Latest news with #A2
The Sun
23-05-2025
- The Sun
Bank Holiday getaway chaos starts early with drivers stuck in huge queues – check worst times to hit the roads
THE Bank Holiday getaway chaos has started early today with drivers stuck in huge queues. Traffic was spotted crawling on the A2 in South East London as holidaymakers started to make their getaways ahead of the weekend. 4 4 Drivers have been advised to check traffic conditions with 17.9 million road trips expected over the late May Bank Holiday. The RAC and transport analysts INRIX are warning of a potential "double dose of delays" today and on Saturday. The highest number of leisure trips are projected to be made by car – 3.4 million on both days respectively. With most getaway trips due to begin before lunchtime, research suggests the best times to hit the road will be very early in the morning or into the evening. A majority of drivers say they'll head off at some point between 5am and 12pm. Meanwhile 14 per cent plan to leave between 5am and 8am and nearly a third intend to travel mid-morning between 8am and 10am. A further quarter will set off later between 10am and 12pm. Traffic is expected to peter out significantly later in the day with those that can advised to leave their journeys as late as possible. Just 3 per cent of motorists are planning trips between 7pm and 11pm following the evening rush hour. Experts are warning M25 users to plan well ahead as the UK's busiest motorway is expected to bear the brunt of the worst delays. Elon Musk's Cybertrucks are coming to Britain - and may spell the end of household bills On Friday – the day most drivers will be setting off – the M25 anticlockwise from J4 to J1 near the Dartford Crossing may see lunchtime journeys delayed by more than 45 minutes compared to normal. Later in the day, the M25 anticlockwise between Cobham services (J10) and Clacket Lane services (J6) may face queues of 35 minutes longer at 5pm during the evening rush hour. Elsewhere multiple routes connecting the West Country to the rest of the UK are expected to carry the lion's share of journeys on Saturday. Stretches of the A30 westbound towards Okehampton, the M5 southbound to Bridgwater and the A303 westbound past Stonehenge may suffer hold-ups of up to 55 minutes more than usual. 4 4 With the bank holiday weekend marking the start of the school half-term break in many parts of the UK, there's little reprieve for drivers travelling home back on Friday, May 30. RAC Mobile Mechanic Aaron Bryan said: "Our research shows it really is best to leave as early or late as possible this bank holiday weekend, as the majority of motorists are planning to set off in the morning. "If the warm weather continues, travelling at cooler hours of the day saves fuel, puts less strain on the air conditioning system, and means older cars have much less chance of overheating. "Regardless of the weather, always check your vehicle's oil and coolant levels before setting off, as well as tyre pressure and tread depth. "Alternatively, an RAC Mobile Mechanic can check any battery or brake pad issues before you travel, along with diagnosing any faults signalled by dashboard warning lights. "There's no need to squeeze in a last-minute trip to the garage either, as we can come to you at home or work. "In hot temperatures, it's wise to carry lots of water, food and a tool kit, with jump leads, torch and some first aid basics. "In the worst-case scenario of a breakdown, make sure you've got an umbrella and sunscreen to provide shade for all passengers when awaiting assistance. "While Devon and Cornwall remain some of the most popular destinations for summer getaways, many other major routes across the country could be hit by increased traffic – not least the M25 which so many drivers use to reach the coast and the South East. "These stretches are likely to be equally as busy on Friday 30 May when drivers use the same roads for return journeys."
Business Mayor
18-05-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
High-tech spectacle blends with science engagement – SHINE – BEYOND A SINGLE STORY
Ti Gong A huge humanoid robot waves hands in the virtual world while humanoid robots walk the red carpet in real world. Humanoid robots strutted down a red carpet alongside scientists and tech leaders at the opening of the 2025 Shanghai Science Festival on Saturday, blending a high-tech spectacle with public science engagement. Held at Zhangjiang Science Hall, the event spotlighted China's rapidly advancing robotics industry, positioning Shanghai as a showcase for emerging technologies including AI, XR, and humanoid automation. Fourier's founder and CEO Gu Jie, and vice president Zeng Xiang, walked the carpet with two humanoid robots developed by the company: GR-2 and N1. Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE Fourier's founder and CEO Gu Jie (second from the left) and vice president Zeng Xiang (left) with two humanoid robots developed by the company. The GR-2 stands 1.75 meters tall, weighs 63 kilograms, and is designed for heavy lifting and interactive training. It can carry more than 10 kilograms and is being developed for physical labor tasks across industries. The smaller N1 model focuses on endurance, and is capable of running for more than two hours on a single charge. It is also fully open-source, with all blueprints and code publicly available, offering developers around the world a platform for collaboration and experimentation. 'When a 1.75-meter-tall robot walks alongside a human on the red carpet, it's not just for show. It's a glimpse into what's possible,' said Gu. 'These robots have undergone tens of thousands of hours of testing across various terrains and scenarios.' Another crowd-pleasing moment came from Agibot's A2 robot, which performed a tai chi routine while explaining the martial art in real time. The 1.69-meter-tall robot moved with surprising fluidity, drawing applause from the audience. Ti Gong Agibot's humanoid robot plays tai chi on the red carpet. 'The pace of development is incredible,' said Wang Chuang, Agibot's general product line president. 'Last year, some robots still stumbled while walking. This year, they're performing. The red carpet is a perfect stage to show how fast we're advancing.' The company has hundreds of humanoid robots deployed in real-world settings, with each unit produced on a standardized manufacturing line – 'ready to use, like a car,' he added. This year's red carpet also featured an upgraded AI-powered experience using XR. As guests walked, their movements were merged live with dynamic virtual environments – from an immersive 'brain universe' to surreal, aurora-lit dreamscapes – each reflecting the creativity and innovation behind their work. Ti Gong A purple ocean where a huge whale is swimming appears at the site when Jo Quinton-Tulloch, director of the UK's National Science and Media Museum, and Ni Minjing, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, walk on the red carpet. Ti Gong Ni Minjing, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and Quinton-Tulloch, director of the UK's National Science and Media Museum. The event drew a diverse crowd: top scientists, start-up founders, science influencers, and young inventors. International guests included Jo Quinton-Tulloch, director of the UK's National Science and Media Museum, and Cho Sook-kyoung, president of the Network for the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST). One emotional highlight saw neuroscientist Mu-Ming Poo and cell biologist Yuan Junying encounter AI-generated younger versions of themselves. Yuan embraced her 18-year-old self and said: 'I want to tell my 18-year-old self that you've made the right choice. That's something I truly believe.' Ti Gong Xu Jian, deputy director of the university's School of Media and Communication, unveils the 'Global Urban Science Communication Capacity Index 2025.' The report assessed 40 major cities across six continents, ranking New York first, followed by London and Boston. Other Chinese cities included Beijing (7th), Hong Kong (12th), Taipei (22nd), Shenzhen (23rd), Hangzhou (25th), and Guangzhou (26th). The index mainly looks at how well research institutions, companies, governments, and media share and communicate science with the public. New York leads by excelling across scientific outreach, organized communication, and public engagement. London and Boston follow closely, thanks to their vibrant scientific communities and diverse communication channels. Shanghai's high ranking reflects rapid growth in science communication. It leads in offline public participation (1st), ranks fourth in media-driven outreach, and fifth in scientists' communication impact. Zeng emphasized the PCST 2027's vision. 'We want this conference to bring science closer to everyday life,' he said. 'By building an innovative science communication network across the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai aims to become a global hub for science communication and innovation. 'This will strengthen China's influence worldwide and inspire more people, especially youth, to engage with science and become future scientists.' READ SOURCE
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ScaleReady awards a $300,000 G-Rex® Grant to A2 Biotherapeutics, Inc.
ST. PAUL, Minn., May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf, Bio-Techne Corporation and CellReady, today announced that A2 Biotherapeutics, Inc. ("A2") has been awarded a $300,000 G-Rex® Grant. A2's G-Rex® Grant will enable expeditious process development and qualification of a G-Rex-based production system and will enable A2 to evaluate G-Rex for manufacturing cell therapies. "We are very impressed by the simplicity and scalability of the G-Rex platform and look forward to exploring its applications in our clinical development programs." says Dr. Agi Hamburger, Chief Operating Officer at A2. "As an early-stage company, the G-Rex Grant provides valuable resources to support the process development and comparability studies." "We appreciate the opportunity to help A2 Biotherapeutics explore an alternative manufacturing pathway that is distinct from the 'all-in-one' bioreactor approach. We believe a modular and flexible closed approach is necessary for cell therapy developers to set the basis for LEAN manufacturing while establishing phase appropriate production. This is the best way to generate drug product supply that is commensurate with their total patient demand," says John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Wolf and co-inventor of G-Rex. As part of the G-Rex Grant, A2 will evaluate the G-CART process, a standardized workflow for assembling CAR-T drug product, currently in development at Cell Ready, the world's first and only G-Rex centric contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). The G-CART process is designed for high-throughput manufacturing in centralized or point of care models and will be readily adaptable to full end-to-end robotic automation for commercial scale production. The G-CART process will make creative use of novel sub-assemblies to streamline the flow of the drug substance through the final assembly line, including the new GMP ProPak cytokines from Bio-Techne. ProPaks are GMP grade, liquid formulated, process-sized cytokines filled in sterile-weldable bags tailormade for use with the G-Rex device. Various interleukins, including IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15 are available in ProPak form. A2's CAR-T cell pipeline is based on their proprietary Tmod™ platform. The Tmod platform is a dual-signal integrator system for cancer cell therapy that consists of an activating receptor and an inhibitory receptor (blocker module). It utilizes tumor loss of heterozygosity to clearly distinguish normal cells containing both the activator and blocker antigens from tumor cells expressing the activator antigen, but which have irreversibly lost the blocker antigen. A2's current clinical pipeline consists of CAR-T cell therapies targeting various solid tumor indications including colorectal, lung, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Nursery teacher SACKED as pupil's mum finds husband buying racy OnlyFans snaps online
Elena Maraga, 29, was outed as a model on the controversial site by a parent who recognised her online - she has now been sacked after a pupil's mum found her husband buying the racy snaps A nursery teacher has been sacked by her school after it came to light she was selling raunchy pictures online - and a pupil's mum found her husband buying the racy snaps. Elena Maraga, 29, was outed as a model on OnlyFans by a parent who recognised her online and then told other parents via a WhatsApp group chat and Facebook Elena was subsequently put on leave from her job, near Treviso in Italy, after the school said that her extra-curricular activities do not align with the religious values of the institution. She said she started the racy account as she only earns around €1,200 (£1,000) a month from her day job - a wage she described as 'unsustainable' by itself. The controversy came to light after the father of one of her pupils allegedly bought photos from her OnlyFans account. But Elena claims the man's wife only found out about her side hustle after he distributed the pictures to a football group, according to A2. She said: "The father of one of my students bought my photos and distributed them to the football group. "Then his wife found out. I like myself, I turned my passion for my body into a way to earn income." She added: "I don't understand what the problem is. Living on 1,200 euros a month is tiring, that's why I opened it." Despite a group of 30 parents signing a petition for her to keep her job, and a trade union also refusing to pass her dismissal, she was officially sacked from her job on Tuesday. She said: "They sent me a letter saying I was fired for inappropriate behaviour because the relationship of trust has been damaged. "I find it 100% unfair." According to ANSA, the nursery said her contract would be terminated "for just cause with immediate effect." The school said her account "contrasts with the Catholic inspiration that guides the educational direction of the school". But Elena has now hit back at the way they handled her dismissal, saying: "They attacked me, saying I was seeking media attention. Taking compromising photos has never compromised my professionalism at work. "The school has never wanted to talk to me, they have always acted with letters and have never wanted dialogue. I am surprised that a Catholic school that preaches morality treats an employee in this way." Now, according to The Telegraph, the Italian education ministry says it intends to draw up a new code of ethics to prevent teachers appearing on adult sites. But Elena told Italian media publication Il Messaggero that she has a degree in Educational Sciences and that she had been working in a Catholic nursery for five years. She said: "I love being a nursery school teacher, it was my vocation since I was a child." She also told how "on one day I get a month's salary". She also added that, although some school parents are against what she does, others fully support her. "I still live with my parents. [Joining OnlyFans] was a test: I posted a few photos and the profile exploded. "I think it was a mother or father of one of my students [who exposed Elena]. They recognised me thanks to my profile photo. The matter became public knowledge on Facebook groups for mothers.... but there are some mothers who want to support me. They want me to continue teaching their children." While Elena, who is also a bodybuilder that has competed and won various competitions, loves being a teacher, she feels it is something she will not go back to. Despite her school experience, Elena has already begun studying for a new role as a personal trainer and says the world of personal training is more open minded.
Scottish Sun
24-04-2025
- Scottish Sun
Nursery teacher, 29, sacked after pupil's mum finds her OnlyFans account – when she caught her HUSBAND subscribing to it
She was suspended without pay after refusing to delete the account last month, and has now been sacked BAD MISS Nursery teacher, 29, sacked after pupil's mum finds her OnlyFans account – when she caught her HUSBAND subscribing to it Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CATHOLIC nursery school teacher has been fired after a parent found her OnlyFans account - where she posted adult content online. Elena Maraga, 29, became the centre of a scandal last month when the explicit account was discovered. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The nursery teacher was sacked after a pupil's parents found her OnlyFans account Credit: Instagram 5 The father of one of her pupils is alleged to have bought photos from her OnlyFans Credit: Instagram 5 A group of 30 parents reportedly signed a petition opposing her firing Credit: Instagram She was suspended without pay from her job at a nursery in north Italy after refusing to delete the account, and has now been sacked. The controversy was unearthed after the father of one of her pupils allegedly bought photos from her OnlyFans. Maraga claims that the man's wife found out after he distributed the pictures to a football group, A2 has reported. She said: "The father of one of my students bought my photos and distributed them to the football group. "Then his wife found out. I like myself, I turned my passion for my body into a way to earn income. " She added that her finances were part of the reason she chose to open the account. "I don't understand what the problem is," Maraga said. "Living on 1,200 euros a month is tiring, that's why I opened it." A group of 30 parents reportedly signed a petition opposing her firing, and a trade union also resisted her dismissal. Nevertheless, she was officially given the sack on Tuesday. She said: "They sent me a letter saying I was fired for inappropriate behavior because the relationship of trust has been damaged. "I find it 100% unfair." The nursery said her contract would be terminated "for just cause with immediate effect," according to ANSA. Its claimed that her OnlyFans account "contrasts with the Catholic inspiration that guides the educational direction of the school." But the 29-year-old has blasted the way her former employer handled the matter. She said: "They attacked me, saying I was seeking media attention. "Taking compromising photos has never compromised my professionalism at work. "The school has never wanted to talk to me, they have always acted with letters and have never wanted dialogue. "I am surprised that a Catholic school that preaches morality treats an employee in this way." The Italian education ministry has signalled its intent to draw up a new code of ethics to prevent teachers appearing on adult sites, The Telegraph has reported. Maraga told Italian media she has a degree in degree in Educational Sciences and that she had been working in a Catholic nursery for five years. "I love being a nursery school teacher, it was my vocation since I was a child," she told Il Messaggero. She added that she opened the account one month ago "partly for fun, partly out of curiosity, partly to see if you could really earn money." "In one day I get a month's salary," she said. 5 She said her decision to open the account was in part down to finances Credit: Instagram
