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MIL-OSI Translation: Council of Ministers meeting on 18 October 2024

MIL OSI Translation. Timor-Leste Portuguese to English –

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste

……………………………………………. ……………………………………………. …………………….

Press release

Council of Ministers meeting on 18 October 2024

The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister for Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and by the Executive Director of the Mission Unit to Combat ‘Stunting’, Joel Maria Pereira, for the first amendment to Decree-Law No. 91/2022, of December 22, relating to the Mission Unit to Combat ‘Stunting’.

Decree-Law No. 91/2022 created the Mission Unit to Combat Stunting with the mission of preparing and implementing the National Plan to Combat Stunting and promoting the coordination of government bodies in combating child malnutrition. However, although the National Plan to Combat Stunting has been completed, the planned measures have not yet been fully implemented.

To ensure the continuity of this work, the Government intends to extend the mandate of the Mission Unit until December 31, 2030, allowing the full implementation of the plan and the fight against the high rate of stunting in Timor-Leste. This amendment also aims to adjust the new ministerial framework resulting from the organic structure of the IX Constitutional Government, whereby the Mission Unit for Combating Stunting will be under the supervision of the Vice-Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs. This draft Decree-Law also aims to ensure effective and efficient coordination between the various government departments and public administration bodies in the execution of the responsibilities related to nutritional security assigned in the Plan.

At the previous meeting of the Council of Ministers, the National Multisectoral Annual Plan to Combat Stunting was also approved for the period 2024 to 2030, with the aim of reducing the rate of stunting and improving nutritional health in Timor-Leste.

*****

The Council of Ministers endorsed the agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on measures to enhance resilience and livelihoods in the rural sector, presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino. This agreement aims to increase the resilience of approximately 46,000 people in rural areas of the Manatuto Municipality.

The main aim of this project is to improve access to water, promote the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and strengthen the institutional and organizational capacities of rural communities. The initiative, aligned with the priorities of the IX Constitutional Government, includes investments in water infrastructure, the formation of agricultural groups and the development of more diversified and climate-resilient livelihoods. It is also expected that this rural development model to be implemented in Manatuto will be replicated in other municipalities, thus promoting the sustainable development of Timor-Leste.

*****

Finally, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law establishing the Community Revitalization Program, also presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino.

The program aims to promote the economic and social development of rural communities by supporting productive activities in the agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry and horticulture sectors, as well as infrastructure and equipment of collective interest. Aligned with the principles of sustainability, social inclusion and community participation, the program provides for the granting of subsidies for community projects, to strengthen local capacities and promote the resilience of communities throughout the country. END

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS to visit Peru and US

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

FS to visit Peru and US
FS to visit Peru and US
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The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for Peru this evening (October 18) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting and other related events to be held in Lima, after which he will visit New York, the United States, from October 22 to 24. In addition to attending the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting during his visit to Lima, Peru, Mr Chan will have bilateral meetings with officials of other economies to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. He will also attend a luncheon hosted by the APEC Business Advisory Council and meet with members of business communities from various regions. With a theme of “Sustainable + Digital + Resilient = APEC”, this year’s Finance Ministers’ Meeting will explore topics including global economic and financial outlook, fostering green and sustainable development, providing financial support to tackle climate change, as well as digitalisation of finance and financial inclusion. During his visit to New York, Mr Chan will attend the Global Regulatory Forum organised by Bloomberg and deliver a keynote speech. He will also join a number of breakfast meetings and luncheons to meet and exchange views with members of the political, business and financial communities in the United States, and promote Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities. Mr Chan will also visit local enterprises. Mr Chan will leave New York on October 24 local time and arrive in Hong Kong in the early evening of October 25. During his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will be the Acting Financial Secretary.

Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 14:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Second murder charge in relation to Whangamarino death

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

To be attributed to Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke:

Police have arrested a second man in relation to the death of a man found critically injured on Hampton Downs Road, Whangamarino earlier this week.

A 42-year-old man was arrested in Auckland today and is due to appear in Counties Manukau District Court tomorrow charged with murder.

Police continue to make enquiries and cannot rule out further arrests and charges.

Police would still like to hear from anyone who was travelling on Hampton Downs Road between 10pm on Sunday 13 October and 1am on 14 October, particularly if you have dashcam footage.

If you can help, please update us online now or call 105.

Please use the reference number 241014/2225.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Serious concerns ignored in Govt’s fast track bill

Source: New Zealand Labour Party

National’s fast track bill enables the most radical and unbalanced consenting regime in living memory.

As the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Rt Hon Simon Upton said in his submission to select committee ‘the Bill lacks many of the environmental safeguards its predecessor legislation contained. Even the much-maligned National Development Act 1979 had more checks and balances.’

“Despite masquerading under the same name as Labour’s fast-track consenting legislation, it is fundamentally different. Its objective is to override environmental protections,” Labour’s acting environment spokesperson David Parker said.

“Labour’s fast-track process worked. Under it almost 100 projects were approved without undue delay or excessive cost. Many significant housing subdivisions, wind farms, solar farms, retirement villages and infrastructure projects were approved. This process worked and did not override the Resource Management, Conservation, Wildlife and Heritage Protection Acts.

“In contrast this bill excludes any reference to the environment or sustainable management in its purpose, and now enables environmental protections in the Resource Management, Conservation, Wildlife and Heritage Protection Acts to be overridden.

“The Bill is obviously not aimed at approving the sorts of projects that were already being approved. It is aimed at pushing through environmentally contentious projects, some of which have been previously declined or are midway through other processes.

“Examples include mining 50 million tonnes of iron sands off Taranaki for export (not New Zealand processing), coal mines, and a contentious proposal to burn large quantities of plastic.

“Climate polluting emissions will increase.

“The list of projects to be considered – which was released after submissions closed – includes many projects where locals adversely affected should have the opportunity to make submissions. They won’t be able to.

“It was reported this morning that even a National Party MP disagrees with a project on that list and would lie on train tracks to stop it, making a complete mockery of their consultation process.

“The Parliamentary Commissioner’s serious concerns have been ignored. So have the submitters who overwhelmingly opposed this overreach.

“There are many other problems with this legislation described in Labour’s part of the Committee report back, which has been tabled in the House this afternoon.

“The tens of thousands of New Zealanders who marched in the streets to protest against this radical override of New Zealand’s environmental laws have been ignored. The legislation is more extreme than it was when it went to the select committee,” David Parker said.

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MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s High Commissioner to Cyprus: Michael Tatham

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Mr Michael Tatham CMG has been appointed His Majesty’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus in succession to Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE

Mr Michael Tatham CMG has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus in succession to Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Tatham will take up his appointment during November 2024.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Michael Harry Tatham

	2023 to 2024	FCDO, Delivery Director European Political Community Summit
	2018 to 2022	Washington DC, Deputy Head of Mission (Chargé d’Affaires, 2019-20)
	2015 to 2017	FCO, Director Eastern Europe and Central Asia
	2011 to 2015	UK Mission to the United Nations, New York, Political Counsellor
	2008 to 2011	Sarajevo, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
	2006 to 2008	FCO, Head of Western Balkans Department
	2002 to 2005	Prague, Deputy Head of Mission
	1999 to 2002	10 Downing Street, Private Secretary (Foreign Affairs) to the Prime Minister
	1997 to 1999	Sofia, Deputy Head of Mission
	1995 to 1996	FCO, Private Secretary to Minister for Europe
	1995	FCO, Head of East Mediterranean Section, Southern European Department
	1993 to 1995	FCO, European Union Department (Internal)
	1989 to 1993	Prague, Third later Second Secretary (Political/Press)
	1987 to 1988	FCO, Namibia Desk Officer, Southern African Department
	1987	Joined FCO

Published 18 October 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 24, 2025

MIL-OSI China: Xi makes instruction on establishment of resource-recycling company

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of building a national platform for recycling and reusing resources in a recent instruction on the establishment of a company specialized in resources recycling.
Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.ChinaNews App Download

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi stresses importance of sci-tech in advancing Chinese modernization

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has emphasized that science and technology should be at the forefront in advancing Chinese modernization.
Xi made the remarks during his visit to the Hefei Binhu Science City in east China’s Anhui Province on Thursday afternoon.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi stresses promoting traditional Chinese virtues

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed the importance of carrying forward traditional Chinese virtues to foster a more harmonious society.
Xi made the remarks during his visit to the Liuchi Alley, a historical cultural site in Tongcheng City, east China’s Anhui Province, on Thursday afternoon.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China saw 30% increase in border crossings in Q3

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Border inspection agencies across China recorded 160 million entries and exits during the third quarter of this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 30.1 percent, according to the National Immigration Administration.
A total of 8.186 million inbound trips were made by foreigners, up 48.8 percent from the same period last year. Of these trips, 4.885 million were made visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 78.6 percent, data from the administration showed.
In July, China issued new visa-free entry and transit policies, granting 144-hour visa-free entry to foreigners visiting the southern island province of Hainan via tour groups registered in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.
Additionally, the country’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy has been expanded to three more entry ports in central China’s Henan Province and southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: China Medical System：First Ruxolitinib Cream’s Prescriptions for Vitiligo Issued in the Greater Bay Area
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SHENZHEN, CHINA, Oct. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — China Medical System Holdings Limited (the “Group” or “CMS”) is pleased to announce that on 18 October, the first batch of prescriptions of ruxolitinib phosphate cream (the “ruxolitinib cream” or the “Product”) for qualified vitiligo patients were issued in the Greater Bay Area, at Zhongshan Chen Xinghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital, and Dongguan Songshan Lake Tungwah Hospital. The Product’s new drug application (NDA) was approved by the Pharmaceutical Administration Bureau (ISAF) of Macau on 11 April 2024, and subsequently the Product was approved by the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration on August 19 through the “Hong Kong and Macau Medicine and Equipment Connect” policy, which officially introduced ruxolitinib cream for the treatment of non-segmental vitiligo with facial involvement in adults and adolescents from 12 years of age, providing a novel treatment option for patients with relevant indication into designated medical institutions in the Mainland of Greater Bay Area.

In addition, on 24 September, the NDA for vitiligo indication of ruxolitinib cream has been accepted by the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA). In accordance with the relevant regulations of the drug real-world data application pilot program in the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (the “Pilot Zone”), CMS has conducted a real-world study on ruxolitinib cream in China. The results have shown positive efficacy, which is consistent with the key outcomes of global pivotal clinical studies. All secondary efficacy endpoints showed a trend of benefit consistent with the primary efficacy endpoint, and the treatment effect for vitiligo continued to improve with longer treatment duration. Meanwhile, through the safety monitoring data of the Pilot Zone, no new safety events have been identified. Adverse events mostly had severity levels of grade 1 or 2. No adverse event (AE) leading to discontinuation or withdrawal, and no serious adverse event (SAE) related to the study drug occurred.

If the Product is successfully approved for marketing in Mainland China, it will be the first prescription drug approved by NMPA for repigmentation in vitiligo, bringing this novel treatment hopes for Chinese vitiligo patients.

Furthermore, on 12 August 2023, the Product was approved by Hainan Medical Products Administration for Urgent Clinical Import, and officially became available to applicable patients in the Pilot Zone on August 18, for the topical treatment of non-segmental vitiligo in adults and adolescents aged 12 and above with facial involvement. Benefiting from the Early and Pilot Implementation Policy granted by the state to Hainan Free Trade Port and the Pilot Zone, patients with vitiligo in China can apply for the Product in Boao Super Hospital first and receive treatment from the expert team. As of 30 June 2024, more than 3,200 patients have been treated with ruxolitinib cream in Boao Super Hospital.

CMS has always been patient-oriented and innovation-driven based on clinical needs, continuously striving to improve drug accessibility. Benefited from the “Hong Kong and Macau Medicine and Equipment Connect” policy, ruxolitinib cream was approved for use in the Greater Bay Area and completed its first batch of prescriptions, shortening the time difference for Chinese vitiligo patients to use innovative drug and benefiting more domestic patients. Looking forward to the future, the Group will continuously strive to meet the unmet needs of Chinese patients, continuously explore novel drugs with international quality, and efficiently promote products’ clinical development and commercialization, so as to bring more quality pharmaceutical products through differentiated innovation-breakthrough, to safeguard the health and life-quality of patients.

About ruxolitinib cream
Ruxolitinib cream (Opzelura), a novel cream formulation of Incyte’s selective JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib, is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for the topical treatment of nonsegmental vitiligo in patients 12 years of age and older. As of now, it is the first and only treatment for repigmentation approved for use in the United States^[1]. Ruxolitinib cream (Opzelura) is also approved in the U.S. for the topical short-term and non-continuous chronic treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) in non-immunocompromised patients 12 years of age and older whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies, or when those therapies are not advisable^[2]. In Europe, ruxolitinib cream (Opzelura) is approved for the treatment of non-segmental vitiligo with facial involvement in adults and adolescents from 12 years of age^[3].

On 2 December 2022, the Group through a subsidiary of the Company, a dermatology medical aesthetic company (“CMS Skinhealth”) entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with Incyte for topical formulations of ruxolitinib for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory dermatology diseases. In accordance with the License Agreement, the Group through CMS Skinhealth received an exclusive license to develop, register and commercialize the Product in Mainland China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region, Taiwan Region and eleven Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Timor-Leste and Brunei Darussalam) (the “Territory”) and a non-exclusive license to manufacture the Product in the Territory. The License Agreement commenced on its effective date and has a royalty term of ten years from the date of the commercial sale of the Product in the Territory (the “Royalty Term”). Upon the expiration of the Royalty Term, the License Agreement may be renewed for a period of ten years thereafter (the “Initial Extended Royalty Term”) as per certain conditions defined in the License Agreement. Upon the expiration of the Initial Extended Royalty Term, the License Agreement may be extended for a period otherwise agreed by both sides as per certain conditions defined in the License Agreement.

Incyte has worldwide rights for the development and commercialization of the Product, marketed in the United States and Europe as Opzelura^®. Opzelura and the Opzelura logo are registered trademarks of Incyte.

About vitiligo

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by depigmentation of the skin, which results from the loss of pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. It is estimated that there are approximately 14 million vitiligo patients in China^[4]. Non-segmental vitiligo patients account for approximately 85% of them. Topical corticosteroids (TCS) and calcineurin inhibitors (CI) are used off-label for non-segmental vitiligo, however, these therapies have clinical deficiencies with long-term adverse reactions of long-term treatment or limited efficacy^[5^、^6].

About CMS
CMS is a platform company linking pharmaceutical innovation and commercialization with strong product lifecycle management capability, dedicated to providing competitive products and services to meet unmet medical needs.

CMS focuses on the global first-in-class (FIC) and best-in-class (BIC) innovative products, and efficiently promotes the clinical research, development and commercialization of innovative products, enabling the continuous transformation of scientific research into clinical practices to benefit patients.

CMS deeply engages in several specialty therapeutic fields, and has developed proven commercialization capabilities, extensive networks and expert resources, resulting in leading academic and market positions for its major marketed products. CMS continues to promote the in-depth development of its advantageous specialty fields and expand business boundaries. While strengthening the competitiveness of the cardio-cerebrovascular/gastroenterology business, CMS independently operates its dermatology and medical aesthetics business, and ophthalmology business, aiming to gain leading positions in specialty therapeutic fields, whilst enhancing the scale and efficiency. At the same time, CMS has expanded its business territory to the Southeast Asian market, striving to become a “bridgehead” for global pharmaceutical companies to enter the Southeast Asian market, further escorting the sustainable and healthy development of the Group.

Reference：
1. Drug approval information can be found on the FDA official website, as follows: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/fda-approves-topical-treatment-addressing-repigmentation-vitiligo-patients-aged-12-and-older
2. Drug approval information can be found on the Incyte official website, as follows: https://investor.incyte.com/news-releases/news-release-details/incyte-announces-us-fda-approval-opzeluratm-ruxolitinib-cream
3. Drug approval information can be found on the EMA official website, as follows: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/opzelura
4. Ezzedine K, Eleftheriadou V, Whitton M, van Geel N. Vitiligo. Lancet. 2015;386(9988):74-84. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60763-7
5. Consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of vitiligo (2021 version)
6. Kubelis-López DE, Zapata-Salazar NA, Said-Fernández SL, Sánchez-Domínguez CN, Salinas-Santander MA, Martínez-Rodríguez HG, Vázquez-Martínez OT, Wollina U, Lotti T, Ocampo-Candiani J. Updates and new medical treatments for vitiligo (Review). Exp Ther Med. 2021 Aug;22(2):797. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10229. Epub 2021 May 25. PMID: 34093753; PMCID: PMC8170669.
CMS Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements
This press release is not intended to promote any products to you and is not for advertising purposes. This press release does not recommend any drugs, medical devices and/or indications. If you want to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, please follow the opinions or guidance of your doctor or other medical and health professionals. Any treatment-related decisions made by healthcare professionals should be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and in accordance with the drug package insert.

This press release which has been prepared by CMS does not constitute any offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and shall not form the basis for or be relied on in connection with any contract or binding commitment whatsoever. This press release has been prepared by CMS based on information and data which it considers reliable, but CMS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, whatsoever, and no reliance shall be placed on, the truth, accuracy, completeness, fairness and reasonableness of the contents of this press release. Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements regarding the Group’s market opportunity and business prospects that are individually and collectively forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Any forward-looking statements and projections made by third parties included in this press release are not adopted by the Group and the Company is not responsible for such third-party statements and projections.

Media Contact

Brand: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

Contact: CMS Investor Relations

Email: ir@cms.net.cn

Website: https://web.cms.net.cn/en/home/

Source: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

The MIL Network –
January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Import of poultry meat and products from Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan suspended

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 18) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1170 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 150.45 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first six months of this year.

     “The CFS has contacted the Japanese authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Planisware brought together European clients for its annual user conference in Paris: Exchange24 EMEA
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Planisware brought together European clients for its annual user conference in Paris:
Exchange24 EMEA

Paris, France, October 18, 2024 – Planisware, a leading B2B provider of SaaS in the rapidly growing Project Economy market has hosted over the last two days in Paris its annual client conference: Exchange24 EMEA. Together with its North American edition held in Philadelphia in April 2024, the Parisian edition is a highly anticipated event that has been held continuously for over 20 years, providing a platform for Planisware to showcase its latest innovations while enabling fruitful exchanges within the large Planisware’s clients community and with PPM¹ and SPM² professionals from diverse industries.

Loïc Sautour, CEO of Planisware, commented: “Exchange24 EMEA has been a powerful testament to the strength of our community. Bringing together the brightest minds in project and portfolio management, we explored our latest innovations and the future of our platform. The event was filled with inspiring insights, real-world success stories, and hands-on experiences that will continue to drive success for our clients. This gathering wasn’t just about showcasing what’s new, but also about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible together with our incredible partners and clients through fruitful exchanges within the large Planisware’s clients community.”

Following Planisware’s successful IPO in April 2024, the conference took on a heightened significance, attracting not only PPM experts but also stakeholders interested in Planisware’s growth trajectory. Exchange24 served as a strategic opportunity to showcase how cutting-edge solutions help clients navigate their complete portfolio of projects and to better align it with their strategic goals.

During these sessions, Planisware introduced its latest innovations, focusing on four key areas:
- User Interface & Experience: New chart design, generalization of tiled dashboards, and more generally many improvements across the board based on customer feedback and usage analysis.
- Artificial Intelligence: Introduction of Planisware Co-Pilot, Planisware Trusted GenAI, and fuzzy search capabilities.
- Capabilities: Several new or enhanced features including sensitivity analysis, task automation, and task date inspector.
- Collaboration: Improvements to the mobile app, enhance shared screen options, and more native integration.
AI-Powered innovation in PPM has been one of the focal points of Exchange24. A much-anticipated roundtable discussion delved into how AI-driven tools, integrated into Planisware’s solutions, are improving decision-making, forecasting, and automation across project portfolios.

Clients such as Total Energies, Teva, Schwarz Group, Saint-Gobain, Enedis, Stora Enso, or UCB were prominently featured throughout the conference. They shared their success stories in personalized customer sessions, bringing forward how Planisware’s PPM solutions have transformed their approach, optimized project delivery, better driving business outcomes. These sessions provided practical insights into overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities in today’s volatile market.

About Planisware

Planisware is a leading business-to-business (“B2B”) provider of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) in the rapidly growing Project Economy. Planisware’s mission is to provide solutions that help organizations transform how they strategize, plan and deliver their projects, project portfolios, programs and products.

With more than 700 employees across 14 offices, Planisware operates at significant scale serving around 600 organizational clients in a wide range of verticals and functions across more than 30 countries worldwide. Planisware’s clients include large international companies, medium-sized businesses and public sector entities.

Planisware is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Compartment A, ISIN code FR001400PFU4, ticker symbol “PLNW”). For more information, visit: https://planisware.com/

Connect with Planisware on: LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

Contact

1 Project Portfolio Management
2 Strategic Portfolio Management

Attachment
- Planisware brought together European clients for its annual user conference in Paris – Exchange24 EMEA – Press release
The MIL Network –
January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE discusses Policy Address on-air

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee appeared on a radio phone-in programme this morning to take questions from the public about the 2024 Policy Address.

In an hour-long session, Mr Lee answered questions on topics ranging from the economy to innovation and technology (I&T), land and housing, and more.

Addressing its overall economic situation and future development path, the Chief Executive said that Hong Kong has gone through many changes over time and remains an attractive city. He stressed that the Government is optimistic about the economy and expects overall growth of between 2.5% and 3.5% this year.

“That means the macro-economy is positive but the micro-economy, particularly for some sectors, they may have to think of new ways of doing things, so as to make themselves attractive,” he added.

A major of focus in the Policy Address was backing for the I&T sector, with Mr Lee vowing to develop new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions as Hong Kong strives to develop as an international I&T centre.

Responding to a question on the topic on-air, he said: “I think I&T has to be the way forward. I think the whole world really has gone in that direction. And I think if we want to remain competitive, and also to remain prosperous, we need to work hard in this area.

“What we are doing now in regard to I&T (is on) many fronts. First of all we need talents because good people, I think, are the key.

“We want to set up more laboratories, so that there will be more possible products to be transformable. And then, we want more money to be put into research. The Government alone cannot be the only source (of money) because we are still only investing about 1.07% of the whole GDP (gross domestic product) of Hong Kong.”

During the programme, Mr Lee also responded to questions on Hong Kong’s housing situation,

He iterated that the Policy Address introduced various measures to assist home buyers, including an adjustment of the maximum loan-to-value ratio for all properties to 70%.

Despite the challenges presented by the limited supply of land, the Chief Executive said that ensuring people’s housing needs are met is the responsibility of the Government.

The Policy Address also included plans to enact legislation to tackle the issue of subdivided units.

Asked about the Government’s approach, Mr Lee said: “It is such a big problem and all the different factors that affect the present occupants are so diverse. So, I will be doing it in a very orderly manner, progressively. And people will be given sufficient notice to know what will happen.

“First of all, we need legislation so people know the standards that will be set for what (will) then become the only available, lawful Basic Housing Units (BHUs) in Hong Kong.

“The market will develop because there is a demand. Once it is regulated, then those who provide these units will know the rules of the game.”

He added that once the new standards have been enforced, the market will set the optimal level of rents for BHUs.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fast-Track, off the rails: Submitters show strong opposition to Bill

Source: Green Party

Despite resounding public opposition, the fast-track legislation is being pushed through Parliament with provisions that could have real consequences for people and planet.

“More than 90 per cent of submitters opposed this Bill. People know that the fast track will derail our environment,” says the Green Party Spokesperson for the Environment Lan Pham.

“Our well-being is intertwined with the environment. By looking after nature, we look after ourselves. We need to move on from the archaic, exploitative and extractive approach that has already seen us lose so much.

“We came to the table with a range of amendments to entrench environmental protections and ensure the voices of New Zealanders were considered, but every single one was rejected.

“Among the amendments dismissed outright were those that would have upheld environmental protections, introduced Te Tiriti considerations, given the public an opportunity to be consulted and protected the rights of current consent holders. This is the bare minimum.

“Huge public outcry has been blatantly ignored, and overwhelming opposition has been swept aside.

“This rushed process has silenced communities and is quite clearly ignoring evidence.

“The Green Party will continue to fight for the environment and a liveable future for all. Decisions about our land, waters and resources must be made transparently, and with the voices of our communities and health of our environment front of mind.

“Instead of fast-tracking short-term financial gains, we believe in a process that prioritises the long-term wellbeing: of our people, our waters and our land,” says Lan Pham.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Nokia Altiplano accelerates autonomous networks by introducing AI for broadband operations
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press Release
Nokia Altiplano accelerates autonomous networks by introducing AI for broadband operations
- Nokia enhances Altiplano Access Controller with AIOps to drive better network decisions.
- AI-powered applications and smart analytics improve network operations and resource utilization.
18 October 2024 – Nokia today announced the integration of AI-driven operations (AIOps) into its Altiplano Access Controller, an automation platform for broadband networks. The new AIOps uses artificial intelligence (AI) from applications in Nokia’s Altiplano Marketplace to analyze network data and drive automation. By combining AI and smart analytics, AIOps allows operators to detect network anomalies faster, anticipate service-affecting issues before they occur, and improve network utilization.

Through the use of big data analytics, digital twins, and trained AI-agents, Nokia helps operators increase efficiency and drive higher levels of automation in network and service operations. By extending the Altiplano core platform with AI applications available in Nokia’s Altiplano Application Marketplace, operators can:
- Detect network anomalies: Identifying anomalies with high accuracy before they impact services is essential to maintaining network reliability and customer satisfaction.
- Improve network utilization: AI and digital twins help optimize network resources to enhance capacity planning and customer experiences.
- Provide human assistance: AI assists human operators by simplifying incident management, speeding up problem resolution and, improving inventory accuracy.
Nokia’s Altiplano Access Controller is the most widely deployed network automation platform on the market, used by over 160 broadband operators globally. Ranked as the #1 network automation platform for fixed network automation by Global Data, Nokia’s Altiplano Access Controller powers the largest and most advanced SDN networks in the world – including those serving over 1 million live subscribers.

Geert Heyninck, Vice President of Broadband Networks for Nokia Fixed Networks, said: “With AI and advanced network analytics, operators can gain deeper insights and make smarter decisions to ensure smooth operations. By detecting issues faster and optimizing resources, we’re moving closer to fully autonomous networks. This shift empowers operators to enhance customer experiences while letting AI handle complex network management.”

Resources
Website: Fixed access network automation | Nokia
Website: Nokia Altiplano Access Controller

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.

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The MIL Network –
January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: More measures to support SMEs

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Monetary Authority (HKMA), together with the banking sector, introduced multiple measures today to further support, through financing as well as banking products and services, the continuous development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The HKMA said around 20,000 SMEs have benefitted from the nine measures that it launched with the Banking Sector SME Lending Co-ordination Mechanism in March this year, involving an aggregate credit limit of over $44 billion.

Taking into account the commercial sector’s views, the HKMA and the banking sector will roll out five measures to assist SMEs’ continuous development, upgrade and transformation, as well as enhancing their competitiveness and productivity to cope with various operational challenges.

Firstly, the HKMA has lowered the countercyclical capital buffer ratio from 1% to 0.5%, and will allow banks to early adopt the preferential treatments for SME exposures under the Basel III capital framework.

Such policies will release bank capital, enabling banks to make use of the additional capital to facilitate SMEs’ financing needs.

Secondly, the 16 banks that are active in SME lending have set aside a total of over $370 billion in dedicated funds for SMEs in their loan portfolio. The funds will allow SME customers to access necessary financing to cope with the evolving business environment.

The banks will regularly review and consider scaling up the size of their dedicated funds in response to SMEs’ needs and development.

Thirdly, the HKMA said banks will launch more credit products and services to meet the needs, such as the combination of digital transformation and green transformation, of SMEs. Examples include pre-approved credit limits, unsecured loans, cross-border loans, and loans with flexible repayment periods.

On partial principal repayment options, the HKMA noted that when an orderly exit from the banking sector’s Pre-approved Principal Payment Holiday Scheme started in July 2023, the mechanism introduced enhanced measures to assist corporates’ gradual return to normal repayment.

As some customers’ partial principal repayment arrangements will expire in early 2025, banks will be accommodative and consider offering more flexible repayment arrangements to these customers.

Subject to prudent risk-management principles, such arrangements may include extending the duration of partial principal repayment, offering more options on the proportion and duration of partial principal repayment, or even offering principal moratorium.

Additionally, banks will allocate adequate resources to process applications and work closely with HKMC Insurance to implement as soon as possible the principal moratorium and other enhanced measures under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS to visit Peru and the US

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart for Peru this evening to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting and other related events in the country’s capital Lima, before heading to New York City in the US.

Under the banner “Sustainable + Digital + Resilient = APEC”, this year’s finance ministers’ meeting will explore the global economic and financial outlook, how to foster green and sustainable development, the provision of financial support to tackle climate change, digitalisation in finance, and financial inclusion. In addition to attending the APEC event, Mr Chan will hold bilateral meetings with officials from other economies to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. He will also attend a lunch hosted by the APEC Business Advisory Council.

During his visit to New York, the Financial Secretary will deliver a keynote speech at the Global Regulatory Forum, organised by Bloomberg.

In addition, Mr Chan will attend a number of breakfast meetings and lunches to promote Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities. He will also visit local enterprises.

Mr Chan will arrive back in Hong Kong on October 25. During his absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will be Acting Secretary.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese publishers’ exhibition draws visitors at 76th Frankfurt Book Fair

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Chinese publishers’ exhibition draws visitors at 76th Frankfurt Book Fair

Updated: October 18, 2024 14:57 Xinhua

Visitors talk with an exhibitor during the China-Europe Copyright Matchmaking Event at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 17, 2024. The Frankfurt Book Fair officially opened on Tuesday. Chinese publishers are making a significant impact at this year’s fair, showcasing more than 3,500 books, including 1,500 in foreign languages. In addition to new book releases, Chinese publishers are holding numerous premieres and signing ceremonies for copyright agreements, with up to 1,000 books available for copyright trade. The fair will also feature a promotional event for the 2025 Beijing International Book Fair and a session on copyright trade between China and Europe. [Photo/Xinhua]

A visitor talks with exhibitors at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Visitors are pictured at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A visitor looks over a book at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A visitors experiences making skills of woodblock new year prints at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair Juergen Boos (L) visits the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair Juergen Boos speaks during an interview at the opening ceremony of the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A visitor looks over a book at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A visitor looks over a book at the Chinese publishers’ exhibition area at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s central bank launches swap facility to bolster capital market

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Oct. 18 — China’s central bank on Friday launched the Securities, Funds and Insurance companies Swap Facility (SFISF), with the first batch of application quota exceeding 200 billion yuan (about 28.1 billion U.S. dollars).

The People’s Bank of China announced the decision to set up the SFISF in a statement last week, as part of efforts to support the healthy and stable development of the capital market.

The tool will allow eligible securities, funds and insurance companies to use their assets including bonds, stock ETFs and holdings in constituents of the CSI 300 Index as collateral in exchange for highly liquid assets such as treasury bonds and central bank bills, according to the central bank.

So far, a total of 20 securities and funds companies have been approved to participate in the SFISF operation.

The central bank on Friday also launched a special re-lending facility to guide banks to provide loans to listed companies and their major shareholders for buybacks and increasing shareholdings.

The initial re-lending scale is 300 billion yuan at an interest rate of 1.75 percent. The facility can be applied to various types of companies regardless of their ownership, according to the central bank.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Ambassador of Peru to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN

Source: ASEAN

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received Ambassador of Peru to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN Luis Tsuboyama at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. They discussed Dr. Kao’s participation in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to be held in Lima, Peru, on 14 November 2024. Peru is the chair of APEC this year, having previously served as the APEC Chair in 2008 and 2016. The ASEAN Secretariat is one of the official observers of APEC, along with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.

The post Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Ambassador of Peru to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: NT youth crime laws fail children and the community

Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said the passing of legislation in the Northern Territory that will see children as young as 10 years old jailed is a failure of all the support systems that should be helping these children.

“This is a very sad day. Instead of strengthening the education, health, family support and child protection systems, the Northern Territory government has chosen to criminalise young children with disabilities, learning problems, mental health issues, and poverty. And the Commonwealth government remains silent,” Commissioner Hollonds said.

“I have been told by some members of parliament ‘there’s no votes in children’, that is, there’s no electoral benefit in standing up for children’s rights. However, in the states and territories, there are votes to be won by sounding ‘tough on crime’, even when these approaches are not based on the evidence of what will prevent crime by children.

“Criminalising children is not ‘early intervention’ and it will not make communities safer. The evidence shows that the younger a child comes into contact with the criminal justice system, the more likely it is that they will go on to commit more serious crimes.”

The evidence shows that addressing the root causes of offending by children is what works to prevent crime by children. This means we must have support systems that meet the needs of children such as appropriate education, healthcare (addiction and mental health services), housing and family support.

Commissioner Hollonds said the laws are contrary to the NT’s obligations under the Closing the Gap National Agreement and will have a heavy impact on First Nations communities.

“Alongside many other child rights advocates I have urged the Commonwealth government to step up and show leadership on child wellbeing. Despite having ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child there is no accountability for the human rights and wellbeing of Australia’s most vulnerable children,” Commissioner Hollonds said.

“This must change. Our most vulnerable children are being let down by all levels of government.”

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s report ‘Help Way Earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing tabled in parliament last month makes 24 recommendations offering a roadmap for reform that increases community safety and keeps our kids out of prison.

Read our earlier statement urging the NT government not to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897

MIL OSI News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Statistics on Code on Access to Information for first quarter of 2024

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Statistics on Code on Access to Information for first quarter of 2024
Statistics on Code on Access to Information for first quarter of 2024
*********************************************************************

The Government received a total of 2 648 requests for information under the Code on Access to Information in the first quarter of 2024, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said today (October 18). The total number of requests received since the introduction of the Code in March 1995 and up to the end of March 2024 amounted to 124 876. Of these, 7 544 requests were subsequently withdrawn by the requestors and 6 235 requests covered cases in which the bureaux/departments concerned did not hold the requested information or cannot confirm or deny the existence of information. As at March 31, 2024, 613 requests were still being processed by bureaux/departments. Among the 110 484 requests which covered information held by bureaux/departments and which the bureaux/departments had responded to, 107 247 requests (97.1 per cent) were met, either in full (104 313 requests) or in part (2 934 requests), and 3 237 requests (2.9 per cent) were refused. Any member of the public who is dissatisfied with the response of a bureau/department under the Code may request that the matter be reviewed. He or she may also lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman. In the first quarter of 2024, the Ombudsman received 14 complaints relating to requests for information. In this quarter, the Ombudsman concluded 23 complaints, among which two were unsubstantiated, one was partially substantiated and 20 were concluded by inquiries (including seven cases with inadequacies found). As at March 31, 2024, the Ombudsman’s investigations on 11 complaints were ongoing. “The Code has provided an effective framework for the public to seek access to information held by the Government,” the spokesman said.

Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 15:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKMA establishes CMU OmniClear Limited

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

HKMA establishes CMU OmniClear Limited
HKMA establishes CMU OmniClear Limited
**************************************

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (October 18) the establishment of CMU OmniClear Limited (CMU OmniClear), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Exchange Fund. CMU OmniClear will operate the Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU) on behalf of the HKMA. Currently, the CMU is operated as a unit of the HKMA. To enable the CMU to pursue a more commercial development path, CMU OmniClear is established to operate the CMU system and pursue new business development initiatives, under a contractual arrangement with the HKMA. CMU OmniClear will have its own governance structure and commercial culture, and is expected to take over CMU operations in January 2025. The HKMA would still be the owner and operator of the CMU system. The legal relationships with CMU participants and other system linkages would remain with the HKMA, and decisions on the policy and strategic development in respect of the CMU’s activities and services would be made by the HKMA. The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of CMU OmniClear, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “The CMU has seen remarkable achievements in recent years, such as supporting Bond Connect activities, facilitating digital bond issuances, recording significant growth in various business areas. The establishment of CMU OmniClear is an important step towards developing CMU into a major international central securities depository in Asia. I believe with more commercialised operations under CMU OmniClear, the CMU’s future development would be further propelled.”

Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 15:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Domestic violence offences – Howard Springs

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Northern Territory Police have arrested a man in relation to multiple domestic violence offences.

Yesterday, Strike Force Lyra and the Territory Response Group (TRG), arrested a 45-year-old male who had been actively avoiding police for several months.

The man was wanted for multiple offences relating to Aggravated assaults, a property damage incident and an outstanding warrant.

He has been remanded to appear in court at a later date.

Detective Acting Sergeant Katherine Lumsden said, “Strike Force Lyra is dedicated to ensuring that the victim-survivors trying to break free from the cycle of violence are heard.

“We will use all resources and tools available to ensure that these perpetrators are brought before Court.

“If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.”

MIL OSI News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Caring for sick animals and helping them get better prompted student to study vet nursing at EIT | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

6 hours ago

Bayle Smith, 18, is currently studying the NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5).

Caring for sick animals and helping them get better prompted Bayle Smith to study vet nursing at EIT.

A life-long animal lover, Bayle, who was born in South Carolina, USA, moved back to New Zealand as a youngster and has grown up in Hawke’s Bay.

Bayle, 18, is currently studying the NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5), with the aim of completing the Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6), with the option of going on to finish the Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.

Bayle was in Year 12 at Napier Girls’ High last year when she decided to leave school and go straight into the Veterinary Nursing programme, because she knew that’s what she wanted to do.

While she was at school she had to do some extra assessments and credits to qualify to enrol at EIT.

“I did a few extracurricular assessments in my English class to have the right amount of credits. I had a couple of meetings with the coordinator before that and she gave me some help with working it out.”

“I love animals and I have an interest in the anaesthetic side of things and looking after the patients. I grew up watching the Irwins so my dream job is to work at a zoo with exotic animals, but the first step is doing small animals before you get to the large animals.”

“I’m on my second work experience placement at the moment where I get put in a clinic and it’s making me realise that I definitely want this career. I love to look after and monitor the sick animals and make sure that they get better.”

Bayle’s first placement was at a Vet Clinic in Hastings, while she is now experiencing things on the frontline at a clinic in Hamilton.

Her love of animals stems from her time growing up on a farm in Eskdale.

“When I was a little kid, I was always out in the paddock playing with the animals. We would bring in the orphaned lambs and baby goats to look after them. So, I’ve grown up my whole life around animals and loved looking after them.”

“I’ve also volunteered at Riding for the Disabled and SPCA, so when I decided to go into veterinary nursing, it certainly did not feel like a job. I could happily do it free and go volunteer, because that is what it is all about.”

Bayle says she is loving the programme and particularly enjoys the interaction with lecturers, who she says are keen to pass on their knowledge to students.

“I do want to go all the way to my Bachelor’s degree. Obviously, I’m just at the start of it, but I definitely know that I’m going to continue with it for sure.”

“I came into this programme knowing some things, but not a lot. But, I have learnt so much in my lectures and on my placement. This programme really sets you up well for a good career.”

Emma Martin, EIT’s Veterinary Nursing Programme Co-ordinator & Lecturer said: “As Programme Coordinator for the veterinary nursing programmes at EIT, I first met Bayle in 2023 at our temporary offices on Vautier Street. At the time, she was still in school, working through her NCEA journey. “

“We had a great conversation about her potential career options, and it was clear that Bayle was passionate about animals, providing care, and showing compassion to both pets and their owners. After discussing the academic entry criteria, Bayle returned to school with a clear goal, and we were delighted to welcome her into the veterinary nursing programme this year.”

“Since joining, Bayle has demonstrated herself to be a keen and eager learner, always striving to deepen her understanding of the many concepts we teach. She has been making the most of her learning opportunities, both in the classroom and during her work placements. We are thrilled to see her continued focus and enthusiasm as she pursues her studies and works towards entering the veterinary nursing profession.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Consumer law reform: consumer protections gain momentum with latest announcements
Source: Allens Insights

Stronger guarantees, AI rules and ban on unfair trading 10 min read

The Federal Government has signalled its commitment to advancing major consumer law reforms with three key announcements this week that included proposals to strengthen consumer guarantees, ban unfair trading practices and introduce artificial intelligence (AI) specific protections—all of which could significantly alter the landscape for both suppliers and manufacturers.

With Government seeking feedback on these reforms, companies should stay informed and actively engage in consultation processes to ensure any changes are fit for purpose and take into consideration relevant business concerns. In addition, companies should consider how these proposals could impact their businesses and take steps to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

In this Insight, we provide an update on the proposals so far and their potential implications for business.

Key takeaways
- Treasury is seeking feedback on updates to the consumer guarantees regime, including civil prohibitions and penalties for suppliers or manufacturers that fail to provide remedies for consumer guarantees, and for manufacturers who fail to indemnify suppliers as required by the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
- The Prime Minister’s office has announced plans for a ban on unfair trading practices, though details on the specific legislation are still pending. The ban is expected to include a general prohibition on unfair trading practices, along with specific prohibitions against issues like drip pricing, subscription traps and misleading online practices that create a false sense of urgency.
- Treasury is seeking feedback on whether it should expand the ACL to cover AI-specific consumer law issues, including mandatory guardrails with specific requirements for AI-related consumer products and services and reforming remedies to better suit defective AI-enabled goods and services.
Moves to strengthen the consumer guarantees regime

On 16 October 2024, the Government announced plans to introduce new civil prohibitions and penalties for breaches of the consumer guarantees and supplier indemnification (CGSI) provisions of the ACL. The announcement was accompanied by a Consultation Paper seeking stakeholder feedback on how the proposed prohibitions and penalties should be designed.

This announcement builds on a consultation undertaken in 2021 on ways to improve CGSI provisions of the ACL and incorporates findings from the 2023 Australian Consumer Survey, including that consumers find it difficult to obtain remedies for consumer guarantees failures. The Consultation Paper notes that:
- for low-cost goods, consumers are less likely to enforce their statutory rights when it is cheaper and easier to ‘just buy another one’ or to pay for a repair; and
- for high-value goods, consumers may struggle to understand the process involved in making a complaint and/or find it prohibitively time-consuming, costly or difficult to pursue one.
The proposed reforms seek to respond to a range of concerns with the status quo, including that:
- the difficulties outlined above mean costs can be transferred from a non-compliant supplier or manufacturer to a consumer and lead to poorer outcomes for consumers and the economy;
- suppliers and manufacturers lack incentives to comply with the consumer guarantees; and
- some suppliers may also face difficulties obtaining indemnification from manufacturers and/or face retaliatory behaviours if they seek to be indemnified.
The Government is seeking to respond to the concerns outlined above by introducing reforms that would:
- prohibit suppliers from refusing to provide remedies to consumers where there has been a major failure under the consumer guarantees (remedy failure prohibition);
- prohibit manufacturers from failing to indemnify suppliers;
- make it unlawful for a manufacturer to retaliate against a supplier for seeking indemnification following a consumer guarantees failure; and
- introduce civil penalties for contraventions of the prohibitions above, as well as an ability for regulators to issue infringement notices or pursue litigation where they have reasonable grounds to believe a contravention has occurred.
The Consultation Paper notes that the introduction of these prohibitions would enable ACL regulators to enforce the CGSI provisions in circumstances where rights are currently only enforceable by affected consumers and businesses. The Paper also acknowledges a submission made by the ACCC that, if regulators were able to take direct enforcement action, this would likely lead to greater judicial consideration of the consumer guarantees and result in greater clarity in the law.

Key issues the Government is seeking feedback on include:
- whether any aspects of the consumer guarantees need to be clarified prior to the introduction of prohibitions and penalties, noting concerns have previously been raised regarding whether penalties are appropriate in circumstances where concepts such as ‘reasonable consumer’ and ‘major failure’ are difficult to apply in practice;
- whether the remedy failure prohibition should apply to all goods and services or whether a value threshold should be applied and/or only be applied to new motor vehicles;
- at what amount an infringement notice or maximum civil penalty should be set; and
- if it is appropriate to factor in depreciation when determining an appropriate refund amount, noting that, at present, where there has been a major failure, a consumer is entitled to a replacement or full refund even where they have had the benefit of the use of a product for an extended period of time.
Treasury will engage with targeted stakeholders on the proposed design of the civil prohibitions and penalties and is seeking public feedback by Thursday 14 November 2024.

Anticipated ban on unfair trading practices takes shape

On Wednesday 16 October 2024, the Prime Minister’s office announced it will legislate a ban on unfair trading practices. The announcement is long awaited and follows the Federal Treasury’s consultation on the introduction of such a prohibition, which took place between August and November 2023 (the 2023 Consultation). The ACCC has previously recommended that an unfair trading practices prohibition be introduced into the ACL in a number of contexts, including the final report of the 2019 Digital Platforms Inquiry.

The Government’s media release states that the reforms are about ‘easing the cost of living and getting a fair go for consumers and suppliers’. It non-exhaustively identifies the following practices that the reforms will address:
- subscription traps: arduous and confusing steps that make cancelling a subscription difficult;
- drip pricing: practices where fees are hidden or added throughout the stages of a purchase;
- deceptive or manipulative online practices: practices that aim to confuse or overwhelm consumers, omit or hide material information, or create a false sense of urgency (such as warnings that a customer only has limited time to purchase a product);
- dynamic pricing: changing the price of a product during the transaction process;
- accounts and information provisions: requiring consumers to set up an account and provide unnecessary information to make an online purchase; and
- reporting of issues: making it difficult for a consumer to contact a business when they have a problem with a product or service.
The Government is yet to release any specific legislative drafting or design for consultation and has foreshadowed a final reform proposal in the first half of 2025.

Enhancing Australian consumer law to address AI

On 15 October 2024, Treasury released a Discussion Paper which examines whether the ACL remains fit for purpose to protect consumers from the potential harms of the use of AI. The ACL currently contains a combination of both general and specific consumer protections which are technology-neutral, and Treasury is consulting on whether any changes to the ACL targeted specifically towards AI-enabled goods and services are necessary.
Treasury has indicated that new and targeted consumer protections may be introduced:

Specific prohibitions on false and misleading representations in relation to AI and emerging technologies. Treasury raised concerns in relation to the opacity of AI systems and difficulty in predicting AI system behaviour, such as erroneous output and unwanted bias, which may increase the risk of false or misleading representations about AI-enabled goods and services, and misleading and deceptive conduct in general. In light of this, Treasury is considering whether specific prohibitions in relation to false and misleading representations, targeted towards AI-enabled goods and services, are necessary to ensure the ACL is fit for purpose in the future. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took law enforcement action in the United States against the alleged use of AI technology in a deceptive and unfair manner.

Specific consumer guarantees provisions targeted towards AI and emerging technologies. Treasury has considered views that the unique characteristics of AI may require new consumer guarantees, eg guarantees relating to cybersecurity, interoperability and the provision of software updates for a reasonable period. Treasury acknowledged that some cybersecurity risks of certain AI-enabled goods will be captured by the Government’s ongoing 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, but it is still considering the need for bespoke consumer protections for digital products overall, such as those adopted in the United Kingdom under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (UK).

New product safety standards targeted towards AI and emerging technologies. There are currently no mandatory AI-specific safety standards for consumer goods or product-related services, and Treasury is assessing whether current safety standards (which include the current Voluntary AI Safety Standard) effectively guarantee the safe and responsible use of AI-enabled goods and services. Treasury is considering options for mandatory guardrails in this consultation. See our Insight on preparing for voluntary AI standards and mandatory legislation for more information.

Prescriptions under the unfair contract terms (UCT) regime. Treasury has noted stakeholder concerns about the possible risks to consumers arising from terms that exclude supplier and manufacturer liability in relation to AI-enabled goods and services, and is currently considering whether such terms (and similar) should be deemed as UCTs.
Treasury has flagged that there is a need for greater clarity in the ACL in relation to AI and emerging technologies, due to the technology-neutral nature of the current language of the ACL. In principle, the existing general ACL framework should be able to address AI-related concerns, but there is uncertainty over the following issues:

The definition of AI-enabled goods and services, and whether this fits within the current definitions under the ACL. Whether something is a ‘good’ or a ‘service’ affects the remedies available under consumer guarantees, particularly considering the specific liability imposed on manufacturers of goods with safety defects. AI-enabled goods and services are generally a ‘mixed supply’ of goods and services, but consumers cannot claim for both a faulty good and service arising from a single transaction. Treasury is seeking to clarify this distinction for consumers in the context of AI-enabled goods and services.

Potential limitations of principles-based consumer guarantees. The current consumer guarantees regime contains a range of principles-based provisions that include concepts such as ‘fitness for purpose’, ‘acceptable quality’ and ‘due care and skill’. Treasury has received concerns that it is unclear how these principles-based standards may apply in the context of AI-enabled goods and services. An example is the concept of ‘durability’, which is currently set out under the ACL as a factor for assessing the acceptable quality of a product.
Treasury has identified particular difficulties that consumers may face when accessing remedies related to AI and emerging technologies. It noted the following concerns regarding the applicability of a manufacturer’s liability for goods with safety defects (as under the ACL) in relation to AI-enabled goods and services:

The evidentiary burden of establishing a causal link between the safety defect and consumer loss and damage. The specific characteristics of AI systems, such as opacity, autonomous behaviour and complexity, may make it more difficult for consumers to meet this burden of proof. Treasury is considering approaches from other jurisdictions, such as that in the EU under the proposed AI Liability Directive, which includes a ‘presumption of causality’ where a number of conditions are met, shifting the onus to manufacturers to demonstrate that no causal link to consumer loss or damage exists.

Defences available to manufacturers. There is a concern that the current defences listed under the ACL available to manufacturers may not be appropriate for AI-enabled goods and services. For example, the defence that the safety defect did not exist at the time that a good was supplied reflects a traditional position that manufacturers retain little or no ongoing control over the goods that they supply, which is not always applicable to AI-enabled goods and services.
The deadline for stakeholder feedback and written submissions on Treasury’s review of AI and the ACL is Tuesday, 12 November 2024.

MIL OSI News –
January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Cybercrime week at Europol: European Cybercrime Conference and the 10th anniversary of the J-CAT

Source: Europol

European Cybercrime ConferenceHeld from 16 to 17 October, Europol’s European Cybercrime Conference provided a platform for discussing the latest trends and challenges in cybercrime.More than 460 participants from 82 countries attended, including law enforcement officials, cybersecurity experts, and industry representatives, all focused on bolstering Europe’s security and resilience in the face of growing cyber threats.This year’s conference featured five key…

MIL Security OSI –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Knightly romance and medieval flavor: Polytechnic students held the “Lonely Tower Tournament”

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

If there is a tower somewhere, then one day a valiant knight must appear next to it to save the princess imprisoned at the top. This idea was in the air at Polytechnic University, and it almost came true.

Last Saturday, the autumn park of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University was transformed, immersed in the atmosphere of a medieval knight’s tournament.

A similar event was held here only once before as part of an all-Russian project – in 2021 In honor of the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky, “Military Fun” was held in the Polytechnic Park. But for the first time, a medieval knight’s tournament was organized by the students themselves – activists of the role-playing club “Engineering Alliance” at the military-historical club “Our Polytechnic”.

“The idea of holding such an event came to us under the impression of the unforgettable Medieval Days in Vyborg,” said the head of the Engineering Alliance RC, fourth-year student of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology Daniil Porozov. “It was there, among archery, photo sessions in armor and the general atmosphere of knightly aesthetics, that I had a dream to participate in a real knightly tournament, to fight for the favor of beautiful ladies. This desire became the basis for the project, which came to life in the Lonely Tower Tournament.”

Along with Daniil, the event was inspired by IBSiB student Polina Tenitskaya. And all other participants in the medieval modeling club actively helped — more than thirty people. Photographers transferred knightly aesthetics to posters, artists developed and created unique stickers and badges. Club activists assembled a model of a mantlet — a mobile protective wall — and a trebuchet — a medieval siege weapon — from scratch. This design is not just decoration, but a fully functional weapon that has passed tests for strength and accuracy.

“Assembling wooden structures such as the mantlet, trebuchet and set pieces was a real challenge, which we all coped with together. And the guys get their costumes and weapons in different ways,” said Daniil Porozov. “Some order from experienced blacksmiths, some buy from older comrades. Some participants sew clothes and bags themselves. And Vladimir Suvorov, for example, made a full set of knightly armor himself!”

The staff of the Polytech Tower provided invaluable assistance in organizing the event, and the guys from the Historical Dance department of the Our Polytech All-Russian Cultural Institution and the Board Games Guild provided entertainment for the guests, creating an atmosphere of celebration.

The central event was, naturally, a knight’s tournament on a specially equipped lists. Spectators crowded around, cheered for their own and inspired them to victories. The armor rattled, constrained movement, it was hot in it, but the guys tried to be worthy of their distant ancestors and behave with honor. The tournament judges, as expected, were beautiful ladies: if the fight ended in a draw, the courtesy of the knight and how worthy he showed himself during the duel were assessed.

Meanwhile, typical “medieval life” was in full swing around. At the sword station, those who wanted to could try their hand at fencing. Nearby, people were practicing archery. Less warlike guests tried to master the craft of chainmail weaving or leather sewing. Artists held master classes in birch bark painting. Those who liked to relax spent their time playing board games, and those who wanted to move around danced in a circle and learned ancient dances. It was pleasing that there were many children among the guests.

“The Lonely Tower Tournament” is not just entertainment, it is the result of a passion for history, creativity and teamwork, a vivid example of how student initiative can diversify university life, says Daniil Porozov.

Recently, the Polytechnic website published an interview in the Person section with one of the founders and former head of the medieval direction in the activities of the VIK “Our Polytechnic” Yaroslav Rusanov: “Since childhood I have been attracted to the aesthetics of medieval armor and battles”Yaroslav graduated from the university and works in his specialty, but his hobby continues to live and develop in our university, attracting more and more supporters.

Photo: Denis Yablochkov

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://www.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/student_life/knightly-romance-and-medieval-color-polytechnic-students-held-a-lonely-tower-tournament/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The government will help the Smolensk region restore the overpass in Vyazma

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Order dated October 11, 2024 No. 2825-r

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Order dated October 11, 2024 No. 2825-r

Almost 1.8 billion rubles will be allocated for the restoration of the overpass over the railway tracks in the city of Vyazma in the Smolensk region. An order to this effect has been signed.

Thanks to funding from the Government’s reserve fund, restoration and major repairs of the overpass on 25 Oktyabrya Street will begin in Vyazma in 2024. All work is planned to be completed in 2025.

The decision will allow the relaunch of an important road facility that provided transport connectivity to the city and was part of the route between the Smolensk and Kaluga regions.

Traffic on the overpass was stopped in April 2024 due to its partial destruction.

The question was approved onGovernment meeting on October 17.

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://government.ru/nevs/53032/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: What is Air Quality?

Source: NASA

Clean air is essential for healthy living, but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 99% of the global population breathes air exceeding their guideline limits of air pollution. “Air quality is a measure of how much stuff is in the air, which includes particulates and gaseous pollutants,” said Kristina Pistone, a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. Pistone’s research covers both atmospheric and climate areas, with a focus on the effect of atmospheric particles on climate and clouds. “It’s important to understand air quality because it affects your health and how well you can live your life and go about your day,” Pistone said. We sat down with Pistone to learn more about air quality and how it can have a noticeable impact on human health and the environment.

There are six main air pollutants regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and lead. These pollutants come from from natural sources, such as the particulate matter that rises into the atmosphere from fires and desert dust, or from human activity, such as the ozone generated from sunlight reacting to vehicle emissions.

Air quality influences health and quality of life. “Just like we need to ingest water, we need to breathe air,” Pistone said. “We have come to expect clean water because we understand that we need it to live and be healthy, and we should expect the same from our air.”
Poor air quality has been tied to cardiovascular and respiratory effects in humans. Short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), for example, can cause respiratory symptoms like coughing and wheezing, and long-term exposure increases the risk of developing respiratory diseases such as asthma or respiratory infections. Exposure to ozone can aggravate the lungs and damage the airways. Exposure to PM2.5 (particulates 2.5 micrometers or smaller) causes lung irritation and has been linked to heart and lung diseases.
In addition to its impacts on human health, poor air quality can damage the environment, polluting bodies of water through acidification and eutrophication. These processes kill plants, deplete soil nutrients, and harm animals.

Air quality is similar to the weather; it can change quickly, even within a matter of hours. To measure and report on air quality, the EPA uses the United States Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is calculated by measuring each of the six primary air pollutants on a scale from “Good” to “Hazardous,” to produce a combined AQI numeric value 0-500.
“Usually when we’re talking about air quality, we’re saying that there are things in the atmosphere that we know are not good for humans to be breathing all the time,” Pistone said. “So to have good air quality, you need to be below a certain threshold of pollution.” Localities around the world use different thresholds for “good” air quality, which is often dependent on which pollutants their system measures. In the EPA’s system, an AQI value of 50 or lower is considered good, while 51-100 is considered moderate. An AQI value between 100 and 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, and higher values are unhealthy to everyone; a health alert is issued when the AQI reaches 200. Any value over 300 is considered hazardous, and is frequently associated with particulate pollution from wildfires.

Air quality sensors are a valuable resource for capturing air quality data on a local level.In 2022, the Trace Gas GRoup (TGGR) at NASA Ames Research Center deployed Inexpensive Network Sensor Technology for Exploring Pollution, or INSTEP: a new network of low-cost air quality sensors that measures a variety of pollutants. These sensors are capturing air quality data in certain areas in California, Colorado, and Mongolia, and have proven advantageous for monitoring air quality during California’s fire season.
The 2024 Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) mission integrated sensor data from aircraft, satellites, and ground-based platforms to evaluate air quality over several countries in Asia. The data captured from multiple instruments on these flights, such as the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) from NASA Ames Atmospheric Science Branch, are used to refine air quality models to forecast and assess air quality conditions.
Agency-wide, NASA has a range of Earth-observing satellites and other technology to capture and report air quality data. In 2023, NASA launched the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) mission, which measures air quality and pollution over North America. NASA’s Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth Observations (LANCE) tool provides air quality forecasters with measurements compiled from a multitude of NASA instruments, within three hours of its observation.

In addition to the EPA’s website, which houses air-quality related sources, the EPA also has a platform called AirNow, which reports the local AQI across the United States and allows users to check air quality levels in their area. Pistone also recommends looking at Purple Air’s real-time map, which displays PM data taken from a crowd-sourced network of low-cost sensors and translates those measurements to estimate AQI. For those concerned about air quality, Pistone recommends checking out https://cleanaircrew.org/ for resources on indoor air quality, breathing safely with wildfire smoke, and even building your own box fan filter.
To learn more about air quality research applications, see NASA’s Applied Sciences Program’s Health & Air Quality program area, which details the use of Earth observations to assess and address air quality concerns at local, regional, and national levels. Additionally, the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (HAQAST) helps connect NASA data and tools with stakeholders to better share and understand the effects of air quality on human health.
Written by Katera Lee, NASA Ames Research Center

MIL OSI USA News –

January 24, 2025

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Order dated October 11, 2024 No. 2825-r