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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Hubble Finds that a Black Hole Beam Promotes Stellar Eruptions

    Source: NASA

    6 min read

    Download this image

    In a surprise finding, astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the blowtorch-like jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of a huge galaxy seems to cause stars to erupt along its trajectory. The stars, called novae, are not caught inside the jet, but apparently in a dangerous neighborhood nearby.

    The finding is confounding researchers searching for an explanation. “We don’t know what’s going on, but it’s just a very exciting finding,” said lead author Alec Lessing of Stanford University. “This means there’s something missing from our understanding of how black hole jets interact with their surroundings.”

    A nova erupts in a double-star system where an aging, swelled-up, normal star spills hydrogen onto a burned-out white dwarf companion star. When the dwarf has tanked up a mile-deep surface layer of hydrogen that layer explodes like a giant nuclear bomb. The white dwarf isn’t destroyed by the nova eruption, which ejects its surface layer and then goes back to siphoning fuel from its companion, and the nova-outburst cycle starts over again.

    Hubble found twice as many novae going off near the jet as elsewhere in the giant galaxy during the surveyed time period. The jet is launched by a 6.5-billion-solar-mass central black hole surrounded by a disk of swirling matter. The black hole, engorged with infalling matter, launches a 3,000-light-year-long jet of plasma blazing through space at nearly the speed of light. Anything caught in the energetic beam would be sizzled. But being near its blistering outflow is apparently also risky, according to the new Hubble findings.
    Download this image

    The finding of twice as many novae near the jet implies that there are twice as many nova-forming double-star systems near the jet or that these systems erupt twice as often as similar systems elsewhere in the galaxy.

    “There’s something that the jet is doing to the star systems that wander into the surrounding neighborhood. Maybe the jet somehow snowplows hydrogen fuel onto the white dwarfs, causing them to erupt more frequently,” said Lessing. “But it’s not clear that it’s a physical pushing. It could be the effect of the pressure of the light emanating from the jet. When you deliver hydrogen faster, you get eruptions faster. Something might be doubling the mass transfer rate onto the white dwarfs near the jet.” Another idea the researchers considered is that the jet is heating the dwarf’s companion star, causing it to overflow further and dump more hydrogen onto the dwarf. However, the researchers calculated that this heating is not nearly large enough to have this effect.

    “We’re not the first people who’ve said that it looks like there’s more activity going on around the M87 jet,” said co-investigator Michael Shara of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “But Hubble has shown this enhanced activity with far more examples and statistical significance than we ever had before.”

    Shortly after Hubble’s launch in 1990, astronomers used its first-generation Faint Object Camera (FOC) to peer into the center of M87 where the monster black hole lurks. They noted that unusual things were happening around the black hole. Almost every time Hubble looked, astronomers saw bluish “transient events” that could be evidence for novae popping off like camera flashes from nearby paparazzi. But the FOC’s view was so narrow that Hubble astronomers couldn’t look away from the jet to compare with the near-jet region. For over two decades, the results remained mysteriously tantalizing.

    Compelling evidence for the jet’s influence on the stars of the host galaxy was collected over a nine-month interval of Hubble observing with newer, wider-view cameras to count the erupting novae. This was a challenge for the telescope’s observing schedule because it required revisiting M87 precisely every five days for another snapshot. Adding up all of the M87 images led to the deepest images of M87 that have ever been taken.

    [embedded content]

    In a surprise finding, astronomers, using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of M87, a huge galaxy 54 million light years away, seems to cause stars to erupt along its trajectory.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Lead Producer: Paul Morris

    Hubble found 94 novae in the one-third of M87 that its camera can encompass. “The jet was not the only thing that we were looking at — we were looking at the entire inner galaxy. Once you plotted all known novae on top of M87 you didn’t need statistics to convince yourself that there is an excess of novae along the jet. This is not rocket science. We made the discovery simply by looking at the images. And while we were really surprised, our statistical analyses of the data confirmed what we clearly saw,” said Shara.

    This accomplishment is entirely due to Hubble’s unique capabilities. Ground-based telescope images do not have the clarity to see novae deep inside M87. They cannot resolve stars or stellar eruptions close to the galaxy’s core because the black hole’s surroundings are far too bright. Only Hubble can detect novae against the bright M87 background.

    Novae are remarkably common in the universe. One nova erupts somewhere in M87 every day. But since there are at least 100 billion galaxies throughout the visible universe, around 1 million novae erupt every second somewhere out there.

    The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, Colorado, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.

    Hubble’s Messier Catalog: M87

    Hubble Black Holes

    Monster Black Holes are Everywhere

    Media Contact:

    Claire AndreoliNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MDclaire.andreoli@nasa.gov

    Ray VillardSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD

    Science Contact:

    Alec LessingStanford University, Stanford, CA

    Michael SharaAmerican Museum of Natural History, New York, NY

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Long ago, but not so different

    Source: US Government research organizations

    In a new study, a team of U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researchers suggests that 4 billion years ago, plate tectonics likely looked closer to what we experience today than previously thought. The team published its findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

    The team studied the mineral zircon from two of the oldest pieces of intact crust — dating 4.0 to 2.7 billion years old — and discovered that ancient plate tectonics, or how the continents move around and interact with each other, was likely just as diverse as it is today.

    “Plate tectonics makes our planet uniquely dynamic on a solar system scale,” said Emily Mixon, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “It has been hypothesized that because plate tectonics is important for moving carbon and water around on long time scales, it might be important for how life evolved on Earth.”

    Credit: Emily E. Mixon

    A cathodoluminescence (CL) image of growth zoning in a 3.75 Ga zircon from the Acasta Gneiss Complex (NW Territories, Canada).

    Moving continents are destructive — crustal rocks are destroyed and recycled. To reveal the ancient processes behind tectonics, the researchers studied zircons, which are physically durable and resistant to chemical alterations.

    More specifically, they studied zircons in the 3.9 – 2.7-billion-year-old Saglek-Hebron Complex and 4.0 – 3.4-billion-year-old Acasta Gneiss Complex and found that instead of a linear progression of tectonic styles, from volcanic lavas and magmas pushing down crust into the mantle followed by plates colliding into each other and pushing oceanic crust down to the mantel, many different styles coexisted, just as they do today.

    “Understanding how tectonics worked early in Earth history is key for identifying when and how we got the styles of modern tectonics we see today, and how these styles might be expected to look early in planetary development for other possibly habitable planets,” Mixon said.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Artemis Science Instrument Gets Tested in Moon-Like Sandbox

    Source: NASA

    On Sept. 9 and 10, scientists and engineers tested NASA’s LEMS (Lunar Environment Monitoring Station) instrument suite in a “sandbox” of simulated Moon regolith at the Florida Space Institute’s Exolith Lab at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

    Lunar regolith is a dusty, soil-like material that coats the Moon’s surface, and researchers wanted to observe how the material would interact with LEMS’s hardware, which is being developed to fly to the Moon with Artemis III astronauts in late 2026.

    Designed and built at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, LEMS is one of three science payloads chosen for development for Artemis III, which will be the first mission to land astronauts on the lunar surface since 1972.

    The LEMS instrument package can operate both day and night. It will carry two University of Arizona-built seismometers to the surface to perform long-term monitoring for moonquakes and meteorite impacts.

    Image credits: NASA/UCF/University of Arizona
    Behind the Scenes of a NASA ‘Moonwalk’ in the Arizona Desert

    NASA’s Artemis II Crew Uses Iceland Terrain for Lunar Training

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New HSMBC Appointed Representatives

    Source: Government of Canada News

    On September 26, 2024, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the appointment of two new representatives to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC). 

    Biographies
    Dr. Michael Carroll
    Representative for Alberta

    Dr. Michael Carroll is a 20th-century diplomatic historian specializing in Canadian and American foreign relations, United Nations peacekeeping and Canadian history. He holds a Master of Arts (History) from Carleton University and a Ph.D. (History) from the University of Toronto. He has been Chair of the Department of Humanities at MacEwan University since 2019, where he has taught since 2007. He previously taught at the University of Victoria and Seiwa University in Japan.

    Dr. Carroll has a special interest in public history and has been engaged in recording and preserving oral histories for over twenty years. Collegial governance at MacEwan has also provided him with the opportunity to serve extensively on academic and community committees, as well as those serving the wider historical profession. He is the author of numerous publications, including Pearson’s Peacekeepers: Canada and the United Nations Emergency Force, 1956-1967.

    “The history of Canada is anything but boring: from exploits of greatness that inspire to instances of collective shame from which we must learn, and everything in-between. I am honoured to represent Alberta and thrilled to be part of the efforts to help make our nation’s history accessible and come alive for all Canadians.”

    Dr. Michael Carroll
     Member, Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Alberta


    Ms. Karen Aird
    Representative for British Columbia

    Ms. Karen Aird is a member of Saulteau First Nations in northeast B.C. through her mother and now resides in Kamloops. Since 2018, she has been the Heritage Manager with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, a program she developed from the ground up that provides grants, resources, research and training for B.C. First Nations.

    Ms. Aird began her career as an archaeologist, overseeing large-scale archaeology projects. She then owned a consulting firm specializing in cultural heritage management. In 2012, she co-founded the National Indigenous Heritage Circle and served as president for two terms.

    Her experience includes participation in national and international conferences, high-level government meetings and negotiations, and community-based cultural heritage research. She has served on several boards, such as the Royal BC Museum and Parks Canada’s Cultural Heritage Indigenous Advisory Circle.

    Ms. Aird completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Victoria and has a Master’s Diploma in cultural heritage management from Athabasca University.

    “Canada has a rich and diverse history etched into the landscapes, events, and people of the past. As the B.C. representative, I am honoured to join the committee to support the recognition and commemoration of our collective heritage.”

    Ms. Karen Aird
     Member, Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, British Columbia

                                                                                                                -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU introduced schoolchildren to the RosGeoTech PISh

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    The State University of Management held a business game “IT – hands and eyes of the engineer of the future” for schoolchildren of grades 10-11 as part of the Advanced Engineering Schools “RosGeoTech” project of GGNTU.

    The meeting was opened by the Head of the Department for Coordination of Scientific Research of the State University of Management, Maxim Pletnev, who introduced the guests to the activities of the RosGeoTech Scientific Research School, which covers such areas as alternative energy, power engineering, oil and gas, autonomous unmanned and robotic innovative systems.

    The head of the RosGeoTech PISh, Andrey Luzhetsky, also addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.

    As part of the business game, schoolchildren learned the basics of programming, computer science concepts, digital technologies, software, operating systems, and much more. The children also tried their hand at testing and system analysis.

    Such events help participants to make an informed choice of specialization and technologies in the future, as well as improve their skills in the chosen direction.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09/26/2024

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

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

    GUU introduced schoolchildren to the RosGeoTech PISh

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: ibex Jamaica Holds Back-To-School Event to Support Children of Employees

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORTMORE, Jamaica, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and customer engagement technology solutions, recently hosted its Back-To-School with ibex event at the company’s Portmore location.

    Back-To-School with ibex helps school-aged children of ibex employees prepare for the new school year. Employees from departments across the company in all four Jamaica sites were eligible, including parents with little ones starting school for the first time and those with top performers at the primary and secondary levels. In addition, the Special Country Manager’s Award went to the two top CXC performers along with a new laptop for each.

    “Education is the foundation of success, and we are delighted to help support our employees’ children as they begin their next school year,” said ibex SVP of Operations and Jamaica Country Manager Tamara Ricketts-Brown. “ibex brings together the best talent, training, culture and technology in Jamaica to deliver amazing customer experiences for many of the world’s leading brands. By combining our AI-enabled technology, award-winning rewards and recognition programs, and exciting career development opportunities, we offer an engaging and rewarding employee experience that helps our agents grow and succeed.”

    In Jamaica, ibex has been recognized for its outstanding culture, employee experience, development opportunities and service, including Best Place to Work for Women in Central America and the Caribbean by Great Place to Work, Nearshore Company of the Year by Nearshore Americas, and Central America and Caribbean Company of the Year by Frost & Sullivan.

    ibex is hiring 1,300 new agents in Jamaica over the next two months for multiple client programs supporting top brands in exciting industries, such as retail, technology, health and beauty, and transportation logistics. 

    Join the winning team at ibex to realize your dream – apply here: https://www.ibex.co/join-us/jamaica/.

    About ibex

    ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.

    ibex leverages its diverse global team of over 30,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including the AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Media Contact:
    Dan Burris
    ibex
    Daniel.Burris@ibex.co

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fb4f7a9a-ab71-4854-87a1-cc53bfe36f61

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The VIII season of the All-Russian student Olympiad “I am a professional” has started

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    A press conference dedicated to the opening of the 8th season of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” – a project of the presidential platform “Russia – a Country of Opportunities” – was held in Moscow. The All-Russian Olympiad is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. This is a large-scale career development platform for students of all fields of study: technical, humanitarian, natural science, pedagogical, agricultural and medical.

    In the new season, the Olympiad will traditionally provide young people with a wide range of educational and professional opportunities, and will become a career assistant for each participant. The main theme of the season is “Work and study in Russia”.

    The “I am a professional” ecosystem is constantly developing and growing: this year the Olympiad was included in the events of the national project “Youth and Children”, which is aimed at promoting the comprehensive development of the younger generation. “I am a professional” is a kind of challenge, an opportunity to move to a new level. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students join the Olympiad, and for many, participation becomes a good tradition – an educational norm: from year to year, young people complete practice-oriented tasks, improve their results and reach new heights regardless of their social status and region of residence, – said Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

    In the new season, it is planned to expand access to the career portal – a platform where each participant can find a vacancy in the profile of interest – the opportunity to respond will also be available to Olympiad participants who have successfully passed the selection stage. Previously, this function was provided only for project diploma winners and participants in the final stage who showed a non-zero result.

    Executive Director of ANO “Russia – Country of Opportunities”, Rector of the Senezh Management Workshop Andrey Betin spoke about the new system of working with diplomas from previous seasons. Points will be counted automatically when summing up the results of the selection stage, participants will only need to select the necessary areas during registration and mark the item with the crediting of diplomas among the options.

    In Russia, the need for professionals is enormous — all industries need fresh ideas and people who can implement them. Today is the best time to study and work in Russia, because it is here that the best opportunities open up, the most interesting professional challenges, and therefore career prospects. “I am a professional” has been helping talented students and their potential employers “find each other” for seven seasons already. The largest and most technologically advanced companies in our country are looking for ambitious interns. This is not just an Olympiad, it is a community where you will be supported, where your potential is revealed and where you grow both as an individual and as a highly competent specialist, — shared Andrey Betin.

    Every year, the Olympiad grows with new areas, taking into account the needs of students and the prospects of the labor market. In the upcoming season, the project will cover 71 subject areas, and new disciplines such as “Project Management” and “Digital Product Management and Innovation” will be presented.

    Today we are opening the 8th season of the Olympiad, a key career navigator that ensures interaction between employers, the academic community and young people. The best companies in Russia are showing great interest in our participants, seeking to fill their teams with promising personnel even before they graduate from universities and enter the labor market. The Russian education system, science and industry are aimed at achieving leadership, and the new national projects initiated by the country’s president provide an opportunity for the realization of the potential of each active student, and the Olympiad participants are direct proof of this, – shared the head of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” Valeria Kasamara.

    During the press conference, an agreement was signed between the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” and the “Mendeleev Map” project.

    Two large-scale projects for students are starting to work together to pave new paths for the development of our country’s youth and to accumulate efforts for the common good. “I am a professional” makes a significant contribution to the popularization of science among young people. I am sure that the capabilities of the “Mendeleev Map” will help students in their profession, in preparation for Olympiad assignments, and in self-development, – believes the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education, curator of the “Mendeleev Map” project Alexander Mazhuga.

    Participation in the Olympiad is a great opportunity to test your knowledge and skills, make new acquaintances, and decide on a career direction. Such competitions develop critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to work in a team. St. Petersburg Polytechnic University traditionally organizes several areas in the “I am a professional” Olympiad. Last season, our university entered the TOP-3 universities in St. Petersburg in terms of the number of diploma winners. I wish good luck to all participants of the new season! Let me remind you that the winners of the Olympiad receive additional points when entering a master’s and postgraduate program, – noted Vitaly Drobchik, Advisor to the Rector’s Office of SPbPU, organizer of the Olympiad at the Polytechnic University.

    The Olympiad provides a wide range of career support opportunities: project diploma holders can take advantage of benefits when entering the next level of education, get the opportunity to do an internship and start their professional career with leading employers in Russia. Cash prizes of up to 300 thousand rubles are provided for medalists.

    The qualifying round of the Olympiad will be held from November 15 to December 1. The final stage of the competition will be held from February to April 2025. The results of the Olympiad will be announced in May 2025.

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

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

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/education/the-vii-season-of-the-All-Russian-Olympiad-students-I-am-professional has started/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientific Regiment. Volunteer Mikhail Laletin: “After the Front – to a University, and Then, Possibly, to an Officer”

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Mikhail Laletin

    Mikhail Laletin, a second-year student at the Faculty of Forensic Science and Law in Construction and Transport at SPbGASU, has served in the 76th Division of the 104th Airborne Assault Regiment of the Airborne Forces in the Special Military Operation Zone. Today, he is getting a higher education and does not rule out that after graduation he will continue to serve as an officer.

    “Higher education provides knowledge and advantages not only in the civilian sphere, but also in the army. A person with higher education is an officer. I am getting a sought-after specialty at a prestigious university and I do not rule out that after graduating from the university I will continue military service. Because until the goals of the SVO are achieved, I cannot be calm about my future and the future of our people, our Fatherland,” says Mikhail.

    Mikhail not only knew that there was such a profession as defending the Motherland, but also looked closely at it: he wanted to enroll in a military school. But then he decided to get a civilian specialty. He recalls how in 2020, as an applicant, he and his friends chose SPbGASU. First of all, the guys evaluated the university from a practical point of view: the university is known for its high quality of education, affordable tuition fees, demand for graduates in the labor market, and convenient location. But everyone made the choice of faculties in accordance with their interests.

    “History and politics are topics that have always interested me. Jurisprudence is important in matters of politics. In addition, I continued the dynasty – my mother and sister graduated from law school. Having received a diploma, perhaps in the future I will get a second higher education – in history,” adds Mikhail.

    In 2022, when the SVO began, he volunteered. He says there were good reasons for that. First of all, he is a patriot and knows the history of his country well.

    “I cannot remain indifferent to how they are trying to rewrite our history from the outside and how the ideology of Nazism is spreading. I stand for traditional values and want to live in a society in which a child has a mother and father, and not parents number one and two. They want to break up our country, divide it, as they did with the Russian Empire and the USSR. Therefore, we must achieve our goals in the SVO. For us, Russians, this is literally a matter of life and death. I am concerned about my fate, the fate of Russia and its people, so I am ready to make my own contribution to its defense,” said Mikhail.

    He recalls how he, a young man from civilian life, was surprised by the attitude of the fighters, how they maintained their fighting spirit even in the most difficult situations. It was here that Mikhail fully felt such a sincere attitude towards each other and truly understood what military brotherhood is.

    “At the front, the line between superior and subordinate, between commanders and soldiers is erased. Here we are all like brothers, everyone is ready to lend a shoulder to another at any moment, both during a combat mission and in any situation. This is the strength of our army,” Mikhail concluded.

    Other materials of the project “Scientific Regiment”

    Our graduate built the Road of Life

    The pioneering work of architect Alexander Nikolsky

    A scientist who developed science in besieged Leningrad
    Fights of student Klinov

    Engineer of the 3rd Belorussian Front

    The path of a volunteer: from front-line roads to space developments

    Ivan Solomakhin: “The most memorable battle is for this Devil’s Height!”

    Fiery Dnieper of the Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Prygunov

    Bringing Victory Closer

    Fyodor Komal’s Front: From the First Minutes of War to Victory

    Junior Political Instructor Boris Gubanov: “The shells whistled, and the earth flew up nearby”

    Viktor Kvyatkovsky – radio operator-intelligence officer of the Baltic Fleet

    How Chief Architect Nikolai Baranov “Hid” Leningrad from the Enemy

    Architect Nikolay Khomutetsky: Four years on the front lines

    Semyon Shifrin thwarted the Nazis’ plans to leave Leningrad without water

    LISI in the post-war years

    Nineteen-year-old machine gunner stormed Berlin

    Abdulla Mangushev: Four Years at the Front and a Life in Science

    The Zazersky architects built and defended the city on the Neva

    LISI graduate Mikhail Zherbin is a design engineer and composer

    He went from being a technical lieutenant to a galaxy of mathematicians

    Konstantin Sakhnovsky: from a cadet of the Russian Empire to an academician of the USSR

    Military architect of the front line of defense and engineering reconnaissance

    A world-renowned scientist, an outstanding engineer and a national champion

    An outstanding urban planner who lived and worked in besieged Leningrad

    Scientific Regiment. Projects of the architect Sergey Evdokimov: from defensive structures and city restoration to metro stations

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

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

    http://www.spbgasu.ru/nevs-and-events/nevs/scientific-regiment-volunteer-Mikhail-laletin-after-the-front-to-university-and-then-possibly-to-officers/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Manufacturing That Returns to Nature—In Pursuit of “Nature Positive”

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Manufacturing That Returns to Nature—In Pursuit of “Nature Positive”

    The Panasonic Group is promoting a long-term environmental vision, Panasonic GREEN IMPACT (PGI). Complementing initiatives for carbon neutrality and circular economy, Panasonic Holdings Corporation (PHD) is also investing in the nature positive* economy, promoting research and development with green transformation (GX) as a pillar of its growth strategy. In August 2024, Dr. Naoki Adachi, CEO of Response Ability, Inc. and Executive Director of the Japan Business Initiative for Biodiversity (JBIB), sat down with Tatsuo Ogawa, PHD Executive Officer and Group CTO, for a dialogue on the importance of corporate initiatives for nature positive, what the Panasonic Group should be aiming for, and examples of nature positive initiatives within the Group. 
    * Nature Positive: halting and reversing biodiversity loss

    Why corporate commitments to nature positive matter

    The session began with Dr. Adachi explaining why biodiversity is critical to human economic activity:
    The global target agreed to at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15) in December 2022 is referred to as “nature positive.” With 2020 as the base year, the goal is to stop biodiversity loss and put it on a recovery track by 2030 and to fully restore our ecosystems by 2050.
    Climate change, resource cycles, and biodiversity are all “nature” issues. Ecosystem services—regulating, supplying, cultural, and infrastructure functions—have yielded a variety of benefits to humans but are breaking down under the burden of human economic activity. Biodiversity is “natural capital.” We must acknowledge that our lives and business activities depend on biodiversity—and that if we negatively impact biodiversity, then that natural capital will disappear and human economic activity will no longer be possible.

    Dr. Naoki Adachi

    The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, a report commissioned by the UK Treasury and published in 2021, states that “the economy is only one part of the environment (biosphere).” Along with this awareness is the importance of utilizing nature to solve problems in the future—and to do that, we need to increase the amount of nature.
    Companies must hone their technical ability to harness the power and functions of nature and strengthen their managerial skills so they can launch businesses that increase nature.

    What nature positive action is required from Panasonic Group?

    Ogawa asked Dr. Adachi about the direction the Group should take in its nature positive efforts, and shared his own thoughts on the realization of nature positive from a corporate perspective.

    Conversation between CTO Tatsuo Ogawa and Dr. Naoki Adachi

    Ogawa: The Panasonic Group’s nature positive initiative is just getting started. What direction should we be taking?
    Dr. Adachi: It’s wonderful that you are broadly disclosing the Group’s impact on nature in the Sustainability Data Book and other publications. I think you can find some clues by reviewing your impact not only within the Group but also across your supply and value chains.
    Ogawa: As a company, our perspective tends to be limited to things that have a direct impact on our business today. Based on our firm understanding of “the concept that biodiversity underlies all economic activity,” we will thoroughly promote our circular economy initiative. By expanding our perspective to the entirety of nature and the planet, we believe that we will be able to create new relationships with partner companies.
    Dr. Adachi: In the coming age of nature positivity, a new market will emerge. I think it would be a good idea to take another look at nature, to make good use of nature to solve problems, and to be conscious of the upfront investment that will be required.

    Specific initiatives for becoming nature positive

    The Panasonic Group has multiple initiatives under way to develop and commercialize technologies and realize a nature positive economy, driven by the passion of employees who want to make a positive impact on the environment.
    Let’s take a closer look at three initiatives:

    Bio CO2 Transformation technology “Novitek”

    Bio CO2 Transformation technology uses atmospheric CO2 as the main source to produce a component that stimulates plant growth by harnessing photosynthetic microorganisms. Expected to be commercialized as “Novitek” by the end of FY2025, it can promote decarbonization while stimulating plant growth and increasing crop yields.

    [Related Article] Panasonic in Numbers: Bio CO₂ Transformation Technology

    Left: Biomolecules are diluted by a factor of 500 and then applied to the leaves of crops Right: A single application of Novitek to the spinach on the left increased yield by 40 percent compared to untreated spinach on the right.

    Seiji Kojima, Green Innovation Center, PHD Technology Division

    Novitek developer Seiji Kojima of the PHD Technology Division had this to say:
    Kojima: We sought a dual vision of reducing environmental burden and creating economic value. When working with nature, the idea is to chain and amplify value in multiple stages, leveraging the power of nature at each stage.Bio CO2 Transformation starts with atmospheric CO2. Even when crops are being sprayed, the system seeks to improve productivity by making use of atmospheric CO2. Depicting this kind of value chain and amplification structure for initiatives that focus on the environment and nature is important. 

    2-step plan to reduce environmental burden and create economic value (value chain/amplification)

    Restoring regional flora—Kusatsu Factory “Forest of Coexistence”

    The Forest of Coexistence covers 13,000 m2 at Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic)’s Kusatsu Factory of in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture and is positioned as an important green space under Panasonic’s Ecological Network Concept, which seeks to contribute to local biodiversity while preserving the landscape.

    The overview of the Panasonic Kusatsu Factory and the Forest of Coexistence

    Takahiro Nakano, from the General Affairs Department of Panasonic’s Living Appliances and Solutions Company, manages the Forest of Coexistence and explains its significance:
    Nakano: When founder Konosuke Matsushita visited the Kusatsu Factory in 1970, he said, “Kusatsu (Factory) is made with an emotional atmosphere by fully utilizing (or taking advantage of ) nature. In fact, that’s how I want it to be.” Since then, the Kusatsu Factory has been developed as a “park factory” surrounded by greenery and flowers and cherished by local residents, the “most advanced factory in the Orient” that enriches people’s lives.The company introduced the Ecological Network Concept to create a green space in a corner of the site and secure a habitat for wildlife while connecting it with the surrounding green space and waterfront. Known as the “Forest of Coexistence,” development began in October 2011.

    The significance and role of the Forest of Coexistence

    Nakano: The site includes waterfront, grassland, and woodland and serves as a model for “satoyama” (rural spaces in which humans and nature coexist). A team of experts monitors the restoration status of the satoyama environment. Employees manage green areas, monitor for invasive species, and raise seedlings and plant trees. The number of plant and animal species has recovered from approximately 580 species in 2011 to approximately 840 in 2016. 

    Plants and animals living in the Forest of Coexistence

    Takahiro Nakano, General Affairs Department, Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic Corporation

    Nakano: In October 2023, the Ministry of the Environment certified the area as an “OECM (Other Effective area based Conservation Measure) site” and the site was registered in an international database as one of Japan’s OECMs in August 2024.

    Open Innovation “Nawashiro” Initiative

    Since April 2023, PHD has been launching our system for nurturing technologies in their seed stage, called “Nawashiro.” Inspired by the Japanese practice of growing rice seedlings, which requires careful attention and effort, “Nawashiro” reflects our commitment to nurturing technologies without cutting corners. It leverages collaboration with academia, providing resources and mentorship to help emerging technologies develop until they are ready for the market, embodying our dedication to fostering innovation. Koichi Matsumura of PHD’s Technology Planning Office, explains: 
    Matsumura: This initiative is known as “Nawashiro” because it nurtures the seeds of technology. Our goal is to create themes that actively utilize industry-academia collaboration.

    Koichi Matsumura, Open Innovation Promotion Department, Technology Planning Office, PHD

    Matsumura: Our approach is to study the subject area and then “go into the field for hands-on work.” We analyze data and facts using the knowledge we’ve gained, and then compile the results, hypotheses, and facts we think will be of interest to professors at Kyoto University and other universities with whom we collaborate. Today we are exploring and analyzing the following activities:
    Collaboration with Kyoto University: Understanding the Mechanism of Natural CyclesBased on hill-to-ocean linkage studies, we seek to establish sensing, modeling, and actuation methods for material circulation in forests/soil. We collect and analyze data from sensors that have been installed at various sites.

    Left: Academics from collaborating universities inspect the Forest of CoexistenceRight: Sound data collection experiment at Kyoto University’s Kamigamo test site. Sound data is analyzed using Panasonic sound analysis technology.

    Matsumura: We want to create opportunities to accelerate research by sharing the findings and data obtained here with researchers, including those outside of “Nawashiro.”

    At the conclusion of their dialog, Dr. Adachi and Ogawa offered some closing comments. 
    Dr. Adachi: As part of our efforts to realize nature positivity, we would like you to promote recycling-based manufacturing from the design stage.
    Ogawa: In July 2024, the PHD Corporate Technology Sector formulated a “Technology Future Vision” that includes themes that cannot be separated from nature—including energy, water, and food. Nature is the source of everything. Using this as our starting point, we will consider new ways of doing business, of creating new communities, of producing food and new energy, and new ways of recycling resources—all aligned to the theme of “nature.” We will also consider combining nature and AI. By doing so, a new future will open up for the Panasonic Group.

    Related Articles

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: School caving tragedy was preventable

    Source: Worksafe New Zealand

    WorkSafe has uncovered multiple failures that contributed to a teenager’s death on a school caving trip in Northland last year.

    Whangārei Boys’ High School student Karnin Petera drowned in floodwaters from torrential rain at Abbey Caves in May 2023. Sixteen other students on the trip and their two supervisors were lucky to survive.

    Karnin’s parents contacted the school multiple times to express their concerns about the weather in the lead-up to the trip, but were told it would go ahead as the school didn’t expect heavy rain until later.

    A full day before the group ventured in, MetService had issued an orange weather warning forecasting heavy rain. The school’s own risk assessment for the caving trip noted it would be cancelled in the event of heavy rain warnings. However, WorkSafe found there was no shared understanding among organisers and decision-makers of exactly what heavy rain meant, or when trips would be cancelled.

    Overall, the school Board had ineffective oversight of high-risk activities and critical decisions, and its emergency planning failed to identify the risk of rising water trapping students while caving. The Board fully cooperated with WorkSafe throughout the entire investigation.

    “This tragedy is the worst nightmare of any parent, and could easily have involved multiple casualties. Our heartfelt sympathy remains with Karnin’s friends and whānau who continue to mourn his loss and the survivors who live with ongoing impacts,” says WorkSafe’s Inspectorate Head, Rob Pope.

    “Outdoor education plays a crucial role in providing students with valuable, real-world learning experiences that enhance their overall education. However, there must be gold standard risk management whenever schools take rangatahi into the great outdoors. This drowning should be a moment for every school board in the country to ensure its oversight of outdoor education is robust – and if you’re at all unsure, get an expert involved,” says Rob Pope.

    Education outside the classroom (EOTC) safety management systems should be regularly reviewed by school boards.

    “It is essential that the person responsible for EOTC in each school is registered on the EOTC coordinators database and participates in ongoing professional development, so schools can continue delivering safe, engaging, and high-quality education outside the classroom,” says Education Outdoors New Zealand’s chief executive, Fiona McDonald.

    Schools must manage their risks under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. WorkSafe is proactively engaging with the Ministry of Education, Education Review Office, and Education Outdoors NZ to raise awareness of the issues and drive improvements across the sector.

    Read more guidance from Education Outdoors New Zealand(external link)

    Background

    • The Whangārei Boys’ High School Board was sentenced at Whangārei District Court on 27 September 2024
    • The charges were filed against the legal entity of the Board, not individuals
    • Reparation payments of more than $500,000 were ordered but the details are suppressed
    • The Board was charged under sections 36(2), 48(1) and 2(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
      • Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers of other persons is not put at risk from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or undertaking, namely the outdoor education caving activity to Abbey Caves Reserve, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed other persons, including Karnin Petera, to a risk or death or serious injury.
    • The Board was charged under sections 36(1)(a), 48(1) and 2(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
      • Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU while the workers were at work in the business or undertaking, namely undertaking an outdoor education caving activity to Abbey Caves Reserve, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed workers to a risk of death or serious injury.

    Media contact details

    For more information you can contact our Media Team using our media request form. Alternatively:

    Email: media@worksafe.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia may be facing another La Niña summer. We’ve found a way to predict them earlier, to help us prepare

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandy Freund, Lecturer, Climate Science Geography, The University of Melbourne

    Meteorologists are again predicting a possible La Niña this summer, which means Australia may face wetter and cooler conditions than normal.

    It would be the fourth La Niña in Australia in five years, and highlights the need for Australians to prepare for what may be an extreme weather season.

    Typically, a La Niña or its counterpart, El Niño, signals its arrival earlier in the year. Signs of this potential La Niña are emerging fairly late. That’s where new research by my colleagues and I may help in future.

    La Niña and El Niño explained

    La Niña and its opposite phase, El Niño, are created by changes in ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean’s equatorial region. Together, the two phenomena are known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation.

    The oscillation is said to be in the positive phase during an El Niño and the negative phase during a La Niña. When sitting between the two, the cycle is in neutral phase.

    Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization said there was a 60% chance of La Niña conditions emerging by year’s end.

    In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put the likelihood at 71%. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology is in “watch” mode, predicting a 50% chance of a La Niña weather pattern forming later this year.

    La Niña occurs when strengthening winds change currents on the ocean surface, pulling cool water up from the deep.

    The winds also cause warm surface waters in the western Pacific and north of Australia, bringing increased rainfall and clouds. This usually means above-average rainfall and cooler temperatures for Australia, particularly in the east and north.

    Conversely, an El Niño weather pattern generally brings hotter temperatures across Australia, and less rainfall in the east and north.

    The Bureau of Meteorology is in La Niña ‘watch mode’.
    Bureau of Meteorology

    Paths of destruction

    La Niña or El Niño events can cause devastation around the world.

    The El Niño in 2015–16, for example, caused crops to fail and affected the food security and nutrition of almost 60 million people globally.

    In Australia, El Niño events can bring increased risk of drought, bushfires and heatwaves, and water shortages.

    Meanwhile, rainfall associated with La Niña conditions can lead to greater crop yield. But particularly heavy rainfall can wash crops away. It also heightens flood risks for some communities.

    These far-reaching impacts mean it’s essential to plan ahead when a La Niña or El Niño is on the cards. But predicting these events has always been tricky.

    Both types of events usually develop in the Southern Hemisphere autumn, peak in late spring or summer, and weaken by the next autumn. But it’s now late spring without a clear La Niña declaration. Why the delay?

    Climate change is one factor. The Bureau of Meteorology says as oceans absorb heat from global warming, it’s harder to spot the specific warming patterns linked to La Niña.

    The sheer complexity of the ocean-atmosphere system adds to the difficulty. The computer models used to predict El Niño and La Niña are improving all the time.
    But scientists still need more information on deep ocean processes, and how winds affect the oscillation.

    Predictions are hardest during the Southern Hemisphere’s autumn. That’s because the cycle then is very susceptible to change – teetering at a point where either a La Niña or El Niño could develop.

    That’s why the earliest an El Niño or La Niña can be predicted is usually around May or June.

    But new research offers a way to predict the events much earlier – and start preparing if necessary.

    Better, earlier forecasts

    The study, which I led, assessed the likelihood of La Niña or El Niño events occurring in succession – either in the eastern or central region of the Pacific Ocean.

    This distinction is important. For Australia, El Niño and La Niña events peaking in the Central Pacific, close to our continent, have greater impacts here compared to those peaking in the east, closer to South America.

    We analysed weather observations, and the sequence of past El Niño and La Niña events, over the past 150 years. We also examined climate models for future changes in transitions between El Niño and La Niña events.

    From this, we determined the likelihood of an El Niño or La Niña occurring in two consecutive years.

    We found most El Niño events are followed by neutral conditions the next year (with a likelihood of 37–56%).

    But La Niña behaves differently. In 40% of cases, a Central Pacific El Niño could follow an Eastern Pacific La Niña. And there is a 28% chance of two consecutive La Niña events in the Central Pacific.

    These results allow for more advanced predictions. By identifying patterns in this way, the odds of an El Niño or La Niña can be predicted up to a year in advance.

    El Niño or La Niña are the result of complex interactions between winds and sea in the Pacific Ocean.
    Shutterstock

    Looking ahead

    So, what does our research suggest for Australia? Will a La Niña develop here this year?

    From September last year, Australia experienced a strong Eastern Pacific El Niño. So our findings suggest there is only a 17% chance of La Niña this year.

    If the La Niña arrives, it will likely peak in the Central Pacific, potentially affecting Australia rainfall. But overall, any La Niña that develops this late is likely to be weak and relatively short-lived.

    Our research also found that as climate change accelerates, the El Niño Southern Oscillation is likely to shift. For example, the odds of two consecutive El Niños peaking in the central Pacific region will likely increase. And we can expect fewer calm, neutral years between events.

    We hope our research enables more accurate, long-range forecasts, giving communities additional time to plan and prepare.

    Mandy Freund receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather

    – ref. Australia may be facing another La Niña summer. We’ve found a way to predict them earlier, to help us prepare – https://theconversation.com/australia-may-be-facing-another-la-nina-summer-weve-found-a-way-to-predict-them-earlier-to-help-us-prepare-239826

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Walks, games and premieres: Russpass has collected ideas for an autumn holiday in Moscow

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow celebrates World Tourism Day. The capital continues to attract visitors at different times of the year and is ideal for off-season travel. You can find out which city parks to visit, where to see the best exhibitions and where to go with children in the new section “Autumn in Moscow” on Russpass.

    The beauty of nature

    In city parks you can stroll among colorful trees, listen to the rustling of leaves under your feet, and also see old estates, sculptures and ponds. In the fresh air you can not only observe the beauty of nature, but also take interesting pictures.

    Russpass has prepared routes through the most beautiful parks of the capital. Among them are: Museum-Reserve “Kolomenskoye” with stunning panoramic views from the steep bank, forest labyrinths estates Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, literary Peredelkino, a mysterious national park “Moose Island” and the Russian Versailles – Kuskovo estateIf you don’t want to go into the thicket, you can take a ride by bike or walk along the autumn Boulevard Ring.

    On a date with art

    Moscow museums offer to evaluate works of art. After walking through the Muzeon Art Park, you can go to the New Tretyakov Gallery and see the capital of different eras through the eyes of artists from the Vasnetsov dynasty. The exhibits are worthy of attention at the Museum of Russian Impressionism, and also “Adepts of Red” in the Engineering Building of the Tretyakov Gallery. You can admire the fascinating autumn still lifes and many other works of art at the A.S. Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.

    Tastes of Autumn

    Capital restaurants invite you to meet with the off-season menu and appreciate the views of Moscow streets. Most of the city’s gastronomic establishments are located in beautiful places in the historical center. Hot pumpkin soup with Italian croutons, meat salads or hot tea will help to complement the impressions of autumn leaf fall.

    Theatre premieres

    Autumn is the beginning of the theatre season, including in Moscow. This year there will be more than 200 premieres, including fearless experiments, classical ballet, and sparkling musicals. Spectators will enjoy masterful performances by their favorite actors, beautiful interiors, and unforgettable emotions. A special part after the performance will be a walk through the evening capital, sparkling with lights.

    Learning is easy and fun

    Moscow confirms its status as the capital of children’s tourism and offers a wide range of entertainment and play-based learning for both children and their parents, who will certainly want to remember their childhood. This is an ideal city to visit during the autumn holidays. The Russpass service invites little explorers take part in immersive shows, quests and master classes in autumn parks, join to lessons in magic and scenography, and also visit Lego Museum— one of the largest in Europe.

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

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

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144528073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi stresses cultivating more high-caliber journalism, communication professionals

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Xi stresses cultivating more high-caliber journalism, communication professionals

    BEIJING, Sept. 27 — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, recently replied to a letter from the faculty and students of the Communication University of China on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, extending congratulations and greetings to the faculty, students and alumni of the university.

    Xi urged the university to take solid steps to implement the fundamental task of fostering virtues and educating people on the new journey in the new era. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the needs of the press and public communication, highlighting the university’s distinctive features, deepening reform and innovation, and continuously improving its teaching and research capacity, in a bid to cultivate more high-caliber journalism and communication professionals and make new contributions to the development of the Party’s cause concerning public communication and culture.

    The predecessor of the university was founded in 1954 as a technical training program of the central administration for broadcasting. In 2004, it changed its name from Beijing Broadcasting Institute to the Communication University of China.

    Recently, the faculty and students of the university wrote a letter to Xi, reporting on the achievements of the university in the past 70 years, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, and expressing their determination to better serve the Party’s work on public communication and culture and to contribute to advancing Chinese modernization.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign tourists flocking to Hainan

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The number of overseas visitors in Hainan province has been increasing thanks to the convenient immigration policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port, local authorities said.

    The entry and exit policies at the province are considered the most favorable in China, said Wang Haixing, director of the Haikou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, at a news conference on Thursday.

    In February, the National Immigration Administration implemented new policies to enhance visa-free entry opportunities for people from 59 countries who want to visit Hainan. In May, a 15-day visa-free entry policy took effect for foreign tour groups arriving in Hainan via cruise ships, and in July, visa-free entry for foreign tour groups entering the island province from Hong Kong or Macao was permitted for up to 144 hours.

    As of Thursday, 1.514 million inbound and outbound personnel have been inspected this year, up 278.5 percent year-on-year, according to the station.

    So far this year, 238,500 foreign tourists have entered Hainan visa-free, a 6.5-fold increase compared to last year, constituting over 80 percent of the total number of overseas visitors to the island.

    Wang said that visa exemptions have become the primary method for foreigners who want to visit Hainan, and they have facilitated the hosting of major international events such as the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference and the China International Consumer Products Expo.

    Luo Zhengyu, deputy director of the station, highlighted that the border inspection authorities have implemented a series of effective measures to ensure the smooth implementation of travel policies. For instance, the number of passenger inspection channels at all provincial airports has increased from 39 to 98, with the activation of 44 inbound and outbound express channels.

    “This expansion has significantly reduced passenger waiting times and improved customs clearance efficiency,” he said.

    Additionally, passengers from 59 nations who are eligible for visa-free entry in Hainan, as well as foreign tourist groups entering Hainan from Hong Kong or Macao visa-free for 144 hours, no longer have to fill out entry cards. Furthermore, passengers arriving by cruise ships are no longer required to provide fingerprint information.

    “We will introduce innovative measures to enhance the travel experience for Chinese and foreign individuals, further creating a more convenient and streamlined border inspection atmosphere,” Luo said.

    Two of Hainan’s major airports have launched 58 international passenger routes — 36 at Haikou’s airport and 22 at Sanya’s — connecting 31 cities in 18 countries and regions.

    This week alone, two international routes have been launched, and a third will open this weekend, bringing the total number of international flights to and from the island to 61 by the end of this month, according to Hainan Airport Group.

    On Tuesday, the route linking Taiyuan, Shanxi province, and Singapore via Sanya commenced operations. On Thursday, Haikou Meilan International Airport inaugurated its first route to the United States, offering service to Seattle, Washington. On Saturday morning, Boao International Airport will host the inaugural flight ceremony for the first international route from Qionghai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    “For many foreign visitors, a trip to Hainan without plans has become a reality,” said Mai Weiwen, CEO of Hainan Wenhua Tourism Group. “Thanks to the increasing number of international flights being launched in Hainan, local travel agencies are seizing opportunities to expand their market by venturing abroad to overseas tourist source markets.”

    Russian expatriate Andreev Aleksei, a lecturer at Hainan University, is excited about the preferential visa-free policies.

    “I plan to invite my family members to Hainan due to the ease of travel without the need for visa applications,” he said, also highlighting the convenience of direct flights from Moscow to Haikou and Sanya, as well as from other international cities to Hainan, making travel to the tropical island more accessible for foreign visitors.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Boosting support for children affected by domestic violence

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Boosting support for children affected by domestic violence

    Published: 27 September 2024

    Released by: Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

    Up to 1,800 children and young people experiencing domestic and family violence each year will now have access to specialised support services to help them recover and disrupt the cycle of abuse. 

    The Specialist Workers for Children and Young People (SWCYP) program provides a path to recovery for children and young people from 0 to 18 years of age, staying in refuges with their mothers after escaping domestic and family violence.

    The $48.1 million SWCYP investment from the NSW Government provides funding to expand the program to 10 new services covering an additional 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across NSW, the majority of which are in regional and rural NSW.

    Funding for 21 existing services will ensure delivery of the program in over 22 women’s refuges across 46 LGAs is extended to 30 June 2026, providing certainty for these services.

    This enhancement means children and young people accompanying their mothers in over 32 refuges across regional and metro NSW will have access to support from more than 55 specialist workers.

    The NSW Government is working hard to improve support for domestic and family violence victim-survivors and expand programs that reduce the rate of violence against women and children.

    Domestic and family violence can have a devastating impact on children and young people, whether they have witnessed or directly suffered abuse.

    The SWCYP program is a key part of the NSW Government’s $245.6 million domestic violence package. It recognises children and young people as victim-survivors in their own right and offers tailored support that is more holistic, trauma-informed, and preventative.

    Specialist workers develop an individualised support plan for each child or young person to help break the pattern of violence and prevent intergenerational trauma.

    An evaluation of the program by the University of NSW found the program delivered positive outcomes for participants by providing early intervention, preventing problems from escalating and disrupting the cycle of domestic and family violence.

    The evaluation noted children and young people who had received support from a specialist worker reported positive outcomes relating to their physical health, education, social needs, mental health, emotional needs, safety, cultural needs, employment and family relationships.

    See UNSW’s “Specialist Workers for Children and Young People Outcomes Evaluation – Final Report”.

    The NSW Government is taking a whole of government approach to address domestic and family violence, including rolling out our first dedicated Primary Prevention Strategy, holding perpetrators to account, and strengthening protections for victim-survivors through bail reforms and proposed changes to ADVOs.

    Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

    “Supporting families through this holistic response is a critical step to preventing future cycles of violence.

    “Extending and expanding this program recognises that children and young people are victim-survivors of domestic and family violence in their own right. So it’s vital that we provide them with this much-needed support, that is a different response to their mother, in the space where refuge is sought.

    “This investment by our government is crucial and will provide life-changing help to children and young people as they recover from past trauma.

    “Every child deserves to live free from violence and its destructive impact on their health and wellbeing.”

    Domestic Violence Service Management CEO Stephanie Smith said:

    “Specialist workers for children and young people allow for a long-term sustainable solution to ending domestic and family violence in Australia. By intervening early with children and young people we are able to disrupt the normalisation of domestic and family violence and allow a reframe of values about relationships and gender dynamics early.

    “Our specialist workers are there specifically for the children who historically may have been left behind in the inevitable crisis caused by domestic and family violence. These workers allow the experience of children to be heard, acknowledged and addressed.

    “Our services are person-centered which means we don’t have a one-size-fits-all way of doing things. We start with thorough assessments based on what the child and parent are telling us and we regularly review and adapt our way of working with children to ensure we see progress.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Youth bands showcase musical talent

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The 2024 Children’s Band Battle was held at the NCPA Taihu Stage Art Centre, a complex in Beijing’s Tongzhou district, on Sept 21 and 22. Fifteen bands stood out as they showcased their talents onstage.

    Co-organized by the China Association of Popular Music and the China Society for the Studies of Children Literature, the event was open to youth bands from around China, gathering top Chinese musicians as judges, such as guitarist Liu Lin, music producer Bi Xiaoshi and jazz pianist-composer Kong Hongwei.

    The event aims to provide a platform for children to showcase their talents, forge new friendships and foster communication through the universal language of music.

    The participating bands were categorized into age groups — from 3 to 8 years old, 9 to 12 years old and 13 to 17 years old — ensuring that the competition was tailored to each group’s capabilities.

    The judges also worked as mentors to the youth bands, offering guidance during rehearsals and conducting master classes to nurture their musical prowess.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s online smart education platform benefiting world

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s online smart education platform has recorded over 50 billion visits to date, with over 10 million overseas users located across more than 200 countries and regions, Wang Guangyan, China’s vice minister of education, said at a press conference on Thursday.
    The national smart education platform was launched in March 2022.
    Its usage figures demonstrate the growing contributions China has made to education globally over the past three years, Wang said.
    He also cited the Global Digital Education Development Index, which was released earlier this year and ranked China in ninth place globally, up from 24th just three years ago.
    Moving forward, China will enhance its international cooperation and exchange in the field of digital education, and accelerate the construction of an international version of the platform, Wang said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s air and tourism industries need government-backed insolvency insurance. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Beirman, Adjunct Fellow Management & Tourism, University of Technology Sydney

    Australia has a long history of domestic airlines collapsing, often affecting thousands of travellers, yet the industry provides little or no recompense.

    Even the federal government’s recently released aviation discussion paper recognised the need for change by recommending important protections for passengers. These included making airlines honour refunds if flights were cancelled or significantly delayed.

    The 2024 Aviation White Paper included the most consumer friendly proposals in 30 years. However, there was one significant omission in the 156-page report.

    There was no mention of insolvency protection for airline passengers. To put it simply, if a domestic or international airline collapses there is little likelihood passengers who paid airfares will receive a refund.

    In most cases, passengers affected by airline collapses receive little or no compensation. Fewer than 20% of Australian domestic passengers pay for domestic travel insurance compared to the 90% of Australians who buy insurance when they fly internationally.

    A history of failed airlines

    Since 1990 we have seen the rise and fall of multiple Australian airlines. This includes Compass Mark 1, Compass Mark 2, Ansett Airlines, Impulse Air and Aussie Air.

    In May, Bonza collapsed after less than a year of operation. And more recently, services operated by REX (Regional Air Express) between capital cities stopped and its regional services are under pressure.

    Virgin and Qantas immediately volunteered to honour the inter-city bookings of some REX ticket holders. However, nearly all affected Bonza passengers lost their money because no other airlines flew the same routes.

    The risk of both domestic and international airline collapses affecting Australian travellers is real. Consumers are as entitled to be protected from that risk as they are from many other travel related risks.

    The UK and European approach

    The UK approach to insolvency insurance has worked well since 1973. The UK scheme is known as “ATOL” or Air Travel Operators Licence. It applies to package tour companies who sell air travel combined with land tours or accommodation

    This user-pays, government-guaranteed insurance cover is compulsory for all British travellers who book a package tour. It costs only A$5 per person. It guarantees a full refund and return flights to the passenger’s point of origin if the tour operator goes out of business.

    A similar scheme has operated in the European Union since 1990, its known as the European Package Travel Directive.

    As part of a 2024 book I co-edited with Bruce Prideaux, I focused on the collapse of the famous British tour operator, Thomas Cook in 2019.

    I also compared insolvency consumer protection in the UK with that of Australia and New Zealand.

    The Thomas Cook experience

    When Thomas Cook collapsed in the United Kingdom and Europe, 600,000 British and European Union passengers were fully refunded the cost of their tours and flown to their port of departure under their regions’ respective schemes. And the cost of their disrupted tours was refunded.

    Funding built into the UK scheme covered full refunds to affected passengers at negligible cost to government which guaranteed the scheme.

    By contrast, a far smaller collapse of two Australian based tour operators, Tempo Holidays and Bentours in September 2019 affected fewer than 1,000 passengers.

    However not all the affected travellers were refunded due to the limitations of the insolvency scheme run by what was then the Australian Federation of Travel Agents.

    Under this scheme travellers only receive insolvency protection if they pay by credit or debit card. There is a reliance on banks to refund if a tour operator becomes insolvent. If the passenger paid for their tour by cheque or cash, no refund applied.

    What Australia needs

    There are three key categories of business insolvency which affect travellers. The collapse of an airline, the collapse of a tour operator and the collapse of a travel agent.

    If the Australian government is genuinely interested in protecting travel consumers at minimal cost to the taxpayer we should be using the UK and European schemes as a model.

    A compulsory user-pays, government guaranteed insolvency protection scheme would cost the consumer very little and would be an ideal safety net for consumers in the event that their travel company goes bust.

    David Beirman is affiliated in an honorary basis with DFAT’s Consular Consulting Group, a stakeholder group which advises DFAT on government travel advisories and broader issues of tourism safety and security.

    – ref. Australia’s air and tourism industries need government-backed insolvency insurance. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/australias-air-and-tourism-industries-need-government-backed-insolvency-insurance-heres-why-239060

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa Announces Four Prize-Winning Companies at First Startup Accelerator Demo Day

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    NEW YORK, United States of America, September 26, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), HustleSasa (Kenya) and UBR VR (Egypt) Win Top Prizes, including Financial Support and Mentorship; Paystack Payments Ltd., Kuramo Capital Management and Nigerian University of Technology and Management Join Demo Day as NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s First Official Partners (www.NBA.com).

    NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum today announced the four prize-winning startup businesses from “NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator” (http://apo-opa.co/3ZLmNoC), which NBA Africa launched in April 2024 to support the continent’s technology ecosystem and the next generation of African entrepreneurs.  The four winning businesses – Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), HustleSasa (Kenya) and UBR VR (Egypt) – will be awarded financial support and mentorship, including an opportunity to participate in workshops and development programs facilitated by NBA Africa or its partners. 

    The 10 finalists, shortlisted from more than 700 early-stage African startup businesses that applied to participate, pitched their products to a panel of international industry leaders at a Demo Day at the NBA headquarters in New York City yesterday. The judges included Accelerate Africa Co-Founder and CEO Iyinoluwa Aboyeji; NBA Assistant General Counsel, Technology, Software Licensing and Digital Platforms Franciscus Diaba; Managing Director, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda Crystal Rugege; Chegg Inc. Executive Chairman Dan Rosensweig; and Partner at Development Partners International Joanne Yoo.  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also delivered opening remarks and met the 10 finalists.

    Below are the four winning businesses:

    1. Festival Coins (Nigeria), an event technology company that offers a customizable, no-code event registration and ticketing platform called Tix Africa for events in Nigeria and Ghana, won the first-place prize and $50,000. 
    2. Salubata (Nigeria), a company that creates modular shoes repurposed from plastic waste to reduce the global carbon footprint through its environmentally friendly products, won the second-place prize and $40,000. 
    3. HustleSasa (Kenya), which provides live event services that support payment processing, attendee check-in, merchandise sales, customer data management, influencer tracking, and more, won the third-place prize and $30,000.
    4. UBR VR (Egypt), which delivers state-of-the-art, fully immersive, in-person virtual reality (VR) experiences across Egypt, won the fourth-place prize and $20,000.

    The six other finalists each received a $10,000 prize. 

    The Demo Day was supported by three official partners: Paystack Payment Ltd. (http://apo-opa.co/3XHn75j), Kuramo Capital Management (http://apo-opa.co/3ZGroJ2) and Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM) (http://apo-opa.co/3XHn1dX).  

    “Congratulations to all of the incredibly talented entrepreneurs who participated in this year’s program, with special recognition to the 10 finalists and four distinguished winners,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.  “These outstanding companies have demonstrated the creativity, drive and determination to shape the future of sport in Africa and will help the continent take its rightful place on the world stage.  We look forward to following their successes for many years to come.”

    “NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator” is open to early-stage startups in Africa that develop solutions in event management and ticketing, youth development, AI, and digital marketing. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Commissioner LaTourette Marks Climate Week by Announcing Exhibits Spotlighting Major Impacts of Climate Change on New Jersey’s State Parks and Forests

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    A display with information about how sea-level rise in New Jersey is about twice the global average will be at coastal locations in Cape May Point State Park in Cape May County, Liberty State Park in Hudson County, Leonardo Marina and Twin Lights Historic Site in Monmouth County, and at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County.

    Information about how climate change is extending wildfire seasons will be displayed at locations in the Pine Barrens, at Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Burlington County, the Forest Resource Education Center and Double Trouble State Park in Ocean County, and Belleplain State Forest in Cape May County.

    The harmful algal blooms display will be at parks with water bodies that have been affected by blooms, namely the Round Valley and Spruce Run recreation areas in Hunterdon County, Hopatcong State Park in Morris County, Parvin State Park in Salem County and Swartswood State Park in Sussex County.

    Displays with information about extended wildfire seasons and ghost forests, large expanses of dead and dying trees caused by rising sea levels, will be at Wharton State Forest in Atlantic/Burlington/Camden counties, and at Bass River State Forest in Burlington/Ocean counties. The ghost forest display will also be at Cheesequake State Park in Middlesex County. The DEP plans to expand the exhibits to other state parks and forests and to include additional climate change impacts.

    In addition to the interactive exhibits, visitors may also take part in the MyCoast Photo Station Challenge through the end of October at six locations: two at Island Beach State Park and one each at Liberty State Park, Cheesequake State Park, Cape May Point State Park and the Margate City Fishing Pier. More information about the challenge may be found here. DEP launched climate change learning stations in four state parks a year ago at diverse locations along New Jersey’s coast, where shorelines are changing due to higher tides, more intense and frequent storms, and resulting erosion. Each station has a MyCoast photo station that encourages the public to document impacts to the shoreline over time. DEP is hosting the challenge in partnership with the Rutgers University Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve.

    To view a video about the exhibits, visit https://youtu.be/wgYzKwOOBTw

    For more information about New Jersey’s Parks, Forests & Historic Sites, visit njparksandforests.org

    Like New Jersey’s State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites page on Facebook at facebook.com/newjerseystateparks

    Follow the New Jersey State Park Service on Instagram @newjerseystateparks

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mendez v. Westminster: How a Young Girl’s Courage Transformed Schools

    Source: United States Courts

    Main content

    Sylvia Mendez was just eight when she became part of a landmark school desegregation case that helped pave the way for the famous Brown v. Board ruling a decade later. The story of Mendez v. Westminster is told in a new Moments in History video.

    “You have to work hard for it, and you don’t let anybody stand in your way. You will live that American dream,” said Mendez. “I’m living that American dream, because I know that it’s true.”

    Mendez’s family moved to a farm in Orange County, California, in 1943, only to learn that Westminster schools would not admit Mexican American students into white schools, and that she would have to attend a school for Hispanic students. Her parents organized and paid for a class-action lawsuit. Five families, including Mendez’s, were plaintiffs.

    A federal court ruled in their favor, and that decision was upheld by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 1947. However, Mendez v. Westminster never reached the U.S. Supreme Court, because then-Gov. Earl Warren signed legislation that outlawed school segregation in California.

    Many of the arguments in Mendez were later used by Thurgood Marshall in Brown v. Board, but the Mendez case lapsed into obscurity for many years. At her mother’s urging, Mendez began speaking about the case, and in 2011, she received the presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2019, the city of Westminster opened a sculpture park honoring Mendez, her family, and the case they brought.

    An educational page and reenactment activity provide additional information about the historic case.

    Related Topics: Judicial History, Public Education

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: In the mysteries of the operating room, jobs with high employability potential

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

    Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French

    Focus on two complementary medical-technical professions: operating room technician and medical device technologist.

    Start of the day in the operating room. The operating room technician (OT) goes through the patient’s file being cared for by the care team. In this work, it is essential to be prepared for any eventuality, to think about the complications that may arise during a surgical procedure.

    The TSO is one of the links in the treatment chain, guaranteeing hygiene, safety and good care. This is why checking the patient’s identity and identifying any allergies and medical history are the first essential steps before any procedure in the operating room. Then, she puts on her sterile pajamas and proceeds to surgical hand washing.

    Unite around the patient

    Continuation of the adventures in the operating room. The final preparations are finalized: the surfaces disinfected, the devices necessary for the intervention checked.

    The operation can then begin. Silence takes over the operating room. The interdisciplinary team is focused, hypervigilant. “Like an orchestra conductor, the TSO coordinates each step precisely,” explains Luzia Stettler, a teacher at the École supérieure de la santé. “She anticipates the surgeon’s actions by presenting him with the instruments and, in particular, guarantees that the operations go smoothly. Given the complexity of the profession, it requires three years of higher education after a secondary II diploma.”

    Now comes the reprocessing of medical devices, “an activity that occurs after their use on the patient,” explains Hervé Ney, sterilization expert at HUG and president of the Swiss Society for Hospital Sterilization. Coordination between TSOs and medical device technologists is therefore essential.”

    During this time

    A stone’s throw from the operating room, Djésika Anani is busy at Steriswiss, an outsourced sterilization company for clinics and medical centers. She is an apprentice medical device technologist (MDT) in her third and final year. A job that is also behind the scenes, straddling care and technology.

    After the crucial step of hand washing, she puts on her personal protective equipment and joins the sterilization team. Sorting, washing, disinfecting, packaging and sterilizing the medical instruments used now hold no more secrets for the apprentice.

    “After the TSO sends the used equipment for sterilization, there are several steps in three separate areas, from the dirtiest to the cleanest,” Djésika specifies. “In a rigorously followed order, we check the proper functionality and cleanliness of the medical devices after they have passed through the washer-disinfector. Then, we package them and sterilize the instrument sets that will be part of the surgeon’s instrument tray.”

    Four hours have passed since the beginning of the day. Time for the new patient.

    “All TSO ES students find a job before the final exams”

    Three questions for Luzia Stettler, TSO teacher at the École supérieure de la santé.

    Can a medical device technologist (CFC) continue in the “higher education” program as an operating room technician?

    Yes, directly after validating their CFC. Currently, we have two students who have gone through this route. They are exempt from courses and exams concerning sterilization, which represents an entire module (out of the nine in the training plan).

    What about employability?

    100%! All TSO ES students find a job before the final exams, as the shortage of manpower in care, and particularly in the operating room, is significant.

    Are there other opportunities to enter such a profession?

    Of course! However, you don’t improvise as a TSO: providing patients with services with a high degree of quality and safety remains our leitmotif. Nursing graduates who wish to specialize in the operating room field can have their acquired experience recognized and valued, thus validating one year of TSO training, and therefore train in two years. Exemptions are also possible for people who have worked in the operating room for several years and do not have an officially recognized qualification.

    Career focus dedicated to medical-technical care.

    Operating room professionals, TSO students and TDM apprentices will share their experience on Wednesday, October 9 between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), at 4, rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, in Geneva. Zoom professions by registration (45 places).

    To learn more and register: http://www.devenirtso.ch

    All information on vocational training:http://www.citedesmetiers.ch

    Text: Laurie Josserand, OFPC-SISP, DIP / Photo: Laurent CrottetArticle also published in the Tribune de Genève on September 26, 2024

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The Government of Canada recognizes the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, commemorated as part of the Indian Residential School System National Historic Event

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    The Government of Canada recognizes the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, commemorated as part of the Indian Residential School System National Historic Event

    September 26, 2024 Saint-Marc-de-Figuery (Quebec) Parks Canada

    Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada will participate in the unveiling ceremony of two commemorative plaques highlighting the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, which is commemorated as part of the Indian Residential School System National Historic Event.

    Open from 1955 to 1973, the Amos Indian Residential School was part of the system of residential schools for Aboriginal children officially established by the federal government during the 19th and 20th centuries.

    Please note that this notice is subject to change without notice.

    Here are the details:

    Date: Monday, September 30, 2024

    Time: The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. (EDT) Media are asked to arrive by 9:45 a.m. (EDT)

    Location: Saint-Marc-de-Figuery (Quebec)

    The venue for the press conference will be confirmed only to accredited media representatives. Media representatives wishing to participate in the press briefing must register with pc.media@pc.gc.ca.

    -30-

    Information and RSVP: Media RelationsParks Canada Agency855-862-1812pc.media@pc.gc.ca

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New directions, “Longevity exercises” and star guests: how the summer season of the “Moscow Longevity” project went

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Every senior Muscovite can fill their lives with bright events. This summer, participants in the Moscow Longevity project attended training sessions with famous athletes, met with actors and writers, went kayaking and SUP boarding, went Nordic walking, opened an exclusive route along Arbat, and participated in many other events.

    In 2024, the project’s summer season lasted four months, thanks to September being one of the warmest in the history of the capital.

    Training with celebrity guests and outdoor activities

    One of the most striking events of the summer season was the “Longevity Exercises”. For 17 weeks, senior citizens participated in morning warm-ups at sites organized in all districts, including in iconic places of the capital – for example, on Sparrow Hills, near the Bolshoi Theater and at the Northern River Terminal. During this time, 87 training sessions were held, which were attended by more than 14 thousand people.

    Once a week, the “Longevity Exercises” were held by invited guests, including Roman Kostomarov, Evgenia Medvedeva, Tatyana Totmianina, Ilya Averbukh, Alexey Nemov, Alexey Yagudin, Artur Dalaloyan, Irina Slutskaya, Nikita Nagorny, Daria Dontsova, Anna Semenovich, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Elena Vorobey, Yulia Mikhalkova.

    Participants of the “Longevity Exercises” mastered qigong, attended dance training, classes with gymnastic ribbons, and even warm-ups with drums.

    Throughout the summer, outdoor activities were held for senior citizens in more than 1,500 groups at 800 outdoor venues throughout the city – at the Moscow Zoo, the equestrian club, parks, the City Farm at VDNKh, and other places.

    New water directions

    In July, the Moscow Longevity project opened classes in SUP surfing and kayaking for the first time. About 1,500 senior Muscovites learned the history of these sports and learned how to operate watercraft.

    The classes took place in the waters of the Moscow River at the Academy Rowing Club under the guidance of experienced coaches. Despite the fact that SUPs and kayaks are considered popular among young people, the groups in these areas already broke the record for the number of older participants in the first days.

    SUP and kayak rowing classes will be held for the first time as part of the Moscow Longevity project

    Unique route

    In August, a new exclusive excursion route, “Not Old Arbat”, was opened for participants of “Moscow Longevity”. It was created especially for the project by writer and Moscow expert Alexander Vaskin and is dedicated to long-livers whose fate was connected with the most famous pedestrian street of the city.

    Philosopher, polar hero and Russian Rodin: what participants of the excursion “Not Old Arbat” can learn

    The walk includes nine thematic points, each of them is connected with the biographies of famous long-livers: writers, actors, sculptors and composers. For example, the excursionists learned about the philosopher Alexey Losev, who continued to pass on knowledge to his students until his last days, and the writer Marietta Shaginyan, who never abandoned her favorite work.

    The guides were the participants of Moscow Longevity themselves, who had completed training at the Silver University in the field of Excursion Guidance. 11 graduates mastered a new profession, were employed in the project and regularly conduct excursions for groups.

    Fashion collections about family, city and future

    This summer, the project held its fourth season of creative laboratories “Designers’ Workshop”, dedicated to the Year of the Family. The final show, held at the forum-festival “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030” in Gostiny Dvor, was attended by more than 600 people, another 135 thousand watched the live broadcast of the show.

    Participants of “Moscow Longevity” under the mentorship of five famous fashion designers – Leonid Alekseev, Igor Gulyaev, Denis Eremkin, Ksenia Novikova and Vadim Merlis – created five clothing collections. They were demonstrated on the podium by “silver” age models from the beauty and style school “Royal Posture”.

    The Family Albums line is based on the 1970s style, with prints on clothes that bring to life photographs of the designers’ grandparents, fathers and mothers. The creators of the feminine and elegant Mom collection were inspired by touching memories. Each participant imagined her mother, images from her youth. The Bright Age, Urban Romance and We Are 2030 collections are dedicated to the future, the city and longevity. Bright textured fabrics and artificial intelligence capabilities were used in their creation.

    New spaces for healthy living and socializing

    The network of Moscow longevity centers continues to expand: 14 spaces opened this summer, now there are 134. Older city residents can do their favorite things in a circle of like-minded people, communicate and lead a healthy lifestyle. Since September 1, the centers have switched to a new, convenient work schedule.

    Along with the expansion of the network of centers, new services are also appearing in them. Thus, since this summer, they have been providing consultations on obtaining electronic government services. In each center, city residents can find out how to apply for 71 government services, including obtaining a Muscovite social card, a spa voucher, or housing subsidies.

    Bright events of the summer season

    Muscovites of the “silver” age celebrated the middle of summer at the festival “Long-lasting Moscow”, which took place on Vorobyovy Gory and brought together more than three thousand guests.

    The most popular outdoor classes of Moscow Longevity were held on one site – dancing, Nordic walking, drawing, as well as Longevity Exercises, educational lectures and much more.

    One of the central events was a mass gathering of Nordic walking enthusiasts, in which even city residents over 90 years old took part. A choreography master class for guests was conducted by dancer Evgeny Papunaishvili, and in the open air one could compete in drawing caricatures of singer Anna Semenovich and writer Daria Dontsova.

    The combined choir of the Moscow Longevity project performed at the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival on Red Square. A program of 13 songs was presented by 350 people. The choir was accompanied by the Central Military Orchestra of the Russian Ministry of Defense under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia Colonel Sergei Durygin.

    The combined choir of the Moscow Longevity project performed at the Spasskaya Tower festival

    In addition, this summer the group gave five master classes. Choirmasters held open vocal lessons, where they introduced guests to the techniques and methods of choral singing.

    In July, the Sokolniki Park hosted the “Dance Stories of Moscow Longevity” festival. One of the main events was the “Purple Waltz” flash mob, which brought together 500 senior citizens. On this day, people of different ages took to the dance floor – from 55 to 90 years old, and the oldest was 90-year-old project participant Valentina Semenova. A competition was also held: 18 couples and 10 groups competed for the title of the best dancers of the project.

    “Boulevard of Moscow Longevity”

    One of the most striking expositions of the forum-festival “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030” in Gostiny Dvor was “Boulevard of Moscow Longevity”. Guests immersed themselves in a multimedia space dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and learned how to maintain activity, stay young and happy for many years. During the days of the forum-festival, over 50 thousand people looked into the future, making a “Portrait of Longevity” with the help of neural networks. Guests also walked about seven thousand virtual kilometers on the excursion “Not Old Arbat”, almost 15 thousand visitors participated in a sociological survey, which helped to find out how different generations of Muscovites relate to longevity.

    Ahead of the city residents there is an equally busy autumn-winter season. All Muscovites of the “silver” age – women from 55 years old and men from 60 years old – can join the “Moscow Longevity” project. You can sign up at any Moscow Longevity Center or the “My Documents” government services center, as well as online on the mos.ru portal.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144450073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A special issue of the newspaper “For Construction Personnel” was published for the anniversary of the Faculty of Economics and Management

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Download September issue

    A special issue of the newspaper “For Construction Personnel” was published, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Faculty of Economics and Management of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

    In the latest issue read:

    Selection of profiles – according to the needs of the labor market

    Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Galina Tokunova talks about the rich history of training specialists in the field of construction economics at our university and why applicants’ interest in these professions is growing.

    How to become successful in your profession, head a university and build a business

    The pages of the newspaper present two paths to success for specialists from different eras: Yuri Panibratov, a professor-consultant who previously held the position of rector of SPbGASU, and Sergey Veselov, a 2009 graduate, PhD in Economics and founder of the Development Systems group of companies. Their experience shows that the main components of success are relevant at any time.

    Department – industry: six areas of interaction

    Educational process in partnership with the industry. We tell how the cooperation of the construction management department with industry companies helps in updating the curriculum, professional orientation and employment of students.

    Scientific research in a foreign language

    Why are scientific events in a foreign language a step into the future of a specialist? Find out from the head of the Department of Intercultural Communication Elena Selezneva and student Sofia Myagkaya.

    Teaching stimulates self-development

    Get a diploma and stay at the university! Associate Professor of SPbGASU Olga Bochkareva spoke about the advantages of teaching, the key to success in it, and how communication with students helps keep abreast of modern times.

    FEU is a faculty of energetic and creative people

    Students talk about the great opportunities at the faculty and at the university, and first-year students share their emotions about admission and impressions from the first month of study.

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

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

    http://www.spbgasu.ru/nevs-and-events/nevs/special issue-of-the-newspaper-for-construction-personnel-for-the-anniversary-of-the-faculty-of-economics-and-management/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Bihar Awami Co-operative Bank Limited, Patna

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated September 20, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One Lakh Fifty thousand only) on The Bihar Awami Co-operative Bank Ltd., Patna (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of section 26A read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act) and for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under the provisions of section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.

    After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the Bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.

    The bank had:

    1. failed to transfer eligible amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed period; and

    2. failed to review risk categorisation of its customers as per the prescribed periodicity.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1163

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Government of Canada recognizes the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, commemorated under the Residential School System National Historic Event

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Government of Canada recognizes the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, commemorated under the Residential School System National Historic Event

    September 26, 2024          Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, Quebec                   Parks Canada

    Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada will participate in the unveiling ceremony of two commemorative plaques highlighting the national historic significance of the Amos Indian Residential School, which is commemorated under the Residential School System National Historic Event.

    Open from 1955 to 1973, the Amos Indian Residential School was part of the residential school system for Aboriginal children that was formally established by the federal government during the 19th and 20th centuries.

     

    Please note that this advisory is subject to change without notice.

     

    The details are as follows:

     

    Date:                Monday, September 30, 2024

     

    Time:               Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. (EDT)
                             Media are requested to arrive by 9:45 a.m. (EDT)          

    Location:         Saint-Marc-de-Figuery, Quebec

    The exact location of the press conference will be given to accredited media only. Media representatives wishing to participate in the media availability should register with pc.media@pc.gc.ca.

                                                                                                              -30-

    Information and RSVP:
     Media Relations
    Parks Canada Agency
    855-862-1812
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  • MIL-OSI Global: Greener nanomaterials could transform how our everyday stuff is made

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amber Keegan, PhD Candidate, Green Chemistry, University of Sheffield

    Silica nanomaterial could help advance medicines and improve controlled drug release. Love Employee/Shutterstock

    Tiny nanoparticles are at the forefront of materials science – with special properties that make them great at absorbing light in solar panels, cleaning wastewater, and delivering drugs precisely.

    Some nanoparticles take the form of sheets or fibres. But nanomaterials all have one thing in common – their structure contains components with dimensions in the nanometre scale – that’s more than 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Research shows that nanomaterials often perform better than the same materials made at a larger scale. They have huge potential, but currently their manufacture can result in harmful environmental effects due to the use or production of hazardous chemicals.

    I’m one of many researchers studying how to create, manipulate and apply these materials sustainably to develop new technologies and improve existing ones. This offers advantages across many applications, including aerospace, solar panels and electronics.

    Silica nanomaterial is already all around you, but you probably don’t even realise it. Silica (SiO₂), a compound that contains both silicon and oxygen, is commonly found in rocks. It is one of the most mass produced nanomaterials worldwide, with an expected market of US$5 trillion (£3.8 trillion) by 2025.

    It’s used to make things you encounter every day, from improving the strength of concrete or the durability of rubber tyres, plus it enhances the cleaning properties and consistency of toothpaste. Silica nanomaterial could have exciting high-value applications, like medicines and wastewater treatment.

    While silica products might be great, the way they are made is often not great for the environment, or even economically feasible. Manufacture is key to overall product sustainability, but it’s often invisible to consumers. As such, it’s an aspect that most people consider far less than, for example, whether something will be recycled.

    Making silica often requires energy-intensive processes, or makes nasty waste products that are difficult to safely dispose of. Trying to reduce the environmental footprint for existing processes is not enough. Developing new production methods is paramount to ensuring that new technologies, such as more advanced solar panels, can both help society and have less impact on the environment than traditional manufacture.

    I am part of the Green Nanomaterials Research Group at the University of Sheffield, where my colleagues and I are working hard to develop sustainable, scalable and economical routes to functional nanostructured materials. We address aspects from discovery to manufacturing, applications and commercialisation, considering the performance, scalability, environment and cost.

    A greener approach to chemistry

    We aim to make better nanomaterials for important applications, while considering the environmental impact at every stage of a nanomaterial’s life, from raw materials through to the use and disposal of product and any by-products. This approach is known as “green chemistry”, a concept developed in 1998 that has been used to develop strategies for greener routes to nanomaterials.

    Some algae, including these diatoms, make silica naturally to build cell walls and are studied in the development of bio-inspired silica.
    Diana Will/Shutterstock

    Silica nanomaterial suits this green chemistry approach because it is already made in nature by plants and sponges as structural support. What better teacher for green chemistry than to learn from nature itself? My research group created bio-inspired silica, a product that can be made at room temperature, and in the mild conditions under which silica is made in biology naturally.

    Now, colleagues in my research group are scaling up bio-inspired silica production, exploring its use in different applications and making different nanomaterials. Meanwhile, I’m exploring how changing the conditions under which we make silica can improve the properties, like surface area, that make it function better.

    There’s huge scope for green nanomaterials to advance essential technologies, and if green silica could be scaled up, the potential for substantial change drug delivery and renewables is vast.


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

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

    Amber Keegan receives PhD funding from The University of Sheffield.

    – ref. Greener nanomaterials could transform how our everyday stuff is made – https://theconversation.com/greener-nanomaterials-could-transform-how-our-everyday-stuff-is-made-237791

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: David Olusoga’s new book joins the struggle to make Black history mainstream

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jenny Woodley, Senior Lecturer in Modern American History, Nottingham Trent University

    For decades, Black history in the UK has been siloed from the mainstream, as if incidental to the nation’s history. Black History Month in October is dedicated to celebrating Black heritage, but the rest of the year, it feels largely neglected and ignored. Public historian and broadcaster David Olusoga, is at the forefront of efforts to integrate Black history into our national story.

    His latest book, Black History for Every Day of the Year, co-created with two of his siblings, Yinka and Kemi, is another contribution to that work. This attractive and substantial book has an entry for each calendar day detailing an event, person, place, or theme associated with black history.

    There are biographies of artists, musicians, activists, politicians, filmmakers, writers, and scientists. We learn about legal cases, such as Brown v Board of Education, when racial segregation in US schools was ruled unconstitutional, and the Mansfield Judgment, a 1772 British ruling which decided the fate of enslaved African James Somerset, and was used by abolitionists in their campaign to end slavery.

    We get to see important objects, like the Benin Bronzes, a collection of sculptures created by skilled artisans in the Kingdom of Benin – now part of Nigeria – which were looted by British forces in 1897. They were then given to institutions like the British Museum, where some are still on display.

    The book narrates histories of violence and injustice, from centuries of enslavement and brutal colonial rule, to South Africa’s Sharpeville massacre when, in March 1960, 69 people protesting apartheid laws were killed by the police.

    The tragedy of the 1981 New Cross fire in south London, where 14 young Black people were killed in a suspected arson attack on a house party, is recounted as is the racist murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence, also in south London in 1993.

    It tells stories of resistance and resilience, such as the uprising of enslaved people in Jamaica in 1760, known as Tacky’s revolt, and the 1961 Freedom Rides, when Black and white students challenged racial segregation on American buses and were met with violence.

    In Britain it examines the Bristol bus boycott of 1963, a four-month-long protest against the bus company’s refusal to hire Black or Asian drivers. Many of the events and names will be familiar to some readers but there is likely to be plenty that is new and novel.

    It is not a book which invites intensive reading, but rather the joy is to dip in and out, finding connections between entries, dates and themes. The popularity of social media “On This Day” posts suggests many readers will enjoy connecting past with present.

    At the end of the volume, as well as a glossary of terms, are 12 timelines which place some of the entries into a more cohesive – though potentially more limiting – narrative.

    For example, they outline Black resistance to slavery, abolitionist movements, and histories of imperialism and colonialism. Both here and throughout the book readers are pointed to connections between the entries. The text is enhanced by beautiful illustrations at the beginning of each month, which explore objects, places and themes associated with the entries, and the timelines are likewise creatively illustrated.

    Black History for Every Day is educational and informative, but it is written with a deft touch and its format, along with the illustrations and inclusion of photographs, mean it is also engaging and accessible.

    The scope of the histories included is global and many are transnational, showing the connections between the struggles and stories of people of African descent across the world. However, the majority of entries are associated with British and US history. This is not surprising given the authors’ research interests and the likely market for the book.

    While it is apparent that an attempt has been made to be geographically and chronologically diverse, around a third of the 366 entries deal with US history, suggesting that our understanding of Black history is still often dominated by its American iterations.

    The book is not attempting to break new ground. The timeline of the US civil rights movement, for example, begins with the Supreme Court ruling to desegregate education in 1954 and includes the acts of nonviolent direct action which have dominated the widely accepted “master narrative” of the era.

    However, the book does at least go slightly beyond the usual cut-off point to include the Black Panther Party’s breakfast program, which addressed poverty and hunger in the Black community between 1969 and 1980, and the murder of Black Panther deputy chairman Fred Hampton, who was killed in 1969 at the age of 21.

    The entry for Martin Luther King Jr. claims he organised the Montgomery bus boycott, ignoring the contributions of black women who were the driving force behind the movement. This is somewhat modified by the entry for activist Rosa Parks, which acknowledges the work of the Women’s Political Council in Montgomery.

    The book’s purpose is not to be comprehensive; it cannot be, given its breadth. Rather, each entry is intended to serve as an introduction. The authors explain they hope people will be inspired to find out more after reading it.

    Taken together, the daily entries narrate centuries of discrimination, violence and injustice against people of African descent. But they also tell stories of Black resilience, innovation, talent and achievement. The Olusogas’ book is published in time for Black History month in the UK, but it makes the case for engaging with black history beyond a single month every year.


    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.

    Jenny Woodley has received funding from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust.

    – ref. David Olusoga’s new book joins the struggle to make Black history mainstream – https://theconversation.com/david-olusogas-new-book-joins-the-struggle-to-make-black-history-mainstream-238825

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Starmer promises ‘homes for heroes’ – here’s what we know about veteran homelessness in England

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lisa O’Malley, Senior lecturer, social policy, University of York

    Clare Louise Jackson/Shutterstock

    In a surprise announcement, Keir Starmer told Labour party conference that his government would end homelessness for veterans. “Homes will be there for heroes,” the prime minister said.

    Labour has promised to build 1.5 million new homes as part of its manifesto. In his speech, Starmer also said that care leavers and victims of domestic abuse will have a “guaranteed roof over their head”.

    I’ve been involved in research about veteran homelessness for ten years. While Starmer’s promise is welcome, it will be hard to achieve. Government data reported that there were 2,110 homeless families with an armed forces veteran in England in 2022-23, a 14% increase from the previous year.

    But that figure is likely to underestimate overall levels of housing insecurity among veterans. Many people who leave military service could be considered “hidden homeless”, particularly female veterans who are unlikely to engage with formal services and young service leavers who easily slip through the cracks of existing provision.

    Those who have been lucky enough to find the right service at the right time may live in veteran-specific housing, including supported accommodation. Others may have found help through Operation Fortitude. This government-run referral scheme for veterans at risk of homelessness has housed over 400 people since it began in September 2023. But these services aren’t enough to ensure stable and secure housing for all veterans.

    The scale of the housing crisis has widened the gap between military and civilian life. Service leavers now need to save more and for longer than they did in the past to have any hope of closing the gap between their entitlements in military accommodation and the cost and availability of civilian housing.

    While in the military, service members’ accommodation is deeply subsidised. Today, a service family with two children could be entitled to a three-bedroom house, paying around £320 a month. For single personnel, it could be as little as £106 per month. In 2013 (the most recent available data), most personnel paid less than 12% of their salary for accommodation charges. The civilian population at the time paid between 20% and 40% for housing.

    However, many service members do not consider what they might do once that support ends. The people most vulnerable to homelessness after military service are those who are discharged quickly, for example for medical or disciplinary reasons. They might be required to leave military accommodation within weeks (or sometimes hours), and haven’t had chance to plan for life after the military.

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    Many of the veterans and service members my colleagues and I interviewed for our research spoke of the lack of planning and ability to save. One told us: “When you join at 18 and get a salary at the same time as all my mates’ student loans, you think you’re a multi-millionaire.”

    Our research suggests that home ownership at the point of discharge is out of reach for many. Social housing is not an option for many veterans, who do not qualify if they are single or have available savings.

    Social housing allocation rules require applicants to have a local connection to qualify. The government said it will bring in changes to fully exempt veterans, care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. Veterans are currently exempt from this for five years. But the exemption is irrelevant if there are no suitable properties available, and veterans are consequently likely to be in temporary accommodation.

    Housing in the private rented sector is expensive to secure and costly to maintain. Many service leavers find themselves returning to the parental home, sometimes after many years of successful service.

    Transitioning to civilian life

    The move from military to civilian life is hard to navigate. While it is certainly true that many service leavers thrive in civilian life, others struggle to find the right support and resources. They may not have the financial literacy and planning to know how to navigate the housing system. One veteran described feelings of “abandonment” after leaving service:

    I joined at 16. I did 15 years. I left at 31. The Royal Navy were my parents. … I didn’t know where to go or what to do.

    Many service leavers are affected by trauma and PTSD, as well as other mental health or substance abuse problems. Like civilians suffering from these conditions, these interconnected issues can exacerbate housing insecurity. And long wait times for mental health services can reduce the chances of finding long-term housing as they struggle to maintain tenancies, pay bills on time and keep stable employment.

    How then, can the government and military best help veterans at risk?

    The first 12 months after leaving service are critical to help the transition to civilian life and ensure service leavers have accommodation. In that time, service leavers should be given an automatic referral to a time-limited housing support scheme if they have nowhere to go.

    They could also be given the option to remain in military accommodation with support to give them time to transition. Another direct solution would be to give service leavers money for private rented sector or mortgage deposits.

    These solutions can’t just start when people leave service. Better mental health support and improving financial literacy while still in service is critical.

    And any solutions can’t be short-term. The homeless veterans I have met over the years were often discharged many years before they experienced homelessness. Evidence suggests that within five years post-discharge is a critical time for rough sleeping to be established. Support for those who left service some years ago also needs to be part of the offer.

    Lisa O’Malley receives funding from Forces in Mind Trust.

    – ref. Starmer promises ‘homes for heroes’ – here’s what we know about veteran homelessness in England – https://theconversation.com/starmer-promises-homes-for-heroes-heres-what-we-know-about-veteran-homelessness-in-england-239782

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –