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Delivering Hope, a local nonprofit that helps feed children and support their education, received a $1,500 Feeding the Future Grant from the Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan Agent Charitable Fund (ACF) in late February before their annual Strikes for Tykes bowling fundraiser.
It’s the powerhouse of Caribbean cruising, and The Bahamas continues to see renewed growth in the cruise industry.
Last year, The Bahamas’ Nassau Cruise Port (the most-visited cruise port in the region) broke its all-time record, helping to contribute to a total of 11.22 million international visitors to the country last year.
The broader cruise industry remains a major pillar of The Bahamas, contributing nearly $655 million in cruise tourism spending during the past cruise season. When you factor in employment, taxes and other levies, that adds up to a more than $1 billion economic impact for The Bahamas.
Nassau is often the first port of call for cruise ships heading out of South Florida to the Caribbean.
“The impressive growth in visitor numbers to The Bahamas not only reflects the increasing appeal of our destination on the global stage but is also a clear testament to the success of our collective efforts in crafting a tourism product that truly resonates with travelers,” said Latia Duncombe, Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.
The Margaritaville Beach Resort in Nassau.
The Bahamas is continuing its cruise push at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach next week, the region’s most important gathering, one that brings together more than 10,000 attendees including more than 80 different cruise line brands.
Seatrade is a “ivotal event for the cruise industry, bringing together leaders and visionaries from around the world to shape the future of cruising. The Bahamas’ presence at this prestigious conference underscores our commitment to enhancing the cruise tourism experience, creating and strengthening partnerships, driving investment and further elevates our country’s innovation in serving the cruise industry and its vast passenger market.,” said Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Chester Cooper.
The Bahamas’ overarching goal, he said in a statement provided to Caribbean Journal, is to “ensure continued growth and success in the years ahead as the industry makes giant steps forward in cruise product offerings for our part of the world.”
The Bahamas will soon welcome the year’s most-anticipated new ship, MSC World America, which will be heading to the country as part of its inaugural cruise next week.
“As we engage with key players in the cruising industry at Seatrade Cruise Global, we are excited to showcase the exciting developments and innovations we have in store. Our commitment to enhancing and expanding our tourism offerings remains unwavering, and we are eager to continue building a dynamic and sustainable future for The Bahamas,” Duncombe said.
Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Image, Mad Cave Studios | Tagged: diamond, Diamond UK, lunarBritish comic book store distribution questions being asked right now, Diamond UK or Lunar? And what about tariffs?Article Summary
UK comic stores face choices between Diamond UK and Lunar Distribution for their comic supplies.
Diamond UK’s status is uncertain after the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of its US counterpart.
Lunar Distribution improves its UK service, attracting stores with better deals for DC and Image Comics.
Potential UK tariffs on American comics pose new challenges for distribution strategies.
Last year, it was pretty easy. Comic book stores ordered for the direct market from Diamond UK for all their monthly comic book needs. While some used Penguin Random House or others for graphic novels, depending. Lunar Distribution was too expensive; they couldn’t amortise their shipping costs to hundreds of individual stores through a central warehouse, as Diamond UK could do, and returns or replacements were hard. So Diamond UK distributed DC Comics, Image Comics and the rest; the deal was done, it worked (mostly), and everything was ticking along.Then Diamond Comics Distributors in the USA declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Diamond UK, a still very profitable part of the Steve Geppi empire, received a Stalking Horse bid alongside Alliance Games from Canadian distributor Universal, and the idea that a Canadian comics distributor might own Diamond UK made some kind of sense. But I hear there are more changes.
There has been no mention of Diamond UK as a result of the auction, and it doesn’t appear to be in the assets gained by Diamond-winning bidder Alliance Entertainment. But neither does there seem to be any more forward from Universal either. Might there be other players who wanted to snap it up? The auction paperwork is still being delayed in finding out who has what.
There have been a few other changes. Diamond UK is no longer distributing Mad Cave Studios or TwoMorrows, as they made deals with Lunar and no deal with Diamond UK in the way that Image Comics did. But what is emerging is that the Lunar distribution deal direct to UK stores is a lot better than it initially used to be, though the Image Comics discount tiers will be tougher to hit in 2026 for a lot of shops. But some UK comic stores have been switching to Lunar for their DC, Image, and more.
The problem is that Diamond UK is still more reliable in terms of timing than Lunar is. Diamond stores pretty much know when their deliveries are coming in, and they are usually there for a release date. The only thing is that Image Comics are now predictably one week late across the UK, as their comics go on a more roundabout route to Diamond UK than those from DC Comics. Lunar is far more variable in their delivery from the USA to the UK, relying on hundreds of separate parcels being shipped by airmail, and delays are common. But they are beating Diamond UK at getting Image Comics titles to stores, and they have Mad Cave and Tomorrows titles, for which there is strong demand in certain UK stores. Especially when certain regulars realise they haven’t had their Gatchaman or Alter Ego for some time. For those who don’t care too much about having their comics bang on time, Lunar is now a more attractive option for some and can often be cheaper than Diamond UK.
The only other question to ask right now, is if the UK are going to launch tariffs on American comic books coming into the UK, as part of reciprocal retaliation. Then we will be in a whole new ball game.
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Ghana should prioritise medical tourism as a key growth sector by implementing targeted healthcare reforms and making strategic investments, according to Medical Tourism Coordinator A.B. Kafui Kanyi, who highlighted the country’s strategic location and improving infrastructure as major advantages.”With the right reforms, investment in healthcare infrastructure, and global branding, Ghana could become a leading medical tourism destination in Africa, offering affordable, high-quality healthcare in a culturally rich and peaceful environment,” Kafui Kanyi noted in a piece sighted by GhanaWeb Business. He pointed out that government is already finalizing a National Medical Tourism Policy and Strategy aimed at positioning Ghana as a regional hub for specialized healthcare. “Plans are in place to upgrade key facilities, including transforming Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital into a quaternary specialist center and expanding Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) to improve access to advanced care in the Volta Region,” he added. Experts say Ghana’s location near the Prime Meridian and Equator, along with short flight times and year-round warm weather, makes it a convenient recovery-friendly destination for medical tourists from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.Former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa, recently questioned why public officials continue to seek treatment abroad.“Whether you like it or not, health is expensive and when they go out, they pay through their nose. So why can’t we develop our own system here?” he said.Ho Teaching Hospital touted as a modelLocated in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region, HTH is gaining recognition for its role in cross-border healthcare. It has recently served patients from neighboring countries including Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.New facilities such as a family health centre, pharmacy complex, and a serene hospital annex have been commissioned to support recovery and wellness. The hospital’s eco-friendly design and tranquil environment are seen as key selling points for attracting international clients.Tourism and healthcare synergyAccording to the Ghana Tourism Authority, over 1.1 million tourists visit Ghana annually. Stakeholders believe that integrating healthcare services with cultural, historical, and eco-tourism experiences can strengthen Ghana’s appeal in the $55.83 billion global medical tourism market, as projected by Statista (2025).The country’s diaspora of skilled healthcare professionals is also being viewed as a resource that can be tapped to support the development of niche medical services and specialist care.Economic potential and next stepsMedical tourism is expected to boost foreign exchange earnings, create employment opportunities, and attract private investment into the healthcare sector. However, health policy experts stress the need for international hospital accreditation, competitive pricing, and improved marketing to build global trust in Ghana’s health services.Meanwhile, a proposal has been made for the establishment of a Medical Tourism Coordinating Unit under the Ministry of Health, as well as the creation of a Medical Tourism Agency, backed by legislation, to manage and regulate the sector.MAWatch the latest edition of BizTech below:[embedded content]Click here to follow the GhanaWeb Business WhatsApp channel
Image Courtesy: RAKEZ | Cropped by GBN Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has teamed with Koshima, a company that specializes in Artificial Intelligence education and consulting, to empower businesses with AI solutions that boost efficiency, optimize costs and drive growth. This initiative is the first of its kind among UAE licensing authorities. The partnership…
Summary
What “business outcome” means will vary by project. But, to put it simply, the question is: “Has what I’ve done even worked?”
The Shift Toward a Business Outcomes Mentality in OT Cybersecurity
Throughout the past decade, some things in the OT Cybersecurity industry have not changed (or at least, changed very little). A small percentage of asset owners have detection tools deployed at scale (despite it being an established product market). Systems remain inherently vulnerable, asset owners continue to struggle to maintain OT cybersecurity talent, and comprehensive risk management programs are very rare.However, what has changed is recognition of the risk, mindshare amongst organization leaders and regulations which are beginning to include punitive remedies including legal and financial penalties under certain conditions. Recent examples of the latter include (i) the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA), which drove the requirement for covered entities to report cybersecurity incidents, and (ii) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) directives which place requirements for network segmentation, access controls, monitoring and detection, and patching across transportation entities such as airports and railways. These shifts are driving formal responsibility and accountability toward CISOs, as well as prioritizing a focus on business risk (vs. technical mindsets) amongst the CISO population. And thus, the question they are increasingly asking is: “for my OT cybersecurity investments, can I demonstrate the business outcomes it achieved?” What “business outcome” means will vary by project. It could be, has the monitoring and detection tool investment improved operational resilience/uptime in a measurable and demonstrable way? Or, has the security program improvements reduced the time needed for, and increased the accuracy of, the company’s compliance reporting? But, to put it simply, the question is: “has what I’ve done even worked?” That question has been notoriously difficult to answer. Even insurance providers–the actuarial masters of the universe with ostensibly the greatest amount of OT Cybersecurity incident data on-hand–have struggled to quantify the risk for one simple reason: the numbers are too volatile. For practitioners, service providers and vendors, this poses as both a challenge and an opportunity. While it is difficult to answer, those that can will certainly earn the attention (and the dollars) of CISOs. For the industry to prove business outcomes, such as x, y and z, data that comes from providers and users alike is needed, and tracking of that data before and after solutions are implemented. Projects to address this challenge exist and are in the works. One such example is the Emerging Threat Open Sharing (ETHOS) project, formed by a collection of organizations and with a goal of making an open-source platform available for real-time, anonymous threat information sharing. As an example, the ETHOS platform would allow for organizations to be alerted when a security threat occurs at another participating organization, without disclosing any sensitive data about the source, and would be available to organizations regardless of what technologies they do and don’t have. While–yes–information sharing such as (but not only) ETHOS would be an important step towards knowing “is what we’re doing even working?” it would also drive progress forward in many other areas. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s Director, Jen Easterly, has long professed the need for government and commercial collaboration to progress the industry and shore up our critical infrastructure defenses. And further, impact data is what will evolve leading OT Cybersecurity standards–such as ISA/IEC’s 62443 series of standards, a consensus-based set of requirements and guidance, from being based primarily on expertise to being additional reinforced and refined by demonstrable data. Ultimately, the shift in mindset towards business outcomes is timely, and needed. It will drive demand for data which we must have. It will promote collaboration between governmental and commercial entities–even competitors–and steer both users and providers alike towards solutions that make a real impact.
About The Author
Jacob Chapman has a professional background in automation engineering, project management, account management, industrial networking and ICS cybersecurity within the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and energy generation sectors, among others. In his role as Director – BD & Alliances at Nozomi Networks, he leads the organization’s partnerships with strategic OT OEMs and technology vendors. Within the ICS cybersecurity community, he participates in international societies and standard bodies – including serving as an advisory board member to ISA’s Global Cybersecurity Alliance, a member of the Cybersecurity Committee of ISA’s Smart Manufacturing & IIoT Division, and a contributor within the ISA99 standards development committee.
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On Friday on ABC’s “The View,” co-host Ana Navarro pleaded with the nation to “stand up” against the Trump administration’s latest deportations. Navarro said, “I’m glad and grateful we’re talking about this because America cannot get numb to the cruelty being inflicted on the Latino community, specifically by the Trump administration. Look, in my view,…
Digital velocity isn’t just about moving fast, it’s about moving smart. To meet this challenge, IT leaders are turning to platform engineering because it’s a way to align infrastructure, development, security and operations teams around one automated and resilient platform.
At the CDW Executive SummIT, hosted April 1-3 in Chicago, experts said embracing this model isn’t just a technical decision, it’s a strategic one that allows any business to grow faster.
Here are three ways platform engineering boosts digital velocity by aligning with NetOps, SecOps and AIOps:
RELATED: How artificial intelligence solutions are transforming the workplace.
1. Integrated NetOps Automation Speeds Up Connectivity
Traditionally, network operations have been a bottleneck in the software delivery lifecycle. Too often, manual network provisions, static configurations, and siloed teams slow down the deployment of new apps and services. However, platform engineering flips the script by incorporating NetOps capabilities directly into the developer platform.
Using Infrastructure as Code, policy-based automation and API-driven networking, teams can now provision secure network connectivity on demand. For example, instead of submitting tickets for firewall changes or VLAN provisioning, developers can request these services through a self-service portal, with preapproved templates that fit governance policies.
This level of automation not only accelerates delivery but also reduces misconfiguration errors across hybrid and multicloud environments. Research shows that “by 2026, 30% of enterprises will automate more than half of their network activities,” according to a Gartner press release.
2. Use SecOps to Achieve a Security-by-Design Approach
Rather than apply security as a post-deployment layer, embed SecOps capabilities directly into the platform. Experts said this ensures that security controls are built into every step of the pipeline, including automated security scanning in continuous integration/continuous delivery workflows, role-based access controls and runtime policy enforcement.
Developers work within a framework that ensures all deployments meet enterprise security and compliance requirements by default. Abbott also noted that with a security-first design, there are fewer audit delays and less back-and-forth between development and security teams.
And since security breaches frequently occur along networking endpoints, Cisco has brought the two together with its new XDR Security and Network Operations Center, which integrates with Meraki MX appliances. The platform unifies security and networking operations under one roof for faster threat detection and greater visibility across the entire network.
“The SNOC brings these teams together. I can take Meraki networks flows, send them into XDR, and now I’m able to see the different types of security events in Meraki again. The network team sees this, and the security team can take action immediately,” said Dave Abbott, security engineering leader at Cisco.
This speed makes a difference, especially since it only takes an adversary “51 seconds from initial access to lateral movement,” to move deeper into the network, noted Todd Felker, executive healthcare strategist at CrowdStrike.
It also improves overall cyber resilience. A unified, role-based approach helps teams operate from a central command center and adapt to adversaries’ tactics in real time. Compare this with the fact that “55% of security teams say critical alerts are missed,” due to managing more than 76 disparate security tools that lack context and direction, according to a Cisco infographic.
Click the banner below to become an Insider and gain exclusive insights after the CDW SummIT.
3. AI-Driven Operations (AIOps) Keep Teams Productive
As platforms scale, traditional monitoring and incident management tools can’t keep up with the volume, velocity and variety of telemetry data. That’s where AIOps comes in. By integrating AIOps, organizations gain real-time intelligence into system behavior.
“So many customers tell us, I’m not sure that I need hyperconverged in order to achieve the automated and orchestrated environment,” said Ryan Shullaw, vice president of Americas presales at Dell Technologies. But often, he said, that convergence is useful. “AI has fundamentally changed where my data lives and how close I want those applications to be to that data.”
In the case of the AIOps, having data close to operational systems means that insights can be implemented that much faster. Platform-native observability feeds these artificial intelligence and machine learning models with logs, metrics and traces so that they can detect anomalies, predict outages and automate remediation. For example, if an application experiences performance degradation, AIOps can trigger autoscaling, rollbacks or network rerouting before end users even notice.
This automation reduces mean time to resolution, increases uptime and frees up IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
Combining NetOps, SecOps and AIOps successfully requires that businesses consider how the people, process and technology will work together. Make sure that any unified platform works with your team and organizational structure.
To begin that process, Abbott said, decision-makers must evaluate how and why their NetOps and SecOps teams operate currently. Ask what needs to change for them to collaborate more closely. What infrastructure and cloud security tools work for convergence? And consider when NetOps and SecOps must be triaged for certain incidents.
Follow our live news coverage of the CDW Executive SummIT here, on the social platform X at @BizTechMagazine and by using the hashtag #CDWExecutiveSummIT.
By NOOR QURASHI Published: 13:58 EDT, 4 April 2025 | Updated: 13:58 EDT, 4 April 2025
“I’m excited to join Saluda Grade, as the firm has proven it can offer innovative and compelling alternative investment solutions,” Boothby said in a statement. “While I’ve seen the broader private credit boom firsthand, investor demand for asset-based credit strategies, specifically, has grown significantly in recent years.
“Saluda Grade has already established itself as a premier destination for residential asset-based finance, and this area of the market still has tremendous potential for additional growth. Above all else, I’m excited to apply my experience to help our firm continue capitalizing on that opportunity and generating attractive opportunities for our clients.”
Boothby’s role is a new one created by Saluda Grade as it seeks to grow business development strategies under Dan Hoinacki, its head of client solutions. In 2024, the firm expanded its leadership team by hiring Rick Hanna as chief operating officer, Jennifer Babsin as head of marketing, and Roger Ashworth as head of research and data.
Saluda Grade added two commingled funds and two separate managed accounts to its credit business last year, while also launching a third growth equity fund. It grew its assets under management from $1.2 billion at the end of 2023 to $1.7 billion at the end of 2024.
Among the firm’s growth equity portfolios, Builders Capital raised $500 million in a new partnership with InterVest Capital Partners. Figure spun out its lending business and became the nation’s largest nonbank originator of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Saluda Grade also finalized its exit from Spring EQ with its acquisition by Cerberus Capital Management.
Saluda Grade, which is headquartered in New York City and has an office in Aspen, Colorado, sponsored and issued 10 new securitizations with a total value of $2.5 billion in 2024.
“I’m humbled by the success we had in 2024, and our firm is motivated to continue building on our momentum,” said Ryan Craft, founder and CEO of Saluda Grade. “We have tremendous opportunities ahead in 2025 and beyond as institutional demand for asset-based strategies continues to grow, and the expansion of our senior team serves as our latest commitment to our investors.”