Rio Tinto releases details of $8.5 billion of taxes and royalties paid in 2023
Rio Tinto published its 2023 Taxes and Royalties Paid Report, detailing .5 billion of taxes and royalties paid globally during the year.
Chile
Rio Tinto releases details of taxes, royalties paid in 2023
Rio Tinto paid .5 billion in taxes and royalties globally in 2023, with the majority of the amount paid in Australia.
Six workers presumed dead after crippled cargo ship knocks down Baltimore bridge
Six workers were missing and presumed dead after a cargo ship collided with a bridge in Baltimore Harbor, causing a section of the bridge to collapse. Active search-and-rescue operations were suspended due to treacherous conditions in the water. The ship reported a power failure before impact, and all 22 crew members were accounted for. The closure of the port could have a major impact on supply chains. President Biden promised to visit Baltimore and rebuild the bridge. The incident may be the worst U.S. bridge collapse since 2007.
Divers to search Baltimore Harbor for six presumed dead in bridge collapse
Search divers were expected to return near dawn on Wednesday to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of a bridge knocked down in Baltimore Harbor by a faltering cargo ship, leaving six workers missing and presumed dead.
LaFinteca: leading innovation in the payment market in Latin America
Fact: LaFinteca is a pioneer in the Latin American financial transactions landscape, providing a secure platform for processing transactions and offering a wide range of payment methods.
Wood: building on an abundant natural resource
Forests in the EU can contribute to greening the European construction industry and support architectural improvements. In the Gironde department of France, a secondary school was built in 2022 using wood from local pine trees, aiming to utilize wood from nearby forests while preserving them. This project is part of the BASAJAUN research initiative, funded by the EU, which promotes the use of wood as a versatile and recyclable material. The initiative’s flagship is a wooden apartment building near the Pian-Médoc school, designed to demonstrate sustainable forest management and the potential for greening the construction industry. The building, made from non-local wood, features a disassemblable facade and uses natural wood fibre for insulation, highlighting the environmental benefits of using wood in construction. BASAJAUN aligns with the European Green Deal’s goals and the New European Bauhaus initiative, emphasizing sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion in architecture. Buildings in the EU account for significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with traditional materials like concrete and steel being energy-intensive. Using wood in construction can reduce the carbon footprint and even turn buildings into carbon sinks. The EU aims to ensure sustainable sourcing of wood to support biodiversity, ecosystems, and local communities. The potential carbon storage of new residential wood buildings in the EU is significant, and bio-based materials, including wood, currently represent a small fraction of building materials used in Europe. BASAJAUN has partners across 11 EU countries and has developed a system for digitally tracking wooden materials in construction. Another EU-funded project, WOODCIRCLES, focuses on recycling wood waste, aiming to address the challenge of its variable quality and promote the reuse of wood in a sustainable manner.
Mbappe expects future to be decided before Euros
Kylian Mbappe believes he will decide on his next club before the European Championship starts in June. He is set to leave Paris St Germain in the summer and is focused on playing for France in the Euros and possibly the Olympics in Paris, depending on selection eligibility. Mbappe has not yet announced his future plans but expects to resolve them before the Euros. He has expressed a desire to play in the Olympics, though participation is not solely his decision due to age restrictions in the men’s soccer tournament. France’s head coach, Didier Deschamps, mentioned the importance of upcoming friendly matches against Germany and Chile for finalizing the team list for the Euros, where France will play Austria in their opening game on June 17. The Paris Olympics will start in July.
‘Wild West’ of neuroscience drives new laws on brain privacy
U.S. neurologist Sean Pauzauskie has started using consumer headbands, designed to monitor sleep patterns or boost brain function, for capturing the brain activity of patients suffering from seizures. These headbands are cheaper and easier to use compared to traditional hospital equipment, and they capture similar electronic data. Advances in brain science have facilitated the capture and interpretation of detailed brain data flows, with some experiments showing the possibility of manipulating thoughts through neurological intervention. Researchers at the University of Texas have used AI to predict words running through a participant’s head based on electronic brain images. This technology has helped paralyzed patients communicate via brainwaves and assisted in rewiring dormant neural pathways after spinal injuries. Pauzauskie expressed both excitement for the insights this technology can provide and concern over the potential for abuse of brain data. Consequently, he joined a coalition advocating for privacy guarantees for brain data in Colorado, leading to legislation that passed the Colorado assembly and is now before the state senate. Similar bills are under consideration in Minnesota and California. The Colorado law would categorize neural data as “sensitive data,” requiring companies to obtain consent before collection and to allow customers to limit data use and request deletion. The United States lacks federal privacy laws specifically addressing neural data, and the Neurorights Foundation is working to enshrine rights for the brain globally.
Clos Apalta: fabulous wines from Chile
– Chile is a long country, stretching 4,500km, but not wide.
– It has dry and sunny summers, influenced by the cold south Pacific ocean which brings freshness to many vineyards.
– Colchagua is a warm, sunny wine region in Chile, famous for its red wines, located about a two-hour drive from Santiago de Chile.
– Clos Apalta is a cooler area within the Colchagua region and has a connection with the Grand Marnier brand, created by the Marnier Lapostolle family.
– Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle founded a winery in Apalta in 1994, leading to the creation of Chile’s first icon wine, Clos Apalta, with its first vintage released in 1997.
– Apalta is bordered to the south by the Tinguiririca River and is surrounded by mountains on other sides, known for its beauty and top wineries including Lapostolle, Montes, Las Niñas, and Neyen.
– The region utilizes altitude in vineyard planting, contributing to the complexity of its wines with a mix of granite, alluvial, and organic materials in the soil.
– Clos Apalta primarily uses Bordeaux blend varieties, with Carmenère being the dominant variety at 50% on average, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and sometimes Petit Verdot.
– The winery’s design features native red-toned Chilian rauli wood, with 24 slats representing the 24 months required to make Clos Apalta’s signature cuvée.
– Tasting notes for various vintages of Clos Apalta include descriptions of their color, aroma, body, and blend compositions, with prices provided for the 2018, 2019, and 2013 vintages, as well as for the 2019 Le Petit Clos and 2019 Domaine Bournet-Lapostolle, Clos du Lican.