Day: March 11, 2022

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Sophi.io is INMA 2022 Global Media Awards Finalist for Print Automation

TORONTO, March 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s AI-powered automation and optimization platform, was announced this week as a finalist in the International News Media Association (INMA)’s 2022 Global Media Awards in the category of Best Innovation in Newsroom Transformation. Partnering with Naviga, it automated print laydown for Agderposten, a regional daily newspaper that serves over 25,000 readers across Norway, and increased print efficiencies by 66%.

“Sophi’s automated machine-learning system is the biggest transformation to print media in decades,” said Gordon Edall, Co-Founder at Sophi.io. “We’re grateful that Agderposten chose to work with Naviga and us. Their commitment to improving efficiency and embracing ground-breaking technology like Naviga Publisher powered by Sophi.io should inspire the entire media industry to look forward to a future where AI and automation helps everyone.”

Naviga Publisher powered by Sophi.io is an artificial intelligence-powered system that emulates human decisions to produce newspaper pages that look like they were created with an understanding of the news of the day as well as high journalistic standards. All editors need to do is roughly prioritize articles and hit the “Print My Newspaper” button to generate an automated print laydown, without templates, in minutes. Handing over this labour-intensive task lets newsrooms focus on their real objective of finding and telling the next important story.

“It’s hours saved for journalism,” said Agderposten’s Editor-in-Chief Katrine Lia. And the staff at Agderposten often cannot tell the difference between pages produced by Sophi and those handled by their editors.

Sophi and Naviga, a large software technology provider for the global publishing industry, have been working with Agderposten for more than a year now and successes there have paved the way to bringing dozens of new titles from several major publishing houses on board this year. Sophi provides cutting edge AI and ML technology that, along with Naviga Publisher, fully automates the end-to-end print production workflow.

Agderposten was the first customer to use Publisher. Its print production process is now centralized, its newspaper laydown is up to 80% automated, and most impressively, Agderposten has realized a 66% reduction in time and resources – lowering the cost of producing the printed newspaper and letting journalists work on creating digital content rather than operating InDesign.

Agderposten CEO Øyvind Klausen said he expected cost savings and efficiency would continue to increase as more of Agderposten’s pages were automated and more of its newspapers implemented the print automation solution.

The Global Media Awards received 854 entries from 252 news brands in 46 countries this year. The judges consist of 50 media experts from 24 countries focused across 20 categories, including news brands, media platforms, subscriptions, advertising, data and insights, product, and newsrooms. The first place winners will be announced on June 9.

About Naviga
Naviga (https://www.navigaglobal.com) is the leading provider of software and services powering media-rich industries. Their Content Engagement Platform helps companies create, enrich, deliver and monetize content to manage engagements from end-to-end. Their solutions are easy to use, scalable and agile. Combining their experience in media with a dedication to digital, they’ve developed software solutions that help any content-driven business meet the demands of the future of information. With headquarters in Bloomington, MN and regional offices throughout the world, Naviga is a trusted partner serving over 1,400 news media, entertainment media, broadcast, magazine, financial services and corporate clients in 45 countries.

About Sophi.io 
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 Naviga Publisher for one-click automated laydown of print and ePaper publishing. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to your business, such as subscriber retention and acquisition, engagement, recency, frequency and volume.

Media Contact  
Jamie Rubenovitch 
Head of Marketing, Sophi 
The Globe and Mail         
416-585-3355  
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com 
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Customertimes annonce le lancement du fonds Give Back to Ukraine

NEW YORK, 10 mars 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Customertimes annonce le lancement du fonds Give Back to Ukraine, une initiative humanitaire visant à soutenir ceux qui ont été directement touchés par la guerre.

Ce compte indépendant sera régi par le conseil d’administration de Customertimes. L’intégralité des contributions servira à soutenir les efforts des employés bénévoles sur le terrain et à fournir un logement, des médicaments, des vêtements et de la nourriture à notre équipe ukrainienne.

Depuis son lancement le 3 mars 2022, le fonds Give Back to Ukraine a permis de recueillir plus de 95 000 dollars américains. En outre, les membres du personnel de niveau C de Customertimes ont convenu collectivement de donner leurs salaires du mois de mars à ces efforts de sauvetage.

« Je tiens à remercier personnellement nos collègues et partenaires pour leur contribution au fonds Give Back to Ukraine », déclare Dmitry Sidnev, PDG et co-fondateur de Customertimes.

« Le fond aide nos collègues et leurs familles qui font du bénévolat en Ukraine, en Pologne, en Hongrie et en Roumanie, et permet de fournir de la nourriture, de l’eau, des vêtements et des logements, d’assurer le transport et d’apporter une aide médicale à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Par ailleurs, nous soutenons directement notre équipe en veillant à ce que tout le monde soit en sécurité et ait accès à de la nourriture et à un abri, et bénéficie d’approvisionnements. »

Les contributions peuvent être faites par l’entremise de Square ou par virement, et l’entreprise fournira un rapport indépendant indiquant comment chaque dollar a été dépensé via le fonds. Les résultats seront également publiés sur le site Web de l’entreprise, afin de permettre une transparence totale.

Pour en savoir plus :

À propos de Customertimes

Customertimes Corp. est une société internationale de conseil et de logiciels qui se consacre à rendre les meilleures technologies informatiques accessibles aux clients. Avec plus de 4 000 projets achevés et plus de 1 600 experts hautement qualifiés, ses solutions sont conçues pour aider les clients à réaliser une véritable transformation des activités et à tirer le maximum de leurs investissements dans les technologies. Précurseur en services-conseils et en mise en œuvre des solutions Salesforce en Europe de l’Est et primée en développement de produits, Customertimes Corp. a actuellement son siège social à New York, ainsi que des bureaux régionaux à Londres, à Paris, à Toronto, à Kiev, à Poznan, à Riga et à Podgorica. Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site www.customertimes.com.

Contact pour les médias :
Meriel Sikora
Customertimes
212 520-0059
meriel.sikora@customertimes.com

 

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Potato production in the lowlands shows significant progress

An initiative promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to cultivate potatoes in the lowlands for household consumption during the cold season is showing encouraging progress.

According to Ms. Ghenet Ghebrezgabhier, Head of the seed unit at the MoA, it has technically been extremely difficult to cultivate potatoes in the lowlands. However, since November 2021, the MoA has been conducting a pilot project for potato production in the Gash Barka, the Northern Red Sea, and the Southern Red Sea regions. The pilot area extends to around 47 hectares of land.

Ms. Ghenet explained that thus far, an average of 242 quintals per hectare has been harvested in the Gash Barka region, and 163 quintals per hectare in the Southern Red Sea region.

According to reports from the Agricultural Extension Department, the initiative includes 109 beneficiaries, the vast majority of whom have registered satisfactory results. Overall, the project demonstrates that potato cultivation has the potential to be scaled up and successful in most lowland areas of the country.

Success stories from pilot areas

Gash Barka Zone

Tesseney Sub-zone

Mr. Fitwi Ghebreselassie is a farmer who lives in Fesko administrative area. He expressed that it was the first time he saw potatoes being cultivated in the area. “We never thought of cultivating potatoes in this area. We have traditionally considered potato as a highland crop. However, thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture, we have planted 120 quintals of potato seed over six hectares, and we have witnessed that it is very possible to grow potatoes during the cold season.”

Speaking about the project’s success, Mr. Fitwi said, “Since it was our first experience, we encountered some minor challenges, such as pests. However, experts from the Ministry and the regional office played an important role in the whole production cycle. In addition to the provision of seeds and pesticide, continuous follow up was offered by the Ministry’s experts. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all.”

Finally, he affirmed that he would continue to grow potatoes and urged others in the region to join this important initiative to boost potato production in Gash Barka.

Mr. Semere Kifleyesus, member of the Gash-setit Agro-industry, is also a resident of Alebu, Adi-Omer area. They planted 4 hectares of land with potato seeds provided by the Ministry. He informed this newsletter that it was a noble idea that the Ministry took the initiative to try growing potato during the cold season. He asserted, “From now on, potatoes will be produced in Eritrea all year round. Currently, we are selling potatoes at 11 Nakfa per kilo.”

He, finally, acknowledged the effort of the Ministry to increase production of potato in general, and its support and continuous follow ups.

Shambuko Sub-zone

Mr. Biniam Feseha is crop production expert in Shambuko Sub-zone. He said that about half hectare of land was dedicated to potato production, and that he was expecting to harvest approximately 100-125 quintals.

“Since we have been receiving potatoes from the highland markets, we believe this important initiative will play a great role in satisfying the demand for potatoes in our sub-zone during this season,” he explained.

Mr. Biniam also touched upon the possible future expansion of the project, declaring, “If the Ministry can provide us with adequate potato seeds during the coming cold season, we will easily mobilize more farmers to join the initiative. We have already received many requests [to join] from farmers who were not participants during the first round of trials.”

Dige Sub-zone

Mr. Okbamichael Solomon is a farmer in Dige Sub-zone, Adi- Ibrahim area. He commented, “Since I was slightly hesitant that potatoes could be grown here, I dedicated only a quarter of a hectare of land for trial. However, I am now quite convinced that it is possible to grow potatoes here, even though the size may be a bit smaller than in the highlands. If we follow all recommended practices, I believe our harvest will be much greater next time.”

He also expressed his appreciation to the experts from the MoA for their technical support, provision of resources, and various recommendations.

Mr. Mulugieta Hagos is Head of the horticulture unit in Gash Barka. He explained that around 40 hectares of land across nine sub-zones have been dedicated for potato cultivation, with 93 farmers participating in the initiative.

“Even though growing potatoes in Gash Barka has technically been thought unviable due to the climate, the Ministry of Agriculture has shown that it is possible during the cold season. We are now registering satisfactory outcomes and we expect to harvest even more in the coming season,” he concluded to say, “I encourage farmers in the region to join this initiative as it offers many benefits.”

Finally, Mr. Mulugieta highlighted that, from now on, Gash-barka zone has witnessed that it has a vast area to produce table potato during cold season.

Southern Red Sea Region

Afambo Sub-zone

Ali Kahla is a farmer residing in Afambo. Among the beneficiaries of the pilot potato cultivation project, he stated, “Even though it is my first experience, my potato field is in good condition. I expect a reasonable harvest.” He went on to say, “We will cultivate more in the coming season because we have gained adequate experience from this first trial.”

Marian Ali Yosuf, a resident in Harsile area, is one of the

first consumers of the potatoes produced in her area. She explained that the quality of the potatoes is very good, and that she hopes the initiative will be able to meet the growing local demands.

Mr. Mohammed Abdulrahman is Head of the crop production division in the Southern Red Sea region. According to him, 20 farmers have participated in the pilot project, working on 7 hectares of land in three sub-zones (Assab, Central Denkalia, and Southern Denkalia).

Most of the potato fields have been harvested, and considering that it is only the first trial, the outcomes have been quite encouraging.

“At first, many of the farmers were reluctant to farm potatoes, but with a little encouragement they joined the initiative. We provided them with potato seeds and other inputs, as well as regular support. After seeing the positive outcomes, many farmers that were not part of the initiative have been requesting to join future rounds,” Mr. Mohammed noted.

It is worth recalling that since potatoes are not grown in the highlands from November to March, it is a great opportunity for farmers in the lowlands to farm potatoes and meet the supply gap.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Ministry of Health Annual Activity Assessment Meeting

The Ministry of Health conducted an annual activity assessment meeting and discussed on the programs for 2022 from 9-10 March, here in the capital.

According to activity reports presented, HIV/AIDS infection rate that was about 4% in 2003 has been declined to 0.22 in 2021, and malaria infection rate at national level has declined by over 29%.

It was also reported that the number of pregnant women delivering in health facilities that was 42 thousand in 2017 has increased to 52 thousand 639 in 2021, that is a 25% increase.

Regarding voluntary blood donation, the report stated that about 10 thousand units of blood was collected in 2021, and that 99.92% of the blood was collected from voluntary blood donors and the rest from members of families of patients.

As part of the effort conducted to equip health facilities with modern medical equipment as well as ensuring supply of electricity, 19 ultrasound and nine X-Ray machines, as well as 62 solar power equipment has been distributed to health facilities all over the country, the report added.

It was also reported that new oxygen producing plant has been installed in Halibet Hospital and new oxygen supply line and cylinder filling system in Villagio Hospital.

In a concluding speech, Ms. Amna Nurhussien, Minister of Health stating the activity reports presented provide adequate information on the strengths and weaknesses of health facilities all over the country, called for reinforcing effort aimed at alleviating constraints being encountered as well as to undertake cautious measures in the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Governor Nyong’o Becomes UCLGA’S Regional Vice-President

Kisumu Governor, Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o won the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-Africa) East Africa Regional Caucus vice-presidency seat.

Some 70 delegates drawn from the 15 members states of UCLGA East African Region unanimously elected the Kisumu County boss after having received an endorsement from his predecessor, Innocent Umiwana, who said that the governor was the best fit to even be the African President.

“Governor Nyong’o has what it takes to clinch the African Presidency,” said Uwimana.

Uwimana who is the current chairperson of Rwanda Associations of Local Governments Authorities (RAGLA), opted not to be re-elected to support Kenya’s bid for the position.

He vowed to lobby colleagues from other regions to ensure that East Africa wins the presidency at the General Assembly that will be convened in Kisumu during the Africities Summit.

Nyong’o expressed optimism that after Kisumu hosts the summit, other intermediary cities will have the doors open to also play host to such international event.

Also present in the caucus were chairpersons of the country chapters of Network of Locally Elected Women of Africa (REFELA), a representative of young elected officials of 35 years and below for the network of Young Elected Leaders Officials of Africa (YELO).

Kenya also won the REFELA chairperson of the Election Commission which was taken by Hilda Kwamboka, an MCA from Mombasa County as June Ndegwa from Nairobi County became YELO’s executive committee member. Kirui Chepkwony from Nandi County became a Pan African Council member which is affiliated to Council of Governors (COG) and County Assemblies Forum(CAF).

Kenya’s Defense Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa said Kenya joins other member states to urge their delegates to turn up for the first summit to be held in an intermediary city.

“As a country, we join UCLGA in urging delegates from all the member states from the East African region to join us in Kisumu, as UCLGA holds its first summit in an intermediary city,” noted the CS.

The 15 East African Region member states include Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Seychelles, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Djibouti, Madagascar, Sudan, Eritrea, and Comoros.

The caucus was held in Nairobi in preparation for the May 9th Africities Summit which is to be held in Kisumu County.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Tigrayans Tired of Terrorist TPLF Fleeing to Neighboring Regions, Eritrea: TDP

Many Tigrayans sick and tired of the tyranny of terrorist TPLF are fleeing from Tigray regional state to neighboring regions and Eritrea, according to Tigray Democracy Party (TDP).

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Tigray Democracy Party Public Relations Head Muluberhan Haile said a large number of people have entered neighboring regional states and neighboring country Eritrea in one month alone.

The head pointed out that “the terrorist TPLF has been disseminating propaganda that the people of Tigray are surrounded by enemies and the people have no choice but attack the neighboring country and regional states.”

Many Tigrayan youth have been misguided by this false narrative of TPLF, he said, adding that the terrorists propaganda is, however, failing and large numbers of people are escaping to the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions as well as Eritrea.

“We have accurate information that many youth are entering neighboring regions. For instance, a large number of youth is entering Kobo town in Amhara region,” he noted.

The youth are fleeing Tigray region because they hate the tyranny of the terrorist group and want to save their lives as well as liberate their people, the head added.

Though the terrorist TPLF committed heinous acts in Afar and Amhara regions by rejecting the ceasefire declared by the Government of Ethiopia, the people of neighboring Eritrea and regions are entering and sheltering in those places without any problem.

“We have reports that the terrorist TPLF killed five people who tried to enter Kobo town, and this shows that the terrorist group is the enemy of people Tigray which kills its own people,” Muluberhan stressed.

The people of Tigray have been paying heavy price as a result of the terrorism of TPLF, he further stated.

“Since the beginning of the reform, the terrorist TPLF has been trying hard to thwart the reform, but it failed. ”

According to the head, peace, development and democracy can only be ensured in Tigray by wiping outing the TPLF and its structure. The people of Tigray deserve equality, peace and justice.

Source: Ethiopia News agency