Source: European Parliament
On 30 September 2024, Jorg Kristijan Petrovič, Member of the European Court of Auditors, will present to CONT Members the Special Report 07/2024 “The Commission’s systems for recovering irregular EU expenditure”.
Category: CTF
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MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Presentation of ECA Special Report on EC systems to recover irregular expenditure – Committee on Budgetary Control
The Commission’s systems for recovering irregular EU expenditure © Image used under license from Adobe Stock -
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Alford Introduces Rural Innovation and Small Business Support Act to Enhance Outreach Efforts in Rural Communities and Small Businesses
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)
Congressman Alford Introduces Rural Innovation and Small Business Support Act to Enhance Outreach Efforts in Rural Communities and Small Businesses
Washington, September 25, 2024
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) introduced the Rural Innovation and Small Business Support Act. This legislation will require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to enhance outreach efforts in rural communities through the Small Business Innovation (SBIR) and Small Business Technology (STTR) programs.
“Small businesses and entrepreneurship are the fabric of America. Too often, the opportunities to contract with the federal government are limited to coastal cities. The Rural Innovation and Small Business Support Act will force the government to include rural Americans in key SBIR and STTR programs,” said Congressman Alford.
View legislation here.
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MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 10 Years of Make in India
Source: Government of India (2)
10 Years of Make in India
Transforming India into a Global Manufacturing PowerhousePosted On: 25 SEP 2024 9:59PM by PIB Delhi
Click here more detail:- 10 Years of Make in India
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Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Saurabh Kalia
(Release ID: 2058837) Visitor Counter : 33
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MIL-OSI NGOs: Hong Kong: ‘Rule by fear’ as first journalists sentenced to prison under sedition law for doing their job
Source: Amnesty International –
(Left) Former Chief Editor of Stand News Chung Pui-kuen and (Right) Former Acting Chief Editor of Stand News Patrick Lam © Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Journalists Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam should have their convictions quashed
Authorities must stop using sedition charge to gag press freedom and other human rights
‘There has rarely been a more dangerous time to work in media in the city’- Sarah Brooks
Responding to the sentencing to prison for sedition of Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam – two former editors at the defunct Hong Kong media outlet Stand News, Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s China Director, said:
“The jailing of two journalists simply for doing their job makes this another bleak day for press freedom in Hong Kong.
“The fact they are the first journalists to be sentenced to jail on colonial-era ‘sedition’ charges since before the Hong Kong handover of 1997 indicates that there has rarely been a more dangerous time to work in media in the city.
“Just like the numerous other ‘sedition’ and national security convictions of activists, teachers and lawyers that we have seen in Hong Kong in recent years, today’s sentencing looks designed to reinforce a chilling effect that dissuades others in the city – and beyond – from criticising the authorities. It is rule by fear.
“Once again, we urge the Hong Kong authorities to stop using ‘sedition’ and other national security-related laws as a pretext to crack down on press freedom and other human rights. The two journalists sentenced today have committed no internationally recognised crime and their convictions should be quashed.”
Silencing press freedom
Former chief editor of Stand News Chung Pui-kuen was today sentenced to 21 months in prison and former acting chief editor Patrick Lam was sentenced to 11 months after being convicted last month of conspiring to publish “seditious” publications under Hong Kong’s sedition law. Because both have already spent almost a year in pre-trial detention, Lam will not be returned to prison but Chung will be.
The journalists’ prosecution along with Stand News’s parent company Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited was based on 17 allegedly seditious articles, including news reports, interviews, profiles, and opinion pieces. Stand News, a non-profit digital news outlet, ceased operating and deleted its website in December 2021 after its newsroom was raided by more than 200 national security police officers.
The journalists’ trial began in October 2022 – its conclusion was postponed numerous times before the courts issued a long-awaited verdict last month; the sentencing was also delayed.
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MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Blinken hosted a Multilateral Meeting on Building on Progress to Restore Security in Haiti
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted a Multilateral Meeting on Building on Progress to Restore Security in Haiti in New York City, New York, on September 25, 2024.
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Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
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MIL-OSI USA: Statement by NIH on Research Misconduct Findings
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2
News Release
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Following an investigation, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made findings of research misconduct against Eliezer Masliah, M.D., due to falsification and/or fabrication involving re-use and relabel of figure panels representing different experimental results in two publications. NIH will notify the two journals of its findings so that appropriate action can be taken. NIH initiated its research misconduct review process in May 2023 after it received allegations from the HHS Office of Research Integrity (ORI) that same month. NIH began its investigation phase in December 2023, concluded its investigation of these allegations on September 15, 2024, and notified HHS ORI of its findings.
Dr. Masliah joined the agency in the summer of 2016 as director of the Division of Neuroscience (DN) at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and an NIH intramural researcher investigating synaptic damage in neurodegenerative disorders. He has published numerous papers as an NIH intramural researcher. Currently, Dr. Masliah is not serving in the capacity of director of the NIA DN. Amy Kelley, M.D., NIA Deputy Director, is also serving as the Acting NIA DN Director. Beyond this information, NIH does not discuss personnel matters.
Any allegations involving Dr. Masliah’s NIH-supported extramural research prior to joining NIH would be referred to HHS ORI, consistent with NIH policies and procedures.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
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MIL-OSI: CETY CEO KAM MAHDI ADDRESSES GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS LEADERS AT FORUM FOR LATVIA PRESIDENT EDGARS RINKĒVIČS’ ECONOMIC DELEGATION TO CALIFORNIA
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Irvine, CA, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (“CETY”) (Nasdaq: CETY), a clean energy manufacturing and services company offering eco-friendly green energy solutions, clean energy fuels, and alternative electric power for small and mid-size projects in North America, Europe, and Asia, today announced its participation in Latvia’s economic delegation visit to the US from September 17 to 23. Led by President Edgars Rinkēvičs, the delegation visited San Francisco and Silicon Valley, engaging with California government leaders, technology giants, and investors.
CETY CEO Kam Mahdi was a key presenter at a program on the topic of California Technology Research and Investment. He discussed CETY’s growth as a comprehensive clean energy solutions company with growing global focus that includes expanding operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. The program was part of President Rinkēvičs focus on exploring opportunities for economic cooperation and growth for Latvia enterprises seeking a presence in the United States and specifically targeting California for its business and technology development ecosystem and leadership.
The visit of President Rinkēvičs and other Latvian government officials and business leaders is an historic one. It was the first such high-level economic delegation to the US from Latvia. Accompanying President Rinkēvičs were Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis, Director General at Investment and Development Agency of Latvia Raivis Bremsmits, and over 50 Latvia entrepreneurs interested in California and North America for strategic growth. Meetings during the three-day visit included Microsoft, Google, NASA Ames, and Meta. AI was a big topic for this visit, especially given its potential use in all sectors and the concerns raised in the EU over privacy and security.
Mr. Mahdi talked about the evolution of CETY from its inception, when it was first focused on waste heat recovery, using technology developed by General Electric, through its current expansion into becoming a comprehensive energy solutions provider. “We have developed expertise of the entire energy process from system design to generation and storage, distribution and management,” said Mahdi. “Clients come to us to discuss their needs, and we can develop solutions to effectively address them.”
Mahdi also spoke at a meeting which included California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Latvia Economics Minister Viktors Valainis, Latvia Investment and Development Agency Director Raivis Bremsmits, Toms Zvidriņš, Head of the US Office of Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Martins Andersons, President of the American Latvian Association, and Latvia business leaders.
CETY has been involved in a waste heat to energy project in Latvia since 2018, with EkoNams, a company that builds Scandanvian-style log homes, the design of which is influenced by historic craftsmanship and the execution of which relies on new technologies. Building on that project, CETY has been in discussion with other Latvia companies interested in collaboration or partnerships.
President Rinkēvičs’ delegation followed up on a July 2024 California delegation to Latvia led by California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and State Senator Josh Newman. The delegation included California businesses, and involved meetings with top government and business leaders, including former Latvia Prime Minister and current European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, and Transportation Minister Kaspars Briškens, to discuss investment, economic and technological collaboration, and development opportunities in key Baltic growth sectors. As part of that delegation, Mr. Mahdi was an invited speaker on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Forum on Sustainable Energy Technologies and Innovations, along with former California Senator and energy entrepreneur Robert Hertzberg.
About Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (CETY)
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (CETY) is a rising leader in the zero-emission revolution by offering eco-friendly green energy solutions, clean energy fuels and alternative electric power for small and mid-sized projects in North America, Europe, and Asia. We deliver power from heat and biomass with zero emission and low cost. The Company’s principal products are Waste Heat Recovery Solutions using our patented Clean CycleTM generator to create electricity. Waste to Energy Solutions convert waste products created in manufacturing, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants and other industries to electricity and BioChar. Engineering, Consulting and Project Management Solutions provide expertise and experience in developing clean energy projects for municipal and industrial customers and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies.
CETY’s common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol CETY. For more information, visit http://www.cetyinc.com.
For video examples please visit CETY’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@CleanEnergyTechnologiesInc.Follow CETY on our social media channels: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook
This summary should be read in conjunction with the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024 and other periodic filings made pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which contain, among other matters, risk factors and financial footnotes as well as a discussions of our business, operations and financial matters located on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to achieving corporate objectives, developing additional project interests, the Company’s analysis of opportunities in the acquisition and development of various project interests and certain other matters. These statements are made under the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of CETY’s business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Clean Energy Technologies, Inc.
Investor and Investment Media inquiries:
949-273-4990
ir@cetyinc.com
Source: Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. -
MIL-OSI USA: Ruppersberger, Bipartisan Group Secures SNAP Theft Reimbursement in Stop-Gap Funding Bill
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (2nd District of Maryland)
(Washington, DC) – Victims of food stamp theft will continue to be reimbursed thanks to a provision in a stop-gap funding bill secured by a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. H.R. 9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives today in a 341-82 vote, keeping the government funded – and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits flowing – through December 20, 2024. It is expected to be taken up in the U.S. Senate quickly.
Last month, Ruppersberger, along with Representatives Mike Lawler (R-New York), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oregon), James P. McGovern (D-Massachusetts), Dan Goldman (D-New York), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), Anthony D’Esposito (R-New York), Marc Molinaro (R-New York), Kweisi Mfume (D-Maryland), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colorado) and Grace Meng (D-New York) sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to allow victims of SNAP theft to continue to be reimbursed from federal and state coffers.
Reports of SNAP theft – in which perpetrators use skimming devices to steal SNAP benefits distributed on electronic debit cards (EBT) – are skyrocketing across the nation. States are currently required to replace stolen benefits under a measure included in the 2023 omnibus funding bill passed by Congress at the end of 2022. But that provision was set to expire on September 30.
“I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who recognize the dire straits that SNAP theft leaves its victims, which often include veterans, families, low-income workers, children, the elderly and the disabled,” said Congressman Ruppersberger (MD-02). “While Congress continues to work toward its long-term and strategic spending bills, I am relieved to know these innocent constituents will not lose their primary source of healthy food.”
“Ensuring that SNAP recipients who have their benefits stolen are made whole is my top priority and is deeply important to New York families,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). “That’s why I joined colleagues in both parties and chambers to introduce the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to protect these programs from fraud, and it’s why I have been adamant about the need to include SNAP protections in FY25’s appropriations. I was pleased to see these provisions in the CR being voted on this week. We must complete our appropriations work while protecting the most vulnerable in our society.”
“I was proud to join this bipartisan group of my colleagues in urging congressional leaders to prevent critical SNAP theft reimbursements from ending,” said Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05). “I’m glad our message was heard and an extension was included in this stopgap funding bill. I’ll keep working to ensure victims of SNAP theft are protected.”
“I am proud to have helped secure an extension that will allow states to use existing federal funding to reimburse vulnerable victims of SNAP theft so that families in need can put food on the table,” Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) said. “SNAP theft can be devastating for working families and these reimbursements are a critical lifeline that allows working families to make ends meet. I will continue fighting alongside my colleagues to ensure that states retain this authority when Congress passes its final budget at the end of the year.”
“Families that rely on SNAP to put food on the table each day should never go hungry, especially as a result of their benefits being stolen,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “That’s why I fought to help over 36,000 New Yorkers recover more than $17.5 million in stolen SNAP benefits. I’m glad to see that this provision was included and extended in this critical government funding bill. I’ve also been fighting to make EBT benefit cards more secure to deter scams, and I’m excited that this bill includes language that will hopefully lead to more secure EBT cards. Many beneficiaries in Queens and across the country continue to be targeted by these scams, and we must continue fighting for the families in our communities experiencing the greatest needs.”
“It is appalling that Americans are being targeted at record rates in major SNAP benefit theft. These sickening crimes are carried out against veterans, families, low-income workers, children, the elderly, and the disabled – all of whom are just trying to put food on their table,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07). “Our letter represented a unified effort, across the political aisle, to bring justice to victims in all our respective Congressional Districts. Today’s triumph was a culmination of fierce collaboration between both Democrats and Republicans and boldly fighting for justice on behalf of all households that rely on SNAP,” he concluded.
“Because of our bipartisan push, victims of SNAP theft will continue to be protected through the SNAP Reimbursement Extension,” said Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY-19). “I’m proud to have helped lead the effort to ensure Upstate New York families who rely on SNAP benefits always have access to the meals they deserve.”
“Thousands of Bucks and Montgomery County residents depend on SNAP to put food on their tables, which is why I was proud to join my colleagues in the critical fight to prevent SNAP theft reimbursements from ending. This common-sense reimbursement provision is essential to safeguarding the integrity of the SNAP program and ensuring families in my community and nationwide who have fallen victim to SNAP theft can quickly recover their benefits. Today’s victory is a powerful reminder that when we unite across party lines, we can achieve meaningful change and stand firm in our commitment to uplift our communities and safeguard the well-being of those who need it most,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1).
“SNAP recipients who had their food benefits stolen—through no fault of their own, I would add—should not be kicked while they’re down by an indifferent government that tells them ‘too bad’ and leaves them to fend for themselves,” said Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02). “Especially when the average SNAP benefit is barely over $2 per person, per meal. We’re talking about people who rely on these benefits to feed themselves and their families. When they are stolen, people go hungry. I’m glad that because of our continued advocacy, Congress is making sure that food insecure families are protected through the end of the year.”
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MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Health chief starts Beijing visit
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau and a delegation today began their visit to Beijing by calling on Mainland officials to introduce them to the latest developments of various healthcare reforms in Hong Kong and deepen synergistic collaboration on healthcare-related areas with the Mainland.
During a meeting with National Health Commission (NHC) Vice-minister Yu Xuejun, Prof Lo engaged in an in-depth discussion on how to further deepen cross-boundary collaboration on health and medical innovation between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
He also actively put forward to the NHC multiple proposals on measures for promoting the cross-boundary flow of innovation elements, including entry and exit of human genetic resources in the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Development Plan for Shenzhen Park) promulgated by the State Council.
Prof Lo noted that the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park emphasises the co-ordinated development of Shenzhen and Hong Kong through the establishment of an internationally competitive base for industrial pilot-scale testing and transformation in Hetao to support the innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies.
Last year’s Policy Address also proposed the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.
To this end, the Health Bureau strives to push forward with multiple key initiatives, including joining forces with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to set up in the Hetao Area an international clinical trial collaboration platform for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the “one zone, two parks” model in expectation of simultaneous commencement of operation in the fourth quarter.
The health chief pointed out that the development of innovative drugs and medical devices not only enhances healthcare standards but also transforms the industry, adding that Hong Kong’s healthcare system must keep abreast of the times and pursue transformation with innovation.
Prof Lo and the delegation also met National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) Commissioner Prof Yu Yanhong and discussed issues related to the promotion of the development of Chinese medicine (CM).
He said the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to press ahead with the high-quality development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts by giving full play to the characteristics of CM in Hong Kong and the city’s strengths in areas such as service delivery, standard-setting, international connectivity and clinical research, assisting the nation to propel CM to go global.
Separately, at a meeting with the Head of the Department of Political Affairs of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China Lyu Weihong, Prof Lo highlighted that the Hong Kong SAR Government has been maintaining close co-operation with the Mainland’s entry-exit health inspection and quarantine authorities, as well as strengthening the joint efforts in disease prevention and control in terms of entry-exit health inspection and quarantine between the Mainland and Hong Kong, with a view to safeguarding the wellbeing and safety of residents and travellers of the two places.
The two parties also exchanged views on the promotion of the cross-boundary flow of innovation elements as mentioned in the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park.
The delegation will call on the State Council’s Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office and the National Medical Products Administration tomorrow before departing for Hong Kong in the evening.
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MIL-OSI Russia: With the support of Rosneft, a kindergarten in Ufa was improved
MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
With the support of Bashneft (part of Rosneft), a new playground was built in Kindergarten No. 2 in Ufa. The project was implemented within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between Rosneft and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Rosneft implements social projects aimed at creating favorable living conditions in the regions of its presence. In particular, it supports initiatives in the field of education and upbringing of the younger generation.
Kindergarten No. 2 was founded in 1955 and is one of the oldest preschool institutions in Ufa, currently 123 children attend it. As part of the improvement of the kindergarten territory, modern sports and playgrounds with trauma-safe surfaces, shade canopies and gazebos, as well as new play equipment, including seesaws, slides and sandboxes, were installed. In addition, for the early career guidance of children, elements of small architectural forms on a professional theme were placed on the playground, for example, a model of an oil pump with moving mechanisms.
Over the past 5 years, Bashneft has supported construction and reconstruction projects for more than 30 educational institutions. Strengthening the material base has opened up new opportunities to improve the quality of education and upbringing of young people in Bashkiria. In Neftekamsk, a multilingual boarding school has been completely renovated, kindergartens have been commissioned in Kushnarenkovsky and Tatyshlinsky districts, a forestry technical school has been renovated in Ufa, and a multifunctional educational center has opened in the village of Elan-Chishma in the Yermekeyevsky district.
Reference:
ANK Bashneft is one of the oldest enterprises in the country’s oil and gas industry, operating in the extraction and processing of oil and gas. The company’s key assets are located in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Oil and gas exploration and production are also carried out in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Orenburg Region, Perm Krai and the Republic of Tatarstan.
Over the past 5 years, within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between Rosneft and Bashkiria, with the support of Bashneft, more than 300 social projects have been implemented in 49 districts and cities of the region.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft September 26, 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.
http://vvv.rosneft.ru/press/nevs/item/220848/
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.
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MIL-OSI USA: DelBene on Bipartisan Funding Agreement to Avert Government Shutdown
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)
DelBene on Bipartisan Funding Agreement to Avert Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON, DC , September 25, 2024
Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan funding agreement to avert a government shutdown:
“Americans want governance that works, and I joined House Democrats today to prevent a shutdown, once again demonstrating that bipartisan solutions are necessary to address the issues before Congress. It is unacceptable that House Republicans played games for weeks and risked a government shutdown that could have jeopardized the well-being of middle-class families, veterans, and our national security to advance their harmful Project 2025 agenda.
“While we successfully prevented a shutdown today, we must work together to reach an agreement to fund the government for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2025. House Republicans must accept the reality that in a divided government, bipartisan solutions are the only way to pass legislation through both the House and Senate and get it to President Biden’s desk.”
This temporary funding agreement now heads to the Senate for approval ahead of the September 30 funding deadline.
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MIL-OSI Europe: Christine Lagarde: Technology as a new frontier for macroprudential policy
Source: European Central Bank
Welcome address by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB and Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board, at the eighth annual conference of the ESRB
Frankfurt am Main, 26 September 2024
I would like to welcome all of you to the eighth annual conference of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).
The theme this year – “New Frontiers in Macroprudential Policy” – challenges us to rethink the ways in which we ensure financial stability in an evolving world.
Traditionally, macroprudential policy has focused on safeguarding the stability of banks, particularly by addressing boom-bust cycles in real estate. Banks continue to hold significant exposures to the real estate sector, and this remains a core area of our oversight.
But today our world is undergoing swift and profound changes.
While we must remain alert as ever to cyclical risks, major structural transformations – from shifting geopolitics to a changing climate and extraordinary advances in technology – are creating new frontiers in macroprudential policy. These have important implications for financial stability that are not yet fully reflected in our current frameworks.
Today I would like to focus on what one of those frontiers – technology – means for the financial system and, by extension, the response of macroprudential policy.
As the Nobel laureate Christian Lange once observed, technology can be a “useful servant”, but it can also be a “dangerous master” if left unchecked.[1] That observation holds true for the financial system, where technological advances pose both sizeable opportunities and risks.
In this setting, macroprudential policy needs to pull off a unique balancing act. To effectively mitigate the risks posed by new technologies, macroprudential policy must paradoxically embrace and harness the very innovations they create.
Technology as the enabler of modern financial systems
The basic needs that financial systems meet have not changed for centuries: saving for future needs, borrowing against future income, directing capital to productive uses and reallocating risk.
But the way financial systems deliver their services has changed radically – driven largely by advances in information and communications technologies.
In recent decades, powerful computing has revolutionised risk management and boosted market efficiency, enabling the pricing of complex financial instruments and the rise of algorithmic trading. One study, for example, finds that by facilitating faster price discovery, algorithmic trading improves liquidity for large-cap stocks.[2]
Another key enabler of modern finance is encryption technology. Without it, there would be no online banking and no electronic payments. But encryption has not only aided the digitalisation of traditional finance. It has also facilitated the rise of a new asset class and a parallel financial system: crypto-assets and decentralised finance.
The problems with crypto-assets are many, well-documented and not well-addressed – from weak fundamentals to questionable governance and inefficient validation methods.[3] But the encryption technology on which crypto-assets are based has so far proven robust. And distributed ledger technology can offer real benefits to our financial systems through the streamlining of processes.
But it is perhaps artificial intelligence (AI) that may prove to be the most transformative for the financial system.
For years now, analytical AI models designed to perform specific tasks have helped financial institutions in areas such as fraud detection, credit assessment and predicting portfolio returns.
But the recent breakthroughs in generative AI – thanks to growth in computing power combined with extensive data access – are inducing a rapid uptake of AI across the board. According to one international study, almost two-thirds of companies – across all regions, sectors and sizes – are already using generative AI.[4]
While new technologies have brought tremendous benefits for the financial system over time, they have always tended to carry potential risks with them.
And we see this tension between opportunity and risk playing out today. The latest AI models, and budding technologies like quantum computing, have the potential to exert a profound impact on our economies and financial systems.
Technological change and vulnerabilities
As a tool, technology is neither good nor bad. It all depends on who uses it, and for what purpose.
The financial sector will come up with numerous ways to use AI to improve existing operations. But the reliance on ever more sophisticated technologies – which typically demand highly specialised skills and enormous levels of investment to implement and maintain – creates new vulnerabilities in our financial system.
We see this especially in areas where our financial institutions are increasingly reliant on a small number of external service providers.
In July, a faulty software update from a leading cybersecurity firm caused worldwide computer outages and severe disruptions across many sectors, including finance. For instance, over eight million devices operating Microsoft Windows were hit simultaneously around the world.[5]
While the disruption did not last long, the episode demonstrated the potential dangers of a broad-based reliance on a small number of third-party providers. These technology firms may have systemic importance and are a key element of the Digital Operational Resilience Act, an EU microprudential legislation.[6]
This concentration risk is further heightened in an environment marked by geopolitical tensions and the rapid uptake of AI.
Hostile states could wreak havoc if they uncover just one critical weakness in our financial system. At the ESRB, we expected intensified cyberattacks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.[7] Fortunately, the financial system has proven resilient so far, but the risk remains.
The widespread adoption of AI may also have systemic implications for the financial system. For example, if AI suppliers were to remain concentrated, operational risk, market concentration and too-big-to-fail externalities may arise. Moreover, an extensive uptake of AI could increase the potential for herding behaviour.[8]
Looking further ahead, advances in quantum computing may pose a serious threat to our encryption-based financial system. The technology may even go on to eventually break current encryption methods, although it is difficult to know when this might happen.
That is why it is critical to start preparing early – and there are already efforts to do so.
In August, for example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the United States finalised the first post-quantum encryption standards and called for their rapid deployment.[9] Efforts by individual financial institutions will not be enough, however: the shift to post-quantum encryption standards will need to be implemented across the economy to ensure sufficient resilience.
The implications of technology for macroprudential policy
As macroprudential policymakers, our primary role is to ensure that the financial system remains stable and resilient in the face of emerging threats.
Historically, macroprudential policy has focused heavily on cyclical risks. But as we look into the future, we need to pay more attention to major structural changes. Technologies such as AI and quantum computing will reshape the financial landscape in ways we are only beginning to grasp.
Macroprudential policy must evolve to meet these new frontiers. The risks stemming from disruptive technologies will not be confined to individual institutions – they will be systemic. But the tools we have relied on in the past may no longer be sufficient. Larger buffers are not always the right answer, nor are they the only answer.
Our task now is to focus on how technological risks affect the interconnections and vulnerabilities across the entire financial system and ask ourselves how we may need to expand our toolkit.
The answer is for macroprudential authorities to harness the power of new technologies, using the new opportunities they create as a force for good to mitigate the risks that technology may pose to the financial system.
There is substantial potential on this front. AI can give us the capability to analyse vast amounts of supervisory and market data. And it can help us conduct more rigorous risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities faster and ensure timely prudential responses to new threats.
We will need to consider a broader range of potentially disruptive scenarios and improve our capacity to model the financial stress that such scenarios can generate. The available data allow us to go a long way. But we need to go even further and remove obstacles to safe data sharing.
In my capacity as Chair of the ESRB, I have recently called on European lawmakers to facilitate the removal of barriers to safe data sharing between the ESRB and European Supervisory Authorities, a crucial step towards enabling us to use data to their full potential.[10] At the same time, we need to enhance our collaboration across institutions, sharing insights and expertise so that we can collectively tackle the challenges ahead.
By embracing technology, the role of macroprudential policy will be to help microprudential supervision to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring financial institutions are not only compliant with today’s rules but are also resilient to tomorrow’s threats.
Conclusion
Let me conclude.
As with tackling cyclical risks, macroprudential policy at the new frontier centres on being proactive rather than reactive.
Policymakers cannot afford to simply respond to crises as they emerge. We must continually attempt to anticipate them, harnessing the power of technology and data to build a financial system that is truly resilient. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.[11] And Franklin knew this first-hand. He is widely credited for developing and popularising the use of the lightning rod, which would go on to prevent many disasters.
Looking at this conference’s agenda, I am confident that the discussions will spark fresh perspectives and innovative ideas as we explore the new frontiers of macroprudential policy.
Thank you.
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: FMQs: Scottish Greens urge First Minister to reverse rail fare hike
Source: Scottish Greens
Peak fares are an unfair tax on workers and students.
Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater has urged the First Minister to mark Climate Week by halting the return of peak rail fares.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Slater underlined the unfair nature of peak fares, which punish workers and students who have no choice about when they travel.
The return of peak fares will see rail prices soaring. From the end of this week, someone travelling from the First Minister’s Perthshire constituency will pay £34.30 for a return ticket during peak hours, an increase of 58% on the current cost of £21.60.
In her first question to the First Minister, Ms Slater said: “This week is Climate Week. The Climate Change Committee tells us that we urgently need to decarbonise transport. Getting people out of cars and planes and onto buses, trains and their own feet or wheels.
“The Scottish Government’s pilot to abolish peak rail fares, which was championed by the Scottish Greens in government, ends this week, hiking up the prices of train fares for many workers and students who do not have any choice about when they travel.
“Is this the right message for the Scottish Government to be sending in Climate Week?”
Following a response from the First Minister, in which he did not reverse his decision, Ms Slater called for the SNP to support the introduction of a private jet tax to fund the permanent removal of peak fares.
Ms Slater said: “The First Minister is in luck as I have a suggestion. Oxfam has reported that £21.5 million a year could be raised through a tax on Private Jets, assuming it was embedded in the Air Departure Tax, legislation that this parliament passed 7 years ago and hasn’t acted on. That’s enough to abolish peak fares for good.
“We all understand the need to ensure an exemption to Air Departure Tax for our island communities. Will the First Minister work with the UK Government to urgently introduce this tax so commuters can once again have fairer prices on our trains?”
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MIL-OSI Video: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks following an AUKUS defense ministerial meeting.
Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and British Defense Secretary John Healey hold a joint press conference following an AUKUS defense ministerial meeting in London, Sept. 26, 2024.
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Your military is an all-volunteer force that serves to protect our security and way of life, but Service members are more than a fighting force. They are leaders, humanitarians and your fellow Americans. Get to know more about the men and women who serve, who they are, what they do, and why they do it.For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
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Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
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Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense -
MIL-OSI Video: Michigan National Guard Soldiers conduct sling load operations for bridging exercise
Source: US National Guard (video statements)
Michigan National Guard Soldiers from the 1437th Multi-Role Bridge Company conduct sling load operations during a bridging exercise over Lake Huron near St. Ignace, Mich., Sept. 14, 2024. The training, involving airlifting 22-foot bridge sections and assembling a 220-foot floating bridge raft, enhances readiness for transporting equipment across water. Sling load operations allow troops to quickly transport supplies and equipment, critical on the battlefield and in emergency operations. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. 1st Class Christy Van Drunen)
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MIL-OSI Africa: Ramokgopa attends BRICS Energy Ministers Meeting
Source: South Africa News Agency
The Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has called on the BRICS Plus bloc of countries to work together to assist and support member countries to tackle energy challenges.
The Minister was delivering his opening remarks at the 9th Annual BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] Energy Ministers’ Meeting in Moscow, Russia.
“We believe that this BRICS group of like-minded country members has a huge potential, and working together will strengthen this resolve through cooperation on energy security.
“[It will] also provide an opportunity to join efforts to annihilate the challenges diagnosed during the BRICS 2023 Summit held in South Africa, such as addressing the lack or absence of integrated energy policy framework, diversification and beneficiation at source of critical minerals, infrastructure development, manufacturing, technology transfer and intellectual property, scaling up energy efficiency, mobilisation of finance and investment, as well as skills and capacity building, amongst others,” Ramokgopa said.
He called on the member countries to “tap and dig deeper into various capabilities and strengths” to ensure mutual support in harnessing the individual potential each country has at its disposal.
“To mention a few opportunities, it is mining and beneficiation of critical minerals, and rare-earth elements required to power the green economy, [expand] hydro power potential, promising hydrogen solutions and its derivatives, gas, nuclear – including small modular reactors, renewables, storage, biofuels, as well as clean coal, and carbon capture utilisation and storage,” the Minister said.
Ramokgopa highlighted that the meeting of BRICS Energy Ministers comes at a critical time, as countries ponder ways to transition towards low carbon economies.
“This meeting comes at a critical phase where our countries are grappling with the challenge of balancing developmental goals with energy transition pathways.
“We must ensure that these transitions safeguard energy sovereignty and security, promote sustainable economic development, facilitate universal access and respond effectively to environmental imperatives, all the while ensuring no one is left behind,” he said.
He told the meeting that the expansion of the BRICS bloc of countries is a “clear affirmation of the group’s growing significance and influence in the global energy agenda”.
“This is a pivotal moment, positioning BRICS to reshape, refocus, and reset the global energy architecture to ensure energy access, security, affordability, and eradicate energy poverty and promote a just energy transition.
“For us as South Africa, we see this as an opportune moment to clearly articulate our collective position as the developing nations that will enable us to continue to use our energy resources through innovative technologies that allow us to move from high emitting to low emitting energy systems, and thus achieve carbon-neutrality or net-zero at a pace and scale that is in line with our different national circumstances and capabilities.
“In this regard, we want to reiterate that our approach to an inclusive and people centred energy transition is informed by the need to maintain energy security in support of socio-economic objectives,” Ramokgopa said. – SAnews.gov.za
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MIL-OSI: Jamf Announces Additions of CISO, Andrew Smeaton, and Global Vice President of Channel & Alliances, Marc Botham
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jamf (NASDAQ: JAMF), the standard in managing and securing Apple at work, today announced it has enhanced its leadership team with two key new hires: Andrew Smeaton as Chief Information Security Officer and Marc Botham as Global Vice President of Channel and Alliances.
“I am thrilled to announce the addition of two seasoned industry leaders to the Jamf leadership team,” said John Strosahl, CEO of Jamf. “Bringing their individual experiences into Jamf will undoubtedly continue to propel Jamf forward as the only company to offer a complete management and security solution in the Apple-first environment.”
Smeaton brings over 25 years of global information security experience, navigating complex, multi-stakeholder environments across Europe, North America, and the Middle East. As the CISO at Jamf, Smeaton will focus on Jamf’s information security vision and approach, and champion Jamf’s security platform in the market. Responsible for leading a global team of information security professionals, Smeaton excels in aligning security with business goals, developing proactive risk management cultures, and implementing security strategies from inception to execution.
Smeaton comes to Jamf after serving as CISO of Afiniti, and previously held CISO roles at DataRobot, MIB Group, The Saudi Investment Bank, and more. His extensive skill set includes security risk management, program development, regulatory compliance, and cloud security, complemented by a strong IT background and numerous certifications, including CISSP, CISA, and CISM.
“I’m honored to be joining the Jamf team and working with such a talented, customer-oriented group of people who have packaged management and security together impeccably for an industry that is increasingly relying on mobile devices to drive business success,” said Smeaton. “The dependence on Apple devices in the enterprise is only increasing, and you can bet adversaries won’t pass up the opportunity to strike while the iron’s hot. I’m looking forward to amplifying security buyers’ awareness of Jamf and working with our extremely talented Threat Labs team to uncover, defend, and protect customers against the threats of tomorrow.”
Joining Jamf as the Global Vice President of Channel and Alliances, Botham brings over 25 years of experience in the channel, most recently as the Head of the EMEA Channel of Docusign. Recognized as CRN’s 2022 Channel Chief of the Year, Botham will be responsible for developing and implementing partner strategies on a global scale, designing channel programs that enable Jamf to establish substantive growth markets aligned with Jamf’s strategic partner ecosystem, and positioning Jamf as the Apple Enterprise Management solution provider.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Jamf team and I am excited to build on the exciting momentum the Jamf channel program has already had this year,” said Botham. “Jamf is on the cusp of some incredible growth in the channel, and I’m honored to be joining at such an exciting time in Jamf’s channel journey. I look forward to continuing to serve Jamf’s existing partnerships as well as help Jamf continue to expand globally within the channel.”
The hires of Smeaton and Botham come on the heels of Jamf’s inclusion in PEOPLE Magazine as the #45 ranked organization in the Companies that Care list, and Jamf’s announcement of its new Global Partner Program.
For more information on Jamf and its latest news, visit http://www.jamf.com.
About Jamf
Jamf’s purpose is to simplify work by helping organizations manage and secure an Apple experience that end users love and organizations trust. Jamf is the only company in the world that provides a complete management and security solution for an Apple-first environment that is enterprise secure, consumer simple and protects personal privacy. To learn more, visit http://www.jamf.com.
Media Contact
Natali Brockett | media@jamf.com
Investor Contact
Jennifer Gaumond | ir@jamf.com
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MIL-OSI Africa: The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and Union of Comoros Strengthen Partnership with New EUR 330 Million Framework Agreement and Food Security Facility
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
JEDDAH, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, September 26, 2024/APO Group/ —
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-idb.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, and the Union of Comoros have signed a new EUR 330 Million Framework Agreement, reinforcing their strong partnership. The agreement was signed by ITFC’s CEO, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, Comoros’ Minister of Finance, Budget, and Banking Sector, and IsDB Governor, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim Abdourazak, during his visit to ITFC’s headquarters in Jeddah.
The new 3-year Framework Agreement builds on the success of the previous EUR 330 million agreement, which achieved 83% of its target. It will focus on key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and SME support, aiming to mobilize trade financing and enhance economic development in Comoros. Since 2008, ITFC has approved over US$ 712 million in financing for Comoros, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to the country’s growth.
Commenting on the signing, Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC said, “We are proud to strengthen our partnership with the Union of Comoros through this new framework agreement, which reflects our shared commitment to fostering sustainable economic development. By focusing on key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and SME development, we aim to support the country in achieving its long-term goals under the Emerging Comoros Plan. Our efforts, including the newly signed Food Security Facility, demonstrate our dedication to addressing critical needs such as food security while empowering key industries to drive growth.”
The Minister of Finance, Budget and Banking of the Union of Comoros, Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Abdourazak, also commented: “I am proud and optimistic to sign today this framework agreement between the Union of Comoros and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). This agreement marks a key milestone for the development of vital sectors such as energy, agriculture, and SMEs, the driving forces of our economy. In addition, ITFC signed a EUR 20 Million Food Security Facility in favor of the Union of Comoros and with two local banks, BDC and AFG Bank, as Executing Agencies, to support the continuous supply of essential foodstuffs at affordable prices to address food security challenges in the country. The Government of Comoros remains firmly committed to the priority programs and projects of the “Plan Comores Émergents”. Finally, on behalf of the Comorian Government and on my behalf, I would like to warmly thank ITFC for its ongoing support and look forward to strengthening our collaboration.”
ITFC’s broader support for Comoros includes capacity-building initiatives, such as the Reverse Linkage Project with Morocco for the sustainable tourism sector, and the equipment of the Central Vanilla Buying and Marketing Center under the Aid for Trade Initiative for the Arab States (AfTIAS 2.0) program. These efforts underline ITFC’s commitment to fostering sustainable development through integrated trade solutions.
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MIL-OSI Translation: Notice of works: start of new construction sites impacting travel from September 29, 2024
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French
As part of its role as coordinator of the mobility construction site platform (PCM), the Department of Health and Mobility (DSM) is relaying the upcoming start of construction sites impacting travel.
Geneva: Montbrillant Street / Valais Street
From Monday, September 30 to Thursday, October 3, 2024, the intersection between these two roads will be managed by traffic officers, which may result in slowdowns in the area, and some traffic movements will be canceled. Bus line No. 5 will be diverted in both directions. These disruptions are due to the installation of a new sound-absorbing coating.
For more information:AGCM-Montbrillant 09.24 (ge.ch)or the website:Map of current construction sites in the City of Geneva | City of Geneva – Official website (geneve.ch)
Client: City of Geneva
Geneva: Rhone Street
From September 30, 2024 for approximately 2 months, traffic lanes may be temporarily reduced, which could lead to slowdowns in the sector. These disruptions are due to connection work to the CAD (district heating).
For more information:Construction sites: map and information | GIS (sig-ge.ch)
Project owner: SIG
Meyrin: Meyrin road
On Sunday, October 6, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (originally scheduled for Sunday, September 22), traffic lanes will be reduced between No. 373 and No. 385 of the road, which may cause slowdowns in the area. These disruptions are due to maintenance work.
For more information:Notice of works: Mobility info – Route de Meyrin (DER works) III – Postponed | ge.ch
Client: Cantonal Civil Engineering Office
Plan-les-Ouates: Galaise road
From Saturday, October 5, 2024 (from 9:00 p.m.) until Monday, October 7, 2024 (at 5:00 a.m.), this road will be one-way between the route de Saint-Julien and the chemin du Champ-des-Filles, and you should follow the indicated diversions. These disruptions are due to road surface resurfacing work.
For more information:Notice of works: Mobility information – Route de la Galaise (DER works) | ge.ch
Client: Cantonal Civil Engineering Office
Oak-Bougeries: Oak road
On Sunday, September 29, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (initially scheduled for Sunday, September 22), alternating traffic will be put in place at road number 100, which may cause slowdowns in the area. These disruptions are due to road surface resurfacing work.
For more information:Notice of works: Mobility information – Route de Chêne (DER works) – Postponed | ge.ch
Client: Cantonal Civil Engineering Office
Cologny: Cologny quay
During the nights of September 30 to October 5, 2024 (5 nights), traffic lanes may be temporarily reduced, which may result in slowdowns in the area. These disruptions are due to road surface resurfacing work.
For more information:Notice of works: Mobility information – Quai de Cologny (DER works) | ge.ch
Client: Cantonal Civil Engineering Office
Grand-Saconnex: Ferney tunnel
During the night of 3 to 4 October 2024, between 8:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., the tunnel will be closed to traffic. Diversions will be put in place. These disruptions are due to maintenance work on the structure.
Client: Cantonal Civil Engineering Office
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
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MIL-OSI Translation: Joint Statement by Canada, the United States of America, Australia, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Qatar
MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –
Source: Prime Minister of Canada – in French
The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8, 2023 is intolerable and poses an unacceptable risk of broader regional escalation. This situation is in no one’s interest, neither the Israeli people nor the Lebanese people.
It is time to reach a diplomatic agreement that allows civilians on both sides of the border to return home safely.
Diplomacy, however, cannot succeed in a context of escalating conflict.
We therefore call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire on the Israeli-Lebanese border to allow room for diplomacy and the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 on a ceasefire in Gaza.
We call on all parties, including the Israeli and Lebanese governments, to immediately endorse the temporary ceasefire in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 during this period, and to give a genuine chance to a diplomatic settlement.
We will thus be ready to fully support all diplomatic initiatives aimed at reaching an agreement between Lebanon and Israel during this period, based on the efforts made in recent months, in order to put an end to this crisis.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
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MIL-OSI Translation: Warning: Risk of confusion between the chanterelle and the Omphalotus illudens
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French
Chanterelles versus Omphalotus illudens Following global warming, the Omphalotus Illudens mushroom thrives in our regions and is found in large quantities in our forests. When young, it can be confused with the chanterelle. The latter grows in the ground and can be found in small groups. However, it does not grow in clumps, unlike its lookalike which grows in clumps and on wood (stumps).
Below you will find how to differentiate these two mushrooms so as not to confuse them.
How to avoid confusion?
Look closely at the gills/folds under the mushroom cap. Chanterelles do not have true gills, unlike Omphalotus. Look for the characteristic fruity apricot smell of chanterelles, it is a good clue to differentiate them. Avoid picking mushrooms on rotting wood if you are looking for chanterelles.
Differences between chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) and omphalotus Illudens
Shape and texture Chanterelle: funnel-shaped with an irregular cap, often wavy at the edges; firm flesh; fruity apricot odor Omphalotus illudens: also funnel-shaped, but more symmetrical with a more regular, smooth cap; less firm flesh and does not give off the fruity apricot odor characteristic of chanterelles Color Chanterelle: bright yellow or golden Omphalotus illudens: often bright orange to golden, but sometimes darker, which can increase the confusion Blades or folds Chanterelle: the folds under the cap are not true blades, but rather thick veins that run down the stem Omphalotus illudens: it has true thin, tight blades that extend onto the stem Place of growth Chanterelle: it generally grows on the ground, often in association with deciduous or coniferous trees, in the mosses of our forests Omphalotus illudens: it often grows on rotting wood, such as stumps or roots, especially in wooded areas. Toxicity Chanterelle: edible and prized in cooking Omphalotus illudens: toxic, causing serious gastrointestinal disorders a few hours after ingestion, such as vomiting and diarrhea
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
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MIL-OSI China: China vows intensified, improved preservation of cultural relics
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 26 — China will step up efforts to preserve its cultural relics, improve the management, and create more engaging ways for the public to appreciate the rich cultural heritage, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).
With a history spanning more than 5,000 years, China is home to over 760,000 immovable cultural relics and 108 million state-owned movable relics, said Guan Qiang, deputy director of the NCHA.
After the 700-year-old Beijing Central Axis was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July this year, the number of World Heritage Sites in China reached 59, reinforcing the country’s position as one of the world’s largest cultural treasure troves.
China’s ongoing fourth national survey on immovable cultural relics has entered an optimal phase in terms of field survey, Guan said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
As of Sept. 23, survey teams had reviewed over 253,000 immovable cultural relics, or 33 percent of those covered by the third national survey running from 2007 to 2011, and discovered more than 18,000 new relics, according to Guan.
The fourth national survey, launched in November 2023, involves more than 5,000 census teams composed of over 45,000 personnel — 50 percent more than the number involved in the previous national survey.
Guan also highlighted progress in terms of legislation, noting that a draft revision of the country’s cultural relics protection law has been submitted to lawmakers for deliberation. Moreover, scientific and technological advances in cultural relics preservation have been integrated into the state innovation system, with notable progress made in scores of key R&D projects, Guan added.
The NCHA plans to enhance its cooperation with relevant authorities to establish coordination bodies dedicated to cultural preservation and inheritance. An inspection system will also be introduced to facilitate systematic protection and unified supervision of cultural heritage, Guan said.
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MIL-OSI Canada: Joint Statement by Canada, the United States of America, Australia, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister
The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8th, 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation. This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.
It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.
Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.
Thus we call for an immediate 21 day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy and the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701, and the implementation of UNSCR 2735 regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
We call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately consistent with UNSCR 1701 during this period, and to give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement.
We are then prepared to fully support all diplomatic efforts to conclude an agreement between Lebanon and Israel within this period, building on the efforts over the last months, that ends this crisis altogether.
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MIL-OSI China: Phase II project of China’s self-developed deepwater gas field to be operational
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HAIKOU, Sept. 26 — China’s first independently-developed ultra-deepwater gas field Shenhai Yihao, or Deep Sea No. 1, has completed construction of its phase II project, which is expected to be operational in the near future, according to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), its operator.
The completion of the project marks a major breakthrough in China’s independent construction capabilities of deepwater oil and gas projects under complex conditions, the CNOOC said Thursday.
The phase II project, with a proven reserve of over 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas, includes 12 deepwater gas wells, a comprehensive processing platform weighing over 14,000 tonnes and five submarine pipelines with a total length of about 250 km, among other facilities.
Upon full operation of the project, the peak annual output of natural gas of the Deep Sea No. 1 is expected to increase from 3 billion cubic meters to 4.5 billion cubic meters, according to the CNOOC.
Deep Sea No. 1, located 150 km from the city of Sanya in south China’s island province of Hainan, is able to operate at a maximum depth of over 1,500 meters in the sea. It began operation in June 2021.
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MIL-OSI China: China-Laos Railway sees passengers from over 100 countries, regions
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KUNMING, Sept. 26 — The China-Laos Railway, which launched its international passenger service on April 13, 2023, has transported passengers from over 100 countries and regions, according to the Mohan border checkpoint in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
As of Wednesday, over 1,260 international passenger trains have facilitated the smooth clearance of more than 282,000 inbound and outbound travelers from 101 countries and regions.
Boosted by the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, the China-Laos Railway international passenger trains have become the preferred choice for travelers from both countries due to their economical, convenient and comfortable travel options for tourism, study, business and cultural exchange.
As a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the 1,035-km China-Laos Railway connects Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, with the Laotian capital Vientiane.
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Support for domestic abuse survivors impacted by the early release scheme
Source: City of Birmingham
The early release scheme was implemented this month, and some offenders have been released from prison having served 40% of their sentence rather than 50%.
This move intends to ease overcrowding in prisons. Early release is based on the offences offenders were in prison for, and not for any other crimes they may have committed.
Domestic abuse crimes that are not eligible for early release include:
- Stalking offences
- Controlling or coercive behaviours in an intimate or family relationship
- Non-fatal strangulation and suffocation
- Breach of restraining order, non-molestation order, and domestic abuse protection order.
For survivors of domestic abuse, this means perpetrators who were in prison for a different crime may have been released from prison early, under this scheme.
Birmingham City Council understands this may be causing fear and anxiety for survivors. Partners across the city have been working together to manage any safety risks. The Domestic Abuse Prevention team commissions specialist support for all survivors, including men and the LGBT+ community.
Councillor Nicky Brennan: Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “Whilst the reports in the news highlight that prisons are nearly full, perpetrators of domestic abuse can still be sent to prison if convicted or remanded in custody by the courts.
“Perpetrators released under this scheme will still have licence conditions and will be recalled if they break any of these conditions.
“Birmingham City Council’s Domestic Abuse Prevention team along with our partner organisations provide specialist support services for anyone who is scared or worried about a loved one who may need help. I urge you to reach out to us so we can help.”
For more information and how to get help, visit: birmingham.gov.uk.
If someone commits a crime, you can still call the police to report it: Birmingham is committed to holding perpetrators of domestic abuse to account. In an emergency, please call 999.
To find out more about the scheme, visit the gov.uk webpage.
If you are scared or worried, whether it’s for yourself or a loved one, you are not alone. There are specialist support services to talk to:
For all survivors:
Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid Helpline is open every day 9:15 – 5:15 on 0808 800 0028
Webchat is open Monday to Friday 10 – 4.
For men:
Cranstoun’s helpline is open Monday to Friday 9-5 on 0121 633 1750, or their website has more information.
For LGBT+ people:
Birmingham LGBT’s helpline is open Monday to Friday 10am – 9pm and Saturdays 11:30am to 7pm on 0121 643 0821, or their website has more information.
You can also find independent victim support through the Victim and Witness Information website.
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MIL-OSI United Kingdom: AUKUS statement: 26 September 2024
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
The defence ministers of the AUKUS partnership met in London to review progress in and reaffirm their commitment to the AUKUS partnership.
Today the Right Honourable John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom hosted the Honourable Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia and the Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, United States (U.S.) at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, the United Kingdom (UK) to review progress in and reaffirm their commitment to the AUKUS partnership.
The AUKUS partnership reflects the continued commitment by Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States to support a free and open Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, secure and stable. The discussions between the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister today reaffirmed the importance of this innovative, enduring, and trusted partnership in the face of a rapidly evolving and increasingly unstable international security environment. The three nations will continue to work to uphold the global rules-based order where international law is followed, and states can make sovereign choices free from coercion. In this context, they reiterated their shared commitments to the AUKUS partnership for the decades to come and welcomed the progress made since AUKUS Defence Ministers last met in California, the United States, in December 2023.
Pillar I – Conventionally Armed, Nuclear-Powered Submarines (SSNs)
In March of 2023, our Heads of Government met to announce a comprehensive plan to support Australia’s acquisition of a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability as quickly as possible. Since that announcement, our three governments have worked shoulder-to-shoulder to refine the milestones and principles that will form the building blocks for this decades-long partnership.
The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister reiterated their shared and enduring commitment to setting the highest nuclear non-proliferation standard, and the importance of this work to the success of the programme. They undertook to continue AUKUS partners’ open, and transparent engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and noted the ongoing bilateral negotiations between the IAEA and Australia to develop a robust safeguards and verification approach for Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion programme under Article 14 of Australia’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA.
Over the last year, our Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal Navy (RN), and U.S. Navy personnel have worked tirelessly across governments, defence industry, and academic institutions to optimise the training of personnel to maintain, sustain, operate, and crew nuclear-powered submarines. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister reiterated that the delivery of the “Optimal Pathway” depends upon the skilled workforces of all three countries and reaffirmed their shared commitment to develop a robust base of skills across their military, civilian and industrial sectors.
- More than 60 RAN personnel are currently in various stages of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine SSN training pipeline to equip a cadre of Australian officers and sailors with experience aboard the U.S. Virginia class SSNs that the RAN will own and operate from the early 2030s. These numbers will increase further in 2025, with more than 100 personnel commencing training. Six officers have completed all training and have been assigned to U.S. Virginia class submarines. RAN enlisted sailors will join U.S. submarine crews before the end of this year.
- In the United Kingdom, three RAN officers completed the UK Nuclear Reactor course in July 2024 and are now assigned to UK Astute class submarines. The next group of RAN officers will commence training in the UK in November 2024.
- The RN, with the support of the Australian Submarine Agency, has also delivered professional and general naval nuclear propulsion training for more than 250 Australian personnel in Canberra.
- Australians have embedded into programme delivery teams in the UK Ministry of Defence and with Rolls-Royce Submarines. Australians are also currently embedded in U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program teams.
- In July and September 2024, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard welcomed the first 40 ASC Pty Ltd personnel into its training pipeline with the expectation of more than 100 additional ASC Pty Ltd employees by mid-2025.
- The Australian Government has committed to nearly AUD 250 million to start delivering the skills and workforce needed for its SSN program, including providing 4,001 Commonwealth Supported Places at Australian universities, in addition to 3,000 undergraduate scholarships over six years, to build the necessary Australian Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics workforce.
- Additional programs have seen more than 70 Australians supported to undertake postgraduate nuclear studies at universities in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia.
- Australia has also recently announced the “Jobs for Subs” initiative, a government-funded program to evolve ASC Pty Ltd to recruit, train and retain approximately 200 additional graduates, apprentices and trainees to support Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) in Western Australia.
Recognising that our partners in defence industry are and will remain vital to this endeavour, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister discussed opportunities to maximize our efforts to foster collaboration and build resilience across our industrial bases and supply chains. They welcome the collaboration between BAE Systems (BAES) and ASC Pty Ltd to bring together their combined decades of submarine building to deliver the SSN-AUKUS programme.
- The U.S. Government decided to invest USD 17.5 billion into its submarine industrial base to support initiatives related to supplier development, shipbuilder and supplier infrastructure, workforce development, technology advancements, and strategic sourcing.
- Australia has also committed to invest over AUD 30 billion in the Australian defence industrial base to develop Australia’s supply chains and facilitate industry participation in U.S. and UK supply chains.
- His Majesty’s Government announced an initial allocation of £4 billion from the United Kingdom to continue the detailed design work of SSN-AUKUS and order long-lead items, as well as the United Kingdom’s investment of £3 billion across its Defence Nuclear Enterprise, including the construction of submarine industrial infrastructure that will help to deliver the SSN-AUKUS programme.
- The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the AUKUS partners’ commitment to accelerate opportunities for Australian industry in the Virginia class submarine supply chain, including through the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program and other industry collaboration initiatives. They welcomed ongoing efforts to encourage further industrial base partnerships to build resiliency across the trilateral Submarine Industrial Base.
- This August, as a direct result of our close collaboration over this year, our three nations commenced the execution of the first-ever planned maintenance activity of a U.S. SSN in Australia. More than 30 RAN personnel worked alongside U.S. Navy and contractor personnel and UK observers to conduct routine maintenance and observe safety and stewardship evolutions. This was an important step in building Australia’s capacity to support a rotational presence of UK and U.S. SSNs at SRF-West beginning as early as 2027, as well as Australia’s future sovereign SSN capability.
The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister emphasised the importance of ensuring that our trilateral systems have the tools they need to transfer information and data in a timely fashion to facilitate cooperation. They were pleased to welcome the August 2024 signing of an enabling agreement for trilateral cooperation related to naval nuclear propulsion. Once in force, this historic agreement will enable AUKUS partners to go beyond sharing naval nuclear propulsion information, allowing the United States and the United Kingdom to transfer nuclear-propulsion material and equipment to Australia required for the safe and secure construction, operation, and sustainment of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.
This agreement reaffirms, and remains consistent with, the AUKUS partners’ respective, existing international non-proliferation obligations. As a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Australia has re-affirmed unequivocally that it does not have, and will not seek to acquire, nuclear weapons.
Pillar II – Advanced Capabilities
The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister hailed progress being made under Pillar II to deliver capability to our defence forces while bolstering industry and innovation sector collaboration. AUKUS nations continue to pool the talents of our defence sectors to catalyse, at an unprecedented pace, the delivery of advanced capabilities.
Through AUKUS Pillar II, our trilateral science and technology, acquisition and sustainment, and operational communities are working across the full spectrum of capability development—generating requirements, co-developing new systems, deepening industrial base collaboration, and bolstering our innovation ecosystems. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed progress made in building a more capable, combined joint force of the future because of this work.
- This year, under the Maritime Big Play initiative, we are undertaking a series of integrated trilateral experiments and exercises to enhance interoperability and accelerate the combined fielding of autonomous uncrewed systems in the maritime domain. Later this year, the three nations will bring together approximately 30 systems across four domains for the first large-scale AUKUS integrated demonstration. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the inclusion of technologies from companies in each of the three nations and plans to expand to include additional industry partners in the future.
- In 2024, AUKUS partners furthered their undersea warfare capabilities by beginning to scale up the ability to launch and recover uncrewed underwater systems from torpedo tubes on current classes of British and U.S. submarines, which will increase the range and capability of our undersea forces. AUKUS partners are exploring opportunities to collaborate on sensors and payloads to maximize this capability and deliver effects such as strike, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
- In parallel, the United Kingdom and the United States are strengthening superiority in the maritime domain by integrating the Sting Ray lightweight torpedo into the P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft alongside the Mk 54 torpedo, with trials planned for 2025. This will increase the opportunity for interchangeability and potential work on future torpedo programmes. These efforts will ultimately enhance the survivability of our surface combatant and submarine fleets.
- In the area of long-range precision strike, we are increasing our collective ability to develop and deliver offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies through a robust series of trilateral tests and experiments that will accelerate the development of hypersonic concepts and critical enabling technologies. These capabilities will hold time critical and heavily defended targets at risk from increased ranges, enhancing the survivability of our forces and defending our homelands and forces against potential threats.
- Advancing our maritime domain autonomy and decision advantage efforts, AUKUS partners demonstrated and deployed common advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms on P8-A Maritime Patrol aircraft to process data from each nations’ sonobuoys. These advances allow for faster data processing and improved target identification in congested acoustic environments, enhancing our combined anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed plans to scale these technologies in 2025.
- Our joint forces demonstrated several innovative uses of AI technologies to enhance decision making and bolster combined military effects. In March, AUKUS partners demonstrated the ability to rapidly co-develop and deploy trilateral AI algorithms to find and fix targets for strike. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed trilateral plans to explore the introduction of these capabilities into operational units in the coming years.
The International Joint Requirements Oversight Council (I-JROC) remains a critical collaborative forum to identify and validate joint and combined requirements to ensure capability development considers interoperability and interchangeability from the very start. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the establishment of trilaterally determined key operational problems, leveraging existing activities to achieve capability development priorities endorsed by I-JROC. AUKUS partners seek:
- An enhanced multi-domain long-range strike capability that incorporates asymmetric capabilities and integrated targeting;
- Strengthened multi-domain integrated air and missile defence capability;
- Resilient command and control systems that maintain a diverse range of information; and
- Enhanced logistical networks that are able to deliver persistent support and sustainment for operations in contested environments.
To this end, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed work underway across our trilateral Armies, Navies, and Air Forces to explore additional opportunities for collaboration in the land, maritime, air, and other domains under AUKUS Pillar II.
A cornerstone of our AUKUS Pillar II program remains the opportunity to leverage the best of our defence industrial bases and innovation ecosystems. Over the past year we have further integrated our innovation ecosystems and fostered increased collaboration with these stakeholder communities to explore opportunities in all aspects of Pillar II.
- AUKUS partners executed the first trilaterally sponsored innovation prize challenge, which focused on electronic warfare. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister are pleased to announce Advanced Design Technology Pty Ltd, Inovor Technologies Pty Ltd and Penten Pty Ltd (AUS), Amiosec Ltd, University of Liverpool, Roke Manor Research Ltd, Autonomous Devices Ltd (UK), and Distributed Spectrum (U.S.) as the winners for this challenge. The selection of these companies demonstrates the important contributions that our trilateral commercial sectors and innovation bases can make in addressing critical operational requirements.
- Building on the success of this first challenge, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister were pleased to endorse plans for a robust two-year agenda that will increase collaboration between and among our innovation centres of excellence. Through this collaboration, AUKUS partners will leverage innovative tools to reach our entrepreneurs and actively solicit new and powerful capabilities from our trilateral innovation ecosystem and industrial base.
- In coordination with industry associations representing the trilateral defence industrial base, the Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum, continues to provide an opportunity for representatives across government and industry to exchange ideas and deepen industrial collaboration in Pillar II. By the end of this year, AUKUS partners will have convened meetings in each country and facilitated discussions with technology and policy subject matter experts to increase understanding and information sharing.
- In response to industry feedback and as current projects mature beyond traditional research and development projects, the National Armaments Directors from each nation are identifying opportunities to harmonise acquisition processes and reducing barriers to facilitate the accelerated delivery of Pillar II advanced capabilities.
In April 2024, the Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister announced principles for engaging additional partners on opportunities to collaborate on AUKUS Pillar II projects. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed progress on consultations with Japan on improving interoperability with Japan’s maritime autonomous systems as an initial area of cooperation. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister noted ongoing consultations with Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II on a project by project basis.
Defence trade and industrial base collaboration
To promote innovation and realise the goals of AUKUS, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States implemented momentous amendments to our respective export control regimes. These historic efforts will maximise secure, licence-free defence trade and stimulate innovation across the full breadth of our defence collaboration, mutually strengthening our three defence industrial bases, while maintaining rigour and security in all three systems. The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed support to reduce bureaucratic barriers to collaboration to enable deeper defence industrial base cooperation.
Updates to this page
Published 26 September 2024 -
MIL-OSI Global: Bees have irrational biases when choosing which flowers to feed on − just like human shoppers do
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Claire Therese Hemingway, Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
The other flowers a bee has visited recently will influence how it judges this one. Scott-Cartwright-Photography/Moment via Getty Images Just like people confronted with a sea of options at the grocery store, bees foraging in meadows encounter many different flowers at once. They must decide which ones to visit for food, but it isn’t always a straightforward choice.
Flowers offer two types of food: nectar and pollen, which can vary in important ways. Nectar, for instance, can fluctuate in concentration, volume, refill rate and accessibility. It also contains secondary metabolites, such as caffeine and nicotine, which can be either disagreeable or appealing, depending on how much is present. Similarly, pollen contains proteins and lipids, which affect nutritional quality.
When confronted with these choices, you’d think bees would always pick the flowers with the most accessible, highest-quality nectar and pollen. But they don’t. Instead, just like human grocery shoppers, their decisions about which flowers to visit depend on their recent experience with similar flowers and what other flowers are available.
I find these behaviors fascinating. My research looks at how animals make daily choices – especially when looking for food. It turns out that bees and other pollinators make the same kinds of irrational “shopping” decisions humans make.
Predictably irrational
Humans are sometimes illogical. For instance, someone who wins $5 on a scratch ticket immediately after winning $1 on one will be thrilled – whereas that same person winning $5 on a ticket might be disappointed if they’re coming off a $10 win. Even though the outcome is the same, perception changes depending on what came before.
Perceptions are also at play when people assess product labels. For instance, a person may expect an expensive bottle of wine with a fancy French label to be better than a cheap, generic-looking one. But if there’s a mismatch between how good something is and how good someone expects it to be, they may feel disproportionately disappointed or delighted.
Humans are also very sensitive to the context of their choice. For example, people are more likely to pay a higher price for a television when a smaller, more expensive one is also available.
These irrational behaviors are so predictable, companies have devised clever ways to exploit these tendencies when pricing and packaging goods, creating commercials, stocking shelves, and designing websites and apps. Even outside of a consumer setting, these behaviors are so common that they influence how politicians design public policy and attempt to influence voting behavior.
Like minds
Research shows bumblebees and humans share many of these behaviors. A 2005 study found bees evaluate the quality of nectar relative to their most recent feeding experience: Bees trained to visit a feeder with medium-quality nectar accepted it readily, whereas bees trained to visit a feeder with high-quality nectar often rejected medium-quality nectar.
My team and I wanted to explore whether floral traits such as scents, colors and patterns might serve as product labels for bees. In the lab, we trained groups of bees to associate certain artificial flower colors with high-quality “nectar” – actually a sugar solution we could manipulate.
The bumblebee colony, right, is attached by tunnel to the foraging arena, left, where colored discs serve as artifical flowers.
Claire Hemingway, CC BY-SAFor example, we trained one group to associate blue flowers with high-quality nectar. We then offered that group medium-quality nectar in either blue or yellow flowers.
We found the bees were more willing to accept the medium-quality nectar from yellow flowers than they were from blue. Their expectations mattered.
In another recent experiment, we gave bumblebees a choice between two equally attractive flowers – one high in sugar concentration but slower to refill and one quick to refill but containing less sugar. We measured their preference between the two, which was similar.
At the center of each artifical flower is a tube the bee enters to access the sugar solution.
Claire Hemingway, CC BY-SAWe then expanded the choice by including a third flower that was even lower in sugar concentration or even slower to refill. We found that the presence of the new low-reward flower made the intermediate one appear relatively better.
These results are intriguing and suggest, for both bees and other animals, available choices may guide foraging decisions.
Potential uses
Understanding these behaviors in bumblebees and other pollinators may have important consequences for people. Honeybees and bumblebees are used commercially to support billions of dollars of crop production annually.
If bees visit certain flowers more in the presence of other flowers, farmers could use this tendency strategically. Just as stores stock shelves to present unattractive options alongside attractive ones, farmers could plant certain flower species in or near crop plants to increase visitation to the target crops.
Claire Therese Hemingway is affiliated with The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institue.
– ref. Bees have irrational biases when choosing which flowers to feed on − just like human shoppers do – https://theconversation.com/bees-have-irrational-biases-when-choosing-which-flowers-to-feed-on-just-like-human-shoppers-do-236933
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MIL-OSI Global: Post-election violence is possible in US, political scientist says − and it could be worse than Jan. 6
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Alexander Cohen, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Clarkson University
Should Americans be bracing for bloodshed if Donald Trump loses the 2024 presidential election?
As a political scientist who studies American politics, I can easily imagine a repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection – or worse – following this November’s presidential election.
Flashback to 2020
Four years ago, in an attempt to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, then-President Donald Trump and his surrogates furiously challenged its results. Lodging 63 lawsuits, Trump and his surrogates tried to discredit or override vote counting, election processes and certification standards in nine states.
None of these attempts was successful. Many were dismissed as baseless – often by Trump-appointed judges – before they even saw trial. Simply put, there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Even a voter data expert hired by Trump concluded that the 2020 election was not stolen.
The U.S. legal system agreed, demonstrating that courts remain an important bulwark protecting American democracy. Yet the legal system cannot prevent political violence wrought by election denialism, as the country soon learned.
On Jan. 6, 2021, over 2,000 people stormed the United States Capitol to forcibly prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election. Four people died and 138 police officers were injured during the riot, which inflicted nearly US$3 million of damage. Four officers who responded to the riot would later kill themselves.
The mob was spurred, at least in part, by Trump’s rousing speech at a rally in Washington, D.C., earlier that day. There, he reiterated his claims that the 2020 election had been “stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats” and warned the crowd of approximately 53,000 that “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
Many legal scholars considered this to be incitement.
“He clearly knew there were people in that crowd who were ready to and intended to be violent,” legal scholar Garrett Epps told the BBC. “He not only did nothing to discourage it, he strongly hinted it should happen.”
Trump: A sore loser … and winner
Trump has a long history of denying the results of any contest whose outcome he does not like.
Before entering the political arena, Trump called the 2012 Emmys “dishonest” because his show, “The Apprentice,” did not win. In 2012, he dismissed then-President Barack Obama’s reelection as a “total sham” and questioned the accuracy of vote tallies and voting machines. Unleashing a barrage of tweets, Trump urged citizens to “fight like hell” against a “disgusting injustice.”
As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the Republican primaries fraudulent after his competitor Sen. Ted Cruz won in Iowa, tweeting that the Texan “stole it.”
Ultimately, Trump won the Republican primaries and the national presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Nonetheless, he falsely claimed that he only lost the popular vote – Trump fell 2 million short of Clinton’s 65.8 million votes – due to massive voting among illegal immigrants.
Attacking the 2024 election
Trump has doubled down on his election denial this election cycle. By May 2024, The New York Times had documented 550 such statements, up from roughly 100 in the entire 2020 campaign.
Continuing to insist that the 2020 election was “rigged,” Trump predicts a repeat in 2024.
This narrative of pervasive victimization has been bolstered by a flurry of lawsuits and criminal investigations brought against the former president. Since 2020, state and federal prosecutors have charged Trump with 94 crimes, including business fraud, mishandling classified documents and interfering with the federal election.
In New York, he was convicted of 34 counts of corporate fraud and found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case filed by author E. Jean Carroll.
Trump has cast these legal challenges as a deliberate attempt by President Joe Biden to interfere with the 2024 election over 350 times.
“My legal issues, every one of them, civil and the criminal ones, are all set up by Joe Biden,” Trump told a New York City crowd in January 2024. “They’re doing it for election interference.”
His surrogates amplify this message. For instance, Mike Howell, director of the right-leaning Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, proclaimed on June 6, 2024, at a public Washington event that there is a “0% chance of a free and fair election.”
From denialism to violence: Warning signs
Lying about election results is no mere tantrum. It is a cornerstone of Trump’s strategy to paint himself as the victim of an elitist deep state – an image that appeals to his base, particularly among white working-class voters, some of whom feel that they are victims themselves of globalization and shadowy elites.
This strategy is working.
A September 2023 survey by the independent pollster PRRI showed that 32% of Americans believe that the 2020 election was stolen. Even though the question has been comprehensively litigated and dismissed in the courts, many American citizens simply do not believe, under any circumstances, that Trump can lose in a fair election.
That fact, combined with other statistics from the same poll, explains why I believe another Jan. 6 is possible.
About 23% of Americans and 33% of Republicans believe that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country” – a 5% increase among Republicans and 8% among the general public since 2021.
Meanwhile, 75% of Americans believe that American democracy is at risk in the 2024 election. That, too, may be something worth fighting for – especially when 39% of Trump supporters and 42% of Biden supporters report having no friends who support the opposing candidate. When people do not trust or socialize with people unlike them, violence between groups is more likely.
I fear little can be done to prevent such violence.
In 2022, Congress, acting in rare bipartisan fashion, approved the Electoral Count Reform and Transition Improvement Act of 2022, which closed many doors that President Trump attempted to use to thwart the 2020 election. Yet, as history shows, rule of law is not a certain brace against violence.
Given the perceived stakes of the election for most Americans, along with Trump’s ever-sharpening incendiary rhetoric, it is hard to imagine that Jan. 6, 2021, was an isolated chapter in American history.
Indeed, it may have been just a prelude.
Alexander Cohen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Post-election violence is possible in US, political scientist says − and it could be worse than Jan. 6 – https://theconversation.com/post-election-violence-is-possible-in-us-political-scientist-says-and-it-could-be-worse-than-jan-6-238663
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MIL-OSI Global: Who is Tim Walz? Understanding the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party can help make sense of the VP candidate
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gabriel Paxton, PhD Candidate, Boston University
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz thanks supporters after serving ice cream at the Minnesota State Fair on Sept. 1, 2024. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images Since Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris selected Tim Walz as her running mate in August 2024, political commentators have offered various takes on Walz – is he pragmatic or progressive, centrist or radical, a grassroots lefty or a mainstream Democrat?
Walz will have a chance to speak directly to voters and possibly explain who he is and what he stands for when he debates Republican contender JD Vance on Oct. 1, 2024.
I am a scholar of populist politics in North America, and I understand why it is difficult to define how Walz fits within the Democratic Party.
On the one hand, Walz is a shock to the Democratic Party, which often endorses elite-educated, moderate politicians from the country’s two coasts. Walz is a former public school teacher who graduated from a state college in Nebraska – and he is not afraid to embrace the moniker of a “progressive,” which some Democrats reject in order to avoid false comparisons to socialists.
As Walz said in an August 2024 donor call for Harris: “Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values. One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.”
Yet, Walz is unlike many other progressives in the Democratic Party. He is a gun owner and a hunter – and was one of the “best shots in Congress” when he represented Minnesota in Washington, as he will remind people. He uses sports metaphors to convey his messages, rallying Democrats behind a “fourth quarter” comeback in the election, for example.
Yet these apparent contradictions make sense when considering that Walz follows a rich lineage of Midwestern progressive politics that starts with the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, a state affiliate of the Democratic Party that maintains the traditions and values of populist farmer politics in the American Midwest.
Tim Walz speaks while campaigning for Minnesota governor in St. Paul in September 2018.
Anthony Souffle/Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty ImagesFarmer-Labor’s Midwestern roots
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is one of the first major recognized political parties in the state. It began more than 100 years ago as a form of populist protest to the harm industrialization and urbanization brought to rural farmers at the turn of the 20th century.
In the late 1800s, political movements like the Grangers and the Farmers’ Alliances organized to bring attention to falling crop prices, increases in railroad fees for transporting crops and the monopolization of agribusiness.
In Minnesota, these farmer protest groups joined forces with American labor unions to build a third-party alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. This new group, known as the Farmer-Labor Party, formed in 1918 as a way to represent rural people’s interests. The Farmer-Labor Party challenged state officials to legalize union protections and offer farmer subsidies, and unsuccessfully tried to place private utilities and natural resource industries under state control.
The Farmer-Labor Party was ideologically diverse – sometimes to a fault – and brought together a range of activists, even socialists, under the common goal of protecting working people. In 1936, the Farmer-Labor Party’s momentum captured President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attention, and it became a key member of his New Deal coalition.
For most of the 1920s and 1930s, Farmer-Labor challenged the Democratic Party with its more progressive ideas. However, under the guidance of former vice president Hubert Humphrey, the party merged in 1944 with the more moderate Minnesota Democratic Party to form the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Over the next several decades, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party pushed for pragmatic and progressive politics within the state’s Democratic Party. The movement’s grassroots message has centered around protecting the country’s rural backbone.
Influential Minnesotan politicians – including U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, who championed environmentalism and walked the picket lines with Midwestern laborers before he died in 2002 – have been members of the party.
The ideas behind Farmer-Laborism
Today, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party shares many of its platforms and policy positions with the national Democratic Party.
But Farmer-Labor politics are distinct in how the party has embraced a Midwestern working-class identity and rallied against monopolies, business elites and corrupt government.
Among other Midwestern state political parties, like the Libertarian Party of Minnesota, Farmer-Labor is one of the most progressive and successful. The party has helped pass recent progressive legislation, like a public option health plan and a universal free school lunch policy.
Walz’s predecessors in the Farmer-Labor movement have also successfully spoken out against economic and political injustices from a position within working-class and agrarian communities. Like Walz, this movement took a populist stance against political and economic elites.
This Farmer-Labor tradition, in many ways, is a foil to the conservative-populism that is popular today. Unlike Trump’s appeal to middle America, this Minnesota brand of populism was not an attempt to save white Christian manhood. Instead, it was a genuine recognition that working people – especially those in middle America – needed to actively push back against economic inequality and forces that threatened the middle class.
T-shirts were for sale at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party booth at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights in August 2023.
Michael Silk UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesFarmer-Labor’s forgotten importance
For some people, Walz and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party are still hard to situate within the national Democratic Party.
This is in part because the Democratic Party has sidelined rural and working-class voters over the past few decades. In 2016, the Democratic Party made the strategic mistake of not focusing enough on the Midwest – and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton lost the Electoral College in important Midwestern states, including Wisconsin and Michigan.
President Joe Biden gained back some Midwestern voters’ support and won Michigan and Wisconsin in 2020.
In the 2024 election, the Democratic Party is presenting voters with Walz, who can speak to the American dream from a familiar perspective. Walz embraces unions beyond lip service, chastises corporate greed and does not shy away from rural voters even if they have cultural differences.
American voters said in September that they view Walz slightly more favorably than Republican contender JD Vance, though they say that they don’t know either candidate well. The debate should offer voters a chance to learn more about the popular Minnesota governor.
Conservatives, meanwhile, have tried to paint Walz as someone whose progessive politics challenge the culture of rural American life. I’d argue that the truth is far from that. Instead, like the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and some of the rural activists it produced, Walz is trying to uncouple small-town politics from the politics of fear and cultural isolation.
Gabriel Paxton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Who is Tim Walz? Understanding the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party can help make sense of the VP candidate – https://theconversation.com/who-is-tim-walz-understanding-the-minnesota-democratic-farmer-labor-party-can-help-make-sense-of-the-vp-candidate-239027
