TOKYO (AP) — Calls for a cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics are mounting and pressure is building for the Japanese organizers and the International Olympic Committee to explain exactly how they plan to hold the games in the midst of a pandemic. The IOC and organizers have been vague for months. This opens the door to speculation about a cancellation or a postponement. Some in the Japanese medical community are also voicing alarm. They are fearful that hospitals will be overwhelmed when the Olympics open on July 23. Organizers are expected to roll out “Playbooks” next week that detail what athletes and others will have to do to enter Japan. read more

Fellow panellist Marnix Broekhoff, business information analyst for blockchain at APG, the Netherland’s largest pension provider, told the audience how the organisation was testing a blockchain-based “pension infrastructure”.The project, which is being developed in tandem with fellow pension giant PGGM, consists of building a data ecosystem based on blockchain, where pension funds and other organisations can create and share data on pension fund beneficiaries. Pension funds should explore how new technologies could improve pension provisions, panellists at IPE’s conference in Dublin argued. Speaking to an audience of European pension funds in the Irish capital last week, Don van der Steeg, manager for strategy and innovation at PwC, said: “Whatever you do, start exploring now. If you haven’t done it already, you’re a laggard as is.”Van der Steeg cited PwC research showing that 64% of company CEOs acknowledged that changes in the technology used to run their businesses would be disruptive over the next five years.Van der Steeg also noted that more than half of companies interviewed by PwC were carrying out research and development (R&D) to test the use of blockchain, while 15% of companies already used blockchain. The technology was mostly used in supply chain management, added Van der Steeg. Credit: Patrick FrostL-R: Daniel Ben-Ami, IPE; Don van der Steeg, PwC; Marnix Broekhoff, APG; Chris Sier, ClearGlass“The first experiments have been successful,” said Broekhoff. “We were able to share data between pension providers, employers and the government. We are now trying to build a platform for the whole pension sector. The data will not be simply copied and stored, it will be shared within the blockchain and the owner of the data will remain the owner.“That is, we believe, the way to lower costs for the pension system and to create more value for the participants. Blockchain is here to stay.” However, fellow panellist Christopher Sier, fintech envoy for the UK’s treasury department and chairman of ClearGlass, a fintech company, asked whether similar objectives could be achieved by using a traditional central ‘golden record’ database.Sier said: “You can do things another way. Distributed ledgers and blockchain are not the same thing. But the answer lies in the security issue – distributed ledgers with blockchain are far more secure and efficient.”He added: “The cases for blockchain are often quite complicated to iterate. The best thing is experimenting and testing hypotheses, because it helps find out whether or not in fact distributed ledgers are the answer to that problem.”Other innovationsSier emphasised that blockchain was only one of many innovative applications of new technology to the pensions and financial services industries.“Innovation can come from anywhere, and it can do anything,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to use artificial intelligence, distributed ledgers or blockchain. You just have to think what the outcome for the consumer wil be and make it better.”Sier cited several examples of how new technology was changing the financial industry.In Estonia, he said, a blockchain-based digital national identity system provided the basis for the creation of a liquid secondary market market for unlisted equity investments.Latching on to the government’s digital national ID system, a company called Funderbeam built a system providing “full liquidity, price discovery, settlement and share registration for no incremental cost”, said Sier. “It’s the dream of securities markets to be able to clear, settle and re-register for no incremental cost immediately.”The financial industry could greatly benefit from the use of augmented and virtual reality and other visualisation tools, added Sier. He said: “There are significant benefits to using those kind of tools in helping people understand complex financial products.”According to PwC, the eight technologies that would change the world – including pensions – over the next five years were artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain, drones, the ‘internet of things’, robotics, virtual reality and 3D printing. read more

RelatedPosts China waste treatment plant fined $16m for dumping untreated waste Premier League terminates China broadcast contract NAFDAC warns Nigerians against apple, blackcurrant from Australia American boxing legend Floyd Mayweather looks set to return to the ring in an exhibition bout in China next year against an opponent to be named. The news will come as a blow to Manny Pacquiao, who has been chasing a rematch with Mayweather ever since losing a 12-round decision to the undefeated welterweight in Las Vegas in May 2015. The popular Filipino has gone 5-1 since – losing to Jeff Horn in a close fight in Australia two years ago – and is coming off a victory over Keith Thurman that earnt him the WBA welterweight championship in July. Mayweather’s last foray into the ring was a 136-second demolition of kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition bout in Saitama just outside Tokyo in Japan on New Years Eve, earning him a reported $9 million. The China exhibition promises another lucrative payday. The Mission Hills Group has invited media to attend a press conference in Haikou, Hainan on September 18 to announce Mayweather’s “first fight in China”. “The press conference will announce that Mayweather will hold a boxing match in China next year,” a spokesperson told the South China Morning Post. “We have already got the Hainan government’s temporary approval for this event. “But everything needs to be confirmed with Floyd as well. The details are not 100 per cent confirmed yet. We are in the process of negotiating details with Mayweather’s management.” No official date has yet been confirmed for the bout and the eventually opponent will be chosen through a recruitment campaign held in China. “This match aims to enhance the friendship between two powerful nations through boxing, gaining popularity for Hainan in the role of an international tourism island and achieving Mission Hills’ vision of bringing world-class sports events to Haikou,” the media invitation added.— Tags: AustraliaChinaFloyd MayweatherManny Pacquiao read more

DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald PhotoIn Wisconsin’s 4-0 start this season, a lot of credit has deservedly been given to Brian Calhoun, who has rushed for 626 yards and nine touchdowns.However, two unsung heroes who deserve some credit for Calhoun’s success are senior tight ends Owen Daniels and Jason Pociask.”In this offense, we put a lot of onus on the tight end to be a good blocker. When you talk about the line, you kind of forget about [the tight ends] who are so much of it,” co-offensive coordinator Paul Chryst said.On many of Calhoun’s runs, Pociask has the unenviable task of blocking defensive ends. Luckily, at 6-foot-3 and 258 pounds, Pociask has adequate size for the job.”It gives you an advantage when you can incorporate [Pociask] and put him on a defensive end,” Chryst added. “It gives you a lot of flexibility and gives you the chance to do some other things with some other guys.”Although Daniels has the reputation primarily as a pass-catching tight end, he has greatly improved his blocking this season, allowing him to stay on the field in any kind of situation.”In the past, I was just a pass-threat-only type of guy, but now when I’m in the game, I can [catch passes or block],” Daniels said. “I think it helps our offense out a lot.”Through the first four games, Daniels has 11 receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Several of those receptions have come on a new addition to the Badger offensive playbook, the tight end screen play. The play allows Daniels to utilize his athleticism and speed in the open field, something the Naperville, Ill., native is enjoying.”It’s a great play. … It’s something that coach Chryst brought in from when he was at Oregon State,” Daniels said, “We try not to run it out of one formation. We try to spread it around and make it look different so teams can’t key in on it. Hopefully we can keep running it and keep having success with it.”Chryst emphasized the importance of the tight ends in the Badgers’ offensive scheme and gives Pociask and Daniels a lot of credit.”Pociask has got some good athletic ability for your normal tight end,” Chryst said. “Owen (Daniels) is very athletic.”Although Pociask dropped a pass Saturday against Michigan, Chryst still has plenty of confidence in the senior from Plainfield, Ind.”He’s got good hands,” Pociask said. “When [the football] doesn’t come your way a lot, you have a tendency to press when it does.”Although Pociask does not have any receptions so far in 2005, he proved himself as a commodity in the passing game last season against Minnesota when he caught four balls for 60 yards.In addition to being a solid run blocker, Pociask excels in the classroom. In 2004 he was an Academic All-Big Ten selection.”[Academics were] a big part of my decision to come here,” Pociask said. “The University of Wisconsin is always up there in the lists of the best colleges in the country.”Not surprisingly, both of the unsung heroes aren’t too concerned with personal goals. Rather, they’re both looking to put together a successful season as a team in their final years on campus.”I want [the team] to finish the season completely,” Pociask said. “Put one together for Coach Alvarez in his last year.””I don’t have any [numbers] specifically in mind,” Daniels added. “We have so many guys on this team who can make plays, and there’s only one ball. I’m not concerned with touchdowns or balls or yards.” read more