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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mobile Disaster Recovery Center Open in Baker County

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Mobile Disaster Recovery Center Open in Baker County

    Mobile Disaster Recovery Center Open in Baker County

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — FEMA has opened Mobile Disaster Recovery Center in Baker County to provide one-on-one help to Floridians affected by Hurricane Debby.

    Center location:

    Baker County
    Baker County Fairgrounds
    5567 Lauramore Road
    Macclenny, FL 32063
    Open 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday-Thursday

    When this center moves to a new location, details will be provided to the public. 

    To find other center locations for Hurricane Debby go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

    Homeowners and renters in Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee and Taylor counties can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the State of Florida and the U.S. Small Business Administration. No appointment is needed.

    The quickest way to apply for FEMA assistance is to go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube. 

    For the latest information about Florida’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4806. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    kirsten.chambers

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Congratulates Four Colorado Schools on Receiving National Blue Ribbon Award for Achievement

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, four Colorado schools were awarded the National Blue Ribbon School Award for stellar academic performance and closing achievement gaps. Recognized as members of the 2024 cohort, these Colorado schools are national examples and emphasize Colorado’s focus on ensuring all students get a high-quality education. 

    “This is a high honor — Colorado is a leader in providing a high-quality education that helps students succeed and learn the skills needed to thrive. I am thrilled that four Colorado schools have been recognized with this prestigious award for performance and I look forward to celebrating this achievement, sharing the magic of what works, and helping even more Colorado schools excel,” said Governor Polis. 

    The following Colorado schools were awarded the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Award: 

    • DSST Cedar High School (Denver) 
    • Zach Elementary School (Fort Collins) 
    • Mesa View Elementary School (Grand Junction) 
    • Skyview Middle School (Pueblo) 

    Providing Colorado students with a high-quality education remains a priority for Governor Polis. As Chair of the National Governors Association, Governor Polis’s Chairman Initiative “Let’s Get Ready” focuses on ensuring that students learn the skills to succeed. 

    Earlier this year Governor Polis signed a bipartisan budget that fully funded schools for the first time since 2009. This historic budget invested $141.2 million to eliminate the Budget Stabilization Factor, increased per-classroom funding by $16,000, and increased investment in Colorado’s popular Universal Preschool Initiative by $22.1 million. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In NYC, Gillibrand Touts Lower Costs For 10 Prescription Drugs And Announces Additional Legislation To Cap Prescription Drug Costs At $2k Annually

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Today, at a press conference in NYC, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced historic Medicare savings and lower costs for 10 commonly used prescription drugs. These drugs are some of the most expensive and most frequently prescribed in the Medicare program and are used to treat conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage beginning January 1, 2026. Gillibrand also announced the Capping Prescription Costs Act, which would extend the cap on annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs to people with private health insurance, with a cap of $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families. 

    “No one should have to risk their health by skipping refills or rationing life-saving medication because they can’t afford the cost of their prescriptions. In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration delivered historic savings by passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices and capped the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. The $6 billion in predicted savings for the Medicare program following these drug price negotiations is proof that the Inflation Reduction Act is working for the American people,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Now, I’m fighting to get prices down on all drugs for all Americans. The Capping Prescription Costs Act imposes caps on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for people with private insurance: a maximum of $2,000 a year for an individual and $4,000 a year for a family. Democrats are fighting to expand Medicare benefits and reduce prescription drug prices because access to high-quality, affordable health care is a human right, not a privilege.”

    “Every New Yorker deserves access to affordable life-saving medications without the fear of financial ruin. Senator Gillibrand’s legislation would be a critical step to ensure no one has to choose between their health and their financial well-being. By capping out-of-pocket drug costs for individuals and families, we can bring real relief to those struggling with chronic conditions. We must recognize that healthcare is a human right,” said New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera.

    “The Inflation Reduction Act took vital steps to lower beneficiary and Medicare costs, including by establishing a $2,000 cap on annual out-of-pocket prescription drug spending. As a result, for the first time in Medicare’s history, all Part D enrollees will have certainty about their cost obligations and protection against limitless expenses. The Medicare Rights Center is pleased to support Senator Gillibrand’s Capping Prescription Costs Act, which would create similar safeguards for people with other types of coverage, ensuring they too can plan more and worry less. We applaud Senator Gillibrand and her co-sponsors for championing this legislation and look forward to working together to ensure all Americans can get the care they need, when they need it,” said Fred Riccardi, President, Medicare Rights Center.

    “With this policy New York’s elders, who largely live on fixed incomes, will be able to concentrate on their health rather than the anxiety of how they can or cannot afford their prescription drugs. On a larger scale, this policy is timely as New Yorkers 65 years of age and older, as a cohort, are approaching 20 percent of the population. Implementing this policy addresses the infrastructural shift not only in New York State, but in the entire country,” said María Alvarez, Executive Director, New York StateWide Senior Action Council.

    “As Chair of the NYC Council Health Committee, I applaud Senator Gillibrand’s leadership in lowering prescription drug costs and her commitment to making life-saving medications more affordable,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman. “This new legislation is a critical step toward ensuring that no New Yorker has to choose between their health and financial stability.”

    The Capping Prescription Costs Act builds on transformational drug pricing reforms included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which capped the price of insulin at $35 a month and out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA). Representative Kathy Manning (D-NC) leads companion legislation in the House. 

    For more information on the Biden-Harris administration agreements for new, lower prices for the first 10 drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations, please click here. Gillibrand was joined in NYC by New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, President of the Medicare Rights Center Frederic Riccardi, and Executive Director of New York StateWide Senior Action Council María Alvarez.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: U.S. Climate Alliance launches Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative, aims to train 1 million new registered apprentices by 2035

    Source: Washington State News

    Gov. Jay Inslee, who co-founded the bipartisan U.S. Climate Alliance in 2017, joined his co-chairs and national climate advisor Ali Zaidi at Climate Week NYC to announce a new workforce initiative. This initiative complements programs already underway in Washington state to help more people train for jobs and careers in clean energy, climate resiliency and restoration.

    Full press release below. A livestream of the press event is available at USCA’s Climate Week NYC webpage.

    U.S. Climate Alliance launches Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative, aims to train 1 million new registered apprentices by 2035

    NEW YORK, NY — The U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population, today launched the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative to grow career pathways in climate and clean energy fields, strengthen workforce diversity, and jointly train 1 million new registered apprentices by 2035 across the Alliance’s states and territories.

    Today’s announcement was made at a Climate Week NYC event featuring Alliance co-chairs New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, founding member Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.

    “In New York, we’re showing how climate action and economic growth go hand-in-hand,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “As a co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, I’m proud to be collaborating with states, industry leaders, labor unions, higher education and community organizations to create the jobs of the future required to build a clean, equitable, and resilient economy. A skilled and well-prepared workforce will drive innovation, create new businesses, and ensure a sustainable, resilient future for our country.”

    “We need a climate-ready workforce — from EV technicians and heat pump installers to solar panel manufacturers — to meet our carbon reduction goals,” said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “The Executive Order I’m issuing today in conjunction with the Alliance’s new Workforce Initiative will help ensure that workers from all backgrounds have access to the skills and training needed for high-quality, climate-ready jobs across New Mexico.”

    “We’re aligning our ambitious climate policies with workforce development to have 1 million more workers poised to take these good-paying, union jobs that serve our communities and strengthen our economies,” said Washington Gov. Jay Gov. Inslee. “These are economy-wide jobs, not just in clean energy but building trades, land management, clean technology and more. Climate Alliance states have a track record of meeting our ambitious goals and that momentum continues today.”

    “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, we are bringing down the barriers to economic opportunity, lowering costs for American families, and catalyzing a renaissance of American-made manufacturing that is creating jobs across America. In fact, just last year, we added over 250,000 new American energy jobs — with clean energy jobs growing twice as fast as the rest of the sector,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Governors across America are at the forefront of our efforts to spur growth in union jobs, expand American energy production, and invest in the economic success of our communities. Today’s announcement will help capitalize on our momentum to create a climate-ready workforce that is rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, communities, and industrial strength.” 

    The Initiative’s launch comes as historic federal investments, combined with ambitious state climate action, have unleashed a significant expansion of good-paying and union jobs in climate-ready fields — with millions more anticipated in the coming years under the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This includes high-quality jobs not only in clean energy and clean technology sectors — such as wind, solar, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, and batteries — but also in fields associated with climate resilience and natural climate solutions.

    Under this Initiative, Alliance states and territories will collaborate to collectively support 1 million new workers in completing Registered Apprenticeship programs across the coalition by 2035. These programs, registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or federally approved State Apprenticeship Agencies, provide an especially valuable and proven career pathway, empowering workers to earn while they learn in key climate-ready occupations and industries.

    Alliance members will also advance a series of collective goals aimed at strengthening and expanding pathways into a wide variety of climate-ready professions critical to building a clean, equitable, and resilient net-zero future. The Initiative’s goals include boosting job quality and ensuring climate-ready employment pathways lead to good-paying, high-quality jobs; expanding opportunities for workers from underrepresented and underserved communities; and promoting the use of stackable and portable credentials in climate-ready fields to build transferable skills, support reskilling and upskilling, and strengthen workers’ economic mobility. A full list of the Initiative’s goals can be found here.

    Finally, to advance sector-specific strategies, Alliance members will work together through new multi-state cohorts focused on in-demand, climate-ready fields. These cohorts will provide a platform for states and territories to increase collaboration, share evidence-based practices, engage experts and stakeholders, and develop sectoral workforce solutions that can be scaled across the country. Cohorts to be launched in the Initiative’s first year will focus on careers in the following areas:

    • Clean Energy, Fuels, and Technologies: Led by Michigan and New Jersey, this cohort will focus on careers in the design, construction, and maintenance of a clean, affordable, and resilient power system; the manufacturing and deployment of zero-emission vehicles and technologies; and the development and distribution of alternative, low-carbon fuels.
    • Clean Buildings and Industry: Led by Maine and Massachusetts, this cohort will focus on careers in the engineering, design, construction, retrofitting, maintenance, and operation of buildings and industrial processes that are clean, energy-efficient, healthy, and resilient.
    • Resilient Communities and Lands: Led by Arizona and Vermont, this cohort will focus on careers in the development and maintenance of safe, livable, and resilient communities; preparedness for and response to climate impacts such as extreme heat, wildfires, severe storms, flooding, and drought; and the deployment of natural climate solutions and climate-smart stewardship of our lands and waters. 

    The Initiative will be led by Alliance states and territories with support from the Alliance’s Secretariat. In implementing the Initiative, Alliance members will customize efforts to meet their individual needs and challenges, while working together to achieve the collective goals. States and territories will also collaborate directly with their workforce development system partners, labor unions, higher education institutions, industry, and other key partners that bring substantial expertise and experience in this work.

    This Initiative builds on a number of federal-state collaborations between the Alliance’s members and the Biden-Harris Administration, including a White House convening with Alliance governors’ offices in May focused on creating good-paying jobs and mobilizing a diverse workforce in climate and clean energy.

    Additional information on the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: European Heritage Days in Chartres.

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    President Emmanuel Macron visited Chartres, in Eure-et-Loir, this Friday, on the occasion of the 41st edition of the European Heritage Days.

    He visited the Lorin Workshops and the treasure of the Notre-Dame de Chartres cathedral, accompanied by Brigitte Macron and Stéphane Bern, in charge of the Heritage Mission.

    Created in 1863, the Lorin Workshops were operated until 2017. The city of Chartres then purchased the buildings in order to perpetuate the activity of these stained glass creation and restoration workshops, to promote the rich archive collection and to develop a museum component.

    As part of the Heritage Lottery, 500,000 euros are being devoted to the renovation of the Workshops.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Rome, Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Address Epidemic Of Traumatic Brain Injuries In Service Members And Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Following a disturbing report showing that service members are sustaining crippling traumatic brain injuries as a result of firing their own weapons, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2246 in Rome to announce legislation to address traumatic brain injuries among service members and veterans. 

    Service members who regularly fire heavy weapons are at increased risk of brain injury as a result of repeated exposure to explosions or blasts from their own weapons and explosives – otherwise known as blast overpressure. These brain injuries can cause depression, anxiety, cognitive problems, hallucinations, panic attacks, violent outbursts, suicidal tendencies, psychiatric disorders, dementia, and a variety of other serious health problems. At least a dozen Navy SEALs who have died by suicide over the past decade were later found to have suffered blast injuries, and many more service members have complained of health issues after blast exposure. Despite this, the Pentagon has struggled to properly investigate the impact of blast overpressure, effectively track the prevalence of blast overpressure-related injuries, or offer appropriate care to service members and veterans. Gillibrand is calling for more research and better treatment for those affected.

    Gillibrand was joined by VFW Post 2246 Post Commander Will Ginter; VFW Department of NY Legislative Chair Ann Marie Hogancamp; VFW Department of NY District 4 Commander Matthew VanEtten; and Mayor of Rome Jeff Lanigan.

    “After repeatedly being exposed to blasts from their own weapons during both training and combat, our service members are sustaining severe and crippling brain trauma,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill will require the DoD to investigate the prevalence and causes of these brain injuries; to track each service member’s exposure to blasts; and to help service members access care. This is a critical bill and I look forward to getting it passed in the NDAA.” 

    Specifically, the Blast Overpressure Safety Act would: 

    1. Mandate regular neurocognitive assessments over a service member’s career, including a baseline neurocognitive assessment before training. 
    2. Create blast overpressure exposure and TBI logs for all service members.
    3. Increase transparency regarding blast overpressure safety in the weapons acquisition process. DoD must consider the minimization of blast overpressure during the acquisition process, require contracting entities to provide blast overpressure safety data, and publish blast overpressure safety data for weapons systems and its plans to better protect service members from in-use weapons systems. 
    4. Improve data on concussive and subconcussive brain injuries service members sustain. This includes information on discharges related to and medical providers trained in these injuries, as well as efforts with allies and partners to better address these injuries. 
    5. Enhance efforts to mitigate exposure and help service members access care. This includes retaliation protections for those who seek care; modifying existing weapons system to reduce blast exposure; updating and making publicly available blast overpressure thresholds and creating a waiver system for exceeding these thresholds; training high-risk service members to help them recognize exposure symptoms and creating strategies to mitigate their risk; and expanding the types of technologies in the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative pilot blast monitoring program. 
    6. Support service member treatment by establishing a Special Operations Comprehensive Brain Health and Trauma program, making the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) a program of record and requiring DoD to provide child care services to those seeking treatment there, and mandating training for medical and training personnel on blast overpressure and exposure and TBI. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Rising Russian gas imports undermine European plans to become independent of Russian gas – E-001376/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Russian gas imports did not rise over the period 2022-24. On an annual basis the EU has significantly reduced its imports of Russian gas from ca. 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) before 2021 and the beginning of the gas crisis, to 45 bcm in 2023[1].

    T he EU Energy Platform including its AggregateEU mechanism contributed to the security and diversification of gas supplies to the EU and Energy Community, and increased market transparency[2].

    The expiry of the Russian gas transit agreement through Ukraine at the end of 2024 would contribute further to phasing out Russian fossil fuel dependence by halting imports via Ukraine.

    Demand reduction measures contributed to reducing the gas demand by 18% between August 2022 and May 2024. Unprecedented development of renewables has been achieved. Wind and solar capacity have increased by 36% between 2021 and 2023, saving the equivalent of 24 bcm gas over 2 years .

    The Commission continues to implement the REPowerEU plan[3], including through limited financing to gas projects by the Connecting Europe Facility and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

    New projects will help diversify supplies, such as the Adriatica Line, Gdansk LNG terminal and Gdańsk-Gustorzyn pipeline, the expansion of Krk LNG Terminal, Romanian Black Sea Gas exploitation or Trans-Balkan pipeline reverse flow, which the Commission has facilitated through the work of the CESEC High-Level Group.

    • [1] To compensate, the EU replaced Russian gas supply with imports from other international suppliers. Norway and the United States became the EU’s largest gas suppliers, representing 34% (47 bcm) and 18% (25 bcm), respectively of EU gas imports in the first five months of 2024, followed by North Africa, Azerbaijan and Qatar.
    • [2] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-security/eu-energy-platform_en
    • [3] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/repowereu-affordable-secure-and-sustainable-energy-europe_en
    Last updated: 23 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Announces 3,000 Illegal Guns Off Our Streets – A Direct Result Of Her Anti-Gun Trafficking Provision In The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    In Just Over Two Years, Gillibrand’s Statute Has Allowed Law Enforcement To Seize More Than 3K Guns Nationwide And 250 In New York

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a video press conference to announce a major new milestone in the seizure of illegal guns under the anti-gun trafficking statute in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was shaped by Gillibrand’s Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act. As of this month, the anti-gun trafficking statute has gotten more than 3,000 illegal guns off our streets, including 1,000 confirmed within the last 6 months alone.  

    The seized weapons included: 

    • 317 AR-15s and AR-style weapons;
    • 478 machine gun conversion devices, which can convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully automatic weapons in under a minute;
    • 206 ghost guns, homemade firearms that are completely untraceable – and a favorite of criminals.

    The statute has also been used to charge 423 defendants in 33 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, and to secure at least 118 convictions nationwide. 

    “While we still have a lot of work to do to fight the scourge of gun violence, we’ve made incredible progress prosecuting criminals and getting dangerous and deadly weapons off our streets in the two years my anti-gun trafficking statute has been in effect,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I anticipate many more gun seizures, arrests, and convictions as a result of this statute in the years to come, and I will continue to work with my colleagues across the aisle to pass commonsense gun safety legislation.”

    Senator Gillibrand’s Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act formed the centerpiece of BSCA’s anti-gun trafficking provision. Gillibrand first introduced the bill in 2009 after meeting with the family of Nyasia Pryear-Yard, who tragically lost her life at 17 years old when she was shot by a perpetrator using an illegally trafficked gun. Gillibrand worked with Nyasia’s mother, Jennifer Pryear, to pass the bill into law, and they attended the bill signing together in 2022.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Report on press and media freedom in Italy – E-001455/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is committed to safeguarding pluralistic and independent media, essential for democracy and the rule of law, and to the functioning of the internal market for media.

    As part of its annual Rule of Law Report, the Commission assesses the situation on media freedom and pluralism in the Member States[1].

    The EU support for the action entitled ‘Defending media freedom and pluralism — Rapid response mechanism’ is up to EUR 3 100 000 for the 24-month period between 16 July 2023 and 15 July 2025[2].

    It is financed through the Creative Europe programme[3] and encompasses fact-finding, advocacy, monitoring, awareness raising and providing practical help to journalists under threat in Member States and candidate countries, without specific budget allocation per country.

    The action is carried out in an independent manner, without the Commission intervening in operational aspects, such as earmarking funds for the preparation of a particular report or selection of contributors to a particular report.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-law/rule-law/annual-rule-law-cycle_en
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/org-details/999999999/project/101112154/program/43251814/details
    • [3] https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe
    Last updated: 23 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Improving digital infrastructure in rural areas – E-001489/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is committed to ensuring that everyone, everywhere in the EU has access to performing digital infrastructure and fast Internet connections. The Digital Decade Policy Programme (DDPP) sets ambitious targets like gigabit connectivity for all EU households and 5G coverage across all populated areas by 2030[1].

    The White Paper[2] presents the challenges and opportunities Europe faces in the rollout of future connectivity networks and proposed a series of scenarios to make the EU regulatory and investment frameworks fit to facilitate the achievement of EU digital objectives.

    According to the second annual report on the State of the Digital Decade[3], which monitors the implementation of the DDPP, very high-capacity networks (VHCN) coverage in the EU’s rural areas at the end of 2023 reached 56% of households, while 5G coverage made it to 74%. Reaching the targets may require at least a total investment of EUR 148 billion[4], including both private and public funding.

    The Commission supports the deployment of performing digital infrastructure through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital with a budget of EUR 1.7 billion. CEF Digital inter alia supports 5G infrastructure for rural communities in sectors like smart farming.

    In addition, the allocation to digital connectivity under the recovery and resilience facility (RRF) reaches almost EUR 14 billion[5]. In Austria, the RRF provides support for the deployment of performing digital infrastructure and fast Internet connections in rural areas through the Austrian federal state aid broadband scheme[6] approved by the Commission in March 2022.

    The Commission also supports the implementation of the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite ( IRIS2) programme[7] with a budget of EUR 2.4 billion, which will also ensure fast Internet connections in rural areas, as satellite broadband can bring broadband services with up to 250 Mbps download speeds.

    Finally, the EU is also leveraging connectivity investments through cohesion funds, e.g. by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (about EUR 2.3 billion[8]) and through InvestEU[9].

    • [1] The Digital Decade Decision sets out digital targets grouped into four cardinal points, which were first identified in the Digital Compass Communication (COM/2021/118 final) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0118 ) as key areas for the digital transformation of the EU: digital skills, digital infrastructures, the digitalisation of businesses and the digitalisation of public services.
    • [2] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/white-paper-how-master-europes-digital-infrastructure-needs
    • [3] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/second-report-state-digital-decade-calls-strengthened-collective-action-propel-eus-digital
    • [4] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/investment-and-funding-needs-digital-decade-connectivity-targets
    • [5] https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/recovery-and-resilience-scoreboard/assets/thematic_analysis/scoreboard_thematic_analysis_connectivity.pdf
    • [6]  ‘Broadband Austria 2030’ scheme is part of Austria’s strategy to address the needs of citizens and businesses in the context of digitalisation and focuses on rural areas first.
    • [7] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space/iris2-secure-connectivity_en
    • [8] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/available-budget_en
    • [9] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/broadband-public-and-private-funds-financing-broadband-deployments

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Promoting agricultural research and innovation – E-001492/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission promotes agricultural research and innovation (R&I) in the Member States through the EU R&I framework programme (Horizon Europe (HE)) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), working in synergy.

    Under HE, the Commission invests in R&I projects that involve beneficiaries to provide new knowledge and solutions for competitive and sustainable farming. The CAP[1] offers funding to strengthen the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS)[2] in Member States across the EU.

    Under the HE (2021-2027)[3], the Commission earmarked approximately EUR 3.3 billion for transnational R&I projects in agriculture, forestry and rural areas.

    Under the CAP 2023-2027, the Member States have planned around EUR 3.6 billion for EIP[4]-AGRI operational group projects (OGs)[5] and other knowledge sharing and creation activities .

    As regards security of data from EU farmers collected through public authorities, the Commission has strict procedures in place on data access, re-use, publication and anonymisation, which are defined in the regulation that mandates the data collection[6].

    As regards data collected by R&I projects, the HE[7] requires it to be open access but allows for the exceptions when legitimate data security risks apply.

    • [1]  Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R2115
    • [2] Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) are defined in the regulation — 2021/2115 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R2115) as the combined organisation and knowledge flows between persons, organisations and institutions who use and produce knowledge for agriculture and interrelated fields.
    • [3] Horizon Europe Cluster 6 ‘Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’.
    • [4] European Innovation Partnerships.
    • [5] EIP-AGRI OGs are bottom-up interactive innovation projects at local/national level.
    • [6] For example Regulation (EU) 2011/2115 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2115/oj, in particular Recital 128 and Articles 150 and 151.
    • [7] Regulation (EU) 2021/695, Article 39, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695
    Last updated: 23 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Maui Man Arrested in Connection with IED

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Jess Kiesel Lee, age 43, of Kula, Maui, was arrested on September 18, 2024 pursuant to a criminal complaint for possessing explosives as a felon and damaging property by means of explosives. An initial appearance in federal court is set for September 23, 2024.

    The complaint and affidavit allege that on August 7, 2024, Maui Police Department (“MPD”) officers encountered multiple improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”) near Kaamana Street in Kula. One of the IEDs, which had been exploded before MPD arrived, contained a mixture of compounds consistent with the remnants of explosive powder. 

    If indicted and convicted of the charged offenses, the defendant would face up to ten years in prison on the felon in possession of explosives charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in prison, but no more than and up to 20 years in prison, on the property damage charge. The charges and information contained in the federal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until indicted and proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Lee is not charged for the IED located near Lono Avenue in Kahului on July 23, 2024 or the explosion damaging a car in Pukalani on August 8, 2024, both mentioned in the complaint filed on August 13, 2024 charging another man for the IED located on July 23, 2024.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and MPD conducted the investigation resulting in the complaint and arrest, and the investigation into this matter remains ongoing. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Slack and Wayne A. Myers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Cuba’s inclusion in the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism’ – E-001475/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU considers that the United States (US) embargo and connected measures such as the inclusion of Cuba in the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism (SST) have a negative impact on the Cuban population and are an important factor — even if not the only one — in the serious economic crisis the country is undergoing.

    The EU and Member States have consistently supported the United Nations (UN) Declaration against the US embargo on Cuba, which is voted yearly (last time in November 2023)[1].

    The US removal of Cuba from its list of countries not fully cooperating on counterterrorism efforts (in May 2024) is a positive step and it is hoped that the US will also be able to complete the process by removing Cuba from the SST list.

    On every pertinent occasion, the High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) and/or his services pass clear messages to its US interlocutors in line with the UN Declaration, reiterating the need to end the embargo and the importance of removing Cuba from the SST list.

    The HR/VP and/or his services also take these opportunities to recall that external trade and foreign investment can play a crucial role in setting the island on a path towards modernisation and reform.

    • [1] https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143112
    Last updated: 23 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Turkey – an unreliable acceding country – E-001429/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Türkiye is a candidate country, a key regional player and a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has highlighted Türkiye’s relevance as a regional actor, especially in the Black Sea.

    Türkiye has supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, voting in favour of the relevant resolutions at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, engaged politically, economically and diplomatically, facilitating the export of Ukrainian grain and prisoner exchanges.

    In August 2024, Türkiye ratified the free trade agreement with Ukraine[1]. While a strategic partner for Ukraine in the defence sector, Türkiye maintains strong trade, economic and political relations with Russia.

    Türkiye has refrained from aligning with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia, keeping its position of not supporting those adopted outside the UN framework.

    As the EU and Türkiye share a customs union, the EU has called consistently on Türkiye to implement additional measures to effectively prevent the circumvention of EU restrictive measures and this has led to some progress.

    Türkiye took some measures throughout 2023 to prevent the transit and re-export of sanctioned goods to Russia notably what concerns the items in the common high priority (CHP/battlefield) list of 50 harmonised system (HS) codes.

    The Commission continues to actively monitor the trade data and exchanging with Türkiye. The EU Sanctions Envoy leads the cooperation efforts, latest discussed with Türkiye at the High-Level Dialogue on Trade (8 July 2024)[2].

    In its 2023 enlargement report[3], the EU called on Türkiye, as a candidate country, to align with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia.

    • [1] https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2024/08/20240802.pdf (Türkiye’s Official Gazette, Law no. 7523).
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_24_3684
    • [3] https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/eb90aefd-897b-43e9-8373-bf59c239217f_en?filename=SWD_2023_696%20T%C3%BCrkiye%20report.pdf

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Dispute panel established to review certain tax credits under US Inflation Reduction Act

    Source: World Trade Organization

    DS623: United States — Certain Tax Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act

    China submitted its second request to establish a panel to determine whether certain tax credits under the United States Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are in line with WTO rules. The United States said it was not in a position to agree to China’s first request in July, justifying its actions as necessary to combat climate change. China stated that the IRA’s subsidies favour US goods over imports, violating WTO rules prohibiting such discrimination.

    The United States expressed disappointment over China’s decision to pursue a panel request and reiterated that the IRA is its most significant step toward clean energy, aimed at ensuring secure and sustainable supply chains for a global clean energy future.

    The DSB agreed to the establishment of the panel. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the European Union, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Norway, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and Venezuela reserved their third party rights to participate in the panel proceedings.

    DS597: United States – Origin Marking Requirement (Hong Kong, China)

    For the 12th time, the United States raised the matter of the panel ruling in DS597 at a DSB meeting. The US said it was raising the matter again as a result of recent developments in Hong Kong, China regarding free speech and human rights. The US referred back to its previous statements regarding its position on essential security and its reasons for placing this item on the DSB agenda.

    Hong Kong, China criticized the US for once again raising this matter at the DSB. It referred to previous WTO panels that dismissed US claims that invoking national security in defense of a trade-restrictive measure is entirely self-judging.  Any objections should be heard by the WTO’s Appellate Body, which remains blocked due to the US refusal to allow appointment of new Appellate Body members, said Hong Kong, China.

    China reiterated its firm belief that a restored appeal mechanism is the proper place to address claims of panel error made by the US and rejected in the strongest terms what it said was US interference in the internal affairs of another WTO member.

    Appellate Body appointments

    Speaking on behalf of 130 members, Colombia introduced for the 79th time the group’s proposal to start the selection processes for filling vacancies on the Appellate Body. The extensive number of members submitting the proposal reflects a common interest in the functioning of the Appellate Body and, more generally, in the functioning of the WTO’s dispute settlement system, Colombia said.

    The United States repeated that it does not support the proposed decision to commence the appointment of Appellate Body members as its longstanding concerns with WTO dispute settlement remain unaddressed.

    Twenty members then took the floor to comment. Many of these members referred to their previous statements made on this matter at earlier DSB meetings and underlined the urgent need to meet the mandates set out at the 12th and 13th Ministerial Conferences in 2022 and early 2024 respectively to conduct discussions with the view to having a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024.

    Several members welcomed the progress being made in the formal dispute settlement reform process now underway and the need to accelerate discussions to achieve the 2024 goal.

    Colombia, speaking on behalf of the 130 members, said it regretted that for the 79th occasion members have not been able to launch the selection processes. Ongoing conversations about reform of the dispute settlement system should not prevent the Appellate Body from continuing to operate fully, and members shall comply with their obligation under the DSU to fill the vacancies as they arise, Colombia said for the group.

    The DSB chair, Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel (Saudi Arabia), concluded by expressing his full support for the facilitator in the dispute settlement reform discussions, Ambassador Usha Dwarka-Canabady of Mauritius, in her efforts towards achieving a positive outcome within the mandated time frame.

    Other business

    Surveillance of implementation

    The United States presented status reports with regard to DS184, “US — Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Products from Japan”,  DS160, “United States — Section 110(5) of US Copyright Act”, DS464, “United States — Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Measures on Large Residential Washers from Korea”, and DS471, “United States — Certain Methodologies and their Application to Anti-Dumping Proceedings Involving China.”

    The European Union presented a status report with regard to DS291, “EC — Measures Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products.”

    Indonesia presented its status reports in DS477 and DS478, “Indonesia — Importation of Horticultural Products, Animals and Animal Products.” 

    Next meeting

    The next regular DSB meeting will take place on 28 October.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illinois Bank President Sentenced to Jail for Falsifying Records

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    BENTON, Ill. – The former president of a bank in southern Illinois was sentenced Thursday for his role in falsifying bank records to facilitate real estate loans.

    Steven Cook was fined $6,000 and sentenced to 50 hours of community service and two weekends in the Jackson County jail. 

    He will also likely be banned from the banking industry for life.

    Cook fraudulently facilitated three different sales of commercial real estate to Lawler and Maze Properties LLC in 2022. Cook was the president of SouthernTrust Bank at the time, and was also on the bank’s board of trustees and was a member of its loan committee. The bank has branches in Marion, Vienna and Goreville, Illinois.

    Cook approved one loan that funded the sale of seven commercial rental properties in Williamson and Franklin counties from Results Home Buyers 2 to Lawler and Maze. The transaction was a new purchase of real estate, not a refinance, and the buyers were not using any cash to fund the purchase.  But during an April 6, 2022, meeting with the seller and buyer, Cook and the others agreed to fraudulently make it appear as if the loan was a refinancing. Cook also agreed that the bank would supply the cash for the purchase. They agreed to backdate documents to falsely indicate the buyer purchased the properties on Feb. 1, 2022, for a falsely inflated price of $545,152. The documents also falsely indicated that the bank was refinancing 80% of that loan, with the buyers bringing 20% in cash to the sale. The bank’s loan to the buyers was approved by the bank’s loan committee based upon the false information.

    Results Home Buyers 2 is partially owned by former Williamson County State’s Attorney Brandon Zanotti.

    In August of 2022, Cook facilitated a second real estate transaction for the purchase of four properties by Lawler and Maze. Cook, the seller and Lawler and Maze agreed that the real estate contract would falsely list a sales price of $413,000 instead of the actual price of $330,400, and falsely state that the buyer would supply $82,600 in cash.

    In November of 2022, Cook facilitated an additional loan to Lawler and Maze for the purchase of a property in Marion. Bank documents falsely stated that the borrowers would supply $21,500 cash.

    Cook pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Benton in June to three felony counts of aiding and abetting the making of a false bank entry. Zanotti pleaded guilty in March to one count of the same crime. He was sentenced in May to two years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 20 hours of community service.  His conduct we reported to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

    Lawler and Maze, LLC is owned by Justin Maze and David Lawler, who each entered into a pretrial diversion program in which they acknowledged their involvement in the criminal conduct by aiding and abetting Zanotti and Cook. As a condition of pretrial diversion, Maze was required to resign from his position as Williamson County Circuit Clerk and agreed not to seek re-election to any public office. Lawler’s conduct was reported to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

    “The FBI works daily to disrupt fraudulent activity and we recognize the impact it has on banking institutions,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “FBI Springfield will continue to dedicate investigative resources for targeting fraud in its many forms to protect the integrity of the banking process.”

    “FHFA-OIG will continue to relentlessly investigate and pursue the prosecution of mortgage-related fraud, no matter who commits the crimes. Officers of financial institutions who have a duty to conduct honest business must be held accountable. We are proud to have partnered with our FBI colleagues and with Special Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith,” said Korey Brinkman, Special-Agent-in-Charge of FHFA OIG’s Midwest Regional Office.

    The FBI Springfield Field Office and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Special Attorney Hal Goldsmith from the Eastern District of Missouri. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois was recused from the case.

    Anyone with information about mortgage-related fraud can report it by contacting the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General Hotline at 800-793-7724 or via the web at https://www.fhfaoig.gov/ReportFraud#hotlineform

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement by Principals of the IASC on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – These atrocities must end

    Source: World Food Programme

    NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME/WASHINGTON – As world leaders gather in New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly, and as the threat of a wider regional escalation looms, we renew our demand for an end to the appalling human suffering and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

    We mourn the loss of innocent life everywhere, including those killed on October 7 and during the 11 months of conflict since then. 

    We urgently call for a sustained, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This is the only way to end the suffering of civilians and save lives.

    All hostages and all those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and unconditionally. 

    Humanitarians must have safe and unimpeded access to those in need.

    We cannot do our jobs in the face of overwhelming need and ongoing violence. More than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza – the majority of them civilians, including women, children, older persons and at times entire families – have reportedly been killed, and more than 95,500 have been injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. It is estimated that a quarter of the injured in Gaza, or around 22,500 people, will require lifelong specialized rehabilitation and assistive care including individuals with severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and major burns.

    More than 2 million Palestinians are without protection, food, water, sanitation, shelter, health care, education, electricity and fuel – the basic necessities to survive. Families have been forcibly displaced, time and time again, from one unsafe place to the next, with no way out. 

    Women and girls’ dignity, safety, health and rights have been severely compromised. 

    The risk of famine persists with all 2.1 million residents still in urgent need of food and livelihood assistance as humanitarian access remains restricted.

    Healthcare has been decimated. More than 500 attacks on health care have been recorded in Gaza.

    Aid hubs have been forced to relocate and re-build many times over; convoys carrying life-saving aid have been shot at, delayed and denied access; and relief workers have been killed in unprecedented numbers. The number of aid workers killed in Gaza in the past year is the highest ever in a single crisis.

    Unnecessary and disproportionate force unleashed in the West Bank, combined with escalating settler violence, house demolitions, forced displacement and discriminatory movement restrictions, have caused increased fatalities and casualties.

    The war is also jeopardizing the future for all Palestinians and rendering eventual recovery far from reach.

    Meanwhile, close to 100 hostages remain in Gaza, while freed hostages have reported ill treatment, including sexual violence.

    The parties’ conduct over the last year makes a mockery of their claim to adhere to international humanitarian law and the minimum standards of humanity that it demands. 

    Civilians must be protected and their essential needs must be met. There must be accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

    Humanitarian and aid organizations have been doing their utmost to provide relief in Gaza and the West Bank, often at great personal risk, and with many aid workers paying the ultimate price. 

    Our capacity to deliver is indisputable if we are granted the access we need. The first round of the polio vaccination campaign, reaching more than 560,000 children under the age of 10, is but one example. The second round of vaccinations must be carried out safely and reach all children in Gaza.

    We urge world leaders, once again, to wield their influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice – through diplomatic pressure and cooperation in ending impunity. 

    Let us be clear: The protection of civilians is a bedrock principle for the global community and in all countries’ interest. Allowing the abhorrent, downward spiral caused by this war in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to continue will have unimaginable, global consequences. 

    These atrocities must end.

    Signatories:

    • Ms. Joyce Msuya, Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
    • Ms. Sofia Sprechmann Sineiro, Secretary General, CARE International 
    • Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
    • Ms. Amy E. Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
    • Mr. Tom Hart, President and Chief Executive Officer, InterAction
    • Ms. Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
    • Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 
    • Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (SR on HR of IDPs)  
    • Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 
    • Ms. Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children US 
    • Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) 
    • Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)  
    • Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 
    • Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)  
    • Ms. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women 
    • Ms. Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)  
    • Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

    [1] The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fully supports the statement and the call by Principals of the IASC, for a sustained, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Piero Cipollone: From dependency to autonomy: the role of a digital euro in the European payment landscape

    Source: European Central Bank

    Introductory statement by Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament

    Brussels, 23 September 2024

    It is a pleasure to be here today to meet the new members of this Committee and to update you on the status of the digital euro project. Let me also congratulate Madame Lalucq on her election as ECON Chair.

    The ECB appreciates the open and valuable exchanges we have had with the ECON Committee on the digital euro since the beginning of the project. I am fully committed to continuing these exchanges and look forward to our future discussions.

    Today I will focus on three key areas. First, Europe’s dependency on foreign players for retail payments. Second, the benefits of a digital euro for everyone, including consumers, merchants and banks. And third, the progress we have made on the digital euro project so far.

    Foreign dominance in the European payment landscape

    Fast-forward to the year 2030. Imagine you are at the football World Cup in Spain. You want to buy a drink, but you can only pay with Alipay. This scenario is not as far-fetched as it may seem: this summer, buying tickets for the European Football Championships in Germany was only possible with Chinese or American means of payment.

    Could you imagine this happening in the United States? Going to the finals of the American football league, for example, and having no American means of payment available? I certainly cannot.

    The Eurosystem will of course continue to ensure that people in Europe can pay with cash.[1] However, cash is becoming less and less popular as digital payments and online shopping grow.[2]

    For example, more and more people are buying their groceries online. But you can’t use cash to pay for these. More often than not, the only option is PayPal or an international card scheme like Visa or Mastercard.

    And more and more people are using digital wallets like PayPal or Apple Pay on their mobile phones. By 2027 these platforms are expected to handle 40% of e-commerce and 27% of in-store payments in Europe.[3]

    At the same time, the share of companies in the euro area not accepting cash has been increasing significantly.[4]

    These developments are contributing to the marginalisation of elderly and less tech-savvy people. They also make us dependent on non-European companies, which is risky.

    Imagine what would happen if you could not pay digitally. For example, two weeks ago significant parts of the European card payments market were shut down for almost an entire day.[5] Just like with electricity, gas or water, we don’t think about payments until they stop working. For energy, we had to learn this the hard way following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For payments, we owe it to Europeans to do better.

    We need our own strong digital payments system.[6] We can achieve this by bringing central bank money into the digital era with the introduction of a digital euro: a digital form of cash, issued by the central bank and available to everyone in the euro area.[7]

    A digital euro would strengthen Europe’s financial sovereignty and resilience because it would be built with European technology and infrastructure. It would empower Europe to independently develop and manage digital payment solutions, supporting the further deepening of the Single Market.[8]

    But most importantly, the digital euro would offer tangible benefits to all stakeholders – consumers, merchants and banks.

    Benefits for European citizens

    We strongly support the Single Currency Package[9], which will ensure that cash remains widely accessible and accepted. At the same time, it will pave the way for a digital euro, which would take the advantages of cash into the digital world.

    Consumers could use a digital euro for all payments, everywhere in the euro area, also when shopping online. With a digital euro, making or receiving payments would be free of charge and as easy as using cash today. Consumers would need to use only one device and remember just one password. In addition, having a single means of payment for all circumstances would make it easier for users to have an overview of their expenditure.

    Importantly, a digital euro would seek to promote digital financial inclusion by ensuring that no one is left behind.[10] It would be accessible to everyone across the euro area, via a mobile app or a physical card, so everyone can choose the technology that they are most comfortable with, no matter how old or tech-savvy they are.

    Finally, a digital euro would offer the best possible privacy and data protection afforded by the current technology used in large payment systems.[11] From the outset, ensuring user privacy has been a central focus of the digital euro project.

    A digital euro would be available both online and offline.[12] With the offline functionality, users would enjoy cash-like privacy. The details of your offline payments would only be known to you and the recipient. For online payments, too, we would ensure that your personal data remain your own. The Eurosystem will not be able to identify you, nor directly link you to your payments.[13]

    New opportunities for merchants

    A digital euro would also bring new opportunities for European merchants.

    Right now, merchants in Europe are largely dependent on a handful of dominant online or card payment methods, often relying on non-European providers. International card schemes currently account for 64% of card transactions in the euro area.[14]

    This costs European merchants a lot of money. They collectively pay a significant amount each year to international card schemes like Visa or Mastercard. And the cost is mostly borne by smaller merchants, who incur charges three to four times higher than those of their larger competitors.[15]

    A digital euro would include safeguards for merchants by capping the fees they pay to banks for processing payments.[16] A digital euro would thus narrow the gap between what smaller and larger merchants are charged for digital payments.

    By providing a true alternative to existing payment solutions, a digital euro would also put all merchants, large and small, in a stronger position to negotiate better conditions with other providers. Finally, it could provide a safety net for merchants in case of network or power outages, thanks to its offline functionality.[17]

    Benefits for banks

    Banks would benefit too, particularly in our rapidly evolving payment landscape, in which new players – especially big tech companies from outside Europe – are increasingly entering the market. The banks would be remunerated for the services they offer, while the Eurosystem would cover the costs of the digital euro scheme and infrastructure.

    When you compare a digital euro with services like PayPal or Apple Pay, the benefits for banks become even clearer. For instance, banks do not earn anything if people top up their PayPal wallet via direct debit. And with Apple Pay, banks actually have to pay a fee just to let their cards be used in Apple Wallet.

    A digital euro would also open up a new source of revenue by allowing banks to provide value-added services to their customers.[18]

    We are working closely with the market to ensure that a digital euro leverages the existing standards as much as possible, which would keep costs down and support Europe’s competitive payment landscape.[19]

    Moreover, cards and applications currently available in only one or a handful of Member States could use these standards to reach customers across the euro area without the need to invest in new acceptance infrastructure. Therefore, a digital euro would mean that European payment service providers could offer their customers the convenience of using their product everywhere in the euro area – just like international card companies. It would also strengthen banks’ negotiating positions vis-à-vis these companies.

    Finally, banks and other payment service providers would be responsible for distributing a digital euro, thus serving as the sole point of contact for digital euro users. So a digital euro could help banks retain their customers in the face of growing payments competition.

    Project preparation phase at full speed

    Let me now give you a brief update on where we stand with the project.[20]

    We started the investigation phase back in 2021 and are now at the midpoint of the preparation phase, with roughly one more year to go.

    One of our key focus areas during this phase is to develop a methodology for determining the maximum amount of digital euro a person could hold at any time.[21] The holding limits are important to ensure financial stability and prevent large-scale transfers from bank deposits to digital euro, especially during crises.

    These limits would be high enough to avoid negatively affecting the digital euro user experience.[22]

    Experts from the ECB, the national central banks in the Eurosystem and national competent authorities, building on their unique know-how, have started to identify the factors that could influence the holding limit calibration, on the basis of three key areas defined in the draft Regulation: usability, monetary policy and financial stability.[23]

    While the exact holding limits would be defined closer to the potential launch and on the basis of a well-defined governance process enshrined in the draft Regulation,[the ECB’s Governing Council will decide whether to move to the next phase of the project. But the Governing Council will not take any decision about the issuance of a digital euro before the legislative act has been adopted.

    Conclusion

    To conclude, introducing a digital euro across the euro area would take time, but it is key for Europe’s future. Countries across the world are exploring retail central bank digital currencies. If we want to be standard-setters and keep our position among the frontrunners, we need to move swiftly.

    A digital euro is a common European project, which is why we are talking to all the relevant stakeholders and carefully listening to their views and concerns. I also remain committed to engaging regularly with the European Parliament.

    Introducing a digital euro that all banks and other providers make available to their customers and that all merchants accept, everywhere in the euro area, would take several years. Market participants need certainty to invest in the digital euro and this requires coordination between co-legislators and the central bank.

    I appreciate all the work that the ECON Committee has done on the digital euro so far. The legislative discussions are now in your hands. The ECB is of course ready to engage with the negotiating team and to provide continued technical support when needed.

    It is important that the legislative and technical work advance in parallel, swiftly and in close cooperation. Together, we can ensure that the digital euro strengthens Europe’s financial sovereignty and serves all its citizens.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces appointments to the Quebec judiciary

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    September 23, 2024– Ottawa (Ontario) – Department of Justice Canada

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

    Mathieu Piché-Messier, partner and national leader in commercial litigation at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Montreal, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montreal. Justice Piché-Messier replaces Justice PH Bélanger (Montreal), who resigned effective May 24, 2024.

    Lysane Cree, an administrative judge at the Tribunal administratif de déontologie policière in Montreal, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montreal. Justice Cree replaces Justice M. Lachance (Montreal), who was appointed to the Court of Appeal effective June 17, 2024.

    Horia Bundaru, a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP in Montreal, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montreal. Justice Bundaru replaces Justice K. Kear-Jodoin (Montreal), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective July 16, 2024.

    Quote

    “I wish Judges Piché-Messier, Cree and Bundaru every success in their new roles. I am confident that they will serve the people of Quebec well as members of the Superior Court of Quebec.”

    – The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biographies

    Judge Mathieu Piché-Messier was born and raised in Montreal. He received his Bachelor of Civil Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Sherbrooke in 1997. He was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1998.

    Since 2000, Justice Piché-Messier has practiced commercial litigation at Borden Ladner Gervais where, after being named partner in 2006, he held the position of Head of the Commercial Litigation Group in Montreal for seven years and was then appointed National Business Leader – Commercial Litigation. His practice focused on the areas of extraordinary remedies and commercial litigation in the areas of anti-fraud, high technology, industrial espionage, privacy and identity theft, international arbitration, aeronautics, defamation and intellectual property. A litigator, author and speaker, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2018, a Fellow of Litigation Counsels of America in 2021, and was named Advocatus Emeritus (Ad. E.) of the Barreau du Québec in 2022. He has also been recognized by his peers to appear in the editions of Chambers, The Best Lawyers and Benchmark Litigation as one of the 50 best litigators in Canada.

    Justice Piché-Messier has been a member of the boards of the Barreau du Québec, the Barreau de Montréal and the Canadian Bar, Québec Division. He has also been president of the Centre d’accès à l’Information juridique du Québec (CAIJ) and the Young Bar Association of Montreal. Involved in the Montreal community, he has sat on the boards of Cirque Éloize, Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Enfants-retour and Make-a-Wish.

    Judge Piché-Messier and his partner, Me Natacha Lavoie, are the happy parents of Vincent and Victoria.

    Justice Lysane Cree is originally from the Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) Nation and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Northern Studies from McGill University in 1996, before earning a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Common Law from McGill University in 2000. She was called to the Quebec Bar in 2003, the New York State Bar in 2012 and the Ontario Bar in 2020.

    Justice Cree began her practice with Hutchins Legal Inc. and focused on Indigenous law issues and working with First Nations governments in several provinces and occasionally in New York State for sixteen years. While still in private practice, she began working part-time in the area of police ethics with the Police Ethics Committee (now the Tribunal), hearing cases involving Indigenous police services in the province of Quebec. She then worked as a decision-maker with the Discipline Committee of the Chambre de la sécurité financière from 2019 to 2021 before becoming a full-time administrative judge with the Tribunal administratif de déontologie policière. During this time, she was involved with the Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals, serving as a member of the Tribunal’s Excellence Committee and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

    Judge Cree is an avid equestrian and enjoys spending time with her horses.

    Justice Horia Bundaru immigrated to Canada at the age of eleven with his parents and younger sister. He received a BCL/LL.B. from McGill University’s Faculty of Law in 2005 and was called to the Quebec Bar in 2006.

    Justice Bundaru spent his entire career at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, where he became a partner in 2016 and where, at the time of his appointment, he was a director of the Litigation Group in Montreal. A well-known litigator, his practice focused on commercial litigation, construction law and energy law. Since 2016, he has taught civil procedure and drafting at the École du Barreau.

    Justice Bundaru has chaired the Quebec Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the Liaison Committee of the Montreal Bar with the Superior Court (Civil Division) and the Salon VISEZ DROIT. At the time of his appointment, he was chair of the Liaison Committee with the Court of Appeal and a member of the Conseil de la magistrature du Québec. He is listed in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Benchmark Litigation Canada as a “litigation star”, Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, The Legal 500 Canada and Best Lawyers in Canada. In 2022, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers.

    Judge Bundaru is passionate about literature and is an avid cross-country skier and tennis player. With his partner Maya, also a lawyer, he has two daughters, Ariane and Éloïse.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill  Biden to the United Nations LGBTI Core  Group

    Source: The White House

    New York City, New York

    Thank you, Special Envoy Stern.

    Your Excellencies and distinguished guests, it’s an honor to join you, along with THE courageous human rights activists who are speaking here today.

    Each year, we come together in New York to “reaffirm the dignity and worth of the human person.” Those words, written in the United Nations Charter, ring in our hearts today.

    Our humanity—that simple fact—guarantees us certain rights. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you were born, or who your parents are: being human is enough.

    To deserve safety.

    To deserve freedom.

    To deserve love.

    To deserve a future.

    That should be true for LGBTQI people.

    But it wasn’t enough for a woman whose family sent men to rape her in an effort to “correct” her sexual orientation.

    Or for two men who were targeted and shot outside a gay bar.

    Not for a young man, right here in New York, stabbed to death at a gas station for voguing.

    In 2023, the Human Rights Campaign declared a “state of emergency” for LGBTQI people in America, because states across our country passed an unprecedented number of discriminatory laws.

    And in more than 60 countries around the world, LGBTQI people are criminalized for who they are.

    But we’re not going to stand for hate, discrimination, and violence in our own country. We won’t stand for it anywhere in the world.

    Because, yes, being human is enough.

    It’s what we share across time and place, across borders and oceans.

    At our core, we are all just people, filled with love and hope, reaching toward a better future.

    And, as poets and civil rights leaders have said over the centuries, until all of us are free, no one is.

    Right now, it feels like we are caught in the push and pull of progress.

    By gathering here today, we are saying loud and clear: you are enough. And this community is never alone. Joe and I are with you.

    In just the last few years, we’ve seen more countries legalize same-sex relationships, and recognize marriage equality.

    These are big victories—ones that bloom across history.

    But our triumphs live in the small moments too—moments that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago: Walking down the street without fear. Co-workers who use your chosen name and pronouns. Kids with two moms or two dads at the playground. Coming together for LGBTQI rights during the United Nations General Assembly!

    That progress, in moments small and large, may almost feel inevitable now.

    But it took tens of thousands of people fighting for decades to have their humanity recognized. People who kept shouting, even when they were tired, even when they were censored, even when they were jailed.

    Because change never happens on its own. 

    It takes people—just like the ones in this room—speaking with one voice and declaring what is right. To say, change is coming. Let us lead the way.

    That’s the power of this community. To hold each other up, in all of our humanity. To heal one another. To share our inner strength. To create lasting change.

    To leave no one behind.

    Thank you.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces appointment to the Federal Court

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    September 23, 2024 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Department of Justice Canada

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

    Benoit Duchesne, an associate judge of the Federal Court in Ottawa, is appointed a judge of the Federal Court. Justice Duchesne replaces Justice P. Pamel, who was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal effective September 20, 2024.

    Quote

    “I wish Justice Duchesne every success in his new role. I am confident that he will serve the people of Canada well as a member of the Federal Court.”

    – The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biography

    Justice Benoit Duchesne was born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa. He received a Bachelor of Social Sciences (with minors in Economics and Music) in 1993, a Licence in Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws in 2000, all from the University of Ottawa. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1998 and to the Ontario Bar in 2001.

    Justice Duchesne is fully bilingual. He was appointed a Deputy Justice of the Federal Court in 2022. He has presided over case management conferences, motions, mediations, pre-trial conferences and trial management conferences, as well as trials in proceedings within the jurisdiction of the Court. Prior to his appointment as a Deputy Justice, he was a partner at the law firm of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP in Ottawa. Justice Duchesne has had an extensive bilingual and bijural practice in the areas of civil, corporate and commercial, administrative and municipal litigation. He has also appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, Quebec, and the federal courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. His expertise in corporate and commercial litigation has been recognized by the publications Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert. He was a part-time professor of civil procedure at the University of Ottawa from 2012 to 2022.

    Judge Duchesne is grateful for the love and support of his wife Jennifer and his daughter, Alexandra.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Peter Pellegrini, President of the Slovak Republic. The Secretary-General and the President discussed the Pact for the Future, digital technologies and artificial intelligence. They also exchanged views on climate action, the impacts of the war in Ukraine and other international developments.
     
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.M. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara, Brunei Darussalam

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.M. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara, Brunei Darussalam.  The Secretary-General and the Sultan exchanged views on the Brunei-UN partnership.  They also discussed the important role of ASEAN in the region.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland.
     
    The Secretary-General and the President discussed the war in Ukraine. They also exchanged views on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 23/09/2024 Varsovia Help for flood victims and the tourism industry

    MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –

    Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.

    During Monday’s meeting of the crisis team in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that members of the Council of Ministers are working intensively on statutory changes that are to help flood victims. The government will provide information on the actions taken during the next session of the Sejm. Donald Tusk also presented an optimal solution to provide temporary shelter for the victims – some of them will live in nearby hotels and holiday resorts. The next meeting of the crisis team with the participation of the Prime Minister will take place on Tuesday evening in Wrocław. Intensive práctica of the Council of Ministers El primer minister Donald Tusk took part in another meeting of the crisis team. This time, the meeting was held in the form of a video conference at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The head of government announced that on Tuesday, September 24, during the meeting of the team in Wrocław, he will provide important information. “Tomorrow evening in Wrocław, we will present statutory changes. On Wednesday late afternoon, we will be giving information in the Sejm on the flood situation,” announced the Prime Minister. Individual ministers are currently working on statutory changes that will facilitate the process of rebuilding areas destroyed by the flood. Donald Tusk also confirmed that he had signed a nomination for Minister Marcin Kierwiński, who will be a member of the Council of Ministers responsible for coordinating the reconstruction effort. Temporary shelters in local hotels and holiday resorts Flood victims who cannot return to their homes will be able to stay in nearby hotels and holiday resorts. “We must rationalize our actions wherever replacement housing is needed and where there are hotels available nearby,” explained Donald Tusk. The state will pay for the stay of people who need shelter. “We will find funds so that hotels and holiday resorts that have not been damaged can serve as temporary places of residence for all those who have lost their homes,” assured the Prime Minister. The advantage of this solution is that it will also provide support for the owners of resorts and hotels who have to deal with cancellations by tourists. The costs of paying for the stay of flood victims in these places should not be higher than those resulting from the installation of so-called container apartments. Appeal to provide only verified and reliable information False information is still being spread in the public sphere, the purpose of which is to introduce chaos and disinformation. The Prime Minister reminded that the provision of data regarding the victims of the element requires particular reliability. All media reports should be based on information confirmed by the police, which states that 7 people died as a result of the flood, and one person is considered missing. “Spreading panic is a truly grave sin and it is very damaging to the aid operation, building trust in the services and generally the atmosphere, which is already difficult there, where these tragedies occurred,” emphasized Donald Tusk. The head of government also asked to refrain from speculations concerning the work of Polish Waters and the maintenance of the reservoirs, which are not supported by reliable analysis. “We will examine every minute of the operation in detail. It will be in the interest of the Polish state and all of us to investigate whether something has failed somewhere. But we have to leave it to the experts,” appealed the Prime Minister. The process of checking whether all procedures have been followed and where any negligence has been committed will be transparent. Access to drinking water As part of the aid campaign, the services also organized the transport of drinking water to flood areas. “We must be 100% sure that this water is available everywhere,” emphasized Donald Tusk. El prime minister expressed the expectation that the services will inform in the most effective way possible what water can be drunk. We appeal to residents to listen carefully to the announcements of the sanitary and epidemiological services.

    MILES AXIS

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 23/09/2024 Meeting of the Minister of Finance with the EU Commissioner for Economy

    MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –

    Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.

    Meeting of the Minister of Finance with the EU Commissioner for Economy23.09.2024

    On September 23, 2024, Finance Minister Andrzej Domański met with Paolo Gentiloni, EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs. The discussion focused on the current economic situation in the European Union and Poland, including the potential impact of flooding. Undersecretary of State Paweł Karbownik also participated in the meeting. During the conversation, issues related to Poland’s preparation of a medium-term budgetary and structural plan, which will define the framework for fiscal policy for 2025-2028, were raised. In accordance with the new rules of economic governance in the EU, Member States are required to submit such plans to the European Commission by mid-October. Minister Domański presented Poland’s strategy for exiting the excessive deficit procedure, which Poland was subject to this year, paying particular attention to military expenditure, which is responsible for a part of the deficit of the general government sector.

    MILES AXIS

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    September 23, 2024

    Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    September 23, 2024

    Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    September 23, 2024

    Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    September 23, 2024

    Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    September 23, 2024

    Previous news Next news

    Valery Falkov and Gennady Krasnikov discussed the future of microelectronics with young scientists at Sirius

    A dialogue about the future of microelectronics in Russia took place between the head of the Ministry of Education and Science Valery Falkov, the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov and participants of the 6th School of Young Scientists, which this year is working within the framework of the forum “Microelectronics-2024”.

    The School of Young Scientists is a unique project, the participants of which are aspiring and established microelectronics specialists from more than 80 universities and scientific organizations.

    One of the main topics of the conversation was the training of highly qualified personnel for the industry. The head of the Ministry of Education and Science noted that cooperation between universities and industrial partners plays an important role in solving this problem. This allows students to be involved in solving practical problems for the industry already at the training stage, offering them to work on equipment that is currently used in the real sector.

    This task can be solved by such measures as, for example, the creation of basic departments of universities at enterprises, the Advanced Engineering Schools project, the Priority 2030 program, the program for the creation of youth laboratories, of which 940 have already been created, 60 of which are in electronics.

    It is also necessary to increase the interest of young specialists in the microelectronics industry – so far, not all graduates of the relevant educational programs go to work in their profession. In addition to the systematic work of interested government bodies, it is important that each potential employer creates attractive working conditions for a young specialist.

    “Our task is to bring the industry as close as possible to universities, and for this purpose, a whole range of state support programs for universities and research organizations is in place. In turn, it is important for the employer to think about the quality characteristics of the workplace – the salary of a young specialist, his career growth, social package, mentoring in a new workplace – all this together makes the industry itself attractive,” the minister emphasized.

    At the meeting with young specialists, special attention was paid to popularizing the profession. President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov emphasized that today there are enough events aimed at building communication between young scientists, including the Congress of Young Scientists, which will be held in November on the federal territory of Sirius. At the same time, scientific councils and other conferences with the participation of young specialists are held at the RAS site.

    As an example of a good support measure for young scientists, the meeting cited the Kamil Valiev scholarship, established last year. It is available to students and postgraduates who have achieved significant success in the electronics industry. The amount of the payment for students is 55 thousand rubles, and for postgraduates – 75 thousand rubles.

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

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

    http://government.ru/nevs/52781/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Summit of the Future with the United Nations Foundation

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    This youth-centric broadcast from the United Nations Foundation features an eclectic cast of creators, influencers, and UN experts unpacking the Summit of the Future.

    Created by the UN Foundation, in collaboration with the UN and a diverse network of partners, this unmissable global broadcast unpacks the Summit of the Future so that it is both educational and entertaining for a young audience. Hosted by Lea’h Sampson and Hallie Haas, the broadcast also features internet personalities Heidi Becker, Felipe Neto, Dan Rosen, Pooja Tripathi, and Liah Yoo alongside world leaders, other creators, and UN experts.

    —

    United Nations Foundation. “Our Future Agenda, An Intergenerational Dialogue with the Deputy Secretary General.” June 2021.

    United Nations Development Programme and University of Oxford. “The Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024.” June 2024.

    Campaign website
    https://bit.ly/47AHWUG

    About the Once Upon a Future Campaign https://unfoundation.org/media/global-campaign-to-engage-youth-in-the-uns-summit-of-the-future-asks-what-if-we-get-it-right/

    2 Million Actions for Our Common Future
    https://www.un.org/actnow

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_A6SCYL5g

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian territory, Gaza & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (23 Sep 2024)

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    -Lebanon
    -Lebanon/humanitarian
    -Occupied Palestinian territory
    -Gaza
    -Syria
    -Sudan
    -Ukraine
    -Summit of the Future
    -Afghanistan
    -Briefings
    -SDG Media Zone
    -Week by the numbers
    -Day of Sign Languages

    LEBANON
    The Secretary-General is indeed alarmed by the escalating situation along the Blue Line. He’s very concerned about the large number of civilian casualties being reported by the Lebanese authorities, as well as the thousands of displaced persons, amidst the most intense exchange of fire across the Blue Line since October of last year.
    He expresses grave concern for the safety of civilians both in southern Lebanon and in Northern Israel, as well as the UN staff in those areas.
    The Secretary-General notes the ongoing efforts by the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon to reduce tensions and reiterates the urgent need for de-escalation and that all efforts be devoted to a diplomatic solution. Our Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeannine Hennis-Plasschaert, is currently in Israel where she is meeting with Israeli officials as we speak to discuss the latest situation.
    Meanwhile the Head of Mission and Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, has been in contact with both Lebanese and Israeli parties, emphasizing the urgent need for de-escalation. Efforts are ongoing to reduce tensions and halt the shelling.
    Their message from both the Special Coordinator and the Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force is the same, which is there is no military solution that will make either side safer. With the wellbeing of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line and the stability of the region at stake, space must be given for diplomatic efforts to succeed.
    All involved parties in this conflict must honour their responsibilities to protect civilians and ensure the safety and security of all UN personnel and assets.
    The Secretary-General urges all parties to recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities and to restore stability. We do expect a more official statement to be issued at some point.

    LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN
    On the humanitarian front, our Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza, met with Lebanese Government officials, including the Prime Minister, Najib Miqati, and the Minister of Environment, Nasser Yassin. Our humanitarian agencies and others also participated in those discussion.
    At these talks, the Lebanese Government announced the activation of an emergency operations centre and also that schools ought to be designated as shelters. The Ministry of Education in Lebanon had announced the closure of all public and private schools for tomorrow. Many people are being displaced from areas impacted by the airstrikes, with heavy traffic reported toward Beirut and Mount Lebanon regions.
    Also, on the Israeli side, during the weekend and following an uptick of hostilities, Israel’s Military Home Command announced that schools in northern Israel, which run from Sunday to Friday, have been closed until at least today until 6 p.m. local time.
    Humanitarian organizations urgently need $50 million to preposition basic needs – such as food and shelter supplies – for an immediate response for the next two to four weeks in southern Lebanon, Lebanon in general.
    Our colleagues at OCHA tell us that, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, more than 274 people have been killed and at least 700 injured, including women and children, following the continued airstrikes in southern Lebanon.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=23%20September%202024

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSEfoCRWQhE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with the Chairman of the Presidency, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Denis Bećirović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    The interlocutors discussed recent developments in the country and the Western Balkans region. They also exchanged views about cooperation between the United Nations and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the European Union accession process of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –