NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI China: China ready to join Pakistan to support each other on issues concerning core interests — Premier Li

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

    China ready to join Pakistan to support each other on issues concerning core interests — Premier Li

    ISLAMABAD, Oct. 15 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Tuesday that China is ready to work with Pakistan to maintain close high-level exchanges and firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests.

    Li made the remarks during his talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

    China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers with a long tradition of friendship, as their ironclad friendship has grown stronger and fresher as time goes on, Li said.

    Under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani leaders, the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has been deepened, the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation has been fruitful, and the popular support for friendship has been ever solid, he said.

    The Chinese premier noted that China has always viewed its relations with Pakistan from a strategic and long-term perspective and always placed Pakistan as a priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy, adding that China is willing to work with Pakistan to push the China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation to new levels and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

    The Chinese side, Li said, is also ready to work with Pakistan to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, step up the alignment of development strategies, expand economic and trade cooperation, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and make further efforts to turn the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a landmark project of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation for better mutual benefit and win-win results.

    China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in the field of security, Li said, adding that the Chinese side believes that Pakistan will continue to make every effort to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan.

    For his part, Zardari said the Pakistan-China friendship enjoys a long history and is deeply rooted in the hearts of people, adding that despite constant changes in the international situation, bilateral ties have always made steady progress and always been moving to a new high.

    Noting that the Pakistani side firmly abides by the one-China principle, he said Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and Pakistan will, as always, join China in firmly supporting each other on issues regarding core interests.

    He also said that Pakistan is ready to work with China to maintain high-level exchanges, promote the construction of the CPEC, and strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure and people-to-people exchanges to better benefit the two peoples.

    Pakistan, he added, will do its utmost to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in his country.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Escalating cyber threats demand stronger global defense and cooperation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Escalating cyber threats demand stronger global defense and cooperation

    Microsoft customers face more than 600 million cybercriminal and nation-state attacks every day, ranging from ransomware to phishing to identity attacks. Once again, nation-state affiliated threat actors demonstrated that cyber operations—whether for espionage, destruction, or influence—play a persistent supporting role in broader geopolitical conflicts. Also fueling the escalation in cyberattacks, we are seeing increasing evidence of the collusion of cybercrime gangs with nation-state groups sharing tools and techniques.  

    We must find a way to stem the tide of this malicious cyber activity. That includes continuing to harden our digital domains to protect our networks, data, and people at all levels. However, this challenge will not be accomplished solely by executing a checklist of cyber hygiene measures but only through a focus on and commitment to the foundations of cyber defense from the individual user to the corporate executive and to government leaders.

    These are some of the insights from the fifth annual Microsoft Digital Defense Report, which covers trends between July 2023 and June 2024. 

    State-affiliated actors increasingly are using cybercriminals and their tools.  

    Over the last year, Microsoft observed nation state actors conduct operations for financial gain, enlist cybercriminals to collect intelligence, particularly on the Ukrainian military, and make use of the same infostealers, command and control frameworks, and other tools favored by the cybercriminal community. Specifically:  

    • Russian threat actors appear to have outsourced some of their cyberespionage operations to criminal groups, especially operations targeting Ukraine. In June 2024, a suspected cybercrime group used commodity malware to compromise at least 50 Ukrainian military devices.  
    • Iranian nation state actors used ransomware in a cyber-enabled influence operation, marketing stolen Israeli dating website data. They offered to remove specific individual profiles from their data repository for a fee. 
    • North Korea is getting into the ransomware game. A newly-identified North Korean actor developed a custom ransomware variant called FakePenny, which it deployed at organizations in aerospace and defense after exfiltrating data from the impacted networks—demonstrating both intelligence gathering and monetization motivations.  

    Nation state activity was heavily concentrated around sites of active military conflict or regional tension 

    Aside from the United States and the United Kingdom, most of the nation-state-affiliated cyber threat activity we observed was concentrated around Israel, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan. In addition, Iran and Russia have used both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict to spread divisive and misleading messages through propaganda campaigns that extend their influence beyond the geographical boundaries of the conflict zones, demonstrating the globalized nature of hybrid warfare.  

    • Approximately 75% of Russian targets were in Ukraine or a NATO member state, as Moscow seeks to collect intelligence on the West’s policies on the war. 
    • Chinese threat actors’ targeting efforts remain similar to the last few years in terms of geographies targeted—Taiwan being a focus, as well as countries within Southeast Asia—and intensity of targeting per location. 
    • Iran placed significant focus on Israel, especially after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Iranian actors continued to target the US and Gulf countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, in part because of their normalization of ties with Israel and Tehran’s perception that they are both enabling Israel’s war efforts. 
    Example of Iran’s targeting shift following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

    Russia, Iran, and China focus in on the U.S. election 

    Russia, Iran, and China have all used ongoing geopolitical matters to drive discord on sensitive domestic issues leading up to the U.S. election, seeking to sway audiences in the U.S. to one party or candidate over another, or to degrade confidence in elections as a foundation of democracy. As we’ve reported, Iran and Russia have been the most active, and we expect this activity to continue to accelerate over the next two weeks ahead of the U.S. election.  

    In addition, Microsoft has observed a surge in election-related homoglyph domains—or spoofed links—delivering phishing and malware payloads. We believe these domains are examples both of cybercriminal activity driven by profit and of reconnaissance by nation-state threat actors in pursuit of political goals. At present, we are monitoring over 10,000 homoglyphs to detect possible impersonations. Our objective is to ensure Microsoft is not hosting malicious infrastructure and inform customers who might be victims of such impersonation threats.  

    Financially motivated cybercrime and fraud remain a persistent threat  

    While nation-state attacks continue to be a concern, so are financially motivated cyberattacks. In the past year Microsoft observed:   

    • A 2.75x increase year over year in ransomware attacks. Importantly, however, there was a threefold decrease in ransom attacks reaching the encryption stage. The most prevalent initial access techniques continue to be social engineering—specifically email phishing, SMS phishing, and voice phishing—but also identity compromise and exploiting vulnerabilities in public facing applications or unpatched operating systems. 
    • Tech scams skyrocketed 400% since 2022. In the past year, Microsoft observed a significant uptick in tech scam traffic with daily frequency surging from 7,000 in 2023 to 100,000 in 2024. Over 70% of malicious infrastructure was active for less than two hours, meaning they may be gone before they’re even detected. This rapid turnover rate underscores the need for more agile and effective cybersecurity measures. 

    Threat actors are experimenting with generative AI 

    Last year, we started to see threat actors—both cybercriminals and nation states—experimenting with AI. Just as AI is increasingly used to help people be more efficient, threat actors are learning how they can use AI efficiencies to target victims. With influence operations, China-affiliated actors favor AI-generated imagery, while Russia-affiliated actors use audio-focused AI across mediums. So far, we have not observed this content being effective in swaying audiences.  

    Nation-state adversarial use of AI in influence operations.

    But the story of AI and cybersecurity is also a potentially optimistic one. While still in its early days, AI has shown its benefits to cybersecurity professionals by acting as a tool to help respond in a fraction of the time it would take a person to manually process a multitude of alerts, malicious code files, and corresponding impact analysis. We continue to innovate our technology to find new ways that AI can benefit and strengthen cybersecurity.   

    Collaboration remains crucial to strengthening cybersecurity. 

    With more than 600 million attacks per day targeting Microsoft customers alone, there must be countervailing pressure to reduce the overall number of attacks online. Effective deterrence can be achieved in two ways: by denial of intrusions or by imposing consequences for malicious behavior. Microsoft continues to do our part to reduce intrusions and has committed to taking steps to protect ourselves and our customers through our Secure Future Initiative. 

    While the industry must do more to deny the efforts of attackers via better cybersecurity, this needs to be paired with government action to impose consequences that further discourage the most harmful cyberattacks. Success can only be achieved by combining defense with deterrence. In recent years, a great deal of attention has been given to the development of international norms of conduct in cyberspace. However, those norms so far lack meaningful consequence for their violation, and nation-state attacks have been undeterred, increasing in volume and aggression. To shift the playing field, it will take conscientiousness and commitment by both the public and private sectors so that attackers no longer have the advantage.  

    Microsoft continues to share important threat intelligence with the community, including our recent Cyber Signals research looking at cyber risks in the education sector. 

    Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, China, cyberattacks, cybercrime, cybersecurity, election, elections, generative ai, Hamas, homoglyphs, Iran, Israel, malware, Microsoft Digital Defense Report, NATO, North Korea, phishing, Russia, Secure Future Initiative, Tech scams, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar to Detroit News: “News” Article Gave CCP a Pass

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar to Detroit News: “News” Article Gave CCP a Pass

    By Congressman John Moolenaar

    Chad Livengood’s recent article on electric vehicles ignored serious issues regarding the Chinese Communist Party, supply chain security, and human rights abuses while offering a case for increasing the involvement of Chinese companies in America’s auto industry that was far too optimistic. The article was also condescending to the common-sense concerns of Michigan residents. These issues affect all of us in Michigan, whether we work for an automaker or simply pay our taxes.

    The Chinese Communist Party seeks to increase America’s dependance on China as a way of controlling our country. In April 2020, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said, “we must tighten international production chains’ dependence on China.” Additionally, the CCP has identified battery technology as a “major technical domain” that it would like to dominate for years to come.

    Tragically, the EV supply chains controlled by the CCP are intertwined with human rights abuses and its genocide of a minority group known as the Uyghurs. Uyghurs are Muslims living in northwest China and the CCP has put millions of them into internment camps where they are forced into slave labor. One of the companies tied to this genocide is Gotion High-Tech, whose subsidiary wants to build a facility in the Big Rapids area. The company is receiving $715 million in state subsidies and tax breaks. 

    Michigan residents are not misguided in their concerns about CCP-affiliated companies, and having political leaders bring a spotlight to these issues is not wrong, as Livengood seemed to suggest. In fact, more journalistic skepticism of these companies would help all Michigan residents. In the case of Gotion, for example, Livengood wrote the company will bring “2,350 jobs averaging about $51,000 a year” to Mecosta County. This contradicts his paper’s reporting from April 2023, when “Gotion has said in its application for a property tax exemption, it expects an annual average wage at the facility of $61,995.”  So far, not one media outlet – including the News – has bothered to ask Gotion why it is now offering average wages $11,000 less than it promised the state legislature a year ago. CCP-affiliated companies are always changing their story, but their goal remains the same: further the CCP’s agenda and increase America’s dependence on China.

    The U.S. and our allies must compete to win. Our country invented the battery technology that China has and let it get away. Now we must develop better technology once again.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Video Available: Coast Guard medevacs 36-year-old from jetties in Galveston, Texas

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     News Release  

    U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas
    Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas
    Office: 281-464-4810
    After Hours: 832-293-1293
    PA Detachment Texas online newsroom

     

    10/15/2024 09:29 AM EDT

    HOUSTON — The Coast Guard medevaced a 36-year-old female from the Galveston Jetty in Galveston, Texas, Monday.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Bay-Westfield — RCMP seeking public’s help in connection with copper wire thefts

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP is seeking the public’s help in connection with a rise in copper wire thefts along Highways 1 and 7, near Grand Bay-Westfield.

    Since 2022, there has been a significant increase in reports of copper wire thefts across the province, posing a significant risk to public safety as it can limit access to 911 and other critical infrastructure.

    The RCMP encourages everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, for example:

    • All-Terrain vehicles in unusual areas, especially near utility poles or cell phone towers.
    • Flashlights or unusual movement around utility or cell phone towers, particularly at night.
    • Unmarked vehicles parked in areas where copper wire or metal might be stored or transported.
    • Individuals handling or transporting large amounts of copper or large industrial batteries without reason.
    • Thick black smoke as a result of melting down the wire

    The RCMP is also warning the public of the dangers of stealing copper wire. Power lines and electrical substations can contain very high voltages of electricity, which should only be handled with the right training and equipment. Vandalizing electrical equipment poses a significant safety risk, and can cause serious injuries, including death.

    Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity, or who has information related to these crimes is asked to contact their local police department. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at http://www.crimenb.ca.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: People displaced by hurricanes face anxiety and a long road to recovery, US census surveys show − smarter, targeted policies could help

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Trevor Memmott, Assistant Professor of Policy and Public Affairs, UMass Boston

    Hurricane Helene flooded homes with water and mud in Marshall, N.C. Many people will be out of their homes for months or longer. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

    The trauma of natural disasters doesn’t end when the storm or wildfire is gone, or even when communities are being put back together and homes have been rebuilt.

    For many people, being displaced by a disaster has long-term consequences that often aren’t obvious or considered in disaster aid decisions.

    We study public policy and disaster response. To get a better understanding of the ongoing challenges disaster victims face – and how officials can respond more effectively – we analyzed U.S. Census Bureau surveys that ask people nationwide about their disaster displacement experiences, as well as their stress and anxiety.

    The results show how recovery from disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and flooding involves more than rebuilding, and how already vulnerable groups are at the greatest risk of harm.

    Millions are displaced every year

    The Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey has been continually collecting data on people’s social and economic experiences since 2020. Since late 2022, it has specifically asked respondents whether they had been displaced from their homes because of natural disasters.

    Nearly 1.4% of the U.S. adult population reported being displaced in the previous year, equating to more than 3 million Americans. The most common cause of those displacements was hurricanes, responsible for nearly one-third of the displacements.

    Some groups faced a higher chance of being displaced by a natural disaster than others.

    The likelihood of displacement was above average for people with incomes of less than $50,000 (1.9% of that population was displaced), disabled people (2.7%), African Americans (2.3%) and Latinos/Hispanics (1.8%), as well as for those who identified their sexual orientation as gay/lesbian, bisexual, something else, or said that they don’t know (2.2%).

    The problems of displacement go beyond immediate evacuation. People may have to stay in temporary shelters such as stadiums, churches or disaster relief areas. During this time, they are likely unable to work and earn income. Others with nowhere else to go may return to still-damaged homes after the storm passes.

    Many people who were displaced by a hurricane faced weeks without power or lacked access to enough food, clean water or other basic necessities. After being displaced, 64% of adults said they lacked electricity some or all of the time, 37% lacked enough food, 29% lacked drinkable water, and 25% indicated that they experienced unsanitary conditions some or all of the time.

    Going without enough clean water or electricity can expose people to diseases and other health risks, on top of the stress of dealing with the damage, displacement and uncertainty about the future.

    About 36% of those displaced were out of their homes for more than one month. Nearly 16% of them indicated that they never were able to return. Vulnerable groups, especially people of color and disabled people, were least likely to return home quickly.

    Impacts on health

    Being displaced also piles on stress and creates instability. People displaced by storms may bounce among family members’ houses, hotel rooms or even vehicles as they wait to return to a home that has been damaged. They may have lost jobs or be unable to find temporary housing nearby, creating feelings of uncertainty about the future.

    People who feel that their safety or security is threatened are more likely to experience mental stress and, potentially, post-traumatic stress disorder. The effects can accumulate over time and have long-term health consequences. Chronic stress can contribute to hypertension and heart disease and make rebuilding lives even harder as people struggle with more than just the damage around them.

    The Household Pulse Survey also collects information on the symptoms of anxiety and depression that individuals experience.

    Among those who have been displaced by a hurricane, 38% indicated experiencing generalized anxiety, a much higher percentage than the 23% of the population who did not experience displacement.

    Similarly, 33% of those who were displaced experienced symptoms of major depressive disorder compared with 18% of the population who did not face displacement.

    Better policies for long-term recovery

    The survey results highlight the need to restore water and power to homes quickly after disasters. The results also point to prioritizing communities that are least able to afford being displaced.

    Studies have shown that low-income communities often wait longest for power to be restored after hurricanes. The survey shows that these communities and other disadvantaged groups also face higher levels of displacement after disasters.

    Beyond the immediate responses to a disaster, the survey suggests that federal, state and local policymakers will have to consider long-term assistance for both housing recovery and for health care.

    A young man stares at what is left of his family’s homes after Hurricane Helene flooded parts of Hendersonville, N.C., in September 2024.
    AP Photo/Brittany Peterson

    Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency primarily focuses on providing short-term disaster relief. The large majority of its disaster funding goes toward evacuation, temporary shelter for people displaced, emergency supplies, insurance and rebuilding community infrastructure. While other federal programs provide rebuilding assistance for individuals, they don’t sufficiently address the long-term challenges, in our view.

    Some ways government could help include providing targeted cash transfers to ensure vulnerable households can rebuild, investing in affordable and climate-resilient housing that can limit losses in future disasters, and funding long-term mental health services for disaster survivors at free or reduced cost.

    As the climate warms, extreme storms are becoming more common in every region of the country. That’s raising the risks and the need for policymakers to prepare communities to limit harm from disasters and recover afterward. We believe rebuilding lives will require support long term, both for building more resilient homes and infrastructure and for recovering from the trauma.

    Christian Weller is affiliated with the Center for American Progress (Senior Fellow)

    Trevor Memmott does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. People displaced by hurricanes face anxiety and a long road to recovery, US census surveys show − smarter, targeted policies could help – https://theconversation.com/people-displaced-by-hurricanes-face-anxiety-and-a-long-road-to-recovery-us-census-surveys-show-smarter-targeted-policies-could-help-241189

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple introduces powerful new iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces powerful new iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

    October 15, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple introduces powerful new iPad mini built for Apple Intelligence

    The ultraportable iPad mini is more capable and versatile than ever with the powerful A17 Pro chip and support for Apple Pencil Pro

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced the new iPad mini, supercharged by the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence, the easy-to-use personal intelligence system that understands personal context to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant while protecting user privacy. With a beloved ultraportable design, the new iPad mini is available in four gorgeous finishes, including a new blue and purple, and features the brilliant 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. A17 Pro delivers a huge performance boost for even the most demanding tasks, with a faster CPU and GPU, a 2x faster Neural Engine than the previous-generation iPad mini,1 and support for Apple Intelligence. The versatility and advanced capabilities of the new iPad mini are taken to a whole new level with support for Apple Pencil Pro, opening up entirely new ways to be even more productive and creative. The 12MP wide back camera supports Smart HDR 4 for natural-looking photos with increased dynamic range, and uses machine learning to detect and scan documents right in the Camera app.

    The new iPad mini features all-day battery life and brand-new experiences with iPadOS 18. Starting at just $499 with 128GB — double the storage of the previous generation — the new iPad mini delivers incredible value and the full iPad experience in an ultraportable design. Customers can pre-order the new iPad mini today, with availability beginning Wednesday, October 23.

    “There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design. iPad mini appeals to a wide range of users and has been built for Apple Intelligence, delivering intelligent new features that are powerful, personal, and private,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value.”

    A17 Pro Unlocks Powerful Performance

    The new iPad mini gets a major update with A17 Pro, delivering incredible performance and power efficiency in an ultraportable design. A17 Pro is a powerful chip that unlocks a number of improvements over A15 Bionic in the previous-generation iPad mini. With a 6-core CPU — two performance cores and four efficiency cores — A17 Pro delivers a 30 percent boost in CPU performance.1 A17 Pro also brings a boost in graphics performance with a 5-core GPU, delivering a 25 percent jump over the previous generation.1 A17 Pro brings entirely new experiences — including pro apps used by designers, pilots, doctors, and others — and makes it faster than ever for users to edit photos, dive into more immersive AR applications, and more. The new iPad mini brings true-to-life gaming with hardware-accelerated ray tracing — which is 4x faster than software-based ray tracing — as well as support for Dynamic Caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading. From creating engaging content faster than ever in Affinity Designer, to playing demanding, graphics-intensive AAA games like Zenless Zone Zero, users can take the powerful performance and ultraportable iPad mini anywhere.

    Built for Apple Intelligence

    With the power of the A17 Pro chip, the new iPad mini delivers support for Apple Intelligence. Deeply integrated into iPadOS 18, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. Many of the models that power Apple Intelligence run entirely on device, and Private Cloud Compute offers the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers.

    The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in U.S. English this month through a free software update with iPadOS 18.1, and available for iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later. Apple Intelligence delivers experiences that are delightful, intuitive, easy to use, and specially designed to help users do the things that matter most to them:2

    • With Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
    • Siri becomes more deeply integrated into the system experience and gets a new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when active on iPad. With richer language-understanding capabilities, communicating with Siri is more natural and flexible. Siri can follow along when users stumble over their words, can maintain context from one request to the next, and now, users can type to Siri. Siri also has extensive product knowledge to answer questions about features on iPad and other Apple devices.
    • In Photos, the Memories feature now enables users to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description, and with the new Clean Up tool, they can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo — without accidentally altering the subject.

    Additional Apple Intelligence features will be rolling out over the next several months:

    • Image Playground allows users to create playful images in moments.
    • Image Wand is a new tool in the Apple Pencil tool palette that can transform a rough sketch into a polished image.
    • Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, or by selecting a photo of a friend or family member.
    • Siri will be able to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. It will also gain onscreen awareness to understand and take action with users’ content, as well as take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.
    • With ChatGPT integrated into experiences within iPadOS 18, users have the option to access its expertise, as well as its image- and document-understanding capabilities, within Siri and Writing Tools without needing to jump between tools. And privacy protections are built in so a user’s IP address is obscured, and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and ChatGPT’s data-use policies apply for those who choose to connect their account.

    Even Faster Connectivity

    With faster wireless and wired connectivity, users can do even more on iPad mini while on the go. The new iPad mini supports Wi-Fi 6E, which delivers up to twice the performance than the previous generation,3 so users can download files, play games online, and stream movies even faster. Wi-Fi + Cellular models with 5G allow users to access their files, communicate with peers, and back up their data in a snap while on the go. Cellular models of the new iPad mini are activated with eSIM, a more secure alternative to a physical SIM card, allowing users to quickly connect and transfer their existing plans digitally, and store multiple cellular plans on a single device. Customers can easily get connected to wireless data plans on the new iPad mini in over 190 countries and regions around the world without needing to get a physical SIM card from a local carrier. The USB-C port is now up to 2x faster than the previous generation, with data transfers up to 10Gbps, so importing large photos and videos is even quicker.

    Incredible Camera Experience

    Great cameras, along with the incredibly portable form factor of iPad mini, enable powerful mobile workflows. The 12MP wide back camera delivers gorgeous photos, and with Smart HDR 4, they will be even more detailed and vivid. Utilizing the powerful 16-core Neural Engine, the new iPad mini uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify documents right in the Camera app and can use the new True Tone flash to remove shadows from the document. The 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera in portrait orientation, with support for Center Stage, is great for all the ways customers use iPad mini.

    Magical Capabilities with Apple Pencil Pro

    Apple Pencil Pro unlocks magical capabilities and powerful interactions, turning iPad mini into a sketchbook users can take anywhere. Apple Pencil Pro can sense a user’s squeeze, bringing up a tool palette to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors, all without interrupting the creative process. A custom haptic engine delivers a light tap that provides confirmation when users squeeze, double-tap, or snap to a Smart Shape for a remarkably intuitive experience. Users can roll Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of the tool they’re using. Rotating the barrel changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, just like pen and paper, and with Apple Pencil hover, users can visualize the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark. Apple Pencil Pro features support for Find My, and pairs, charges, and is stored through a new magnetic interface on the new iPad mini. iPad mini also supports Apple Pencil (USB-C), ideal for note taking, sketching, annotating, journaling, and more, at a great value.

    iPadOS 18 Brings Powerful and Intelligent New Features

    In addition to the groundbreaking capabilities of Apple Intelligence, iPadOS 18 brings powerful features that enhance the iPad experience, making it more versatile and intelligent than ever. iPadOS also has advanced frameworks like Core ML that make it easy for developers to tap into the Neural Engine to deliver powerful AI features right on device.

    • Designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, Calculator delivers an entirely new way to use Apple Pencil to solve expressions, as well as basic and scientific calculators with a new history function and unit conversions. With Math Notes, users are now able to type mathematical expressions or write them out to see them instantly solved in handwriting like their own. They can also create and use variables, and add an equation to insert a graph. Users can also access their Math Notes in the Notes app, and use all of the math functionality in any of their other notes.
    • In the Notes app, handwritten notes become more fluid, flexible, and easy to read with Smart Script and the power of Apple Pencil. Smart Script unleashes powerful new capabilities for users editing handwritten text, allowing them to easily add space, or even paste typed text in their own handwriting. And as users write with Apple Pencil, their handwriting will be automatically refined in real time to be smoother, straighter, and more legible.
    • With new Audio Recording and Transcription, iPad can capture a lecture or conversation, and transcripts are synced with the audio, so users can search for an exact moment in the recording.
    • New levels of customization come to iPad, and users have even more options to express themselves through the Home Screen with app icons and widgets that can be placed in any open position. App icons and widgets can take on a new look with a dark or tinted effect, and users can make them appear larger to create the experience that is perfect for them. Control Center has been redesigned to provide easier access to many of the things users do every day, delivering quick access to new groups of a user’s most-utilized controls. Users can even organize new controls from third-party apps in the redesigned Control Center.
    • The Photos app receives its biggest update ever, bringing users powerful new tools that make it easier to find what they are looking for with a simplified and customizable app layout that takes advantage of the larger display on iPad and helps users browse by themes without having to organize content into albums.
    • Users have new ways to stay connected and express themselves in Messages, with all-new animated text effects, redesigned Tapbacks, and the ability to schedule messages to send at a later time.

    Better for the Environment

    The new iPad mini is designed with the environment in mind, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled gold plating and tin soldering in multiple printed circuit boards. The new iPad mini meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. The packaging is 100 percent fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from all packaging by 2025.

    Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and, as part of its ambitious Apple 2030 goal, plans to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new iPad mini starting today, October 15, on apple.com/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, October 23.
    • Available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray, the new iPad mini starts at $499 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $649 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
    • The new iPad mini starts with 128GB of storage — double the storage of the previous generation. The new iPad mini is also available in 256GB and 512GB configurations.
    • For education, the new iPad mini starts at $449 (U.S.). Education pricing is available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and home-school teachers of all grade levels. For more information, visit apple.com/us-hed/shop.
    • Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with the new iPad mini. It is available for $129 (U.S.), and $119 (U.S.) for education. Apple Pencil (USB-C) is available for $79 (U.S.), and $69 (U.S.) for education.
    • The new Smart Folio, available in charcoal gray, light violet, denim, and sage, is $59 (U.S.).
    • Apple offers great ways to save on the latest iPad. Customers can trade in their current iPad and get credit toward a new one by visiting the Apple Store online, the Apple Store app, or an Apple Store location. To see what their device is worth and for terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
    • Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.
    • AppleCare+ for iPad provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know iPad best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk customers through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing conducted by Apple in September 2024 using preproduction iPad mini (A17 Pro) and production iPad mini (6th generation) units. Tested with Affinity Photo 2 v2.5.5.2636 using the built-in benchmark version 25000. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad mini.
    2. Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update for iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. The first set of features will be available in beta this month with iPadOS 18.1 with more features rolling out in the months to come. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, like Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and others.
    3. Wi‑Fi 6E available in countries and regions where supported.

    Press Contacts

    Tara Courtney

    Apple

    tcourtney@apple.com

    Skylar Eisenhart

    Apple

    s_eisenhart@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Advancements in robotics continue to transform oil and gas operations, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Advancements in robotics continue to transform oil and gas operations, says GlobalData

    Posted in Oil & Gas

    With the applications of robotics continuously evolving, the oil and gas industry has emerged as a significant adopter of the technology to improve safety and efficiency of operations. Robots equipped with advanced technologies are yielding increasingly positive results, bringing a continued transformation in the operations of oil and gas companies, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company,

    GlobalData’s thematic report, “Robotics in Oil and Gas,” provides an overview of robotics technology and its applications in the oil and gas industry. It also highlights the role of major oil and gas companies, such as ADNOC, BP, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Rosneft, Shell, and TotalEnergies in the development and adoption of robotics to enhance safety and productivity on the field.

    Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Robots are proving invaluable to execute complex tasks at production facilities, thereby protecting workers from hazardous environments and reducing the likelihood of costly shutdowns. As a result, companies such as Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell are deploying them to work alongside humans on offshore sites. For instance, robotic automation can manage remote operations, such as those conducted on Equinor’s Oseberg H platform in the North Sea. Their ability to perform repetitive and mundane tasks with minimal errors is saving time and internal resources for companies. Furthermore, it allows them to deploy field technicians on more critical issues.”

    Oil and gas operations are labor-intensive and involve numerous repetitive tasks, many of which occur in hazardous environments and face various obstacles. Robotics presents an excellent solution to many challenges within the industry, as they can handle more strenuous tasks and complex procedures more effectively than humans.

    Puranik continues: “Robots provide greater reliability and efficiency in completing assigned tasks while also enhancing operational safety. The integration of terrestrial, aerial, and underwater robots is already playing a crucial role in several high-stakes oil and gas projects throughout the value chain. French oil major TotalEnergies, in collaboration with Oceaneering, recently conducted a pilot inspection of subsea pipelines in the North Sea using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).”

    Robots can access hard-to-reach areas, carry out tasks beyond human capabilities, and operate continuously without needing breaks. Hence, they are being utilized as effective solutions for conducting inspections in difficult or hazardous environments, thereby avoiding preventing human exposure to such sites. Recently, cleaning of storage tanks is emerging as another prominent use case for robotics with companies, such as Saudi Aramco, Woodside, SK Innovation, and Indian Oil Corp, exploring the potential of robotic crawlers in this application.

    Puranik concludes: “Advancements in technology have equipped robots to effectively replace field personnel on oil rigs. Additionally, there is an increase in collaboration between oil and gas companies and technology vendors, enabling the diversification of robotic use cases with the integration of AI, IoT, cloud, and edge computing. These developments are anticipated to drive future growth in robotics within the oil and gas sector, reducing risks to human workers who operate alongside heavy machinery in often remote and challenging environments.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Former SECDEF Panetta Shared Concerns, Insights During Guest Lecture at NPS

    Source: United States Navy

    With decades of public service, Panetta offered frank advice and lessons learned to the more than 1,300 students, faculty and staff gathered in the packed NPS King Hall auditorium.  

    “Fundamental to everything our democracy stands for is leadership, and that requires character, integrity, and courage,” said Panetta. “Those qualities are abundant in this room, and being selected to come to NPS further sets you apart. When you graduate, you will carry the additional obligation to do more, take risks, make hard decisions and lead solutions to complex national defense challenges if we’re going to remain the world’s strongest democracy.”

    In his opening comments, Panetta stressed the importance of alliances in addressing today’s conflicts, and terrorism instigated and supported by a growing axis of autocracies lead by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

    “Our adversaries are actively working to undermine trust,” Panetta remarked. “When our nation is distracted, tyrants will fill the void. The leader’s job is not to point fingers, but to point out falsehoods and elevate reality so we can agree on the problem, then work together to address it.  Across the aisle, or across alliances, that’s how leaders get things done. That’s how we win.”

    The “Fireside Chat” was moderated by retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Eric Wendt, a former Special Forces Green Beret and current professor of practice in the school’s Department of Defense Analysis, and an NPS distinguished alumnus. When asked the one thing he would do to improve DOD today, Panetta responded, “There are many things, but the one thing I am most concerned about is speed.”

    “We need DOD bureaucracy to move at the speed of technology,” added Panetta. “I’m concerned that we can’t act swiftly enough to ensure our advantage by leveraging and learning about cutting edge technologies. Industry is setting the pace, and much of it is American innovation, but we need to apply innovative thinking to how we acquire, adapt and adopt technology to meet capability needs. I believe NPS and the future Naval Innovation Center at NPS are parts of the solution.”

    During his visit, Panetta also spoke with Defense Analysis students in the DA 3900 Command and Leadership course taught by Wendt, where he further encouraged students to apply their operational experience, NPS education and research to solving the most vexing challenges facing DOD.

    Before leading the DOD, Panetta served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House Chief of Staff, and as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

    Today, Panetta co-directs with his wife, Sylvia, the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay. The Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit center that seeks to instill in young men and women the virtues and values of public service.

    • For more information on the Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture program at NPS, and to watch past lectures, visit https://nps.edu/sgls

    Learn more about the NPS Department of Defense Analysis at https://nps.edu/web/da

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey top M&A financial advisers by value and volume during Q1-Q3 2024, finds GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey top M&A financial advisers by value and volume during Q1-Q3 2024, finds GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey have emerged as the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financial advisers by value and volume globally during Q1-Q3 2024, according to the latest Financial Advisers League Table, which ranks financial advisers by the value and volume of M&A deals on which they advised, by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database has revealed that Goldman Sachs achieved its leading position in the deal value rankings by advising on $308.8 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, Houlihan Lokey led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 198 deals.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Goldman Sachs was the top adviser by value during Q1-Q3 2023 and managed to retain its leadership position by this metric during Q1-Q3 2024 as well. It registered 14.2% growth in the total value of deals advised by it during Q1-Q3 2024 compared to Q1-Q3 2023.

    “In fact, Goldman Sachs was the only adviser to surpass $300 billion in total deal value during the review period. It is also worth noting that about half of the deals advised by it during Q1-Q3 2024 were billion-dollar deals*. The company advised on 67 billion-dollar deals during Q1-Q3 2024 that also included six mega deals valued more than $10 billion.

    “Meanwhile, Houlihan Lokey registered improvement in the total number of deals advised by it during Q1-Q3 2024 compared to Q1-Q3 2023 and was just shy of hitting the 200 deals volume mark. It went ahead from occupying the second position by volume during Q1-Q3 2023 to top the chart by this metric during Q1-Q3 2024.”

    JP Morgan occupied the second position in terms of value by advising on $293.3 billion worth of deals, followed by Morgan Stanley with $243.1 billion, Citi with $191.7 billion, and Evercore with $187.8 billion.

    Meanwhile, Rothschild & Co occupied the second position in terms of volume by advising on 163 deals, followed by Goldman Sachs with 139 deals, JP Morgan with 121 deals, and UBS with 119 deals.

    *Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Kirkland & Ellis top M&A legal adviser during Q1-Q3 2024, finds GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Kirkland & Ellis top M&A legal adviser during Q1-Q3 2024, finds GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Kirkland & Ellis emerged as the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal adviser by both value and volume globally during Q1-Q3 2024, according to the latest Legal Advisers League Table, which ranks legal advisers by the value and volume of mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals on which they advised, by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database has revealed that Kirkland & Ellis achieved the leading position by advising on 423 deals worth $ 310.5 billion.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Interestingly, Kirkland & Ellis was the top adviser by both volume and value during Q1-Q3 2023 and also managed to retain its leadership position during Q1-Q3 2024 as well. It was the only firm to advise on more than 400 deals during Q1-Q3 2024. Of these, 63 were billion-dollar deals* that also included seven mega deals valued more than $10 billion. Involvement in such big-ticket deals helped it occupy the top position by value as well.

    “However, although Kirkland & Ellis outpaced its peers by a significant margin in terms of deal volume, it faced close competition from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom for the top position by value.”

    Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom occupied the second position in terms of value by advising on $301.9 billion worth of deals, followed by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison with $232.1 billion, Cravath Swaine & Moore with $197.4 billion, and Latham & Watkins with $193.8 billion.

    Meanwhile, in terms of volume ranking, Kirkland & Ellis was distantly followed by CMS with 204 deals. White & Case occupied the third position in terms of volume by advising on 182, followed by Latham & Watkins with 176 deals, and Allen & Overy with 135 deals.

    *Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for terrorism offences after joint HMRC and Met Police investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    An east London man who sent night vision and thermal imaging rifle scopes to support terrorist activity by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 and 2018 has been jailed.

    Muhammad Choudhary, 41 (15.06.83) previously pleaded guilty to terrorism funding and fundraising offences following a joint investigation by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

    He was sentenced on Tuesday, 15 October, at the Old Bailey to a total of seven years’ imprisonment, with an additional year to be served on an extended licence.

    Detectives and investigators identified that Choudhary sent thermal imaging night vision rifle scopes to Pakistan on a number of occasions in 2017 and 2018. He later admitted they were intended for use by the Taliban, which, at the time, launched various attacks against the then-Government and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

    Acting Commander Gareth Rees, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This case is a prime example of how terrorist activity can take many different forms, and shows that we will investigate anyone in the UK who supports terrorist activity, regardless of what it may be in support of or to where it may be linked.

    “This was a unique case where Government colleagues identified potential terrorist-related activity and shared information with us. Further enquiries conducted by Counter Terrorism Command officers led to Choudhary being convicted and jailed for various terrorism offences.”

    Mike Pass, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The UK operates a strict licensing regime to uphold international sanctions and to ensure military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure effective controls and enforcement on military goods, which contributes to the UK’s national security.”

    Choudhary first came to the attention of HMRC after a seizure of rifle scopes at Heathrow Airport in January 2018. It was identified that Choudhary was the person behind the consignment, which was intended for an address in Pakistan.

    Further enquiries revealed that Choudhary bought the sniper sights from legitimate hunting suppliers. He was interviewed under caution by HMRC investigators and he later admitted in interview that the recipient and end users were members of the Taliban.

    As a result, this information was passed to the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and officers launched an investigation, which resulted in Choudhary being charged with various terrorism offences in September 2023.

    At an Old Bailey hearing in January, he pleaded guilty to a charge of fundraising for the purposes of terrorism (contrary to section 15 of the Terrorism Act, 2000), and two charges of making funding arrangements for the purposes of terrorism (contrary to section 17, TACT, 2000).

    Choudhary was also previously charged with 23 offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act (1979). He pleaded not guilty to these offences at a hearing in February, and it was subsequently agreed for these offences to lay on file.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two charged in connection with Dontae McLaren murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man and woman have been charged with offences relating to the murder of 24-year-old Dontae McLaren in Lambeth last month.

    Tyanne Corbin, 25 (23.05.1999) and Hamid Hamdi, 25 (31.10.1998) appeared at Central Criminal Court on Tuesday, 14 October charged with causing Dontae grievous bodily harm with intent, and violent disorder.

    Both were remanded in custody to appear at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 6 November.

    A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion violent disorder and causing grievous bodily harm is currently on bail. Next due on a date in early November.

    Police were called at around 04:05hrs on Sunday, 29 September to reports of a large group fighting with knives in Wandsworth Road, SW8.

    Officers, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended.

    Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, 24-year-old Dontae McLaren was pronounced dead at the scene. Specialist officers continue to support his family.

    + Dynzell Patrick, 26 (18.06.1998) has previously appeared in court charged with Dontae’s murder. He is next due to appear at Central Criminal Court on 23 December.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Home Price Growth Slows but Remains Robust

    Source: Fannie Mae

    October 15, 2024 – Single-family home prices increased 5.9 percent from Q3 2023 to Q3 2024, a deceleration compared to the previous quarter’s downwardly revised annual growth rate of 6.4 percent, according to the latest reading of the Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) Home Price Index (FNM-HPI). The FNM-HPI is a national, repeat-transaction home price index measuring the average, quarterly price change for all single-family properties in the United States, excluding condos. On a quarterly basis, home prices rose a seasonally adjusted 1.3 percent in Q3 2024, down from the revised 1.4 percent growth in Q2 2024. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, home prices increased by 0.9 percent in Q3 2024.

    “Despite decelerating slightly, home price growth remained robust in the third quarter, as the supply of homes for sale, particularly on the existing side, remained weak relative to historical levels,” said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “Even though mortgage rates fell precipitously in the third quarter, and we saw some improvements to the months’ supply of homes for sale, home purchase activity barely budged – at least on a national basis – which we view as evidence that the market remains significantly constrained by both the ‘lock-in effect’ and affordability generally, but especially elevated home prices. In fact, consumers have told us as much: In September, high home prices supplanted high mortgage rates as the top reason for our survey respondents’ overwhelming pessimism toward homebuying conditions. Overall, the strength of this latest home price reading confirms the ongoing challenges with tight supply; however, the index’s continued deceleration shows that we’re slowly moving toward a better balance between supply and demand.”

    The FNM-HPI is produced by aggregating county-level data to create both seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted national indices that are representative of the whole country and designed to serve as indicators of general single-family home price trends. The FNM-HPI is publicly available at the national level as a quarterly series with a start date of Q1 1975 and extending to the most recent quarter, Q3 2024. Fannie Mae publishes the FNM-HPI approximately mid-month during the first month of each new quarter.

    For more information on the FNM-HPI, including a description of the methodology and the Q3 2024 data file, please visit our Research & Insights page on fanniemae.com.

    To receive e-mail updates regarding future FNM-HPI updates and other housing market research from Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group, please click here.

    Fannie Mae’s home price estimates are based on preliminary data available as of the date of index estimation and are subject to change as additional data become available. Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views of Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae’s business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views published by the ESR group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management. 

    About the ESR Group
    Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Mark Palim, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lender groups to provide forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Vietnam debit card payments market to surpass $65 billion in 2028, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Vietnam debit card payments market to surpass $65 billion in 2028, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Banking

    The Vietnamese debit card payments market is forecast to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.7% between 2024 and 2028 to reach VND1,559.6 trillion ($65.6 billion) in 2028, supported by rise in banked and card penetration as well as constant consumer shift towards electronic payments, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s Payment Cards Analytics reveals that card payment value in Vietnam registered a growth of 46.2% in 2022, driven by a rise in consumer spending. The value grew further to register a growth of 18.4% to reach VND804.2 trillion ($33.8 billion) in 2023.

    Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Cash continues to dominate the payment market in Vietnam, but the tide is slowly turning as the government and regulatory authorities introduce initiatives to boost non-cash payments and enhance access to banking services thereby benefiting card payments.”

    To drive debit card adoption, the government and commercial banks have taken steps such as launching financial literacy programs and the introduction of remote banking options. Although debit cards are traditionally used for cash withdrawals, they are gradually being embraced for payments—especially low-value transactions. This has been driven by rising consumer awareness, the introduction of contactless debit cards, and the expansion of the country’s POS network.

    The availability of basic bank accounts and a focus on financial inclusion have contributed to the strong penetration of debit cards in the country. This is supported by the country’s growing banked population, which rose from 34.9% in 2019 to 58.8% in 2024. Debit cards are generally offered as a complementary product when consumers open a bank account. In line with the government’s financial inclusion initiatives, banks are expanding their services to remote locations.

    Debit cards are the preferred card type for payments market in Vietnam, accounting for 66.3% of total card payments value in 2023. Despite high share, their usage remains mostly limited to cash withdrawals with debit cards’ frequency for payments standing at just 4.2 transactions per card as of 2024, with more needs to be done to encourage debit card usage for payments both at merchant and consumer level.

    Vietnam and the central bank took steps to promote digital payments in the country. In October 2021, the government approved the Project for the Development of Non-Cash Payments for 2021-25. The project is aimed at achieving various goals by 2025, including boosting the value of non-cash payments, expanding the number of establishments that accept non-cash payments, and raising the proportion of individuals aged 15 and above who hold transaction accounts at banks to 80%.

    Sharma concludes: “Vietnam’s payment market is slowly transitioning from a cash-dominated society to one that embraces electronic payments. With the increasing number of digital-only banks, the emergence of payment card technologies, and the development of payment infrastructure, the debit card payment market in Vietnam is set to expand significantly in the coming years. The market is forecast to grow by 16.1% to reach VND934 trillion ($39.3 billion) in 2024.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New UK sanctions target illegal outposts and organisations supporting extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    New sanctions target three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank.

    • New sanctions target three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. 
    • Today’s measures put strict financial restrictions on those who commit these acts. Measures respond to a continued rise in violence that is devastating Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  
    • Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, “the Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop the legalisation of settler outposts.” 

    The Foreign Secretary has announced sanctions in response to continued violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. 

    Today’s measures target three settler outposts and four organisations that have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Settler violence often seeks to force Palestinians to leave their homes, and seize their land for the construction of outposts, which are illegal under both international and Israeli law.  

    The measures follow an unprecedented rise in settler violence in the West Bank over the last year, with the UN recording over 1,400 attacks by settlers against Palestinian communities since October 2023.  
     
    The month of October sees the beginning of the olive harvest in the West Bank, an important time both culturally and economically for Palestinians. It has traditionally suffered spikes in violence as organised settler groups disrupt and attack Palestinians.  

    The measures taken today are part of wider UK efforts to support a more stable West Bank, which is vital for the peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis. 

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 

    When I went to the West Bank earlier this year, on one of my first trips as Foreign Secretary, I met with Palestinians whose communities have suffered horrific violence at the hands of Israeli settlers.   

    The inaction of the Israeli government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked. Settlers have shockingly even targeted schools and families with young children.    

    Today’s measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. The Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop settler expansion on Palestinian land. As long as violent extremists remain unaccountable, the UK and the international community will continue to act.

    The illegal settler outposts sanctioned today – Tirzah Valley Farm Outpost, Meitarim Outpost, and Shuvi Eretz Outpost – have been involved in facilitating, inciting, promoting or providing support for activity that amounts to a serious abuse of the right of Palestinians not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 

    The four organisations sanctioned today are Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, Hashomer Yosh, Torat Lechima and Amana. 

    Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva is a religious school embedded in the Yitzhar settlement known to promote violence against non-Jewish people. 

    Hashomer Yosh is a non-governmental organisation that provides volunteers for illegal outposts, including Meitarim Outpost (also sanctioned today). Meitarim was founded by the extremist settler Yinon Levy, who the UK sanctioned in February.  

    Torat Lechima is a registered Israeli charity that has been documented as providing financial support to illegal settler outposts linked with acts of violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.   

    Amana operates in practice as a commercial construction company. Amana has overseen the establishment of illegal outposts and provides funding and other economic resources for Israeli settlers involved in threatening and perpetrating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Civil Service recruiting new head to oversee regulatory divergence

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV leader and North Antrim MP Jim Allister:

    “Far from the Sea Border being gone, the Civil Service is now recruiting a “Head of Regulatory Divergence Co-ordination” at a cost of up to £59,000 a year to the public purse.

    “Clearly Stormont is perfectly aware that the deal which restored devolution on the pretext that the damage done by the Protocol had been addressed was a sham.

    “No nation with any self-respect would tolerate a situation where such a post is necessary – a senior civil servant whose sole responsibility is to monitor how the internal market of the United Kingdom is being trashed.

    “This post is yet further confirmation of the monumental constitutional damage inflicted by the Protocol on the integrity of the UK and Northern Ireland’s place within it.”

    Note to editors

    You can view the advert for this position here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BoBC Auction Results – 15 October 2024

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    The Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) was unchanged at 1.9 percent of the previous week, for a paper maturing on 23 October 2024.  For the 1-month BoBC paper maturing on 13 November 2024, the stop-out yield increased from 2.27 percent to 2.31 percent. The summarised results of the auction held on 15 October 2024, are attached below:

    BOBC Results 15 October 2024.pdf

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS Frank Cable conducts Port Visit in Jeju-Do, Republic of Korea

    Source: United States Navy

    JEJU-DO, South Korea (Oct. 13, 2024) – Forward-deployed U.S. Navy submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) departed the island of Jeju-Do, Oct. 13, after a scheduled port visit.
    Seven decades ago, the United States and Republic of Korea (ROK) signed the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty and established an alliance that has proven to be among the most capable, cooperative, and durable in the world. Frank Cable’s visit highlights the enduring nature of the U.S.-ROK partnership.

    “This port visit was an outstanding opportunity to strengthen the relationship between our people and our navies,” said Capt. Mike Thompson, commanding officer, USS Frank Cable. “It was an honor to meet our counterparts from the Republic of Korea navy and to build bonds that benefit the entire region. As a nation, we strive to strengthen deterrence and modernize the U.S.-ROK Alliance through regular bilateral consultations, exercises, and strategic asset deployments. This visit, and visits like this, enhance our interoperability with a key ally and ensure our readiness to address shared maritime security challenges.”

    Over the past four days in port, Frank Cable brought alongside ROK Na Dae-Yong (SS-069), a Chang Bogo-class submarine, in order to provide services and further demonstrate Frank Cable’s ability to repair allied submarines across the Indo-Pacific region. Frank Cable also conducted key leader engagements, hosted ship tours for ROK civilian and naval personnel, and embraced the opportunity to explore the local community and culture on Jeju-Do Island.
    While aboard Frank Cable, ROK visitors walked the ship’s main spaces, met with command leadership and heard from Frank Cable Sailors in the Repair, Weapons, Supply, Medical, and Deck departments. These Sailors highlighted the scope of expeditionary submarine tender capabilities through a variety of displays and demonstrations.
    Frank Cable personnel were also invited to tour the ROK Na Dae-Yong. Named in honor of a Korean naval officer and acclaimed ship designer, the Na Dae-Yong utilizes a diesel-electric power plant and was commissioned in 2000.

    “I was thrilled to get to tour the Na Dae-Yong while here in the South Korea,” said MMN1 Gregory Ray, from Snohomish, Washington. “I’ve been on three different classes of U.S. submarines, but never a foreign submarine, and it still surprises me how different the manning and configurations can be in order to successfully execute the mission.”
    The timing of this port visit was particularly special for both nations in light of the anniversaries that surround it. Frank Cable’s visit not only coincided with the U.S. Navy’s 249th birthday, but also comes just days after the anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty, codified Oct. 1, 1953.

    Frank Cable, forward-deployed to the island of Guam, provides expeditionary intermediate-level maintenance, services, and logistics support to deployed submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region. Frank Cable is currently conducting routine operations in support of national security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
    Under Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    For more information about Frank Cable visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/FrankCableAS40 .
    Are you interested in taking orders to Guam? Want to learn more about the duty station and life on our island? For more information, check out the ‘Go Guam!’ website at http://www.csp.navy.mil/go-guam/ and download the ‘1st Fifteen’ checklist.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS New York Arrives in Larnaca, Cyprus for Port Visit

    Source: United States Navy

    LARNACA, CYPRUS – The amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) and embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC) arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus for a regularly scheduled port visit, October 14, 2024.

    “Our Sailors and Marines are eager to experience the vibrant Cypriot culture, food, and history while continuing to forge and strengthen the ties between the two partners,” said Cmdr. David Pagan, New York’s executive officer. “The opportunity to experience the world-class hospitality of the Cypriot people is something our crew is exceptionally excited for and we sincerely appreciate their support as we deepen our bond with them as military ambassadors for the United States.”

    While in the NAVEUR-NAVAF area of operations, New York will support U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region, including in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, to continue promoting regional stability and deterring aggression. The presence of an integrated Navy-Marine Corps team provides flexibility and enhanced capability to NAVEUR-NAVAF and U.S. 6th Fleet.

    New York departed Norfolk, Virginia on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) area of operations on May 22.

    The Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG) consists of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), New York, Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), and embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC).

    The 24th MEU (SOC) is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) providing strategic speed and agility, ensuring our Marines are prepared to respond and protect U.S. national security interests around the globe. The MEU can respond rapidly from longer ranges with greater capabilities across the spectrum of military conflict.

    You can follow USS New York’s adventures on Facebook and Instagram (@uss_newyork).

    To learn more about WSP ARG and 24th MEU (SOC) “Team of Teams,” visit their DVIDS feature page at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/wasparg24thmeu.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Nimitz Passes Final Evaluation Problem

    Source: United States Navy

    PACIFIC OCEAN – The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) took one more step toward returning to a deployment-ready state, completing its first post planned incremental availability exercise while underway in the Pacific Ocean Sept. 27.

    The culmination of the training evolution was a Final Evaluation Problem (FEP), a command assessment tailored to the unique training portfolio and requirements of Nimitz, as well as the ship’s upcoming deployment. Passing the FEP moves Nimitz into the pre-deployment phase, beginning the ship’s preparation for the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), and eventual deployment.

    “We’ve overcome the first major hurdle of Nimitz’s pre-deployment training and evaluation process,” said Capt. Douglas Graber, Nimitz commanding officer. “It was difficult evolution, but the long hours of training and preparation we put in really paid off. I couldn’t be more proud of our crew and their performance throughout the evaluation process.”

    For more information please contact the USS Nimitz Public Affairs Officer at pao@cvn68.navy.mil.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Truman Strike Group Transits Strait of Dover for the North Sea

    Source: United States Navy

    NORTH SEA – The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) transited through the Strait of Dover for the North Sea, Oct. 14.

    The strike group will conduct operations in the North Sea with Allies and partners from several countries in the region, demonstrating the warfighting interoperability and strategic relationships built over the past eighty years.

    “Storied in world history, our transit through the Strait of Dover to operate with our Allies in the North Sea underscores our commitment to maritime security and the NATO Alliance,” said Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the HSTCSG. “We will operate with our NATO Allies and partners to strengthen our collective readiness, defense, and deterrence. No nation can confront today’s challenges alone, and we look forward to showcasing our interoperability.”

    The Strait of Dover, historically known as the Dover Narrows, is the narrowest part of the English Channel and separates Great Britain from mainland Europe. The channel also separates the Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea, a strategically important area where the carrier strike group will conduct various bilateral operations with Allies and partners. The strike group last operated in the North Sea during a deployment in 2018, including time operating above the Arctic Circle in the Norwegian Sea for the NATO exercise Trident Juncture.

    “I’m excited to operate in the North Sea again,” said Capt. Dave Snowden, commanding officer of USS Harry S. Truman and former executive officer during the 2018 deployment. “With its unique geographical and environmental characteristics, every time we operate in this region we increase our proficiency and showcase our inherent flexibility to operate anywhere in the world.”

    The HSTCSG will support U.S. Naval Forces Europe’s maritime operations and theater security cooperation missions, working alongside Allies and partners to maintain maritime safety, security, and stability. The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) operated in the North Sea in 2023 and was the first aircraft carrier to visit Oslo, Norway, for a port of call since 1958.

    Before entering the Strait of Dover, the strike group operated off the Azores and Northern Africa for a series of warfighting training scenarios between the strike group’s ships and air wing before heading North for the English Channel.

    “It feels like the world has their eyes on us, speculating where we’ll go and what we’ll do next,” said Lt. Adam Biethman, a reactor department officer onboard Harry S. Truman. “I love the flexibility of our strike group, and it’s great to know we’ll be operating and learning from our Allies in the North Sea.”

    The carrier strike group consists of the flagship USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75); Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 with nine embarked aviation squadrons; staffs from CSG-8, CVW-1, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28; the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64); and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109).

    HSTCSG’s mission is to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at sea and remain the cornerstone of the Navy’s forward presence through sea control and power projection capabilities. You can find them on DVIDS at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN75.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Defence Minister Bill Blair to travel to Europe for North Atlantic Treaty Organization and G7 Defence Ministers’ Meetings

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will travel to Europe from October 17-20 to meet with Allies and partners to discuss issues of shared interest and ways to strengthen defence relationships.

    October 15, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will travel to Europe from October 17-20 to meet with Allies and partners to discuss issues of shared interest and ways to strengthen defence relationships.

    From October 17-18, Minister Blair will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting (DMM) in Brussels, Belgium. This meeting will be an important opportunity for Allies to discuss issues related to security in the Euro-Atlantic, Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions, as well as NATO’s ongoing support for Ukraine.

    In Brussels, Minister Blair will participate in several side events, including a Defence Ministers’ Meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh. The Minister will also host a Northern Defence Dialogue with Arctic Allies and partner states to reaffirm their shared commitment to enhanced collaboration on Arctic security and defence.

    From October 18-20, the Minister will attend the first-ever G7 DMM in Naples, Italy. He will participate in discussions with his counterparts on G7 priorities, including support for Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, as well as economic security and resilience.

    While in Europe, Minister Blair will hold several bilateral meetings with counterparts.

    Media Availability

    Following the G7 DMM, Minister Blair will hold individual interviews with Canadian media. For further information, please contact Simon Lafortune (details below).

    Date and time: Saturday, October 19 between 9:30AM and 10:30AM ET

    Other arrangements can be made if necessary.

                                                                                            -30-      

    Simon Lafortune
    Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of National Defence
    Phone: 343-549-0778
    Email: Simon.Lafortune2@forces.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Department of National Defence
    Phone: 613-904-3333
    Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former King County Jail Guard Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Accepting Bribe to Bring Narcotics Into Facility

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Charity and Disaster Fraud

    Charity fraud scams can come in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, etc. They are especially common after high-profile disasters. Always use caution and do your research when you’re looking to donate to charitable causes.

    BABY JANE DOE

    Homicide Victim Washington Township, New Jersey December 4, 1986

    Capitol Violence

    The FBI is seeking to identify individuals involved in the violent activities that occurred at the U.S. Capitol and surrounding areas on January 6, 2021. View photos and related information here. If you have any information to provide, visit tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Series of Vehicle Pipe-Bombings

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    FRESNO, Calif. — Scott Eric Anderson, 46, of Fresno, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for conspiracy to destroy property, malicious destruction by means of an explosive device and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, Anderson committed a series of pipe-bombings on unoccupied vehicles and property in Fresno. The bombings damaged vehicles belonging to two auto-related businesses on Clinton Avenue in Fresno. On Feb. 19, 2023, a bomb heavily damaged a vehicle used by a home health care business on Fallbrook Avenue in Fresno. Anderson sometimes recorded his crimes by video. Law enforcement also recovered a pistol in Anderson’s bedroom. Anderson was previously convicted of carrying a loaded and concealed weapon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dan Corry appointed to lead Defra regulation review

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Defra announces internal regulatory review led by economist Dan Corry

    The economist Dan Corry has been appointed to carry out an internal review into the regulation and regulators at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

    The review will examine whether the inherited regulatory landscape is fit for purpose and develop recommendations to ensure that regulation across the Department is driving economic growth while protecting the environment.

    The review will explore:

    • Whether Defra regulators are equipped to drive economic growth, secure private sector investment and protect the environment
    • The customer and stakeholder experience of regulation, including the impact on those who are regulated.
    • The efficiency of regulation, in particular whether the current regulatory landscape involves any duplication and/or contradiction, and whether there are opportunities to make improvements.

    The review is part of wider work to position Defra as a key economic growth department with regulatory reform to:

    • Boost private sector investment into the water sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs and speeding up the delivery of infrastructure to clean up water pollution and enable economic growth. 
    • Transform regional economies across the country through the development of a circular economy by reusing more existing materials, driving down waste across key sectors such as construction and packaging, reducing import costs for businesses and cutting carbon emissions.
    • Develop pragmatic solutions that are needed to build the homes and infrastructure this country needs, while protecting and improving environmental outcomes.
    • Strengthen economic resilience in communities that need better flood defences.
    • Drive rural economic growth by cutting red tape for farmers and boosting Britain’s food security.

    Dan Corry brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as Head of the No10 Policy Unit under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and adviser in many Government departments where he was involved in regulatory reform. 

    It comes as yesterday (14 October) the government hosted the International Investment Summit with 300 industry leaders, where the Prime Minister set out billions worth of investment deals, as well as plans to tackle unnecessary regulation. This is part of the government’s growth mission to create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oxnard Man Affiliated with Local Gang is Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Charity and Disaster Fraud

    Charity fraud scams can come in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, etc. They are especially common after high-profile disasters. Always use caution and do your research when you’re looking to donate to charitable causes.

    BABY JANE DOE

    Homicide Victim Washington Township, New Jersey December 4, 1986

    Capitol Violence

    The FBI is seeking to identify individuals involved in the violent activities that occurred at the U.S. Capitol and surrounding areas on January 6, 2021. View photos and related information here. If you have any information to provide, visit tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester Libraries twin with Ukraine Library

    Source: City of Manchester

    Manchester Libraries has been twinned with a Ukrainian library through a partnership programme set up to bring closer links with libraries in Ukraine.

    Libraries Connected, the organisation of all public libraries in the United Kingdom, has overseen the development of a library twinning partnership with Library County, the Ukrainian library association.

    The announcement has seen Manchester Libraries, twinned with the Lviv Regional Youth Library. It is one of several UK libraries twinned with a counterpart in Ukraine.

    Being twinned with a Youth Library is particularly apt because of Moss Side Powerhouse Youth Library, a library specialising in offering a service to young people. Lviv, like Manchester is a UNESCO City of Literature.

    Since the war broke out, libraries in Ukraine have had to adapt to changing conditions with a focus on supporting their communities’ mental health, countering misinformation, and providing practical help.

    The twinning programme aims to promote information exchange about language, literature, and culture, to develop joint initiatives, connect audiences through exchange of experience, books and digital material as well as celebrating both UK and Ukrainian literature and culture.

    Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure welcomed the opportunity to twin with the Lviv Regional Youth Library today and said:

    ” We are delighted that Manchester has been given this opportunity to twin with a Ukrainian library. We have a strong Ukrainian community, and we have been eager to show solidarity and connect with them in this way.

    “Libraries whether here or in Ukraine sit at the heart of and are the bedrock of communities and are an important resource for our young people, we hope to support Lviv Youth Library and the library staff in whatever way we can.”

    Manchester Libraries is a Library of Sanctuary having been re-awarded Libraries of Sanctuary Status for another three years, earlier this year. It recognises and celebrates libraries that go above and beyond to welcome sanctuary seekers and refugees, demonstrating solidarity and inclusivity and the benefits of a welcoming culture to everyone.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry holiday programme voted a brilliant success!

    Source: City of Coventry

    A Coventry teen enjoyed one of his best summers ever, thanks to the Holiday Food and Activities programme (HAF).

    Corey, a student at Woodfield School in the city, was anxious and reluctant to go along to any of the HAF sessions at first, but after attending one, he couldn’t wait to take part in more.

    Mum, Gemma, said:

    “He has enjoyed the experience of all activities provided, seeing him being so excited to come home and telling me about his days and showing pictures and making phone calls to me, tells me how much fun he’s having.

    “Corey’s told me his experiences were good and he scores summer school a nine out of 10. Just want to say a massive thank you to the staff for organising everything.”

    Over 4000 Coventry children enjoyed a fun-filled summer break with activities and a meal, thanks to the government-funded, council supported HAF programme.

    16,000 children are eligible in Coventry to attend the HAF programme across Easter, Summer and Winter.

    Cllr Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member, Education and Skills, commented:

    “It’s always really heart-warming to hear and read how people’s lives are impacted so positively by programmes such as this. As we know, there are lots of other young people, like Corey, who I’m sure would benefit from the activities being delivered via the Holiday and Activities programme.

     I’d urge Coventry families to check if they are eligible to access the Holiday Activity Fund programme in the future, especially as we will be offering another excellent range of activities over the Christmas holiday season.”

    Families are being encouraged to see if they qualify for the programmes by checking online and registering now to benefit in time for the Christmas holiday programme.

    The HAF programme gives those families who are eligible for free school meals the chance to take part in fun and enjoyable sessions during the holidays, all with food provided.

    Tuesday, 15th October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HK-Sichuan ties discussed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak today met Sichuan Provincial People’s Government Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Zhang Tao to exchange views on enhancing youth development and exchanges and on district governance work between Sichuan and Hong Kong.

    Welcoming the delegation led by Ms Zhang, Miss Mak said that Hong Kong and Sichuan have a close relationship and much to learn from one another.

    She noted that to enhance Hong Kong youth’s understanding of the country, the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau has been actively taking forward various exchange and internship programmes, with some covering Sichuan such as the Youth Internship Programme at Wolong Region of Giant Panda National Park under the Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland, which receive staunch support from the Sichuan authorities.

    With regard to district governance, Miss Mak said that the bureau had arranged for district council (DC) members to go in batches to Zhejiang Province and Shanghai to learn about the country’s principles on grassroot governance and undertake site visits to learn their experiences in undertaking grassroot governance work.

    She said the move continuously enhances DC members’ capabilities in discharging their duties; and that the work in this regard would continue in future.

    Miss Mak added that she looks forward to deepening the co-operation on youth development and exploring mutual exchange on district governance work with Sichuan, and to contribute to the country’s development needs.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –