Category: Artificial Intelligence

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ensure that every citizen of India has access to safe, reliable and highly quality products and services: Shri Pralhad Joshi

Source: Government of India

Ensure that every citizen of India has access to safe, reliable and highly quality products and services: Shri Pralhad Joshi

Enhancing public awareness about standards is essential for empowering the consumers: Shri Joshi

One nation, one standard to ensure coherence and synergy among stakeholders working towards unified standards framework: Shri Joshi

Bureau of Indian Standards commemorates World Standards Day

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 3:17PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi during his keynote address on World Standards Day in New Delhi today said that Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) should ensure that every citizen of India has access to safe, reliable and highly quality products and services. He said the well-being of consumers depend on the access to quality products while the growth and profitability of the industry is directly linked to the demand for these high-quality goods. This is a holistic approach acknowledging the interdependence of the consumers and producers fostering the robust quality ecosystem, he said.

Shri Joshi emphasised PM Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for the country to be recognised for its best quality and for India to strive to make itself synonymous with the world standards. He said that the BIS should focus on quality as India’s economy is rapidly growing along with its contribution in global trade. He stressed that the BIS has a huge role to play in enriching economic growth, enhancing the ‘Made in India’ label and establishing Brand Bharat at a global level.

The Minister said that under the guidance of Hon’ble PM, the new BIS Act of 2016 will further strengthen ease of doing business and will provide a fillip to the ‘Make in India’ campaign. Praising the BIS for their relentless efforts in standardisation of products, Shri Joshi said that today more than 22,300 standards are in force and 94% of Indian standards are being harmonised with ISO and ISE standards. Shri Joshi mentioned that today 174 QCOs of 732 products have been notified for compulsory BIS certification, while till 2014 there were only 14 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) of 106 products.

The Union Minister said that enhancing public awareness about standards is essential for empowering the consumers. The Minister said that the challenge for the government is to generate widespread interest and awareness among citizens in the standards programmes being undertaken by BIS. We have to set a standard where awareness is created among consumers to verify ISI and BIS certification before buying any product, that is the challenge for us, he said.

Shri Joshi said that India, currently being the fifth largest economy in the world, should focus on improving standards as they serve as the backbone of the society, ensuring the safety, quality and trust in the product and the service. Standards work as catalysts for technical development, industrial growth and well-being of the society. They facilitate both domestic and international trade contributing both for economic growth and environmental sustainability, he noted.

Shri Joshi said that for businesses, standards improve processes, systems, reduce waste and customer satisfaction supported through the compatibility with other markets while for consumers standards ensure reliability, consistency and safety of the products and interoperability.

During his address, he also applauded other standard development organisations (SDOs) like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) operating across sectors. He further stated that the concept of one nation and one standard becomes paramount ensuring the coherence and synergy among stakeholders working towards the unified standards framework.

During the event, Shri Joshi launched BIS Care App 3.0. BIS CARE app is a one stop utility platform to empower consumers. It not only provides means to verify genuineness of BIS certified products and Hallmarked Jewelries, but it also facilitates lodging of complaints against sub-standard products and misuse of BIS Standard Marks. The brand-new upgrade of BIS CARE App to version 3.0 comes with a new set of features specifically aiming to increase visibility of relevant information for stakeholders pertaining to Standards and Certification.

Shri Joshi also launched a film on the Standards Promotion Activities of BIS along with a Quality Quest Game for consumers to enhance their knowledge on quality. To mark World Standards Day, he released Reference Handbooks to disseminate information regarding important national standards and also comic books developed by BIS to be distributed to Standards Clubs across the country.

The event was also graced by the Union Minister of State, Shri B.L. Verma, alongside Secretary of Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, Smt. Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Shri Bharat Khera, Director General of BIS, Shri Pramod Kumar Tiwari. Key stakeholders from government, industry, and academia were also present on the occasion.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: This year’s Nobel prize in economics awarded to team that examined what makes some countries rich and others poor

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra

Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson Nobel Prize Outreach

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to three US-based economists who examined the advantages of democracy and the rule of law, and why they are strong in some countries and not others.

Daron Acemoglu is a Turkish-American economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Simon Johnson is a British economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and James Robinson is a British-American economist at the University of Chicago.

The citation awards the prize “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity”, making it an award for research into politics and sociology as much as economics.

At a time when democracy appears to be losing support, the Nobel committee has rewarded work that demonstrates that, on average, democratic countries governed by the rule of law have wealthier citizens.

Johan Jarnestad/Nobel Prize Outreach

The committee says the richest 20% of the world’s countries are now around 30 times richer than the poorest 20%. Moreover, the income gap is persistent; although the poorest countries have become richer, they are not catching up with the most prosperous.

Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson have connected this difference to differences in institutions, and they find this derives from differences in the behaviour of European colonisers in different parts of the world centuries ago.

The denser the indigenous population, the greater the resistance that could be expected and the fewer European settlers moved there. On the other hand, the large indigenous population – once defeated – ofered lucrative opportunities for cheap labour.

This meant the institutions focused on benefiting a small elite at the expense of the wider population. There were no elections and limited political rights.

Read more:
Sidelined no longer, Claudia Goldin wins the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for examining why gender pay gaps persist

In the places that were more sparsely populated and offered less resistance, more colonisers settled and established inclusive institutions that incentivised hard work and led to demands for political rights.

The committee says, paradoxically, this means the parts of the colonised world that were the most prosperous around 500 years ago are now relatively poor. Prosperity was greater in Mexico under the Aztecs than it was at the same time in the part of North America that is now called Canada and the United States.

Johan Jarnestad/Nobel Prize Outreach

More so than in previous years, this year’s winners have written for the public as well as the profession. Acemoglu and Robinson are probably best known for their 2013 best-seller Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty.(It has pictures and no equations.)

Last year Acemoglu and Johnson published Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.

In May this year Acemoglu wrote about artificial intelligence, putting forward the controversial position that its effects on productivity would be “nontrivial but modest”, which is another way of saying “tiny”. Its effect on wellbeing might be even smaller and it was unlikely to reduce inequality.

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

This year’s award makes the cohort of Nobel winners a little less US-dominated.

Although all three are currently working at American universities, Acemoglu is from Turkey and the others are British. There is even an Australian link. Robinson taught economics at The University of Melbourne between 1992 and 1995.

Winning the prize is life-changing for more reasons than the 11 million Swedish kroner (about $A 1.5 million) the winners share. As Nobel winners, they will have a higher profile. Their opinions will be accorded more respect by most but not all.

Sixteen former winners recently issued a widely reported statement saying they were “deeply concerned about the risks of a second Trump administration for the US economy”. Rather than address their arguments, the Trump campaign called them “worthless out-of-touch Nobel prize winners”.

The new winners might get the same treatment. Johnson has critiqued Trump’s proposal to raise tariffs. Acemoglu has called Trump “a threat to democracy”.

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

– ref. This year’s Nobel prize in economics awarded to team that examined what makes some countries rich and others poor – https://theconversation.com/this-years-nobel-prize-in-economics-awarded-to-team-that-examined-what-makes-some-countries-rich-and-others-poor-240890

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SPEECH BY DR JANIL PUTHUCHEARY, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION AND MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE DUKE-NUS CENTRE OF REGULATORY EXCELLENCE’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 2024, 14 OCTOBER 2024

Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

Good morning everybody. Thank you for inviting me to join you here today. It’s great to be back here at the Academia. It is my pleasure to join you for the 10th anniversary celebration of the Duke-NUS Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE).

2. One of the advantages of having been to many gatherings and meetings, such as scientific meetings, academic meetings, government regulatory meetings, you start to have the ability to have a feel for the community. You have a little bit of a sense, if this is one of those places where tech startups are exchanging cards because everyone’s trying to introduce themselves. Or is this community of practice which has been together with deep respect, and a deep understanding of each other’s contributions in the academic, scientific, and policy areas. I was asking Professor John Lim earlier this morning: “How long have you all been together?” Because there is a palpable sense of a community of practice, of professionals with deep expertise who have met each other over many meals, over many years, and flown not just halfway around the world, but all the way around the world, to be together. I had that sense of privilege walking in this morning that this is a community of professionals who have been working together for many years and understanding the importance of the work that you do, the effect that you will have on our healthcare systems.

3. CoRE was established as an academic centre at Duke-NUS Medical School with support from the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Economic Development Board (EDB) to promote regulatory capacity development and innovation in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Officially inaugurated in November 2014, this is the first Centre in the region that focuses on promoting regulatory excellence for healthcare regulators and industry. A panel of international regulatory experts forms the CoRE Advisory Board that oversees the governance of the Centre, many of whom are current or former chief officials of their respective regulatory agencies. Some of them in the audience today.

4. Over the past decade, CoRE has become an important player in Singapore’s healthcare landscape. You have made significant strides in advancing regulatory science, not only in Singapore but also across ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific. Through your capacity building, thinktank and advisory initiatives, CoRE has become a trusted partner in a wide collaborative network to actively coordinate and strengthen regulatory systems, comprising international and regional regulatory authorities, industry, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions.

5. The Centre also supports MOH and HSA in building up the healthcare regulatory ecosystem, and more recently, advocating the convergence of products and services regulation to enhance healthcare systems’ efficiency. By bringing together key stakeholders and fostering collaboration among healthcare regulators, CoRE has created a platform for the exchange of knowledge and best practices.

Future of Health – Digitalisation and Precision Medicine

6. As we celebrate these achievements, and there are many, we must also anticipate the challenges on the horizon. Singapore’s healthcare landscape is undergoing fundamental changes, driven by demographic shifts and our evolving healthcare needs. To meet these changes, we are embracing digital health and precision medicine technologies. We will innovate to improve population health and ensure the sustainability of our healthcare system. This shift in our healthcare regulations will also be needed to keep pace with innovation and to continue our commitment to patient safety and welfare. Our goal is to create a regulatory framework that acts as a catalyst for progress, not a barrier to it.

7. The challenges, whether it’s our demographic shifts, evolving needs, the tensions and trade-offs within our approach to what we do within the regulatory space, underscores the need for regulators to be innovative and also prudent. We want to maximise the benefits of new technologies and safeguard against the risks. HSA already regulates Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medical Devices and MOH has issued the national AI in Healthcare guidelines. This is a space where you can see that there are potential significant transformative benefits just around the corner, but there are already extant risks that we need to safeguard against, to shore up public trust and to make sure these tools are deployed in the clinical spaces. And so we publish these guidelines and they lay out good practices for AI developers and influencers, and we’re revising this to account for newer technologies such as generative AI. We intend to provide unified guidance for AI developers, service implementers and healthcare professionals on the safe development of AI in healthcare.

8. With increasing use of precision medicine technologies, we may encounter ethical dilemmas in the potential misuse of genetic test information, for example, in insurance underwriting. To address this, MOH has worked with the Life Insurance Association to put in place a Moratorium on Genetic Testing and Insurance. It sets out specific protections over the use and disclosure of genetic test results, to prevent Singaporeans from being deterred from undergoing genetic testing which can be vital and useful for early detection, prevention and management of genetic conditions.

9 The challenges that I described transcend borders and they make international collaboration amongst regulators essential. Through exchanging best practices and developing partnerships for regulatory harmonisation, we can collectively have regulatory frameworks that are nimble, forward looking, and adaptable to rapid technological advancements.

Nimble and Forward-Thinking Regulatory Framework

10 MOH collaborates with agencies such as the European Partnership for Supervisory Organisations in Health Services and Social Care (EPSO) and HealthAI. We also collaborate with CoRE to strengthen training in healthcare services regulations with ASEAN countries.

11 CoRE is focused on advancing regulatory science and policy in healthcare, both domestically and regionally, through capacity building, thought leadership and fostering collaboration.

12 To grow domestic capability in healthcare regulation, CoRE has launched key educational initiatives, including the flagship Graduate Certificate programme in health products regulation covering pharmaceutical and medical technology regulations. It also supports regional capacity building through the Asian Development Bank Projects in the Greater Mekong Subregion. By identifying regulatory gaps and conducting in-country capacity-building workshops in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia, CoRE is helping to shape more effective regulatory environments.

13 CoRE also facilitates joint initiatives research projects and roundtables for collaboration between academia, industry and international partners. One example is the CoRE Standards Development Organisation, set up in partnership with Enterprise Singapore, which manages over 60 Singapore Standards and Technical References in the biomedical and healthcare domains, ensuring alignment with global standards.

CoRE’s Role in the Next Decade

14 Regulatory innovation will play a part to shape the future of biomedical science and healthcare and delivery. The diverse topics covered at this conference – ranging from AI and digital health to healthy ageing and disease prevention – highlight the complexity of the challenges that face us. Working together, we can develop regulations that are robust, forward-looking and conducive to both access and innovation.

15 We have with us regulators from around the world, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa, alongside experts from the Ministry’s Regulatory Advisory Panel. Surely, with this brain trust that you have brought together, and the concentration of capability, expertise and experience, this professional community that has been working together to develop these big relationships, can effectively address these challenges and shape the future of healthcare regulation. Our partnerships will shape the next chapter of healthcare regulation, and so it’s my pleasure to declare this conference open.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Residents in Western North Carolina Can Apply for Help Buying Food Following Hurricane Helene
Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Residents in Western North Carolina Can Apply for Help Buying Food Following Hurricane Helene

Residents in Western North Carolina Can Apply for Help Buying Food Following Hurricane Helene
hejones1
Mon, 10/14/2024 – 16:08
Residents in 25 western counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for help buying food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) which will begin on Oct. 18, 2024, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today. D-SNAP is open to individuals and households not currently receiving Food and Nutrition Services benefits who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. NCDHHS estimates more than 150,000 people will apply for up to $120 million in D-SNAP benefits.

“We are making up to $120 million available to more than 150,000 individuals to buy food for their families — an essential step on the road to recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Helene,” said N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We are committed to using every tool to support the recovery of our friends, families, and fellow North Carolinians in western NC — now and for the long haul.”

NCDHHS received federal approval to begin phase one of the program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture beginning on Oct. 18, 2024. People can start applying for assistance three days before the program starts during online pre-registration beginning Oct. 15 and will have seven days from the start of the program to apply. The application period will close on Oct. 24, 2024.

Eligible households will be notified within three days of completing the application and receive a one-time benefit on a special debit card (called an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT card) to help buy food. The exact amount will depend on household size, income and disaster losses. While there are income eligibility standards, a number of considerations are taken into account. Individuals above these limits may still be eligible dependent on disaster expenses, so we encourage everyone who needs support to purchase food to begin their application by calling the DSNAP Virtual Call Center at 1-844-453-1117.

The benefits are good for up to nine months. Benefit cards will be available for pick up at the D-SNAP locations in each county or you can get the EBT card mailed to you overnight at the address you specify on your application.

To be eligible, a person must:
- Live in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey Counties.
- Be a member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians living in zip code 28719
- Have suffered losses/damages related to Hurricane Helene, such as damage to property or loss of income.
- Have proof of identity and proof of residency (if available).
- Have income and resources below certain levels.
- Not currently be receiving benefits through the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program. People receiving FNS can also get extra help buying food, but do not need to fill out a D-SNAP application. They can get more information about how to get the extra help on the FNS webpage.
Residents are encouraged to apply for D-SNAP by phone, when possible, by calling the D-SNAP call center at 1-844-453-1117. The D-SNAP call center will be open at the following hours:
- Weekdays (Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Oct. 21; Tuesday, Oct. 22; Wednesday, Oct. 23; and Thursday, Oct. 24) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Residents are encouraged to apply for D-SNAP by phone on their assigned day by last name but will not be turned away if they apply any time during the application period.
- Oct. 18 – A-G
- Oct. 19 – H-M
- Oct. 20 – N-S
- Oct. 21 – T-Z
- Oct. 22 – Open to all
- Oct. 23 – Open to all
- Oct. 24 – Open to all
Residents can also use the online ePASS Pre-Registration Tool, which will open on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and close on Thursday, Oct. 24. Once the pre-registration is completed, applicants will be issued a confirmation number and will need to call 1-844-453-1117 between Oct. 18 and Oct. 24 to complete the interview part of the application.

Residents can also apply for D-SNAP in-person at any of the following locations listed below. The D-SNAP sites listed below will be open at the following hours:
- Weekdays (Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Oct. 21; Tuesday, Oct. 22; Wednesday, Oct. 23; and Thursday, Oct. 24) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Alexander County Department of Social Services
Alexander County DSS Office
604 7th St. SW
Taylorsville, NC 28681

Alleghany County
Emerson Black Building
1375 US Hwy 21 N
Sparta, NC 28675

Ashe County Department of Social Services
Main Ashe DSS Office
150 Government Circle, Suite 1400
Jefferson, NC 28640

Avery County
Avery County Library (Basement)
150 Library Road
Newland, NC 28657

Buncombe County Department of Social Services
Main Buncombe County DSS Office
40 Coxe Ave.
Asheville, NC, 28801

Burke County Department of Social Services
Burke County DSS Office
700 E Parker Road
Morganton, NC 28655

Caldwell County
Former Walgreens Building
621 Harper Ave.
Lenoir, NC 28645

Catawba County Department of Social Services
Catawba County DSS Office
3030 11th Ave Drive
Hickory, NC 28602

Clay County Department of Social Services
Clay County DSS Office
119 Courthouse Drive
Hayesville, NC 28904

Cleveland County
Cleveland County Schools Bus Garage
300 Kemper Road
Shelby, NC 28152

Gaston County Department of Social Services
Main Gaston County DSS Office
330 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Gastonia, NC 28052

Haywood County
Haywood County DSS Office
157 Paragon Pkwy #300
Clyde, NC 28721

Henderson County
Living Waters Baptist Church
1284 Sugarloaf Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Jackson County
Jackson County DSS Office
15 Griffin St.
Sylva, NC 28779

Lincoln County Department of Social Services
Lincoln County DSS Office
1136 East Main St.
Lincolnton, NC 28092

Macon County Department of Social Services
183 Holly Springs Plaza
Franklin, NC 28734

Madison County Department of Social Services
Madison DSS Office
5707 US Hwy 25-70, Suite 1
Marshall, NC 28753

McDowell County
McDowell County YMCA Gym: Bottom Level
348 Grace Corpening Drive
Marion, North Carolina 28752

Mitchell County Department of Social Services
Mitchel County DSS Office
347 Longview Drive
Bakersville, NC 28705

Polk County Department of Social Services
231 Wolverine Trail
Mill Spring, NC 28756

Rutherford County Department of Social Services
Isothermal Community College (ICC) Foundation Performing Arts Center
286 ICC Loop Road
Spindale, NC 288160

Transylvania County Library
212 South Gaston St., “Rogow Room”
Brevard, NC 28712

Watauga County Department of Social Services
Watauga County DSS Office
132 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite C
Boone, NC 28607

Wilkes County Department of Social Services
Wilkes County DSS Office
304 College St.
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

Yancey County
Burnsville Town Center
6 South Main St.
Burnsville, NC 28714

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Residing in 28719:

Qualla Boundary
Qualla Boundary
1526 Acquoni Road
Cherokee, NC

Jackson
Jackson County DSS Office
15 Griffin St.
Sylva, NC 28779

While people in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey Counties and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians living in 28719 are encouraged to apply in their county of residence, they can also apply in person at any of the counties approved to implement D-SNAP. NCDHHS will post information on locations and hours of the sites in each county at www.ncdhhs.gov/dsnap.

Please know there may be long wait times. County officials will do everything they can to process applications as quickly as possible.

People who may have a disability or are physically unable to go in-person appling for help can complete this form in English or Spanish and send an authorized representative in their place.

NCDHHS is working with USDA on adding two additional counties through phase two of the D-SNAP implementation at a later date. Once approved, NCDHHS will share additional information.

For information regarding Hurricane Helene and additional resources and flexibilities in place, please go to www.ncdps.gov/Helene and www.ncdhhs.gov/helene.

###

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:
1. mail:
  Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
  1320 Braddock Place, Room 334
  Alexandria, VA 22314; or
2. fax:
  (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
  FNSCIVILRIGHTSCOMPLAINTS@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Los habitantes de 25 condados del oeste y la Banda Oriental de Indios Cherokee afectados por el huracán Helene pueden solicitar ayuda para comprar alimentos a través del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria para Desastres (D-SNAP, por sus siglas en inglés) que comenzará el 18 de octubre de 2024, anunció hoy el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés). D-SNAP está abierto a personas y hogares que actualmente no reciben beneficios de Servicios de Alimentación y Nutrición y que se vieron afectados por el huracán Helene. El NCDHHS estima que más de 150,000 personas solicitarán hasta $120 millones de dólares en beneficios de D-SNAP.

“Haremos $120 millones de dólares disponibles a más de 150,000 individuos para comprar comida para sus familias — un paso esencial en el camino a la recuperación de la devastación del huracán Helene”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Kody H. Kinsley. “Estamos comprometidos a apoyar la salud y el bienestar de las personas afectadas en todos los rincones del oeste de Carolina del Norte, ahora y a largo plazo”.

El NCDHHS recibió la aprobación federal para comenzar la fase uno del programa del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos a partir del 18 de octubre de 2024. Las personas pueden comenzar a solicitar asistencia tres días antes del inicio del programa durante la preinscripción en línea a partir del 15 de octubre y tendrán siete días desde el inicio del programa para aplicar. El plazo de la aplicación se cerrará el 24 de octubre de 2024.

Los hogares elegibles serán notificados dentro de los tres días posteriores a completar la solicitud y recibirán un beneficio único en una tarjeta de débito especial (llamada transferencia electrónica de beneficios, o tarjeta EBT, por sus siglas en inglés) para ayudar a comprar alimentos. La cantidad exacta dependerá del tamaño del hogar, los ingresos y las pérdidas por desastres. Aunque existen requisitos de ingresos, se tomarán en cuenta varias consideraciones. Los individuos con límites de ingreso superiores podrían calificar dependiendo de sus gastos debido al desastre, así que animamos a todos los que necesiten ayuda para comprar alimentos a comenzar la aplicación por medio de llamar al centro de llamadas virtuales de D-SNAP al 1-844-453-1117.

Los beneficios son válidos hasta por nueve meses. Las tarjetas de beneficios estarán disponibles para recogerse en las ubicaciones de D-SNAP en cada condado o puede recibir la tarjeta EBT por correo durante la noche en la dirección que especifique en su aplicación.

Para ser elegible, una persona debe:
- Vivir en los condados de Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transilvania, Watauga, Wilkes y Yancey.
- Ser miembro de la Banda del Este de los indios Cherokee que viven en el código postal 28719.
- Haber sufrido pérdidas o daños relacionados con el huracán Helene, como daños a la propiedad o pérdida de ingresos.
- Tener prueba de identidad y prueba de domicilio (si está disponible).
- Tener ingresos y recursos por debajo de ciertos niveles.
- Actualmente no está recibiendo beneficios a través del programa de Servicios de Alimentos y Nutrición (FNS, por sus siglas en inglés). Las personas que reciben FNS también pueden obtener ayuda adicional para comprar alimentos, pero no necesitan completar una aplicación para D-SNAP. Puede obtener más información sobre cómo obtener ayuda adicional en la página web de FNS.
Se alienta a los habitantes a solicitar D-SNAP por teléfono, cuando sea posible, llamando al centro de llamadas de D-SNAP al 1-844-453-1117. El centro de llamadas de D-SNAP estará abierto las siguientes horas:
- Días laborables (viernes 18 de octubre , lunes 21 de octubre, martes 22 de octubre , miércoles 23 de octubre y jueves 24 de octubre ), a partir de las 8 de la mañana hasta las 4 de la tarde.
- Sábado 19 de octubre y domingo 20 de octubre, a partir de las 9 de la mañana hasta el mediodía.
Se alienta a los habitantes a solicitar D-SNAP por teléfono en su día asignado según la primera letra de su apellido, pero no serán rechazados si solicitan en cualquier momento durante el período de solicitud.
- Octubre 18: A-G
- Octubre 19: H-M
- Octubre 20: N-S
- Octubre 21: T-Z
- Octubre 22: Abierto para todos
- Octubre 23: Abierto para todos
- Octubre 24: Abierto para todos
Los habitantes también pueden utilizar la herramienta de preinscripción en línea ePASS, que se abrirá el martes 15 de octubre cerrará el martes 22 de octubre . Una vez que se complete la preinscripción, a los aplicantes se les emitirá un número de confirmación y deberán llamar entre el 18 y el 24 de octubre al 1-844-453-1117 para completar la entrevista que es parte de la solicitud.

Los habitantes también pueden aplicar para D-SNAP en persona en cualquiera de los siguientes lugares que se enumeran a continuación. Los sitios D-SNAP que se enumeran a continuación estarán abiertos a las siguientes horas:
- Días laborables (viernes 18 de octubre , lunes 21 de octubre, , martes 22 de octubre , miércoles 23 de octubre y jueves 24 de octubre ), a partir de las 8 de la mañana hasta las 4 de la tarde.
- Sábado 19 de octubre y domingo 20 de octubre, a partir de las 9 de la mañana a las 2 p.m.
Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Alexander
Oficina del DSS del condado Alexander
604 7th St. SW
Taylorsville, NC 28681

Condado Alleghany
Edificio Emerson Black
1375 US Hwy 21 N
Sparta, NC 28675

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Ashe
Oficina principal del DSS de Ashe
150 Government Circle, Suite 1400
Jefferson, NC 28640

Condado Avery
Biblioteca del condado Avery (sótano)
150 Library Road
Newland, NC 28657

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Buncombe
Oficina principal del DSS del condado Buncombe
40 Coxe Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Burke
Oficina del DSS del condado Burke
700 E Parker Road
Morganton, NC 28655

Condado Caldwell
El edificio que anteriormente era un Walgreens
621 Harper Ave.
Lenoir, NC 28645

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Catawba
Oficina del DSS del condado Catawba
3030 11th Ave Drive
Hickory, NC 28602

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Clay
Oficina del DSS del condado Clay
119 Courthouse Drive
Hayesville, NC 28904

Condado Cleveland
Estacionamiento de autobuses de las escuelas del condado Cleveland
300 Kemper Road
Shelby, NC 28152

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Gaston
Oficina principal del DSS del condado Gaston
330 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Gastonia, NC 28052

Condado Haywood
Oficina del DSS del condado Haywood
157 Paragon Pkwy #300
Clyde, NC 28721

Condado Henderson
Iglesia Bautista Living Waters
1284 Sugarloaf Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Condado Jackson
Oficina del DSS del condado Jackson
15 Griffin St.
Sylva, NC 28779

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Lincoln
Oficina del DSS del condado Lincoln
1136 East Main St.
Lincolnton, NC 28092

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Macon
183 Holly Springs Plaza
Franklin, NC 28734

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Madison
Oficina del DSS de Madison
5707 US Hwy 25-70, Suite 1
Marshall, NC 28753

Condado McDowell
Gimnasio de la YMCA del condado McDowell (Planta baja)
348 Grace Corpening Drive
Marion, North Carolina 28752

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Mitchell
Oficina del DSS del condado Mitchel
347 Longview Drive
Bakersville, NC 28705

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Polk
231 Wolverine Trail
Mill Spring, NC 28756

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Rutherford
Centro de Artes Escénicas de la Fundación del Colegio Comunitario Isothermal
(ICC – Foundation Performing Arts Center)
286 ICC Loop Road
Spindale, NC 288160

Biblioteca del condado Transilvania
212 South Gaston St., “Cuarto Rogow”
Brevard, NC 28712

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Watauga
Oficina del DSS del Condado Watauga
132 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite C
Boone, NC 28607

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Wilkes
Oficina del DSS del condado Wilkes
304 College St.
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

Departamento de Servicios Sociales del condado Yancey
Centro de Burnsville (Burnsville Town Center)
6 South Main Street
Burnsville, NC 28714

Banda Oriental de Indios Cherokee habitantes del código postal 28719:

Límite de Qualla
Límite de Qualla
1526 Acquoni Road
Cherokee, NC

Condado Jackson
Oficina del DSS del condado Jackson
15 Griffin St.
Sylva, NC 28779

Si bien se alienta a las personas en los condados de Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transilvania, Watauga, Wilkes y Yancey y a los miembros de la Banda Oriental de Indios Cherokee que viven en el código postal 28719 a aplicar en el condado de su domicilio, también pueden aplicar en persona en cualquiera de los condados aprobados para implementar D-SNAP. El NCDHHS publicará información sobre las ubicaciones y horarios de los sitios en cada condado en http://www.ncdhhs.gov/fns.

Tenga en cuenta que puede haber largos tiempos de espera. Los funcionarios del condado harán todo lo posible para procesar las solicitudes lo más rápido posible.

Las personas que puedan tener una discapacidad o no puedan ir físicamente a solicitar ayuda en persona pueden completar este formulario en inglés o español y enviar un representante autorizado en su lugar.

El NCDHHS está trabajando con el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés) para agregar dos condados adicionales a través de la fase dos de la implementación de D-SNAP en una fecha posterior. Una vez aprobado, NCDHHS compartirá información adicional.

Para obtener información sobre el huracán Helene y los recursos y flexibilidades adicionales existentes, visite http://www.ncdps.gov/Helene y http://www.ncdhhs.gov/helene.

###

De acuerdo con la ley federal de derechos civiles y las regulaciones y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés), esta institución tiene prohibido discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo (incluyendo la identidad de género y la orientación sexual), credo religioso, discapacidad, edad, creencias políticas o represalias o repercusiones por actividades anteriores en defensa de los derechos civiles.

La información del programa puede estar disponible en otros idiomas además del inglés. Las personas con discapacidades que necesiten medios alternativos de comunicación para obtener información sobre el programa (braille, letra grande, cinta de audio, lenguaje de señas estadounidense, etc.) deben contactar a la agencia estatal o local en la que solicitaron los beneficios. Las personas sordas o con problemas de audición o discapacidades del habla pueden comunicarse con el USDA a través del Servicio de Retransmisión/Relé Federal al (800) 877-8339.

Para presentar una queja por discriminación, el demandante debe completar un Formulario AD-3027, Formulario de queja de discriminación de programa del USDA, que se puede obtener en línea en: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, desde cualquier oficina del USDA, llamando al (866) 632-9992 o escribiendo una carta dirigida al USDA. La carta debe contener el nombre, dirección y número de teléfono del demandante, así como una descripción escrita de la supuesta acción discriminatoria con el suficiente detalle para informar al subsecretario de Derechos Civiles (ASCR, por sus siglas en inglés) sobre la naturaleza y la fecha de una supuesta violación de los derechos civiles. El formulario AD-3027 completo o la carta debe enviarse a:
1. Correo:
  Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
  1320 Braddock Place, Room 334
  Alexandria, VA 22314
2. Fax:
  (833) 256-1665 o (202) 690-7442; o
3. Correo electrónico:
  FNSCIVILRIGHTSCOMPLAINTS@usda.gov
Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.
Oct 14, 2024

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Do people trust AI on financial decisions? We found it really depends on who they are

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gertjan Verdickt, Lecturer, Business School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

When it comes to investing and planning your financial future, are you more willing to trust a person or a computer?

This isn’t a hypothetical question any more.

Big banks and investment firms are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help make financial predictions and give advice to clients.

Morgan Stanley uses AI to mitigate the potential biases of its financial analysts when it comes to stock market predictions. And one of the world’s biggest investment banks, Goldman Sachs, recently announced it was trialling the use of AI to help write computer code, though the bank declined to say which division it was being used in. Other companies are using AI to predict which stocks might go up or down.

But do people actually trust these AI advisers with their money?

Our new research examines this question. We found it really depends on who you are and your prior knowledge of AI and how it works.

Despite the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence, investors prefer human expertise when it comes to stock market predictions, according to a new study.

Trust differences

To examine the question of trust when it comes to using AI for investment, we asked 3,600 people in the United States to imagine they were getting advice about the stock market.

In these imagined scenarios, some people got advice from human experts. Others got advice from AI. And some got advice from humans working together with AI.

In general, people were less likely to follow advice if they knew AI was involved in making it. They seemed to trust the human experts more.

But the distrust of AI wasn’t universal. Some groups of people were more open to AI advice than others.

For example, women were more likely to trust AI advice than men (by 7.5%). People who knew more about AI were more willing to listen to the advice it provided (by 10.1%). And politics mattered – people who supported the Democratic Party were more open to AI advice than others (by 7.3%).

We also found people were more likely to trust simpler AI methods.

When we told our research participants the AI was using something called “ordinary least squares” (a basic mathematics technique in which a straight line is used to estimate the relationship between two variables), they were more likely to trust it than when we said it was using “deep learning” (a more complex AI method).

This might be because people tend to trust things they understand. Much like how a person might trust a simple calculator more than a complex scientific instrument they have never seen before.

Trust in the future of finance

As AI becomes more common in the financial world, companies will need to find ways to improve levels of trust.

This might involve teaching people more about how the AI systems work, being clear about when and how AI is being used, and finding the right balance between human experts and AI.

Furthermore, we need to tailor how AI advice is presented to different groups of people and show how well AI performs over time compared to human experts.

The future of finance might involve a lot more AI, but only if people learn to trust it. It’s a bit like learning to trust self-driving cars. The technology might be great, but if people don’t feel comfortable using it, it won’t catch on.

Our research shows that building this trust isn’t just about making better AI. It’s about understanding how people think and feel about AI. It’s about bridging the gap between what AI can do and what people believe it can do.

As we move forward, we’ll need to keep studying how people react to AI in finance. We’ll need to find ways to make AI not just a powerful tool, but a trusted advisor that people feel comfortable relying on for important financial decisions.

The world of finance is changing fast, and AI is a big part of that change. But in the end, it’s still people who decide where to put their money. Understanding how to build trust between humans and AI will be key to shaping the future of finance.

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

– ref. Do people trust AI on financial decisions? We found it really depends on who they are – https://theconversation.com/do-people-trust-ai-on-financial-decisions-we-found-it-really-depends-on-who-they-are-240900

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;

Source: Government of India

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;

He advises them to imbibe new technologies and learn about new StartUp avenues for better future

Posted On: 13 OCT 2024 6:25PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (I/C) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh today hosted a luncheon interaction with students from Jammu & Kashmir. These children are in Delhi under Bharat Darshan programme of Government of India, which is being conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Dr Jitendra Singh was impressed with their inquisitiveness, observation skills, IQ level and advised them to imbibe new technologies, learn about new StartUp avenues and get acquainted with new developments in different segments of society, especially science and technology, biochemistry, artificial intelligence and space technology. He urged students to use their smartphones to attain information and knowledge.

He spoke about different schemes of the Government of India, including Pradhanmantri Vishwakarma Yojana, which would help them in acquiring and enhancing the skill of their forefathers.

The Minister informed them about women-run self help groups in J&K who are working on doubling apple yield and increasing the shelf life of these. He also informed about the Purple Revolution benefitting the youth of J&K who not only grow lavender but also distil perfume and oil out of it thereby earning handsomely.

Dr Jitendra Singh asked children to request their teachers to reach them with new perspectives and incorporate new ideas in their teachings. He also requested J&K Police officers, part of the troupe, to organise such workshops for the teachers that would be beneficial for the students.

There were around 70 students along with seven officials of the J&K Police. Around half of them are from the families of those who were killed in action. These students first went to Bengaluru where they visited among others Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru. The tour began on October 09, 2024. They are travelling by air and will fly back tomorrow.

*****

NKR/DK

(Release ID: 2064529) Visitor Counter : 54

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;

Source: Government of India

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;

He advises them to imbibe new technologies and learn about new StartUp avenues for better future

Posted On: 13 OCT 2024 6:25PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (I/C) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh today hosted a luncheon interaction with students from Jammu & Kashmir. These children are in Delhi under Bharat Darshan programme of Government of India, which is being conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Dr Jitendra Singh was impressed with their inquisitiveness, observation skills, IQ level and advised them to imbibe new technologies, learn about new StartUp avenues and get acquainted with new developments in different segments of society, especially science and technology, biochemistry, artificial intelligence and space technology. He urged students to use their smartphones to attain information and knowledge.

He spoke about different schemes of the Government of India, including Pradhanmantri Vishwakarma Yojana, which would help them in acquiring and enhancing the skill of their forefathers.

The Minister informed them about women-run self help groups in J&K who are working on doubling apple yield and increasing the shelf life of these. He also informed about the Purple Revolution benefitting the youth of J&K who not only grow lavender but also distil perfume and oil out of it thereby earning handsomely.

Dr Jitendra Singh asked children to request their teachers to reach them with new perspectives and incorporate new ideas in their teachings. He also requested J&K Police officers, part of the troupe, to organise such workshops for the teachers that would be beneficial for the students.

There were around 70 students along with seven officials of the J&K Police. Around half of them are from the families of those who were killed in action. These students first went to Bengaluru where they visited among others Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru. The tour began on October 09, 2024. They are travelling by air and will fly back tomorrow.

*****

NKR/DK

(Release ID: 2064529) Visitor Counter : 54

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SURGEON VICE ADMIRAL KAVITA SAHAI, SM, VSM ASSUMES CHARGE AS DIRECTOR GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES (NAVY)

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 11:18AM by PIB Delhi

Surgeon Vice Admiral Kavita Sahai, SM, VSM assumes charge as Director General Medical Services (Navy) on 14 Oct 24. The Flag Officer was commissioned in the Army Medical Corps on 30 Dec 1986.

An alumnus of the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College Pune, she has specialized in Pathology and super specialized in Oncopathology from the prestigious AIIMS, New Delhi. She has been Professor and head of Dept, Lab Sciences at AHRR and BHDC. She has also been Professor at Dept of Pathology, AFMC, Pune. Prior to assuming charge as the DGMS(Navy), she was the First woman Commandant of AMC Centre & College and O i/C Records. She is the first woman officer to be elected as Col Commandant of Army Medical Corps. She has a special interest in Medical Education and was awarded prestigious Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) Fellowship for advancement of Med Education from Philadelphia, USA in 2013-14.

In recognition for her distinguished Service, the Flag Officer has been awarded the Sena Medal in 2024 and Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018 and has been Commended by the Chief of the Army Staff twice in 2008 & 2012 and the GOC-in-C (WC) in 2010.

*****

VM/SKY

(Release ID: 2064574) Visitor Counter : 9

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to launch 3 AI – Centres of Excellence on Healthcare, Agriculture and Sustainable Cities on 15th October, 2024

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 1:28PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, will be launching three AI Centres of Excellence (CoE) focused on Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities on 15th October 2024 in New Delhi.

To realize the vision of “Viksit Bharat,” these three CoEs for Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be led by top educational institutions, in consortium with industry partners and startups. They will conduct interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge applications, and create scalable solutions in these three areas. This initiative aims to galvanize an effective AI ecosystem and nurture quality human resources in these critical fields.

As part of the vision to “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India,” the establishment of these centres was announced under Para 60 of the Budget Announcement for 2023-24. In alignment with this, the Government has approved the creation of the three AI Centres of Excellence, with a total financial outlay of Rs. 990.00 Cr over the period of FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28.

To oversee the implementation of this initiative, an industry heavy Apex Committee has been constituted, co-chaired by Dr. Sridhar Vembu, Founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation.

Shri K.Sanjay Murthy, Secretary/HE will grace the occasion, along with Directors of IITs, Heads of higher educational institutions (HEIs), industry leaders, start-up founders and senior officials from various ministries of the Government of India.

*****

SS/AK

(Release ID: 2064613) Visitor Counter : 58

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda inaugurates 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities
Source: Government of India (2)

Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda inaugurates 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities

ICDRA is being hosted for the first time in India, bringing together regulatory authorities, policymakers, and health officials from over 194 WHO member states

During the unprecedented COVID 19 pandemic, India emerged not only as a global leader in health resilience and innovation but also reaffirmed its role as the Pharmacy of the World: Shri JP Nadda

“The ICDRA platform provides a space to share knowledge, foster partnerships, and develop regulatory frameworks that ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of medical products worldwide”

“CDSCO has developed robust systems for approving safe and efficacious drugs and medical devices in the country and for export to more than 200 countries in the world”

“More than 95% regulatory processes currently have been digitized at CDSCO, bringing transparency and increasing trust among stakeholders”

Global cooperation is important in drug regulation, particularly in light of challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, the post-pandemic world, and the safe use of AI in healthcare: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 1:48PM by PIB Delhi

Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA), here today. The event which is being hosted for the first time in India, from 14^th – 18^th October by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) brought together regulatory authorities, policymakers, and health officials from over 194 WHO member states.

Addressing the occasion, Shri JP Nadda emphasized on the shared commitment for enhancing global healthcare standards and safeguarding public health. He highlighted that during the unprecedented COVID 19 pandemic, India emerged not only as a global leader in health resilience and innovation but also reaffirmed its role as the Pharmacy of the World. “India rapidly expanded its healthcare infrastructure and scaled up vaccine production to meet both domestic and global demands. The successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program, covering over a billion people, is a testament to the robustness of our healthcare system, the dedication of our health workers, and the soundness of our policies”, he said.

The Union Health Minister highlighted that India played a crucial role in ensuring affordable access to essential medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies for nations across the globe. “Guided by the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the world is one family, we extended our support to more than 150 countries, providing life-saving drugs and vaccines during the pandemic. This spirit of international solidarity is at the heart of India’s approach to global health. We believe that our progress is inseparable from the progress of the world, and as such, we remain committed to contributing to global health security and sustainability”, he said.

Shri Nadda noted that “the ICDRA platform provides a space to share knowledge, foster partnerships, and develop regulatory frameworks that ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of medical products worldwide.”

Highlighting the achievements of CDSCO, Shri Nadda said that “it has developed robust systems for approving safe and efficacious drugs and medical devices in the country and for export to more than 200 countries in the world”. Availability of Quality medicine at affordable price is at the core, he said. He also informed that “8 drug testing labs are operational today while 2 more are in pipeline. 8 Mini testing Labs are operational at different ports for quick testing and release of drugs and raw material being imported. In addition, 38 State Drug Regulator’s Testing Labs are operational. Altogether, more than a hundred thousand samples are being tested every year under regulatory surveillance mechanism.”

The Union Minister also stated that “more than 95% regulatory processes currently have been digitized at CDSCO, bringing transparency and increasing trust among stakeholders.” He also stated that, “Considering the importance of medical devices in health care delivery, Medical Device industry in India is also being regulated. Drugs Rules have been amended to make Good Manufacturing Practice Guidelines more comprehensive and at par with the WHO-GMP guidelines.”

It was also pointed out that in order to make drug supply chain robust, it has been made mandatory to provide Bar Code or Quick Response Code (QR Code) on top 300 brands of drug products. Similarly, QR Code is mandatory on all API packs, either being imported or manufactured in India.

The Union Minister concluded his address by underscoring India’s full committed to advancing global health. “We believe in 3 Ss i.e. “Skill, Speed and Scale” and by focusing on these three aspects, we have been able to meet the increasing demand for Pharma products while adhering to global quality standards without any compromise. We are prepared to address pressing challenges, from antimicrobial resistance to ensuring equitable access to life-saving treatments. We are not just participants in this dialogue; we are partners in building a healthier, safer and more resilient world”, he said.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, in his speech, commended India for hosting this crucial global regulatory forum and highlighted the importance of global cooperation in drug regulation, particularly in light of challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, the post-pandemic world, and the safe use of AI in healthcare.

Dr Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO Southeast Asia Region stated that “India is the largest provider of generic medicines while the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry is the third largest in the world. She noted that India provides over 50% of the world’s vaccine demands. She emphasized that a strong regulatory system is crucial to achieving universal health coverage and highlighted the need for strengthened regulatory convergence and information sharing between national regulatory authorities.

Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary stated that “the Indian pharmaceutical industry has recently become the 4^th largest export sector of India, exemplifying the level of our integration into the global pharmaceutical supply chain. India is the third largest producer of pharmaceuticals in the world, and has the largest number of US FDA approved plants outside the USA.” She also highlighted that “India supply 50% of the world’s vaccines, most of them going to UN agencies like WHO, UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and to organisations like GAVI.

Ms. Malebona Precious Matsoso, Co-Chair, WHO Intergovernmental Negotiation Body, South Africa said that “regulation of medical products is one of the most crucial aspects today. The impact of regulatory decisions is found not only at the national or global level but also in the hospital rooms.” Public health interventions and response can be shortened through efficient regulation and oversight, she said.

Highlighting India as the pharmacy of the world, she said that this tag comes with certain expectations and capacities about India. She concluded her address by emphasising on smart regulation as opposed to under-regulation and over-regulation.

Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India highlighted India’s achievements in drugs control and medical devices sector, including the approval of India’s first CAR T-cell therapy. “We are continuously upgrading our skills and capacities in our systems and are on a path towards low regulation and high execution”, he said.

As a precursor to the main conference, an exhibition was also held which showcased India’s innovation, capabilities, and leadership in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and clinical research sectors. Key industry players, including pharmaceutical giants, medical device manufacturers, and healthcare innovators, presented their advancements and breakthroughs to an international audience of regulators and stakeholders. This exhibition served as a testament to India’s standing as the “Pharmacy of the World” and its growing influence in global healthcare.

In addition to the main conference sessions, several side meetings will take place, where representatives from various countries will engage in focused discussions on specific regulatory challenges and opportunities. These meetings will facilitate bilateral and multilateral dialogues on strengthening regulatory systems, promoting innovation, and fostering collaboration to address global health needs.

Key Discussions and Regulatory Challenges

The 5-day conference will feature a series of insightful sessions where regulatory authorities and industry leaders will deliberate on key issues affecting global drug and medical device regulation. Some of the prominent sessions include:
- Plenary Session on Smart Regulation: Discussions will revolve around the evolving landscape of regulatory reliance and the World Listed Authorities (WLA) framework. Global regulators will explore how to enhance cooperation to streamline processes across countries.
- Workshops on Medical Devices: A significant focus will be placed on the regulation of medical devices, including IVDs (In Vitro Diagnostics), where experts will discuss trends in global and regional regulatory frameworks.
- Quality of Pharmaceutical Starting Materials: This workshop will shed light on the need for stringent regulations in ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products from their very inception.
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Regulators and industry experts will discuss the role of AI in improving regulatory oversight, pharmaco-vigilance, and clinical trials, while also addressing the challenges related to data privacy and implementation.
- Regulatory Preparedness in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: This is a plenary session focused on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for continued regulatory innovation to prepare for future public health emergencies.
The 19th ICDRA will emphasize strengthening global regulatory systems through partnerships and collective efforts. Regulatory authorities from various nations will discuss challenges and opportunities in harmonizing regulations for medical products, addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and advancing traditional medicines.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Dept. of Health Research and DG ICMR; Shri Rajiv Wadhawan, Advisor (Cost), Health Ministry; Dr Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present at the event.

***

MV

HFW/ HFM ICDRA Inaugural /14^th October 2024/1

(Release ID: 2064618) Visitor Counter : 105

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to announce 3 AI – Centres of Excellence on Healthcare, Agriculture and Sustainable Cities on 15th October, 2024

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 1:28PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, will be announcing three AI Centres of Excellence (CoE) focused on Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities on 15th October 2024 in New Delhi.

To realize the vision of “Viksit Bharat,” these three CoEs for Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be led by top educational institutions, in consortium with industry partners and startups. They will conduct interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge applications, and create scalable solutions in these three areas. This initiative aims to galvanize an effective AI ecosystem and nurture quality human resources in these critical fields.

As part of the vision to “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India,” the establishment of these centres was announced under Para 60 of the Budget Announcement for 2023-24. In alignment with this, the Government has approved the creation of the three AI Centres of Excellence, with a total financial outlay of Rs. 990.00 Cr over the period of FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28.

To oversee the implementation of this initiative, an industry heavy Apex Committee has been constituted, co-chaired by Dr. Sridhar Vembu, Founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation.

Shri K.Sanjay Murthy, Secretary/HE will grace the occasion, along with Directors of IITs, Heads of higher educational institutions (HEIs), industry leaders, start-up founders and senior officials from various ministries of the Government of India.

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SS/AK

(Release ID: 2064613) Visitor Counter : 311

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MSDE partners with Meta for AI Assistant in Skill India Mission and 5 Centers of Excellence in NSTIs

Source: Government of India

MSDE partners with Meta for AI Assistant in Skill India Mission and 5 Centers of Excellence in NSTIs

“Our mission is to empower India’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape”: Sh. Jayant Chaudhary

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 2:20PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced its partnership with Meta today for the launch of two key initiatives: an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and establishing 5 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) located at Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Chennai and Kanpur.

Commenting on the partnership, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, “Our mission at the Ministry is to empower India’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. By integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and mixed reality into the Skill India ecosystem, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge technologies enabling personalized learning pathways for the youth of the country. Our partnership with Meta today is a significant step towards achieving this goal.”

Under this partnership, an innovative AI-chatbot powered by Meta’s open-source Llama model will be developed, which will enhance the learner experience on the Skill India Digital (SID) Portal. The chatbot, which will be integrated into the SID Portal, offers 24/7 assistance to users, enabling quick discovery of course information, interactive Q&A for course content, and access to lecture summaries and relevant videos for revision. Available over WhatsApp, the chatbot will support English, Hindi, and Hinglish, along with voice capabilities, making it more accessible to a diverse range of users across India. In addition, users can search for specific course topics, find skilling centers, explore job listings based on location and interest, and receive tailored feedback for continuous improvement. The chatbot will also provide valuable analytics to the MSDE to further optimize the platform. Sarvam AI, the technical partner for the AI assistant project, will be responsible for the development and deployment of the chatbot, which will be piloted over a six-month period.

By making Meta’s open-source AI models accessible to India’s AI ecosystem, it envisages a collaborative e-governance framework for adoption of impactful AI solutions with potential for catalyzing large scale socio-economic transformation in line with India’s AI Mission. Further, these 5 CoEs at NSTIs will equip learners and instructors with the latest VR technology to learn and enhance existing skills in a safe, immersive and engaging environment. The partnership on AI assistant aims to streamline information access, improve learning outcomes and provide students with seamless support through an intuitive digital interface. The 5 CoEs will also provide realistic simulations, improve engagement and increase accessibility to skill development training.

Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India, said, “At Meta, we are committed to leveraging frontier technologies like AI, VR and MR to create meaningful impact for the economic development of India. These partnerships with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MDSE) are a testament to our commitment to bridging the gap between technology and education. Through the integration of advanced technologies like Open-Source Llama we aim to empower not just the students, but also educators and entrepreneurs, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital-first world.”

The Skill India Digital Portal has become a cornerstone of the nation’s skilling ecosystem, with millions of students accessing courses aimed at improving their employability. With the launch of the AI chatbot, MSDE and Meta are taking a significant step forward in revolutionizing how students interact with course content and prepare for the future. Further, Skillveri, the technical partner for establishing the CoEs, will provide cutting-edge VR and MR resources, curriculum, and trained professionals to equip learners and instructors with the latest technology, enabling immersive and interactive learning experiences.

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PSF

(Release ID: 2064628) Visitor Counter : 101

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministries/ Departments of Government of India Participate in the Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and Reducing Pendency

Source: Government of India

Ministries/ Departments of Government of India Participate in the Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and Reducing Pendency

Massive Participation from across the Country, with cleanliness campaigns made in 1.32 lakh offices spaces (42%) out of 3.16 lakh target in first ten days

26.41 lakh Square Feet of Space Freed for Productive Use; Rs. 21.62 crore Revenue Earned through Scrap Disposal and 1.34 Lakh Public Grievances Redressed

Large Scale Awareness Generation and Campaign Advocacy Resorted through Electronic, Print and Social Mediawith 5002 Tweets, 10.2 Million Engagements and 129 PIB Statements, #Specialcampaign4 gained a lot of Traction on Social Media

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 2:39PM by PIB Delhi

The Special Campaign 4.0 launched by the Government, with Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances as the nodal department, has gained significant momentum. The preparatory phase (16^th-30^thSeptember, 2024) for the Special Campaign 4.0 completed on 30^thSeptember, 2024 and Implementation Phase started from 2^ndOctober, 2024.

The progress of the campaign was reviewed by Secretary DARPG, in the fifth Meeting of Nodal Officers of Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and Disposal of Pending Matters held on 11^thOctober, 2024. The meeting was attended by 150 senior officers, from 84 Ministries/Departments. All Ministries/Departments are participating in the Special Campaign 4.0. Massive participation from across the country observed with cleanliness campaigns made in 1.32 lakh offices spaces (42%) out of 3.16 lakh target in only ten days. 26.41 lakh square feet of space has been freed for productive use; Rs. 21.62 crore revenue has been earned through scrap disposal and 1.34 lakh public grievances have been redressed.

In the first ten days of Special Campaign 4.0 from 2^nd-11^th October, 2024, the following progress has been achieved:

S.No.	Parameter	Target in SC 4.0	Achievement upto 11^th Oct 2024	% Achupto 11^th Oct 2024
	Cleanliness Campaigns	3,16,099	1,32,392	41.9
	Reference from MPs	4,103	762	18.6
	Parliamentary Assurances	1,158	59	5.1
	IMC References	137	44	32.1
	State-Government References	712	218	30.6
	Public Grievances	5,18,313	1,34,072	25.9
	Pubic Grievance Appeals	14,733	3,821	25.9
	PMO References	904	267	29.5
	Easing of Rules/Processes	648	98	15.1
	Physical Files due for Review	32,37,605	11,14,291	34.4
	e-Files put up for Review	4,17,943	1,24,437	29.8
	Space freed (Lakh sq ft)	26.41
	Revenue earned (Rs. Crore)	21.62

The Special Campaign 4.0 has gained significant traction in social media with 5,002 tweets by Ministries/Departments on #SpecialCampaign4.0, 314 infographics and issue of 129 PIB statements.

During the review meeting, Department of School Education and Literacy delivered an insightful presentation on the “Vidyanjali” App, which aims to enhance educational quality and foster greater interactivity in classrooms to facilitate donations of computer systems etc. under Special campaign 4.0 by Ministries/ Departments.

Some of the best practices that emerged upto 11^th October, 2024 are as follows:

Curative preservation of Manuscript “Ramayana”, Asiatic Society, Kolkata, Ministry of Mines
Wall beautification at Shastri Bhawan, Legislative Department
Scrap cleared from Recreation room, National Bal Bhawan, New Delhi, Ministry of Education
Waste room converted into DMF Gallery, Shastri Bhawan, Ministry of Mines
Art sculpture made out of waste aluminium, JNARDCC, Nagpur, Ministry of Mines
Scrap cleared from old cooling towers after auctioning through MSTC at Pune Airport, AAI, Ministry of Civil Aviation
Postman app for timely delivery of services, e-office adoption, use of technology for Digital Life Certificate, Department of Posts

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NKR/DK/AG

(Release ID: 2064637) Visitor Counter : 53

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Centre for Good Governance Commences Two-Week Training for Civil Servants from BIMSTEC Nations and Maldives

Source: Government of India

National Centre for Good Governance Commences Two-Week Training for Civil Servants from BIMSTEC Nations and Maldives

National Centre for Good Governance reaches key milestone with First-Ever Training Program for BIMSTEC Civil Servants

Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 2:42PM by PIB Delhi

The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has commenced the first Mid-Career Training Programme for the civil servants of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries, alongside the 34th Capacity Building Programme for civil servants from the Maldives. This two-week training programme is being organized from 14th October to 25th October 2024 in Mussoorie and New Delhi. A total of 36 civil servants from BIMSTEC countries, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan, are participating in the programme. Additionally, 35 civil servants from the Maldives are participating in the 34th Capacity Building Programme. The participants are serving as Divisional Secretary, Additional District Secretary, Deputy Chief Secretary, and Assistant Commissioners, Director, Council Executives representing key ministries from their countries.

Shri V. Srinivas, Director General, NCGG and Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), jointly inaugurated the training programme and welcomed the participants. In his address, emphasized the programme’s objective to enhance the skillsets of civil servants by addressing the evolving landscape of administrative reforms and the critical role of digital governance. He noted that the training would focus on citizen-centric governance models, which aim to bridge the gap between government offices and the people they serve, thereby improving public service delivery.

During the programme, Dr. AP Singh, Associate Professor, NCGG and Course Coordinator for Ist Mid-Career Training Programme for the Civil Servants of BIMSTEC Countries gave detailed information about the National Centre for Good Governance and the milestones achieved by the NCGG over the years. Dr BS Bisht, Associate Professor, NCGG and Course Coordinator for 34th CBP for Civil Servants of Maldives gave the overview of the programme.

Under the second phase of the programme, the participating officers from BIMSTEC countries and the Maldives will visit key institutions and projects, including the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, the Smart City Project and ITDA, the Smart School in Dehradun, the Haryana Institute of Public Administration, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the National Science Centre. Additionally, they will visit the Maruti Udyog Limited and visit the iconic Taj Mahal.

The BIMSTEC programme is being coordinated by Dr. A.P. Singh, Associate Professor and Course Coordinator, Dr. M.K. Bhandari, Faculty and Co-Course Coordinators, Shri Sanjay Pant, Training Assistant, and Ms. Monisha Bahuguna, YP. The 34th Capacity Building Programme,is being coordinated by Dr. B.S. Bisht, Associate Professor and Course Coordinator, along with Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, Faculty and Co-Course Coordinator, Shri Brijesh Bisht, Training Assistant, NCGG along with the NCGG capacity-building team.

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NKR/DK/AG

(Release ID: 2064639) Visitor Counter : 54

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Nokia, Windstream Wholesale and Colt Technology Services join forces to complete world’s first ultra-fast 800GbE optical and IP service trial connecting London and Chicago
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press release
Nokia, Windstream Wholesale and Colt Technology Services join forces to complete world’s first ultra-fast 800GbE optical and IP service trial connecting London and Chicago
- Transatlantic partnership extends potential for capacity, speed and latency while reducing power usage on popular Europe/US route.
- Service trial spanned 8500km subsea and terrestrial route over live production network.
- 800GbE can support advanced network applications like AI data center networking, content delivery networks, and financial data hub connections.
14 Oct 2024
Espoo, Finland – Nokia, Windstream Wholesale (WW), an optical technology leader in advanced network solutions, and Colt Technology Services (Colt) today announced the successful completion of a world-first 800 Gigabit Ethernet (800GbE) service trial connecting London, UK with Chicago, US across an 8500km subsea and terrestrial route over the production network. The trial showcased innovative power-saving networking technologies from the three global tech businesses to test the boundaries of next-generation wavelength, capacity, speed and latency between two of the world’s largest financial trading hubs.

The field trial involved connecting one of Colt’s five powerful transatlantic subsea cables and part of its extensive terrestrial fiber optic network with Windstream Wholesale’s domestic U.S. low latency, optical fiber Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) monitoring speed and performance. Together, Colt and Windstream Wholesale have partnered to demonstrate the world’s first transoceanic 800 gigabit ethernet (GbE) end-to-end service transport from router to router over 1Tbps optical transport. The trial was successfully delivered using Nokia’s pioneering sixth-generation Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) coherent optics and 7750 Service Router (SR) high-performance routing platforms boosting internet service speeds and supporting ultra-high wavelength capacity, while maintaining power efficiency.

800G marks a breakthrough in service bandwidth, doubling capacity to support advanced network applications like AI data center networking, content delivery networks, and financial data hub connections.

Buddy Bayer, Chief Operating Officer of Colt Technology Services, said: “Pushing the boundaries of technology innovation is a fundamental part of our customer commitment: it means we stay a step ahead of the market, so we’re ready when our customers ask, “What’s next for us?” This trial has seen us build a powerful industry collaboration to explore the ‘what’s next?’. It’s tested the limits of infrastructure performance and capability across thousands of miles of land and sea with incredible networking technologies, and it’s demonstrated the power and potential of what can be achieved, without skipping a beat.”

Joe Scattareggia, President of Windstream Wholesale, said: “Our latest innovation represents a true game-changer for global connectivity. By partnering with two extraordinary leaders in the industry, we’re enabling unprecedented bandwidth capabilities that are essential for driving AI-powered applications worldwide for our customers. As an optical technology leader, Windstream Wholesale and our partners are establishing 800GbE as the next evolutionary advancement increase for wave services. This collaboration has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, creating a network solution like no other. Together, we’re not just meeting the demands of the future—we’re shaping it.”

Federico Guillén, President of Network Infrastructure at Nokia, said: “Such an ambitious project — to link two of the world’s most important financial hubs — sets the bar very high for network capacity, speed, security and reliability. This demonstration would simply not have been possible without the commitment of Nokia and our partners to the highest standards of innovation in networking technology. Together, we are redefining the art of the possible for IP and optical networks enabling cross-continental subsea and terrestrial communications.”

Following the successful completion of the trial, the organizations are currently exploring options to bring 800GbE connectivity services to market for global business customers.

Resources and additional information
Webpage: Nokia PSE-6s
Webpage: Nokia Optical Networks

About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

About Colt Technology Services

Colt Technology Services (Colt) is a global digital infrastructure company which creates extraordinary connections to help businesses succeed. Powered by amazing people and like-minded partners, Colt is driven by its purpose: to put the power of the digital universe in the hands of its customers, wherever, whenever and however they choose.
Since 1992, Colt has set itself apart through its deep commitment to its customers, growing from its heritage in the City of London to a global business spanning 40+ countries, with over 6,000 employees and more than 80 offices around the world. Colt’s customers benefit from expansive digital infrastructure connecting 32,000 buildings across 230 cities, more than 50 Metropolitan Area Networks and 250+ Points of Presence across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America’s largest business hubs.

Privately owned, Colt is one of the most financially sound companies in the sector. Obsessed with delivering industry-leading customer experience, Colt is guided by its dedication to customer innovation, by its values and its responsibility to its customers, partners, people and the planet.

For more information, please visit http://www.colt.net

About Windstream Wholesale

Windstream Wholesale is an innovative optical technology leader that delivers fast, flexible, and customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers, and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream Wholesale is one of three brands managed by Windstream. The company’s quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services. Windstream also offers fiber-based broadband to residential and small business customers in 18 states as well as managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises and government entities across the U.S. Windstream is a privately held company headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Additional information about Windstream Wholesale is available at windstreamwholesale.com. Follow us on X (Twitter) @Windstream and LinkedIn at @Windstream.

To view the Windstream Wholesale network map, visit https://www.windstreamwholesale.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Windstream-Wholesale-National-Network.pdf

Media inquiries

Nokia
Sarah Miller
Phone: 613-720-9716
Email: sarah.miller@nokia.com

Colt
Anne Amlot
Email: Anne.Amlot@colt.net

Windstream
Scott Morris
Phone: 501-748-5342
Email: scott.l.morris@windstream.com

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The MIL Network –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor announces record-breaking £100m investment deals for Londoners
Source: Mayor of London
- Mayor announces record investment deals in London so far in 2024 despite global economic downturn and uncertainty
- In 10 months, London has already seen nearly £10m more invested than in previous years
- Three tech businesses that Sadiq met in New York announce further investment plans in the capital
- International investment across the capital has created nearly 10,000 jobs for Londoners in industries of the future such as technology, life sciences, and the green sector in the last five years
- The Mayor is attending the International Investment Summit bringing together policymakers and business leaders, as the Government drives forward its national mission for growth
Today, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced record-breaking investment deals worth more than £100million for Londoners so far in 2024 – bucking the global trend – as he attends the Government’s first International Investment Summit to drive forward the national mission for economic growth.

The Mayor has confirmed that three tech businesses whom he met on his recent trip to New York to bang the drum for London have further plans to invest in the capital. Indian IT giant Mphasis, which opened a new London office in September – has expanded its UK presence over the past year and will look to double its business over the next three years. Constant Contact, a digital marketing and automation platform that has helped millions of small businesses and nonprofits globally, will announce its official launch into the UK in the coming weeks. Financial technology company MoonPay, which builds payment infrastructure for crypto, is working with London & Partners as they look to invest and expand further in the capital.

The deals done in partnership with London & Partners, the growth agency funded by the Mayor of London, have seen companies from China, Europe, India, and the US invest in the capital in the last five years, with 543 companies creating nearly 10,000 jobs for Londoners in industries of the future such as technology, life sciences, and the green sector.

This year has so far seen more than £100m in investment deals for Londoners at a time of global economic downturn and uncertainty. In 10 months, London has already seen nearly £10m more invested than in previous years. This includes companies such as Recursion – a US biotech company that uses advanced technology like machine learning and robotics to speed up the discovery of new treatments for complex diseases – opening a new office in the ‘Knowledge Quarter’ in King’s Cross, joining Microsoft and Google DeepMind in rapidly expanding the fast-growing life sciences sector.

One of the Mayor’s 10 key priorities is the new London Growth Plan, with a target of helping to create more than 150,000 good jobs by 2028 and increasing living standards for Londoners. The new growth plan aims to grow London’s economy, so we can improve the lives of all Londoners, drive London’s green transition and support prosperity in London and across the country. Sadiq is also investing £380m a year into skills, careers, and employment activity to ensure that Londoners get the skills and support that they need to progress into good quality jobs. Grow London Local is a free service supported by the Mayor of London giving small businesses access to in-person and digital support to help grow.

Today’s International Investment Summit marks a key moment for Mayors and other leaders who were held back by the previous government to work hand-in-hand with the new Government. Sadiq will work in partnership with the new Government to drive forward investment in the capital, promoting London as one of the world’s best cities in which to invest and do business, and to deliver the change London deserves, helping to create more well-paid jobs and opportunities for Londoners.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “I’m proud that in 10 months London has already had a record-breaking year for investments – proving that our city is one of the best in the world to start and scale a business. My message is that London is open: open to business, open to investment, and open to new and fruitful partnerships.

“London is home to fast-growing sectors at the innovation frontier like life sciences, AI, deep tech and climate tech, as well as a world leader in financial and professional services, digital technology and creative industries like film, TV and gaming, and the experience economy.

“I am delighted to be attending the International Investment Summit, as we work with the new government to forge new partnerships, reset relationships and seize the opportunity to secure the long-term investment for London and continue building a better and more prosperous city for everyone.”

Laura Citron OBE, CEO of London & Partners, the growth agency funded by the Mayor of London, said: “We all know that London is a brilliant place to grow a business. But with competition from other cities hotting up, we can’t just expect investors to come here.

“That’s why we’re out fighting for every win. We target the most exciting, innovative companies and give them a world-class concierge service to invest in London.

“We hold their hands every step of the way. That’s why London is bucking the global trend with record levels of investment despite a tough market.”

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Mayors up and down the country are working with us on our pro-growth, pro-business, pro-worker economy and these investment deals in London are the jewel in the crown.

“This is just the beginning. We’re showing what can be achieved when we work together to give global businesses the certainty they need.”

Nitin Rakesh, CEO and Managing Director, Mphasis, said: “We are thrilled to expand our operations in London, a city that aligns with our vision of innovation and growth. We extend our sincere thanks to Mayor Sadiq Khan and the supportive London ecosystem for their constant support.

“London, a global hotbed for technology development is an ideal location for Mphasis’ latest innovation centre. Our centre highlights Mphasis’ commitment to delivering cutting-edge, AI-powered threat detection and response services for our clients. We look forward to strengthening partnerships and driving impactful innovation from this hub.”

Keith A. Grossman, President of Enterprise at MoonPay, said: “The UK is well-positioned to drive innovation in Web3 and fintech. Since opening our flagship office in London this July, we’ve been impressed by the city’s exceptional talent pool and the support from partners like London & Partners and Mayor Sadiq Khan. We’re eager to expand our team in the area and expect to have over 100 employees by next year.”

Frank Vella, CEO of Constant Contact said, “Small business has long been the engine that drives the economy, and London has long been a hub for small business innovation. We are proud to support this entrepreneurial spirit. By investing in London and the UK, we aim to empower small businesses with the tools and resources they need to market their businesses online, helping them reach new heights and contribute to the growth of local communities. Our commitment is to fuel their potential and foster a robust ecosystem where small businesses can succeed.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: reAlpha’s Subsidiary AiChat Partners with M1, a Telecom Provider, to Launch WhatsApp Pay Integration

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — reAlpha Tech Corp. (“reAlpha” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: AIRE), a real estate technology company developing and commercializing artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies, today announces a significant milestone recently achieved by its subsidiary, AiChat Pte. Ltd. (“AiChat”). AiChat, a leading provider of AI-powered conversational solutions, has partnered with M1 Limited (“M1”), one of Singapore’s largest mobile network operators, to launch WhatsApp Pay as part of M1’s social commerce strategy in Singapore.

As M1’s official WhatsApp business solution partner, AiChat integrated its AI chatbot capabilities with WhatsApp Pay, which is powered by Stripe’s financial infrastructure. This integration allows select M1 Corporate Individual (CORI) plan subscribers to reserve and secure flagship phones directly through WhatsApp, including making deposits and reservations within a single, conversational flow.

Kester Poh, CEO of AiChat, stated, “We believe our collaboration with M1 and the integration of WhatsApp Pay demonstrates the power of conversational commerce in driving both customer satisfaction and business growth.”

“reAlpha remains committed to advancing AI in real estate and exploring synergies with AiChat’s capabilities, while expanding through strategic acquisitions,” said Interim Chief Financial Officer, Rakesh Prasad.

About reAlpha Tech Corp.
reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) is a real estate technology company developing an end-to-end commission-free homebuying platform. Utilizing the power of AI and an acquisition-led growth strategy, reAlpha’s goal is to offer a more affordable, streamlined experience for those on the journey to homeownership. For more information, visit https://www.realpha.com/.

About AiChat Pte. Ltd.
AiChat Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of reAlpha, is a Singapore-based company that develops AI-powered conversational customer experience solutions. Its platform leverages AI to provide businesses with intelligent chatbots and automation tools that improve customer interactions and operational efficiency. For more information about AiChat, visit http://www.aichat.com.

About M1 Limited
M1 Limited is Singapore’s first digital network operator, providing a suite of communications services, including mobile, fixed line, and fiber offerings, to over two million customers. Since the launch of commercial services in 1997, they have achieved many firsts – becoming one of the first operators to be awarded one of Singapore’s two nationwide 5G standalone network licenses, first operator to offer nationwide 4G service, as well as ultra high-speed fixed broadband, fixed voice, and other services on the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN).

Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the AiChat partnership with M1; the anticipated benefits of the AiChat partnership with M1, reAlpha’s ability to anticipate the future needs of the short-term rental market; future trends in the real estate, technology and artificial intelligence industries, generally; and reAlpha’s future growth strategy and growth rate. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “project”, “strive”, “budget”, “forecast”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: reAlpha’s limited operating history and that reAlpha has not yet fully developed its AI-based technologies; reAlpha’s ability to commercialize its developing AI-based technologies; whether reAlpha’s technology and products will be accepted and adopted by its customers and intended users; reAlpha’s ability to integrate the business of AiChat into its existing business and the anticipated demand for AiChat’s services; reAlpha’s ability to integrate AiChat’s chatbot capabilities in its reAlpha homebuying platform; reAlpha’s ability or the inability to maintain and strengthen reAlpha’s brand and reputation; the inability to accurately forecast demand for short-term rentals and AI-based real estate focused products; the inability to execute business objectives and growth strategies successfully or sustain reAlpha’s growth; the inability of reAlpha’s customers to pay for reAlpha’s services; changes in applicable laws or regulations, and the impact of the regulatory environment and complexities with compliance related to such environment; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in reAlpha’s SEC filings.

Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

Although reAlpha believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. reAlpha’s future results, level of activity, performance or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking statements.

For more information about the factors that could cause such differences, please refer to reAlpha’s filings with the SEC.

Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and reAlpha does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contact
irlabs on behalf of reAlpha
Fatema Bhabrawala
fatema@irlabs.ca

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Radware Reports Results of 2024 Annual General Meeting

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, today announced the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held October 10, 2024. The Company presented three proposals for the shareholders to vote on at the meeting, of which one proposal (to approve grants of equity-based awards to the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company) was not adopted by the requisite shareholder vote. The two other proposals voted on at the Annual General Meeting were adopted by the requisite shareholder vote.

About Radware
Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR) is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. The company’s cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions use AI-driven algorithms for precise, hands-free, real-time protection from the most sophisticated web, application, and DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. Enterprises and carriers worldwide rely on Radware’s solutions to address evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect their brands and business operations while reducing costs. For more information, please visit the Radware website.

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©2024 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Any Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents, and pending patent applications of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. For more details, please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners.

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Safe Harbor Statement

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The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Publication of 2020 official development assistance figures by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (13 Apr. 2021)e publique au développement 2020 par le Comité d’aide au développement de l’OCDE (13.04.21)

Source: Republic of France in English
The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

The Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) today published preliminary data on global official development assistance (ODA) for 2020. With ODA at €12.4 billion, i.e. 0.53% of gross national income (GNI) – up by 10.9% in real terms compared to the previous year –, France remains in fifth place among international aid donors.

In line with the French President’s commitment to increase France’s resources for protecting global public goods, French ODA rose for the sixth consecutive year (up €2.3 billion since the beginning of the five-year term).

The increase in French ODA is mainly driven by bilateral assistance (up 20.8% in current euros compared to 2019). Bilateral funding in donations increased by 2%, in accordance with the targets set by the Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development (CICID) in February 2018. Assistance for projects, enabling practical projects to be funded on the ground, tripled by comparison with 2019, particularly thanks to increased activity in non-C2D donations directly implemented by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and activity entrusted to the French Development Agency (AFD). Sub-Saharan Africa, which is central to France’s development policy, received a third of our bilateral ODA (€2.9 billion), up 40% compared to 2019. The bilateral ODA allocated by France to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) stands at €1.7 billion.

France allocated €1.9 billion to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries in 2020 – more than the other European donors. In particular, through the AFD, it established a Health in Common Initiative worth €1.2 billion – €150 million of it in donations – which, among other things, improved care for patients and strengthened the capabilities of the Pasteur Institute’s reference laboratories in several sub-Saharan African countries.

French ODA to international organizations and multilateral funds amounted to €4.4 billion (up 2.8%). Over half corresponded to France’s contribution to the ODA implemented by the European Union. This money also financed the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), Unitaid, Gavi The Vaccine Alliance’s Finance Facility and the Green Climate Fund. France stepped up its support to the least developed countries through its contribution to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and the African Development Fund (ADF).

The programming bill on inclusive development and combating global inequalities, presented by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and adopted by the National Assembly on 2 March 2021, realizes France’s new ambition for development policy. Through increased resources and overhauled methods, it reflects the desire to ensure our action is effective on the ground, helping the most vulnerable people, and to mobilize our partners to take more robust action to protect global public goods (climate, health, education). The Senate is currently discussing the bill.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC – 11 10 2024] – (CGWL)

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser:	CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
(b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.	N/A
(c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree	LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC
(d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:	N/A
(e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure	11 OCTOBER 2024
(f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”	N/A

2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:	0.375p ORDINARY
	Interests		Short positions
	Number	%	Number	%
(1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:	10,108,840	1.2761
(2) Cash-settled derivatives:
(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:	10,108,840	1.2761

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security	Purchase/sale	Number of securities	Price per unit
0.375p ORDINARY	SALE	2,569	92.25p
0.375p ORDINARY	SALE	11,750	92.71p
0.375p ORDINARY	PURCHASE	1,040	92.8p
0.375p ORDINARY	PURCHASE	24,404	92.855p
0.375p ORDINARY	PURCHASE	5,812	92.9p
0.375p ORDINARY	PURCHASE	9,453	93p

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security	Product description e.g. CFD	Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position	Number of reference securities	Price per unit
NONE

(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security	Product description e.g. call option	Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc.	Number of securities to which option relates	Exercise price per unit	Type e.g. American, European etc.	Expiry date	Option money paid/ received per unit
NONE

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security

Product description
e.g. call option

Exercising/ exercised against

Number of securities

Exercise price per unit

(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security	Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion	Details	Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE

4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

NONE

(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

NONE

(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?

Date of disclosure:	14 OCTOBER 2024
Contact name:	MARK ELLIOTT
Telephone number:	01253 376539

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: David Holdsworth’s speech at CLA 30th anniversary conference

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

David Holdsworth addresses Charity Law Association Conference.

Location:

London

Delivered on:

10 October 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Good afternoon, and to Welsh colleagues in the room, prynhawn da.

I’m delighted to be here with you this afternoon, and for this opportunity to be a part of your annual conference. I’d like to say a few words about the Commission’s priorities, and about the ways in which I see us working with the wider charity law community during my time as CEO.

This is, of course, the 30th anniversary of the CLA conference.

Milestones like this encourage us to look back at where we’ve come from, and imagine and plan for what lies ahead.

The milestones since 1994 alone speak of the passing of one generation into the next.

We’ve had no fewer than 10 Charities Acts, including those passed in devolved parliaments. Some of this legislation has redefined charity, and the powers of the Commission as regulator, expanding our role, influence and responsibilities, ensuring that as the sector has grown and diversified, we have too, keeping pace with changing expectations and needs. The CLA will have been there, inputting, advising, consulting, every step of the way.

Many leaders have come and gone. Since the early 1990s, we’ve seen 3 Chief Commissioners of the Charity Commission, then since the 2006 Act, 5 chairs, and the same number of chief executives, including myself.

During the same period – three changes of government, with one coalition, and nine Prime Ministers.

But perhaps more significant are the fundamental technological, cultural and social changes that have unfolded since the 1990s, transforming the way in which we live, work, and communicate – and the way in which we do good for our communities and for others and the values to which our society holds.

We have seen same sex marriage legalised, we’ve seen a huge shift in attitudes towards ….. and investment in ….. mental health, women’s health and wellbeing and we’re beginning to recognise the personal, social, and economic impact of systemic issues such as loneliness and inequality.

There are many more such examples. It is worth holding in mind both how recent such progress is, and how important charities and wider civil society are in reflecting, and driving social attitudes.

Charities serve as a mirror in which society sees reflected not just how things are, but also how they could be.

Over the past 30 years, the fundamental purpose of charity has remained pretty stable, but its role and relevance to our daily lives has only increased.

From delivery of and support for emergency response services, to early years provision, medical research, and care and advocacy for the most vulnerable in our society… not to mention the work of charities in promoting the arts, cultural heritage, conservation and so on. Charities save and improve lives, cradle to grave.

Of course, charities’ status at the heart of our society rests not just on the good intentions of those involved.

Charities are trusted and valued because they are protected by a framework of statutory duties and obligations that experts such as yourselves both helped shape and importantly also help to uphold.

Your work goes far beyond advising individual charities. Your voice is crucial in helping to shape the charity law framework, ensuring it keeps pace with changing needs in society.

Looking ahead – we can’t of course say for sure where we’ll be 30 years from now.

I would wager that the pace of technological, cultural and social change will only increase.

And that our ambition will remain to ensure charities continue to be trusted as vehicles for our better nature, and that people continue to support charitable purposes with their time, money, and trust.

While our research shows that trust is currently at a 10-year high, this is not an outcome we can take for granted.

I believe there is a role for the Commission and the wider charity law community to help shape the future of charity, anticipating and responding to wider changes in society and public expectations.

In that context, there are three areas I’d like to reflect on today.

Picture the sector as the home in which we all live and which we all want to preserve for the future, and consider how you would maintain the structure for the long term.

First, there’s housekeeping and maintenance – so the things we need to do and think about now to ensure that we’re keeping the house safe and stable. This is not a small task. The building we are looking after is old, and it has many rooms and keeping it in good shape requires hard work and ingenuity.

Second are the strategic works we know we need to undertake, because of changes we already know will come. Sticking with the analogy – we know we need to insulate all our walls, because the climate is changing and energy is precious.

Third, and perhaps trickiest of all, we need to think now about the way in which the building may be used into the next generation. If we want to preserve the best of the building whilst ensuring it’s fit for future generations and not see it torn down or to fall into neglect and disrepair slowly over time due to its lack of attractiveness to new home owners – then we need to adapt it bit by bit over time ensuring it meets the needs of tomorrow’s home owners.

So first, maintenance of the sector right now. Getting the basics right today.

Here I’d like to home in on our work to support trustees through our guidance work.

This forms an important part of the Commission’s corporate strategy – one of our strategic priorities being to support charities to get it right but take robust action where we see wrongdoing and harm. Our statute of course also requires us ‘to promote compliance by charity trustees with their legal obligations’ and empowers us ‘give such advice or guidance with respect to the administration of charities as it considers appropriate’.

Good, accessible, online guidance really matters. Our strategy, again, puts this well: Ultimately the sustainability of the charitable sector relies on the enthusiasm, generosity, and capability of trustees.

There are, at least, 700,000 trustees of registered charities covering nearly a million trustee positions. We are undertaking research at the moment, with Pro Bono Economics, to understand better who they are, and what their skills are. For example this work will give us a better idea of how many legal professionals are serving as trustees.

But what we already know is that the vast majority are volunteers, taking on the rewarding but challenging role of trusteeship on top of already busy lives.

They have a right to expect, from us as regulator, clear, plain English guidance on what is required of them, and some level of instruction on how to deliver on those expectations.

And this matters, because we know that the public have high expectations of trustees – research shows that the public expects charities to be efficient and effective in delivering on their purpose, and run according to high ethical standards.

Unfortunately, however, we are starting from a point where not enough trustees – our primary audience – use our guidance when undertaking their leadership roles.

Research published by the Commission earlier this year shows that only around a quarter – 26% – of trustees use our information at least once a year, whereas nearly two thirds seek advice from a trusted colleague or fellow trustee.

Yet almost all (93%) of those who have used the Commission’s information find it helpful. And those who use our guidance have a better understanding of their responsibilities – again our research shows this.

When we ask trustees why some don’t access our support, they tell us that the length and style of our older guidance can put them off.

In response, we are doing a huge amount to overhaul and improve our suite of guidance, ensuring it is not just clear in the way it explains charity law, but that it is actually used more and more by trustees. I know some lawyers mourn our longer and more detailed style of guidance. But I’d ask you to understand that our primary audience is the lay trustee, and we need them to access, understand, and action our guidance more routinely than they do at the moment.

Over the past year alone, we have produced new guidance on accepting, refusing and returning donations – guidance that is helping to underpin and grow a strong philanthropic culture in the UK, and helping trustees make decisions that are right for their charities.

We have reviewed and improved our guidance on charities and decision making, keeping to the 7 principles set out when we first published that guidance 11 years ago, and retaining all its other key points, but making the guidance more concise through smart editing based on clear writing principles. We are grateful to the many people in this room who use CC27 and the 7 principles when they are advising Boards on making decisions – this is an example of how our guidance and the advice lawyers give can work in tandem to upskill trustees and keep them making effective decisions.

Earlier this year, we updated our guidance on charities and meetings, bringing it up to date with the Zoom era, and encouraging charities to ensure their governing documents and policies keep pace with changes to the way in which people meet. This accelerated during the pandemic, during which we gave updated advice, now formalised through the redesigned guidance.

And most recently, we updated our guidance on managing finances. We have made the guide much more accessible, splitting its content into three separate pieces, making it easier for trustees to find the information that best relates to their situation, whether they may be starting to experience financial struggles or, worse, facing insolvency.

We don’t of course, produce our guidance in isolation.

Much of our resource and energy goes on working in collaboration with our partners to ensure our guidance is clear and fit for purpose.

How we do this has changed over time, and we now take a more risk-based approach, helping to ensure we can produce and publish new guidance at pace. In some cases, for example when we are producing brand new guidance or reflecting new judgments, for example following the Butler Sloss case on charity investments, the CLA is a crucial partner for us to engage and consult with. At other times, for example when our task is to refresh guidance to improve its accessibility, user-testing with charities is the most important consultative work for us to undertake.

I’m grateful for the CLA’s support and challenge over the years. I recall from my previous time at the Commission the excellent professional relationship we had and I look forward to rekindling that and hope you will continue to work with us to ensure our new guidance is legally sound, clear, and actionable. I am committed to building on our existing relationship to ensure a strong partnership on our guidance pipeline – and wider support to trustees – into the future.

Next – the big strategic works that help our house respond to big changes that we already know are heading our way.

Here I’d like to reference the important work of our horizon scanning and strategic policy work.

We have recently tackled cryptocurrency models of giving, and AI. Our approach here is not so much to provide all the answers but to help charities and the sector ask the right questions, about how these transformative technologies can be harnessed to further charities’ work and think about the risks of engaging, and the risks of not doing so. As an example, we have reminded charities that under those seven key principles mentioned earlier, trustees remain responsible for decision making in their organisation, so it is vital this process is not delegated to AI or based on AI generated content alone.

We continue to monitor both these areas, including in assessing applications from charities active in these spaces, and are keen to encourage the sector itself – and experts such as the CLA and its members – to think about how tech developments such as these might be harnessed for the sector into the future.

Ensuring legislation is fit for purpose is crucial too. Charity law is never quite done. The 2022 Act attracted fewer headlines, and less controversy than previous iterations of legislation, but it made for important efficiencies and improvements to the operation of charity, and our role in that.

Looking ahead, we continue to consider whether further strengthening of our powers to address and prevent abuse and mismanagement in charities may be valuable – enabling us to work more effectively and efficiently at a time when our resources, like those of charities, are stretched.

And then, thirdly we need to think about the next generation living in our house – about big societal shifts and how they might impact on the sector into future generations.

I am determined to use my position as CEO, and the wider convening role of the Commission, to help facilitate dialogue on the future of charity. It is not for us as the regulator in isolation to say what the sector “should” or “could” be. That is something for the sector and society more widely. However with technology changes, social media, AI, as well as societal expectations on speed of action or impact, we risk losing what is special about charity and the positive impact it has if we don’t think and adapt. We are already seeing areas where AI is having real world impact which had not been thought about in the creative sectors. So if we are to maximise the positive impacts of technology whilst mitigating the potential negative impacts then we need to think and act now. We are clear in our strategy that we will speak with authority and credibility, free from the influence of others, in areas like this.

There are great opportunities, and great challenges ahead. What are the cultural factors that will shape the future of charity? What impact do changing giving and volunteering habits, and shifting attitudes towards institutions between generations, have on the role and work of charities?

In a country where there are huge divisions of world view on fundamental issues, how can different charities continue to use their voice to campaign for the change they want to see in our society, in furtherance of their purposes, without inflaming tensions or entrenching divisions? What changes might we need to help charities respond and adapt to climate change?

The Commission’s role as regulator is not to support or champion individual charities, and it is not for us to set the direction for charities or the sector as a whole.

But we can have a role in helping the sector, and its partners in government and beyond, to ask these questions, and we can bring people together in tackling the big issues to unleash the potential of not just the sector but the people it exists to serve.

And this is where you as charity law experts, and people who care deeply about the sector, come in.

I think you have a crucial opportunity – perhaps even responsibility – to lead thought and discussion about how charities can be supported to respond to the next big generational shifts, over the next 30 years.

There is great work underway already in this space.

One example of this is this year’s research by Bayes Business School about the challenges that charity chairs might face in 30 years’ time. The research mentions the skills that might be required of chairs, the governance models that might be needed, and the future pipeline of chairs: where will they come from?

We believe we have already started to respond to these issues: by improving our guidance in the way described and continuing to be responsive to trustees’ needs, we are helping to tackle perceived difficulties associated with being a trustee.

And we are interested in how else we (with partners like the CLA) can continue to ensure that the sector is supported to deliver in the ways I have noted already.

You have deep insight into the charities you advise, and you have a birds-eye view of the sector, the legislation that defines it and the systems that support it.

Please use that insight and contribute to debate and discussion that will help equip the Commission, and the sector, for the challenges of the future.

To conclude – none of us can predict what world we’ll be living in over the next 30 years.

But we can work together, now, to ensure that charities remain at the beating heart of society, that they remain relevant, and trusted as the vehicles for positive change.

Thank you.

Updates to this page

Published 14 October 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Biden-Harris Administration Provides $860 Million for Hurricane Helene and Milton Survivors and Communities
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: Biden-Harris Administration Provides $860 Million for Hurricane Helene and Milton Survivors and Communities

Biden-Harris Administration Provides $860 Million for Hurricane Helene and Milton Survivors and Communities
WASHINGTON — Helene and Milton recovery efforts continue in North Carolina and the Southeast. Over 8,500 federal personnel are deployed, which includes over 4,200 FEMA personnel who remain on the ground, working side-by-side with state and local officials, to help survivors get what they need to begin their recovery.

For those affected by Hurricane Helene, as of today, FEMA has approved over $860 million, which includes $507 million in assistance for individuals and communities affected and over $351.5 million for debris removal and activities to save lives, protect public health and safety and prevent damage to public and private property.

Survivors can jumpstart their recovery by applying for FEMA assistance. Applying online at disasterassistance.gov is the fastest way to begin the application process. As survivors go through the application process they can access Serious Needs Assistance for essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies.

Hurricane Milton Recovery Updates

Power restoration efforts have significantly improved across the region following Hurricane Milton. Crews have continued to work around the clock and have restored power for nearly 3 million residents. FEMA is currently working with state and local officials on debris removal plans for areas affected by the storms. Residents should pay attention to local guidance related to debris removal in their area.

Over 30 shelters are currently housing over 2,950 people impacted by Milton, a significant decrease from nearly 13,000 from last week. FEMA has 7.6 million meals and 4.6 million liters of water available to support survivors of Hurricane Milton, ensuring critical supplies are ready for immediate distribution.

Hurricane Helene Recovery Updates

Hurricane Helene recovery efforts continue, with federal responders working throughout the region to provide immediate and long-term support. FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are also open across the region to provide support. To date, FEMA has delivered over 12.6 million meals and more than 12.8 million liters of water to the region.

Disaster survivors in certain areas of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia can begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance through FEMA. People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in the designated areas should apply for assistance, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay. Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Helene.

Apply for FEMA assistance in the following ways:
- Online by visiting disasterassistance.gov.
- Downloading and applying on the FEMA App.
- Calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
- Visiting a Disaster Recovery Center
- Applying through a Disaster Survivor Assistance member
Support for North Carolina

FEMA has approved more than $96 million in housing and other types of assistance for over 75,000 households.

More than 2,500 families who cannot return home are staying in safe and clean lodging through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. Under the program, residents in declared counties who have applied for disaster assistance may be eligible to stay temporarily in a hotel or motel paid for by FEMA while they work on their long-term housing plan. FEMA will notify applicants of their eligibility for this assistance through an automated phone call, text message and/or email, depending upon the method of communication they selected at the time of application for disaster assistance. Shelter numbers continue to decline, with 13 shelters housing just over 560 occupants.

Commodity distribution, mass feeding, and hydration operations remain in areas of western North Carolina. Voluntary organizations are supporting feeding operations with bulk food and water deliveries coming via truck and aircraft.
- Residents can visit: ncdps.gov/helene to get information and additional assistance.
- Residents can get in touch with loved ones by calling 2-1-1 or visiting unitedwaync.org to add them to search and rescue efforts.
There are four Disaster Recovery Centers now open in Asheville, Lenoir, Marion and Sylva where survivors can speak directly with FEMA and state personnel for assistance with their recovery. To find the nearest center, visit FEMA.gov/DRC.

Support for Florida

As Helene recovery efforts continue in Florida, FEMA has approved more than $177.6 million for over 56,900 households. FEMA specialists are canvassing Florida communities affected by Helene to help survivors apply for assistance. Additionally, FEMA inspectors are visiting applicants’ homes to verify disaster-caused damage.

There are 122 Disaster Survivor Assistance members going into neighborhoods and there are ten Disaster Recovery Centers supporting survivors from Debby and Helene where survivors can speak to state and federal personnel to help with their recovery. Survivors may find their closest center by visiting FEMA.gov/DRC.

Residents in need of information or resources should call the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at 1-800-342-3557. English, Spanish and Creole speakers are available to answer questions.

Support for South Carolina

As recovery efforts continue in South Carolina, FEMA has approved over $119 million for more than 133,900 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties, continuing to help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

There are 81 Disaster Survivor Assistance members going into neighborhoods, and three Disaster Recovery Centers are open in Greenville, Barnwell and Batesburg where survivors can speak to state and federal personnel to help with their recovery. Survivors may find their closest center by visiting FEMA.gov/DRC.

Residents with questions on Helene can call the state’s toll-free hotline, open 24 hours a day, at 1-866-246-0133.

Residents who are dependent on medical equipment at home and who are without power due to Helene may be eligible for a medical needs shelter. Call the state’s Department of Public Health Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 for more information.

Support for Georgia

FEMA has approved over $103 million for more than 106,300 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

There are 139 Disaster Survivor Assistance members going into neighborhoods, and three Disaster Recovery Centers are open in Valdosta, Douglas and Augusta where survivors can speak to state and federal personnel to help with their recovery. Survivors may find their closest center by visiting FEMA.gov/DRC.

Residents can find resources like shelters and feeding sites at gema.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene.

Support for Virginia

To date, FEMA has approved over $4.2 million for over 1,330 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties, helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

There are about 39 Disaster Survivor Assistance members going into neighborhoods, and three Disaster Recovery Centers open in Damascus, Independence and Tazewell where survivors can speak to state and federal personnel to help with their recovery. Survivors may find their closest center by visiting FEMA.gov/DRC.

Residents can find resources like shelters and feeding sites at: Recover – Hurricane Helene | VDEM (vaemergency.gov).

Support for Tennessee

FEMA has approved more than $10.7 million for disaster assistance for over 2,200 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties, helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

There are more than 42 Disaster Survivor Assistance members going into neighborhoods to connect with survivors without cell coverage or power. Counties continue to establish donation centers. For the evolving list, visit TEMA’s website.

Voluntary Organizations

Voluntary organizations are also providing personnel and resources to the hardest hit areas. The American Red Cross has hundreds of trained disaster workers providing comfort and operating shelters. Additionally, they are helping find loved ones through their helpline 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by the Red Cross Hurricane Helene Reunification page where people can enter pertinent information about the person they’re looking for. If someone is missing a child related to this disaster or any other incident, they need to call 9-1-1 and then 1-800-THE-LOST to receive assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

FEMA remains steadfast in its mission to support survivors as they begin their recovery from these historic storms. The agency will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners to ensure the safety and well-being of those impacted by Milton and Helene.
amy.ashbridge
Mon, 10/14/2024 – 22:45

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft’s guidance to help mitigate Kerberoasting cyberattacks
Source: Microsoft

Headline: Microsoft’s guidance to help mitigate Kerberoasting cyberattacks

As cyberthreats continue to evolve, it’s essential for security professionals to stay informed about the latest attack vectors and defense mechanisms. Kerberoasting is a well-known Active Directory (AD) attack vector whose effectiveness is growing because of the use of GPUs to accelerate password cracking techniques.

Because Kerberoasting enables cyberthreat actors to steal credentials and quickly navigate through devices and networks, it’s essential for administrators to take steps to reduce potential cyberattack surfaces. This blog explains Kerberoasting risks and provides recommended actions administrators can take now to help prevent successful Kerberoasting cyberattacks.

What is Kerberoasting?

Kerberoasting is a cyberattack that targets the Kerberos authentication protocol with the intent to steal AD credentials. The Kerberos protocol conveys user authentication state in a type of message called a service ticket which is encrypted using a key derived from an account password. Users with AD credentials can request tickets to any service account in AD.

In a Kerberoasting cyberattack, a threat actor that has taken over an AD user account will request tickets to other accounts and then perform offline brute-force attacks to guess and steal account passwords. Once the cyberthreat actor has credentials to the service account, they potentially gain more privileges within the environment.

AD only issues and encrypts service tickets for accounts that have Service Principal Names (SPNs) registered. An SPN signifies that an account is a service account, not a normal user account, and that it should be used to host or run services, such as SQL Server. Since Kerberoasting requires access to encrypted service tickets, it can only target accounts that have an SPN in AD.

SPNs are not typically assigned to normal user accounts which means they are better protected against Kerberoasting. Services that run as AD machine accounts instead of as standalone service accounts are better protected against compromise using Kerberoasting. AD machine account credentials are long and randomly generated so they contain sufficient entropy to render brute-force cyberattacks impractical.

The accounts most vulnerable to Kerberoasting are those with weak passwords and those that use weaker encryption algorithms, especially RC4. RC4 is more susceptible to the cyberattack because it uses no salt or iterated hash when converting a password to an encryption key, allowing the cyberthreat actor to guess more passwords quickly. However, other encryption algorithms are still vulnerable when weak passwords are used. While AD will not try to use RC4 by default, RC4 is currently enabled by default, meaning a cyberthreat actor can attempt to request tickets encrypted using RC4. RC4 will be deprecated, and we intend to disable it by default in a future update to Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025.

What are the risks associated with Kerberoasting?

Kerberoasting is a low-tech, high-impact attack. There are many open-source tools which can be used to query potential target accounts, get service tickets to those accounts, and then use brute force cracking techniques to obtain the account password offline.

This type of password theft helps threat actors pose as legitimate service accounts and continue to move vertically and laterally through the network and machines. Kerberoasting typically targets high privilege accounts which can be used for a variety of attacks such as rapidly distributing malicious payloads like ransomware to other end user devices and services within a network.

Accounts without SPNs, such as standard user or administrator accounts, are susceptible to similar brute-force password guessing attacks and the recommendations below can be applied to them as well to mitigate risks.

How to detect Kerberoasting?

Administrators can use the techniques described below to detect Kerberoasting cyberattacks in their network.
- Check for ticket requests with unusual Kerberos encryption types. Cyberthreat actors can downgrade Kerberos ticket encryption to RC4 since cracking it is significantly faster. Admins can check the events in the Microsoft Defender XDR and filter the results based on the ticket encryption type to check for weaker encryption type usage.
- Check for repeated service ticket requests. Check if a single user is requesting multiple service tickets for Kerberoasting-vulnerable accounts in a short time period.
Recommendations to help prevent Kerberoasting from succeeding

Microsoft recommends that IT administrators take the following steps to help harden their environments against Kerberoasting:
- Use Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) or Delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) wherever possible:
  
  These accounts are ideal for multi-server applications that require centralized credential management and enhanced security against credential-based attacks, such as IIS, SQL Server, or other Windows services running in a domain-joined environment.
  
  Group Managed Service Account (gMSA) is an Active Directory account type that allows multiple servers or services to use the same account with automatic password management and simplified SPN handling. Passwords for gMSAs are 120 characters long, complex, and randomly generated, making them highly resistant to brute-force cyberattacks using currently known methods.
  
  Delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) are the newest iteration of managed service accounts available on Windows Server 2025. Like gMSAs, they restrict which machines can make use of the accounts and they provide the same password mitigations against Keberoasting. However, unlike gMSAs, dMSAs have the added benefit of supporting seamless migration of standalone service accounts with passwords to the dMSA account type. They can also be optionally integrated with Credential Guard so that even if the server using dMSA is compromised, the service account credentials remain protected.
- If customers cannot use gMSA or dMSA, then manually set randomly generated, long passwords for service accounts:
  
  Service account administrators should maintain at least a 14-character minimum password. If possible, we recommend setting even longer passwords and randomly generating them for service accounts which will provide better protection against Kerberoasting. This recommendation also applies to normal user accounts.
  
  Ban commonly used passwords and audit the passwords for service accounts so that there is an inventory of accounts with weak passwords and can be remediated.
- Make sure all service accounts are configured to use AES (128 and 256 bit) for Kerberos service ticket encryption:
- Audit the user accounts with SPNs:
  
  User accounts with SPNs should be audited. SPNs should be removed from accounts where they are not needed to reduce the cyberattack surface.
Conclusion

Kerberoasting is a threat to Active Directory environments due to its ability to exploit weak passwords and gain unauthorized access to service accounts. By understanding how Kerberoasting works and implementing the recommended guidance shared in this blog, organizations can significantly reduce their exposure to Kerberoasting.

We truly believe that security is a team effort. By partnering with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), app developers, and others in the ecosystem, along with helping people to be better at protecting themselves, we are delivering a Windows experience that is more secure by design and secure by default. The Windows Security Book is available to help you learn more about what makes it easy for users to stay secure with Windows.

Learn more in the Windows Security Book

Next steps with Microsoft Security

To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.

References

Directory Hardening Series – Part 4 – Enforcing AES for Kerberos – Microsoft Community Hub

Stopping Active Directory attacks and other post-exploitation behavior with AMSI and machine learning | Microsoft Security Blog

Network security Configure encryption types allowed for Kerberos – Windows 10 | Microsoft Learn,

Decrypting the Selection of Supported Kerberos Encryption Types – Microsoft Community Hub

Delegated Managed Service Accounts FAQ | Microsoft Learn
MIL OSI Economics –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s Shanxi sees over half of coal produced by intelligent mining

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

TAIYUAN, Oct. 14 — China’s major coal-producing province of Shanxi now has more than 50 percent of its coal production capacity achieved via intelligent mining, said local authorities on Monday.

A total of 30 pilot and demonstration coal mines with green mining practices have been established across the province, according to a press conference held Monday on Shanxi’s latest progress in advancing its energy transition.

With nearly 82 percent of its coal production capacity upgraded and recognized as advanced capacity, the province has maintained its lead in coal output nationwide for four consecutive years, said Zhang Xiang, deputy head of the provincial development and reform commission during the press conference.

Over the years, Shanxi has been upgrading its coal industry. In 2023, the province established 118 intelligent coal mines and introduced smart technology to 1,491 mining faces. By 2025, all large-scale and high-risk coal mines in the province are expected to complete intelligent transformations.

In 2023, Shanxi produced over 1.37 billion tonnes of coal, and it has set a production target of about 1.3 billion tonnes for this year.

MIL OSI China News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Albanese Government opens consultation on review of artificial intelligence and the Australian Consumer Law
Source: Australian Treasurer

The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring consumers can safely enjoy the benefits of new and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Australian consumers and businesses are increasingly accessing services and purchasing goods powered by AI.

As part of the Government’s work to support safe and responsible AI practices we’re releasing a discussion paper on AI and the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

The discussion paper explores the application of the ACL to AI‑enabled goods and services and is part of the Government’s ongoing work to strengthen existing laws to address risks and harms from AI, alongside possible mandatory guardrails shaping the development and use of AI in high risk settings.

The discussion paper seeks stakeholder views on issues including:
- the appropriateness of existing consumer protections under the ACL for consumers of AI‑enabled goods and services,
- the application of existing ACL provisions to new and emerging AI‑enabled goods and services, and
- remedies for consumers and liability for suppliers and manufacturers of AI‑enabled goods and services where things go wrong.
Interested stakeholders are encouraged to provide their feedback to the discussion paper by Tuesday 12 November 2024.

Further information regarding the consultation process is available on the Treasury website.

MIL OSI News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Samsung and KT Selected To Build Private 5G Network for the Republic of Korea Navy

Source: Samsung

Samsung Electronics and KT Corporation (KT) today announced that the companies have been selected to deploy a Private 5G network for the ‘Smart Naval Port’ project by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy. This marks the first deployment of its kind at a Korean Naval base. The Navy is carrying forward with this project to improve the battleship and base operation support capabilities and achieve comprehensive base defense.

Samsung and KT have been collaborating on this project since the summer of 2024, with a goal to complete the deployment by December 2025. The companies will build a more intelligent and fully independent network infrastructure to provide seamless coverage and enhanced connectivity for the Republic of Korea Navy 2nd Fleet.

Private 5G solutions are essential to support national defense sectors, which require ultra-fast speeds and hyper-connected communications for the foolproof and effective operation management. These solutions will build a highly reliable network dedicated to the Navy, increasing security and reducing vulnerabilities.

To ensure military workplace safety and efficiency, Samsung and KT will support the Navy’s Private 5G buildout by applying smart, AI-enabled connectivity solutions and powering a variety of next-generation applications. The project will establish a comprehensive Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure that encompasses 13 different systems, ranging from uncrewed vehicle operation to armory management and ammunition depot management. Specific use cases include:

A digital twin of the smart Naval base will provide a three dimensional and high-definition digital replica of the base. This will enable an integrated management system that can also be used as a foundation for establishing strategy development. Insights gathered from the digital twin can inform decisions that will increase the resilience, efficiency, adaptability and autonomy of the Naval base.
Intelligent security monitoring will enhance the Naval base defense by introducing real-time video control of operational forces and vehicles, surveillance cameras for ammunition depots and armories, and surveillance drones, incorporated with the existing Video Management System (VMS). This monitoring will deliver a holistic view of the base and all for optimal operational response in case of an emergency event through a real-time auto screen switch.
A one-stop battleship operation management system will enable intelligent battleship operation support through all-in-one system by integrating multiple critical systems — such as navigation support, logistics management, safety management and monitoring. This comprehensive system will streamline and operationalize administrative work for the Navy personnel.

“KT will contribute to establishing a standardized system for the Republic of Korea Navy through the Smart Naval Port project,” said Jun-Ho Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Public Customer Business Unit at KT Enterprise. “We look forward to laying the foundation for the ‘Smart Naval Port’ which will improve its capability to support battleship and naval base operations.”

Samsung will provide its proven end-to-end private 5G network solution for defense, including its private network 5G SA Compact Core, indoor and outdoor radio solutions and network management software. These solutions support the mid-band (n79, 4.7GHz) spectrum, which is widely adopted for military usage.

With Samsung’s compact solution for the full stack of Private 5G that can run on a single server hardware, the Navy will benefit from quick deployments and less complex operations. Its private 5G radios will deliver improved uplink performance with optimized uplink features, designed to help government agencies upload vast amounts of data across numerous devices simultaneously.

“Samsung’s Private 5G solutions are trusted due to their dependable security, reliability and proven commercial expertise, already serving diverse private and public sectors in countries like South Korea, the U.S. and Japan,” said Simon Lee, Vice President and Head of B2B·B2G Business Development Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “In collaboration with KT, we are excited to deploy Korea’s first Private 5G at a Naval base. This project exemplifies our ongoing commitment to enhance and unlock the potential of 5G to meet every customer’s needs.”

Samsung has been actively delivering private 5G networks in collaboration with a range of sectors from hospitals, universities, construction sites to military and local government agencies.

About KT CORPORATION (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT)
KT Corporation, Korea’s largest telecommunications service provider, reestablished in 1981 under the Telecommunications Business Act, is leading the era of innovations in the world’s most connected country. The company is leading the 4th industrial revolution with high speed wire/wireless network and new ICT technology. KT launched the world’s first nationwide commercial 5G network on April 3, 2019, after successfully showcasing the world’s first trial 5G services at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in February 2018. This is another milestone in KT’s continuous efforts to deliver essential products and services as it aspires to be the number one ICT Company and People’s Company.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Robots on the Plains: NSA Helps Native Students Engage in Cybersecurity Learning

Source: National Security Agency NSA

Last month, National Security Agency (NSA) affiliates traveled to North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation to teach Native high school students about programming, cybersecurity, and robotics.

Dr. Adam Tagert from Research and Dr. Nathan BrownEagle from Cybersecurity attended NSA Day, the final day of the Sandia National Laboratory-sponsored camp at Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC)—a private tribal land-grant community college founded by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in 1972.

NSA’s diverse workforce, cybersecurity mission, and history of bringing the robots to Indian Country attracted the attention of the National Nuclear Security Administration and Sandia National Labs. Sandia then extended the invitation to NSA’s American Indian Alaska Native Employee Resource Group (AIAN ERG) to participate in the event with Tribal community colleges and universities.

NSA Day at the camp was included for students interested in future STEM or cybersecurity careers. TMCC has a strong focus in cybersecurity and is working towards accrediting a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity to add to their Associate of Applied Science program.

The first assignment of NSA Day at the camp was to program a set of robots to play soccer.

“It was inspiring to see students take a difficult challenge and the excitement that followed when they saw the robots move based on their commands and programming,” Tagert said, explaining that is the benefit of robotics. “It’s the ability to see the effect on the real world compared to changing something on a monitor.”

After a few soccer matches, where the students had the robots push a neon green foam ball into the goal, the NSA team performed a cyberattack on the robots to show that without cybersecurity, simple attacks, like a denial of service (DoS) can make cyber devices uncontrollable. A DoS is an event in which an attacker sends more information than the recipient can handle, which causes delays or missed commands.

The students then experimented by attacking each other’s robots and defending themselves with a mitigation that caused the robot to stop listening to commands over a set threshold. The students took to the final activity eagerly, which was more programming intensive than the soccer game and cybersecurity component.

This camp has appealed to Native youth in the past, even successfully attracting Native interns to Sandia National Labs over the past two summers.

“Hopefully, these students will be interested in applying for Stokes or other programs,” BrownEagle said. “Our opportunity to present just shows the impact of NSA reaching out to a broader demographic of STEM fair participants.”

BrownEagle added that a shortened version of the activity has also been presented at various national STEM conferences over the years.

“I’m grateful that Sandia recognized the value of Adam’s curriculum and invited us to bolster the region’s cybersecurity education for these Native students,” BrownEagle said.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: NSA and Universities Partnering to Advance Cybersecurity Research

Source: National Security Agency NSA

NSA Research invited leading university research institutions across the country to the National Cryptologic Museum for a day-long event to tackle the ongoing challenge of securing critical cyber systems.

The Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research sponsored the Science of Security (SoS) Virtual Institute (VI) kick-off meeting earlier this year. It was aimed at advancing foundational research in three key areas: Trusted Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, and Defensive Mechanisms.

These three VIs facilitate collaboration of industry and academic communities with NSA research liaisons, and align with the Research Directorate’s mission to anticipate technological advances, prevent disruptive technology surprise, and partner to transition research into operational outcomes, according to Dr. Rita Bush, chief of the Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research.

Bush provided opening remarks and expressed her admiration of the SoS partnerships with academia.

“I am truly honored to welcome the university researchers to our latest version of the Science of Security program. SoS has a long history of sponsoring innovative unclassified research at great universities,” Bush said. “I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to continue this program, and introduce a new generation of students to the kinds of cybersecurity challenges that we face in protecting National Security Systems.”

In 2012, the Research Directorate began funding academic “lablets” focused on the development of a broad, self-sustaining community effort to advance the science of security. The lablets were small multi-disciplinary labs at universities across the country that perform cybersecurity, to underpin advances in cyber defense.

“Building these relationships is so important because the foundational research and results of the projects will help drive improvements in cybersecurity,” SoS Program Manager Shavon D. said. “The students at these institutions are working on hard research problems that align with our Agency’s strategic goals and with the interests of the Government as a whole.”

This year, lablets were replaced by VIs, a new model that will continue in the spirit of foundational research they established while also allowing projects to be added or retired as the knowledge in various topic areas advances.

Research advancements from each VI will be extensively documented and widely distributed through the SoS Virtual Organization (SoS VO), an online unclassified repository for SoS community awareness, directed toward the maturing of the scientific basis for security.

This year, the SoS team hosted principal investigators (school representatives) from Arizona State University, the International Computer Science Institute, University of Kansas, Ohio State University, Towson University, and Vanderbilt University. Their presentations addressed wide-ranging technical topics from the VIs including “Improving Safety and Security of Neural Networks” (AI and Cybersecurity), “Advancing Security and Privacy of Bluetooth IoT” (Trusted Systems), and “Neurosymbolic Autonomous Agents for Cyber-Defense” (Defensive Mechanisms.) There are currently 11 funded VI projects this year, including projects with Carnegie Mellon University, which was awarded a contract after the kickoff meeting.

“Our research universities are a national treasure, and I want you to be aware of the impact of your work and the work of Science of Security,” said Dr. Glenn L., Acting Technical Director, Laboratory for Cybersecurity Research, during his closing remarks.

Glenn shared how one of the sections in the White House’s Office of Science, Technology, and Policy 4-year Cybersecurity R&D Strategy was influenced by a Science of Security project out-brief. “Your work can have outsized impact; impact in ways that we didn’t initially imagine, informing a broad range of cybersecurity research.”

For more information about the SoS initiative and to view this year’s SoS-VI projects, please visit http://www.sos-vo.org/research#lablets.

Interested in learning more about joining NSA’s mission? Visit NSA.gov/Careers for more information.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s top legislator holds talks with Australian Senate president

Source: China State Council Information Office

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, held talks with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in Beijing on Monday.

At present, dialogue in various fields between the two countries is being resumed and promoted in an orderly manner, and practical cooperation and people-to-people exchange are also becoming increasingly active, said Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, adding this is the hard-won result of both sides’ joint efforts and should be cherished.

Noting that maintaining the right perception of each other is the basic prerequisite for the development of China-Australia relations, Zhao said that China hopes the Australian side will maintain a correct understanding of China, view China’s development in an objective and positive way, respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.

He called on the two sides to consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, mining and agriculture, expand cooperation in emerging areas such as green technology, new energy and artificial intelligence, and promote a fair, open trade and investment environment.

The two sides should deepen cooperation in such fields as culture, education and tourism, as well as cooperation at the sub-national level, and actively promote exchange between the young people of the two countries, Zhao added.

He said the NPC of China is willing to work with the Australian Senate to focus on implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen friendly exchange, and exchange experience in governance, legislation and supervision.

Zhao said China is willing to share development opportunities with countries such as Australia, promote the global green transition and development, and foster an open world economy.

Australia-China relations are very important, and stable, constructive bilateral relations are in the interests of both countries and the broader region, Lines said. She noted that the members of the Senate delegation in China come from different political parties and regions in Australia, but one thing they all share is that all of them hope to see the healthy development of bilateral ties.

Noting that the stabilization and improvement of bilateral relations is encouraging, Lines said that Australia hopes the two sides will be able to promote pragmatic cooperation further in the fields of the economy and trade, the green economy, climate change, and people-to-people exchange. Open dialogue between the two sides and the improved handling of differences are conducive to achieving win-win results, she added.

MIL OSI China News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Stratford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Trafficking Offense

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ESKAVAIL GORDON, also known as “Vail,” 21, of Stratford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm trafficking offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2023, Stefan Bagley, Jr. was shot and wounded while traveling in his vehicle in Bridgeport. Later that same day, Bagley’s vehicle was used in another shooting incident in Bridgeport. An investigation revealed that, between October 2022 and October 2023, Bagley purchased approximately 20 9mm handguns from licensed firearm dealers and then trafficked the guns to a network of customers, including Gordon. Bagley typically scratched the serial numbers off of the firearms before providing them to his customers, making the guns more difficult to trace.

During the investigation, a search of Bagley’s text messages revealed communications with Gordon in which the two discussed Bagley purchasing a Glock handgun for Gordon. Gordon then paid Bagley $750 for the gun.

Gordon was arrested on December 18, 2023, and investigators seized a 9mm firearm from Gordon on the date of his arrest.

Gordon was previously convicted in state court of possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and he was on state probation at the time of his criminal conduct in this case. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

On May 20, 2024, Gordon pleaded guilty to receipt of a trafficked firearm. He has been detained since his arrest.

Bagley pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.

Most of the firearms trafficked by Bagley are unaccounted for.

U.S. Attorney Avery noted that this case is being prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This matter is being investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psn.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025

Category: Artificial Intelligence

Ensure that every citizen of India has access to safe, reliable and highly quality products and services: Shri Pralhad JoshiEnhancing public awareness about standards is essential for empowering the consumers: Shri Joshi

Trust differences

Trust in the future of finance

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;He advises them to imbibe new technologies and learn about new StartUp avenues for better future

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;He advises them to imbibe new technologies and learn about new StartUp avenues for better future

Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda inaugurates 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory AuthoritiesICDRA is being hosted for the first time in India, bringing together regulatory authorities, policymakers, and health officials from over 194 WHO member states

MSDE partners with Meta for AI Assistant in Skill India Mission and 5 Centers of Excellence in NSTIs“Our mission is to empower India’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape”: Sh. Jayant Chaudhary

Ministries/ Departments of Government of India Participate in the Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and Reducing PendencyMassive Participation from across the Country, with cleanliness campaigns made in 1.32 lakh offices spaces (42%) out of 3.16 lakh target in first ten days

National Centre for Good Governance Commences Two-Week Training for Civil Servants from BIMSTEC Nations and MaldivesNational Centre for Good Governance reaches key milestone with First-Ever Training Program for BIMSTEC Civil Servants

Updates to this page

Hurricane Milton Recovery Updates

Hurricane Helene Recovery Updates

Support for North Carolina

Support for Florida

Support for South Carolina

Support for Georgia

Support for Virginia

Support for Tennessee

Voluntary Organizations

What is Kerberoasting?

What are the risks associated with Kerberoasting?

How to detect Kerberoasting?

Recommendations to help prevent Kerberoasting from succeeding

Conclusion

Next steps with Microsoft Security

References

Ensure that every citizen of India has access to safe, reliable and highly quality products and services: Shri Pralhad Joshi

Enhancing public awareness about standards is essential for empowering the consumers: Shri Joshi

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;

He advises them to imbibe new technologies and learn about new StartUp avenues for better future

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with students from J&K on Bharat Darshan tour;

He advises them to imbibe new technologies and learn about new StartUp avenues for better future

Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda inaugurates 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities

ICDRA is being hosted for the first time in India, bringing together regulatory authorities, policymakers, and health officials from over 194 WHO member states

MSDE partners with Meta for AI Assistant in Skill India Mission and 5 Centers of Excellence in NSTIs

“Our mission is to empower India’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape”: Sh. Jayant Chaudhary

Ministries/ Departments of Government of India Participate in the Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and Reducing Pendency

Massive Participation from across the Country, with cleanliness campaigns made in 1.32 lakh offices spaces (42%) out of 3.16 lakh target in first ten days

National Centre for Good Governance Commences Two-Week Training for Civil Servants from BIMSTEC Nations and Maldives

National Centre for Good Governance reaches key milestone with First-Ever Training Program for BIMSTEC Civil Servants