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Category: Education

  • MIL-Evening Report: Elon Musk’s flood of US election tweets may look chaotic. My data reveals an alarming strategy

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Graham, Associate Professor in Digital Media, Queensland University of Technology

    As voting booths in the United States close and the results of the presidential election trickle in, tech billionaire Elon Musk has been posting a flurry of tweets on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). So too has Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

    At first glance these tweets might appear chaotic and random. But if you take a closer look, you start to see an alarming strategy behind them – one that’s worth paying very close attention to in order to understand the inner workings of the campaign to return Trump to the White House.

    The strategy has two immediate aims. First, to overwhelm the information space and thereby manage attention. Second, to fuel the conspiracy theory that there is a coordinated campaign among Democrats, the media and big tech to steal this election.

    But it’s important to understand that the strategy on X is part of a master strategy of Trump’s campaign: a backup plan in case of a Trump loss, designed to encourage the public to participate in a grand re-wiring of reality via the meta-narrative of widespread voter fraud.

    Overwhelm the information space

    Musk has long been a prominent user of X, even before he became the owner, chief technology officer and executive chairman of the platform.

    But as I reported last week, since he endorsed Trump in July, engagement with his account has seen a sudden and anomalously large increase, raising suspicions as to whether he has tweaked the platform’s algorithms so his content reaches more people.

    This trend has continued in recent days.

    As well as posting on X, earlier today Musk also held a “freeform” live discussion on the platform about the election. It lasted for nearly one and a half hours. Around 1.3 million people tuned in. This is one of many live discussions he has hosted about the election over the past months, including notably with Trump.

    In an information war, everything is about attention management. Platforms are designed to maximise engagement and user attention above and beyond anything else. This core logic of social media is highly exploitable: who controls attention controls the narrative. In Australia, the “Vote No” campaign during last year’s referendum on Indigenous representation in government was a masterclass in attention management.

    By bombarding audiences, journalists, and other key stakeholders with a constant supply of allegations, rumours, conspiracy theories and unverifiable claims, Musk and the Trump campaign eat up all the oxygen of attention. When everyone is focussed on you and what you’re saying, they are distracted from what the other side is saying.

    And Musk and Trump want people to focus on the idea that the election is going to be stolen.

    Fuel the election fraud narrative

    From the beginning of the year, the narrative that the US presidential election is at risk of being defrauded has been steadily gaining steam. But in the past week leading up to election day, it has gone gangbusters.

    For example, starting on October 27, Trump started posting on X using the #TooBigtoRig hashtag. This refers to the idea that Trump will win the election by such a large margin that the result will be incontestable. Up to this point, the #TooBigToRig campaign was driven by Trump supporters. Now, Trump has officially joined – giving it the ultimate legitimacy.

    There has also been a dramatic spike over the last week in posts using similarly themed hashtags such as #ElectionFraud, #ElectionInterference, #VoterFraud and #StopTheSteal.

    Musk himself hasn’t been using these hashtags very much (although replies to him from other users are riddled with them). But he has been posting material that aligns with them. For example, earlier today he retweeted a post which claimed the electronic voting system in the US was insecure. Musk added: “Absolutely”.

    He has also falsely accused Google of encouraging Americans to vote for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

    And as some early results have started trickling in, Musk has posted about Trump’s odds of winning being nearly 70%.

    “The prophecy has been fulfilled,” Musk wrote.

    Participatory disinformation

    In many ways this has all the hallmarks of participatory disinformation. This concept, developed by computer scientist Kate Starbird and colleagues, explains how both ordinary people as well as politicians and influential actors become active participants in spreading false narratives.

    Unlike the top-down model of propaganda, participatory disinformation describes how grassroots activists and regular people – often with strong convictions and genuine intentions – contribute to spreading and evolving narratives that are not grounded in facts. It is a collaborative feedback loop involving both elite framing of issues and collective sensemaking and “evidence” gathering.

    Before war breaks out, there are clear signs of what’s about to unfold, even if a country publicly denies they are preparing for battle. Blood supplies, troops and weaponry are transported to the border in preparation for an invasion.

    The same thing is at play here, except the weapon is us.

    The flood of tweets by Musk and Trump, in particular, is setting the stage for a full-blown participatory disinformation campaign to undermine the election results.

    Timothy Graham receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) for his Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, ‘Combatting Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour on Social Media’. He also receives ARC funding for the Discovery Project, ‘Understanding and combatting “Dark Political Communication”‘ (2024–2027).

    – ref. Elon Musk’s flood of US election tweets may look chaotic. My data reveals an alarming strategy – https://theconversation.com/elon-musks-flood-of-us-election-tweets-may-look-chaotic-my-data-reveals-an-alarming-strategy-243021

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An innovative method for cleaning wells from plugs was patented at Novosibirsk State University

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Employees Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Novosibirsk State University (CTTC NSU) together with colleagues Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU patented two innovative methods for cleaning wells from asphalt-resin-paraffin deposits (ARPD), which are formed during the operation of wells. In the first version, cleaning is carried out with the help of service companies, while oil workers can use the second method themselves.

    Almost all Russian companies periodically face the need to remove heavy oil fraction deposits from wells, which significantly complicate the extraction of oil and gas.

    The standard method involves immersing a heating device into the well, which is connected to a special power cable and melts the plug like a boiler, but it requires a long supply of high current to heat it up. This technology requires the use of extremely expensive equipment, which is practically no longer supplied to our country today.

    The solutions patented by NSU are based on a burner created by Professor of the Hydrodynamics Department of the MMF NSU, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergey Sukhinin and a chemical composition for it, which provides a combustion mode that effectively removes deposits without damaging the pipe itself. We have previously talked about this invention, and now ready-to-use technologies based on it have been patented.

    — The first solution is designed for service companies, it involves immersing a burner into a well on a regular geophysical cable, which is often used when working at oil and gas fields and is always available. This significantly reduces the cost and simplifies the cleaning procedure. In the second version of the technology, instead of a cable, special rods are immersed into the well, which ignite upon reaching the required depth and burn out the plug. Oil producing companies can use this method themselves, — said Deputy Director of the NSU CTTC, PhD in Engineering Andrey Savchenko.

    Patented technologies also have other advantages over known technical solutions. The combustion temperature is calculated in such a way as to guarantee the burning of paraffins that have formed the plug, and the combustion itself is directed downwards in the well so that the combustion products rise up together with the gases from the well. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation where the melted plug thickens again in another section of the well (which periodically happens with standard cleaning methods), forcing oil workers to repeat the procedure again. This is especially important when it comes to removing extended plugs, which can be tens and hundreds of meters long.

    — Today, the technology has already attracted great interest, both its variants, both for service and for the mining companies themselves, including quite large players in this market. And now we are negotiating pilot projects for its testing in real conditions, — summed up Andrey Savchenko.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Only 25% of older Queenslanders are aware of the risks heatwaves put on their health – new study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehak Oberai, Senior Research Assistant, Ethos Project, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University

    Los Muertos Crew/Pexels

    Parts of Australia are currently facing extreme heat, with high temperatures set to continue over the coming days.

    Though it’s unclear exactly what the upcoming summer will bring, climate change means Australian summers are getting hotter. Even this year in August we saw temperatures around 40°C in parts of the country.

    Heatwaves aren’t just uncomfortable – they can be deadly. Health emergencies related to extreme heat place significant strain on our health-care systems, with data showing increased ambulance callouts and hospital presentations during these periods.

    Although heatwaves can affect everyone, older adults are particularly at risk. But our new research has found older Queenslanders don’t necessarily believe heat poses a risk to their health. And this affects how they respond to emergency warnings.

    Older people and the heat

    Ageing brings physiological changes, including reduced ability to regulate body temperature, which can put older people at increased risk of issues such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

    Heat exposure can also worsen the symptoms of existing conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease or kidney disease, which are more common in older people.

    The risk is even more pronounced for older people who live in poor quality housing, are economically disadvantaged, or are socially isolated.

    A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that, of 2,150 hospitalisations due to extreme heat between 2019 and 2022, 37% were among people aged 65 and older (who make up around 16% of the population).

    So there’s an urgent need to prioritise the health of older Australians as the country braces for more intense and prolonged heatwaves in the future.

    When the weather is hot, older people are at greater risk of health complications.
    Kleber Cordeiro/Shutterstock

    Early warning systems

    As we’ve learned more about the risks of heatwaves, there’s been an increased focus on developing population-based early warning systems. These systems play a crucial role in encouraging people to adopt heat-protective behaviours such as staying hydrated, avoiding strenuous physical activity when temperatures are high, and wearing loose or light clothing.

    Queensland is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to heatwaves. Since 2015, heatwave warnings have been part of the state’s heatwave subplan, which sets out strategies for managing and mitigating the impacts of extreme heat events.

    These warnings involve alerts about upcoming high temperatures, and advice on staying cool. They come as notifications through the Bureau of Meterology’s weather app or via media outlets or social media. However, it’s not clear whether these warnings are reaching those most at risk.

    As part of a broader project on extreme heat and older people, we surveyed 547 Queenslanders aged 65 and over to understand their perceptions of heat risks and to determine if heatwave warnings were reaching them.

    We also wanted to know what factors influence how they receive and respond to these warnings, with a view to understanding how we can improve heatwave warnings for this group.

    What we found

    Only 25% of respondents were aware of the potential consequences of heatwaves on their health. The majority of participants (80%) perceived themselves to be at lower risk compared to others of their age group. This aligns with previous heat-health research which has similarly found older adults often don’t perceive heat as a personal risk.

    While most of the sample (87%) reported having one or more chronic health conditions, 30% were unaware having a chronic health condition increased their vulnerability to heatwaves.

    Several cultural and personal factors may explain why older people don’t think heat poses a danger to them. In Australia, heat is typically seen as a normal and even positive part of life. Heat risk messages are often less urgent than warnings for other natural disasters.

    Previous research has also shown older people tend not to think heat poses a risk to their health.
    Miguel AF/Shutterstock

    We also found nearly half of respondents had not heard a heatwave warning. Of those who had, roughly half took actions to keep themselves cool.

    What stood out from our analysis was that participants’ awareness and actions in response to heatwave warnings were significantly influenced by their knowledge and perceptions of heat risks. Factors such as age, gender and education were not so important.

    Respondents who believed they were at risk were almost twice as likely to hear the warnings, and 3.6 times more likely to take heat protective actions.

    This aligns with other research that highlights the correlation between heat-health risk perception and the efficacy of heatwave warnings.

    One limitation of our research is that we conducted the survey in 2022 during and following a La Nina period, where temperatures are usually lower. So there may have been fewer heatwave warnings throughout the season, potentially reducing participants’ perceptions of heat health risks.

    What needs to change?

    With another hot summer likely ahead, we need to rethink how we communicate about heatwaves. These are more than just hot days. We need to recognise heatwaves as a serious health risk, especially for older people, and effectively communicate that risk to the public.

    This might include using primary health-care professionals such as GPs, nurses and pharmacists to share heat-health information with older patients and their family members, or developing personalised heat action plans for the summer period.

    Text message alerts from the Bureau of Meteorology, along with app notifications, could be a good idea considering some older adults may not have a smartphone or be open to using apps.

    To improve heatwave communication, we also need to explore the barriers and facilitators to heat protective behaviours. This includes considering structural factors (such as housing design), environmental factors (for example, access to shade and cool refuges), individual factors (such as financial constraints or health conditions) and social factors (such as access to family and community support).

    Strengthening communication around heatwaves and health will not only protect individual wellbeing but enhance community resilience as extreme heat continues to affect our lives.

    Mehak Oberai is a Senior Research Assistant working on Ethos project and is also a member of the AAG (Australian Association of Gerontology) Student & Early Career Working Group.

    Ella Jackman is a PhD Candidate at Griffith University and a Research Assistant for the Queensland Heat Health Community of Practice (QHHCoP) and the Ethos Project.

    Shannon Rutherford co-leads the Climate Action Beacon Griffith University funded, Queensland Heat Health Community of Practice and receives funding from Wellcome and NEMA. She is an affiliate member of the HEAL network

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

    – ref. Only 25% of older Queenslanders are aware of the risks heatwaves put on their health – new study – https://theconversation.com/only-25-of-older-queenslanders-are-aware-of-the-risks-heatwaves-put-on-their-health-new-study-238875

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ2: Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ2: Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme
    LCQ2: Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme
    ***************************************

         Following is a question by the Hon Jimmy Ng and a reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (November 6): Question:      The Government has earlier on launched a three-year “Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme” (the Scheme), under which a total funding of $30‍ million has been earmarked for application by clansmen associations to organise activities promoting hometown culture. It has been reported that the Scheme has received overwhelming responses, and that the Home Affairs Department received 213 applications from 110 clansmen associations this year, of which 39 were approved with funding of about $10 million. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the respective themes of the funded hometown cultural activities; whether it has estimated the number of participants in such activities; if so, of the details; (2) whether it will expand the scope of the subsidy under the Scheme to assist clansmen associations in organizing more activities of different types, so as to promote the vast and profound Chinese culture and enhance public understanding of the latest developments in various provinces and municipalities of the motherland; and (3) whether it will extend the implementation period of the Scheme or even regularise it; whether it will introduce more schemes to help promote clansmen culture; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? Reply:President,      Clansmen associations have a long history in Hong Kong, most of which were established by their ancestors who came to Hong Kong in the early days for development and then settled in, with a view to uniting and serving their fellow clansmen as well as promoting solidarity and mutual support amongst them. The associations play a bridging role between their fellow clansmen and hometowns. They have brought the culture of their hometowns to Hong Kong, enabling different hometown cultures and customs to converge here and make Hong Kong unique.      Being steadfast patriots supporting the country and Hong Kong, clansmen associations have effectively forged cohesion among clansmen who love the country, Hong Kong and their hometowns through their vast social networks and unique geographical backgrounds. They provide resolute support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in implementing “one country, two systems”, promoting the development of Hong Kong, and fostering social harmony and stability. They are reliable and staunch partners of the HKSAR Government and a constructive force driving Hong Kong’s development.      Clansmen associations have been supporting the work of the HKSAR Government in many areas. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, clansmen associations volunteered to donate supplies and mobilise fellow clansmen to collaborate with the Government in fighting the epidemic. On the improvement of the electoral system of Hong Kong, clansmen associations’ active support and participation helped ensure that the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” was fully implemented.  Clansmen associations also strongly supported the improving of district governance, the election of District Councils and the formation of Care Teams.      In terms of activities, clansmen associations have been organising various clansmen cultural promotion, caring and exchange programmes to promote exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in different aspects, with a view to enhancing mutual communication and deepening the friendship between the people as well as fostering the inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture.      To deepen the public’s understanding of and sense of belonging to their hometowns, thereby fostering the spirit of loving the motherland, Hong Kong and their hometowns; as well as to recognise and strengthen the longstanding efforts of patriotic clansmen associations, the Chief Executive announced in his 2023 Policy Address the launch of the “Clansmen Culture Promotion Scheme” (the Scheme) for a period of three years. In the three consecutive financial years starting from 2024-25, an annual provision of $10 million (i.e. totalling $30 million) is earmarked for application by clansmen associations to subsidise their organisation of activities to promote and preserve hometown culture, unite clansmen in Hong Kong and facilitate exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland.      The Home Affairs Department (HAD) began accepting funding applications for the 2024-25 financial year under the Scheme in April this year. Within a one-month application period, a total of 213 applications from 110 clansmen associations were received. By the end of May, the HAD completed the vetting process and approved 39 applications, taking into consideration factors such as the reputation and experience of the applying organisations, as well as the content of their activities and plans. The total amount of subsidy granted is about $10 million.      In response to the questions raised by the Hon Jimmy Ng, the replies are as follows: (1) A wide variety of projects were approved in the first year of the Scheme, which included activities for promoting hometown culture and heritage (e.g. hometown markets, cultural festivals), uniting fellow clansmen in Hong Kong (e.g. home visits, organising volunteer work) and promoting exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland (e.g. parent-child heritage tours, youth exchange programmes). From early June to end-October 2024, a total of 20 approved projects were completed, with over 220 000 people participated.      For specific events, for example, the “Clansmen Associations Hometown Market Carnival” jointly organised by 28 clansmen associations at Victoria Park for five days in early June attracted approximately 200 000 visitors. The “Min-Kong Youth Maritime Silk Road Cultural Exchange Tour” and the “Hong Kong-Macao Youth Zhejiang Tour” organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Associations and the United Zhejiang Residents Associations respectively in July were participated by a total of about 1 000 young people to promote youth exchange between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Federation of HK Guangxi Community Organisations and the Hong Kong Federation of Hainan Community Organisations held the “Cultural Celebration for National Day” and the “Hainan and Kowloon City Brilliant Night” carnivals in September respectively, engaging over 10 000 participants in promoting hometown culture. In September and October, the Federation of Hong Kong Beijing Organisations organised the “Thank You for Being There – Hand in Hand to Warm Hearts” event, where volunteer teams formed by its fellow clansmen visited grassroots families of about 1 000 people. From September to December, the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organisations is conducting the “Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage in Schools” programme to host cultural workshops in various primary and secondary schools. It is expected that nearly 1 000 students and parents will be engaged. (2) The scope of projects subsidised under the Scheme is wide. Any locally registered clansmen associations with good reputation and track record; which have all along been committed to promoting hometown culture and fostering exchanges between Hong Kong and hometowns in order to promote the spirit of loving the motherland, Hong Kong and hometowns; and with experience in organising relevant activities, are eligible to apply for subsidy under the Scheme. The subsidy can be used for funding various types of relevant activities such as those for promoting and preserving hometown culture, uniting clansmen in Hong Kong and facilitating exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland. There is no restriction on the form of the activities, as long as they are non-profit-making in nature and in line with the objectives of the Scheme.      Apart from the Scheme, the HAD and the 18 District Offices have been collaborating with clansmen associations and various district organisations from time to time to foster community building, while promoting Chinese culture and enhancing public understanding of the country. For example, the HAD co-organised with 28 provincial clansmen associations the “Bazaar Carnival in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” (the Bazaar) from October 25 to 29 at Sha Tin Park. It provided a total of 75 market stalls offering a wide variety of local snacks, specialties and traditional crafts, showcasing the unique culinary and cultural traditions of different provinces and cities. The Bazaar also staged diverse cultural performances such as traditional ethnic dances, acrobatics, folk songs, as well as free screenings of patriotic-themed movies and cultural introductions of various provinces, enabling the public to experience the diverse and colourful Chinese culture from all corners of the country. The five-day Bazaar attracted about 180 000 visitors, with the value of total sales estimated to be more than $4.6 million, highlighting the Government’s close collaboration with clansmen associations to further promote patriotic sentiments and love for Hong Kong in the community.      Besides, clansmen associations also apply for funding support through the on-going Community Involvement Programme implemented by the HAD to organise different projects such as festivals with local characteristics, hometown cultural carnivals and traditional cultural performances to promote district harmony. Some clansmen associations also actively participate in the “Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland” implemented by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau to apply for funding to organise youth exchange tours to the Mainland, supporting young people to broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding of the country and seize the national development opportunities. (3) In the first quarter of 2025, funding application under the Scheme for the financial year 2025-26 will be launched, with the focus on uniting clansmen in Hong Kong. The HAD will provide funding support for clansmen associations to organise various activities aiming at promoting patriotic education and fostering the spirit of loving the country, Hong Kong and the hometowns. The HAD will timely review the effectiveness and arrangements of the Scheme before the completion of the three-year programme, and will continue to maintain close contact and collaboration with clansmen associations. They have our support in organising all sorts of activities related to hometown culture promotion and patriotic education, and in collaborating with the HKSAR Government to promote the mainstream values of loving the motherland and Hong Kong that are in line with the core principles of “one country, two systems”.     Thank you, President.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, November 6, 2024Issued at HKT 13:28

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US election results: Trump takes first swing state of North Carolina

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This is a rolling guide to articles and audio published by The Conversation in the immediate run-up to and aftermath of the election, with some explainers about the process. This page is updated from the top, so older references are moved down the page.

    Good morning world. The United States has made its choice. And, as of 5am Donald Trump and the Republican Party will be the happier contenders, having so far won the most electoral college votes and the first swing state of North Carolina, as well as regaining control of the Senate.

    It’s been a turbulent four months since outgoing president Joe Biden announced he was terminating his bid for a second term and the battlelines between the two candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were drawn. Soon we will know who will lead the US for the next four years.

    From here, with the help of some of the sharpest analysts of US politics, we’ll keep you updated and informed as the situation develops.

    To get an idea of the scale of the task of counting votes, take a look at the below map of the US colour-coded by poll closing times. How long the count could take is anyone’s guess at this stage. Each state has its own rules.

    Ahead of the polls closing Richard Hargy, an expert in US politics from Queen’s University Belfast, wrote a guide to the process, when the votes are counted and when we might start to see results.



    Read more:
    US election: what time do the polls close and when will the results be known? An expert explains

    Delays are baked into the process, such as Pennsylvania, which doesn’t allow votes cast before election day or ballots posted in to be counted until polls close, which was at 8pm (1am GMT).

    So we’ll just have to be patient. In the mean time, you can also read Hargy’s explainer on the “electoral college” system, which can mean that the candidate with the most votes may not win the presidency.



    Read more:
    US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?

    Early voting and what it might mean

    Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at University College Dublin, believes that in a cliffhanger election, a clue to the outcome may be in the size of turnout. More than 80 million Americans voted early – around half of the total turnout in 2020 and around one-third of the eligible electorate.

    The 80 million figure takes on added significance with the recognition that it is not that distant from the 104 million who participated early in the “pandemic” election four years ago. And that 2020 ballot, with 158.4 million votes and almost 67% participation, was the largest turnout since 1900.

    Who does that favour? Probably Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Trumpists will turn out for their man come hell or high water. The large question mark has been whether potential Harris voters would sit on their hands, whether from lack of enthusiasm or dissatisfaction on issues such as Israel’s open-ended war on Gaza.

    Any prediction in this election is a risk. But it might be worth setting a marker: if turnout matches or exceeds the record set in 2020, Kamala Harris could be on the way to the White House.

    Tense moment for the US

    During the campaign there have been two assassination attempts on former president Trump as well as arson attacks on ballot boxes and ballots damaged. In Arizona the Democratic party was forced to close one of its offices after it had been shot at three times.

    Dafydd Townley, a fellow in international security at Portsmouth University, believes that there could be a reluctance to accept the result and that this could result in further disturbances. He has written about how much violence there has been during this campaign.



    Read more:
    US election: officials are issued with panic buttons as attacks on ballot boxes continue

    Dafyyd Townley comments on post-election violence.

    How race has played into the campaign

    Rhianna Garrett, PhD researcher and global coordinator of the critical mixed race studies executive board at Loughborough University, says that Trump’s campaign has been “littered with attempts to weaponise” the multiracial heritage of his Democrat opponent Kamala Harris.

    Much of this has been a dog-whistle attempt to stir up his own base, partly with fairly blatant appeals to latent feelings of racism, but also as a tool to position Harris as deceiving and untrustworthy by apparently blurring and shifting her own background.

    In August, not long after Harris took over the Democrat ticket from Biden, Trump appeared at the National Association of Black Journalists conference when he wrongfully claimed that Harris was changing her identity, stating: “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black, So I don’t know. Is she Indian or is she Black?”.

    For her part, Harris’s campaign has also used her multiracial heritage to further their political agendas. On the White House website, she is described as “the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American” to hold a vice-presidential position, which has effectively attempted to position her as a winner. Harris herself has also foregrounded “race” on her campaign website. In attempt to attack Trump’s campaign, she strategically aims to promote Black and Latino men specifically, as well as women’s rights. These are key voter groups she has aimed to mobilise through identity politics.

    Trump and winning male voters

    Donald Trump widened his appeal to male voters in this election, with polling indicating that he was picking up more support from Black and Latino men, as well as more young men more widely.

    One reason for this may be that in 2024 young men are more conservative than any other group in the US. Another reason why gender has become a divisive issue is the overturning of Roe v Wade, the legal case that gave American women abortion rights.

    Read more on the gender divide in this article from Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor of government at Essex University.



    Read more:
    US election: why more men and fewer white women say they will vote for Trump

    A free speech campaign?

    Julie Posetti, professor of journalism at City St George’s, University of London, and global director of research at the International Center for Journalists, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Americans on their attitudes to the press.

    Breaking down the results, they were able to build a picture of what people in the US think of targeting journalists for criticism and even abuse. You can read all about the study here.



    Read more:
    New survey finds an alarming tolerance for attacks on the press in the US – particularly among white, Republican men

    – ref. US election results: Trump takes first swing state of North Carolina – https://theconversation.com/us-election-results-trump-takes-first-swing-state-of-north-carolina-241711

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Gilbert, Lecturer in Zoology, University of Hull

    Dunatothrips family: two mums, two yellow babies, and, very unusually, a dad (smaller). James Gilbert, CC BY

    At less than 3mm long, you may not think Dunatothrips aneurae seem like much. And – as I have shown in a new study – you’d be absolutely right. That’s because these may be the world’s laziest insects.

    Dunatothrips live in the remote Australian outback where they bother nobody. They almost never leave their near-invisible miniature nests, built on Acacia trees from silk they extrude from their bottom. No known predators bother with Dunatothrips and their biggest threat is drying out in the heat if their nest is damaged. Pacifist vegetarians, they feed harmlessly on the plant surface, with no discernible effect on it.

    No bigger than the hyphen on your page, they belong to the thrips, which you may know as thunderbugs owing to a myth that they come out during thunderstorms. Almost everyone gets their name wrong (one thrips is a thrips, not a thrip). Some species make a nuisance of themselves as tomato pests. But for the Dunatothrips I investigated, that sounds a bit much too much like effort.

    I spent a few summers studying the social lives of these tiny insects, trying to understand their unusual habit of sometimes living alone and sometimes in groups with their sisters. I was puzzled to discover that some group members appear to do nothing. Not helping out, not breeding, nothing. Few animal societies are known where group members help no one, not even themselves.

    If the silk nest was damaged, I found, usually only one or two females inside stepped up to repair it. The remaining group members didn’t do anything. The responders’ repair efforts helped everybody, so the laggards enjoyed the benefits without raising a minuscule finger.

    I set out to investigate what these “lazy” thrips were doing. Were they like queen bees, specialising in producing eggs while others acted as workers? Other social insects have this arrangement, including many other Australian thrips.

    But no: when I dissected helpers and non-helpers I found it was the helpers
    that tended to be the ones carrying eggs.

    Maybe they were a reserve workforce, helping when others were lost, as in
    some bird societies like carrion crows. But when first responders were removed, their nestmates remained just as unhelpful as before.

    The author on a thrips collecting foray.
    James Gilbert, CC BY

    I wondered whether they were biding their time, waiting for a chance to breed later, as paper wasps do. I removed all group members except for a lazy one, gifting it a nest of its very own. They declined this opportunity as well, producing few or no eggs and taking up to five times as long to repair the nest as a helpful thrips put in the same situation.

    If the lazy non-helpers don’t even help themselves, doesn’t that make them an evolutionary paradox? Not really: while behaviour only evolves if it furthers individuals’ fitness, evolution tends to work on averages. Within a species, individuals are all different, and some are inevitably of poorer quality than others. They may carry mutations, inherit unfortunate gene combinations, experience poor environments, or all of the above. Perhaps they were jostled to the edge of the leaf as a kid.

    If life gives you lemons

    Animals in this situation will commonly make the best of a bad job. A poor quality thrips can lay only a few eggs, and can only contribute a few strands of silk to repairing a nest. She can’t build the nest she would need to raise offspring on her own. So her best option is to hang around in a group where her young can grow alongside those of others.

    It’s still a mystery why nestmates of these wastrels don’t kick them out. But it may involve their being unusually chilled out in the face of any provocation, even by dangerous intruders like their cousins Akainothrips, a new species I discovered with my colleagues. The resident Dunatothrips just stand aside.

    This pacifism may be related to how risky nestbuilding is. At any moment, out there on a leaf surface, you might fall, be blown out of the nest, or dry out in the outback sun. Given that you might die at any moment, it pays you to tolerate the presence of others who can carry on your nestbuilding work and help keep everyone’s babies alive.

    A simple evolutionary way to achieve this is to drop all aggression towards anyone, including intruders of different species. Some spiders have done this and form cooperative nurseries involving different spider species. For our lucky waster thrips, this means they get a free pass to stay in the group.

    It is also possible these bone-idle bugs may actually be helping, just in subtle ways. For example, Dunatothrips nests have rubbish dumps, so they might help by taking out the trash. In many social insects, including some thrips, workers can act as medics. Even just breathing inside the nest may raise humidity and help the group survive – cockroaches form groups at low humidity for just this reason.

    So, while non-helper Dunatothrips may be among the world’s least motivated insects, they are certainly not the least interesting. The evolutionary persistence of these laggards is helping us understand how different kinds of societies evolve.

    James Gilbert currently receives funding from UKRI (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council). This study was funded by a Marie Curie Fellowship (2011-2014) under the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme.

    – ref. Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs? – https://theconversation.com/are-these-tiny-insects-the-worlds-most-bone-idle-bugs-242454

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU student wins prize at All-Russian KS 2024 championship among students

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University – This year, out of 348 participants representing dozens of universities across Russia, 19 senior students made it to the finals. The finalists created original projects based on KS (Knowledge Space – a system for digitalizing management processes). Student EhFaculty of Economics, NSUVarvara Lebedinskaya won the prize in the nomination “High-Quality Visual Solution”.

    The championship was held in two rounds. In the first round, a video recording was posted on the organizers’ working website system, and the participants had to repeat exactly what was shown in the video. At this stage, a significant number of participants dropped out, since the video had to repeat some details that seemed unnoticeable at first glance. In the second round, it was necessary to create your own project “from scratch”.

    — The no-code concept (creating programs and services without writing code) was new to me. More precisely, I had heard about programming languages that include others, but that practically had no code at all… And it was also a revelation to me that there are companies that do this on a professional level. I learned that I have a tendency to make simple mistakes, especially due to carelessness, — Varvara says.

    The winners, prize winners and laureates of the championship were representatives of different cities and regions of Russia: St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Orenburg, Moscow. The winners of the competition were Ekaterina Verkhoturova (SPbSU) and Kirill Golovanov (MIREA), who created the most interesting, voluminous and complex projects.

    — I saw that there was a difference between me and the winners (at the announcement of the results they showed a few of our projects, noted the strengths and weaknesses) and it was noticeable, so I was not very upset. And the fact that my work was recognized and highly appreciated is very nice, — Varvara shared her emotions.

    Reference: The All-Russian KS Championship has been held since 2023, it is dedicated to the processes of modeling and creating IT products based on the no-code platform Knowledge Space. The organizer is the company “Integrated Management Systems”. Undergraduate students of senior years (from 3rd) and graduate students aged 20 to 23 can participate in the Championship.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Historical sites and artifacts impress foreign experts

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    While several expats are admiring the intricate animal patterns on an ancient Chinese bronze object, others are carefully listening to a tour guide explain the skill and wisdom behind the craftsmanship.

    It was part of the “Exploring China “Henan Tour event in Zhengzhou, Luoyang and Anyang in Central China’s Henan province from Sunday to Tuesday.

    Participants of the “Exploring China” Henan Tour admire a bronze ware at Henan Museum in Zhengzhou city. XU LIN/CHINA DAILY

    More than 40 foreign experts in classical studies from 13 countries visited Henan’s heritage sites, Longmen Grottoes and the Yinxu Museum, immersing themselves in the rich Chinese culture and civilization.

    Two other groups joined the tours in Shandong province, visiting places like the Temple of Confucius, and in Sichuan province, traveling to key archaeological sites like Sanxingdui and Jinsha.

    These experts are participants in the World Conference of Classics, being held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday.

    “I’m excited to visit China for the first time, and I plan to travel to China again with my family, to see more of its deep culture and history,” says Michael Trapp, emeritus professor of Greek literature and thought at King’s College London.

    Before setting out, he sought advice from his Chinese doctoral student in London and his brother, a Chinese language translator who often travels to China for work. Both suggested that given his passion for history, archaeology and art, he would find his visit to Henan particularly captivating, which he does.

    At the museums, he finds that the use of modern technology has made historical sites more accessible to a modern audience, striking a delicate balance between preserving ancient materials and showing their history vividly via replicas and digital reconstructions. “This endeavor requires considerable effort and creativity,” he says.

    He believes that it’s wonderful to see the massive size of the Erlitou Site in Luoyang and the artifacts excavated from it at the nearby museum. It shows the archaeological process of their discovery.

    Thomas Michael from the United States, professor at School of Philosophy, Beijing Normal University, who does research into Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, agrees.

    “I’ve read about all these places, but it’s the first time to see various artifacts about the origins and downfall of the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) and the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC),” he says. “It’s amazing to see the ancient centers of Chinese civilization. These are important periods for Confucianism. … The Confucian tradition goes all the way back to Zhougong (the Duke of Zhou) from the Western Zhou Dynasty.”

    The duke was believed to have been a prolific author with humanistic ideas and written Rites of Zhou, a fundamental ancient Chinese classic on organizational theory.

    Mary Evelyn Tucker, a senior lecturer and research scholar at Yale University, says: “It’s exciting to have this cultural tour to Henan and see that China is recovering its own traditional past. … China’s modernization has developed very rapidly over the past 40 years since my first visit to the country in 1985.”

    Her research fields include Confucianism and ecology. China is moving toward ecological civilization, she says, which has greatly changed its ecology, society and spirituality.

    She says that Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have the cultural values for an awakening of environmental consciousness, for example, the concept of “heaven and man are united as one” in Chinese philosophy.

    Costas Synolakis, the Chair of Earth Sciences in the Academy of Athens, points out that “it’s great to see the different periods of Chinese history and how its art evolves”.

    His research focuses on how people in ancient Greece and Rome understood and dealt with extreme disasters. He’s surprised to find that the ancient Chinese tried to control floods about 4,000 years ago when he visited Henan’s museums. “It’s around the 4th and 5th centuries BC that people in the Mediterranean started to understand that floods and earthquakes are natural phenomena. … It’s motivating for me to learn much more about Chinese culture, especially the recorded floods in its history.”

    According to him, many people associate China’s history with its dynasties, but are not familiar with the country’s ancient capitals in Henan and how the Chinese shifted these ancient capitals in history. That’s why the trip has impressed him greatly.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The extreme floods which devastated Spain are hitting more often. Is Australia ready for the next one?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Conrad Wasko, ARC DECRA Fellow in Hydrology, University of Sydney

    Spain is still reeling from recent floods in the Valencia region. In some areas, a year’s worth of rain fell in a single day. Sudden torrents raced through towns and cities. Over 200 people are dead. Rapid analysis suggests daily rainfall extremes in this region and season have become twice as common over the last 75 years and become 12% more intense.

    The World Meteorological Organisation has pointed out that climate change is steadily increasing the risk of extreme floods like these. Warmer air can hold more water vapour, about 7% more per degree Celsius of warming. More moisture generally leads to more intense rainfall, and therefore more extreme floods.

    The physics of how temperature influences the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture has been known for close to 200 years. But we’ve learned something worrying more recently. When water vapour condenses to form rain droplets, it releases heat which can fuel stronger convection and boost updrafts of air currents in storms. This means the intensity of extreme rainfall could increase not just 7% per degree of warming, but over twice that rate.

    Last week, CSIRO and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology released their biennial report on the State of the Climate, which found “heavy short-term rainfall events are becoming more intense”. Australia, the report states, has already warmed 1.5°C since national records began in 1910. In recent years, extreme rains have triggered devastating floods in New South Wales and Queensland.

    The question now is – are we prepared for these more damaging floods? This year, Australia updated the climate change section of Australia’s flood design guidance. But while this will help ensure that future infrastructure is better able to weather extreme floods, our current bridges, roads and stormwater drains have not been built to weather these increases in extreme rainfall. Similarly, our flood planning levels – used to determine where houses, offices, hospitals and so forth can be built – have generally not factored in the reality of the threat.

    More floods and more extreme

    Many of us would have learned about the water cycle in school. Water evaporates from seas and lakes before falling as rain and filling lakes and rivers, which eventually makes it back to the sea.

    Unfortunately, climate change is making this cycle more intense, as detailed in a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Rain is more likely to fall in intense short-duration bursts which are more likely to trigger floods.

    This year alone, we have seen disastrous and deadly floods from extreme storms across the Americas, Asia and Europe. Scientific analysis has showed these floods were more severe due to human-caused climate change.

    Australia is not immune. The devastating northern New South Wales floods of 2022 took 24 lives and ravaged towns such as Lismore. These floods are the most expensive natural disaster to date in Australia, costing A$5.65 billion in damages.

    How do you prepare for worse floods?

    When urban planners set flood planning levels, or engineers begin designing a new bridge or rail line, they have to take floods into account. To do so, they will inevitably reach for the local bible, Australia’s flood design guidance.

    Before 2024, this document allowed for a 5% increase in rainfall intensity per degree of global warming, and generally applied it only to infrastructure intended for a very long lifespan. This clashed with most scientific studies on the topic both globally and in Australia, which showed much greater increases, and that these increases are already being witnessed.

    To provide better flood guidance, we and our colleagues undertook a comprehensive review of over 300 scientific papers covering climate change in Australia and extreme rainfall.

    The review proved we had been underestimating the threat of extreme rains and subsequent floods. Rain events over a 24-hour period leading to flooding are likely to increase at 8% per degree of warming, not 5%. Hourly rainfall extremes are likely increasing even faster, at 15% per degree.

    Worse, these are just the central estimates. The wide range of plausible values suggests some rain events could eclipse these. For daily or longer extreme rains, the range is 2–15%. For hourly or shorter periods, that figure is 7–28% for hourly or shorter duration.

    Over the month of February in 2022, the Lismore region had about 600–800 mm of rain – much more than a normal February, which might see closer to 150 mm on average. These floods took place with just 1.1°C of warming since the pre-industrial period. On our current path, it’s possible the world could warm another 1.5°C or more by the end of this century. If this happens, these rainfall totals could be substantially higher and more likely to cause even worse flood impacts.

    These new figures have now been included in the August update of Australia’s flood design guidance. This is good news. It means future decisions on infrastructure and planning can now be well informed by the latest science on how climate change influences flood risk.

    Over time, this will ensure essential infrastructure can be built to endure worse floods. It will affect the design and construction of everything from local stormwater drains to levees, bridges, culverts and dam spillways.

    Preparing for extreme floods is complex. Pictured: water spilling out from a manhole during Spain’s floods.
    Fernando Astasio Avila/Shutterstock

    Local councils can use it to set the height of floor levels for property development. State and federal decision-makers can use it in planning for responses to flood emergencies.

    Does it mean we can avoid disastrous floods like those in Spain and Lismore? Yes and no. We now have the knowledge and tools to adapt to the increased risk levels already arriving. Yet implementing this will be challenging. In many cases, it will require retrofitting or redesigning existing infrastructure to withstand more intense flooding.

    Climate change is no longer something we can file under “problem for the future”. It’s here already. The flood risks we face today are already substantially worse than 25 years ago, and will continue to worsen. We must accelerate how we plan for extreme, rapid rainfall creating catastrophic floods like those in Spain.

    Conrad Wasko receives funding from The University of Sydney and the Australian Research Council. Conrad has previously received funding from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

    Andrew Dowdy receives funding from University of Melbourne, including through the Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and the Melbourne Energy Institute.

    Seth Westra is a Professor of Hydrology and Climate Risk at the University of Adelaide, Director of Research for the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre, and Chair of the Systems Cooperative. Seth receives funding from state and federal governments support decision making under hydrological or climatic uncertainty.

    – ref. The extreme floods which devastated Spain are hitting more often. Is Australia ready for the next one? – https://theconversation.com/the-extreme-floods-which-devastated-spain-are-hitting-more-often-is-australia-ready-for-the-next-one-242686

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US elections: Cook Islands group warns of climate crisis pushback if Trump wins

    By Losirene Lacanivalu of the Cook Islands News

    The leading Cook Islands environmental lobby group says that if Donald Trump wins the United States elections — and he seemed to be on target to succeed as results were rolling in tonight — he will push back on climate change negotiations made since he was last in office.

    As voters in the US cast their votes on who would be the next president, Trump or US Vice-President Kamala Harris, the question for most Pacific Islands countries is what this will mean for them?

    “If Trump wins, it will push back on any progress that has been made in the climate change negotiations since he was last in office,” said Te Ipukarea Society’s Kelvin Passfield.

    “It won’t be good for the Pacific Islands in terms of US support for climate change. We have not heard too much on Kamala Harris’s climate policy, but she would have to be better than Trump.”

    The current President Joe Biden and his administration made some efforts to connect with Pacific leaders.

    Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies senior lecturer Dr Anna Powles said a potential win for Harris could be the fulfilment of the many “promises” made to the Pacific for climate financing, uplifting economies of the Pacific and bolstering defence security.

    Dr Powles said Pacific leaders want Harris to deliver on the Pacific Partnership Strategy, the outcomes of the two Pacific Islands-US summits in 2022 and 2023, and the many diplomatic visits undertaken during President Biden’s presidency.

    Diplomatic relationships
    The Biden administration recognised Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states and established diplomatic relationships with them.

    The Biden-Harris government had pledged to boost funding to the Green Climate Fund by US$3 billion at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates.

    Harris has said in the past that climate change is an existential threat and has also promised to “tackle the climate crisis with bold action, build a clean energy economy, advance environmental justice, and increase resilience to climate disasters”.

    Dr Powles said that delivery needed to be the focus.

    She said the US Elections would no doubt have an impact on small island nations facing climate change and intensified geopolitics.

    Dr Powles said it came as “no surprise” that countries such as New Zealand and Australia had increasingly aligned with the US, as the Biden administration had been leveraging strategic partnerships with Australia, New Zealand, and Japan since 2018.

    She said a return to Trump’s leadership could derail ongoing efforts to build security architecture in the Pacific.

    Pull back from Pacific
    There are also views that Trump would pull back from the Pacific and focus on internal matters, directly impacting his nation.

    For Trump, there is no mention of the climate crisis in his platform or Agenda47.

    This is in line with the former president’s past actions, such as withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2019, citing “unfair economic burdens” placed on American workers and businesses.

    Trump has maintained his position that the climate crisis is “one of the great scams of all time”.

    Republished with permission from the Cook Islands News and RNZ Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Historical reconstructions, creative master classes and more: what awaits guests of the Moskino cinema park this weekend

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    This weekend, visitors to the Moskino Cinema Park will be able to travel to the lands of Red Rus’ in the 11th century and witness the bloody struggle for territories bordering the Polish Principality. On November 9 and 10, reenactors will recreate events related to the campaigns of Yaroslav the Wise. Thematic excursions, exhibitions and historical master classes have also been prepared for guests. Live music will also be playing in the cinema park all weekend.

    Entrance to events on November 9 and 10 by tickets. You can buy and pay for them only online, cash payment is not provided. In case of visiting only the cinema, purchasing a ticket to enter the Moskino cinema park is not required. Parking in a personal car when visiting the cinema park is free.

    See historical battles and master ancient crafts

    These days, the Moskino cinema park will become the arena of events from 1030–1031. The border towns of Przemysl and Cherven, first annexed after the Baptism of Rus during the reign of Vladimir the Saint, had been the subject of a dispute between the neighbors since the 10th century. It was these lands that Yaroslav’s brother Svyatopolk the Accursed gave to the Polish king in exchange for troops to help in the struggle for power over Rus. Prince Yaroslav the Wise put an end to his brother’s claims and recaptured the territories on the border with Poland.

    Guests of the Moskino cinema park will see military shows and professional productions dedicated to the events of those years. At 11:00 and 16:00 viewers will see the drill training of squads dressed in authentic costumes of warriors of those times.

    At the Cathedral Square site at 12:00 you can cheer for the participants of the squad tournament, and at 14:00 you can listen to a lecture on “Clothing of the inhabitants of Rus”. At 17:30 you can see the battle of the troops of Yaroslav the Wise and the army of the Polish king Boleslav I. About 80 people will take part in the detailed reconstruction.

    At 15:00 in the culinary lecture hall, everyone will be shown how to prepare dishes according to old and traditional recipes. Among them are meat and bean soups, homemade cheese, smoked brisket, onion jam, as well as juicy chicken on the fire, pork ribs smoked in a cauldron and hearty pork roast.

    These days, the cinema park will organize three excursion routes at once through several exhibitions. The first exhibition will show unique costumes from the 9th–11th centuries, the second will demonstrate various military equipment from the 11th century. During a visit to the third exhibition, guests will learn the most interesting details related to the life of Rus’ in the 11th century. The excursions last 20 minutes and will take place in turns throughout the day — from 10:00 to 18:00. The meeting place is the stele near the display cases with historical exhibits.

    At the master classes, participants will be offered to try themselves in the role of a blacksmith and candle maker, master the technique of printing on fabric, the basics of calligraphy and carpet weaving, learn the basics of wood and soapstone carving, and also take part in the production of beads and amulet dolls, practice minting coins and soap making. Guests will learn how jewelers worked without microscopes and bright lighting, how armor was created, visit a warrior school and military training classes, and visit a gunsmith and tanner.

    And military equipment from the 20th century can be seen in the parking lot in front of the Vadim Zadorozhny Museum of Equipment. The exhibition “Behind the Ribbon” presents airborne and infantry armored vehicles, support vehicles such as the BMD-1, BTR-60, BTR-70, Ural-375, GAZ-66, BTR-60 and others.

    Get creative and go on a film trip

    On 25 sites of the cinema park, all comers will find active games and other events. For example, you can shoot a bow, fight on tyambars and manually start a fire. Guests will also be offered to play board games “Tavley”, “Mill”, “Fox and Geese”, “Daldosa”.

    You can also take a fascinating journey through your favorite films. For example, the Uyezdny Gorod site will host the premiere of a staged shoot based on Mikhail Kozakov’s famous film Pokrovskie Vorota. Guests will be able to play their favorite characters: Velyurov, Kostik, Margarita, or Khobotov. The shoot will take place from 10:00 to 18:00.

    The Pitersky Bar venue will turn into the legendary Three Minnows tavern from the Buratino fairy tale. Guests will act out a scene fragment together with the fox Alice and the cat Basilio. You can take a souvenir photo dressed as the fairytale character.

    At the Moscow in the 1940s site, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the post-war capital, try on the image of the heroes of that time and take photos.

    In the educational center of the Moskino cinema park, young Muscovites will take part in master classes. Thus, at the string art master class, children, under the guidance of experienced craftsmen, will create works of art by forming images from threads. And at another, they will make a movie clapperboard, a device used for sound synchronization during filming. Children will be taught how to depict emotions using face painting and oil paint at a master class on face painting with special paints. Participation in the master classes is paid.

    On the first floor of the educational center you can also buy a ticket for a walking tour. Starting at 11:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:00.

    Children are welcome in the Fairytale Park. In the castle, they will learn teamwork when moving cubes from one sector to another, and will demonstrate their accuracy in the Ring Toss. And at the Snake Catcher station, children will have a fun game with a rope and islands. In addition, children will take part in the Horseman relay race with a toy horse and sword, the Spinner game, and in balls.

    Become a star and watch a movie

    All visitors to the Media Academy of the film park will be able to unleash their creative potential this coming weekend. There will be classes on acting, where they will teach how to create memorable images, tell the secrets of stage speech, plasticity and movement, and also introduce various acting techniques.

    Guests are also welcome to a dance master class, where participants will be able to create their own style of movement to music. And in the “Sing Like in the Movies!” classes, vocal teachers will teach you how to control your breathing, help you understand how to work with the diaphragm and make your voice beautiful and expressive. Entrance is paid.

    Musical groups will perform at the Gonzaga Theatre. They will play pieces on ancient instruments such as the duduk and the bugle. In addition, viewers will be able to learn all the secrets of sword fights and understand how the knights fought in the legendary Soviet film The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe, the box office leader of 1983.

    At the Moskino Kinopark cinema, adults will be able to watch the drama Love of the Soviet Union, which tells about the fates of people in the 1930s, and the film Time to Live, starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. For fans of family films, the program includes a new film, The Return of Kesha the Parrot. Guests will also enjoy fairy-tale adventures in the new fantasy Tinderbox, filmed in Karelia and in the reserves of the Novgorod Region. Tickets can be purchased on the website.

    Weekend at the Moskino Cinema Park

    Immerse yourself in the world of cinema, try yourself in various creative directions and simply enjoy free time with family and friends – this is the unique opportunity that the Moskino cinema park offers its guests.

    The Moskino Cinema Park, which is part of the Moscow Cinema Cluster, is part of Sergei Sobyanin’s Moscow — City of Cinema project. The first stage of its development has already been completed: 18 natural sites, four pavilions and six infrastructure facilities have been built. Among them are the sets of Moscow Center, Moscow in the 1940s, Vitebsk Station, Yurovo Airport, Cathedral Square, Deaf Village, County Town, Cowboy Town, St. Petersburg Bar and other sites.

    The capital’s film cluster also includes the Maxim Gorky Film Studio (sites on Sergei Eisenstein Street and Valdaisky Proezd), the Moskino cinema chain, the Moskino film factory, the Moskino film commission, and the Moskino film platform.

    The President of Russia and the Mayor of Moscow ceremoniously opened the Moskino cinema parkFrom Ancient Rus’ to Our Time: Which Sites of the Moskino Cinema Park Can You Immerse Yourself in Different ErasVitebsk railway station, Cathedral square and the plane cabin. Exploring the Moskino cinema park

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/146236073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Government to introduce urgent legislation after High Court strikes down law to monitor former immigration detainees

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The High Court has struck down the Albanese government’s law enabling it to impose ankle bracelets and curfews on the more than 200 non-citizens it released from immigration detention in 2023 after  an earlier decision by the court.

    Wednesday’s decision, by a five-two majority, found the measures “punitive” and an infringement of the constitution.

    The plaintiff in the case  was a stateless Eritrean who was released from immigration detention last November. He was later charged  with six offences  for failing to comply with his monitoring and curfew conditions. The charges are  pending  in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.  His earlier criminal record includes a 2017 conviction for offences of burglary and causing injury.

    Legislation for the measures was rushed through parliament a year ago, in response to the release of the detainees, many of whom had serious criminal records, including for murder, rape and assault.

    During consideration of the bill, the opposition forced the government to toughen it – from providing for the measures only where needed for community safety, to saying the minister must act unless satisfied the person did not pose a risk.

    At the time constitutional experts such as Anne Twomey, from the University of Sydney,nas well as the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills expressed doubts about the legislation.

    Twomey wrote: “the effects of the political bidding war to be seen as the ‘toughest’ and most punitive  towards non-citizens will make it infinitely harder for Commonwealth lawyers to defend these measures in the courts”.

    The opposition said in a statement the effect of the court decision would be that “215 dangerous non-citizen offenders including 12 murderers, 66 sex offenders, 97 people convicted of assault, 15 domestic violence perpetrators and others will be free in the community without any monitoring or curfews”.

    It said since being released, 65 of these people had been charged with new state or territory offences, with 45 remaining free in the community.

    Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said regulations were being finalised for “an adjusted process” for electronic monitoring and curfews. “I will sign off on these regulations later today.”

    Burke said that on Thursday he would introduce new legislation to support the regulations. That legislation would also strengthen the government’s power to remove to third countries people whose visas had been cancelled.

    “The court decision is not the one the government wanted – but it is one the government has prepared for,” Burke said.

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

    – ref. Government to introduce urgent legislation after High Court strikes down law to monitor former immigration detainees – https://theconversation.com/government-to-introduce-urgent-legislation-after-high-court-strikes-down-law-to-monitor-former-immigration-detainees-243027

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Independent Helen Haines says the NACC has had ‘disappointing start’, and the government is pork barrelling

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Trust in politicians is at an all-time low, not only in Australia but across the world. Now more than ever, people are demanding a higher standard for our elected officials.

    The row over flight upgrades and the Qantas lounge has reinforced distrust.

    So has the strong criticism of the head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Paul Brereton, in his conduct over referrals from the Robodebt royal commission. The Inspector of the NACC found Brereton, who had a conflict of interest because he knew one of the people, had not properly recused himself from the consideration of whether the NACC should investigate the referrals.

    Independent MP Helen Haines, who holds the Victorian seat of Indi, has long focused on integrity issues, and she joined us on the podcast.

    Haines, who is deputy chair of the parliamentary committee with oversight of the NACC, says the new body – which she strongly believes is surrounded by too much secrecy – has not started well:

    We are just over one year in, but I’d have to say that the National Anti-Corruption Commission has got off to a disappointing start, given the Robodebt incident and the subsequent inquiry by the Inspector.

    The [parliamentary] oversight committee will have the opportunity very soon – in a public hearing on the 22nd of November, when the Commissioner comes before us in regard to the annual report of the NACC – to ask him questions. And I certainly will be giving full consideration to what line of questioning needs to happen in that committee in order to unpack the events of the past year.

    Will that committee make a decision on whether Commissioner Brereton should be asked to resign?

    I think what happens next will be determined by what the committee unpacks in that public hearing. But I think, to be clear, that under the legislation, our committee has powers to review the performance of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners. So that’s what we’ll be doing.

    On grant programs, Haines says the Albanese government is pork barrelling, just as the Coalition did:

    It’s a really strong example of the two major parties and the duopoly they hold. They wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work. But there are ways that we can remedy this. I’ve put forward twice in the parliament now a piece of private member’s legislation that would bring an end to pork barrelling. It would mean that eligibility criteria and guidelines by legislation must be published before grant moneys are allocated.

    It would re-institute parliamentary oversight of these grant programs. And it would make sure that in circumstances where the department had recommended particular projects but a minister wished to make a different decision to override that, which may be quite legitimate, but that the minister would need to come into the House and explain that.

    When she is reminded one argument for a vote for an independent in her seat of Indi, when her predecessor Cathy McGowan ran, had been to make it more competitive in attracting promises, she says:

    Now I think that’s regrettable. I think, though, it’s a symptom of the cynicism that everyday citizens feel when the major parties have what they consider safe seats and what they consider marginal seats.

    I think that what I’ve learnt as a member of parliament is that we never fix the system if we remain that cynical. I think we need to say, what’s the problem here? The problem is that the major parties are using taxpayer dollars for political purposes and that, yes, you can feel angry, disappointed and, in fact, so cynical that you take the approaches, as we did in Indi, to say, well, we need to change our representation.

    I’m saying it’s no wonder people buy into that when there’s no remedy. I want to see a remedy.

    On her decision to this week to cancel her membership of the Qantas chairman’s lounge and its Virgin equivalent:

    For me, the potential or perceived conflict of interest or actual conflict of interest that may arise from holding such a membership when I’m a legislator is a risk that I’m not willing to take now.

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

    – ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Independent Helen Haines says the NACC has had ‘disappointing start’, and the government is pork barrelling – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-independent-helen-haines-says-the-nacc-has-had-disappointing-start-and-the-government-is-pork-barrelling-243029

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US election results: Trump leads electoral college votes as Republicans regain Senate

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This is a rolling guide to articles and audio published by The Conversation in the immediate run-up to and aftermath of the election, with some explainers about the process. This page is updated from the top, so older references are moved down the page.

    Good morning world. The United States has made its choice. And, as of 5am Donald Trump and the Republican Party will be the happier contenders, having so far won the most electoral college votes and the first swing states of North Carolina and Georgia, as well as regaining control of the Senate.

    It’s been a turbulent four months since outgoing president Joe Biden announced he was terminating his bid for a second term and the battlelines between the two candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were drawn. Soon we will know who will lead the US for the next four years.

    From here, with the help of some of the sharpest analysts of US politics, we’ll keep you updated and informed as the situation develops.

    To get an idea of the scale of the task of counting votes, take a look at the below map of the US colour-coded by poll closing times. How long the count could take is anyone’s guess at this stage. Each state has its own rules.

    Ahead of the polls closing Richard Hargy, an expert in US politics from Queen’s University Belfast, wrote a guide to the process, when the votes are counted and when we might start to see results.



    Read more:
    US election: what time do the polls close and when will the results be known? An expert explains

    Delays are baked into the process, such as Pennsylvania, which doesn’t allow votes cast before election day or ballots posted in to be counted until polls close, which was at 8pm (1am GMT).

    So we’ll just have to be patient. In the mean time, you can also read Hargy’s explainer on the “electoral college” system, which can mean that the candidate with the most votes may not win the presidency.



    Read more:
    US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?

    Early voting and what it might mean

    Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at University College Dublin, believes that in a cliffhanger election, a clue to the outcome may be in the size of turnout. More than 80 million Americans voted early – around half of the total turnout in 2020 and around one-third of the eligible electorate.

    The 80 million figure takes on added significance with the recognition that it is not that distant from the 104 million who participated early in the “pandemic” election four years ago. And that 2020 ballot, with 158.4 million votes and almost 67% participation, was the largest turnout since 1900.

    Who does that favour? Probably Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Trumpists will turn out for their man come hell or high water. The large question mark has been whether potential Harris voters would sit on their hands, whether from lack of enthusiasm or dissatisfaction on issues such as Israel’s open-ended war on Gaza.

    Any prediction in this election is a risk. But it might be worth setting a marker: if turnout matches or exceeds the record set in 2020, Kamala Harris could be on the way to the White House.

    Tense moment for the US

    During the campaign there have been two assassination attempts on former president Trump as well as arson attacks on ballot boxes and ballots damaged. In Arizona the Democratic party was forced to close one of its offices after it had been shot at three times.

    Dafydd Townley, a fellow in international security at Portsmouth University, believes that there could be a reluctance to accept the result and that this could result in further disturbances. He has written about how much violence there has been during this campaign.



    Read more:
    US election: officials are issued with panic buttons as attacks on ballot boxes continue

    Dafyyd Townley comments on post-election violence.

    How race has played into the campaign

    Rhianna Garrett, PhD researcher and global coordinator of the critical mixed race studies executive board at Loughborough University, says that Trump’s campaign has been “littered with attempts to weaponise” the multiracial heritage of his Democrat opponent Kamala Harris.

    Much of this has been a dog-whistle attempt to stir up his own base, partly with fairly blatant appeals to latent feelings of racism, but also as a tool to position Harris as deceiving and untrustworthy by apparently blurring and shifting her own background.

    In August, not long after Harris took over the Democrat ticket from Biden, Trump appeared at the National Association of Black Journalists conference when he wrongfully claimed that Harris was changing her identity, stating: “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black, So I don’t know. Is she Indian or is she Black?”.

    For her part, Harris’s campaign has also used her multiracial heritage to further their political agendas. On the White House website, she is described as “the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American” to hold a vice-presidential position, which has effectively attempted to position her as a winner. Harris herself has also foregrounded “race” on her campaign website. In attempt to attack Trump’s campaign, she strategically aims to promote Black and Latino men specifically, as well as women’s rights. These are key voter groups she has aimed to mobilise through identity politics.

    Trump and winning male voters

    Donald Trump widened his appeal to male voters in this election, with polling indicating that he was picking up more support from Black and Latino men, as well as more young men more widely.

    One reason for this may be that in 2024 young men are more conservative than any other group in the US. Another reason why gender has become a divisive issue is the overturning of Roe v Wade, the legal case that gave American women abortion rights.

    Read more on the gender divide in this article from Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor of government at Essex University.



    Read more:
    US election: why more men and fewer white women say they will vote for Trump

    A free speech campaign?

    Julie Posetti, professor of journalism at City St George’s, University of London, and global director of research at the International Center for Journalists, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Americans on their attitudes to the press.

    Breaking down the results, they were able to build a picture of what people in the US think of targeting journalists for criticism and even abuse. You can read all about the study here.



    Read more:
    New survey finds an alarming tolerance for attacks on the press in the US – particularly among white, Republican men

    When Trump speaks – his supporters hear him loud and clear

    Channel 4 is showing pictures of the Trump party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, where the Maga faithful are celebrating the news that it appears that Trump has retaken Georgia in his second swing-state victory. Their idol is expected to join them soon.

    While we wait for him to speak, here’s a fascinating piece on Trump’s rhetorical style by Loren D. Marsh of the Humboldt University of Berlin. His speeches have been ridiculed by his opponents during the campaign. They say he’s unfocused, rambling and at times nonsensical. He calls it the “weave” and says it’s genius. Marsh says that whatever you may think, it seems to work for his supporters.

    Far from being a liability or an indication he is incapable of staying on message, Trump’s “weave” may well be his intuitive rhetorical strategy, a way of taking control of the media narrative.



    Read more:
    Trump’s speeches are chaotic, rambling, and extremely effective. Aristotle can explain why

    A bad night for the pollsters

    Natasha

    – ref. US election results: Trump leads electoral college votes as Republicans regain Senate – https://theconversation.com/us-election-results-trump-leads-electoral-college-votes-as-republicans-regain-senate-241711

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump takes first swing states of North Carolina and Georgia after voting passes peacefully

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth

    Donald Trump looked poised to take some key battleground states this morning as votes continue to be counted. The Republicans were also being predicted to take control of the Senate.

    North Carolina with its 16 electoral college votes was called for Trump in the early hours of the morning, and another key east coast state, Georgia and its 16 electoral college votes, was also predicted to have been gained by Trump. Trump won other major states, from Iowa to Texas, with a strong showing at the polls.

    As well as this, Republicans have taken back control of the Senate as they were forecast to, after Democrats lost their slender lead. If Trump is victorious, this will provide him with the congressional support he needs to get his appointees ratified and pass laws without obstruction.

    Turnout has been impressive and initial speculation is that Trump has surpassed his rural support from 2020 while Democrat Kamala Harris only matched the suburban numbers that Biden achieved four years ago. NBC exit polls also showed Trump had more support from voters under 30 than any Republican candidate since 2008.

    The BBC reported that early exit polls indicated that voters were most concerned with the state of the democracy (35%) with the economy coming a close second (31%).

    These concerns have led to a turnout that will be just below the 2020 figures, according to Professor Michael McDonald, of the University of Florida.

    In too-close-to-call battleground state Pennsylvania, it was reported that voters were queueing in their hundreds over an hour before the polls opened at 7am.

    In Michigan, another key state in the election, officials said that those voters who had voted early – both the absentee and in-person votes – numbered almost as many as the total votes for the 2020 election.

    Michigan’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, said that the state was “on pace to see another high turnout election with voters all across the state enthusiastic and engaged”. And much of it was done in a good atmosphere with election chairperson Jennifer Jenkins telling reporters that it was “good vibes all around”.

    Safety concerns

    Concerns about whether election day would pass peacefully have not kept voters away.

    As revealed in a memo obtained by the non-partisan group, Property of the People, the Department of Homeland Security had issued a warning in September that election infrastructure was “an attractive target for some domestic violent extremists” particularly those with “election-related grievances” who seek to disrupt the democratic process and election operations.

    In the nation’s capital, Washington DC, police arrested a man who was stopped during the screening process at the US Capitol visitor centre. Authorities stated that he smelled like gasoline and had a torch lighter, flare gun and papers he intended to deliver to Congress.

    Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, speaking at a press conference shortly after the incident, stated that “there is no indication right now that it had anything to do with the election”.

    The greatest threat to the smooth running of the election on polling day seemed not to come from domestic perpetrators but from foreign interference, particularly in the crucial swing state races.

    Several polling stations in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin were the victims of hoax bomb threats that caused temporary closures of the sites. The threats were believed to be sent by emails that were traced back to Russian email domains.

    In Navajo County in Arizona, four polling stations were the target of bomb threats. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told reporters that election officials in the state had “no reason to believe that any of our voters or any of our polling places are in any sort of jeopardy.”

    “We also have reason to believe, although I won’t get into specifics, that this comes from one of our foreign enemies, namely Russia,” he continued.

    In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro announced at a press conference that there had been multiple bomb threats at polling stations and municipal centres across the state.

    Shapiro, who was at one time thought of as a potential running mate for Harris, revealed that “state and local law enforcement – along with the FBI – are investigating these threats and thus far, there is no credible threat to the public”.

    This came after reports emerged of at least ten polling locations in Philadelphia and in surrounding areas were sent a bomb threat via email at 6pm local time.

    Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused Russia of being the cause of the threats aimed at polling locations in the southern state. “They don’t want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory,” he told reporters.

    The FBI stated that it was aware of the threats and that many appeared “to originate from Russian email domains”. The Russian embassy in Washington denied the threats.

    Last Thursday, Georgia was also the subject of what the US intelligence community called a disinformation campaign designed to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election result through an online video that “depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia”.

    Researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina identified the work as being that of Russian disinformation group Storm -1516. Darren Linvill of Clemson University, stated that Russian group had “turned their focus squarely on the US election.”

    And the integrity of this election took a further hit when Republican candidate Donald Trump made unfounded accusations on social media platform Truth Social of election fraud in Philadelphia, a must-win state for the former president.

    Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said through a spokesperson that “the only talk about massive cheating has come from one of the candidates, Donald J. Trump. There is no factual basis whatsoever within law enforcement to support this wild allegation”.

    Experts have warned that such campaigns could give momentum to accusations that the election is not legitimate and that this, in turn, could trigger post-election violence.

    As the results come in, America holds it breath that any potential transition of power will be more peaceful than four years ago.

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

    – ref. Trump takes first swing states of North Carolina and Georgia after voting passes peacefully – https://theconversation.com/trump-takes-first-swing-states-of-north-carolina-and-georgia-after-voting-passes-peacefully-242716

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Donald Trump poised to become next US president, likely sweeping all the seven key states

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    Donald Trump is set to accomplish the rare feat of winning the US presidential election after losing an earlier one.

    The New York Times Needle gives Trump a 95% chance to win the Electoral College. He’s estimated to have won Georgia (16 electoral votes) by 2.5% over Democrat Kamala Harris and North Carolina (16) by 3.3%.

    Other key states have not yet been called, but Trump has an 85% probability of winning Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes), a 71% chance to win Michigan (15), a 79% chance to win Wisconsin (ten) and an 83% chance to win Arizona (11). There are still no results from Nevada (six).

    If Trump wins all the seven key states in which the “needle” favours him, he will win the Electoral College by a 312–226 margin.

    The needle’s popular vote projection also favours Trump by 1.2%. If Trump wins the popular vote as well as the Electoral College, it will be the first time Republicans have won both since 2004. In 2000 and 2016, Republicans won the Electoral College but not the popular vote.

    The main reasons for Trump’s victory were Joe Biden’s unpopularity, the US economy being only just above average, and record illegal immigration during Biden’s term. I’ve mentioned all these factors in my previous US election articles.

    Abortion was not the vote-shifter Democrats expected. In lower-turnout elections such as the 2022 midterms and byelections, Democrats have performed well owing to voters motivated by abortion. But in this high-turnout presidential election, abortion was marginalised.

    Polls understated Trump across the board, though they were not as bad as they were in 2020. Using Nate Silver’s aggregate of final polls, Trump outperformed his polls in the seven key states by two to three points. This is the third successive time that polls have underestimated Trump.

    In the past, the Selzer Iowa poll has had outlier results that turned out to be accurate. This time the final Selzer poll gave Harris a three-point lead in Iowa, but Trump will win by 13 points according to the needle’s forecast.

    Barack Obama won Florida in both 2008 and 2012, and Trump won it by one to three points in both 2016 and 2020. This year, Trump won Florida by 56–43. He won the heavily Hispanic Miami-Dade county by 55–44. At the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton had defeated Trump in Miami-Dade by 63–34.

    In some states that have nearly finished counting, such as Kentucky, there were swings across the board to Trump compared with 2020. It wasn’t just a rural swing to Trump as there were also swings in urban counties.

    The New York Times said Trump had gained nine to ten points since 2020 in New York, New Jersey and Florida, all racially diverse states.

    The only comfort for Democrats from this election is that the gap between the popular vote and the Electoral College “tipping point” state has almost disappeared, if the needle is right. Democrats will lose the popular vote by 1.2% but Pennsylvania, the tipping point state, by 2.2%. This will be a gap of 1.0%, down from nearly 3.9% in 2020.

    Senate also ugly for Democrats

    Democrats and allied independents held a 51–49 Senate majority coming into this election, but they were defending 23 of the 33 regular seats up for election. Senators have six-year terms with two from each of the 50 states.

    Republicans have gained the Senate with a 51–42 lead over Democrats, after gaining West Virginia and Ohio from Democrats and defending Florida, Nebraska and Texas. Republicans lead Democrats in four more Senate races, so they could win a 55–45 Senate majority.

    All of the House of Representatives is up for election every two years. Republicans currently have a 183–155 lead over Democrats. A majority requires 218 seats.

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

    – ref. Donald Trump poised to become next US president, likely sweeping all the seven key states – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-poised-to-become-next-us-president-likely-sweeping-all-the-seven-key-states-242766

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Luigi Federico Signorini: The journey to financial well-being through financial inclusion

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Today’s event will explore the connection between financial inclusion and financial well-being. Why is this important?

    Financial inclusion has become a widely shared goal of government policies and a topic of interest for central banks and financial authorities at the international level. It has received a lot of attention over the years as an instrument to foster growth, reduce inequalities, increase employment, and alleviate poverty.1 Financial inclusion may help people cope with macroeconomic and idiosyncratic shocks, as it facilitates financial planning and the intertemporal shift of financial resources.

    From the policymaker’s standpoint financial inclusion is important as it improves the individual’s economic and financial well-being, whilst having a positive impact on the economy as whole. Studies find that the benefits of financial inclusion can be substantial even in countries with well-developed financial markets, because it can translate into higher wealth accumulation and greater resilience of low-income households. Other studies, focusing on emerging and developing countries, find that increased usage of bank accounts via debit cards has boosted the saving rate significantly because it reduces transaction costs for people to access their money.2

    The digitalisation of finance has significantly contributed to promoting financial inclusion through more efficient and effective technologies and through increased competition, which leads to higher quality products and services and to lower costs. Over the last decades, notable progress has been made around the world in increasing access to financial products and services for more individuals, with 76 per cent of people worldwide having a bank or mobile money account in 2021. This represents a significant increase from 2011 when the figure stood at 51 per cent.3

    Nonetheless, progress has been uneven across regions, even controlling for income levels. Increased access to digital financial products and services has not translated, in some cases, into higher actual usage of financial products and services. Moreover, in some instances, financial innovation has resulted in the lower financial inclusion of rural households4 or in the worsened financial well-being of individuals, particularly as the result of over-indebtedness and exposure to fraud and scams.5

    Possible causes include market failures, lack of competition, inadequate consumer protection rules and an insufficient level of digital and financial literacy.6 Even in advanced countries – where the offer of financial services is regulated and transparent, and consumers are better protected from intermediaries’ improper behaviour – authorities continue to consider how to improve the regulatory environment to manage new risks.

    A specific matter of concern is the exclusion of those who do not possess adequate digital skills for accessing and using the financial services. The data show that the elderly, those with lower education levels, and those living in rural areas suffer from limited access. The shift to digital channels will continue; appropriate actions need to be put into place to ensure that everybody can reap its benefits.

    It is generally understood that financial inclusion has three dimensions: access, use and quality. The first is the possibility for individuals to access basic financial services and products. The second is the actual ability of individuals to use such services and products in an effective way. The third (and subtler) dimension consists in creating the conditions for financial services and products to work best to improve people’s financial well-being.

    Progress along all three dimensions – access, use and quality – should ideally be simultaneous. Achieving better results on all three fronts is important to ensure the empowerment of consumers, so that markets can actually work in their best interest.

    The first dimension requires good infrastructures, which are a prerequisite for enabling the efficient and secure provision of financial services. It also requires a competitive environment, to foster higher cost-efficiency, a more diversified offering of financial products and services, and greater consumer choice.

    The second and third dimensions require consumer protection measures and financial education.

    Ex ante transparency rules work to ensure that customers are well informed before purchasing a financial product. Ex post rules need to envisage effective recourse if something goes wrong. Conduct supervision monitors the correct implementation of rules. Free and open competition is once again essential to enable consumers to exploit the full potential of transparency and conduct rules.

    Nothing, however, will work very well unless consumers are endowed with the minimum knowledge that is necessary (1) to make effective use of the information provided, (2) to activate in practice the tools through which services are offered, (3) to compare in a meaningful way the products offered on the market, and (4) to take full advantage of consumer protection rules. Therefore, financial and digital education initiatives are important.

    Given the growing complexity of financial markets, and the new opportunities offered by digitalisation, the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) has shifted its focus from simple access to financial services, which was originally its main objective, to fostering the use of financial services and understanding the conditions under which financial inclusion can enhance financial well-being.

    Last September, Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Honorary Patron of the GPFI, after having spent 15 years as United Nations Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development was given a new role focusing specifically on financial health (Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health). This also marks a change in perspective towards the need to focus on the actual outcomes of financial inclusion.

    Data are useful. The Global Findex database, maintained by the World Bank, is a valuable tool for evaluating progress on access and usage of financial services. More work may be needed on the quality dimension; concepts, statistics and pre-conditions for comparability are all thorny issues, and it is probably appropriate to rely on a set of different indicators rather than concentrate on a single one.

    Once again: the issue is empowerment, not paternalism – or, as one should perhaps say, parentalism. In all this, there should be no presumption that the regulator, even the best intentioned one, is in a position to take decisions for the consumer. Comprehensive financial education and a robust framework of consumer protection rules are the best tools available to us to enable consumers to make their choices in full awareness of the opportunities and risks.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Excursion without a reason: Russpass offers original ideas for walks around the capital

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The online publication “Russpass-magazine” has published a selection of short routes around Moscow. City residents and tourists are invited to arrange city tour for the price of one trip with the Troika card, as well as take a walk near one of the city’s train stations.

    Stations and squares

    For many, getting to know Moscow begins at the train stations, where not only long-distance trains arrive, but also express trains from airports. Tourists are offered excursions to while away the time between trips.

    So, you can take a fascinating walk by arriving at Paveletsky Station. Tourists from Saratov, Tambov, Volgograd and other cities of Russia, as well as passengers from Domodedovo Airport, arrive here. Not far from the station is Zatsepskaya Square, and if you go on foot in a straight line, then in half an hour you can reach Red Square. You can also take tram No. 38 and go to Krutitsky Podvorye. An alternative option is to stay in the vicinity of Paveletsky Station and go explore the alleys of the Zamoskvorechye district.

    The city from the tram window

    Interesting routes are not only in the center of the capital. Russpass offers to travel from the Voykovskaya metro station on tram No. 27. From the panoramic window you can see historical buildings and untouched islands of living nature. The tram goes past the complex of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev through former academic fields and forest dachas to the Dmitrovskaya metro station.

    A Walk Around VDNKh and the History of Food: The Most Popular Audio Tours from the Russpass ServiceTravel Builder: Russpass Helped Tourists Plan 38,000 Trips

    Service Rosspas launched in 2020. In four years, it has become an entire tourism ecosystem, with the help of which it is easy to plan a trip, book tickets and a hotel, and select excursions. Interesting facts about traveling in Russia are posted in the online publication “Russpass-magazine”. In addition, since June 2023, a portal has been operating for representatives of the tourism industry “Russpass. Business”.

    The service was created on the initiative of the Moscow Government. The project is supervised by the capital Tourism Committee together with the city Department of Information Technology.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/146208073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Experts weigh in on real threats to stability in South China Sea

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Chinese experts at a special forum in Beijing have pointed out that the root causes of the instability in the South China Sea are the United States picking sides on the South China Sea issue, certain claimants in relevant disputes attempting to enforce their illegal interests, and the illegal award of the arbitration tribunal in 2016.
    The experts from various research centers and universities discussed the issues at an event on Tuesday organized by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI).
    Responding to claims by some Western countries that China’s construction on some islands and reefs in Nansha Qundao had changed the “status quo” in the area, Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, explained that related moves by China are measures aimed at countering the Philippines’ arbitration claim and improving China’s unfavorable position on relevant islands and reefs under its jurisdiction.
    Such measures are both reasonable and lawful, Wu said.
    Hu Bo, director of the Center for Maritime Strategy Studies of Peking University, said that China’s claims to sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea have remained consistent and continuous.
    Hu said the main sources of the current instability and turbulence in the South China Sea can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, some claimant countries, such as the Philippines, have attempted to alter the status quo and even undermine the commitment made by all parties in the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” not to occupy new uninhabited islands or reefs. Secondly, the involvement of the United States in the South China Sea disputes and its intensified military deterrence measures.
    Hu pointed to the fact that the situation in the South China Sea was generally more stable during the period from the end of the Cold War to 2009, when the United States paid less attention to the area and the Southeast Asian region.
    Some other experts, including Lei Xiaolu, a professor at the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies of Wuhan University, and Zheng Zhihua, an associate professor at the Center for Japanese Studies under the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, criticized the illegal “arbitral award” in 2016.
    They stressed that it was made by a tribunal that had no jurisdiction, and that the award, in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and of China’s rights as a State Party under the UNCLOS, is null and void and has no binding force.
    The experts also warned that the United States is attempting to draw forces outside the region into the South China Sea issue by hyping up fake narratives regarding freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, making the situation more complicated.
    However, the experts also said they believe the situation in the South China Sea is far less tense than claimed by some countries and portrayed by some media organizations.
    “It is the United States that poses the greatest threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea,” said Yan Yan, director of the Research Center for Oceans Law and Policy, National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
    The United States interprets international maritime law navigation rules in a manner that aligns with its own national interests and imposes them as standards to compel regional countries to accept, a typical manifestation of American maritime hegemony, Yan added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Department of Construction Organization held the “Master’s Readings” for the first time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Participants of the scientific and practical seminar “Master’s Readings”

    On November 2, the Department of Construction Organization of SPbGASU held a regional scientific and practical seminar “Master’s Readings”.

    “This is our first experience, and I hope it will be positive. It is already positive – we have 24 reports,” said Maxim Molodtsov, associate professor of the construction organization department, at the opening of the seminar.

    The presentations were devoted to topics relevant to the modern construction industry. Thus, students Bogdan Pismarkin, Aigul Orazdurdyeva and Daniil Koldyshev spoke about the creation of a digital platform with the working title “Jack of All Trades”. The platform is designed to search for and plan labor resources in construction. The students’ scientific supervisor is the head of the construction organization department Roman Motylev.

    According to Aigul Orazdurdyeva, one of the most critical factors in the development of construction projects is the availability of labor resources at the right time in the right volume. Construction companies face a shortage of personnel, with the risk of hiring unskilled personnel; another difficulty is the large number of contractors and subcontractors.

    The students managed to identify key problems: the lack of a universal platform for searching, selecting, checking and planning labor resources, which would combine the necessary functionality in one place; the lack of the ability to find workers with verified documents and confirmed qualifications in advance; the lack of a rating system that would inspire confidence in the customer and motivate them to perform work more efficiently.

    According to Bogdan Pismarkin, in Soviet times, the issue of shortage of blue-collar workers was resolved with the help of vocational schools (PTU), which trained specialists for various industries. In the modern world, the situation has changed, government agencies no longer regulate this issue. The demand for higher education has grown, and the popularity of Internet professions is growing. There is a shortage of skilled workers, and people have to be hired from abroad. Digital platforms can simplify hiring, provide training and advanced training, and analyze labor market data.

    The digital platform for searching and planning labor resources in construction is an innovative tool that automates the selection, verification, planning and management of personnel. The platform ensures effective interaction between customers and contractors. The product, which is being created by graduate students, will allow you to create an order in one place and respond to it, link the worker’s availability calendar with the construction schedule of the facility; automatically check documents before offering a worker to the company, and confirm qualifications using integration with government services for checking documents. A rating system and gamification elements are also provided, which will allow workers to grow professionally, and customers to receive higher quality work results.

    “The digital platform will become a reliable assistant for both customers and contractors, providing a wide range of opportunities for solving all issues in the field of organizing labor resources,” Bogdan is confident.

    Student Yulianna Bobrovskaya (supervised by Associate Professor of the Department of Construction Organization Maxim Molodtsov) suggests monitoring work at remote sites using modern equipment. The student is convinced that construction in remote areas contributes to their economic development, develops tourism, and reduces pressure on large cities. However, construction companies face a number of difficulties associated with the transportation of materials and equipment, shift work, and slow response to emerging problems. An unmanned aerial vehicle can simplify the developer’s work by filming the site in real time and transmitting information to an IT platform. A specialist will track what is happening and promptly make a decision.

    As an example, Yulianna cited the domestic unmanned aerial vehicle Optiplane S2, which has been produced for seven years and is constantly being modernized. The device is easy to operate and can withstand minimal temperatures. In addition, the manufacturer provides instructions.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE and Yandex Present Report on Integration of Artificial Intelligence into Higher Education

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    The Higher School of Economics and Yandex Education have prepared a joint report, Artificial Intelligence in Education. It analyzes leading global practices that reveal the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the educational sphere. The report is a map with cases of universities in different countries that are already using AI today. The goal of the project is to help Russian universities implement AI, based on the experience of other universities.

    The study includes an extensive block of real cases and examples, including on the topic of the practical use of AI in the world’s leading universities: from helping students explain concepts and translate texts to structuring materials and preparing educational documents.

    The authors analyzed a number of sociological studies around the world. The results of the analysis show that AI is already actively used in both educational (today 49% of students use generative technologies) and management and research activities. At the same time, 47% of students note the positive impact of text generative technologies on learning. As for the main ways of using new technologies, the most popular were clarifying concepts and working with questions for understanding specific disciplinary concepts (56% of those who use GPT), in second place were research tasks and working with literature (45%), in third place was translation of texts (42%), in fourth place was creation and analysis of texts (39%).

    To make the material as interactive as possible, experts from the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Yandex Education have created a special online resource, which contains examples and cases. The platform is a live space that not only demonstrates examples of AI use, but also forms a picture of possible scenarios for its application in the educational environment. Universities that have AI application practices can send their cases to the authors through a special form on the site, and they will be added to the case library.

    The report identifies key areas for integrating AI into the work of students, teachers, researchers, and managers. These areas may become the closest areas for AI development at universities. In this context, the Higher School of Economics has already adopted its own course on using AI in the learning process. The university has formulated an ethical and educational policy, including recommendations on when and to what extent AI should be used in independent work, as well as in which cases it is necessary to inform the teacher about the generated text. The HSE case demonstrates how the correct integration of technologies will allow students to develop the necessary skills for a full and fruitful educational process.

    “At Yandex Education, we have seen how AI technologies have really begun to penetrate and take root in schools, universities, and EdTech platforms over the past year. It is important for the university community and bigtech to see where new growth points are emerging and how the potential of AI can be applied in education. That is why, together with the HSE, we conducted a study of Russian and foreign practices. They turned out to be very different and affect the management system, the life of a student, teachers, and even the didactics of higher education. At the same time, our goal was to create not a frozen picture, but a constantly updated digest of the best global practices. It is in them that university managers, teachers, and researchers will be able to find inspiration for new projects and changing their reality,” comments Kirill Barannikov, Head of Strategic Development of Higher Education at Yandex Education.

    “At the Higher School of Economics, we focus on the opportunities that AI provides for improving the educational and scientific processes at the university. HSE is launching various initiatives aimed at supporting the correct use of AI by both teachers and students. At the same time, we advocate for compliance with ethical principles when using AI and were the first Russian university to adopt an ethical code for the use of artificial intelligence in the educational process,” said Evgeny Terentyev, Director Institute of Education HSE University, Head of International Laboratory for Evaluation of Practices and Innovations in Education.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Climate change poses substantial health risks, report finds

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Cai Wenjia, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of Earth System Science and director of the Lancet Countdown Asia Center, speaks during the launch of the 2024 China Lancet Countdown report at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nov. 5, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Lancet Countdown Asia Center]
    The worsening climate is increasingly endangering public health and threatening economic and social systems that underpin people’s well-being, according to a report released Tuesday.
    The 2024 China report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, published by the Lancet Countdown Asia Center in Beijing, marks the fifth such assessment. The study monitors climate change health risks in China through 2023, along with the country’s adaptation and mitigation efforts.
    The report found that the health impacts of rising temperatures have been substantial. China faced extreme hot and dry weather conditions in 2023, with record-high temperatures and the second-lowest precipitation since 2012. These conditions led to a 309% surge in heatwave-related deaths, a 24% rise in lost work hours and diminished opportunities for outdoor activities.
    “The health risks of climate change are not in the far future. They’re imminent threats in front of us,” said Cai Wenjia, professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of Earth System Science and director of Lancet Countdown Asia Center.
    “Although already dangerous, recent health risks might be just a glimpse of even worse ones to come,” Cai said.
    The report projects that by the 2060s, annual average heatwave-related mortality, heat-related labor productivity losses and wildfire-related deaths will increase 183%-275% and 28%-37%, respectively, compared with 1986-2005 averages. Additionally, the annual excess risk of dengue fever incidence is expected to rise by 15.3%-15.5% from 2013-2019 levels.
    “It is another wake-up call that the climate crisis is the health crisis,” said Martin Taylor, WHO representative to China. He noted that dealing with climate-related health risks may become the new normal.
    Given unprecedented climate challenges, the report pointed out that China had taken considerable steps by 2023 to integrate health concerns into climate change discourse, particularly emphasizing the need for renewable energy in promoting a fair transition. “This shift promises not only environmental and economic benefits, but also public health benefits,” the report stated.
    The report outlined China’s specific initiatives in addressing climate change. The country established the “1+N policy framework” to realize its goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality before 2060. Moreover, it has released the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 and the National Climate Change Health Adaptation Action Plan (2024-2030) to combat climate-related health risks and enhance public health protection.
    Regarding carbon emission reduction, China represented more than half of the global increase in renewable energy capacity in 2023. This increase pushed the country’s total renewable capacity to surpass coal power installations for the first time.
    “This effort has significantly accelerated global initiatives made at the Conference of the Parties 28 (COP 28), which is to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and reduce fossil fuel dependence,” Cai said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US election: Trump declares victory – ‘There’s never been anything like this’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This is a rolling guide to articles and audio published by The Conversation in the immediate run-up to and aftermath of the election, with some explainers about the process. This page is updated from the top, so older references are moved down the page.

    The United States has made its choice. At just before 8am GMT (3am Florida time) Donald Trump took to the stage at the West Palm Beach convention center and claimed victory for the Republican Party. His declaration came minutes after it was announced he was going to win in the key state of Pennsylvania with its 19 electoral college votes.

    He thanked a large crowd of his adoring supporters, saying: “This was a movement like nobody’s ever seen before, and frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond.”

    It’s been a turbulent four months since outgoing president Joe Biden announced he was terminating his bid for a second term and the battlelines between the two candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were drawn. Soon we will know who will lead the US for the next four years.

    From here, with the help of some of the sharpest analysts of US politics, we’ll keep you updated and informed as the situation develops.

    Dafydd Townley, teaching fellow in international security at University of Portsmouth, has written an overview of how the election went down, with turnout looking high and no major incidents of violence, despite what look like numerous bomb hoaxes with possible Russian origins.

    Turnout has been impressive and initial speculation is that Trump has surpassed his rural support from 2020 while Democrat Kamala Harris only matched the suburban numbers that Biden achieved four years ago. NBC exit polls also showed Trump had more support from voters under 30 than any Republican candidate since 2008.



    Read more:
    Trump takes first swing states after voting passes peacefully

    The US has moved to the right

    Natasha Lindstaedt says that academics and pundits got the polls badly wrong in 2024.

    The polls were right – he had a lot more strength [than we all thought]. We thought the polls were seriously underestimating Kamala Harris and that she was doing far better than they were predicting, when they said it was a knife edge. But it turns out they were underestimating Trump.

    The US has moved to the right. The abortion bill wasn’t overturned in Florida, Ted Cruz won by ten points in Texas, a state that we thought might be competitive. We thought with this Iowa poll that Harris might be more competitive with white voters. It’s been a great night for Trump and an absolute disaster for the Democrats.

    She said that many people following the campaign thought that women were going to turn out and that would make the difference. But in fact it didn’t.

    Trump gained a lot more than he had in 2020 – probably due to nostalgia of what his administration was like, looking at it through rose-coloured glasses, forgetting the chaos and all the upheaval he created himself. Now he’s going to inherit a great economy – and he’s going to take credit for it.

    Trump wins Pennsylvania, declares victory

    Donald Trump claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election. It followed hot on the heels of the networks announcing he had won the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Richard Hargy says the state has played an important part in the whole campaign, he says.

    It was in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July, where Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally after a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop.

    The Trump victory in Pennsylvania was greatly helped by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk’s intercession into the presidential election. He financed a multi-billion dollar door-knocking operation across the state and held events in support of Donald Trump.

    On Monday a Pennsylvania judge had ruled that a $1-million-a-day voter sweepstake organised by Musk was legal and could continue into Tuesday’s election.

    When will we know the result?

    To get an idea of the scale of the task of counting votes, take a look at the below map of the US colour-coded by poll closing times. How long the count could take is anyone’s guess at this stage. Each state has its own rules.

    Ahead of the polls closing Richard Hargy, an expert in US politics from Queen’s University Belfast, wrote a guide to the process, when the votes are counted and when we might start to see results.



    Read more:
    US election: what time do the polls close and when will the results be known? An expert explains

    Delays are baked into the process, such as Pennsylvania, which doesn’t allow votes cast before election day or ballots posted in to be counted until polls close, which was at 8pm (1am GMT).

    So we’ll just have to be patient. In the mean time, you can also read Hargy’s explainer on the “electoral college” system, which can mean that the candidate with the most votes may not win the presidency.



    Read more:
    US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?

    Early voting and what it might mean

    Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at University College Dublin, believes that in a cliffhanger election, a clue to the outcome may be in the size of turnout. More than 80 million Americans voted early – around half of the total turnout in 2020 and around one-third of the eligible electorate.

    The 80 million figure takes on added significance with the recognition that it is not that distant from the 104 million who participated early in the “pandemic” election four years ago. And that 2020 ballot, with 158.4 million votes and almost 67% participation, was the largest turnout since 1900.

    Who does that favour? Probably Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Trumpists will turn out for their man come hell or high water. The large question mark has been whether potential Harris voters would sit on their hands, whether from lack of enthusiasm or dissatisfaction on issues such as Israel’s open-ended war on Gaza.

    Any prediction in this election is a risk. But it might be worth setting a marker: if turnout matches or exceeds the record set in 2020, Kamala Harris could be on the way to the White House.

    Tense moment for the US

    During the campaign there have been two assassination attempts on former president Trump as well as arson attacks on ballot boxes and ballots damaged. In Arizona the Democratic party was forced to close one of its offices after it had been shot at three times.

    Dafydd Townley, a fellow in international security at Portsmouth University, believes that there could be a reluctance to accept the result and that this could result in further disturbances. He has written about how much violence there has been during this campaign.



    Read more:
    US election: officials are issued with panic buttons as attacks on ballot boxes continue

    Dafyyd Townley comments on post-election violence.

    How race has played into the campaign

    Rhianna Garrett, PhD researcher and global coordinator of the critical mixed race studies executive board at Loughborough University, says that Trump’s campaign has been “littered with attempts to weaponise” the multiracial heritage of his Democrat opponent Kamala Harris.

    Much of this has been a dog-whistle attempt to stir up his own base, partly with fairly blatant appeals to latent feelings of racism, but also as a tool to position Harris as deceiving and untrustworthy by apparently blurring and shifting her own background.

    In August, not long after Harris took over the Democrat ticket from Biden, Trump appeared at the National Association of Black Journalists conference when he wrongfully claimed that Harris was changing her identity, stating: “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black, So I don’t know. Is she Indian or is she Black?”.

    For her part, Harris’s campaign has also used her multiracial heritage to further their political agendas. On the White House website, she is described as “the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American” to hold a vice-presidential position, which has effectively attempted to position her as a winner. Harris herself has also foregrounded “race” on her campaign website. In attempt to attack Trump’s campaign, she strategically aims to promote Black and Latino men specifically, as well as women’s rights. These are key voter groups she has aimed to mobilise through identity politics.

    Trump and winning male voters

    Donald Trump widened his appeal to male voters in this election, with polling indicating that he was picking up more support from Black and Latino men, as well as more young men more widely.

    One reason for this may be that in 2024 young men are more conservative than any other group in the US. Another reason why gender has become a divisive issue is the overturning of Roe v Wade, the legal case that gave American women abortion rights.

    Read more on the gender divide in this article from Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor of government at Essex University.



    Read more:
    US election: why more men and fewer white women say they will vote for Trump

    A free speech campaign?

    Julie Posetti, professor of journalism at City St George’s, University of London, and global director of research at the International Center for Journalists, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Americans on their attitudes to the press.

    Breaking down the results, they were able to build a picture of what people in the US think of targeting journalists for criticism and even abuse. You can read all about the study here.



    Read more:
    New survey finds an alarming tolerance for attacks on the press in the US – particularly among white, Republican men

    When Trump speaks – his supporters hear him loud and clear

    Channel 4 is showing pictures of the Trump party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, where the Maga faithful are celebrating the news that it appears that Trump has retaken Georgia in his second swing-state victory. Their idol is expected to join them soon.

    While we wait for him to speak, here’s a fascinating piece on Trump’s rhetorical style by Loren D. Marsh of the Humboldt University of Berlin. His speeches have been ridiculed by his opponents during the campaign. They say he’s unfocused, rambling and at times nonsensical. He calls it the “weave” and says it’s genius. Marsh says that whatever you may think, it seems to work for his supporters.

    Far from being a liability or an indication he is incapable of staying on message, Trump’s “weave” may well be his intuitive rhetorical strategy, a way of taking control of the media narrative.



    Read more:
    Trump’s speeches are chaotic, rambling, and extremely effective. Aristotle can explain why

    – ref. US election: Trump declares victory – ‘There’s never been anything like this’ – https://theconversation.com/us-election-trump-declares-victory-theres-never-been-anything-like-this-241711

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump takes first swing states after voting passes peacefully

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth

    Donald Trump looked poised to take some key battleground states this morning as votes continue to be counted. The Republicans were also being predicted to take control of the Senate.

    North Carolina with its 16 electoral college votes was called for Trump in the early hours of the morning, and another key east coast state, Georgia and its 16 electoral college votes, was also predicted to have been gained by Trump. Trump won other major states, from Iowa to Texas, with a strong showing at the polls.

    As well as this, Republicans have taken back control of the Senate as they were forecast to, after Democrats lost their slender lead. If Trump is victorious, this will provide him with the congressional support he needs to get his appointees ratified and pass laws without obstruction.

    Turnout has been impressive and initial speculation is that Trump has surpassed his rural support from 2020 while Democrat Kamala Harris only matched the suburban numbers that Biden achieved four years ago. NBC exit polls also showed Trump had more support from voters under 30 than any Republican candidate since 2008.

    The BBC reported that early exit polls indicated that voters were most concerned with the state of the democracy (35%) with the economy coming a close second (31%).

    These concerns have led to a turnout that will be just below the 2020 figures, according to Professor Michael McDonald, of the University of Florida.

    In too-close-to-call battleground state Pennsylvania, it was reported that voters were queueing in their hundreds over an hour before the polls opened at 7am.

    In Michigan, another key state in the election, officials said that those voters who had voted early – both the absentee and in-person votes – numbered almost as many as the total votes for the 2020 election.

    Michigan’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, said that the state was “on pace to see another high turnout election with voters all across the state enthusiastic and engaged”. And much of it was done in a good atmosphere with election chairperson Jennifer Jenkins telling reporters that it was “good vibes all around”.

    Safety concerns

    Concerns about whether election day would pass peacefully have not kept voters away.

    As revealed in a memo obtained by the non-partisan group, Property of the People, the Department of Homeland Security had issued a warning in September that election infrastructure was “an attractive target for some domestic violent extremists” particularly those with “election-related grievances” who seek to disrupt the democratic process and election operations.

    In the nation’s capital, Washington DC, police arrested a man who was stopped during the screening process at the US Capitol visitor centre. Authorities stated that he smelled like gasoline and had a torch lighter, flare gun and papers he intended to deliver to Congress.

    Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, speaking at a press conference shortly after the incident, stated that “there is no indication right now that it had anything to do with the election”.

    The greatest threat to the smooth running of the election on polling day seemed not to come from domestic perpetrators but from foreign interference, particularly in the crucial swing state races.

    Several polling stations in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin were the victims of hoax bomb threats that caused temporary closures of the sites. The threats were believed to be sent by emails that were traced back to Russian email domains.

    In Navajo County in Arizona, four polling stations were the target of bomb threats. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told reporters that election officials in the state had “no reason to believe that any of our voters or any of our polling places are in any sort of jeopardy.”

    “We also have reason to believe, although I won’t get into specifics, that this comes from one of our foreign enemies, namely Russia,” he continued.

    In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro announced at a press conference that there had been multiple bomb threats at polling stations and municipal centres across the state.

    Shapiro, who was at one time thought of as a potential running mate for Harris, revealed that “state and local law enforcement – along with the FBI – are investigating these threats and thus far, there is no credible threat to the public”.

    This came after reports emerged of at least ten polling locations in Philadelphia and in surrounding areas were sent a bomb threat via email at 6pm local time.

    Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused Russia of being the cause of the threats aimed at polling locations in the southern state. “They don’t want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory,” he told reporters.

    The FBI stated that it was aware of the threats and that many appeared “to originate from Russian email domains”. The Russian embassy in Washington denied the threats.

    Last Thursday, Georgia was also the subject of what the US intelligence community called a disinformation campaign designed to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election result through an online video that “depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia”.

    Researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina identified the work as being that of Russian disinformation group Storm-1516. Darren Linvill of Clemson University, stated that Russian group had “turned their focus squarely on the US election.”

    And the integrity of this election took a further hit when Republican candidate Donald Trump made unfounded accusations on social media platform Truth Social of election fraud in Philadelphia, a must-win state for the former president.

    Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said through a spokesperson that “the only talk about massive cheating has come from one of the candidates, Donald J. Trump. There is no factual basis whatsoever within law enforcement to support this wild allegation”.

    Experts have warned that such campaigns could give momentum to accusations that the election is not legitimate and that this, in turn, could trigger post-election violence.

    As the results come in, America holds it breath that any potential transition of power will be more peaceful than four years ago.

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

    – ref. Trump takes first swing states after voting passes peacefully – https://theconversation.com/trump-takes-first-swing-states-after-voting-passes-peacefully-242716

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians are winners and prize winners of the Olympiad in engineering and computer graphics

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    A team of students from the Polytechnic University took part in the All-Russian and regional Olympiads in engineering and computer graphics (descriptive geometry).

    The 23rd All-Russian Student Olympiad in Descriptive Geometry, Engineering and Computer Graphics “Geometryada” was held in Moscow at the Department of Engineering and Computer Graphics of the Russian Technological University – MIREA. Representatives of 22 Russian universities competed for the victory, including three from St. Petersburg – SPbPU, BSTU “VOENMEKH” named after D. F. Ustinov and SPbSUT named after prof. M. A. Bonch-Bruevich.

    The Polytechnic University team participated in the Olympiad for the first time. The team included IMMiT students Kirill Khitushkin, Aidar Ibragimov, Matvey Leontyev, Anton Izyumov and Artem Doronin. In the team standings in the “Descriptive Geometry” section, the Polytechnics took third place. In the individual standings, Kirill Khitushkin also came in third. In the “Engineering Graphics” section, the SPbPU team entered the top ten.

    The event was organized at the highest level. The opening ceremony left the most pleasant impressions. We successfully completed the tasks and gained valuable experience. We will look forward to participating next year to improve the result, – shared Matvey Leontiev.

    The first experience of participation of the polytechnics can be considered definitely successful. A special role in such a significant result was played by serious regular training, which was provided by Associate Professor Tatyana Markova, who conducted systematic classes with candidates for the team, – noted Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Social Sciences Mikhail Kokorin, the head of the team.

    Also, the regional student Olympiad in engineering and computer graphics (descriptive geometry) was held at BSTU “Voenmekh”, organized by the Committee for Science and Higher Education of St. Petersburg. The event was attended by 75 students from 12 St. Petersburg universities.

    The Polytechnic University was represented by students of the Civil Engineering Institute majoring in Architectural Environment Design A. Glukhova and D. Otinova, as well as students of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy K. Khitushkin, A. Ibragimov, M. Leontyev, A. Izyumov and I. Zaborovsky. The team leader is Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Civil Engineering Institute Tatyana Markova.

    The interuniversity jury checked and assessed the works, summed up the results. It included associate professors of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Social Sciences Mikhail Kokorin and Elena Knyazeva.

    Polytechnician Kirill Khitushkin won the individual championship (29.63 points out of 30), Aidar Ibragimov took second place (28.5 points out of 30).

    The Olympiad was memorable for its diverse tasks and the exciting search for solutions. It can be compared to solving a crossword or sudoku. The event flew by unnoticed, I wanted to stay longer and rack my brains, – said Daria Otinova.

    As a result, the Polytechnic University was awarded second place. The victory in the Olympiad was won by the BSTU “Voenmekh” team, and the third place went to the A.F. Mozhaisky VKA.

    The tasks were of a high level of complexity, but our students coped with them perfectly. We are proud of the guys and wish them further success in all their endeavors, – shared Elena Knyazeva.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Culture of Moscow”: a guide to highlights has appeared on the mos.ru portal

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A section has opened on the mos.ru portal “Culture of Moscow”. It contains news, announcements of upcoming events, useful services and information about creative institutions. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    “The new online project has already combined information on more than 800 city sites: parks, libraries, theaters, museums and other spaces,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    The main page contains the main thematic blocks. One of them is “Events”.

    “Here users can choose concerts, excursions or performances that interest them and immediately buy tickets. Currently, the poster presents more than 15 thousand events. The list will be constantly updated and supplemented,” said Natalia Sergunina.

    The page has a convenient search system: by area, date and location of the institution. Here you can also find author’s selections, for example, “Five romantic performances” or “Six main exhibitions of autumn”.

    Offers for children and teenagers are placed in a separate category. In the block “Education”There is information about creative educational institutions and various courses.

    On the page “Libraries”Those interested can apply for a single library card, find the nearest library, look through the book catalogue and reserve publications.

    In addition, in the section “Culture of Moscow”will regularly talk about famous Muscovites, as well as about city programs, special projects and promotions.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/146227073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Monitoring of charitable institutions

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Carmen Kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (November 6):
     
    Question:
     
         Regarding the monitoring of charitable institutions, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the following information of charitable institutions as at ‍September 30 of each of the past three years (set out in a table):

         (i) the respective numbers of tax-exempt charitable institutions recognised by the Inland Revenue Department under section ‍88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) whose tax exemption status was approved and withdrawn, as well as the percentages of such numbers in the total number of institutions for that year and the year-on-year rates of change; 
         (ii) the number of charitable institutions (set out by type) as well as the amounts of donations exempted from tax and the year-‍on-year rates of change; and 
         (iii) a list of the 50 charitable institutions being granted the highest amounts of government funding, the amounts of funding granted to them, as well as the percentages of such amounts in the total amount of funding for that year and the year-on-year rates of change; 

    (2) whether it will, on the basis of its experience in making reference to common law precedents over the years, study the formulation of a legal definition of “a charitable institution or charitable trust of a public character” under section 88 of Cap. 112 applicable to the situation in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; 

    (3) as the newly amended Charity Law of the People’s Republic of China has been formally implemented on the Mainland since  September 5 this year to regulate charitable organisations, whether the authorities will enact a Charity Ordinance; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; 

    (4) given that in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 21 this year, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau indicated that the Bureau would, in the light of the relevant circumstances, consider setting up a dedicated department or organisation as the regulator of charitable institutions, of the factors considered by the authorities in the light of the current situation, and whether they will set up the relevant organisation as soon as possible; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, as well as the measures in place to monitor the operation of charitable institutions; and 

    (5) given that pursuant to a recommendation in Report No. 68 of the Public Accounts Committee, the authorities have drawn up a new “Good Practice Guide on Charitable Fund-raising” (the Guide), of the effectiveness of the Guide; whether they will consider making it mandatory for charitable institutions to comply with the Guide; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? 

    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         In consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and the Social Welfare Department (SWD), my reply, on behalf of the Government, to the various parts of the question raised by the the Hon Carmen Kan is as follows:
     
    (1) (i) Charities are exempted from tax if they meet the conditions stipulated in section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) (IRO), i.e. (a) the profits are applied solely for charitable purposes; (b) the profits are not expended substantially outside Hong Kong; and (c) either the trade or business is exercised in the course of the actual carrying out of the expressed objects of the charity, or the work in connection with the trade or business is mainly carried on by persons for whose benefit the charity is established.
     
         As at September 30 of the past three years, the total number of tax-exempt charities, charities newly exempted from paying tax and charities with tax exemption status withdrawn by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD); and their year-on-year rates of change and percentages in the total number of tax-exempt charities are set out below:
     

    Year
    Total number of tax-exempt charities
    Charities newly exempted from paying tax
    Charities with tax exemption status withdrawn

    Number (Note) and year-on-year change
    Percentage in total number of tax-exempt charities
    Number and year-on-year change
    Percentage in total number of tax-exempt charities

    2022 
    9 856
    449
    4.6%
    211
    2.1%

    2023
    10 347
    655 (+45.9%)
    6.3%
    208 (-1.4%)
    2%

    2024
    10 699
    578 (-11.8%)
    5.4%
    267 (+28.4%)
    2.5%

    Note: The figures do not include charities tax exemption status of which had been withdrawn and later reinstated.
     
    (ii) As at September 30 of the past three years, the numbers of tax-exempt charities (categorised by legal structure) are as follow:
     

    Year
    Number of tax-exempt charities
    Total

    Incorporated under the Companies Ordinance
    Registered under the Societies Ordinance
    Trusts
    Others (Note)

    2022 
    7 586
    743
    432
    1 095
    9 856 

    2023
    8 071
    742
    438
    1 096
    10 347

    2024
    8 419
    743
    441
    1 096
    10 699

    Note: “Others” comprises mostly incorporated management committees established under the Education Ordinance, statutory bodies, ad hoc special committees and overseas companies registered under the Companies Ordinance.
     
         Donations made by taxpayers to charities exempted from paying tax under section 88 of the IRO are tax deductible. In the past three financial years, the amounts of approved charitable donations allowed and the year-on-year rates of change are set out below. However, as there is a cap on the amount of tax-deductible donations to charities, the following figures do not represent the amount of tax-exempt donations received by charities each year:
     

    Year of assessment
    Approved charitable donations allowed under profits tax
    Approved charitable donations allowed under salaries tax
    Total and year-on-year rate of change
    ($ billion)

    Amount and year-on-year rate of change
    ($ billion)
    Amount and year-on-year rate of change
    ($ billion)

    2020/21
    4.35
    7.45
    11.8

    2021/22
    6.9 (+58.6%)
    7.4 (-0.7%)
    14.3 (+21.2%)

    2022/23
    5.16 (-25.2%)
    7.27 (-1.8%)
    12.43 (-13.1%)

           
         The tax returns for the year of assessment 2023/24 are being processed. Hence, IRD is unable to provide the statistics for that financial year at the moment.
     
    (iii) At present, the monitoring of different charitable organisations currently involves various policy bureaux/departments. The Government does not centrally maintain and consolidate the relevant data.
     
    (2) to (4) In processing applications for tax exemption under section 88 of the IRO, IRD has been making reference to the relevant common law cases to determine whether an organisation’s object is a charitable purpose at law, and whether the organisation is established for public benefit. IRD regularly reviews the tax-exempt charities to ascertain whether their objects are still of charitable nature and whether the activities are compatible with their stated objects. The existing mechanism has been effective in handling tax matters under section 88 of the IRO.
     
         In addition to the abovementioned tax arrangement for charitable organisations, charitable organisations which wish to conduct fund-raising activities in public places shall apply for the relevant permits or licences from the FEHD, HAD or SWD.
     
         With reference to the recommendations in the Law Reform Commission Report on Charities published in December 2013 (LRC Report), relevant Audit Report and the Public Accounts Committee Report (PAC Report), the Government has introduced a series of administrative measures in phase since 2018 with a view to further enhancing the transparency and accountability of charitable fund-raising activities. For example, uploading all audited accounts submitted by organisations which obtained approval to organise charitable fund-raising activities to the fund-raising activities page of GovHK for reference by the public; issuing the “Good Practice Guide on Charitable Fund-raising” (Good Practice Guide) and encourage adoption by charitable organisations; and setting up a dedicated hotline for handling enquiries or complaints in relation to charitable fund-raising activities held by organisations in public places, etc.
     
         Since the legislation and monitoring in relation to charitable organisations involve different bureaux / departments, and that the recommendation of setting up a dedicated department or organisation as the regulator of charitable organisations carries significant implications on the definition and operation of charitable organisations in Hong Kong, it takes time for the Government to study and consider the recommendations thoroughly and carefully.
     
    (5) As mentioned above, with reference to the LRC Report, relevant Audit Report and the PAC Report, the HAD, SWD and FEHD issued the Good Practice Guide to provide the best practices for organising charitable fund-raising activities. Relevant departments have been encouraging the adoption of the Good Practice Guide by charitable organisations to ensure the accountability and transparency of charitable fund-raising activities and the use of donations so received.
     
         In respect of the HAD, under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), anyone who wishes to conduct a lottery event in Hong Kong has to apply for a licence. The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) under the HAD is responsible for processing applications for lottery licences. Lottery licences are issued to bona fide organisations to conduct lottery ticket sales for the purpose of fund-raising, and funds so raised are to be used to meet the organisations’ operating expenses or for donations to local registered charities, or both. In fact, the conditions stated in the lottery licences issued have already covered some of the suggested good practices, including the preparation of income and expenditure statement regarding the sales of lottery tickets. The OLA will continue to promote the voluntary adoption of the Good Practice Guide.
     
         Besides, the FEHD also encourages charitable organisations which applied for a Temporary Hawker Licence for setting up any booth in public places to sell goods for raising funds, to adopt the Good Practice Guide on a voluntary basis. The FEHD has provided a link for downloading the Guidelines on its website.
     
         In respect of the SWD, since the publication of the Good Practice Guide, all organisations that have applied for a Public Subscription Permit (PSP) from the SWD have committed to observing the Guide (except for one organisation that had adopted another set of guidelines which also complies with the standards of good practice). The major arrangements contained in the Good Practice Guide, including the rights of donors, fund-raising practices and financial accountability, etc., have been incorporated into the permit conditions of the PSP for organisations issued with the PSP to comply with.
     
         As some or the major arrangements contained in the Good Practice Guide have already been incorporated into the conditions stated in different permits or licences for conducting charitable fund-raising activities, the Government has no plan to further mandate the charitable organisations to adopt the Good Practice Guide at this stage. The Government will continue to encourage charitable organisations to adopt the Good Practice Guide.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Loud, bright, independent: The final of the Parade of Talents was held at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    On November 1, 2024, the final of the Parade of Talents of our university took place noisily and hotly in the Assembly Hall of the State University of Management.

    Even before the main event began, the atmosphere in the hall was like a discotheque – music was playing, spotlights were cutting through the stage smoke, fans were waving flags, posters, hearts made of light bulbs, and their ringleaders were chanting into a megaphone.

    The following panel of judges evaluated the teams’ productions: – Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Pavel Pavlovsky – Vice-President of the Novard Group of Companies, a graduate of the State University of Management Sergey Sarkisov – Chairperson of the State University of Management Student Council Valeriya Burlakova – Choreographer of the 2024 Talent Parade, coordinator of the Just Dance 2024 dance project, head of the cultural and mass direction of the State University of Management Student Council Anna Poryadina – TODES ballet dancer Yana Agapova.

    Before the concert, Pavel Pavlovsky and Sergey Sarkisov presented personal scholarships from the GUU Graduates Association. For entrepreneurial activity, they were received by Anastasia Manicheva, Stepan Yakovlev and Vladislav Naavgust. For active social work, the scholarship was awarded to Ksenia Starikova.

    Despite the fact that the theme of the Talent Parade this year was expressed by the phrase: “Shine with inner light, not external effects”, the teams did not forget about external effects, having prepared very colorful productions. However, the theme of the performances often concerned the inner world, for example, meme dreams at a temperature of 39°.

    In addition to the love story in dreams, the audience was shown a game of Mafia, given a tour of the chocolate factory with Charlie and the Oompa-Loompas, and scared by really creepy clowns. And the Pre-University of the State University of Management began the program with its own little concert within a concert.

    Vice-Rector of the State University of Management, member of the jury of the Talent Parade Pavel Pavlovsky: “The Talent Parade is a large-scale event, which is part of the adaptation program for first-year students. Its key feature can be called the “equal to equal” principle, that is, senior students help juniors. The main thing is that this is not done under duress, the university administration does not force anyone. On the contrary, students fight for the right to become curators. This is a great honor, a huge competition, elections are held. Such excitement arises largely due to the fact that the Talent Parade is an independent event. The concept of the approach to educational activities in our country is the relationship between law and responsibility. Students know that they can experiment, but they bear full responsibility for their experiments. This system bears fruit in the form of completely packed halls, satisfied first-year students who in the first months of study become an integral part of the university, imbued with its spirit, traditions, culture. And the members of the Student Council feel like full-fledged actors of the university with their own area of responsibility. The management of the State University of Management monitors the process, reducing the level of intervention to a minimum, and simply ensures that everything meets the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science.”

    Results of the Talent Parade: 1st place – IIS “Pokoloko”; 2nd place – IEF Golden ticket; Audience Choice Award – IOM “Chudlibudli”.

    Full photo album.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 6.11.2024

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Challenge accepted! Polytechnic hosted a festival for schoolchildren

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    During the autumn school holidays, the annual festival for schoolchildren of grades 9–11, “Polytechnic Challenge,” was held at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The festival is a team competition where children solve research and scientific problems of various types, apply the knowledge they have gained in practice, and learn to think creatively.

    This year, the Polytechnic Challenge was held in six areas. New this year was the Physical Battles. Schoolchildren had to not only find a solution to a physical problem, but also justify it and defend their point of view against their opponent. In two days, the teams also had to solve difficult tasks from the festival organizers. Thus, the participants in the engineering competitions had to assemble a device that could detect objects using a laser.

    The case championship teams worked on solving the problem of detecting and preventing forest fires. The traditional game “What? Where? When?” brought together the largest number of teams willing to demonstrate their knowledge, logic and ingenuity. The teams that took part in the 3D case needed the skills to work in special programs in order to design a crane structure and print the resulting model on a 3D printer. At the hackathon, high school students helped a large company avoid the consequences of a data breach and created their own application based on the provided database.

    The winners were teams from the SPbPU Natural Science Lyceum, Gymnasium No. 406, Engineering and Technology School No. 777, Anichkov Lyceum, Begunitskaya Secondary School, and the Academy of Digital Technologies. The best participants received prizes from the university, as well as additional points to their Unified State Exam results, which can be used when applying to the Polytechnic University.

    We like programming using Arduino, and the “Polytechnic Challenge” is a great opportunity for us to test and show our skills. Despite the difficulties during the creation of the device, we managed to find a solution that allowed us to win. Each time the tasks are more interesting, so next time we will take part in the festival again, — shared their impressions the students of the Natural Sciences Lyceum, winners of the festival in the “Engineering Competitions” category.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Cortez Masto Announce Over $375 Million for Recreation, Conservation Projects Across Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) announced more than $375 million is coming to Nevada to fund 36 different projects aimed at enhancing recreational opportunities, protecting public lands, conserving wildlife habitat, and more. The funding comes through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), which ensures that revenues from public lands sales in Clark County return to Nevada to support conservation and recreation projects throughout local communities. Both senators have been long-time supporters of SNPLMA funding and the work it does to help  support and conserve Nevada’s lands and outdoor spaces.
    “Nevada is one of the states with the most public land, and it’s our responsibility to safeguard those outdoor spaces for future generations,” said Senator Rosen. “This funding will help enhance conservation efforts, expand recreational opportunities, and improve wildfire mitigation efforts. I’ll continue working across the aisle to preserve Nevada’s natural beauty.”
    “The SNPLMA program delivers critical support to Nevada, and this funding will boost our outdoor recreation economy, conserve our water, and prevent wildfires,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “These investments will reach every corner of the state, including our rural communities, and I’ll keep working to deliver more resources for Nevada.”
    The projects include acquiring land to protect endangered species; helping increase recreational access in Strawberry Creek at Great Basin National Park; and investing in outdoor recreation facilities in Churchill County, Lincoln County, and the City of Las Vegas. Additionally, five percent of the revenue generated by SNPLMA land sales goes to the State of Nevada General Education Fund and 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
    Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto have been champions for Nevada’s outdoor spaces. As part of the Great American Outdoors Act, which the Senators helped pass, they secured permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects public lands in Nevada and across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –