PODCAST – When All the World’s Failings End in Gaza

  • : Multimedia Investments Ltd
  • : 23/10/2023
  • PODCAST: In this the tenth episode of A View from Afar for 2023 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and journalist/analyst Selwyn Manning examine the current Israel-Palestine Atrocities.

    As we prepared for this podcast, representatives of Arab states have presented a united front at the United Nations, criticising the UN Security Council of doing nothing to protect civilians from Israeli bombing and missile attacks on Gazan civilians and locations.

    Since then, the UN Security Council has considered two resolutions, the latter calling for a pause in hostilities to allow a humanitarian effort to enter Gaza to assist civilians.

    The United States vetoed that Security Council resolution.

    Al Jazeera has detailed that Israel forces have targeted and bombed civilian facilities include Hospitals, schools, residential areas resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, civilians, – around one-third of the deaths are children.

    It remains contested by all sides in this conflict as to who, or what, is responsible for the deadly attack on Gaza Hospital, resulting in the deaths of over 471 people.

    Additional to this, Israel has sealed the borders of Gaza while it prevents food, water and medical supplies from reaching civilians – in breach of international law requirements and laws of conflict.

    Israel ordered Gazan civilians, who wish to get to safety, to get out of North Gaza and move toward the south, to the border with Egypt. But as people fled south toward what appeared to be safety, Israel bombed the southern Gaza region killing more civilians and sealing off that corridor for others who sought refuge.

    As a consequence of the bombing, Egypt responded by sealing the Gaza-Egypt border.

    Humanitarian aid now sits on trucks, waiting, on the Egypt side of the border, while United Nations officials implore Israel and Egypt to allow medical supplies, food and water to get through to those who are injured and dying.

    The Israel Defence Force strikes followed a surprise-attack on Israeli citizens by soldiers operating under the Hamas banner.

    Civilians were slaughtered and others taken hostage, only to be used as bargaining chips and leverage against their enemies.

    Even Palestinian advocacy groups like the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa suggested that breaches of international humanitarian Law, crimes against civilians, have been committed by those Hamas-aligned fighters. But they are clear, as others are too, that crimes against humanity, war crimes, have been committed by Israel, without consequence, as we all give witness to its response which is disproportionate, brutal, and disregarding of the thousands of Palestinian lives that have already been taken.

    That’s the current situation. It is likely to get much worse.

    In this episode, our questions will include:

    What are the world’s leaders doing to stop the carnage?

    Are the world’s nations being drawn into what will be an ever-expanding war?

    Are we witnessing the beginning of a war where on one side authoritarian-led states like Russia, Iran, the wider Arab states, and possibly China stand unified against the United States, Britain, Germany, and other so-called liberal democratic allies representing the old world order?

    Is what we are witnessing, what happens when a global rules-based order, multilateralism and institutions like the United Nations no longer have influence to prevent war, or restore peace and stability, or assert principles of international justice and enforce the rights of victims to see recourse to the law?

    Why has this slaughter become an opportunity for the US and Russia to square-off against each other at the UN Security Council – a body that was once designed to advocate and achieve peace, but has now become a geopolitically divided entity of stalemate and mediocrity?

    Eventually, will humanitarianism prevail? Will the world recognise that all people, the elderly, women, children, people of all ethnicities and religions, that they all bleed and die irrespective of their state of origin, when leaders of all sides, while sitting back in their bunkers, unleash weapons designed to kill as many people as is possible?

    In this episode, Paul and Selwyn examine this most grave situation from a geopolitical vantage point. It may appear as dispassionate, and as so even disturbing, but we will take this approach in an attempt to aide an understanding of why this is happening in Gaza and why it is happening now.

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:

    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.

    To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to:  Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/

    You can also subscribe to A View from Afar Podcast on:

  • Screen-Shot-2022-12-15-at-2.10.40-PM-copy
  • : https://www.youtube.com/live/NRuObMSC4ns?si=H_b-OpXpYFLY4-HA
  • : https://eveningreport.nz/podcast-download/1084174/podcast-when-all-the-worlds-failings-end-in-gaza.m4a
  • : Selwyn Manning
  • : Managing Director and Founder
  • : selwyn@milnz.co.nz
  • : 6421611958
  • : https://milnz.co.nz
  • https://youtube.com/c/EveningReport/

Alimetry raises $16.3 Million to launch wearable diagnostic device for the gut

  • : Alimetry Limited
  • : 02/03/2022
  • Alimetry, a digital healthcare and medical device start-up, announced today it has closed a NZ$16.3 Million financing round led by New Zealand largest venture capital investor Movac. Existing investor partners IP Group, Matū Karihi, and UniServices supported the round, with K1W1 also participating.

    The company will use the funding to accelerate the international launch of its first product, a wearable diagnostic device called Gastric Alimetry. Gastric Alimetry uses a stretchable high-resolution sensor to non-invasively map digestive patterns, and delivers clinical reports via the cloud to inform the diagnosis and classification of gastric disorders.

    Chronic gastric symptoms are extremely common, yet many of our patients still suffer from repeated inconclusive tests, trial and error care, and confusion,” said CEO Greg O’Grady, a Professor of Surgery and co-founder of Alimetry. “Gastric Alimetry is on track to deliver breakthrough results in diagnosing gastric symptoms, enabling enhanced clinical outcomes and safer, more accessible, and less-invasive care.”

    Gastric Alimetry targets prevalent stomach diseases including nausea and vomiting, gastroparesis, and functional dyspepsia, affecting over 8% of the world’s population and costing billions of dollars in healthcare expenses. The device is currently undergoing clinical trials in 5 countries, with results and further regulatory approvals expected during 2022. Alimetry will also use the new funding to expand its artificial intelligence capabilities and expand its product pipeline.

    Lovina McMurchy, a General Partner at Movac who will join Alimetry’s Board, stated: “While Alimetry has only recently come out of stealth mode in New Zealand, the team has made an incredible amount of progress in bringing their product to market globally. They are already working with the top gastroenterology clinics in the world to trial the devices and they are in the approval process with the Federal Drug Administration in the US for full scale commercialization. This is a tremendous example of what our science ecosystem can produce at it’s very best.

    Gastric Alimetry has recently received numerous innovation and product design awards, including Gold from the Australian Good Design Awards, and a prestigious ‘Purple Pin’ at the New Zealand Best Design Awards. The Best Awards judges stated: “This is a tangible example of how New Zealand science, technology and design can work together to produce brilliant results.”

    Alimetry was spun-out of the University of Auckland in 2019 from a centre of excellence in digestive diseases. The company was founded by Prof. Greg O’Grady and Dr. Armen Gharibans, on the background of a decade of award-winning science.

    To learn more about Alimetry visit www.alimetry.com.

    About Movac

    Movac is New Zealand’s largest and most experienced venture capital fund, supporting technology founders from early stage through to growth investing. Movac was the first institutional grade venture investor supported by both New Zealand Superannuation and Kiwi Wealth. It currently has $400m funds under management and invests across deep tech, software, hardware and healthtech.

    About IP Group

    IP Group is a leading intellectual property commercialisation company focused on evolving great ideas and cutting-edge research from its partner universities into world-changing businesses. The Group pioneers a unique approach to developing these ideas and the resulting businesses by providing access to business building expertise, capital, scientific insight, and supporting infrastructure. IP Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: IPO), has a strong track record of success and, its portfolio comprises holdings in early stage to mature businesses across life sciences and technology. In Australia and New Zealand, IP Group works in close partnership with the Go8 Universities and the University of Auckland to identify ground-breaking technologies rooted in hard science, which have the most promising commercial potential. www.ipgroupanz.com

    About University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund, managed by Auckland UniServices

    The University of Auckland Inventors Fund is an evergreen, open-ended $20 million investment fund owned and managed by Auckland UniServices Limited, the commercial  company for The University of Auckland. The Inventors’ Fund provides seed capital for ventures started out of the University of Auckland.  www.uniservices.co.nz

    About Matū Karihi Fund.

    Matū is a venture capital fund investing in early-stage science and deep technology commercialisation from education and research institutions and the private sector. Karihi (nucleus) is Matū’s original pre-seed and seed-focused fund, working with start-ups at the earliest stages of their journey. As an open fund it raises capital over time and holds investments through to exit where possible, and therefore invests on a long timeframe. www.matu.co.nz

    About K1W1

    K1W1 Ltd is an investment company owned by Sir Stephen Tindall. It has invested over a total of $100M Seed and Venture capital into a large number of start-up and early stage businesses from Biotech, environmental technology, high tech, software and other high export potential businesses. The aim is, either directly or as a “fund of funds” to assist young entrepreneurs to grow New Zealand as a leader in the “knowledge economy” and to help create a culture of making New Zealand “cash flow positive” in international goods and services trade.

    Attached files: Gastric Alimetry-11

  • Alimetry_System_Light
  • : https://youtu.be/Tw2sBEDQsPU
  • : Hanie Yee
  • : Chief Operating Officer
  • : hanie@alimetry.com
  • : 6421651226
  • : https://alimetry.com
  • @alimetry_ltd | https://nz.linkedin.com/company/alimetry-ltd

Teams “Yadrava na Vanua” from Fiji and “Not Basic” from New Zealand win the Grand Prizes for Space Challenge

  • : SpaceBase Limited
  • : 18/02/2022
  • Christchurch—18 February 2022. 

    Yadrava na Vanua (Environment Watch) from Suva, Fiji won the Grand Prize today for the Space for Planet Earth Challenge.

    Their project focused on integrating satellite data on land cover types across Fiji with ground truth measurements, and refining the carbon sequestration data with machine learning analysis of high resolution satellite images from Planet to generate international standard levels of measurements, reporting, and verification of carbon stocks.

    Separately, “Not Basic” from Newlands College, Wellington, New Zealand, won the Grand Prize at the High School level. Their work featured using machine learning analysis of satellite data to predict the conditions leading to coral bleaching as detected within the Allen Coral Atlas with Planet satellite data.

    Six teams from New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji competed in demo sessions with a panel of judges, then a Pitch presentation to a live online audience. The winners are awarded cash prizes of $30,000 and $10,000 each, satellite data from company Planet, and mentorship from SpaceBase.  Additionally the High School team will receive scholarships from the US Based MMAARS Academy to attend their Level 1 Virtual Mars Programme.

    “The presentations that I’ve seen were so amazing…and I was blown away by the ideas and the ability that they’ve shown…Planet is so proud to be part of this competition,” Dr. Tanya Harrison, Director of Strategic Innovation for Planet and a Finals Judge for the competition, said at the event.

    The winners were selected by judges from Planet, the U.S. Embassy to New Zealand, Pacific GIS and Remote Sensing Council, Rocket Lab, Callaghan Innovation, ChristchurchNZ, Callaghan Innovation, and Consegna.cloud.

    The awards were presented by the NZ Space Agency and the U.S. Embassy. 

    “I’ve been extremely impressed with the sophistication of the solutions that have been developed, by the approach of looking for different data sources to incorporate into those solutions, to reaching out to other organisations, establishing partnerships to make this more effective, and the quality of the presentations,” said Dimitri Geidelberg, Principal Advisor to the Agency.

    The Challenge was the brainchild of SpaceBase founders who leverage incentive prizes and space technologies to catalyse innovation while solving tough problems in the region.  “Already, we see the Challenge as pushing the teams to accelerate their research and create opportunities they may not otherwise have been able to realise.” said Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, CEO of SpaceBase. “We think this is only the beginning for these climate change focused innovations, and we hope to continue to support these teams in their progress over the coming months and years.”

    For more information about the Challenge and the Winners, go to spaceforearth.org

    The Challenge is made possible by a partnership between SpaceBase Limited and Planet.  Sponsors include the U.S. Embassy in New Zealand, K1W1, NZ Space Agency, ChristchurchNZ, Consegna.cloud, Clare Foundation, Greenlight Ventures, Namaste Foundation, Engineering Dreams, MMAARS Academy, and Christchurch City Council.

    SpaceBase Limited is a New Zealand based education and consulting social enterprise, whose mission is to democratise access to space for everyone. SpaceBase is creating equal opportunity to leverage space technologies to solve problems on Earth, by catalysing space ecosystems in developing and emerging countries, starting in New Zealand.  Since its incorporation in 2017, it has collaborated with economic development agencies, local governments, and advocacy groups to deliver over 100 educational presentations and workshops; two national space and aerospace competitions, as well as helping birth space communities and organisations locally and globally. SpaceBase created a platform for the NZ Aerospace Directory and a free course, Catalysing a Space Industry in Your Region, for anyone interested in creating a local space industry. SpaceBase is also the NZ Ambassador for the International Space University. 

  • Promo Video Thumbnail
  • : Emeline Dulce M Paat-Dahlstrom
  • : CEO
  • : emeline@spacebase.co
  • : 0224021936
  • : https://spacebase.co
  • https://twitter.com/SpaceBaseNZ + https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpaceBaseNZ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/13643678/admin/

Assange raises NZ$80 million through collaboration with crypto artist Pak

  • : Aotearoa 4 Assange
  • : 11/02/2022
  • Jailed journalist Julian Assange has recieved a massive boost to his campaign to regain his freedom, raising a record-breaking NZ$80 million in less than a week on the Juice box crypto platform.
    Renowned crypto-artist Pak collaborated with Assange, to produce NFT artworks which have been used solely to raise money for Assange’s defence and other press freedom and humanitarian causes.

    The artwork came in two parts. A 1/1 edition titled ‘Clock’ which counts the days which Assange has spent behind bars, and an open edition titled ‘Censored’ which allows buyers to craft their own unique message which gets ‘censored’ with a line through it.

    Assange is fighting against extradition to the US for publishing secret documents which exposed state crimes. This is an unprecedented case that Amnesty International and other human rights groups are warning threatens global press freedom and freedom of information .

    Tens of thousands of people have joined AssangeDAO to raise the 16593.05 ethereum used to win the art auction in support of Assange. AssangeDAO moderator JB said in a statement ‘this is tens of thousands of people coming together to show real strength – the Power of the People. In less than one week, we have shown that decentralised and distributed peoples can band together to fight injustice.’

  • : Matt Ó Branáin
  • : National Co-ordinator of Aotearoa 4 Assange
  • : matt.o.branain@a4a.nz
  • : 0204382863
  • : https://A4A.nz
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/a4assange | https://twitter.com/A4Assange | https://www.instagram.com/aotearoa4assange/

Alimetry Leaves Stealth Mode to Announce CE Mark on New Wearable Medical Device for Gastric Diseases and Investment

  • : Alimetry Ltd
  • : 16/04/2021
  • Alimetry, a digital healthcare and diagnostic devices start-up, announced today that it has achieved CE Mark for its first product, a pioneering medical device for enabling diagnosis of gastric diseases.

    The new wearable product, called Gastric Alimetry, is positioned to transform the diagnostic pathway for millions of patients worldwide suffering from diseases such as functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis and chronic nausea and vomiting. Gastric symptoms are extremely prevalent and impart a vast burden, affecting around 10% of the global population. The Gastric Alimetry device collects data by non-invasively sensing the activity of the stomach from the body surface. The data is sent to the cloud for analysis, and is used by clinicians to determine the causes of gastric symptoms and direct treatment.

    Co-Founder and CEO Professor Greg O’Grady said “As clinicians, we lack the tools we need to reliably diagnose gastric disorders.  This contributes greatly to the frustration and suffering of our patients.  I was driven to this cause by seeing too many patients go through laborious, invasive and expensive rounds of repeat diagnostic testing, only to end up with inconclusive results and confusion. We invented Gastric Alimetry to help address this need. I am immensely proud of our hard-working team who have delivered an incredibly creative solution with outstanding potential to impact patient care.”

    In addition to successfully achieving CE mark for the Gastric Alimetry product, enabling the company to start commercializing the medical device in European countries, Alimetry also announced today that it had achieved the ISO 13485 international quality management system accreditation. As it grows global operations, the company has enhanced its executive team with new appointments. Hanie Yee joined the company as Chief Operating Officer, from her previous role as Clinical Business Lead at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, and Professor Chris Andrews, a leading gastroenterologist from Canada, has joined Alimetry as Chief Medical Officer.

    Alimetry has been the culmination of over a decade of award-winning scientific research out of The University of Auckland, backed by scientific grants from the New Zealand Health Research Council and the US National Institutes of Health, followed by Callaghan Innovation funding. To support the next phase of growth, the company completed its first institutional investment round, led by IP Group, a leading international intellectual property commercialisation company. The investment round was supported by UniServices Ltd (via the University of Auckland’s Inventors’ Fund), and Matū, a New Zealand early-stage science and deep-tech venture capital fund.  The capital raised by Alimetry will be used to advance the company’s clinical trials, enter the market, and progress regulatory approval in the United States.

    The Managing Director of IP Group Australia, Dr Michael Molinari, said “We are excited to be working with Professor O’Grady and the world-class team at Alimetry to provide a step change in the quality of life for millions of patients with gastric disorders. This technology, at the intersection of multiple exponentially growing fields such as wearable medical devices, digital health, and machine-learning assisted diagnostics, is another great example of the breakthrough innovations coming from our partners at the University of Auckland”.

    About Alimetry

    Alimetry was founded in 2019 as a spin-out company from the University of Auckland’s Bioengineering Institute and Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. The company was founded on a background of world-leading science in gastrointestinal diseases.  Alimetry is dedicated to improving the lives of patients by delivering innovative medical solutions to advance GI diagnostics and enable targeted therapies. www.alimetry.com

    About IP Group

    IP Group is a leading intellectual property commercialisation company focused on evolving great ideas from its partner universities into world-changing businesses. The Group pioneered a unique approach to developing these ideas and the resulting businesses by providing access to business building expertise, capital, scientific insight, and the supporting infrastructure. In Australia and New Zealand, IP Group works in close partnership with the Go8 Universities and the University of Auckland to identify ground-breaking technologies, rooted in hard science, which have the most promising commercial potential. IP Group, which is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol IPO, has a strong track record of success and its portfolio comprises holdings in early stage to mature businesses across life sciences and technology.

    Discover more at www.ipgroupanz.com

    About The University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund.  The University of Auckland Inventors Fund is an evergreen, open-ended $20 million investment fund owned and managed by Auckland UniServices Limited, the commercial company for The University of Auckland.  The Inventors’ Fund provides seed-capital for ventures started out of the University of Auckland.  www.uniservices.co.nz

    About Matū Fund. Matū is a venture capital fund investing in early-stage science and deep technology commercialisation from education and research institutions and the private sector. As an open and evergreen fund, Matū takes a long-term investment view and is aimed at turning ground-breaking ideas into globally focused, IP-rich companies. Matū provides intelligent capital with active governance, executive management, operational support, and mentorship for founding and executive teams.  www.matu.co.nz

    Released images (png format):

    Alimetry Reader

    Alimetry System Light

    Alimetry System on Body

    Contact Information:

    Hanie Yee, Chief Operating Officer

    E: hanie@alimetry.com

    M: +64 (0) 21 651 226

    Social Media:

    Twitter: @alimetry_ltd

  • Alimetry_Reader_Light
  • : Hanie Yee
  • : Chief Operating Officer
  • : hanie@alimetry.com
  • : 6421651226
  • : https://alimetry.com/
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/alimetry-ltd/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

DEEPENING STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UBC AND PIONEERING DECENTRALISED PLATFORM, MANYONE

  • : Manyone
  • : 15/04/2021
  • Vancouver, Canada – April 15th, 2021 – Manyone, a pioneering technology venture in decentralization and digital identity, is delighted to announce that 2021 marks the second year of the strategic collaboration between Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation and the Blockchain@UBC research cluster at the University of British Columbia.

    This academic-industry partnership is one of the first to critically assess the feasibility of decentralized social media, explore engineering possibilities and configure the privacy and security implications of self-ownership of social media data.

    Blockchain@UBC Graduate researchers gain research opportunities at Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation by applying for grants from MITACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex System), a Canadian non-profit research organization that fosters cross-sector collaboration and develops talents for the innovation ecosystem in Canada. 

    In the next year, UBC researchers will identify technical requirements for decentralized identities, design new system architecture, and explore the value and business models for blockchain-based identity management.

    Chang Lu, Research Manager at Blockchain@UBC states that, “Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation offer an inspiring space for our students to sharpen their knowledge about blockchain. Their vision of decentralized social media represents a paradigm shift in the world of social networks. We are grateful that we can contribute to the shift”.

    Michael Cholod CEO at Manyone and The Peer Social Foundation comments, “As a Vancouver based pioneering enterprise, we value the opportunity to work with academics and researchers in Canada to identify the social and organizational impact of decentralized identity and determine the privacy and security implications of self-ownership of social media data. The academics at UBC help us in understanding the bigger picture and how to look for real world solutions.”

    Dr. Victoria Lemieux, Blockchain@UBC Co-Lead and Associate Professor at UBC’s School of Information, further adds that, “We’re excited to delve further into both the technological and policy ramifications of Manyone’s vision of securing digital data free from manipulation or distortion and to support technical and social innovation in Canada”.

    Manyone, with offices in Vancouver, Canada and Stockholm, Sweden is launching the world’s first decentralised secure messaging and identity sharing platform in April 2021.

  • : https://vimeo.com/497354494/e980b7ee5e
  • : https://www.buzzsprout.com/995260/8076641-hot-topix-facebook-falling-down-under
  • : MICHAEL CHOLOD
  • : CEO
  • : INFO@MANYONE.LONE
  • : 16048361112
  • : https://manyone.one
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/manyoneapp/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true