Prince William criticizes world's billionaires who travel to space instead of saving Earth
October 14, 2021, 3:57 am

Prince William

The Title Press reported according to Reuters, Britain’s Prince William has dealt a thinly veiled blow to billionaires involved in a space tourism race, saying the world’s greatest brains should instead focus on solving environmental problems facing the Earth.

In a BBC interview broadcast Thursday, William appeared to criticize Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, Elon Musk and Briton Richard Branson, whose rival companies are all vying to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel .

William said of the space race: “We need some of the greatest brains and minds in the world determined to try to fix this planet, not to try to find the next place to go to live."

The report said, William comments come after Musk spoke about missions to Mars, and Bezos described his maiden space flight in July as part of building a route to space “so that our children and their children can build a future for themselves."

Environmental protection/Pixabay

“We have to do this to fix the problems here on Earth,” said Bezos, who celebrated Wednesday sending Star Trek actor William Shatner into space in his New Shepard spacecraft.

Speaking out on green issues has become a major feature of the British Royal Family, and William, 39, is following in the footsteps of his late grandfather Prince Philip, husband to Queen Elizabeth and his father, Prince Charles.

According to the report, Charles, the 72-year-old heir to the throne, has been calling for decades to act to stop climate change and environmental damage for decades, long before the problem became mainstream, often ridiculed along the way.

William said: “It’s been a tough road for him. He’s had a really tough course about it, and I think he’s proven he’s way ahead of the curve.”

“But it shouldn’t be that there is now a third generation that needs to increase it even more. To me, it would be an absolute disaster if George (his eldest) were sitting here … in about 30 years’ time. or, always saying the same thing, because by then, we will be too late."

Echoing his father’s message earlier this week, William also said the upcoming COP26 summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland must keep its promises.

William said: “We can’t have smarter speech, smarter words but not enough action.”

The prince’s personal response to the question was to create the Earthshot Prize, which aims to find solutions through new technologies or policies to the biggest environmental problems on the planet. Read more

The top five winners, who will each raise £ 1million ($ 1.4million), will be announced at a ceremony on Sunday.

Source: tittlepress

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.