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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Erasmus Days+ 2024 focus on fostering collaboration and embracing diversity

    Source: European Union 2

    The #ErasmusDays are an international celebration of the Erasmus+ programme, taking place from 14 to 19 October 2024.  

    During these days, everyone is invited to organise or participate in events that celebrate the projects and opportunities proposed by Erasmus+. Open to students, teachers, trainers, professionals, and all citizens, the #ErasmusDays promote the numerous benefits that result from the programme. Throughout the week, both digital and physical events will take place, ranging from seminars, multilingual sessions, photo exhibitions, and conferences, to social media challenges, offering a unique chance to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and learn about different cultures. This year, the focus is on sports, inspired by the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. 

    Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Since its start in 1987, over 15 million people have taken part in Erasmus+ and its predecessors. With an estimated budget of €26.2 billion, the 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. Through mobility exchanges and cooperation projects, Erasmus+ offers opportunities for millions of students, teachers, volunteers, and professionals to gain international experience, develop new skills, and broaden their cultural horizons. It not only fosters personal and professional development but also strengthens European identity by promoting unity through diversity.

    For more information

    #ErasmusDays

    Discover all events

    Erasmus+

    Video series about Erasmus+

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Neanderthal remains found in France reveals there were not one, but at least two lineages of late Neanderthals in Europe

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Ludovic Slimak, Archéologue, penseur et chercheur au CNRS, Université de Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier

    31 out of 34 of Thorin’s teeth were found, making it the most complete dentition ever found from a Neanderthal. Ludovic Slimak, Fourni par l’auteur

    The prevailing narrative of how humanity came about seemed straightforward enough: in Europe, the last Neanderthals bowed out as Homo sapiens began arriving on the continent around 40,000 to 45,000 years ago. Neanderthals were thought to be part of a single, genetically homogeneous population, spread across Spain, France, Croatia, Belgium, and Germany. Genetic studies supported this view, suggesting a uniform population that would eventually give way to the newcomers, Homo sapiens. In just a few millennia — between 45,000 and 42,000 years ago — the brief cohabitation of these two species in Europe ended with the replacement of Neanderthals. The explanation was elegant and simple – perhaps a little too simple.

    A new lineage of Neanderthals

    Our research published in Cell Genomics on 11 September complicates this picture, revealing that there was not one, but at least two lineages of Neanderthals, following genetic analysis of body remains found in the Mandrin Cave, southeastern France. The study in Cell Genomics, which I co-lead with Tharsika Vimala and Martin Sikora, population geneticists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, as well as Andaine Seguin-Orlando, a paleogenomicist at the University of Toulouse, is the culmination of nearly ten years of research leading to the discovery of France’s first Neanderthal body since 1978. We have chosen to call him Thorin after the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, since Thorin was one of the last dwarf kings in Tolkien’s lore. Fittingly, the Thorin of the Mandrin Cave is believed to be one of the last Neanderthals.

    He is among the most recent occupations of the Mandrin Cave. We discovered his first teeth in 2015, lying on the ground at the cave’s entrance, barely covered by a few leaves. Although the teeth were initially exposed, they were embedded in fragile sand, making the excavation delicate. The slightest brush stroke risked displacing the precious remains, making it difficult to determine their precise position in the ground. As the head of research at Mandrin Cave, I decided we proceed to excavate the body with tweezers. Grain by grain, our team worked painstakingly for two to three months each – a process that has lasted for nine years and is still ongoing. This Herculean field effort allowed the recovery of the tiniest remains, which were carefully documented in their original positions. Through three-dimensional mapping, the team has reconstructed the exact location of the remains in the ground.

    Meet Thorin

    So far, 31 teeth (Thorin had 34, representing the first Neandertal ever found with surnumerary molars), along with the jawbone, fragments of the skull, phalanges and thousands of tiny bones have been discovered. The excavation process here requires remarkable patience; after nine years of effort, we have only managed to clear a small window of about 50 cm by 30 cm wide. Numerous remains of this body are likely to gradually emerge in the coming years.

    Our study shows that Thorin’s population diverged significantly from other Neanderthals in Europe over more than 50,000 years. Unlike most late Neanderthals, who display genetic homogeneity, Thorin’s lineage remained genetically distinct from 105,000 years ago until their extinction.

    This raises the question: How could human populations remain isolated for tens of thousands of years, despite living within a two-week walking distance of each other? This is the challenge Thorin presents us with. Evolutionary, cultural, and social processes that seem unimaginable if we try to apply them to Sapiens populations, as we understand them through cultural anthropology, history, and archaeology. Something appears to profoundly differentiate the ways of being in the world of Neanderthals and Sapiens, something far deeper than mere cultural or territorial issues. It confronts us directly with the enigma of Neanderthal and, quite possibly, our own inability to understand these ancient species.

    Thorin’s peers and other ghosts

    Strikingly, we found that Thorin is not the only one in his lineage, with genetic analysis revealing links to another Neanderthal discovered over 1,700 kilometers away, in Gibraltar. This Neanderthal, nicknamed Nana, was thought to be an ancient individual who lived 80 to 100,000 years ago. However, the study in Cell Genomics reveals that Nana and Thorin lived during the same period — within the last millennia of Neanderthal existence. This close genetic proximity suggests that Nana and Thorin belonged to the same population of late Neanderthals, a population that would no longer have any exchanges with the classic European Neanderthals after the 105th millennium and up until their astonishing extinction 42,000 years ago.

    Our study also suggests the existence of a “ghost” Neanderthal lineage — another population that roamed Europe at the same time, yet remains unknown. This implies that there were other Neanderthal populations in Europe in relatively recent periods that belonged neither to the classic Neanderthals nor to Thorin’s population, but genetics is then able to identify moments when Thorin’s ancestors could episodically exchange genes with these ghost populations that remain largely unknown to archaeology and genetics. A fascinating story then slowly begins to emerge in which Neanderthal is not a monolithic block but is represented by different populations that nevertheless developed only rare (and sometimes no) exchanges among themselves.

    Rewriting everything we know about early humanity

    The revelations of additional lineages of Neanderthal are the latest discovery to prompt us to radically rethink our understanding of early humanity. In 2022, after 32 years of archaeological research, our team had already revealed the existence of a first Sapiens migration to European territory 10,000 to 12,000 before the first migrations previously recognized. In the following year, we released three papers questioning our conceptions of this singular moment in human history, redefining not only the timing of these populations’ arrival but also that they had mastered advanced technology such as the bow and arrow, tracing back their steps to the Mediterranean Levant, and proposing a profound redefinition of the entire historical structure of this singular moment in European history.

    The latest discovery of Thorin’s remains, which I began to unveil in The Naked Neanderthal, poses countless questions. Did Neanderthal die out like the dinosaurs following a natural upheaval carrying away his entire world? Around Neanderthal, theories related to climate change, volcanic explosions, cosmic radiation, or devastating epidemics have flourished in recent years. To understand Sapiens replacing Neanderthal, we must, above all, understand what Neanderthal was. And what Sapiens is. And it is my conviction that the nature of the two creatures deeply eludes us.

    The research continues, and, as more discoveries are made, the story only deepens.

    Ludovic Slimak ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Neanderthal remains found in France reveals there were not one, but at least two lineages of late Neanderthals in Europe – https://theconversation.com/neanderthal-remains-found-in-france-reveals-there-were-not-one-but-at-least-two-lineages-of-late-neanderthals-in-europe-238606

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth joins together for Hate Crime Awareness Week

    Source: City of Plymouth

    It’s Hate Crime Awareness Week, and with 588 hate crime offences recorded by the Police in Plymouth in the last year, it’s more important than ever to highlight the issues.

    A hate crime is any crime that is targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards that person’s membership or perceived membership of a protected characteristic:

    • Disability
    • Race or Ethnicity
    • Religion or Belief
    • Sexual Orientation
    • Transgender Identity.

    During the week, staff from the Council’s Community Safety team will be attending awareness raising events and engagement sessions, such as:

    • A drop-in session at the British Red Cross on Monday 14 October at 12pm to 2pm
    • Event at Plymouth University with the Police Diverse Community Team on Wednesday 16 October
    • The Barne Barton family hub are also running a drop-in session called ‘The Pioneers Project’ with the Police on Wednesday 16 October from 10am to 1pm, aimed at educating people about hate crime and reporting
    • Youth Services Workshops delivered across the city during the week, including open access, schools, SEND, and targeted groups
    • The Council’s Street Based teams will be promoting key messages across the city to young people, communities and businesses.

    Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community safety said: “One hate crime is one too many. We all need to be more aware of what hate crime is and how we can address it.

    “Hate crime comes in many different forms and strikes at the heart of communities. Everyone in our city should feel safe, supported and be able to report incidents of hate crime without fear.”

    Hate crime can fall into one of three main categories; physical assault, verbal abuse and incitement to hatred, this is where someone acts in a way that is threatening and intended to stir up hatred, including by posting words and pictures online. 

    Councillor Angela Penrose, Welcoming City Champion, added: “The diversity of our city is one of our greatest strengths and assets, and we want Plymouth to be recognised as a city that is welcoming, safe, international and with a vibrant cultural offer.”

    More information about Hate Crime and how to report: Hate crime | Devon & Cornwall Police (devon-cornwall.police.uk)

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU at the IX BRICS Legal Forum 2024

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    A representative of the State University of Management took part in the IX BRICS Legal Forum 2024 “Law on Guard of a Just World”.

    Researcher, Associate Professor Anna Churikova presented a report on the topic “Digital Transformation of Local Government in Brazil”. Based on the analysis of foreign law enforcement practice, legislation and scientific literature, the work identified the main problems of legal regulation of the digital transformation of local government in the BRICS countries and proposed ways to solve them.

    The report generated interest among scientists and discussions on the topic of digital transformation of local governments.

    The research, the results of which were presented in the report, was carried out with the help of the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 23-28-01252 “Transformation of the institution of local self-government in the Russian Federation in the context of the development of modern digital technologies: legal aspects” with the organizational support of the State University of Management.

    The founders and organizers of the forum are: Brazilian Bar Association, Russian Bar Association, Indian Bar Association, Chinese Law Society, Law Society of South Africa, East China University of Political Science and Law, University of Cape Town.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/14/2024

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

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

    GUU at the IX BRICS Legal Forum 2024

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: John C Williams: All about data

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Introduction

    Good morning. I’m so pleased to be here at Binghamton University, a true gem of the SUNY system. Meeting with students, educators, and business and community leaders is a valuable and enjoyable part of my job.

    The New York Fed represents the Federal Reserve System’s Second District, which includes New York State, northern New Jersey, western Connecticut, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is a diverse region made up of many smaller local economies. Therefore, it’s important for me and my colleagues at the New York Fed to collect data and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing all of the communities we serve.

    That said, monetary policy affects everyone, and the Federal Reserve is committed to using its tools to achieve its dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability. Today, I will talk about monetary policy and how the Fed is working to fulfill this dual mandate. I’ll also give you my outlook on the U.S. economy.

    Before I do, I will give the standard Fed disclaimer that the views I express today are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) or others in the Federal Reserve System.

    Obsessing Over Data

    As I’ve traveled around the Southern Tier region, I’ve enjoyed seeing the emergence of the colors of autumn. Tracking fall foliage is a hobby for many. What I like is that it’s all about data. “Leaf peepers” submit field reports on changing color conditions, and experts pore over the information. One forecast predicts we will hit peak foliage in four days.1

    At the Fed, we’re equally obsessed with data. In our case, we study data about the economy-whether here in the district, across the country, or around the world. So, I’ll highlight some of the data that help my understanding of how the economy is performing relative to our dual mandate goals, as well as what policy actions we can take to achieve these goals.

    When inflation became unacceptably high and the labor market exceptionally tight, the FOMC acted with resolve to bring inflation back down to our 2 percent longer-run target. The Committee’s strong actions have helped bring the economy much closer to our goals. Imbalances between supply and demand in the economy have mostly dissipated, even as the economy and employment have continued to grow. And inflation, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, has declined from over 7 percent in June of 2022 to just 2-1/4 percent in the latest reading. There’s still some distance to go to reach our goal of 2 percent, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.

    The data paint a picture of an economy that has returned to balance, or in a word that the English majors in the room may appreciate, “equipoise.” In light of the progress we have seen in reducing inflation and restoring balance to the economy, the FOMC decided at its most recent meeting to lower the interest rate that it sets. Simply put, this action will help maintain the strength of the economy and labor market while inflation moves back to 2 percent on a sustainable basis.

    Moving to Price Stability

    I’ll go further into our policy decision and what it means for the economic outlook in a minute. But first, I’ll give more details about each side of our dual mandate, starting with inflation. I’ll use an onion analogy that I have found useful over the past two years to demonstrate how inflation’s three distinct layers are normalizing at different rates.2

    The onion’s outer layer represents globally traded commodities. As the economy started to rebound from pandemic shutdowns and demand began to soar, inflation surged, then rose further when Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, supply and demand have come into balance, and these prices have generally been flat or falling.

    The middle onion layer is made up of core goods, excluding commodities. Demand for goods rose sharply as the economy emerged from the pandemic downturn-just as global pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions significantly hampered supply. But, as seen in the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, those supply pressures have eased, and core goods inflation has returned to pre-pandemic norms.3

    The inner onion layer comprises core services. Although this category is taking the longest to normalize, the disinflationary process is well underway here too. For example, measures of underlying inflation that tend to be heavily influenced by core services inflation today average around 2-1/2 percent.4

    One positive piece of data that reinforces my confidence that inflation is on course to reach our 2 percent goal is that inflation expectations remain well anchored across all forecast horizons. This is seen in the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations as well as other surveys and market-based measures.5

    A Labor Market in Balance

    Now I’ll turn to the employment side of our mandate. And no surprise, I’ll point to data. A wide range of metrics-including the unemployment rate; measures of job openings, hiring, quits, and employment flows; and perceptions of job and worker availability-indicate that the very tight labor market of the past few years has now returned to more normal conditions and is unlikely to be a source of inflationary pressures going forward.

    Recent analysis by researchers at the New York Fed provides a useful way to gauge whether the labor market is tight or loose.6 They find that you can effectively summarize the state of the overall labor market in terms of its effect on compensation growth by using just two indicators: the rate at which employees quit their jobs and the ratio of job openings to job seekers. In fact, once you take these two measures into account, other labor market metrics that get a lot of attention-such as the unemployment rate and the vacancy-to-unemployment ratio-don’t provide additional useful information. 

    Combining these two measures into an index of labor market tightness provides two key insights. First, data as of the second quarter of this year indicate that the labor market is about where it was in early 2018-a period of solid labor market conditions and low inflation. Second, compensation growth should soon return to levels that prevailed prior to the pandemic.

    Seasons of Change

    So, the labor market is solid. The economy is in a good place. And inflation is closing in on our 2 percent longer-run goal. With the risks to achieving our goals now in balance, the FOMC decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by half a percentage point, to 4-3/4 to 5 percent. In addition, the Committee continued to normalize the holdings of securities on the Fed’s balance sheet.7

    Looking ahead, based on my current forecast for the economy, I expect that it will be appropriate to continue the process of moving the stance of monetary policy to a more neutral setting over time. The timing and pace of future adjustments to interest rates will be based on the evolution of the data, the economic outlook, and the risks to achieving our goals. We will continue to be data-dependent and attuned to the evolution of economic conditions in making our decisions.

    With monetary policy moving to a more neutral setting over time, I expect real GDP to grow between 2-1/4 and 2-1/2 percent this year and to average about 2-1/4 percent over the next two years. I anticipate the unemployment rate to edge up from its current level of about 4 percent to around 4-1/4 percent at the end of this year and stay around that level next year. With the economy in balance and inflation expectations well anchored, I expect overall PCE inflation to be around 2-1/4 percent this year, and to be close to 2 percent next year.

    Conclusion

    The economy has been on a remarkable journey. In two years, the red-hot labor market has normalized, and inflation has come within striking distance of our 2 percent longer-run goal-all while employment and the economy continue to grow.

    We instituted and maintained a very restrictive monetary policy stance until the data gave us confidence that inflation is sustainably on course to 2 percent. With this progress toward achieving price stability, moving toward a more neutral monetary policy stance will help maintain the strength of the economy and labor market. Although the outlook remains uncertain, we are well positioned to achieve our dual mandate goals.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Eddie Yue: China and the changing global trade landscape – challenges and opportunities

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Professor Wei [Shang-Jin, N.T. Wang Professor of Chinese Business and Economy, Columbia University], Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning!  

    It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the 14th Annual International Conference on the Chinese Economy, organised by the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research. The theme of this year’s conference is “China and the Changing Global Trade Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities”.  This is a timely and important topic – not just for China, but also with far-reaching and enduring implications for the global economy.     

    There is ample evidence that globalisation has brought enormous benefits to the world, through increasing cross-border flow of trade, investments, technology, ideas, and people. For emerging market economies, integration into the global supply chain has been a crucial contributor to their economic development.  As global income rose in tandem with global trade from the 1980s onwards, billions of people have been lifted out of poverty. 

    Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the golden era of globalisation has given way to a gradual slowdown in global trade in goods. There is a combination of factors.  First, it reflects doubts or even scepticism about the distributional effects of globalisation.  Secondly, rising geopolitical considerations in recent years have led to a re-imposition of various trade and investment restrictions by some jurisdictions.  And thirdly, recent disruptions to supply chain, caused by the pandemic and regional military conflicts, have prompted discussions about ways to mitigate such risks.

    These developments have not yet translated into a wholesale reconfiguration of the global trade landscape. But it appears that the slow-down in global goods trade is likely to continue.  A recent joint study by the HKMA and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) suggests that some supply chain realignment has already been taking place during the pandemic.  

    Any escalation of geo-economic fragmentation would almost certainly result in a costly transition, especially for Asia given the region’s relatively open economies. For those who believe in the value of free trade and globalization, the key question then is how best to collectively minimise the risks of full blown economic fragmentation, and what actions can be taken to sustain globalisation, even in the face of a changing global trade landscape?

    Since this is a conference about the Chinese economy, perhaps we can start with a quick examination of how China is adapting to the change and turning the challenge into opportunity. Despite the headwinds in the trade sector, China’s world export share has remained at around 15 per cent since 2018.  This reflects two important trends. 

    First, China has continued its economic diversification and regional collaboration through expanding its import and export network, particularly to broader emerging markets. It has also stepped up outward direct investments to establish stronger footholds in the global supply chain amidst friend-shoring or near-shoring.

    Second, China’s manufacturing industries have doubled down on their efforts to move up the value chain, from low-end, labour-intensive component manufacturing to higher-tech, full-spectrum product manufacturing, supported by China’s own domestic market and growing capability in more sophisticated technology goods.

    Indeed, this is a process that pre-dates the recent rise in global trade protectionism, if just for the classic reason of comparative advantage. What we have witnessed is that even as some production may have been diverted away from China, these have been largely concentrated in a few sectors – namely, textiles, electronics and autos – and in the assembly segment rather than upstream.  While Chinese exports might take up a smaller share of some markets as a result, it is exporting more intermediate goods and capturing a larger share of imports from other regional economies. 

    China’s search for new trade opportunities through diversification and supply chain upscaling has brought structural transformation to the Chinese economy and helped maintain China’s key position in global manufacturing. The process, together with other changes in the global supply chain, will bring fundamental changes to global trade and investment.  It would be premature to predict what the new order will be.  But one thing is for sure, those who embrace the change and rise to the challenge will benefit greatly, and it should not be a zero-sum game. 

    Now let me shift gear and touch on some emerging opportunities we are going to discuss at this conference. I will focus on two panel themes: digital trade transformation and innovative trade finance – two topics that are increasingly relevant as we transition towards a digitalised global economy.

    Digitalisation of trade offers a range of benefits. For firms, digital transformation of trade and supply chain processes can produce efficiencies in terms of time and labour saved. It also enhances the traceability and security of cross-border trade in goods and services, by enabling real-time visibility into all stages of the supply chain from production to delivery.

    For economies, digital trade transformation offers substantial productivity gains through, for example, rapid growth of e-commerce. It also offers better prospects of helping to distribute the gains generated from trade more widely and equitably among the various stakeholders. 

    Indeed, digitally delivered services already account for a little over half of total services trade1. They are increasingly facilitating trade flow across borders, in support of raising the market share of developing economies, which has increased from about 20 percent to 30 percent of global service trade between 2005 and 2023. 

    Meanwhile, digital technologies can be leveraged to enhance cross-border trade settlement and financing, where there is plenty of scope for coordinated solutions to existing pain points. For example, Project mBridge has been exploring the use of wholesale central bank digital currencies of Hong Kong and a number of other participating central banks as a way to speed up cross-border payments at reduced cost, faster settlement, and with better transparency. 

    Equally exciting is the use of innovative technologies in trade finance – from blockchain, AI to digital signatures – and greater cooperation around cross-border interoperability that will help close the widening global trade finance gap, estimated by the Asian Development Bank last year to have reached a record US$2.5 trillion.

    Another area of opportunity and cooperation is around green technologies. The consequences of climate change, in the form of higher frequency of extreme weather events, have only become more visible these last few years, and Asia is particularly exposed. 

    We need open and predictable trade to enable scale economies and direct low-carbon technologies and services to where they are most needed. In this respect, major regional trade networks can serve as key platforms that facilitate sustainable trade and investment, support climate-resilient economic developments, and enhance the ecosystem of green finance.

    Let me close by noting that the global trading system as we know has brought mutual benefits and shared prosperity to the world economy. Granted, there’s always scope to make the system work better and fairer.  Let’s focus not just on the challenges, but more on the solutions and the opportunities.  

    There are excellent research papers to be presented at the conference, covering many of the topics I outlined just now. So I wish you all a most engaging and productive conference. 

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A classroom equipped by Novard Group of Companies opened at the State University of Management

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    On October 14, 2024, the State University of Management opened a new auditorium equipped by the university’s industrial partner, the Novard Group of Companies.

    The opening was attended by the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev, vice-rectors Dmitry Bryukhanov, Vitaly Lapshenkov and Artem Terpugov, director of the Institute of Marketing Gennady Azoyev, head of the advertising and public relations department Vasily Starostin, as well as the management of the Novard Group of Companies, graduates of the State University of Management: president Andrey Iliopulo, vice-presidents Sergey Sarkisov and Vadim Kirillov.

    Auditorium A-535 will primarily be used for master’s students, international students, and anyone wishing to attend classes with renowned guest lecturers. It is equipped with a teacher’s computer, a stationary microphone and a mobile headset, three screens, and a camera with speaker tracking.

    Rector of GUU Vladimir Stroyev thanked the management of “Novard” for their assistance in equipping the auditorium and active participation in the life of the university, including the activities of the Association of GUU Graduates. Vladimir Vitalyevich noted that it was at GUU that the first department of entrepreneurship in Russia was opened, and following traditions and honoring history is one of the most important trends in modern domestic education.

    The President of the State Institution “Novard” Andrey Iliopulo said that the photographs with quotes from famous entrepreneurs of the 19th century, reproductions of which decorate the walls of the office, were taken from the Museum of Entrepreneurs, Patrons and Philanthropists, together with which “Novard” holds a thematic competition for students and schoolchildren. Andrey Andreyevich noted that for domestic entrepreneurship, it was initially important not only to enrich, but also to care about honor and dignity, therefore, studying the activities of patrons of the past is useful for the educational process.

    Director of the Marketing Institute Gennady Azoyev thanked the management of the Novard Group of Companies and the rector’s office of the State University of Management for their comprehensive assistance and support in the development of the Marketing Institute. Gennady Lazarevich expressed the opinion that the active participation of Novard in the life of the university should serve as a good example for other successful graduates of the State University of Management. He also noted that this year the anniversary is celebrated by the State University of Management, Novard, the Marketing Institute, and the Marketing Department.

    On the occasion, the IM employees demonstrated to the audience another new classroom next door – a computer lab for design and advertising classes.

    The Novard Group of Companies was founded in 1989 in Moscow by students of the State University of Management. It is represented by the fashionable footwear and accessories chain EKONIKA, the full-cycle developer City21, the commercial real estate management company Novard Estate Management Limited and one of the leading suppliers of industrial and construction equipment in the Russian Federation – Rutektor. Novard sees its mission as the development and promotion of a model of successful creative entrepreneurship that combines the best Russian traditions and modern business practices.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/14/2024

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

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

    https://guu.ru/auditorium-equipped-opened/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Frieze 2024: it’s an industry art fair you’re not supposed to like – but here’s why you might

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Lang, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Fine Art , University of Lincoln

    The average art lover isn’t supposed to like art fairs because they’re so corporate. When you pay £9 for a sandwich and your wifi is sponsored by a big bank, you can understand the reservations. They’re also too big and crowded. Even the VIPs are left queuing to get in.

    But the fair provides opportunities to see work from galleries from all over the world in London and there is plenty of good art on display. As Frieze describes itself “[it] is one of the world’s most influential contemporary art fairs, focusing only on contemporary art and living artists”. It is primarily for those in the art world, those who create, critique and those who collect, and a lot of money changes hands as the world’s galleries show the best they have. But it has also become a cultural day out.

    Apart from loads of great painting and the occasional noncommercial showpiece, Frieze goes out of its way to balance the corporate with more thoughtful displays. There’s a chance to see big-name artists, international galleries and work by new artists. The “Artist-to-Artist” section returned this year, containing work by emerging talents (selected by established artists). With so much on show, Frieze can be daunting. You can easily spend a whole day at the fair, but with so much on display there is truly something for everybody.

    At this year’s Frieze, international highlights included Proyectos Ultravioleta from Guatemala city, who showed miniature paintings by Rosa Elena Curruchich hung alongside larger works emblazoned with the text “me venden” (they’re selling me) by Edgar Calels. Calels also brought the smell of a forest into the booth by covering the floor with pine needles.

    Jhaveri Contemporary (Mumbai, India) presented work by the Bangladeshi duo Kamruzzaman Shadhin and Gidree Bawlee. The piece Kaal (Pala) consists of seven delightful jute figures – among the most enchanting figurative sculptures I have seen recently. Joydeb Roaja’s pen drawings of people, tanks, and people with tanks on their heads are as enigmatic and disturbing as they are engaging.

    Non-commercial art appeared in Jenkins Van Zyl’s Sweat Exchange at Edel Assanti (London). This video installation housed in what Van Zyl has called a sauna-cum-“sweat extraction brewery”, which features two doppelgangers, who alternate between self-care and abuse. Imagine the Pink Panther crossed with Jar Jar Binks as a drag queen and you’re nearly there.

    Then there was Patrick Goddard’s silver cast bees on the floor of Seventeen Gallery, and Lawrence Lek (winner of the Frieze artist award) who has produced Guanyin: Confessions of a Former Carebot – an interactive videogame installation about an AI created to service self-driving cars.

    Most of the works were are those hung on walls. Gallery booths have a small storage area in which they are able to keep paintings and prints, (but less able to store sculptural works). Collectors also favour paintings, prints and photographs to adorn their walls (or similarly put into storage) over artists’ films or video installations.

    What’s to complain about though when there is so much good painting on display?

    Highlights included Tom Anholt and Ryan Mosley at Josh Lilley Gallery (London); Carl Freedman Gallery (Margate), which showed great paintings by Ben Senior, Laura Footes and Vanessa Raw (as well as Lindsey Mendick’s ceramic sculptures) and Tanya Leighton Gallery (Berlin and LA), which had plenty of good painting on show, including works by Matthew Krishanu. Ingleby (Edinburgh) showed Andrew Cranston and Hayley Barker and Arcadia Missa (London) showed Lewis Hammond’s Schmetterling, an eerie blue interior with an unsettling blue-eyed figure, and Jesse Darling, whose Come on England (up the) takes a novel approach to wall-based work by leaning crowd-control barriers in the corner of the gallery booth.

    Counter Editions (Margate) presented a Tracey Emin solo show. You’re not supposed to like Emin, since she outed herself as a Tory sympathiser. Opposite is a Billy Childish solo show at Lehmann Maupin (London, Seoul, New York), where the artist paints live while wearing a beret next to a dirty stepladder for reaching the tops of the large canvases. You’re not supposed to like Billy Childish either because he is a Stuckist (stuck in the age of Van Gogh and Edvard Munch – his only two art heroes). Funnily enough, Charles Thomson, co-founder of Stuckism, derived the name from an insult by Emin, who told Childish, her ex-lover, that his art was “stuck, stuck, stuck”. Don’t tell anybody, but the Emin and Childish works were quite good.

    With an annual curated section, more solo shows and over 270 Galleries from more than 40 countries, if you love art in all its forms (and can afford it) you should experience Frieze London at least once. If you didn’t go this year, you really should spend a day there next. Despite what people say… you’re bound to find something you like.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Martin Lang 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. Frieze 2024: it’s an industry art fair you’re not supposed to like – but here’s why you might – https://theconversation.com/frieze-2024-its-an-industry-art-fair-youre-not-supposed-to-like-but-heres-why-you-might-241293

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Seeking new green energy solutions from the sea – in wave power, biofuel and beyond

    Source: Flinders University

     

    Green fields are opening around the world as researchers make inroads into improving efficiencies in more sustainable vehicles via a novel biofuel and power generation from the sea.

     

    For example, Flinders University scientists have recently published results from three different studies – targeting potential methods and future technologies to capture ocean wave power efficiently, produce marine microalgae biofuel, as well as to improve catalytic conversion in engines.

     

    Nanotechnology experts at Flinders University, including Professor Youhong Tang and PhD Steven Wang, with Chinese colleagues have developed a novel wave sensing device which is self-powered by harvesting energy from ocean waves.

     

    The latest results, published in Device (Tuesday 15 October), prototypes a hybrid self-powered wave sensor (HSP-WS), consisting of an electromagnetic generator and a triboelectric nanogenerator.

     

    “The test results show that HSP-WS has the sufficient sensitivity to detect even 0.5 cm amplitude changing of ocean wave,” says PhD candidate Yunzhong (Steven) Wang, from Professor Tang’ research group, who is based at Flinders University’s Tonsley future energy hub.

     

    Professor Tang says that “The data obtained from HSP-WS can be used to fill up the current gap in the wave spectrum which can improve ocean wave energy harvesting efficiency.”

    Ocean wave amplitude is a key parameter in the wave spectrum. The current wave spectrum does not support detailed wave data for wave amplitudes below 0.5 m. Common radar-based ocean data sensors struggle to monitor low-amplitude waves because the measured wave amplitude is often concealed by environmental noise. 

     

    The researchers add that low-amplitude-wave energy harvesters lack proper guidance for optimal placement, which significantly affects their energy-harvesting efficiency.

     

    Meanwhile, nanoscale material scientist, Matthew Flinders Professor Tang, has joined forces with aquaculture expert Professor Jianguang (Jian) Qin and other Flinders University researchers to experiment with a new method to boost production of fast-growing, sustainable microalgae for biofuel or other feedstock.

     

    “Mass production of microalgae is a research focus owing to their promising aspects for sustainable food, biofunctional compounds, nutraceuticals, and biofuel feedstock,” says Professor Tang. 

     

    “For the first time, this study was able to enhance algal growth and lipid accumulation simultaneously, producing essential biomolecules for the third and fourth-generation feedstock for biofuel.”

     

    The novel approach creates an effective light spectral shift for photosynthetic augmentation in a green microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, by using an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitiser.

     

    Professor of Aquaculture Jian Qin says industry-scale microalgae culture for lipid and biomass production is still a challenge.

     

    “However, microalgae-derived polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) remain a promising alternative to stock-limited fossil fuels for the recent price hike and future demand and for minimising carbon emissions with 10 to 50 times higher efficiency than terrestrial plants. PUFA also have health-promoting functions for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications,” he says.

     

    Another research group at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering has published a paper about a promising new nanotechnology technique for more efficient use of fuels.

     

    “The need for sustainable energy solutions is steering research towards green fuels,” says Associate Professor in Chemistry Melanie MacGregor, from Flinders University. “One promising approach involves electrocatalytic gas conversion, which requires efficient catalyst surfaces.”

     

    “In this study, we developed and tested a plasma-deposited hydrophobic octadiene (OD) coating for potential to increase the yield of electrocatalytic reactions,” she says.

     

    “Our findings indicate that these nano-films, combined with micro-texturing, could improve the availability of reactant gases at the catalyst surface while limiting water access.

     

    “This approach holds promise to inform future development of catalyst materials for the electrocatalytic conversion of nitrogen and carbon dioxide into green fuels.”

     

    References: 

     

    The article ‘Plasma Coating for Hydrophobisation of Micro- and Nanotextured Electrocatalyst Materials’ (2024) by Georgia Esselbach, Ka Wai Hui (UniSA), Iliana Delcheva, Zhongfan Jia and Melanie MacGregor has been published in the online journal Plasma. DOI: 10.3390/plasma7030039 9.

     

    This research received funding from the Australian Research Council (FT200100301), Universities and State Government with support from Microscopy Australia at the Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, and the SA node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

     

    Also see ‘Aggregation-induced emission photosensitiser boosting algal growth and lipid accumulation’ (2024) by Sharmin Rakhi, AHM Mohsinul Reza, Brynley Davies, Jianzhong Wang (Jilin Agricultural University), Youhong Tang and Jianguang Qin has been published in Nano-Micro Small journal (Wiley). The authors acknowledge support from colleagues at the South China University of Technology and La Trobe University. This research did not receive any external funding.

     

    The first article, ‘A hybrid self-powered wave sensing device enables low-amplitude wave sensing’ (2024) by Yunzhong Wang, Huixin Zhu (Tongji University), Wenjin Xing, Damian Tohl and Youhong Tang has been published in Device (Cell) DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2024.100575 This research did not receive any external funding.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Receives African American Civil Rights Grant from the National Park Service

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Receives African American Civil Rights Grant from the National Park Service

    North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Receives African American Civil Rights Grant from the National Park Service
    jejohnson6

    The North Carolina Historic Preservation Office has received an African American Civil Rights (AACR) Grant from the National Park Service to undertake an architectural survey of resources associated with the Civil Rights movement in northeastern North Carolina.

    The $27,500 grant will support architectural survey documentation of up to 40 previously un-surveyed historic buildings and the update of records for 24 previously documented resources. The project will conclude with recommendations for buildings to be added to the state’s Study List, a prioritized list of resources that should be considered for the National Register of Historic Places, and recommendations for adding Civil Rights as an area of historic significance to the National Register nominations of six listed historic districts.

    The project defines northeastern North Carolina as the region bounded by I-95, U.S. Highway 64, Virginia, and the Atlantic Ocean.

    This project builds on an earlier project, also funded through the African American Civil Rights Grant program, that used oral histories and historic research to identify buildings now proposed for the architectural survey.

    Across North Carolina between 1941 and 1976, thousands of Civil Rights protests and actions occurred in large and small communities. In many instances, white-owned newspapers did not cover these activities or relegated them to small notes on pages. As a result, oral history is often the best and, in some cases, only way to locate the sites and resources associated with this aspect of our history.

    The northeast region was chosen because it is easily definable by highways and a state line, because its towns are relatively evenly spread across the region, and because the region includes Elizabeth City State University, a historically Black university.

    Should this project document buildings eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for an association with Civil Rights, the State Historic Preservation Office will plan a third phase to nominate some or all of the eligible resources.

    The project will begin in October 2024 and be completed by August 2026.

    The AACR grant, funded by the Historic Preservation Fund, documents, interprets, and preserves sites and stories related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens. The 2008 NPS report Civil Rights in America, A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites serves as the foundation reference document for the grant program and for grant applicants to use in determining the appropriateness of proposed projects and properties. The final report will not necessarily reflect views or policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior.

    For more information about the project, please contact Sarah Woodard, branch supervisor for the National Register and Survey Branch of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office at sarah.woodard@dncr.nc.gov or 919-814-6573.

    About the State Historic Preservation Office
    In North Carolina, the State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) is an agency of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Kevin Cherry, the department’s Deputy Secretary of Archives and History, is North Carolina’s State Historic Preservation Officer. The HPO carries out state and federal preservation programs that assist private citizens, non-profit institutions, local governments, and agencies of state and federal government in the identification, evaluation, protection, and enhancement of properties significant in North Carolina’s history and archaeology. The HPO oversees the statewide architectural survey; administers the National Register of Historic Places for North Carolina properties; conducts environmental review of state and federal actions affecting historic and archaeological properties; provides technical assistance to owners in the restoration of historic properties, including those owners seeking state and federal rehabilitation income tax credits; provides grant assistance for historic preservation projects; provides technical assistance to local preservation commissions; and provides historic preservation education https://www.hpo.nc.gov/.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Oct 10, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $31.5M for 31 Bicycle, Pedestrian Projects Across Kansas – Governor of the State of Kansas

    Source: US State of Kansas

    TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that nearly $31.5 million will be awarded for 31 projects in communities across Kansas to create safer, more walkable and bike-friendly routes through the Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program.

    “This investment is more than just improving infrastructure – it’s about strengthening the safety, accessibility, and mobility of our communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I’m pleased the state can offer the support needed to help advance these projects.”

    The competitive grant program, administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and provided by the Federal Highway Administration, is currently the primary source of KDOT funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects statewide, including Safe Routes to School. The program also funds transportation projects of a historical nature and scenic and environmental projects, including Main Street beautification projects.

    Since 2019, under the Kelly administration’s bipartisan Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, also known as IKE, KDOT has awarded more than $95 million for 122 TA projects, benefiting both urban and rural communities.

    Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed said this year’s announcement marks the largest grant funding the state has awarded since the launch of the federal program.

    “By partnering with local communities, we can enhance our state’s transportation infrastructure while improving accessibility and fostering more connected neighborhoods,” Secretary Reed said.

    The program requires a 20 percent local match of the project cost. The non-federal required share will consist of $2.79 million in local matching funds and $5.15 million in KDOT state funding.

    The TA projects selected to receive an award are:

    Community Sponsor Project Title  Federal Award District
    City of Atchison Unity Street Pedestrian Improvements – 2nd Street to 6th Street  $814,479.20 1
    City of Atchison North 5th Street Safe Routes to School  $924,389.00 1
    City of Eudora Safe Routes to School Sidewalk Improvements  $781,676.00 1
    City of Holton Highway 75 Pedestrian/Non-Motorized Vehicle/Bicycle Safety Project  $2,115,513.00 1
    City of Lawrence 2025 Safe Routes to School  $1,096,000.00 1
    City of Lawrence Massachusetts St 14th St to 23rd St Multimodal Improvements  $2,376,000.00 1
    City of Leavenworth Downtown ADA Sidewalk Ramp Improvements  $629,750.00 1
    City of Topeka Traffic Calming, Crossing Improvements, & Bike Lanes Installation on 4th, 5th & Adams streets  $1,722,931.20 1
    City of Wamego Safe Routes to School Crossing Improvements  $239,872.00 1
    Central Kansas Conservancy Sunflower Santa Fe Trail – Canton KS  $649,485.60 2
    City of Concordia Concordia Sidewalks for School Construction Project  $1,032,931.00 2
    City of Council Grove Streetscape and Pedestrian Safety Project along Main Street  $1,880,000.00 2
    City of Herington Safe Routes to School Phase II Construction Project  $1,136,075.00 2
    City of Hillsboro Orchard Drive Hike/Bike Trail  $525,100.00 2
    City of Linn Pedestrian Safety Sidewalk Project  $1,407,957.00 2
    City of McPherson McPherson Ave A Trail Phase III  $849,913.60 2
    City of Phillipsburg Sidewalks and Crosswalk Project to School  $763,124.00 3
    USD 270-Plainville Safe Routes to School Implementation Project  $853,991.00 3
    City of Altamont Pedestrian Connections to School & Food Retail  $1,528,469.00 4
    City of Burlington 6th Street Prefabricated Pedestrian Bridge  $654,256.00 4
    City of Girard Pedestrian Transportation Facilities to Connect Vital Services to Residents  $633,277.00 4
    City of Iola US-54 Multimodal Project  $4,236,812.00 4
    City of Pittsburg Meadowlark Elementary School Safe Routes to School  $286,400.00 4
    City of Augusta Pedestrian bridge over the Whitewater River on Redbud Rail Trail  $560,000.00 5
    City of Great Bend Downtown Great Bend Sidewalk Repair and Accessibility Improvements  $800,000.00 5
    City of Greensburg Greensburg Connecting Sidewalks  $342,548.00 5
    City of Hutchinson Downtown Hutchinson Pedestrian Safety and Access Improvements  $908,800.00 5
    City of Larned Safe Routes to School Phase II  $850,400.00 5
    City of Sedgwick Commercial Avenue Pedestrian Access and Streetscape Improvements  $215,384.80 5
    City of South Hutchinson South Hutchinson Pedestrian Connectivity Project  $273,600.00 5
    City of Ulysses Kepley Middle School Crossing  $400,475.00 6
      31 Projects Total  $31,489,609.40  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five simple questions can help spot exaggerated research claims over sex differences in the brain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gina Rippon, Professor Emeritus of Cognitive NeuroImaging, Aston University

    shutterstock FocalFinder/Shutterstock

    In the last ten years, some 20,000 or so academic papers have been published on the neuroscience of sex and gender. Perhaps you have read the media coverage of such papers, suggesting there’s finally proof that stereotypical abilities such as men being good at reading maps or women excelling at nurturing can be pinpointed in the brain.

    Given the sheer quantity of output in this area, how can you tell what is really groundbreaking research, and what is an overenthusiastic application of hype?

    Misleading spin is often blamed on university PR teams, non-specialist science writers in mainstream newspapers, or social media. But the source of deceptive impressions may sometimes be the research papers themselves.

    For example, researchers may hyper-focus on a limited set of findings. They may fail to report that many of the differences they were looking for didn’t make the statistical cut. Or they may be less than cautious in discussing the impact of their findings.

    Just as much as researchers need to be meticulous about the best methodology and the most powerful statistics, they need to manage the impressions they make when communicating their research. And, if they don’t, then the interested but non-expert reader may need help to spot this.

    Magic: spotting the spin

    My colleagues and I recently published a set of guidelines which offer just such assistance, identifying five sources of potential misrepresentation to look out for. The initials helpfully form the acronym “Magic”, which is short for magnitude, accuracy, generalisability, inflation and credibility.

    For magnitude, the question is: is the extent of any differences clearly and accurately described? Take this 2015 study on sex differences in the human brain. It reported on 34,716 different patterns of functional brain connectivity, and found statistical differences between females and males in 178 of them.

    Yet given that less than 0.5% of all possible differences they were measuring actually turned out to be statistically significant, they wouldn’t really be justified in reporting sex differences as prominent. In this study, they weren’t.

    The next question is to do with accuracy. Are techniques and variables clearly defined and carefully used in the interpretation of results? It should be really clear how the study was run, what measures were taken, and why.

    For example, a recent paper suggesting that the Covid lockdown effects had a more pronounced effect on adolescent girls’ brain structure than boys’ fell at this hurdle. The abstract referred to “longitudinal measures” and much of the narrative was couched in longitudinal “pre- and post-Covid” terms. Longitudinal studies –– which follow the same group of people over time –– are great as they can discover crucial changes in them.

    But if you peer closely at the paper, it emerges that the pre- and post-Covid lockdown comparisons appear to be between two different samples – admittedly selected from an ongoing longitudinal study. Nonetheless, it is not clear that like was compared with like.

    Don’t believe everything you hear about male and female capabilities.
    CrispyPork/Shutterstock

    The third question has to do with generalisability. Are authors cautious about how widely the results might be applied? Here we encounter the problem with many scientific studies being carried out on carefully selected and screened groups of participants – sometimes just their own students.

    Care should be taken to ensure this is clear to the reader, who shouldn’t be left with the impression that one or more sets of participants can be taken to be fully representative of (say) all females or all males. If all study participants are selected from the same single community, then referring to “hundreds of millions of people” in interpreting the relevance of the results is something of an overstatement.

    The fourth category, inflation, is to do with whether the authors avoid language that overstates the importance of their results. Terms such as “profound” and “fundamental” may be misplaced, for instance. Remember, James Watson and Francis Crick merely described their discovery of DNA’s double helix structure as of “considerable biological interest”.

    Finally, we should consider credibility: are authors careful to acknowledge how their findings do or do not fit with existing research? Authors should be up front about alternative explanations for their findings, or suggest other factors that might need to be investigated in further studies.

    Suppose, for example, they are looking at the allegedly robust sex differences in visuospatial skills, which include things like visual perception and spatial awareness. Have the authors acknowledged research suggesting that the amount of time people spend on practising this skill, such as when playing video games, has been shown to be more significant than biological sex in determining such differences?

    If gamers are more likely to be boys, that doesn’t necessarily mean their brains are wired for them – it could equally well be reflecting gendered pressures that make such games a popular, culturally comfortable pastime among boys.

    The focus of these guidelines is on sex/gender brain imaging studies, but they could well be applied to other areas of research.

    Post-lockdown surveys have suggested that the public has greater trust in what scientists are saying than they did before the pandemic. Scientists need to be careful that they retain that trust by ensuring that what they report is unambiguous and free from hype.

    Hopefully the Magic guidelines will help them and their editors achieve this; if they don’t, then eagle-eyed readers, Magic-ally armed, will be on their guard.

    Gina Rippon 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. Five simple questions can help spot exaggerated research claims over sex differences in the brain – https://theconversation.com/five-simple-questions-can-help-spot-exaggerated-research-claims-over-sex-differences-in-the-brain-240356

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine faces worsening odds on the battlefield and a struggle on the diplomatic front after Biden postpones summit

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    In May 2023, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, embarked on a whistle-stop tour of European capitals to shore up support from his western partners in the run-up to Ukraine’s summer offensive that year. His tour was a relative success – the subsequent offensive less so.

    Fast forward 18 months, and Zelensky has once again been visiting London, Paris, Rome and Berlin in search for western support. This time, he sought backing for his victory plan. But the odds now are clearly stacked against Ukraine on the battlefield. And Zelensky also faces an uphill struggle on the diplomatic front.

    The initial plan for Zelensky and his allies had been to convene at a meeting of the Ramstein group. This is the loose configuration of some 50 countries who have supported Ukraine’s defence efforts since the start of the full-scale Russian aggression in February 2022.

    With the US president, Joe Biden, scheduled to attend after a state visit to Germany, the gathering at Ramstein Air Base in Germany had been pitched at the level of heads of state and government. It was expected that there were to be some big announcements of continuing support for Ukraine.

    The world is watching the US election campaign unfolding. Sign up to join us at a special Conversation event on October 17. Expert panellists will discuss with the audience the upcoming election and its possible fallout.

    But with hurricane Milton scheduled to hit Florida, Biden was forced to cancel his trip. While Biden’s visit to Germany has apparently been rescheduled for October 18, 2024, the Ramstein meeting remains postponed.

    This has deprived the Ukrainian president of the chance to pitch his victory plan to his more important allies. So he has been unable to get them to commit to the support that will be necessary to implement it.

    We don’t yet know much about the Ukrainian victory plan. From what has been released or leaked, it appears to boil down to five key demands.

    Zelensky wants an accelerated path to Nato membership. He is also asking for a Nato-enforced no-fly zone over western Ukraine and more air-defence systems for the country to better protect its own skies.

    Other key elements of the plan involve permission to use western-supplied long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russia, the delivery of long-range German Taurus ballistic missiles and significant investment into Ukraine’s defence industry.

    Most of these demands are non-starters in western capitals. That much was already made clear during Zelensky’s recent trip to New York and Washington in mid-September.

    The Ukrainian president managed to get his US counterpart to authorise US$8 billion (£6.12 billion) in further security assistance. But there has been no progress on lifting the restrictions that the US and other allies are placing on Ukraine’s use of western military aid against Russian territory.

    The western alliance remains divided on this. And the US is particularly sceptical of its strategic value.

    Similarly, the prospect of Ukraine joining Nato continues to be remote – not least as it would require the consent of all 32 current member states. The Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico, has openly stated that he will veto Ukraine’s accession to the alliance. His Hungarian counterpart, Victor Orban, is also well known for his opposition to Kyiv joining the alliance.

    More damaging to Ukraine’s Nato aspirations, however, is a similar reluctance in both Washington and Berlin. This has been key in ensuring that the two most recent Nato summits in Vilnius in 2023 and Washington in 2024 only re-affirmed that “Ukraine’s future is in Nato” but failed to attach a clear timeline to it.

    Kyiv’s allies need to double down – now

    At the end of his meeting with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on October 11, Zelensky secured another €1.4 billion (£1.17 billion) worth of air defences, tanks, drones and artillery, to be jointly delivered by Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Norway.

    But Taurus ballistic missiles – top of Kyiv’s shopping list – are not included in this package. While predictable, this was a major disappointment for Zelensky. As was the fact that he essentially walked away empty-handed from his meetings in London, Paris and Rome.

    There is no indication that any of these major allies are likely to withdraw their support. But it is equally clear that they are not prepared to increase it decisively.

    This was also evident during the visit to Kyiv of the new Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, on October 3. Rutte travelled to Ukraine within days of assuming the role to reiterate the continuation of the alliance’s support. But as symbolically important as this was, he merely confirmed what had already been agreed rather than announcing anything new.

    The EU did marginally better. On October 10 it was announced the bloc was set to extend the training programme for Ukrainian troops until the end of 2026. The mission was launched in November 2022 and has trained some 60,000 troops to date. That’s about half of all Ukrainian soldiers trained abroad – and three times the number who received training from the US.

    The EU’s overall aid to Ukraine now stands at €162 billion since the beginning of the war in 2022, compared to €84 billion from the US. Two-thirds of US aid is military in nature, and with almost €57 billion to date, it dwarfs the contributions by Germany and the UK, the two next-largest donors with around €10 billion each.

    These are impressive numbers and there can be no doubt that Ukraine would have lost this war long ago without support from its western allies. Yet, the fact is that what Ukraine’s western partners currently provide is barely enough to prevent a Ukrainian defeat, let alone enable Ukraine to implement its victory plan.

    Vladimir Putin has consistently raised his country’s war effort to meet any challenges presented over the course of the conflict. Unless the west doubles down on its support to allow Kyiv to do the same, not only will Ukraine not win this war, it is in serious danger of losing it.

    The high-level meeting planned for Ramstein would have been the opportunity for the west to change gear decisively. Ukraine can only hope that its postponement, rather than outright cancellation, means its allies may yet step up to the plate.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. Ukraine faces worsening odds on the battlefield and a struggle on the diplomatic front after Biden postpones summit – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-faces-worsening-odds-on-the-battlefield-and-a-struggle-on-the-diplomatic-front-after-biden-postpones-summit-240805

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sudan’s brutal war has become many wars, making peace even harder to reach

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Willis, Professor of History, Durham University

    A fire in Omdurman market near Khartoum following fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. Abd Almohimen Sayed / Shutterstock

    Sudan’s war runs grimly on. The two main protagonists (though there are others involved) are each claiming local victories. The Sudanese army appears to be slowly regaining control of the ruined capital, Khartoum, and has recovered some ground it lost elsewhere in Sudan. And the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues its brutal siege of the western city of El Fasher.

    But, while the army seems to have the upper hand at present, neither they nor the RSF looks likely to win outright. Instead, the two sides keep up a mutual battering with ill-aimed barrages of artillery fire and bombs that destroy markets, wreck hospitals, and each day add to the grim toll of civilian death and misery.

    Abdel-Fattah al Burhan, the general who seized power and derailed what was supposed to be a transition to civilian rule after the revolution of 2019, still insists he is the head of Sudan’s legitimate government, and that the army will win the war.

    The RSF’s leader, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who is referred to as Hemedti, had initially been willing to play deputy to Burhan, but is now his bitter enemy. He makes a show of being willing to negotiate, but relentlessly pursues a military victory.

    It is tempting to point the finger at actors outside Sudan for their part in the spiralling violence. There are multiple credible allegations that the governments of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Russia have all helped arm or finance one side or other in pursuit of regional influence or economic gain. Libya’s eastern – but not internationally recognised – government has also been accused of complicity.

    Some would say there are sins of omission as well as commission. The US, EU and others have all called for an end to this war. But they could be doing more to stop the flow of weapons and money that helps keep the fighting going, and to mobilise more concerted action to protect civilians.

    The world stands accused of turning its back on Sudan, despite being its biggest hunger and displacement crisis. But external actors did not start the war, and they cannot simply end it.

    Despite their common cause in a counter-revolutionary coup in 2021, the war started when Burhan and Hemedti fell out over who would have military and political primacy – and the associated economic benefits – in Sudan.

    They’ve already decided the country isn’t big enough for the both of them, so it’s nigh-on impossible to negotiate the usual kind of deal that shares power between foes.

    Burhan is intensely sensitive about the fragile sovereignty of his government, and views external mediation as foreign meddling. He has always insisted that the army can win an outright victory, and now he is encouraged by recent gains. Yet he is a long way from regaining control of the whole country.

    Hemedti, who craves the status that would come from negotiations, makes grandiloquent offers of ceasefires, coupled with promises to respect human rights – all while the RSF continues to murder, rape and loot. Hubris and hypocrisy make poor bases for negotiation.

    A precarious balancing act

    This is also not a war simply being waged between two individuals. Neither the army nor the RSF are coherent or well disciplined – the RSF, in particular, is a messy constellation of armed men, mostly from western Sudan (and, allegedly, further afield). They share a distinctive style of camouflage dress and a sense of long-term exclusion, but are not under close or effective control.

    The army has more formal structures – too many, perhaps – but these are also fragmented. Strong on generals and air firepower but weak on fighting forces, the army is adapting the government’s old playbook of mobilising local militias.

    The war has become several wars, drawing in other armed groups whose alliances with either the army or the RSF are contingent or opportunistic.

    Since independence in 1956, Sudan has mostly been a militarised state, where power was won by force. Those who ruled it feared their fellow soldiers and so created alternative forces, hoping these would back them against potential coups. Some of these groups had distinct social bases in particular regions or ethnic groups.

    This fragmentation had been happening since the 1970s, but it became endemic during the long reign of Sudan’s former president, Omar al-Bashir. Bashir stayed in power for 30 years by dividing possible rivals within the ruling elite, and used the multiplying, competing arms of the “security forces” to fight rebels on the margins.

    What seemed like a powerful, authoritarian system was, in fact, a brutal but precarious balancing act. After Bashir fell in 2019, the transitional government floundered. The soldiers seized power, then the complex rivalries and institutional fragmentation proved unsustainable. The core institutions that held Sudan together have shattered.

    So who, if anyone, can put Sudan back together again? Burhan and Hemedti are in no mood, and may anyway lack the control of their followers needed for any deal to stick.

    Civilian politicians were discredited by the bickering of the transition, and the most prominent of them seem confused between claiming to be a government-in-exile or trying to build a bigger anti-war coalition.

    At present, Sudan faces either the long-term absence of central authority or, more dramatically, an effective division into two or more states, whether or not these are internationally recognised. Some might say we should not mourn this – Sudan was a colonial creation, made by violence and predation. But this is an outcome that may only increase misery and misrule.

    However, there is still resistance amid the ruination. Sudan’s post-Bashir transition to democracy, as envisaged by the UN and others, is long dead. But in some vital ways, the popular revolution that toppled Bashir lives on.

    Grassroots emergency response rooms organise whatever lifesaving support for desperate communities that they can. And women and youth – the revolution’s vanguard – continue to organise, agitate and debate Sudan’s future among themselves, as well as demand a role in making it. They deserve our solidarity.

    Many, both Sudanese and non-Sudanese, refuse to let go of the idea of a better Sudan that has never yet been realised, but just might rise up from these ashes.

    Sharath Srinivasan is a Fellow and Trustee of the Rift Valley Institute.

    Justin Willis 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. Sudan’s brutal war has become many wars, making peace even harder to reach – https://theconversation.com/sudans-brutal-war-has-become-many-wars-making-peace-even-harder-to-reach-240585

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nobel economics prize: how colonial history explains why strong institutions are vital to a country’s prosperity – expert Q&A

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

    This year’s Nobel memorial prize in economics has gone to Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and James Robinson of the University of Chicago for their work on why there are such vast differences in prosperity between nations.

    While announcing the award, Jakob Svensson, the chairman of the economics prize committee, said: “Reducing the huge differences in income between countries is one of our times’ greatest challenges”. The economists’ “groundbreaking research” has given us a “much deeper understanding of the root causes of why countries fail or succeed.”

    The award, which was established several decades after the original Nobel prizes in the 1960s, is technically known as the Sveriges Riksbank prize in economic sciences. The academics will share the award and its 11 million kroner (£810,000) cash prize.

    To explain their work and why it matters, we talked to Renaud Foucart, a senior lecturer in economics at Lancaster University in the UK.

    What did Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson win for?

    The three academics won the prize mostly for providing causal evidence of the influence of the quality of a country’s institutions on its economic prosperity.

    At first glance, this may seem like reinventing the wheel. Most people would agree that a country that enforces property rights, limits corruption, and protects both the rule of law and the balance of power, will also be more successful at encouraging its citizens to create wealth, and be better at redistributing it.

    But anyone following the news in Turkey, Hungary, the US or even the UK, will be aware that not everyone agrees. In Hungary for instance, cases of corruption, nepotism, a lack of media pluralism, and threats to the independence of the judiciary have led to a fierce battle with the European Union.

    Rich countries typically have strong institutions. But several (wannabe) leaders are perfectly comfortable with weakening the rule of law. They do not seem to see institutions as the cause of their prosperity, just as something that happens to be correlated.

    In their view, why does the quality of institutions vary across countries?

    Their work starts with something that has clearly not had a direct effect on today’s economic prosperity: living conditions at the start of European colonialism in the 14th century. Their hypothesis is that, the richer and the more inhospitable to outsiders a place was, the more colonial powers were interested in brutally stealing the country’s riches.

    In that case, they built institutions without any regard for the people living there. This led to low quality institutions during the colonial period, that continued through independence and led to bad economic conditions today.

    All of this is because – and this is another domain to which this year’s laureates contributed – institutions create the conditions of their own persistence.

    In contrast, in more hospitable and less developed places, colonialists did not take resources. They instead settled and tried to create wealth. So, it was in their (selfish) interest to build democratic institutions that benefited people living there.

    The researchers then tested their hypothesis by looking at historical data. First, they found a “great reversal” of fortune. Places that were the most urbanised and densely populated in 1500 became the poorest by 1995. Second, they found that places where settlers died quickly from disease and could therefore not stay – while local populations were mostly immune – are also poorer today.

    Looking at the colonial roots of institutions is an attempt to disentangle causes and consequences. It is also perhaps the main reason why the committee would say that even if this year’s laureates did not invent the idea that institutions matter, their contribution is worthy of the highest distinction.

    Some have suggested the work simply argues ‘democracy means economic growth’. Is this true?

    Not in a vacuum. For instance, their work does not tell us that imposing democracy from scratch on a country with otherwise malfunctioning institutions will work. There is no reason for a democratic leader not to become corrupt.

    Institutions are a package. And this is why it is so important to preserve their different aspects today. Weakening even a little bit of the protections the state offers to citizens, workers, entrepreneurs and investors may then lead to a vicious circle where people do not feel safe that they will be defended against corruption or expropriation. And this leads to lower prosperity and more calls for authoritarian rules.

    There may also be outliers. China is clearly trying to push the idea that capitalism without a liberal democracy can be compatible with economic success.

    The growth of China since Deng Xiaoping’s reforms in the 1980s coincides with the introduction of stronger property rights for entrepreneurs and businesses. And, in that sense, it is a textbook version of the power of institutions.

    But it is also true that Deng Xiaoping ordered the crushing by the military of the Tiananmen Square protests for democracy in 1989. China today also has a clearly more authoritarian system than western democracies.

    And China is still much poorer than its democratic counterparts, despite being the world’s second-largest economy. China’s GDP per capita is not even a fifth of that of the US, and it is facing major economic challenges of its own.

    Actually, according to Acemoglu, Xi Jinping’s increasingly authoritarian regime is the reason why China’s economy is “rotting from the head”.

    What trajectory are democratic institutions throughout the world currently on?

    Acemoglu has expressed concern that democratic institutions in the US and Europe are losing support from the population. And, indeed, many democracies do seem to be doubting the importance of protecting their institutions.

    They flirt with giving more power to demagogues who claim it is possible to be successful without a strong set of rules that bind the hands of the rulers. I doubt today’s prize will have the slightest influence on them.

    But if there is one message to take home from the work of this year’s laureates, it is that voters should be cautious not to throw the baby of economic prosperity with the bathwater of the sometimes frustrating rules that sustain it.

    Renaud Foucart 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. Nobel economics prize: how colonial history explains why strong institutions are vital to a country’s prosperity – expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/nobel-economics-prize-how-colonial-history-explains-why-strong-institutions-are-vital-to-a-countrys-prosperity-expert-qanda-241305

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How AI can help you make a computer game without knowing anything about coding

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Zhou Hao, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Leicester

    Even kids can do it. Lassedesignen

    Just as calculators took over the tedious number-crunching in maths a few decades ago, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming coding. Take Kyo, an eight-year-old boy in Singapore who developed a simple platform game in just two hours, attracting over 500,000 players.

    Using nothing but simple instructions in English, Kyo brought his vision to life leveraging the coding app Cursor and also Claude, a general purpose AI. Although his dad is a coder, Kyo didn’t get any help from him to design the game and has no formal coding education himself. He went on to build another game, an animation app, a drawing app and a chatbot, taking about two hours for each.

    This shows how AI is dramatically lowering the barrier to software development, bridging the gap between creativity and technical skill. Among the range of apps and platforms dedicated to this purpose, others include Google’s AlphaCode 2 and Replit’s Ghostwriter.

    In another example of the power of these apps, an eight-year-old American girl called Fay built a chatbot that purported to be Harry Potter. She had it up and running in just 45 minutes, at which point it asked if she had heard the rumours about the Deathly Hallows and suggested they discuss it over a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.

    For those that already know how to code, numerous AI apps have become incredibly helpful too. At the other extreme from the natural language coding apps described above, tools like Tabnine and GitHub Copilot act as intelligent assistants, predicting and autocompleting code as you type.

    Alternatives such as Sourcery and DeepCode go a step further, offering real-time code cleanup, suggesting improvements and fixing vulnerabilities. New tools are emerging weekly, such as OpenAI’s GPT Canvas, a new GPT version designed to help with sophisticated coding. Many of these tools can also translate code from one programming language to another, say from JavaScript to Python.

    The productivity gains that these tools offer are revolutionising the software industry. As many as 70% of companies have already adopted the likes of GitHub Copilot, with coders reporting that AI is enabling them to write software that is more reliable and bug free.

    By removing the need to spend so many hours ironing out human errors, coders are able to spend more time focusing on higher value tasks such as designing system architecture and collaborating with colleagues.

    It is also changing the game for university educators like myself as we race to keep up. We’ve been having to rethink teaching materials and also assessment methods, wrestling with how exactly to grade a student’s coding in situations where AI tools are doing much of the work.

    Today’s limitations

    As exciting as all this is, AI coding is still in its infancy. At this stage it can only help non-coders to build simple applications or games. It can’t yet oversee big complex IT projects by understanding the big picture in a way that a human coder would.

    It can’t yet invent new ways to solve problems either, and is still more likely to lag in areas like, say, spacecraft navigation that require highly specialised knowledge.

    Many tools also don’t write perfect code: a program will often work but won’t be efficient or secure enough for use in the real world. Similarly, AI tools don’t inherently understand the context of the data they process, so may mishandle sensitive information or perpetuate biases present in the data on which they were trained.

    For all these reasons, in professional situations there’s still a need for a coder to make sure that everything is meeting the necessary standards. No doubt in future we may see AI coding tools designed to handle everything from security issues to highly specialised subject matter. Their ability to help non-coders to build apps will also only improve. For now at least, however, AI coding is still amplifying the skills of coders rather than replacing them altogether.

    How to build your own game

    All the same, it’s incredible what you can do with these tools as a non-coder already. Here’s a quick guide to making a simple platform game:

    Step 1: Sign up for an AI tool: Create an account with, say, Cursor or AlphaCode 2 and follow the setup instructions. Depending on which tool you choose, you may need to do a quick install. You may also need to install a programming language such as Python, as well as a source code editor such as VS Studio Code 2 – the coding platform will keep you right on this.

    Step 2: Start your game: Open a new project in the tool. Into the prompt, type: “Create a simple platform game where the platforms are made of sweet treats”.

    Step 3: See what it’s like: Click “run” or “preview” to see what you’ve created (depending on which system you are using, you may have to do this in the source code editor). You should see platforms made of candy or cakes.

    Step 4: Make some changes: Let’s say we change the main character into a parrot. Simply type into the prompt: “Make the avatar a green parrot”.

    Step 5: Add features: Now type into the prompt: “Let the parrot be controlled by the cursor arrows, insert some sweets for it to collect and add a score counter for how many it has collected”.

    Step 6: Test and tweak: Click “run” or “preview” again to test the updated game. Make changes by typing things like, “Insert a black crow that will chase the parrot around the screen. If the crow touches the parrot, freeze the screen and display a message in the middle of the screen saying ‘Too Bad!!!’”. Keep repeating these steps until you’re happy with the results.

    Step 7: Get it out there: You might now want to share your game with friends or online via an app store. It must be said that AI coders are not yet doing this well, so you may find this trickier without prior knowledge. One option is to deploy the game online via a free platform such as Zeabur, as explained here.

    Daniel Zhou Hao 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. How AI can help you make a computer game without knowing anything about coding – https://theconversation.com/how-ai-can-help-you-make-a-computer-game-without-knowing-anything-about-coding-240584

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to make sure the budget secures the investment Britain needs

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    Growth won’t happen without greater investment. I Wei Huang/Shutterstock

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to “rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment” in the UK. He was speaking at his government’s first international investment summit, an attempt to encourage the finance and business worlds to put more money into the country.

    But the government will need much more investment – by both the private and public sectors – than can be drummed up with one summit and an intent to slash red tape if it is to meet its economic goals. So Labour’s upcoming first budget on October 30 presents a vital opportunity to lay the foundations for an investment boost over the coming years.

    A major, long-term aim is to get the UK’s annual growth back to its pre-2008 banking crisis rate, when it was around 2% a year. The UK has been growing at about half that rate since then.

    This slower economic growth has damaged people’s living standards as well as the tax receipts the government needs to fund public services, particularly since the pressures of the COVID pandemic.

    Slow growth could be turned around by increasing investment in things like infrastructure. The UK has lagged behind comparable economies in this regard – it has had the lowest rate of investment in the G7 group of major economies for 24 of the last 30 years.

    Last year, the UK’s GDP per capita (a measure of the average income) was nearly £11,000 lower than it would have been had the economy continued to grow at its pre-2008 rate.

    Rather unusually, despite the UK’s debt recently reaching 100% of GDP – the highest amount in more than half a century – the usually fiscally conservative International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said the UK should consider focusing on investment. This, it says, could potentially boost GDP growth and thus stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio.

    And the UK’s spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), believes it is possible to raise economic growth through more investment. The OBR estimates that a sustained 1% of GDP increase in public investment could increase the level of potential national output by just under 0.5% after five years, and around 2.5% in 50 years.

    So, there will undoubtedly be a number of investment measures in the Budget. But how many depends, in part, on whether the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, revises some restrictions on borrowing, known as the fiscal rules. There could be adjustments such as offsetting government debt with its assets, including student loans. Reeves is reportedly looking at this possibility – which could create as much as £50 billion of additional fiscal headroom.



    Read more:
    The chancellor has tied her own hands with her fiscal rules – here’s why she should change them

    She could also re-institute the previous Labour government’s golden rule: only borrow to invest. This could separate out capital investment (spending on things like roads and other infrastructure), which is needed to support long-term growth, from day-to-day spending on public services. It would also increase the transparency of what the borrowing is for, and whether it can deliver growth that can help stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio.

    These changes would prevent public investment from being cut in order to meet one of the current fiscal rules Reeves is adhering to. That is, that debt must be falling as a percentage of GDP over a rolling five-year period. As it stands, this rule restricts how much Reeves can borrow – even if that is what the country needs to grow economically.

    A change to this rule could help the government fund its two new initiatives to promote public investment: the National Wealth Fund, which requires just over £7 billion over the parliament, and GB Energy, which needs about £8 billion.

    Convincing investors

    Investments in the National Wealth Fund and GB Energy could further raise economic growth by “crowding in” private investment. For example, investing in infrastructure like a road entices private firms to invest too, perhaps in new premises or more staff, because a better transport link will make these firms’ investments more profitable.

    The government’s aim is to bring in three times the public investment in the National Wealth Fund to invest in infrastructure and key sectors. GB Energy likewise intends to bring in private investors to support the green transition that can generate new output and jobs.

    But targeting growth will take more than just finding the money. It also requires a regulatory approach and planning system that generates confidence among private investors to put their money in alongside the government.

    The impending Budget won’t set out all of the details that investors are looking for, but they will expect to see the growth strategy and assess whether it is credible. For instance, successive governments have struggled with planning reform, so investors will be justified in wondering what will be different this time.

    Rachel Reeves could potentially give herself an extra £50 billion to spend if she changes the fiscal rules.
    Fred Duval/Shutterstock

    Investors will also be on the lookout for a more certain regulatory regime over several years. The main impediments to investment tend to be uncertainty, including over regulation and planning, as well as being able to find workers with the right skills. This Budget is an opportunity to set out what the government plans to do in both areas over its five-year parliament.

    One positive signal to investors would be if the Budget sets out a broad definition of “capital”. For physical capital like a factory to be properly used, it requires people (human capital). And we hear a lot about green assets and digital assets, which essentially means that capital can be physical, human or green, as well as digital.

    By outlining its policies around infrastructure and skills, as well as its environmental and digital policies, any proposed growth strategy would be more holistic and likelier to have a positive impact on growth.

    But the difference between a strategy and a great strategy is in its execution. The Budget will almost certainly set out various fiscal policies to support growth. But the ability to deliver this strategy will determine whether it is truly a budget for growth.

    Linda Yueh 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. How to make sure the budget secures the investment Britain needs – https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-sure-the-budget-secures-the-investment-britain-needs-241074

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Han Kang: translators share memories of working with the winner of the Nobel prize in literature

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Duncan Large, Professor of European Literature and Translation; Executive Director, British Centre for Literary Translation, University of East Anglia

    Han Kang, the South Korean winner of the 2024 Nobel prize in literature, made her breakthrough in the English-speaking world with her first translated novel (her third in Korean), The Vegetarian. Published in English in 2015, it was an immediate success, making the Evening Standard bestseller list. It went on to win the Man Booker international prize the following year for Han and her young English translator, Deborah Smith.

    In the summer of 2015, Han spent a week at the University of East Anglia (UEA) where she was the resident author for the Korean-English literary translation workshop at the annual summer school of the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT). She was already a prize-winning writer in Korea and had recently published the controversial novel that Smith would go on to translate as Human Acts.

    As part of the summer school in July 2015, Deborah Smith led a workshop with Han for six emerging translators of Korean, sponsored by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. Han later commented that the event as a whole was “on a larger scale and more intensive than any other translation program I had previously heard about or experienced”.

    It was already clear that Han was a major figure, and the power of her writing was reinforced by the quiet authority of her presence. For workshop participant Roxanne Edmunds: “The great thing about the workshops was that we were able to work on the translation with the author. It was a little intimidating at first, but Han put us at ease with her enthusiasm.”

    Fellow participant (and subsequently Korea Times translation prizewinner) Sophie Bowman told me:

    I remember that in the workshop we spent an hour or so moving around a comma, adding it to the sentence, taking it out. And spent a long time discussing the colour and feel and look of a cardigan one of the characters wore and how it signified. I was quite amazed at how we could do this in all seriousness – labouring over such details (not even there on the page), when I had been working until then on tight deadlines and weekly translation quotas. But Han’s work stood up to that scrutiny and expansive kind of reading.

    Victoria Caudle, another of the workshop participants and now a doctoral candidate at UCLA, added:

    Working with Han, I experienced a writer who respected translation as its own process of writing. She was fascinated by how we would agonise over how to express the slightest movement or smallest image in the text. Overall, I remember how generous she was, how softly she spoke and how strong her words were.

    After a week of intensive discussion, the group produced a translated extract from Han’s short story Europa that was barely a page in length, but the value of such activities always lies at least as much in the process as in the product.

    The workshop culminated in a joint reading of the translated text as part of the Summer School’s finale at Dragon Hall in Norwich, the beautiful medieval home of BCLT’s partner the National Centre for Writing.

    Bowman and Caudle went on to found the Smoking Tigers, a Korean-English literary translator collective, together with several other alumni. Buoyed by the success of her translation of The Vegetarian, Smith founded Tilted Axis Press, which in turn won the International Booker prize in 2022 for Tomb of Sand, written by Geetanjali Shree and translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell.

    In response to Han’s Nobel win, the president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, Sooyoung Chon, remarked: “Han Kang’s Nobel prize in literature is a pivotal moment that highlights LTI Korea’s efforts to introduce Korean literature to the world.” BCLT has continued to collaborate closely with LTI Korea on several other summer school workshops, but the inaugural 2015 edition has proved particularly consequential.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Duncan Large works for the British Centre for Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia, which received funding from the Literature Translation Institute of Korea for its 2015 Summer School.

    – ref. Han Kang: translators share memories of working with the winner of the Nobel prize in literature – https://theconversation.com/han-kang-translators-share-memories-of-working-with-the-winner-of-the-nobel-prize-in-literature-241299

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why some women are taking a cold remedy to help them get pregnant – and what the evidence says

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Watkins, Assistant Professor, Reproductive Biology, University of Nottingham

    Prostock studio/Shutterstock

    The desire to have our own biological children is hard-wired into many of us. And the desire is often felt more keenly in those struggling with infertility. So the promise of a simple solution is hard to ignore – which may be why “the Mucinex method” is trending on social media.

    Many women on TikTok are attributing successful conception to their use of the widely available cough and cold medicine Mucinex – or similar over-the-counter decongestant medicines containing the active ingredient guaifenesin.

    Why would a medicine designed to relieve cough and cold symptoms help women get pregnant? During unprotected sexual intercourse, sperm are deposited at the top of the vagina. To reach and fertilise the egg, the sperm must first traverse the cervix, a small canal that connects the vagina and the womb.

    The cervix plays a critical role in regulating the passage of sperm through its production of cervical mucus. During a woman’s menstrual cycle, the quantity and consistency of the cervical mucus changes, becoming optimal around the time of ovulation.

    If there is too much mucus, or it is too thick, it can stop the sperm from reaching the egg. So, the idea goes that by taking Mucinex, a woman would thin her cervical mucus and make it easier for the sperm to reach the egg.

    The rising popularity of fertility tracking apps has increased awareness of signs of the fertile window among users, including through monitoring of cervical mucus quantity and consistency. Once familiar with their individual signs, it follows that women who are trying or, indeed, struggling to conceive might start considering how to optimise their chances of conception in any given cycle.

    A simple over-the-counter product such as Mucinex could well seem like a quick and simple solution with potentially more rapid results than dieting or a change in other lifestyle factors.

    Not surprisingly, questions are being asked over the validity of taking Mucinex, or other guaifenesin-containing medicines, as fertility aids.

    The fact is, there is scant scientific evidence proving that Mucinex can help with fertility. The most cited scientific study is from 1982 and was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. Here, scientists studied 40 couples whose infertility was defined as being a “cervical issue”.

    The women in the study were given 200mg of guaifenesin, three times a day starting on the fifth day of their menstrual cycle. By the end of the study, 15 out of the 40 couples had become pregnant, which some may see as supporting the use of guaifenesin.

    However, as there was no group that didn’t take guaifenesin (a control group), it is not possible to attribute these pregnancies solely to guaifenesin.

    In a separate case study, a man took 600mg of guaifenesin, twice a day, for two months. The study reported a dramatic increase in sperm production and motility. However, as this study was conducted on a single 32-year-old man, the researchers could not confirm that guaifenesin was the cause of the change.

    It should be noted that Reckitt, the makers of Mucinex, said in a statement that Mucinex should “only be used as intended in line with label directions”. And that taking Mucinex for infertility “constitutes off-label use”.

    Is there any harm in taking guaifenesin to conceive?

    While no associations between guaifenesin and birth defects have been identified, there is still no solid data on how guaifenesin might affect embryo development.

    For those seeking to become parents, the idea of boosting your chances with a widely available medication is understandably enticing. However, there is not enough evidence to support taking guaifenesin to improve fertility.

    There are a range of other simple, lifestyle changes that have been shown to help with getting pregnant. These include maintaining a healthy weight and diet, reducing alcohol intake, giving up smoking and lowering stress. For those experiencing difficulties in becoming pregnant, the best, and possibly simplest advice is to talk to your doctor.

    Adam Watkins receives funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council under grant BB/V006711/1.

    Emma Lucas is a council member of the Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

    – ref. Why some women are taking a cold remedy to help them get pregnant – and what the evidence says – https://theconversation.com/why-some-women-are-taking-a-cold-remedy-to-help-them-get-pregnant-and-what-the-evidence-says-241233

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Cartwright Reintroduces Legislation to Close Controversial Tax Code Loophole

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Matt Cartwright (17th District of Pennsylvania)

    “I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation in Bill’s honor. The carried interest loophole is yet another way special interests have rigged the system to their advantage, at the expense of everyday taxpayers. Wealthy fund managers shouldn’t pay less taxes than hard working Americans,” said Congressman Cartwright.

    On Friday, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) reintroduced the Bill Pascrell Ending Tax Giveaway Act, legislation to close the controversial carried interest loophole.

    Carried interest is a form of compensation received by wealthy private equity and hedge fund executives that is taxed well below top wage income rates.

    The bill was originally introduced by the late U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ-09), who represented New Jersey in Congress for more than 27 years before his death on Aug. 21st. Pascrell championed legislation to close the carried interest loophole for years, beginning in the 116th Congress. 

    “Bill was a revered public servant who made tax fairness his top priority and fought to ensure ultra-wealthy Americans benefiting from preferential tax treatments would finally pay their fair share,” said Congressman Cartwright. “I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation in Bill’s honor. The carried interest loophole is yet another way special interests have rigged the system to their advantage, at the expense of everyday taxpayers. Wealthy fund managers shouldn’t pay less taxes than hard working Americans.”

    Multiple organizations signed on to endorse Pascrell’s original legislation.  When it was introduced, the following comments were made:

    “Americans for Tax Fairness strongly endorses this legislation to ensure that private equity, real estate, and hedge fund executives pay the same top tax rate on their income that other working Americans pay on theirs. This egregious loophole has survived thanks to hefty campaign contributions and backroom deals. It’s time to close this loophole once and for all,” said David Kass, Executive Director of Americans for Tax Fairness.

    “There is absolutely no economic or moral justification for the continued existence of the carried interest loophole. Ultra-wealthy private equity and hedge fund managers do not need or deserve preferential tax treatment on income they earn from managing other people’s money. There is no shortage of people willing to work as hedge fund managers. If Congress needs to give a special tax incentive to get people to fill a need, they should have teachers or emergency room nurses pay half the tax rates that everyone else pays. Lawmakers need to show the American people that they have the guts to stand up to Wall Street and pass the Ending Wall Street Tax Giveaway Act to get rid of this egregious, pointless, and outrageous loophole once and for all,” said Morris Pearl, Chair of Patriotic Millionaires.

    “Private equity and hedge fund executives rig the tax code so they pay less than Black, white, and Brown working people,” said Porter McConnell, Take on Wall Street Campaign Director at Americans for Financial Reform. “Carried interest is the textbook example of Wall Street’s tax cheats. It’s time to pass the Ending Wall Street Tax Giveaway Act and close this outrageous loophole.”

    “For far too long, the carried interest loophole has allowed millionaire Wall Street hedge fund and private equity managers to pay lower tax rates than the working families who carry and continue to build the American economy. CWA is proud to support the Ending Wall Street Tax Giveaway Act, as it levels the playing field by closing that arcane tax loophole and forcing Wall Street to pay their fair share.” said Dan Mauer, Director of Government Affairs for the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lt. Governor Primavera Celebrates Anniversary of Colorado Digital Navigators Pilot Launch

    Source: US State of Colorado

    The Digital Navigators Program is managed by Serve Colorado within the Office of the Lt. Governor

    AURORA — Lt. Governor Primavera recently spoke at the Aurora Public Library in recognition of Digital Inclusion Week and the Colorado Digital Navigators Pilot Program. Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) is an annual week of awareness, recognition, and celebration that promotes action for digital equity solutions. DIW is organized by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and its 1,800+ affiliates nationwide. Colorado joins states and communities across the country in highlighting their efforts online and in-person.

    “I strongly believe in fostering a culture of accessibility and inclusion for Coloradans across the state. Implementing these practices in digital and online spaces has been historically overlooked despite its tremendous importance,” said Lt. Governor Primavera. “I am so proud of our Digital Navigators and their firm commitment to serving communities in need. Their tireless efforts to bridge the digital divide and empower individuals with essential digital skills is integral to creating a Colorado for All.”

    The Digital Navigators AmeriCorps program recently finished a successful inaugural year. The program launched in March 2023 in collaboration with Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), Serve Colorado, and Comcast. The Learning Source and Loveland Public Library were awarded funding to recruit and train AmeriCorps member Digital Navigators. This initiative addressed digital inclusion, a critical social determinant of economic stability, healthcare, education, and community wellbeing. Digital Navigators support community members by improving home connectivity, device access, and digital skills. Digital Navigators worked primarily one on one with community members – in person, by phone and online – depending on the needs of each community member.

    The first cohort of nearly 22 AmeriCorps Digital Navigators began service in Arapahoe, Douglas, Denver, Boulder, Weld, Larimer, Pueblo, Jefferson, and Pitkin counties in October 2023. As of the end of September 2024, the Digital Navigator Pilot Program now provides services at 74 locations in 13 counties, including in counties with some of the slowest, most unreliable internet connectivity in Colorado like Costilla, Saguache, and Rio Grande counties. Over half the Digital Navigators speak a language in addition to English. Sites are actively recruiting for the next program year.

    “I want to extend a thank you to the Aurora Public Library, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), and Serve Colorado for making this opportunity possible,” said Lt. Governor Primavera. “Initiatives like Digital Inclusion Week are vital in continuing to spread awareness towards this critical issue.”

    For more information about Serve Colorado and the Digital Navigators program, visit https://servecolorado.colorado.gov/digitalnavigators.

    AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

    AmeriCorps offers opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow personally and professionally, and receive benefits for their service. Learn how to get involved at AmeriCorps.gov/Serve.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠ Harris Administration Continues Recovery Efforts in North Carolina Following Hurricane  Helene

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Following Hurricane Helene’s devastating impacts across the Southeast and Appalachia, the Biden-Harris Administration continues its robust Federal efforts to help communities recover and rebuild. The storm heavily impacted North Carolina, where the Administration continues to surge resources and assist families, business owners, farmers, and other impacted communities receive the support and assistance they need and deserve.
    Federal disaster assistance for Hurricane Helene survivors has surpassed $474 million – including more than $86 million in housing and other types of assistance for survivors in North Carolina. Survivors can register for assistance at one of three Disaster Recovery Centers in Caldwell, McDowell, and Buncombe Counties, or on disasterassistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362, or via the FEMA app.
    The Department of Defense continues to support search-and-rescue operations, route clearance, and commodities distribution across western North Carolina with 1,500 active-duty troops. The Department of Defense is also employing additional capabilities to assist with increasing situational awareness across the remote terrain of Western North Carolina. The Army Corps of Engineers continues missions supporting debris removal, temporary emergency power installation, infrastructure and water and wastewater assessments, and technical assistance. Over 2,000 North Carolina National Guard personnel along with over 200 Guardsmen from 15 States are conducting response operations in western North Carolina.
    As response efforts continue in North Carolina, more than 1,250 FEMA staff remain on the ground, with more arriving daily. Nearly 400 Urban Search and Rescue personnel remain in the field helping people. These teams have rescued or supported over 3,200 survivors to date.  
    Power has been restored to more than approximately 96 percent of customers, as a result of 10,000 utility personnel working around the clock. Cellular restoration also continues to improve, with more than 93 percent of cellular sites in service. FEMA is boosting response coordination by providing 40 Starlink units to ensure first responders can communicate with each other.
    Commodity distribution, mass feeding, and hydration operations continue in areas of western North Carolina. FEMA continues to send commodity shipments and voluntary organizations are supporting feeding operations with bulk food and water deliveries coming via truck and aircraft. Mobile feeding operations are reaching survivors in heavily impacted areas, including three mass feeding sites in Buncombe, McDowell and Watauga counties. The Salvation Army has 20 mobile feeding units supporting this massive operation and has provided emotional and spiritual care to survivors. To date, the American Red Cross is engaging in targeted distribution of emergency supplies in low-income communities with high levels of minor or affected residential damage.
    Additional recovery efforts in North Carolina include:
    Supporting Infrastructure Recovery
    As part of the robust, whole-of-government response to Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Department of Transportation is supporting response and recovery efforts in impacted communities in North Carolina. DOT personnel are on the ground in multiple locations of the state.
    On October 5, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $100 million in Quick Release Emergency Relief funding to support North Carolina. The funding helps pay for the costs of immediate emergency work resulting from Hurricane Helene flood damage. Additional funding will flow to affected communities from the Emergency Relief program.
    FHWA worked closely with North Carolina and other federal agencies to assess infrastructure damage, including supporting hundreds of bridge inspections and other critical infrastructure assessments across the Southeast. On October 8, FHWA Acting Administrator Kristin White visited the region with Governor Roy Cooper, North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins and other federal, state and local officials and got a first-hand look at impacts from the storm and recovery efforts.   
    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to work with partners in affected parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, as the national airspace steadily returned to normal operations.
    The FAA Air Traffic Organization Technical Operations Team is on-site and leading communications restoration efforts at air traffic facilities. FAA also supported the North Carolina Air National Guard by providing advisory services at Rutherford County Airport and Avery County Airport.
    The FAA worked with state and local governments, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and first responders to enable drones to support response and recovery. The FAA granted permission to allow Wing to temporarily conduct beyond visual line of sight drone package deliveries for Walmart’s pharmacy in western North Carolina, delivering essential items including prescription medicine, medical supplies, and medical equipment to hard-to-reach locations.
    Additionally, President Biden’s approval of a Presidential Emergency Declaration for North Carolina affords the state a period of emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including flexibility around driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles. This allows truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas in North Carolina. It may also provide opportunities for motorcoach buses to deliver relief teams to response locations and allow for the transport and evacuation of residents.
    On October 10, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan joined Governor Cooper, Senator Tillis, Congressman Edwards and local officials to assess federal and state recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Helene. EPA and its state partners have made significant progress bringing drinking water and wastewater systems back online, including restoring service to more than 75 drinking water systems that serve approximately 260,000 people in the Asheville area. EPA is also providing technical assistance and drinking water testing to systems and private drinking water well owners across the Asheville area through their Mobile Drinking Water lab – giving residents clear data and confidence that their water is safe to drink. The lab is capable of testing 100 samples per day. Water utilities and private well owners must request sampling services through their local health departments. EPA will remain on the ground in North Carolina helping area residents as long as their assistance is needed.  
    The Department of Energy’s Energy Response Organization remains activated to respond to storm impacts, and responders remain deployed to FEMA regional response coordination centers. Via the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council and Oil and Natural Gas Sub-Sector Coordinating Council, the Department of Energy has been coordinating continuously with energy sector partners on the ongoing Hurricane Helene response. As noted above, there are 10,000 line workers supporting power restoration efforts.
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration continues to support post-disaster imagery flights following Hurricane Helene, already totaling over 68 flight hours during 20 flights, including over western North Carolina. This imagery not only supports FEMA and the broader response community, but the public at large.
    Providing Financial Flexibilities to Homeowners and Taxpayers
    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. Additionally, affected homeowners that have mortgages through Government-Sponsored Enterprises – including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – and the FHA are eligible to suspend their mortgage payments through a forbearance plan for up to 12 months.
    HUD announced $3 million for the State of North Carolina to support people experiencing homelessness in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Funding from the Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing program will help residents and families who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have needs that are not otherwise served or fully met by existing Federal disaster relief programs.
    This summer, HUD launched a new streamlined process for requesting additional flexibility on existing grants after a disaster is declared. Recipients of annual HUD funding – including in North Carolina – may request waivers to unlock and accelerate the use of their funding for disaster response and recovery. With the updated waiver process, HUD is proactively issuing maximum flexibility to communities impacted by disasters. These flexibilities will expedite the recovery process, reduce administrative burden, and allow impacted jurisdictions to quickly tailor programs and activities to address the post disaster needs of their communities. The Disaster Assistance and Recovery Team within HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling continues to conduct focused meetings with housing counseling agencies in each state impacted by these disasters to discuss their unique response and recovery challenges and identify resources available to assist.
    The Internal Revenue Service announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. North Carolina taxpayers now have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
    Protecting Public Health
    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a Public Health Emergency for North Carolina to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. HHS’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) continues to provide medical support for Hurricane Helene, predominantly onsite in North Carolina. These ASPR personnel are deployed to support Hurricane Helene response operations, which include four Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and personnel from a Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) in North Carolina. ASPR Health and Medical Task Forces and ASPR Disaster Medical Assistance Teams from the National Disaster Medical System are providing 24-hour surge support to three hospitals: Mission Hospital in Asheville, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, and Caldwell Memorial in Lenoir. To date, ASPR teams have seen nearly 1000 patients. ASPR will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners to prioritize medical assistance to other areas affected by Hurricane Helene as required and requested.  
    Supporting Workers and Worker Safety
    Working alongside the Department of Labor, the States of North Carolina has announced that eligible workers can receive federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance to compensate for income lost directly resulting from Hurricane Helene. And, through the Department of Labor’s innovative partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, displaced workers in North Carolina can now go to the post office in any other state and verify their ID for purposes of getting their benefits quickly.
    Supporting Farmers and Agriculture
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has put contingency plans and program flexibilities into place to ensure farmers, foresters and communities are able to get the support they need, such as by extending program signup opportunities, expediting crop insurance payments, and using waivers and emergency procedures to expedite recovery efforts on working lands. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has issued flexibilities and waivers for North Carolina to ensure that food and nutritional assistance reaches those in need as soon as possible. In North Carolina, waivers have been issued to increase access to WIC products, replace benefits through Summer EBT, allow the purchase of hot foods through SNAP, and more.
    Additionally, USDA is currently coordinating over 200 staff on the ground in North Carolina, including saw support teams and emergency road clearance teams, to help clear trees and debris, including in Waterville, Marion, Newton, and Weaverville.
    Supporting Students and Student Loan Borrowers
    The Department of Education has offered technical assistance to states and local educational agencies to support recovery efforts and shared critical resources, including those developed by other federal agencies and organizations, to support restoring the teaching and learning environment.
    The Department’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has flexibilities that are automatically available to affected institutions of higher education to help their continued management of the federal student aid programs. These flexibilities help schools if they need to adjust their academic calendars, such as due to unexpected closures, and also help students who may need to take a leave of absence. The flexibilities also help students avoid reductions in their federal aid due to any state or federal disaster assistance provided. FSA will also work with affected institutions that need help on other areas, such as paying credit balances. FSA has communicated with schools located in the areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. Those communications included existing Department guidance about how natural disasters impact schools and their administration of financial aid, resources, and links to FEMA disaster aid information. FSA’s communications also included a way for schools to share more information about the disaster impact on their campus and submit questions about administrative relief and flexibilities.
    The Department is ensuring affected borrowers in areas impacted by the hurricanes can focus on their critical needs without needing to worry about missing their student loan payments. Direct Loan borrowers and federally-serviced FFEL borrowers in the affected area who miss their payments will be automatically placed into a natural disaster forbearance. During forbearance, payments are temporarily postponed or reduced, and interest is still charged. Thanks to regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, months in this forbearance will count toward PSLF and IDR forgiveness. Direct Loan and federally serviced FEEL borrowers are not required to take an action but have the option to call their servicer if they wish to enroll in the forbearance proactively. Perkins loan borrowers should contact their loan holder to request natural disaster forbearance. 
    Continuing to Survey Data
    The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) continues working to measure river levels and flow, and repair streamgages that transmit critical data. USGS crews continue working to determine the extent of flooding by surveying for high-water marks. These flood-peak data and high-water marks are used to determine flood frequency and are critical in the design of infrastructure and in determining flood plain boundaries. USGS stood up a landslide response team that now includes 32 USGS scientists, 19 of which ware mapping landslides, to provide technical assistance to the North Carolina Geological Survey and Tennessee Geological Survey. Their work includes reconnaissance using satellite imagery, flights, and on-the-ground assessments to map landslides.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: We’ve bred corals to better tolerate lethal heatwaves, but rapid climate action is still needed to save reefs

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Liam Lachs, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Climate Change Ecology and Evolution, Newcastle University

    The authors working in their ‘coral nursery’ in the Pacific. Liam Lachs

    Our research group has bred corals able to better survive marine heatwaves. Our work, now published in Nature Communications, shows that it is possible to improve coral heat tolerance even within a single generation.

    We did this using selective breeding: a technique used by humans for thousands of years to produce animals and plants with desirable characteristics. Selective breeding is how humans turned wolf-like dogs into St Bernards, chihuahuas and everything in between.

    Now, selective breeding is being considered as a tool for nature conservation, particularly for coral reefs. The Coralassist Lab (of which we are part) and the Palau International Coral Reef Center have been working on coral heatwave survival specifically. Our latest results are the culmination of seven years’ work.

    Marine heatwaves trigger mass coral bleaching and mortality, with 2023-2024 declared as the fourth global mass bleaching event. Assisted evolution methods — like selective breeding — aim to boost natural adaptation to buy time for corals under climate change.

    Yet the improvement in heat tolerance in our selectively bred corals was modest compared to the intensity of marine heatwaves expected in the future. While selective breeding is feasible, it is likely not a panacea. We’ll still need to tackle the cause of mass coral bleaching by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to mitigate warming and give assisted evolution programmes time to take effect.

    How to breed corals for heat tolerance

    The first step was to determine the heat tolerance of many potential parent corals on the reef. Then, we chose specific individuals to breed two separate families of offspring, selected for either high or low heat tolerance. We reared these offspring for three to four years until they reached reproductive maturity, and then tested their heat tolerance.

    Some of the selectively-bred coral at the nursery in the Pacific island nation Palau.
    Jesse Alpert

    We conducted selective breeding trials for two different traits, either the tolerance to a short, intense heat exposure (temperatures 3.5°C above normal for ten days) or a less intense but long-term exposure more typical of natural marine heatwaves (2.5°C above average for a month). This enabled us to estimate the heritability of each trait, the response to selective breeding, and whether both traits have a shared genetic basis.

    Selecting parents for high- rather than low-heat tolerance enhanced the tolerance of their adult offspring for both traits tested.

    a) Overview of the experimental design and examples of (b) Acropora digitifera parents and (c) their offspring at the nursery in Palau.
    Coralassist lab

    Heritability was roughly 0.2 to 0.3 on a scale of 0 to 1, which means about a quarter of the variability in offspring heat tolerance was due to genes passed from their parents. In other words, these traits have a substantial genetic basis on which natural and artificial selection can act.

    We measure cumulative heat stress and tolerance in terms of degree-heating weeks (°C-weeks), which reflects both how hot it gets and for how long. Given the trait variability identified in these particular corals, heat tolerance could in theory be enhanced by about 1°C-week within one generation.

    However, even this level of enhancement may not be enough to keep pace with ever more intense heatwaves. Depending on climate action, the intensity of heatwaves is expected to rise in the coming decades by around 3°C-weeks per decade, faster than the enhancement achieved in our study.

    Interestingly, corals selectively bred for high- rather than low, short-stress tolerance were no better at surviving the long heat stress exposure. With no genetic correlation detected, it is plausible that these traits are driven by independent sets of genes, and corals that are good at surviving the short sharp heat stress aren’t necessarily the best at surviving longer term marine heatwaves.

    This would have important implications, as work like this would benefit from cheap and rapid tests that can effectively identify heat tolerant colonies for breeding. However, if these tests can’t predict which coral colonies will survive month-long heatwaves, it presents a serious challenge.

    Coral fragments during a long-term simulated marine heatwave, with some remaining relatively healthy throughout (upper) and others bleaching (lower) or dying (not shown).
    Liam Lachs

    Scaling up selective breeding

    Since it is possible to selectively breed corals for increased heat tolerance, the next step is to conduct large-scale trials in the wild. This will likely require considerable numbers of selectively bred corals to be deployed, perhaps by directly seeding coral larvae on reefs, or planting corals reared in an aquaculture facility.

    For this to work, outplanted corals must become reproductive themselves and contribute to the wild population gene pool. Doing this at very large scales will be challenging, but it may not be necessary to replenish the coral coverage of large areas.

    Instead, it may be sufficient to create a network of fewer strategically located larval production hubs, containing selectively bred corals at high densities to maximise fertilisation success. These hubs would serve to seed other reefs and could provide further broodstock for targeted actions.

    A lot more research and development is still needed, with many critical questions remaining unanswered. How many corals need to be outplanted to have the desired effect? Can we ensure there are no trade-offs that could compromise populations (evidence so far suggests this is not a large risk)? How can we avoid dilution of selected traits once added to the wild? How can we maximise responses to selection?

    Given the pace of ocean warming, optimisation and implementation of assisted evolution will need to happen soon for them to have a chance at success, even if only on small scales. Above all, the survival of coral reefs still depends on urgent climate action.

    Liam Lachs received funding from the Natural Environment Research Council ONE Planet Doctoral Training Partnership (NE/S007512/1).

    James Guest received funding from European Research Council Horizon 2020 project CORALASSIST (725848). He is affiliated with SECORE International as a science advisory board member.

    Adriana Humanes 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. We’ve bred corals to better tolerate lethal heatwaves, but rapid climate action is still needed to save reefs – https://theconversation.com/weve-bred-corals-to-better-tolerate-lethal-heatwaves-but-rapid-climate-action-is-still-needed-to-save-reefs-241298

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary (DEPwD) inaugurates ‘Pradhan Mantri Divyasha Kendra’ at National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Dehradun

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 14 OCT 2024 6:28PM by PIB Delhi

    Secretary, D/o Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, inaugurated a new ‘Pradhan Mantri Divyasha Kendra (PMDK)’ of the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), at the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Dehradun. Shri Aggarwal also  inspected various units of PMDK, like Prosthetics and Orthotics Lab, Store Room, Audiology Room etc.

    In his address on the occasion, the Secretary appreciated the various services run by the Institute and highlighted the importance of these services for the empowerment of Divyangjans. He informed that so far 65 such Divyasha Kendras have been established and the future target is to take it to 300.

    Shri Aggarwal also inspected all the machines and equipment of the MBA (Manufacture of Braille Appliances) workshop. He directed to make every possible effort to improve them further and directed to sell some abandoned machines through MSTC Limited, as soon as possible. The new building of Training Centre for the Adult Blind (TCAB) and Deptt. of Special Education and Research (DSER) was also inspected and instructions were given to speed up the project.

    On the occasion, electric tricycles were provided to Divyangjans in presence of the Secretary at the Divyasha Kendra. Shri Aggarwal talked to various beneficiaries and also motivated them to earn their livelihood with the help of these aids.

    Thereafter, Shri Aggarwal visited the book promotion center of National Book Trust (NBT) and looked into the various programmes for Divyangjans. He appreciated the initiative of audio conversion of self-composed stories being prepared by the children of the institute’s Model School. The Secretary directed to speed up the process of audio conversion of books using artificial intelligence.

    During the event, Director (NIEPVD), Er. Manish Verma, gave a brief  description to the Secretary about the services being provided by the Institute. The Secretary also discussed the effectiveness of these services and gave suggestions to improve them further.

    *****

    VM

    (Release ID: 2064757) Visitor Counter : 52

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Civil Society Organizations Brief the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the Situation of Women in Chile, Canada, Japan, Cuba and Benin

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was this afternoon briefed by representatives of civil society organizations on the situation of women’s rights in Chile, Canada, Japan, Cuba and Benin, whose reports will be considered during the second and third weeks of the session.

    In relation to Chile, speakers raised concerns regarding gender-based violence, abortion, and the treatment of trans people.

    Those speaking on Canada raised topics including the treatment of indigenous women and girls, femicide, and harassment of migrant workers. 

    On Japan, speakers addressed the selective surname system, Japan’s military sexual slavery, and women’s pensions.

    Speakers for Cuba raised issues including legislation on femicide, women in poverty, and the treatment of lesbians. 

    In relation to Benin, speakers addressed human trafficking, attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, queer and transgender people, and discrimination of sex workers. 

    The National Rights Institute of Chile and the Children’s Rights Ombudsperson of Chile spoke on Chile, as did the following non-governmental organizations: Corporation of Opportunity and Jointly Action Opcion – OPCION; Federación Luterana Mundial; and CIMUNIDIS – Círculo Emancipados de Mujeres y Niñas con Discapacidad de Chile.

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Canada: Union of BC Indian Chiefs; South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario and Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change; Justice for Girls and Just Planet; Cecile Kazatchkine, on behalf of HIV Legal Network, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic; Bout du monde; Amnesty International Canada; Aysha Khan, on behalf of International Human Rights Program (IHRP) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Global Human Rights Clinic (GHRC) at the University of Chicago Law School, and a coalition of almost 50 organizations; Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN); International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Canada (IPPNWC); and Amnesty International Canada. 

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Japan: Family Association of the Missing Persons Probably Related to the DPRK; Association to Preserve the Family Bond; People’s Alliance for Protection of Imperial Lineage by Paternal Male Succession to the Imperial Throne; Global Alliance for Anti-Discrimination (GAAD); JNNC (Japan NGO Network for CEDAW); JFBA (Japan Federation of Bar Associations); Be the Change Okinawa, and on behalf of Action Okinawa, Ginowan Churamizu Kai (Clean Water Protection Committee), AIPR, and ACSILs; Warriors Japan; Lawyers and DV Thrivers against Violence and Abuse Japan (LVAJ) and Safe Parents Japan (SPJ); Women’s Political Empowerment; Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace (WAM): and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) and Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG).

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Cuba: Red de Juristas por los Derechos Sexuales, Unión Nacional de Juristas de Cuba, Asociación Cubana de las Naciones Unidas, Museo Virtual de la Memoria contra la violencia basada en Género Iniciativa para la Investigación y la Incidencia; Cuido 60; Red de Mujeres Lesbianas y Bisexuales; CUBALEX; Justicia 11J; FMC; Prisoners Defenders; Mesa de Diálogo de la Juventud Cubana; and Observatorio de Género de Alas Tensas y Museo de la Disidencia en Cuba.

    The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Benin: Right here Right Now 2 and CFMPDH; Synergie Trans Bénin; Association Solidarité; Changement Social Bénin; and Plurielles.

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-ninth session is being held from 7 to 25 October.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 15 October, to  consider the eighth periodic report of Chile (CEDAW/C/CHL/8).

    Opening Remarks by the Committee Chair

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chairperson, said this was the second opportunity during the session for non-governmental organizations to provide information on States parties that were having their reports reviewed during the second and third weeks of the session, namely Chile, Canada, Japan, Cuba and Benin.

    Statements by Non-Governmental Organizations 

    Chile

    Non-governmental organizations speaking on Chile said sexual violations had increased drastically between 2019 and 2023.  Protection measures continued to be deficient.  It was concerning that violence against girls and adolescents was increasing. As of June 2023, there were 42 pregnant women and 100 children living with their mothers in prison systems. There needed to be a cultural change in the community, whereby gender-based violence was no longer acceptable. There needed to be a comprehensive sexual education law to ensure rights for women and adolescents.  The abortion regime based on legal grounds was insufficient and there were barriers to accessing contraceptives in primary health care.  Warnings had been issued about six defective contraceptive pills with no steps taken to investigate or provide reparations to those affected.  In Chile, around 800,000 migrant women faced violence and hate speech, especially those with irregular migration status.  The humanitarian visa for migrants was not implemented well in practice. 

    Since 2019, there had been a Constitutional Legal Reform Act, establishing the State’s duty to fight gender equality.  The State’s anti-discrimination law had been in congress for five years and was in danger of being rejected.  Chile had yet to fulfil its obligation to repeal laws discriminating against married women or subordinating them to their husbands.  The comprehensive law on violence against women did not include protection measures for women in penitentiary institutions who had suffered violence.  Violence against trans-people had increased by 145 per cent, and trans-femicide was not recognised as a crime.  The State showed no willingness to address issues faced by trans-people.  Women and girls with disabilities in Chile experienced discrimination.  A report by the Office of the High Commissioner found that there were 163 suspicious deaths in short-stay mental health facilities.  There had been reports of electro-shock therapy on girls with disabilities. 

    Canada

    Speakers on Canada said there were genocidal consequences for indigenous women and girls in the country.  These violations were tied to colonial policies. In its 2015 inquiry, the Committee found that indigenous women and girls suffered from the worst socio-economic conditions, as well as systemic racism and violence, which manifested as pervasive poverty, lack of access to housing, high rates of child apprehension, and disproportionate criminalisation.  The Committee had found that sex discrimination in Canada’s Indian Act was a root of violence, marginalising women and their descendants, excluding them from their lands, cultures and communities, and disentitling them to full personhood.  The 2019 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls issued 231 Calls for Justice.  To-date, only two were complete, and more than half had not been started. Colonialism and the legacy of Residential Schools continued to impact indigenous girls’ access to education. Racialised communities faced oppression in Canada, with Black femicide and forced sterilisations of Black and indigenous women erased due to data gaps and under-reporting. 

    Canada was failing to take serious action on gender-based violence.  Femicides were increasing, with a woman killed every 2.5 days.  But this was not taken into account in the national action plan. Survivors of gender-based violence needed stronger protections and support services.  Law enforcement and judicial officers must receive proper training on these violence dynamics.  Canada needed to ensure survivors were not criminalised for self-defence, and strengthen protections against coercive control and litigation abuse.  In Canada, women who used drugs and indigenous women were disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS and faced increased risk of violence and barriers to healthcare.  Migrant workers and migrant sex workers in Canada faced significant oppression due to restrictive work permits, increasing their vulnerability to workplace abuse, harassment and sexual violence. Canada must remove these restrictions, decriminalise these groups, and establish policies that ensured safe working conditions.

    Canada was also implicated in exploitative deep-sea mining, as Canadian companies sought financial gains through predatory partnerships with some Pacific Island States.  These companies must be investigated.  Pacific women and Canadian indigenous women deeply opposed these projects, as they threatened the ocean and marine life.  Canadian resource extraction projects had also increased violence in Ecuador against indigenous women, which would be exacerbated by a proposed free trade agreement.

    Japan

    Speakers on Japan raised issues including objecting to separate surnames after marriages, which could destroy family unity and have negative impacts on children.  The immediate adoption of a selective surname system for married couples was needed.  The ruling party’s promotion of expanding the use of maiden names did not address gender discrimination.  Half of single-mother households lived in relative poverty, as 70 per cent of them did not receive child support and were unable to escape poverty, due to the significant wage gap between men and women. 

    The issue of Japan’s military sexual slavery had been raised 30 years ago before the Committee in 1994. Measures taken by the State were not victim-centred, and therefore failed.  The Government of Japan was called on to recognise that the “comfort women” issue remained unresolved and to fully implement the previous Committee recommendations.  The Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States should be revised to eliminate violence against women linked to United States’ military bases in Okinawa and elsewhere.  There had been seven cases of gender-based violence against women and girls by the United States’ military within the past 11 months.  Since 1954, over 210,000 crimes and accidents by the military had occurred.  There needed to be comprehensive actions taken to end the culture of impunity. Japan needed to accept that the “comfort women” system was one of sexual slavery, and that it had a legal responsibility to provide reparations to all victims. 

    The ratification of the Optional Protocol should be expedited, and there should be a comprehensive anti-discrimination law.  Japan was also urged to create a permanent gender equality committee, to monitor the implementation of the Convention’s concluding observations.  There was an urgent need for the establishment of an independent, national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles. It was crucial to eliminate low wages and pensions for women due to the gender wage gap, non-regular employment, and unpaid work.  The Japanese Government was also urged to rescue all abductees from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  The Committee was urged to recommend that Japan stop dumping radioactive wastewater in the Pacific Ocean and take immediate steps towards safely disposing the waste on land. 

    Cuba

    Those speaking on Cuba said Cuban women were calling for a robust legislative change of gender-based violence. The State needed to work to coordinate actors on gender issues.  The State should systematically assess the impact of legislation and public policies on gender equality.  The Committee was urged to pay special attention to the devastating impacts of the embargo which had a detrimental impact on women’s organizations. 

    There was a comprehensive law against gender-based violence, but the act of femicide should be defined.  The rate of femicide was occurring in Cuba more than 10 times that which was occurring in Spain.  Cuba had serious deficiencies in the reparation system of gender-based violence.  The legislation should be reformed to establish provisional payments which provided immediate support, particularly to women of African descent or those with low income.  The State should strengthen mechanisms for the prevention and punishment of gender-based violence, and redouble efforts to deconstruct gender stereotypes. 

    Poverty in Cuba today had the face of a woman, particularly that of an Afro-descendent, elderly woman.  Social rights had been cut by the State and women were further exposed to food insecurity and poverty.  The health care system lacked regulations to protect lesbians from phobic treatment.  There needed to be training and awareness raising for health professionals to provide care, free of stigma and phobia. 

    Benin

    Organizations speaking on Benin said women were economically and sexually exploited in Benin as part of human trafficking.  Legislation on this was vague.  Benin was a country of origin, transit and destination of women and children for human trafficking.  It was recommended that the definition of procuring be outlined in the Criminal Code. 

    In Benin, lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, queer and transgender people underwent verbal, physical and sexual attacks. Discrimination undergone by these women worsened their economic positioning.  No specific healthcare programme took these people into account, despite their vulnerability.  Lesbian women were not seen as key members of the population.  Religious beliefs and fear of side effects prohibited access to abortion, despite it being decriminalised in 2020.   It was recommended that Benin set up mobile clinics all over the country to facilitate access to sexual and reproductive services. Safe abortion should be accessible without the need for authorisation from a third party. 

    Sex workers continued to be discriminated against in Benin.  The only existing instruments were oppressive in nature.  The national health development plan excluded the healthcare of sex workers.  Today, some services did not cover the medicine for sexually transmitted diseases for sex workers.   If a sex worker underwent an act of violence, victims were required to submit a medical certificate which came at a cost that was prohibitive for these women. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said since there had been a reshuffle in the cabinet in Japan, what was the status of the Gender Ministry?  Who was heading it?  Was there a COVID-19 response plan that covered gender-based violence?  On Canada, was female genital mutilation still an issue?  What was the gravity of the occurrence of femicide? 

    Another Expert asked if the Japanese organizations had information around restricted access to abortion, including that permission was required from a spouse or partner?  Could information on the lack of sexual reproductive education for young people be provided?

    An Expert asked Cuba what services were available for persons deprived of liberty, which were not available to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons?  What were the rules related to internal migration in Cuba? 

    A Committee Expert asked Chile if the benefits of the Judicial Academy, which aimed to avoid bias and victimisation of women, were being reaped? 

    Another Expert asked Benin about the medical forms for victims of gender-based violence; were these free? What had the Government done to make birth registration free?  Was there a law on legal aid?  If so, what crimes or rights violations qualified for legal aid?  Was there a court to handle family disputes? 

    An Expert asked Cuba whether the labour law included issues of sexual harassment?

    Another Expert asked Canada how many recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had been met?

    A Committee Expert asked Cuba about the situation of human rights defenders who were women?  In Chile, following the 2017 reform, was abortion still practiced illegally?  Could more information be provided about the extractive and mining industries and their impact on women and communities? 

    An Expert asked Cuba for information around issues pertaining to education? 

    A Committee Expert asked how challenging it was to be a female politician in Benin?

    Statements by the National Human Rights Institution of Chile and the Children’s Rights Ombudsman of Chile

    CONSUELO CONTRERAS LARGO, National Director, National Human Rights Institute of Chile, began by referring to gender-based violence.  According to figures from the National Service for Women and Gender Equity, in the last 10 years, there had been 423 femicides in Chile, with figures per year that fluctuated between 34 and 46 femicides.  In 2024, there were already 29 femicides.  In the last two years, there had been a sharp increase in attempted femicides.  In its 2018 and 2021 Annual Reports, the Institution indicated statistical difficulties in recognising violence that affected women in different contexts, since the State did not disaggregate the information into characterisation variables. Consequently, the treatment of violence against women was addressed in a uniform manner, which homogenised the situation of discrimination and violence, preventing the design of public policies capable of responding to different needs.  The State should implement disaggregation of data, particularly for rural women, women with disabilities, and other groups. 

    The Programme for the Comprehensive Prevention of Violence against Women had a budget which was 2.38 per cent of the budget of the ministerial portfolio, which was limited considering the magnitude of the task.  For the 2024 budget, the authorities announced a growth of 5.2 per cent, as part of their programmatic redesign.  The institution remained concerned at the main task defined in the programme.  The programme did not involve any kind of follow-up and it was not possible to discern if those who received the training continued to develop prevention activities. The programme also did not have a territorial focus without taking into account the different realities of women. It was concerning that the courts did not recognise the identity of trans-women in their sentences, according to current gender identity law. 

    The regulatory framework for violence against women had been bolstered.  On 4 March 2020, law no. 21,212 came into force, which redefined and expanded the concept of femicide in Chile.  On 9 May 2023, law 21,565 was published, which established a regime of protection and comprehensive reparation in favour of victims of femicide and their families; and on 14 June, law 21,675 came into force, which established measures to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women, based on their gender.  There were other legal bodies that had been approved and had entered into force in the country.  Draft bills were moving slowly through the legislature.   Discussions were underway on the bill to reform conjugal partnership and the bill to combat discrimination.  In 2019, a bill was presented that sought to establish the mandatory nature of comprehensive sex education in schools.  This draft was rejected in October 2020 and archived, with no plans for it to be brough back into legislation. 

    As of August 2024, the National Human Rights Institution had registered 19 complaints for human trafficking. During a visit to border regions, the Institute was able to verify the low number of resources of the police units destined to combat trafficking in persons.  The Institute had established the duty of the executive branch to develop and implement a public policy to combat trafficking in persons.  It should also continuously and systematically monitor and evaluate the implementation of new legislation through data collection and analysis and research on internal and cross-border trafficking. 

    ANUAR QUESILLE VERA, Children’s Rights Ombudsperson of Chile, underscored that sexual violence against children and adolescents continued to be one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing the country.  Despite efforts and progress in other areas, the data showed that girls and adolescents continued to be the main victims of this problem.  Between January and June 2024, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Chile reported a total of 25,352 victims entered into its registries for sexual crimes, of which 59.40 per cent were females under 18.  The State addressed sexual exploitation in a disconnected way, with gaps in areas of prevention, criminal prosecution, punishment and reparation for victims.  It was alarming that, despite the growing incidence of this phenomenon, the State had not prioritised this problem in a systemic manner, which reflected in the limitations faced by the different services and institutions.

    The fate of children in the care of the State was concerning.  There were also new challenges in relation to the security of digital environments. Online platforms and digital spaces had become fertile grounds for the perpetration of sexual violence and abuse. Comprehensive regulation that protected children and adolescents in these spaces was essential.  In view of these challenges, since the beginning of 2024, the Children’s Ombudsman’s Office had urged the Government to adhere to the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention, which was seen as a key tool to protect children and adolescents against sexual exploitation and abuse. Unfortunately, no significant progress had been reported in this regard. 

    In terms of sexual and reproductive rights, the limited perspective on the progressive autonomy, ownership of rights, and agency of girls and adolescents continued to affect their access to the benefits of the law on abortion.    Adolescents were mostly seeking abortion due to being raped.  The Committee was called on to prioritise legislative strengthening and intersectoral coordination of State institutions, with a focus on increasing resources and adequate training to respond effectively to the challenges posed.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked if the Ombudsperson had any specific information on early marriage, which continued to be a problem?

    Another Expert asked if light could be shed on the issue of comprehensive sexual education in Chile? What were the obstacles?  What should the Committee look at to allow adolescents to access this information? 

    An Expert asked if there were any statistics on how many women who had suffered rape in Chile had then resorted to abortion, and how often was this denied? 

    A Committee Expert asked about the pension gap in Chile? 

    Another Committee Expert asked about the anti-discrimination bill which was presented to amend the Constitution in regard to multiple discrimination?  What were the social and political drivers which did not allow this bill to pass? 

    An Expert asked about global supply chains which were growing in importance in Chile, which was exporting agricultural products to neighbouring countries.  Had any gender-based violence been identified in the supply chains? 

    Responses by the National Human Rights Institution of Chile and the Children’s Rights Ombudsman of Chile

    In response, JUAN ENRIQUE PI, International Adviser, said the Anti-Discrimination Act did not reform the Constitution; the Constitution of 1980 still prevailed.  There seemed to be no movement to further prohibit discrimination. In 2020, there had been an attempt to bring about an act on comprehensive education, to prevent sexual violence against girls and boys.  However, this bill was rejected by a majority and had been shelved.  There was currently no bill in Chile to address sex education in schools.  There was no initiative under discussion. 

    ANUAR QUESILLE VERA, Children’s Rights Ombudsperson of Chile, said Chile had raised the age of marriage to 18.  However, one of the key problems being faced by the country had to do with informal unions in rural areas.  It was difficult to obtain figures on these. 

    JAVIERA SCHWEITZER GONZÁLEZ, International Affairs Coordinator, said when it came to the law on abortion, there was an information gap.  Almost 99 per cent of cases of young girls and adolescents undergoing abortion did have some support.  When it came to conscientious objection, this was of particular concern.  There was no protocol providing for a lack of equipment and there were no available teams. Civil society said the law enforced did not cover training and guidelines and the rights which should protect medical teams.  Furthermore, in the case of rape, few people went to health centres because of revictimisation.  Some headway had been made in comprehensive sex education, however, there were restrictions in terms of its effective implementation.  There had been a drop in the number of teenage pregnancies, but this was due to a use of contraceptives and not comprehensive sexual education. Teenagers had also identified a gap in comprehensive sexual education. 

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CEDAW24.027E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The AI sexbot industry is just getting started. It brings strange new questions – and risks

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Raffaele F Ciriello, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

    DALL-E via Shutterstock

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting personal. Chatbots are designed to imitate human interactions, and the rise of realistic voice chat is leading many users to form emotional attachments or laugh along with virtual podcast hosts.

    And that’s before we get to the really intimate stuff. Research has shown that sexual roleplaying is one of the most common uses of ChatGPT, and millions of people interact with AI-powered systems designed as virtual companions, such as such as Character.AI, Replika, and Chai.AI.

    What does this mean for the future of (human) romance? The prospects are alarming.

    Better be nice to your AI overlord

    The most prominent AI companion service is Replika, which allows some 30 million users to create custom digital girlfriends (or boyfriends).

    While early studies indicate most Replika users are male, Caucasian and under 30, other demographics are catching up. Male sex robots have been in the making for some years. And they’re more than just vibrators with integrated jar openers.

    For a subscription fee, users can exchange intimate messages or pictures with their AI partners. Over half a million users had subscribed before Replika temporarily disabled its “erotic roleplay” module in early 2023, fearing regulatory backlash — a move that users dubbed “The Lobotomy.”

    The Replika “lobotomy” highlights a key feature of virtual companions: their creators have complete control over their behaviour. The makers of apps can modify or shut down a user’s “partner” – and millions of others – at any moment. These systems also read everything users say, to tailor future interactions and, of course, ads.

    AI is coming to the physical sexbot industry too.
    Shutterstock

    However, these caveats don’t appear to be holding the industry back. New products are proliferating. One company, Kindroid, now offers voice chats with up to ten virtual companions simultaneously.

    The digital world isn’t the limit either. Sex doll vendors such as Joy Love Dolls offer interactive real-life sexbots, with not only customisable skin colour and breast size, but also “complete control” of features including movement, heating, and AI-enabled “moans, squeals, and even flirting from your doll, making her a great companion”.

    For now, virtual companions and AI sexbots remain a much smaller market than social media, with millions of users rather than billions. But as the history of the likes of Facebook, Google and Amazon has taught us, today’s digital quirks could become tomorrow’s global giants.

    Towards ethically sourced AI girlfriends?

    The availability of AI-driven relationships is likely to usher in all manner of ethically dubious behaviour from users who won’t have to face the real-world consequences.

    Soon, you might satisfy any kink with your AI girlfriend for an extra fee. If your AI wife becomes troublesome, just ask the corporate overlord to deactivate her envy module — for a price, of course. Or simply delete her and start fresh with as many AI mistresses as you like in parallel.

    The way people form relationships has already been disrupted by dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble.

    What will happen if, in the future, people looking for love are competing against perfect synthetic lovers that are always available and horny? Well, at least they’ll be able to create virtual replicas of those hot dates they didn’t land.

    And for those who lack the skills to create their own virtual companions, there will be plenty of off-the-shelf alternatives.

    An ABC investigation revealed the use of generative AI to create fake influencers by manipulating women’s social media images is already widespread. This is generally done without consent to sell pornographic content. Much of this content depicts unattainable body ideals, and some depicts people who appear to be at best barely of consenting age.

    Another likely application? Using AI sexbot technology to bring celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Clara Bow back to life. After all, dead people cannot deny consent anymore.

    Replika itself was inspired by its founder’s desire to recreate her late best friend through a chatbot. Many use the app to keep deceased loved ones around. What a time to be alive (or dead)!

    The potential for emotional manipulation by inventive catfishers and dictators is alarming. Imagine the havoc if figures like Russia’s Vladimir Putin or North Korea’s Kim Jong-un harness this technology to complement their nations’ already extensive cyber-espionage operations.

    Perhaps before long we will see corporations offering “responsibly sourced” AI girlfriends for the more ethical consumer – organically grown from consensually harvested content, promoting socially acceptable smut.

    Society and the state must act now

    With loneliness rising to epidemic levels — surveys suggest up to one in four people in OECD countries lack human connection — the demand for sexbots is only going to grow. Corporations will meet this demand unless society and the state set clear boundaries on what’s acceptable.

    Sex and technology have always co-evolved. Just as prostitution is “the oldest profession”, porn sites are some of the oldest corners of the internet. However, the dystopian potential of sexbots for mass-customised, corporate-controlled monetisation of our most intimate sphere is unprecedented.

    Users aren’t entirely blameless, either. There’s something vicious about replacing a real human being with a totally submissive lust machine.

    Early studies suggest narcissism is prevalent among users of this technology. Normalising harmful sexual behaviours such as rape, sadism or paedophilia is bad news for society.

    However, going after users isn’t likely to be the best way to tackle the issue. We should treat sexbot use like other potentially problematic behaviours, such as gambling.

    As with other problematic behaviours where the issue lies more with providers than users, it’s time to hold sexbot providers accountable. As our links to AI are growing ever more intimate, there’s not much time to waste.

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

    – ref. The AI sexbot industry is just getting started. It brings strange new questions – and risks – https://theconversation.com/the-ai-sexbot-industry-is-just-getting-started-it-brings-strange-new-questions-and-risks-238998

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Two decades after decriminalisation, NZ’s sex workers still need protection from discrimination

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynzi Armstrong, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    It has been two decades since New Zealand decriminalised sex work. And while sex workers have workplace rights, they still worry about the risks of discrimination in everyday life.

    In my recent research, local sex workers explained the benefits of decriminalisation – and what still needs to change. Their experiences highlight that while much has changed for the better, stigma remains an issue. Further change is needed to better protect sex workers from it.

    New Zealand’s experience is relevant right now, as a number of governments elsewhere are reviewing their laws around sex work.

    Scotland, for example, is considering a proposal that would criminalise the purchase of sex – known as the Nordic model due to its initial adoption in some Nordic countries.

    Supporters argue this will help sex workers and extend gender equality. But evidence suggests the Nordic model actually harms sex workers: it impedes safety strategies, increases the risk of violence, limits access to justice, and enables discrimination.

    What is decriminalisation?

    The other options are decriminalisation and legalisation. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are different. Legalisation of sex work (in Germany and the Netherlands, for example) means legalising an act that was previously against the law.

    For sex workers, this means restrictive government regulation and control, which may include mandatory registration with authorities, compulsory sexual health checks, and permission to work in specific areas only.

    Decriminalisation, on the other hand, means repealing laws that make an act or behaviour a crime, but not necessarily introducing restrictive regulations specific to the sex industry.

    That said, decriminalisation does not mean there is no regulation. Instead, regulations are comparable to other businesses. The focus is not on regulating sex workers, but providing them with rights.

    Under New Zealand’s Prostitution Reform Act (2003) it is an offence to induce or compel a person to do sex work. Sex workers have the right to refuse to see clients for any reason at any time. If a sex worker wishes to stop doing sex work, they can access unemployment benefits immediately (rather than having the normal stand down period ).

    Impacts of decriminalisation in New Zealand

    Research three years after the law came into force found a majority of participants felt they had more rights and were more able to refuse to see clients than before. Several participants felt police attitudes towards them had improved.

    Subsequent research found relationships between street-based sex workers and police had improved. Decriminalisation supported the safety strategies of these sex workers better.

    There have also been several high-profile cases where sex workers have exercised their legal rights. Brothel-based sex workers won sexual harassment cases against business owners, and convictions of rape against two clients who covertly removed condoms during their bookings.

    Among the 26 sex workers we interviewed in New Zealand, participants described feeling fortunate to work in the decriminalised context. They also felt working conditions for sex workers were better than in other countries.

    One participant said:

    I also feel that we shouldn’t have to say “oh we’re so lucky” but we are compared to other people in other countries.

    Another felt decriminalisation gave sex workers a “protective layer”.

    This meant, as one participant put it, “we have rights, full stop”.

    Participants appreciated sex work being defined as work and the rights that accompany this. Decriminalisation was considered both ideal and normalised. As another explained,

    it’s been decriminalised for a long time now, like it’s part of our reality.

    Room for improvement?

    While participants felt grateful to work in the decriminalised context, this doesn’t mean there weren’t issues.

    Decriminalisation in New Zealand doesn’t include legal protection from discrimination. Sex workers have little recourse if they are treated unfairly because of their job.

    The sex workers we spoke with believed the social stigma of sex work was gradually fading, and instances of discrimination described by participants were rare. But they still feared the consequences of discrimination (such as being denied accommodation or premises to work from if their work became known to a landlord).

    They supported further legal protection from discrimination. For one participant this meant,

    I could tell people my job without […] any fear of backlash, and that would be fantastic.

    Participants also wanted the protections of decriminalisation extended to temporary migrants. People who hold temporary visas face deportation if they are found to be working in the sex industry, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

    Falling behind

    After two decades of decriminalisation, New Zealand risks falling behind as more jurisdictions (such as Victoria and Queensland in Australia) adopt decriminalised frameworks that build in protection from discrimination.

    Such protections mean it is no longer legal to deny a person accommodation or a job based on their sex work experience, or deny them a bank loan or mortgage.

    To keep up, New Zealand needs to follow suit. The next step is therefore to strengthen and expand the rights sex workers have.

    Perhaps then, in another 20 years, the country will still be seen as one that put the human rights of sex workers first and showed the rest of the world what equality really looks like.

    Lynzi Armstrong received funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund (2019-2024)

    – ref. Two decades after decriminalisation, NZ’s sex workers still need protection from discrimination – https://theconversation.com/two-decades-after-decriminalisation-nzs-sex-workers-still-need-protection-from-discrimination-240787

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Lessons for the next pandemic: where did Australia go right and wrong in responding to COVID?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia

    Igor Corovic/Shutterstock

    With COVID still classified as an ongoing pandemic, it’s difficult to contemplate the next one. But we need to be prepared. We’ve seen several pandemics in recent decades and it’s fair to expect we’ll see more.

    For the final part in a series of articles on the next pandemic, we’ve asked a range of experts what Australia got right and wrong it its response to COVID. Here they share their thoughts on the country’s COVID response – and what we can learn for the next pandemic.

    Quarantine

    The federal government mandated 14 days of quarantine for all international arrivals between March 2020 and November 2021. During that period, 452,550 people passed through the system.

    The states and Northern Territory were given just 48 hours to set up their quarantine systems. The states chose hotel quarantine, while the Northern Territory repurposed an old miner’s camp, Howard Springs, which had individual cabins with outdoor verandas. The ACT had very few international arrivals, while Tasmania only had hotel quarantine for domestic travellers.

    During the first 15 months of the program, at least 22 breaches occurred in five states (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia). An inquiry into Victoria’s hotel quarantine found the lack of warning and planning to set up the complex system resulted in breaches that caused Victoria’s second COVID wave of 2020, leading to almost 800 deaths. A breach at Sydney airport led to the introduction of the Delta variant into Australia.

    In the next pandemic, mistakes from COVID need to be avoided. They included failure to protect hotel residents and staff from airborne transmission through ventilation and mask usage. Protocols need to be consistent across the country, such as the type of security staff used, N95 masks for staff and testing frequency.

    These protocols need to be included in a national pandemic preparedness plan, which is frequently reviewed and tested through simulations. This did not occur with the pre-COVID preparedness plan.

    Dedicated quarantine centres like Howard Springs already exist in Victoria and Queensland. Ideally, they should be constructed in every jurisdiction.

    Michael Toole

    Treatments

    Scientists had to move quickly after COVID was discovered to find effective treatments.

    Many COVID treatments involved repurposing existing drugs designed for other viruses. For example, the HIV drug ritonavir is a key element of the antiviral Paxlovid, while remdesivir was originally developed to treat hepatitis C.

    At the outset of the pandemic, there was a lot of uncertainty about COVID treatment among Australian health professionals. To keep up with the rapidly developing science, the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce was established in March 2020. We were involved in its COVID response with more than 250 clinicians, consumers and researchers.

    Unusually for evidence-based guidelines, which are often updated only every five years or so, the taskforce’s guidelines were designed to be “living” – updated as new research became available. In April 2020 we released the first guidelines for care of people with COVID, and over the next three years these were updated more than 100 times.

    While health-care professionals always had access to up-to-date guidance on COVID treatments, this same information was not as accessible for the public. This may partly explain why many people turned to unproven treatments. The taskforce’s benefits could have been increased with funding to help the community understand COVID treatments.

    COVID drugs faced other obstacles too. For example, changes to the virus itself meant some treatments became less effective as new variants emerged. Meanwhile, provision of antiviral treatments has not been equitable across the country.

    COVID drugs have had important, though not game-changing, impacts. Ultimately, effective vaccines played a much greater role in shifting the course of the pandemic. But we might not be so fortunate next time.

    In any future pandemic it will be crucial to have a clear pathway for rapid, reliable methods to develop and evaluate new treatments, disseminate that research to clinicians, policymakers and the public, and ensure all Australians can access the treatments they need.

    Steven McGloughlin and Tari Turner, Monash University

    Vaccine rollout

    COVID vaccines were developed in record time, but rolling them out quickly and seamlessly proved to be a challenge. In Australia, there were several missteps along the way.

    First, there was poor preparation and execution. Detailed planning was not finalised until after the rollout had begun.

    Then the federal government had overly ambitious targets. For example, the goal of vaccinating four million people by the end of March 2021 fell drastically short, with less than one-fifth of that number actually vaccinated by that time.

    There were also supply issues, with the European Union blocking some deliveries to Australia.

    Unfortunately, the government was heavily reliant on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was found, in rare cases, to lead to blood clots in younger people.

    Despite all this, Australia ultimately achieved high vaccination rates. By the end of December 2021, more than 94% of the population aged 16 and over had received at least one dose.

    This was a significant public health achievement and saved thousands of lives.

    But over the past couple of years, Australia’s initially strong vaccine uptake has been waning.

    The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends booster doses for vulnerable groups annually or twice annually. However, only 30% of people aged 75 and over (for whom a booster is recommended every six months) have had a booster dose in the past six months.

    There are several lessons to be learned from the COVID vaccine rollout for any future pandemic, though it’s not entirely clear whether they are being heeded.

    For example, several manufacturers have developed updated COVID vaccines based on the JN.1 subvariant. But reports indicate the government will only be purchasing the Pfizer JN.1 booster. This doesn’t seem like the best approach to shore up vaccine supply.

    Adrian Esterman, University of South Australia

    Mode of transmission

    Nearly five years since SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) first emerged, we now know airborne transmission plays a far greater role than we originally thought.

    In contrast, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 being transmitted via surfaces is likely to be low, and perhaps effectively non-existent in many situations.

    Early in the pandemic, the role contaminated surfaces and inanimate objects played in COVID transmission was overestimated. The main reason we got this wrong, at least initially, was that in the absence of any direct experience with SARS-CoV-2, we extrapolated what we believed to be true for other respiratory viruses. This was understandable, but it proved to be inadequate for predicting how SARS-CoV-2 would behave.

    One of the main consequences of overestimating the role of surface transmission was that it resulted in a lot of unnecessary anxiety and the adoption of what can only be viewed in retrospect as over-the-top cleaning practices. Remember the teams of people who walked the streets wiping down traffic light poles? How about the concern over reusable coffee cups?

    Considerable resources that could have been better invested elsewhere were directed towards disinfecting surfaces. This also potentially distracted our focus from other preventive measures that were likely to have been more effective, such as wearing masks.

    We now understand COVID spreads predominantly through the air.
    Kate Trifo/Pexels

    The focus on surface transmission was amplified by a number of studies published early in the pandemic that documented the survival of SARS-CoV-2 for long periods on surfaces. However, these were conducted in the lab with little similarity to real-world conditions. In particular, the amounts of virus placed on surfaces were greater than what people would likely encounter outside the lab. This inflated viral survival times and therefore the perception of risk.

    The emphasis on surface transmission early in the pandemic ultimately proved to be a miscalculation. It highlights the challenges in understanding how a new virus spreads.

    Hassan Vally, Deakin University

    National unity

    Initially, Commonwealth, state and territory leaders were relatively united in their response to the COVID pandemic. The establishment of the National Cabinet in March 2020 indicated a commitment to consensus-based public health policy. Meanwhile, different jurisdictions came together to deliver a range of measures aimed at supporting businesses and workers affected by COVID restrictions.

    But as the pandemic continued, tensions gave way to deeper ideological fractures between jurisdictions and individuals. The issues of vaccine mandates, border closures and lockdowns all created fragmentation between governments, and among experts.

    The blame game began between and within jurisdictions. For example, the politicisation of quarantine regulations on cruise ships revealed disunity. School closures, on which the Commonwealth and state and territory governments took different positions, also generated controversy.

    These and other instances of polarisation undermined the intent of the newly established National Cabinet.

    The COVID pandemic showed us that disunity across the country threatens the collective work needed for an effective response in the face of emergencies.

    The COVID response inquiry, due to release its results soon, will hopefully help us work toward national uniform legislation that may benefit Australia in the event of any future pandemics.

    This doesn’t necessarily mean identical legislation across the country – this won’t always be appropriate. But a cohesive, long-term approach is crucial to ensure the best outcomes for the Australian federation in its entirety.

    Guzyal Hill and Kim M Caudwell, Charles Darwin University

    This article is part of a series on the next pandemic.

    Adrian Esterman receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF and ARC.

    Michael Toole receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Steven McGloughlin works with the Australian Living Evidence Collaboration and is a consultant for the World Health Organisation Health Emergencies Program.

    Tari Turner receives funding from MRFF; NHMRC; the Victorian, WA and Commonwealth governments; and philanthropy.

    Guzyal Hill, Hassan Vally, and Kim M Caudwell 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. Lessons for the next pandemic: where did Australia go right and wrong in responding to COVID? – https://theconversation.com/lessons-for-the-next-pandemic-where-did-australia-go-right-and-wrong-in-responding-to-covid-239819

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The government spent twice what it needed to on economic support during COVID, modelling shows

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University

    ChristieCooper/Shutterstock

    The independent inquiry into the government’s COVID response is due to report on October 25.

    As part of its investigation into the government’s economic responses, I briefed it on the findings of my economic modelling, using the sort of model I helped design for the Australian Treasury and consulting firms including Econtech and Independent Economics, specially customised for this study.

    I found that government responses such as JobKeeper and the Jobseeker Supplement were initially successful. They reduced the peak rate of unemployment by two percentage points, or by more if we count workers who are stood down as employed.

    But they lingered too long, ultimately providing $2 of compensation for every $1 of private income lost to COVID.

    Government support was essential

    Some parts of the economy were deeply affected by the COVID shutdowns which began in early 2020, others much less so.

    It is widely accepted that the best response to that (unusual) circumstance is to replace the income those workers and businesses lose. This means, for example, when movie theatres close, the government should replace the incomes of their workers.

    This has two benefits. The first is to allow movie theatre workers to maintain their normal spending, stopping the downturn spreading to unrestricted industries. The second is to ensure movie theatre workers don’t have to bear an unfair share of the cost of measures put in place to protect everyone’s health.

    Around one sixth of the Australian economy was severely restricted by government measures in the early months of COVID.

    This made measures such as JobKeeper, the Boosting Cash Flow for Employers program and the JobSeeker Supplement appropriate.

    Too much support for some, too little for others

    The government spent $144 billion on these three programs, and my modelling finds the total was about right to compensate for the early losses of income.
    But the pattern of compensation was wide of the mark, with a mix of overcompensation and undercompensation.

    JobKeeper was designed to guarantee workers a minimum income rather than compensate them for lost income. This meant typical full-time workers were undercompensated while typical part-time workers were overcompensated.

    For businesses, the compensation for lost profits depended on workers being active, which meant the firms that lost the most because they had suspended their entire operations got no compensation for losing their entire profits even though some of their expenses continued.

    Better programs were put in place in 2021 when the Delta wave of COVID struck. A COVID disaster payment more accurately compensated workers for lost hours, and programs such as NSW JobSaver more accurately targeted lost profits.

    Extra support for the entire economy wasn’t needed

    In principle, well-designed compensation for the parts of the economy that were actually shut down would have been enough to support the rest of the economy, but despite this, the government also announced broader supports aimed at the entire economy.

    Among them were bringing forward the so-called Stage 2 tax cuts and allowing businesses to immediately expense equipment.

    These general stimulus measures almost doubled the size of stimulus from $219 billion to $428 billion. Besides being large and unnecessary, most of the general stimulus was delivered late, after the worst of the pandemic was over.

    How it could have been done better

    I have modelled what could have happened if the government had only spent on the health measures that were clearly warranted and had limited its compensation to income actually lost at the time it was lost.

    This so-called shorter stimulus scenario also includes a more usual response to economic recovery by the Reserve Bank in which it began lifting interest rates one year earlier, in May 2021 instead of May 2022.

    In the shorter stimulus scenario, the Reserve Bank’s cash rate would by now be 2.85% instead of 4.35% because of lower inflation. Equally, in two or three years interest rates are similar in both scenarios once the economy has stabilised.

    Australia’s unemployment rate would be higher than it is now at about 5.1% instead of 4.2% as it glides towards a sustainable equilibrium rather than having been pushed below it.

    This glide path keeps inflation lower by avoiding a boom and bust and results in the same endpoint for unemployment.

    Inflation would have peaked much lower at about 5% instead of about 7%.

    About 1.4% percentage points of the reduction would have been due to better fiscal (spending and taxing) policy and about 0.7 points due to better management of interest rates.

    In addition, the government would have saved about $209 billion in avoidable spending and government debt.

    Nevertheless, even if the government had limited its response to the more targeted measures modelled in the shorter stimulus scenario, inflation would have reached 5% and interest rates and government debt would have still climbed, but by less.

    Hindsight can help

    The government’s responses to COVID were developed quickly at a time when no one knew what was going to happen, which makes some overcompensation understandable.

    But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t examine what happened in order to work out how it could have been done better.

    Australia will be hit by future pandemics and pandemic-like crises, which means it’s important to learn from our mistakes. Next time the government should concentrate on replacing income where and when it is lost.

    Chris Murphy assisted the COVID-19 Response Inquiry.

    – ref. The government spent twice what it needed to on economic support during COVID, modelling shows – https://theconversation.com/the-government-spent-twice-what-it-needed-to-on-economic-support-during-covid-modelling-shows-240999

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 100 years of surrealism: how a French writer inspired by the avant-garde changed the world forever

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney

    Andre Breton

    A century ago, French writer André Breton published a manifesto that would go on to become one of the most influential artistic texts of the 20th century. Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism launched a movement that transformed not only visual art, but also literature, theatre and film.

    Surrealism drew on developments in psychology to herald a revolutionary new way of doing, seeing and being. It is, as art critic Jonathan Jones once noted, “the only modern movement that changed the way we talk and think about life”.

    Surrealism also fundamentally changed the way we make art. Its cultural impact and legacy can be felt in, to pluck three random examples, the cinematic dreamscapes of David Lynch, the lyrical cut-ups of Bob Dylan and the monumental sculptures of Louise Bourgeois.

    The term itself has entered our everyday lexicon. By the same token, some question its significance and aesthetic merits. Moreover, to borrow a couple of rhetorical questions posed by Mark Polizzotti in a book marking the movement’s centenary: “Does Surrealism still matter? Has it ever mattered?”

    These questions are hardly new. They’ve been around since the movement’s inception – and continue to be asked in our historical moment of catastrophe. As Polizzotti writes:

    young people of the 21st century could hardly be faulted for wondering what a bunch of eccentric writers and artists showing off their dream states could have to do with such pressing concerns as social and racial injustice, a faltering job market, gross economic inequities, the decimation of our civil liberties, questions of gender identity and equality, environmental devastation, education reform, or, once again […] the spectre of world war.

    The answer, Polizzotti points out, is simple: “Surrealism engaged with all of these crises.”

    While Surrealism started as a literary movement, it quickly evolved into a formidable platform for critiquing dominant sociopolitical inequalities and systems of oppression.

    In both word and deed, the surrealists opposed warmongering and colonial expansion. They railed against religious dogma and championed the freedom of sexual expression.

    Breton perhaps put it best in 1935. “From where we stand,” he said, while tipping his hat to Karl Marx, “we maintain that the activity of interpreting the world must continue to be linked with the activity of changing the world.”

    WWI and meeting Jacques Vaché

    Born in Normandy in 1896, André Breton was the only child of a policeman and a seamstress.

    While studying medicine, Breton developed an interest in mental illness. He also had a passion for poetry. At an early age, he started exchanging letters with the prominent avant-gardist Guillaume Apollinaire, who coined the term “surrealism” in 1917.

    André Breton, a founder of the surrealist movement, died in Paris in 1966.
    Wikimedia

    Breton’s interests were disrupted when he was conscripted into the French army in 1914. During World War I, he served as a stretcher bearer, dealing firsthand with shellshocked soldiers. He also worked as a nurse in Nantes, France, where he met a wounded Jacques Vaché.

    According to art historian Susan Laxton, the dandyish Vaché was in equal measure “disdainful and deeply cynical”, seeming to live “in a perpetual state of insubordination”. His unconventional approach to life and creativity had a profound impact on Breton’s thinking about Surrealism.

    Vaché had little patience for most writers and artists. He was, however, a big fan of Alfred Jarry – best known for his scandalous drama Ubu Roi (1896). Jarry is frequently cited as an influence on Dadaism, an anarchic art movement that was developed in Europe in 1915 and led by Tristan Tzara.

    The Dadaists thumbed their noses at convention and embraced chaos, irrationality and spontaneity. As Tzara explained, Dadaism was vehemently opposed to “greasy objectivity, and harmony, the science that finds everything in order”.

    Breton was impressed. Keen to establish his credentials as an artist, he set out to build his own avant-garde coalition.

    The rise of automatism

    Enlisting Louis Aragon and Philippe Soupault, Breton set up Littérature. Running from 1919 to 1924, this review published many key surrealist works, including excerpts of Breton and Soupault’s book The Magnetic Fields (1920).

    Drawing on Sigmund Freud’s concept of the unconscious, this groundbreaking collaboration marked the first sustained use of a practice called surrealist automatism.

    The Magnetic Fields was written in secret over the course of a single spring week in 1919. The guidelines Breton and Soupault established for themselves were simple. They would engage in writing sessions that could last for several hours at a time – often inducing a state of shared euphoria – without any chance for reflection or correction.

    The aim was to bypass rational modes of thinking and tap directly into the imagination, thereby producing a revolutionary new kind of poetry. In the words of art historian David Hopkins, this practice “was predicated on the conviction that the speed of writing is equivalent to the speed of thought”.

    Following this breakthrough, Breton and the surrealists continued to refine the technique, pushing it further into new, untrammelled realms of creative possibility. With the subsequent publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism, Breton solidified the movement’s core principles. In it, he offers a definition:

    Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior reality of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dreams, in the disinterested play of thought. It tends to ruin once and for all all other psychic mechanisms and to substitute itself for them in solving all the principle problems of life.

    In other words, Surrealism was not just an artistic endeavour, but a philosophical stance that sought to radically rethink experience and existence.

    One example of early surrealist filmmaking.

    Elsewhere in the manifesto, Breton introduces the key surrealist concept of “the marvellous”. For the surrealists, the marvellous could be found in poems, paintings, photographs and everyday objects. It was experienced as a shock or jolt, a moment of recognition that allowed one to transcend the ordinary and glimpse the sublime hidden within the apparently mundane.

    By rejecting traditional modes of understanding and embracing the unconscious, the surrealists attempted to upend the established order of things. They viewed automatism and the marvellous as ways to access deeper truths, free from the constraints of rationality which they believed had long dominated Western thought.

    A movement transcending borders

    The events that followed the publication of Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism supported his claim, made during a 1934 lecture, that the movement had “spread like wildfire, on pursuing its course, not only in art but in life”.

    Surrealism’s public profile expanded internationally, along with its adherents. Luis Buñuel, Frida Kahlo, Aimé Césaire, Lee Miller, Salvador Dalí and Leonor Fini are just some of the important figures who embraced the movement.

    Salvador Dalí’s 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory is one of the most famous surrealist artworks.
    Salvador Dali

    And as the raft of high-profile exhibitions currently taking place confirms, the surrealist spirit lives on, decades after the movement wound down. Unabated, the search for the marvellous continues.

    Alexander Howard 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. 100 years of surrealism: how a French writer inspired by the avant-garde changed the world forever – https://theconversation.com/100-years-of-surrealism-how-a-french-writer-inspired-by-the-avant-garde-changed-the-world-forever-237464

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –