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CGTN: Joint pursuit of modernization: China, Africa eye new chapter in building a community with a shared future

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BEIJING, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The 1,860-km-long Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway from Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia serves as a reminder of the longstanding relationship between China and Tanzania.

Over its 48 years of operation, the railway has transported over 30 million tonnes of cargo and carried more than 40 million passengers, becoming a vital artery that ensures the economic operation and development of Tanzania, Zambia, and surrounding areas.

On Wednesday, leaders of the three countries jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the revitalization project of the TAZARA railway, aiming to further improve the rail-sea intermodal transport network in East Africa.

In the new era, China has continued to bring new opportunities to African countries and remained committed to the overall direction of mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual learning and mutual assistance in growing China–Africa relations.

Delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed that China and Africa are getting stronger and more resilient together, delivering tangible benefits to Chinese and Africans, and setting a stellar example of a new type of international relations.

Xi announced that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China are elevated to the level of strategic relations and that the overall characterization of China–Africa relations is elevated to an all-weather China–Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

Flourishing China–Africa cooperation

Since its establishment in 2000, the FOCAC has continuously promoted the leap-forward development of China–Africa relations, setting a prime example for South-South cooperation and international cooperation with Africa.

Over the past 24 years, China–Africa practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and exchanges in various fields have been unprecedentedly active. 

China–Africa trade volume has increased from $10.5 billion in 2000 to $282.1 billion in 2023, an increase of nearly 26 times. As of the end of 2023, China’s direct investment stock in Africa had exceeded $40 billion.

Meanwhile, the two sides have cooperated to build and upgrade nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly a thousand bridges and a hundred ports. Fifty-two African countries and the African Union Commission signed documents with China on the Belt and Road cooperation.

With the help of China, the building of several roads, bridges, and ports has promoted connectivity on the African continent. For instance, the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway has significantly reduced transportation costs and travel times, fostering trade and commerce. The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway connects landlocked Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti, enabling greater access to international markets.

In a bid to deepen China–Africa cooperation and spearhead the Global South modernization, Xi said China stands ready to work with Africa to implement ten partnership action plans in the next three years, covering the areas of mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihood, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, green development, and common security.

China will expand market access for African agricultural products, push forward the pilot zone for in-depth China–Africa economic and trade cooperation, and carry out 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa, he said.

He added that China will send 2,000 medical personnel to Africa, launch 20 programs on health facilities and malaria treatment, and send 500 agricultural experts to strengthen health and agricultural capacities in African countries.

A shared path toward modernization

In the new era, China and Africa are committed to building a closer community with a shared future and becoming fellow travelers in exploring the path to modernization.

China has assisted Africa in solving development problems such as lagging infrastructure, food shortages, and talent shortages while entering Africa has also brought opportunities for Chinese companies to expand their overseas markets.

For instance, in Tanzania’s coastal region, Chinese-invested Sapphire Float Glass Factory both serves the local market and exports float glass to six other African nations. Inaugurated in September 2023, the project was expected to generate up to 1,650 direct jobs and 6,000 indirect jobs upon reaching full production capacity. The factory has created 1,012 direct jobs for residents and 3,857 indirect jobs.

In the field of agriculture, China has established 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa over the past decade and introduced more than 300 advanced agricultural technologies, increasing local crop yields by an average of 30 to 60 percent and benefiting over a million farmers across the continent.

Currently, over 200 Chinese enterprises are continuing investments in Africa’s agricultural sector, with a cumulative investment stock exceeding $1 billion. These investments span various areas, including agricultural supplies and machinery, farming, processing and sales.

“On the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind,” Xi said at the opening ceremony of the 2024 FOCAC summit, calling for jointly advancing modernization that is just and equitable, is open and win-win, puts the people first, features diversity and inclusiveness, is eco-friendly and is underpinned by peace and security.

China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-05/China-Africa-eye-new-chapter-in-building-community-with-shared-future-1wDYAx3CGLm/p.html 

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SOURCE CGTN

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Harlem Children’s Zone Acquires FinTech Platform, Goalsetter, to Accelerate Universal Economic Mobility

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Acquisition combines HCZ’s proven model with Goalsetter’s innovative financial education technology to expand access and impact at scale

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), one of the nation’s leading anti-poverty organizations, announced the acquisition of Goalsetter, a financial technology platform that delivers best-in-class, engaging, technology-enabled learning experiences for people seeking to enhance their financial know-how, capabilities, and confidence.   

The acquisition marks a significant step in HCZ’s Wealth Builds–Universal Economic Mobility (WB-UEM) strategy, a national framework designed to help children and families build long-term economic security through cradle-to-career supports, financial education and experiences, and direct access to capital via a Child Capital Stack of asset boosts.

“We know that economic mobility is a two-generation challenge,” says Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse. “With this acquisition, we are solving for a critical component of Universal Economic Mobility by melding a proven financial education platform and HCZ’s decades of experience providing people with the knowledge and tools to build strong futures for themselves and their families. This is more than an investment in financial education. It is an investment in critical national infrastructure for economic mobility.”

Harlem Children’s Zone has decades of experience driving outcomes at scale, beginning as a one-block pilot, expanding to over 100 blocks in Central Harlem, and now working with over 70 communities across the United States. HCZ seeks to use its learnings, decades of experience driving outcomes at scale, and renowned best practices to provide pathways to economic mobility for all of America’s children and families.

“Goalsetter was built on the belief that everyone should have access to the financial knowledge and tools that can shape their future and livelihood,” said Tanya Van Court, Chief FinTech Officer at Harlem Children’s Zone and Founder of Goalsetter. “Joining Harlem Children’s Zone gives us an extraordinary opportunity to build on that work. Together, we can continue enhancing the platform, expand access for learners of all ages and walks of life, and demonstrate what is possible when mission, innovation, and technology come together to serve the most people.”

Goalsetter creates opportunities to deliver high-quality, developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant financial education with extensive reach,  including to low-income and rural communities that have historically had limited access to these resources. Its current offerings include Goalsetter Classroom, which provides standards-aligned financial education curriculum for middle and high school students, and MoneyLingo, a mobile-first financial education experience for college-aged students and adults in the workforce, covering practical topics such as saving, investing, credit, debt, and financial decision-making.                                                         

“This acquisition sends an important signal to the field,” said Owusu-Kesse. “Social impact organizations should not have to choose between mission and scale. By bringing a proven technology platform into HCZ, we’re demonstrating how non-profit organizations can be centers of business excellence, using vehicles of innovation, AI, and technology to create efficient and effective pathways to scale and impact. This acquisition strengthens our in-house capacity to build, innovate, and continuously improve outcomes.”

The organization plans to build upon Goalsetter’s existing offerings by exploring financial education products for younger learners and creating opportunities to establish a continuous financial learning journey from early childhood through adulthood.

“This is ultimately about extending opportunity to all,” added Owusu-Kesse. “By connecting financial education, technology, family engagement, and access to assets, we can help create more accessible pathways to economic mobility.”

Services to current Goalsetter clients will be unaffected by this acquisition.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harlem-childrens-zone-acquires-fintech-platform-goalsetter-to-accelerate-universal-economic-mobility-302917320.html

SOURCE Harlem Children’s Zone

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Common Ground in the Battlegrounds? Surveys Reveal Widespread Bipartisan Agreement in 11 Competitive States and 28 Congressional Districts, as Well as Nationally

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Bipartisan Majorities Say If Congress Were to Listen to the People More, They Would More Likely Find Common Ground

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Program for Public Consultation (PPC) conducted extensive surveys in competitive states and congressional districts, as well as nationally, revealing a remarkable level of bipartisan common ground.

Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed on: 

106 policies nationally 82 policies in all states and districts surveyed101 policies in at least two-thirds of all the states and districts surveyed

Over 40,000 Americans were surveyed in two waves with representative samples of 600-2,016 in each of the 11 competitive states surveyed, and 400-592 in each of the 28 competitive congressional districts surveyed, and 1,200-2,509 nationwide.

Nearly all policy questions were based on congressional legislation or executive branch proposals. 

Fourteen policy topics were covered: Artificial Intelligence, Housing, Healthcare, Low-Income Assistance, Families and Children, Social Security, Immigration, Abortion and Birth Control, Energy and Environment, Federal Taxes, Campaign Finance, Government Reform, Criminal Justice and America’s Role in the World. For every topic, most policies had bipartisan agreement across every battleground surveyed.

The policy questions used in these national and battleground surveys were chosen because they elicited bipartisan support in previous in-depth national surveys conducted by PPC, in which respondents received briefings on the topic and evaluated pro and con arguments for the proposed policy.

Steven Kull, director of PPC, comments, “What is striking here is that these surveys revealed widespread bipartisan agreement on over a dozen key issues that Congress has failed to resolve, from costs of healthcare, to risks of artificial intelligence, to Social Security’s impending insolvency, and many more. Clearly, there is far more common ground among the American people than there is in Congress.”

Americans Think Public Opinion Should Have More Influence
Respondents were also asked about the role of public opinion in policymaking. Across the battlegrounds, on average, respondents estimated that federally elected officials make the same decisions that the majority of Americans would make just 35% of the time.

Large majorities believe polarization in government comes not from the American people but from elected officials, and that more influence for the people would help break the logjam in Congress (Democrats 62 to 88%, Republicans 66 to 89%).

Perhaps most germane, overwhelming majorities of Democrats and Republicans in the battlegrounds believe that if members of Congress were more influenced by the people, they would be more likely to find common ground (Democrats 82 to 97%, Republicans 80 to 95%), and better serve the common good (Democrats 77 to 94%, Republicans 79 to 94%).

Steven Kull adds, “On the basis of this study, it does appear that the public is correct that if the people had more influence, Congress would be more likely to find common ground, and thus  function better.”

Americans also say that public opinion should play a substantial role in news reporting about policy. Over two-thirds say news reports on policy matters should include public opinion data most of the time or always when reliable information is available (Democrats 71 to 88%, Republicans 67 to 89%). Similarly, when Congress is about to vote on a law, large numbers say it is very or extremely important for news outlets to report whether a majority of Americans favor or oppose it (Democrats 65 to 84%, Republicans 60 to 85%).

MORE INFORMATION

Battlegrounds Common Ground SheetIndividual State and District Results, Questionnaires and MethodologiesNational Questionnaire with Toplines, Crosstabs and Methodology

About the Surveys
The state and district surveys used for this analysis were fielded July 21 – August 17, 2026, to a total of 19,949 adults, and May 27 – July 1, 2026, to 19,564 adults. They included 600-2016 in each of the 11 states, and 400-592 in each of the 28 congressional districts. Response rates ranged from 7.1 to 9.0%. Confidence intervals range from +/- 2.9 to 8.1%, and maximum weights range from 1.9 to 10.0.

The national surveys were fielded February 11-26, 2026, with 2,509 adults, and March 11-19, 2026, with 1,200 adults. The response rates were 7.6% and 8.3%, respectively. The confidence interval is +/- 2.9% for both surveys, and the maximum weights are 2.5 and 1.9.

The sample was obtained from multiple online opt-in panels, including Cint, Dynata and Prodege. Sample collection and quality control were managed by QuantifyAI under the direction of the Program for Public Consultation. The surveys were offered in both English and Spanish.

The samples were pre-stratified and weighted by age, race, ethnicity, gender, education, household income, marital status, and home ownership to match the general adult population. The national sample was further weighted by Census region. The distribution of partisan affiliation was within expectations, based on voter registration data for non-leaners and/or Cook’s Partisan Voting Index for leaners, or weighted to reflect those benchmarks.

About the Common Ground in the Battlegrounds? Survey Series
This effort aims to identify bipartisan common ground in competitive states and districts across the nation. The project seeks to educate the public, policymakers and candidates about the findings; and provide journalists with independent, nonpartisan research that brings the public into the conversation about public policy.

In addition to PPC, project partners include the Civic Innovation Center at the University of Maryland (CivIC) and Voice of the People (VOP), a national nonpartisan organization seeking to give the public a greater voice in government. None of these entities advocate for policy positions or endorse candidates.

States surveyed: Alaska; Georgia; Iowa; Maine; Michigan; Minnesota; Montana; Nebraska; New Hampshire; North Carolina; Ohio; and Texas.

Congressional Districts surveyed: Arizona’s 1st and 6th; Colorado’s 8th; Iowa’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th; Maine’s 2nd; Michigan’s 4th, 7th, 8th and 10th; Montana’s 1st; Nebraska’s 2nd; Nevada’s 3rd; New Jersey’s 7th and 9th; New Mexico’s 2nd; New York’s 3rd, 4th, 17th and 19th; Oregon’s 5th; Pennsylvania’s 1st, 7th, 8th and 10th; and Washington’s 3rd.

The survey series excluded several competitive districts because they were in states that had recently been redistricted and thus had no Census data yet to use for demographic benchmarks.

Program for Public Consultation
The Program for Public Consultation (PPC), affiliated with the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, seeks to improve democratic governance by consulting the public and bringing the people’s views into the public discourse. It conducts surveys with representative samples on policies proposed by elected officials and shares its findings with government officials, the media, other academics, and the general public.

Civic Innovation Center
The Civic Innovation Center (CivIC) at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy works to strengthen the foundations of civic health. It contributes to important debates about civic education, civic engagement, and needed democratic reforms in the state of Maryland and nationwide, in partnership with other BIG 10 universities. It works to build the connective tissue that brings together students, scholars and practitioners to help elevate the UMD community’s contribution to our wider democracy.

Voice of the People
Voice of the People (VOP) is a nonpartisan organization working to re-anchor our democracy in its founding principles by giving ‘We the People’ a greater and more effective voice in government. It champions innovative methods and technology that enable the American people to play a role in the policymaking process and provide policymakers with a more accurate understanding of the views of their constituents.

Contact: Jonathan Casaverde, jonathan.casaverde@wardcirclestrategies.com,(786) 469-9422

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SOURCE Program for Public Consultation

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FDA grants 510(k) clearance for BoneEnhance, the first machine learning layer on RIVANNA’s Accuro XV platform

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Anatomy segmentation and three-dimensional skeletal visualization arrive with this clearance; an injury detection module for clinical decision support is in development on the platform roadmap

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RIVANNA®, developer of AI-enabled clinical decision-support solutions, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for BoneEnhance®, a machine learning software module for the Accuro® XV diagnostic ultrasound system. The module segments bone and surrounding tissues and supports visualization of skeletal anatomy in three dimensions during image review.

The clearance moves the platform from acquisition toward interpretation. Accuro XV was cleared in April 2026 for B-mode imaging in musculoskeletal conventional and superficial applications. Its conformable three-dimensional probe automates large field-of-view image acquisition after initial patient positioning. BoneEnhance is the first machine learning software module cleared for the platform.

BoneEnhance identifies bone and surrounding tissues

Each automated acquisition creates a volumetric dataset for review. BoneEnhance identifies bone and surrounding tissues within that volume, then highlights them with color-coded overlays on the two-dimensional B-mode image. The original anatomical data remain unaltered and visible beneath the overlays. A three-dimensional indicator beside the image shows the scan orientation and the location of the displayed slice within the volume.

A platform milestone

The sequence is deliberate: decision support begins at acquisition. Accuro XV acquires the image; BoneEnhance identifies and labels the anatomy within it. Behind the integrated workflow stands a worldwide intellectual-property portfolio of more than 100 issued and pending patents across more than 20 patent families.

“We founded RIVANNA to solve a problem that cuts across care settings: decision-critical information sits outside the point-of-care workflow,” said Will Mauldin, PhD, Co-founder and CEO of RIVANNA. “BoneEnhance is where the stack begins to close that gap for musculoskeletal care: automated volumetric acquisition, now paired with cleared software-assisted review. This clearance is the foundation: the first machine learning layer, anchoring the decision-support capabilities now in development.”

Independently validated within a nationwide eight-site study

BoneEnhance was trained and validated within RIVANNA’s nationwide eight-site clinical study. Three sites contributed the training data; the other five provided the independent test set of 233 volumetric datasets, comprising 69,900 images from 173 subjects. None of the test data were used for training or tuning. Three board-certified radiologists established the reference labels, and per-volume label prediction accuracy, a measure of anatomical labeling, ranged from 95.1% to 100.0%.

Separate from the validation supporting this clearance, the platform’s automated acquisition carries peer-reviewed evidence: in a published study of 205 patients in the Journal of Emergency Medicine (DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2025.11.011), operators with one hour of hands-on training acquired wrist and ankle images rated adequate for diagnostic interpretation in more than 90% of scans, with image quality comparable to physician-acquired scans.

“This clearance reflects the strength of the team RIVANNA has built across AI development, clinical affairs, and regulatory execution, and the commitment of the clinical sites that partnered with us to generate the evidence,” said Delphine Le Roux, PhD, PMP, Senior Director, Market Access and Strategic Partnerships at RIVANNA. “None of it happens without BARDA’s sustained support, which allowed us to do this the right way: rigorous, multi-site, and independent. The infrastructure, partnerships, and regulatory playbook we established for BoneEnhance are designed to carry forward. That execution engine is what positions us to pursue the next clearance with confidence.”

The next layer in development

The platform’s progression continues with an investigational musculoskeletal injury detection module. Where BoneEnhance labels the anatomy, the new module is being developed to assist clinicians in evaluating potential extremity fractures within acquired ultrasound images. The nationwide clinical study that trained and validated BoneEnhance, now expanded from eight to ten sites, is building the datasets used to train the module. Because the sites and data infrastructure were established once and are reused for each new module, every subsequent module builds on the program’s federal investment.

Federal funding acknowledgment

This project has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under contract number 75A50121C00035.

About Accuro XV

Accuro XV is a portable, small-footprint point-of-care volumetric ultrasound imaging system for musculoskeletal imaging. Its conformable three-dimensional probe automates large field-of-view B-mode image acquisition without ionizing radiation. BoneEnhance is a cleared machine learning software module available during review of Accuro XV volumetric image acquisitions. It segments bone and surrounding tissues and supports visualization of skeletal anatomy in three dimensions.

An investigational computer-aided musculoskeletal injury detection module is in development for Accuro XV. It is designed to assist clinicians in detecting extremity fractures from volumetric ultrasound and annotating soft-tissue signs associated with injury, and to support triage decisions, including referral for additional radiographic imaging.

Accuro XV is designed to provide a fracture-care layer at the point of triage, helping to streamline emergency department workflows, expedite evaluation of low-severity extremity injuries, and reduce reliance on X-ray referrals. The platform is designed to support just-in-time training to promote consistent use across clinical experience levels, advancing a shared mission to transform musculoskeletal injury care while supporting broader emergency preparedness objectives.

About RIVANNA

RIVANNA is a medical technology company developing clinical decision-support solutions powered by proprietary clinical datasets, AI models, and purpose-built imaging hardware. The company’s platform is designed to automate complex anatomical analysis at the point of care, support faster and more confident clinical decisions, reduce variability, and expand access to advanced capabilities. Its initial applications address interventional guidance and trauma triage, beginning with neuraxial procedures and musculoskeletal injury assessment. RIVANNA has established an FDA-cleared product portfolio and maintains a worldwide intellectual-property portfolio of more than 100 issued and pending patents. RIVANNA is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and operates an FDA-registered, ISO 13485:2016-certified manufacturing facility.

RIVANNA, Accuro, BoneEnhance, and the Rivanna Medical family of marks are registered and unregistered trademarks of Rivanna Medical, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

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SOURCE RIVANNA

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