Latest news with #UNITE


BreakingNews.ie
04-08-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (70s) found dead in Waterford named as Waterford crystal worker
A man in his 70s found dead following an incident at a residential property in Waterford on Friday has been named locally as former Waterford crystal worker Pat Fitzgerald. Gardaí and the emergency services attended at the scene in St Catherine's Grange in the city shortly after 2pm on Friday. Advertisement Mr Fitzgerald, who was a widower, was found unresponsive at the property. He was transferred to University Hospital Waterford for treatment. He was pronounced dead at the hospital yesterday. A man in his 30s has appeared in court in connection with his death. Cllr Donal Barry of Waterford city south worked alongside Mr Fitzgerald for many years. The Independent councillor said that Pat was a trade union representative at the factory. 'Pat started his career in Waterford Crystal as a blower. He was then a full time union official in the plant," he said. Advertisement "There was 3,500 of us (employees) there at one stage and Pat was highly respected among all the workforce and even by and management. He did an awful lot of good work with the union then. "He was a fantastic union official and was well known throughout the country in the former ATGWU. He was (involved in the sit in) until the very end.' Mr Fitzgerald was also a former branch chairman of UNITE, formerly the ATGWU. He was the chair of the 364 branch of the UNITE trade union in 2009 when Waterford Crystal workers occupied the plant. Ireland Man (30s) charged after death of man (70s) in Wate... Read More The sit in began on January 30th, 2009, after the company's receiver shut down manufacturing after running out of cash. The sit in lasted close to two months and ended after workers agreed to split a payment of €10 million. Meanwhile, the Coroner and the Office of the State Pathologist have been notified and a post-mortem examination will be carried out. A technical and forensic examination at the scene has been completed. An incident room has been established at Waterford Garda Station. Investigating gardaí are appealing for witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterford Garda Station 051 305 300 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.


Business Insider
30-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Bitget Lists Unite (UNITE) for Spot Trading with over 138M in Token Rewards
Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the addition of Unite (UNITE) in the Innovation and GameFi Zone, for spot trading. Unite is a Layer 3 blockchain solution purpose-built for mobile games. Trading for the UNITE/USDT pair will begin on 30 July 2025, 10:00 (UTC) with withdrawals available on 31 July 2025, 11:00 (UTC). Bitget will launch a CandyBomb campaign with 138,750,000 UNITE available in rewards. Of this, 7,500,000 UNITE will be allocated to the UNITE, XRP and DOGE trading pool for new users, while 131,250,000 UNITE will be up for grabs in the UNITE, XRP and DOGE trading pool for existing users. The campaign will run from 30 July 2025, 10:00 to 6 August 2025, 10:00 (UTC). Unite is a Layer 3 EVM-compatible blockchain built on Base, purpose-built to support scalable, mobile-first Web3 games. It simplifies blockchain integration for developers through SDKs for Unity, Cocos, and HTML5, enabling fast, compliant game development aligned with app store policies. With low fees, fast execution, and easy integration, Unite lowers the barrier to entry for studios bringing blockchain features to mainstream audiences. For players, Unite delivers a seamless, gasless experience, no external wallets or blockchain knowledge are needed. Users can earn and trade in-game assets using $UNITE, the platform's native token, which also powers staking, governance, and rewards. By combining performance with accessibility, Unite paves the way for mass adoption of Web3 gaming. Bitget continues to expand its offerings, positioning itself as a leading platform for cryptocurrency trading. The exchange has established a reputation for innovative solutions that empower users to explore crypto within a secure CeDeFi ecosystem. With an extensive selection of over 800 cryptocurrency pairs and a commitment to broaden its offerings to more than 900 trading pairs, Bitget connects users to various ecosystems, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Base, and TON. The addition of Unite into Bitget's portfolio marks a significant step toward expanding its ecosystem by embracing mobile-first Web3 gaming infrastructure, lowering barriers to blockchain adoption, and supporting developer-friendly tools that bring immersive, tokenized game experiences to a global audience. For more details on Unite, users can visit here. About Bitget Established in 2018, Bitget is the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World's Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP, one of the world's most thrilling championships. For media inquiries, please contact: media@ Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.


Arabian Post
26-07-2025
- Science
- Arabian Post
Google's AI Breakthrough Tackles Hidden Deepfakes
A revolutionary AI-driven tool developed by Google in collaboration with UC Riverside researchers is setting new standards in deepfake detection. The system, known as UNITE, aims to combat the growing issue of manipulated media by identifying deepfakes in videos where faces are not present, challenging traditional detection methods. The increasing sophistication of AI-generated content has raised concerns globally, as it becomes more difficult for both the public and experts to distinguish between real and fabricated videos. Deepfakes, which use AI to superimpose or manipulate faces, have already caused significant harm by spreading misinformation and misleading audiences. These video forgeries have been used in everything from political manipulation to creating harmful viral content. Traditional deepfake detection systems primarily focus on facial recognition, scanning for anomalies or inconsistencies within the faces of individuals in videos. However, these methods fall short when the face is obscured or absent altogether, which is common in modern deepfake techniques. To address this gap, UNITE has been designed to look beyond faces, analysing the entire video frame to detect subtle visual cues that indicate manipulation. ADVERTISEMENT The system employs an innovative approach that involves scrutinising the background, motion patterns, and even the physics of the scene, which can reveal subtle discrepancies introduced by AI editing. For example, changes in the motion of objects, lighting inconsistencies, and unnatural background shifts are all telltale signs of deepfakes, and UNITE is trained to spot these signs with an exceptional degree of accuracy. According to the researchers, the system works by comparing the video under scrutiny with a vast database of real-world footage, assessing what is considered natural or typical for specific environments, actions, and movements. These advanced methods are powered by deep learning algorithms that continuously improve their ability to identify fake content as they process more data. The collaboration between UC Riverside and Google aims to make deepfake detection more accessible and efficient for various industries, including newsrooms and social media platforms. As misinformation continues to spread through manipulated content, news organisations are increasingly turning to automated systems to help verify the authenticity of video materials before publication. With UNITE, they gain a powerful tool that goes beyond face-based analysis to ensure the credibility of the content. This AI solution is timely, given the surge in social media videos and user-generated content. Many platforms have struggled with moderating fake content, and deepfakes are becoming an especially potent tool for those seeking to spread disinformation. This is particularly concerning in political campaigns, where fake videos can be used to sway voter opinions or tarnish reputations. UNITE's success could pave the way for more advanced technologies that can identify digital fakes across various forms of media, including text and audio, further protecting against the rising tide of fake content. The system also raises important questions about privacy and ethics, especially as it opens the door for new ways to track and monitor digital media for authenticity.


BreakingNews.ie
23-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Bus Éireann recorded €4.2m loss in 2024
Bus Eireann has told the Labour Court that it has made a loss of €4.2 million last year 'and was projecting similar losses for 2025'. That is according to the Labour Court which has recommended a combined pay increase of 6.75 per cent over a two-year period to the end of December 2026, along with a pay voucher of €500, for Bus Eireann's 3,200 workers. Advertisement The pay-row came before the Labour Court after the 3,200 workers represented by the NBRU, SIPTU, UNITE THE UNION, TSSA, CONNECT rejected pay proposals put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) by 64 per cent to 36 per cent. The unions stated that the 3pc pay increase on offer for each year of the pay proposals was not sufficient or adequate to meet their aspirations. The unions were looking for a straight pay increase comparable with other CIE companies and one that would provide pay parity with Dublin Bus. The unions valued pay parity as requiring an increase of 12.7 per cent. Advertisement In response, Bus Éireann stated that the current pay proposal represents the very limit of what can be offered in a pay proposal and is reasonable, if not significant, in the context of what is affordable to the company. Bus Éireann told the Labour Court that they believe that in terms of the marketplace it was a very reasonable offer. Bus Éireann set out the cumulative cost of the proposal that was balloted on 'and stressed that it had made a loss of €4.2 million in 2024 and was projecting similar losses for 2025'. Bus Éireann also submitted that the proposal included other improvements to terms and conditions which were valued at 1pc of pay per year with some groups benefiting from other changes and stated that the percentage increases should not be looked at in isolation. Advertisement In its recommendation, deputy chairwoman at the Labour Court, Louise O'Reilly stated that the pay increase is made up of a 3.5 per cent and a €500 voucher effective from January 1st this year. A further pay increase of 3.25 per cent to be effective from January 1st 2026 and the €500 voucher to be payable to those employed on January 1st 2025 and remaining in employment at the date of acceptance of recommendation. Ms O'Reilly said that the pay deal is to expire on December 31st 2026 and the parties agree to engage no later than four months before the expiry of this deal to secure a successor.


The South African
17-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
Trump trouble: 20 000 jobs threatened in Lesotho textile factories
Our land-locked neighbour, Lesotho, is staring down the barrel of 50% trade tariffs from the United States. Should these go ahead, the number one export from Lesotho will cease to function, with knock-on effects for South Africa. 80% of Lesotho's clothing exports go to the US, and 20% to South Africa. Back in April 2025, US President Donald Trump introduced a 40% tariff (on top of an existing 10% for all African nations) on Lesotho. Previously, Lesotho exported duty free to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Since then, many US-based buyers have ceased ordering from Lesotho, as they weigh up imminent tariff increases. As such, existing business has run out and no new orders have been placed. In turn, this is forcing many garment factories in Lesotho to suspend production lines till further notice … LESOTHO TEXTILE FACTORIES Lesotho's clothing industry is the largest employer in the tiny kingdom which fears the impact of new sweeping US tariffs. Image: Roberta Ciuccio/AFP Popular South African brands like Jonsson Workwear take advantage of Lesotho's textile manufacturing capacity. Anyone who's purchased an item from the aforementioned will no doubt commend the quality workmanship coming from Lesotho. However, that may all change as the United Textile Employees Union (UNITE) warns of closures, reports GroundUp . UNITE says as many as 20 000 jobs are at stake if the US's 50% import tariff become a reality. A spokesperson says three-month suspensions are planned, but if there is no change by September, large-scale closures may follow. Furthermore, UNITE confirms that many garment manufacturers have not received any new orders since Trump's 50% trade tariff announcement. While South Africa is reeling from a 30% tariff slapped on it by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, spare a thought for Lesotho. Images by Alex Green/Pexels and Wikimedia Commons Sadly, for Lesotho, there is already nearly 40% youth unemployment (18-35). And with upwards of 35 000 registered jobs, textile manufacturing is still the second-largest employer in the country after public-sector work. The Prime Minister of Lesotho says, 'US Aid cuts and tariff increases have crippled industries that previously sustained thousands of jobs.' As of last month, the Lesotho textile industry is more or less surviving off South African orders only. However, with reduced operations, factory owners cannot pay rent, utilities, and wages for much longer. They are working hard to find new markets, but if they cannot, workers will have to be terminated permanently. It is understood a final decision on tariffs will be made next month, on Tuesday 8 July 2025. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.