NewzIntel.com

Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Business – OCR Drop Welcomed by Canterbury Businesses

    Source: Business Canterbury

    Canterbury businesses will welcome today’s further drop in the OCR following the Reserve Bank’s announcement to cut the OCR by 50 basis points to 4.75%. 
    Business Canterbury Chief Executive Leeann Watson says, “today’s further drop will provide a further boost to business confidence at a time when businesses continue to face increased financial pressure. We hope today’s announcement will continue to increase consumer confidence and demand, which have been at an all-time low.”
    “Since February 2023, when inflation and interest rates outpaced labour market constraints, cost pressures have consistently taken the number one spot in business concerns, according to Business Canterbury’s quarterly survey of over 450 businesses in Canterbury.”
    “Following the previous OCR announcement in August, we saw quite a significant improvement in expectations for both the Canterbury economy and individual business performance, a big turnaround from what we saw in the results from May.”
    “This optimism indicates that recent drops in inflation and interest rates are positively influencing the business operating environment, even as many companies continue to navigate the challenges of what has felt like an elastic band economy over the past few years.”
    “We hope to see further improvement in consumer confidence which saw a lift in September, although still net pessimistic, with spending remaining subdued in many areas. Over the three months to August, retail spending in Canterbury declined by just over 1% from the same time last year, a reduction of about $26 million, which businesses continue to be concerned about. We hope today’s further reduction will see further improvements in consumer confidence to help boost sales for businesses, off the back of an extremely challenging period.”
    “Today’s announcement is another positive step in encouraging an environment that supports economic activity, enabling businesses to concentrate on productivity, innovation, and growth.”
    “Canterbury businesses have shown incredible resilience over the past four to five years, and I’m confident that they will continue to thrive as we move toward a more optimistic economic future.” 
    About Business Canterbury
    Business Canterbury, formerly Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, is the largest business support agency in the South Island and advocates on behalf of its members for an environment more favourable to innovation, productivity and sustainable growth.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Australia’s TPG Telecom Taps Mavenir to Boost Voice Security For Mobile Users and Block AI-Driven Scam Calls

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RICHARDSON, Texas, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mavenir, the Network Software Provider building the future of networks with cloud-native solutions that run on any cloud, today announces that its advanced machine learning (ML) technology is being used by TPG Telecom to protect mobile users from the increasing scourge of AI-driven scam and spam voice calls – resulting in a 280 per cent increase in the number of fraudulent calls being blocked before they reach TPG Telecom customers’ mobile phones.

    The Australian telco is already benefiting from Mavenir’s intelligent SpamShield technology protection for SMS messaging for several years. Mavenir is now supplying its robust, real-time CallShield solution –to protect TPG Telecom’s customers across its Vodafone, TPG, iiNet and felix brands from the nuisance and threat of automated and deepfake voice calls initiated by fraudsters.

    In the first six months of this year, Mavenir’s CallShield technology has blocked almost 19 million fraudulent mobile calls from reaching TPG Telecom’s customers. This equates to blocking 103,000 illicit calls from reaching customers per day, and more than triple the 4.9 million calls blocked in the first half of 2023. This represents some of the highest scam and spam call prevention figures in the industry.

    TPG Telecom also uses Mavenir’s SpamShield platform to stop fraudulent SMS from reaching its mobile users. In the first six months of 2024, Mavenir’s technology blocked more than 59.6 million fraudulent text messages from reaching TPG Telecom’s customers.

    Communication Service Providers (CSPs) globally are facing a constantly evolving flow of unsolicited spam and fraud traffic – across both data and voice services – which is increasingly driven by sophisticated AI techniques, making it very difficult to detect and control. In addition to creating a poor experience for users and significant revenue losses for operators, a 2022 report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission highlighted that phone scams cost Australians a concerning A$141 million in losses. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the regulator of the country’s telecommunications system, is spearheading industry action to crack down on spam and scam calls and ensure that consumers are adequately protected – enforcing regulatory compliance from operators and supporting the roll-out of effective security solutions from technology vendors. Mavenir’s CallShield solution uses real-time machine learning technology to carry out automated security analysis and proactive defense across voice services – helping operators to stay one step ahead of the scammers. The CallShield solution provides CSPs with 360-degree control to effectively address specific situations within their networks with unrivalled speed and flexibility. While traditional detection and prevention techniques are based on deterministic rules that can be easily detected and bypassed, CallShield’s ML detection algorithms with built-in intelligence adapt to current network conditions and subscriber behavior to continually detect and block attempted activity from spammers and fraudster.

    TPG Telecom Chief Technology Officer Giovanni Chiarelli said: “Our business is built on the trust of our customers. We are committed to embracing new technologies that provide the best possible protection against the nuisance and threat of malicious harm posed by these spammers and scammers. We are pleased Mavenir’s CallShield technology is providing real-time, automated security analysis and effective security for customers across our voice services.”

    Jan Schaar, Asia Pacific Regional Vice President for Mavenir, added: “The speed and sophistication of the techniques being employed by scammers and fraudsters means that a reactive security approach based on purely “reporting” spam is no longer enough. To offer mobile users the assurance and peace of mind they need today, we need to work harder and smarter, and remain one step ahead at all times – continuously learning from and anticipating the scammers’ next move. Our SpamShield platform, with its powerful ML-driven engine, is already delivering state-of-the-art, proactive security and protection across TPG’s messaging services. We are happy to now be extending the solution span by providing our robust CallShield technology – ensuring that TPG’s mobile customers can now enjoy the same superior protection from nuisance and malicious threats that arrive in the form of unwanted voice calls.”

    Notes to editor:

    TPG official Press Release – TPG Telecom stops spams and scams from reaching customers with new call blocker

    CallShield – Mavenir

    SpamShield / Messaging Fraud – Mavenir

    About TPG Telecom

    TPG Telecom is an Australian telecommunications company which is home to some of Australia’s most-loved telecommunications brands including Vodafone, TPG, iiNet, AAPT, Internode, Lebara and felix. As the second largest telecommunications company listed on the ASX, TPG Telecom has a strong challenger spirit and a commitment to delivering the best services and products to its customers. http://www.tpgtelecom.com.au.

    TPG Telecom PR Contact:
    media@tpgtelecom.com.au

    About Mavenir:

    Mavenir is building the future of networks today with cloud-native, AI-enabled solutions which are green by design, empowering operators to realize the benefits of 5G and achieve intelligent, automated, programmable networks. As the pioneer of Open RAN and a proven industry disruptor, Mavenir’s award-winning solutions are delivering automation and monetization across mobile networks globally, accelerating software network transformation for 300+ Communications Service Providers in over 120 countries, which serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. For more information, please visit http://www.mavenir.com

    Mavenir PR Contacts:
    Emmanuela Spiteri
    PR@mavenir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU organized an international scientific and practical conference

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    The State University of Management organized an international scientific and practical conference of the scientific and educational consortium “Eurasian Network University” “Education as a driver of economic growth in the context of Eurasian integration”.

    The venue for the event was the Kyrgyz Economic University named after M. Ryskulbekov.

    The Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov, the Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic Daniyar Amangeldiev, the Chairman of the Board of the Russian Peace Foundation Sergey Baburin, and the Rector of the Kyrgyz Economic University named after M. Ryskulbekov Almaz Kadyraliev addressed the conference participants with welcoming remarks.

    The opening of the conference was also attended by Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Dmitry Bryukhanov, Vice-Rector for International Activities and Networking of the Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Lobachevsky Alexander Bedny and Vice-Rector for International Cooperation of the Kyrgyz University of Economics named after M. Ryskulbekov Tamara Dzholdosheva.

    More than 30 representatives of the member universities of the Eurasian Network University made presentations. The conference participants reviewed the best practices of organizing internships, discussed the problems and prospects of integration trends in science and education, coordination of scientific research, problems of developing and recognizing common standards in the scientific and educational sphere in the Eurasian space, as well as the development of joint multilateral scientific research and educational programs.

    Particular attention was paid to the development of new standards and educational programs for training personnel with relevant competencies that meet the modern needs of the economies of the EAEU countries, the importance of integrating the academic and business communities within the framework of socio-economic development, key factors of economic growth and the formation of a single economic space within the EAEU.

    Following the conference “Education as a Driver of Economic Growth in the Context of Eurasian Integration,” tasks were identified that require solutions for successful Eurasian integration and interaction in various spheres of society and the state and the formation of a Eurasian partnership.

    The event included an exhibition of the scientific and educational consortium “Eurasian Network University” (ENU), where the main areas of activity of the network university were presented, and the Olympiads were presented: the All-Russian scientific and practical tournament with international participation “Hi-Tech Breakthrough”, the Olympiad “Future of the EAEU” and the Eurasian Olympiad – International Student Olympiad of ENU, the winners of which get the opportunity to study at Russian universities participating in ENU within the quota of the Government of the Russian Federation.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/9/2024

    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 organized an international scientific and practical conference

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Eviden drives quantum adoption with installation of IQM Spark quantum computer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    This IQM quantum computer will enable Eviden’s clients to engage in quantum programming and applications.

    Paris, France – October 9, 2024 – Eviden, the Atos Group business leading in advanced computing today announces having signed a partnership with IQM Quantum Computers – a global leader in designing, building, and selling superconducting quantum computers – to make quantum computing a reality across businesses and organizations.

    While performance is key, the stability and fidelity of the qubits have become a crucial element in the near quantum revolution to run accurate operations. To tackle this challenge, IQM Spark™ is a superconducting quantum computer which offers high single-qubit and two-qubit gates fidelity, ensuring reliable and accurate quantum applications.

    Eviden has therefore installed IQM SparkTM, a quantum computer tailored for educational purposes and experimental research, for its customers to learn, experiment, and start developing real-life quantum proofs-of-concept. With this significant milestone in the journey toward quantum adoption, Eviden reaffirms its dedication and commitment to making quantum computing technology more accessible to everyone.

    With complete physical access to this machine installed in Eviden’s flagship factory (Angers, France), the Group’s users and clients will benefit from flexible and immediate experimentation. Remote-as-a-service access through an Eviden private cloud will also be deployed to make this technology broadly accessible.

    Access to a IQM SparkTM will allow research labs, universities, and industry players to better learn and understand quantum computing technology and discover programming approaches, noise models, usage constraints, and more.

    Eviden will also leverage the machine to provide access to the Eviden R&D and internal consulting community, to enhance quantum applications and integration with HPC clusters, and to improve Eviden’s compilers and create new noise-aware compilers.

    Access to the machine will be part of Eviden’s Qaptiva offering, a complete quantum computing application development environment, enriched by consulting services and an ecosystem of software and hardware partners.

    Dr. Cédric Bourrasset, Global Head of HPC-AI and Quantum Computing, Eviden, Atos Group highlighted “Hosting our very first quantum computer is a major step in our quantum computing journey. With this milestone, Eviden now combines quantum emulation and quantum computing processing to offer a tangible solution to enter the world of quantum physics. This comes with great benefits for programming without the high costs and complexities usually inherent to such technologies, therefore making quantum computing more affordable and accessible.”

    Dr. Mikko Välimäki, Co-CEO at IQM Quantum Computers, said: “The installation of IQM Spark, the first fully functional quantum computer at Eviden, adds to the growing network of our systems deployed globally and demonstrates our commitment to accelerate commercial quantum adoption for businesses. We are confident that our system will provide significant value to Eviden’s clients while we look forward to collaborating with other enterprises in their quantum journey.”

    “Through our partnership with Eviden, we are not only providing cutting-edge quantum computing technology but also enabling educational and experimental opportunities for future quantum innovators in France as they develop applications and proofs-of-concept, accelerating the journey toward widespread quantum adoption,” added the Vice President Global Business and Marketing at IQM Quantum Computers, Sylwia Barthel de Weydenthal.

    ***

    About Eviden1

    Eviden is a next-gen technology leader in data-driven, trusted and sustainable digital transformation with a strong portfolio of patented technologies. With worldwide leading positions in advanced computing, security, AI, cloud and digital platforms, it provides deep expertise for all industries in more than 47 countries. Bringing together 47,000 world-class talents, Eviden expands the possibilities of data and technology across the digital continuum, now and for generations to come. Eviden is an Atos Group company with an annual revenue of c. € 5 billion.

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 92,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    About IQM Quantum Computers:    

    IQM is a global leader in designing, building, and selling superconducting quantum computers. IQM provides both on-premises full-stack quantum computers and a cloud platform to access its computers anywhere in the world.  

    IQM customers include the leading supercomputing centres, enterprises, and research labs which have full access to IQM’s software and hardware.  IQM has over 280 employees with offices in Espoo, Munich, Paris, Warsaw, Madrid Singapore, and Palo Alto  

    Press contacts

    Atos Group: Constance Arnoux – constance.arnoux@eviden.com – +33 (0)6 44 12 16 35

    IQM: press@meetiqm.com – +358504790845    

    1 Eviden business is operated through the following brands: AppCentrica, ATHEA, Cloudamize, Cloudreach, Cryptovision, DataSentics, Edifixio, Energy4U, Engage ESM, Evidian, Forensik, IDEAL GRP, In Fidem, Ipsotek, Maven Wave, Profit4SF, SEC Consult, Visual BI, Worldgrid, X-Perion. Eviden is a registered trademark.
    Eviden is a registered trademark. © Eviden SAS, 2024.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Regulatory barriers threaten transition towards circular economy, ICC report warns

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Regulatory barriers threaten transition towards circular economy, ICC report warns

    Published in partnership with EY, the report – “Putting the circular economy into motion: From barriers to opportunities” – highlights the significant obstacles companies encounter when transitioning to circular business models that could otherwise deliver significant environmental, reputational and financial gains.

    The circular economy is intended to maximise resource efficiency and minimise environmental impact by promoting continuous use, reuse and recycling of materials and products. But the study concludes that existing regulatory systems are not fit for purpose in enabling such approaches at scale – largely as a result of significant inconsistencies in national environmental laws and regulations that remain based on linear models of production and consumption.  

    Regulatory barriers highlighted by the report include:

    • Complex and fragmented import and export processes for secondary materials which create significant compliance and operational costs.
    • Lack of a common international standard for “remanufactured” products.
    • Customs systems that do not accommodate reverse logistics.
    • No recognition of circular approaches under the 1989 Basel Convention on hazardous waste.  

    ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said: “It’s certainly true that the shift to circular business models has been slower than many governments anticipated a decade ago. But that’s not surprising when you see that legacy regulations tilt the playing field against circularity – in effect, entrenching the dominance of the old model of extract, produce, consume and discard.

    “We hope that our report can serve as a roadmap for clear and coordinated regulatory change – both at the domestic and international level – to put the circular economy firmly into motion. Reforming the Basel Convention to take into account the evolution of circular solutions and advances in technology is, in our view, an essential starting point for this effort.”

    Based on an extensive series of interviews with businesses across a range of industries, the study also highlights a range of challenges companies face when looking to deploy circular approaches – from infrastructure gaps through to high upfront investment needs. It also pinpoints the need for a concerted effort to shift consumer perceptions and behaviour – including prevailing misconceptions about the quality of remanufactured, refurbished or recycled goods and materials.

    Mark Weick, Managing Director, Climate Change and Sustainability Services at EY said: “Circular economy is a systematic approach that requires collaboration from all stakeholders across the value chain within an enabling regulatory framework. Concerted cooperation will be pivotal to drive meaningful impact to reduce climate change effects.”

    The report concludes with a number of broad recommendations to incentivize the uptake of circular business models – starting with the facilitation of cross-border trade in secondary materials.

    Pär Larshans, Director of Sustainability, Ragn-Sells Group, and Co-Chair of ICC’s Working Group on Circular Economy added: “The transition to a circular economy is much needed if we want to reach the ambitions set in the Paris Agreement, and to ensure that humanity reduces the risk of overshooting any of the planetary boundaries. With this report, ICC focuses on the need for circular transitions to move away from a minimised waste focus to a resource efficiency focus where a decontamination step is included to enable free trade of recycled materials.”

    Learn more on the circular economy and download the full report.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 19th Meeting of Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Informatisation held in Guangzhou

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Informatisation convened its 19th meeting in Guangzhou today (October 9) to deepen sustained co-operation in informatisation between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Guangdong Province.

         The Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, and the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT), Mr Qu Xiaojie, reviewed the work progress and achievements of the Expert Group over the past year. They discussed and exchanged views on the work plan in the coming year, and agreed to continue strengthening co-operation in five areas of informatisation:

    1. accelerating development of a Guangdong-Hong Kong smart city cluster;
    2. deepening collaboration on cross-boundary e-commerce between Hong Kong and Guangdong;
    3. enhancing informatisation for cross-boundary customs clearance;
    4. continuing to deepen the innovation and technology (I&T) co-operation; and
    5. expediting co-operation in telecommunications business and infrastructure between Hong Kong and Guangdong.

         Mr Wong said in the meeting that “Guangdong’s Research Report on Development of New Quality Productive Forces 2023” revealed that Guangdong has established significant competitive advantages in three major sectors including artificial intelligence (AI), high-end manufacturing, and biomedicine. This resonated well with the emphasis of the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint that Hong Kong should focus on the development of I&T industries of strategic importance such as life and health technology, AI and data science, as well as advanced manufacturing and new energy technology industries. He hoped that the Digital Policy Office (DPO) and the GDDIIT could jointly explore avenues for promoting collaboration in the development of AI and digital industries between the two places.

         Officials from relevant departments, including the DPO, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Marine Department, and Hong Kong Customs attended the meeting on behalf of the HKSAR Government. Mainland representatives who attended the meeting included officials from the GDDIIT, the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, the Radio and Television Administration of Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Communications Administration, the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, the Department of Transport of Guangdong Province, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee. Members of the HKSAR delegation also comprised representatives from research institutions and industry organisations, including the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, the Cyberport, and GS1 Hong Kong.

         With the arrangement of the GDDIIT, the Hong Kong delegation visited the Guangzhou Digital Technology Group after the meeting to learn more about the enterprise’s developments on AI, smart city solutions and its exploration of data elements.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CMA cautions will writing and legal service providers as new guidance launched

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    CMA issues letters to businesses alongside new guidance following an investigation into unregulated providers of will writing, online divorce and pre-paid probate services.

    iStock

    The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is taking action to protect the growing number of UK consumers who are opting for alternatives to high street solicitors when making a will or getting divorced. Businesses which provide these unregulated legal services are a growing part of the legal sector and it is crucial they understand and comply with their consumer protection obligations. People buying these services need to be sure they are getting a fair deal. 

    The CMA has written to seven providers of unregulated legal services cautioning them against using particularly concerning practices such as aggressive upselling, the refusal of refunds and failing to respond to complaints. 

    Those who receive a letter should acknowledge it and act on any recommendations to review and revise their contract terms and practices. With the CMA set to receive stronger enforcement powers from next spring, if concerns are not addressed, the businesses could face a formal investigation. 

    As these types of services are not purchased very often, the CMA is concerned that consumers may not have a clear idea of what they may be expected to pay or the different options available to them. So, to help boost compliance levels across unregulated legal services, the CMA is also issuing new tailored guidance for businesses in the sector. This follows a consultation which received widespread support from consumer bodies, trade associations and the firms offering these services.  

    To complement the guidance for businesses, the CMA has published consumer guides for people making a will or going through a divorce. The significant consumer risks associated with pre-paid probate services are also highlighted. 

    Hayley Fletcher, CMA’s Interim Senior Director for Consumer Protection, said:

    Alternatives to conventional high street law firms can offer convenient services for people – and when day-to-day budgets are already under pressure, they can be a more cost-effective option.  

    Those offering these types of legal services often meet their customers at some of the most challenging times in life, so it’s particularly important that a difficult time is not made harder by misleading or unfair practices.   

    Our new guides will help empower consumers to ask businesses the right questions before they buy and give businesses an opportunity to get their house in order. 

    To ensure they comply with the law, we expect businesses in the sector to read the new guidance and make the necessary changes to their terms and practices. Those who don’t could face enforcement action.

    The new guidance explains how businesses can ensure they: 

    • draft fair terms and conditions and provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions 

    • provide services with reasonable care and skill 

    • use sales practices that are not misleading or aggressive 

    To raise business awareness of the CMA’s new guidance, an open letter has been sent to providers and published online. The CMA will continue to monitor the sector and expects to conduct a formal compliance review in due course. 

    Guides for consumers 

    The CMA’s new guides for consumers outline the options available when choosing a will writer or a divorce service provider, including the key things people need to keep in mind when buying these services and the potential sources of help if things go wrong after purchase.  

    Consumers are cautioned to think carefully before buying pre-paid probate plans as they come with significant consumer protection risks, including that the company could cease trading before the consumer’s death. A consumer warning on pre-paid probate services is already available via the Financial Conduct Authority and sets out the key issues for consumers to be aware of in relation to these services. 

    More information can be found on the unregulated legal services case page.  

    Notes to editors:  

    1. The CMA’s work in this area relates to consumer protection law, which applies across the UK. The separate laws relating specifically to wills, probate and divorce and the provision of legal advice in those areas differ across the nations of the UK: 

      • In England and Wales, only certain legal services (‘reserved legal activities’) are restricted to regulated legal services professionals (such as solicitors or chartered legal executives). Reserved legal activity is a defined term in the Legal Services Act 2007. 

      • In Scotland, certain legal services are restricted to professionals authorised to conduct those services based on the qualification they hold (such as solicitors, advocates and certain other professionals including commercial attorneys, notaries public and conveyancing practitioners). They are subject to statutory regulation: see Section 32 of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980. Note that the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill is currently before the Scottish Parliament, which if enacted will affect the regulation of legal professionals in Scotland. 

      • Similarly, in Northern Ireland, certain legal services are restricted to qualified persons such as solicitors: see Article 23 of the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.  

    2. The focus of the new guidance is unregulated providers, where the additional requirements of professional regulation do not apply. However, regulated providers must also meet their legal obligations including compliance with consumer law.  

    3. The CMA has a range of enforcement powers under consumer protection law, and these are shared with other bodies, such as local Trading Standards Services.  

    4. This consumer enforcement investigation was initiated by the CMA in July 2023 to protect consumers following complaints about unregulated providers offering will writing, online divorce, and pre-paid probate services. Since then, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 has received royal assent. When relevant provisions come into force, the CMA itself will be empowered to determine whether consumer law has been breached and will have the ability to impose fines and order firms to pay compensation to affected consumers.  

    5. The providers of unregulated legal services that have received one of the seven advisory letters from the CMA will not be named. 

    6. For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office on 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk  

    7. All enquiries from the public should be directed to the CMA’s General Enquiries team on general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk or by phone on 020 3738 6000.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Open letter to unregulated legal services providers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

    The CMA has published an open letter to unregulated providers of will writing, online divorce and pre-paid probate services outlining their consumer law obligations.

    Documents

    Open letter to the unregulated legal services sector

    HTML

    Open letter to the unregulated legal services sector (printable version)

    PDF, 238 KB, 4 pages

    This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

    Request an accessible format.
    If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

    Details

    This letter reminds unregulated businesses offering will writing, online divorce and pre-paid probate services of their existing obligations under UK consumer law, and points readers to compliance guidance published by the CMA.  

    Businesses who provide these services should read this letter together with the final guidance.

    Read more on our  unregulated legal services case page.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 October 2024

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Netball’s triumphant return to Liverpool set for 2025!

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Netball will make a triumphant return to Liverpool in May next year when M&S Bank Arena team up with Manchester Thunder to host a highly anticipated Netball Super League (NSL) match, reaffirming the city’s status as a destination for top-tier sporting events.

    The event will see some of the UK’s finest netball talent compete against each other in front of passionate netball fans. Fixtures, announced today, reveal Manchester Thunder will meet Birmingham Panthers in Liverpool.  The return to the city is particularly exciting for local supporters, as it was the host city for the unforgettable 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup, where fans packed the stands to create an electric atmosphere.

    M&S Bank Arena, one of the UK’s leading sports and entertainment venues, is thrilled to welcome Manchester Thunder for what promises to be an exhilarating match. The venue’s state-of-the-art facilities and commitment to creating memorable fan experiences ensure it will be a spectacular showcase for netball fans across the Liverpool city region.

    Ben Williams, Commercial & Business Development Manager for M&S Bank Arena said, “We are delighted to be welcoming netball back to the city. Liverpool has a rich sporting history, and local fans always create a special atmosphere. We are proud to host this prestigious event and can’t wait to see the arena buzzing with excitement as the players take to the court.”

    Karen Greig, Head Coach and Franchise Director for Manchester Thunder said, “We are delighted to be bringing a game to Liverpool and the M&S Bank Arena. We recognise as a North West based franchise that we have a responsibility to develop both local and elite netball across our region. It’s important for us to engage with netballers in the whole of the North West to get more people watching netball and coming to Liverpool is an exciting move for us. We will be working closely with Liverpool and its surrounding areas to engage not only young aspiring netballers but reaching out to netballers across the city. We are excited to see this new partnership drive forward and help develop partnerships and netball.”

    Manchester Thunder, four-time Netball Super League champions, are playing in Liverpool for the first time in their history. The sport’s return to Liverpool in 2025 comes at a time when netball continues to grow in popularity across the UK, inspiring a new generation of players and fans alike. With a strong history of hosting international sporting events, Liverpool is ready to bring netball to new heights and once again show why it’s the premiere destination for top-tier sporting events.

    Event Details:

    • Location: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
    • Date: 18 May 2025
    • Tickets: On sale from 12th October 2024

    For more information, please visit mandsbankarena.com or follow us on social media for the latest updates.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TRA recommendation to keep protections on ceramic tiles accepted

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Government has accepted the TRA’s recommendation to maintain an anti-dumping measure on ceramic tiles from China.

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has accepted the Trade Remedies Authority’s recommendation to maintain an anti-dumping measure on ceramic tiles from China, except on certain larger subsets of the product that are not produced in the UK.

    This measure was among those inherited from the EU system and has been in place for 12 years. The TRA conducted a transition review to establish whether it was still suitable for the UK’s needs.

    In its Final Recommendation the TRA recommended that the anti-dumping measure on ceramic tiles with a surface area of less than or equal to 3600cm2, with no tile edge greater than 600mm in length, be maintained for a further five years.

    However, it recommended that the measure be removed on tiles where the largest surface area exceeds 3600cm2 or those that have an edge equal to or longer than 600mm. The measure would still apply in these cases if the tiles in question have a differential relief on the surface area that exceeds 3mm.

    The UK imported over £382 million worth of ceramic tiles in 2021, with 1.5% of these imports coming from China. Chinese imports of tiles to the UK currently face duty rates ranging from 14% to 70%.

    Background information:

    • The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
    • Dumping occurs when goods are imported into a country and sold at a price that is below their normal value in their country of export.
    • Trade remedy investigations were carried out by the EU Commission on the UK’s behalf until the UK left the EU. A number of EU trade remedy measures of interest to UK producers were carried across into UK law when the UK left the EU and the TRA is currently reviewing each one to check if it is suitable for UK needs.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    October 9, 2024

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    October 9, 2024

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    October 9, 2024

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    October 9, 2024

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. With the President of the RSPP Alexander Shokhin

    October 9, 2024

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. With RSPP President Alexander Shokhin

    October 9, 2024

    Previous news Next news

    Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

    He told representatives of large businesses about the main parameters of the national project “Efficient and Competitive Economy” and outlined the opportunities for the participation of the business community in its implementation.

    The Deputy Prime Minister recalled the tasks set by the President to maintain high rates of economic growth and complete its structural restructuring. It is necessary to ensure that Russia’s GDP growth rates are higher than the world average and maintain fourth place in the world in terms of GDP at purchasing power parity.

    “In order to achieve the goals and objectives facing the country, it is necessary to ensure the formation of a new model of long-term economic growth. The basis of this growth is the supply economy, ensuring the satisfaction of growing domestic demand. The expansion of supply to meet the growing domestic demand will be ensured by supporting domestic production, increasing investment activity, where the driver will be private investment and the development of the financial market as one of the sources, increasing labor productivity, changing the structure and volume of exports and imports. It is also important to develop competition and develop effective measures to adapt our economy to the global energy transition. All this is aimed at ensuring the competitiveness of our goods and services, including on the international market. It is this new growth model, based on the supply economy, that formed the basis for the formation of the national project “Efficient and Competitive Economy”. The goal of the national project is to ensure sustainable economic development based on competition, entrepreneurship and private initiative,” emphasized Alexander Novak.

    Businessmen asked the Deputy Prime Minister current questions related to the development of industry projects, the reduction of administrative barriers and the improvement of legislation, the stimulation of investment and aspects of public-private partnership, as well as the participation of entrepreneurs in the implementation of the list of instructions of the President of Russia related to ensuring the growth and efficiency of the economy.

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

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

    http://government.ru/nevs/52944/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR Government and Ministry of Commerce sign Second Agreement Concerning Amendment to CEPA Agreement on Trade in Services (with photos/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, witnessed the signing of the Second Agreement Concerning Amendment to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) Agreement on Trade in Services (Amendment Agreement II) by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and Deputy China International Trade Representative of the Ministry of Commerce Ms Li Yongjie today (October 9).     “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Central Government for its care and support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). I also thank the Ministry of Commerce and relevant authorities for actively working towards the HKSAR Government’s proposal of further opening up the Mainland market to Hong Kong in trade in services. The Amendment Agreement II introduces new liberalisation measures across different service sectors where Hong Kong enjoys competitive advantages, making it easier for Hong Kong service suppliers to establish enterprises and develop business on the Mainland, enabling more Hong Kong professionals to obtain qualifications to practise on the Mainland, allowing more of Hong Kong’s quality services to be provided to the Mainland market, and contributing to and serving the country’s development. The HKSAR Government will continue to encourage different sectors of the community to leverage the unique advantages of ‘one country, two systems’ and join hands with their counterparts on the Mainland to promote the competitiveness of the professional services sector, in order to inject new impetus to economic development and achieve high-quality development,” said Mr Lee.     The HKSAR Government and the Ministry of Commerce signed the Agreement on Trade in Services (Services Agreement) under the framework of CEPA in November 2015 to basically achieve liberalisation of trade in services between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The two sides signed an agreement in November 2019 to amend the Services Agreement and add new liberalisation measures that have been implemented since June 2020. To further enhance liberalisation and facilitate trade in services in response to the aspirations of the Hong Kong business community for greater participation in the development of the Mainland market, the two sides agreed to make further amendments to the Services Agreement and signed the new agreement today.     The Amendment Agreement II introduces new liberalisation measures across several service sectors where Hong Kong enjoys competitive advantages, such as financial services, construction and related engineering services, testing and certification, telecommunications, motion pictures, television and tourism services. The liberalisation measures take various forms, including removing or relaxing restrictions on equity shareholding and business scope in the establishment of enterprises; relaxing qualification requirements for Hong Kong professionals providing services; and easing restrictions on Hong Kong’s exports of services to the Mainland market. Most of the liberalisation measures apply to the whole Mainland, while some of them are designated for pilot implementation in the nine Pearl River Delta municipalities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Examples are as follows:(1) Construction and related engineering services: To allow Hong Kong general practice surveying enterprises to provide professional services in Guangdong Province through filing of records; and to allow Hong Kong engineering construction consultant enterprises that have completed filing of records to bid for consultancy services projects in joint venture in compliance with the laws in the nine Pearl River Delta municipalities in the GBA;(2) Motion pictures: To remove the restriction on investment in enterprises engaging in film production by Hong Kong service suppliers; and to allow enterprises established by Hong Kong service suppliers and approved by the relevant Mainland authorities to operate distribution of imported buy-out Hong Kong motion pictures;(3) Television: To remove the quantitative restriction on Hong Kong people participating as principal creative personnel in online television dramas; and to allow imported dramas produced in Hong Kong to be broadcast during prime time in television stations on the Mainland after obtaining approval from the National Radio and Television Administration;(4) Tourism services: To optimise the implementation of the 144-hour visa-exemption policy for foreign group tours entering Guangdong from Hong Kong through increasing the number of inbound control points and expanding the stay areas to the whole of Guangdong Province, and to provide facilitation for Mainland travel agents when receiving group tours at West Kowloon Station of the High Speed Rail; and to support cruise companies to arrange international cruise itineraries involving port-of-call in the Mainland cruise ports in accordance with the laws. In respect of Mainland visitors participating in such cruise itineraries, they can travel to Hong Kong in transit to join all sorts of cruise itineraries, by presenting their passports and confirmation documents of the relevant cruise itineraries; and(5) Financial services: To remove the asset requirement of not less than US$2 billion as at the end of the most recent year for Hong Kong financial institutions investing in shares of insurance companies; to remove the restriction prohibiting foreign bank branches established by Hong Kong service suppliers from conducting bank cards services; to consider extending the scope of eligible products under the mutual market access programme by including REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts); to continuously promote and enhance the Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Pilot Scheme and the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds scheme; and to continuously promote the cross listing arrangement of the Mainland and Hong Kong ETF (open-ended index-tracking exchange-traded funds) as well as enhance Southbound Trading and Northbound Trading under Bond Connect.     In addition, the Amendment Agreement II brings institutional innovation and collaboration enhancement, including:(1) Addition of “allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law” and “allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to choose for arbitration to be seated in Hong Kong” as facilitation measures for Hong Kong investors, supporting Hong Kong-invested enterprises registered in the pilot municipalities of the GBA to adopt Hong Kong law or Macao law as the applicable law in their contracts; as well as supporting Hong Kong-invested enterprises registered in the nine Pearl River Delta municipalities in the GBA to choose Hong Kong or Macao as the seat of arbitration. The measures provide flexibility and convenience for Hong Kong enterprises, facilitating their investment and business development on the Mainland;(2) Addition of commitments regarding domestic regulation to ensure transparency, predictability and efficiency of regulations on trade in services, so as to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, cutting red tape and lowering trade costs when enterprises supply their services in a market to facilitate trade in services; and(3) Removal of the period requirement on Hong Kong service suppliers to engage in substantive business operations in Hong Kong for three years in most service sectors, allowing Hong Kong start-ups to enjoy the preferential treatment under CEPA in a shorter time and attracting enterprises and talent from around the world to establish a presence in Hong Kong and explore the Mainland market, thus increasing local employment, promoting Hong Kong’s economic development and giving full play to Hong Kong’s roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”.     The Amendment Agreement II will be implemented on March 1, 2025. Details and the latest information on CEPA are available on the Trade and Industry Department website at http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/index.html.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ Extends Cybersecurity Market Leadership by Surpassing Half a Trillion Daily Transactions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS), the leader in cloud security, today announced that the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ cloud security platform has surpassed half a trillion daily transactions which is nearly 60 times greater than the total number of Google searches per day. This milestone underscores the unparalleled scalability, resilience, and trust customers have placed in the Zscaler platform, which enables organizations to secure users and applications, simplify operations, and advance their business. By extracting security signals from the half a trillion daily transactions and analyzing them with advanced AI models in real-time, Zscaler has the ability to gain a comprehensive understanding of the evolving threat landscape. This advancement delivers customers superior threat detection, prevention, and response capabilities.

    Scalable and Resilient Security Cloud for Mission-Critical Requirements

    The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest security cloud that delivers comprehensive security for users, devices, workloads and applications. The platform is built on the principle of least-privileged access to establish trust based on user identity and context—including location, device, application, and content—and then creates secure, direct user-to-app, app-to-app, and machine-to-machine connections. Zscaler services 8,600+ customers and 47+ million users, processing over half a trillion daily transactions and health performance and security metrics. Building a cloud of this magnitude and capacity takes deep experience and investment across four key areas: Scale, Resilience, Performance, and Zero Trust Connectivity.

    • Scale: Enterprises need enough scale and capacity to dynamically and effortlessly handle large-scale events. Zscaler’s ability to effortlessly scale with the exponential rise in customer security transactions reinforces its strength to handle evolving and escalating enterprise demands.
    • Resilience: It is critical to maintain the highest availability and interconnections between users and devices to critical cloud-based applications. Zscaler’s architecture helps ensure business continuity by helping customers prepare for and quickly recover from black swan events that could otherwise disrupt or stop business operations by automatically finding the optimal path from users and devices to application.
    • Zero Trust Connectivity: Zscaler’s proxy-based cloud native Zero Trust platform securely connects users, applications, and devices—using business policies—over any network, in any location. By only granting access to the resources they need to perform their tasks, customers greatly reduce the risk of data breaches while simplifying operations for security and IT teams.
    • Performance: An exceptional customer user experience—the ultimate measure of performance—is achieved by Zscaler’s platform scalability with over 160 hosted Zero Trust Exchange edges close to population centers around the world. This ensures that modern digital-first enterprises can operate effectively, around the globe, without trading off speed for unmatched security.

    “The growth in adoption and proliferation of our services continue to accelerate over the past 16 years,” said Jay Chaudhry, CEO, Chairman, and Founder of Zscaler. “Zscaler consistently invests in its cloud security operations to ensure we have ample capacity to rapidly scale with user growth, and we built in resilience at its heart to ensure non-stop operations for our customers. As an innovator and a market leader, we also became the first cloud security company to introduce a Business Continuity service that enables customers to continue their operations, even during catastrophic events.”

    Half a Trillion Daily Transactions Fuel New AI Security Controls for Security and IT Professionals

    Delivering impactful AI-powered outcomes for customers requires large volumes of diverse, high-quality data, and a sophisticated AI engine to deliver meaningful and accurate results. Zscaler’s AI advantage is the result of 16 years of expertise and technology leadership. Zscaler processes the most daily transactions in the industry allowing Zscaler to extract security signals that are constantly analyzed by AI models to better understand the evolving threat landscape to offer the best protection to our customer base. By leveraging its massive data foundation, Zscaler is poised to transform the AI capabilities for the cybersecurity industry to not only enable organizations to mitigate risks and optimize performance, but also pave the way for zero-touch operations.

    About Zscaler

    Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 160 data centers globally, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.

    Zscaler™ and the other trademarks listed at https://www.zscaler.com/legal/trademarks are either (i) registered trademarks or service marks or (ii) trademarks or service marks of Zscaler, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Any other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

    Forward Looking Statements

    Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These forward-looking statements include the ability of the Zscaler platform to scale to handle evolving and escalating demands and the evolution of Zcaler’s AI models. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A significant number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release. Additional risks and uncertainties are set forth in Zscaler’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on September 12, 2024, which is available on our website at ir.zscaler.com and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on the limited information currently available to Zscaler as of the date hereof, which is subject to change, and Zscaler will not necessarily update the information, even if new information becomes available in the future.

    Media Contact:
    press@zscaler.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Avetta Appoints Brandon Grinwis as Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEHI, Utah and HOUSTON, Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avetta®, the leading provider of supply chain risk management (SCRM) software, announced Brandon Grinwis as the company’s next Chief Financial Officer. Grinwis will oversee the company’s financial strategy through its next stage of growth and will report directly to Avetta’s CEO, Arshad Matin.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Brandon as the CFO of Avetta,” said Arshad Matin, CEO of Avetta. “Brandon is a proven leader who will oversee our finance team during an important time for Avetta in our ongoing growth and innovation journey. An executive of his caliber brings a wealth of knowledge that will offer great value to Avetta through its next chapter of growth.”

    Grinwis is a business-focused CFO with a background in technology and has proven experience making operational and strategic contributions to growth-oriented companies. He brings over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting, ranging from management consulting to private equity and publicly traded environments. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Customer Operations at Insurity, where he was responsible for developing and leading world-class teams focused on driving customer success and supporting organizational growth. Before that, he held leadership roles at Ascentis (acquired by UKG) as CFO and Code42 as Vice President of Finance and Business Operations.

    “I am excited to join Avetta as the company executes its mission to create safer and more sustainable workplaces,” said Brandon Grinwis, CFO of Avetta. “There is a tremendous opportunity to scale the business and make an even greater impact on the industry. I look forward to bringing my experience to advance the company’s mission and deliver value to suppliers and clients globally.”

    Grinwis holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor’s in Finance and Economics from Ohio University.

    About Avetta

    The Avetta SaaS platform helps clients manage supply chain risk and their suppliers to become more qualified for jobs. For the hiring clients in our network, we offer the world’s largest supply chain risk management network to manage supplier safety, sustainability, worker competency and performance. We perform contractor prequalification and worker competency management across major industries, all over the globe, including construction, energy, facilities, high tech, manufacturing, mining and telecom.

    Media Contact

    avetta@hoffman.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cebd8353-64c3-497d-8220-9eaf2b16c708

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Slotkin Surpasses $20 Million Returned to Constituents Since Taking Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-08)

    LANSING, Mich. – U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) announced today that her team has now returned over $20 million to constituents since taking office in 2019, thanks to the hard work of her constituent services staff.

    The office’s running total is now $20,377,671 returned to residents through constituent case work and represents more than 8,300 constituent cases, the majority of which came from the Internal Revenue Service ($15,814,193), Small Business Administration ($2,034,045), Social Security Administration ($1,169,474) and Department of Veteran Affairs ($405,436).

    Overall, Slotkin’s constituent services team has opened more than 8,300 cases since January of 2019, each one representing a district resident who requested assistance with a federal agency. 

    “My team is committed to helping Michiganders get the most out of their government,” said Slotkin. “They are experts at navigating federal agencies, and this milestone of returning more than $20 million to mid-Michigan constituents is a testament to their knowledge and dedication to serving our communities. If you’re struggling to get a refund or information from a federal agency, you can contact us on our website or over the phone. Our staff in Lansing knows how to navigate bureaucracy better than anyone and is ready to work for you.”

    CONSTITUENT STORIES

    “After multiple attempts to get information regarding the employee retention tax credit we had not received, I reached out to Elissa’s office. They immediately understood the issue and wanted to help. They got to the right people and provided regular and predictable updates resulting in clarification of the problem and ultimately the payment of the tax credits,” Scott from East Lansing said.

    “We contacted Elissa Slotkin… regarding the inability to get a response from the VA for needed funds to stay in an assisted living facility,” Joseph from New Hudson wrote. “Within one week… we had an answer. We thank the Office of Elissa Slotkin for their sincere assistance with this issue. It is so refreshing and uplifting to see our representative act with such integrity in helping her constituents.”

    “I was having difficulty working with [Office of Personnel Management (OPM)]. My retirement annuity had not been calculated correctly and although I spoke with customer service repeatedly, I was not making any progress,” Carole from Milfordsaid. “My former Union Representative suggested I reach out to my congressperson. To my amazement, Elissa Slotkin’s office responded almost immediately and reached out on my behalf. I believe this was essential in encouraging OPM to look more closely at my petition and to handle it in good time. I believe my annuity is now correct and I received a lump sum that was due for the time it was incorrect. Representative Slotkin’s office kept me informed every step of the way. Thanks for the great work!”

    The best way to start the process is by completing a privacy release form through Slotkin’s website.

    A completed form is needed before the constituent services team is able to obtain information about an individual’s case because of the Privacy Act of 1974.

    Slotkin’s office can also assist with requesting D.C. tours and tickets, receiving a milestone birthday or anniversary greeting, or requesting that a flag be flown over the U.S. Capitol. Visit https://slotkin.house.gov/ or call (517) 993-0510 for more information.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Rocket Software Study Finds Less than One-Third of Businesses are Using all Available Data to Inform AI Models

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rocket Software, a global technology leader in modernization software, today announced the findings from its survey, Rethinking the Role of Mainframe Data in Enterprise AI and Analytics. Conducted by Foundry Media for Rocket Software, the survey polled over 200 business leaders and decision-makers in data analytics, management, engineering, and architecture across the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France, to understand how organizations are leveraging mainframe data as part of their AI and analytics initiatives. The survey found that only 28% of survey respondents are using mainframe data extensively in data-driven initiatives. Not factoring mainframe data – which includes both real-time and historical information on customer interactions, account data, financial transactions, and inventory – into AI models is a missed opportunity. By integrating this rich data, models become more accurate, insightful, and reflective of the full scope of an organization’s operations, unlocking powerful insights and driving more informed decision-making.

    AI and advanced analytics are playing an increasing role in how businesses differentiate themselves, unlocking opportunities for new efficiencies, growth drivers, and customer experiences. The success and usefulness of an AI model lies in the data that it is trained on. In the race to adopt AI, a majority of organizations have failed to fully leverage mainframe data to enhance their models. AI that accurately represents all of a business’s data empowers leaders with greater visibility into operations and provides deeper insights, facilitating informed decision-making in real-time. In fact, 46% of respondents said mainframe data was a potential means for improving data quality, accuracy, and completeness of existing datasets.

    Challenges, both real and perceived, have led many to struggle when it comes to integrating mainframe data into their AI and analytics capabilities:

    • 76% of leaders said they found accessing mainframe data and contextual metadata to be either very or somewhat challenging
    • 64% said they considered integrating mainframe data with cloud data sources to be somewhat to very challenging
    • The biggest obstacles to leveraging mainframe data were found to be:
      • Complexity of data retrieval and extraction processes (59%)
      • Concerns regarding security, compliance, and data privacy (56%)
      • Proprietary data formats (41%)

    “If organizations fail to incorporate their mainframe data into AI and analytics, they risk developing models that are less intelligent, powerful, or accurate,” said Michael Curry, President, Data Modernization Business Unit, at Rocket Software. “Rocket Software has the technology and expertise to help enterprises easily bridge their mainframe data into their AI and analytics initiatives, automating away the complexity, and reducing the need for specialized skills and knowledge to protect, retrieve, and extract mainframe data.”

    Mainframe modernization is a worthwhile pursuit. Forty two percent of respondents said they prefer to adopt a prebuilt solution to integrate their mainframe data with cloud data, and 51% cited building new analytical capabilities or business initiatives that were not previously possible was the most attractive use case for mainframe data. That’s where experienced partners, who offer resources across the modernization continuum, can support businesses by mitigating challenges to unlock data’s full potential. Survey respondents noted scalability for large datasets (82%), interoperability with existing data management tools and platforms (82%), and robust security and encryption (81%) as the top benefits for integrating mainframe and cloud data.

    To download the full study, click here. For further insights, register for Rocket Software’s webinar on November 12, here.

    Methodology
    Foundry surveyed 213 business leaders and decision-makers, including those employed in data analytics, data management, data engineering, or data architecture roles between May 10, 2024, and May 27, 2024, to understand how organizations are leveraging or planning to leverage mainframe data as part of their AI and analytics initiatives to drive strategy, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance competitive advantage.

    About Rocket Software
    Rocket Software is a global technology leader in modernization and a partner of choice that empowers the world’s leading businesses on their modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Trusted by over 12,500 customers and 750 partners, and with more than 3,000 global employees, Rocket Software enables customers to maximize their data, applications, and infrastructure to deliver critical services that power our modern world. Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity. Follow Rocket Software on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit http://www.RocketSoftware.com.

    Media Contact
    Lacey Darrow
    ldarrow@rocketsoftware.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIST Awards Up to $1.5 Million to Support Development of Regenerative Medicine Standards Curricula

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

    GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded two organizations cooperative agreements of up to $1.5 million to create curricula and programs for training the current and future regenerative medicine workforce in standards implementation. The award recipients were selected following an open, competitive process announced earlier this year.

    Regenerative medicine, which includes cell therapy, gene therapy and therapeutic tissue engineering, aims to harness the body’s innate ability to heal for regenerating and replacing damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs. The field provides unprecedented potential to treat previously intractable diseases, such as cancer and genetic disorders.

    In 2023, Congress tasked NIST with supporting the development of the regenerative medicine workforce as part of the agency’s Regenerative Medicine program.

    The awardees will create training programs on the standards, protocols and measurements underpinning the field. 

     “We are thrilled to announce our new partnerships to develop an innovative standards education program, paving the way for flexible and immersive learning experiences that support advanced biomanufacturing,” said Sheng Lin-Gibson, chief of NIST’s Biosystems and Biomaterials Division. “These educational programs will facilitate the adoption of standards and best practices to increase quality and consistency of advanced therapies and ultimately bring down costs.”

    The two cooperative agreements are for $250,000 each per year with the option to renew for up to three years.

    The organizations receiving the awards are Brammer Bio, a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Patheon Pharma Services, and the Standards Coordinating Body (SCB) for Gene, Cell and Regenerative Medicines and Cell-Based Drug Discovery, a nonprofit organization based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

    These organizations will produce a wide range of training opportunities including traditional classroom and hands-on teaching, self-paced e-learning and use of digital tools, multimedia resources and immersive augmented reality. 

    Training will be provided to current and future members of the regenerative medicine workforce through continuing education and college- and graduate-level programs. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it will open a Business Recovery Center (BRCs) on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Old Jonesborough Elementary Library, in Jonesborough. The SBA is opening the Center to assist businesses and residents who were affected by Hurricane Helene.  

    SBA’s Customer Service Representatives are available at the Centers to answer questions, assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Business Recovery Center in advance. The Centers will operate as listed below.

    Business Recovery Center (BRC)

    Washington County

    Old Jonesborough Elementary Library  

    306 Forrest Drive  

    Jonesborough, TN 37659

    Opens:        Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

    Hours:          Monday – Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

    The disaster declaration covers Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Grainger, Hancock, Jefferson, Sevier and Sullivan in Tennessee; Ashe, Avery, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey in North Carolina; Grayson, Scott and Washington in Virginia.  

    With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover.  FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition.  Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.  

    Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 2, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 2, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration  

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Bank of Canada releases the third quarter issues of the Business Outlook Survey and the Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations

    Source: Bank of Canada


















  • MIL-OSI Global: Devolving justice and policing to Wales would put it on par with Scotland and Northern Ireland – so what’s holding it back?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Clear, Lecturer in Constitutional and Administrative Law, and Public Procurement, Bangor University

    Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock

    Devolution is “a process, not an event”, according to the then-secretary of state for Wales, Ron Davies, in 1997. But it is unclear what may come next for Wales in that process under the new UK Labour government, despite the same party now being in charge in both London and Cardiff.

    One ongoing debate among politicians and experts for several years has been whether Westminster should and will devolve more powers to Wales, including justice and policing.

    It wasn’t until the passing of the Government of Wales Act 1998 that the then National Assembly was established. It allowed Wales to make decisions over issues such as education, housing and agriculture. Further primary law-making powers were subsequently granted to the now Senedd (Welsh parliament).

    But Wales doesn’t have control over all matters and some are reserved for the UK parliament. A number of these are consistent across all UK nations, including fiscal policy, foreign affairs, nuclear policy and national security. But others are different for Wales when compared to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

    One of the most obvious examples is in the area of justice and policing. Unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland, Wales is not a separate legal jurisdiction with its own system of law, policing and courts. While there are increasing areas of divergence between England and Wales, technically speaking, Wales is part of a single jurisdiction with England due to decisions made during Henry VIII’s reign in the 16th century.

    The issue of devolving justice and policing has cropped up consistently over the past 25 years. It has been the subject of a variety of debates in the Senedd, Westminster and in the media. It has also been analysed by a number of official reports and independent or cross-party commissions.

    In 2011, the Silk commission was established by the UK government to explore the issue. In its 2014 report, it recommended devolving policing and youth justice to Wales by 2017. That never happened.

    The Thomas commission, set up by the Welsh government in 2019, also recommended devolving justice to Wales, including youth justice and policing. Earlier this year, the independent commission on the constitutional future of Wales called on the UK government to agree to the devolution of responsibility for justice and policing to the Senedd and Welsh government.

    In 2023, Keir Starmer said that a Labour government would introduce a “take back control bill”, to devolve new powers to communities from Westminster. Those intentions were echoed in Labour’s election manifesto ahead of July’s general election.

    But the issue of devolving justice to Wales was absent from Labour’s manifesto. And in an interview in June, the now-secretary of state for Wales Jo Stevens described such a move as “fiddling around with structures and systems”. It is therefore unclear whether devolution to regions of England will take place in parallel to further devolution to Wales and the other nations.

    And while this issue may not be at the forefront of UK Labour policy, it is an ongoing commitment of Welsh Labour. The latter commissioned even further research in August into the devolution of justice.

    What are some of the potential challenges?

    One significant issue is the age of criminal responsibility, currently set at ten in England and Wales. The Thomas commission recommended raising this to 12, aligning Wales with Scotland and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    But this raises logistical questions. For example, what would happen when a case crosses borders or involves children just above or below the age threshold? These practical challenges need to be addressed if justice is to be devolved smoothly.

    The Thomas Commission also laid out detailed proposals for reforms to youth justice, prisons and probation services. The Welsh youth courts have already started implementing a more preventive and restorative approach, but a jurisdictional overlap with England has slowed progress. While children’s services are devolved, youth justice remains under UK government control.



    Read more:
    Crown estate: why it’s time to devolve it and put Wales on par with Scotland

    Issues like transport to courts, funding and jurisdictional boundaries need careful consideration too. For example, how would authorities determine whether a crime committed near the Wales-England border falls under Welsh or English law?

    Of course, this is an issue which already exists between England and Scotland, and there are complex rules in place. Dependent upon the nature and circumstances of the crime, “jurisdiction” is typically dependent on where it was first initiated. In turn, further challenges arise surrounding police force cooperation, as well as mechanisms for sharing different types of evidence. There are also legally-protected agreements regarding powers to arrest people in each other’s territories.

    Ironing out these types of issues is particularly important in respect of female offenders, as Wales has made progress in providing better support for them.

    Disparities in legal expertise may also become more of a challenge. Legal experts have noted that as Welsh laws become more distinct, judges in England may lack the relevant expertise to handle Welsh cases. This concern has already arisen in Welsh tribunals, where appeals are sometimes directed to England’s Upper Tribunal, raising doubts about how well English judges can handle increasingly Wales-specific laws.

    Cooperation

    While these issues are very real, they shouldn’t block progress. With cooperation between Cardiff and Westminster, the devolution of justice could happen without major disruption. Instead of having endless debates and reviews, time and resources could be better spent acting on existing expert recommendations.

    For instance, both governments could agree on a ten-year timeline – as recommended by the independent commission – to devolve justice, starting with policing. It’s an area which already has strong ties to devolved services at the local level. Youth justice and probation could then follow.

    Despite the potential challenges, the new Labour UK government has a chance to bring about meaningful change. Devolving justice may take time, but it could bring Wales closer to achieving the legal autonomy many believe it deserves.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Devolving justice and policing to Wales would put it on par with Scotland and Northern Ireland – so what’s holding it back? – https://theconversation.com/devolving-justice-and-policing-to-wales-would-put-it-on-par-with-scotland-and-northern-ireland-so-whats-holding-it-back-238634

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why it’s so hard to kick fossil fuels out of sport

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Theo Lorenzo Frixou, PhD Candidate, Social Sciences, Loughborough University

    A 52 Super Series sailing race off Palma de Mallorca. Villegas Photo/Shutterstock

    Governments and public relations firms are under pressure to, in UN secretary-general António Guterres’s words, stop “fuelling the madness” and ban fossil fuel advertising or cut ties with the industry.

    France, Amsterdam, Sheffield and Edinburgh have all restricted fossil fuel advertising to differing degrees in recognition of the industry’s responsibility for climate breakdown.

    People working in the advertising industry are among those calling for an end to working with fossil fuel companies. There is a reputational risk with continuing to represent these businesses. Four advertising agencies recently lost a sustainability certification for taking an oil company as a client.

    Oil and gas advertising is perhaps most prolific in sport. A recent report estimated that fossil fuel companies have invested more than £4 billion across 200 sponsorship deals.

    Fellow researchers have appealed for sport to be included in any further advertising bans. There is a precedent: a tobacco advertising ban came into force in the UK in 2002. Bear in mind, that ban took nearly 40 years of campaigning and tobacco executives have shown they’re capable of navigating its loopholes.

    Even so, the fossil fuel industry will prove significantly harder to purge than tobacco. Here’s why.

    ‘No fossil fuels, no sport’

    Human development is largely a story of increasing energy use. Oil in particular has transformed everyday life beyond comprehension.

    Whether it be in the form of high-profile sponsorship deals, sporting equipment made from petrol-based products like carbon fibre or flying to meet the demand for ever more fixtures, modern sport reflects society’s oil dependency.

    Sport is entwined with high-carbon industries.
    Parkdolly/Shutterstock

    The fossil fuel industry knows this. Despite the longstanding scientific consensus that fossil fuels must be phased out, the industry seeks to convince the public that oil and gas will still be needed for a very long time.

    Analysis of one oil company’s sustainability reports identified how its communications strategy shifted from denying the results of climate science to more subtle efforts to delay an energy transition. These included the argument that fossil fuels are an irreplaceable precondition for “the good life”.

    Sport is a vehicle for perpetuating this argument. In 2021, an oil and gas trade association in the US launched a campaign showcasing sports products made from petroleum, the implication being that people cannot enjoy sport without fossil fuels.

    Sport is poised for corporate piggybacking because it evokes connection, pride and security in fans and spectators – feelings the fossil fuel industry is keen to capitalise on. An analysis of the Canadian oil industry’s advertising between 2006 and 2015 documented a shift from images of the natural environment to those depicting family life and domesticity.

    This kind of pernicious messaging, which entrenches fossil fuels within the things people hold dear, will be hard for legislators to reverse.

    Oil change

    Imre Szeman, a professor of human geography who specialises in the energy transition, urges us to comprehend just how deep our relationship with oil runs.

    Addressing climate change is not simply a technical matter, but a cultural one as well. An issue of how we grasp what is so often taken for granted in everyday life.

    Change will not only require acknowledging the severity of the environmental crisis, but to recognise how its primary causes have shaped society, including in elite sport. It’s crucial to understand modern societies as oil societies if we are ever to envisage one no longer dependent on it.

    Sport sponsorships reflect the infiltration of fossil fuels in modern society.
    Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock

    So, considering sport, the first step is to remove the cognitive dissonance that surrounds modern elite sporting culture, the nature of its oil dependency and the consequences of climate change.

    Sporting organisations can start by saying no to fossil fuel sponsorship. There are examples of this happening already in tennis, rugby and the Olympics, with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo indicating an oil company was not welcome as a sponsor of the 2024 Games.

    Change happens by disaster or by design. It’s time to recognise the decades long influence wielded by the fossil fuel industry.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Theo Lorenzo Frixou 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. Why it’s so hard to kick fossil fuels out of sport – https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-hard-to-kick-fossil-fuels-out-of-sport-239620

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Casar Leads 46 Members of Congress to Demand EPA Bans Use of Paraquat to Protect Public Health

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) and 46 other Members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of an herbicide, Paraquat, in the U.S. to protect public health. Paraquat is already banned in over 70 countries.

    The Members of Congress released a letter today urging EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan to protect farm workers, rural Americans, and the environment from the harmful effects of Paraquat and ban the use of the herbicide in the U.S. Exposure to the herbicide is linked to life threatening diseases like Parkinson’s disease and thyroid cancer, and linked to an increase in soil and water pollution.

    “Paraquat is a toxic substance linked to life threatening diseases and grave impacts on the environment — it has been banned in dozens of countries and should be banned in the United States,” the members wrote. “We urge the EPA to change course and deliver critical protections for farmworkers, agricultural communities, and the environment by banning Paraquat.” 

    The EPA has already banned Paraquat for areas such as golf courses and recreational areas. If Paraquat is too dangerous for golfers, it is too dangerous for farm workers and rural Americans. Nearly 70 countries have banned or discontinued the use of Paraquat, including China, Brazil, the European Union, and Canada.

    The letter is led by U.S. Representative Greg Casar (TX-35), and signed by U.S. RepresentativesAlma Adams (NC-12), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-01), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Al Green (TX-09), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Barbara Lee (CA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Katie Porter (CA-47), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

    It is endorsed by the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, American Sustainable Business Network, Beyond Pesticides, the Brian Grant Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, the Davis Phinney Foundation, Earthjustice, Ecological Landscape Alliance, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Green New Deal Network, HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance, GreenLatinos, Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA!), League of Conservation Voters, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Parkinson Association of Alabama, Parkinson Association of Northern California, PD Avengers (Global Alliance to End Parkinson’s Disease Assn.), Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Pesticide Action Network, Power for Parkinson’s, Power Over Parkinson’s, the Rachel Carson Council, Re:wild Your Campus, Rural Coalition, United Farm Workers (UFW), and the United Farm Workers Foundation (UFWF).

    “The people who feed us should not face twice the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” said Geoff Horsfield, policy director for the Environmental Working Group (EWG). “President Biden’s EPA should put the people who feed us ahead of the profits of a pesticide company that hid the risks of paraquat for decades. Seventy countries have banned paraquat, so we know that farmers have plenty of safer options. We are grateful to Rep. Casar for his leadership in protecting farmers and farmworkers.” 

    “More than 1 million people in the U.S. live with Parkinson’s disease, the second most common and fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world,” said Ted Thompson, senior vice president of public policy at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. “With only about 30 percent of Parkinson’s risk explained by genetics, we know that other factors — including environmental risks like exposure to toxic chemicals — can play a role in the development of the disease. We appreciate Representative Casar’s efforts to ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency is doing all it can to protect Americans from the harms associated with exposure to these toxins.”

    “Every day across America, farm workers, as well as their families and communities, are exposed to Paraquat – a dangerous chemical known to cause severe health impacts,” said Teresa Romero, president of UFW. “We commend Congressman Casar for fighting to ensure that every worker is safe on the job and we call on the EPA to listen to the concerns of the people who put food on all of our tables.”

    “The UFW Foundation supports the banning of Paraquat, a chemical whose exposure puts the lives of hundreds of thousands of farm workers at risk,” said Erica Lomeli, interim chief executive officer of the UFW Foundation. “Farm workers deserve a safe environment free from harmful substances that can impact not only their health but also the well-being of their families. Not only is Paraquat dangerous for farm workers, but it also poses significant risks to consumers who may ingest produce treated with this pesticide.” 

    “We thank Rep. Casar and his colleagues for their leadership in urging the EPA to finally remove this dangerous chemical from the market,” said Lorette Picciano, executive director of the Rural Coalition. “We have heard from far too many farmers, ranchers and workers in communities we serve who have developed Parkinsons and other diseases. The devastating cost to their lives and health, families and communities far outweigh any possible benefit of Paraquat’s continued use.” 

    The full letter can be viewed here. 

    Learn more at banparaquat.org 

    ###

    Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio.  A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 118th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN speaks highly of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) at the Special Reception hosted by World Economic Forum

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn this evening attended a Special Reception hosted by Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

    Organised on the margins of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Vientiane, Lao PDR, the reception also saw discussions with industry leaders, including with the WEF’s Champions for ASEAN’s Economic Future and Digital Economy Agreement Leadership (DEAL) communities. With support from the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, the WEF is implementing the ASEAN DEAL initiative to support the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on E-Commerce and Digital Economy.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN speaks highly of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) at the Special Reception hosted by World Economic Forum appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung celebrates the launch of Music Frame in South Africa

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics South Africa, in partnership with Decorex Africa, recently celebrated the launch of its innovative Music Frame Smart Speaker in Cape Town, captivating an audience of tech, design and décor enthusiasts. The event featured a curated music experience that allowed guests to witness the smart speaker’s impressive capabilities first-hand. Positioned atop the venue’s giant speakers, the Music Frame filled the venue with sound as attendees arrived, only to be amazed when they learned that the music was actually emanating from the Music Frame itself, redefining their expectations of audio technology in a stylish format.
     

     
    Designing the Experiences of Tomorrow
    Samsung is home to forward-looking departments seeking untapped opportunities. True to its name, the Visual Display Business’ Future Experience Design group actively develops concepts for user experiences that are missing in the market before turning those ideas into innovative products.
     
    Launching a new product is no easy feat, however. There is a long journey ahead after proposing an initial concept, from designing for mass production and collaborating with other departments to enhancing marketability and perfecting the product’s technical aspects. Brought to fruition through unceasing passion and innovation, this is Music Frame and its design story.
     
    Bringing Style to Spaces
     

     

    Inspired by Your Lifestyle
    Consumers are now opting to purchase products that seamlessly blend into their living spaces instead of ones that only offer functionality. To that end, Samsung has introduced a series of lifestyle TVs including The Serif, The Frame and The Sero. Since TVs are not in use most of the time, these products transition to Ambient or Art Mode to offer a tasteful design experience — rather than displaying a black screen.
     
    Delivering audio in the form of a picture frame, Music Frame is an extension of this approach. Setting itself apart from conventional speakers designed mainly to amplify sound, Music Frame and its concept of lifestyle audio prioritise the user’s lifestyle and living space. Picture frames are a familiar furnishing that can be placed anywhere, reflecting each individual’s taste and personality based on the kind of art being displayed. Music Frame draws inspiration from ordinary picture frames, allowing users to listen to music as they appreciate their favourite pictures.
     
    Breathing Life into an Innovation
    In collaboration with the development and CX teams, Samsung designers built and tested a working prototype that demonstrated high-quality sound. They received positive responses from users after extensive testing, which solidified their confidence in the product’s acoustic performance and overall concept. As a result, the initial design remained intact and went into mass production.
     
    Bridging the Gap Between Decor and Audio
     

    Sculpting Unseen Sound
    Music Frame embodies audio, so Samsung couldn’t lose sight of how people enjoy listening to high-quality music. Given the product’s unique form factor compared to traditional, elongated soundbars, the designers worked closely with the sound development team to perfect acoustics from the get-go.
     
    Speakers commonly have fabric, grilles or other materials on the front to easily emit sound. Together with the sound development team, the designers found a way for Music Frame to amplify sound through a gap between the frame and panel — creating a design rarely seen in audio products. The result? A frame-shaped speaker that is not restricted by the material that covers the front side.
     
    Due to the frame’s shape, the gap between the bezel and the panel was important since this portion produces high- and medium-pitched sounds. After countless tests to find the optimal sized gap, both in terms of design and sound quality, the team settled on a width of 9mm. The designers worked with developers to make sure the vibrations from the rear woofer speaker — responsible for the bass — would not create noise when the product is hung on a wall like a picture frame.
     
    A Piece to Personalise Your Space
    Just like a real frame, Music Frame allows users to swap the images inside for personal photos or works of art. Listening to music while looking at a framed photo of a precious memory or a piece of art adds new levels of depth to users’ experiences.
     
    Samsung designers also considered users who might place the Music Frame on a table instead of hanging it on a wall. Meticulous refinements were made to the frame stand’s shape and angle to ensure it doesn’t look too prominent or cause reflections on the panel. Since the rear of the product is visible if placed on a table, the back was designed in a neat and minimal fashion.
     
    Music Frame in Your Everyday

    Your Life, in the Frame
    If there’s a particular image users want to cherish, they can create their own art panel by uploading an image to a third-party website and placing an order. Music Frame comes in a default black bezel, but users can purchase an additional white bezel to match their decor. They can fill their frames with stunning images to create a stylish space that is perfect for listening to music.
     
    Fill Your Room with Rhythm
    For more captivating TV viewing, users can utilise Q-Symphony for richer stereo sound by placing two Music Frames on either side of their TVs. For surround sound, users can place a soundbar in front of their TV and a Music Frame on the opposite wall to act as a rear speaker. With the SmartThings app, users can set the equaliser settings to their preferences. By fine-tuning the audio, users can enjoy more vibrant sound and immersive content.
     
    Looking forward to a future of new possibilities, Samsung designers will continue to develop products and designs that naturally blend into users’ lifestyles and living spaces. For more information about Samsung Electronics’ design, please visit the Samsung Design website.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon anuncia nueva ronda de apoyos para pequeñas empresas

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon anuncia nueva ronda de apoyos para pequeñas empresas

    • A través de Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, las pequeñas empresas pueden acceder a cursos gratuitos en inglés y español, capacitación con expertos en pequeñas empresas y la oportunidad de solicitar un apoyo de $10,000.
    • La plataforma también se ha asociado con Next Street para compartir un “Mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas”, donde los propietarios de empresas pueden buscar oportunidades de préstamos y subvenciones según sus necesidades comerciales.
    • El programa ha llegado a más de 350,000 empresas en todo el país, de las cuales el 51% son propiedad de mujeres y el 62% son propiedad de personas de color o hispanas.

    BASKING RIDGE, NJ – Como el acceso a capital es un desafío común para los emprendedores, Verizon anuncia nuevas oportunidades de financiamiento de subvenciones de $10,000 disponibles para pequeñas empresas a través de la plataforma Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Los propietarios de pequeñas empresas que se registren en la plataforma pueden recibir acceso gratuito y personalizado a más de 50 cursos en línea en inglés y español, oportunidades de tutoría con expertos de la industria, entrenamiento de expertos personalizados y en grupo, eventos comunitarios virtuales y en persona y la oportunidad de postularse para obtener financiamiento mediante subvenciones.

    El programa es operado en asociación con Next Street y Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Hasta la fecha, Small Business Digital Ready ha apoyado a más de 350,000 pequeñas empresas en todo el país, de las cuales el 51% son propiedad de mujeres y el 62% son propiedad de personas de color o hispanas.

    Hasta el 13 de diciembre de 2024 a las 11:59 p.m. (hora del Pacífico), las pequeñas empresas pueden acceder a la solicitud para esta ronda de financiamiento de subvenciones registrándose primero en el portal Verizon Small Business Digital Ready y completando al menos dos cursos, capacitación o eventos comunitarios, en cualquier combinación entre 1 de julio de 2024 y 13 de diciembre de 2024 a las 11:59 p.m. PT. Las pequeñas empresas que completen la solicitud serán elegibles para recibir una subvención de $10,000.

    “Las pequeñas empresas son el pilar de las comunidades y tenemos la responsabilidad de ayudarles a prosperar”, dijo Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer de Verizon. “Verizon Small Business Digital Ready se creó para impulsar a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas a través de capacitación en habilidades digitales, y estamos orgullosos de ofrecer otra oportunidad de apoyo a esta comunidad diversa y en crecimiento de propietarios de pequeñas empresas en todo el país”.

    La plataforma también está lanzando el “Mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas”, un repositorio de oportunidades de financiación y préstamos disponibles para pequeñas empresas, y ha lanzado “Learning Paths”. Rutas de aprendizaje como “Mejora tu acceso al capital” y “Construye tu marca única” invitan a los usuarios a completar una serie de recursos para ayudarlos a acercarse a lograr un objetivo comercial. 

    Verizon no es un prestamista ni un corredor. El mercado de financiación para pequeñas empresas es proporcionado por Next Street Financial LLC. No todas las solicitudes son aprobadas. Todas las decisiones de financiación las toman terceros proveedores de capital. Las calificaciones, los requisitos, la aprobación y los términos del préstamo varían según el tipo de préstamo, las calificaciones del solicitante y el estado.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Konsolidator to issue new shares in private placement – Inside information

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement no 15-2024

    Søborg, October 8, 2024

    Konsolidator to issue new shares in private placement

    The Board of Directors of Konsolidator A/S (“Konsolidator”) has today exercised its authorization to issue new shares in a private placement of new shares with expected gross proceeds of up to DKK 2.2m. As announced in the H2 2024 report, the equity on June 30, 2024, was negative and management would take the necessary steps to reestablish it.

    The Board of Directors of Konsolidator has today exercised its authorization to resolve on an increase of the share capital in a directed issue without pre-emption rights for Konsolidator’s existing shareholders according to 3.1.8 of the articles of association.

    Consequently, the board of directors has resolved to issue up to a total of 573,979 new shares at a subscription price of DKK 3,92 per share corresponding to the volume weighted average of Konsolidator’s share price over the 5 trading days preceding the decision of the Board of Directors. Gross proceeds from the private placement corresponds to approximately DKK 2.2m.

    Use of net proceeds

    In the H1 2024 report published on August 22, 2024, Konsolidator continues to focus on the new growth initiatives including developing the new banking segment. Further, Konsolidator focuses on supporting Konsolidator Iberia in Spain and Portugal as well as developing Konsolidator into being a partner-sales driven company within the Microsoft D365 partner channel.

    In company announcement no 14-2024 on August 22, 2024, Konsolidator announced that the focus for Q3 2024 would be to strengthen the capital structure and improve operations as well as securing funding of the operations.

    CEO Claus Finderup Grove says: “We have asked a lot from our shareholders in 2024, and we are very appreciative for their patience. We have restructured our cost base in August and maintain our focus on becoming cash flow positive.”

    The resolution on the private placement of new shares

    The new shares issued as a result of the private placement will be registered at the Danish Business Authority upon receipt of final subscriptions and cash payments for the new shares. Following registration, the share capital will increase by the number of new shares subscribed, where each share will have a nominal value of DKK 0.04. Today, the company has a registered share capital of nominal DKK 886,428.84 and with full subscription the share capital will increase to nominal DKK 909,388.00.

    The new shares represent approximately 2.6% of Konsolidator’s share capital before the capital increase and 2.5% of Konsolidator’s share capital after the capital increase.

    The new shares will be negotiable instruments, and no restrictions will apply to their transferability. The new shares will not carry any special rights. The rights conferred by the new shares, including voting and dividend rights, will apply from the date when the capital increase is registered with the Danish Business Authority. The new shares are to be registered in the name of the holder in Konsolidator’s register of shareholders.

    Admission to trading and expected timetable

    Konsolidator expects to have received final subscriptions and subscription amounts no later than on October 14, 2024, following which the capital increase will be registered with the Danish Business Authority. The new shares will be issued under the ISIN code of Konsolidator’s existing shares (DK0061113511), and are expected to be admitted to trading on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark no later than on 17 October, 2024.

    The offering of new shares and the admission to trading is exempt from the obligation to publish a prospectus.

    Contacts

    Certified Adviser

    About Konsolidator
    Konsolidator A/S is a financial consolidation software company whose primary objective is to make Group CFOs around the world better through automated financial consolidation and reporting in the cloud. Created by CFOs and auditors and powered by innovative technology, Konsolidator removes the complexity of financial consolidation and enables the CFO to save time and gain actionable insights based on key performance data to become a vital part of strategic decision-making. Konsolidator was listed at Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark in 2019. Ticker Code: KONSOL

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon announces new round of grant funding for small businesses

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon announces new round of grant funding for small businesses

    • Through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, small businesses can access free courses in English and Spanish, coaching with small business experts, and an opportunity to apply for a $10,000 grant.
    • The platform has also partnered with Next Street to share a “Small Business Funding Marketplace,” where business owners can search for loan and grant opportunities based on their business needs.
    • The program has reached over 350,000 businesses across the country, of which 51% are women-owned and 62% are Black or Hispanic-owned.

    BASKING RIDGE, NJ – As access to capital is a common challenge for entrepreneurs, Verizon is announcing new $10,000 grant funding opportunities available for small businesses via the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform. Small business owners who register on the platform can receive free, personalized access to over 50 online courses in English and Spanish, mentorship opportunities with industry experts, 1:1 and group expert coaching, virtual and in-person community events and the opportunity to apply for grant funding.

    The program is operated in partnership with Next Street and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). To date, Small Business Digital Ready has reached over 350,000 small businesses nationwide, of which 51% are women-owned and 62% are Black or Hispanic-owned.

    Until December 13, 2024 at 11:59pm PT, small businesses can unlock the application for this round of grant funding by first registering on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal and completing at least two courses, coaching or community events, in any combination between July 1, 2024 and December 13, 2024 at 11:59pm PT. Small businesses that complete the application will be eligible for consideration to receive a $10,000 grant.

    “Small businesses are the backbone of communities, and we have a responsibility to help them thrive,” said Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer at Verizon. “Verizon Small Business Digital Ready was created to uplift small business owners through digital skills training, and we’re proud to offer another grant opportunity to this diverse and growing community of small business owners nationwide.”

    The platform is also launching “Small Business Funding Marketplace,” a repository of open funding and loan opportunities available to small businesses, and has launched “Learning Paths.” Learning paths such as “Improve your access to capital” and “Build your unique brand” prompt users to complete a series of resources to help them get closer to achieving a business goal.

    Verizon is not a lender or broker. The Small Business Funding Marketplace is provided by Next Street Financial LLC. Not all applications are approved. All financing decisions are made by third-party capital providers. Qualifications, requirements, approval, and loan terms vary based on the type of loan, applicant qualifications, and by state.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC Announces Extension of Comment Period for Proposed Changes to its Brokered Deposit Regulations

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: 2024 State of Women’s Small Business Report by Block Advisors Reveals Resilience Despite Persistent Support Barriers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Over 6,000 applicants of the Fund Her Future small business grant program show high confidence yet cite major barriers for women looking to start a business

    KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Block Advisors by H&R Block unveiled its 2024 State of Women’s Small Business Report, which reveals that women entrepreneurs continue to face significant funding and support gaps, with these challenges being even more severe for BIPOC women. These systemic obstacles contribute to a personal confidence gap among owners themselves. Despite these barriers, many current business owners feel the outlook for their businesses’ future is positive.

    While nearly all applicants (94%) express feeling ‘somewhat’ to ‘very’ positive about 2025, respondents also express being cautious with finances given the state of today’s economy. Over half of respondents (56%) claim inflation has affected their prices this year; and over the next six months to a year, some respondents believe they may be forced to cut expenses (44%) and raise prices again due to inflation (39%). Despite cautious optimism, the report highlights significant challenges in women’s entrepreneurial journeys. The challenges experienced are even more pronounced for respondents who are racially diverse.

    “Starting a business has its fair share of struggles – sustaining it brings additional challenges,” said Jamil Khan, Chief Small Business Officer at H&R Block. “This report sheds light on the ongoing obstacles, helping us better understand the resources, guidance, and tools to which women entrepreneurs of all backgrounds need access. It’s commonly known that 50% of businesses close within five years of opening – this report helps us understand how we can work with women founders to beat those odds.”

    The 2024 State of Women’s Small Business Report by Block Advisors offers insights from 6,333 Fund Her Future grant applicants. The analysis underscores the profile, attitudes, and behaviors of these applicants, specifically in terms of the motivations, challenges, and needs of today’s women entrepreneurs. Block Advisors’ review of survey responses shows women founders’ future confidence is fueled by a spirit of perseverance. The majority of respondents cited facing substantial funding and support gaps when starting their business. These barriers may play into the confidence gap that was noted in over half of respondents.

    Block Advisors believes these findings reinforce the need for programs like the Fund Her Future grant. “It is clear that women entrepreneurs are determined to find success on their business journey. For these underserved business owners, the right support and guidance in those critical early years can make all the difference in navigating the challenging road ahead,” said Khan.

    Women Applicants Skew Younger, Diverse, and Seek Autonomy

    The grant applicant pool reveals that today’s woman entrepreneur in search of funding is a younger, educated, and racially diverse owner just starting their small business journey. Specifically, approximately half of respondents to the Fund Her Future grant survey were women who were Black (50%), college-educated or higher (63%), millennial (53%), and with two years or less of owning a business (49%).

    Responses indicated that these female founders deeply value being engaged leaders. Improving communities and the overall need for autonomy were among the top motivators for starting their businesses. Almost all (98%) of respondents mentioned improving a community as a motivator. This is supported by the industries represented by applicants: nearly one in four (23%) women own a business in counseling, education, tutoring, or business consulting.

    A preference for business autonomy and work flexibility were also leading catalysts toward business formation: 92% of those surveyed cited wanting to be their own boss and 89% cited wanting to set their own schedule. One in five (21%) women shared that they were starting a business to escape the traditional 9-to-5 work environment so that they could tap into the childcare flexibility of staying home with their kids. Not all aspiring entrepreneurs leave traditional workplaces right away, however. Exactly half of all respondents started their business as a side gig. A slower transition may allow for greater stability during the often-tenuous early years of a business startup, while still lending the founder more feelings of autonomy and self-directed purpose.

    Funding & Support Gaps Remain Big Barriers to Business Formation

    The report found four of the top five barriers to starting a business all dealt with funding and support gaps, further confirming the need to close these gaps through programs like Block Advisors by H&R Block’s Fund Her Future grant. In fact, a ‘lack of start-up capital’ (80%), ‘needing steady, reliable income’ (76%), and ‘needing a solid business plan’ (56%) round out the top three barriers, with ‘needing help getting started’ (50%) placing fifth. 

    Interestingly, 54% of respondents cited ‘fear of failure,’ making it the fourth most common barrier. This spotlights a little-talked-about confidence gap for over half of women entrepreneurs. One respondent stated, “Starting a new business can be daunting, especially as a first-time entrepreneur. The fear of failure, coupled with the challenges of securing funding, can be overwhelming.”​

    Digging deeper into the support gap, a lack of overall mentorship was a common theme. This points to a major barrier that keeps women from taking the leap to start their business. Additionally, one in four (27%) women business owners said they hesitated to start a business due to the lack of mentorship during the process.

    Funding gaps and struggles sourcing capital continue to be prevalent: one in three respondents applied for a bank loan, but 42% of those who applied were never approved. When looked at through an ethnicity lens, the picture becomes more concerning for BIPOC and Black women. Among those who applied for a bank loan, 45% of BIPOC applicants were never approved, compared to 36% of their white peers. Black women applicants seeking a bank loan reported being denied bank loans most frequently. 47% of Black women founders who applied for loans were ultimately denied and unable to access this type of funding.  

    What Women Entrepreneurs Need: Money, Marketing Support, and More Help with Tax Prep

    When asked what tops their wish list for achieving business success, women entrepreneurs confirmed their business would thrive if they had start-up capital (66%) and marketing and advertising support (45%).

    Furthermore, while starting a business can seem exciting and glamorous, respondents express owning a business comes with unexpected responsibilities. While they may have started their business to follow their passion, there are many administrative aspects that comprise the less appealing side of their business to-do lists. Overall, tax preparation (53%) and bookkeeping (40%) rank as the least favorite tasks for applicants, followed by website development and social media management (25%), and marketing & advertising (22%).

    On a similar note, amongst a list of eight business tasks, applicants are least confident in their ability to find all available tax credits and deductions: more than two-thirds of women claim they are only ‘somewhat confident’ to ‘very unconfident.’ Because of this – and coupled with the fact that tax preparation and bookkeeping rank as the two least favorite tasks – today’s woman small business owner may be at risk of leaving tax deductions on the table.

    “For the upcoming generation of women entrepreneurs, building a supportive network of trusted experts and advisors will be crucial in overcoming these challenges and achieving long-term success. Block Advisors takes pride in helping its small business customers offload the business tasks—such as tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, business formation, and beneficial owner reporting—to pursue their passions,” said Khan.

    Download the 2024 State of Women’s Small Business Report by Block Advisors.

    To learn more about Block Advisors and the Fund Her Future grant, visit http://www.BlockAdvisors.com and http://www.BlockAdvisors.com/FundHerFutureGrant.

    About H&R Block 
    H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Empowering Women Farmers in Central Asia: A New Era for Sustainable Agribusiness

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Empowering Women Farmers in Central Asia: A New Era for Sustainable Agribusiness

    The Central Asian Forum of Women Farmers, held on 8 October 2024 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, emphasized the significant achievements of women in local agribusiness.   At the same time, it highlighted the challenges they encounter in this key sector of the nation’s economy.
    The Forum brought together officials from national authorities, including the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, women entrepreneurs from Central Asia and Azerbaijan’s business communities, international agribusiness experts, as well as representatives from foreign companies and international organizations.
    Mrs. Gulnora Makhmudova, Chairperson of the International Business Women’s Association of Uzbekistan “TADBIRKOR AYOL” (IBWA), opened the event by emphasizing the importance of knowledge exchange across the region. In her speech, she also provided a detailed overview of women’s involvement in Uzbekistan’s agribusiness sector.
    The forum encouraged lively discussions, offering valuable perspectives on effective strategies to enhance gender balance in Central Asia’s agribusiness sector. Attendees actively networked and exchanged their in-depth knowledge and visions for further development and income generating activities.
    “As we come together at this forum, we have the unique opportunity to create a platform for discussing innovative technologies in women’s agribusiness. By sharing our experiences and best practices, we can increase the interest of rural women in starting their own businesses and promote the development of women-led farms in Uzbekistan,” said Ambassador Antti Karttunen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. “Together, we can develop proposals aimed at expanding foreign trade and promoting the products of Central Asian women farmers to new markets. By creating conditions for reaching concrete agreements among participants, we can implement inclusive business projects in promising areas of rural development,” he added.
    The regional event, which concluded with a set of recommendations, was organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan in collaboration with the IBWA and international donor organizations.

    MIL OSI Europe News –