclear-free world, we felt compelled to forge a vast global network committed to educating people about the devastating realities of nuclear weapons. Our efforts began by organizing study groups for diplomats around the world, heightening awareness of the aftermath of nuclear exposure”—again, putting the humanitarian impact at the center of the discussion. Regional anti-nuke conferences, from Central Asia to the Caribbean, and directly lobbying foreign ministries were two other tactics.

In the span of merely a decade, the TPNW was adopted by the United Nations in July 2017. The Holy See was one of the first signatories. “This was indeed a miraculous achievement,” confirmed Terasaki, who credits many other organizations with contributing to the success, including Pax, the Dutch Catholic peace group, and the World Council of Churches.

No surprise, TPNW has not been signed by the nine countries with nuclear capability: Russia (5,889 warheads); US (5,224 warheads); China (410); France (290); United Kingdom (225); Pakistan (170); India (164); Israel (90); and North Korea (30). Nor have five states hosting nuclear weapons for the US signed: Italy (35); Turkey (20); Belgium (15); Germany (15); or Netherlands (15) according to ICAN.

Most inhumane weapons

The main message of TPNW campaigners is that nuclear weapons are the most inhumane weapons ever created. They violate international law, cause severe environmental damage, undermine global security, and divert budgets from addressing human needs. Nuclear weapons must be eliminated, not just controlled.

Yet, a cover story in the magazine Scientific American last December warned about the U.S. government’s plans to upgrade its nuclear capacity with an additional $1,5 trillion to modernize its nuclear arsenal. Presently, there are approximately 12,500 nuclear warheads worldwide, with the United States and Russia holding nearly 90% of the stockpile.

Explained Terasaki, “The current plan to expand nuclear capabilities stems from an unwavering belief in the utility of nuclear deterrence. Yet, we must question whether this policy is a sound political strategy or is it a myth created to perpetuate nuclear armament.”

He continued, “Advancing the current nuclear expansion will not yield peace and security based on global nuclear balance but will precipitate global destruction or Armageddon.”

Moral discourse

I asked Terasaki, how he describes the unique role being played by faith-based organizations such as SGI, in the new, emerging disarmament movement, as typified by the TPNW? He explained that while TPNW’s next steps are largely diplomatic and state-centric, faith-based organizations must continue highlighting the negative impact of nuclear arms from a spiritual and humanitarian perspective.

“As the world grapples with escalating challenges, the influence of moral discourse becomes ever more pertinent,” he said. This is a position strongly maintained by the Holy See.

At the same time, Soka Gakkai’s affiliation with the Komeito party (NKP), founded by Daisaku Ikeda in 1964 gives it unique influence on perceptions of governing elite; it’s not “just” a Buddhist lay entity. In the 1960s, Ikeda advocated for the reopening of China-Japan relations. He visited China ten times between 1974 and 1997, meeting with leaders Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. In the 1970s, Ikeda traveled to the Soviet Union and met with Premier Aleksey Kosygin, passing conciliatory messages between Beijing and Moscow, at the height of China-USSR tensions. NKP has been the Liberal Democratic Party (LPD) junior partner since 1999.

Ikeda’s vision converged with Pope Francis: The Japanese leader observed, “In the end, peace will not be realized by politicians signing treaties. Human solidarity is built by opening our hearts to each other. This is the power of dialogue.”

Kazakhstan and Bahrain

Teresaki described two inspiring images of collaboration witnessed in his travels to promote peace, denuclearization, and cross-cultural dialogue: In 2022 he attended both the Seventh Congress of Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan as a Buddhist representative, and, a month later, he was in Bahrain for the forum “East and West for Human Coexistence.”

The events put him in close proximity to Pope Francis, whose encyclicals “resonate deeply with me,” said Terasaki.

“I was particularly moved seeing the reconciliatory atmosphere between Catholic and Sunni Islamic leaders sitting in the same room,” observed the Japanese leader. “These forums offered a promising platform for religious leaders from across the globe to engage in candid and meaningful discourse, sharing insights and wisdom on the pressing global issues facing humanity.”

According to Terasaki, a fundamental Buddhist tenet informing SGI anti-nuclear advocacy is that individual and society’s security are one and interdependent. The Mahayana tradition followed by SGI emphasizes how an individual, through discipline and deepening practice, works change within that impacts the external world.

“SGI is committed to safeguarding dignity of life, happiness of all individuals, and the collective security of the world. Reliance on nuclear arms fundamentally contradicts these aims, as they jeopardize the very security we seek,” he summarized.

As Pope Francis declared at Nagasaki in 2019, “Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction or the threat of total annihilation. They can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation.”
(Agenzia Fides, 17/1/2024)

Victor Gaetan is a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Register, focusing on international issues. He also writes for Foreign Affairs magazine and contributed to Catholic News Service. He is the author of the book God’s Diplomats: Pope Francis, Vatican Diplomacy, and America’s Armageddon (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) published in paperback in July 2023. VictorGaetan.org

Original article: https://www.fides.org/en/news/74617-ASIA_JAPAN_Nuclear_Disarmament_A_Natural_Buddhist_Catholic_Alliance_Explains_Japanese_Leader

 


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