Source: Asia Development Bank
It focuses on depressive symptom scales and the impact of demographic, economic, social, and health factors. Although much of the differences of the results across the three countries is due to the differences in the characteristics of older people, significant unexplained differences remain. In particular, even after accounting for several factors, older people in the ROK are more likely to be depressed than in the PRC or Japan.
Source: Australian Ministers 1
The Albanese Labor Government continues to support local governments across South Australia improve road safety and reduce long-term road maintenance, with $21.7 million flowing to 34 projects under the latest round of the Special Local Roads Program.
Unique to South Australia, the program enables the state’s 68 councils to pool together a portion of their federal road funding – and distribute it through competitive grants.
This supports the delivery of high priority projects that would otherwise exceed an individual council’s capacity – with $17.9 million from this round flowing to regional and rural roads, and $3.8 million to metro projects.
Stretching from the Lower Eyre Peninsula to the Limestone Coast, projects will improve road safety, boost tourism access to key parts of the state, and help reduce congestion.
Works will include resealing and reconstruction of roads, shoulder widening, and improvements to kerbs and gutters.
This includes $993,000 to complete the third and final stage of the Billiatt Road reconstruction in the District Council of Loxton Waikerie.
As the gateway to the Billiatt Conservation Park and the main tourism route in the region, the works will seal and widen the road from 6.2 metres to 7.6 metres to accommodate increased traffic, including road trains.
Improving the safety of Hawker Street, Brompton is something the local community has long called for – with $600,000 flowing to the City of Charles Sturt to reconstruct the road, and to upgrade street lighting.
The City of Holdfast Bay will receive $200,000 to improve the safety of the emu school crossing on Partridge Street, Glenelg and to upgrade the roundabout at Colley Terrace and Anzac Highway, which will reduce congestion.
Nationally, the Albanese Government is delivering significant funding increases to support local councils deliver their priority projects.
The Roads to Recovery program is progressively increasing from $500 million to $1 billion per year, with South Australian councils receiving $395 million over five years – an increase of $153 million.
The Road Black Spot Program is increasing to $150 million per year, and $200 million per year is available under our new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program – with both programs open for applications year-round.
For more information on the Special Local Roads Program, administered by LGA South Australia, visit: http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/members/infrastructure-and-assets/special-local-roads-program
For the full list of 2024-25 funded projects, visit: https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1396195/special_local_roads_program_2024-25.pdf
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Kristy McBain MP:
“The Albanese Government continues to turn national funding into local results, by partnering with local councils across South Australia to deliver their priority road projects.
“This $21.7 million will improve the safety of local road networks across the state, making it easier to drop the kids off at school, and for tourists to experience everything that South Australia has to offer.
“We know that roads across regional South Australia are not only under more demand than ever, but critical to keeping our supply chains moving – which is why the bulk of this round’s investment is targeting high-priority regional upgrades.”
Quotes attributable to SA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP:
“We welcome any initiative designed to help councils reduce the maintenance task on local government owned roads.
“This innovative funding solution from the Australian Government will support councils in maintaining and improving South Australia’s critical local roads network – and that will provide a broader benefit that extends beyond individual council areas.”
Quotes attributable to SA Minister for Local Government, the Hon Joe Szakacs MP:
“South Australian councils, particularly smaller, regional councils, are constantly balancing service and infrastructure delivery against the growth of rates.
“Through these merit based grants councils have a chance to undertake important road improvements they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.
“This is a terrific initiative, unique to South Australia, that sees all three levels of government working hand-in-hand to deliver the best outcomes for South Australians.”
Quotes attributable to Local Government Association South Australia President, Mayor Dean Johnson:
“Councils do an incredible job improving and maintaining South Australia’s local road network, but it’s a costly process that’s reliant on support from other levels of government.
“The $21.7 million allocated through the Special Local Roads Program this year – which the LGA is pleased to facilitate for our councils – will help enhance liveability in local communities and make our roads safer and more accessible.”
Quotes attributable to District Council of Loxton Waikerie Mayor, Trevor Norton:
“The Billiatt Road project has been ongoing for several years and we’re extremely excited to enter the final stage.
“These works have been made possible by previous Special Local Roads Program funding and we’re grateful to again be a recipient under this latest round to complete the vital reconstruction of the road for our community and visitors to our region.
“Once finished, Billiatt Road will be better equipped to handle increased freight and tourist traffic, making it safer for locals, workers and visitors travelling to and from the Riverland.”
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police have taken seven youths into custody following a fleeing driver incident in east Auckland early this morning.
Counties Manukau East Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Rakana Cook, says a Police unit noticed a suspicious vehicle in Panmure just before 2.30am.
“The vehicle was not signalled to stop, but on seeing Police, the driver has taken off at speed.
“Police did not pursue, however, the Eagle Helicopter was deployed to observe of the vehicle as it headed towards Pakuranga.
“Eagle relayed the vehicle’s position to Police ground units, who successfully deployed road spikes on Ti Rakau Drive.”
At this point, the vehicle has come to a stop and all seven occupants ran into nearby bush.
“They soon ran into trouble though — they came up against a high fence that proved impossible to climb and were forced to return to the roadside,” Inspector Cook says.
“We were then able to take all seven into custody without further issue.”
The vehicle was confirmed as having been stolen in Weymouth and was recovered for its owner.
All the alleged offenders were youths aged between 11 and 15.
A 15-year-old is due to appear in the Manukau Youth Court today charged with unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle and escaping lawful custody.
Youth Aid files are being prepared for the other six youths taken into custody.
“A number of Police resources were deployed quickly and safely to the area in order to apprehend these offenders,” Inspector Cook says.
“Incidents like this are not just a concern for the Police but also for the public in that it’s invasive, frustrating and needs to stop.”
ENDS.
Tony Wright/NZ Police
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating 12-year-old Franque who has been reported missing.
Franque was last seen at her home in Manurewa on Wednesday 2 October.
Our enquiries have been ongoing, and we are now seeking information from the public.
Franque has a distinguishing birth mark on the side of her neck and head.
It’s believed she is somewhere in Whangārei, or in the south Auckland area, possibly in Manurewa, Papakura, Pukekohe or Papatoetoe.
Her family and Police have concerns for her welfare and ask anyone who sees Franque to please contact Police as soon as possible on 111.
Additionally, anyone who has further information on her whereabouts should contact Police on 105, quoting file number 241014/3703.
ENDS.
Tony Wright/NZ Police
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUIYANG, Oct. 14 — Mount Fanjing National Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Guizhou Province has been officially included in the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said local authorities in Tongren City on Sunday.
The Green List is a global program established by the IUCN in order to promote biodiversity conservation based on protected and conserved areas. It serves as a global standard for measuring the management status of such areas.
The inclusion of the Mount Fanjing National Nature Reserve in the IUCN Green List signifies international recognition of its conservation achievements and its significant role in global biodiversity conservation, according to authorities in Tongren, where the mountain is located.
The IUCN plans to announce the new list of protected and conserved areas included in the Green List for 2024 at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), which is scheduled to be held in Colombia in late October.
Mount Fanjing is a World Heritage Site that covers an area of 775 square kilometers. It not only provides an important glimpse into geological evolution in southern China but also serves as an ecological security barrier in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Mount Fanjing boasts a typical and intact ecosystem of the Central Asian subtropical primeval forests, with 7,925 species of wild plants and animals. It is home to many ancient relict plants and rare and endangered species such as Guizhou golden monkey and Abies fanjingshanensis.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Liu Cixin, Chinese sci-fi luminary and president of the newly launched Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, speaks at a forum during the China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC), held in Beijing, May 30, 2023. [Photo courtesy of the CSFC Organizing Committee]
China launched its first literary museum dedicated to Liu Cixin, a renowned science fiction writer and Hugo Award winning novelist, in Yangquan, Shanxi province, on Sunday.
While accepting the nation’s honor and unveiling the Liu Cixin Sci-fi Museum, Liu, author of the acclaimed sci-fi novel trilogy The Three-Body Problem who grew up in Yangquan, said that he hopes the museum can help the general public gain a better understanding of the sci-fi literature and develop an interest in the genre.
Located at a cultural park, the 700-square-meter museum educates visitors about Liu’s growth, his books and awards, and cultural and creative products derived from his works. Immersive projectors also create an atmosphere mimicking interstellar voyages described in Liu’s novels.
Born in 1963, Liu wrote novels that gained fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with works including The Village Teacher and The Wandering Earth.
The first volume of The Three-Body Problem was first serialized in a magazine in 2006 and eventually won Liu the Hugo Award — the top prize in sci-fi novels — for Best Novel in 2015, making him the first Asian writer to receive the honor. The second volume was published in 2008, and the third in 2010.
Altogether, the trilogy has sold more than 30 million copies, according to Zhao Jilong, head of The Three-Body Universe, which operates the franchise commercially. Zhao said the trilogy has been translated into 35 languages worldwide.
Multiple adaptations of Liu’s novels have hit the screen over the years, including the English-language 3 Body Problem TV series by Netflix this year and Three-Body by Tencent and China Central Television last year. In addition, the movie The Wandering Earth in 2019, adapted from Liu’s novel, garnered nearly 4.7 billion yuan ($660 million) at the box office.
China’s sci-fi market has also boomed following the popularity. An industry report released in April showed that the domestic market hit 113 billion yuan last year, up 29 percent year-on-year. At the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, which was held in August in Glasgow, Scotland, a record nine works by Chinese sci-fi authors were nominated for a Hugo Award.
Despite his success, Liu said that overall, Chinese sci-fi literature is not yet prosperous and still needs development, adding that the popularity of The Three-Body Problem trilogy was somewhat “by chance”.
He said he hopes sci-fi can bring readers more joy, so they can “touch the sky with their imagination and embrace the future”. However, fans may have to wait longer if they want to see something new from him.
“I’ve been trying to write, but currently it’s very difficult,” Liu said. “I would only bring out a new work that is of good quality.”
Yan Jingming, vice-president of the China Writers Association, said that the establishment of the museum is not only an homage to Liu and his works but also serves as a beacon for China’s sci-fi writers and fans.
He said he hopes it will bring like-minded sci-fi novelists together and spark more inspiration and works.
The launch was part of a weeklong sci-fi promotional event in Yangquan that also included a symposium on sci-fi literature and real-world productivity, where Liu shared his thoughts on potential immigration to Mars.
“I would love to go to Mars if it were a round trip,” Liu said, explaining that a one-way journey would not suit him as he had work to do and family members to be with on Earth.
Nevertheless, Liu said he admires Elon Musk, who has developed plans for Mars immigration.
“He’s like a person jumping out of sci-fi novels,” Liu said. “He has turned a lot of things from books to reality.”
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
The sixth World Buddhist Forum is scheduled to be held in the coastal city of Ningbo in east China’s Zhejiang Province from Tuesday to Thursday, said the organizers.
According to the press conference on Monday, representatives from the Buddhist community, experts, scholars and other guests from 72 countries and regions around the world will attend this year’s forum.
The forum aims to promote mutual respect, harmonious coexistence, and exchanges among different civilizations and beliefs, contributing Buddhist wisdom and strength to the advancement of world peace, the enhancement of human well-being, and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Jointly hosted by the Buddhist Association of China and China Religious Culture Communication Association, this year’s event will have seven sub-forums, covering topics such as the inclusive wisdom of Buddhism, its spiritual essence, the compilation of scriptures, social responsibility and cultural arts, among others.
First launched in 2006, the triennial forum has successfully organized five editions, and evolved into the largest and most influential multilateral platform for international Buddhist-related exchange and dialogue initiated by China.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
A tomb dating back approximately 5,000 years, presumed to be the grave of a prehistoric king, has been discovered at a ruins site in central China’s Henan Province, with over 350 artifacts unearthed to date.
Located in the Wangzhuang ruins in the city of Yongcheng, the tomb covers a total area of over 17 square meters, a super large size back then.
The Wangzhuang ruins belong to the middle and late periods of the Dawenkou Culture (4000 B.C.-2600 B.C.), a culture of the late Neolithic Age. Since 2023, experts from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, the Beijing-based Capital Normal University and other institutions have been jointly conducting excavations at Wangzhuang.
“The latest discovery indicates the Wangzhuang ruins are not an ordinary settlement, but rather the capital of a prehistoric kingdom,” said Zhu Guanghua, associate professor at Capital Normal University.
The tomb, measuring between 4.52 to 4.8 meters in length and 3.47 to 3.68 meters in width, features both inner and outer coffins. It contains an abundance of burial items, including over 100 pieces of pottery, nearly 200 small jade ornaments, bone tools and animal remains such as pig mandibles symbolizing wealth.
According to Zhu, the ancient tomb was once severely damaged. “The tomb owner’s remains were removed, and many significant artifacts were looted,” he said.
“Most of the tomb owner’s skeletal remains within the wooden coffin are missing, with only a few toe bones left. Small jade ornaments were scattered both inside and outside the coffin, and many stone ceremonial blades were deliberately broken,” the archaeologist added.
He noted that the findings suggest a deliberate act of tomb destruction shortly after the burial, and further research is underway to determine the reason.
This year, 45 tombs of the Dawenkou Culture were newly discovered at the Wangzhuang ruins, with 27 of them already excavated. Some of the tombs are of higher status, yielding a wealth of artifacts, and many contain pig mandibles, said Liu Haiwang, leader of the joint archaeological team.
More than 1,000 burial artifacts, including pottery and jade items, have been unearthed from the Wangzhuang ruins this year.
“The exquisite pottery, stone tools and jade artifacts vividly demonstrate the division of labor and the level of productivity at that time,” said Liu. “The richness of the burial objects is closely linked to the size of the tombs, indicating that a clear social hierarchy and class stratification had already emerged.”
What has excited archaeologists even more is that the artifacts unearthed from the latest tomb also suggest that the Wangzhuang ruins were a cultural melting pot in prehistoric times, where diverse cultures intersected and exchanged influences.
“The ancient residents were clearly influenced by the cultures of the eastern region and the central region, as well as cultural elements from the Yangtze River basin,” said Li Xinwei, deputy director of the institute of ancient history at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
According to Zhu, customs observed at the tomb, such as the burial of water deer’s teeth and the deformed occipital bone of the deceased, align closely with those of the eastern Dawenkou Culture.
However, excavations have also unveiled typical artifacts from contemporaneous Yangshao culture, such as small-mouthed pointed-bottom jars and small-mouthed shouldered jars, indicating a cultural interplay between the Dawenkou and Yangshao traditions in the region.
Archaeologists highlighted the innovative spirit and artistic prowess of the ancient inhabitants of Wangzhuang, who skillfully blended various cultural influences to create a distinct group of pottery.
“Its discoveries testify to the initial exchanges of early Chinese civilization, providing evidence for the nature of diversity of the Chinese civilization. This site offers important examples for studying the cultural fusion across different prehistoric regions,” Li said.
Source: Samsung
Samsung Electronics and KT Corporation (KT) today announced that the companies have been selected to deploy a Private 5G network for the ‘Smart Naval Port’ project by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy. This marks the first deployment of its kind at a Korean Naval base. The Navy is carrying forward with this project to improve the battleship and base operation support capabilities and achieve comprehensive base defense.
Samsung and KT have been collaborating on this project since the summer of 2024, with a goal to complete the deployment by December 2025. The companies will build a more intelligent and fully independent network infrastructure to provide seamless coverage and enhanced connectivity for the Republic of Korea Navy 2nd Fleet.
Private 5G solutions are essential to support national defense sectors, which require ultra-fast speeds and hyper-connected communications for the foolproof and effective operation management. These solutions will build a highly reliable network dedicated to the Navy, increasing security and reducing vulnerabilities.
To ensure military workplace safety and efficiency, Samsung and KT will support the Navy’s Private 5G buildout by applying smart, AI-enabled connectivity solutions and powering a variety of next-generation applications. The project will establish a comprehensive Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure that encompasses 13 different systems, ranging from uncrewed vehicle operation to armory management and ammunition depot management. Specific use cases include:
A digital twin of the smart Naval base will provide a three dimensional and high-definition digital replica of the base. This will enable an integrated management system that can also be used as a foundation for establishing strategy development. Insights gathered from the digital twin can inform decisions that will increase the resilience, efficiency, adaptability and autonomy of the Naval base.
Intelligent security monitoring will enhance the Naval base defense by introducing real-time video control of operational forces and vehicles, surveillance cameras for ammunition depots and armories, and surveillance drones, incorporated with the existing Video Management System (VMS). This monitoring will deliver a holistic view of the base and all for optimal operational response in case of an emergency event through a real-time auto screen switch.
A one-stop battleship operation management system will enable intelligent battleship operation support through all-in-one system by integrating multiple critical systems — such as navigation support, logistics management, safety management and monitoring. This comprehensive system will streamline and operationalize administrative work for the Navy personnel.
“KT will contribute to establishing a standardized system for the Republic of Korea Navy through the Smart Naval Port project,” said Jun-Ho Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Public Customer Business Unit at KT Enterprise. “We look forward to laying the foundation for the ‘Smart Naval Port’ which will improve its capability to support battleship and naval base operations.”
Samsung will provide its proven end-to-end private 5G network solution for defense, including its private network 5G SA Compact Core, indoor and outdoor radio solutions and network management software. These solutions support the mid-band (n79, 4.7GHz) spectrum, which is widely adopted for military usage.
With Samsung’s compact solution for the full stack of Private 5G that can run on a single server hardware, the Navy will benefit from quick deployments and less complex operations. Its private 5G radios will deliver improved uplink performance with optimized uplink features, designed to help government agencies upload vast amounts of data across numerous devices simultaneously.
“Samsung’s Private 5G solutions are trusted due to their dependable security, reliability and proven commercial expertise, already serving diverse private and public sectors in countries like South Korea, the U.S. and Japan,” said Simon Lee, Vice President and Head of B2B·B2G Business Development Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “In collaboration with KT, we are excited to deploy Korea’s first Private 5G at a Naval base. This project exemplifies our ongoing commitment to enhance and unlock the potential of 5G to meet every customer’s needs.”
Samsung has been actively delivering private 5G networks in collaboration with a range of sectors from hospitals, universities, construction sites to military and local government agencies.
About KT CORPORATION (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT)
KT Corporation, Korea’s largest telecommunications service provider, reestablished in 1981 under the Telecommunications Business Act, is leading the era of innovations in the world’s most connected country. The company is leading the 4th industrial revolution with high speed wire/wireless network and new ICT technology. KT launched the world’s first nationwide commercial 5G network on April 3, 2019, after successfully showcasing the world’s first trial 5G services at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in February 2018. This is another milestone in KT’s continuous efforts to deliver essential products and services as it aspires to be the number one ICT Company and People’s Company.
Source: Department of Conservation
By Erin Reilly, Save the Kiwi
Forget rattling buckets for loose change on street corners; there’s a new fundraising initiative in town for kiwi conservation, just in time for Save the Kiwi Week (14-20 October).
After a successful inaugural campaign in Auckland last year, the Kiwi Art Trail is back, bigger, better and … Buzzier?
On Monday, the Kiwi Art Trail launched in Tauranga, kickstarting a six-month roadshow around Te Ika-a-Māui.
The Kiwi Art Trail is a collection of 20+ kiwi sculptures that have been turned into bespoke pieces of art by talented New Zealanders, including Otis Frizzell, FLOX, Jing Liu, Milarky and Sarah Oostendorp.
And the best bit? When the trail ends in March, the sculptures will be auctioned and proceeds will go towards kiwi conservation.
“What kind of art and what artists are involved?” I hear you ask. Well, the trail includes an array of well-known and up-and-coming artists across multiple genres. There’s pop art, street art, floral art, surreal art … there’s even a quintessential Buzzy Bee crossed with a kiwi, designed by renowned artist duo Weston Frizzell (coming soon!).
This is artist and actress Amanda Billing’s second year participating in the Kiwi Art Trail. She says:
“The Kiwi Art Trail is a celebration of creativity and community,” Amanda says. “I feel lucky that I get to make a contribution to something meaningful through making art.
“All of the artists embrace the project in their particular way, so following the trail when they’re all on show is exciting and inspiring. And the auction at the end is a nail-biter! The Kiwi Art Trail is a great initiative that really is win-win-win: our beautiful national apteryx icon wins through the auction winnings, and everyone who gets to see them out and about is reminded of how good art is for us – how it really does make our lives better.”
One sculpture has been designed by 14-year-old Pakuranga College student Abby Taylor, who won a school competition run by principal sponsor Gallagher Insurance. Her design called “Wingless” was selected from more than 1,800 entries.
“I drew inspiration from the Māori story about how the kiwi sacrificed its wings to protect the ground,” Abby says. “I incorporated wing bones and the letters ‘INRI,’ typically found on crucifixes, symbolising self-sacrifice.”
This year, the trail isn’t heading to one but four locations: Tauranga, Napier, Whangārei and Auckland. This means there’s plenty of time for locals and visitors alike to get up close and personal with these beautiful, bespoke sculptures.
And if you thought that wasn’t local enough, here’s the kicker. At every location, two local artists are participating too. Plus, proceeds from the sale of their sculptures will go to local kiwi conservation efforts.
For more information about the Kiwi Art Trail, brought to you by Save the Kiwi and Gallagher Insurance, visit the website and follow the trail on Facebook and Instagram.
Kiwi Art Trail dates
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police have this morning charged a third person in connection with the murder of a man in Point England earlier this month.
A 19-year-old man has today been jointly charged with the murder of the 53-year-old North Shore man after he was located deceased in the middle of Point England Road at 11.15pm on Saturday 5 October.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Greaves, Auckland City CIB, says detectives executed a search warrant at a Glen Innes address this morning where the man was taken into custody.
“Three people have now been charged with the murder of this man.
“I would like to acknowledge the investigation team, who have worked tirelessly to get this result, and to thank those members of the community who have assisted our enquiries.”
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Greaves says Police are continuing to provide support to the victim’s family during this difficult time.
Police have also charged all three people with aggravated robbery.
A 21-year-old man and 22-year-old woman, who were arrested last week, have both been remanded in custody charged with murder.
The pair are scheduled to reappear in the Auckland High Court on 23 October.
The 19-year-old man arrested today will appear in Auckland District Court this afternoon.
ENDS.
Holly McKay/NZ Police
Source: National Security Agency NSA
NSA has a long history of establishing research partnerships with universities, non-profits and industry, but it reached a new milestone in 2024.
The Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) recently established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), making them the first Hispanic-Serving Institution to join the Advancing Research Innovating Solutions through Engagement (ARISE) CRADA.
As part of this agreement, UTPB students and faculty will have the opportunity to work directly with NSA researchers and liaisons on unclassified mission problems. According to ORTA deputy director said Karen Presley, this new partnership is a step forward in increasing representation of diverse students into the program.
“Diversity brings different talent, experiences, and skill sets to NSA which can lead to innovative ways of approaching problems,” Presley said. “This is a win-win for both the universities and the Agency.”
ARISE provides collaborative research opportunities to diverse, underrepresented student populations and faculty. According to Presley, it also supports NSA’s efforts to build and sustain a diverse, expert workforce that continues to provide the Nation with competitive advantages.
Presley first connected with Brian Shedd, who was then working for a public university, at a technology transfer event in 2017. They discussed collaborating on a CRADA, and although that specific agreement never came to fruition, Shedd and Presley kept in contact over the years.
Fast forward to 2024, Shedd, who is now the executive director of UTPB’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization, reached out to ORTA about the opportunity for UTPB to join the ARISE program. That initial chance conversation seven years ago turned into an impactful opportunity for NSA, UTPB, and the greater southwest Texas region, Presley said.
“It’s a testament to the idea that no interaction is too small: a brief run-in with a colleague can, years later, turn into a major collaboration,” she added.
UTPB prides itself on being a small school that thinks large and lives locally, according to Shedd.
“National security, cybersecurity, and infrastructure are all topics that are important to our region,” he said. “This partnership is unique for the university and provides an opportunity for students to get their hands on early stage technology.”
According to Shedd, the university’s business and computer science programs will start by performing market and intellectual property assessments. Eventually, they will participate in research and development to address some of the Agency’s mission problems.
“This partnership has been years in the making, and we’re excited to finally see it come to fruition,” Presley said. “I really can’t wait to see what the students at UTPB are able to achieve through this CRADA.”
NSA ORTA establishes partnerships with industry, academia, and other government agencies to help accelerate mission goals, advance science, foster innovation, and promote technology commercialization. Click here to learn more!
Source: National Security Agency NSA
Join the National Cryptologic Museum for the 10th Annual STEM Fest! Explore a world of discovery where science, technology, engineering and math come together!
Get ready for hands-on exhibits, exciting activities and industry experts that will help spark curiosity and creativity!
The NCM is partnering with the Maryland STEM Festival for the 10th consecutive year. It’s a chance to explore the latest innovations in the STEM fields and have a family fun adventure! STEM Fest is free and open to the public.
When: November 9,, 2024 10am-4pm
Where: National Cryptologic Museum
8290 Colony Seven Rd, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701
Source: National Security Agency NSA
Last month, National Security Agency (NSA) affiliates traveled to North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation to teach Native high school students about programming, cybersecurity, and robotics.
Dr. Adam Tagert from Research and Dr. Nathan BrownEagle from Cybersecurity attended NSA Day, the final day of the Sandia National Laboratory-sponsored camp at Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC)—a private tribal land-grant community college founded by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in 1972.
NSA’s diverse workforce, cybersecurity mission, and history of bringing the robots to Indian Country attracted the attention of the National Nuclear Security Administration and Sandia National Labs. Sandia then extended the invitation to NSA’s American Indian Alaska Native Employee Resource Group (AIAN ERG) to participate in the event with Tribal community colleges and universities.
NSA Day at the camp was included for students interested in future STEM or cybersecurity careers. TMCC has a strong focus in cybersecurity and is working towards accrediting a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity to add to their Associate of Applied Science program.
The first assignment of NSA Day at the camp was to program a set of robots to play soccer.
“It was inspiring to see students take a difficult challenge and the excitement that followed when they saw the robots move based on their commands and programming,” Tagert said, explaining that is the benefit of robotics. “It’s the ability to see the effect on the real world compared to changing something on a monitor.”
After a few soccer matches, where the students had the robots push a neon green foam ball into the goal, the NSA team performed a cyberattack on the robots to show that without cybersecurity, simple attacks, like a denial of service (DoS) can make cyber devices uncontrollable. A DoS is an event in which an attacker sends more information than the recipient can handle, which causes delays or missed commands.
The students then experimented by attacking each other’s robots and defending themselves with a mitigation that caused the robot to stop listening to commands over a set threshold. The students took to the final activity eagerly, which was more programming intensive than the soccer game and cybersecurity component.
This camp has appealed to Native youth in the past, even successfully attracting Native interns to Sandia National Labs over the past two summers.
“Hopefully, these students will be interested in applying for Stokes or other programs,” BrownEagle said. “Our opportunity to present just shows the impact of NSA reaching out to a broader demographic of STEM fair participants.”
BrownEagle added that a shortened version of the activity has also been presented at various national STEM conferences over the years.
“I’m grateful that Sandia recognized the value of Adam’s curriculum and invited us to bolster the region’s cybersecurity education for these Native students,” BrownEagle said.
Source: National Security Agency NSA
FORT MEADE, Md. – “It shows you how fragile life is,” mother of Flight 93’s youngest victim said with tear-filled eyes at the sight of her 20-year old daughter’s photo and purse on display at the 9/11 memorial in the lobby of the Morrison Center on NSA/CSS Washington’s East Campus.
Earlier this year, Deborah “Debby” Borza donated to NSA the purse that her daughter carried on 11 September 2001. She was recently invited to the Agency to view this memorial on what would have been her daughter, Deora Bodley’s, 43rd birthday.
Debby Borza weeps at the sight of NSA’s Flight 93 memorial in memory of her daughter.
Borza and her partner, Gregory Linden, began their visit at the National Cryptologic Museum with a guided tour from the Center for Cryptologic History Chief John Tokar and a retired NSA employee and museum docent.
After a first-hand look into the Agency’s history, Borza and Linden boarded a van to East Campus to see the 9/11 memorial.
“What a great honor to have you here,” Deputy Director Wendy Noble said as she greeted them both upon their arrival.
Noble shared with Borza how much this memorial means to NSA.
“The reason we have it in the front of the building is especially for new employees, to remember why you’re here,” she said.
The project manager of the 9/11 memorial, and other members of the Morrison Center construction team were also present for the visit.
“A lot of folks that come and work here were born after 9/11,” the project manager said, sharing how the memorial helps the workforce relate to this tragic event in history.
The co-facility manager and former Morrison Center construction manager, along with members of the Facility Management Team from East Campus, also got emotional and thanked Borza for her contribution.
Picture of Flight 93 victim Deora Bodley, and the purse she carried on 9/11 on display at the 9/11 memorial at NSA/CSS Washington’s Morrison Center.
The co-facility manager explained how Borza was instrumental in the Flight 93 memorial at NSA becoming a reality, and her visit brought it all together.
Borza was equally grateful for the time and hard work they put into the entire display, especially the piece honoring her daughter.
“To the gentlemen who built it, thank you,” she said. “Thank you for taking on that responsibility. This is amazing.”
The 9/11 memorial displays: an American flag from Shanksville, Pennsylvania; elevator tracks from the World Trade Center; limestone rubble and a partially melted laptop from the Pentagon; and Bodley’s purse, cleaned and preserved from the Flight 93 crash site.
On 11 September 2001, Borza’s daughter was entering her junior year as a French and child psychology major at Santa Clara University in California, and was returning to school after a visit with girlfriends on the East Coast. She had gone to the airport early that morning to accommodate her friend who had an early class. While Bodley was not scheduled to be on Flight 93 traveling from Newark International Airport to San Francisco, she was able to get a seat on standby.
Borza was at work when she got a tearful phone call from her daughter’s friend, saying that she had gotten on an earlier flight.
It was in that moment that Borza had an unsettling feeling, and went to a church across the street to pray. Borza recalled that she asked God, “Where is Deora?” and she heard a quiet voice respond, “She’s with me.”
Moments later, Borza got a call from the airline, and heard, “I’m sorry to inform you—” from the other line. Borza dropped the phone.
Debby Borza reads a quote at the 9/11 memorial.
Bodley dreamed of becoming a child psychologist, and was committed to community service, volunteering in high school, working with the America Reads program, and tutoring kids after school.
Since that phone call, Borza has dedicated her life to honoring her daughter and the other lives lost in Shanksville, and even relocated to Maryland to be closer to the crash site and to Washington D.C.
She has been a fixture in Congress and Shanksville since 2001 — working on memorial plans, committees, and legislation where she served on the board for Families of Flight 93 and the 9/11 National Memorial Trail.
“She’s the unofficial mayor of that place! Everybody knows her,” Tokar said as he accompanied Borza to the Flight 93 crash site.
Borza spent the day prior to the NSA visit at the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania, watching the recent solar eclipse and commemorating her daughter’s birthday.
She was asked to speak to a school group that was scheduled to be at the Tower of Voices memorial that day to highlight history and take in the experience. There, Borza and the students made memories as they ate Oreos (her daughter’s favorite snack), and got to see a scientific wonder happen before their eyes.
“Being with those kids, I felt Deora closer than ever before,” Borza said.
The Tower of Voices, a 93-foot tall musical instrument holding 40 wind chimes, stands as a landmark feature near the entrance to the Flight 93 National Memorial, located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble with Debby Borza, mother of 9/11 victim, standing in front of the 9/11 memorial at NSA/CSS Washington’s East Campus.
The living memorial creates a set of forty tones (“voices”) to remember Bodley and the 39 others who died through their ongoing voices.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” said Ms. Noble, further recognizing Borza’s tireless work to help memorialize those who lost their lives 23 years ago.
Borza replied tearfully, “I did it for her.”
Before the afternoon concluded, Ms. Noble gave Borza her personal coin.
Borza recalls how the trip to the Agency to see the final piece of her daughter’s memorial was a fulfilling culmination to an emotional week, and before leaving Borza told the crowd, “Some people say ‘Never Forget,’ I like to say, ‘Remember.’ I know for sure, Deora’s very happy.”
Source: National Security Agency NSA
The term D-Day was a shorthand expression first used in World War I to denote the date an operation was to be launched. In the earlier war, officers also used H-HOUR and M-MINUTE, but these were seldom used in World War II. Because of the scope of the 1944 operation and the momentous stakes, in common parlance, “D-Day” has come to refer primarily to the landings in Normandy.
The Germans had occupied France since 1940. When the Americans entered the war in December 1941, U.S. strategic thinking called for an immediate landing in France in conjunction with our British allies, followed by an advance to liberate the country and then press on to Berlin. Britain’s high command argued against this course of action, pointing out, correctly, that the Germans were well dug in, American forces lacked experience in combat against the powerful foe, and neither country had yet assembled the reserve of men and materiel such an effort required.
As a consequence, the Allies battled the Germans in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy – but by spring 1944, the time had come to land in France and carry the battle to the German homeland. Hundreds of thousands of American, British, and Canadian men readied to land on five beaches in Normandy, France, to face well-prepared German defensive positions.
The planning for this operation, codenamed OVERLORD, was complex, but the strategic planning staff had an important asset — SIGINT. This was ULTRA, the product of cryptanalysis of high-grade enemy cryptosystems such as the now-famous ENIGMA machine. Crucial information also was derived from decrypts of reports written by the Japanese ambassador to Germany, who had toured the beachfronts of France in the autumn of 1943.
Those who study intelligence know that ULTRA gave planners access to copious amounts of information about the German weaponry emplaced along the beaches, the order of battle of the defensive units, and the standing orders given to the defenders.
Less well known but no less important was the information on German defensive mines in the English Channel. This was a vital factor, since Britain and the United States were transporting their combat units across the channel in hundreds of ships.
ULTRA provided a great deal of data on German mine laying. Some of it came from communications of the boats actually creating the minefield, some of it came from instructions to German ships about cleared areas for their sailing. The information included types of mines used, as well as boundaries for closed and open channels.
This information allowed the Allies to select mine-free routes for the ships carrying the landing parties and identify areas where minesweeping actions would be a priority.
The official historian of British COMINT in World War II wrote, “Largely with the assistance of SIGINT, though not without much tedious analysis of it . . ., the programme was reconstructed in considerable detail — a fact which proved to be of considerable importance for the success of the landings.”
In addition to ULTRA, U.S. ground forces had tactical COMINT personnel who accompanied deployed troops and provided intelligence from low-level German or Japanese communications.
The U.S. Navy also had tactical COMINT teams aboard ships in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of War, called the Y Service, a term borrowed from British usage. One of the primary missions of these teams was to provide warning of enemy air attacks and to jam German radio-controlled bombs.
Initially, the U.S. Navy had to borrow intercept operators from the U.S. Army or the Royal Navy. In early 1944, the commander of U.S. naval forces in Northwest African waters asked the Chief of Naval Operations to send twenty-four men for training in Y Service operations. He noted that the candidates should be of good intelligence, without family ties in Axis countries, wholly trustworthy, and be thoroughly fluent in idiomatic German; if any had a knowledge of German shorthand, that would be especially desirable.
In March two officers and ten enlisted men were dispatched from the U.S. to Europe for Y Service training, which was to be provided by the British admiralty.
As Allied forces prepared for Operation NEPTUNE, the naval phase of the Normandy landings, seven naval Y teams were deployed. Three of the teams had only British personnel; the other teams had mixed U.S. and UK personnel. It was felt that training alone was insufficient for success; the U.S. had to overcome lack of experience by integration of personnel with its ally.
During the D-Day landings and afterward, the Y teams undertook twenty-four-hour coverage. This began on June 5 and continued through June 18. As one later report put it, “. . . [I]n the case of the Normandy Operation, Y service proved to be of little assistance because of the general lack of enemy aircraft and naval surface craft in the face of overwhelming Allied surface and air power.”
The Y Service teams were disbanded in January 1945. By this time, the German naval and air forces were no longer a threat to U.S. and British movement of troops and support for them from the British Isles to France.
Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, still the largest amphibious attack conducted in the face of an armed enemy. The sacrifice in life by British, Canadian, and American troops was heavy on this day in 1944, but the successful landings truly marked the beginning of the end for Adolph Hitler and Nazism.
Source: National Security Agency NSA
NSA Research invited leading university research institutions across the country to the National Cryptologic Museum for a day-long event to tackle the ongoing challenge of securing critical cyber systems.
The Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research sponsored the Science of Security (SoS) Virtual Institute (VI) kick-off meeting earlier this year. It was aimed at advancing foundational research in three key areas: Trusted Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, and Defensive Mechanisms.
These three VIs facilitate collaboration of industry and academic communities with NSA research liaisons, and align with the Research Directorate’s mission to anticipate technological advances, prevent disruptive technology surprise, and partner to transition research into operational outcomes, according to Dr. Rita Bush, chief of the Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research.
Bush provided opening remarks and expressed her admiration of the SoS partnerships with academia.
“I am truly honored to welcome the university researchers to our latest version of the Science of Security program. SoS has a long history of sponsoring innovative unclassified research at great universities,” Bush said. “I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to continue this program, and introduce a new generation of students to the kinds of cybersecurity challenges that we face in protecting National Security Systems.”
In 2012, the Research Directorate began funding academic “lablets” focused on the development of a broad, self-sustaining community effort to advance the science of security. The lablets were small multi-disciplinary labs at universities across the country that perform cybersecurity, to underpin advances in cyber defense.
“Building these relationships is so important because the foundational research and results of the projects will help drive improvements in cybersecurity,” SoS Program Manager Shavon D. said. “The students at these institutions are working on hard research problems that align with our Agency’s strategic goals and with the interests of the Government as a whole.”
This year, lablets were replaced by VIs, a new model that will continue in the spirit of foundational research they established while also allowing projects to be added or retired as the knowledge in various topic areas advances.
Research advancements from each VI will be extensively documented and widely distributed through the SoS Virtual Organization (SoS VO), an online unclassified repository for SoS community awareness, directed toward the maturing of the scientific basis for security.
This year, the SoS team hosted principal investigators (school representatives) from Arizona State University, the International Computer Science Institute, University of Kansas, Ohio State University, Towson University, and Vanderbilt University. Their presentations addressed wide-ranging technical topics from the VIs including “Improving Safety and Security of Neural Networks” (AI and Cybersecurity), “Advancing Security and Privacy of Bluetooth IoT” (Trusted Systems), and “Neurosymbolic Autonomous Agents for Cyber-Defense” (Defensive Mechanisms.) There are currently 11 funded VI projects this year, including projects with Carnegie Mellon University, which was awarded a contract after the kickoff meeting.
“Our research universities are a national treasure, and I want you to be aware of the impact of your work and the work of Science of Security,” said Dr. Glenn L., Acting Technical Director, Laboratory for Cybersecurity Research, during his closing remarks.
Glenn shared how one of the sections in the White House’s Office of Science, Technology, and Policy 4-year Cybersecurity R&D Strategy was influenced by a Science of Security project out-brief. “Your work can have outsized impact; impact in ways that we didn’t initially imagine, informing a broad range of cybersecurity research.”
For more information about the SoS initiative and to view this year’s SoS-VI projects, please visit http://www.sos-vo.org/research#lablets.
Interested in learning more about joining NSA’s mission? Visit NSA.gov/Careers for more information.
Source: National Security Agency NSA
FORT MEADE, Md. – Joe K never had to worry about wearing his hearing aid to work at NSA buildings—until he upgraded his device a few years ago.
Joe, who is now the People with Disabilities Employee Resource Group (PWD ERG) Deaf and Hard of Hearing Subcommittee (DHHSC) chair, formerly used an analog hearing aid, which didn’t present a security risk. When he upgraded, he didn’t realize it was a problem until he was approached by a colleague wondering about the process for his new device to be approved by NSA Security & Counterintelligence (S&CI).
“Using hearing aids can be second nature, like putting your glasses on. Sometimes you don’t think about the technology behind it,” Joe said. “Many of us [deaf and hard of hearing affiliates] weren’t aware of the security requirements to bring them in NSA buildings.”
Starting in 2019, hearing aids began incorporating “hands-free calling,” a two-way audio Bluetooth technology. The new technology, however, presented an increased security threat to NSA — the potential for the transmission of classified conversations outside of a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF).
The issue with hearing aid technological improvements eventually brought together a number of stakeholders — including NSA Security & Counterintelligence (S&CI), NSA Research, and a Walter Reed Medical Center audiologist with close ties to the Veterans Administration (VA). The goal was to figure out how the deaf and hard of hearing community could take advantage of the new technology without compromising security.
“The reason manufacturers are putting two-way audio Bluetooth in hearing aids is because it improves audio quality. It allows people to hear and speak through phone calls more clearly without holding the phone up to their ear and mouth,” said Jason B, technology officer for the PWD ERG DHHSC. “In the past, many hearing aids included a one-way Bluetooth feature which did not pose a threat. But lately, the two-way audio Bluetooth feature is being added as standard in all hearing aids, and that is where it became pretty problematic.”
Some jobs at NSA specifically require keen hearing to listen to and translate audio samples. Without the support of a hearing aid, some affiliates would be unable to perform their jobs successfully, Jason explained.
“I met with the chief of S&CI to brief him on the importance of hearing aids and how they allow members of the DHH community to do our jobs,” Jason said. “Mitigating security risks of modern hearing aid devices is essential because there are currently thousands of NSA employees with both diagnosed and undiagnosed hearing loss, and potentially thousands more that could be impacted in the future.”
S&CI’s Office of Physical Security conducted some initial testing of devices equipped with this new two-way audio Bluetooth technology and determined the new hands-free calling feature would, in fact, introduce a wireless microphone into a SCIF, presenting a big security challenge.
“Mitigations were being considered to address the new challenge but the COVID pandemic intervened,” said Heather J, technical director in S&CI’s Office of Physical Security. “We were working hard because we knew this was important, but we couldn’t rush something that could have such serious implications.”
As denials of hearing aid applications began to pile up, some of the Agency ERGs stepped in to advocate on behalf of the affected workforce, according to Jason. The American Veterans ERG (AV ERG) raised the recurring denial concerns to the PWD ERG.
Around the same time as the spike in hearing aid denials at NSA, an audiologist from Walter Reed Medical Center noticed a large number of her VA patients were returning new devices she had prescribed due to their inability to wear them at work. The audiologist contacted S&CI to gain insight into the problem, and S&CI engaged Research’s Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research (LACR) to help find a solution.
One of the biggest challenges with assessing medical devices with two-way audio Bluetooth is that most of the information about the devices is proprietary, according to Stephanie P, Internet of Things (IoT) Security team lead for LACR’s Trust Mechanisms office.
“We were really fortunate that the audiologist worked closely with Veterans Affairs and had connections with the six major companies that manufacture hearing aids,” Heather said. “She was able to provide context to them on the hands-free Bluetooth feature, share the challenges it presented to employers, and discuss potential solutions.”
When a new hearing aid needed to be evaluated, the LACR team was there with its tailored test scenarios, Stephanie explained.
“We provided detailed testing reports and vulnerability analysis, empowering senior leadership to make informed decisions on which devices to allow into our secured spaces,” she said. “One of the largest hearing aid manufacturers offered a disablement mitigation,” by programming software into its devices that would allow only the audiologist to deactivate the two-way audio Bluetooth feature. The user would still have the benefit of streaming the audio, one-way, directly into their hearing aid without external transmission.
“This viable mitigation was a monumental first step in ensuring NSA affiliates could have access to the latest advances in smart medical technology while at work,” said Stephanie, explaining Research doesn’t normally do this type of work but was pulled in to lead the Bluetooth assessment because of its expertise in IoT security.
In early 2023, the Agency announced it would allow this company’s Bluetooth hearing aids in SCIFs after going through the approval process.
The challenge of these two-way audio Bluetooth medical devices isn’t limited to NSA, according to Heather, who has been partnering with Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to address concerns across the Intelligence Community.
“I wrote the current [NSA hearing aid Bluetooth mitigation] policy and am currently working with ODNI to write the medical device policy, which will apply to the entire Intelligence Community,” Heather said.
Both Heather and Stephanie are thrilled at the progress that has been made.
“I am extremely happy and proud that I was able to play a part in allowing certain Bluetooth enabled hearing aids into NSA SCIFs,” Stephanie said. “It is fantastic that this work is enabling employees with hearing loss to be able to take advantage of the latest advancements in hearing aid technology while they’re at work.”
“Balancing the needs of our workforce with the security of our facilities is getting harder as technologies get more advanced,” Heather agreed. “We’re really excited to have a way forward for this hearing aid feature, and we’re continuing to look at novel ways to mitigate new and emerging technical threats to maximize our ability to permit the latest and greatest in technology without compromising our missions.”
NSA Media Relations
MediaRelations@nsa.gov
443-634-0721
Source: National Security Agency NSA
FORT MEADE, Md. – A buzz is reverberating throughout the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) about the National Security Agency (NSA).
Word has spread that the Agency’s new Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (CCC) offers no-cost cybersecurity services, and businesses are signing up in growing numbers, according to CCC Chief Morgan Adamski: “Companies see the value not just for their bottom line, but also for national security.”
Established in 2020, the CCC embraces one of NSA’s primary strategies for cybersecurity: scaling public-private partnerships empowered by insights derived from foreign signals intelligence.
To date, more than 1,000 industry partners have signed up for CCC services. These companies have broad and deep reach, ranging from major service providers that can harden billions of endpoints to small businesses that provide critical components to the nation’s most sensitive systems.
Working together with the CCC as the bridge, NSA and its partners are sharing insights and building a comprehensive threat picture that is mutually beneficial.
Small businesses make up the majority of the DIB supply chain (70%). These small businesses have access to sensitive Department of Defense (DoD) information, but often don’t have the technical expertise or other resources to defend their networks against a sophisticated nation state threat, said Bailey Bickley, NSA’s DIB Defense Chief.
“These companies are an attractive target for our adversaries who are seeking to steal U.S. intellectual property in order to build their own military capabilities and economies,” said Bickley. “We don’t expect small businesses to defend against nation-state threats alone. It’s in NSA’s and DoD’s best interests to help.”
Mike T. is the founder and owner of a small defense contractor that manufactures critical components for national security systems. When he recently learned that his company’s network contained slight misconfigurations, he jumped on the issue and reached out to NSA for help.
“We don’t want people finding a backdoor and stealing drawings and next thing you know, we are on the hook,” he said.
Analysts at the CCC were able to enroll Mike’s company in NSA’s DIB Cybersecurity as a Service (CSaaS) offerings. As a result, the company received technical assistance to help improve his company’s network security. This included enrollment in a Protective Domain Name System (PDNS) service, which blocks users from connecting to known malicious or suspicious domains by running them through a filter —composed of commercial threat feeds and a unique threat feed provided by NSA — prior to resolving them. The integration was “seamless” and took 15 minutes, he said.
Further, the networks for Mike’s company are now hardened against malicious nation-state actors who could steal its intellectual property, putting the nation’s insights and investments at risk.
“As a small business, we don’t have the unlimited resources that the big players have, so we appreciate anything that gives us an edge,” said Mike, whose workforce numbers between 8 and 32 people depending on production cycles. “It is one less thing to think about, one less expense, and one less worry.”
NSA also benefits by receiving DNS data that the CCC is able to run custom analytics over to better understand ways nation-state actors are targeting the DIB, and then, defend against them.
The service is processing 70 million DNS queries a day and has blocked billions of malicious queries to date, including ransomware activity and known nation-state spear phishing, malware, and botnets, according to statistics compiled by the Cybersecurity Directorate’s DNS provider.
PDNS is just one part of the CCC’s suite of services offered to the DIB that the DoD funds. Other core services provided by the DIB Defense Team are Attack Surface Management — gaining an adversarial view of a company’s network and then finding and fixing issues — and Threat Intelligence Collaboration — staying ahead of the adversary by receiving non-public, DIB-specific NSA threat intelligence.
Attack Surface Management helps customers prioritize patching by providing an inventory of internet-facing assets, running vulnerability scans across those assets to determine where they may be vulnerable, then prioritizing results based off which vulnerabilities are under active exploitation.
Two newer authorities, delegated by the Secretary of Defense and the DoD Chief Information Officer, underpin the CCC’s ability to engage in bilateral information sharing with companies: the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act Section 1642b, and the 2020 DIB Delegation of Authorities.
Companies with active DoD contracts are encouraged to learn more about the CCC and enroll in NSA’s DIB Cybersecurity services. Get started by filling out a Cybersecurity Services Contact Form.
NSA Media Relations
MediaRelations@nsa.gov
443-634-0721
Source: National Security Agency NSA
FORT MEADE, Md. – After months of preparation and three days of elaborate and challenging cyber operations, the U.S. Military Academy has emerged as the champion of the sixth annual NSA Cyber Exercise (NCX).
The battle for the coveted NCX trophy included participants from the U.S. service academies and senior military colleges, who competed alongside individuals from multiple NSA professional development programs. A team from USCYBERCOM’s Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) participated in a For Exhibition Only (FEO) status. All team members rose to the challenge, applying their technical, collaborative, and critical thinking skills to simulated scenarios they can expect to encounter throughout their cyber careers.
“Agility and adaptability have been and will continue to be keys to our success,” Maj Gen Matteo Martemucci, deputy chief of the Central Security Service said during his welcome message “Remain alert, focused, and trust your training. This is what we prepare for.”
The U.S. Air Force Academy placed second, while the University of North Georgia finished third, beating out the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the senior military colleges, including Norwich University, Texas A&M University, The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech. NSA’s Cybersecurity Operations Development Program (CSODP took first amongst the development programs.
This year’s NCX was the first hybrid competition since the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing institutions to participate in person or virtually.
Teams engaged in offensive cyber activities against a fictional adversary that attacked a satellite downlink. Exercises focused on active attack and malware, software development, and cybersecurity policy. These, along with the final attack-and-defend cyber combat exercise, challenged participants to use their creativity and collaboration skills to prevail against complex cyber threats.
“The competition is more than a trophy,” said Kenneth Allison, associate director of the Hollingsworth Center for Ethical Leadership at Texas A&M University, whose team competed in this year’s contest. “The additional knowledge and exposure to real-world challenges, the opportunities to ask questions, build confidence, and meet people that you may work with in the future – that’s what makes the NCX such a valuable part of our academic program.”
Martemucci awarded West Point’s cyber competition team members with the NCX trophy after edging out their competition in the tournament.
“Congratulations to the U.S. Military Academy,” Martemucci said during the closing ceremony. “We hope that this simulation not only deepened your understanding of the current threat environment, but also inspired you to continue to hone your skills and talents to help protect our Nation, whether in uniform, academia, government, or industry.”
This three-day, unclassified cyber competition is the culmination of the Agency’s effort to advance strategic goals by developing and testing the skills, teamwork, planning, and decision-making of future cybersecurity professionals.
“The most exciting part for me is witnessing our future leaders put their skills to use,” said NCX Program Manager Kelley Welch. “Throughout the year, and especially during the competition, planting the seeds giving students firsthand insight into the vast cyber career opportunities within NSA’s mission, and how they can apply their passions and skills to help secure our Nation’s future.”
The final cyber combat exercise required participants to work collaboratively as they applied their cybersecurity knowledge to exploit and extract data from a physical device. Strong coordination, planning, communication, teamwork, and decision-making skills were essential to each team’s success.
“I was a little intimidated at first because I assumed that we would only interact with our team members during the event,” said Joselyn Cordova-Flores, a junior at Norwich University and first-time NCX participant. “Instead, I had a chance to engage with people from NSA and different teams while working on other activities. The collaborative environment not only showed me that I have what it takes to be successful in this field, but also solidified NSA as my No. 1 career choice after graduation.”
Fostering connections across the cyber defense community in a conducive learning environment is what LT Ryan Quarry, instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, finds most rewarding about the NCX.
“This is a unique opportunity for students to network with their peers in other service academies, and other like-minded individuals who can help them reach their career goals,” he said. “In addition, the real-world scenarios give them immediate insight into their strengths and areas for development. These are two of many factors which make the NCX a premiere event for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a critical component of its cyber education programs.”
For more information on the NSA Cyber Exercise, visit https://www.nsa.gov/Cybersecurity/NSA-Cyber-Exercise/
NSA Media Relations
MediaRelations@nsa.gov
443-634-0721
Source: National Security Agency NSA
The 2023 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) concluded on January 12, 2024, with National Security Agency (NSA)/Central Security Service (CSS) affiliate contributions exceeded NSA’s goal of $1.9 million with over $2 million donated to 1,398 charities.
The CFC, led by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), enables federal employees and retirees to support people and communities in need across the country and around the world.
It is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, according to Barry Boseman, chief of State and Local Affairs.
NSA led donations in the mid-Atlantic region, which includes four states, Washington D.C., and 1,200 participating government agencies, Boseman said. The Department of Defense (DoD) total for the 2023 CFC was over $8.5 million, of which NSA contributed over 20%, and the nationwide total was $68.3 million.
“I’m incredibly proud of the contributions that our workforce made during this year’s campaign,” said Gen. Tim Haugh, Commander, USCYBERCOM, Director, NSA/Chief, CSS. “NSA remains committed to giving back to our local communities during the CFC and beyond.”
“The theme for the 2023 CFC was ‘Give Happy,’ as the CFC connected giving with happiness, showing that when federal employees give together, they are happier,” said Veronica Maylish Beckenstrater, NSA’s CFC program manager for the 2023 campaign.
William “Roy” Surrett, NSA’s lead CFC senior advocate, agreed. “Thank you again for ‘giving happy’ to important causes like helping communities recover from disasters, supporting military families, ensuring education for all, and more,” he said. “There is no better feeling than to help those in need here in our local area, across our Nation, and around the world.”
“The workforce’s dedication was vital to the success of the campaign and will bring help and hope to thousands of people as monetary and volunteer pledges go to support the missions of participating charities,” Maylish Beckenstrater said.
Keyworkers and senior advocates distributed marketing materials, spoke at town halls, and hosted events, including charity fairs, chili cook-offs, pet contests, painting parties, and bingo games to encourage the workforce to donate to causes that mean the most to them, she explained.
“It was innovative ideas like these that helped NSA exceed its goal this year and to show the community we care,” Maylish Beckenstrater added. “I can’t wait to see our workforce band together for next year’s campaign.”
Interested in learning more about joining NSA’s mission? Visit NSA.gov/Careers for more information.
Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
New Zealand Defence Force—Sinking of HMNZS Manawanui
Hon CHRIS PENK (Associate Minister of Defence): I rise to make a ministerial statement regarding the all-of-Government response to HMNZS Manawanui‘s sinking off the coast of Samoa on Saturday, 5 October. I’d also like to acknowledge the brave ship’s company and passengers, who evacuated overnight in extreme conditions, and Commander Yvonne Gray, who made the right decision to evacuate the ship. We should be incredibly proud of all of our New Zealand Defence Force personnel, who are all highly skilled and serve New Zealand without hesitation.
With the passengers and crew safe, the Government’s focus shifted to mitigating any environmental impacts. I assure this House, the people of New Zealand, and those of Samoa that we will do everything that we can. The New Zealand Defence Force is leading the all-of-Government response to this incident, named Operation Resolution, which includes support from Maritime New Zealand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Defence, and wildlife experts from Massey University. Operation Resolution involves working with Samoan authorities to understand the implications of this incident and to evaluate salvage options. Personnel have been clearing flotsam from the beach area, and navy divers are regularly assessing the ship’s position and the status of oil tanks onboard.
I’d like to express our deepest thanks to the Samoan Government for their support and patience as we assess the impact of this incident on their exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, and to the Samoan personnel who rescued the ship’s crew and passengers on that fateful Saturday night. We are also grateful for the support provided by HMS Tamar of the Royal Navy, and other partners. The defence force is investigating options to mitigate the capability loss as a result of the HMNZS Manawanui‘s sinking. The navy still has diving and survey capabilities that operate independently of Manawanui and are, therefore, still available and deployable. Further considerations, including as part of the upcoming Defence Capability Plan, will provide options for broader and longer-term solutions.
On Thursday, 10 October, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding announced the details of the New Zealand Defence Force court of inquiry into the matter. This inquiry will collect and record evidence and report on the sequence of events leading up to the loss of the ship, the cause of the grounding, the subsequent sinking, and details on notification procedures, along with injuries sustained and, of course, any environmental damage. We do know that there will be many questions, but the appropriate process does need to play out through the court of inquiry, which is being conducted strictly in accordance with the Armed Forces Discipline Act. The Government recognises the high level of public interest in the matter and will continue to keep the New Zealand public informed as new information comes to light, subject to privacy, national security, and commercial sensitivity concerns.
It is important that we do not rush to speculate on what happened and also to allow the court of inquiry process to play out. While we do not yet know what caused this terrible incident, I do wish to echo the sentiments of the Minister of Defence, the Hon Judith Collins, that we do know that the ship’s captain’s gender had no role to play in the incident. Our personnel are highly skilled, and it is a testament to their courage, comradeship, and commitment that the evacuation of HMNZS Manawanui was carried out safely—that is, with no loss of life. The Government will continue to do everything that we can to continue to mitigate the impact of this incident on Samoa and the wider Pacific.
Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
TUESDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2024
The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.
KARAKIA/PRAYERS
SPEAKER: Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the King and pray for guidance in our deliberations that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom, justice, mercy, and humility for the welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen.
Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
URGENT DEBATES DECLINED
Heated Tobacco Products—Excise Tax Cuts
SPEAKER: Members, I have received a letter from the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall seeking to debate under Standing Order 399 the decision of the Associate Minister of Health to overrule official advice regarding excise tax cuts for heated tobacco products in favour of independent advice. This is a case of recent occurrence for which there is ministerial responsibility. However, the matter does not appear to be urgent enough to warrant setting aside the business of the House. The application is declined.
Source: Australian Electoral Commission
AECMedia
Updated: 15 October 2024
Election officials from across the Pacific came together in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga last week to discuss the shared challenges of running elections in the region.
The meeting of PIANZEA – a network of electoral administrators from the Pacific Islands, Australia, and New Zealand – is happening at a particularly interesting time, with over half of the world’s population going to the polls in 2024.
The meeting was hosted by the Electoral Commission, Kingdom of Tonga, and opened by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Tonga Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, who said he was “Here to join you to open the PIANZEA 2024 Senior Officials Meeting.”
His Royal Highness observed that global transfers of power were not always peaceful and emphasised the importance of coming together in support of democracy.
Chairman of the Electoral Commission of the Kingdom of Tonga, Rt. Hon. Lord Dalgety K.C. spoke about the importance of regional forums such as PIANZEA for democracy.
“We must strive to keep their [the public’s] faith in what we do.” Lord Dalgety said.
“Democracy has prevailed in all of our countries due to meetings such as this and PIANZEA training programs.”
PIANZEA Chair and Australia’s Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Jeff Pope, said, “PIANZEA members are responding to the shared challenges all election management bodies face globally delivering elections in complex environments.”
“PIANZEA is proud of the strong and enduring partnership between election management bodies in the Pacific, and the AEC is proud of Australia’s role in supporting the Network.”
Electoral management bodies (EMBs) from 13 countries participated in the meeting, covering a range of topics crucial to the delivery of free and fair elections in the region.
Background information
The PIANZEA Network (an acronym for Pacific Islands, Australia, and New Zealand Electoral Administrators) is comprised of EMBs from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Timor-Leste (associate member). The Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner (OBEC) are included in activities.
The Network was established on 10 October 1997 in Fiji. The Warwick Declaration founding document states:
[We] hereby unanimously and collectively declare that it is indeed our joint commitment to continue and maintain in the Pacific spirit, a close association of Pacific Electoral Administrators with a view to establishing a networking arrangement to facilitate and encourage the free flow of electoral information among member countries and to provide assistance where possible.
The PIANZEA Network is deeply valued by its members, respected across the Pacific, and is looked upon as a best practice model by other regions. Through PIANZEA, the Pacific region has a strong network of electoral administrators who are promoting democracy and good governance.
The Australian Electoral Commission has managed the PIANZEA Network Program for over twenty-five years, with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
More information about the PIANZEA Network is available at http://www.pianzea.org.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, held talks with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in Beijing on Monday.
At present, dialogue in various fields between the two countries is being resumed and promoted in an orderly manner, and practical cooperation and people-to-people exchange are also becoming increasingly active, said Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, adding this is the hard-won result of both sides’ joint efforts and should be cherished.
Noting that maintaining the right perception of each other is the basic prerequisite for the development of China-Australia relations, Zhao said that China hopes the Australian side will maintain a correct understanding of China, view China’s development in an objective and positive way, respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.
He called on the two sides to consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, mining and agriculture, expand cooperation in emerging areas such as green technology, new energy and artificial intelligence, and promote a fair, open trade and investment environment.
The two sides should deepen cooperation in such fields as culture, education and tourism, as well as cooperation at the sub-national level, and actively promote exchange between the young people of the two countries, Zhao added.
He said the NPC of China is willing to work with the Australian Senate to focus on implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen friendly exchange, and exchange experience in governance, legislation and supervision.
Zhao said China is willing to share development opportunities with countries such as Australia, promote the global green transition and development, and foster an open world economy.
Australia-China relations are very important, and stable, constructive bilateral relations are in the interests of both countries and the broader region, Lines said. She noted that the members of the Senate delegation in China come from different political parties and regions in Australia, but one thing they all share is that all of them hope to see the healthy development of bilateral ties.
Noting that the stabilization and improvement of bilateral relations is encouraging, Lines said that Australia hopes the two sides will be able to promote pragmatic cooperation further in the fields of the economy and trade, the green economy, climate change, and people-to-people exchange. Open dialogue between the two sides and the improved handling of differences are conducive to achieving win-win results, she added.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
This aerial drone photo taken on May 4, 2024 shows a view of Mount Fanjing in Tongren City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Mount Fanjing National Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Guizhou Province has been officially included in the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said local authorities in Tongren City on Sunday.
The Green List is a global program established by the IUCN in order to promote biodiversity conservation based on protected and conserved areas. It serves as a global standard for measuring the management status of such areas.
The inclusion of the Mount Fanjing National Nature Reserve in the IUCN Green List signifies international recognition of its conservation achievements and its significant role in global biodiversity conservation, according to authorities in Tongren, where the mountain is located.
The IUCN plans to announce the new list of protected and conserved areas included in the Green List for 2024 at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), which is scheduled to be held in Colombia in late October.
Mount Fanjing is a World Heritage Site that covers an area of 775 square kilometers. It not only provides an important glimpse into geological evolution in southern China but also serves as an ecological security barrier in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Mount Fanjing boasts a typical and intact ecosystem of the Central Asian subtropical primeval forests, with 7,925 species of wild plants and animals. It is home to many ancient relict plants and rare and endangered species such as Guizhou golden monkey and Abies fanjingshanensis.
Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Douala – From September 29 to October 4, 2024, a major effort to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling took place in Douala, Cameroon. This initiative, named “Operation Liberterra II,” was led by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and brought together a team of nearly 30 experts. The team included police officers, judges, and government officials from departments dealing with social affairs, labor, and job training.
For six intense days, the team worked to uncover and stop groups involved in exploiting vulnerable people. They watched the city closely, checked passengers on certain flights, and looked for people who might be in the country without proper documentation. The team also carried out carefully planned raids on places they suspected were being used by traffickers.
Their hard work paid off with some disturbing but important discoveries. In total, they rescued 17 people who had been trafficked – brought into the country illegally and forced to work against their will. Among those saved were 14 women (10 from Vietnam and four from China) who had been forced into prostitution at a local brothel. They also rescued three people from Chad who had been tricked with false promises of good jobs but instead were made to work in terrible conditions.
These victims, all between 23 and 34 years old, were immediately taken to safe places. The team is now working on plans to help them return to their home countries and families if they want to.
The head of police for the region spoke about why this operation was so important. He said, “This work has finally shown everyone a problem that has been hurting our city for years. It’s a good start, but we need to do more. Douala is a busy place where many people come and go for business, which makes it easier for criminals to take advantage of people. We need to keep working to make our city safer and ensure that people are treated fairly and respectfully when they come here for work.”
The raids also showed how complex these criminal operations can be. The team found that some traffickers were pretending to run normal businesses or job recruitment agencies to cover for their illegal activities. They also identified people who were helping others enter the country illegally or bringing people in specifically to force them into sex work.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) was an important partner in this operation. They emphasized why this work matters for the bigger picture. A representative said, “We want to make sure that when people move to other countries for work, they can do it safely and legally, and that their rights are protected. This operation shows why it’s so important for companies and people who hire workers from other countries to use fair and honest methods. We’re asking everyone involved in hiring to join us in making sure this happens.”
As Douala deals with what was uncovered by Operation Liberterra II, one thing is clear: the fight against human trafficking is far from over. But the success of this operation gives hope for a safer future. It shows how important it is for different organizations and governments to work together to solve this worldwide problem. The challenge now is to build on this success and create lasting changes, not just in Douala but in communities everywhere that face similar issues.
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gunn-Helen Moen, Post-doctoral research fellow in genetic epidemiology, The University of Queensland
International guidelines recommend people limit how much coffee they drink during pregnancy. Consuming caffeine – a stimulant – while pregnant has been linked to how the baby’s brain develops.
Some studies have shown increased coffee consumption during pregnancy is associated with the child having neurodevelopmental difficulties. These may include traits linked to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as difficulties with language, motor skills, attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.
But is coffee the cause? Our new research aimed to clear up the sometimes confusing advice about drinking coffee during pregnancy.
We studied tens of thousands of pregnant women over two decades. The results showed – when other factors like genes and income were accounted for – no causal link between drinking coffee during pregnancy and a child’s neurodevelopmental difficulties. That means it’s safe to keep drinking your daily latte according to current recommendations.
Past research has identified a link between drinking coffee during pregnancy and a child’s neurodevelopmental difficulties. But it hasn’t been able to establish caffeine as the direct cause.
Biological changes during pregnancy reduce caffeine metabolism. This means the caffeine molecules and metabolites (the molecules produced while breaking down the caffeine) take longer to be cleared from the body.
Additionally, past studies have shown caffeine and its by-products can cross the placenta. The fetus does not have the necessary enzymes to clear them, and so it was thought that caffeine metabolites may impact the developing baby.
However it can be hard to identify whether coffee directly causes changes to the fetus’s brain development. Pregnant women who drink coffee may differ from those who don’t in a number of other ways. And it could be these variables – not coffee – that affect neurodevelopment.
These variables, known as “confounding factors” might include how much people drink or smoke while pregnant, or a parent’s income and education. For example, we know people who tend to drink coffee also tend to drink more alcohol and smoke more cigarettes than those who don’t drink coffee.
Our study aimed to look at the effect of drinking coffee on neurodevelopmental difficulties, isolated from these confounding factors.
We know genes play a role in how many cups of coffee a person consumes per day. Our study used genetics to compare the development of children whose mothers did and did not carry genes linked to increased coffee consumption.
The study looked at tens of thousands of families registered in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. All pregnant women in Norway between 1999 and 2008 were invited to participate and 58,694 women took part with their child.
Parents reported how much coffee they drank before and during pregnancy. Mothers also completed questionnaires about their child’s neurodevelopmental traits between six months and eight years of age.
The questions covered many traits, including difficulties with attention, communication, behavioural flexibility, regulation of activity and impulses, as well as motor and language skills.
The parents and children also provided genetic samples. This allowed us to control for genetic variants shared between mother and child and isolate the behaviour of coffee drinking.
We were able to look at causality through this method of adjusting for potential confounding factors in the environment (the mother smoking or drinking alcohol, the parents’ education and income).
The results showed no strong causal link between increased maternal coffee consumption and children’s neurodevelopmental difficulties.
The difference in findings between our and previous studies may be explained by our work separating the effect of coffee from the effect of other variables, as well as genetic predisposition to neurodevelopmental conditions.
Our study has limitations. Importantly, we were only able to rule out strong effects of coffee on neurodevelopmental difficulties, and it is possible small effects may exist.
We only investigated offspring neurodevelopmental traits, and coffee consumption during pregnancy could impact the mother or child in other ways.
However we have previously shown coffee consumption during pregnancy did not have strong causal effects on birth weight, gestational duration, risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. But other outcomes – such as mental health or a child’s risk for heart disease and stroke later in life – should be investigated.
Overall, our study supports current clinical guidelines that state low to moderate consumption of coffee during pregnancy is safe for the mother and developing baby.
For most people, that means sticking below 200mg of caffeine per day – usually equivalent to one espresso or two instant coffees – should be safe. If you have concerns, it’s best to speak to your clinician.
Gunn-Helen Moen receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Research Council of Norway.
Shannon D’Urso does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Does drinking coffee while pregnant cause ADHD? Our study shows there’s no strong link – https://theconversation.com/does-drinking-coffee-while-pregnant-cause-adhd-our-study-shows-theres-no-strong-link-241015
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Detectives investigating the assault of a pensioner in Hammersmith have released an image of a man they want to identify and speak with.
On Tuesday, 2 July at around 13:00hrs, the victim, an 85-year-old man, was attempting to board the 220 bus at Hammersmith bus station.
He stopped and held up other passengers behind him as he allowed women and children to board the bus first.
The suspect appeared to take offence to this and began verbally abusing the victim before pushing him out of the way and causing him to fall.
He was taken to hospital he was found to have broken his hip.
Anyone who can name the man in the image should call police on 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting 01/545400/24.
To remain 100% anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.
