Source: US Geological Survey
In this tutorial, we show the effects of radiometric saturation on the Surface Reflectance Bands for a single pixel from Mount Adams, Yakima, Washington. Mount Adams currently supports ten active glaciers, and has consistent snow cover. Thus, it is an excellent survey area to test radiometric saturation from reflective snow. Below, we retrieve and plot the values from all reflectance bands for the
Source: US State of California Governor
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Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
A youth has been arrested after an attempted robbery in Cole Harbour.
On October 11, at approximately 6:46 p.m., RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment responded to a report of an attempted robbery at a recreational centre on Forest Hills Parkway. RCMP officers learned that a person approached four youths who were near the pedway, displayed a knife, and demanded jewelry from one of the youths.
The person fled on foot when the youths said they were advising security. No physical injuries were reported.
As a result of the investigation and information provided by the public, on October 18, a 15-year-old youth was identified and arrested for attempted Armed Robbery and Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose. They were released on conditions pending a first court appearance on November 7.
RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment thanks members of the community who have been engaged in promoting public safety and supporting police investigations such as this one by providing tips to police and Crime Stoppers. Information can be provided anonymously by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.
Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for sex trafficking.
TRAVIS THOMAS, 34, was convicted in June of sex trafficking, including multiple counts of coercing and transporting the victim across state lines to engage in prostitution. U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the sentence Friday during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Police Department, Hoffman Estates, Ill. Police Department, and Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Jessica S. Maveus, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica V. Mallory.
In 2017 and 2018, Thomas targeted the victim, supplied her with crack cocaine that kept her dependent on him, and manipulated her drug addiction to force and coerce her to engage in commercial sex acts for Thomas’s financial benefit. Thomas transported the victim to hotels in Rockford, Wisconsin, and Texas for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. Thomas also used and threatened physical violence against the victim to force and coerce her to continue to engage in commercial sex. Thomas then kept all of the proceeds and spent it on himself and others, including a new vehicle, gambling, clothing, and food.
In addition to the commercial sex, Thomas also used fraud and financial coercion to take the victim’s credit cards, file fraudulent tax returns and insurance claims in her name, empty her bank accounts, and sell her belongings. The victim was finally able to escape in April 2018, with the help of an individual who took the victim to a hospital after she was severely beaten by Thomas. While at the hospital, a trained nurse identified her as a victim of sex trafficking and called law enforcement.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1 800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)
BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza, a pizzeria chain in Massachusetts, was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2024 for forced labor charges. The defendant forced or attempted to force six victims to work for him and comply with excessive workplace demands through violent physical abuse; threats of violence and serious harm; and repeated threats to report the victims to immigration authorities for deportation.
Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 49, of Westwood, Mass., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 102 months in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $35,000 fine. At a jury trial in June 2024, Papantoniadis was convicted of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor. Papantoniadis has remained in custody since his arrest on March 16, 2023.
“Labor trafficking exploits the vulnerable through fear and intimidation, all in pursuit of the almighty buck. That is what Stavros Papantoniadis did when he violated the rights of the people working in his restaurants. He deliberately hired foreign nationals who lacked authorization to work in the United States and then turned their lack of immigration status against them, threatening them with deportation and violence to keep them under his control,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I commend the bravery of the victims here for speaking out and taking a stand against their trafficker. I hope that their strength to speak out sends a message to others whose rights are being abused that the federal government will not tolerate labor trafficking. The stiff sentence imposed on Mr. Papantoniadis demonstrates that there are grave consequences for employers who engage in this type of conduct.”
“Stavros Papantoniadis exploited and abused his employees, denying them the basic dignity every person deserves. Today’s significant sentence sends a message to employers — employees deserve to work in safety, free from harassment and abuse and exploitative employers will be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations, New England. “Labor exploitation targets the disenfranchised in our society but we want employees to know that they have a voice and HSI is working with our partners to uphold and enforce labor laws.”
“Stavros Papantoniadis used threats of arrest, deportation, reprisals, and physical violence to ensure his employees worked for wages lower than required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Today’s sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our law enforcement and Wage and Hour Division partners to aggressively investigate labor trafficking by individuals who enrich themselves through coercion or force,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Papantoniadis forced or attempted to force five men and one woman to work for him through violent physical abuse, threats of abuse, and repeated threats to report victims to immigration authorities to have them deported. Papantoniadis thinly staffed his pizza shops, and purposely employed workers without immigration status to work behind the scenes, for 14 or more hours per day and as many as seven days per week. To maintain control of those undocumented workers, he made them believe that he would physically harm them or have them deported. He monitored the workers with surveillance cameras, which he accessed from his cell phone, and constantly demeaned, insulted and harassed them. When Papantoniadis learned that one victim planned to quit, he violently choked him, causing that victim to flee the pizza shop and run to safety in the parking lot. When other victims separately expressed their intentions to quit, Papantoniadis told one victim that he would kill him and call immigration authorities; and he threatened another worker by telling him he knew where the victim lived. When another worker tried to leave and drive away from one of Papantoniadis’ pizza shops, Papantoniadis chased the victim down Route 1 in Norwood, Mass., and falsely reported the victim to the local police in an effort to pressure the victim to return to work at the pizza shop.
Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias with locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell, Randolph (d/b/a Boston Pizza Company), Weymouth (d/b/a Pacini’s Italian Eatery), and Wareham, Mass.
Members of the public who believe they are a victim of labor trafficking or have information about labor trafficking, please call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HSI SAC Krol and DOL-OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, the Boston Police Department, and the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit prosecuted the case.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Infortar will organize a webinar for investors on 4 November 2024 at 12:00 (EET) in Estonian and at 14:00 (EET) in English to introduce the third quarter 2024 results. The webinar will be attended by the Chairman of the Board of Infortar Ain Hanschmidt, the Managing Director of Infortar Martti Talgre and Investor Relations Manager Kadri Laanvee.
The webinar will be hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform. Please note that to participate, no prior registration is required, and no reminder of the webinar will be sent. You can either participate by joining from your web browser or via Microsoft Teams application. When using a smart device to join the webinar, you first need to download the Microsoft Teams application from either Play Store or App Store.
Please join the webinar via the following links:
Questions can be sent to kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee before the webinar and via Teams Q/A during the event. The webinar will be recorded and will be available online for everyone on the company’s website at https://infortar.ee/en/reports.
Aktsiaselts Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Aktsiaselts Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Aktsiaselts Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in AS Eesti Gaas and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 113,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Aktsiaselts Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, taxi business and other areas. A total of 104 companies belong to the Aktsiaselts Infortar group: 95 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Aktsiaselts Infortar employs 6,625 people.
Additional information:
Kadri Laanvee
Investor Relations Manager
Phone: +372 5156662
e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
www.infortar.ee/en/investor
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Bank of Åland Plc
Managers’ Transactions
October 28, 2024,16.45 EET
Managers’ Transactions (Holmström)
__
Person subject to the notification requirement
Name: Sofie Holmström
Position: Other senior manager
Issuer: Ålandsbanken Abp
LEI: 7437006WYM821IJ3MN73
Notification type: INITIAL NOTIFICATION
Reference number: 82672/5/4
__
Transaction date: 2024-10-24
Outside a trading venue
Instrument type: SHARE
ISIN: FI0009001127
Nature of transaction: SUBSCRIPTION
Transaction details
(1): Volume: 95 Unit price: 30.77 EUR
Aggregated transactions (1):
Volume: 95 Volume weighted average price: 30.77 EUR
For further information, please contact:
Peter Wiklöf, Managing Director and Chief Executive, tel +358 40 512 7505
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rosalyn R. LaPier, Professor of History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
I am a direct descendant of family members that were forced as children to attend either a U.S. government-operated or church-run Indian boarding school. They include my mother, all four of my grandparents and the majority of my great-grandparents.
On Oct. 25, 2024, Joe Biden, the first U.S. president to formally apologize for the policy of sending Native American children to Indian boarding schools, called it one of the most “horrific chapters” in U.S. history and “a mark of shame.” But he did not call it a genocide.
Yet, over the past 10 years, many historians and Indigenous scholars have said that what happened at the Indian boarding schools “meets the definition of genocide.”
From the 19th to 20th century, children were physically removed from their homes and separated from their families and communities, often without the consent of their parents. The purpose of these schools was to strip Native American children of their Indigenous names, languages, religions and cultural practices.
The U.S. government operated the boarding schools directly or paid Christian churches to run them. Historians and scholars have written about the history of Indian boarding schools for decades. But, as Biden noted, “most Americans don’t know about this history.”
As an Indigenous scholar who studies Indigenous history and the descendant of Indian boarding school survivors, I know about the “horrific” history of Indian boarding schools from both survivors and scholars who contend they were places of genocide.
The United Nations defines “genocide” as the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Scholars have researched different cases of genocide of Indigenous peoples in the United States.
Historian Jeffery Ostler, in his 2019 book “Surviving Genocide,” argues that the unlawful annexation of Indigenous lands, the deportation of Indigenous peoples and the numerous deaths of children and adults that occurred as they walked hundreds of miles from their homelands in the 19th century constitute genocide.
The mass killings of Indigenous peoples after gold was found in the 19th century in what is now California also constitutes genocide, writes historian Benjamin Madley in his 2017 book “An American Genocide.” At the time, a large migration of new settlers to California to mine gold brought with it the killing and displacement of Indigenous peoples.
Other scholars have focused on the forced assimilation of children at Indian boarding schools. Sociologist Andrew Woolford argues that scholars need to start calling what happened at Indian boarding schools in the 19th and 20th century “genocide” because of the “sheer destructiveness of these institutions.”
Woolford, a former president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, explains in his 2015 book “This Benevolent Experiment” that the goal of Indian boarding schools was the “forcible transformation of multiple Indigenous peoples so that they would no longer exist as an obstacle (real or perceived) to settler colonial domination on the continent.”
Indigenous writers have explained how this transformation at Indian boarding schools occurred. “Federal agents beat Native children in such schools for speaking Native languages, held them in unsanitary conditions, and forced them into manual and dangerous forms of labor,” writes Indigenous law professor Maggie Blackhawk.
Secretary of the Interior Debra Anne Haaland has stated that every Native American family has been impacted by the “trauma and terror” of Indian boarding schools. And my family is no different.
One of the more horrific stories that my maternal grandmother shared with her grandchildren was that she witnessed the death of another student. They were both under the age of 10. The student died of poisoning after lye soap was put in her mouth as a punishment for speaking her Indigenous language.
We know that similar punishments happened and children died at Indian boarding schools. The Department of Interior reported in 2024 that 973 children died at Indian boarding schools.
Tribes are increasingly seeking the return of the remains of children who died and are buried at Indian boarding schools.
The U.S. government is beginning to encourage survivors to tell their stories of their Indian boarding school experiences. The Department of the Interior is in the process of recording and documenting their stories on digital video, and they will be placed in a government repository.
At 84 years old, my mother is the only living Indian boarding school survivor in our family. She shared her story with the Department of the Interior this past summer, as did dozens of other survivors.
Haaland stated these “first person narratives” can be used in the future to learn about the history of Indian boarding schools, and to “ensure that no one will ever forget.”
“For too long, this nation sought to silence the voices of generations of Native children,” Biden added at the apology ceremony, “but now your voices are being heard.”
As a descendant of Indian boarding school survivors, I appreciate President Biden’s apology and his effort to break the silence. But, I am also convinced that what my mother, grandmother and other survivors experienced was genocide.
Rosalyn R. LaPier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. My family lived the horrors of Native American boarding schools – why Biden’s apology doesn’t go far enough – https://theconversation.com/my-family-lived-the-horrors-of-native-american-boarding-schools-why-bidens-apology-doesnt-go-far-enough-242249
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.
I thank the Secretary-General and Ms Eltigani for briefing us today as we pass the harrowing milestone of eighteen months of brutal conflict in Sudan.
I will make three points on behalf of the UK.
First, we welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendations for the protection of civilians in Sudan. Both warring parties made commitments at Jeddah to limit the conflict’s impact on civilians.
And yet only this past weekend, we have had further appalling reports of major attacks in Al Jazirah State resulting in over 100 civilian deaths, with the Rapid Support Forces allegedly shooting at civilians indiscriminately, raping women and girls, and looting and destroying homes.
Meanwhile, aerial bombardments by the Sudanese Armed Forces are causing large-scale destruction and civilian deaths across the country.
Alleviating the plight of Sudanese civilians is critical, and we hope the Council can come together in the coming weeks to agree further steps supporting the implementation of these recommendations from the Secretary-General.
Second, as we’ve heard today, the humanitarian crisis continues. With famine in Darfur and cholera spreading across the country, millions are at risk of an early, preventable death.
And yet bureaucratic obstructions continue. Expelling UN staff and restricting the movements of humanitarian missions, are just a few damning examples of how life-saving assistance is being systematically blocked from reaching those in need.
We urge the Sudanese authorities to permanently open the Adre border crossing.
We reiterate our clear calls to both warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and facilitate cross-border and crossline access, across multiple entry points.
Third President, we call on the warring parties to engage meaningfully with existing diplomatic initiatives–including the efforts of Personal Envoy Lamamra–towards a national ceasefire.
We also call on the SAF and RSF to agree modalities for monitoring compliance with their commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration. Civil society and women’s participation is also vital for peace efforts to be fully effective.
In conclusion, coordinated, international action, including by the African Union and the United Nations, is more important now than ever. The RSF and SAF must bring an end to the fighting now.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Leicester angler who was caught fishing in the close season and without a licence on the River Soar in May this year.
At Northampton Magistrates Court on 21 October 2024, the charges against Vaidotas Jucaitis, 52, of Highfield Street, were proved in his absence. He was ordered to pay a total of £415 in fines and costs.
Jucaitis was caught fishing during the close season between Abbey Mills and Abbey Park on 9 May 2024. He was also fishing without a licence. He was fined £100 for each charge, ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim’s surcharge of £80.
The close season restrictions, which run between 15 March-15 June, are to prevent fishing for coarse fish in rivers and streams across England. The restriction helps to protect fish when they are spawning and supporting vulnerable stocks.
Environment Agency officers conduct patrols to ensure anglers respect this no fishing period.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:
We hope these penalties will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing either without a licence or during the close season.
The close season is in place to reduce disturbances to protect vulnerable stocks during their peak spawning period.
We urge anglers to respect the close season in order to help reduce pressures on our fisheries, benefitting fish and the wider environment.
Our fisheries enforcement team work seven days a week to check that anglers are following fishing regulations.
The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust.
Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.
Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
All income from fishing licence sales is used to fund the Environment Agency’s work to protect and improve fish stocks, fisheries and the environment.
This includes improving habitats for fish, reinvesting money back to facilities and clubs for anglers and tackling illegal fishing. It also includes working with partners to encourage more people to give fishing a go.
Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence.
A 1-day licence costs from just £7.10 and an annual licence costs from just £35.80. Concessions are available. Junior licences are free for 13 to 16-year-olds.
Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
On 9 May 2024, at Abbey Park to Abbey Mills, River Soar, Leicester, fished for freshwater fish in the close season. This is contrary to byelaw 2 of the Environment Agency National Byelaws made on July 12 210. And contrary to byelaw 6 confirmed 22 March 2010 and made pursuant to section 210 and schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and contrary to Section 211 of the said Act.
On 9 May 2024, at Abbey Park to Abbey Mills, River Soar, Leicester, in a place where fishing is regulated, fished for freshwater fish or eels by means of an unlicensed fishing instrument, namely rod and line. This is contrary to Section 27 (1) (a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.
Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen
Aberdeen City Council is celebrating Black History Month with a free interactive workshop in which participants will be encouraged to show off their drumming skills.
The event which takes place in the Town House’s Town and County Hall at 12,30pm on Thursday 31 October features local drummer and percussionist David Imevbore, also known as Bingo Dave, demonstrate his rhythmic skills and encourage the audience to join in.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is Reclaiming Narratives and as well as a reflection on the importance of recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture, the event will also include a keynote address ‘Nostalgic Suspension – the Headwrap Journey’ by Ebun Young.
Councillor Miranda Radley, Communities, Housing and Public Protection Convener, said: “The Black History Month event offers all of our communities the opportunity to take part in a collaborative event which promises not only to be educational but also fun.
“Aberdeen is a welcoming, multicultural city. The event reaffirms the Council’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and our ambition of ensuring that all our communities can prosper.
“This is sure to be a very popular event, so I would encourage people to book their place as soon as possible.”
Culture spokesman, Councillor Martin Greig said:” I am delighted that we are hosting this local event to celebrate Black History Month. It is a great chance to enjoy and learn more about the multicultural character of our city. Aberdeen is a tolerant, friendly place where people from all backgrounds are welcome.”
Councillor Deena Tissera, who will also be at the event, said: As a longstanding supporter of the Black community, I’m honoured to celebrate Black History Month with Aberdeen City Council.
“This month is a crucial commemoration of the contributions of Black communities in Britain and beyond, yet much remains to be done to increase representation within Scottish politics.
“Here at Aberdeen City Council, there are calls to improve BAME leadership in the workforce, as seen in our recent Diversity in Recruitment report. As we honour Black History Month, we’re reminded of the ongoing need to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity in our workplaces and communities.”
To register for the event visit Aberdeen City Council Event Booking System
Source: City of Leeds
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, is set to welcome guests from across the Commonwealth to a major trade and Investment conference in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday 29 October).
The Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Commonwealth conference has been organised by law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, and is being jointly hosted by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The conference will feature a range of speakers including; Megan Wood, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Dr Olushola Kolawole, lecturer at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, and the Pakistani Consul General in Bradford, Zahid Jatoi. Several influential British-based groups, such as the Ethnic Minority Business and Policy Forum and British Friends of Pakistan, will also attend along with Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce James Mason.
The event brings together experts from India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria to reflect on the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024, held in Samoa last week, and will explore how the UK’s commercial links to the Commonwealth can be enhanced.
The 56 nations of the Commonwealth are among the UK’s largest and fastest-growing trading partners. The UK exports £83 billion to Commonwealth markets annually, which accounts for 10% of overall UK exports, with significant further trade and investment opportunities for companies in West Yorkshire.
The event will be an opportunity to encourage further West Yorkshire-Commonwealth trade, upskill businesses on commercial opportunities in the Commonwealth, and highlight the synergies around culture, education, and diasporic communities. It supports our mission to create an economy that works for everyone as set out in the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy.
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: “It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome our distinguished Commonwealth guests and partners to Leeds.
“I look forward to discussing furthering trade, culture, and education opportunities for our city, region and the Commonwealth markets. Leeds has a vibrant range of industries that would directly benefit from increasing opportunities with our Commonwealth partners, especially in our professional and financial services, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology sectors, highlighted as growth-driving sectors in the UK’s recent Modern Industrial Strategy Green Paper.
“The strength of our city and a driver of its success is its diversity, vibrancy, and people. Forging closer links with our Commonwealth partners is a great opportunity to build on that diversity, create new ideas and investment opportunities and succeed together.”
Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development Councillor Jonathan Pryor said:
“We are delighted that Leeds is hosting honoured guests from around the world to this trade and investment conference. As a city Leeds is very proud of the diverse make-up of our communities, and this is reflected in our commitment to welcome and support international trade and businesses to invest here.
“As one of the leading UK cities for private-sector job creation, international investment and supporting business creation and growth across a wide-ranging economy, we very much look forward to this conference and the benefits it can help deliver through further strengthening international relationships and boosting the city and regional economy for all to benefit from.”
Notes for editors:
Leeds City Council Inclusive Growth Strategy: https://www.inclusivegrowthleeds.com/
West Yorkshire Trade and Investment Statistics
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Leeds City Council communications and marketing,
Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk
Tel: 0113 378 6007
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –
The date of the deposit auction is 28.10.2024. The placement currency is RUB. The maximum amount of funds placed (in the placement currency) is 50,406,000.00. The placement period, days is 30. The date of depositing funds is 28.10.2024. The date of return of funds is 27.11.2024. The minimum placement interest rate, % per annum is 21.00. The terms of the conclusion are urgent or special (Urgent). The minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in the placement currency) is 50,406,000.00. The maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1. Auction form is open or closed (Open). The basis of the Agreement is the General Agreement. Schedule (Moscow time). Applications in preliminary mode from 12:15 to 12:30. Applications in competition mode from 12:30 to 12:40. Setting a cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid before 13:10.
Additional terms
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.
https://www.moex.com/n74325
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –
10/28/2024
10:59
In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC), on 10/28/2024, 10:59 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 103.08) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1089.68 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 7.5%) of the security RU000A0ZYLQ4 (Gazpnf1P5R) were changed.
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.
https://www.moex.com/n74328
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –
Parameters;
The date of the deposit auction is 28.10.2024. The placement currency is RUB. The maximum amount of funds placed (in the placement currency) is 103,000,000.00. The placement period, days is 16. The date of depositing funds is 28.10.2024. The date of return of funds is 13.11.2024. The minimum placement interest rate, % per annum is 20.00. The terms of the conclusion are urgent or special (Urgent). The minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in the placement currency) is 103,000,000.00. The maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1. Auction form is open or closed (Open). The basis of the Agreement is the General Agreement. Schedule (Moscow time). Applications in preliminary mode from 11:30 to 11:40. Applications in competition mode from 11:40 to 11:45. Setting the cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid before 11:55.
Additional conditions Placement of funds with the possibility of early withdrawal of the entire deposit amount and payment of interest accrued on the deposit amount at the rate established by the deposit transaction, in the event of non-compliance of the Bank with the requirements established by paragraph 2.1. of the Regulation “On the procedure for selecting banks for placing funds of the Moscow Small Business Lending Assistance Fund in deposits (deposits) under the GDS” (as amended on the date of the deposit transaction), early withdrawal at the “on demand” rate, payment of interest at the end of the term, without replenishment.
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.
https://www.moex.com/n74330
Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –
Moscow Exchange has implemented a service for managing identifiers in the personal account of currency market participants
Moscow Exchange is pleased to announce that from October 24, 2024, the “Identifier Management” service in the Participant’s Personal Account (PPA) has been expanded to the foreign exchange market. Thus, the new convenient and modern service already supports four markets: foreign exchange, stock, deposits, and loans.
A distinctive feature of the updated version of the service is the display in real time of all possible identifier parameters, including IP addresses, as well as copying of existing identifiers.
THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SECTION ALLOWS
switch to a digital format of interaction with the Moscow Exchange in terms of managing technical access identifiers; increase the speed of managing technical access identifiers: assign/change/cancel identifiers in a few minutes (assignment/change/cancellation of identifiers takes effect on the next trading day)
POSSIBILITIES OF THE NEW SECTION OF THE LKU
creating a request for managing identifiers (delete/create/change) viewing the status of sent requests receiving information about identifier parameters saving draft requests
Other useful functions have also been implemented: integrated hints, automatic verification of the correctness of the request creation, individual marking of the request, use of reference books, display of the assigned identifier immediately after the request is executed, copying of the identifier, etc.
HOW TO ACCESS THE “IDENT MANAGEMENT” SECTION:
submit an application for access to the new section of the personal account with assignment of the role “ID Management” (the form is attached to this letter) access will be provided within 1-3 days after receiving the application for access go to the new version of the personal account by the link https://platform.moex.com to manage identifiers
You can read the User Guide for the “ID Management” section of the Participant’s Personal Account Here.
If you have any questions, you can contact us by e-mail help@moex.com
Contact information for media 7 (495) 363-3232PR@moex.com
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.
https://www.moex.com/n74331
Source: Government of Canada News (2)
October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Lisa A. Wannamaker, Assistant Crown Attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Peterborough, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Lindsay. Justice Wannamaker replaces Justice D.S. Gunsolus (Lindsay), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 28, 2022.
Robin A. Bellows, a sole practitioner in Huntsville, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Parry Sound. Justice Bellows replaces Justice J. Stothart (Parry Sound), who will be transferred to Sudbury upon the appointment of a new Judge. Due to internal court transfers by the Chief Justice, the vacancy is located in Parry Sound.
“I wish Justices Wannamaker and Bellows every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Ontarians well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario”.
—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice Lisa A. Wannamaker was raised in Peterborough. She received an honours degree in political science and economics from the University of Waterloo after which, she travelled and lived abroad in Ireland. She later attended law school at Queen’s University. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2005.
Justice Wannamaker worked for Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and the Ontario Securities Commission. She joined the Etobicoke Crown Attorney’s Office in 2006 and joined the Peterborough office in 2012. She has handled complex prosecutions in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice including homicides, sexual assaults, and dangerous offender proceedings. She was frequently involved in education and training for other crowns and presented to police services across the province on search issues, expert issues and statements. She was an annual director for the crown attorney school on expert evidence. She also taught in the forensic science program at Trent University.
Justice Wannamaker is highly committed to her community. She was on the board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters Peterborough and worked as a manager and game day announcer with the Peterborough Wolverines Football Organization and the Kinsmen Minor Football League. She was an articling principal and a mentor to junior lawyers. She has volunteered for student moots, and with the Ontario Justice Education Network.
Justice Wannamaker enjoys travel with friends, and spending time between the lake and the football fields, with her two wonderful children and her dog.
Justice Robin A. Bellows was born in Toronto and spent most of her formative years in Newfoundland. She began her undergraduate degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 2003 before obtaining her Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2006. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007.
Justice Bellows started her criminal defence practice in Muskoka in 2007, where she worked as a sole practitioner and as duty counsel for 10 years. In 2017, she became the Agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada for Parry Sound. In 2023, she was appointed as a per diem Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court.
Justice Bellows served on the Board of the Muskoka Law Association since 2008 and became President in 2020. Additionally, she has been the President of the Parry Sound Law Association since 2021. For several years, she had the joy and privilege of coaching the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School mock trial team. Outside of her legal pursuits, she shared her creative talents with the Muskoka theatre community, creating costumes and props for local productions.
Justice Bellows is also a watercolor artist, a keen player of high-strategy board games, and a loving mother to two bright and caring children.
Source: Government of Canada News (2)
October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
The Honourable D. Shane Russell, Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in Sydney, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Sydney. Justice Russel replaces Justice R. Gogan (Sydney), who was elevated to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal effective February 19, 2024.
“I wish Justice Russell every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve the people of Nova Scotia well as a member of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.”
—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice D. Shane Russell was bom and raised in North Sydney. He graduated from the University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School in 2003 and has a Bachelor of Science Advance Major Psychology from Dalhousie University. He was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2004
Justice Russell was appointed Associate Chief Judge of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court in February 2024. Prior to his appointment as Judge of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court in 2021, he practiced law for 17 years, all of those as a Crown Attorney at the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service. He served as co-counse! with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. While serving as Senior Crown Counsel, he routinely carried many complex and high-profile prosecutions involving, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, home invasion, and homicide.
Justice Russell had served as a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society’s bar council, Gender equity committee, and Provincial Court Liaison Committee. He is also the past president of the Cape Breton Barristers’ Society and the Nova Scotia Crown Attomeys’ Association.
Justice Russell is happily married to Nicole Russell, also from North Sydney. He is the proud older brother of two siblings, Trevor Russell and Nadine Russell-Wadden.
Source: Government of Canada News (2)
October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
The Honourable Peter H. Edelmann, a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Edelmann replaces Justice P. Willcock, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 19, 2024.
Scott Morishita, Associate Counsel at Rice Harbut Elliott LLP in Vancouver, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Morishita replaces Justice P.H. Edelmann (Vancouver), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia effective October 25, 2024.
“I wish Justices Edelmann and Morishita every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of British Columbia well as members of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice Peter H. Edelmann is fluently bilingual and was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2019. He received an undergraduate degree in French literature and philosophy from the University of Toronto and went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of British Columbia. In 2004, he received both LL.B. and Civil Law degrees from McGill University. He was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2005.
Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2019, Justice Edelmann was a partner at Edelmann and Company, a recognized immigration and refugee law firm in Vancouver. He had begun his career as a sole practitioner primarily focused on criminal defence, in a practice that came to encompass national security, extradition, immigration and refugee law.
Justice Edelmann appeared before all levels of the federal and provincial courts, as well as the various divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board. He was an active member of the Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association and sat on the litigation committee for the Canadian Council for Refugees. He appeared regularly before Parliamentary committees and before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Justice Scott Morishita was born and raised in Richmond. He is Japanese Canadian and a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and an LL.B. from the University of Victoria. He was called to the British Columbia bar in 2007.
Justice Morishita was Associate Counsel at Rice Harbut Elliott LLP, where he acted for plaintiffs in personal injury claims. Prior to that, he was Legal Counsel at the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia, where he defended local governments in various types of liability claims. He spent his career as a civil litigator, representing a diverse range of clients, including individuals, insurance companies, and local governments.
Justice Morishita is a passionate volunteer and a strong advocate for lawyers’ mental health. He dedicated his time to numerous legal organizations, serving as President of the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia (B.C.) Branch for the 2023-24 term, and as a Law Society of B.C. appointee to the Transitional Board of Legal Professions B.C. He was also a past board member of the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. and an active member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (B.C.).
Source: Government of Canada News (2)
October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Laurie A. Goldbach, Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary, is appointed a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada. Justice Goldbach replaces Justice A. Pelletier, who was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Tax Court of Canada on December 14, 2023.
“I wish Justice Goldbach every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Canadians well as a member of the Tax Court of Canada.”
—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Justice Laurie A. Goldbach was raised in Arva, a hamlet near London, Ontario. She received a B.A. Hons (1995) from Huron College at the University of Western Ontario and a LL.B. from University of Victoria (1998). She clerked with the Court of Appeal for Ontario before being called to the Ontario Bar in 1999, and the Alberta Bar in 2000.
Justice Goldbach has lived and worked in Calgary for the past 25 years. She began her litigation career with Bennett Jones LLP before moving to a tax litigation boutique within Deloitte LLP in 2014. She joined Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in 2017 where she led the national tax disputes practice and served as regional group manager of the specialized business group. She has appeared before courts from coast to coast: the Supreme Court of Canada, all levels of courts in Alberta and Quebec, the Federal Courts, the Tax Court of Canada, and courts in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia.
Justice Goldbach chaired the Tax Court Bench and Bar Committee of the Canadian Bar Association, was a Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation, and a regular speaker at professional development programs and conferences. She has been invested in mentoring students and lawyers and supporting mental health and wellness in the legal community. She is a long-time supporter of ASSIST and co-chaired a task force on mental wellness amongst dispute lawyers.
Justice Goldbach and her spouse, Brett, are proud parents of one remarkable teenage daughter.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2
Media Advisory
Monday, October 28, 2024
Some antiviral drugs highly effective against bovine H5N1
A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, isolated from the eye of a farm worker who became infected through contact with dairy cows, was lethal in mice and ferrets infected in a high-containment laboratory environment, according to a new study in Nature. The study investigators also found that the virus isolated from the worker, who experienced mild inflammation of the cornea (conjunctivitis), could be transmitted through the air between separated ferrets and might be capable of binding to and replicating in human respiratory tract cells.
The virus isolated from the worker is called huTX37-H5N1 and has a mutation (PB2-E627K) frequently seen in avian influenza viruses that replicate in mammals, typically making virus replication more efficient. These mutations underscore the need for continued monitoring and evaluation of viruses from the current H5N1 outbreak.
The study also showed that a bovine H5N1 virus is susceptible to the antiviral drugs favipiravir and baloxavir marboxil (brand name Xofluza) of the polymerase inhibitor class, as well as the neuraminidase inhibitor zanamivir. The virus is less sensitive to oseltamivir (Tamiflu), another neuraminidase inhibitor.
In laboratory experiments, huTX37-H5N1 replicated in human cornea and lung cells. The scientists determined the lethal dose of huTX37-H5N1 as less than 1 plaque-forming unit (PFU) in mice, compared to 31.6 PFU as the lethal dose of a bovine H5N1 virus isolated from the milk of a lactating cow. The huTX37-H5N1 virus also infected each of 15 different mouse tissues tested, with the highest virus levels found in respiratory tissues.
Researchers also infected ferrets with a high dose of huTX37-H5N1. Flu infections in ferrets more closely resemble human flu infections than those in mice. All infected ferrets died within 5 days and scientists found huTX37-H5N1 virus in all the tissues sampled, with high levels in the respiratory system. In a prior study, the researchers had infected ferrets with a bovine H5N1 virus and, although it caused severe disease, lethality was limited.
To evaluate respiratory transmission, the scientists placed healthy ferrets in cages about 5 centimeters away from ferrets infected one day earlier with one of four decreasing doses of huTX37-H5N1. All directly infected ferrets died within 6 days and, depending on the exposure dose, between 17% and 33% of the nearby animals became infected via respiratory droplet transmission. These results indicate that a bovine HPAI H5 virus isolated from an infected person can transmit among mammals via respiratory droplets, though with limited efficiency.
The authors note that the person infected with the huTX37-H5N1 virus did not develop severe illness. In fact, human cases reported from the current outbreak have mostly experienced conjunctivitis and/or mild respiratory symptoms. The researchers speculate that eye infection with a low dose of bovine H5N1 virus might result in localized conjunctivitis without severe disease in humans. Multiple exposures to seasonal human influenza viruses, they say, might provide people with low levels of protection against currently circulating HPAI H5N1 viruses—though additional study is needed.
In summary, this study characterizes the huTX37-H5N1 isolate, finding that it may be capable of replicating in cells of the respiratory tract in humans, that it is pathogenic in mice and ferrets, and that it is capable of being transmitted by the respiratory route in ferrets. The authors note that “based in these observations, every effort should be made to contain HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle to limit the possibility of further human infections.”
Scientists from the University of Wisconsin at Madison led the research with collaborators from Shizuoka and Tokyo Universities and the Research Center for Global Viral Diseases in Japan. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, funded much of the work through its Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response program.
C Gu et al. A human isolate of bovine H5N1 is transmissible and lethal in animal models. Nature DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08254-7 (2024).
A Eisfeld et al. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus in mice and ferrets. Nature DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07766-6 (2024).
Lauren Byrd-Leotis, Ph.D., with the Viral Respiratory Diseases Section of NIAID’s Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, is available to discuss the findings.
NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: National Forum explores future of multilingual education in Kyrgyzstan
Participants of the National Forum on Multilingual Education held on 25 October in the National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic. (OSCE) Photo details
Policymakers, educators and international experts discussed the future of multilingual education in Kyrgyzstan at the National Forum on Multilingual Education in Bishkek on 25 October 2024. The event was organized by Kyrgyzstan’s Education Ministry of Education with support from the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.
Participants explored potential policy avenues to improve and expand multilingual education in Kyrgyzstan. Multilingual education is an excellent tool that can help promote integration in diverse societies while supporting educational excellence. When education is based first in a child’s mother tongue, and additional languages are gradually introduced, children from different linguistic backgrounds have the opportunity to develop academic proficiency in their mother tongue, which is a prerequisite for their overall educational success.
“Multilingual education is one of the most effective ways to foster integration in our diverse societies. It is not just an educational approach that generates excellent results in the classroom; it is also a powerful tool to increase social cohesion, cultural understanding and economic opportunity.” said Ambassador Marek Szczygiel, Director and Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities during his online address.
Participants also had the opportunity to discuss how international best practices employed in other countries of Asia, particularly in Singapore and Mongolia, could be adapted for use in Kyrgyzstan. The day included the presentation of a draft roadmap for multilingual education from 2025 to 2030, aimed at ensuring quality and inclusive education across the country.
The National Forum was the final segment in a series of activities in October, dubbed the “Month of Multilingual Education”. This included an event on learning the Kyrgyz language through multilingual education and a study tour for members of parliament and government officials, supported by the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities. During the study tour, participants visited schools and kindergartens providing multilingual education in the Osh and Chuy regions of Kyrgyzstan. Participants were then able to share their first-hand experiences at the Forum, demonstrating how multilingual education supports social cohesion by providing children from different linguistic backgrounds the opportunity to learn in an inclusive environment.
“Seeing children interact and learn in multiple languages is truly inspiring. It shows us that multilingual education is not just an abstract policy but a real opportunity to empower the next generation to embrace diversity and thrive together.” said Aigul Omorova, Lecturer at the Republican Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Teaching Staff
As part of its engagement on multilingual education across the OSCE area, and in Central Asia in particular, the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities is committed to supporting Kyrgyzstan in developing an education system that provides academic excellence and strengthens social cohesion by embracing the country’s linguistic diversity.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 34, a New Orleans resident, was sentenced on October 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. JOHNSON was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department investigated JOHNSON for his involvement in a drug distribution operation in April 2021. The investigation revealed that JOHNSON conspired with AL VERNON BROWN, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, DONALD MYLES, and others to distribute heroin. On June 22, 2021, agents seized a package containing 485 grams of heroin that was mailed by AL VERNON BROWN from California to New Orleans and intended for JOHNSON.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation – New Orleans Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MALI WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 26, of Violet, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 15, 2024 by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 60 months of imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on October 12, 2023, New Orleans Police Officers saw WILLIAMS selling marijuana in the Central Business District of New Orleans. While attempting to flee from police, WILLIAMS dropped his backpack that contained marijuana and tapentadol tablets. When apprehended, WILLIAMS possessed a Taurus Model G3C, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JEREL CLAVO (“CLAVO”), age 36, of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 15, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to 62 months incarceration, five (5) years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D) (Count 1); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (Count 2).
According to court documents, on November 27, 2021, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) received a call regarding shots being fired near North Claiborne Avenue and Columbus Street. NOPD Officers arrived at the scene and discovered a deceased black female. Officers learned that the victim had been riding in a gray Dodge Charger driven by CLAVO when she was shot. An NOPD officer present at University Medical Center (UMC) saw CLAVO pull up outside the emergency room driving a gray Dodge Charger with several bullet holes in the front windshield. CLAVO sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including to his neck and right arm. NOPD Detectives executed a state search warrant for the Dodge Charger and located two firearms and marijuana inside the vehicle. CLAVO admitted possessing the marijuana for later sale. Additionally, CLAVO possessed the firearms to further his marijuana sales activities.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was arrested on Wednesday and charged by criminal complaint today with possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case and other court documents, Nasir Kenya-Malik White (aka Biggie), 24, was arrested at his residence in Lewiston on Wednesday evening on probable cause following a search of his apartment. Investigators recovered more than 300 grams of suspected cocaine during the search. Ten firearms, including several assault-style rifles, were also recovered. The complaint alleges that White is precluded from possessing firearms as a result of a 2023 conviction in Androscoggin County Superior Court for reckless conduct with a firearm or dangerous weapon. White was scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland today.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is investigating the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Source: United States Strategic Command
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. –
Global Thunder 25, the most recent iteration of U.S.
Strategic Command’s annual field training and command and control exercise, commenced here
Oct. 15.
Global Thunder exercises are annual Department of Defense training opportunities designed to
train forces and assess joint operational readiness and are not held in response to current real-
world events.
GT25 provided training opportunities and exercise scenarios for all USSTRATCOM mission
areas, with a specific focus on nuclear readiness. Airmen and B-52H Stratofortresses assigned to
the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, integrated with 5th Bomb Wing Airmen to
assess their readiness on the installation while 91st Missile Wing personnel ran exercise
scenarios at nearby missile alert facilities.
“Team Minot is composed of exceptional, mission-focused Airmen,” said Col. Jesse Lamarand,
5th BW commander. “The 5th BW Warbirds in concert with the 2nd BW Strikers were incredible
to watch during this exercise. The ability to credibly convey readiness and lethality is a key
component to strategic deterrence, and GT25 allowed us to do so.”
During the exercise, personnel assigned to the 5th BW and 91st MW tested their ability to
maintain a safe, secure, effective and ready strategic deterrent force by sustaining simulated alert
operations for more than a week. Defenders, aircraft maintainers, aircrew, missileers, munitions
specialists, airfield management personnel, food service specialists, and other mission essential
personnel worked around the clock amid heightened security conditions to accomplish exercise
objectives.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the effort the Roughrider Airmen put in during Global Thunder. They
are on watch 24/7/365 ensuring we’re available to provide combat capability and lethality that
national leaders use to deter potential adversaries from considering an attack against the U.S. and
our allies,” said Col. Jimmy Schlabach, 91st MW commander. “Flexing our full readiness
capabilities to confront uncertainty during exercises like this ensures we maintain the effective
and ready force necessary to safeguard global security and stability by identifying strengths in
our force and ways for us to improve.”
The training opportunities presented by GT25 enable 5th BW and 91st MW personnel to
maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency, validating Team Minot’s always-ready global
strike capability.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NVIDIA today announced that xAI’s Colossus supercomputer cluster comprising 100,000 NVIDIA Hopper Tensor Core GPUs in Memphis, Tennessee, achieved this massive scale by using the NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ Ethernet networking platform, which is designed to deliver superior performance to multi-tenant, hyperscale AI factories using standards-based Ethernet, for its Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) network.
Colossus, the world’s largest AI supercomputer, is being used to train xAI’s Grok family of large language models, with chatbots offered as a feature for X Premium subscribers. xAI is in the process of doubling the size of Colossus to a combined total of 200,000 NVIDIA Hopper GPUs.
The supporting facility and state-of-the-art supercomputer was built by xAI and NVIDIA in just 122 days, instead of the typical timeframe for systems of this size that can take many months to years. It took 19 days from the time the first rack rolled onto the floor until training began.
While training the extremely large Grok model, Colossus achieves unprecedented network performance. Across all three tiers of the network fabric, the system has experienced zero application latency degradation or packet loss due to flow collisions. It has maintained 95% data throughput enabled by Spectrum-X congestion control.
This level of performance cannot be achieved at scale with standard Ethernet, which creates thousands of flow collisions while delivering only 60% data throughput.
“AI is becoming mission-critical and requires increased performance, security, scalability and cost-efficiency,” said Gilad Shainer, senior vice president of networking at NVIDIA. “The NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform is designed to provide innovators such as xAI with faster processing, analysis and execution of AI workloads, and in turn accelerates the development, deployment and time to market of AI solutions.”
“Colossus is the most powerful training system in the world,” said Elon Musk on X. “Nice work by xAI team, NVIDIA and our many partners/suppliers.”
“xAI has built the world’s largest, most-powerful supercomputer,” said a spokesperson for xAI. “NVIDIA’s Hopper GPUs and Spectrum-X allow us to push the boundaries of training AI models at a massive-scale, creating a super-accelerated and optimized AI factory based on the Ethernet standard.”
At the heart of the Spectrum-X platform is the Spectrum SN5600 Ethernet switch, which supports port speeds of up to 800Gb/s and is based on the Spectrum-4 switch ASIC. xAI chose to pair the Spectrum-X SN5600 switch with NVIDIA BlueField-3® SuperNICs for unprecedented performance.
Spectrum-X Ethernet networking for AI brings advanced features that deliver highly effective and scalable bandwidth with low latency and short tail latency, previously exclusive to InfiniBand. These features include adaptive routing with NVIDIA Direct Data Placement technology, congestion control, as well as enhanced AI fabric visibility and performance isolation — all key requirements for multi-tenant generative AI clouds and large enterprise environments.
About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in accelerated computing.
For further information, contact:
Alex Shapiro
NVIDIA Corporation
+1-415-608-5044
ashapiro@nvidia.com
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, impact, and performance of NVIDIA’s products, services, and technologies, including NVIDIA Hopper Tensor Core GPUs, NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform, NVIDIA Spectrum SN5600 Ethernet switch, Spectrum-4 switch ASIC, and NVIDIA BlueField-3 SuperNICs; features of xAI’s Colossus supercomputer cluster; xAI being in the process of doubling the size of Colossus to a combined total of 200,000 NVIDIA Hopper GPUs; the NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform being designed to provide innovators such as xAI with faster processing, analysis and execution of AI workloads, and in turn accelerating the development, deployment and time to market of AI solutions; NVIDIA’s Hopper GPUs and Spectrum-X allowing xAI to push the boundaries of training AI models at a massive scale, creating a super-accelerated and optimized AI factory based on the Ethernet standard are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to our existing product and technologies; market acceptance of our products or our partners’ products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the most recent reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.
© 2024 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, NVIDIA Spectrum-X and BlueField are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.
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Source: Bank for International Settlements
The Covid-19 pandemic required unprecedented policy actions from central bankers. After a faster-than-expected economic recovery, inflation surged to decades-high levels. Central banks raised policy rates and inflation fell substantially. Strong monetary policy frameworks helped Latin American central banks in keeping long-term inflation expectations anchored and avoiding financial crises.
However, the final stage of reducing inflation to target levels, “the last mile,” remains challenging. While inflation is much lower, it is still not yet at target. Some countries even experienced a rebound. The final stage of disinflation will be different from the first phase. Base effects from the waning of the transitory factors that pushed up inflation play a much smaller role now. High and persistent growth in services prices will be a challenge, especially as wages continue to rise. Expansionary fiscal policies are counteracting restrictive monetary policies, complicating the path to achieving inflation targets. In addition, inflation is increasingly driven by domestic factors, reflecting greater economic and labour market disparities among countries.
Central banks will have to proceed cautiously in the period ahead.
Source: Bank for International Settlements
Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am glad to join you virtually today for the Hong Kong FinTech Week, to share our perspective at the Banque de France on the development of digital payments and its implication for the fulfilment of our mandate to ensure the proper functioning of payment systems.
Although wholesale and retail payments are being transformed by distinct trends, they present similar challenges from a safety and efficiency perspective. To meet these challenges, we have been at the Banque de France simultaneously acting on three key levers. First, the provision of central bank money services. Second, the support to industry initiatives in line with our policy goals. Third, the promotion of adjustments to the regulatory and supervisory framework.
In that context, I would like to explain in my introductory remarks how we consider using our first lever, the provision of central bank money services.
In the wholesale space, the security and efficiency of financial transactions between financial intermediaries importantly hinges on the nature of the settlement asset chosen.
Lessons learned from past financial crises have underlined the critical importance of using secure settlement assets. In response, members of the Bank for International Settlements have committed to promoting the use of central bank money in the wholesale payments space and mitigate both liquidity and counterparty risks. This commitment is reflected in Principle 9 of the CPMI-IOSCO’s Principles for financial market infrastructures (PFMIs), designed to strengthen and preserve financial stability. And they have been successful in the implementation of this policy as central bank money is actually the very dominant settlement asset in the wholesale space.
However, as tokenisation of assets gains momentum, private settlement assets, particularly stablecoins, are being used and are likely to be settlement assets of choice, to settle transactions in tokenised assets, absent the availability of central bank money on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). In addition, the proliferation of uncoordinated settlement solutions resulting from the lack of public sector response to the tokenisation of finance could lead to increased liquidity fragmentation.
This is why we consider that we need to adapt the provision of central bank money to the demands of an increasingly digital financial system, particularly as transactions involving tokenised assets gain prominence, to prevent regression in the safety and efficiency of wholesale transactions.
Accordingly, the Banque de France was one of the first central banks to launch an ambitious experimental program focused on the use of wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) in various settlement processes for varied assets.
In addition, in an evolving landscape, where traditional infrastructures are likely to coexist with new DLT systems, interoperability will be crucial in preventing market fragmentation and central bank money can help ensure it. The Payment-vs-Payment (PvP) experiment in CBDC we recently conducted with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is an illustration of this, with an interoperability mechanism supported by SWIFT to ensure synchronised settlement of both legs of the transaction.
Since May 2024, the Eurosystem has also been testing various interoperable solutions for settling tokenised financial assets via central bank money and we are actively contributing to it. Looking further ahead, the BIS has put forward the vision of a global unified ledger-a long-term vision that could begin with the establishment of regional unified ledgers, such as a European Unified Ledger. Project Agorá is likely to be an important building block in an exploratory approach to make this vision concrete and test it, and we are also taking part in it.
In the retail space, contrary to the wholesale one, we observe the coexistence and complementarity of central bank money – in the form of cash – and private money. While their respective role has evolved over time with users’ habits, in Europe it has undergone very rapid and significant changes in the past few decades, in relation with the development of the digital economy. The use of cash has steadily declined: in 2022, cash was used in 50% of in-store payments in France, compared with 68% in 2016. Meanwhile, cashless payment solutions have rapidly developed, boosted by the growth of e-commerce and innovative solutions such as contactless and mobile payments.
These changes bring many benefits for consumers, with payments becoming increasingly convenient, faster and innovative. The Banque de France therefore strongly supports and encourages innovation by payments stakeholders and the private sector.
However, digitalisation also comes with challenges for central banks.
The Banque de France has helped to address those dependency issues with first a clear support, along with the Eurosystem, to the emergence of pan-European solutions for retail payments such as the European Payments Initiative. Their digital wallet called Wero has just been launched in France, after Germany and Belgium, for person-to-person payments in the first stage. It will gradually expand coverage, to other countries and use cases (e-commerce and in-store payments) in the next years.
We have also intensively contributed to the preparation underway of a retail CBDC, namely the digital euro. This new form of public money would be comparable to a “digital banknote”. Its legal tender would make it usable everywhere in the euro area, in all contexts – therefore supporting European integration. It would offer cash-like privacy – notably thanks to the offline functionality that would also strengthen our resilience. The underlying standards and infrastructures would be governed by European players – also supporting our strategic autonomy.
The digital euro is also intended to perpetuate the “public-private partnership” that lies at the heart of our monetary system. It would be distributed by banks and other private intermediaries, with a viable and attractive business model, therefore preserving financial intermediation. It could also facilitate the development of private pan-European projects that could benefit from its open and harmonised standards to extend their scope and benefit from large network effects.
As payments become increasingly digital, central banks face the issue of revisiting the way they provide central bank money services to their economy. At the Banque de France, we consider that the Eurosystem should stand ready to adapt its provision of central bank money both in the wholesale and retail spaces. We see this as necessary to maintain the ‘singleness of money’ in our economy and the robustness of our monetary system, both from a stability and sovereignty perspective. On the wholesale side, a CBDC would appropriately accompany and secure a trend towards the tokenisation of financial assets. It could also be a first step towards the provision of a new and decentralised form of infrastructure, a European Unified Ledger. In the retail sphere, we see the deployment of a digital euro as a natural evolution of, and complement to cash, whose success should be built on a strong public-private partnership.
