Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Economic Community, H.E. Satvinder Singh, received a courtesy call from the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) today, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. They discussed possible avenues and collaborations to advance engineering integration and capabilities across ASEAN, such as through enhancing engineering standards, as well as sharing of engineering knowledge and business opportunities. AFEO is an accredited Civil Society Organisation (CSO) under Annex II of the ASEAN Charter.
The post Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Economic Community met with ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) to explore collaborative partnership to advance regional engineering practice appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
Krista Belén Rivas Gutiérrez, Regional Leader of the Tertiary Refugee Student Network (TRSN) in Latin America, explains how people on the move contribute to progress in society as a whole. A youth representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), she says refugees joining forces with governments and other partners will benefit all.
Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) – “We have had three days of heavy rains and floods, which occurred from many small rivers and streams that overflowed. They are among the most intense that Nepal has ever seen in recent decades”, says to Agenzia Fides Fr. Silas Bogati, pro Apostolic Vicar of Nepal. “Now there is great suffering, thousands of people have lost their homes and everything they had at home, many do not know where to sleep. The situation is critical in Kathmandu and in many other areas of the country”, he notes. The pro-Vicar is located in the small village of Godavari, a few kilometers from the capital Kathmandu, where there is a Catholic Pastoral Center that carries out various activities. “Even some Catholic families who live here, near the river, are in conditions of poverty and penury. They have nothing. But there is already an effort of solidarity to help them”, he notes. The heavy rains that hit Nepal between 27 and 28 September caused widespread floods that affected thousands of families. According to initial estimates by government authorities, some 217 people, including 35 children, have lost their lives, while over 130 are injured and at least 26 are missing. Hundreds of homes have been damaged. Landslides, mud and debris have blocked major roads, both in the capital and in other districts, hindering relief efforts and access to essential services. In addition, 13 major hospitals have been damaged and water supplies are cut off in many areas, with damaging, sometimes life-threatening, consequences for health and nutrition. There are fears of an outbreak of waterborne (such as cholera) and vector-borne (such as dengue fever) epidemics. “The damage to 54 schools deprives more than 10,000 boys and girls of access to safe learning spaces,” UNICEF said. “Schools are closed and roads impassable, there is mud everywhere, here in Godavari and in the capital. Now Caritas Nepal is assessing the situation and will seek a prompt response to help the displaced, who have no food or clothing, nor a place to spend the night. Some volunteers from our parishes have already started working and are helping to clean the mud from the houses that are still habitable”, continues Fr. Silas Bogati. “In this situation of suffering and precariousness, we try to do our part, bringing aid and showing solidarity to all those in need. We will need help from abroad”, he concludes. Nepal is a country of about 30 million inhabitants with a Hindu majority (80%), while Christians of various confessions make up about 1% overall, including about 8 thousand Catholics. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 1/10/2024) Share:
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
The LIBE Committee held an exchange of views with the Executive Director of the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA), Alexis Goosdeel, on the latest developments in the drug situation in Europe and the work performed by the Agency to improve preparedness at the EU and national level.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Swiss Canton of Vaud – news in French
The Government thus guarantees the high level of benefits to the population, which it even strengthens in certain sectors, and implements the tax cuts in favor of the population announced in its Purchasing Power Plan.
by Gianni ValenteUlaanbaatar (Agenzia Fides) – «There is a specificity of the first announcement of the Gospel. And when we reflect on the mission of the Church, I would like to speak out in favor of this specificity”, which “should not be evaporated in an overly generic discussion on the mission”. October begins, the month that the Church dedicates, in addition to the Rosary, also to the mission. And Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Consolata missionary, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, takes advantage of the opportunity to share in a conversation with Agenzia Fides bright ideas full of apostolic passion for missionary work. This year too, as often happens , “Missionary October” is intertwined with the work in Rome of the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, in which Cardinal Marengo also takes part. And that meeting is also called to deal with the missionary horizon of every authentic ecclesial work, as is clear from the title (“For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”). Cardinal Marengo, perhaps this cannot be insisted upon enough on the missionary nature of the Church and on the call of all the baptized to the mission? CARDINAL GIORGIO MARENGO: The rediscovery of the call to all be missionaries, inscribed in baptism, was in many ways providential. But now the specificity of the missionary vocation called “ad gentes” seems to have been somewhat lost sight of. It is as if, in the era of globalization and the apparent reduction of geographical distances, there was no longer any place for this horizon of missionary work. . which involves leaving and inserting oneself into human contexts different from one’s own. Instead, I believe, precisely in our time it is appropriate to recognize that there is a specificity of the first announcement of the Gospel, of the Gospel announced to those who don’t really know what it is. It is important that this specificity is not diluted, not evaporated in an overly generic discussion on the mission. In this time, precisely perceiving and always taking into account this specificity seems vital to me for all the work of the Church in the world, and for its journey in history. Because this specificity of the first announcement for you must not be removed and is crucial in the dynamism missionary of the Church?MARENGO: If belonging to the Church means walking together with Jesus and behind Jesus, the mission can be described and formulated as “making the encounter with Christ possible”. This encounter can always take place in ways unknown to us. But normally the impact with a human reality remains necessary. A human reality that facilitates and makes the encounter with Christ possible. Because this experience is always transmitted through attraction and contact. And this dynamism manifests itself and is clearly perceived especially where the real possibilities of coming into contact in some way with the person of Christ are objectively few. For example, in places where the Church does not exist or is in a nascent state of Church, as in the case of Mongolia. You belong to a missionary institute. And in recent decades there has been a clear numerical decline in the members of these Institutes. MARENGO: Perhaps there will no longer be a need for large numbers as there once was, and we should not be shocked that missionary Institutes are decreasing in number. But even with less impact, the perennial need to announce the Gospel which gave rise to the birth of those Institutes remains alive. The specificity of the “Missio ad gentes” you referred to evokes what were the “mission territories”, areas which now are defined as the “South of the world” or global South”. Is this identification still valid? MARENGO: Rather than slipping into the insidious terrain of socio-political formulas and definitions, those which for example refer to the “north” and “south” of the world, it is better to stick to purely ecclesial criteria. This specificity has to do with real exposure to the announcement of the Gospel. It is a question of seeing whether in different social contexts there is the possibility of real exposure to the Gospel, because in that given context the Gospel is in some way actually announced, or whether this does not happen. Always taking into account all the particular situations and their diversities. What diversities? MARENGO: It’s one thing to live in places where the Church is established with all the charisms and ministries, and it’s another to have a Church with only one native priest, like it happens here in Mongolia. It’s one thing to find yourself in societies that are extremely critical of Christianity, due to the weight of history. And a con is interacting with societies that are not in themselves against and hypercritical towards the Church, because their stories have never intertwined. In different contexts and situations, the mission of the first announcement is the one that in any case makes one experience the novelty of Christian faith. Both when this happens in contexts that have not historically dealt with it, and when it is rediscovered as a novelty in places where it has shaped previous generations, but has now somehow evaporated from the common horizon. What are the elementary and specific traits of mission of the first announcement? MARENGO: God our Father did not send a message, but became flesh by sending his only Son. God lowered himself to embrace the human condition. And by analogy, even the mission, since then, is called to submit to the laws of time and space, having Jesus as its model. If the message of Christ were a mere message, a teaching of life, there would have been no need to ask men and women to go to the ends of the world, as Jesus himself does in the Gospel. Jesus became part of a people and a defined culture. Thirty years of hidden life, three years of explicit activity and three days of passion, which lead to the resurrection. All those who follow him are called to let themselves be shaped by the Holy Spirit to live the same mystery. This is the mission. Submitting to the laws of space and time by following Jesus frees us to abstractions and embraces all the effort and patience of missionary work, which may appear “useless” and “fruitless”….MARENGO: Let’s think about the time spent on learn difficult and distant languages, to immerse yourself deeply and respectfully in the cultures of the people you live with. Everything presupposes understanding, friendly closeness to grow a relationship of trust. Much of the missionary effort is aimed precisely at identifying with the context and creating these conditions of mutual trust, in order to then share our treasure with others, what we hold most dear. This “patience” of the long times of the mission is not out of line with respect to the fast dynamics of the present time? MARENGO: Perhaps someone today might think that it is more effective to invest in communication to obtain measurable impacts on public opinion. But the Gospel is not communicated as an idea or as one of the options on a menu. This is marketing. Sometimes we have a tendency to make theories about the mission, or to organize strategies with social or humanitarian actions that we present as useful things for what we call “announcement”. Up to the illusion of a Church that is built “by project”. How do you perceive the current urgencies of the missionary work of the Church from your point of view in Ulaanbaatar? MARENGO: I am amazed by the growing interest of writers, journalists and scholars of the Church in the our small Church in Mongolia, in which they see a mission experience similar to that of the Acts of the Apostles. The Apostles bore witness to the Lord Jesus in conditions of absolute minority compared to the social and cultural contexts in which they moved. Their work had connotations of marginality and novelty. The experience of first contact with the Gospel on the part of people and social realities who had never encountered it until then occurs again in Mongolia. Those who are interested in our Church sometimes tell me that from associating with our poor and small experience, advantages and inspiration can also come for the situations experienced in post-Christian societies, where even a vague common reference to Christianity can no longer be given taken for granted, as it was in the past. Also in a recent conference at the Institut Catholique in Paris, you referred to the “register of discretion” which must always characterize missionary work. What are you referring to? MARENGO: What makes the encounter with Christ possible is always his Holy Spirit, and not our methodologies or precautions. But perhaps his work will find fewer obstacles if those who want to serve the Gospel become close to their brothers and sisters for who they are, announcing the resurrection of Christ with discretion. The Lazarist Father Giuseppe Gabet in 1840, after his first trip to Outer Mongolia, wrote to Propaganda Fide: «The first appearance of Europeans among the Mongols and Tibetans is a very delicate undertaking, and the success of preaching among these peoples will depend on long from the degree of discretion demonstrated”. You participated in the Plenary of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for the first evangelization and the new particular Churches) dedicated to the Pontifical Urbaniana University. How do you see the present and future of that University?MARENGO: During the mass in the Singapore Stadium, Pope Francis recalled a letter from Saint Francis Xavier to his first Jesuit companions, in which the great missionary spoke of his desire to go to all university of his time to “shout here and there like a madman” and shake up the intellectuals who engaged in endless discussions, to push them to become missionaries to serve the charity of Christ. In this time perhaps we also need a theological study of the mission, we need academic paths that help to recognize and re-propose the perennial urgency of announcing the Gospel, especially in situations of first evangelization. Who knows, perhaps through this very path the Pontifical University, with all its history, might be able to renew and realize the dream of Saint Francis Xavier today. (Agenzia Fides 1/10/2024)Share:
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
This panel discussed systemic liquidity risk, highlighting how market and funding strains can affect the financial system, often necessitating intervention from central banks and authorities. The panel explored methods for detecting and addressing vulnerabilities proactively, and strategies for mitigating the impact if such risks materialise.
Chair: Stephen Cecchetti, Professor, Brandeis International Business School, Vice-Chair of the ESRB Advisory Scientific Committee
Panellists:
Linda Goldberg, Financial Research Adviser, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Rafael Repullo, Professor, Centre for Monetary and Financial Studies
Hyun Song Shin, Economic Adviser, Bank for International Settlements
Mr Ladislav Hamran, the President of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation since 2017, presented to LIBE Committee Members the Agency, its role and current activities.
Welcome address
Pablo Hernández de Cos, Chair of the Advisory Technical Committee, and former Governor of Banco de España.
Pablo Hernández de Cos, in his capacity as Chair of the ESRB Advisory Technical Committee, and former Governor of Banco de España, opened the second day of the conference (pre-recorded).
Keynote speech by Olli Rehn, ESRB First Vice-Chair, Governor of Suomen Pankki.
This panel discussion aims to explore how AI is reshaping the landscape of financial stability and systemic risk, from the perspective of industry practitioners and academics. The panel addressED both opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in integrating advanced AI technologies within Europe’s financial system.
Chair: Andréa Maechler, Deputy General Manager, Bank for International Settlements
Panellists:
Zanna Iscenko, Principal Economist, Google
Sudeep Kesh, Chief Innovation Officer, S&P Global Ratings
Robin Lumsdaine, Professor, American University, Member of the ESRB Advisory Scientific Committee
Dirk Zetzsche, Professor, University of Luxembourg
The ESRB’s Advisory Scientific Committee awards the Ieke van den Burg prize to recognise outstanding research conducted by young scholars on a topic related to the ESRB’s mission. Tsvetelina Nenova presented her paper “Global or Regional Safe Assets: Evidence from Bond Substitution Patterns”, which has won the 2024 Edition of the prize.
Chair: Loriana Pelizzon, Professor, SAFE/Goethe University, Vice-Chair of the ESRB Advisory Scientific Committee
Winner: Tsvetelina Nenova, Economist, Bank for International Settlements
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The authors of more than 200 films are competing for the prizes of the Far East – Land of Adventures competition
October 1, 2024
The authors of more than 200 films are competing for the prizes of the Far East – Land of Adventures competition
October 1, 2024
The authors of more than 200 films are competing for prizes in the Far East – Land of Adventures competition
October 1, 2024
The authors of more than 200 films are competing for the prizes of the Far East – Land of Adventures competition
October 1, 2024
The authors of more than 200 films are competing for the prizes of the Far East – Land of Adventures competition
October 1, 2024
Previous news Next news
The authors of more than 200 films are competing for the prizes of the Far East – Land of Adventures competition
207 films have been admitted to the jury of the All-Russian competition “Far East – Land of Adventures”, as reported by the initiator of the project, Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.
“The Russian Far East is vast and beautiful. Any tourist or traveler can find a vacation to their taste here: from hiking to routes of varying difficulty, and all this in different climate zones. The “Far East – Land of Adventure” competition is important for making active tourism more popular. It brought together travelers and bloggers who made films about the macro-region, introducing millions of Russians to the unique places of the Far Eastern regions. This year, the jury of the competition is selecting the best trips for the second time. This is not an easy job. The authors of more than 200 films are competing for prizes. And I am sure that the jury, whose members are real professionals, will choose the best of the best,” said Yuri Trutnev.
The largest number of films are about travels in the Sakhalin Region and the Amur Region – 52 and 34 films. In addition, 31 films about adventures in the Khabarovsk Region, 26 materials about travels in the Primorsky Region, 18 – in the Jewish Autonomous Region, 13 – in the Kamchatka Region, 10 – in the Republic of Buryatia, 7 – in the Magadan Region, 6 – in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), 6 and 4 films were filmed in the Zabaikalsky Region and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
Residents of Khabarovsk Krai, Sakhalin Oblast and Amur Oblast most often went on trips. However, residents of other regions also take part in the competition – for example, residents of Moscow and the Moscow Oblast, Altai Krai, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Kirov and Ryazan Oblasts sent films about their trips.
The travelers went on hikes of varying difficulty: some went on a one-day hike to Mount Lysaya via the Benevskiye waterfalls in Primorsky Krai, while more experienced tourists conquered the hard-to-reach Dusse-Alin ridge in Khabarovsk Krai over 15 days. The contest participants traveled both in the company of friends, close relatives, and alone.
Applications for participation in the second season of the all-Russian competition for the best trip to the Far East “Far East – Land of Adventures” are accepted until December 30. In order to take part, you need to make a short film up to 8 minutes long about your trip to the Far East and send it to the jury for evaluation on the website puteshestvendv.rf. Works from previous years are also accepted: the trip must have been made no earlier than September 1, 2022 and no later than December 30, 2024.
The main prize for the best video about a trip to the Far East is 3 million rubles, for winning one of the nominations you can get 1 million rubles, for second place in the nominations – 300 thousand rubles, third place in the nominations – 100 thousand rubles. Moreover, the governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Vladislav Kuznetsov introduced a separate prize of 1 million rubles, which will be raffled off among participants who have declared a trip to Chukotka.
It should be noted that not only experienced travelers, but also children accompanied by adults can take part in the competition. Among the winners of the first season were both professionally shot films and footage captured on a regular phone. Based on the results of the competition, the best works of the winners and prize-winners will be broadcast on the air broadcasting grid of regional TV channels, and the reporting information and videos will be added to the interactive map of tourist routes of the Far East regions.
The best video materials will be selected by the jury members, including: TV journalist, author and host of the TV show “Neputevye Zametki” Dmitry Krylov, Arctic traveler, video blogger Bogdan Bulychev, TV host Valdis Pelsh, head of the project “More than a Journey” Olesya Teterina, State Duma deputy, author and host of the TV show “How the World Works” Timofey Bazhenov, producer of the VK project “Places” Nikita Afinogenov and other experienced travelers. In addition, the winners of the first season of the competition will take part in the evaluation of the works: Elena Poddubnaya, Ernest Leonidov, Alisa Slyshchenko.
The competition is being held on the initiative of Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev with the support of the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, JSC Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, and the NGO Social Initiatives Development Fund.
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.
How do you cast Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel about a child so brutalised by his adoptive family that he drives his pregnant love to death? Not, it would seem, like Emerald Fennell, the latest director to attempt it.
Fennell’s previous projects include the Oscar-winning A Promising Young Woman (2020) and Netflix hit Saltburn (2023), but she has been under fire for casting Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in the lead roles of Heathcliff and Catherine, two teenagers on the wild, 19th-century Yorkshire moors. As tanned Australian actors aged 27 and 34, best known for playing Elvis and Barbie, it is hard to imagine how they can pull this off.
But has anybody ever got Heathcliff and Catherine right?
Lawrence Olivier was nominated for an Oscar for playing Heathcliff in 1939, but his clipped, Royal Shakespeare Company gentlemanliness hardly befitted the “savage vehemence” of the role. Heathcliff is an orphan, probably picked up on the Liverpool docks, bullied for looking like “a dark-skinned gypsy”, “a little Lascar, or an American or Spanish castaway” (a lascar was a sailor or militiaman often from Asia). Among his many eventual crimes, he tortures puppies and beats children. But the Olivier movie staged the novel as a classic Hollywood romance.
Until very recently other directors followed suit, cutting the story’s more brutal elements (including most of its second half) and casting dashing (white) leads like Timothy Dalton (1970) and then-newcomer Ralph Fiennes (1992). In the latter film, Juliette Binoche’s Catherine had a notably French accent. (Maybe best not to mention Cliff Richard’s 1996 musical, in which, at 56, he was panned for playing a teenage Heathcliff as a pop idol.)
As the director of a 2011 BBC Radio Three adaptation put it, Wuthering Heights is not supposed to be “a Vaseline-lensed experience”. But it has been mostly sold that way.
Perhaps the only director to capture the nightmarishness of Bronte’s text is Andrea Arnold, who in 2011 cast untrained actors in the central roles, including a black actor, James Howson, as Heathcliff. At the time, some critics even found that decision controversial. But the casting was a turning point, and Arnold’s bleak, almost wordless, adaptation changed the game.
In 2024, audiences are more aware that casting a white actor like Elordi as Heathcliff is not only to undersell the novel as romance, but to wilfully ignore the imperialism in the text.
There is evidence to suggest that Heathcliff’s story was at least partly inspired by a local slave-owning family, the Sills, who, as well as making their money from sugar plantations in Jamaica, had 30 enslaved Africans working on their home estate in Yorkshire.
Also, as mentioned, characters speculate about Heathcliff’s race throughout. For instance, Nelly Dean, Cathy’s family’s servant, wonders whether “[his] father was Emperor of China, and [his] mother an Indian queen.” He is clearly not white.
Still, in going in the opposite direction to Arnold, Fennell’s film might offer us something new.
The novel is difficult to film not only because it depicts human beings at their most primal, but also because it is so strangely told. Bronte rarely shows us Catherine or Heathcliff firsthand. We learn their tale through an uninitiated southerner, Lockwood, who himself hears much of the story from a servant with unreliable passions of her own.
Key scenes in the novel have an emotional realism drawn not only from the rough-hewn Yorkshire rocks but also from gothic melodrama: Catherine’s ghost literally bleeds as it grasps Lockwood through a window; Heathcliff digs up Catherine’s grave just “to have her in my arms again”. If this is realism, it is so extreme it borders on the theatrical.
And this is where Fennell excels. Saltburn’s bathtub scene is infamous for body horror, but mostly it depicts an urgent need to consume and be consumed by another. Saltburn also has its own graveside scene, which clearly echoes Heathcliff’s necrophiliac desires in Wuthering Heights.
I would argue there can be no justification for casting a white actor as Heathcliff, and it is to be hoped that Fennell rethinks this decision. But perhaps there is also something to be gained from having a Heathcliff and Catherine with the glitzy theatricality of Elvis and Barbie. Fennell isn’t going to give us the Catherine and Heathcliff we have come to expect, but it is possible she will evoke the passion the characters deserve.
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Adelene Buckland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
There are few more pressing questions facing European governments than how to drive economic growth and make the region more competitive. And it’s clear that one of the most important ways to boost the EU’s competitiveness is by harnessing AI for growth.
A new report by Implement Consulting Group, commissioned by Google, estimates that generative AI could add €1.2-1.4 trillion to the EU’s GDP in ten years – the equivalent to an annual growth rate of 8%. The report also outlines how AI can significantly boost productivity across various sectors.
This ability of generative AI to boost economic growth and competitiveness is particularly significant for Europe. According to Mario Draghi’s new report, Europe’s competitiveness has nosedived over the past decades: the EU’s share of global GDP has shrunk from over a quarter in 1980 to just 17% today. US productivity has surpassed the EU’s by 20% in 2022.
But this report is about more than economic metrics — it’s about how AI can help people be more productive, fuel growth and support long term sustainable jobs of the future. 74% of workers in European countries see productivity-enhancing effects of generative AI, and 43% of workers in European countries expect AI to positively impact their job. Our new report estimates that the majority (61%) of jobs will be augmented by generative AI while around 7% face a long-term transition to automation. As with previous transitions, like the birth of commercial aviation or the worldwide web, new industries and careers will be made entirely possible by AI powered breakthroughs. This impact has the potential to be felt across society — from enhancing the quality and efficiency of public services to unlocking scientific breakthroughs and alleviating labor shortages by freeing up resources and boosting productivity.
Europe’s productivity gap is largely down to slower technological development, innovation and adoption. As Mario Draghi says, “with the world on the cusp of an AI revolution, Europe cannot afford to remain stuck in the ‘middle technologies and industries’ of the previous century”. To catch up, the EU must unlock its innovative potential.
A new agenda for AI backed growth
This is why today, in addition to our Economic report, we’re also releasing our AI Opportunity Agenda: a series of recommendations for governments to seize the full economic and societal potential of AI. The Agenda outlines the need to revisit Europe’s workforce strategy, as well as investment in AI infrastructure and research, adoption and accessibility.
1. Investing in research and development
For the EU to truly compete in AI, it needs to make research and development a shared priority, as well as making funding more accessible. Without the right incentives to develop and commercialise AI innovation, Europe is stifling its talent and its chances of launching more home-grown tech unicorns.
2. Building infrastructure to support innovation
AI breakthroughs are only possible with the right high-performance computing technologies and data centres — and the renewable energy to support them. To enable AI innovation at scale, the EU will need to allocate more funding to financing such infrastructure — as well as incentivising and enabling the private sector to do the same.
3. Improving skills and training programmes
Technological growth will not be effective if people are left behind. Given its diversity, the EU must make sure technology benefits every business, economy and person. To do this, it needs to accelerate digital skills transformation, putting AI skills and education at the centre of a revitalised European Skills Agenda — and adding it to school curriculums.
4. Promoting widespread adoption
We ultimately need to ensure that AI is applied and deployed in a universally accessible and useful way. For the private sector, EU policymakers and AI developers must work together to develop outreach strategies to traditional industries and small businesses who have much to gain from AI adoption. For the public sector, member states must double down on existing initiatives to increase the public procurement of AI and developing bolder AI adoption targets.
Taking action
Developing good policy and responsible AI will need close coordination between governments, the private sector, academia and civil society. Through our AI Opportunity Initiative and other partnerships we’re committed to working with others to get this right. But, as Mario Draghi highlighted, change is also needed in the regulatory environment. Since 2019, the EU has introduced over 100 pieces of legislation that impact the digital economy and society. It’s not just the sheer number of regulations that’s the challenge – it’s the complexity. Moving from the regulatory-first approach can help to unlock the opportunity of AI.
In many ways, Europe is well-positioned to seize this moment. AI has the potential to help us build a better, fairer, healthier society — and to support competitiveness and inclusive growth.
Music and noise can evoke many responses in humans. Now Flinders University scientists are using soundwaves in soil to aid ecosystem recovery.
In their latest study, experts led by microbial ecologist Dr Jake Robinson, demonstrate the benefits of acoustic stimulation on the growth rate and sporulation of a plant growth-promoting fungus.
“In our experiments, we show that the acoustic stimulation resulted in increased fungal biomass and enhanced Trichoderma harzianum spore activity compared to controls,” says Dr Robinson in a new article in Biology Letters.
“We strive to find novel ways to speed up and improve levels of beneficial fungi and other microbes in degraded soils. It could have wide-ranging benefits for restoring degraded landscapes and farming land to feed the world.”
The researchers previously found a monotonous ‘white noise’ – set at 80 dB sound pressure level – also increased a similar response in soil bacteria E. Coli. “Think of the monotone sound an old-school radio makes in between channels,” explains Dr Robinson.
The fungus T. harzianum was selected for the latest study because of its known beneficial effects on plants, such as disease protection, plant growth and improved nutrient utilisation. In agriculture, it has been shown to parasitises other fungi which are often plant pathogens.
Dr Robinson says one of the next steps will be to study the benefits of various microbial growth on plant health, and then seek to scale up the experiment outside the lab.
“While still in its early stages, the next steps will involve studying the microbiome response mechanisms, the flow-on effect on plants and how to work out how to scale it up in the field.
“We also need to understand whether this approach could have any potential cascading or unintended consequences,” he adds.
In the absence of large-scale ecosystem restoration and effective monitoring strategies, 95% of the Earth’s land is projected to be degraded by 2050. The United Nations’ global initiative – the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 – forecasts that 75% of the world’s soils described as degradation could increase to more than 90% by 2050.
Urbanisation, deforestation, overgrazing and other harmful practices has led us to this dire situation, which is now affecting human health and undermining food production and natural ecosystems, researchers say.
Coauthor of the new article, Associate Professor Martin Breed from the Restoration Ecology lab at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering, says the potential for this kind of approach is vital in a bid to head off biodiversity loss and speed up ecosystem restoration.
Sonic restoration: acoustic stimulation enhances plant growth-promoting fungi activity (2024) by Jake M Robinson, Amy Annells, Christian Cando-Dumancela and Martin F Breed will be published in Biology Letters (Royal Society Publishing) on 2 October 2024.
Funding: M Breed is funded by the Australian Research Council (grants DP210101932, LP190100051 and LP190100484) and the New Zealand Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (grant UOWX2101).
Acknowledgements. We acknowledge that this research was conducted on the land of the Kaurna people in Tarntanya (Adelaide, South Australia).
The MV Kathrin, a Portuguese-flagged vessel reportedly carrying explosives bound for Israel, is currently heading for Montenegro and Slovenia
Ship is believed to be carrying eight containers of components for aircraft bombs and missiles
‘The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel’ – Nataša Posel
Slovenia and Montenegro must stop the Portuguese-flagged vessel MV Kathrin – believed to be carrying explosives bound for Israel – from docking at their ports given the clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, Amnesty International said today.
According to the Namibian government and Portugal’s Foreign Minister, the MV Kathrin’s cargo includes explosives destined for Israel.
In August, the Namibian authorities refused to allow the vessel to enter its main harbour citing information from the ship’s operator that its cargo includes eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives bound for Israel. Statements from the Slovenian Prime Minister’s office and the Portuguese Foreign Minister indicate that the ship is heading for Montenegro and also for Slovenia’s port of Koper, where it will offload its cargo. It is unclear how the cargo will then reach Israel.
On 31 August, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said that eight containers of explosives aboard MV Kathrin “are reportedly key components in the aircraft bombs and missiles” used by Israel against Palestinians. Albanese called on all countries to block the ship from docking at their harbours.
Countries which continue to transfer arms to Israel are acting in contravention of their obligations under Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions and must act to prevent all such transfers with urgency. Furthermore, as state parties to the international Arms Trade Treaty, Montenegro, Portugal and Slovenia have committed to establishing the highest possible common international standards for regulating the international trade in conventional arms for the purpose of reducing human suffering. As the flag state, Portugal must not use its vessel to transfer the explosives or must remove its flag so as not to assist in the transfer.
Amnesty has documented extensive evidence of war crimes committed by all parties to the most recent escalation of the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory using a wide variety of arms. Amnesty research shows that the Israeli military has used explosive weapons to carry out direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and indiscriminate attacks in Gaza, blocked humanitarian assistance and collectively punished Palestinians over the past year.
Nataša Posel, head of Amnesty International Slovenia, said:
“The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel as there is a clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians.
“Namibia rightfully upheld its international obligations by ensuring that the MV Kathrin did not transit military cargo to Israel through its port.
“Now it is up to Slovenia, Montenegro and all other states to do the same and avoid facilitating an unlawful transfer.
“Amnesty International is calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel and on Palestinian armed groups in Gaza due to their use of weapons to carry out war crimes and other serious violations.
“Any state that knowingly transfers arms to the parties in this ongoing conflict, including via transit of ships carrying arms and explosives, risks breaching their obligation not to encourage, aid or assist in violation of the Geneva Conventions. Portugal, Slovenia and Montenegro must not facilitate any such weapons transfer to Israel.”
Timeline
On 21 July, the MV Kathrin embarked with its cargo from Vietnam’s Hai Phong port.
On 24 August, the Namibian authorities revoked previously-granted permission for the MV Kathrin to enter Namibia’s main harbour, citing information from the ship’s operator that some of the explosives on board were destined for Israel. This decision was based on concerns of potential complicity in war crimes in Gaza. The MV Kathrin was scheduled to dock at Namibia’s Walvis Bay on 25 August.
Good morning and welcome to the Conference on Markets and Intermediaries, an event jointly organised by the Bundesbank and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
In my opening speech, I will take you on a helicopter tour of the programme and share some thoughts on the topics that will be covered over the next two days. The programme certainly does cover a wide range of topics. It addresses current challenges facing financial markets, financial intermediaries, and central banks.
Since the Great Financial Crisis, central banks worldwide have expanded their balance sheets, injected additional liquidity into the financial system, and broadened their collateral frameworks. In addition, financial regulation has been adapted to make the financial system more stable.
While these measures served useful purposes, they also had side effects, not least in money and capital markets. Policymakers and regulators are therefore well-advised to evaluate the effects of their measures.
2 Non-bank financial institutions
The first session is dedicated to non-bank financial institutions, or NBFIs.
This sector includes, amongst others, insurers, investment funds, and money market and hedge funds. It is strongly interconnected, both with other sectors and across countries. Its share of the global financial system, as measured by total financial assets, is almost one-half.
Clearly, it could be a source of systemic risks. But the risks presented by NBFIs often lie out of view. This makes them more difficult to monitor and assess. All the more important, then, to close data gaps and strengthen the resilience of the sector.
One particular source of vulnerability are fire sales of open-ended funds. These are the subject of a paper that Rüdiger Weber is presenting this morning.[1]
Open-ended funds are especially prone to fire sales because, during episodes of market stress, they often face significant pressure from investors who want to liquidate their holdings quickly. Fund managers may then be forced to offload fund assets at short notice. And if those assets are less liquid, they may have to sell them at lower prices. This may amplify price declines and liquidity shortages.
Effective liquidity management and regulation are very important here. A recently published Bundesbank paper shows that price-based liquidity management tools help keep the financial fragility of open-ended mutual funds in check.[2]
In times of stress, investors also try to protect their capital by shifting it into safer assets. However, this flight to safety can intensify the downward pressure on the prices of riskier assets as demand for the latter declines.
The Financial Stability Board is doing important work in this field. But it is currently focused on microprudential regulation. I think the FSB’s work on this front needs to be complemented by the development of macroprudential regulation for the NBFI sector.
In any case, we should not jeopardise what we have achieved in the banking regulation space by allowing stability risks to build up elsewhere in the financial system.
3 Central bank digital currencies
The second session is on central bank digital currencies (CBDC).
CBDC is an issue that is keeping almost all central banks very busy at the moment. The Eurosystem is hard at work preparing for the potential introduction of a digital euro.
As the world turns increasingly digital, the digital euro would provide a secure and efficient digital payment option that complements cash. It aims to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by building on European infrastructures, and to promote innovation in the private sector.
However, introducing a CBDC could also have unintended side effects. If bank customers were allowed to hold it in large amounts, periods of banking distress could trigger large, sudden shifts out of deposits into CBDC. This could lead to financial instability.
And if CBDC were too attractive a substitute for deposits, commercial banks’ access to retail deposits could erode over time. Which could lead to structural disintermediation and call into question our proven two-tier banking system. It is therefore of the essence to design CBDC in a way that prevents these risks from materialising.
The challenge is to optimise the usability of CBDC as a means of payment while at the same time limiting its effects on the market for bank deposits. Two decisive factors in this regard are remuneration and holding limits. Let me say a few words on each of these.
Remuneration means the rate of interest on people’s holdings of CBDC. If that rate of interest were positive, holding CBDC would be more attractive. But at the same time, that would lead to outflows out of bank deposits.
Based on a welfare-maximising model setting, Pascal Paul will argue later this afternoon that central banks should allow for a positive interest rate.[3] This stands in contrast to the intention of the Governing Council not to remunerate digital euro holdings.[4]
Why are we not in favour of remuneration?
Because our aim is to make the digital euro a digital complement to cash, and there is no remuneration for holding cash. We neither want to compete with commercial banks for deposits, nor do we want to employ the digital euro as a monetary policy instrument.
The second, perhaps even more important, factor is holding limits. We intend to limit digital euro holdings to a certain amount, because we want to ensure the digital euro does not lead to large sudden shifts or disintermediation.
The limits currently under discussion range from €500 to €3,000.[5] A recent Bundesbank paper finds that an optimal holding limit would be in a range between €1,500 and €2,500.[6] On the Governing Council, we have not yet taken a decision on the exact amount. What is more, EU legislators might be involved here.
But as regards the practical usability of the digital euro, the exact limit does not play a major role anyway. This is because a reverse waterfall system, as it is called, would allow users to link their digital euro wallet to their bank account. They can then convert their bank deposits into digital euro automatically and instantly if their holdings are insufficient to make a payment.
4 Banking and deposit flows
Allowing users to convert an unlimited amount of deposits into CBDC would expose commercial banks to substantial run risk. In any case, zero or lower interest rates will not discourage them from doing that in times of crisis. However, digital bank runs can happen even without CBDC.
The failure of Silicon Valley Bank and other regional banks in March 2023 showed how quickly customers can withdraw their deposits these days. At Silicon Valley Bank alone, customers pulled out USD 42 billion within the space of a single day, which equated to around one-quarter of total deposits. And another USD 100 billion would have been withdrawn a day later.[7] The depositors on the run were apparently account holders with uninsured deposits.
Banking and deposit flows are the subject of Session 3. Dominic Cucic will present a paper showing that bank customers do indeed redistribute their deposits when deposit insurance limits change.[8] Credible and reliable deposit insurance helps to prevent bank runs and preserve financial stability.
In the euro area, we currently have deposit insurance at the national level. Adding a European layer in the form of a hybrid model would help prevent situations where large shocks overwhelm national deposit insurance systems and lead to cross-border contagion.
As a European layer should be risk-based, large exposures of banks to individual sovereigns are an issue. Currently, many banks hold a disproportionately large number of bonds issued by their domestic governments. If this were to continue, a common deposit insurance arrangement could lead to a redistribution of sovereign solvency risks.
In my view, the new EU legislative session provides a good opportunity to move forward on both issues: with a reduction in banks’ exposures to individual sovereigns, and a common European deposit insurance system.
5 Central bank interventions and market behaviour
Session 4 of this conference focuses on the impact of central bank interventions on market behaviour. Both papers in this session underline that such central bank measures need to be carefully designed.[9]
Central banks have taken a wide range of non-standard monetary policy measures to ensure sufficient monetary stimulus at the effective lower bound. But in the medium to long term, such policies may lead to inefficiencies. These could arise in financial markets themselves or in the allocation of resources affected by the boost to lending.
This makes it all the more important to evaluate the instruments used and the lessons learned. It is therefore very fitting that we are currently carrying out a strategy review in the Eurosystem. Amongst other things, this will provide an opportunity to critically review the quantitative easing policies we have seen in the past.
The extensive bond purchases contributed to price stability in an era of low inflation, but they were also associated with numerous side effects in financial markets. Without prejudging the outcome of the review, I think their use should be limited to exceptional circumstances.
6 Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen,
The conference concludes with a panel discussion on the ECB’s new operational framework. As I have already expressed my views on this on a different occasion,[10] I will end my speech by expressing my gratitude.
Thanks to the organisers from the Bundesbank and Humboldt University for setting up this conference. Thanks to the presenters, discussants and panellists for sharing their insights. Thanks to all participants for their contributions. And special thanks to Annette Vissing-Jørgensen from the Federal Reserve Board, who will give a keynote on “Balance sheet policy above the effective lower bound”.[11]
Now I wish you all an exciting conference with valuable insights.
Thank you very much.
Footnotes:
Rzeźnik, A. and R. Weber (2022), Money in the Right Hands, mimeo.
Cucic, D. et al. (2024), Distortive Effects of Deposit Insurance: Administrative Evidence from Deposit and Loan Accounts, mimeo.
Eufinger, C. and Z. Ye (2024), Breaking Bagehot’s Rules: Loan Contracting with Advantageous Central Bank Funding, mimeo; Meisenzahl, R. R. and K. M. Pence, De-Limiting Arbitrage: Evidence from the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, mimeo.
Welcome address by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at the 5th joint ECB, Bank of Canada and Federal Reserve Bank of New York Conference on expectations surveys, central banks and the economy
Frankfurt am Main, 1 October 2024
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this fifth joint conference on expectations surveys organised by the European Central Bank, the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
In my remarks today, I will delve into the fascinating world of expectations surveys and their relevance to central banks. I will review how useful expectations surveys have proven to be for central banks over the period since 2019, the year we held our first conference in this series. In addition, I will touch on the challenges facing central banks in using surveys. The fact that central banks generally operate under great uncertainty has come to the fore over the past five years. Today, too, we are facing huge uncertainty – not least in view of the many prevailing economic, financial and geopolitical risks. Yet, it is precisely in this unpredictable and highly complex landscape that surveys have come into their own.
The return of survey expectations
Over the past decade, central banks and other policymaking institutions have invested significantly in expectations surveys and have drawn increasingly on survey data for their policy analysis and research. These surveys cover consumers, firms, financial market participants and other experts, including professional forecasters. At the ECB, we can fortunately look to a wide array of such surveys covering diverse topics such as consumer expectations, household finance and consumption, access to finance of enterprises, the payment attitudes of consumers and bank lending. Since 2013, the ECB has also conducted a survey of wholesale market participants on credit terms and conditions, and it recently developed a new survey of monetary analysts to collect expert expectations about key monetary policy parameters and concepts. Finally, the ECB’s Survey of Professional Forecasters was launched back in 1999 at the start of Economic and Monetary Union. Its structured collection of data has supported a rich research programme investigating economic forecasts and expert expectations.[1]
All ECB surveys can provide insights into how different economic agents form and update their expectations. They can reveal the potential biases in these expectations and the extent to which expectations feed into economic decisions. Surveys were indeed quite central to the economic debate in the 1950s and the 1960s but their role became more marginal when rational expectations were incorporated into economic modelling in the 1970s. Over the past ten years, however, economists have seen survey expectations clearly returning to the mainstream.[2] One could describe the recent growth in survey-based research as a “counter-revolution” following the earlier “revolution” centred on rational expectations. Today, while models based on rational expectations still form a useful reference point in our analysis and research, they are no longer thought to provide a solid basis for understanding business cycles, for gauging the risks of financial crises or for designing effective economic policies. The central insight gained from this new line of survey-based research is that many economic agents may systematically form expectations by using partial sets of information or by following subjective narratives about how the economy functions – for example by applying simple rules of thumb.[3] It is important to understand such subjective expectations, because these beliefs often underlie the economic choices and financial decisions that drive the economy.[4]
Surveys have repeatedly proven their usefulness over the past five years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they were especially useful in helping to track financial conditions for firms and households, as well as in estimating the labour market response to the pandemic shock. Online surveys were of great benefit during the pandemic as in-person survey interviews were hampered by lockdown restrictions. For example, the ECB’s Consumer Expectations Survey – an online survey which was fortuitously launched in early 2020 – helped us understand the severity of the pandemic-induced collapse in consumption and gauge the overall effectiveness of the major policy interventions by governments and other authorities at the time.[5]
Insights from surveys during the recent period of high inflation
More recently, the data collected in surveys strongly supported the analysis of the recent inflationary episode in the euro area.[6] During the early phase of the inflation surge in 2022, survey data helped to inform the central discussion on the likely persistence of the shock. For example, the observed increase in consumers’ medium-term expectations may have interacted with an increase in firms’ pricing power to make the original supply shocks more persistent than they would otherwise have been.[7]
Forces that would gradually help bring inflation back down to our target were also visible in more recent survey data. For example, we could see how the rise in inflation and inflation expectations was acting as a major constraint on demand and consumer spending owing to its impact on real incomes. In August 2023 respondents to the ECB’s Consumer Expectations Survey were asked what actions they were planning to take in light of their expectations about future inflation. The results clearly showed that a much higher share of consumers planned to reduce their spending in response to the expectations of higher prices.[8] In addition, consumers indicated that they would start to shop around more and buy cheaper varieties of goods and services than they normally would. In a context where the ECB was taking decisive monetary policy action aimed at restoring price stability, these behavioural responses to higher inflation expectations also contributed to the gradual unwinding of the inflationary pressures across the euro area economy.
Insights for financial stability analysis
In addition to monetary policy, expectations surveys are now increasingly being used for other central bank tasks as well. This includes financial stability analysis. Here, surveys can help identify potential sources of financial risk not only in financial markets and the banking system, but also in the household and non-financial corporate sectors.[9] Even when there is no discernible financial stress at the aggregate level, the disaggregated or individual-level data typically provided by surveys can help us to identify emerging risks across particular sectors or socio-demographic groups.
In financial stability analysis, the topic of financial literacy is receiving increased attention. In the first keynote lecture of the conference, Professor Annamaria Lusardi from Stanford University will talk about why financial literacy is relevant for central banks. One consideration for financial stability analysis is that less financially literate households may be less prepared to cope with adverse economic and financial shocks. Yet, these households tend to be the most exposed to such shocks and more heavily affected when they occur. Policies seeking to boost financial literacy may help borrowers to source loans that are cheaper to service, thus promoting more efficient and more sustainable debt management. These issues may be particularly relevant for real estate markets and housing, which will be the focus of the second keynote lecture of the conference, given by Professor Tarun Ramadorai from Imperial College London. Professor Ramadorai will discuss the importance of non-rational beliefs in the housing market and how household surveys can help inform policies that can address these frictions.
Sustaining the quality and representativeness of surveys
Our experiences with survey data also highlight the challenges that policymakers face when using these data. Survey data can be volatile and there is evidence of overreaction in both household and firm surveys of expectations. For this reason, surveys may provide a noisy signal for policymaking in practice, which complicates how these data should feed into the policy reaction function. In this respect, I hope the research presented at today’s conference can also help policymakers distinguish the signal from the noise that is always embedded in expectations data. These considerations underline the importance of the quality of the survey design, including the sampling and data collection methods. It is crucial that questions are designed to avoid the framing of responses and that the complexity of the questionnaires is managed appropriately to avoid survey fatigue, which may negatively affect data quality. As central banks are making increasing use of survey data, they need to continuously and carefully monitor these data to ensure responses remain representative of the underlying population’s beliefs and behaviour.
Conclusion
Let me conclude. Today, expectations surveys are an important part of the toolkit available to central banks for their policy analysis. These surveys reveal insights about the economy that would otherwise remain hidden from view. As a result, they can contribute to more robust policy decisions and better policy assessments.
I would like to finish by thanking the presenters and participants in advance for their contributions and the conference organisers for putting together such an impressive programme. I wish you all a productive and successful two days of lively debate and discussion. I am confident that the insights that will emerge from sharing our experiences of different surveys across many countries and institutions will ultimately enhance the way in which we use expectations surveys to help guide policy decisions.
The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, had a telephone conversation today with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati.
In renewing Italy’s closeness to Lebanon and the Lebanese people and in recalling the first immediate aid to the civilian population allocated yesterday by the Government, the Prime Minister reiterated Italy’s commitment to a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the conflict that will allow the displaced to return to their homes. Italy, also as the rotating Presidency of the G7, will continue to work for a de-escalation at the regional level.
President Meloni finally recalled the crucial role of the Italian soldiers present in southern Lebanon within the UNIFIL mission, underlining the importance of their safety.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, had a telephone conversation today with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati.
President Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s closeness with Lebanon and the Lebanese people and recalled the initial emergency aid allocated yesterday by the Italian Government for the civilian population, reiterating Italy’s commitment to a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the conflict which would allow the displaced persons to return to their homes. Italy, also as current G7 President, will continue to work for a de-escalation at regional level.
Lastly, President Meloni recalled the crucial role of the Italian military personnel present in the south of Lebanon serving in the UNIFIL mission, stressing the importance of their safety.
Headline: Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials
Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials
At the Direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator to Travel to Florida to Survey Impacts
WASHINGTON — Hurricane Helene is a massive, dangerous storm and FEMA is prepared for anticipated multi-state impacts. In advance of Hurricane Helene’s landfall in Florida, the Biden-Harris Administration approved pre-landfall emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. These declarations enable FEMA to provide federal resources to the states for emergency protective measures like reimbursement for evacuations and sheltering and aid initial response and recovery efforts.
FEMA urges people in the path of Hurricane Helene to take immediate action to protect themselves as the storm approaches. Hurricane Helene is expected to continue strengthening and bring life-threating storm surge and hurricane conditions to Florida starting today. There is also the risk for dangerous flash and flooding in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is ready for this event. We are prepared and postured for response,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “People in Hurricane Helene’s path need to take this seriously. Listen to your state and local elected officials. If they tell you to evacuate, evacuate. If they tell you to shelter in place, stay where you are. These decisions can save lives.”
FEMA, the entire federal family and partner organizations are actively coordinating response efforts across Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. There are over 1,100 personnel actively supporting from across the federal government, which include Urban Search and Rescue Teams, Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and power restoration teams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An additional 700 FEMA team members already deployed across the region from previous events. To help people who may need to evacuate, the American Red Cross is actively standing up shelters in the areas likely to feel the impacts from Helene.
Safety Tips During the Storm
Residents in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina can find a list of state, tribal and local resources such as evacuation, shelter and important storm updates on FEMA.gov.
Pay attention to local officials. Weather conditions can change quickly. Make sure to heed their warnings and evacuate immediately if told to do so.
NOW is the time to finish preparations. Today is the day to prepare for this storm. Take action immediately to protect yourself, your family, your pets and your home. Finish gathering any supplies like food, water, medication, flashlights and food for your pets now. If possible, include cash in your emergency kit, as ATMs may not work after the storm.
If you did not evacuate, stay safe at home. Gather your supplies including flashlights, battery operated radio and food and water and keep them on a high shelf or upper level. Find a safe location to ride out the storm, such as a designated storm shelter or interior room for high winds.
Be in the know about your evacuation route. Several counties in Florida issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders. Visit Evacuation Orders | Florida Disaster to see the full list. Florida residents can call 800-729-3413 for shelter locations. People in Florida, Alabama and Georgia should be prepared to evacuate quickly if they are in the path of this storm and are told to do so.
Have several ways to receive alerts. People in areas along Florida’s Panhandle, west coast and into Alabama and Georgia should follow the forecast carefully and instructions of state and local officials by monitoring local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which require no sign up. You can also download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area.
Your neighbors are your lifeline. Check on your neighbors, especially older adults or those who may need additional assistance, to make sure they have what they need to ride out the storm. Have a plan to remain in contact during and after the storm.
Power outage and generator safety. If you lose power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. If using a generator, remember to always use them outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Additionally, make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. De-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and put up hurricane shutters if you have them.
Stay out of floodwater. Walking, swimming or driving through flood waters is extremely dangerous. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines or contain hazards such as wild or stray animals, human and livestock waste and chemicals that can lead to illness.
Turn Around. Don’t Drown™. Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous. Almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your car, look out for flooding in low lying areas at bridges and at highway dips. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle or fall if you are walking through it. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups.
Keep important documents safe. Save copies of birth certificates, passports, medical records and insurance papers in a safe, dry place. Keep important documents in a waterproof container and create password-protected digital copies. Take photos or videos of your belongings and property on your phone or upload them to the internet. Move valuables like photo albums, heirlooms and other treasured items to higher levels.
Today, the province’s first Integrated Youth Services (IYS) site, or hub, opened its doors in Humboldt, delivering supports to young people ages 12 to 25 and their caregivers.
The hub is located at 307 Main Street and will operate under the name HOMEBASE. It will provide co-located access to mental health and addictions services; physical health services; peer supports; education, employment and training supports; cultural and traditional supports; and social and community supports.
“We are proud to have our first youth-focused and youth-friendly services center opening in Humboldt,” Humboldt-Watrous MLA Donna Harpauer said on behalf of Mental Health and Addictions Minister Tim McLeod. “Integrated Youth Services is an innovative way to connect young people and their caregivers with the resources they need to enhance their wellbeing.”
The HOMEBASE team within the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHSS) is leading the implementation of hubs across the province with $3.4 million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan for development and operations.
“We are thrilled to have our first HOMEBASE youth hub opening in Humboldt,” Integrated Youth Services HOMEBASE Director Pam Reimer said. “Our lead agency and their local youth co-design team have been hard at work to create a safe, inclusive, barrier-free environment to serve the youth of Humboldt and the surrounding area.”
PARTNERS Family Services has been contracted by the JHSS to operate HOMEBASE Humboldt, which also has support from local school divisions, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Humboldt and District Community Services, Sask Central Victim Services and other community partners.
“Our team has been working tirelessly with our youth, caregivers, and community partners to shape HOMEBASE Humboldt and our service delivery model,” PARTNERS Family Services Executive Director Hayley Kennedy said. “We are so excited to bring this model to Humboldt and offer barrier-free access to mental health and wellbeing supports, physical health care, and other areas of need as identified by our diverse youth community.”
IYS is a national and international movement, aimed at reimagining how youth and their caregivers find and access the resources, services and supports they need.
In January 2024, the JHSS announced that the first IYS hubs were selected with partner organizations. In the coming weeks, HOMEBASE hubs in Regina and Moose Jaw will also become operational. Sturgeon Lake First Nation is the fourth community to host a hub, after previously hosting one as part of a national research project. HOMEBASE Sturgeon Lake will open later in 2024-25.
Additional information on HOMEBASE’s integrated youth services is available at homebasesask.ca and Integrated Youth Services.
Today, as part of the surge of assistance that President Biden directed ahead of his meeting with President Zelenskyy, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a significant new security assistance package to ensure Ukraine has the tools it needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression. This security assistance package commits an additional $2.4 billion in support through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) that will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements.
The capabilities in this announcement include:
Munitions and support for Ukrainian air defense systems;
Air-to-ground munitions;
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and components to support Ukrainian production of UAS;
Equipment and materiel to support Ukrainian munitions production; and
Spare parts, maintenance and sustainment support, and other ancillary equipment.
This is the Biden Administration’s twenty-first USAI package. The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to win the war.
After the impressive success of the pilot concert series earlier this year, Alberta’s government is providing a $19,000 grant to Calgary company Stagehand to bring a second concert season to the South Health Campus. The second season of the full-year concert series will begin on Sept. 26.
A patient watches local musicians play at the South Health Campus music series pilot project in February of 2024.
This grant renews the pilot project from February 2024, when Alberta’s government first enabled Stagehand to bring musicians to perform for South Health Campus patients, staff and visitors.
“Alberta’s government recognizes the incredible impact music has on people’s lives, and how it can give people the strength to beat their illness. That is why we are proud to support this amazing concert series that supports local artists and helps lift spirits at the South Health Campus.”
“Music has the power to heal and uplift, and this concert series brings that joy to patients, families and health care workers. We’re proud to support Alberta’s talented musicians while enhancing the well-being of everyone at the South Health Campus.”
Stagehand offers a digital platform that connects artists with venues to book and promote live events. The Calgary-based company will provide the platform to manage an open call for artists, selection, contracting, scheduling, payment and data collection.
The pilot project in February included 10 performances at various times and locations at the South Health Campus. The program aligns with the government’s goals for Alberta’s continued economic success by supporting the province’s music industry. This project also helps share Alberta’s cultures, perspectives and stories through music while supporting local musicians.
“Stagehand is proud to bring music back into Calgary’s South Health Campus for a second concert series. Music has an incredible ability to heal, and Stagehand is exploring even more ways to get more music to the people who need it. I would like to thank Alberta’s government and Minister Fir for the continued support, and I look forward to collaborating in the future.”
“Music offers more than just entertainment for patients; it provides a powerful source of joy, comfort and healing, especially for those dealing with pain, undergoing medical procedures, rehabilitation therapies, or facing long hospital stays. By reducing anxiety, lowering blood pressure and enhancing mood, music fosters a sense of calm and empowerment, helping patients regain control in the midst of their challenges.”
Quick facts
According to West Anthem’s Resonant Energies: A Music City Strategy for Calgary released in May, music contributed $1.7 billion to Alberta’s GDP and supported 20,577 jobs in 2020.
Feedback on the pilot project in February was overwhelmingly positive, with 97 per cent of audiences reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with the performances, and 82 per cent of musicians reporting a positive impact on their mental health.
Related information
Alberta Health Services Upcoming Events – Stagehand (Concert Schedule)
Related news
Good vibrations for Calgary’s South Health Campus | Bonnes vibrations au South Health Campus de Calgary (Jan. 19, 2024)
Music encore at Calgary’s South Health Campus | La musique en rappel au South Health Campus de Calgary (July 16, 2024)
Une série de concerts qui aide à remonter le moral et à guérir les Albertaines et Albertains au South Health Campus de Calgary est de retour pour une deuxième saison.
Après le succès retentissant de la série de concerts pilotes présentée au début de l’année, le gouvernement de l’Alberta a accordé une subvention de 19 000 dollars à l’entreprise Stagehand de Calgary pour qu’elle puisse organiser une deuxième série de concerts au South Health Campus. La deuxième série de concerts s’étendra sur toute l’année et débutera le 26 septembre.
En février 2024, un patient regarde des musiciens de la région jouer dans le cadre du projet pilote de la série musicale du South Health Campus.
Cette subvention renouvelle le projet pilote de février 2024, lorsque le gouvernement de l’Alberta a permis pour la première fois à Stagehand d’inviter des musiciens à se produire devant les patients, le personnel et les visiteurs du South Health Campus.
« Le gouvernement de l’Alberta reconnaît l’impact incroyable de la musique sur la vie des gens et la façon dont elle peut leur donner la force de vaincre leur maladie. C’est pourquoi nous sommes fiers de soutenir cette formidable série de concerts, qui permet d’encourager les artistes locaux tout en remontant le moral des gens au South Health Campus. »
« La musique a le pouvoir de guérir et de remonter le moral des gens, et cette série de concerts apporte cette joie aux patients, aux familles et aux travailleurs de la santé. Nous sommes fiers de soutenir les musiciens talentueux de l’Alberta tout en améliorant le bien-être de toutes et de tous au South Health Campus. »
L’entreprise Stagehand met en relation les artistes et les établissements en proposant une plateforme numérique qui permet de réserver et de promouvoir des événements en direct. Basée à Calgary, l’entreprise fournira la plateforme où pourront être gérés les appels ouverts aux artistes et leur sélection, les contrats, la programmation, le paiement et la collecte de données.
Le projet pilote de février a permis de donner dix représentations à des heures et à des endroits différents au South Health Campus. Le programme s’inscrit dans les objectifs du gouvernement qui visent à assurer le succès économique continu de l’Alberta grâce au soutien de l’industrie musicale de la province. Ce projet contribue également à partager, par la musique, les cultures, les perspectives et les récits de l’Alberta, tout en soutenant les musiciens locaux.
« Stagehand est fière de ramener la musique au South Health Campus de Calgary pour une deuxième série de concerts. La musique a une incroyable capacité de guérison, et Stagehand explore encore plus de moyens pour apporter plus de musique aux personnes qui en ont besoin. Je tiens à remercier le gouvernement de l’Alberta et la ministre Fir de leur soutien continu, et je me réjouis à l’idée de continuer à collaborer avec eux. »
« La musique est plus qu’un simple divertissement pour les patients; elle est une puissante source de joie, de réconfort et de guérison, en particulier pour celles et ceux qui souffrent, qui subissent des procédures médicales, des thérapies de réadaptation ou qui doivent effectuer de longs séjours à l’hôpital. En réduisant l’anxiété, en abaissant la tension artérielle et en améliorant l’humeur, la musique favorise un sentiment de calme et d’autonomisation, ce qui aide les patients en difficulté à reprendre le contrôle de leur santé. »
En bref
Selon le rapport intitulé « Resonant Energies: A Music City Strategy for Calgary », publié en mai, la musique a contribué à hauteur de 1,7 milliard de dollars au PIB de l’Alberta, en plus de soutenir 20 577 emplois en 2020.
Les réactions au projet pilote de février ont été extrêmement positives : 97 % des spectateurs se sont déclarés satisfaits ou très satisfaits des spectacles, et 82 % des musiciens ont fait état d’un impact positif sur leur santé mentale.
Renseignements connexes (en anglais seulement)
Alberta Health Services Upcoming Events – Stagehand (horaire des concerts)
Nouvelles connexes
Good vibrations for Calgary’s South Health Campus | Bonnes vibrations au South Health Campus de Calgary (19 janvier 2024)
Music encore at Calgary’s South Health Campus | La musique en rappel au South Health Campus de Calgary (16 juillet 2024)
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, announced that Canada has been named the Country of The Year for Viva Technology 2025, the largest technology event in Europe, which is scheduled for June 11 to 14, 2025 in Paris, France. This honour reinforces Canada’s reputation as a worldwide leader in artificial intelligence. Scale AI, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), will lead Canada’s business delegation.
September 26, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, announced that Canada has been named the Country of The Year for Viva Technology 2025, the largest technology event in Europe, which is scheduled for June 11 to 14, 2025 in Paris, France. This honour reinforces Canada’s reputation as a worldwide leader in artificial intelligence. Scale AI, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), will lead Canada’s business delegation.
Viva Technology is a major annual technology conference where business leaders, startups, and investors come together to share ideas and showcase innovative technologies. As the Country of The Year, Canada will showcase its expertise to the global community and connect with thousands of visionary startups, investors, organizations, researchers, and media during the ninth edition of one of the world’s biggest tech events. Leveraging advancements in AI can enhance Canada’s economy, increase productivity, and create exciting new opportunities for all Canadians.
Companies interested in being part of Canada’s delegation to Viva Technology 2025 can express their interest through Scale AI, Canada’s AI Global Innovation Cluster focused on leveraging AI to improve value chains.
Canada’s participation in Viva Technology 2025 was addressed by Prime Minister Trudeau and French President Macron in their Joint Declaration as President Macron concluded his visit to Canada yesterday. This reflects the strong collaboration between Canada and France in artificial intelligence through initiatives like the Global Partnerships on AI and the Centres of Excellence in Montreal and Paris. Viva Technology 2025 will provide an excellent opportunity to build on our ongoing work with France to strengthen cooperation among governments, organizations, and businesses to deliver technology solutions that are responsible, secure, and grounded in human rights and democratic values.
Quotes
“As the Country of The Year at Viva Technology 2025, Canada will stand at the forefront of innovation, showcasing the immense trade benefits that arise from connecting startups, technology leaders, large companies, and investors. Together, Canada and France are not only enhancing global collaboration but also driving a new era of growth and creativity that benefits both of our nations.”
– Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
“Canada is building an ecosystem where innovation can thrive while ensuring we are developing safe technologies. Canada has been working hard with France to make concrete progress in the development of a robust and responsible AI ecosystem and I look forward to furthering our collaboration as we showcase our progress at this global technology event.”
– François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Quick facts
The commercial relationship between Canada and France is underpinned by the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which has been provisionally applied since 2017.
CETA creates opportunities for French and Canadian businesses by eliminating tariffs and increasing the mobility of business people, among other things.
Canada and France have worked collaboratively on several initiatives for the responsible use of AI including launching the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in June 2020.
The Government of Canada announced a Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems in September 2023 and an AI Safety Institute.
The Viva Technology 2024 Canadian delegation of 60 organizations was the largest Canadian AI presence ever showcased at an international event.
Associated links
Contacts
Huzaif Qaisar Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development 343-575-8816 Huzaif.Qaisar@international.gc.ca
New homes in Salt River First Nation Reserve in Fort Smith are one step closer after an investment of $205,000 from the federal government was announced today by MP McLeod. This funding was used to purchase equipment to assist with the construction of new homes on reserve.
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, September 26, 2024 — New homes in Salt River First Nation Reserve in Fort Smith are one step closer after an investment of $205,000 from the federal government was announced today by MP McLeod. This funding was used to purchase equipment to assist with the construction of new homes on reserve.
Supporting the needs of the most vulnerable people in Canada is one of the goals of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. The funding announced today for the Salt River First Nation is being used to address territorial homelessness by helping to build dedicated housing for individuals and families experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness.
Quotes
“The federal government is committed to working with communities and Indigenous partners to increase the availability of safe, inclusive housing options. By investing in housing and relevant supports, we can create stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities for generations to come.”
Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
“Developing our new reserve to meet the critical housing needs of our people is a high priority for SRFN. Chief and Council value the support from Canada as we collaborate to build a better future for our nation”
Elizabeth Westwell, Chief Executive Officer of Salt River First Nation
Quick facts
Reaching Home is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding and support to urban, Indigenous, territorial, rural, and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
Funding under this program is allocated to 64 Designated Communities (urban centres), three territorial capitals, 30 Indigenous communities, and rural and remote communities across Canada. The program also makes funding available to Indigenous partners to support distinctions-based approaches to homelessness services.
Through Reaching Home, the federal government is investing $4 billion over 9 years to address homelessness. Budget 2024 announced an additional $1 billion over four years from 2024-25 to 2027-28 to stabilize funding for Reaching Home. This includes $50 million to accelerate community-level reductions in homelessness.
Budget 2024 also announced $250 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness. This initiative envisions working with provinces and territories to cost-match federal investments.
Associated links
Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:
Sofia Ouslis Communications Advisor Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
September 26, 2024 – Broome, Australia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver completed a forward rearmament in Australia on September 23, 2024, more than halfway through its six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region on Operation HORIZON.
This forward rearmament with Australia was a first for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The rearmament coordination and execution were nine months in the making, with planning having commenced in January 2024, and were made possible in part thanks to the close coordination and cooperation of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Having the capability to rearm far from a Canadian homeport is a significant achievement. Accomplishing it with the support of our allies and partners demonstrates the strength of Canada’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific region. This rearmament process allows the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to strengthen its interoperability and interchangeability through the sharing of information, techniques, and lessons learned that will allow for more agility moving forward.
Since HMCS Vancouver’s deployment in June 2024, the ship has participated in three different multinational maritime exercises and expended munitions, including two vertically launched missiles at Exercise RIM OF THE PACIFIC (RIMPAC) 2024.
Ammunition for the rearmament was transported from Canada to Darwin, Australia, via a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-177 Globemaster, where it was stored until the ship’s arrival. It was then transported to Broome, Australia, by the Australian Air Force and civilian contractors, and loaded onto the ship. During the rearmament itself, Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot staff members were on the ground, with members from the Australian Defence Industry (ADI) and the Royal Australian Navy to support.
The logistics of facilitating a technical rearmament process occurring far from a Canadian Naval Base are complex and support from elements of the ADF and ADI were instrumental in the success of this mission.
Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – A day of prayer, penance and fasting to ask for the gift of peace in the Holy Land. Exactly one year after the renewed conflict between Israel and Palestine, the Catholic Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, invites people to take part in this initiative in a letter to the entire diocese of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.”The month of October is approaching, and with it the realization that for the past year the Holy Land, and not only, has been plunged into a vortex of violence and hatred never seen or experienced before. The intensity and impact of the tragedies we have witnessed in the past twelve months have deeply lacerated our conscience and our sense of humanity”, the Cardinal writes, calling “once again on those in authority and those who bear the grave responsibility of making decisions in this context, to a commitment to justice and respect for every person’s right to freedom, dignity and peace.””Therefore, I invite you to a day of prayer, fasting and penance on October 7 next, a date that has become symbolic of the drama we are experiencing. The month of October is also the Marian month and on October 7 we celebrate the memory of Mary Queen of the Rosary,” the Patriarch’s letter reads. “May each of us, with the rosary or in whatever form he or she sees fit, personally but better again in community, find a moment to pause and pray, and bring to the “merciful Father and God of all consolation” (2 Cor. 1:3), our desire for peace and reconciliation. Attached you will find a prayer proposal, that may be used freely.”Lord our God,Father of the Lord Jesus Christ,and Father of all mankind,Who in the cross of Your Sonand through the gift of His own life,at great cost You wished to destroythe wall of enmity and hostilitythat separates peoples and makes us enemies:Send into our heartsthe gift of the Holy Spirit,that He may purify us from every feelingof violence, hatred and revenge,enlighten us to understandthe irrepressible dignityof every human person,and inflame us to the point of consumptionfor a peaceful and reconciled worldin truth and justice,in love and freedom.Almighty and eternal God,in Your hands are the hopes of menand the rights of every people:Assist with Your wisdom those who govern us,so that, with Your help,they will become sensitive to the sufferings of the poorand of those who suffer the consequencesof violence and war;may they promote the common good and lasting peacein our regionand throughout the earth.Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope,obtain the gift of peacefor the Holy Land that gave birth to youand for the whole world. Amen.(Agenzia Fides, 26/9/2024)
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At the ministerial meeting on the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza, the West Bank and the region, President Charles Michel stressed the EU’s role as a reliable partner.