Marshall Islands

Have we really found the first samples from beyond the Solar System? The evidence is not convincing

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 6, 2023

He has even hypothesised that the spherules are actually debris from an alien spacecraft.

Key Points: 
  • He has even hypothesised that the spherules are actually debris from an alien spacecraft.
  • I commented at the time that I’d need firm analytical evidence to accept such interpretations.
  • Loeb has now provided a very detailed set of analytical data of 57 spherules in an article submitted to a journal.
  • But it has not yet been subject to the peer review that academics require before they accept research as legitimate.
  • Such particles are referred to as “cosmic spherules” and normally come from asteroids within our Solar System.

Other explanations

    • This is unlikely – iron meteorites from within the Solar System are the most affected by melting and this would explain the results.
    • Other possibilities that Loeb considers are supernovas (infinitely hot exploding stars) and cool, luminous stars (known as “asymptotic giant branch” stars, where cool is still incredibly hot).
    • A supernova results from the catastrophic implosion of a stellar source, producing bursts of neutrons to form new elements.
    • The isotopic composition of those elements has been measured in many grains found in meteorites.
    • But they differ from the spherules described by Loeb because they are very small – only a few microns at most.

MIDAO Secures $1 Million in Fundraising to Expand Legal & Regulatory Architecture for Web3 & Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 20, 2023

MARSHALL ISLANDS, July 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, MIDAO, the leading provider of DAO registry services worldwide, announced the successful completion of a $1 million fundraise to further expand its innovative legal & regulatory framework for Web3 projects & decentralized autonomous organizations.

Key Points: 
  • MARSHALL ISLANDS, July 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, MIDAO, the leading provider of DAO registry services worldwide, announced the successful completion of a $1 million fundraise to further expand its innovative legal & regulatory framework for Web3 projects & decentralized autonomous organizations.
  • This investment round, including prominent investors Balaji Srinivasan, FJ Labs, and The LegalTech Fund, underscores the growing recognition and confidence in MIDAO's ability to revolutionize the legal landscape for Web3 & DAOs.
  • The company's mission is to empower Web3 organizations across industries to confidently access legal & regulatory frameworks, attract existing DAOs looking for legal recognition, and explain why the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) legal system is more friendly to Web3 & DAOs than other jurisdictions in the world.
  • “As we witness the exponential growth of decentralized organizations, it becomes increasingly important to establish robust legal frameworks that enable their seamless operation.

WingoMarkets Provides Access to Over 1000 Instruments for Traders from a Single Account

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 17, 2023

With a proven record of stability, security, and strength, the platform offers traders the confidence they need to navigate the financial markets effectively.

Key Points: 
  • With a proven record of stability, security, and strength, the platform offers traders the confidence they need to navigate the financial markets effectively.
  • By providing a reliable and secure trading environment, WingoMarkets ensures that traders can focus on their strategies and goals.
  • One of the standout features of WingoMarkets is its commitment to guiding and supporting traders.
  • Additionally, WingoMarkets provides maximum value by offering competitive rates that allow traders to optimize their profits.

Why the shipping industry's increased climate ambition spells the end for its fossil fuel use

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 14, 2023

A revised strategy to reduce global shipping emissions has emerged from two weeks of intense talks in London.

Key Points: 
  • A revised strategy to reduce global shipping emissions has emerged from two weeks of intense talks in London.
  • It marks a significant increase in the industry’s climate ambition.


We calculate the strategy will require cuts in emissions per ship of up to 60% by 2030 and as much as 91% by 2040. This means the days of fossil-fuelled ships are numbered.

Edging closer to limiting warming to 1.5℃

    • The industry should do its fair share in keeping global warming below 1.5℃.
    • The revised strategy’s targets are not as high as those called for by the science and the most ambitious governments.
    • Climate Action Tracker’s most recent analysis concluded the “highly insufficient” initial strategy put shipping on a pathway consistent with 3-4℃ of warming.
    • This shows the revised strategy still does not align global shipping with the emission-reduction pathway needed to avoid more than 1.5℃ of warming.

What are the strategy’s key elements?

    • It’s big enough for the giant container ship Ever Given to steam through.
    • Importantly, though, IMO member states agreed to set targets for emissions on a “well-to-wake” basis, covering emissions from both fuel production and combustion.
    • Being required to achieve these reductions will fundamentally and rapidly change the sector’s technology and energy supply chains.
    • As a result of these political differences, more work needs to be done to resolve the specifics of the emissions pricing mechanism.
    • Read more:
      Marshall Islands, a nation at the heart of global shipping, fights for climate justice

Strategy is still a work in progress

    • Pressure from Pacific Island states and increased public scrutiny forced IMO member states to commit to higher levels of ambition than many had wanted to accept.
    • Continued pressure will be needed, though, to ensure the measures adopted deliver on the ambition of the IMO strategy.
    • In sum, the revised strategy is a modest win, but the battle is far from over.

Seward & Kissel Promotes Danielle Lemberg, Brian Maloney, Kurt Plankl, and David Stutzman to Partner

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 7, 2023

Seward & Kissel LLP announced today that counsel Danielle Lemberg , Brian Maloney , Kurt Plankl , and David Stutzman have been promoted to partner, effective July 1.

Key Points: 
  • Seward & Kissel LLP announced today that counsel Danielle Lemberg , Brian Maloney , Kurt Plankl , and David Stutzman have been promoted to partner, effective July 1.
  • “Danielle, Brian, Kurt, and David are exceptional lawyers who bring diverse skills, experience, and perspectives to our clients,” said Seward & Kissel managing partner Jim Cofer .
  • Maloney has written and spoken extensively on shipping litigation and contributes to Seward & Kissel’s Maritime Blog and Marshall Islands Law Blog .
  • He is qualified to practice in New York and the Marshall Islands, and contributes to Seward & Kissel’s Maritime Blog .

Safe Bulkers, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend on its 8.00% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Shares; 8.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Shares

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 5, 2023

MONACO, July 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe Bulkers, Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE: SB), an international provider of marine drybulk transportation services, announced today that the Company's Board of Directors has declared:

Key Points: 
  • MONACO, July 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe Bulkers, Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE: SB), an international provider of marine drybulk transportation services, announced today that the Company's Board of Directors has declared:
    a cash dividend of $0.50 per share on its 8.00% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Shares (the “Series C Preferred Shares”) (NYSE: SB.PR.C) for the period from April 30, 2023 to July 29, 2023;
    a cash dividend of $0.50 per share on its 8.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Shares (the “Series D Preferred Shares”) (NYSE: SB.PR.D) for the period from April 30, 2023 to July 29, 2023.
  • Each dividend will be paid on July 31, 2023, to all shareholders of record as of July 20, 2023 of the Series C Preferred Shares and of the Series D Preferred Shares, respectively.
  • The declaration and payment of future dividends, if any, will always be subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company.
  • There is no guarantee that the Company’s Board of Directors will determine to issue cash dividends in the future.

Marshall Islands, a nation at the heart of global shipping, fights for climate justice

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 26, 2023

On board were Alson Kelen, founder of Waan Aelõñ in Majel (WAM, Canoes of the Marshall Islands), and a group of youngsters taking part in a climate justice workshop.

Key Points: 
  • On board were Alson Kelen, founder of Waan Aelõñ in Majel (WAM, Canoes of the Marshall Islands), and a group of youngsters taking part in a climate justice workshop.
  • Sailing ships, some finished and some under construction, surround an A-frame building right between the government-owned Marshall Islands Resort and the Ministry of Education on Majuro Atoll.
  • As home to the world’s third-largest ship registry, the Marshall Islands is a key player in global shipping, while rising sea levels threaten its low-lying islands.

What’s at stake?

    • Shipping emissions add up to around 1 billion tonnes a year.
    • In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency that regulates shipping, set its first sector-wide climate target: to halve shipping emissions between 2008 and 2050.
    • This “initial strategy” doesn’t align with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 1.5℃.
    • Read more:
      Shipping emissions must fall by a third by 2030 and reach zero before 2050 – new research

How can the energy transition be made equitable?

    • Pacific states are also calling for an equitable energy transition.
    • In 2021, the Marshall Islands proposed a global levy on shipping emissions – at least US$100 per tonne of CO₂-equivalent – to speed up the transition.
    • Shipping costs will go up as the energy transition unfolds.
    • For small island developing states like the Marshall Islands, not getting help with these costs could prove disastrous.

‘We are not drowning. We are fighting’

    • It will raise enormous revenues, leading to questions of how to administer and spend these funds.
    • The World Bank is positioning itself to administer the US$3.7 trillion that may be levied over the decades to 2050.
    • The shipping industry, they whisper in the corridors of the International Maritime Organization, can’t be expected to solve all the world’s problems.
    • The most ambitious “equitable transition” now on the table will barely fix centuries of colonial exploitation and unfair trade.

Mary Kay Celebrates Oceans Week by Reaffirming Partnership With the Nature Conservancy

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 8, 2023

Mary Kay is celebrating Ocean’s Week by reaffirming its decades-long partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to support ocean conservation and coral reef protection.

Key Points: 
  • Mary Kay is celebrating Ocean’s Week by reaffirming its decades-long partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to support ocean conservation and coral reef protection.
  • “Like all rivers and tributaries, most good things in our world lead back to oceans,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operations Officer at Mary Kay Inc. “Mary Kay is working with partners like The Nature Conservancy to protect Earth’s most valuable resources.
  • This year, Mary Kay will also continue its support of the Coastal Wetlands in Texas, the beauty brand’s home state.
  • Through its partnership with TNC, Mary Kay has also elevated women’s leadership in marine conservation to sustain programs that build gender equity into conservation efforts.

Metaverse in Gaming Market by Component Hardware, Software, Game Genre and Region - Global Forecast to 2028

Retrieved on: 
Friday, June 9, 2023

DUBLIN, June 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Metaverse in Gaming Market by Component Hardware (AR Devices, VR Devices, MR Devices, Displays), Software (Extended Reality Software, Gaming Engines, Metaverse Platforms, Financial Platforms), Game Genre and Region - Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Key Points: 
  • DUBLIN, June 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Metaverse in Gaming Market by Component Hardware (AR Devices, VR Devices, MR Devices, Displays), Software (Extended Reality Software, Gaming Engines, Metaverse Platforms, Financial Platforms), Game Genre and Region - Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
  • The metaverse development services include Metaverse Game Development, Metaverse NFT Marketplace Development, Metaverse Real Estate Platform Development, Metaverse App Development, Metaverse Social Media Platform Development, Metaverse Education Platform Development, Metaverse Event Platform Development, among others.
  • Components in the services segment include gaming metaverse marketplace, games launchpad development, NFT game development, and play-to-earn model game development, among others.
  • The substantial growth of the virtual world immersive interactive gaming industry in Europe is a crucial driver for the gaming metaverse market in this region.

Senior Delegation from Tuvalu Urges Urgent Climate Action and Global Settlement for Pacific Atoll States

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 19, 2023

NEW YORK, May 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Centre for Climate Mobility -- A senior delegation from Tuvalu, one of the world's most climate vulnerable countries, is visiting Geneva, Copenhagen, Paris, and Berlin to meet with senior government officials, UN representatives and civil society, and discuss the urgent need for climate action.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, May 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Centre for Climate Mobility -- A senior delegation from Tuvalu, one of the world's most climate vulnerable countries, is visiting Geneva, Copenhagen, Paris, and Berlin to meet with senior government officials, UN representatives and civil society, and discuss the urgent need for climate action.
  • Pacific island countries account for less than 0.03% of global emissions but bear the brunt of its impacts.
  • Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands have called for urgent global action.
  • It also calls for a global settlement to guarantee these nation states a permanent existence beyond the inhabitable lifetime of their atoll homes.