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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Extension to Baroness Newlove’s appointment as Victims’ Commissioner

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Secretary of State has approved an extension to Baroness Newlove’s term as Victims’ Commissioner from 17 October 2024 to 31 December 2025.

    Baroness Newlove was initially appointed to the role without competition for a year from 17 October 2023 to allow for a further campaign fill the role substantively.

    The Lord Chancellor decided not to continue with that campaign.  Following consultation with the Attorney General and Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor will readvertise the role later in 2024 with revised criteria which reflect the government’s vision for a strengthened role. To ensure there is no gap in cover in this vital role, The Lord Chancellor has extended Baroness Newlove’s term until 31 December 2025.

    The Victims’ Commissioner independently promotes the interests of victims and witnesses, encourages good practice in their treatment, and regularly reviews the Victims’ Code which sets out the services victims can expect to receive. 

    Biography of the Victims’ Commissioner: 

    • Baroness Helen Newlove is a community reform campaigner and activist. She came to prominence after her husband Garry Newlove was murdered outside the family home by a gang of youths, all alcohol and drug-fuelled, in 2007. After his death she campaigned to tackle anti-social behaviour and the underage and binge drinking culture.
    • Baroness Newlove was given a peerage in the 2010 Dissolution Honours list and sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Newlove of Warrington in the County of Cheshire. 
    • She originally took up the post of Victims’ Commissioner on 4 March 2013, was reappointed for a second term in March 2016, and stepped down on 31 May 2019. She was succeeded by Dame Vera Baird. 
    • On 5 March 2018, Baroness Newlove took up the office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.
    • On 17 October 2023, Baroness Newlove was appointed as the government’s Victims’ Commissioner for a term of 12 months.

    This appointment is made by the Secretary of State under Section 48 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, and is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chewing gum litter cleaned up from Oxford’s historic streets for a second year 

    Source: City of Oxford

    ODS, on behalf of Oxford City Council, has successfully completed the removal of chewing gum litter from key city centre streets, thanks to grant funding from the Chewing Gum Task Force. 

    The cleanup operation, which began in the summer, focused on heavily trafficked areas including George Street, New Inn Hall Street, Carfax, Queens Street, parts of St Ebbes, High Street, and St Aldates down to Christchurch Meadows. 

    Alongside removing the gum, the team deep-cleaned pavements and steam-cleaned street furniture. Educational materials have also been distributed to encourage proper gum disposal and help maintain the cleanliness of the city’s historic streets. 

    ODS’ street cleaning team worked early mornings to ensure minimal disruption and adapted their schedule to work around extreme weather conditions and major events, such as St Giles’ Fair and the Oxford Half Marathon.  

    The gum removal process is time and labour intensive. In the worst affected areas, it took as long as 30 minutes to clean just 1.5msq, this was then followed by a mechanical sweeper to eliminate any stains left by the gum. 

    In line with the Council and ODS’s commitment to sustainability, no chemicals were used during the cleanup, and ODS completed the work using a repurposed 1973 electric milk float, called Earnie. 

    This year’s cleanup was made possible by a £26,500 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by Keep Britain Tidy. The funding supports both the immediate cleanup and long-term behaviour change to reduce future gum littering. 

     Comment 

    “I’m pleased to see our city centre streets gum-free thanks to the hard work of ODS – a big thank you to them. 

    “The team’s hard work over the past few months, starting early and adapting around large events and extreme weather conditions, doesn’t go unnoticed. 

    “I hope the clean streets and new disposal guidance will inspire people to keep the streets tidy by properly disposing of their gum in the future.” 

     Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and an Inclusive Economy 

    “We’re thrilled to be working on behalf of Oxford City Council which received the Chewing Gum Task Force grant from Keep Britain Tidy for a second consecutive year. The funding helps improve the appearance of our historic streets and supports the city’s sustainability goals, using our repurposed electric milk float. Chewing gum litter affects the beauty and accessibility of Oxford, and last year’s cleanup showed promising results. We’re committed to working with the Council to make a lasting impact and keep our city clean for everyone.” 

    Adrian Moss, City Centre and Streetscenes Service Manager, ODS 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Defence News – HMNZS Canterbury to return items from the Manawanui to New Zealand

    Source: New Zealand Defence Force 
    • The HMNZS Canterbury, departs Apia today, for New Zealand with items from the Manawanui on board.
    • Among the items are the three containers removed from the reef following the grounding and subsequent sinking of Manawanui. These have been checked and passed by the Ministry for Primary Industries in Samoa before loading on board.
    • NZDF Senior National Representative, Commodore Andrew Brown took the opportunity to visit the Canterbury and thanked the ship’s company, and Embarked Aviation detachment for their contribution to CHOGM and Operation Resolution.
    • Commodore Brown said, “The Canterbury supported Operation Resolution by transporting Maritime NZ equipment to Samoa.  It’s now returning to New Zealand with Manawanui’s two rigid inflatable boats, equipment, and the three containers removed from the reef last week.”  
    • The Canterbury is returning home to prepare to respond to the high risk weather season coming up in the Pacific after contributing to New Zealand’s support of CHOGM, by providing a platform to operate helicopters and transport equipment such as Hato Hone St Johns ambulances to Samoa.  
    • “As Canterbury returns to New Zealand, we remain focused on our priorities and the complex and technical process of fuel removal.  Work is continuing on engaging a company to undertake this task,” Commodore Brown said.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy Sector – Giant transformer is safe, sound and underground

    Source: Meridian

    30 October 2024 – Following a stunning journey worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, Meridian’s Manapōuri Power Station has taken delivery of a new transformer that’ll give the hydro station a huge – and timely boost.

    A 104-tonne transformer’s not a quick or easy thing to transport, with the New Zealand leg of the journey taking place over several carefully planned days last week.

    After arriving in Bluff from Australia, the 135 MVA transformer was unloaded onto a trailer for the 170 km journey by road to Supply Bay, before spectacularly making its way by barge across Lake Manapōuri.

    It was the first time a piece of generation equipment this size has travelled by barge across Manapōuri – items this large have previously used Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound and then been transported over Wilmot Pass.

    Following the slow and scenic journey across Manapōuri, the transformer was delicately reversed down a two-kilometre road access tunnel into the cavernous machine hall.

    “There were plenty of early starts and late finishes, but our Meridian team and suppliers have achieved an outstanding result for New Zealand’s electricity supply ahead of Winter ‘25,” says Meridian acting GM Generation Yanosh Irani.

    “This has been months of work, planning, and coordination, and the specialist skills on display have been amazing – Meisters for barge operations, Move Logistics for transportation from Bluff to Supply Bay and then again at West Arm, and E-Type for fabricating and installing two unloading wedges for the delivery. A real – and world class – team effort.”

    Manapōuri Power Station has been operating at reduced capacity for around two years, following the discovery of faults in two of its seven transformers, so the arrival of the first replacement transformer is a major milestone.

    “We saw this winter just how important every single megawatt is, so this transformer has landed at a brilliant time,” says Yanosh Irani.

    “Getting our biggest power station closer to full capacity will boost security of electricity supply next winter and, in the meantime, give us the ability to ease off generation in the Waitaki to help restore storage levels in Lake Pūkaki.”

    The new transformer will increase generation capacity at Manapōuri from the current restricted limit of 640 MW to around 768 MW – close to the maximum 800 MW allowed under its consent conditions.

    Work to commission it is expected to be completed by Christmas, and the second replacement transformer (along with a spare) is due to arrive in late 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Animal Welfare – Plan ahead this Halloween to avoid a fur-raising trip to the veterinary clinic

    Source: NZ Veterinary Association

    If you’re getting ready to host a Halloween party or expecting trick-or-treaters at your door tomorrow night, you should also be preparing for how you will keep your pets safe and well.
    The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) Te Pae Kīrihe is urging all pet owners to plan for Halloween, a time that can be stressful and potentially dangerous for our furry friends. NZVA Head of Veterinary Services (Companion Animals) Sally Cory says veterinarians often see an increase in dogs swallowing items they shouldn’t at Halloween, such as treats and chocolate. Some injuries may also result from pets being scared by noises and having more people in their environments than they are familiar with.
    “When celebrated safely, Halloween can be a fun activity for the whole family, but we need to first ensure our pets are provided with a safe and calm environment,” she says. “For some cats and dogs, having people dressed up in costumes knocking on the front door can be particularly stressful and lead to increased anxiety in our pets. There is also always a risk they will escape.”
    Other Halloween hazards include chocolate and sweets being more accessible to pets. Sally warns chocolate is toxic to dogs because it contains theobromine, an alkaloid that causes vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive panting, an abnormal heartbeat, seizures or even death. The darker the chocolate, the higher the risk. Xylitol, also known as wood sugar, birch sugar, or E967, is another one to watch out for as this sugar substitute can result in poisoning that is life-threatening to dogs. Raisins, even in small numbers, can cause toxicity issues in dogs causing damage to their kidneys. Wrappers may also cause obstructions in smaller dogs and cats and take care if you are displaying lanterns with candles in them as curious pets can knock them over, risking burns.
    “Another issue is dressing pets up in Halloween costumes,” Sally says. “It may seem like a cute idea, but this is best avoided as costumes restrict an animal’s movement, hearing, breathing, barking or meowing, and can cause overheating and even restrict blood flow. Costumes should never cover the eyes, ears, or muzzle of a cat or a dog.”
    To celebrate safely this Halloween, ensure pets are kept in a quiet room away from the front door and bring dogs inside for the night in case visitors accidentally leave a gate or door open. It is also essential cats and dogs are microchipped to ensure a quick reunion should a pet escape and go missing.
    In an emergency veterinary situation outside of normal business hours, call your vet for further advice. If you are advised to go to an emergency service provider, you may be asked to ring ahead to let the vet team know you are coming. This helps prepare staff for your arrival.
    Here are the NZVA’s top tips for animal safety this Halloween:
    • Keep sweet treats and wrappers away from your pets – especially chocolate or lollies containing xylitol/birch sugar.
    • Keep pets in a quiet room away from the front door.
    • Bring dogs inside for the night in case visitors accidentally leave a gate or door open.
    • Don’t dress animals up in costumes that restrict their movement, hearing, breathing, barking or meowing – no matter how cute they might look. Spend that time perfecting your own costume instead!
    If you’re worried about your animal’s health this Halloween, contact your vet for advice.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Defence and Employment – Industrial action escalates as NZDF refuses to budge on zero pay rise

    Source: PSA

    The stubborn refusal of NZDF to lift pay for civilian workers will spark another round of industrial action by PSA members beginning next week.
    Further bargaining for a new collective agreement has failed to budge NZDF from its zero-increase position. As a result, members have voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer and to escalate industrial action. The current industrial action legally must end on Thursday.
    “NZDF is insulting the thousands of dedicated civilian workers who, like the men and women in uniform, are keeping our country safe from threats, but in the eyes of NZDF are second class citizens who don’t deserve a pay rise,” said Duane Leo, National Secretary for Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “This stubborn refusal to increase the zero-pay rise offer shows how little NZDF respects and values its civilian workers who like many are doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis. It leaves our members with no choice but to send another strong message that this position is unacceptable.”
    PSA members are already working to rule and refusing overtime and callouts (unless life preserving services as required). Members will now initiate further industrial action on top of this beginning 9am Thursday 6 November. Kauri Point (Auckland) members, who load and unload ships, will join them on 20 November. This may include a refusal to work in certain circumstances and an escalation of actions. The action ends on 31 January.
    “NZDF doesn’t seem to care that its refusal to budge on pay for civilian staff will keep undermining morale. Workloads are already increasing through its current voluntary redundancy programme as it seeks to cut $30m from spending. Forced redundancies may also follow.
    “All this will prompt more to consider leaving at a time when the Defence Force is facing critical worker shortages.
    “The Government promised no impacts on the frontline from its spending cuts.
    “Make no mistake, these cuts will impact the ability of NZDF to deliver on its stated mission to ‘secure the country against external threats’. There is nothing more frontline than that. We urge NZDF to reconsider,” said Duane Leo.
    Previous statement
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ6: BUD Fund

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Kennedy Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         In recent years, the Government has launched many enhancement measures to the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that the Government launched the “E-commerce Easy” under the BUD Fund on July 15 this year, with a view to assisting enterprises in opening up the Mainland market through developing electronic commerce (e-commerce) business, of the respective numbers of relevant applications received and approved by the Government so far, as well as the average and maximum amounts of funding involved;
     
    (2) given that at present, enterprises applying for the BUD Fund are required to provide proof of substantive operations and commercial transactions in Hong Kong, but it is learnt that many enterprises with trademarks and other intellectual property rights registered in Hong Kong have substantive operations on the Mainland and overseas, thus rendering them unable to successfully apply for the Fund, and there are views that the original intention of the Fund is to assist enterprises in enhancing their competitiveness, whether the Government will, in the light of the relevant situation, review the eligibility criteria for applying for the Fund; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) given that there are views pointing out that the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in cross-border e-commerce is particularly innovative, such as the use of AI key opinion leaders for marketing of goods, whether the authorities will consider expanding the funding coverage of “E-commerce Easy” to include the application of AI, thereby enabling enterprises to make better use of the funding to establish marketing systems; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Government is dedicated to assisting Hong Kong enterprises, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, in developing brands, upgrading business operations and enhancing competitiveness. One such measure is the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund), which provides funding support for non-listed Hong Kong enterprises to develop business in the Mainland and 38 economies with which Hong Kong has signed free trade agreements and/or investment promotion and protection agreements.
     
         The reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
     
    (1) With a view to assisting Hong Kong enterprises in developing the Mainland sales market through electronic commerce (e-commerce) business, the Government launched “E-commerce Easy” under the BUD Fund on July 15 this year to allow enterprises to make use of $1 million funding flexibly within the cumulative funding ceiling of $7 million per enterprise to implement e-commerce projects on the Mainland. Since the launching of “E-commerce Easy”, the number of applications received has been gradually increasing for each month. As at end September this year, 102 applications have been received. So far, eight applications have been approved or approved with conditions. Other applications are being processed earnestly by the BUD Fund Secretariat, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, which will complete the vetting as soon as possible upon receipt of clarification on the questions raised by the Secretariat and supplementary documents from applicant enterprises. So far, the average funding amount of the approved applications is about $470,000, whereas the largest funding amount approved is about $990,000.
     
    (2) The BUD Fund aims to assist Hong Kong enterprises in exploring more diversified markets through developing brands, upgrading business operations and developing sales. As such, the application eligibility is enterprise-based, requiring that an applicant enterprise must be registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) and has substantive business operations in Hong Kong, but is not premised on the registration location of the relevant intellectual property rights.
     
         Since the setting up of the BUD Fund in 2012, the requirement of having substantive business operations in Hong Kong has been in place, and was specified in the relevant Legislative Council Finance Committee paper for setting up the BUD Fund. As such, enterprises which solely operate outside Hong Kong do not meet the application eligibility. Considering that the BUD Fund involves public funds, we should focus the resources on enterprises with substantive business operations in Hong Kong in order to maximise the benefits brought about by the BUD Fund to Hong Kong’s economy and to such enterprises, thereby meeting the public expectation. We have no plan to relax this requirement.
     
         In fact, many Hong Kong enterprises have developed the Mainland and overseas markets with the BUD Fund’s support, including establishing new offices and retail points at target markets, purchasing machinery/equipment, placing advertisements, thereby benefiting their business operations in both Hong Kong and outside markets. Past success stories of different types of applications are set out on the website of the BUD Fund for the reference of applicant enterprises.
     
         Since the launching of the BUD Fund in 2012, the Government has kept on reviewing and enhancing its operational arrangements from time to time, having regard to market changes and the needs of the trade. Over the years, the Government has launched a number of enhancement measures, including expanding the geographical scope of the BUD Fund in phases from only the Mainland originally to 39 economies at present, gradually increasing the cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise from $500,000 to $7 million, launching “Easy BUD” in June 2023 to expedite the processing of applications involving designated measures with a smaller funding amount, as well as launching “E-commerce Easy” in July this year to assist enterprises in developing the Mainland sales market through e-commerce business.
     
         In the 2024 Policy Address released earlier, the Chief Executive announced the injection of $1 billion into the BUD Fund to assist SMEs in upgrading their business operations and developing new markets. In view of the rapid development of the e-commerce market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and that the ASEAN is Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner, the geographical coverage of “E-commerce Easy” will be expanded to the 10 ASEAN countries to support enterprises to develop the ASEAN market through digital transformation. We will also provide more targeted funding support for SMEs to implement green transformation projects. We expect that the above measures will be rolled out in the first half of 2025.
     
    (3) The funding scope of the BUD Fund – “E-commerce Easy” is broad and covers many measures related to e-commerce, including the establishment of online stores on third-party online sales platforms and placing advertisements (including the engagement of ambassadors/key opinion leaders to promote products), development and enhancement of mobile applications and websites (such as adding online payment function and chatbot on enterprises’ websites). On the condition that the existing guidelines and other funding criteria can be satisfied, the use of technological services or plans (including artificial intelligence technology) by enterprises to implement the above measures for developing e-commerce business is within the funding scope of “E-commerce Easy”.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Japan: Momentum for marriage equality grows with Tokyo High Court ruling – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    In response to today’s Tokyo High Court ruling recognizing the unconstitutionality of Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage, Amnesty International’s East Asia Researcher Boram Jang said:

    “This decision marks a critical step towards marriage equality in Japan and offers renewed hope to same-sex couples across the country.

    “This case is also a reminder of the lengthy and fragmented legal battles couples must endure to exercise rights to equality that should already be protected. It is an injustice that weighs heavily on their lives.

    “The Japanese government must take action to legalize same-sex marriage across the country. It is time to introduce national legislation that brings marriage equality to everyone in Japan, rather than relying on inconsistent and inadequate responses at the local government level. All couples, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, deserve the same legal rights, protections, and the dignity that comes with recognition under the law.”

    Background

    The Tokyo High Court decision on 30 October marks another important development in Japan’s ongoing struggle for marriage equality. The court ruled that Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional as it violates Article 14(1) and Article 24(2) of the Constitution. The legal battle for LGBTI equality has been fraught with key victories and setbacks over recent years.

    In March 2021, the Sapporo District Court made a landmark decision, ruling that the government’s failure to recognize same-sex marriage was unconstitutional under Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality under the law. This initial victory gave hope to same-sex couples across the country.

    In March 2024, the Sapporo High Court became the first high court to rule on the issue, upholding the district court’s finding that the ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. This ruling reinforced the growing trend toward equality, increasing pressure on the Japanese government to address legal gaps. A Tokyo District Court decision, also handed down March 2024, mirrored that of the Sapporo High Court.

    However, the path to marriage equality has been complicated. In June 2022, the Osaka District Court rejected claims by same-sex couples, ruling that the Constitution did not require the recognition of same-sex marriage, a setback for the rights of LGBTI persons. In May 2023, the Nagoya District Court restored momentum by recognizing that denying same-sex couples the right to marry constituted discrimination.

    The Fukuoka District Court in June 2023 acknowledged flaws in the legal framework but maintained that legislative reform – not judicial rulings – was the appropriate way to address the issue. The Tokyo District Court reached a similar verdict in November 2022.

    Presently, couples must rely on the limited recognition provided by local governments. For example, in November 2022, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government introduced a partnership certificate scheme. While these certificates offer some recognition, they do not provide essential rights such as inheritance, spousal visas, or parental recognition.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Prime Minister’s Questions and Budget 2024 – 30 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Watch PMQs with British Sign Language (BSL) –

    Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

    In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

    The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

    Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will then deliver the Budget Statement in the House of Commons.

    Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

    Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT8JZ6Ln5ls

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK Prime Minister’s Questions and Budget 2024 with British Sign Language (BSL) – 30 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

    In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

    The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

    Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will then deliver the Budget Statement in the House of Commons.

    Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

    Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx0EJDhmEeU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: Key AI Accomplishments in the Year Since the Biden-⁠ Harris Administration’s Landmark Executive  Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    One year ago, President Biden issued a landmark Executive Order to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). The Executive Order directed sweeping actions to manage AI’s safety and security risks, protect Americans’ privacy, advance equity and civil rights, stand up for consumers and workers, promote innovation and competition, advance American leadership around the world, and more.
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that Federal agencies have completed on schedule each action that the Executive Order tasked for this past year—more than one hundred in all. Below are some of the Administration’s most significant accomplishments on managing AI’s risks and seizing its promise in the year since President Biden signed his Executive Order.
    Managing Risks to Safety and Security:The Executive Order directed the boldest actions ever taken to protect Americans from a broad range of AI’s safety and security risks, including risks related to dangerous biological materials, software vulnerabilities, and foreign actors’ efforts to develop AI for harmful purposes. Over the last year, to protect safety and security, agencies have:
    Used Defense Production Act authorities to require developers of the most powerful AI systems to report vital information, including results of safety and security testing, to the U.S. government. These companies have notified the Department of Commerce about the results of their red-team safety tests, their plans to train powerful models, and large computing clusters they possess capable of such training. Last month, the Department of Commerce proposed a rule to require the reporting of this information on a quarterly basis.
    Led the way on AI safety testing and evaluations to advance the science of AI safety. The U.S. AI Safety Institute (US AISI) at the Department of Commerce has begun pre-deployment testing of major new AI models through recently signed agreements with two leading AI developers. The Department of Energy (DOE) developed and expanded its AI testbeds and evaluation tools, which it has already used to test models’ risk to nuclear security.
    Developed guidance and tools for managing AI risk. The US AISI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce published frameworks for managing risks related to generative AI and dual-use foundation models, and earlier this month, AISI released a Request for Information on the responsible development and use of AI models for chemical and biological sciences. The Department of Defense (DoD) released its Responsible AI toolkit to align AI projects with the Department’s Ethical Principles.
    Issued a first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on AI. The NSM directs concrete steps by Federal agencies to ensure the United States leads the world’s development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; to enable agencies to harness cutting-edge AI for national security objectives, including by protecting human rights and democratic values; and to advance international consensus and governance on AI. This essential document serves as a formal charter for the AI Safety Institute, designating it as the center of the whole-of-government approach to advanced AI model testing, and will guide rapid and responsible AI adoption by the DoD and Intelligence Community. The NSM also directs the creation of a Framework to Advance AI Governance and Risk Management in National Security, which provides agile guidance to implement the NSM in accordance with democratic values, including mechanisms for risk management, evaluations, accountability, and transparency. 
    Finalized a framework for nucleic acid synthesis screening to help prevent the misuse of AI for engineering dangerous biological materials. The framework, developed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), encourages nucleic acid synthesis providers to identify gene sequences that could be used to pose national security risks, and to implement customer screening to mitigate the risks of misuse. Federal agencies will require that funding recipients obtain synthetic nucleic acids from vendors that adhere to the framework, starting in 2025. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has developed an initial framework with principles for evaluating the effectiveness of screening mechanisms going forward.
    Launched a new Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure. The Task Force provides streamlined coordination on policies to advance datacenter development operations in line with economic, national security, and environmental goals.
    Identified measures—including approaches for labeling content and improving transparency—to reduce the risks posed by AI-generated content. The Department of Commerce submitted to the White House a final report on science-backed standards and techniques for addressing these risks, while NIST has launched a challenge to develop methods for detecting AI-generated content. President Biden has emphasized that the public has a right to know when content is AI-generated, and agencies are working to use these tools to help Americans to know that communications they receive from their government are authentic.
    Combatted AI-generated image-based sexual abuse. Image-based sexual abuse—both non-consensual intimate images of adults and child sexual abuse material—is one of the fastest growing harmful uses of AI to date and disproportionately targets women, children, and LGBTQI+ people. This year, following the Vice President’s leadership in underscoring the urgent need to address deepfake image-based sexual abuse and a White House Call to Action to reduce these risks, leading AI developers and data providers made voluntary commitments to curb the creation of AI-generated image-based sexual abuse material. Additionally, the Department of Justice (DOJ) funded the first-ever helpline to provide 24/7 support and specialized services for victims of the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, including deepfakes. The Department of Education also clarified that school responsibilities under Title IX may extend to conduct that takes place online, including AI-generated abuse.
    Established the AI Safety and Security Board (AISSB) to advise the Secretary of Homeland Security on the safe and secure use of AI in critical infrastructure. The AISSB has met thrice this year to develop a set of recommendations for entities that develop, deploy, and promote accountability for AI systems that assist in delivering essential services to millions of Americans. The work of the AISSB complements DHS’s first-ever AI safety and security guidelines for critical infrastructure owners and operators, which were informed by agencies’ assessments of AI risks across all critical infrastructure sectors. To help protect critical infrastructure further, the Department of Treasury released a report on managing security risks of AI use in the financial sector, and the Department of Energy released an assessment of potential risks to the power grid, as well as ways in which AI could potentially strengthen grid resilience and our ability to respond to threats.
    Piloted AI for protecting vital government software systems. The Department of Defense and DHS conducted AI pilots to address vulnerabilities in government networks used, respectively, for national security purposes and for civilian governmental organizations.
    Standing up for Workers, Consumers, Privacy, and Civil RightsAI is changing the products and services Americans buy, affecting jobs and workplaces, and introducing or exacerbating risks to privacy, equity, and civil rights. President Biden’s Executive Order stands up for Americans in each of these domains, and over the last year, agencies have:
    Developed bedrock principles and practices, along with guidance, to help protect and empower workers as AI is built for and used in the workplace. The Department of Labor (DOL) released AI Principles and Best Practices for employers and developers to build and use AI in ways that center the wellbeing of workers and improve the quality of jobs. DOL also published two guidance documents to assist federal contractors and employers in complying with worker protection laws as they deploy AI in the workplace. In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released resources for job seekers and workers to understand how AI use could violate employment discrimination laws.
    Protected patients’ rights and safety, while encouraging innovation, as AI is developed and deployed for healthcare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established an AI Safety Program to track harmful incidents involving AI’s use in healthcare settings and to evaluate mitigations for those harms. HHS has also developed objectives, goals, and high-level principles for the use of AI or AI-enabled tools in drug development processes and AI-enabled devices. Additionally, HHS finalized a rule that established first-of-its-kind transparency requirements for AI and other predictive algorithms that are part of certified health information technology. HHS also finalized a civil rights regulation, implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, that requires covered health care entities to take steps to identify and mitigate discrimination when they use AI and other forms of decision support tools for care.
    Published guidance and resources for the safe, secure, and trustworthy design and use of AI in education. In July, the Department of Education released guidance calling up on educational technology developers to design AI in ways that protect rights, improve transparency, and center teaching and learning. This month, the Department of Education released a toolkit to support schools and educational leaders in responsibly adopting valuable AI use cases.
    Issued guidance on AI’s nondiscriminatory use in the housing sector, which affirms that existing prohibitions against discrimination apply to AI’s use for tenant screening and housing advertisements, while explaining how to comply with these obligations. Additionally, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau approved a rule requiring that algorithms and AI used for home valuations are fair, nondiscriminatory, and free of conflicts of interest.
    Set guardrails on the responsible and equitable use of AI and algorithmic systems in administering public benefits programs. The Department of Agriculture’s guidance provides a framework for how State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments should manage risks for uses of AI and automated systems in critical benefits programs such as SNAP, while HHS released a plan with guidelines on similar topics for benefits programs it oversees.
    Affirmed commitments to prevent and address unlawful discrimination and other harms resulting from AI. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division convenes federal agency civil rights offices and senior government officials to foster AI and civil rights coordination. Five new agencies also joined a 2023 pledge to uphold America’s commitment to fairness, equality, and justice as new technologies like AI become more common in daily life.
    Advanced privacy protections to safeguard Americans from privacy risks that AI creates or exacerbates. In particular, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and DOE established a research network dedicated to advancing the development, deployment, and scaling of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), while NSF launched the $23 million initiative Privacy-preserving Data Sharing in Practice program to apply, mature, and scale PETs for specific use cases and establish testbeds to accelerate their adoption. Simultaneously, DOE launched a $68 million effort on AI for Science research, which includes efforts at multiple DOE National Laboratories and other institutions to advance PETs for scientific AI. The Department of Commerce also developed guidelines on evaluating differential privacy guarantees. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a Request for Information (RFI) on issues related to federal agency collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, and disposition of commercially available information containing personally identifiable information. OMB also released an RFI on how federal agencies’ privacy impact assessments may be more effective at mitigating privacy risks, including those that are further exacerbated by AI and other advances in technology and data capabilities.
    Harnessing AI for GoodOver the last year, agencies have worked to seize AI’s enormous promise, including by collaborating with the private sector, promoting development and use of valuable AI use cases, and deepening the U.S. lead in AI innovation. To harness AI for good, agencies have:
    Launched the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot and awarded over 150 research teams access to computational and other AI resources. The NAIRR pilot—a national infrastructure led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with DOE and other governmental and nongovernmental partners—makes available resources to support the nation’s AI research and education community. Supported research teams span 34 states and tackle projects covering deepfake detection, AI safety, next-generation medical diagnoses, environmental protection, and materials engineering.
    Promoted AI education and training across the United States. DOE is leveraging its network of national laboratories to train 500 new researchers by 2025 to meet demand for AI talent, while NSF has invested millions of dollars in programs to train future AI leaders and innovators. These programs include the EducateAI initiative, which helps fund educators creating high-quality, inclusive AI educational opportunities at the K-12 through undergraduate levels that support experiential learning in fields such as AI and build capacity in AI research at minority-serving institutions.
    Expanded the ability of top AI scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to come to the United States, including by clarifying O-1 and H-1B visa rules and working to streamline visa processing.
    Released a report on the potential benefits, risks, and implications of dual-use foundation models for which the model weights are widely available, including related policy recommendations. The Department of Commerce’s report draws on extensive outreach to experts and stakeholders, including hundreds of public comments submitted on this topic.
    Announced a competition for up to $100 million to support the application of AI-enabled autonomous experimentation to accelerate research into—and delivery of—targeted, industry-relevant, sustainable semiconductor materials and processes.
    Established two new National AI Research Institutes for building AI tools to advance progress across economic sectors, science, and engineering. The NSF-led AI Research Institutes launched in September will develop AI tools for astronomical sciences, with broader applications across scientific disciplines. Earlier this year, NSF also funded 10 inaugural Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines), seven of which include a focus on advancing AI.
    Announced millions of dollars in further investments to advance responsible AI development and use throughout our society. These include $13 million invested by DOE in the VoltAIc initiative for using AI to streamline permitting and accelerate clean energy deployment, as well as $68M from DOE to fund AI for scientific research to accelerate scientific programming and develop energy efficient AI models and hardware. DOE has also launched the Frontiers in AI for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) initiative roadmap and request for information to harness AI for scientific discovery, national security, energy and electric grid resilience, and other national challenges, building on AI tools, models, and partnerships. NSF, in partnership with philanthropy, announced an inaugural investment of more than $18 million to 44 multidisciplinary, multi-sector teams across the U.S. to advance the responsible design, development, and deployment of technologies including AI, ensuring ethical, legal, community, and societal considerations are embedded in the lifecycle of technology’s creation.
    Issued a first-ever report analyzing AI’s near-term potential to support the growth of America’s clean energy economy. DOE’s National Laboratories also issued a long-term grand challenges report identifying opportunities in AI for energy over the next decade. 
    Released a vision for how AI can help us achieve our nation’s greatest aspirations. AI Aspirations sets forth goals to create a future of better health and opportunity for all, mitigate climate change and boost resilience, build robust infrastructure and manufacturing, ensure the government works for every American, and more. In furtherance of these goals, HHS launched CATALYST, a research and development program focused on the potential use of AI to better predict drug safety and efficacy before clinical trials start. In complement, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology also authored a report outlining AI’s potential to revolutionize and accelerate scientific discovery.
    Published guidance addressing vital questions at the intersection of AI and intellectual property. To advance innovation the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has released guidance documents addressing the patentability of AI-assisted inventions, on the subject matter eligibility of patent claims involving inventions related to AI technology, and on the use of AI tools in proceedings before USPTO.
    Bringing AI and AI Talent into GovernmentAI can help government deliver better results for the American people, though its use by Federal agencies can also pose risks, such as discrimination and unsafe decisions. Bringing AI and AI-enabling professionals into government, moreover, is vital for managing these risks and opportunities and advancing other critical AI missions. Over the last year, agencies have:
    Issued the first-ever government-wide policy to strengthen governance, mitigate risks, and advance innovation in federal use of AI. OMB’s historic policy, M-24-10, requires agencies to implement concrete safeguards when using AI in a way that could impact Americans’ rights or safety. These safeguards include a series of mandatory risk management practices to reliably assess, test, and monitor AI’s impacts on the public and provide greater transparency into how the government uses AI. OMB’s policy also directs agencies to designate Chief AI Officers to coordinate the use of AI across their agency, while expanding and upskilling their AI workforce and removing barriers to adopting AI for all manner of purposes—from addressing climate change to advancing public health and safety.
    Released a government-wide policy to advance responsible acquisition of AI by Federal agencies. M-24-18, published this month by OMB, helps ensure that when Federal agencies acquire AI, they have the information and tools necessary to manage risks, promote a competitive marketplace, and collaborate on strategic planning. This work directs the Federal government—the largest buyer in the U.S. economy—to advance AI innovation and risk management through responsibly exercising its purchasing power.
    Hired over 250 AI practitioners into the Federal government through the AI Talent Surge. Tech talent programs ramped up hiring for AI talent, with the Presidential Innovation Fellows bringing on their first-ever AI cohort, DHS establishing their AI Corps with over 30 members onboarded to date, and the U.S. Digital Corps providing pathways for early-career technologists to join Federal service. AI talent has been instrumental in delivering on critical AI priorities, from using AI to deliver top-tier government services, to protecting the public’s rights and safety in the use of AI.
    Established the Chief AI Officers Council to harmonize best practices and sharing of resources across the interagency to implement OMB’s guidance and coordinate the development and use of AI in agencies’ programs and operations.
    Introduced expanded reporting instructions for the federal AI use case inventory to include identifying use cases that impact rights or safety and how the agency is addressing the relevant risks in line with OMB’s policies. 
    Bolstered the public interest technology ecosystem. Building on the AI Talent Surge, the White House announced funding across government, academia, and civil society to support education and career pathways that will help ensure government has access to diverse, mission-oriented technology talent.
    Activated new hiring authorities to bring AI and AI-enabling talent into agencies. As part of the AI Talent Surge, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) granted new hiring authorities, including direct hire authorities and excepted service authorities, for agencies to rapidly bring on top-tier AI and AI-enabling talent, and released guidance on skills-based hiring and pay and leave flexibilities to best position agencies to hire and retain AI and AI-enabling talent. Additionally, OPM collaborated with partners to run three National Tech to Gov career fairs to connect the public with AI and tech jobs in government, surfacing roles from over 64 Federal, state, and local government employers to over 3,000 job seekers.
    Advancing U.S. Leadership AbroadPresident Biden’s Executive Order directed work to lead global efforts to capture AI’s promise, mitigate AI’s risks, and ensure AI’s responsible governance. To advance these goals, the Administration has:
    Sponsored and passed a landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution. The unanimously adopted resolution, with more than 100 co-sponsors (including the People’s Republic of China), lays out a common vision for countries around the world to promote the safe and secure use of AI to address global challenges.
    Engaged foreign leaders on strengthening international rules and norms for AI, including at the 2023 UK AI Safety Summit and the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, where Vice President Harris represented the United States. In the United Kingdom, Vice President Harris unveiled a series of U.S. initiatives to advance the safe and responsible use of AI, including the establishment of AISI at the Department of Commerce.
    Announced a global network of AI Safety Institutes and other government-backed scientific offices to advance AI safety at a technical level. This network, which will formally launch in November at the inaugural network convening in San Francisco, will accelerate critical information exchange and drive toward common or compatible safety evaluations and policies.
    Expanded global support for the U.S.-led Political Declaration on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy. Fifty-six nations now endorse the political declaration, which outlines a set of norms for the responsible development, deployment, and use of military AI capabilities. DoD has expanded the scope of its international AI Partnership for Defense to align global Responsible AI practices with the Political Declaration’s norms.
    Developed comprehensive plans for U.S. engagement on global AI standards and AI-related critical infrastructure topics. NIST and DHS, respectively, will report on priority actions taken per these plans in 90 days.
    Signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law. This first multilateral treaty on AI represents a powerful affirmation of the relevance of existing human rights obligations to AI activities and establishes a strong baseline in international law for responsible government use of AI. The United States’ signature reflects its commitment to ensuring that AI technologies are designed, developed, used, and governed in ways that promote respect for human rights and democratic values. 
    Led the development of a Joint Statement on Responsible Government Practices for AI Technologies. The Joint Statement, to which the 41 countries of the Freedom Online Coalition committed, calls on governments to develop, use, and procure AI responsibly, including by respecting international obligations and commitments, assessing impacts of AI systems, conducting ongoing monitoring, ensuring adequate human training and assessment, communicating and responding to the public, and providing effective access to remedy. 
    Launched the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse.  The 15-country Global Partnership has advanced international policies to address online safety, and spurred new programs to prevent and respond to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including through AI.
    The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development published resources to advance global AI research and use of AI for economic development. The AI in Global Development Playbook incorporates principles and practices from NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework to guide AI’s responsible development and deployment across international contexts, while the Global AI Research Agenda outlines priorities for advancing AI’s safe, responsible, and sustainable global development and adoption.
    The table below summarizes many of the activities that federal agencies have completed in response to the Executive Order.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: President  Biden and Vice President Harris Announce New Actions and Investments to Advance Educational and Economic Opportunity for Latino Communities Across the  Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Today, President Biden will ceremonially sign Executive Order (EO) 14124, establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), alongside nearly two dozen champions for these institutions and Latino communities. President Biden and Vice President Harris will also announce nearly $19 million in transformational investments for five HSIs in Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Puerto Rico to build research infrastructure. These efforts build on the Administration’s historic investment of over $16 billion in more than 500 HSIs across 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that educate more than 4.7 million students annually.
    Over the past three years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken historic actions to expand opportunity for Latino families and communities, including: creating more than 15 million jobs – with 5 million created for Latinos, helping Latino entrepreneurs start new businesses at the fastest rate in over 10 years, addressing our broken immigration system, and working to ensure equitable educational opportunity for students.
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to advance educational opportunities for students at HSIs and giving them a fair shot at achieving the American dream. 
    Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HSIs
    With student enrollment that is at least one-quarter Latino, HSIs are engines of economic mobility, propelling high numbers of students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students into good jobs and brighter futures. Today, President Biden will ceremonially sign EO 14124 to strengthen the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing opportunity for HSIs and the students they serve.
    The EO creates a new Initiative and first-ever President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs to:
    Increase awareness of opportunities for HSIs to equally participate in Federal programs and enhance the capacity of HSIs to meet the educational needs of their students.
    Identify best practices for HSIs to scale effective strategies, programs, and initiatives to support the educational success and economic mobility of their students.
    Improve the ability of HSIs to align program offerings with the economic needs of the Nation and their local economies, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and teaching.
    Coordinate efforts to help HSIs become or remain fiscally secure institutions.
    Foster cross-sector collaboration among HSIs and philanthropic, public, and private sector organizations.
    Strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HSIs to build accessible and equal pathways into Federal career opportunities for HSI students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
    Provide tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for students.
    Investing Additional $19 Million in Research Infrastructure at HSIs
    To remain the most competitive economy in the world, the Nation’s most inclusive institutions of higher education must continue to lead in research and development. Yet too many HSIs report having unmet infrastructure needs that hold back their ability to engage in research that will propel forward these institutions, their students, and the nation as a whole.
    To help address these needs, the Biden-Harris Administration established the Department of Education’s Research and Development Infrastructure Program (RDI) for the colleges and universities that play a central role in educating students from diverse backgrounds. The program provides funds to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)—including HSIs— to implement transformational investments in research infrastructure, including research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced nearly $19 million in new grants to five HSIs to build their research and physical infrastructure including—
    Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida received $1.1 million.
    National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois received $3 million.
    Sam Houston State University in Houston, Texas received $5 million.
    Texas A&M University Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas received $4.7 million.
    University of Puerto Rico on the Rio Piedras Campus received $5 million.
    The $19 million in grants to HSIs was a part of $49 million in RDI grants to 13 HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs.
    Building on Historic Investments in HSIs
    Today’s announcements build on President Biden and Vice President Harris’ historic investments of over $16 billion in direct funding to HSIs, including through COVID relief funds and the Department of Education’s federal grant program funds.
     The chart below provides a state-by-state breakdown of funding to date.
    State 
    Total Funds Received by HSIs in the State 
    AR 
    $11,356,918
    AZ 
    $739,602,657
    CA 
    $6,389,050,269
    CO 
    $290,670,467
    CT 
    $81,522,902
    DC 
    $10,396,350
    FL 
    $1,524,890,025
    GA 
    $96,526,460
    ID 
    $12,477,969
    IL 
    $664,298,648
    IN 
    $20,049,711
    KS 
    $20,869,761
    MA 
    $110,295,475
    MD 
    $68,836,836
    MN 
    $12,999,876
    NC 
    $10,750,057
    NE 
    $1,211,270
    NJ 
    $582,987,076
    NM 
    $399,198,109
    NV 
    $336,899,054
    NY 
    $327,800,182
    OH 
    $875,529
    OK 
    $9,372,922
    OR 
    $58,864,009
    PA 
    $66,357,824
    PR 
    $1,135,872,342
    RI 
    $48,066,707
    TN 
    $7,383,933
    TX 
    $3,433,719,411
    VA 
    $14,730,892
    WA 
    $124,035,244
    WI 
    $23,119,648
    Grand Total 
    $16,635,088,533

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments of Canada and Quebec to Announce Investments in Forest Industry Transformation

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media advisory

    TROIS-RIVIÈRES — The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, joined by Quebec Minister of Labour, Minister responsible for the Mauricie region, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and the Nord-du-Québec region and Member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Jean Boulet, will announce investments in forest industry transformation. A media availability will follow.

    Date: November 1, 2024

    Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

    All accredited media are asked to pre-register by emailing media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

    Contacts

    Media Relations
    Natural Resources Canada
    Ottawa
    343-292-6096 
    media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

    Cindy Caturao
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
    Cindy.Caturao@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

    Follow us on LinkedIn

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wildlife triumph – orphaned cassowary chick returned to wild

    Source: Government of Queensland

    Issued: 30 Oct 2024

    Open larger image

    The healthy juvenile weighed around 28kg when released.

    Open larger image

    The stripey weighed around 1kg when taken into care.

    In a heartwarming tale of survival and conservation, an orphaned cassowary chick that was raised in captivity for almost a year has been returned to the wild.

    The juvenile cassowary was found near its father who was killed by a car near Bramston Beach in November 2023.

    When the chick was rescued and taken to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation’s Garners Beach Cassowary Rehabilitation Facility, it only weighed one kilogram.

    The bird required diligent care, including handfeeding before being moved into a vegetated enclosure that ensured minimal human contact.

    Over 11 months of nurturing, members of the conservation group  C4 (the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation) and departmental wildlife officers continuously monitored the bird’s growth and development.

    In the enclosure, strategic food placement in different locations meant the chick learned to forage for food, developed its wild instincts and grew into a healthy, juvenile bird.

    A recent veterinary assessment by Tropical Vets showed the juvenile cassowary weighed a robust 28 kilograms and was ready to be released back into the rainforest.

    Wildlife officers chose a release site near Bramston Beach well away from potential dangers posed by roads or human activity.

    Senior Wildlife Officer Alex Diczbalis said the release was a significant success in the ongoing efforts to conserve Queensland’s endangered populations of southern cassowaries.

    “This cassowary’s journey from rescue to release embodies the dedication of everyone who was involved in raising it from a stripey to a juvenile,” Mr Diczbalis said.

    “It showcases the vital importance of collaboration between the department, community groups and local vets.

    “The release of this bird coincided with the age at which a young cassowary would typically leave its father’s side and begin to live independently.

    “It was a wonderful moment, and those involved expressed their immense pride and joy over the successful transition of this iconic bird from care to the wild.

    “The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service would like to thank the team at C4 and Tropical Vets for their assistance.

    “Every cassowary is precious and that’s why we ask people in cassowary country to slow down, restrain their dogs and never feed them.”

    The southern cassowary is considered endangered, and its population is limited to rainforest areas of the Wet Tropics and on Cape York Peninsula. Cassowary sightings can be reported to DESI by calling 1300 130 372.

    Cassowaries can inflict serious injuries to people and pets by kicking out with their large, clawed feet. People are asked to Be Cass-o-wary at all times in the Wet Tropics.

    • Never approach cassowaries.
    • Never approach chicks – male cassowaries will defend them.
    • Never feed cassowaries – it is illegal, dangerous and has caused cassowary deaths.
    • Always discard food scraps in closed bins and ensure compost bins have secure lids.
    • Slow down when driving in cassowary habitat.
    • Never stop your vehicle to look at cassowaries on the road.
    • Keep dogs behind fences or on a leash.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Result of the auction of treasury bills on 30 October 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Bids, sales, stop-rates and prices are presented in the table below:      

    ISIN Bid Mill. kr. (nominal) Sale Stop-rate (per cent) Pro-rata Price
    98 19666 DKT 02/12/24 IV 200 200 2.80 100 % 99.7595
    98 19740 DKT 03/03/25 I – – – – –
    Total 200 200      

    The sale will settle 1 November 2024.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Business – Welcoming Steve Nadin: A New Era in Functional Consulting at Brainstorm

    Source: Brainstorm

    Brainstorm is excited to welcome Steve Nadin as its Functional Consultant. With a diverse background in supply chain management and consulting, Steve brings a wealth of experience to the team.

    Steve grew up in Nottingham, England, before making the move to Australia in 1991. Family is a big part of his life—he and his ex-wife have 4 children and 11 grandchildren, with one more on the way in February 2025. Steve recently celebrated another exciting milestone, marrying his partner of 9 years, who also has 4 grown-up children and 4 grandchildren. Together, they have built a rich, blended family.

    Reflecting on this chapter of his life, Steve shares, “My family means the world to me, and it’s been a beautiful journey blending our lives together. We have a large, vibrant family, and I’m excited about welcoming our newest grandchild next year.”

    Steve’s career began at Boots the Chemists, a major UK manufacturing and pharmaceutical retailer, where he spent 14 years in various roles across Accounting, Logistics, and Supply Chain. After relocating to Australia, Steve continued to excel in operational and supply chain management roles, eventually launching his own business improvement consultancy in 2011. Unfortunately, the business was impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, leading Steve to shift gears.

    In 2021, he joined SMC as a Senior Consultant, where he helped businesses enhance their operations and navigate digital transformation. His success at SMC led to his promotion to Consulting Manager in 2023, where he played a key role in driving innovation and efficiency for a variety of clients.

    Steve first connected with Brainstorm at the CEMAT exhibition in 2024, where he was drawn to the company’s dynamic growth and future potential. “Meeting with Evelyn at the CEMAT exhibition was a turning point for me,” he explains. “Brainstorm’s vision and the direction it’s headed in really sparked my interest. It’s a company that’s truly on the rise, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that.”

    Now, as Brainstorm’s Functional Consultant, Steve is eager to contribute his wealth of experience in supply chain management and operational improvement. While his role is still evolving, he is excited about the journey ahead and looks forward to helping Brainstorm continue its impressive trajectory.

    Reflecting on Career Milestones, two standout moments in Steve’s career include developing a distribution network in the U.S. for an Australian celebrity chef and managing the setup of a large 28,000m² greenfield warehouse in Melbourne. From board approval to go-live, Steve ensured the project was delivered on time and within budget—a feat that he still looks back on with pride.

    “I’m particularly proud of the Melbourne warehouse project,” he recalls. “It was a massive undertaking, but it came together seamlessly. To see everything work out exactly as planned was incredibly rewarding.”

    Steve is looking forward to making a significant impact at Brainstorm, and the team is equally excited to have him on board.

    BrainStorm is a software company that specialises in two areas. They help distribution and manufacturing businesses get their ERP technology in order, and help scaling businesses implement and integrate their software systems.

    They do what they do because there’s too much off the shelf software that doesn’t actually solve the business problems that they’re intended to. BrainStorm has saved their customers over $150million dollars in the past year.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: GAZA – Israeli UNRWA ban will deepen Palestinian humanitarian catastrophe – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    30 October, 2024. The Israeli Knesset’s ban on UNRWA’s operations voted on 28 October represents a devastating blow to Palestinian life. It will further undermine people’s survival prospects in Gaza and heavily impact communities in the West Bank.

    Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounces this legislation, which represents an inhumane ban on vital humanitarian aid. The Knesset’s vote is propelling Palestinians towards an even deeper humanitarian crisis. It is imperative that the world acts to safeguard Palestinians’ fundamental rights. Immediate international intervention is needed to pressure Israel to allow unhindered access to humanitarian aid, implement a ceasefire and bring to an end the current campaign of destruction in Gaza.

    “UNRWA is a lifeline for Palestinians,” says Christopher Lockyear, MSF Secretary General. “If implemented, the ban on UNRWA’s activities would have catastrophic implications on the dire humanitarian situation of Palestinians living in Gaza, as well as in the West Bank, now and for generations to come. We strongly condemn this decision, which is the culmination of a long-running campaign against the organisation.”

    The newly voted legislation will make it almost impossible for UNRWA to work in Gaza or the West Bank; coordination with Israeli authorities will be impeded and entrance permits to either of the occupied territories will be denied, and essentially blocking delivery of UNRWA aid into and within Gaza. UNRWA handles almost all the distribution of UN aid coming into the strip.

    UNRWA is the largest health provider in Gaza, with over half of Gazans relying on UNWRA for essential healthcare services, including for the treatment of chronic diseases, maternal and child heath, and vaccinations; each day UNWRA’s health teams provide over 15,000 consultations in the Gaza Strip. The ban of its activities threatens to create a vast gap in services within an already largely destroyed health system in Gaza – directly and indirectly endangering the lives of Palestinians. Without urgent action, more Gazans could die from preventable diseases and displacement-related conditions.

    The impact of UNRWA’s ban will extend beyond Gaza. Critical services, including refugee camp management, health services, education, and social programmes across the West Bank are also at risk of destabilisation under this legislation. This legislation sets a grave precedent for other conflict situations where governments may wish to eliminate an inconvenient United Nations presence.

    For months, international leaders and organisations, including MSF, have raised warnings about the disastrous potential of these newly adopted bills. Yet Israel has chosen to press forward with measures that will undermine vital assistance, endangering Palestinian lives and intensifying the collective punishment they face.

    This vote adds to the endless physical and bureaucratic impediments imposed by Israel to limit the amount of aid reaching Gaza, and blatantly contradicts Israel’s claims that it is facilitating humanitarian assistance into the Strip.

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Economy – KOF Economic Barometer: Sluggish economic recovery

    Source: KOF Economic Institute

    In October, the KOF Economic Barometer drops noticeably. Although it is still within the medium-term average range, for the first time since January of this year it is no longer above the 100 mark. The recovery of the Swiss economy is very hesitant.

    The KOF Economic Barometer loses 5.0 points in October, falling to a level of 99.5 (after a revised 104.5 in September). The indicator bundles of all production-side categories included in the barometer decline in October: the indicators for manufacturing, financial and insurance services, other services, hospitality and construction. However, the demand-side indicators, the indicators for foreign demand and consumer demand, are not following this downward tendency. The development of the demand-side indicators, though, does not currently give hope for stronger impetus.

    In the producing industries (manufacturing and construction), the indicators for almost all aspects of business activity are under pressure. This applies in particular to export prospects, production activity, the competitive situation and order income. Only the indicators for the purchase of primary products and the inventory situation cushioned the negative development somewhat.

    Within the manufacturing, the outlook is becoming bleaker, particularly for chemical and pharmaceutical companies, the metal industry, the wood, glass, stone and earth segment and for food and beverage producers. The outlook is slightly more favourable for textile and clothing companies.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: XRL popular among passengers

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    In the first nine months of 2024, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) Hong Kong Section recorded an average daily patronage of about 70,000 passenger trips, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung said today.

    Responding to questions from lawmaker Yiu Pak-leung in the Legislative Council, Mr Lam said the services of the XRL Hong Kong Section have been popular among passengers, adding that the total number of passenger trips in the first nine months this year is approaching the annual total of approximately 20 million passenger trips in 2023.

    According to the ticket sales provided by the MTR Corporation (MTRC), for short-haul destinations, more than 60% of short-haul passengers are destined for stations in Shenzhen, i.e. Futian and Shenzhenbei.

    Nearly 30% are destined for Guangzhoudong and Guangzhounan, while less than 10% travel to the remaining short-haul destinations, i.e. Guangmingcheng, Humen, Qingsheng, Dongguannan, Changping and Dongguan. 

    Regarding the proposal of introducing Xintang Station – located at the core of the new development area in the eastern part of Guangzhou – as a directly connected destination to the XRL Hong Kong Section, Mr Lam said the MTRC and the Mainland railway authorities are actively looking into the matter, with a view to offering passengers a more convenient and comfortable travel experience, while facilitating the flow of people between the two places.

    The transport chief also pointed out that a sleeper train service between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Beijingxi Station/Shanghai Hongqiao Station was introduced on the XRL Hong Kong Section on June 15, with trains departing in the evening and arriving the following morning.

    This arrangement was an upgrade of the original ordinary-speed train service between the Hong Kong Hung Hom Station and Beijing/Shanghai, and reduced the journey time by almost half, he said.

    Mr Lam noted that the sleeper train service to Beijing and Shanghai was further upgraded in October, by deploying Fuxing high-speed sleeper trains to serve passengers, along with adjustments to routes and departure times.

    In addition, he said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the MTRC have been actively observing the development of the Mainland’s high-speed rail network and striving to further introduce destinations directly connected to the XRL Hong Kong Section, so as to provide passengers with more diversified options and services.

    Regarding the western region of the Mainland, direct train services are currently available at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, serving stations such as Chengdudong, Chongqing and Kunming.

    As for the introduction of direct sleeper trains to those destinations, he said various considerations and the arrangement of different railway authorities are involved.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government and the MTRC will maintain liaison and co-ordination with the Mainland railway authorities and relevant departments to explore feasible options for further enhancing the service of the XRL Hong Kong Section, Mr Lam added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Protecting the rights and interests of consumers

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Professor the Hon Priscilla Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that a chain fitness and beauty group suddenly announced its “temporary business suspension” last month. As at the middle of last month, the Consumer Council received a total of 3 861 relevant complaints, involving a total amount of nearly $130 million, with an average amount of about $33,000 per case, and the largest amount involved in a single complaint was about $1.81 million. Regarding protecting the rights and interests of consumers, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether it will re-activate the legislative exercise to stipulate a statutory cooling-off period for beauty and fitness services consumer contracts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) whether it will consider establishing new industry rules for the beauty and fitness industries, so as to protect the rights and interests of consumers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) whether it will consider setting up an interdepartmental task force to roll out publicity and education programmes (especially targeting underprivileged groups such as poor elders), so as to help members of the public become smart consumers and avoid suffering losses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is highly concerned about the recent incident involving the temporary business suspension suddenly announced by a chain fitness and beauty group, and has formed an inter-departmental dedicated investigation team to follow up. The dedicated investigation team, which comprises the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) and the Consumer Council (Council), continues to closely monitor the developments of the incident. In particular, the C&ED and the Police are conducting intensive investigation from the perspectives of offences regarding the unfair trade practices under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) (the Ordinance) and whether other criminal offences are involved respectively.
     
         The reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
     
    (1) and (2) In view of the unfair trade practices involving prepaid mode of consumption (in particular the situation of fitness centres and beauty parlours using aggressive tactics to sell services that involve large amount of prepayments), the Government conducted a three-month public consultation in 2019 to solicit views on the proposal to stipulate a statutory cooling-off period for beauty and fitness services consumer contracts through legislation. However, shortly after the public consultation, there have been drastic changes in the social environment, economic situation and consumption sentiment since the second half of 2019.
     
         We are aware that different sectors of the community have put forward various suggestions in respect of offering better protection to consumers who make prepayments (including stipulating a statutory cooling-off period, imposing a cap on the length of prepayment contracts and prepayment amounts, and setting up trust accounts), after this incident of the chain fitness and beauty group announcing temporary business suspension. We will conduct an in-depth study into different suggestions and consider their pros and cons and feasibility, with reference to the experience of this incident, other relevant factors (including the economic environment, the operating situation of relevant industries and relevant complaint and enforcement statistics) and the experience in other jurisdictions, with a view to formulating appropriate strategies to strengthen the protection of consumers’ rights and interests.
     
    (3) Currently, various laws in Hong Kong protect consumers’ rights and interests. Among others, the Ordinance covers goods and services, and prohibits traders from subjecting consumers to unfair trade practices, including false trade descriptions, misleading omissions, aggressive commercial practices, bait advertising, bait-and-switch and wrongly accepting payment. The Ordinance is applicable to the trade practices of both physical and online traders.
     
         The C&ED is the principal enforcement agency of the Ordinance, and adopts a three-pronged approach, covering enforcement actions, compliance promotion and publicity and public education, to combat unfair trade practices proactively. Meanwhile, the Council endeavours to study and promote the protection of consumers’ rights and interests, and carries out its statutory functions in accordance with the Consumer Council Ordinance (Cap. 216), including handling complaints from consumers and resolving disputes between consumers and traders.
     
         The C&ED and the Council have been maintaining close communication with each other, and have been collaborating with other government departments and social service organisations, etc, to jointly promote the protection of the rights and interests of consumers (including the elderly and other vulnerable groups). They also adjust and strengthen the strategies and work in respect of publicity and public education, having regard to the complaints and the enforcement situation. Among others, the relevant publicity and public education work includes:
     
    (i) Conducting talks and workshops for the elderly and other vulnerable groups (and their family members and carers), with a view to enhancing their understanding of common unfair trade practices and sharing with them tips about “smart consumption”, so as to prevent them from falling into sales pitfalls.
     
         In particular, targeting common unfair trade practices, the C&ED conducts talks for the elderly and joins hands with the Police, District Councils and District Fight Crime Committees to carry out promotion by distributing promotional leaflets to the elderly, with a view to enhancing the elderly’s understanding of the Ordinance and awareness of “smart consumption”.
     
    (ii) Conducting dedicated educational programmes to enhance the capability of the elderly and other vulnerable groups to guard against unfair trade practices.
     
         In particular, the Council conducts the Educator Scheme for Senior Citizens, which provides consumer education training to soon-to-be retirees and retirees so as to equip them to host consumer educational talks for other elderly in the community. The Council’s Support Programme for Persons with Special Needs, through virtual reality role-play simulations that cover different scenarios (for example those about the sales pitfalls of fitness and beauty centres), allows persons with special needs to better grasp the skills for guarding against common sales pitfalls.
     
    (iii) Disseminating consumer information to facilitate consumers to make informed consumption decisions.
     
         In particular, the Council publishes product tests, service surveys, consumption tips and complaint case sharing, etc, in its CHOICE magazine, providing practical consumer information to different groups of consumers (including the elderly and other vulnerable groups).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects electronic waste export case worth about $40 million involving ocean-going vessel (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs detects electronic waste export case worth about $40 million involving ocean-going vessel (with photo)
    Hong Kong Customs detects electronic waste export case worth about $40 million involving ocean-going vessel (with photo)
    ******************************************************************************************

         Hong Kong Customs on September 23 seized a large batch of electronic waste, with an estimated market value of about $40 million, at the Kwai Chung Container Terminals. The electronic waste was suspected to be illegally exported to Malaysia by an ocean-going vessel.      Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs earlier identified an ocean-going vessel preparing to depart from Hong Kong for Malaysia for inspection. Subsequently, Customs officers took enforcement action on September 23 and seized a large batch of electronic waste aboard the vessel, including different types of batteries, without an export permit. The batch had an estimated market value of about $40 million.     The case was handed over to the Environmental Protection Department for investigation.     According to the Waste Disposal Ordinance, it is an offence for anyone to import or export hazardous waste without obtaining a valid permit beforehand. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six month’s imprisonment. For subsequent offences, offenders are liable to a fine of $500,000 and two year’s imprisonment.     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 17:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to identify family of man fatally stabbed in Wandsworth

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives are urgently appealing to the public for assistance in identifying family members of 18-year-old Issa Ali Musa Abdulrahman Barakat, who tragically lost his life following a fatal stabbing early on Monday morning.

    Issa was found injured at around 06:00hrs on 28 October on Laitwood Road, SW12, and though emergency responders did all they could to save him, he sadly died in hospital later the same day.

    On Monday, Salah Al-Mahmoodi [known as Salah Ahmed], 21 (02.01.03), of Wandsworth was arrested. He was charged on Tuesday, 29 October with Issa’s murder and is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday, 30 October)

    Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said:

    “Our hearts go out to Issa and his family, a young man whose life was cruelly taken far too soon. It is devastating to think that his family may not yet know of his tragic passing, and we want to find them so we can offer them both support and answers.

    “Issa was a member of the Chadian community, and we hope that friends or extended family might help us in reaching his loved ones.”

    Anyone with information should call police via 101 or post on X @MetCC quoting CAD 1017/28Oct.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Prairie Provident Announces Management and Board of Director Changes and Drilling Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prairie Provident Resources Inc. (“Prairie Provident” or the “Company”) (TSX:PPR) announces that Ryan Rawlyk has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Provident to pursue other interests. In conjunction with Mr. Rawlyk’s resignation, the Company announces the appointment of Dale Miller as Executive Chairman, succeeding Patrick McDonald who has retired as Chairman. Mr. Miller has served as a director of the Company since August 2023 and is a professional engineer with over 40 years of industry experience. As Executive Chairman, Mr. Miller will oversee all activities of Prairie Provident and lead its management team.

    Prairie Provident is also pleased to announce that Amber Wright has been appointed as Vice President, Operations & Engineering. Ms. Wright will be responsible for all development, production operations and engineering activities of Prairie Provident and report to Mr. Miller. Ms. Wright has served the Company as Manager, Development & Operations since November 2021 and is a professional engineer with over 25 years of industry experience.

    The Company is also pleased to announce the commencement of the two well drilling program in the Michichi area, targeting the Basal Quartz formation. The 102/03-19-030-18W4M new drill has been rig released and drilling operations are underway on the second location, 15-32-029-18W4M.

    ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT

    Prairie Provident is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta, including a position in the emerging Basal Quartz trend in the Michichi area of Central Alberta.

    For further information, please contact:

    Dale Miller, Executive Chairman
    Phone: (403) 292-8150
    Email: investor@ppr.ca

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. : Form 8.3 – BRITVIC PLC – Ordinary Shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1. KEY INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Full name of discloser: Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. in its capacity as investment advisor and on behalf its affiliates who are also investment advisors (”Dimensional”). Dimensional expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares described in this form 8.3.  
    (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
    The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		    
    (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
    Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 Britvic PLC  
    (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:    
    (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:
    For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 29 October 2024  
    (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
    If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 NO  
       
    2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.  
    (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)  
       
    Class of relevant security: 20p ordinary (GB00B0N8QD54)  
      Interests Short Positions  
      Number % Number %  
    (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 5,597,788 2.25 %      
    (2) Cash-settled derivatives:          
    (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:          
      Total 5,597,788 * 2.25 %      
    * Dimensional Fund Advisors LP and/or its affiliates do not have discretion regarding voting decisions in respect of 21,866 shares that are included in the total above.  
       
    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    		  
       
       
    (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)  
       
    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:    
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:    
       
    3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    		  
    (a) Purchases and sales  
       
    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit  
    20p ordinary (GB00B0N8QD54) Sale 2,894 12.8084 GBP  
    There was a Transfer In of 23,704 shares of 20p ordinary  
       
    (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit  
               
       
    (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)
     
    (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
     
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
                   
       
    (ii) Exercise  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit  
               
       
    (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)  
                 
    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)  
             
       
    4. OTHER INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements  
       
    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives  
       
    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (c) Attachments  
       
    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO  
       
    Date of disclosure 30 October 2024  
    Contact name Thomas Hone  
    Telephone number +44 20 3033 3419  
       

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Two social landlords fail to meet RSH’s consumer standards

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Regulator of Social Housing has today published regulatory judgements for seven social housing landlords.

    Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Willow Tree Housing Partnership were both given a C3 grading by RSH, meaning they failed to meet the new consumer standards, introduced on 1 April 2024, and will need to make significant improvements.

    Meanwhile Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council became the first local authority to receive a C1 grading.

    Following responsive engagement with Sandwell MBC about the Safety and Quality Standard due to its Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) return, RSH found:

    • The council was only able to evidence that required asbestos management surveys or re-inspections had been carried out on around 2% of relevant buildings.
    • Although electrical safety inspections had been completed for 96% of its 27,900 homes, the council was unable to monitor or report on the completion of remedial actions.
    • A backlog of more than 14,000 overdue repairs, with over 90% of these yet to be assigned for completion.
    • Accurate, up-to-date information was available for only 5% of the council’s homes.

    Following an inspection completed in October 2024 and earlier responsive engagement carried out following a self-referral from Willow Tree relating to the Rent Standard, RSH found:

    • Around 185 tenancies had been overcharged as a result of errors made in setting rents over a prolonged period.
    • Limited information on the quality of its homes to assure us that they were meeting the Decent Homes Standard.
    • Improvement is needed to more proactively identify and manage of damp and mould.
    • Evidence of weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service.

    Willow Tree has now corrected its formula rents and has issued refunds worth £133k over the last six years.

    Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said:

    Improving data management can help address the root cause of many of the issues we see. Without accurate, up-to-date information on homes, it is nearly impossible to deliver the outcomes of our standards and provide safe, decent places to live for tenants.

    Today’s judgements reflect the range of grades we are seeing across the spectrum in the early days of our new consumer remit. We are working intensively with each of the landlords where there are failings, as they put things right for their tenants.

    Even when a landlord has been awarded a C1 grading, there is always room for improvement.

    Our governance and financial viability standards remain as important as ever. Landlords need to keep a tight grip on identifying and mitigating risks to avoid problems now and later down the line.

    The other five judgements were part of RSH’s planned inspections of all large social landlords (those with over 1,000 homes) over a four-year cycle. 

    Provider Reason for publication Grades
    Broadacres Housing Association Limited Inspection C2 G2 V2
    Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust Inspection C2 G1 V2 – Issues relating to rent setting have not yet been addressed
    Lincolnshire Housing Partnership Limited Inspection C2 G1 V2
    Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Responsive engagement C3
    The Industrial Dwellings Society (1885) Limited Inspection C2 G2 V2
    Willow Tree Housing Partnership Limited Inspection and responsive engagement C3 G2 V2
    Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Inspection C1

    Notes to editors

    1. On 1 April 2024 RSH introduced new consumer standards for social housing landlords, designed to drive long-term improvements in the sector. It also began a programme of landlord inspections. The changes are a result of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and include stronger powers to hold landlords to account. More information about RSH’s approach is available in its document Reshaping Consumer Regulation.
    2. More information about RSH’s responsive engagement, programmed inspections and consumer gradings is also available on its website.
    3. RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: About two thousand engineering structures were washed in Moscow ahead of winter

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In anticipation of winter, specialists from the city services complex washed the engineering structures. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

    “Before the onset of stable negative air temperatures, large-scale work was carried out to flush engineering structures. In total, about two thousand objects were put in order – bridges, tunnels, underground and overground pedestrian crossings, embankments, piers, fountains and monuments,” said Pyotr Biryukov.

    The work included cleaning and washing of structural elements, concrete, metal and glass surfaces, railings and stairways.

    Each structure is washed using a special technology with neutral solutions that do not damage the surface. Special attention is paid to small parts of monuments and fountains, which are cleaned manually. Alkaline solutions are chosen for washing tunnels and bridges.

    About two thousand workers and over 250 units of equipment, including aerial platforms, watering machines and tunnel washing machines, were involved in washing the engineering structures.

    The city’s outdoor lighting system has been switched to winter modeHeating systems in Moscow have been switched to winter mode

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145959073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ13: Promoting students’ physical and mental health

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ13: Promoting students’ physical and mental health
    LCQ13: Promoting students’ physical and mental health
    *****************************************************

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (October 30): Question:      Last year, the Ministry of Education issued the Special Action Plan for Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving the Mental Health Education for Students in the New Era (2023-2025), pointing out that promoting the physical and mental health and all-round development of students is an important issue. However, there are views pointing out that a number of student suicide cases were reported in Hong Kong at the beginning of the school year in September this year, highlighting the critical situation of students’ mental health and the need for the Government to strengthen the co-operation among schools, families and the community in order to establish a more comprehensive support system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it will review afresh the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism implemented in December last year in order to strengthen the assistance to schools in early identifying students with higher suicidal risk and providing them with appropriate support expeditiously; (2) whether it will formulate quantifiable guidelines (e.g. setting maximum daily homework load) based on the four elements (i.e. Rest, Relaxation, Relationship and Resilience) and the objectives for promoting mental health covered in the Education Bureau’s 4Rs Mental Health Charter to enable schools to take practical actions to reduce student stress; (3) whether it will further implement small class teaching and improve the teacher-student ratios so as to increase the level of student participation and the opportunities for teacher-student interaction, so that teachers can better understand the individual needs and challenges of each student, thereby enhancing the care and counselling for individual students; (4) whether it will improve the resources for life-wide learning so that schools can be more flexible in applying them to help students achieve the aims of whole-person development; (5) whether it will strengthen the comprehensive implementation of positive education and the establishment of a caring school culture, so as to enhance the sense of well-being in schools; and (6) as some studies have pointed out that the emotional stress of teachers and parents positively correlates with the depression level of students, whether the authorities will introduce various activities and measures (e.g. streamlining the administrative work of schools) at the level of teachers and parents to relieve their emotional stress, so as to prevent their negative emotions from affecting students? Reply: President,      The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to physical and psychological well-being and whole-person development of students, and has been assisting schools in adopting the Whole School Approach at three levels, namely Universal, Selective and Indicated, to promote students’ mental health.      Our reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows: (1) The Government has implemented the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in all secondary schools in Hong Kong since December 2023 through cross-departmental collaboration among the EDB, the Social Welfare Department and the Health Bureau, working with the schools’ multidisciplinary teams, the off-campus support network and medical services for early identification and support of students with high risk. The 2024 Policy Address has announced to extend the Mechanism to the end of 2025 and that enhancement would be made to strengthen collaboration. The Government will continue to review the operation of the Mechanism. (2) The EDB implements the 4Rs Mental Health Charter in 2024 to foster the mental health of students, staff and parents in a more holistic manner. It is pleased to see that over 500 schools have joined the Charter. In the relevant circular memorandum, the EDB has set out the action pledges that participating schools have to achieve in relation to the four elements for promoting mental health (i.e. rest, relaxation, relationship and resilience). Schools are also required to implement various measures and organise activities for the promotion of students’ mental health starting from this school year to help students develop healthy living habits and positive interpersonal relationships, provide them with more opportunities to relax and reduce stress, and enhance their sense of well-being and resilience. In particular, schools should formulate an appropriate school-based assignment policy and co-ordinate the workload across different subjects to strike a balance between the quality and quantity of assignments. (3) It is an established government policy to implement small class teaching (SCT) in public sector primary schools. SCT is a teaching strategy that provides teachers with an environment conducive to greater flexibility in adopting different teaching strategies for diversified educational activities and promoting teacher-student and student-student interactions. Currently, over 90 per cent of public sector primary schools in Hong Kong have implemented SCT, achieving the target set in the 2022 Policy Address one year ahead of schedule. The EDB has also arranged nine schools to start implementing SCT in the 2025/26 school year. By then, the percentage of public sector primary schools implementing SCT will increase to nearly 95 per cent. The EDB will continue to prudently assess the circumstances of individual districts/school nets and maintain communication with schools to pragmatically and flexibly advance SCT in public sector primary schools as soon as possible.      The current standard class size of 25 for primary schools implementing SCT is smaller when compared to the average class size in some advanced places. For secondary schools, the current allocation class size of public sector secondary schools ranges from 31 to 34, while the actual average class size is just 27.1, which is comparable to those in other developed countries. With the implementation of various measures, the overall teacher-to-student ratios in public sector primary and secondary schools have been improving from 1:14.4 and 1:14.5 respectively in the 2012/13 school year to 1:11.9 and 1:11.1 respectively in the 2023/24 school year, which are better than those in most other regions, providing teachers with greater flexibility to nurture students’ whole-person development. (4) The EDB has been proactively encouraging schools to promote students’ life-wide learning in and outside the classroom.  Starting from the 2019/20 school year, the EDB has been providing a recurrent Life-wide Learning Grant (the Grant) to all public sector schools and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme each year, with the aim of supporting schools in organising more out-of-classroom experiential learning activities and procuring the necessary equipment, so as to enrich the learning experiences of students. In view of the latest education development and students’ needs, the EDB issued a circular in September this year to update the ambit and guidelines on the use of the Grant, related examples, etc, which includes encouraging schools to make good use of the Grant to organise activities relating to the promotion of students’ mental health, or procure related services, materials and learning and teaching resources. (5) The EDB has all along been encouraging schools to promote positive education and help students face challenges positively. In terms of curriculum, the EDB strives to nurture students with a positive and optimistic attitude towards life through values education. The Values Education Curriculum Framework (Pilot Version) released in 2021 has included “strengthening life education” as one of its emphases, with continuous support given to schools to foster students’ positivity and a positive and optimistic attitude towards life through learning as well as life-wide learning activities within and beyond the classroom. In addition, diversified student activities have been organised to help create a caring and harmonious campus atmosphere. Examples of such include the launch of the “Active Students, Active People” Campaign” to support schools in promoting physical activities; the organisation of Understanding Adolescent Project in primary schools, the Enhanced Smart Teen Project in secondary schools in collaboration with disciplinary forces and uniform groups, and the Pupil Ambassador Scheme on Positive Living to enhance students’ resilience through adventure-based, team-building and problem-solving training; and the “WE” Positive Dynamic Scheme and the “Gratitude, Forgiveness & Happiness Project” to help students build a positive self-image. Besides, the EDB has been organising the “Caring School Award Scheme” annually to recognise schools that are dedicated to implementing caring school measures, and encourage them to establish a caring school culture.  (6) In parallel, the EDB also concern about the mental health of teachers and parents. In this regard, the EDB has set up the Teachers’ Helpline to provide telephone counselling and follow-up services to help teachers cope with stress at work or emotional problems. There are also courses on stress management and promotion of physical and psychological well-being for teachers organised under the Teachers’ Helpline initiative. Over the past few years, the Quality Education Fund has subsidised various projects relating to teachers’ physical and psychological well-being, such as the Mindshift Educational Networking Programme launched by the University of Hong Kong to help teachers learn how to relieve stress. In the 2023/24 school year, the EDB organised a total of 48 workshops and courses for teachers, covering topics such as mental health, expressive arts, mindfulness and physical health. The EDB will continue to organise such workshops and courses for teachers.       The EDB has implemented various new initiatives in recent years to allocate additional manpower and resources to support teachers’ work continuously. Examples of the related measures include increasing the teacher-to-class ratio for public sector schools by 0.1 across-the-board starting from the 2017/18 school year to enhance their teaching manpower; providing additional regular teaching posts for schools; providing cash grants for schools to hire additional teaching and non-teaching staff; and implementing the “One Executive Officer for Each School” policy starting from the 2019/20 school year so as to reduce the administrative work of teachers, thereby creating more room for them.      For parents, the EDB has been implementing the territory-wide Positive Parent Campaign since 2020 to foster parents’ positive thinking and attitudes. The focus of the Positive Parent Campaign this year is to encourage parents and children to develop a healthy lifestyle together, and help parents take good care of the physical and psychological well-being of themselves and their children. In addition, the EDB has introduced the Curriculum Frameworks on Parent Education for kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools respectively, providing reference for schools and other organisations in designing parent education programmes or activities, and one of the four core strands of the Curriculum Frameworks is “Promotion of Parents’ Physical and Psychological Well-being”. Starting from the 2022/23 school year, the EDB has been organising parent education courses and talks for parents of kindergarten and primary school students based on the Curriculum Frameworks. The themes include how to help children cope with stress, and exercising empathy to help children understand, express and regulate their emotions. Meanwhile, the EDB has all along been making use of the one-stop parent education website “Smart Parent Net” to provide information on positive parenting, emotional management of parents, etc. In the 2024/25 school year, the EDB will organise more thematic parent education programmes, and promote positive parent education and enhance parents’ awareness of children’s mental health through diversified modes such as district-based film gala presentations.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 17:35

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detectives investigating the deaths of two men in Herne Hill are appealing for witnesses

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the deaths of two men in Herne Hill are appealing for witnesses to come forward. 

    Two years ago, on Sunday, 30 October 2022, 23-year-old Guilherme Messias Da Silva and 27-year-old Lemar Urqhart died on Railton Road, Brixton. 

    Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, who leads the investigation, said: “It has been two years since this shocking incident and our thoughts continue to remain with the family and friends of Guilherme and Lemar.

    “My team is working tirelessly to identify those responsible for their deaths and to get justice for the families. I am extremely grateful to those individuals who have already come forward to share information, but would urge anyone else who has information and has not yet spoken to us to come forward. No piece of information is too small.”

    Police were called at about 19:50hrs on Sunday, 30 October 2022 to reports of gunshots heard in the Railton Road area. 

    Officers, including firearms officers, immediately attended the scene along London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. 

    Despite the efforts of emergency services, both Guilherme and Lemar were found injured at the location and pronounced dead at the scene. 

    Detectives believe two cars were driving in the Railton Road area when one of the cars was in collision with Guilherme’s moped before further colliding with parked vehicles. 

    Lemar then got out of one of the cars involved in the collision and was pursued by a man, armed with a firearm. The man shot Lemar and returned to his car before leaving the scene. 

    Lemar Urqhart’s family statement said: “Two years since our son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin and friend was tragically taken from us. Whoever said time is a healer, lied. The pain is unbearable & life will never be the same. Lemar was an integral part of the family and his death has rocked our family to the core. Every day we hope that new information is given to aid the arrest of the person/s who did this. We plead with anyone who has information to please come forward. Any information could be vital. Our family would be forever grateful to anyone who could help.”

    Any witnesses or anyone with information should call police via 101 quoting CAD 6166/30Oct. Alternatively, speak to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. They will not trace your call or your IP address. 

    Information can also be submitted via the Public Portal.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia selected to lead European lighthouse project on 6G sustainability

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Nokia selected to lead European lighthouse project on 6G sustainability

    • SUSTAIN-6G will evaluate and explore sustainable 6G technologies, methods and use cases touching on environmental, economic and societal needs
    • The consortium will work out solutions for three specific areas of sustainable development: energy smart grids, e-health and telemedicine, and agriculture

    30 October 2024
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has selected Nokia to be the coordinator of the SUSTAIN-6G lighthouse project. The SNS-JU is a public-private partnership funded by the European Commission. Nokia will lead a consortium of innovators that will identify how 6G can play a key role in building a sustainable future, addressing not only environmentally sustainable, but also economically and societally sustainable technologies.

    One of the main goals of SUSTAIN-6G is to develop new solutions for meeting sustainability challenges using the toolkit that 6G will offer. The consortium will devote considerable time to working out use cases for three targeted areas, drawn from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals:

    • Energy smart grid: The consortium will explore how 6G could be used to create microgrids that manage electricity demand. SUSTAIN-6G will also investigate the use of AI technologies for real-time control of distribution networks. This could lead to more efficient and resilient grids that minimize disruptions while providing the flexibility to draw energy from diverse sources as the world transitions to renewables like solar and wind.
    • E-Health and telemedicine: The consortium will generate new ideas on how 6G can make digital health more inclusive. 6G infrastructure could not only provide a far-reaching infrastructure for securely transmitting and analyzing medical data, but it also could be the foundation for new home-based online assessment services. These networks could improve the diagnosis and treatment process in underserved communities. Meanwhile AI could help detect disease outbreaks at early stages.
    • Agriculture: The consortium will investigate how 6G connectivity could be allocated on a temporary basis to enable smart agricultural applications that require high bandwidth, sensing, telemetry, data analytics and automation. For instance, 6G’s edge cloud capabilities could be harnessed to handle high-priority farming-equipment automation tasks during harvests or provide advanced processing capabilities that integrate data from field sensors, climate stations, soil analysis and satellite imagery to provide contextualized information during the growing season.

    As a lighthouse project, SUSTAIN-6G will be one of the SNS JU’s most highly visible initiatives, and it is the third major European 6G research consortium that Nokia has been selected to lead. The others are Hexa-X and Hexa-X-II, which laid the groundwork for 6G pre-standardization and use cases respectively.

    SUSTAIN-6G has broad representation from industry and academia. The consortium includes network equipment and services vendors, communications services providers, industrial equipment manufacturers, European research institutions and universities, and many small-and medium-sized enterprises. SUSTAIN-6G will kick off in January of 2025 and is scheduled to complete its work in 2027.

    Peter Merz, Vice President of Nokia Standards, said: “The UN Paris Agreement committed the world to combatting climate change. Every industry must do its part. SUSTAIN-6G will show how the communications industry will apply the next generation of networking to creating that sustainable future, overcoming not just environmental challenges but societal and economic challenges as well.”

    Resources and additional information
    Webpage: Nokia Sustainability
    Webpage: What is 6G?

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media
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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five reasons weight-loss jabs alone won’t help get people back to work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lucie Nield, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sheffield

    Weight-loss injectables don’t address the many core reasons for why weight gain and unemployment occur in the first place. oleschwander/ Shutterstock

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer and health secretary Wes Streeting have recently discussed plans to trial weight-loss injections for around 250,000 people with obesity who are unemployed in a bid to get them back into work, ease pressure on the NHS and boost the economy.

    Obesity is estimated to cost UK society around £35 billion annually. This is due to lower productivity and higher NHS treatment costs.

    Around 26% of the English adult population (approximately 15 million) are considered obese. However, it’s not known what proportion of unemployed people are obese.

    While weight-loss injections have proven to be very effective in helping people who are obese to lose weight and lower their risk of certain chronic diseases, there are many reasons why these drugs alone won’t help tackle obesity and unemployment rates in the UK.

    1. Lack of capacity

    The majority of UK people who are obese are likely to meet the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s eligibility criteria for weight-loss injections.

    But prescribing these drugs is just one part of the equation. Eligible patients will require support from specialist services who provide guidance in making the appropriate lifestyle changes (such as to their diet) to successfully lose weight while on these drugs. This is crucial, as all of the weight-loss injection trials to date have involved a behaviour change component. This may potentially be key to the successful weight losses observed in these studies.

    However, current demand for weight-loss services is already outstripping capacity. Nearly half of eligible patients in England are unable to get an appointment with a specialist team. Weight-loss injections can only be prescribed through such services currently. If the government is to roll out the proposed programme, they will need to rethink the way weight-loss services are delivered so all eligible patients can access support.

    2. Won’t work for everyone

    Weight-loss jabs don’t necessarily work for everyone. One study found that 9-15% of participants who took the drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro) did not lose clinically significant amounts of weight.

    Weight-loss jabs may also cause intolerable side-effects for some. Trials have shown between 4-8% of participants couldn’t tolerate the side-effects, causing them to drop out of the study. Constipation, diarrhoea and nausea are some of the most commonly reported.

    People with certain health conditions may be unable to use weight-loss injections – such as those with inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis. In such cases, weight-loss jabs may worsen symptoms or interact with the prescription drugs used to manage these conditions, increasing risk of harm.

    There are many reasons why weight loss jabs may not work for a person.
    Mohammed_Al_Ali/ Shutterstock

    Additionally, some people may not want to take an injection – whether that’s simply due to personal preference or even fear of needles.

    3. Obesity is a complex issue

    There are many complex factors that contribute to weight gain – such as opportunities for physical activity, access to healthy foods and levels of deprivation in a community. Prescribing weight-loss jabs to help people lose weight may not be effective long-term if the rest of these factors are not also addressed.

    A more effective way of seeing significant, sustainable reductions in obesity levels across a population is by using a “whole systems approach”. This would address to the multiple environmental, social and economic factors that contribute to obesity.

    Where whole systems approaches have been embedded in healthcare design and delivery, they have led to improvements in services and patient outcomes – including obesity-related metrics (such as patients making healthier food choices and being more active).

    However, one limitation to whole systems approaches is challenges in measuring impact. This can reduce political will to implement these approaches.

    4. Obesity stigma

    Obesity stigma in the workplace is a huge barrier to satisfactory employment and leads to poor wellbeing and burnout.

    Obesity stigma in the workplace perpetuates harmful weight-based stereotypes that overweight and obese people are lazy, unsuccessful, unintelligent and lack willpower. As a result, people with obesity are more likely to be in insecure and lower-paid jobs than those who may be considered of a healthy weight.

    It’s also well-evidenced that regular exposure to stigmatising, isolating and degrading prejudices has long-term consequences on physical and mental health – and may lead to problems such as binge eating and depression.This can lead to a loss of productivity, absenteeism and loneliness.

    Prescribing weight-loss jabs to help a person lose weight doesn’t address the core reasons for why they may have been absent from work or unemployed in the first place. Nor does it help to address the mental health struggles they may still harbour as a result of discrimination they might have experienced.

    5. Barriers to employment

    Weight loss alone does not begin to address the complex physical and mental health reasons for why a person might be unemployed. A person may also be unemployed due to factors such as caring responsibilities or disability.

    Current prescribing restrictions also limit some injections to a maximum of 24 months (although further trials are ongoing). This means that even if a person has successfully lost weight, they may regain that weight again when they stop using the drug. This could mean any health problems they experienced prior to losing weight (and which may have prevented them from being in employment) could reemerge.

    There are better ways of getting people back into work than prescribing weight-loss jabs. Flexible working approaches, for instance, may make it easier for someone who is unemployed due to caring responsibilities or health problems to transition back into employment. Supportive policies and workplace wellbeing programmes may be a more cost-effective way of helping people to overcome barriers, improve their health and transition back into work.

    Lucie Nield has received funding from The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for evaluation of children’s weight management services.

    Lucie Nield sits on the Board of Trustees for Darnall Wellbeing (a local community service organisation).

    – ref. Five reasons weight-loss jabs alone won’t help get people back to work – https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-weight-loss-jabs-alone-wont-help-get-people-back-to-work-241835

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –