MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
From October 9 to 10, 2024, Advisor to the Rectorate of the State University of Management Sergey Karseka took part in the Forum of graduates of Soviet and Russian universities – representatives of the education and healthcare systems of the CIS countries, which was held in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana.
More than 150 representatives from 11 countries took part in the event.
The program included a grand opening, a plenary session, discussions during four round tables, and training on the topic of “Management in the Higher Education System.”
“Holding this forum in Astana demonstrates the close attention that Russia pays to graduates of Soviet and Russian universities, to those people who graduated from our universities and who, together with Russia, are developing relations between our countries,” noted Pavel Shevtsov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo).
Advisor to the rector’s office of the State University of Management Sergey Karseka spoke on the topic of “Network University as a form of scientific and educational interaction between the EAEU countries” (using the example of the Scientific and Educational Consortium “Eurasian Network University”) during the round table “Development of cooperation in the field of education and healthcare between Russia and the CIS countries, Abkhazia and South Ossetia”.
The forum was organized by Rossotrudnichestvo and the North Caucasus Federal University.
The main goal of the Forum is to strengthen ties and cooperation between graduates of Soviet and Russian universities who work in the field of higher education and healthcare in the CIS countries, heads of alumni associations, as well as the exchange of experience, ideas and joint initiatives, the maintenance and development of the Russian language, cultural and educational space between representatives of the CIS countries.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/14/2024
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders, enhancing local and regional collaboration, communication and strengthening Solomon Islands’ environmental response capabilities for marine pollution emergency incidents.
The workshop strengthened preparedness from any future threats from marine pollution, including oil spills and potentially polluting shipwrecks.
Participants identified the gaps in existing contingency planning to respond to marine incidents and increased their ability to engage, assess and monitor potentially polluting wrecks in the region.
With participants from across Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Regional Agencies, the workshop provided a platform for better communication, collaboration and learning about responding to Maritime Pollution in the Pacific.
According to UK Cefas facilitator, Freya Goodsir, the workshop was a fantastic success build capacity, communication and collaboration to respond to any future events. She added:
We found it extremely valuable to understand how passionate colleagues were about protecting our oceans. Together we have improved Solomon Islands ability to respond to any future threats to our marine environment.
Delegates from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Australia, Samoa and the United States took part in the four-day workshop in Honiara.
Source: Republic of France in English The Republic of France has issued the following statement:
The first EU candidate to the FAO
The French candidate was designated on October 15 as the European Union candidate for FAO general director. This is the first time that EU member states are selecting a common candidate for election to the head of this agency. It is also the first time that a woman is a candidate for the position.
A candidacy to put the fight against hunger and malnutrition back at the top of political agendas
Since it was founded, the FAO has helped reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. However it must be noted that hunger is once again increasing in the world.
Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle is determined to give a new impetus to the FAO and its efforts to eradicate hunger by 2030, in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals. Reducing poverty, stepping up rural development and deeply transforming our food systems are all priorities for the French and European candidate. It is vital to bring all member countries and partners around to a shared, renewed vision in order to strengthen the FAO’s efforts to bring about a world free from hunger and malnutrition.
To that end, the candidate pledges to expand cooperation and synergies with other UN organizations, especially the IFAD, WFP and the WHO. She wishes to contribute fully to the implementation of UN reform, strengthening cooperation with scientific and technical bodies and all relevant actors.
Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle also wants the FAO to play a major role as the leading global organization in the areas of food security and nutrition, based on solid and recognized technical and scientific knowledge.
Strengthening food security, eradicating poverty, combating climate change: a type of agriculture that produces more, in a better way
Food security and contributions to the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors are vital not only to feed humankind but also to provide decent jobs in rural areas, strengthen the role of women and young people, eradicate poverty, and save the planet.
To achieve these goals, the candidate intends to strengthen investment in research and knowledge, education and training, innovation and infrastructure.
In a context marked by climate change and the existence of numerous conflicts, the candidate is committed to ensuring that the FAO plays a central role in solutions so that everyone, regardless of where he or she lives, has access to healthy, safe and sustainably produced food. This is the prerequisite for a peaceful, more stable and fairer world.
In-depth expertise in the areas of food and agriculture and recognized leadership
Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, an agricultural engineer and former director general of the Ministry of Agriculture, is a recognized leader with a proven capacity to manage complex organizations operating in a multicultural environment. She also has a high level of professional experience in the areas of food systems, rural development and food security, in France as well as in Europe.
She has held the most senior positions in the French Ministry of Agriculture, serving successively as deputy director of the Department of International Trade (food aid and international assistance), director general, General Directorate for Food, and director general, General Directorate for Economic and Environmental Performance of Businesses.
At the European level, after having worked at the European Commission as an expert on consumer food safety issues, she served as executive director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for more than seven years.
Throughout her career, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle has dedicated her strong scientific and technical expertise in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, rural development, food systems and nutrition to the design and implementation of public agricultural and food policies at the national, European and international levels.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for issues relating to agriculture (including livestock farming, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) and food. It is a universal intergovernmental organization with 197 members, including the EU. The FAO is active in more than 130 countries around the world. The next director general of the FAO will be elected by member states in June 2019 for a four-year term. Nominations for the office of director-general are being accepted from December 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019.
The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will be held in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 2, 2024. GEIDCO will partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) to host a forum on energy transition and biodiversity conservation during COP16. The event, scheduled for Oct. 25 from 10-11 a.m. in the Cali Cultural Center’s main auditorium, will unveil research findings titled “Plans and Typical Cases for Promoting Biodiversity Conservation through Energy Transition”.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
HAMBURG, Germany, October 14, 2024/APO Group/ —
African youth entrepreneurs supported the by African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) took center stage at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on Monday.
During a session, titled “Empowering Young Entrepreneurs in Africa,” executives of the African Development Bank and its partner the African Guarantee Fund (http://apo-opa.co/3Y78rMT), as well as young African business leaders showcased innovative approaches to bridging the financing gap for youth entrepreneurs.
The two-day Hamburg Sustainability Conference, which drew global leaders, development institutions and young business founders across the continent, featured high-level discussions on reshaping international financial systems and creating investment environments that promote achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The session explored the impact of the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (http://apo-opa.co/3Y3wpZI) initiative. Through AFAWA, the Bank has approved approximately $1.8 billion in lending for Africa’s women entrepreneurs; some $1 billion has already been disbursed to more than 18,000 women-led small and medium enterprises.
Melanie Keita, CEO and co-founder of Melanin Kapital (http://apo-opa.co/48alJNA), a Nairobi-based fintech company that provides digital loans, and a beneficiary of AFAWA, spoke about the need for more accessible financing options for Africa’s youth-led startups. She questioned whether there were plans to digitise the loan process: “Can people access loans from their living room instead of having to travel a lot of time and then go with a lot of paperwork and being denied loans sometimes?”
South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, told attendees that young African entrepreneurs are “drivers of change.” She urged governments to prioritise entrepreneurship policies and reduce bureaucratic barriers.
“From financial technology, agriculture, renewable energy and creative sector to digital health solutions, young African entrepreneurs are transforming their communities,” Ramokgopa added. “They are also creating jobs and reshaping the economies as well.”
Africa is facing a significant demographic shift: the continent is expected to be home to 1.4 billion people aged under 25 by the year 2063.
Ahmed Attout, Director for Financial Sector Development at the African Development Bank, introduced its Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks (YEIB) initiative, designed to de-risk investing in youth entrepreneurs while fostering talent and entrepreneurship across Africa.
“[The Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks initiative] is a one-stop shop that can give youth access to finance, employment guarantees, employment technical assistance,” Attout said, adding that the initiative is in the advanced implementation phase in Liberia and Ethiopia.
Jules Ngankam, CEO of the African Guarantee Fund, an implementing partner of AFAWA, announced significant progress in delivering solutions for entrepreneurs. He said the Fund has issued $3 billion in guarantees, enabling commercial banks to lend $5 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The session was followed by a roundtable to stimulate networking between development institutions and African innovators. Joining Keita at the roundtable were two other beneficiaries of the Bank’s support: Chiemela Anosike, founder and CEO of Solaris GreenTech (http://apo-opa.co/48alKkC), and Ebun Feludu, CEO of Kokari Coconuts & Company (http://apo-opa.co/3A6ibiv), both Nigeria-based.
Chiemela Anosike said the struggle for start-up success is real. “Entrepreneurship is hard. Entrepreneurship in Africa is harder…so, it’s difficult. So, we have programs like this…but then you give us another full-time job because you’re into fundraising and then it’s taking six months. You’re developing just one proposal [for financing] and it’s taking one month plus,” Anosike told roundtable participants.
Bank Director for Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Martha Phiri told the entrepreneurs that the Bank is integrating entrepreneurship skills into its vocational training programs, in recognition that not all graduates will find employment in existing job markets.
Tapera Muzira, the Bank’s Lead Expert for Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development said the Bank’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab (http://apo-opa.co/3YqnotZ), an online platform that connects African entrepreneurs with resources, financing, and business development services, is closing the information gap that limits youth potential to contribute to economies and communities.
Earlier, Norway’s Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, noted that her country is committed to supporting African youth entrepreneurship. She referenced the USAID and Norway-led Financing for Agricultural Small-and-Medium Enterprises in Africa program, a multi-donor fund designed to spur investment in Africa’s agricultural growth.
“African youth constitute 60% of the population, which is why youth engagement and involvement is central in Norwegian foreign and development policies. Financing entrepreneurs is not enough. We need to build an entrepreneurial culture that supports solid institutional and regulatory frameworks,” Tvinnereim said.
The Hamburg Sustainability Conference is organized annually by the United Nations Development Program, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Michael Otto Foundation for Sustainability (http://apo-opa.co/48alMJg) and the City of Hamburg.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABUJA, Nigeria, October 14, 2024/APO Group/ —
The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has reached an agreement with participating Nigerian state governments to speed up implementation of a program designed to develop eight new agro-industrial zones in the country. The agreement emerged from a two-day meeting in Abuja, on 7 – 8 October, attended by senior government and bank officials and representatives of financing partners and the private sector.
The Nigeria Special Agro Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) program, launched in 2022, aims to create new hubs that integrate the production, processing and distribution of targeted crops and livestock to achieve food security, increase incomes, improve livelihoods, and support economic diversification. By significantly reducing dependence on food imports and boosting exports, SAPZs are expected to boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
To implement the first phase of the SAPZ project in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, the program has mobilized $538m in co-financing from the African Development Bank Group, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun who attended the meetings, said, “With inflation coming down, the reserves growing and the exchange rate stabilizing, success is being seen under the macroeconomic stabilization efforts of President Bola Tinubu. That is why the SAPZ program cannot and must not disappoint.”
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said, “The need to align all our efforts at the federal and state levels as well as with our development partners is germane, so that the momentum we gain here translates into tangible outcomes for the target beneficiaries, particularly those in rural areas where the SAPZs will have their greatest impact.”
According to the Director General of the African Development Bank’s Nigeria Country Department, Dr. Abdul Kamara, the meetings were aimed at strengthening collaboration among key stakeholders, including the private sector. Participants shared ideas and lessons learned, goals, and agreed on practical next steps to accelerate the implementation of Phase 1 of the program. The next phase of the programme will expand to include other state governments.
Emphasising the urgency of overcoming delays that have dogged program implementation, the Senior Special Adviser to the Bank President on Industrialisation, Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, said the rapid implementation and take-off of SAPZs provides a solution to the declining contribution of manufacturing and manufacturing exports to Nigeria’s GDP.
The second day of the meeting featured a workshop that brought together officials from the federal and state governments, representatives of partner institutions, and private sector investors to discuss the program’s financial, procurement and operational processes, as well as an accelerated implementation plan. The federal and state governments committed to implementing transparent and competitively driven procurement processes, including the independent selection of vendors.
The sessions, moderated by Dr. Victor Oladokun, Senior Advisor on Communications and Stakeholder Engagement to the president of the African Development Bank, also provided a platform to highlight the complementary roles of stakeholders. While governments and financing institutions are expected to play a catalytic role, the private sector will focus on investing in the construction and operation of the key components of the zones: Agro Industrial Processing Hubs (AIHs) and Agricultural Transformation Centres (ATCs).
The first phase of the Nigeria SAPZ program is expected to unlock about $1 billion in private sector investments, benefiting an estimated 1.5 million households, including private agribusinesses, agro-processors, smallholder farmers, agripreneurs, and agrodealers, and creating a minimum of 400,000 direct jobs and 1.6 million indirect jobs, especially for women and youth.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) hosted by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council today (October 14):尊敬的王松苗秘書長 (Secretary General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Wang Songmiao), 李永勝副特派員 (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR Mr Li Yongsheng), Kenneth (Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Mr Kenneth Fok), Wilfred (Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Fund Advisory Committee, Dr Wilfred Wong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good evening. On behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I would like to welcome you all to the inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo. HKPAX provides a comprehensive platform for showcasing top-notch performing arts productions from the international and local community, as well as promoting exchanges and collaborations to create business opportunities for these programmes and creative talents. The first HKPAX has received an overwhelming response, with strong support from our country and friends from around the world. More than 1 400 delegates from over 60 countries and regions are participating in HKPAX and sharing their artistic visions and creations with us. Hong Kong is a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures. We enjoy the distinct advantage of having strong support from our motherland and being closely connected to the world. These, together with our world-class arts and culture facilities and pluralistic arts environment, pave the way for us to further develop the city’s role as a cultural hub for the region and the world. HKPAX is much more than a market. It is a platform for making connections, exchanging ideas and fostering collaborations. For friends coming from abroad, please get to know the many and varied local artists and arts groups through various performances, showcases, pitches and other activities, and exchange innovative ideas on the artistic front. Also, do not miss the opportunity to get to know the rapidly emerging cultural cities in our motherland, especially those in the Greater Bay Area. Right after HKPAX, we will host the 2024 Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, which aims to promote integration, exchanges and collaborations, and enrich the cultural soft power of the Greater Bay Area. We hope that these two mega events will synergise and complement each other, and provide you, the visitors, and the people of Hong Kong with quality arts and cultural offerings. The HKSAR Government is committed to strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges. With your enthusiastic support for the event, HKPAX has succeeded in establishing itself as an important platform for new artistic connections and exchanges, and has made a mark for Hong Kong in the world of performing arts. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members and staff of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council for their tireless efforts in planning and organising HKPAX. My special thanks also go to all our partners, participating arts leaders and practitioners from Hong Kong, the Mainland and around the world. HKPAX would not be possible without your support and participation. Last but not least, I wish HKPAX every success, and hope you all enjoy the exciting programmes of HKPAX and your stay in our beautiful city in the coming days. Thank you. And now, I would like to say a few words in Cantonese.(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the speech.)
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Collaboration announced at International Investment Summit, meeting the PM’s ambitions to catalyse investment in the UK, proving the UK is open for business.
The UK’s world leading life sciences sector will receive a £279 million boost to tackle significant health challenges, with an intent expressed by Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, to invest in the UK, as part of a collaborative partnership with UK Government, announced at the International Investment Summit today (Monday 14 October).
Plans to form a new collaboration through a memorandum of understanding will see the pharmaceutical giant backing the UK’s brightest and best life sciences talent with the planned launch of the first ‘Lilly Gateway Labs’ innovation accelerator in Europe. This facility will support early-stage life sciences businesses to develop transformative medicines by providing lab space, mentorship, and potential financial backing to rocket future growth in the sector.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
For all the challenges facing the health of our nation, we have two huge advantages: some of the world’s leading scientific minds, and a National Health Service with enormous potential. If we can combine the two, patients in this country can reap the rewards of the revolution in medical science unfolding before our eyes.
This announcement helps the UK take its place as a world leader in life sciences and brings life-changing treatments closer to being a reality for NHS patients. Partnerships like this are key to building a healthier society, healthier economy, and making the NHS fit for the future.
Lilly’s Gateway Lab plans build on the 300,000 jobs the life sciences sector already supports nationwide. The facility will be the first announced anywhere in Europe, cementing the UK as a world leader in healthcare.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:
The UK’s life sciences sector is at the forefront of pioneering and life-saving research.
This ground-breaking collaboration is proof that this sector is held in high esteem internationally and is driving investment into the UK.
Investments like this drive forward work that will boost our health and ultimately save lives.
But they also fire up our economy, creating the jobs, opportunity and growth we need to invest further in health and to push up living standards.
David A. Ricks, Chair and CEO of Eli Lilly & Company said:
We welcome this opportunity to partner with the UK Government on tackling and preventing disease, and accelerating innovation to advance care delivery models. Today’s announcement is an important milestone, and we are pleased to reinforce Lilly’s commitment to improving health for people living with obesity and its serious consequences.
Obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer and a major contributor to ill-health that prevents people from participating fully in work. This collaboration will bring together treatments and technologies developed by the life sciences sector and the health system seeking to demonstrate improved long-term health outcomes for those living with obesity.
The collaboration with Lilly aims to set the stage for Government to work with industry to trial innovative approaches to treating obesity as part of a rounded package of care.
With obesity costing the UK health service more than £11 billion each year, action to tackle the condition is urgently needed. Backing the UK life sciences sector to understand obesity further, alongside introducing measures to prevent obesity in the first place such as restrictions on junk food advertising, will help ease pressure on the NHS.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said:
Obesity is one of the biggest public health issues we face, and we know weight loss drugs will be a game-changer, alongside earlier prevention strategies, in supporting many more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of killer conditions like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
Today’s momentous agreement shows the NHS is uniquely well-placed globally, not just to bring effective new treatments to those who would benefit most, but also to support science, research, jobs and economic growth across the country. We now have an important chance to gain a better understanding of the benefits of weight management interventions for patients, and how best to deliver them over the next few years.
Today’s collaboration is a demonstration of the £108 billion life sciences sector’s value to the UK economy, in both improving public health and keeping the UK at the forefront of scientific progress.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
Greater Manchester is world-renowned as a hub for innovation in health and life sciences. The results of the trial announced today could have a far-reaching impact on how we treat obesity globally, and our city-region is ready to make a significant contribution through our outstanding health data assets, R&D expertise, and the strong partnerships between industry, universities and public sector organisations.
The International Investment Summit will provide an opportunity to showcase our local strengths in health innovation to an audience of global business leaders and investors. This partnership could be the first of many and give Greater Manchester residents access to other innovative treatments.
Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray, said:
I welcome this long term strategic partnership with the world’s largest pharmaceutical company.
Scotland has a vibrant life science sector, world class universities and an NHS with a long track record of working with both.
This initiative supports our use of innovation to transform health and social care by building new partnerships between government, our NHS, academic institutions, and industry.
Mike Nesbitt, Health Minister for Northern Ireland, said:
It is only by focusing more on prevention and population health, tackling health inequalities and harnessing the power of innovation through the UK’s world-leading life sciences sector that we will be able to deliver better outcomes for patients.
Driving economic growth to improve the lives of hardworking British people is this Government’s number one mission. The life sciences sector – which drove £800 million in foreign direct investment into the UK in 2023 – sits at the heart of these plans.
ENDS
Notes for editors
About the Obesity Healthcare Goals Programme:
The Obesity Healthcare Goals Programme, formerly known as the Obesity Mission, was announced in November 2022, and is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) alongside the Dementia, Mental Health, Cancer and Addiction Healthcare Goals.
Leeds’s public health boss has issued a plea for all those eligible to take up the offer of a free flu vaccine this winter after worrying uptake levels last year.
Leeds City Council’s director of public health has urged people to take the chance to protect themselves against both the flu and Covid 19, with both viruses spreading more easily in winter as people spend increasing amounts of time indoors together.
The winter vaccine programme focuses on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill – including people with long-term health conditions, people aged over 65 and pregnant women – yet last year Leeds saw lower uptakes of the free annual jabs among some of these cohorts.
While uptake in older people remained high (79.5 per cent of over 65s), less than four in 10 (39 per cent) of people deemed ‘at risk’ received the flu vaccine, with similarly low levels seen among pregnant women (38 per cent) and two- to three-year-olds (37 per cent).
It comes as national figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that over the past two winters at least 18,000 deaths across the UK were associated with flu, despite last winter being a relatively mild flu season.
For the first time this year, pregnant women and older people aged 75 to 79 are also eligible for the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccination, with the maternal vaccine providing strong protection for newborns in their first few months, when they are most at risk of severe illness from RSV. Pregnant women should speak to their GP or maternity team for more information.
Leeds City Council’s director of public health Victoria Eaton said: “After clean water, immunisation is the most effective public health intervention in the world for saving lives and promoting good health.
“Over the winter period, even if you have had a vaccine or been ill with flu, Covid 19 or RSV before, it’s vital that you top up your protection as immunity fades over time and these viruses can change each year.
“It is therefore extremely important that anyone eligible to receive their winter vaccinations takes up the potentially life-saving opportunity. The national mortality figures are a stark reminder of how deadly these viruses can be to those at risk.
“Receiving the vaccinations means that if you do catch any of these viruses, you are likely to have milder symptoms and recover faster, cutting your risk of being hospitalised.
“I’m urging all those eligible to join the millions of others across the UK in taking up their free vaccine offer to ensure they stay winter strong.”
Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council’s executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said: “We want to protect our city’s most vulnerable from these respiratory viruses which spread more easily in winter and usually reach their peak over the festive and new year period.
“Nobody wants to miss out on festive celebrations with their families and friends and these vaccines provide the best possible protection.
“Our city’s GPs and community pharmacies stand ready to provide these free jabs to all those eligible – please book your appointment today and arm yourself against the risk of severe illness.”
Over 65s, those under 65 in clinical risk groups and pregnant women should contact their GP surgery or community pharmacy (for those aged 18 or over) to book their vaccinations.
Parents of children who are aged two or three (on or before August 31, 2024) should contact their GP surgery to book their child’s flu vaccination.
School-aged children (from reception to year 11) will mainly be offered their flu vaccines at school and for most this is a nasal spray, not an injection. A flu vaccine injection is available that does not contain gelatine. Parents who do not want their child to have the nasal spray vaccine should speak to the person vaccinating the child or ask for the injection on the school consent form.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A new online system for forms submitted to the OISC has been launched.
We have today (Monday 14 October) launched a new online system for forms submitted to the OISC.
The new system will make it easier to apply for registration. It will also assist registered organisations in applying for continued registration, adding new advisers, changing levels and paying registration fees.
Our new forms are interactive, user-friendly, and structured in the same style as other government forms.
Immigration Services Commissioner, John Tuckett, said:
“The introduction of our new online forms system will make the registration process more straightforward and user-friendly.
“It will save our registered advisers valuable time, allowing them to focus on their essential work of supporting advice seekers, providing them with high-quality, reliable advice.”
The introduction of the new system allows:
card payments to be made
applicants to register on a mobile phone
applicants to save and return to their application at a later date or time
advisers to edit their details, giving them more control over the information that is displayed
Anyone using the forms will need to register for a One Login account, as with other government platforms.
The new online forms can be accessed via the OISC portal.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 03, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹14.00 lakh (Rupees Fourteen Lakh only) on Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank (the bank), for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Strengthening of Prudential Norms- Provisioning Asset Classification and Exposure Limit’ and ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)‘. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under the provisions of section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 51(1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had:
failed to classify certain loan accounts as non-performing assets (NPA) resulting into divergence in asset classification of loan accounts; and
allotted multiple Unique Customer Identification Code (UCIC) to its individual customers.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 07, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on The Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Dharangaon, Maharashtra (the bank), for non-compliance with the specific directions issued by RBI under Supervisory Action Framework (SAF). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under the provisions of section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI instructions issued under SAF and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had incurred capital expenditure without prior approval of RBI in violation of the directions issued under SAF.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 03, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.75 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh Seventy Five Thousand only) on Jilla Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Bhind, Madhya Pradesh (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of section 26A read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act) and non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Membership of Credit Information Companies (CICs) by Co-operative Banks’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act and section 25 of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with statutory provisions / RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions/directions.
After considering the bank’s reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had:
failed to transfer eligible unclaimed deposit amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed period; and
failed to submit credit information of its borrowers to any of the four CICs.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Xi says China willing to jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Indonesia
BEIJING, Oct. 14 — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that China is willing to work with Indonesia to jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure the sustainable operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, and create more highlights of cooperation to better benefit the people of both countries.
Xi made the remarks during his phone talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Greater support for Roma women’s organisations needed to address multiple inequalities, ODIHR says
Carmen Gheorghe, representing E-Romnja attending an event dedicated to support Roma women organization, held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference last week. (OSCE) Photo details
More tailored support is needed for Roma women’s civil society organizations and activists, participants said at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference last week.
“Defending the human rights of Roma women is a collective responsibility, and it should not fall on the shoulders of Roma women’s activists only,” said Tea Jaliashvili, ODIHR Director’s Alternate/First Deputy Director. “Striving towards prosperous societies means embracing diversity and equality in all its forms and supporting those in need.”
Roma women’s civil society plays a crucial role in ensuring respect for the rights of Roma women, which are often violated by intersectional forms of discrimination. Limited funding and a long-standing lack of assistance hinder Roma women from achieving their full potential, leading to their ongoing exclusion.
“The deteriorating socio-economic climate and political challenges are making the work of civil society ever more difficult. And Roma feminist advocates struggle with additional barriers, from cultural bias to sexism, racism and classism,” said Carmen Gheorghe, representing E-Romnja, a Roma feminist non-profit organization.
The event brought together Roma women advocates and representatives, as well as delegations of OSCE states, to discuss the key challenges facing Roma and Sinti women in the OSCE region and the organizations advocating for their needs.
“Introducing intersectionality in the legal work of our organization led to better support for Roma women,” said Ðorđe Jovanović on behalf of the European Roma Rights Centre. “We need both mainstream human rights groups and women’s organizations as allies to be able to tackle the full range of disparities experienced by Roma women.”
During the event, participants called upon governments across the OSCE region to provide systemic support as well as putting legal and policy measures in place to support Roma women. Increased funding is essential, along with opportunities for collaboration, training, and empowerment. Particular focus should be paid to Roma women at higher risk of marginalisation and exploitation, such as women with disabilities, displaced people, youth, and the elderly.
ODIHR’s mandate to improve the situation of Roma and Sinti also includes tailored support for Roma and Sinti women. ODIHR will continue this by strengthening partnerships with OSCE states and civil society to ensure better protection of the rights of Roma women.
In December 2023, ODIHR published its five-yearly report on progress made by OSCE states towards Roma inclusion and the challenges that remain. The report describes the lack of adequate support in fulfilling the socio-economic and political rights of Roma and Sinti women, and recommends more targeted measures to tackle intersectional inequalities.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Oct. 14 — China will increase support for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and unicorn companies to foster new quality productive forces and help enterprises expand markets and unleash vitality, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said Monday.
So far, China has cultivated about 141,000 innovative SMEs that use specialized, sophisticated technologies to produce novel or unique products, including 14,600 “little giant” firms, Wang Jiangping, vice minister of industry and information technology told a press conference.
These companies have played an important role in promoting new industrialization and developing new quality productive forces, Wang said, adding that the MIIT will work with relevant departments to roll out mechanisms to promote the development of such SMEs and boost the high-quality growth of the enterprises.
Wang noted that further efforts will be made to support the digital transformation and financing of the companies. For “little giant” firms — which refer to the novel elites of SMEs that are engaged in manufacturing, specialize in a niche market and boast cutting-edge technologies — China will use the central government budget to support them in achieving new technological breakthroughs, developing new products and strengthening the industrial chain to boost their scientific and technological innovation.
China has seen a growing number of unicorn companies in recent years, with over half of last year’s new unicorns emerging in rapidly developing technology sectors like new energy, artificial intelligence and semiconductors, according to the ministry.
The MIIT has vowed to support the listing, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring of unicorn firms and promote the growth of such companies in future industries such as the brain-computer interface and 6G sectors. It has also vowed support for such firms to integrate into the global innovation network and enhance innovation cooperation.
In the fourth quarter of this year, China will launch specific measures to promote consumption and domestic demand in order to help enterprises expand the market and unleash vitality, the vice minister said.
It will promote investment in the projects of technical transformation and upgrading as well as equipment renewal, and accelerate the issuance of re-loans worth 150 billion yuan (about 21.21 billion U.S. dollars) to support such projects.
To expand consumption, China will promote electric bicycle trade-ins and increase promotion efforts for new energy vehicles, Wang said, adding that it will also help develop sectors such as the low-altitude economy and smart manufacturing to create new engines for economic growth.
Smartphones, batteries and satellites all require critical minerals like cobalt, niobium and tin. As society increasingly relies on these minerals to create a more sustainable energy economy, demand may soon outpace available supply.
To potentially help boost national supply of critical minerals, which are crucial to both the economy and national security, Dustin Trail and Rachel Glade, professors at the University of Rochester, are collaborating on a U.S. National Science Foundation-supported project to find novel ways to identify undiscovered critical mineral reservoirs.
“With just a scoop of sand from a river basin, we can sample all the surface rocks and see if any of them came from critical mineral-enriched sources,” Trail said. Quartz carries tiny amounts of critical minerals inside, which could be used to fingerprint whether each quartz grain found in a riverbed originally came from a critical mineral-rich rock or not.
In addition to studying the minerals themselves, the team will also study how mineral grains move in rivers and drainage basins. Glade will collect hundreds of rocks, drill into the rocks to add a radio frequency identification tracker, put them back in the stream and then see how far they travel. These data points will go into a mathematical model to help predict how minerals’ shape and size affect how they move in river basins, with the goal of using these quantities to predict travel distance, and therefore origin, of the sediments.
The team is focusing efforts on sites around Rochester, New York, but could see following a similar approach in areas that are more remote and difficult to explore, such as Alaska.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 14, 2024/APO Group/ —
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved grants of $34,796,402.40 to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate disaster risks for vulnerable communities in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Under the Bank Group’s Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) initiative, the Mitigating Fragility through the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Programme in Southern Africa Project will bolster institutional capacity for climate risk preparedness and management; increase financial protection against climate disaster risks through sovereign climate disaster risk transfer; and promote the adoption of index-based crop insurance to mitigate against drought and other production risks at the micro-level.
Malawi and Zimbabwe face significant climate hazards, such as droughts, tropical cyclones, and flooding, but lack adequate mechanisms for climate risk management and adaptation. Both countries are particularly vulnerable to such climate shocks as drought, flooding and tropical cyclones, which contribute to their fragility. Strengthening disaster risk management, improving early warning systems, and enhancing institutional arrangements are crucial for effective preparedness and resilience in these countries.
Under the project, insurance payouts will provide timely and adequate financial protection to mitigate losses incurred from climate-related disasters, safeguarding households, and businesses from falling into poverty or bankruptcy. Climate risk insurance is expected to lead to behavioural changes among beneficiaries, such as increased investment in climate-resilient livelihoods or savings for future insurance premiums. This project will build on the successes of the ADRiFi program and the valuable contributions from our partners, which have significantly enhanced the financial resilience of both Malawi and Zimbabwe. Notably, during the El Niño-induced drought season of 2024/2025, African Risk Capacity, the Bank’s partner on ADRiFi, disbursed over $45 million to support farmers affected by the drought. This funding has provided crucial food assistance and recovery interventions, helping communities to rebuild and thrive in the face of adversity.
The project is aligned to the Bank’s High 5 Priorities, especially Feed Africa and Improve the Quality of Life of Africans. It also aligns with the Bank’s 10-year strategy (2024-2033) and will contribute to the Bank’s Country Strategy for Malawi which focusses on supporting economic diversification through investments in agriculture infrastructure and value chains.
Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
The national £2 bus fare cap was in the spotlight this week as members raised concerns ahead of its scheduled end on 31 December 2024. Topics raised included the need for better co-ordination between buses and railways, and reliable transport for young people to access jobs and education.
Cast of Road Safe Road Show along with Alderman Mark Baxter, Chairperson of PCSP along with PCSP and PSNI staff
Over 700 pupils from a number of schools across the Craigavon area recently attended the award winning PSNI Roadsafe Roadshow, which was held at Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre.
Organised by the PSNI and supported by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), students heard the hard-hitting message that making one mistake whilst driving on the roads can ultimately end in a fatality.
The event centred around ‘Craig’ – a typical young driver who has just passed his driving test, has bought a new car and is excited to pick up his girlfriend. He is 17 years old, a show-off, cheeky and over-confident.
The roadshow then followed the story of Craig’s car crash and all that happened next, including the lives of those affected by the collision.
Young people heard the real-life stories from a police officer, a paramedic, a fire fighter, a hospital consultant and two others who have had their lives changed forever, due to a car accident.
“This award-winning road show was a very sobering event that I have no doubt has left a permanent impact on the young people who attended, and will hopefully influence their future driving behaviour,” commented the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Sarah Duffy.
“To hear from real people who have lived through horrendous experiences was a hard listen – but so important, as they conveyed the reality of life for those who have been affected by a car accident.”
Alderman Mark Baxter, Chair of the PCSP, agreed. “This event was hugely impactful and very hard hitting and really gave young people an idea of how not concentrating while behind the wheel can have catastrophic repercussions.”
“It really brought home the reality of road deaths to the young audience and I know it has certainly given them a lot to think about when it is their turn to take to the road.”
Exercise is great for improving heart health. But the thought of hitting the gym or going for a jog might put some people off from doing it. And, if you have a heart condition already, such dynamic exercises may not be safe to do.
The good news is, you don’t necessarily need to do a vigorous workout to see heart benefits. You can even improve your heart health by holding still and trying really hard not to move.
Normally, to build strength and force, our muscles need to change length throughout a movement. Squats and bicep curls are good examples of exercises that cause the muscle to change length throughout the movement.
But isometric training involves simply contracting your muscles, which generates force without needing to move your joints. The harder a muscle is contracted, the more forceful it becomes (and the more forceful a muscle is, the more powerfully we can perform a movement).
If you add weight to an isometric exercise, it causes the muscle to contract even harder. A wall sit and a plank are examples of isometric contractions.
Isometric exercises are associated with a high degree of “neural recruitment”, because of the need to maintain the contraction. This means these exercises are good at engaging specialised neurons in our brain and spinal cord, which play an important role in all the movements we do – both voluntary and involuntary. The greater this level of neural activation, the more muscle fibres are recruited – and the more force generated. As a result, this can lead to strength gains.
Isometric exercises have long been of interest to strength and power athletes as a means of preparing their muscles to generate high forces by activating them. But research also shows isometric exercises are beneficial for other areas of our health – including reducing hypertension and promoting better blood flow.
There are a couple reasons why isometric exercises are so good for the heart.
When a muscle is contracted, it expands its size. This causes it to compress the blood vessels supplying this muscle, reducing blood flow and raising the blood pressure in our arteries – a mechanism known as the “pressor reflex”.
Then, once the contraction is relaxed, a sudden surge of blood flows into the blood vessels and muscle. This influx of blood brings more oxygen and (crucially) nitric oxide into the blood vessels – causing them to widen. This in turn reduces blood pressure. Over time, this action will reduce stiffness of the arteries, which may lower blood pressure.
When blood flow is reduced during an isometric movement, it also reduces the amount of available oxygen that cells need to function. This triggers the release of metabolites, such as hydrogen ions and lactate, which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system – which controls our “fight of flight” response. In the short term, this leads to an increase in blood pressure.
But when an isometric exercise is done repeatedly over many weeks, there’s a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity. This means blood pressure is lowered and there’s less strain on the cardiovascular system – which makes these exercises good for the heart.
Isometric exercises may be even more beneficial for heart health than other types of cardiovascular exercise. A study which compared the benefits of isometric exercise versus high-intensity interval training found isometrics led to significantly greater reductions in resting blood pressure over the study period of between two and 12 weeks.
How to use isometric exercise
If you want to use isometric training to reduce blood pressure, it’s recommended that you should do any isometric contraction for two minutes at around 30-50% of your maximum effort. This is enough to trigger physiological improvements.
You can start by doing this four times a day, three-to-five times per week – focusing on the same exercise. As you progress, you can start to vary the exercises you do, add weights to the exercise, or add in more than one isometric exercise.
Some good isometric exercises to begin with include a static squat, a wall sit or a plank. Even during these small bouts of exercise, your heart rate, breathing and arterial pressure will all increase – the same responses that occur during more conventional whole-body exercises, such as cycling and running.
The beneficial improvements in blood pressure start to manifest around 4-10 weeks after starting isometric training – though this depends on a person’s health and fitness levels when starting out.
Isometric training appears to be a simple, low-intensity mode of exercise that offers big benefits for cardiovascular health – all while requiring little time commitment compared with other workouts.
Dan Gordon, Professor of Exercise Physiology, Anglia Ruskin University; Chloe French, PhD Candidate in Sport and Exercise Science, Anglia Ruskin University, and Ruby Cain, PhD Candidate, Anglia Ruskin University
Through millions in coveted grants, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are recognizing how impactful Thanh Nguyen’s research is to the field of biomedical engineering.
Nguyen, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering, has already established himself as one of the top-funded researchers at UConn. The NIH is adding to that success by awarding Nguyen four R01 grants totaling more than $9.5 million, with $7.5 million going to UConn researchers.
His research is the interface of biomedicine, material engineering, and the use of nano- and microtechnology. Nguyen has made strides on multiple fronts, with multi-disciplinary projects dedicated to helping heal helping people with diverse afflictions.
“We are always motivated by medical problems that have a high impact on human health,” says Nguyen.
R01 grants are highly competitive, awarded to research and development projects that live up to the NIH’s mission to improve health, extend life, and reduce illness and disability.
For Nguyen, his collaborators, and students, the grants present an opportunity to improve technology to help bones and cartilage to heal. He is also working to develop improved methods to deliver lifesaving vaccines and antibodies to worldwide populations.
Assistant professor Thanh Nguyen supports numerous postdoctoral and Ph.D. students in his biomedical engineering laboratory.
Two of the grants are brand new, providing $2.1 million and $1.5 million toward respective projects. On the former, Nguyen is the primary investigator on a project to stimulate and accelerate healing defects to the longest bones in the body, such as the femur and tibia.
“Bones in most parts of the body can regenerate themselves, but when you get a long and large bone injury, the body needs help to regenerate,” Nguyen says.
Significant long bone injuries are often treated with growth factors or stem cells to stimulate healing. However, the techniques often include serious side effects that can impair patients.
Nguyen and his team are working to minimize the danger through the application of safe biomaterials as an electrically active scaffold over a bone defect. The scaffold would be biodegradable and able to produce electrical charges, stimulating bone repair.
Concurrently, Nguyen is working with fellow researchers to provide needed antibodies to breastfeeding infants with HIV. Globally, more than 130,000 babies are infected with HIV annually, and certain antibodies have shown to be effective against the virus.
The second new R01 grant will fund the development microneedle technology to deliver multi-potent antibodies which can last a long time in the baby body to sustain the immune protection against infectious HIV virus. Currently, multiple injections are required, and the antibodies must be stored at cold temperatures. The process is expensive and burdensome.
Nguyen says microneedle patches would greatly simplify the process and reduce the cost of cold-chain storage. Along with the collaborators in Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), Nguyen’s research would investigate the effectiveness of the anti-HIV patches in small animals and large animals like monkeys.
Nguyen says the treatment is applied similar to a nicotine patch, painlessly delivering the antibodies into the recipient. Ultimately, the patches will be tested in pediatric patients who have a high risk of HIV infection as a result of breastfeeding from HIV-infected mothers.
Besides these two grants, he received a $2.16 million grant to research how his invented biodegradable ultrasound technology can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy in brain cancer patients.
The fourth grant, for nearly $2 million, investigates how tissue-scaffolding made of his lab’s invented biodegradable electrically active polymer can regrow cartilage, as successfully performed on rabbits. The treatment could be a game changer for osteoarthritis patients whose cartilage in body parts such as the knee has deteriorated through injury or aging.
Beyond the NIH, Nguyen has received significant support through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a $2.6 million project as the PI on development of a microneedle array patch capable of delivering multiple human vaccines at once.
In late September, the Gates Foundation awarded Nguyen another $4 million for his work on the microneedle patch. Nguyen and his team are working to scale up production of the patch, which can deliver multiple vaccines at ones. This includes vaccines or antibodies to fight diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, HIV, and polio.
Once almost eradicated, polio continues to affect populations in developing countries, with the most cases reported in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. Nguyen hopes the microneedle patch will make new progress in the effort to eliminate the threat of polio once and for all.
Now with $6.6 million in Gates Foundation funding, Nguyen is pleased to be able to expand his team, including offer more opportunities to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Together, his prolific research funding has brought a total amount of $25 million funding to UConn since 2016 when he started as an assistant professor, a testament to the impact of his research.
“I am very grateful to the NIH and the Gates Foundation for the opportunity to pursue vaccination and biomedical engineering research at UConn,” Nguyen says.
Nguyen’s breakthroughs have led to numerous awards, more than 20 issued and pending patents, and an induction into the U.S. National Academy of Inventors. He is also a reputable mentor, adviser and collaborator, with his work currently supporting more than 21 people, including 11 post-doctoral and 10 Ph.D. students in his biomedical engineering lab.
While he has been successful as a fundraiser, Nguyen says it has taken many years and widespread publication to achieve his level of support. He backs his proposals through innovative ideas, significant problems to address and extensive scientific data, utilizing the resources at his disposal.
“We keep working and producing high quality research published in well-known scientific journals,” he says. “That has helped create a successful and impactful research program.”
The Frame is available for purchase at MoMA Design Store at store.moma.org, Samsung.com and other select retailers.
The Introduction of Highlights from MoMA’s Collection follows the Samsung Art Store’s relationships with world-class museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Musée d’Orsay, and the release of several collections this year featuring René Magritte, Jean-Michel Basquiat and over 40 Marimekko artworks. Samsung remains committed to being the premier destination for experiencing a wide breadth of high-quality digital art.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
A fire broke out at a public cargo working area on Hoi Fai Road, Yau Ma Tei, at 5.06pm today (October 14) and was upgraded to No. 3 alarm at 6pm. The fire was surrounded at 8.03pm.
Firemen are using two fire boat monitors, three jets and mobilising three breathing apparatus teams to fight the blaze.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, met with the Deputy Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the President of the Jiangsu Youth Federation, Mr Xiong Jun, today (October 14) to exchange views on promoting youth exchanges between Jiangsu and Hong Kong. The Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung, and the Commissioner for Youth, Mr Eric Chan, also attended the meeting.
Miss Mak welcomed Mr Xiong and his delegation to Hong Kong. She said that the Jiangsu Youth Federation is an important partner of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both parties last October to deepen the co-operation in youth development. Over the past year, both parties have achieved significant progress in various areas such as youth exchange and internship, innovation and entrepreneurship, etc.
The HYAB has actively organised various exchange and internship activities in the Mainland and adopted a multi-pronged approach in enhancing Hong Kong youth’s understanding of the country, so as to help them integrate into the overall development of the country. In particular, the Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland and the Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland include various youth exchange and internship projects that cover Jiangsu.
Miss Mak looks forward to continued co-operation with Jiangsu on strengthening youth development and exchanges, with a view to providing more opportunities for Hong Kong youth to gain first-hand experience and understand the national affairs.
The Education Bureau and the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Office organised an itinerary design competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students, encouraging secondary students to design routes for Mainland exchanges covering the GBA cities as destinations.
The competition’s kick-off ceremony and briefing session was held today as part of the celebrations for the 15th anniversary of the founding of the “Passing on the Torch” National Education Activity Series Platform.
Officiating guests included Under Secretary for Education Sze Chun-fai, Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Maisie Chan and Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Second-level Inspector Zhang Guolai.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Sze said that the platform has been strongly supported by the Central People’s Government Offices in Hong Kong and eminent individuals from various sectors in the city since its establishment in 2009, enabling smooth progress in all areas of work.
Mr Sze said under the leadership of various Executive Chairpersons, more than 550,000 primary and secondary students have benefited over the years. Mainland exchange programmes for primary and secondary students have covered 22 provinces, four autonomous regions and four municipalities.
He also thanked the GBA Development Office for co-organising the competition with the bureau, providing students with more opportunities to understand the history, culture and development opportunities of the GBA, which will widen their horizons and foster their sense of national identity.
Secondary students will participate in the competition on a team basis. Each team should submit a proposal on such themes as root-tracing/remembrance of origins, innovation/aerospace technology, and intangible cultural heritage. The proposal should include an itinerary for a student exchange lasting one to three days in the GBA cities.
The champion itineraries will be turned into actual trips and the winning teams will be fully subsidised to join the trips as an award.
Completed proposals should be submitted by December 20.
“Taiwan independence” is incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait, and the provocations of “Taiwan independence” separatist forces will inevitably be countered, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday organized its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct “Joint Sword-2024B” drills in the Taiwan Strait and the north, south and east of the island of Taiwan.
In response to a related query, spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that China has always been committed to maintaining regional peace and stability, which is evident to countries in the region. Taiwan is an integral part of China’s territory, and the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, which brooks no outside interference, Mao stressed.
If the United States truly cares about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and prosperity of the region, it should abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, earnestly act on its leaders’ commitment to not supporting “Taiwan independence,” stop arming Taiwan, and stop sending any wrong signals to separatist forces of “Taiwan independence,” Mao said.
China and Vietnam agreed to strengthen defense and security cooperation, said a joint statement issued on Monday during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.
In the statement, China and Vietnam considered defense and security cooperation as one of the important pillars of China-Vietnam relations.
The two sides agreed to further strengthen exchanges between the two militaries at various levels, better leverage such channels as friendly defense exchanges in border areas, defense and security consultations, and defense ministry hotlines.
They also agreed to further deepen border defense cooperation, and continue to carry out joint patrols in the Beibu Gulf and mutual visits of warships among other activities, it said.
The two sides agreed to strengthen information exchanges and experience-sharing on fighting external interference and secession and preventing “color revolutions.”
China welcomes Vietnam to hold trade promotion activities within its borders, and Vietnam supports China’s efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on the basis of meeting standards and procedures, according to a joint statement issued on Monday.
The statement, issued during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, said that China welcomes Vietnam to hold trade promotion activities within its borders and will promote the early signing of the protocol on the export of peppers, passion fruit, raw bird’s nests and edible bird’s nests to China.
China will work actively to facilitate the entry of Vietnamese agricultural products like citrus fruits, avocados, sugar apples, wax apples, plant-derived Chinese medicinal materials, buffalo meat, beef, pork, and livestock and poultry meat products, the statement said.
It added that Vietnam actively welcomes the participation of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.