NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects money laundering case involving about $1.6 billion

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs detects money laundering case involving about $1.6 billion
    Hong Kong Customs detects money laundering case involving about $1.6 billion
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         Hong Kong Customs mounted an operation codenamed “Spark II” yesterday and today (October 15 and 16). Five local men, aged between 34 and 71, were arrested for conspiracy or aiding to “deal with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence” (commonly known as money laundering) under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO). They included a former compliance officer and a company secretary of a money changer, a bank staff member and former company directors. The total amount involved was about $1.6 billion.         In October last year, Customs mounted an operation codenamed “Spark” and cracked down on a money changer suspected of money laundering in which the compliance officer laundered about $600 million from unknown sources by setting up a shell company. After an in-depth follow-up investigation, it was further found that the compliance officer manipulated two other shell companies and opened a total of 23 accounts at a number of local banks to deal with over 4 000 suspicious transactions since 2020. Meanwhile, the investigation also found that a bank staff member was suspected of assisting the relevant arrested persons to evade the bank’s monitoring of customers’ transactions.          During the operation, a number of mobile phones were seized and the five persons who were suspected of assisting in dealing with the suspected crime proceeds in the accounts were arrested.          The investigation is ongoing. All arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.          Customs reminds members of the public that they risk committing the crime of money laundering if they use bank accounts to assist in dealing with money from unknown sources, regardless of whether a monetary reward is involved.          Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.          Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024Issued at HKT 17:12

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Narsil disrupts network of child abuse websites designed to generate profits from advertising

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    3 August 2023

    Tracking the money made by perpetrators and preventing the revictimization of children

    LYON, France — INTERPOL has concluded a two-year global operation to bring to justice criminals operating networks of child sexual abuse websites designed to generate profits from advertising.

    Running from December 2021 to July 2023, Operation Narsil also targeted the finance mechanisms used by the website administrators to conduct their online advertising campaigns.

    Over two years, INTERPOL member countries worked together using INTERPOL’s Worst of List (IWOL), sharing targeted intelligence, pinpointing suspects and coordinating arrests of the people managing the websites.

    Created in 2010, IWOL contains a watchlist of websites containing extreme child abuse material.  The General Secretariat headquarters works with law enforcement in all regions so that national Internet service providers close down these websites.

    “Operation Narsil sends a strong message to the criminals making money from these websites that INTERPOL, and its alliance of police forces in 195 member countries, know where they are, what they are doing, and how to find them,” said Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General.

    “Every time a person clicks on these images, they are effectively entering a crime scene. Identifying and removing these websites reduces the availability and potential normalization of online child abuse material, and, most importantly, reduces the re-victimization of the children abused,” added Secretary General Stock.

    Worldwide crime trend

    In one case, a brother and sister, both in their early thirties, were arrested as a result of IWOL digital clues and intelligence provided by the global police community pointing investigators to the suspects in Argentina.

    Investigations by Argentina’s Victim Identification Office in the Anti Cyber Crimes against Minors Division and the Specialised Cybercrime Prosecution Unit (UFECI), working with Federal Courts in Mendoza Province, led to the identification and arrest of the two suspects.

    Fourteen electronic devices were seized from their home as well as cash and credit cards. The siblings are thought to have created, maintained and financially benefitted for more than a decade from websites featuring child sexual abuse material and associated advertising campaigns.

    “Given the technological complexities of this case and the degree to which the criminal activity went undetected, these arrests highlight the importance of police cooperation across regional, national, and international borders,” said the Head of Argentina’s Federal Police, Juan Carlos Hernandez, who also serves as delegate for the Americas on INTERPOL’s Executive Committee.

    Argentina’s Federal Police search electronic devices seized during Operation Narsil for child abuse images

    Officers of Argentina’s Federal Police review materials seized during Operation Narsil

    Argentina’s Federal Police reviewing seized materials

    Officers of Argentina’s Federal Police review visitor statistics to the suspect’s sites

    “With synchronized arrests across continents, this operation confronted global networks that profit from child abuse images and videos. INTERPOL is a strong global network of officers fully committed to putting an end to the online abuse of children, and we applaud the action and incredible results countries have achieved in Operation Narsil,” added Argentina’s Police Chief.

    Local crime, global cooperation

    Working with the Prosecutor’s Office, Bulgarian law enforcement identified and arrested a 34-year-old man who made his living operating an online forum that facilitated the sharing of child sexual abuse materials.

    Bulgarian Police closed the online forum he had been running since 2020 and which is thought to have facilitated access to thousands of media files depicting serious child sexual abuse material.

    Following the arrest, investigations are ongoing to identify forum users.

    In one case during the Russian leg of Operation Narsil, police authorities arrested two 24-year-old citizens for the production and online circulation of materials depicting the sexual violation of minors. Authorities searched the suspects’ homes, seizing computer equipment containing specialized software for creating and administrating websites, and removable hard drives containing child sexual abuse material.

    With the support of US Homeland Security Investigations, Thai police arrested a 45-year-old Thai national for the possession and online distribution of child sexual abuse material. His arrest came after police executed a search warrant at his residence, uncovering large amounts of child sexual abuse material and financial transaction records associated with online distribution of the abuse photos.

    Narsil – meaning a longsword which tackles all evil – is one of the first INTERPOL operations to focus on identifying, locating and arresting the people receiving advertising revenues from website visitors interested in viewing the site’s child sexual abuse content.

    INTERPOL has been monitoring websites disseminating child sexual abuse imagery for more than 13 years and, in collaboration with law enforcement partners across the world, has seized more than 20,000 domains.

    Operation Narsil involved investigations triggered by law enforcement in Austria, Argentina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: INTERPOL Secretary General: More specialist units needed to investigate online child abuse

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    20 October 2022

    NEW DELHI, India – For more than 20 years, INTERPOL has served as a unique and powerful cooperation platform to combat online child sexual exploitation.

    Currently containing more than 4.3 million videos and images, INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database enables investigators to make connections between victims, abusers, and locations from across all regions.

    Through leads generated via ICSE, to date more than 30,000 victims have been identified around the world.

    However, in addition to significant under-reporting of online child sexual exploitation and abuse cases, many countries do not have specialized units dedicated to this crime type, with others lacking necessary legislation to support investigations.

    A Resolution endorsed by delegates at the 90th General Assembly highlights the urgent need for member countries to develop units and connect to and use the ICSE database to develop a stronger victim-centric process of identifying and safeguarding children.

    “Each and every child should be protected from sexual exploitation and abuse, and from re-victimization after images have been shared online,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

    “Data sharing between law enforcement and across regions is essential. If information is not shared globally, victims around the world remain unidentified and their abusers avoid justice. Neither can be acceptable.

    “INTERPOL remains unwavering in its commitment to assist member countries in their efforts to address child exploitation and related crimes. These are crime areas where silos cannot be created, whether by one agency, or one region. There is too much at stake,” concluded Secretary General Stock.

    Currently 68 member countries are connected to the ICSE database. Greater participation will result in more victim identifications by linking parallel enquiries and avoiding duplication of efforts in investigating material related to already solved cases.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: ‘Distance is not a problem’: HSE develops cooperation with think tanks of BRICS countries

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    At the end of September Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) HSE held a meeting with representatives of analytical centers from Brazil, India, and Egypt. The participants considered the possibilities of cooperation, including conducting joint surveys and comparative studies, and discussed the formation of common databases and joint publications on foresight and scientific and technical policy. A decision was also made to prepare a draft multilateral agreement on the establishment of the BRICS Foresight Research Association.

    Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Director of the ISSEK, welcomed the participants and presented an overview of HSE research activities in areas of possible cooperation, focusing in particular on those conducted by the team of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge.

    ISSEK comprises 19 research centres and two international laboratories, with over 240 employees, making it the largest research unit of the Higher School of Economics. The key areas of the institute’s activities are statistical measurements and forecasting of development directions in science, technology, innovation, education, the digital economy and creative industries. ISSEK scientists analyse scientific, technical and innovation policies implemented in Russia and around the world, and study the factors of sustainable economic growth, social welfare and competitiveness.

    ISSEK is implementing a number of large-scale research projects. The Doing Science in Russia study analyzes the current state of Russian science and its development prospects. The Russian Cluster Observatory, which studies the innovative and creative development of cities and regions, publishes two ratings: the Innovative Development Rating of Russian Regions and the HSE Global Cities Innovation Index. In the third, recently published edition, the authors examine more than 1,000 agglomerations with the largest number of high technologies and creative leaders from 144 countries. Hundreds of ISSEK research projects use the results of the unique iFORA big data mining system developed by its team.

    Leonid Gokhberg outlined potential areas of cooperation between ISSEK and foreign partners in the framework of joint research, publications and courses in such areas as foresight, the use of big data, scientific and technical policy, the business climate in the field of science and technology, the digital economy, the creative economy, and innovative urban development.

    The Director of the ISSEK also proposed the creation of a BRICS Foresight Research Association, which would promote cooperation in the field of futures research.

    Fernando Rizzo, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies and Management in Science, Technology and Innovation (CGEE, Brazil), introduced the audience to the history and activities of the organization. CGEE was founded in 2001 and has 115 employees. The center supports decision-making processes on topics related to science, technology and innovation. CGEE experts evaluate and monitor public policies, identify promising technologies and competencies, conduct foresight studies, and provide strategic consulting services for decision-making. CGEE includes several research observatories: Information Services for Science, Technology and Innovation; Space Technology Observatory; Science, Technology and Innovation Observatory; Innovation Observatory for Sustainable Cities; Bioeconomy Observatory; Digital Transformation Observatory.

    In 2024, CGEE organized the 5th National Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation, a major event that attracted a total of 30,000 participants from 27 Brazilian states. The conference presented the Brazilian Plan for Artificial Intelligence (BPAI) 2024-2028.

    Dr. Mohamed Ramadan Rezk, Director of the Egyptian Science, Technology and Innovation Observatory (ESTIO, Egypt), began his presentation with the surprising idea that foresight existed as far back as Ancient Egypt, where the future, i.e. life after death, was depicted on bas-reliefs. In its modern sense, foresight research began in Egypt in 1975, when the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations conducted a study on the demographic impact of potential development strategies from 1975 to 1985. ESTIO was established in February 2014 as a subordinate organization of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) to develop science, technology and innovation indicators, conduct foresight studies and raise awareness of foresight in Egypt. Later, in 2021, the North African Applied Systems Analysis Center (NAASAC) was established as a collaboration between ASRT, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the National Planning Institute of Egypt. Its activities include developing an online educational program on applied research; organizing joint applied research on issues relevant to decision makers in Egypt, North Africa and the Arab States; and providing advisory services to governments and businesses. ASRT conducts foresight research in areas such as energy, water, the impact of COVID-19 on society, and climate change.

    Dr. Gautam Goswami, Principal Scientist, Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC, India), shared the strengths of his organization. TIFAC is a technology think tank under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. It brings together eminent experts from government agencies, research institutes, universities and industry. TIFAC focuses on areas such as assessing the country’s technology needs and forecasting promising areas of technology development. Since 1996, TIFAC has been publishing a series of reports called “The Future of Technology” (the first and second editions set the forecast horizon for 2020 and 2035; the report “The Future of Technology – 2047” is currently being prepared). The council’s experts also prepare other short- and long-term foresight reports, as well as the Technology Market Research Report, which tracks new technologies, collects patent information, and maintains databases of technologies and experts. TIFAC also provides foresight training to industry professionals, government officials, and academics.

    Iwao Ohashi from Japan, Advisor for Japan and Asia Pacific Countries to the Association of Industrial Parks of Russia, shared his opinion on the prospects for Russia’s technological development under sanctions. He believes that Russia should develop cooperation in technology and innovation with the BRICS countries. Joint foresight studies are also very important, and Iwao Ohashi believes that the creation of the BRICS Foresight Research Association would be a very promising idea. Mr. Ohashi noted that in the near future, China will most likely become a global leader in innovation. At the same time, he emphasized that “we need to make a strategic bet on the creation of Russian innovation centers within the country and in its regions, as well as invite foreign experts to Russia.”

    Following the presentations, ISSEK scientists exchanged ideas for cooperation with foreign participants. Dirk Meissner, Head ofLaboratory of Innovation Economy and academic director of the master’s program “Governance in the field of science, technology and innovation“, mentioned cooperation with colleagues from the University of Campinas in Brazil. “Geographical distance is no longer a problem,” said Dirk Meissner, emphasizing the importance of communication and education online.

    Liliana Proskuryakova, Head of DepartmentLaboratory for Science and Technology Research, noted the issues of health care, energy and water resources as cross-cutting themes in the participants’ speeches. A comprehensive analysis of these basic needs of humanity can determine the priorities of cooperation, in addition, this agenda is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goals that are relevant for our countries. Mikhail Gershman, Director Center for Scientific, Technical, Innovation and Information Policy, head of the project “Making Science in Russia”, invited colleagues to join forces in the framework of comparative cross-country studies of the working conditions of scientists and state scientific and technical policy. Ekaterina Streltsova, director Center for Statistics and Monitoring of Science and Innovation, proposed establishing cooperation to conduct joint research on technological development, including using patent analysis tools.

    Evgeny Kutsenko, Director of the Russian Cluster Observatory, spoke about the project’s scientific plans, including cluster development, unicorn companies and creative industries. The possibilities of strengthening joint projects based on the results of big data analysis were demonstrated by showing the system developed at ISSEKiFORA, expert of the Center for Strategic Analytics and Big Data of the ISSEK Maria Antasheva.

    “I am pleased to meet you. CGEE started collaborating with HSE many years ago. And when Alexander Sokolov suggested intensifying scientific ties, most of the CGEE staff, who already had experience interacting with the Higher School of Economics, knowing the high level of its research, readily supported this idea,” said Fernando Rizzo, Director of CGEE. “At our center, we work in various areas, including sustainable cities, bioeconomy, energy, airspace, agriculture and education. Among the potential areas of our international cooperation, I see training and education in AI and data science, the use of generative AI for research and innovation, joint data infrastructure and the use of predictive modeling in big data analysis.”

    The meeting participants agreed to strengthen international ties and implement projects in areas of mutual interest, including within the framework of the planned multilateral agreement to create the BRICS Foresight Research Association.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.hse.ru/nevs/expertise/975578115.html

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Asia’s skyrocketing space race: A competition for peace? – 16-10-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Over the past 20 years, new Asian players have emerged in the competition for space. Until the end of the 20th century, Japan – the only Asian country admitted to the International Space Station – played a leading role in the region. However, the beginning of the 21st century has seen the rise of other countries’ space capabilities, fuelling a new space race. China has made sizeable progress, outpacing Russia as the main competitor to the United States. Beijing aims to be the world’s leading space power by the mid-2040s and has integrated its space activities in the army structure. China is planning to build a permanent research station on the lunar south pole and a solar power station in space. China and Russia are increasingly teaming up in space projects. India has showed the capability to perform low-cost missions, including the successful landing on the Moon in August 2023, making it the fourth country to achieve this. South Korea has a relatively recent space history, but aims to rank among the world’s top five space powers by 2045. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have revealed ambitious space policies; the UAE aims to establish the first inhabitable human settlement on Mars by 2117. Meanwhile, despite the narrative of a shared vision for humanity in space, China is accumulating major counter-space capabilities, including that of seizing control of a satellite, rendering it ineffective. The Chinese army has meanwhile designated outer space as a warfighting domain. There is also concern around the claimed pacific purpose of Iran’s space programme, potentially supporting its intercontinental ballistic missile capacities. North Korea is also developing a space programme. The European Union (EU) economy, society and security are increasingly reliant on space services. The April 2021 Space Regulation established the EU space programme and the EU Agency for the Space Programme. The EU’s space strategy for security and defence was adopted in March 2023.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Education Commission Chairman welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Education Commission Chairman welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”
    Education Commission Chairman welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”
    ******************************************************************************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Education Commission:      The Chairman of the Education Commission, Dr David Wong, welcomed the education initiatives announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” delivered today (October 16).           Dr Wong said, “As the Chairman of the Education Commission, I support the Government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of education. To complement the country’s development strategy, the Government strives to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education on all fronts, nurture and attract diversified talent to achieve the goal of building an international hub for high-calibre professionals.           “I support the Education Bureau’s ongoing efforts in leveraging Hong Kong’s edge of a highly international and diversified post-secondary education sector. Through encouraging local institutions to enhance exchanges and collaboration with institutions from around the world, hosting more international education conferences and exhibitions to promote the ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand on a global scale, and setting up the Hong Kong Future Talents Scholarship Scheme for Advanced Studies, our goal is to establish Hong Kong as an international hub for post-secondary education and enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness.”           He added, “I am pleased that the Government, to complement the national strategy of invigorating the country through science and education, will promote digital education, review the curriculum of junior secondary Science, and support teachers in utilising artificial intelligence for teaching. These efforts will continue to foster STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, thereby enhancing Hong Kong’s edge in innovation and technology. Furthermore, the Government is committed to enhancing the language proficiency of our students and strengthening support to achieve a good mastery of English language, Putonghua and other languages to heighten their global competitiveness and broaden their horizons. Additionally, the Government will remain dedicated to promoting national security and patriotic education on all fronts by incorporating elements of Chinese history and national geography into Mainland study tours to foster students’ sense of national identity. To build a high-quality teaching force, the Government will set up the Teacher Professional Development Fund of $2 billion to provide a steady funding source for teacher training and exchange programmes.”           Dr Wong also appreciated the Government’s efforts in enhancing students’ whole-person development and the well-being of teachers and students. This includes further promotion of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter, launch of the “Mental Health Literacy” resource packages, strengthening of teacher training and parent education, and extending and enhancing the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, promoting the physical and psychological wellness of students, teachers and parents, and enhancing resilience and cultivating positive thinking among them.           “Education is the cornerstone of social advancement. The Education Commission will continue to render advice and work together with the Government to foster the long-term development of Hong Kong’s education, with a view to cultivating values and nurturing people with quality education. We aim to enable young people to unleash their potential and gain a global perspective, and become visionary, innovative and creative successors with an affection for the motherland and a sense of responsibility towards society, who shall contribute to the new quality productive forces and high-quality development of our country, shaping a better future,” Dr Wong said.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024Issued at HKT 18:10

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects four seaborne illicit cigarette smuggling cases with seizure worth about $33 million (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Hong Kong Customs detected four illicit cigarette smuggling cases from September 25 to October 4. A total of about 7.4 million of suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $33 million and a duty potential of about $25 million in total were seized. 

         Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs on September 25 selected and inspected a 40-foot seaborne container, arriving from Nansha to Hong Kong and declared as carrying ceramic tiles, at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 2.4 million of suspected illicit cigarettes inside the container, and a 68-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.

         After a follow-up investigation, Customs on October 2, 3 and 4 further detected three similar cases at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound, where three 40-foot containers, all arriving in Hong Kong from Nansha and declared as carrying food, cardboards and chandeliers respectively, were examined. A total of about 5 million suspected illicit cigarettes were seized therein. Three men, aged between 67 and 68, who were suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.

         Investigations of the four cases are ongoing.

         Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis, and step up enforcement actions to combat cross-boundary illicit cigarettes activities. Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

         Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

         Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 80 80 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 14th, 2024 VIDEO: Heinrich Statement on Indigenous Peoples’ Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following video statement in commemoration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Heinrich is leading the effort in Congress to pass legislation that would replace the current federal holiday of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
    VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich Indigenous Peoples’ Day Statement, October 14, 2024. 
    “Native peoples have lived in the land we now call New Mexico and the United States for thousands of years. 
    “I am honored to work with the Pueblos and Tribes who call New Mexico home, and with Tribes all across Indian Country. As part of that work, I have been proud to lead legislation in the Senate to re-frame this national holiday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  
    “New Mexico is one of a growing number of states that already recognizes this change. And three years ago, President Biden became the first President to formally commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Re-framing this holiday is a powerful way for us to acknowledge and heal from painful history. It also inspires us to celebrate the enduring strength and resilience of Native people. 
    “Today and every day, I am committed to uplifting Tribal communities and defending Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.” 
    Background:
    Last year, Heinrich led the bicameral introduction of legislation to replace the official federal holiday recognized on the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The bill would also replace any mention of Columbus Day in all federal laws or regulations with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.    
    Heinrich’s legislation is supported by the Navajo Nation, Mescalero Apache Tribe, All Pueblo Council of Governors, National Congress of American Indians, Indigenous Peoples’ Initiative, Association on American Indian Affairs, Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe, the Pocahontas Project, Cherokee Nation, National Council of Urban Indian Health, and Barona Band of Mission Indians. 
    The Senate legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Angus King (I-Maine). 
    Read the full text of the bill here.  
    More than a dozen states across the country have recognized this change, including New Mexico. In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. President to formally commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar on VP Kamala Harris’s Visit to Michigan

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

    Headline: Moolenaar on VP Kamala Harris’s Visit to Michigan

    Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be in Michigan today. Her visit comes after a new Quinnipiac poll shows 57% of Michigan residents oppose the Biden-Harris polices that push Michigan residents to own electric vehicles. 

    “Vice President Harris says she wouldn’t do anything differently than the past four years, and that means she would continue the Biden-Harris policies that push Americans toward buying cars they don’t want and allow foreign adversaries to receive billions in taxpayer funding. Those policies are wrong, and they are out of touch. American companies should never have to compete with foreign adversaries receiving taxpayer funding,” said Congressman John Moolenaar. 

    Last year, Moolenaar introduced the NO GOTION Act to block green energy production tax credits from the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” from going to companies and subsidiaries affiliated with foreign adversaries including China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: SAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    Source: United States Air Force

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi participate in an international Air Force Forum hosted by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Tokyo Oct. 14-16.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Gaza: Israel must rescind unlawful evacuation orders in the north

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israel issued so-called ‘evacuation’ orders to cities and camps across North Gaza governorate on 7, 10 and 12 October

    400,000 civilians currently enduring a siege with little food, fuel or clean water 

    ‘What remains beyond any comprehension is how the international community has let this horror continue to happen again and again’ – Heba Morayef

    The Israeli authorities must rescind cruel and unlawful “evacuation” orders – Israel’s euphemism for forced displacement – issued during the past week to residents of the North Gaza governorate, and allow the immediate, unhindered entry of essential supplies – including food and fuel – to the area, said Amnesty International today, as fears grow for the fate of thousands of civilians trapped under siege.

    In recent days, the civilian death toll across Gaza has continued to mount and horrifying scenes have emerged following deadly Israeli airstrikes, particularly in the North Gaza governorate. Civilians have endured relentless Israeli bombardment and shelling, without access to basic supplies, including food and clean water. 

    The latest Israeli “evacuation” orders issued to cities and camps across the North Gaza governorate on 7, 10 and 12 October – and the tightened siege on the area – are a terrifying escalation of the long list of horrors inflicted in the past year on people in the area north of Wadi Gaza.

    A year ago, on 12 October 2023, an estimated 1.1 million Palestinians north of Wadi Gaza were subjected to an unlawful mass “evacuation” order which forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee south seeking safety. For many months, the hundreds of thousands of people who remained were largely cut off from the rest of Gaza by a fortified Israeli military zone. In December 2023, the world’s leading experts on famine reported that hunger was particularly widespread and severe there, yet the Israeli authorities repeatedly obstructed and denied humanitarian access to the area. In recent days the situation has grown even more desperate following Israeli tightened siege. All three partially-functioning hospitals in the north – Kamal Adwan, Al-Awda, and the Indonesian hospital – face “evacuation” orders. 

    Global leaders must demand an immediate ceasefire to alleviate unprecedented suffering in Gaza during the past year. Israel has been emboldened, with the help of arms transfers from countries like the US and the UK, to continue its destructive course in Gaza with total impunity.

    Some 400,000 civilians continue to live north of Wadi Gaza, which consists of the North Gaza and Gaza governorates, which is around one-third of the area’s population before October 2023. In addition to devastating bombardment and destruction, those who have stayed have had to endure an Israeli-engineered food emergency which reached horrifying levels in February and March, with people resorting to eating animal food. While access to the area north of Wadi Gaza improved slightly in mid-2024 after an international outcry, Israel has, once again, cut civilians off from life-saving aid.

    Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director, said: 

    “These orders must be rescinded and there must be an immediate ceasefire by all parties to halt the avalanche of suffering that has been engulfing civilians in Gaza for over a year.

    “After a year of death and destruction, it is agonising to hear from doctors in North Gaza that they have to perform multiple amputations every day, or from families trapped under siege that dozens of unrecognisable bodies are scattered on the streets or that people are unable to bury their loved ones amidst ceaseless bombardment.  

    “The scenes coming out of Jabalia refugee camp have been especially harrowing, for over a week, residents of the camp have been scared to leave their homes, even to look for a bag of flour for fear of being shot by the omnipresent quadcopter drones. 

    “What remains beyond any comprehension is how the international community has let this horror continue to happen again and again.

    “As well as an immediate ceasefire and an end to Israel’s cruel and inhuman blockade on Gaza and its siege in the north, Israel must grant independent monitors immediate access to Gaza to investigate all attacks.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Cardinal Marengo: mission is a mystery

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Photo: Arlindo Guterres

    by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo IMCRome (Agenzia Fides) – We are pleased to publish the Prolusion made today by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Consolata missionary and Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, on the occasion of the opening day of the academic year at the Pontifical Urbaniana University. The speech, entitled “Missionary Church and the missionary nature of the Church: a perspective from Asia”, focused on the mystery of grace and gratitude that feed every authentic missionary dynamism. Cardinal Marengo’s conference was preceded by an introductory speech by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches) and Grand Chancellor of the Urbaniana University. After the speech by Sister Lourdes Fabiola Martinez Sandate, who spoke on behalf of the university’s students, Professor Vincenzo Buonomo, Pontifical Delegate and Grand Rector of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, gave an outlook on the study and research perspectives for the new academic year.Dear Grand Chancellor,Most Reverend Eminences and Excellencies,Dear Pontifical Delegate and Grand Rector,Academic Authorities,Esteemed Professors and Dear Students,It is with great joy that I take the floor today for the first time after having attended this university myself as a student for a long time. I feel very honored to be here at the opening of this new academic year, which will once again bring teachers, researchers, students and administrative staff to this hill every day to give their best in the service of the Church.The mission as a sighOn May 26 last year, Father Stephan Kim Seong-hyeon, a Korean priest from Daejeon with whom I had been doing missionary work in Mongolia, suddenly died. It was a great loss for everyone. Like me, he had also studied at this university and I remember him talking about his studies at Urbaniana University. As a priest preparing to return to his homeland to begin his ministry in the diocese, he wondered what benefit he would get from studying at this university. He received the answer from a missionary who had lived for years in Muslim-majority countries and in areas with Arab culture. When asked about the theories of the moment, this missionary had not given a theoretical answer but let out a long sigh: “Ah, the mission!” A mixture of joy and melancholy, perhaps even frustration; the missionary’s eyes shone, pointing to something moving and sacred that had now completely marked his life. This sigh deeply touched Father Stephan Kim and opened his eyes to the mystery of mission as a horizon that embraces life, including that of the diocesan priest. It was this sigh that led him to interpret his entire ministry in a missionary sense. And then he received the gift of being able to go to Mongolia.A biblical icon: the meeting at Emmaus“Ah, the mission!” This sigh makes us reflect even today. Let us look, for example, at the episode in which the sad disciples leave Jerusalem “on the first day of the week”. We are in chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke. “Are you the only visitor?” (cf. Lk 24:18), as if to say: “Do you not know?” It is an outburst of disappointment and anger. “But we had hoped…” (cf. Lk 24:21). Sometimes we too are seized by a sigh of disappointment; things are not as we would have liked them to be and we walk with our eyes downcast, unable to recognize the mysterious wanderer who is with us. We need him to shake us up with his strong words: “You are foolish and slow of heart” (Lk 24:25). It quickly becomes clear that this is not a sterile rebuke, but an invitation to make a leap in quality, in depth. “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures” (Lk 24:27). Indeed, the object of research, teaching and study is not the opinion of this or that thinker, but “everything that is written about him”, on the Lord and Saviour who, by revealing the face of the Father, changed the destiny of humanity and sparked the dynamism of mission. Little by little, the disciples’ hearts open to the point of an unprecedented sigh: ” “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32).It is the Eucharist and the Word that convert our hearts. The academic work carried out in this prestigious university should always be accompanied by worship and the meditated study in a spirit of prayer, and not parallel to the spiritual life, almost as if they were threads held together with difficulty. This is where the proclamation comes from, not from anything else: “Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread” (Lk 24:35). Until Jesus himself, “while they were still speaking about this” (Lk 24:36), came among them and announced to them the fullness that awaits the whole of history: “Peace be with you” (Lk 24:36). The mission aims precisely to make this encounter possible in a concrete way; indeed, where the disciples gather to bear witness to Christ, he enters into their midst in a new, unprecedented way, drawing everyone into his love. It is He, the Risen One, who reveals to us the profound meaning of Sacred Scripture and expressly sends us out into the world: “You are witnesses of these things” (Lk 24:48). And we can only be so in the power of his Spirit: “And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you” (Lk 24:49).A vocation that is still valid: the Mission “ad gentes”If this dynamism aimed at proclaiming the overwhelming newness of the Gospel applies to every baptized person as a missionary disciple – as the Holy Father often reminds us – we must remember that there is also a specific dimension of missionary activity that we call first evangelization or mission “ad gentes”. This refers to the gift of grace to proclaim the Gospel in contexts where it is not yet known and where there are simply no others who can bear witness to it. It is true that every action of the Church is permeated by mission because it represents its goal and its horizon; but it is one thing to put it into practice in situations where the possibility of an explicit encounter with Christ is offered in a variety of forms, made possible by communities of faith already formed and endowed with a variety of charisms and ministries; it is something else – or at least something special – to dedicate oneself to the witness of the Gospel where there are no other ecclesial subjects, because the community is not yet constituted and structured. It is undoubtedly true that the mobility of people today creates situations in which other people are very close and one no longer has to cross the seas to meet them. In many parts of the world there is already a local part of the Church and it is the task of the particular Church in that territory to face the challenges posed by increasingly multicultural and interreligious societies. In the regions more marked by phenomena such as secularization and the decline of priestly vocations, we will probably have to act differently than in the past, but the fact remains that the Church is already present in these areas. We often overlook the fact that instead there are entire regions of our planet where the Church is not yet established or is in the initial phase of its local rooting.In Mongolia, for example, the visible Church has only existed for 32 years and is made up of a small flock of about 1,500 local believers accompanied by a group of missionaries, only one of whom is a local priest. The complete translation of the Bible into the local language is still in progress; some liturgical texts still need to be approved by the Vatican. In Catholic communities, a path of initiation into the faith is offered that lasts about two years and requires a lot of commitment from the catechists and catechumens, since they are choosing a faith that is in some way at odds with the society in which they live, which traditionally has other points of reference. Everything is new and has a revolutionary impact that requires depth, firmness in doctrine and quality of witness.Living and working in such situations is what is commonly called mission “ad gentes”, which continues to have its own specific value because it is a specific vocation. Most of these situations, where the proclamation of the Gospel and the life connected to it are still in their infancy, are in Asia, a continent where about 61% of the world’s population live, but less than 13.1% of them identify with Christianity. A series of historical failures? Procedural errors? It is difficult to say. Especially since the criterion cannot be success or failure as the world understands it. The reference point remains the words of Jesus on the Kingdom of God and its appearance in the world, characterized by an obvious disproportion: little in much, leaven in the mass, fertile marginality. In any case, it is important to remember that this specific type of missionary service exists, even within a fully missionary Church.A specific formationThe mission “ad gentes” therefore requires a specific formation. 397 years ago, shortly after the foundation of the Congregation “De Propaganda Fide”, the “Collegio Urbano” was founded, the first nucleus of this prestigious academic institution. Can one “learn” the mission? Yes, just as the disciples of Emmaus had to listen to the Risen One who “explained to them what is written about him in the Scriptures”. It is above all a matter of continually exploring the mystery of Christ and the Church, his Bride, from every possible angle. The mission needs philosophy, but also the social sciences, linguistics, canon law and, above all, theology. Zeal alone may not be enough. Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, who will be canonized in St. Peter’s Square in a few days, used to say: “Holiness alone is not enough for a missionary, science is also needed, depending on our goal. Piety can form a good hermit, but only science combined with piety can form a good missionary.” And he continued: “The need for science also derives from tradition. Popes, Councils, and Fathers of the Church have always and everywhere declared the need for science for priests. On this point, the Church has always insisted, with explicit instructions to the superiors of seminaries, not to admit to ordination those who do not have the necessary knowledge. This explains why in some religious orders only the most learned are sent on missions.” And he concluded: “Believe me: you will do much or little good, or even evil, depending on whether you have studied or not. A missionary without knowledge is a lamp that has gone out”.We study not only because “it is our duty”, because we have been sent by our superiors, or even to nurture career ambitions: in the Church there is no career; it would be mean indeed if such a unique academic institution were considered a breeding ground for mere “employees” of diocesan structures that do not stand out for zeal and scholarship specifically oriented towards mission. We study out of love for Christ, the Church and the people to whom we are sent as missionaries. It is precisely this particular kind of mission that requires adequate preparation. It is a matter of respect for the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, which resonates in the Church sent by Him, not as a megaphone of an ideological message, but as the mystical Body and People of God, at home in all cultures and fertilizing them with the Gospel. It is a matter of taking the encounter between the Gospel and cultures seriously.Rufina Chamyngerel, also a former student of this university and now head of the Pastoral Office of the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar, said it in a disarming way. On the occasion of the prayer vigil in St. Peter’s for the Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019 proclaimed by Pope Francis, she recalled that when the Church decided in 1992 to resume its mission in Mongolia – interrupted by 70 years of strict pro-Soviet rule – it did not send packages of books, but physical people who would fit in and give a living, physical witness to the Gospel. Yes, the encounter with Christ can take place in the most diverse ways, mostly unknown to us; but it usually requires human mediation, concrete people who embody the words of Jesus and invite us to the banquet of the Kingdom of God. Saint Paul VI reminded us of this in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, and it is worth quoting his words again today: “People can be saved by the mercy of God in other ways, even if we do not preach the Gospel to them; but how can we save ourselves if we fail to preach it out of negligence, fear, shame – what Saint Paul calls ‘ashamed of the Gospel’ – or because of false ideas?” This school of discipleship and mission opens up ever new paths of learning, because by tiptoeing into homes in every latitude, we discover fascinating worlds to love and to get to know in depth.Thanks to passionate study, serious scientific research and investigation, even four centuries after the founding of our University, we are able to express the infinite depths of Christ’s message and to decipher cultural languages that allow us to reach the hearts of peoples and peoples.How many sighs have been uttered here! Distance from home and a language that one does not yet master can make one sigh; but even a trace of research that seems to get lost among the pages read in the library or historical truths that are difficult to accept can become sighs. But everything becomes a desire, because in the awareness of lack, one opens oneself more to God and to one’s neighbour.From sighing to whisperingFinally, the sigh becomes a whisper. Finally, allow me to repeat the expression of Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, which I do not want to withhold from you, to briefly describe the mission: whispering the Gospel into the heart of cultures. The mission is a mystery that makes us sigh with true love above all for Him, the Risen One, who unites us to Himself in order to make Himself present to others. Christ and his Gospel are the heart and the only content of the missionary impulse that animates the Church, today as it has always been. “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel,” Saint Paul reminds us (1 Cor 9:16). The world needs this good news and has a right to receive it. In a time of general distrust of grand narratives, of post-colonial historical revisionism, of fear of any thought that is not weak (because it is seen as potentially offensive and threatening), the Church continues to proclaim the Gospel, faithful to the mandate she received from her Lord, which is written in large letters on the outside of the main building of this university: Euntes docete. More than just a message, it is a word of salvation and fullness, embodied in life and addressed to the heart, that is, to the deepest fibers of man and of the culture in which he lives and understands himself. It is the evangelization of the heart that requires a commitment to deciphering, studying and deepening the wonderful interweaving of culture, religious tradition, language, literature, art, music, but also territories, symbols and trends. When one finds oneself in this relationship of deep knowledge, appreciation and friendship, one will spontaneously pass on, whispering delicately and discreetly what is most dear to one’s heart.Whispering also speaks of a prayerful attitude, a contemplative dimension, as in the very ancient religious traditions that arose in Asia, where the register of the meditated, repeated word, recited in chorus predominates. And of silence. Pope Francis recalled this last year in Mongolia, addressing the small local Church: “Yes, He is the good news intended for all peoples, the proclamation that the Church must always bring, making it concrete in life and ‘whispering’ it in the hearts of individuals and cultures.” The language of God is often a slow whisper that takes its time; this is how he speaks. This experience of the love of God in Christ is pure light that transfigures the face and in turn makes it shine. Brothers and sisters, the Christian life is born from the contemplation of this face, it is a matter of love, of the daily encounter with the Lord in the word and in the bread of life, in the face of the other and in the needy in whom Jesus is present”. May this new academic year at the Urbaniana University bring us all closer to this face and make us ever more radiant and shining, reflecting it around us. (Agenzia Fides, 15/10/2024)
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  • MIL-OSI Africa: World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit debuts at GITEX GLOBAL, shaping the future global tech and policy landscape

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 15, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Government officials, global industry leaders and experts gathered in Dubai for the opening day of the World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit on Monday as conversations began about charting a course for AI Compute-Driven economic transformation.

    GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest tech event, got underway at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), as topics on ‘Tech Investment Day’ centred around the next-gen semi-conductors market, which is expected to be valued USD $1 trillion by 2030, and the future of data governance. The mega event is under the theme of ‘Global Collaboration to Forge a Future AI Economy’.

    The World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit comes at a time where UAE is accelerating its efforts in adopting AI in different sectors. Last year, the country’s AI market was valued (https://apo-opa.co/3zPf3HZ) at USD $3.47 billion. H.E. Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member & Minister of Economy at UAE’s Ministry of Economy, explained the importance of AI and how it is central to the country’s economic future.

    Addressing the audience, he highlighted AI is a major driver for the future and is already impacting our everyday lives whether it is transportation or ordering food but to propel growth even further across different sectors, people and companies need to learn how to enable AI effectively.

    This year’s GITEX GLOBAL has attracted its largest international participation with 40% growth, welcoming new nations to the 44th edition of the showpiece event. Europe has a major presence this week, the biggest in the event’s history with the region’s tech industry projected to grow by 12% by the end of this year.

    Stephane Ouaki, Head of Department at European Innovation Council outlined how the continent is accelerating its tech ecosystem. He said the Council is supporting game-changing innovations, giving entrepreneurs access to opportunities to enhance their knowledge, and learn from other professionals to boost the growth of their businesses which benefits not only economies nationally but also regionally.

    Ignacy Niemczycki, Undersecretary of State Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of Poland, delivered a presentation on how the country is embracing technology. He said: “Our culture is a key pillar in our journey of being a tech leader and we have a stable economy which has been very resilient for the last 30 years.

    “More importantly, there is a real interest in the STEM field – if you ask most people in Poland, their choice would be to become an software engineer and this has created a situation where we have one of the best IT programmers in the world with some great tech entrepreneurs already from Poland.”

    Attendees also heard from Dr. Jaroslaw Kutylowski, the founder and CEO of DeepL a German-leading global language AI company, on how his business utilises large language models (LLMs). He said: “The models that we have been building have all stayed true to our products which has brought us success so far. As the company has been growing, we have been able to invest more into compute technologies and have built a data centre facility in Sweden. However, we need to keep innovating and see what the next step is. If we do not think ahead, we would be in the same position as we are today.”

    Meanwhile, Heman Bekele, who was named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year for inventing a potential treatment for skin cancer, shared his inspiring story. He explained how the failures that he experienced in life in producing his innovative soap product has made him a stronger individual and passion has a been a key attribute to his career success so far.

    Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until 18 October, GITEX GLOBAL presents its biggest, most international edition in its 44th year, welcoming over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, 1,200 investors alongside governments from more than 180 countries.

    GITEX GLOBAL is seamlessly connecting with world’s largest network of tech events with its stellar list including GITEX EUROPE Berlin, GITEX ASIA Singapore, GITEX AFRICA Morocco, and GITEX NIGERIA. These events are fostering collaboration and driving innovation to shape the tech landscape of tomorrow.

    For more information on GITEX GLOBAL 2024 and to secure your passes, please visit http://www.GITEX.com.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: ASML reports €7.5 billion total net sales and €2.1 billion net income in Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ASML reports €7.5 billion total net sales and €2.1 billion net income in Q3 2024
    ASML expects total net sales for 2024 of around €28 billion

    VELDHOVEN, the Netherlands, October 15, 2024 – Today, ASML Holding NV (ASML) has published its 2024 third-quarter results.

    • Q3 total net sales of €7.5 billion, gross margin of 50.8%, net income of €2.1 billion
    • Quarterly net bookings in Q3 of €2.6 billion2 of which €1.4 billion is EUV
    • ASML expects Q4 2024 total net sales between €8.8 billion and €9.2 billion, and a gross margin between 49% and 50%
    • ASML expects 2024 total net sales of around €28 billion
    • ASML expects 2025 total net sales to be between €30 billion and €35 billion, with a gross margin between 51% and 53%
    (Figures in millions of euros unless otherwise indicated) Q2 2024   Q3 2024  
    Total net sales 6,243   7,467  
    …of which Installed Base Management sales1 1,482   1,541  
             
    New lithography systems sold (units) 89   106  
    Used lithography systems sold (units) 11   10  
             
    Net bookings2 5,567   2,633  
             
    Gross profit 3,212   3,793  
    Gross margin (%) 51.5   50.8  
             
    Net income 1,578   2,077  
    EPS (basic; in euros) 4.01   5.28  
             
    End-quarter cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments 5,019   4,985  

    (1) Installed Base Management sales equals our net service and field option sales
    (2) Net bookings include all system sales orders and inflation-related adjustments, for which written authorizations have been accepted.

    Numbers have been rounded for readers’ convenience. A complete summary of US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations is published on http://www.asml.com

    CEO statement and outlook
    “Our third-quarter total net sales came in at €7.5 billion, above our guidance, driven by more DUV and Installed Base Management1 sales. The gross margin came in at 50.8%, within guidance.

    “While there continue to be strong developments and upside potential in AI, other market segments are taking longer to recover. It now appears the recovery is more gradual than previously expected. This is expected to continue in 2025, which is leading to customer cautiousness. Regarding Logic, the competitive foundry dynamics have resulted in a slower ramp of new nodes at certain customers, leading to several fab push outs and resulting changes in litho demand timing, in particular EUV. In Memory, we see limited capacity additions, with the focus still on technology transitions supporting the HBM and DDR5 AI-related demand.

    “We expect fourth-quarter total net sales between €8.8 billion and €9.2 billion with a gross margin between 49% and 50% which includes the recognition of the first two High NA systems upon customer acceptance, reflecting progress on imaging, overlay and contrast. ASML expects R&D costs of around €1.1 billion and SG&A costs of around €300 million. We expect full-year 2024 total net sales of around €28 billion. Based on the recent market dynamics as mentioned above, we expect our 2025 total net sales to grow to a range between €30 billion and €35 billion, which is the lower half of the range that we provided at our 2022 Investor Day. We expect a gross margin between 51% and 53%, which is below the range we then provided, mainly related to the delayed timing of EUV demand,” said ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet.

       
    Update dividend and share buyback program
    An interim dividend of €1.52 per ordinary share will be made payable on November 7, 2024.

    In the third quarter, we did not purchase any shares under the current 2022-2025 share buyback program.

    Details of the share buyback program as well as transactions pursuant thereto, and details of the dividend are published on ASML’s website (www.asml.com/investors).

    Media Relations contacts Investor Relations contacts
    Monique Mols +31 6 5284 4418 Skip Miller +1 480 235 0934
    Sarah de Crescenzo +1 925 899 8985 Marcel Kemp +31 40 268 6494
    Karen Lo +886 939788635 Peter Cheang +886 3 659 6771

    Quarterly video interview and investor call
    With this press release, ASML has published a video interview in which CFO Roger Dassen discusses the 2024 third-quarter results and outlook for 2024 and 2025. This video and the transcript can be viewed on http://www.asml.com.

    An investor call for both investors and the media will be hosted by CEO Christophe Fouquet and CFO Roger Dassen on October 16, 2024 at 15:00 Central European Time / 09:00 US Eastern Time. Details can be found on our website.

    About ASML
    ASML is a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry. The company provides chipmakers with hardware, software and services to mass produce the patterns of integrated circuits (microchips). Together with its partners, ASML drives the advancement of more affordable, more powerful, more energy-efficient microchips. ASML enables groundbreaking technology to solve some of humanity’s toughest challenges, such as in healthcare, energy use and conservation, mobility and agriculture. ASML is a multinational company headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, with offices across EMEA, the US and Asia. Every day, ASML’s more than 43,700 employees (FTE) challenge the status quo and push technology to new limits. ASML is traded on Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ under the symbol ASML. Discover ASML – our products, technology and career opportunities – at http://www.asml.com.

    US GAAP Financial Reporting
    ASML’s primary accounting standard for quarterly earnings releases and annual reports is US GAAP, the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Quarterly Summary US GAAP consolidated statements of operations, consolidated statements of cash flows and consolidated balance sheets are available on http://www.asml.com.

    The consolidated balance sheets of ASML Holding N.V. as of September 29, 2024, the related consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of cash flows for the quarter and nine months ended September 29, 2024 as presented in this press release are unaudited. 

    Regulated information
    This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This document and related discussions contain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements with respect to plans, strategies, expected trends, including trends in the semiconductor industry and end markets and business environment trends, expected demand, bookings, backlog, expected recovery in the semiconductor industry and expected timing thereof including expected industry recovery continuing in 2025, plans to continue to build capacity, outlook and expected financial results, outlook of market segments, including expected results for Q4 2024, including net sales, IBM sales, gross margin, R&D costs, SG&A costs, outlook for full year 2024, including expected full year 2024 total net sales, gross margin and estimated annualized effective tax rate, expectations and modelling with respect to 2025 revenue and gross margin, statements made at our 2022 Investor Day, including revenue and gross margin opportunity for 2025 and 2030, statements with respect to execution of ESG sustainability strategy, our expectation to continue to return significant amounts of cash to shareholders through growing dividends and share buybacks, statements with respect to our share buyback program, including the amount of shares that may be repurchased thereunder and statements with respect to dividends, statements with respect to expected performance and capabilities of our systems and customer plans and other non-historical statements. You can generally identify these statements by the use of words like “may”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “project”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “potential”, “intend”, “continue”, “target”, “future”, “progress”, “goal”, “model”, “opportunity” and variations of these words or comparable words. These statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, plans and projections about our business and our future financial results and readers should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve a number of substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, customer demand, semiconductor equipment industry capacity, worldwide demand for semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing capacity, lithography tool utilization and semiconductor inventory levels, general trends and consumer confidence in the semiconductor industry, the impact of general economic conditions, including the impact of the current macroeconomic environment on the semiconductor industry, uncertainty around a market recovery including the timing thereof, the impact of inflation, interest rates, wars and geopolitical developments, the impact of pandemics, the performance of our systems, the success of technology advances and the pace of new product development and customer acceptance of and demand for new products, our production capacity and ability to adjust capacity to meet demand, supply chain capacity, timely availability of parts and components, raw materials, critical manufacturing equipment and qualified employees, our ability to produce systems to meet demand, the number and timing of systems ordered, shipped and recognized in revenue, risks relating to fluctuations in net bookings and our ability to convert bookings into sales, the risk of order cancellation or push outs and restrictions on shipments of ordered systems under export controls, risks relating to the trade environment, import/export and national security regulations and orders and their impact on us, including the impact of changes in export regulations and the impact of such regulations on our ability to obtain necessary licenses and to sell our systems and provide services to certain customers, exchange rate fluctuations, changes in tax rates, available liquidity and free cash flow and liquidity requirements, our ability to refinance our indebtedness, available cash and distributable reserves for, and other factors impacting, dividend payments and share repurchases, the number of shares that we repurchase under our share repurchase programs, our ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property rights and the outcome of intellectual property disputes and litigation, our ability to meet ESG goals and execute our ESG strategy, other factors that may impact ASML’s business or financial results, and other risks indicated in the risk factors included in ASML’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other filings with and submissions to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this report or to conform such statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    Source: United States Air Force

    Headline: SAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi participate in an international Air Force Forum hosted by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Tokyo Oct. 14-16.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Ontario

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 15, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

    The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

    Linda A. Shin, General Counsel at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, Criminal Law Division, in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Toronto. Justice Shin replaces Justice B.A. Allen (Toronto), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective November 4, 2022.

    Quote

    “I wish Justice Shin every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Ontarians well as a member of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario”.

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biography

    Justice Linda A. Shin was born in Toronto and is proud to be the daughter of Korean immigrants. She received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto. She was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 2000.

    Justice Shin was General Counsel at the Crown Law Office – Criminal, where she conducted appeals to the Court of Appeal and trial prosecutions on complex matters, including homicides and allegations against police officers. Previously, she worked as Chief Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General for Ontario, and as an Assistant Crown Attorney in the Toronto Crown Attorney’s Office. Prior to joining Ontario’s Criminal Law Division, she was a civil litigation associate at McCarthy Tétrault, where she articled.  

    Justice Shin is committed to mentorship and education. She has been an articling principal and a mentor to law students. She has volunteered as an instructor for the trial advocacy course at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law for several years. She has been a board member of the KCWA (Korean Canadian Women’s Association) since 2018; this non-profit organization provides education, counselling and other services to support Korean-Canadians in a variety of areas including violence against women and the elderly and newcomer settlement.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Swaminathan J: Central banks and financial stability

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Distinguished panellists – Prof. Randall S. Kroszner, Professor, University of Chicago and Former Governor, Federal Reserve Board; Ms. Emmanuelle Assouan, Director General, Financial Stability and Operations, Banque de France; Ms. Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, Bank of England; Dr. Sajjid Chinoy, Managing Director and Chief Economist India, JP Morgan; esteemed delegates and colleagues from the Reserve Bank. A very good afternoon to all of you.

    It is an honour to open this discussion on this very important and pertinent topic in today’s financial world – “Central Banks and Financial Stability: Assessing Risks and Building Resilience.”

    The financial sector is the backbone of the economy, enabling efficient allocation of resources, managing risks through various instruments, and ensuring smooth payments and settlements. It performs crucial functions that support investments and drives economic growth. Therefore, the financial sector becomes the cornerstone of a well-functioning economy.

    The financial sector is vulnerable to risks-especially systemic ones that, which if left unchecked, can have far-reaching consequences. As you are aware these systemic risks manifest across two dimensions: time and interconnectedness. On the one hand, financial risks can build up over time, especially in periods of economic euphoria. On the other, the growing interconnections between financial institutions, markets, and the broader economy make the system more open to shocks.

    In today’s world, challenges are more complex and unpredictable than ever. Traditional risks, like credit and liquidity risks, now have new and faster drivers. For example, bank runs that once unfolded over days, giving regulators time to respond, can now occur within hours due to the speed of internet and mobile banking. The increasing reliance on technology also introduces vulnerabilities, such as dependence on third-party service providers and heightened cybersecurity threats, all while customers expect uninterrupted services. Additionally, we face emerging risks, such as climate risk.

    In this increasingly volatile environment, building resilience is crucial to maintaining financial stability. However, resilience is a balancing act-too much emphasis on safeguarding can stifle innovation and growth, while too little can expose the system to significant vulnerabilities. Finding that right balance so that we can have a robust financial system that can weather crises without constraining economic progress is one of the key challenges that we face today.

    Indeed, central banks are much like wicketkeepers in cricket or goalkeepers in football-often unnoticed in success but always in the spotlight during failure. When everything works seamlessly, their efforts remain behind the scenes, often taken for granted. However, when a crisis occurs, they are asked as to how they could allow the ball to slip through their fingers! In addition, Central Bankers are also tasked with preventing further damage and restoring stability quickly.

    Let me offer an analogy: imagine a person teetering on the edge of a cliff, seemingly about to fall, only to be pulled back just in time by a watchful observer. When central banks intervene in such a manner to prevent a potential crisis, those they protect may claim they didn’t need saving at all. This highlights a common paradox-while regulators work tirelessly to maintain stability and avert disasters, their successes often go unnoticed, and their actions are sometimes viewed as unnecessary, intrusive or excessive by those unaware of the risks. Yet it is precisely this proactive oversight that ensures the safety and soundness of the financial system, allowing it to function smoothly even in times of uncertainty.

    Over the years, the role of central banks has significantly evolved. Initially seen as the lender of last resort, today, central banks are equipped with a broad range of tools-regulatory, supervisory, and monetary-to ensure the stability of the financial system. In some countries, central banks do not have supervisory roles, with the supervision being carried out by a separate agency, but a coordinated approach is essential. Governments, central banks, financial regulators, and the industry must all work together to ensure appropriate and timely action is taken to safeguard financial stability.

    In India, the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), chaired by the Union Finance Minister, along with its sub-committee led by the Governor of the Reserve Bank, has been effectively facilitating discussions and enhanced understanding of risks across the financial sector. Biannually, Reserve Bank publishes Financial Stability Reports that deliver a thorough risk assessment of India’s financial landscape. These reports utilise macro stress tests, sensitivity analyses, network and contagion assessments, and systemic risk surveys to provide valuable insights into potential vulnerabilities that affect the financial sector. Apart from inter-regulatory coordination, RBI also actively engages with the industry through regular engagements/ interactions including conferences with the Boards of supervised entities, periodic meetings with the MDs & CEOs, Heads of Assurance functions as well as interactions with auditors.

    Having discussed the importance of domestic coordination, I would also like to emphasise the significance of global supervisory cooperation. Historically, crises have acted as catalysts for bringing supervisors together to address shared challenges. For instance, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision was formed in the aftermath of the Herstatt Bank failure, highlighting the necessity for a coordinated response to systemic risks. However, we should not wait for crises to play out before strengthening international collaboration. Greater engagement for proactive horizon scanning of potential risks and vulnerabilities, along with discussions on strategies to mitigate and address these challenges, can enhance our collective resilience and crisis preparedness.

    Indeed, as a part of our agenda for the next decade, RBI@100, the Reserve Bank intends to engage more with the central banks of the global south. The Reserve Bank also aims to establish a global model of risk-focused supervision by fostering a strong risk discovery and compliance culture, building a “through-the-cycle” risk assessment framework. Reserve Bank is working to create a comprehensive data analytics ecosystem to support its supervisory functions.

    With these thoughts in mind, I look forward to a rich and insightful panel discussion on how central banks can continue to enhance financial stability and build a resilient global financial system. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Visit to Mitchell Museum of the American Indian

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    October 14, 2024

    [EVANSTON, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today visited the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Duckworth met with the museum’s Executive Director Kim Vigue, Board President Susan Kelsey and community leaders and members to discuss how she can help advocate for the Indigenous community at the federal level, as well as toured the museum that honors and highlights the history and culture of Indigenous peoples and communities. Photos from today’s visit are available on the Senator’s website.

    “On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor and celebrate the Indigenous communities who have long contributed to our country as we continue to reckon with our nation’s horrific legacy of colonization,” Duckworth said. “I was pleased to visit and meet with the leaders of the Mitchell Museum to learn more about their mission to preserve the rich history of Indigenous peoples and pass on the culture and traditions to the next generation.”

    The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is one of a few museums across the country that focuses exclusively on the histories, cultures, traditions and arts of Indigenous people from the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1977, the museum has become a cherished resource and education center committed to promoting a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples and serving as a space to celebrate their diverse cultures, rich histories and present-day experiences and contributions.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Snippet of Euclid Mission’s Cosmic Atlas Released by ESA

    Source: NASA

    With contributions from NASA, the mission will map a third of the sky in order to study a cosmic mystery called dark energy.
    ESA (the European Space Agency) has released a new, 208-gigapixel mosaic of images taken by Euclid, a mission with NASA contributions that launched in 2023 to study why the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Astronomers use the term “dark energy” in reference to the unknown cause of this accelerated expansion.
    The new images were released at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan on Oct. 15.
    The mosaic contains 260 observations in visible and infrared light made between March 25 and April 8 of this year. In just two weeks, Euclid covered 132 square degrees of the southern sky — more than 500 times the area of the sky covered by a full Moon.
    The mosaic accounts for 1% of the wide survey Euclid will conduct over six years. During this survey, the telescope observes the shapes, distances, and motions of billions of galaxies out to a distance of more than 10 billion light-years. By doing this, it will create the largest 3D cosmic map ever made.

    [embedded content]
    Dive into a snippet of the great cosmic atlas being produced by the ESA Euclid mission. This video zooms in on a 208-gigapixel mosaic containing about 14 million galaxies and covering a portion of the southern sky more than 500 times the area of the full Moon as seen from Earth. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, CEA Paris-Saclay, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi; ESA/Gaia/DPAC; ESA/Planck Collaboration

    This first piece of the map already contains around 100 million stars and galaxies. Some 14 million of these galaxies could be used by Euclid to study the hidden influence of dark energy on the universe.
    “We have already seen beautiful, high-resolution images of individual objects and groups of objects from Euclid. This new image finally gives us a taste of the enormity of the area of sky Euclid will cover, which will enable us to take detailed measurements of billions of galaxies,” said Jason Rhodes, an observational cosmologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California who is the U.S. science lead for Euclid and principal investigator for NASA’s Euclid dark energy science team.
    Galaxies Galore
    Even though this patch of space shows only 1% of Euclid’s total survey area, the spacecraft’s sensitive cameras captured an incredible number of objects in great detail. Enlarging the image by a factor of 600 reveals the intricate structure of a spiral galaxy in galaxy cluster Abell 3381, 470 million light-years away.

    “What really strikes me about these new images is the tremendous range in physical scale,” said JPL’s Mike Seiffert, project scientist for the NASA contribution to Euclid. “The images capture detail from clusters of stars near an individual galaxy to some of the largest structures in the universe. We are beginning to see the first hints of what the full Euclid data will look like when it reaches the completion of the prime survey.”
    Visble as well are clouds of gas and dust located between the stars in our own galaxy. Sometimes called “galactic cirrus” because they look like cirrus clouds at Earth, these clouds can be observed by Euclid’s visible-light camera because they reflect visible light from the Milky Way.
    The mosaic released today is taste of what’s to come from Euclid. The mission plans to release 53 square degrees of the Euclid survey, including a preview of the Euclid Deep Field areas, in March 2025 and to release its first year of cosmology data in 2026.
    NASA’s forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman mission will also study dark energy — in ways that are complementary to Euclid. Mission planners will use Euclid’s findings to inform Roman’s dark energy work. Scheduled to launch by May 2027, Roman will study a smaller section of sky than Euclid but will provide higher-resolution images of millions of galaxies and peer deeper into the universe’s past, providing complementary information. In addition, Roman will survey nearby galaxies, find and investigate planets throughout our galaxy, study objects on the outskirts of our solar system, and more.
    More About Euclid
    Euclid is a European mission, built and operated by ESA, with contributions from NASA. The Euclid Consortium — consisting of more than 2,000 scientists from 300 institutes in 15 European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan — is responsible for providing the scientific instruments and scientific data analysis. ESA selected Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor for the construction of the satellite and its service module, with Airbus Defence and Space chosen to develop the payload module, including the telescope. Euclid is a medium-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision Programme.
    Three NASA-supported science teams contribute to the Euclid mission. In addition to designing and fabricating the sensor-chip electronics for Euclid’s Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument, JPL led the procurement and delivery of the NISP detectors as well. Those detectors, along with the sensor chip electronics, were tested at NASA’s Detector Characterization Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI), at Caltech in Pasadena, California, will archive the science data and support U.S.-based science investigations. JPL is a division of Caltech.
    For more information about Euclid go to:
    https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/euclid/main/index.html
    For more information about Roman, go to:
    https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov
    News Media Contacts
    Calla CofieldJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-808-2469calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov
    ESA Media Relationsmedia@esa.int
    2024-141

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ProCap Ushers in the Grand Opening of a New Business Lounge in China Hong Kong SAR

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On 9th October 2024, ProCap leaders from China, Japan, The Philippines, and South Korea graced the grand opening of ProCap’s new Hong Kong business lounge. The business lounge is located right in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui district and marks a significant milestone in ProCap’s business expansion plans as the company is preparing to launch a strategic entry in the Mainland Chinese markets. The grand opening is a testament of ProCap’s commitment to serving our valued partners and business associates in the Pearl River Delta Region. Additionally, the new business lounge is a symbol of the company’s confidence in Hong Kong and the Greater China Region as the company continues to regard it as a key strategic focus market for expansion.

    Last Wednesday’s grand opening was the culmination of the hard work and dedication by ProCap’s management team and Hong Kong’s leaders as the company intends to capitalise on our presence in Hong Kong as a launching pad to realise the huge business potential in the Pearl River Delta Region. Specifically, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone as a trading and logistics hub presents itself with unique opportunities for ProCap as the company seeks to make inroads into a bustling regional hub for trade and commerce. Additionally, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone is also where the different economies of China, Hong Kong, and Macau converge, which gives rise to a dynamic and robust business environment; this is crucial and in-line with ProCap’s business ethos as the company seeks to grow continuously amidst an ever-changing fast paced regional backdrop.  

    At ProCap, we believe in constantly expanding our presence and network to better serve our growing customer base. With the new business lounge sited in Hong Kong, it will provide ProCap with access to a dynamic and vibrant region of Southern China while providing greater connectivity to our valued customers in the region. Additionally, the presence of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will provide ProCap with further expansion and growth opportunities beyond Hong Kong. The company is aware of recent developments in China’s fiscal and monetary stimulus push and looks optimistically towards a better outlook for the domestic economic situation.

    ProCap would like to express our immense gratitude to all leaders and associates for attending the grand opening ceremony in Hong Kong. The company would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to our valued clients for their continuous support and trust placed in ProCap as your preferred partners for capital protection. ProCap will continue to grow as a company as we strive to be the world’s leading capital protection services provider by providing our clients with world class protection coverage.

    About Procap International

    ProCap International a technology-empowered, innovative financial services provider, is the pioneer of Capital Protection. The company is built on the basis of risk management in prediction games; and selected trading instruments on exchanges.

    By following the ProCap Formula, clients can get to enjoy stable returns daily by making the correct predictions; without the need to worry about making the wrong predictions and incurring any financial losses.

    As the industry transits through consolidation and technological disruptions, ProCap’s avant-garde operating model is poised to provide the most competitive and cost-effective insurance products tailored to our clients’ ever evolving needs. The amalgamation of ProCap, Clients and Gaming Operators seamlessly is an industry first with the company having tremendous growth potential to carve out a niche for itself with this revolutionary business model.

    Web: http://www.procap.insure

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s musical interlude is a twist on the long tradition of candidates enlisting musicians’ support, from Al Jolson to Springsteen to Swift

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matt Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Park University

    Donald Trump dances to the song “Y.M.C.A.” with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, during a town hall event in Pennsylvania on Oct. 14, 2024. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Donald Trump made liberal use of music in what’s being called a “surreal” or “bizarre” town hall meeting on Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pennsylvania. After two attendees at the event had medical problems, Trump declared he would stop answering audience questions, and music would be played instead.

    Then, as the Washington Post reported, “For 39 minutes, Trump swayed, bopped — sometimes stopping to speak — as he turned the event into almost a living-room listening session of his favorite songs from his self-curated rally playlist.”

    The music included “YMCA” by the Village People and Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

    The use of music in campaigns is a long tradition, although this may be the first time a playlist has substituted for talking points. While Trump is bopping at campaign events, both Democrats and Republicans anticipate what looks to be another coin flip election that could come down to a few hundred thousand votes in a handful of states. Every voter matters – no matter how you reach them. With that in mind, Democrats are communicating not just on matters of policy, but matters of pop culture.

    Specifically, Democrats are embracing football and Taylor Swift. The Harris-Walz campaign trotted out endorsements from 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers and sells Swiftie-style friendship bracelets on its campaign website, among other overtures. Swift herself has endorsed Kamala Harris.

    The Harris-Walz campaign is definitely stressing Walz’s football coach background.
    Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

    Tim Walz cited his experience as a football coach and mentioned Swift in the vice presidential debate.

    Democratic challenger and former NFLer Colin Allred, who is running to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, has put out ads in which he appears moments from taking to the gridiron.

    But how much does pop culture campaigning, if you will, matter? Does trying to link a campaign to a sport, or a culture, or a style of music actually influence elections? Looking to five different election campaigns in the past can give a sense of the effects, or lack thereof, of such campaigning.

    An ad for Texas Democrat Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player, stresses his football past in his bid to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.

    Reagan and Springsteen

    Any discussion of the embrace of pop culture by candidates should probably start with Ronald Reagan’s Bruce Springsteen era.

    Reagan, attempting to reach beyond his base, viewed 1984 as a vibes-based election and cited Springsteen as an exemplar of the hope his campaign wished to inspire. Springsteen rejected a request from Reagan’s camp to use his often-misunderstood “Born in the U.S.A.” on the campaign trail. The song’s lyrics describe a down-on-his-luck Vietnam War veteran, but if you don’t listen carefully to the lyrics, the song can sound like a celebration of veterans and being American.

    While Reagan went on to win 49 states in that year’s election, perhaps the biggest long-term impact of his courtship of Springsteen fans was to turn Springsteen from a relatively apolitical performer to a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party.

    In this way, Springsteen’s transformation mirrors that of Taylor Swift, with Marsha Blackburn, the Tennessee Republican senator, serving as her Reagan – the person who pushed the performer into the political arena after years on the sidelines.

    Springsteen and Kerry

    Springsteen’s foray into politics eventually led him to back Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 with a series of concerts called the “Vote for Change” tour.

    Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry greets the crowd with musician Bruce Springsteen while campaigning in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 28, 2004.
    AP Photo/Laura Rauch

    Kerry, meanwhile, undertook his own efforts at cultural turf claiming. His attempts to demonstrate his bona fides as a sports-loving everyman went awry at times, when he flubbed the name of “Lambeau Field,” home of Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers, and referred to a nonexistent Boston Red Sox player, “Manny Ortez.” The ill-fated sports references arguably didn’t hurt his campaign – he won Wisconsin and Massachusetts – but he was ridiculed for a photo-op hunting trip late in the campaign and went on to lose rural Midwestern voters decisively – as well as the election.

    Kerry’s dabbling with hunting imagery was perhaps an attempt to dull President George W. Bush’s advantage in perceived strength of leadership, which was in part burnished by his adoption of a cowboy persona.

    Harding, Jolson and the Cubs

    While Reagan’s attempt to woo 1980s rock fans is one of the best-known attempts to campaign on a mantra of popular culture, it was far from the first.

    Sen. Warren Harding’s 1920 front porch campaign for president was given a jolt of enthusiasm by a visit from singer and actor Al Jolson. Harding was also visited in his hometown, Marion, Ohio, by other actors and celebrities and the Chicago Cubs.

    Harding’s strategy probably better serves as a template for things to come than a decisive move in the 1920 election: His victory with over 60% of the popular vote suggests no celebrity could have saved Democrat James Cox.

    Bill Clinton and MTV

    As the Harris-Walz campaign tries to draw votes from Swift’s young fans, parallels can be drawn to Democratic Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s attempts to embrace youth culture in the 1992 presidential election. Among other appearances, Clinton took questions from young voters on MTV and played saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

    While the direct effect of Clinton’s forays into youth culture is difficult to measure, he did surge among young voters relative to Democrat Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign.

    In his 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton went on MTV to answer young people’s questions, which included ‘If you had it to do over again, would you inhale?’

    Ford and football

    Any discussion of politicians embracing football culture would be incomplete without a discussion of the American president best at playing football, Gerald Ford, the vice president who became the nation’s 38th president in 1974, when Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal.

    Ford played center on two national championship teams at the University of Michigan. While not using his football player background to the same level as former football coach Walz did at the Democratic National Convention, Ford did make use of his football credentials on the stump during the 1976 presidential campaign and was joined on the campaign trail by Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

    But the votes of football fans were apparently not enough to keep Ford in the White House for long. He lost the 1976 election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

    Potentially fruitful pickups

    Will the Harris-Walz strategy of recruiting voters through pop culture be successful? Swift’s fans are largely young, suburban women, and NFL fans are strewn across the political spectrum. There are potentially fruitful pickups in both camps. The candidates certainly think it matters: Walz said he “took football back” from Republicans, a claim disputed by Trump.

    Stressing pop culture credentials can also provide attention to a campaign, regardless of persuasion. Clinton’s pop culture appearances generated coverage beyond the appearances themselves and were cost-effective for a campaign short on funds.

    This type of pop culture campaigning generates coverage, then, even if voters aren’t moved by thinking a candidate shares their love of football or pop music.

    This story has been updated to include the Trump town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 14.

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

    – ref. Trump’s musical interlude is a twist on the long tradition of candidates enlisting musicians’ support, from Al Jolson to Springsteen to Swift – https://theconversation.com/trumps-musical-interlude-is-a-twist-on-the-long-tradition-of-candidates-enlisting-musicians-support-from-al-jolson-to-springsteen-to-swift-239381

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USS Preble (DDG 88) Arrives in Yokosuka to join Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15

    Source: United States Navy

    YOKOSUKA – The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) arrived at its forward-deployed location of Yokosuka, Japan, to join Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, October 12, 2024.

    The ship was commissioned Nov. 9, 2002, in Boston and had been homeported at Naval Base San Diego for nearly 22 years.

    “We are thrilled to have Preble join the team in the Western Pacific,” said Capt. Justin Harts, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15. “Her arrival is a welcome addition to the DESRON 15 family, and her advanced capabilities add unique value. I am excited to get Preble underway with our Allies and partners to see what she can do.”

    The ship is named in honor of Commodore Edward Preble, who served in the American Revolutionary War and was one of the early leaders of the Navy. USS Preble is the 38th destroyer of her class.

    The United States values Japan’s contributions to the peace, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific and its long-term commitment and hospitality in hosting U.S. forces forward deployed there. These forces, along with their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, make up the core capabilities needed by the alliance to meet common strategic objectives and support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Preble is forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

    U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IMPD Sergeant Facing Federal Charges for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

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

    INDIANAPOLIS—A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant, Javed Richards, 42, with five counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Richards had his initial appearance in federal court on October 10th.

    According to the indictment, on July 14, 2024, Richards allegedly distributed at least five videos of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other individuals via the Kik messenger application. Richards is further charged with possessing numerous images and videos of child sex abuse material on his iCloud account.

    IMPD announced it has suspended Sergeant Richards pending a recommendation of termination to the IMPD Civilian Police Merit Board.

    The FBI and Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is investigating this case, with cooperation from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. If convicted, Richards faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

    U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting this case.

    This investigation was conducted by the FBI which is part of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.internetcrimesagainstkids.com to learn more about their efforts.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada announces funding to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of Canadian cereals

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Cereal crops are a staple of Canada’s agricultural sector.

    October 15, 2024 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Cereal crops are a staple of Canada’s agricultural sector. Last year, we exported 29.8 million tonnes of wheat, barley and oats, valued at $13.8 billion, and demand continues to grow.

    To support the competitiveness and sustainability of Canadian cereals, today, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced up to $7.3 million in funding to Cereals Canada through the AgriMarketing Program and the AgriScience Program – Projects Component, two initiatives under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

    Cereals Canada is receiving up to $6,660,817 through the AgriMarketing Program to increase market access, improve customer support, and expand exports through initiatives like technical exchanges, market research, and knowledge sharing among stakeholders.

    Through the AgriScience Program – Projects Component, Cereals Canada is also receiving up to $674,249. This funding will support research on how environmental conditions impact cereal crop quality during the growing season. It will also expand milling expertise, establish oat quality standards, and compare Canadian wheat with international competitors to strengthen Canada’s place in the global market.

    By sharing key insights on the performance, functionality, and marketability of Canadian cereals with customers, producers, and partners, these projects will drive market growth. At the same time, by investing in research to help farmers adapt to environmental challenges, they will further build on Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality, sustainable cereal grains.

    “We are grateful for the support from the Government of Canada for applied research and market access initiatives that will benefit Canadian wheat, durum, barley, and oat growers, and the value chain as a whole. This funding enables us to amplify our resources, maintain and grow markets, and foster industry relationships and advocacy, helping to ensure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of Canada’s cereals industry.”

    – Dean Dias, CEO, Cereals Canada

    • In the last five years, Canada exported wheat to almost 100 countries with some of the largest buyers being in the United States, Indonesia, China and Japan.

    • According to Statistics Canada, 2023 wheat exports were nearly $12 billion, and 2023 oat exports were $725 million.

    • Cereals Canada is a longstanding recipient of departmental funding, having most recently received over $3 million in funding through the AgriMaketing Program under the previous Canadian Agricultural Partnership framework.

    • Cereals Canada is a national, not-for-profit organization representing the cereal grains sector, focused on enhancing the competitiveness of Canadian cereals both domestically and internationally.

    • The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a $3.5-billion, 5-year agreement (2023 to 2028), between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.

    • The AgriMarketing Program, under the Sustainable CAP, supports national agricultural sectors to increase and diversify exports to international markets and seize domestic market opportunities.

    • The AgriScience Program, under the Sustainable CAP, aims to accelerate innovation by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and research that benefits the agriculture and agri-food sector, and Canadians.

    Annie Cullinan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
    annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 2023 IAEA Annual Report Presented to the UN General Assembly

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The 2023 IAEA Annual Report contains highlights of a significant year for the Agency. (Image: A.Vargas).

    The 2023 IAEA Annual Report is now available to read online, in all the official UN languages. The 2023 report was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly  today by the IAEA’s Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi.

    The 2023 IAEA Annual Report contains highlights of a significant year for the Agency. A new Atoms4Food initiative was launched by Mr Grossi, together with the Director General Qu Dongyu of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The initiative builds on the IAEA’s experience of helping countries to use nuclear techniques to help them tackle global hunger by enhancing food security and nutrition. 

    At the same time, the IAEA continued to implement its existing key initiatives. These include Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, aimed at closing the gap in cancer care in lower- and middle- income countries, its Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action initiative  (ZODIAC) tasked with preventing future pandemics and NUTEC Plastics, which fights global plastic pollution.

    “Every day on every continent, the IAEA assists nations in overcoming challenges like diseases, poverty, hunger, pollution and climate change,” said Mr Grossi in his written statement to the UN General Assembly. “In partnership with our 178 Member States, we are enabling communities to improve healthcare, agriculture and energy systems through the power of nuclear science and technology.”

    An important part of the IAEA’s work in 2023 was to ensure transparency around the discharge of ALPS treated water from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. In July, Mr Grossi presented to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan an Agency report that concluded the discharge approach and activities to be consistent with international safety standards.

    Another key priority was to support Ukraine’s nuclear safety and security. A total of 86 IAEA missions comprising 187 staff travelled to Ukraine in 2023. The IAEA also maintained a continuous presence at all five nuclear sites in Ukraine. In May, Mr Grossi presented to the UN Security Council the five principles for protecting nuclear safety and security at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

    A significant milestone for the IAEA was at last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, where leaders backed investment in nuclear as a low-carbon energy source for the first time. Further notable developments concerning nuclear energy included two interconnected mechanisms: the IAEA Platform on SMRs and their Applications and the IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative, launched together in 2023 to support its Member States with the safe and timely deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs offer a viable option to  enhance energy security while helping to achieve global climate goals for many countries worldwide. 

    The IAEA’s unique laboratories at Seibersdorf achieved a milestone last year, fundraising was completed for the renewal of the Nuclear Application Laboratories (ReNuAL) initiative. In addition, the IAEA’s new Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre opened, ready to assist Member States in tackling nuclear terrorism and crime.

    Mr Grossi also launched the World Fusion Energy Group in 2023, which will bringing together key stakeholders as this future technology continues its journey from experimentation to demonstration and deployment.

    In addition, the IAEA celebrated achievements in promoting gender equality in the nuclear sector. By the end of 2023, the IAEA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme had 560 fellows, and the Lise Meitner Programme was also in place, offering early- and mid-career women in the nuclear sector new opportunities for career advancement. In 2023, gender balance was achieved in senior management at the IAEA.

    More information about the significant activities of the Agency during the past year is available here. The 2023 IAEA Annual Report can also be read in the UN official languages of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, as well as English. Mr Grossi’s full statement can be read here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Colleagues Commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, commemorated Indigenous Peoples’ Day with the bicameral Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act alongside Representatives Norma Torres (CA-35), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The legislation would designate Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a legal public holiday and replace the term ‘‘Columbus Day’’ with the term ‘‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day.’’ 

    “Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an essential step toward honoring the accomplishments and strength of Tribal Nations across New Mexico and the country,” said Senator Luján, a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “I’m proud to lead this effort to officially designate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and am hopeful that Congress will follow in New Mexico’s footsteps and recognize the holiday federally. Throughout history, Native people have played a vital role in our society and shaping our nation’s history – from serving in the military, educating our children, to boosting our economy – and it is well past time to celebrate their contributions. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill and honor all the triumphs of our Tribal communities.” 

    “It has been a year since the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act was reintroduced, and our nation needs to recognize and work towards addressing the deep-seated historical injustices and suffering experienced by the natives across the country,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “The Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act seeks to honor the enduring presence of the tribes that inhabited the Americas long before the arrival of Western explorers. By establishing Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a federal holiday, we can take a meaningful step towards acknowledging the complexities of our nation’s history and celebrating the rich traditions and culture of all Indigenous communities who are an integral part of the United States history. It is time for my colleagues in the House and Senate to unite in passing this critical legislation, ensuring that we pay tribute to the cultures and significant contributions of Indigenous peoples to our nation.”

    “On Indigenous Peoples’ Day we recognize the immense contributions Indigenous communities have made throughout our country’s history and before its founding,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “We also must acknowledge the many injustices that continue to affect Indigenous communities today. I’m pleased to join my colleagues in this important effort to establish Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a federal holiday.”

    “Indigenous People’s Day is not only a time to acknowledge the centuries of discrimination that Native peoples have experienced, but an opportunity to celebrate how much Indigenous peoples’ rich cultures have contributed to our nation’s history,” said Representative Sharice L. Davids. “As one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and a proud member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, I am proud to join my colleagues in calling for the national celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”

    “Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity for us to unite in celebration of the rich tapestry of tribal nations, their diverse cultures, and the important contributions they have made to our communities,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene. “Cementing this observance also acknowledges the current and historical injustices Indigenous communities face and renews our commitment to preserving their rights as we work toward a more inclusive and equitable society.”

    “As President of the Navajo Nation, I am proud to support Congresswoman Torre’s and Senator Heinrich’s efforts to pass the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity for all of us to come together to honor the rich histories, cultures and contributions of Indigenous communities across the country. It is a day to reflect on the resilience of our people, and to promote understanding and respect for our heritage. By recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we celebrate our past and pave the way for a future built on mutual respect and collaboration. This is a day for education, reflection and unity as we work toward healing and progress.” – Dr. Buu Nygren, President of the Navajo Nation

    Full Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act Bill

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Decode Global Receives Best Forex Fintech Broker Award at BrokersView Abu Dhabi Expo

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a significant achievement, Decode Global has been recognized as the Best Forex Fintech Broker at the BrokersView Abu Dhabi Expo, a leading event for the financial information and technology industry. This award highlights Decode Global’s continued expansion and innovation in fintech, as well as its commitment to delivering high-quality services in forex trading and beyond. Established in 2004, Decode Global has over 20 years of experience in the financial sector. Recently, Decode Global has focused on expanding its presence in emerging markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. This move is seen as part of its strategy to tap into new client bases and further its global reach.

    Decode Global’s Introducing Broker (IB) program has been a key factor in its industry success. Designed to meet the unique needs of each partner, the IB program offers customizable plans with industry-leading rebate structures. The company has continuously refined this program, making it more accessible and integrating advanced technology to improve user experience. This adaptability and commitment to partner success have contributed to the company’s growing reputation in the financial services arena.

    “This recognition reflects Decode Global’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction,” said Sultan Khalil, Decode Global’s Business Development Manager for the MENA region. “We look forward to expanding our reach and sharing our customized IB solutions with a wider audience.”

    Decode Global is also known for its strong adherence to global compliance standards, holding multiple financial licenses worldwide, including those issued by ASIC, VFSC, SVGFSA, and FinCEN. The company emphasizes security and transparency as central pillars of its operations, reflecting its dedication to a safe and compliant trading environment for clients.

    With a focus on emerging markets and a robust IB program, Decode Global aims to maintain its role at the forefront of the fintech industry. The company’s recent award underscores its commitment to growth and innovation in the rapidly changing financial landscape.

    About Decode Global

    Decode Global Limited is a diversified financial services company for both retail and wholesale clients, with a leading online Forex and CFD business. Decode Global Limited brings together top elites with decades of experience from major banks, investment banks, fund management, accounting and tax industries. This has allowed the company to develop rapidly and attract CFD traders at all levels worldwide.

    Contact

    PR Office – Decode Global

    pr@decode-group.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense to Travel to Brussels and NATO for Defense Ministerial Meetings Followed by G7 Defense Ministers Meeting in Italy and Other Engagements in Italy and Vatican City

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will travel to Brussels, Belgium, from October 16-18, 2024, to participate in a series of multilateral meetings, including the NATO Defense Ministerial and the Ministerial of the force contributing members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS). These engagements and others will focus on strengthening NATO’s collective defense posture, adapting the D-ISIS Coalition to an evolving threat from ISIS in the Middle East and globally, and enhancing military support for Ukraine.

    Secretary Austin will then attend the first-ever G7 Defense Ministers Meeting Oct. 19 in Naples, Italy, where he will also meet with Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto and the new Minister of Defense of Japan, Nakatani Gen. The discussions at the G7 will center on ensuring continued security assistance for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s aggression, addressing the urgent need to deescalate tensions in the Middle East, exchanging views on the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, discussing support for partners in Africa, and fostering additional cooperation on defense industry issues among the world’s leading democratic economies.

    Secretary Austin will also conclude his trip with official engagements in Vatican City.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WA Agriculture Industry Receives $1.5 Million to Assist New Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    10.15.24

    WA Agriculture Industry Receives $1.5 Million to Assist New Farmers

    Programs will provide new farmers with training and assistance to successfully start new farms

    EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced $1.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to programs that will assist new agricultural workers in Washington state. The programs aim to provide farmers with the training and assistance to successfully start new farms, and target groups traditionally underserved by USDA grants.

    The grants come from the USDA’s 2501 program, which helps underserved farmers, ranchers, and foresters who have historically had limited access to USDA programs and services, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program.

    • $750,000 to Wakulima USA to provide support to disadvantaged new and beginning farmers. This grant focuses on increasing farmland access, improving production skills and facilities, establishing and expanding market connections, and providing a support system for immigrant and refugee farmers. This program is refugee- and immigrant-led, and will assist farmers in South King County.
    • $749,997 to the International Rescue Committee to help refugees, asylees, and immigrants achieve stability and flourish after resettlement throughout the U.S. This program will assist new farmers in South King County and Salt Lake County, UT, in growing their farm businesses by teaching skills and providing marketing opportunities and access to resources.
    • $49,014 to the Washington Farmland Trust to provide personalized support to beginning farmers and ranchers seeking to acquire farmland. This program helps farmers develop relationships with landowners and teaches them the skills to evaluate prospective farmland before purchasing it. This project will provide 50 new farmers across Washington state with the support to establish their farm businesses.

    Sen. Cantwell has been a consistent champion of Washington state’s agriculture industry, which is vital to the state’s economy. Agriculture and food manufacturing generate more than $21 billion per year and employ more than 171,000 people. Small and family farms are key contributors, making up 89% and 96%, respectively, of Washington’s farms.  In March  2024, Sen. Cantwell announced that Washington’s sweet cherry growers would be eligible for up to $500,000 in emergency loans following a disaster declaration for 2023’s cherry harvest season. A month earlier, she had sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging him to expedite the disaster declaration.

    In September 2023, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on American apples and pulse crops following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy. In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

    In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: China’s government is about to spend big on stimulus – can it turn around the country’s sluggish economy?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wenting He, PhD candidate of International Relations, Australian National University

    Sanga Park/Shutterstock

    China’s relentless economic growth used to be the marvel of the world. Oh, what a memory.

    The past couple of years have seen China contend with an economic slowdown amid colliding crises, many of which make it internationally unique. Consumer prices have been approaching deflationary territory, there’s an oversupply of housing, and youth unemployment has soared.

    Mounting pressure has forced the Chinese government to step in. Over the past month, Beijing has put forward a set of significant economic stimulus measures aimed at reviving China’s faltering economy.

    According to a research note by Deutsche Bank, this stimulus could potentially become “the largest in history” in nominal terms. But there’s still a lot we don’t know. So what kinds of measures that are in this package so far, and has China been here before?

    What’s in the package?

    On September 24, Pan Gongsheng, governor of China’s central bank, unveiled the country’s boldest intervention to boost its economy since the pandemic.

    The initiatives included reducing mortgage rates for existing homes and reducing the amount of cash commercial banks are required to hold in reserves. The latter is expected to inject about 1 trillion yuan (A$210 billion) into the financial market by letting the banks lend out more.

    China has been grappling with an oversupply of housing and a property sector crisis.
    Charles Bowman/Shutterstock

    On top of this, 800 billion yuan (A$168 billion) was announced to strengthen China’s capital market.

    This comprised a new 500 billion yuan (A$105 billion) monetary policy facility to help institutions more easily access funds to buy stocks, and a 300 billion yuan (A$63 billion) re-lending facility to help speed up sales of unsold housing.

    Further signs of economic revitalisation became evident at a Politburo meeting of China’s top government officials, two days after this announcement.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the urgency of economic revival. Xi even encouraged officials to “go bold in helping the economy” without having to fear the consequences.

    That same day, seven government departments released a joint policy package to stabilise China’s 500 billion yuan (A$105 billion) dairy industry, which has been severely impacted by declining milk and beef prices since 2023.

    A market rollercoaster

    Initially, the market’s response was overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps too positive. In the last week of September, stock markets in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong saw their biggest weekly rise in 16 years.

    On October 8, following China’s National Day holiday, turnover on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges hit an unprecedented 3.43 trillion yuan (A$718 billion). However, expectations for further stimulus measures were met with disappointment.

    China’s National Development and Reform Commission brought forward 100 billion yuan (A$21 billion) in spending from the 2025 budget. That wasn’t enough to sustain market optimism. On October 9, Chinese stocks saw their most severe drop in 27 years.

    This downturn only worsened a few days later, when China’s Ministry of Finance hinted there was “ample room” to raise debts but did not specify any new stimulus measures.

    Still thin on the details

    The market remains deeply uncertain about the future direction of China’s economic policies and what they might mean for the world. Hopes that more details might be released over the weekend were largely dashed.

    Back in July, Chinese authorities asserted in their Third Plenary Session communique that China “must remain firmly committed” to achieving this year’s economic growth target of 5%. Compared to the country’s reform-era economic performance, that’s a modest goal.

    But facing a persistently sluggish economic outlook, Xi later seemed to subtly shift the tone, changing the language from “remain firmly committed” to “strive to fulfill” in September.

    Over the past decades, China has frequently employed massive-scale stimulus measures to revive its economy during downturns. These policies have been able to significantly rejuvenate the economy, though occasionally with some worrying side effects.

    In response to the 2008 global financial crisis, China’s State Council released a 4 trillion yuan (A$837 billion) stimulus package. This successfully helped China stand firm through the crisis and was credited as a key stabiliser of the global economy.

    But it also accumulated trillions of yuan in debt through local government financing and accelerated the rise of “shadow banking” – unregulated financial activities.

    China also spent big on stimulating its economy in 2015, following stock market turbulence, and then again in the wake of the pandemic.

    What should we expect?

    What should we expect this time? How balanced or sustainable will any ensuing growth be?

    We are still waiting on many of the details about the size and scope of the package, but any big increase in Chinese economic demand will likely have “spillover” effects.

    As we’ve discussed, many of the measures announced to date will have their most immediate effect on borrowing, lending and liquidity in China’s stock markets.

    That suggests we should watch for what’s called the “wealth effect” in economics. This is the theory that rising asset prices – such as for housing or shares – make people feel wealthier and therefore spend more.

    If China’s big stimulus spend causes sustained increases in asset values, it could give rise to economic optimism. Chinese consumers – and investors – may become less anxious about the future.

    From Australia’s point of view, that could see increases in demand in areas where our economies are interlinked – iron ore, tourism, education and manufactured food exports.

    More broadly, Chinese demand could contribute to growth in other global economies, with a self-reinforcing effect on the world as a whole.

    Beware financialisation

    On the other hand, China’s shift to depending more on volatile asset price rises in its capital markets to sustain growth could have destabilising effects. Where asset price increases benefit those at the “top end of town,” they can breed inequities and imbalances of their own.

    China’s “Black Monday” stock market crash in 2015 raised alarm in Beijing. Partly reflecting a wariness of excess financialisation, Xi cautioned at the time that “housing is for living in, not for speculation”.

    So far, China is still navigating its path towards a more sustainable development model, striving to strike a balance between sustaining economic growth and stabilising its domestic markets and political landscape. As for the outcome, it remains a profound uncertainty for us all – perhaps China itself included.

    Wesley Widmaier receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Wenting He 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. China’s government is about to spend big on stimulus – can it turn around the country’s sluggish economy? – https://theconversation.com/chinas-government-is-about-to-spend-big-on-stimulus-can-it-turn-around-the-countrys-sluggish-economy-241260

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –