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  • MIL-OSI: On the Heels of Inflation, Why Experts Expect Gold Prices Will Climb to Record Highs in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Gold prices are forecast to climb to record highs in the coming year. The price of gold has soared to new heights this year and is positioned to climb into early 2025, rising to new record highs, according to Goldman Sachs Research. The precious metal has increased more than 20% this year, peaking at a record of more than $2,500 per troy ounce. Goldman Sachs Research forecasts the price will reach $2,700 by early next year, buoyed by interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and gold purchases by emerging market central banks. The metal could get an additional boost if the US imposes new financial sanctions or if concerns mount about the US debt burden. They see that Gold prices are forecast to climb to record high. Goldman Sachs says that: “Gold is our strategists’ preferred near-term long (the commodity they most expect to go up in the short term), and it’s also their preferred hedge against geopolitical and financial risks. In this softer cyclical environment, gold stands out as the commodity where we have the highest confidence in near-term upside,” Goldman Sachs Research strategists Samantha Dart and Lina Thomas write. Active Mining Companies in the markets today include Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB), Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX), Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC), Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD), IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG).

    In an additional article, Goldman Sachs added: “The yellow metal typically only guards against very high inflation and large inflation surprises caused by losses in central bank credibility and geopolitical supply shocks. Gold usually didn’t perform well in response to positive demand shocks when the central bank responded swiftly by hiking rates. Gold emerged as the best commodity to serve as a potential hedge against inflation and geo-political risks. Goldman Sachs Research’s base case is that gold appreciates to $2,700/troy ounce by year-end, an increase of about 16%, on solid demand from central banks in emerging markets and from Asian households. Gold could help shield against potential stock market drops if a trade war erupts, and it has upside if concerns mount about the US debt load or if the Fed is subordinated by a new administration.”

    Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB) Gold Production Continues Upward Trend For Third Quarter, As Ore Stockpile Processing Plant Advances Towards Completion – Asia Broadband Inc. (“AABB” or the “Company) is pleased to announce that the Company’s operations for the 3rd quarter ending September 30, 2024, will be completed next week and production levels have already surpassed the second quarter. The Company has exceeded its production and gross profit levels achieved in both the 1st and 2nd consecutive record quarters this year. Gold production more than doubled in the 1st quarter of 2024, in comparison to the 4th quarter of 2023, due to higher grade selection, recovery efficiencies and increased daily throughput levels. Additionally, the economies of scale from higher productions levels reduced production costs and added to the bottom-line gross profit, which has continued in an upward trend over the last three quarters.

    The elevated operational strategies and efficiencies of the AABB mining team continued in the 3rd quarter and has firmly established the foundation for the high production levels to follow the completion of the Company’s processing plant. The new facility is currently under construction in Etzatlan, Mexico, and its capacity will be primarily dedicated to processing the estimated $1 billion dollar ore value of the Company’s exclusive rights surface stockpile. AABB continues to develop the processing plant and will release updates as progress milestones are reached. The Company will release a processing plant project update in October.

    “The elevation of our production processes by the mining operations team in all three quarters of this year will have a multiplier effect with increased production levels. We are eagerly awaiting to extend this expertise to our massive ore stockpile processing when the new plant is complete. This will take us to a much higher level than we have ever reached before,” expressed Chris Torres, the Company President and CEO.

    AABB continues to implement its mining property acquisition strategy to optimize development capital utilization by focusing operations in regions of Mexico where AABB has a comparative advantage of development resources and expertise readily available for rapid expansion and duplication of the Company’s previous gold production success. CONTINUED… Read this full release for Asia Broadband at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-aabb/

    Other recent developments in the mining industry include:

    Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) recently said it is projecting a 30% growth in the production of gold-equivalent ounces from its existing assets by the end of this decade while it continues to unlock the value embedded in its portfolio, says president and chief executive Mark Bristow.

    Speaking at the Gold Forum Americas, Bristow said while Barrick was alert to potentially value-accretive opportunities generated by the consolidation of the industry, it had the rare luxury of doing so from an asset base that would support organic growth well into the future.

    “Five years ago, we set out to build a sustainably profitable gold and copper business focused on world-class assets. We did not have to buy them at a premium: they were embedded in the merged portfolio of Barrick and Randgold and we just had to unlock their value,” he said.

    Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC) recently provided an update on the Great Bear project (the “Project”), located in Red Lake, Ontario, Canada. Kinross has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Great Bear project which supports the Company’s acquisition thesis of a top tier high-margin operation in a stable jurisdiction with strong infrastructure. Based on mineral resources drilled to date, the PEA outlines a high-grade combined open pit and underground mine with an initial planned mine life of approximately 12 years and production cost of sales of $594 per ounce. The Project is expected to produce over 500,000 ounces per year at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of approximately $800 per ounce during the first 8 years through a conventional, modest capital 10,000 tonne per day (tpd) mill.

    Kinross has also released an updated mineral resource estimate increasing the inferred resource estimate by 568koz. to 3.884 Moz. which is in addition to the existing M&I resource estimate of 2.738 Moz. The mineral resource estimate and PEA for the Great Bear project are available here.

    Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX) recently announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) for its 100% owned, exploration-stage Hasaga Property (“Hasaga” or the “Property”) in Red Lake, Ontario.

    “Hasaga is located in the Red Lake Gold District of northwestern Ontario, which is renowned for its high gold grades and prolific historical gold production. This updated Mineral Resource Estimate focuses on the high-grade nature of the gold mineralization and is a departure from the previous bulk-tonnage approach,” stated Scott Heffernan, EVP Exploration of Equinox Gold. “As expected, the updated Mineral Resource Estimate contains fewer gold ounces but at significantly higher average gold grades.

    “Further, the main zones of gold mineralization included in the updated Mineral Resource Estimate remain open, with numerous historical gold intersections defining drill-ready targets highlighting the potential for resource growth and new discoveries.”

    IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG) recently announced that the Côté Gold Mine (“Côté Gold” or “Côté”) has reached commercial production. Côté Gold is located in Ontario, Canada and is operated as a joint venture between IAMGOLD, as the operator, and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (“Sumitomo”). Commercial production is defined as the achievement of reaching a minimum of 30 consecutive days of operations during which the mill operated at an average of 60% of nameplate throughput of 36,000 tpd.

    “I would like to commend our teams at Côté Gold who have come together to achieve another great milestone as we progress and ramp up what we believe will be one of Canada’s largest gold mines and a model for modern mining in Canada,” said Renaud Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAMGOLD. “Since achieving the first pour of gold on March 31, 2024, our teams have spent the last four months methodically and iteratively testing and ramping up all facets of the mine. This process has required remarkable commitment, ingenuity and teamwork to bring all the systems online together to achieve this milestone.”

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    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    resident of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gedion Onyango, Research Fellow, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to them if they reported corruption cases. Gedion Onyango, who researches public accountability reforms, anti-corruption and whistleblowing reforms, sets out what protections are needed and how to change public mindsets.

    What is whistleblowing?

    Whistleblowing is disclosing information about behaviour or misconduct that could harm the public interest – the overall welfare of a society.

    Whistleblowing is primarily associated with disclosing corruption in state institutions. Because the private sector has become a partner in public service and national development processes, emerging laws like Kenya’s whistleblower protection bill and existing ones like Botswana’s Whistleblower Protection Act 2016 have been designed also to expose activities of companies and institutions that directly affect public affairs.

    Several key conditions must be met for whistleblowing to be effective.

    Read more: Corruption in South Africa: would paying whistleblowers help?

    Firstly, the society needs to broadly agree on what misconduct is. People should feel obliged to flag and address wrongdoing, and know what is expected when such information is disclosed. Essentially, the disclosure must be made in good faith.

    Secondly, there must be an authority that is expected to and is willing to take action after receiving such information.

    Thirdly, clear procedures or legal processes should be in place for receiving the information and determining the truth.

    The person disclosing the information must find it easy to report, besides having sufficient evidence to support their claims. A thoroughly bureaucratic way of receiving information about wrongdoing is more likely to intimidate and discourage potential whistleblowers.

    Fourthly, a system should be in place to reward individuals who disclose wrongdoing. This could involve recognising their contribution to society or providing financial incentives, often a percentage of money recovered in cases of corruption and asset recovery. Not all countries have this provision. But having such a reward is not always enough. This has been shown in Nigeria, where whistleblowing is declining despite the reward of 5% of recovered funds.

    Finally, there needs to be trust in the authority and the process for it to work.

    Why the focus on whistleblowers?

    Whistleblowers are important sources of information about misconduct, dishonesty and unethical behaviour that would otherwise remain concealed from the public. They are critical in promoting human rights, fighting corruption and addressing governance misconduct and inequalities.

    Many infamous scandals around the world have been brought to light by individuals who disclosed the wrongdoing. These include Kenya’s Anglo Leasing scandal.

    Whistleblowing is essential to ethical public leadership. It is no accident that many developing countries are now enacting laws to encourage and protect whistleblowers. With new laws in Kenya, whistleblowers would no longer have to primarily defend themselves against non-disclosure clauses that outlaw disclosures of a potential wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have previously been targeted by public organisations for releasing information in an unprocedural manner.

    You want to blow the whistle. What next?

    Potential whistleblowers can use internal or external mechanisms to disclose wrongdoing. The choice of mechanism will depend on the whistleblower’s confidence or history with these mechanisms.

    Studies have shown that internal whistleblowing is less desirable, and most whistleblowers prefer anonymous external whistleblowing channels that could prompt an investigation by an authority.

    Read more: South Africa’s corporate whistleblowers don’t get enough protection: what needs to change

    What protections should whistleblowers expect?

    Effective whistleblower protection mechanisms include protecting the identities of whistleblowers until the responsible authority has checked that there was wrongdoing.

    Whistleblowers should be protected from retaliation or harm, including social victimisation, physical attacks and disciplinary actions.

    The law should ensure that an insider whistleblower, such as an employee, is protected from being intimidated, disciplined or removed from their position. This should be for a long enough time (for example, at least five years), even if the case ultimately collapses, as often happens.

    In other words, the person should be protected from any loss, including damages that would affect their mental health or their job. This is typical of legislation globally.

    In today’s age of social media, the laws against defamation should be applied strictly to guard against online harassment.

    What would a forward-looking whistleblower policy look like?

    It’s important that whistleblower protection policies are understood and accepted by everyone. The process should start with extensive consultation. It should involve authorities such as religious groups, traditional leaders and government administrators at the lowest levels.

    Including whistleblowing in the country’s school, college and professional curriculum would increase awareness and improve social acceptance.

    It’s often the case that whistleblowers are seen as betrayers or snitches rather than as courageous defenders of public interest and ethical members of society. The reward system for whistleblowers should be included in prestigious national honours such as the Presidential Award.

    – Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them
    – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-whistleblowers-are-key-to-fighting-corruption-how-a-new-law-could-protect-them-239647

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    gradeço ao Presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e ao governo do Brasil por co-organizar esta reunião entre os ministros das Relações Exteriores do G20, todos os Estados Membros das Nações Unidas, e as organizações financeiras internacionais.

    [I thank President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the government of Brazil for co-convening this meeting between G20 foreign ministers, all UN Member States, and the international financial organizations.]

    This is a historic first.

    The G20, the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions and other international financial institutions deal with some of the most important challenges of our time: inequality, financing for development, the climate crisis, the impact of new technologies. 

    In all these areas, progress is slipping out of reach as our world becomes more unsustainable, unequal and unpredictable.

    Conflicts are raging, the climate crisis is accelerating, inequalities are growing, and new technologies have unprecedented potential for good – and bad.

    Global institutions must work together – not on parallel or conflicting tracks.

    They must cooperate and collaborate for the good of humanity and the Summit of the Future was an essential first step.

    It has created opportunities and possibilities for reform across the board.

    But without implementation, it will be meaningless.

    The work starts today.

    Excellencies,

    The Pact for the Future is about action in the here and now.

    And G20 countries can act in three specific areas.

    First, finance.

    We need ambitious reforms of the international financial architecture to make it fully representative of today’s global economy, so it can provide strong support to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

    I commend the leadership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for making important progress.

    But the resources available are still dwarfed by the size of the needs.

    Many developing countries are being hit by a double whammy of climate chaos and debt.

    To support low- and middle-income developing countries effectively, multilateral development banks must be bigger, bolder and better.

    We need a far more robust financial safety net to shield countries in a world of frequent shocks.

    Voting rights and decision-making rules should reflect the changing global landscape.

    And access to concessional finance should be based on needs and vulnerabilities, not just on income.

    All parts of the global financial system must work together to reduce the cost of finance and the inequalities that blight our world.  

    This demands action on debt – starting with an effective mechanism to deal with debt relief and restructuring.

    As a first step, I welcome the commitment by the International Monetary Fund to review the debt architecture – as set out in the Pact for the Future. 
    I look to all G20 countries to push for deep reforms so that global financial institutions reflect today’s world and respond to today’s challenges.

    One of those challenges is global hunger.  It is shameful that in our world of plenty, around one person in ten regularly goes without food for an entire day or more – known as severe food insecurity.

    I welcome President Lula and Brazil’s focus on global hunger during the G20 presidency and call on all G20 countries – and all UN Member States – to strengthen efforts to end this affront to our common humanity.  

    Excellencies,

    The second area for action is climate.

    We are at a critical moment: a battle to prevent temperatures from rising above the agreed limit of 1.5 degrees.  

    Today’s decisions and actions will determine the course of our world for decades to come.

    The climate crisis transcends borders and politics.  Climate action cannot be a victim of geopolitical competition.

    Under G20 leadership we will be able to have drastic reductions in fossil fuel production and consumption as an essential element for climate action.

    By 2030, global production and consumption of all fossil fuels must decline by at least thirty per cent – and global renewables capacity must triple.

    This requires OECD countries to phase out coal by 2030 and to fully decarbonize power generation systems by 2035.

    And it means non-OECD countries must phase out coal by 2040. 

    I have been strongly advocating for no new coal or upstream oil and gas projects for all G20 nations.

    New national climate plans due next year are an opportunity for countries to align energy strategies and development priorities with climate ambition, taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

    They must also show how each country intends to transition away from fossil fuels, in line with the outcome at COP 28.

    Excellencies,

    There has never been a greater global challenge than the climate crisis.

    There has never been more agreement on the solution: a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

    And renewable technologies have never been better – or cheaper.

    The obstacle to the renewables revolution is not economics, or a lack of solutions.

    It is mindsets, and lack of vision.

    Those that lead the renewables revolution are already reaping the rewards.

    But many developing countries are being left behind.

    Clean energy investments in emerging and developing economies outside China and India have barely increased since 2015.

    The energy transition must be based on justice and equity, so that all countries benefit.

    Excellencies,

    Third, we need strong, inclusive, legitimate global institutions and tools to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

    Fair and representative governance is a first step to unlock broader reforms.

    The Pact for the Future includes commitments to make multilateral institutions more representative, effective, transparent and accountable.

    I urge the strong engagement of G20 countries, including in reforms of our United Nations bodies:

    Making the Security Council truly representative by addressing the under-representation of Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean;

    Strengthening the role of the General Assembly and the Peacebuilding Commission;

    And enhancing the Economic and Social Council.

    The same principle applies to the international financial architecture: it should correspond to today’s global economy, with much stronger representation of developing countries.   

    For our part, the United Nations is totally committed to strengthening our convening role as an inclusive platform for dialogue and action.

    As part of that role, from next year, we intend to host biennial summits to formalize a dialogue between the UN system, the G20, and international financial institutions.

    Excellencies,

    Only together will we achieve the reforms in the Pact for the Future and deliver the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, to meet the expectations of the people we serve.  

    I urge the G20 to seize every opportunity to raise ambition for global leadership and transformative action for a safer, more peaceful and sustainable world for all.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Old industry base in N China sees green and environmental friendly shift

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

    Old industry base in N China sees green and environmental friendly shift

    Updated: September 25, 2024 21:46 Xinhua
    Workers arrange exhibits at the exhibition hall of a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. As one of the old industry bases in the central south of Hebei, Botou is dubbed “origin of casting industry” in the country, home to 322 casting companies, and boasting an annual output of 24.7 billion yuan (about 3.52 billion U.S. dollars) by clustered players there. Recent years have witnessed their manufacturing processes converted to green and environmental friendly ones. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker assembles a piece of mold at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers assemble products at a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers check product quality at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker is seen at a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker arranges exhibits at the exhibition hall of a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker scans a piece of automotive mold for quality check at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers operate at a workshop of a casting company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker checks product quality at a casting company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Molinaro Hosts Two Broome Community Leaders In DC For Hearing On Workforce Development

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19)

    Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today will have Frank Stento of the International Union of Painter’s and Allied Trades (IUPAT), and Ashley Gamba of Community Options testify at a House Small Business Committee hearing. The hearing will examine workforce development strategies.

    Rep. Molinaro will chair the hearing, which begins at 10am and can be viewed here.

    Frank Stento is a skilled craftsman who completed a registered apprenticeship program in 2016, offering him a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience. He is now the Business Development Director for IUPAT District Council 4, which represents 2,000 workers in the Southern Tier and Central New York. He helps attract new members and connects current members with work opportunities. 

    Ashley Gamba is an Executive Director with Community Options in Binghamton, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and employment support for individuals with disabilities. Prior to this position, Ashley was the New York State Director of Employment Services, overseeing vocational services in Binghamton, Syracuse, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. She has been an advocate for individuals with disabilities for over 18 years.

    Rep. Molinaro said, “I’m excited to have Frank Stento and Ashley Gamba in Washington today to share their perspectives. Through our Think DIFFERENTLY and Broome County’s Next Chapter initiatives, we have been working to create an economy that offers good-paying job opportunities for every person of every ability. I look forward to hearing their testimony on how we can build on our work in Broome County and across Upstate New York.”

    Frank Stento, Business Development Director for District Council #4 of the IUPAT said, “The construction industry as a whole faces challenges with workforce demand but with that comes opportunities. An abundance of projects on the horizon thanks to the CHIPS Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act means contractors will be looking at improved methods to recruit & retain skilled labor for years to come. There is no better way to address that need than through an earn while you learn Registered Apprenticeship Program. I look forward to sharing my experience and connecting with our leadership in Congress to address ways to build a more robust workforce. Rep. Molinaro has been a steadfast supporter of the Building & Construction Trades Councils in his district and together we will find solutions towards these workforce challenges.”  

    Ashley Gamba, Executive Director for Community Options in Binghamton said, “The unemployment and underemployment rate for people with disabilities is significantly higher than people without disabilities. Community Options is proud to collaborate with the small business community to provide meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities to enter the workforce, helping to create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at event entitled “Revitalized Multilateralism: Recommitting to Ending AIDS Together” [as prepared for delivery]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    H.E Mr. William Ruto, President of Kenya, H.E Mr. Russell Dlamini, Prime Minister of Eswatini, H.E Mr. Terrance Micheal Drew, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    What once seemed impossible— to end AIDS as a public health threat —is now within our reach by 2030.

    In a time where divisions are widening, and conflicts are tearing at the social fabric of societies and when the spectre of the climate crisis looms, the progress we have made in ending AIDS is the success story we need to renew hope.

    Today, the numbers of AIDS-related deaths reached their lowest level since the peak in 2004.
    39% fewer people acquired HIV in 2023 compared with 2010.

    And in 2023, an estimated 30.7 million people were receiving HIV treatment as compared with 7.7 million in 2010.  

    The AIDS response is a powerful testament to what is achievable when leaders unite efforts in service of global solidarity.

    When communities are empowered.

    When inequality is tackled, and human rights protected.

    And when science-based policy making is matched with political will.

    As a modern moonshot, the ripple effects of investments in the fight against HIV have yielded extraordinary dividends beyond the AIDS pandemic. Accelerating progress across other Sustainable Development Goals, including economic growth, poverty and hunger reduction, education, and universal health coverage.

    However, we all know that progress is not immutable.

    Gains are fragile and backsliding is possible.

    As we speak, AIDS claims a life every minute. By the end of this session today, ninety families would have lost a loved one to AIDS.

    We stand at a crossroads and to retreat now would jeopardize all we have fought for and gained.

    To sustain the momentum, we need to take action on three fronts.

    First, we must tackle the fiscal crisis that is squeezing social investments.

    The current financial system is stacked against a sustainable AIDS response.

    Half of sub-Saharan countries spend three times more on debt servicing than on health.

    Meanwhile, for years these nations have been strangled by interest rates four to eight times those of high-income countries.

    If we do not address the injustices of the financial system so countries can invest in bringing an end to AIDS now, we will pay the price in many ways later. We know that the costs of tackling AIDS are less than the costs of an unending pandemic.

    Time is not on our side – now is the moment to boost domestic financing and to renew global solidarity and meeting the commitments to financing development and gavelled in the Pact for the Future.

    Second, we must ensure access to medicines and medical technologies for all.

    Innovative medical technologies need to be recognised as global public goods. Their effectiveness in ending AIDS as a public health threat depends on ensuring access to all.

    This includes enabling the production of generics everywhere, crucial for global health security.

    Third, we must continue the battle to stop stigma in its tracks.
     
    Fear and discrimination drive people away from life-saving services.

    Punitive laws, hate speech, violence against marginalized communities, exacerbate stigma and push people away from accessing vital health services.
      
    It is vital to uphold all human rights for all people – including by removing punitive discriminatory laws that hold us back for reaching the goals on gender equality.

    We must ensure that all girls complete secondary school, live free from violence, and have access to necessary support. Protect democracy and civil society space by enabling community-based organisations to operate, deliver services, and hold authorities to account.

    Excellencies, Colleagues and Friends,

    There is a clear path to ending AIDS by 2030.

    A path that ensures the health and rights of all people living with HIV for the rest of their lives.

    A path that we will ensure a safer, fairer, world for everyone.

    That path is a choice.

    We must choose solidarity over division.

    Choose action over complacency.

    Choose prosperity for all, not simply the few.

    Just as we did when our global efforts began nearly 30 years ago.

    Let’s act now to end AIDS by 2030 and deliver on the promise of the SDGs.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders Texas Man and Six Companies to Pay Over $9.5 Million in Fraudulent Scheme Involving Futures, Options, and Foreign Currency

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced Judge Samuel A. Lindsay of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered multiple orders and a judgment against Rudy Avila; L.I.F.T. Group LLC (LIFT), Trading Ventures Group (TVG), Capital Ventures Group, LLC, (CVG), and Ventures Group, LLC (  VGL), all U.S. companies; and CIG Internacional Sociedad Anónima (CIG) and Trading Technologies Group Sociedad Anónima (TTG), both Costa Rican companies, requiring monetary relief totaling over $10.5 million The orders and judgment resolve the CFTC’s enforcement action against these defendants filed Sept.14, 2021. [See CFTC Press Release 8424-21]

    Judge Lindsay entered a memorandum and order on Aug. 1, 2024, a clarification order on Aug. 7, 2024, and a judgment on Aug. 8, 2024, granting the CFTC’s motions for default and finding the defendants had engaged in commodity futures, options on commodities futures, and forex fraud.  Judge Lindsay also found CIG and TVG, while acting as unregistered commodity trading advisors (CTAs), engaged in CTA fraud. In granting permanent injunctive relief, the court found the defendants “repeatedly and deliberately” engaged “two separate but related multi-year Ponzi schemes,” thereby violating “core provisions of the act [Commodity Exchange Act].” Judge Lindsay noted Avila’s actions demonstrated a “high level of scienter and egregious fraud.”

    The orders and judgment require Avila, LIFT, CIG, and TTG to pay, jointly and severally, $3,626,751.90 in restitution to defrauded clients in the first fraudulent scheme. The order also requires Avila, TVG, CVG, and VGL to pay, jointly and severally, $1,814,720.41 in restitution to defrauded clients in the second scheme. Further, the orders and judgment require Avila to pay a $1,525,831.05 civil monetary penalty (CMP); LIFT, TTG, TVG, CVG, and VGL each to pay a $429,028 CMP; and CIG and TVG each to pay a $858,056 CMP. 

    Parallel Criminal Action

    On June 3, 2021, Avila pled guilty to one count of wire fraud based, in part, on the same conduct alleged in the CFTC’s complaint.  [United States v. Avila, Docket No. 3:21-cr-00168-M-1 (N.D. Tx 2021).]  Avila was sentenced to 210 months in prison and an additional three years of supervised release.

    The CFTC thanks the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas and the FBI Dallas/Fort Worth Office. The CFTC acknowledges the assistance of the Superintendencia General de Valores de Costa Rica (SUGEVAL), the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Services Regulation and Supervision Department of Nevis.

    The Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Xavier Romeu-Matta, Michael Cazakoff, Judith M. Slowly, Mary Lutz, Gates S. Hurand, Lenel Hickson, Jr., and Manal M. Sultan, and former staff member Steven I. Ringer.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ­­Robotic Moving ‘Crew’ Preps for Work on Moon 

    Source: NASA

    As NASA moves forward with efforts to establish a long-term presence on the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign, safely moving cargo from landers to the lunar surface is a crucial capability.  
    Whether the cargo, also known as payloads, are small scientific experiments or large technology to build infrastructure, there won’t be a crew on the Moon to do all the work, which is where robots and new software come in. 
    A team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, spent the last couple of years infusing existing robotic hardware with a software system that makes the robot operate autonomously. Earlier this month, that team, led by researcher Dr. Julia Cline of NASA Langley’s Research Directorate, ran demonstrations of their system called LANDO (Lightweight Surface Manipulation System AutoNomy capabilities Development for surface Operations and construction). 

    The demos took place in an area set up to look like the Moon’s surface, complete with fake boulders and a model lunar lander. During the first demo, the team placed the payload, a small metal box, on a black pedestal. The robotic arm stretched over the scene, with its dangling hook poised to grasp the box.
    As the team huddled nearby around computers, sensors on the arm scanned the surrounding area, looking for the metal box, which was outfitted with encoded markers — similar to QR codes — that revealed critical information about its position and orientation relative to the arm. Using a graphic user interface, team member Amelia Scott also chose a location for LANDO to place the payload.

    After locating the metal box and computing a safe path to move it, the arm began a slow, deliberate movement toward its target, coming in at a precise angle that allowed the hook to select a capture point on the payload. Once engaged, the arm slowly lifted the payload from the pedestal, moved right, and gently lowered the payload to the simulated lunar surface. With the payload safely on the surface, the system carefully disengaged the hook from the capture point and returned to its home position. The entire process took a few minutes. Shortly after the first demo was complete, the team did it again, but with a small model rover.  
    “What we demonstrated was the repeatability of the system,moving multiple payloads to show that we’re consistently and safely able to get them from point A to point B,” said Cline. “We also demonstrated the Lightweight Surface Manipulation System hardware – the ability to control the system through space and plan a path around obstacles.” 
    The system’s successful performance during the September demonstration marks the end of this project, but the first step in developing a larger system to go to the Moon. 
    Now that the team has determined how the system should function, Cline believes the next natural step would be to develop and test an engineering design unit on one of the landers going to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The team is actively looking for industry partners who want to commercialize the capability. 
    Through CLPS, NASA is working with commercial companies to deliver science and technology demonstrations to the Moon.  
    The work behind LANDO could be directly infused into much larger versions of a lightweight surface manipulation system.

    “The overall control system we’ve developed would apply to larger versions of the technology,” said Cline. “When you think about the payloads we’ll have to offload for on the Moon, like habitats and surface power systems, this is the kind of general-purpose tool that could be used for those tasks.” 
    The LANDO system was funded through the Early Career Initiative in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Through STMD, NASA supports and develops transformative space technologies to enable future missions. As NASA embarks on its next era of exploration with the Artemis campaign, STMD is helping advance technologies, developing new systems, and testing capabilities at the Moon that will be critical for crewed missions to Mars. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former President of Beverly Hills-Based Publisher Found Guilty of Embezzling at Least $1.3 Million From Company and Its Owner

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

    LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County woman has been found guilty by a jury of defrauding a Beverly Hills-based independent publishing company and its owner by embezzling at least $1.3 million from the company and the owner’s personal bank account over several years for her own personal expenses, including spa treatment, veterinary bills, and designer handbags.

    Kimberly Ann Miletta, 51, of Ventura, was found guilty late Monday of three counts of wire fraud.

    According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, from 2009 to 2018, Miletta was president of Phoenix Books, an independent book and audio publisher owned by a victim identified in court documents as “J.O.” As the president of Phoenix Books, Miletta had full control over the business, including its finances, but she only was authorized to use company funds to pay for legitimate business expenses.

    From October 2013 to January 2018, Miletta embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars by using the company credit card – over which she had exclusive control – to pay for personal items, and then paid for the credit card bills out of the company’s owner’s personal bank account.

    Miletta used the company credit card to pay for, among other things, personal spa treatments, designer handbags, high-end clothing, a multi-thousand-dollar mattress, and years’ worth of veterinary bills and pet products for her cats. Miletta fraudulently charged more than $185,000 worth of purchases at clothing and department stores to the company credit card. Miletta also made a fraudulent wire transfer out of the personal account of the company’s owner of nearly $1 million, which Miletta used to buy an ocean-view home in Ventura.

    The jury found Miletta not guilty of two additional counts of wire fraud.

    United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a January 10, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Miletta will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. 

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna G. Williams of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Declan T. Conroy of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU takes part in events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    From September 19 to 20, the International Scientific and Practical Conference “On the Road of Struggle and Achievements: for the 75th Anniversary of the Formation of the PRC and the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Russia and China” was held in St. Petersburg.

    Director of the Center for Socio-Economic and Political Research of China at the National University of Management Fanis Sharipov made a presentation at the plenary session on the program “International Manufacturing Business”. This is a dual degree program of the National University of Management and Ningbo University (PRC), which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

    The next day, Fanis Sharipov became the moderator of the section “International Relations and Foreign Policy of the PRC in a Changing World”, and also gave a report “The Space Silk Road”.

    The conference was organized by the Regional Office of the Interregional Public Organization “Russian-Chinese Friendship Society” in St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg State University of Economics with the support of the A.M. Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund.

    On September 27, the Director of the Center for Socio-Economic and Political Research of China at the State University of Management will attend a gala reception at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China.

    And on September 30, 2024, a Gala Evening dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the 75th anniversary of Russian-Chinese diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese-Russian Friendship Society will be held in the Rossiya Cinema building.

    The Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation I.I. Melnikov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui will speak at the ceremonial meeting. After the speeches, the guests will enjoy a concert by the N.V. Osipov Folk Instruments Orchestra, soloists of the A.V. Alexandrov Song and Dance Ensemble, as well as musicians from the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

    Organizers of the event: Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09/25/2024

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

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

    GUU takes part in events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Post Secondary Schools to Receive Menstrual Products for Students in Need

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 25, 2024

    A partnership between the Government of Saskatchewan and Shoppers Drug Mart is expanding a program that distributes free menstrual products in the province. 

    “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart and expand this important program,” Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Office Laura Ross said. “This fall, in addition to 670 elementary and high schools, nine post-secondary institutions and six private vocational schools will receive product so students in need have access to free period products. All partners are committed to increasing safety and affordability in our communities.”

    Since the initiative was launched in October 2023, more than five million period products have been delivered to 670 schools and 23 shelters across the province. Two million more products are scheduled for distribution starting in October. 

    “This partnership is another important way we are supporting post-secondary students,” Advanced Education Minister Colleen Young said. “Students should not have to face financial or physical barriers to access menstrual products. This fall, many students will benefit from free access to these essential items as 435,000 products will be delivered to post-secondary institutions across the province.”

    The announcement was made at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology in Regina, one of the many schools that will benefit from the program. Shipments to the post secondary institutions will start in October.

    “At Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, walking alongside our learners and supporting them throughout their educational journey is central to our student support model,” Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) Operations & Advancement Vice President Dr. Vickie Drover said. “With over 2,500 students, and 55 per cent identifying as female, ensuring access to essential items is crucial to reducing barriers and fostering a safe, supportive environment. Partnerships like this one are invaluable in our efforts to empower Indigenous learners, enabling them to focus on their education and personal growth.”

    Through the partnership with the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health, the province will receive 12 million free products over three years. Shoppers donates the products, and Saskatchewan’s Status of Women Office manages the distribution. 

    “We are proud to see our work with the Government of Saskatchewan continue to expand, reaching more students with the menstrual products they need, where they need them the most,” Shoppers Drug Mart District Manager Kendra Comeau said. “Keeping women and girls in school is key to their overall success and programs like these are breaking down barriers, making it easier for students to reach their full potential.”

    Shoppers Drug Mart has a long history of supporting women’s health charities across Canada. With a commitment to regular giving through the charitable arm of the company, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health, Shoppers Drug Mart is building on this legacy by focusing on reducing health inequities, particularly through initiatives that promote menstrual equity. 

    To learn more about the Foundation’s initiatives, visit: shoppersfoundation.ca

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: TAB Bank Partners with The Fiesta Tableware Co., Dishing Up $4.5 Million in Financing to Serve Up Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OGDEN, Utah, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TAB Bank announces the closing of a $4.5 million credit facility with The Fiesta Tableware Co. of West Virginia. This partnership will ensure the American-made tableware company continues helping home chefs refresh and reinvent their table settings.

    The Fiesta Tableware Co., formerly known as The Homer Laughlin China Company, was established in 1871 and has been a leading producer of ceramic tableware in the United States for over a century. Based in Newell, West Virginia, The Fiesta Tableware Co. produces professional-grade dinnerware for retail stores and home chefs. The company is the last standing potter of its square footage in the country.

    “It has been a real pleasure to work with the TAB Bank team as we navigated the due diligence process and made the transition to TAB. We anticipate a strong mutually beneficial relationship in the months and years ahead,” commented Matt Wicks, Chief Operating Officer at The Fiesta Tableware Co.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with a company with a rich history of supporting American jobs and craftsmanship,” said Tyler Heap, President at TAB Bank. “We look forward to a strong and lasting relationship with such an iconic brand.”

    The $4.5 million credit facility will help The Fiesta Tableware Co. with its working capital needs as it continues scaling the company sustainably. The company is dedicated to the safety of its customers, the preservation of natural resources and a reduced environmental impact.

    TAB Bank provides various financial solutions to help small and midsize businesses, including term loans and lines of credit. The bank tailors its credit solutions to fit the specific needs of each company, ensuring consistent cash flow and the ability to scale. TAB Bank works closely with businesses to find the ideal financing for their unique situation, offering accounts receivable financing, equipment loans and asset-based lending.

    About TAB Bank
    At TAB Bank, our mission is to unlock dreams with bold financial solutions that empower individuals and businesses nationwide. We are committed to making financial success accessible to everyone through our innovative banking products. Our dedication drives us to continuously improve, ensuring that we meet the evolving needs of our clients with excellence and agility. For over 25 years, we have remained steadfast in offering tailored, technology-enabled solutions designed to simplify and enhance the banking experience. 

    For more information about how we can help you achieve your financial dreams, visit www.TABBank.com.

    Contact Information:
    Trevor Morris
    Director of Marketing
    801-624-5172
    trevor.morris@tabbank.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New images offer glimpse into the future for Derby Market Hall

    Source: City of Derby

    New images provide a first look at how the inside of the refurbished Derby Market Hall will look once complete.

    The historic venue is being given a new lease of life to transform this heritage asset into an attractive retail and leisure destination fit for the future. The new images giving a glimpse of the retail space, make and trade units and new dining area.

    In all, the transformed market will offer:

    • A carefully curated mix of traditional and themed stalls, including quality fresh produce
    • Make and trade stalls and creative spaces
    • A cosmopolitan food court and bars
    • Events and pop-up activity

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

    “The transformation of Derby Market Hall is a reflection of our collective ambition to create a city that everyone can take pride in, and while people can see the improvements we’ve made externally, many people may still be wondering what the building will look like inside.

    “These new images will give the public the first idea of what the venue will look like as we make this irreplaceable heritage building fit for the future.

    “This project is not just about transforming the Market Hall; it’s about bringing the people of Derby together to create a space we can all be proud of.  We invite traders, entrepreneurs and businesses from across the region to join the vibrant community we are building.” 

    The £35.1m project is partly funded with £9.43m from the Governments Future High Streets Fund (FHSF). The second phase of the transformation is well underway, focusing on refurbishing the interior and developing the public space outside at Osnabruck Square.

    Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter with the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the new Market Hall will play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre and generate £3.64m for the local economy every year.

    Businesses throughout the region are invited to register their interest in operating from the refurbished Market Hall, which will bring together the best of the region’s independent shopping, eating, drinking and entertainment when it reopens in Spring 2025.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Capital Revo Announces Its Cutting-edge Solutions to Protect Client Data

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW DELHI, INDIA, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Capital Revo is proud to announce the launch of its cutting-edge solutions to protect client data. Whether it’s the best forex broker in India or a top trading platform globally, protecting clients’ data is of utmost priority. In this digital age, where internet users are exposed to various threats and vulnerabilities, taking the right measures and investing in cutting-edge technology is essential for safeguarding their online information.

    “By expanding the existing relationships with their strategic partners and focusing on improving their technological infrastructure, Capital Revo is proud to take the first step to ensure the protection of their clients’ data. We will continue to improve the experience their platform offers, making it safe for novice and expert traders to trade.” says the CEO of Capital Revo.

    The Importance of Online Security for Trading Platforms

    One of the major concerns that users have before joining a trading platform is online security. What if a hacker gains access to their personal or financial data? Such a situation can lead to a world of trouble, as the outsider can commit identity theft or financial crimes, creating further problems for the victim.

    Evolving customer expectations continue to drive the need for efficient and secure solutions to meet the demands of the modern trading world. While data encryption remains a key favorite among the different forex platforms, network security, firewalls, audits, strong authentication methods, and software updates are also important in combating a security system’s constant vulnerabilities.

    Enhancing Online Security and Technological Infrastructure by Making the Right Investments

    Capital Revo understands the constant threat that looms on the internet. From dangerous malware to intrusions, modern investors face many risks on a daily basis.

    Due to rising concerns among online traders, the company have decided to enhance their technological infrastructure by investing in cutting-edge solutions that encrypt their clients’ information. This demonstrates their commitment to data protection and their ability to listen to their audience.

    Their modern security systems can recognize and mitigate threats before they impact their operations. They are able to keep up with the changing online landscape and modify their systems accordingly to ward off potential hackers.

    Collaboration with an Online Security Company for Daily Protection

    While several trading platforms, including Capital Revo, have invested in robust technological solutions, it’s important to understand that cybercriminals are constantly developing new methods to breach advanced security measures. This makes it even more pressing for trading platforms to continually monitor and defend against emerging threats.

    Fortunately, their recent investments in cutting-edge technology and partnership with a reputable cybersecurity firm allow us to provide ongoing security support. Their experts will continuously monitor the platform and user accounts for vulnerabilities and suspicious activities, ensuring the protection of consumer data.

    Capital Revo on Its Way to Becoming One of the Best Trading Platforms in India!

    At Capital Revo, they aim to make trading easy and safe. Their intuitive dashboard, combined with the robust technological solutions they have invested in, makes us the best forex broker in India.

    With Capital Revo, users don’t have to worry about online hackers trying to get their hands on users’ personal or financial information. Their state-of-the-art cloud systems ensure that users’ data remains protected at all times, giving you peace of mind while you plan users’ next short-term and long-term investment strategies.

    Social Links

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capital_revo/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Capital-Revo/61552517622119/

    Media contact

    Brand: Capital Revo

    Contact: Media team

    Email: marketing@capitalrevo.com

    Website: https://capitalrevo.com

    SOURCE: Capital Revo

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The European Union is becoming too obsessed with defence

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Youngs, Professor of International and European Politics, University of Warwick

    A new team of 26 leaders has been appointed to the European Commission, reflecting a carefully crafted balance of political ideologies and member states. Each will take on a different portfolio, from democracy to agriculture to innovation.

    And for the first time, the EU will have a dedicated defence commissioner in the form of Lithuania’s Andrius Kubilius.

    Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that in her second term, the primary focus will be defence and security issues. She wants to convert the EU into a “security project” and has created the new post to build the bloc’s military capacities and cooperation.

    The last EU Commission that ran from 2019 to this year declared itself “geopolitical”. Under this label, it moved the European Union towards a heightened concern with military capabilities and hard power.

    Most observers see this as a positive aspect of the last commission. And there is a striking degree of supportive consensus that the military-power shift needs to be extended and deepened.

    However, this increasingly unchallenged conventional wisdom has unhelpfully narrowed and distorted the EU’s foreign policy debates. The EU needs to move beyond its hazy geopolitical mantra, not lean on it even more heavily.

    Much EU policy debate has become concerned principally with the question of whether the EU can defend itself more robustly and without help from the US. Analysis of European foreign policy has come overwhelmingly to take the form of calls for the EU to advance more ambitiously in its emerging ethos of militarised self-preservation and for laggardly member states to accelerate their rearmament.

    While the focus on defence capabilities was overdue and remains necessary, it is becoming too dominant.

    Defence players and experts get a far readier hearing in Brussels than anyone working on more liberal agendas involving human rights, development or peacebuilding. Funds flow aplenty into new programmes on defence and away from these old liberal concerns, many of which policymakers and analysts now belittle as passé.

    As they ramp up their defence spending, most member states are cutting their development aid. The incoming commissioners’ mission statements are all about security and protecting European democracy from external threats. There is no mention of the work they would do to support global human rights.

    If it previously tended to under-securitise its major challenges, the EU now risks over-securitising them. Well beyond the defence sphere, nearly all areas of EU policy are now infused with a more securitised ethos.

    The new hard-power orthodoxy risks crowding out any critical questioning of the EU’s new enthusiasm for concepts – power politics and zero-sum geopolitical rivalry – that were until recently anathema to its very essence.

    This deflects from the broader and more significant question of how the EU needs to mobilise different kinds of power to shape international trends. Contrary to what now predominates as received wisdom, governments’ increased defence budgets and EU efforts to coordinate defence investments do not in themselves provide such leverage.

    Indeed, with its priority on military defence, the EU has in recent years shown less evidence of qualitatively updating and sharpening its understanding of international leverage. While European leaders ritually claim that the union has “learned the language of power”, the current policy trajectory has diverted the EU away from being more influentially geostrategic.

    Outgoing high representative Josep Borrell has himself lamented that the EU risks being better at reacting to its last crisis than pre-empting wider and future trends.

    The shift in EU strategic narrative rests on an unduly one-dimensional reading of global trends. Contrary to what is now a commonly accepted premise, not every international development points towards state-to-state, zero-sum, order-menacing illiberalism.

    Much of it does, but the evolving order is also one of intensified societal mobilisation against autocracy and state power. It sees sub-state networks working across borders and citizens seeking problem-oriented cooperation on the ailing global commons.

    Out of step

    Articles, political speeches, and European policy documents routinely urge the EU to step back and accept that liberal political values are now contested. But global surveys show strong and even rising levels of citizen support for democracy and underlying social trends away from authoritarian values.

    Once a self-styled power of liberal betterment, the EU increasingly seems reduced to a strategy of stemming ordinary peoples’ desire for change. It rarely meets citizens’ pleas for support in their efforts to spur political and social reform. It has become an ambiguous bystander more than proactive promulgator.

    By downplaying these complexities, the EU fixation on traditional geopolitical power looks increasingly at odds with the emerging order rather than skilfully aligned with it. The EU’s now commonly repeated leitmotif of “accepting the world as it is” actually does no such thing.

    It actually collides with the underlying ways in which that world is shifting socially and politically. It’s one thing for the EU to get real about defending itself but another to become a regressive power that passively moulds itself to the power-politics of illiberalism.

    Far from going alone, Europe instead needs to fashion more effective interdependencies and coalitions.

    As its new leaders take office, the EU needs to move beyond the now omnipresent, yet ill-defined geopolitical narrative. It needs a more precise and forward-looking vision of what it wants power, sovereignty and autonomy for.

    If, for many years, the EU dangerously neglected the need for hard, defensive power it now risks moving to other extreme – giving hard power such pride of place that it detracts from the more consequential trends that will redefine the world order.

    Richard Youngs 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. The European Union is becoming too obsessed with defence – https://theconversation.com/the-european-union-is-becoming-too-obsessed-with-defence-239666

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: When Russia and Israel talk about setting up ‘buffer zones’ what they are really talking about is a land grab

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Iain Farquharson, Lecturer in Global Challenges – Security Pathway Lead, Brunel University London

    In the conflicts raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, we have recently seen calls for the establishment of what are being referred to as “buffer zones”.

    Russia has proposed setting one up around Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv in the north-east of the country. This, the Kremlin claims, is to protect Russian towns from shelling and missile attacks from Ukrainian territory.

    Israel, meanwhile, wants to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. It says it needs to protect nearly 70,000 civilians returning to their homes, which they have abandoned in the past year after rocket attacks by Hezbollah.

    But these suggestions should be viewed with scepticism. Both Russia and Israel want to set up these buffer zones within the borders of neighbouring autonomous nation states – in breach of their sovereignty – in the name of “security”. They should instead primarily be seen as a way of formalising control over contested territory to protect their home bases, which would give them a military advantage.

    The situation is further complicated by the fact that neither nation is formally at war with its opponent. No formal declaration of war has been issued by Russia to Ukraine, while Israel claims its legitimacy to establish a buffer zone under Article 51 of the UN constitution concerning self-defence.

    Such arguments are hypocritical and one-sided. Russian and Israeli policymakers have shown no concern for the effect of the establishment of these zones on the Ukrainian and Lebanese populations of the areas.

    The idea of buffer zones has a long history within international relations. Buffer zones have generally been defined as a nation state or neutral geographical area between two states not politically or militarily controlled by either of the rival states it separates.

    The zones proposed by Russia and Israel don’t fit this definition. Both Kharkiv and southern Lebanon are militarily contested. And neither the Ukrainian nor Lebanese governments is in control of their territories.

    If the Russian and Israeli proposals were to conform to this definition, they would comprise territory on both sides of the border of the two states, established with the agreement of both rival states. But neither Russia nor Israel is planning to cede their own territory in the establishment of these buffer zones. In fact, both have consistently sought to delegitimise their rival’s status as a nation state.

    These considerations, alongside Ukrainian and Hezbollah resistance, suggest that these new buffer zones will be fiercely contested. Indeed, the history of buffer states and zones suggests that the effectiveness of such zones is highly questionable.

    History of failure

    Lebanon itself serves as an example of this in acting as a buffer state (although not formally declared as such) for the Israeli-Syrian rivalry from the late 1960s. Both Syria (1976) and Israel (1978 and 1982) intervened militarily in Lebanon at one point or another.

    In this context, Lebanon provided a way for Syria to protect itself from surprise attacks. It allowed the political and military confrontation to play out without escalation to their own national territories. But it was terrible for Lebanon itself and ironically, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 paved the way for the foundation of Hezbollah as a political and military force.

    Similarly, Anglo-Russian rivalry over influence in Afghanistan in the 19th century focused on political manoeuvring to exert influence over Afghan rulers to protect British India and southern Russia respectively. This saw much money and political capital expended on both sides. There were also three British military incursions (1839-40, 1878-80 and 1919) attempting to consolidate their influence. None went well.

    In both these cases though, competing powers were using an intervening state to avoid an escalation of tensions into conflict.

    External ‘security zones’

    In this instance, the recent declarations in pursuit of “buffer zones” by both Russia and Israel have more in common with strategic occupations of territory to resolve a military problem – namely attacks on their own territories. Within security studies literature these are termed “external security zones” and are generally militarily occupied zones within hostile territory deemed essential to the national security of the occupying power.

    Historically, these zones have also been of questionable value. Following continued Palestinian attacks on Israeli border villages, in 1977 the Israel Defense Forces created a formal security buffer zone in south Lebanon through the proxy South Lebanon Army and supported by UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (Unifil) from March 1978.

    The establishment of this zone did little to prevent shelling and rocket attacks on Israel, leading to significant exchanges of artillery fire in the summer of 1981. Then on June 6 1982, Israel invaded southern Lebanon.

    Ultimately, neither buffer zones nor security zones have proved very effective at preventing conflict or preserving populations from its effects. These have almost always been negative, to say the least.

    Now, both Russia and Israel are likely to find themselves facing increasing resistance from the occupied nation. This will require the commitment of more troops and perhaps deeper military advances under cover of the political and strategic “necessity” to ensure the security of their own borders.

    These commitments will undoubtedly lead to more casualties. They will either lead to a destabilisation of existing governance in their regions or serve as a pretext for the aggressors to push further forward. It will also require them to further reshape their economies to fill military needs and could lead to potential escalation with other regional powers.

    Iain Farquharson 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. When Russia and Israel talk about setting up ‘buffer zones’ what they are really talking about is a land grab – https://theconversation.com/when-russia-and-israel-talk-about-setting-up-buffer-zones-what-they-are-really-talking-about-is-a-land-grab-239765

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hillsborough law planned for 2025 – what it will mean for future disasters and scandals

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nathan Critch, Research Associate, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester

    In his first conference speech as prime minister, Keir Starmer vowed that a Hillsborough law will be introduced in April, before the next anniversary of the football stadium disaster. The law will force public bodies to cooperate with investigations into future disasters and scandals.

    This announcement follows a long campaign by the families of the 97 people killed (and hundreds more injured) when part of Hillsborough stadium collapsed in 1989.

    The disaster and the inquiry that followed highlighted how justice is so often impeded by the tendency of powerful people to cover up information or refuse to cooperate in investigations.

    Initial media coverage of the Hillsborough disaster wrongly blamed football fans for the deaths. A public inquiry cited faults in police control, although its main recommendations related to crowd safety in sports venues.

    Crucially, the inquiry did not have access to all relevant evidence, interviewing only a few of those involved as it rushed to produce a narrowly focused report. An inquest ruled the deaths to have been “accidental”.

    Bereaved families “were sure that the true context, circumstances and aftermath of Hillsborough had not been adequately explored, established and made public”. Further efforts and campaigns for truth and justice ensued. Families attempted to bring private prosecutions against two of the police officers who had been in charge of operations at the match. Neither were successfully charged.

    In 2009, the government made an exception to the normal 30-year restriction on the publication of official documents, to ensure all documents related to the disaster were available to investigators.

    Shortly afterwards, the government established the Hillsborough Independent Panel to reexamine the causes of the disaster in light of full access to relevant evidence and in close consultation with Hillsborough families.



    Read more:
    New ‘Hillsborough Law’ needed to tackle ‘burning injustice’ and empower victims and family

    The panel’s report emphasised policing failures and found that crowd safety had been “compromised at every level” due to “well known” issues. The report found that police “sought to deflect responsibility” on Liverpool fans.

    New inquests concluded that the deaths of 97 had been unlawful, highlighting police and emergency service failures and exonerating the supporters who were initially blamed.

    In 2012, South Yorkshire Police apologised, and confirmed the independent panel’s findings that “senior officers sought to change the record of events” in the aftermath.

    Decades of campaigning

    The long struggle for truth and justice has focused on a lack of honesty and openness by those in power, a willingness to close ranks and blame others, and a failure to disclose relevant information. A Hillsborough law will enforce “a positive duty to tell the truth” and require public officials to “proactively assist investigations”.

    Starmer confirmed in his speech that the law will include criminal sanctions for those who breach it. Proposals also include better legal support and representations for future victims of disasters and their families.

    Proposals for a Hillsborough law were first put forward in 2017 as a private members’ bill by Andy Burnham, then shadow home secretary. Its passage was interrupted by the 2017 general election, but some aspects were reintroduced in 2022 in another private member’s bill. This, too, was interrupted when Boris Johnson prorogued parliament.

    Since becoming Labour leader, Starmer has framed his project as being one committed to returning his party, and the government, back to the service of working people. Passing a law designed and advocated for by working-class people who experienced injustice when their family members died is a clear symbol of this agenda.

    The law is also indicative of Starmer’s efforts to frame his government as one that seeks to be transparent, open and consistent. This puts him in contrast to the preceding 14 years of Conservative rule, which were marred by allegations of corruption and misconduct.

    High-profile scandals related to the pandemic, including members of the government holding illegal parties in Downing Street and misallocated contracts for PPE (personal protective equipment) to companies owned by people closely connected to government are just two examples.

    The announcement comes as Starmer himself, and senior members of his government, have been accused of lack of transparency on donations and gifts.
    Announcing the Hillsborough law goes some way to repairing his commitment to transparency and service in government, which has lost some of its shine in recent weeks.

    Changing the culture

    The reaction to the announcement from families and campaigners has been positive.

    The director of the charity Inquest, which supports families of those who have died in state-related disasters, called the law “a step forward in providing a legacy for the 97 so that others do not have to go through the pain and trauma of decades of campaigning”.

    The potential effect of the law goes far beyond Hillsborough. Other recent events including the Post Office scandal, infected blood and the Grenfell Tower fire have all been affected by a lack of openness and candour by those in power.

    But will a law on its own be enough? From Hillsborough to Grenfell to Windrush, what these many injustices highlight is that the problem of secrecy and a lack of transparency and candour is systemic and cultural. The British state has long been marked by a tradition of elitism, a government-knows-best attitude and a scepticism towards citizen engagement, participation and openness.

    While the Hillsborough law is indeed a step forward, it is only one piece of the jigsaw of making British governance more open and democratic.

    Nathan Critch receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number:
    ES/V002740/1). He is affiliated with The Productivity Institute.

    – ref. Hillsborough law planned for 2025 – what it will mean for future disasters and scandals – https://theconversation.com/hillsborough-law-planned-for-2025-what-it-will-mean-for-future-disasters-and-scandals-239855

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US election: why immigration remains a major issue for voters and why they trust Trump on border security

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Eli Auslender, Research Fellow in Migration and Climate Change, Aberystwyth University

    US border policy remains a key electoral issue for Democrats and presidential nominee Kamala Harris as she approaches the November election.

    According to a recent Gallup poll, 77% of Americans believe the southern border is experiencing either an ongoing crisis or is a major problem. Meanwhile 55% wish to see less overall immigration, 53% support expansion of the border wall and 63% would support the president temporarily closing the border to asylum seekers when the border is “overwhelmed”.

    The issue is an important one in border states, especially in those such as Arizona, where polls show an incredibly tight race.
    Those who rate immigration as a top issue favour Donald Trump over Harris, and in one new poll voters say that Trump will be far more successful than Harris at securing the border.

    Joe Biden’s initial border policies continued some entry restrictions brought in by Trump’s administration, which had restricted border entry during the heights of the pandemic. But Biden also opened new pathways for legal migration. This included expanding temporary protected status, which expedites work permits for specific populations fleeing violence or disasters from countries such as Haiti or Ukraine.

    Biden’s congressional border bill failed to get through the Senate in June. In it, he aimed to speed up the asylum process, revoke visas of the bosses of companies that work with illegal immigrants, and add executive authority to shut border access.

    Harris has confirmed that she wants to resurrect the Biden administration’s border bill despite criticism from advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union. It argues that it would cut off any access to asylum protections for the vast majority of people arriving at the US-Mexico border, and disregard human safety.

    Democratic shift?

    So how and why did Democrats shift their border policies so drastically when they had been openly against Trump’s border restrictions during his presidency – and what does this mean for potential border policies under a Harris administration?

    Over the past decade, people from Central and South America have been fleeing for a variety of reasons, including the recent chaos in Haiti, the effect of harsh economic conditions in Venezuela and organised crime. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that the number of forcibly displaced people in the region is expected to reach 25 million.

    Along with this, the US southern border has been inaccurately framed as the primary means through which fentanyl has entered the country and caused the opioid crisis. These two factors have linked asylum-seekers with fentanyl despite US citizens being the main smugglers of fentanyl into the country.

    The Biden administration attempted to address some of these issues by appointing Harris, at the beginning of its term, to explore the “root causes” of migration from Central America. This included directing private sector investments towards countries from where large numbers of asylum seekers were fleeing. Research suggests that this does little to address organised crime or governance issues.



    Read more:
    No, immigrants aren’t eating dogs and cats – but Trump’s claim is part of an ugly history of myths about immigrant foodways

    Immigration was under discussion in the recent presidential debate.

    Customs and Border Protection reported in June that 2024 saw the fewest border crossings since 2021. The Harris campaign has seized on this to claim the Biden administration’s approach has been the correct one. A closer looks, however, suggests there are many different factors.

    US Customs and Border Protection has increasingly restricted access to asylum as per the executive order, delaying those who can cross the border and need to claim asylum immediately. Mexico (among other states in Central America) has restricted northward movement towards the US border, including bussing people back to the south of the country.

    Meanwhile, asylum-seeker deaths at crossing points within Central America and after crossing the US border have increased from 149 discovered remains in 2023 to 164 by August 2024. This would suggest that the root causes remain the same.

    Asylum, border security, crime, and the opioid epidemic have been tangled into a single issue. National security and immigration are constantly linked. And this has led to the Harris campaign’s recent advertisements emphasising her “tough stances” on border crime.

    This is in contrast to her criticism of Trump in 2018, when she called his border wall policy “un-American”. Despite past Democratic criticism of Trump’s harsh border restrictions, restrictive border policies have come from both parties.

    Both parties claim that stronger enforcement and more rigorous vetting of asylum-seekers is needed, as well as expedited deportations and “safe third country” deportations. These positions still conflate asylum-seekers with criminals. Immigrant advocates have noted that the US’ asylum system is already one of the most complex in the world. Asylum cases often take years to decide.

    The “remain in Mexico” policy, which forced asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their asylum applications were considered, was implemented by the Trump administration during the pandemic and maintained by the Biden administration. Advocacy group Human Rights Watch argued that it endangered countless asylum seekers, putting men, women and children at risk of violence or death, while they waited for their cases to be heard.

    Seeking asylum is both a national and international right. The first potential policy priority to ease the border pressure should be to simplify the asylum process and reduce the time it takes to resolve a case from several years to several months. Fortifying the border puts vulnerable lives at risk, regardless of which party proposes it. Shutting down the border would only put more lives at risk.

    If the Harris campaign is serious about border policy reform, it must first look to ease and expedite asylum access instead of restricting it.

    Eli Auslender 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. US election: why immigration remains a major issue for voters and why they trust Trump on border security – https://theconversation.com/us-election-why-immigration-remains-a-major-issue-for-voters-and-why-they-trust-trump-on-border-security-238263

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government to Extend Gas Tax Holiday to December 31

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    September 25, 2024

    Manitoba Government to Extend Gas Tax Holiday to December 31

    – – –
    Manitobans Will Continue to Save at the Pump Until the End of the Year: Kinew

    The Manitoba government intends to extend the gas tax holiday until the end of the calendar year, Premier Wab Kinew announced today. 

    “Since we cut the gas tax in January, inflation has gone down in Manitoba,” said Kinew. “This is what governments are for. We know Manitobans are still struggling with the impact of interest rates and grocery prices so we’re going to continue to step up and save you 14 cents at the pump.” 

    The current gas tax holiday on gasoline and diesel used to operate motor vehicles will be extended until Dec. 31, noted the premier. 

    The premier noted the people who drive the most popular type of vehicle in the province, a pickup truck, will save around $14 every time they fuel up. The Manitoba Bureau of Statistics estimates the gas tax holiday has directly contributed to a decrease of 0.4 percentage points to inflation. 

    Since the introduction of the gas tax holiday, Manitoba has had the lowest average retail price on gasoline in Canada and inflation has dropped to within the Bank of Canada’s target inflation range of one to three per cent. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Eshoo Bill to Improve Pediatric Drugs Passes House Unanimously

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA)

    Washington, D.C. – Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna G. Eshoo (CA-16) released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted unanimously for her Give Kids a Chance Act (H.R. 3433) yesterday. H.R. 3433 is the most comprehensive legislation Congress has passed in more than a decade to address childhood cancer and rare diseases.

    “This vote will save children’s lives. I am so grateful to my colleagues for the months of hard work to pass this milestone bipartisan legislation,” Rep. Eshoo said. “The legislation will ensure that children have access to the most innovative treatments and therapies for cancer and rare disease. Our laws must keep up with the rapid advances in medicine.”

    The legislation specifically:

    • Reauthorizes the FDA’s pediatric priority voucher program for five years to ensure the development of innovative drugs for children continues.
    • Directs pharmaceutical companies to conduct pediatric trials with combinations of drugs, something that is already done for adults.
    • Brings the FDA’s enforcement capabilities for children on par with that of adults with the goal to complete pediatric studies on time instead of removing a drug from the market because the study wasn’t completed.
    • Dedicates existing funds for pediatric research through NIH’s Best Pharmaceutical for Children Act Program for three years.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Houlahan Urges Postmaster General to Address Service Issues Caused by Closure of West Chester Post Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

    WEST CHESTER, PA – Late last week, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) sent a letter to United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy outlining her constituents’ concerns following a fire in July that closed the Airport Road Post Office in West Chester, PA. The letter highlighted problems resulting from the closure including a lack of clear operating hours at alternate facilities such as the Gay Street Post Office, incorrect and outdated information on the website, long wait times, and chronic understaffing at the post offices currently trying to handle the overflow of customers who had previously relied on the Airport Road Post Office before the fire. 

    Houlahan asked DeJoy to share the Postal Service’s plan to remedy the issues and to commit to rebuilding the Airport Road facility, which is owned by the U.S. Postal Service. Houlahan also expressed her concerns about how the closure of the USPS Airport Road facility will impact the distribution and collection of mail-in ballots.  

    “With only a handful of weeks until election day, and even fewer before mail-in ballots are distributed, I’m asking for a detailed plan for the distribution of ballots despite lack of access to this post office,” wrote Houlahan. “This plan should include what additional capacity will be needed at other nearby locations, and how this capacity can be provided. Every eligible American has the right to participate in our elections and that right should not be diminished due to lack of post office access.” 

    Read Houlahan’s letter here or below.  

    Dear Postmaster General Dejoy, 

    As you may be aware, on July 19th, services were indefinitely suspended at the USPS facility located at 1050 Airport Road in West Chester, PA because of a major fire. This particular post office is the primary delivery unit in Chester County, where the majority of my constituents of Pennsylvania’s Sixth District reside. As an additional point of context, West Chester University with a student enrollment of approximately 18,000 individuals, is located in West Chester, Chester County’s County Seat and population base.  

    I am thankful that no one was hurt in the blaze, and for the updates provided by your team to my office. I appreciate the work the USPS is doing to recover from this disaster and ask that you prioritize a few issues that many members of my community have shared with me.  

    First and most imminently, the hours displayed on the USPS’s website still describe the Airport Road location as being open and operating normally. This has caused confusion as postal patrons have traveled to the Airport Road location only to find a shuttered building. Please correct this right away. Additionally, because of the closure, the nearby Gay Street Post Office has extended its hours but the website has not been updated, leading to additional confusion. I appreciate the USPS’s prompt attention to these necessary updates.  

    Second, the closure of the Airport Road Post Office has meant that demand at the Gay Street Post Office is now higher than ever. My office has received reports of long wait times of up to 90 minutes for counter services, as well as hours-long closures at the Gay Street location, due to a shortage of staff. It is critical that more staff are either hired or quickly transferred to meet the increased demand of postal customers that have been forced from the Airport Road location to the Gay Street location. I ask that you regularly keep my office apprised of the actions the USPS is taking to improve staff recruitment and retention in the West Chester, PA area. It is my hope that these actions will be in addition to the efforts already underway to improve staffing at USPS locations across the nation, as described by the Delivering for America plan.  

    Third, I have deep concerns about how the closure of the USPS Airport Road facility will impact the distribution and collection of mail-in ballots. With only a handful of weeks until election day, and even fewer before mail-in ballots are distributed, I’m asking for a detailed plan for the distribution of ballots despite lack of access to this post office. This plan should include what additional capacity will be needed at other nearby locations, and how this capacity can be provided. Every eligible American has the right to participate in our elections and that right should not be diminished due to lack of post office access.  

    Fourth, I’d like you to commit that the West Chester Post office will be rebuilt and reopened, rather than closed permanently. This location is critically important to maintaining adequate services in this part of my district in the long term. While augmenting services at nearby offices can be help fill the gap in the short term, it cannot be an indefinite solution.  

    Lastly, I ask that USPS personnel continue to be in regular contact with my staff on the status of the West Chester Post Office. Specifically, I ask that monthly updates be provided to my staff on the progress of reconstruction, and the ongoing impact of the closure on nearby offices.  

    Thank you for your work to address this difficult issue.  

    Sincerely, 

    Chrissy Houlahan

    Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller’s Op-Ed: Raising the Corporate Tax Rate Will Hurt American Business, Investment, and Consumers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) penned an op-ed in Fortune on how a higher corporate rate would hurt Americans by driving up prices and reducing wages, as well as affecting America’s standing in the global economy.

    Fortune: Rep. Miller: Raising the corporate tax rate will hurt American business, investment, and consumers

    “For the past three years, politicians, businesses, and families have been grappling with inflation. Pundits across the political spectrum have argued that dramatically raising taxes on American corporations would be a quick fix to this burden on Americans. The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has argued that increasing the corporate rate to 28% ‘is a fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.’ However, the clear economic truth is the opposite: Raising taxes on corporations will raise prices for consumers—and inflation will spike yet again.

    The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that passed under President Donald Trump in 2017 changed the trajectory of tax policy in the United States. Finally, a policy was enacted that lowered taxes for all Americans and made the United States more competitive globally.

    Before the TCJA, America’s corporate tax rate was one of the highest in the world, and American businesses were at a competitive disadvantage in the global market. This hurt companies and workers alike. Lowering the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% gave every American more opportunities to succeed in business because they weren’t as burdened by unnecessary taxes. The results proved out: In 2018, 263,000 manufacturing jobs were created and wages increased by 3%, according to a National Association of Manufacturers analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Many economists have credited the TCJA for America’s continued outperformance relative to most of the world’s advanced economies.

    Reducing the corporate tax rate was the cornerstone of the TCJA. Today, some in Congress want to raise it in the name of increasing federal revenue. That would be a catastrophic mistake. Raising the corporate rate doesn’t punish companies—it punishes Americans.

    Multiple studies show that corporate tax increases are directly passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. A higher rate will also make American exports more expensive and companies less competitive in the global market. The result will be slower economic growth, fewer jobs, and less innovation.

    As the Ways and Means Committee prepares for the reauthorization of the TCJA, Chairman Jason Smith created ‘tax teams’ to evaluate which policies worked well and which could use improvement for the 2025 reauthorization. I am the Chairwoman of the Supply Chains Tax Team, which focuses on the corporate rate, energy tax credits, and capital gains tax. We’ve had many meetings with small businesses, Fortune 100 companies, and economists who have all emphasized the importance of maintaining a corporate rate that is pro-growth and pro-American.

    A lower corporate tax rate keeps costs down, leading to lower prices for consumers and more investment in their workers. The reality is that if the corporate rate goes up, the burden will fall on consumers, employees, and retirees. As a small business owner, I know firsthand how important it is to take care of your employees and produce the best possible product. If I suddenly must pay more in taxes, I either have to cut back on investments into the business that create more jobs or pass increased costs onto my customers. This would happen to businesses around the country and would slow economic growth in the U.S. to a grinding halt.

    Another key benefit of a low corporate rate is how much more attractive America becomes to investors. When the U.S. corporate tax rate was 35%, it was one of the highest corporate tax ratesamong developed countries. For any startup or subsidiary company, it made more sense to do business in China, India, or even within the famously high-tax European Union. With the lower rate, the U.S. is more inviting for nearly every industry.

    While some may argue that the federal government is leaving money on the table by maintaining or lowering the corporate rate, the opposite is true. The TCJA grew the American economy to the extent that the significantly lower corporate tax rate was offset by increased tax collections.

    The U.S. government doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Thanks to the TCJA, the 21% corporate rate has kept business taxes low, which softened the blow from the Democrats’ ill-advised (and utterly misnamed) Inflation Reduction Act. Without the TCJA, inflation would have been much higher. This is why even Democrats refused to hike the rate or repeal the TCJA when they had full control of the House of Representatives, Senate, and White House.

    The solution to inflation isn’t to increase taxes on American business, it’s to get federal spending under control and spur economic growth. Keeping the corporate rate low—or better yet, lowering it, as former President Trump has suggested—gives financial freedom to American consumers and businesses. The one-two punch of lower taxes and a lower debt burden will bring back the strong growth we saw in the first three years of the Trump presidency.”

    This article originally appeared on Fortune.com

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Higher doses of buprenorphine may improve treatment outcomes for people with opioid use disorder

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    News Release

    Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    NIH-funded analysis suggests higher doses of buprenorphine were associated with lower rates of future behavioral health-related emergency department and inpatient care.

    Adults with opioid use disorder who receive a higher daily dose of the opioid addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may have a lower risk of subsequent emergency department visits or use of inpatient services related to behavioral health (such as for mental health and substance use disorders) than adults receiving the recommended dose, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These findings suggest that higher buprenorphine doses could be more effective in managing opioid use disorder, which may be particularly relevant for improving treatment for those who use fentanyl, a major driver of the overdose crisis.

    Researchers reviewed insurance claims data from over 35,000 people who were diagnosed with opioid use disorder and began buprenorphine treatment between 2016 and 2021. They found that among all people who started treatment with buprenorphine, 12.5% experienced an emergency department or inpatient visit related to behavioral health within the study period.  After adjusting for patient demographics and medical history available in the data, researchers then analyzed how long it took for people receiving different doses of buprenorphine to use emergency care or have an inpatient stay after starting treatment.

    The recommended target dose for buprenorphine in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s approved labeling is 16 mg per day. Researchers found that those taking higher daily doses of buprenorphine (>16 to 24 mg) took 20% longer to have a subsequent emergency department or inpatient health care visit related to behavioral health within the first year after receiving treatment, compared to those receiving >8 to 16 mg a day. Those taking daily doses of more than 24 mg of buprenorphine went 50% longer before having a subsequent emergency or inpatient health care visit related to behavioral health within the first year after receiving treatment, compared to those receiving >8 to 16 mg a day.

    “As the overdose crisis evolves, particularly with the rise of fentanyl, it is crucial to investigate how to best adapt and deliver the lifesaving and evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorder that we have available,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “The findings add to the growing evidence that higher doses of buprenorphine may have meaningful health impacts for people with opioid use disorder.”

    In 2022, of the nearly 108,000 overdose deaths reported in the U.S., almost 70% were primarily due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times stronger than heroin. The ubiquity of fentanyl in the drug supply and associated overdose deaths have raised questions about whether existing dosing guidelines for buprenorphine should be modified to better address the unique challenges posed by such a potent opioid. Higher doses of buprenorphine may be necessary to effectively manage the more severe withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and tolerance associated with fentanyl use.

    “Preventing or delaying the need for high-intensity, urgent health care among people with opioid use disorder has tremendous benefits on health and recovery,” said Bradley D. Stein, M.D., Ph.D., a study co-author and director of the RAND-USC Schaeffer Opioid Policy Tools and Information Center. “As we continue to gather data across studies, findings suggest that higher doses of buprenorphine may have the ability to significantly improve treatment in the era of fentanyl, as both fatal and nonfatal overdoses remain unacceptably high.”

    The authors also note that addressing barriers to accessing higher doses, such as state laws and insurance policies, will be important in ensuring that all patients receive effective care. In addition, revisiting guidelines that serve as barriers to higher doses could be beneficial, as these may limit access to potentially life-saving treatment for patients at high risk of relapse or overdose.

    Notably, the data used in the study were pulled from a single commercial insurance company, which does not include uninsured people and those with Medicaid or fee-for-service Medicare coverage, and the sample of people included in the analysis was 75% non-Hispanic white. Further research is needed to explore the effects of higher buprenorphine doses in more diverse populations, including those with different insurance statuses or in different clinical settings. In addition, the authors note that future research should also investigate additional outcomes such as the long-term effects of high-dose buprenorphine on opioid use disorder treatment retention and overall health outcomes using similar data.

    These findings build upon accumulating evidence of the safety and efficacy of higher doses of buprenorphine. Studies have shown that more than 16 mg of buprenorphine is safe and well tolerated in people with opioid use disorder in emergency department and outpatient treatment settings, and that higher buprenorphine doses are associated with improved retention in treatment for opioid use disorder.

    This study was funded by the NIH’s NIDA and published in JAMA Network Open. The data analyzed in the study came from a large insurer’s database of commercial claims, including those for Medicare Advantage.

    If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol conditions, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).

    About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.nida.nih.gov.

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Over 100 Defendants Federally Charged With Fraud Related To The COVID-19 Pandemic

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO-MDFL) has federally charged 109 individuals with fraud schemes designed to exploit state and federal programs implemented to alleviate the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts include complementary actions by the USAO-MDFL’s Criminal, Civil, Asset Recovery, Appellate Divisions, in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

    “The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable those people who schemed to steal or otherwise obtain through misconduct benefits intended for Americans coping with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg.

    With respect to criminal enforcement, the USAO-MDFL and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combined resources in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force with the purpose of identifying, investigating, and federally prosecuting fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 109 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”), the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP”), as well as government Healthcare programs such as Medicare. Collectively, these defendants sought to defraud the United States of over $96 million. Of the 109 charged defendants, 74 have already been found guilty while prosecution remains pending against 35 defendants.

    The Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force continues to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals that took advantage of COVID-19 programs. On September 20, 2024, for example, a federal grand jury convicted Angela Chew (60, Leesburg) of conspiracy to bribe a public official and commit wire fraud, three counts of bribery of a public official, and six counts of wire fraud. Chew faces up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, up to 15 years in federal prison on each of the bribery counts, and up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the wire fraud counts. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2024.

    According to evidence presented at trial, Chew conspired with three others to submit applications for COVID-19 EIDLs containing false and fraudulent information in exchange for bribe payments. The evidence showed Chew used her position as a loan specialist for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to internally access those loan applications that she and a co-conspirator had submitted on behalf of others. Chew then took actions on the applications within the SBA’s internal processing system that moved the loans towards approval. For example, Chew submitted a loan on behalf of a co-conspirator’s business that she knew was not active or operating at the time she submitted the loan. The loan was flagged as a duplicate by the SBA’s internal system, which stopped the application from progressing toward approval and funding. Chew then entered the SBA’s loan processing system, accessed the loan application, reactivated it, and manipulated the loan’s status multiple times to progress the application toward approval and funding in the amount of $150,000. In exchange, Chew received thousands of dollars in bribe payments from two of her co-conspirators. The evidence showed that Chew caused the funding of at least six EIDL applications, for a total loss of over $800,000.

    In July 2024, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Jared Dean Eakes (33, Jacksonville) with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. According to the superseding indictment, Eakes participated in a scheme to defraud investors and fraudulently secured approximately $4,752,270 in PPP loans. Eakes caused the submission of four PPP loan applications—including applications for two of the entities involved in the scheme to defraud investors—which contained false and fraudulent supporting documentation and statements regarding the entities’ employees and payroll. Once Eakes obtained the PPP loans, he did not use the funds for qualifying expenses as required by the program. Instead, he used the funds to engage in options trading or withdrew the funds in cash.

    In addition to criminal prosecutions, the MDFL-USAO continues to investigate and pursue civil redress against individuals and entities who fraudulently obtained PPP funds. For example, in September 2024, Miles Partnership, LLC (“Miles”), a travel and tourism consulting company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, agreed to a civil settlement of $2,281,950 to resolve allegations that Miles improperly obtained and received forgiveness for a second draw PPP loan. According to the information contained in the qui tam complaint, Miles was required to file a registration statement under FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) due to its work with various foreign tourism boards. The United States investigated these allegations with the cooperation of Miles. The civil settlement will conclude the lawsuit.

    Further, the USAO-MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $20 million of EIDL, UI, and PPP funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $18 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.

    The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.

    The criminal cases charged by the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force have been investigated by the Small Business Administration—Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board—Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.       

    The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.

    United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida

    COVID Fraud Criminal Cases

    Charged Cases

    Defendant(s) (Age)

    Charge(s)

    Max. Imprisonment

    Type of Fraud*

    Intended Loss Amount

    Tampa Division
    Devontaie Deravil

    Aggravated identity theft

    Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

    Access device fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 UI $480k
    Jordan Ross

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 EIDL/PPP $1.3M

    Marquett James

    Alyson Marquett

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 EIDL/PPP $96k
    Willie Murray Jr.

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Aggravated identity theft

    Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

    		 HCF $5M
    Charles Driver Jr.

    Conspiracy

    Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

    Access device fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

    		 UI $175k
    Eric Canonico

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 PPP $2.3M
    Alexander Leszczynski

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Bank fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 PPP $1.1M
    Capree Holmes

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 EIDL $159k
    Javarus Polite

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $20k
    Luis Morales

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $40k
    Rosson Hamilton

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $20k
    David Antonetti

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $40k
    Carlos Dones

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $14k
    Santos Cruz Rivera

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $16k
    Tevyan Hepburn

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $20k
    Jeanty Cherilus

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 EIDL/PPP $370k
    Gage Bowen

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $20k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Tiffany Fields, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, Jennifer Peresie, Michael Kenneth, Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, and Daniel Baeza

    Orlando Division

    Evan Edwards

    Joshua Edwards

    Conspiracy to commit bank fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 30 years

    Bank fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 30 years

    Visa fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

    False statements

    Maximum Prison Term: 30 years

    		 PPP $8M
    Emmet Bowens

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 PPP $740k
    Latresia Wilson

    False statements

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 HCF $2.6M

    Shawn Simmerer

    Seth Downes

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

    False claim

    Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

    		 PPP $344k
    Daniel Bohorquez

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

    		 EIDL $546k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, Amanda Daniels, and DOJ Trial Attorney Keith Clouser

    Fort Myers Division
    Venera Price

    Mail fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 ERAP $82k
    Timothy Jolloff

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Money laundering

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 PPP/EIDL $2.1M
    Lisa Jolloff

    Money laundering

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

    		 PPP/EIDL $2.1M
    Diop McKenzie

    Bank fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 30 years

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Aggravated identity theft

    Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

    		 EIDL/PPP $237k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Yolande Viacava and Trent Reichling

    Jacksonville Division
    Jared Eakes

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    Bank fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 30 years

    		 PPP $4.7M

    Natasha Hemming

    Tiffany Gonsalves

    Joshua Seedhaire

    Conspiracy

    Access device fraud

    Aggravated identity theft

    Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

    		 UI $5.6M
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs David Mesrobian and John Cannizzaro

    Ocala Division

    Lisa Starkes

    Ivan Starkes

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $80k
    This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division is being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk

    Adjudicated Cases

    Tampa Division
    Demarius Wilson

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $18k
    This COVID Fraud case from the Tampa Division is being handled by AUSA Michael Kenneth

    Orlando Division
    Robert Burns

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $57k

    William Barrientos

    Grisoris Barrientos

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 EIDL $693k
    Angela Chew

    Conspiracy

    Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years

    Bribery of a public official

    Maximum Prison Term: 15 Years

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 EIDL $732k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by Amanda Daniels, Diane Hu, and Richard Varadan

    Jacksonville Division
    James Wigg

    Wire Fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

    		 PPP $476k
    Crystal Harvell

    Wire Fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

    		 PPP $20k

    These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA, Kevin Frein

    and Tysen Duva

    Ocala Division
    Passion Jackson

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $20k
    Nicole Harding

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 PPP $20k
    Henry Wade

    Wire fraud

    Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

    		 EIDL $500k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk

    Sentenced Cases

    Tampa Division
    Louis Thornton, III

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL/PPP $815k

    Kary Stevenson

    Corey Quinn

    Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson)

    Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)

    		 UI $1M
    Bridgitte Keim

    Bank fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison

    		 PPP $588k
    Wayne Ganaway

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison

    		 EIDL $300k
    Rolanda Wingfield

    Access device fraud, aggravated identity theft

    Sentenced Imposed: 3 years in federal prison

    		 UI $135k
    Eriaius Bentley

    Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud

    Sentence Imposed: One year in federal prison

    		 UI $3M
    Tywon Spann

    Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 6 years and 9 months in federal prison

    		 UI $3M
    Keaujay Hornsby

    Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 10 months in federal prison

    		 UI $3M
    Kareem Spann

    Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 10 months in federal prison

    		 UI $3M
    Randy Jones

    Wire fraud, aggravated identity theft

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison

    		 EIDL/UI $250k
    Julio Lugo

    Conspiracy to commit money laundering

    Sentence Imposed: 7 years and 6 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL/PPP $4.4M
    Keith Nicoletta

    Conspiracy to commit money laundering

    Sentence Imposed: 24 months in federal prison

    		 PPP $1.9M
    Rosenide Venant

    Conspiracy to commit money laundering

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison

    		 EIDL/PPP $413k
    Melinda Hernandez

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud,

    wire fraud and aggravated identity theft

    Sentence imposed: Three years and six months in federal prison

    		 UI $1.5M
    Bri’antina Mills

    Wire fraud and theft of government funds

    Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL $10K
    Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: Two years and six months in federal prison

    		 EIDL $150k
    Omar Esquivel Bello

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL $242k

    Steve Moodie 

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft

    Sentence imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison

    		 UI $1.5M
    Richard Simpkins

    Conspiracy to commit money laundering

    Sentence imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison

    		 PPP $1.9M
    Devaris McClain

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud

    Sentence imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison

    		 UI $85k
    Jalissa McDuffy

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 3 years supervised release with 6 months home detention

    		 PPP $41k
    Kieanna Garrett

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 60 days’ imprisonment

    		 EIDL $40k
    Marqus Willard Johnson

    Bank fraud

    Money laundering

    Sentence imposed: 18 months’ imprisonment followed by 60 moths supervised release

    		 PPP $500k
    Mehdi Tazi

    Conspiracy, Aggravated identity theft

    Sentenced imposed: 5 years imprisonment  followed by4 years supervised release

    		 UI $1.5M
    Tyree Wingfield

    Conspiracy, Aggravated identity theft

    Sentenced imposed: 5 years and 10 months imprisonment  followed by4 years supervised release

    		 UI $1.5M
    Dawn Ogundele

    Theft of government funds

    Sentence imposed: 2 years’ probation

    		 PPP $20k
    Alexander Alli

    Wire fraud conspiracy

    Sentence imposed: 13 months’ imprisonment

    		 EIDL $80k
    Charles Cunningham  

    Bank fraud

    Sentence imposed: 21 months’ imprisonment

    		 PPP $800k
    Jailyn Holmes

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 PPP $20k
    Nicole Bramble-King

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 PPP $40k
    Tommy Louisville

    Wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 12 months’ imprisonment

    		 PPP $33k
    Joseph Abdo

    Wire fraud

    Illegal monetary transactions

    Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 PPP $500k
    Barrett Purvis

    Wire fraud

    Money laundering

    Sentence imposed: 2 years and 9 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL $499k
    Bergeline Lexis

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Sentence imposed: 10 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL/PPP $68k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, Diego Novaes, Jennifer Peresie, Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, Jay Trezevant, SAUSA Chris Poor, and DOJ Trial Attorney John Scanlon

    Orlando Division
    Daniel Johnson

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, unlawful transfer of firearm

    Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 6 months in federal prison

    		 UI $2.3M
    Jacquavius Smith

    Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft

    Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison

    		 PPP $10k
    Johnson Eustache

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison

    		 EIDL/PPP $2.2M
    Joseph Harrison

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison

    		 UI $2.1M
    Tomas Ziupsnys

    Conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; aggravated identity theft

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison

    		 PPP $2M
    Holly Urban

    Conspiracy to commit bank fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 30 months in federal prison

    		 PPP $1.5M
    Joel Greenberg

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses while on pretrial release

    Sentence Imposed: 11 years in federal prison

    		 EIDL $430k

    Don Cisternino 

    Wire fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and aggravated identity theft

    Sentence Imposed: 8 years and 6 months in federal prison

    		 PPP $7.2M
    Keith Ingersoll          

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft

    Sentence imposed: 9 years, 1 month in federal prison.   

    		 EIDL $66k
    Jaheim Davis

    Access device fraud and aggravated identity theft

    Sentence imposed: 3 years, 6 months in federal prison.   

    		 UI $219k
    Teresa McIntyre

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 EIDL $730k
    Brian Blake

    Possession of device-making equipment, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft

    Sentence Imposed: 9 years and 8 months in federal prison

    		 PPP/UI $832k
    Joseph Faubert

    Bank fraud

    Sentenced Imposed: 5 years probation

    		 PPP $778k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, Emily Chang, Shannon Laurie, and Jennifer Harrington, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg

    Jacksonville Division
    Jacob Byrd

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 PPP $10k
    Deconna Burke

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 PPP $20k
    Desmond Williams

    Wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud

    Sentenced Imposed: 5 years’ probation

    		 PPP $40k
    Kenneth Landers

    Wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction

    Sentence Imposed: 1 year in federal prison followed by 1 year of supervised release

    		 PPP $1.4M
    Christopher Daragjati

    Wire fraud , Theft of government funds, and Aggravated identity theft

    Sentenced imposed: 5 years’cisternino imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release.

    		 PPP $150k
    This COVID Fraud case from the Jacksonville Division was handled by AUSA Kevin Frein and Michael Coolican

    Fort Myers Division
    Casey Crowther

    Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction

    Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison

    		 PPP $2.7M

    Anthony Bruey

    Amber Bruey

    Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, illegal monetary transactions

    Sentence Imposed:

    Anthony Bruey: 4 years, 3 months in federal prison

    Amber Bruey: 4 years in federal prison

    		 PPP/EIDL $881k
    Edrica Leann Watson

    False statement to a lending institution

    Sentence Imposed: 15 months in federal prison

    		 PPP $392k
    Daniel Joseph Tisone

    Wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person

    Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison

    		 PPP/EIDL/MSLP $10.7M
    Liliana Gonzalez

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed:   5 years of probation with 18 months of home confinement

    		 PPP $169k
    Al Clint LaRoche

    Bank fraud

    Sentence Imposed: Two years in federal prison

    		 PPP $1M
    Denis Casseus

    Bank fraud and illegal monetary transaction

    Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison followed by 3 years’ supervised release

    		 PPP $298k
    Evan Graves

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: 18 months in federal prison

    		 EIDL $1.3M
    Ismaelle Manuel

    Bank fraud

    Sentence Imposed: Credit for time served followed by 5 years supervised release

    		 PPP $280k
    These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling, Michael Leeman, Jesus M. Casa, Simon Eth, and Yolande Viacava

    Ocala Division
    Lavelle Harris

    Wire fraud

    Sentence Imposed: Two years and three months in federal prison

    		 PPP $1.2M
    This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division was handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk

    Types of Fraud*

    Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

    Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

    Unemployment Insurance (UI)

    Main Street Lending Program (MSLP)

    Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

    Health Care Fraud (HCF)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Brings Innovative Tech with the Opening of a New Store at Cresta Mall

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics South Africa is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its new brand store at Cresta Mall in Johannesburg on Thursday, 12 September 2024. This new store will offer an immersive shopping experience for local shoppers, showcasing the latest in Samsung’s cutting-edge technology and innovation.
     

     
    The new store will feature a comprehensive range of Samsung products, including the newest smartphones, tablets, wearables, home appliances, aircons, TVs and monitors. With a modern and engaging design, the store aims to provide customers with an interactive and hands-on experience with Samsung’s advanced technology.
     
    The new store is set to bring the full customer journey with the extensive range of Samsung product offerings. From audio-visual, cooking, and cleaning to other home appliances, customers will be able to get their hands on all the new technology the company has to offer. The recently launched Bespoke AI home appliances including fridges, washing machines, dishwashers, and microwave ovens will be available to help customers do less and live more as they elevate the way they stay entertained and do ordinary household chores, among other
     

     
    Home entertainment will transform to bring consumers the ultimate viewing experience thanks to an array of ground-breaking AI televisions such as the Neo QLED 8K, OLED, The Serif, and The Frame, as well as gaming monitors like the highly impressive Odyssey.
     
    Customers looking to upgrade their mobile experience will have to look no further as the store will bring the latest smartphones from the accessible Galaxy A series to the AI-powered flagships, the Galaxy S24 series and Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 foldables. As the best that Galaxy has to offer, these devices take productivity, creativity, and entertainment to a whole new level with their most advanced AI features.
     

     
    With Spring ushering in the warm and hot temperatures, customers need not worry as they can visit the store to get their hands on the new WindFreeTM air-conditioner range to make their homes cool and comfortable.
     
    The store’s operating hours are 09h00 – 19h00 Monday to Saturday, and 09h00 – 17h00 on Sundays and public holidays. With its friendly and highly-trained staff always ready and willing to assist customers with their insights on the latest Samsung innovations and great deals, the new Samsung store at Cresta Mall is expected to be a hive of activity.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon is ready to keep customers connected ahead of Hurricane Helene

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon is ready to keep customers connected ahead of Hurricane Helene

    ALPHARETTA, GA – As potential Hurricane Helene approaches the Florida coast, Verizon remains committed to keeping communities and first responders connected. Verizon’s Response Team has prepared year-round to respond to extreme weather situations, like hurricanes, by taking part in emergency drills, fortifying the network infrastructure, and ensuring resources are mobilized for rapid response.

    “Verizon is committed to keeping communities connected. From consumers, to businesses, to first responders, Verizon offers the dependable service they need to face Hurricane Helene and the days to come,” said Atlantic South Market President, Leigh Anne Lanier. “Our dedicated team is working around the clock to ensure our customers stay informed, stay in touch with loved ones, and access critical services when they need them most.”

    Verizon’s networks are primed

    Verizon’s networks are primed to maintain connectivity even in the face of extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes. With redundancy built into critical paths and components, Verizon’s network is engineered to withstand severe weather. Verizon engineers have prepared by conducting thorough checks, as well as ensuring backup systems, like batteries and generators, are operational and refueled.

    In preparation for potential network recovery operations, Verizon has bolstered its arsenal with:

    • A fleet of over 550 portable network assets, including generator-powered cell sites, drones, and a fixed-wing aircraft for aerial support.
    • An industry-leading nearly 300 satellite-based portable network assets, providing crucial connectivity in scenarios where fiber connections are compromised.
    • More than 1,000 mobile generators to assist communities in maintaining or restoring connectivity, and rapid recovery efforts.

    Verizon Frontline stands at the ready, prepared to assist first responders in any capacity needed

    The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team stands ready to help ensure that public safety agencies on the front line of any potential disaster have the mission-critical communications capabilities needed to achieve their missions. This team, composed primarily of former first responders and military personnel, is solely dedicated to supporting public safety customers during emergencies at no cost to the supported agencies.

    In the first nine months of 2024, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team has responded to more than 1,000 requests for mission-critical communications support from more than 500 different agencies in 46 states.

    Being prepared is essential to support local businesses and communities

    Recognizing the critical role of connectivity in business continuity, Verizon Business provides a suite of solutions tailored for seamless operations during emergencies. Businesses and government organizations need the right game plan. Suggested actions include:

    • Mitigate customer disruption: Think about what you need to ensure continuous service to your customers, and what software and equipment your business needs to continue operations. Make a detailed list, including service contracts and warranty information, and all pertinent phone numbers for local authorities, utility companies, suppliers, and vendors.
    • The right tech makes an impact: Ensure you have the right technology to support your business connectivity needs assuming you might need to move away from your primary location.
    • Contacts and documents are key: Make sure you have contact information updated and readily available for all employees, including at-home information for remote workers and branch information for satellite offices.
    • Test, test, and test again: Stress-test primary and backup networks and shore up any weak areas.
    • Keep track of equipment: Ensure employees working from home have documented all corporate equipment being used to work from home in case of damage or loss.
    • Have a backup plan: Ensure backup plans are in place to shift work in case work-from-home employees in a storm-impacted area have to evacuate their homes or their home loses commercial power.

    Are you hurricane ready?

    Verizon’s team works year-round to ensure customers remain connected to their loved ones and the activities that provide comfort during a disaster. As residents prepare to stay connected and entertained, consider these tips:

    • Stock Up on power supplies like batteries for flashlights and radios or device chargers. Take it a step further by charging your devices that can act as chargers for other devices like laptops and party box speakers. Don’t forget to ensure you have the cables!
    • Download Movies, Books, Apps and Games or gather board games, card games and puzzles to go device-free.
    • Locate materials for hobbies like knitting or drawing, and get creative.
    • Plan activities like cooking easy-to-make meals and even no-bake treats. Keep a few non-perishable ingredients, a manual can opener and other kitchen tools on hand.
    • Grab some candles, blankets, pillows or anything that makes your space cozy.
    • Read up on the American Red Cross’ hurricane preparedness tips.

    **Editor’s Note: To access images and b-roll of past storms, Verizon equipment, recovery efforts and more, please visit Verizon’s Emergency Resource Hub at https://www.verizon.com/about/news/emergency-resource-center

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gangs’stories: Danny’s tales of machismo in Glasgow

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Alistair Fraser, Professor of Criminology, University of Glasgow

    Glasgow – 1973, Queen Street Rail Station. Helmutt Zozmann, CC BY-NC-ND

    For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics in a comparative perspective. When understood in a nuanced manner that goes beyond the usual stereotypes and Manichean representations, gangs and gangsters arguably constitute fundamental lenses through which to think about and understand the world we live in.

    _Alistair Fraser and Angela Bartie present the story of Danny, who was a Glaswegian gang member in his youth. Drawing on interviews carried out when he was 18, 59, and 70 years old, they trace his changing self-reflection about his past experiences which mirror the broader transformation of the city from a violence urban space in the 1960s to a thriving “people’s city” in 2024.

    _

    As Danny left the room, that autumn of 2022, our eyes locked together in shock. For the last three hours, this spry seventy-year-old had held us rapt. Tanned, lean, and composed in his smart coat and cap, he was someone you’d have happily bought a used car from. But in the room he had been regaling us with tales of his teenage years running with the ‘Drummy’, a street gang notorious in Glasgow’s history. How had he got from there to here?

    Danny grew up in Easterhouse, a 1950s housing scheme on the periphery of the city that quickly attracted negative publicity. Tens of thousands were rehoused from crumbling tenements in the city centre. They were sold a bright new vision of progress but found themselves deserted on the edge of town, with only fields for company. Without shops, jobs, or facilities, young people made their own entertainment, forming themselves into gangs and fighting for kicks. Membership was decided simply by which street you happened to live on, a kind of natural selection where geography would land you on one side or the other. Unlike gangs in other cities, in Glasgow it was not about control of drug markets but a more primal law of the jungle, fighting for kicks and respect.

    The violence of the Easterhouse gangs was legendary. As Danny recalled:

    “It was just out and out tribal, that’s all it was, you know. And it was a day-to-day routine… some of the things you did were ludicrous. I mean, we used to run, we had football pitches, and you would run into the football pitches, maybe 50, 60 of yous, in pitch black. You would charge each other. Now, the British Army wouldn’t do that, in pitch black, run into it, not knowing what’s there. And you ran at each other, not knowing if the guy’s got a sword, a knife, a hatchet, anything.”

    The issue didn’t stay local for long. Warfare involving Easterhouse gangs attracted national media attention, drew concerned responses from politicians, and even garnered a celebrity visit from popular entertainer Frankie Vaughan who asked the gangs to put down their knives.

    Years before series such as the Peaky Blinders, the movie Small Faces (1996) would highlight gang violence in industrial towns such as Glasgow.

    The violence also attracted the attention of radical criminologists. Gail Wilson and Mary Wilson were part of a loose association of “Anarchists, CND, young Communists and international Socialists” (Cohen 1974: 27) who were trying to rewire academic approaches to youth culture. Rather than looking at the rule-breakers, these upstarts were looking at the rule makers and asking why some groups were criminalised more than others. Gail and Mary spent years working alongside gang youth in Easterhouse, studying their daily lives and comparing this with media narratives. They applied a theory called “social constructionism”, which tries to untangle stereotypes and reality.

    Meeting Danny

    We first met Gail and Mary back in 2010, after our studies of 1960s gangs had led us to their doorsteps. During our first meeting, Gail climbed a ladder to a storage hatch and retrieved a dusty box. Our eyes widened as we saw what lay inside. Notes, news clippings, sketches, essays and – incredibly – eighteen hand-written transcripts of interviews with members of the “Drummy” gang from 1969.

    We set about trying to trace these boys, who would now be in their fifties. We wondered how their lives had gone, where they’d ended up, and what lessons they would want to tell the current generation. We weren’t always successful. Some had died, others relocated. One got in touch to say he didn’t want to talk about that period in his life. Danny was one that said yes.

    Glasgow Gangs, 1968.

    Danny’s story, in a way, was the story of Glasgow. After his teenage gang years, Danny surfed Glasgow’s wave of industrialisation into a career in sales. He worked hard and moved out of the estate, initially to an area a few miles west of Easterhouse. His manager saw his potential, and Danny reflected that his street skills had prepared him for organisational roles and promotion.

    When we first spoke in 2011, he had been bullish in his talk of days gone by. His eyes glinted at the retelling of tales of violence, like a cowboy in a Western saloon. He revelled in one about his strict father taking him to the pub for his 18th birthday, where they had been challenged to a fight by a man and his dog. “Needless to say”, he told us with a grin, “we leathered them.”

    It sealed a bond between father and son. As he told us, “I kind of walked up the road as proud as punch, me and my dad”. We interpreted this as a link between past and present – the gang was a hand-me-down masculinity, like the legend of the Glasgow hardman swaggering through the pages of history.

    Ten years later, however, he told the story differently. As we sat squeezed around a table too big for the room, the air was thick with regret not bravado. His father had recently passed away, and this former hardman was suddenly vulnerable. As he recalled in 2022 of the altercation:

    “That’s the first time I probably ever bonded, truly, with my dad, if you know what I mean, in all the years… on my 18th birthday, I’ll never forget it.”

    The macho image started to fracture

    The macho image that we had of Danny, and of the Glasgow hardman, started to fracture. Ever since, we have been re-evaluating what we thought we knew about Danny’s life – and gang lives in general – and our own part in retelling his story. The oral historian Lynn Abrams says:

    “The story that a person tells is just one of many that are possible. The script is not deterministic. Its shape, form and content is determined by the need for the narrator to construct a memory story with which he or she can feel comfortable at that moment. And a comfortable telling is often one in which the story told coheres with larger cultural understandings.”

    Danny’s perspectives on his youthful gang experiences have altered not just in response to his own changing life circumstances, but also to how the culture of Glasgow has transformed in the fifty years since he was involved in the Drummy.

    Today, Glasgow is hailed as a city that has beaten the gangs, with talk of a Glasgow miracle of violence reduction.

    As he swaggered out the door, every inch the successful businessman, a stillness descended on the room. Danny was as far from the stereotype of a gang member as you could possibly imagine. He is your grandfather, your neighbour, your friend.

    Meeting Danny reminded us that stories matter, but like a city they can change – and paying attention to when and why these stories change can often reveal more than the stories themselves.

    Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Gangs’stories: Danny’s tales of machismo in Glasgow – https://theconversation.com/gangsstories-dannys-tales-of-machismo-in-glasgow-224876

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin took part in the meeting of the State Council Presidium on the issue of export development

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    President of Russia Vladimir Putin held an extended meeting of the State Council Presidium on the issue of export development. The Mayor of Moscow took part in the meeting Sergei Sobyanin.

    One of the key topics was further steps to increase the country’s export potential and the role of regions in this process. Russia continues to be an active participant in international trade, despite the difficulties that businesses face.

    “We are developing external business relations, expanding their geography, strengthening cooperation with predictable, reliable partners who, like Russia, understand their national interests and value mutually beneficial trade, production, and cooperation relations,” the Russian President noted.

    At present, world trade and the global economy as a whole are actively developing. A new system of relations is currently being built, where the leading roles are taken by the states of the so-called Global South. These are dynamically growing countries, participants in promising integration associations, such as, for example, BRICS. Already now, the contribution of the BRICS countries to the world economy exceeds the share of the “Big Seven” and continues to grow.

    Thus, in 1992, the G7 accounted for 45.5 percent of global GDP, and in 2022, it was already 30.5 percent. According to forecasts, in 2028, the share of the G7 will decrease to 27.9 percent. At the same time, the share of the BRICS countries (excluding new members) in global GDP in 1992 was 16.7 percent, in 2022 it grew to 31.4 percent, and by 2028 it may reach 33.8 percent.

    This trend will continue in the future, since the growth of the BRICS countries’ contribution to the global economy is an objective process that is not related to the current geopolitical situation.

    “This means [that] real markets of the future are being formed, based on strong strategic partnerships, principles of combining economic potentials and mutually enhancing growth. It is important not only to understand these trends, but also to take advantage of the advantages and export opportunities that are opening up for our businesses, for enterprises. We need to provide them with assistance at all levels,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

    The Russian President recalled that this year, a six-year national project to support exports is ending. During this time, it was possible to create tools, including in the country’s regions, that allowed domestic companies to go through the pandemic stage, successfully supply products abroad, and, over the past two years, redirect commodity flows to promising, growing markets.

    “Next year, the updated national project “International Cooperation and Export” will be launched. The basis for its decisions, measures and mechanisms should be the results achieved in the export sphere, the priorities of economic development facing our country, and, of course, the objective global trends that I just spoke about,” the Russian President noted.

    For the long-term development of foreign economic relations, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of financial and information support for exports, actively create logistics and transport infrastructure, as well as platforms for industrial cooperation.

    In addition, it is important to stimulate the entry of Russian companies into markets for goods with high added value, to increase so-called non-resource, non-energy exports, including supplies of engineering goods and food products.

    “I would like to note that from 2001 to 2023, the volume of Russia’s non-resource, non-energy exports has grown more than fourfold. This is a good result: four times – not some percentage, but four times – from 36 to 148 billion dollars. This, of course, is far from the limit for us, it is still not that much. But in the first seven months of this year, non-resource, non-energy exports continued to grow and increased by another five percent – to 89.8 billion [dollars],” Vladimir Putin said.

    In some areas, particularly in food supplies, Russia has already become one of the world’s leading exporters. According to the Russian President, this result is primarily the merit of specialists and labor collectives of enterprises, as well as those who provide them with support, in particular development institutions and regional leaders.

    “In the message to the Federal Assembly, and then

    in the decree on national development goals a target was set, namely, to increase non-resource, non-energy exports by at least two-thirds by 2030 compared to 2023. This is an ambitious goal, especially given the challenges that our companies have faced recently,” Vladimir Putin noted.

    In his opinion, this task requires a comprehensive approach from the state, development institutions and regional leaders. Thus, the Russian Export Center (REC) is implementing a special program “Made in Russia”, which helps promote domestic brands in domestic and foreign markets. It is necessary to scale up this practice and expand its coverage.

    “Within the framework of interregional cooperation, partnerships are being built with friendly countries, and this, of course, contributes to strengthening Russia’s technological sovereignty, sets a higher pace of economic development for the subjects of the Federation, and therefore for the entire country,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

    The Russian President noted that individual regions of the country are consistently and comprehensively developing non-resource exports, working with small and medium businesses. For this purpose, regional exporter support centers have been created and teams of specialized specialists are working.

    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.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11824050/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –