Category: Europe

MIL-OSI: Vienna Insurance Group Subscribes to Intermap’s Real Estate Solution

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Enhancing data transparency in the Czech real estate market

Providing insurers with reliable and accurate property valuation for underwriting

DENVER, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) (“Intermap” or the “Company”), a global leader in 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions, today announced that Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna (ČPP), a subsidiary of the Vienna Insurance Group, has subscribed to Intermap’s innovative solution for determining the market price of real estate properties.

Intermap and its partner Dataligence recently launched a solution that combines Intermap’s data and analytics for underwriting, reinsurance and claims with Dataligence’s world-class pricing and real estate databases. ČPP, a long-term user of Intermap’s Aquarius RMA, is the newest major EU insurance group customer to adopt this innovative solution.

This advanced property valuation process meets the growing demand for digitized property services in the Czech market, improving transparency in real estate data.

By utilizing Intermap’s up-to-date flood and natural hazard maps within its Aquarius RMA software, alongside Dataligence’s extensive real estate data, this solution enables accurate online property valuation. It processes comprehensive databases of flood, natural hazard, and real estate information to streamline transactions, providing insurers with reliable and precise property valuations for underwriting purposes.

“We chose this innovative solution because it will make it easier and more convenient for our clients to arrange insurance. At the same time, we see our partners as technology leaders whose data is accurate, robust and reliable,” said Michal Šimon, manager of non-life insurance at Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna.

“We are always excited when we find new ways to use our world-class pricing and real estate datasets,” said Milan Roček, founder and CEO of Dataligence. “Last year, we made our innovative tools available to the general public through the http://www.hypox.cz app, and the continued integration of online pricing into insurance companies’ systems embodies our vision for modern insurance and real estate services, where clients don’t have to worry about anything, yet their assets are reliably protected.”

“Intermap’s solutions for the insurance market use proprietary datasets that are integrated into insurance processes to provide insurers with comprehensive tools that can be used throughout a portfolio lifecycle,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “Our state-of-the-art software, analytics and data enable insurers to understand and underwrite natural hazard risks, then leverage data intelligence to actively manage and reinsure risk with attractive margins.”

Intermap’s services are more important than ever. According to Resources for the Future, “the private residential flood insurance market in the United States is currently small relative to the NFIP. We estimate that private flood insurance accounts for roughly 3.5 to 4.5 percent of all primary residential flood policies currently purchased.” With historic flooding recently, this demonstrates the need for dramatic increase in coverage. CoreLogic “estimates Hurricane Helene industry insured loss at $10.5B – $17.5B. Uninsured losses are estimated at $20B – $30B.” Moody’s RMS Event Response estimates total U.S. private market insured losses from the recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton will likely range between US$35 billion and US$55 billion. This estimate is for insured losses associated with wind, storm surge, and precipitation-induced flooding from these events.”

In Europe, the flood protection gap is 25%. Recent European Commission studies “show that insurance premiums written should at least be doubled to reach a harmonized level of penetration equal to 50%.” Intermap is uniquely positioned to meet this demand and address this need.

To learn more about Intermap’s European solutions, visit intermap.com/european-solutions.

Intermap Reader Advisory
Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth and run-rate, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “expect”, “project”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “will be”, “will consider”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap’s forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap’s Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

About ČPP
Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna (ČPP), a subsidiary of the Vienna Insurance Group, is a universal insurance company that offers its clients modern products and comprehensive insurance solutions in life and non-life insurance. The company operates through 6 regional headquarters, 100 branches and 220 offices throughout the Czech Republic. It has been operating on the Czech insurance market since 1995. Currently, ČPP manages 2.4 million contracts and its services are used by more than 1.3 million clients. ČPP is one of the Czech top five largest insurance companies.

About Dataligence
The investment group Trigema bought a majority stake in CenovaMapa.org in 2022, largest real estate data platform on the Czech market. The cooperation has already resulted in a new application for end customers, http://www.hypox.cz, as well as the development of existing Dataligence platforms. Over the past few years, Dataligence, with the help of consulting company Deloitte, has become the most important provider of online real estate valuation data in the Czech Republic. For more information, please visit http://www.dataligence.cz.

About Intermap Technologies
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation.

For more information, please visit http://www.intermap.com or contact:
Jennifer Bakken
Executive Vice President and CFO
CFO@intermap.com
+1 (303) 708-0955

Sean Peasgood
Investor Relations
Sean@SophicCapital.com
+1 (647) 260-9266

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tom Stannard named new Chief Executive designate

Source: City of Manchester

Manchester City Council has named Tom Stannard as its new permanent Chief Executive to lead the delivery of the city’s strategy for the decade ahead.

He will become only the third Chief Executive to take the reins in more than a quarter of a century in a city which prides itself on stability. Tom was selected following a rigorous recruitment process.

He has been Chief Executive of neighbouring Salford City Council for the past four years, overseeing achievements including the transformative regeneration of Salford, an ambitious council housebuilding programme and high-performing children’s services. He has more than 27 years of experience in local government including senior posts in Oldham, Wakefield, Blackburn with Darwen and London boroughs.

Tom is nationally recognised as a leading voice in local government, public service reform and delivering inclusive growth and currently holds the lead CEO brief for Greater Manchester in the economy, business and international portfolio.

He is a Chartered Surveyor, Chair of the UK Institute of Economic Development, Commissioner for the UK Living Wage Foundation and National Spokesman for Health and Social Care for SOLACE (The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers.)

Tom joins one of the best performing councils in the country at a crucial time as Manchester presses ahead with its ambition to be world-class city with top class services. It is also a pivotal moment for the Council as it gears up to bring forward and oversee the delivery of the 2025-2035 Our Manchester Strategy, which will guide the city for the next 10 years. The new vision will go further on the achievements of the current strategy to ensure economic growth that benefits everyone, including through the city’s ambitious Making Manchester Fairer, housebuilding and zero carbon programmes.

Tom is expected to join the Council early in the New Year. Eamonn Boylan OBE will remain in post as Interim Chief Executive until then.

Leader of Manchester City Council Councillor Bev Craig said:

“This is a big job and we know the Chief Executive of Manchester is one of the most coveted positions in local government. That’s why I’m delighted that we’re appointing Tom Stannard – someone who shares our pride in the city and ambition to deliver for our residents.

“Tom was our unanimous choice in a highly competitive selection process. He is a nationally respected voice in local government with an impressive CV and a track record of delivery across regeneration, inclusive growth and improving council services. We were impressed by his energy and passion, his clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Manchester and his ideas for the future. He is already a well-known figure in Greater Manchester and beyond and we are confident that he will help us improve the city over the next decade.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside him and we can’t wait to welcome him as our new chief executive.”

Tom Stannard said:

“This is an exceptional role in an incredible city. I’ve spent a significant part of my career living and working in Greater Manchester and have a deep commitment to the city and its people. I’m eager to start work on the next chapter alongside Cllr Craig and all elected members.

“Manchester is a city which is competing on a global stage and successfully attracting investment, jobs and visitors and it’s important that we continue to maximise those strengths. Just as crucial is that the growth generated benefits the whole city, and I know that’s something the Council is already working on and determined to achieve.

“While being unapologetically ambitious for the city’s global future, I won’t lose focus on the need to deliver excellent day-to-day services for Manchester people in the here and now.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “Active Citizens” have chosen the best city open-air swimming pools

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The Active Citizen project has summed up voting results, in which Muscovites chose the best open-air swimming pools in the capital. Over 250 thousand people shared their opinions.

All summer long, city residents could sunbathe and swim in the pools opened this year at 10 city and 12 festival sites of the Moscow Seasons. Voters chose up to five of their favorite recreation areas.

According to the survey results, the best city venue was the open-air swimming pool in Sokolniki Park, where up to 130 guests could relax at a time, and lifeguards and doctors monitored safety. 18 percent of users voted for it. The second place was taken by the pool in Izmailovsky Park, which received 13 percent of the votes. It was rated by 63,498 city residents. In third place, with a minimal gap of 1,084 votes, was Beach No. 2 in the Serebryany Bor recreation area. 13 percent of “active citizens” (62,414 people) voted for it.

The swimming pool in the Teply Stan district was recognized as the best at the Moscow Seasons venues. 49,743 people (11 percent) voted for it. A slightly smaller number of votes — 48,088 (11 percent) — were for the pool on Michurinsky Prospekt. Third place goes to the swimming pool in the Veshnyaki district, for which 41,246 users (nine percent) voted.

All the areas were equipped with comfortable sun loungers and umbrellas, spacious changing rooms, showers and toilets. The water temperature was constantly maintained at around 30 degrees, and the pools were cleaned after each session. The areas were equipped with medical posts and rescue towers. Some were equipped with children’s pools and jacuzzis. The pools were open to visitors from morning until evening, and worked according to a schedule – in four shifts.

The vote was prepared by the capital’s Department of Culture, Department of Trade and Services, Department of territorial executive authoritiesand the Active Citizen project.

Its results can be found here on the website or in the Active Citizen mobile app.

Project “Active Citizen” has been operating since 2014. During this time, over seven million people have joined it, taking part in more than 6.6 thousand votes. Every month, 30-40 decisions made by Muscovites are implemented in the city. The project is being developed by the capital Department of Information Technology and the State Institution “New Management Technologies”. The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life of city residents corresponds to the objectives of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” and the regional project of the capital “Digital Public Administration”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow can be found on a special page.

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

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

https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145278073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The oldest electric depot “Severnoye” of the Moscow metro turned 90 years old

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The oldest electric depot “Severnoye” of the Moscow metro turned 90 years old. On October 15, 1934, a test metro train departed from it on its first trip. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov.

“90 years ago, a test train of type A cars left the Severnoye depot for the first time on the line. That day became the starting point for the depot’s work. Now, more than 850 professional employees work there, 153 of whom have been working there for over 20 years. They provide high-quality maintenance and operation of Rusich and Nomernoy trains. Yesterday, a unique event was held for the depot’s specialists, where reenactors recreated the atmosphere of that time and demonstrated the process of running in the first train. On behalf of Sergei Sobyanin, I congratulate the staff of the oldest metro depot on their professional holiday!” said Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry.

Construction of the electric depot began in the spring of 1932, and by March 1934 its building and the connecting branch to Komsomolskaya station were ready to launch the first trains.

On September 24, 1934, when the depot was still being completed, the first two Type A metro cars were delivered here from the factory. The metro train consisting of them set off on its maiden journey on the evening of October 15, 1934. It was driven by the outstanding transport engineer Mikhail Shpolyansky, who led a group of workers from the Dynamo factory preparing the first domestic metro cars for operation. In total, six journeys were made from Komsomolskaya to Sokolniki that evening.

In January 1935, the experimental operation of the Komsomolskaya-Sokolniki section began. On February 4 of the same year, the first train traveled along the entire section, and from February 19, regular training traffic began. During the testing period, thousands of distinguished workers of enterprises received invitations to travel on the metro.

After the opening of the Moscow Metro on May 15, 1935, the trains of the Severnoye electric depot fully serviced the line that stretched from Sokolniki station to Gorky Park Kultury (now Park Kultury) with a branch at Okhotny Ryad to Smolenskaya.

Before the Great Patriotic War, several dozen female train drivers had already worked in the metro. Leaders began to emerge among them. Thus, in the spring of 1942, under the leadership of second-class train driver Ekaterina Mishina, who received the right to operate metro trains in 1937, the first female train was formed, which went out on the line on March 8, 1942. It also became the first train in the Moscow metro with a name — the “March 8 Train”.

During the Great Patriotic War, it was from the Severnoye electric depot that the Moscow Metro armored train departed for the front along the railway line and took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge, making a significant contribution to the outcome of the battle. The funds for its creation were raised by the metro employees.

In 1959, the Kirovsko-Frunzenskaya Line (now Sokolnicheskaya) crossed the Moscow River and extended to the Universitet station. In 1963, Prospekt Vernadskogo and Yugo-Zapadnaya stations appeared on it. Simultaneously with the construction of new sections of the red line, the electric depot was also developing: in 1958, a lifting repair shop was put into operation, and in 1960, a second building for storing trains was erected. In the 1960s and 1970s, a group of innovative specialists introduced a number of highly effective developments for trains and repair production.

In August 1990, the Kirovsko-Frunzenskaya line (renamed Sokolnicheskaya in November of that year) was extended from Preobrazhenskaya Ploshchad station to Ulitsa Podbelskogo station (now Bulvar Rokossovskogo). At the same time, the Cherkizovo electric depot was established on the line, for which Severny employees prepared equipment, carriages, and a staff of professional specialists.

In the 21st century, the development of the red line continued, its southwestern part was extended: in 2014, the Troparevo station opened, in 2016 – Rumyantsevo and Salaryevo, and in 2019, a new section to Kommunarka (now Novomoskovskaya) opened with four stations at once.

In 2020, the rolling stock of the Severnoye electric depot was partially replaced with Nomernoy trains by Rusichi, and the Cherkizovo depot was fully equipped with modern Moskva trains. In September 2024, the Potapovo station was opened in the south of the Sokolnicheskaya line.

The history of the capital’s metro began with it. How the Sokolnicheskaya line was designed and built The Potapovo station of the Sokolnicheskaya metro line was built in less than three years

Over the past 90 years, the Sokolnicheskaya line, which is served by the Severnoye depot, has changed dramatically. Today, its length is more than 40 kilometers, and the fleet of the first depot in the history of the metro has 39 trains of two types – 81-717/714 (“Numbered”) and 81-740/741 (“Rusich”). In addition, the depot operates two theme trains that are loved by many passengers: the Sokolniki retro train, stylized as the first train of the Moscow metro, and the Red Arrow. The monthly mileage of the depot’s cars is more than 4.5 million kilometers.

The team of the Severnoye electric depot preserves and multiplies the traditions of its predecessors, develops the depot and receives recognition on a metro scale. In 2019, Severnoye won first place in the metro as the best electric depot in organizing work to improve working conditions and labor safety. It is famous for its special family atmosphere. Today, five labor dynasties work here, and over the past five years, 10 families have formed.

You can join the Moscow transport team and find out more about vacancies on the website Moscow Metro, by phone: 7 800 220-22-02, 7 495 622-22-22, in recruitment centers at the Delovoy Tsentr and Cherkizovskaya metro stations, as well as at the corporate university of Moscow transport.

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

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

https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145284073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The audio guide to the Moskino cinema park was voiced by actor Sergei Burunov

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The audio guide in the Moskino cinema park was voiced by actor Sergei Burunov. It is his voice that speaks for the heroes of many foreign films, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

“The Moskino Cinema Park amazes with its scale, it’s great to become part of such a grand project. The magic of cinema has always attracted thousands of people, but it must be admitted that this is a rather isolated world. I like the idea of lifting the veil of secrecy and showing everyone what is on the other side of the camera,” noted Sergey Burunov.

Muscovites and guests of the capital will be able to use an audio guide and learn about unique natural sites that recreate different cities and historical eras. Participants of the “Film Walk” project, voiced by Sergei Burunov, will visit the sites “County Town”, “Pitersky Bar”, “Cowboy Town”, “Streets of Berlin”, “Moscow of the 40s”, “Cathedral Square”. Each of them can be visited depending on the filming schedule. Guests will learn about the secrets of creating scenery, the intricacies of film production in the Moskino cinema park and projects that have already been implemented here.

The excursions will be held all year round according to the schedule. The duration of each is one hour and 30 minutes, the meeting place is the educational center. The walk will be interesting for children over 10 years old and adults. The service is paid, its price includes entrance to the cinema park. Detailed information can be found on the film park website.

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/145272073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow manufacturers have almost doubled their production volumes of high-tech products

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Today, there are about 370 enterprises in Moscow engaged in the production of computers, optics and electronics. Thanks to the active support of the city, they develop and bring innovative products to market, and also increase the range and volume of production. In just eight months of the year, companies have almost doubled the production of high-tech products compared to the same period in 2023. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov.

“From January to August 2024, the capital saw a 96 percent increase in the production of computers, electronic and optical products. Shipments to customers increased by almost 40 percent and exceeded 386 billion rubles. Such results were achieved thanks to the support that the city provides to industrialists on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin. Today, companies have access to over 20 systemic tools, in particular, they can localize production in the territory of the special economic zone “Technopolis Moscow”, as well as obtain the status of a resident of the SEZ, attract a preferential investment loan or rent land for one ruble to implement a large-scale investment project,” said Maxim Liksutov.

For example, last year thanks to Moscow Fund for Support of Industry and Entrepreneurship The capital’s optical equipment manufacturer was able to attract almost three billion rubles under the preferential investment lending program. The enterprise has the status of a resident of the special economic zone “Technopolis Moscow”. The funds received were used to purchase new equipment for the production of high-speed optical transceivers and create a test bench. The term of financial support is three years.

“In the first eight months of 2024, Moscow saw an increase in the production of printed circuit boards, electronic computers, electricity production or consumption meters, semiconductor devices and much more. The products manufactured by the capital’s factories meet high quality standards and are in demand on the domestic and international markets. Thus, during the specified period, industrialists supplied customers with computers and peripheral equipment for more than 121 billion rubles, control and measuring and navigation devices for 117 billion rubles, and the volume of communications equipment shipped amounted to almost 68 billion rubles,” added the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of Investment and Industrial Policy.

Anatoly Garbuzov.

In addition, manufacturers who want to enter foreign markets can benefit from the support of the Mosprom center. It offers information and methodological assistance, including verification of counterparties and participation in business missions and international exhibitions. Since 2022, with the support of the center, Moscow companies have found new partners in the markets of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other CIS countries.

Moscow is the largest industrial and scientific-engineering center of Russia. There are more than 4.5 thousand industrial enterprises in the capital, employing over 750 thousand people. Every year, 150 new technology companies open here and dozens of investment projects are implemented, providing the city with additional jobs.

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/145280073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin made a decision on the integrated development of two sites in Shchukino

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Two non-residential development sites with an area of 1.15 hectares in northwest Moscow will be reorganized under the integrated territorial development program (ITD). In their place, public and business facilities will appear, including offices, shops, bank branches, cafes and restaurants. The corresponding decree was signed by Sergei Sobyanin.

“Under the program for the integrated development of territories in the Shchukino district, we will build over 63 thousand square meters of real estate for public and business purposes, including offices, shops, bank branches, cafes and restaurants. The project will provide the city with about 1.8 thousand new jobs. We will also carry out work on landscaping the territory and developing the street and road network,” he wrote in

on your telegram channel Mayor of Moscow.

Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

The land plots are located in the Shchukino district at the following addresses: Volokolamskoe Shosse, Building 32, and Aviatsionnaya Street, Buildings 17–22.

In Moscow, 96 projects for the integrated development of territories with a total area of over 1.1 thousand hectares have been approved and are being implemented. Over 23.6 million square meters of real estate will be built on the sites and about 247 thousand jobs will be created.

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

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

https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11901050/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derby residents invited to share views on community safety

Source: City of Derby

Derby City Council is encouraging people who live in, work in, or visit Derby to share their views on safety in the city by participating in the Community Safety Survey. Now live on the Let’s Talk Derby website, the survey, which is open until December, seeks to gather feedback on how safe people feel in the city centre and their local areas.

The survey is a part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to making Derby a safe place to live, work and visit. The results will ensure that residents’ concerns are addressed and will help to shape future initiatives to improve public safety in Derby.

With questions ranging from how safe residents feel walking in their local area to asking what measures help them feel safe, it is estimated to take 10-15 minutes to complete and will help the Council to better understand the key issues relating to public safety.

Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety and Leisure said:

Public Safety is a top priority for the Council. We have been working hard to create a safe city for all, and we want to ensure that every resident feels safe, whether in the city centre or their local area.

I encourage all members of the community to take part in this survey. The feedback that we gather will help us to improve the safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors in Derby. Together, we can create a safe city for all.

The survey is available to view on the Let’s Talk Derby website. All responses are confidential, and residents are encouraged to take part before the survey closes at midnight 22 December.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Equipment for train traffic is being installed at the Kornilovskaya station on the Troitskaya metro line

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Builders have begun commissioning work on the traction and step-down substation at the Kornilovskaya station on the Troitskaya metro line. The premises are located behind the second vestibule of the station complex. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

“Work on the installation of utility networks is actively underway at Kornilovskaya. The project includes 54 different utility systems and almost 3.7 thousand units of primary equipment. The station’s traction and step-down substation, where commissioning has begun, consists exclusively of domestically produced components. The builders have installed the primary equipment and are tying it with cable and wire products. The next stage will be the commissioning and testing of high-voltage and power equipment,” said Vladimir Efimov.

The Kornilovskaya station of the Troitskaya metro line is located along Kaluga Highway at the intersection with Admirala Kornilova Street. It will become part of a transport hub. About 600 people work at the construction site every day.

“At the Kornilovskaya station complex, about 40 percent of the electric and low-current cables have been installed. At the same time, pipelines and air ducts are being installed, and external networks are being installed,” said the head of the Department for Construction of Transport and Engineering Infrastructure of the City of Moscow.

Vasily Desyatkov.

The traction and step-down substation is the power center of the station complex. It is designed to distribute power supply between all elements of equipment and the operation of engineering systems. According to the operating technology, polymer floors are installed here for the required level of dustlessness, water resistance and antistaticity.

The Troitskaya metro line will run from the ZIL station of the Moscow Central Circle to the city of Troitsk. It will become one of the longest radii of the Moscow metro and the largest outside the Moscow Ring Road. The line will have 17 stations, its length will be more than 43 kilometers. The expected passenger flow at the entrance will be more than 300 thousand people per day.

Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin said about construction of sites Troitskaya metro line.

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/145269073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago: Jon Dean

Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Harriet Cross.

Mr Jon Dean

Mr Jon Dean has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in succession to Ms Harriet Cross, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

Mr Dean will take up his appointment during December 2024.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Jon Mark Dean

2022 to 2024	N’Djamena, His Majesty’s Ambassador
2020 to 2022	New York, Counsellor Internal
2018 to 2020	United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Secondment, New York
2015 to 2018	FCO, Head of Iraq Team, Middle East and North Africa Directorate
2013 to 2015	Juba, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul
2013	Yaoundé, Deputy High Commissioner and Consul (3 months)
2012	New York, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Second Secretary Political (3 months)
2009 to 2012	Brasília, Second Secretary Political
2007 to 2008	FCO, Desk Officer, Kosovo
2005 to 2007	FCO, Desk Officer, EU Environment Policy
2005	Joined FCO

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

Published 16 October 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Procuring major events and responses to the TfL cyber-attack
Source: Mayor of London

Since their July 2024 report, EY, the external auditors of the GLA Group have made the following change:
- In light of the cyber-attack on TfL, the audit team will be required to “evaluate the effects of the attack on the scope of [their] work and reporting requirements” and the overall reporting timeline is likely to be delayed as limited system access hampered the GLA finance team’s ability to respond to audit requests.
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Audit Panel will examine the GLA External Audit Status Report and the Corporate Risk Register, both of which contain responses to the TfL cyber-attack. The Panel will also discuss the Register of Gifts and Hospitality and the procurement exercise for the New Year’s Eve fireworks event.

The guests are:
- Stephen Reid, Partner, EY
- Chloe Wilkinson, Audit Senior Manager, EY
- Enver Enver, Interim Chief Finance Officer, GLA
- Fay Hammond, Chief Finance Officer, GLA
- David Esling, Head of Audit Assurance – Risk Management, MOPAC
- Mark Woodley, Group Audit Lead, MOPAC
- Karen Welsh, Senior Risk and Assurance Auditor, MOPAC
- Dianne Tranmer, Executive Director Corporate Resources & Business Improvement, GLA
The meeting will take place on Thursday, 17 October 2024 from 2pm, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

Follow us @LondonAssembly.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Condor’s Initial Artificial Lift Program Increases Well Productivity by 100% to 300%

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Condor Energies Inc. (“Condor” or the “Company”) (TSX: CDR), a Canadian based energy transition company is pleased to provide an operational update for its eight gas field production enhancement project in Uzbekistan.

Production for the third quarter of 2024 averaged 10,010 boepd with corresponding sales of $19 million. During the third quarter, the Company started a multi-well workover program, and the initial results are exceeding expectations. Seven made-in-Canada artificial lift systems (“plunger lifts”) have been installed with the initial three wells adding a cumulative 330 boepd of incremental production. The corresponding gas flow rates are 100% to 300% higher than prior to the workovers based on 24 hour production tests of each well. The four other wells are currently being reactivated and expected to be producing shortly.

In addition to further plunger lift installations, the ongoing workover program will also perforate by-passed and new gas reservoir intervals that were recently identified from an ongoing logging program and detailed reviews of the existing well stock.

Given the initial workover program successes, the Company has contracted a second workover rig to begin activities by early November 2024. With over 100 wells in the eight fields, there is a large inventory of both producing and shut-in wells available for evaluation, recompletion and optimization opportunities to profitably grow production.

The Company is currently installing a made-in-Canada in-line flow separation system which separates water from the gas streams at the field gathering network rather than at the production facility. This will reduce pipeline flow pressures that can lead to higher reservoir flow rate. This technology has been successfully deployed in similar conditions in Western Canada and is expected to be operational by early November 2024. Additional systems are being manufactured for installation in the coming months.

Don Streu, President and CEO of Condor commented: “We are very excited that the initial workover program results are greatly exceeding expectations. Early operational learnings have reduced subsequent workover days and well reactivation times. As the second workover rig ramps up, we are confident production rates will materially increase as there will be a larger inventory of enhanced wells returning to production. We also anticipate the proven in-line flow separators will add incremental production during this quarter.

“In parallel with our production enhancement activities, we’ve implemented our safety culture through ongoing employee and contractor training which has resulted in zero lost time and environmental incidents since the start of the project.”

ABOUT CONDOR ENERGIES INC

Condor Energies Inc is a TSX-listed energy transition company that is uniquely positioned on the doorstep of European and Asian markets with three distinct first-mover initiatives: increasing natural gas and condensate production from its existing fields in Uzbekistan; an ongoing project to construct and operate Central Asia’s first LNG facility in Kazakhstan; and a separate initiative to develop and produce lithium brine in Kazakhstan. Condor has already built a strong foundation for reserves, production and cashflow growth while also striving to minimize its environmental footprint.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as “anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “budget”, “outlook”, “scheduled”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “in the process of” or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, information concerning: the timing and ability to install additional plunger lift systems; the timing and ability to reactivate four other wells; the timing and ability to perforate by-passed and new gas reservoir intervals that were recently identified; the timing and ability to contract a second workover rig to begin activities by early November 2024; the timing and ability to install and commission the inline flow separator by November 2024; the timing and ability of the inline separator to reduce pipeline flow pressures that can lead to higher reservoir flow rates; the timing and ability to manufacture additional separation units for installation in the coming months; the timing and ability to reduce subsequent workover days and well reactivation times; the timing and ability to materially increase production rates; and the timing and ability for the in-line flow separators to add incremental production during this quarter.

ABBREVIATIONS

The following is a summary of abbreviations used in this news release:

boepd Barrels of oil equivalent per day

$ Canadian dollars

The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

For further information, please contact Don Streu, President and CEO or Sandy Quilty, Vice President of Finance and CFO at 403-201-9694.

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Enphase Energy Launches IQ8X Microinverters in the Netherlands and Austria, and IQ8 Series in Malta and New Caledonia

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, today announced that it has started shipping IQ8™ Microinverters to support newer, high-powered solar panels in select countries and territories, including the Netherlands, Austria, Malta, and New Caledonia. Enphase is entering the solar markets for Malta and New Caledonia for the first time with this launch.

In Malta, Enphase introduced three microinverters – IQ8MC™, IQ8AC™, and IQ8HC™ – featuring a peak output power of 330 W, 366 W, and 384 W, respectively. In New Caledonia, Enphase introduced the IQ8AC and IQ8HC Microinverters. The new microinverters seamlessly pair with a full range of solar modules up to 560 W DC. IQ8 Microinverters activated in Malta and New Caledonia come with a 25-year warranty from Enphase.

“New Caledonia’s climate and unique geography makes system reliability and production crucial,” said Damien Keyser, director at Green Energy NC, an installer of Enphase products in New Caledonia. “IQ8 Microinverters have exceeded our expectations in this regard. Their robust performance, coupled with Enphase’s industry-leading warranty, gives our clients confidence their investment is protected for the long haul.”

“Enphase IQ8 Microinverters maximize quality, reliability, and performance,” said Ing. Mario Cachia, CEO and director of business at Alternative Technologies Ltd., an installer of Enphase products in Malta. “Their seamless integration and module-level monitoring allow our clients to manage self-consumption and navigate peak pricing. In our dynamic energy market, this smart technology is a game-changer.”

IQ8X™ Microinverters are also available now for customers in the Netherlands and Austria and feature a peak output AC power of 384 W, designed to support higher powered solar modules up to 560 W DC. The microinverters are compatible with modules with higher cell counts, such as 96-cells and 88 or 80 half-cut cells.

“Enphase IQ8 Microinverters have transformed our approach to solar installations,” said Tim Montfrooij, project manager at Koller Hattem BV, an installer of Enphase products in the Netherlands. “The ease of installation coupled with the ability to support a wide range of module wattages gives us the flexibility to design efficient, optimized systems tailored to our clients’ needs.”

“Enphase is setting a new industry standard with its ongoing innovation and commitment to quality,” said Florian Morche, technical manager at Energieversorgung Kleinwalsertal GesmbH, an installer of Enphase products in Austria. “The superior performance and reliability of IQ8 Microinverters mean that our customers can enjoy peace of mind knowing their solar systems will perform optimally for years to come.”

“IQ8 Microinverters are transforming residential solar with a reputation for top-tier adaptability and performance,” said Sabbas Daniel, senior vice president of sales at Enphase Energy. “We are empowering installers with technology to help simplify installations and maximize energy production for homeowners. This expansion reinforces our commitment to driving innovation in diverse markets worldwide.”

For more information about IQ8 Microinverters, please visit the Enphase websites for Malta and New Caledonia. Learn more about the IQ8X Microinverters on the websites for the Netherlands and Austria.

About Enphase Energy, Inc.

Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company based in Fremont, CA, is the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems that enable people to harness the sun to make, use, save, and sell their own power—and control it all with a smart mobile app. The company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter-based technology and builds all-in-one solar, battery, and software solutions. Enphase has shipped approximately 76.3 million microinverters, and over 4.3 million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit https://enphase.com/.

©2024 Enphase Energy, Inc. All rights reserved. Enphase Energy, Enphase, the “e” logo, IQ, and certain other marks listed at https://enphase.com/trademark-usage-guidelines are trademarks or service marks of Enphase Energy, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements related to the expected capabilities and performance of Enphase Energy’s technology and products, including safety, quality, and reliability; the ability to seamlessly pair with a full range of solar modules up to 560 W DC; the availability and market adoption of Enphase’s products in select markets; and plans on entering new markets. These forward-looking statements are based on Enphase Energy’s current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of such risks and uncertainties including those risks described in more detail in Enphase Energy’s most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other documents filed by Enphase Energy from time to time with the SEC. Enphase Energy undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law.

Contact:

Enphase Energy

press@enphaseenergy.com

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI: TransUnion Analysis Finds Fraud Costing Businesses Equivalent of Nearly 7% of Revenues

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A global TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) analysis found that fraud continues to significantly impact businesses and their bottom lines. The newly released H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, which explores fraud trends in the first half (H1/January 1-June 30, 2024) of this year, also found that the lender risk exposure to synthetic identities for U.S. auto loans, bank credit cards, retail credit cards and unsecured personal loans reached their highest point ever.

Among the key findings in the report were the results of a TransUnion survey of more than 800 business leaders in Canada, India, the U.K. and the U.S. which revealed total fraud losses of 6.5% equivalent of their companies’ revenue. This totaled approximately $359 billion among these business leaders’ organizations, a number which projects out exponentially greater when considering these represent only a small percentage of business leaders. Among those surveyed in the U.S., they said their company lost the equivalent of 6.7% of their revenue due to fraud over the past year, totaling $112 billion.

In addition, 75% of the global survey respondents said that every type of fraud they measured stayed the same or increased year-over-year (YoY). Nearly half of respondents indicated that scam/authorized fraud, wherein a person is tricked into giving up something of value, saw the greatest YoY increase. It was also the most common cause of fraud loss according to global respondents at 31% and US respondents at 35%. In fact, in the U.S., this was more than double the next most common cause of fraud losses – synthetic identity fraud at 17%.

“Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by global organizations to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Steve Yin, global head of fraud at TransUnion. “Business that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs.”

According to proprietary insights from TransUnion’s global intelligence network, the global rate of suspected Digital Fraud remained stubbornly high in H1 2024 at 5.2% of all transactions. For transactions where the consumer was located in the U.S., 4.6% of digital transactions were suspected to be fraudulent over the period. Breaking it down by the industry, the highest rate of suspected Digital Fraud for transactions where the consumers were in the U.S. was the gaming sector, for which 13.3% of all transactions in that industry were suspected to be fraudulent in H1 2024.

Synthetic Identity Lending Exposure Reaches New Record High

Potentially driven in part by the wealth of stolen identities acquired via data breaches, accounts opened using synthetic identities continue to put lenders at risk. In fact, the increases among overall lender exposure to synthetic identities for US auto loans, bank credit cards, retail credit cards and unsecured personal loans continued in H1 2024. TransUnion documented such exposure rising from $3.0 billion in H1 2023 to $3.2 billion in H1 2024, an all-time high and growth of 7% YoY. The share of accounts opened for the four tradelines by synthetic identities rose 18% YoY, also reaching an all-time high.

The auto loan industry continued to be the most impacted by lender exposure to synthetic identities among the four tradelines, accounting for $2.0 billion of the total in H1 2024, the fourth consecutive first half of the year in which auto has seen the greatest exposure. In fact, since surpassing bankcards in H1 2021, auto loan exposure is now double that of bankcard, which is currently at $1.0 billion.

“Fraudsters are increasingly using synthetic identities to accumulate balances, particularly targeting the auto industry,” said Yin. “Unfortunately, this warrants attention to as the market is now facing a rising threat of charge-offs.”

Lender Exposure to Synthetic Identities Continues to Trend Upward, Led by Auto

	End of H1 2020	End of H1 2021	End of H1 2022	End of H1 2023	End of H1 2024
Auto Loans	$871M	$869M	$1.3B	$1.8B	$2.0B
Bankcards	$966M	$783M	$951M	$1.1B	$1.0B
Retail Credit Cards	$250M	$183M	$157M	$145M	$121M
Unsecured Personal Loans	$48M	$36M	$57M	$57M	$52M
Totals	$2.1B	$1.9B	$2.4B	$3.0B	$3.2B

Source: TransUnion TruValidate™ data

The percentage of newly-opened accounts connected to synthetic identities has also seen a steady rise since 2020, and in H1 2024 stood at 0.20% of all accounts associated with the four tradelines in the table above. The tradeline with the highest percentage in H1 2024 was bank card, which was at 0.33% for the period, followed closely by auto loans at 0.27%.

Industry Perspective: Online Forums and Dating Sites Most Impacted by Digital Fraud in H1 2024

In H1 2024, the communities industry – which includes web properties like online forums and dating sites – experienced the largest percentage (11.5%) of suspected Digital Fraud globally. This represents a 23% increase over H1 2023. TransUnion’s communities customers reported profile misrepresentation as the most frequent type of fraud they witnessed in H1 2024. Not surprisingly, the communities industry had the highest suspected Digital Fraud rate in seven of the 19 countries and regions analyzed in H1 2024.

In terms of global volume, synthetic identity fraud was the fastest-growing Digital Fraud type across industries from H2 2023 to H1 2024, increasing by 153%. Electronic fund transfers fraud saw the highest YoY growth, up 113% from H1 2023 to H1 2024. However, promotion abuse, which is defined as consumers or fraudsters taking advantage of marketing offers to receive unintended financial incentives, was the most common Digital Fraud type globally in H1 2024, with 3.6% of Digital Fraud reported to TransUnion by its customers.

TransUnion came to its conclusions about Digital Fraud based on intelligence from its identity and fraud product suite that helps secure trust across channels and delivers efficient consumer experiences – TransUnion TruValidate. The rate or percentage of suspected Digital Fraud attempts reflect those that TransUnion customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) determined to be fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) determined to be a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation —compared to all transactions it assessed for fraud.

Download the TransUnion H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report to learn more. Specific country and regional data in the report include the United States, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and Zambia.

For more information and insights about the global fraud trends, please download the report. Consumers who believe they may be a victim of fraud can find resources and information here .

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.
http://www.transunion.com/business

Contact	Dave Blumberg
	TransUnion

E-mail	david.blumberg@transunion.com

Telephone	312-972-6646

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Gang behind ATM attacks taken down

Source: Europol

Unscrupulous attacks with severe collateral damageFor several years now, perpetrators have increasingly been using solid explosives – originating mainly from fireworks – to blow up ATMs. This has significantly augmented the danger and collateral damage of their attacks. The criminals, who are often based in the Netherlands, take extreme risks and act unscrupulously, both at the crime scene and when…

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Strategy for peace, security and stabilisation 2024–2028

Source: Government of Sweden

Strategy for peace, security and stabilisation 2024–2028 – Government.se

International development cooperation strategies from Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Published 16 October 2024

Sweden’s strategy for peace, security and stabilisation is a part of the governance of Sweden’s collective development, foreign and security policy. This strategy will contribute to conflict management and conflict prevention with a view to improving development opportunities and reducing humanitarian needs.

Download:

The strategy will complement and strengthen other components of development assistance in conflict countries and areas with a high risk of conflict. Particular emphasis will be placed on coherence with bilateral and regional strategies related to contexts of conflict. Interventions guided by the strategy will be coordinated with relevant missions abroad and contribute to overall Swedish development cooperation in prioritised countries. In addition, the strategy will make it possible to promote the Government’s priorities in peace promotion, security and stabilisation in countries or situations where engagement is politically motivated but where there is no applicable country strategy.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/CAMEROON – Interreligious prayer for the health of the President

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Yaoundé (Agenzia Fides) – The mystery surrounding the health of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who has not appeared in public since the beginning of September, is growing. The Cameroonian Head of State did not attend the UN General Assembly or the Summit of French-speaking countries in Paris. His last appearance at an international gathering was the Summit of Heads of State as part of the China-Africa Forum in Beijing in early September. To counter the spread of news about the President’s alleged state of health, the Cameroonian government has banned the dissemination of such news since October 9. Officially, it is said that the President is in “very good health” and that he is “working and devoting himself to his duties in Geneva”. “He is doing well and will return to Cameroon in the next few days,” says the government spokesman. Meanwhile, an interreligious prayer for the health of the president and for peace in Cameroon was organized on the initiative of the Collective of Former Students of the Catholic Seminaries of Cameroon (CASEMCA) in collaboration with the Catholic Men’s Association (CHA), the “Union Catholique des Hommes Fils de Saint Joseph” and other Christian and Muslim communities and their religious associations. “The ecumenical ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 2 p.m. at the ‘Palais Polyvalent des Sports’ in Yaounde. It will be attended by religious dignitaries, high-ranking public and private figures, and citizens of all faiths,” the press release said. Paul Biya himself attended the minor seminary in Akono. The 91-year-old Cameroonian president is considered the dean of African Heads of State. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2024)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Press conference following Council of Ministers meeting no. 100

Source: Government of Italy (English)

Vai al Contenuto Raggiungi il piè di pagina

16 Ottobre 2024

Council of Ministers meeting no. 100 was held at Palazzo Chigi on Tuesday 15 October. This morning, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Maurizio Leo, held a press conference to illustrate the measures approved.

[The press conference]

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/NIGERIA – Almost 100 dead in tanker explosion

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – More than 90 people have died in the explosion of a tanker in Nigeria. The tragedy occurred around midnight on October 15 in the town of Majia, in Jigawa state, in north-central Nigeria. In addition to the 94 victims, at least 50 people were injured, according to the police. The driver of the tanker tried to avoid another truck, swerved and lost control of his vehicle. The tanker detached from the tractor and a fuel leak occurred. Several residents rushed to the scene with buckets and canisters, overwhelming the security forces who tried to control the area and prevent an accidental explosion. However, this did not succeed and a fierce fire broke out that lasted at least two hours. The events in Majia show how high fuel prices are driving people to despair, which in turn leads to such tragedies. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2024)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SRI LANKA – Easter attacks: new investigations are “a good sign of justice”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Arcidiocesi di Colombo

Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – “The fact that the government under the newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has confirmed its will to conduct a thorough investigation into the Easter 2019 attacks is certainly a good sign. We look to the future with greater hope for justice. And we can say that we are confident,” said Peter Antony Wyman Croos, Bishop of Ratnapura, a city in central Sri Lanka, to Fides on the announcement that the new government in Colombo has confirmed the opening of a new investigation into the suicide attacks carried out on April 21, 2019 on three churches and three hotels, in which 279 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured. Government spokesman and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath once again publicly assured that the government will ensure justice and that no one involved in the attacks will be exempt from legal responsibility. “The Easter Sunday attacks will be thoroughly investigated. We assure the people of Sri Lanka that we will not pave the way for injustice. We will not hide or protect anyone. All those responsible for these acts will be brought to justice through legal channels,” said Herath. “Once the investigation is completed, we will submit a full report and also announce the action that will be taken,” he added, stressing that all investigation reports currently in the government’s possession will be carefully reviewed to ensure “completeness and accuracy.” Also during a visit to St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Negombo, one of the churches attacked in 2019, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake promised justice for the faithful: “There is a widespread belief in society that the Easter Sunday attacks may have been carried out for political reasons,” he said. Meanwhile, in recent days, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has initiated “contempt of court” proceedings against Nilantha Jayawardena, the former director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), for failing to pay full compensation to the victims of the 2019 attacks. The man had been ordered to pay 75 million rupees (around 25 thousand euros) in compensation to the victims of the Easter attacks, but has so far only paid 10 million rupees. On January 12, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the appeal of the victims’ families and sentenced four politicians and government officials, including former President Maithripala Sirisena, to pay a heavy fine for failing to prevent the attacks despite advance warnings from the intelligence services. In addition to former President Sirisena, these include: Pujith Jayasundera, Inspector General of Police; Hemasiri Fernando, former Minister of Defense; Sisira Mendis, former head of intelligence services. But while those responsible have been identified in the trials for “failure to take precautionary measures”, five years after the tragic events, nothing is known about the organizers and instigators of the massacres, a point on which the Catholic Church continues to call for “justice and transparency”. Another focus of the new government is the social sphere, an area in which the new government will be called upon to intervene to alleviate the serious economic crisis. Bishop Croos recalled that “people expect the new president to take measures to support the economy, alleviate the hardships of families and improve the employment situation. In addition to the medium and long-term measures, there is also an urgent need to support in the short term, especially the poorest, who are currently struggling to make a living”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2024)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/EGYPT – A missionary from Cairo: “The days in the mission pass quickly”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

AF

Cairo (Agenzia Fides) – “I have started learning Arabic and two days a week, early in the morning, we go from our neighborhood to the Comboni school with Patrick and Florindo,” says Anselmo Fabiano, an Italian missionary from Cairo. “I must say that it is quite an adventure.”The young missionary from the Society of African Missions describes the emotions and feelings that accompany daily life. “Just being able to shop at the market, chat with the children or share with the small Christian community that comes to mass is already a great success,” he says. “On the days when I don’t go to school, learning Arabic takes up a lot of my free time, which is actually always very limited. But I do it with pleasure and passion because I know how important it is to be able to communicate, to listen and to understand in order to build relationships with the people I meet.” “Nevertheless, I am always fascinated by the power of a smile, an attentive look, these simple gestures of kindness that go beyond words,” says Father Anselmo. “Like on Wednesdays, when I spend the morning with the disabled children in our school. No big words are needed, just a simple presence, a look and a few signs, and an incredible harmony is established. Or when I offer my service to the poor in the community of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, it is wonderful how we are welcomed, with a smile, a hug and a handshake that overcomes all language barriers and makes us feel part of their lives!” “The first days of school were precious opportunities to make new acquaintances and, thanks to the organized excursions, we also had the pleasure of delving into the discovery of the roots of the Christian faith in Egypt,” the missionary continues. “We went into the desert to learn about the life of the monks, men of prayer, work and fraternal community. Even the desert is now fertile ground where, thanks to the patient care of the monks, trees of all kinds flourish, along with the fruits of the seeds of the Word of God that have sprouted in people’s lives,” he reports. “We also had the opportunity to enter one of the most fundamental places for Islam, the Al-Azhar Mosque: one of the oldest universities in the world and the most prestigious seat of Sunni Islam. Entering this place of worship and walking barefoot on the white floor, I enjoyed a moment of silence surrounded by hundreds of people praying: a small foretaste of fraternity,” concluded Father Anselmo. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2024)
AF

AF

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MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Overseas US voters get ignored by political campaigns − but could be crucial supporters

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels, Honorary Reader in MIgration and Politics, University of Kent

Election workers prepare to mail absentee ballots to Americans, including those living overseas. Allison Joyce/Getty Images

One group of American voters is being largely ignored in the closely watched polling leading up to the Nov. 5 elections: U.S. citizens living abroad, whether as civilians or as members of the military. We know from governmental data that the number of ballots cast by overseas Americans has been greater than the margin of victory in races in the past – and may be again in 2024.

But that one potentially crucial group of American voters – U.S. citizens living abroad – does not get much attention, from pollsters or campaigns.

We are scholars of political science whose research shows that overseas voters can make a difference in elections – and that there is potential for campaigns to mobilize these voters, despite a more complex process of voting than for domestic voters.

Who are overseas Americans?

Though there is not an exact count of American citizens living abroad, we do know they number in the millions. Estimates from the Federal Voter Assistance Program and the Association of Americans Resident Overseas placed this number between 4.4 million and 5.3 million in 2023.

But those are likely undercounts. It’s almost impossible to account fully for dual citizens, naturalized U.S. citizens who have returned to the country of their birth or people who split their time between the U.S. and other countries.

Research that we and others have conducted indicates that Mexico and Canada are home to the largest numbers of Americans outside the U.S., followed by the U.K., France, Israel and Germany. The three most common reasons Americans move abroad are family connections, employment and quality of life, although there are others.

Overseas Americans tend to be highly educated: More than three-quarters have a college degree, double the percentage within the U.S. Most overseas Americans do not move from country to country but rather stay in one country, often for a decade or more. But our surveys have found they remain interested in U.S. politics – not least because they pay U.S. income taxes, whether they work for a U.S. or foreign employer. IRS data shows that the vast majority are not ultra-wealthy.

Voting from abroad

Military members and U.S. citizens living abroad have had the right to vote in federal elections since 1976. This right was further consolidated in the 1986 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, while the right for Americans living abroad to vote in local and state elections depends on state law.

Some people have recently expressed concern that overseas voting could be used to cast fraudulent ballots, but there is no evidence of illegal voting by noncitizens abroad.

Overseas voters’ absentee ballot requests and their returned ballots are carefully scrutinized by local officials in the state where they last lived in the U.S., making abuse very unlikely. But it is complex for overseas voters to vote: The paperwork is complicated, and there is comparatively little outreach from political parties and candidates.

Barriers to voting from overseas

In 2020, the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which is supposed to help overseas voters exercise their voting rights, estimated that just shy of 8% of eligible American voters overseas cast ballots in that year’s presidential election. Using program numbers to calculate a percentage another way finds that no more than 20% of overseas Americans cast ballots in the 2020 election.

That’s far lower than the 67% national turnout rate that year.

Federal law requires local election officials in the U.S. to mail absentee ballots 45 days before an election to overseas Americans who request them. Poor mail service in the U.S. and elsewhere can mean that voters don’t always get the ballots in time, and the ballots mailed back to election officials face similar delays.

Some states allow voters to receive or return their ballots electronically, which is faster; an overseas voter casting a ballot in Massachusetts can request a ballot, receive a blank ballot and return it all by email, while an overseas voter from Pennsylvania must return it by mail or courier, following exact procedures for enclosing their ballot in multiple envelopes.

In 2023, the Federal Voting Assistance Program estimated that as many as 150,000 U.S. citizens overseas did not cast ballots in the 2022 elections because of administrative hurdles, such as slow or irregular mail service and difficulties in communicating procedural changes to prospective voters abroad.

Interest in US politics

Another possible reason Americans abroad don’t vote is that they have lost interest in U.S. politics. But our own research, and the work of others, finds that not to be true.

Even given the logistical challenges, U.S. citizens living in Canada, as one example, have very similar levels of interest in American politics compared with citizens back home.

During the 2020 and 2022 campaign seasons, two of us surveyed American citizens who had moved north of the border. In 2020, 55% indicated they were very interested in American politics, as did 44% in the midterm year of 2022. This is comparable with levels of attention to politics within the U.S. during those campaigns, as gauged by the Cooperative Election Study.

So although Americans in Canada indicated interest levels as high as those in the U.S. during the past two national election cycles, the vast majority of them did not cast a vote. Administrative barriers play a role, but they’re not enough to explain such low turnout among citizens overseas.

Ignored by campaigns

Another key factor driving low turnout from abroad is a lack of communication from campaigns and parties. Research demonstrates that contacts by campaigns and parties significantly increase a person’s likelihood of voting.

In the U.S., parties and campaign organizations can help streamline the voter registration process, reinforce the stakes of an election and bolster a sense of camaraderie among citizens.

U.S. citizens living abroad are unlikely to hear from campaigns, even in nearby Canada. When asked in 2020 or 2022 whether they had been contacted by American political campaigns, most potential voters in the U.S. had. But our surveys of Americans living in Canada show less than one-third reported contact from parties or candidates.

Because overseas citizens vote in their last state of residence in the U.S. but are not physically resident there, campaigns find it harder to identify them as swing-state residents or members of favorable demographic groups.

Overall, Americans living overseas are as eligible to vote as citizens in the U.S. They are as attentive to politics as Americans living in the U.S. On the other hand, they face major administrative hurdles and are generally not contacted by American parties or campaigns.

James A. McCann has received support for his research on migration from Purdue University, the US Fulbright Program, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels and Ronald Rapoport do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Overseas US voters get ignored by political campaigns − but could be crucial supporters – https://theconversation.com/overseas-us-voters-get-ignored-by-political-campaigns-but-could-be-crucial-supporters-240184

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: 4 ways AI can be used and abused in the 2024 election, from deepfakes to foreign interference

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Barbara A. Trish, Professor of Political Science, Grinnell College

The American public is on alert about artificial intelligence and the 2024 election.

A September 2024 poll by the Pew Research Center found that well over half of Americans worry that artificial intelligence – or AI, computer technology mimicking the processes and products of human intelligence – will be used to generate and spread false and misleading information in the campaign.

My academic research on AI may help quell some concerns. While this innovative technology certainly has the potential to manipulate voters or spread lies at scale, most uses of AI in the current election cycle are, so far, not novel at all.

I’ve identified four roles AI is playing or could play in the 2024 campaign – all arguably updated versions of familiar election activities.

1. Voter information

The 2022 launch of ChatGPT brought the promise and peril of generative AI into public consciousness. This technology is called “generative” because it produces text responses to user prompts: It can write poetry, answer history questions – and provide information about the 2024 election.

Rather than search Google for voting information, people may instead ask generative AI a question. “How much has inflation changed since 2020?” for example. Or, “Who’s running for U.S. Senate in Texas?”

Some generative AI platforms such as Google’s AI chatbot Gemini, decline to answer questions about candidates and voting. Some, such as Facebook’s AI tool Llama, respond – and respond accurately.

AI’s response to an election query on Facebook.
Screenshot from Facebook, CC BY-SA

But generative AI can also produce misinformation. In the most extreme cases, AI can have “hallucinations,” offering up wildly inaccurate results.

A CBS news account from June 2024 reported that ChatGPT had given incorrect or incomplete responses to some prompts asking how to vote in battleground states. And ChatGPT didn’t consistently follow the policy of its owner, OpenAI, and refer users to CanIVote.org, a respected site for voting information.

As with the web, people should verify the results of AI searches. And beware: Google’s Gemini now automatically returns answers to Google search queries at the top of every results page. You might inadvertently stumble into AI tools when you think you’re searching the internet.

2. Deepfakes

Deepfakes are fabricated images, audio and video produced by generative AI and designed to replicate reality. Essentially, these are highly convincing versions of what are now called “cheapfakes” – altered images made using basic tools such as Photoshop and video-editing software.

The potential of deepfakes to deceive voters became clear when an AI-generated robocall impersonating Joe Biden before the January 2024 New Hampshire primary advised Democrats to save their votes for November.

After that, the Federal Communication Commission ruled that AI-generated robocalls are subject to the same regulations as all robocalls. They cannot be auto-dialed or delivered to cellphones or landlines without prior consent.

The agency also slapped a US$6 million fine on the consultant who created the fake Biden call – but not for tricking voters. He was fined for transmitting inaccurate caller-ID information.

While synthetic media can be used to spread disinformation, deepfakes are now part of the creative toolbox of political advertisers.

One early deepfake aimed more at persuasion than overt deception was an AI-generated ad from a 2022 mayoral race contest portraying the then-incumbent mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, as a failing student summoned to the principal’s office.

Blink and you’ll miss the disclaimer that this campaign ad is a deepfake.

The ad included a quick disclaimer that it was a deepfake, a warning not required by the federal government, but it was easy to miss.

Wired magazine’s AI Elections Project, which is tracking uses of AI in the 2024 cycle, shows that deepfakes haven’t overwhelmed the ads voters see. But they have been used by candidates across the political spectrum, up and down the ballot, for many purposes – including deception.

Former President Donald Trump hints at a Democratic deepfake when he questions the crowd size at Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign events. In lobbing such allegations, Trump is attempting to reap the “liar’s dividend” – the opportunity to plant the idea that truthful content is fake.

Discrediting a political opponent this way is nothing new. Trump has been claiming that the truth is really just “fake news” since at least the “birther” conspiracy of 2008, when he helped to spread rumors that presidential candidate Barack Obama’s birth certificate was fake.

3. Strategic distraction

Some are concerned that AI might be used by election deniers in this cycle to distract election administrators by burying them in frivolous public records requests.

For example, the group True the Vote has lodged hundreds of thousands of voter challenges over the past decade working with just volunteers and a web-based app. Imagine its reach if armed with AI to automate their work.

Such widespread, rapid-fire challenges to the voter rolls could divert election administrators from other critical tasks, disenfranchise legitimate voters and disrupt the election.

As of now, there’s no evidence that this is happening.

4. Foreign election interference

Confirmed Russian interference in the 2016 election underscored that the threat of foreign meddling in U.S. politics, whether by Russia or another country invested in discrediting Western democracy, remains a pressing concern.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 U.S. election concluded that Russia had worked to get President Donald Trump elected.
Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP

In July, the Department of Justice seized two domain names and searched close to 1,000 accounts that Russian actors had used for what it called a “social media bot farm,” similar to those Russia used to influence the opinions of hundreds of millions of Facebook users in the 2020 campaign. Artificial intelligence could give these efforts a real boost.

There’s also evidence that China is using AI this cycle to spread malicious information about the U.S. One such social media post transcribed a Biden speech inaccurately to suggest he made sexual references.

AI may help election interferers do their dirty work, but new technology is hardly necessary for foreign meddling in U.S. politics.

In 1940, the United Kingdom – an American ally – was so focused on getting the U.S. to enter World War II that British intelligence officers worked to help congressional candidates committed to intervention and to discredit isolationists.

One target was the prominent Republican isolationist U.S. Rep. Hamilton Fish. Circulating a photo of Fish and the leader of an American pro-Nazi group taken out of context, the British sought to falsely paint Fish as a supporter of Nazi elements abroad and in the U.S.

Can AI be controlled?

Acknowledging that it doesn’t take new technology to do harm, bad actors can leverage the efficiencies embedded in AI to create a formidable challenge to election operations and integrity.

Federal efforts to regulate AI’s use in electoral politics face the same uphill battle as most proposals to regulate political campaigns. States have been more active: 19 now ban or restrict deepfakes in political campaigns.

Some platforms engage in light self-moderation. Google’s Gemini responds to prompts asking for basic election information by saying, “I can’t help with responses on elections and political figures right now.”

Campaign professionals may employ a little self-regulation, too. Several speakers at a May 2024 conference on campaign tech expressed concern about pushback from voters if they learn that a campaign is using AI technology. In this sense, the public concern over AI might be productive, creating a guardrail of sorts.

But the flip side of that public concern – what Stanford University’s Nate Persily calls “AI panic” – is that it can further erode trust in elections.

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

– ref. 4 ways AI can be used and abused in the 2024 election, from deepfakes to foreign interference – https://theconversation.com/4-ways-ai-can-be-used-and-abused-in-the-2024-election-from-deepfakes-to-foreign-interference-239878

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What is Chabad-Lubavitch? A Jewish studies scholar explains

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Schneur Zalman Newfield, Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies, Hunter College

Lubavitchers have put up leaflets, posters and even murals of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson around the world, with many proclaiming him the messiah. Nizzan Cohen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

If you live anywhere near New York – or anywhere in the world, really – you may have seen a picture of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Yellow posters of the rabbi’s face are stuck to lampposts or streetlights: an elderly man with a long white beard and black hat.

For tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews, Schneerson is simply “the rebbe”: the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, even though he died in 1994. The name “Chabad” is familiar to many Americans, but the actual beliefs of this Hasidic group rarely are.

As someone who was raised in a Lubavitch community and became a scholar of sociology and Jewish studies, I am often asked what sets it apart from other Orthodox streams of Judaism.

Mystic teachings, joyful prayer

Hasidism began under the leadership of the 18th-century mystic and healer Israel ben Eliezer, known as the Baal Shem Tov. Instead of focusing on the Bible and Jewish law, the movement prioritized attaching oneself to God through joyful prayer and passionate devotion.

The Lubavitch sect of Hasidism was founded in the late 1700s by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the author of the Tanya – a theological text and self-improvement manual still studied daily by Lubavitchers. For over a hundred years, the movement was based in the rural town of Lyubavichi, Russia, from which it derives its name.

Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn, which many followers call ‘770.’
Sagtkd/Wikimedia Commons

Since 1940, however, Lubavitch has been based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The headquarters there at 770 Eastern Parkway are simply referred to as “770” by Lubavitchers the world over, who imbue the red brick building with mystical symbolism.

Lubavitch, also known by the name “Chabad,” is one of the largest Hasidic groups today, with an estimated 90,000 members.

Lubavitch shares many things in common with all streams of Orthodox Judaism, including a commitment to strictly abiding by “halacha” – Jewish law and customs. The group also shares a great deal with other ultra-Orthodox communities, such as opposition to providing their children with secular education.

Yet there are key features of Lubavitch that distinguish it – particularly how much it engages with non-Orthodox Jews.

The rebbe

All Hasidic sects have a leader, a “rebbe,” who is believed to possess unique spiritual gifts and connect his followers to the divine. Still, Lubavitch is distinct in terms of the extent to which the rebbe is central to the lives of every single member of the community.

In 1951, Schneerson accepted leadership of the Lubavitchers after the passing of his father-in-law and grew the movement exponentially until his passing in 1994. Rather than naming a successor, however, Lubavitchers have continued to regard Schneerson as “the rebbe.”

With his piercing blue eyes, full white beard, black fedora and silk coat, images of Schneerson are ubiquitous among Lubavitchers. Photos and paintings of him adorn walls, key chains, clocks and charity boxes wherever they live.

A baby clutches a photo of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson during a holiday celebration in front of the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn.
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

While the rebbe was alive, his followers would ask him for advice and blessings regarding all spiritual matters, as well as questions about health, business and marriage. Since his passing, followers continue to seek his blessings by placing notes at his gravesite and searching his printed works for guidance.

Even among Lubavitchers who have left the fold, many still feel attached to its leader.

Jewish outreach

One expression of Lubavitchers’ devotion is their commitment to creating Jewish outreach centers all over the world.

The ethos of sharing Hasidic thought was present from the founding of the Lubavitch movement. This drive became much more developed, however, during and after the Holocaust and continued under Schneerson’s leadership.

Today, Lubavitch has established Jewish outposts, called “Chabad Houses,” from Melbourne to Hong Kong and Buenos Aires to Cape Town. These emissaries endeavor to reach out to secular Jews and inspire them to become more religiously observant.

Members of Chabad participate in a Fourth of July parade in Santa Monica, Calif.
AP Photo/Richard Vogel

The language surrounding Lubavitch outreach often has a militaristic flavor – for example, its youth movement is named the “Army of God”: Tzivos Ha-Shem, in Hebrew. However, outreach is rooted in the commandment to love one’s fellow Jew and a desire to help them enjoy the Jewish tradition. It is also motivated by a belief that these efforts will help fulfill the biblical prophecy of a Jewish messiah, who will usher in a time of global peace.

These two motivations fortify the nearly 5,000 emissaries sent to far-flung communities around the world, notwithstanding profound obstacles. These include being separated from their families, who tend to live in established Hasidic communities, and being vulnerable to antisemitic attacks.

Messianism

The most distinct aspect of contemporary Lubavitch is its enthusiasm for the coming of the messiah and its assertion that Schneerson is that long-awaited messiah, despite his death.

Messianic hopes and people claiming to be the messiah have appeared at various points throughout Jewish history, often during periods of crisis. In the wake of the devastation of the Holocaust, however, Schneerson made the idea of the messiah’s coming integral to every aspect of Jewish life.

Eventually, most followers came to believe that Schneerson was the righteous redeemer sent by God to usher in the messianic age. While Schneerson did not embrace these proclamations, he insisted that through additional acts of goodness and kindness it was possible to bring about the messianic redemption.

While some outsiders criticized this emphasis, especially claims about the rebbe, the situation became much more fraught after he passed away in 1994. In response to this trauma, a split developed in Lubavitch.

Praying men leave notes seeking guidance and blessings at the grave site of Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Bentzi Sasson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

One camp, composed largely of those involved in outreach work and members of long-standing Lubavitch families, argued Lubavitch should stop publicly talking about Schneerson being the messiah since it scared away outsiders. The other camp, largely composed of those who joined the community as adults, claimed that he was still the messiah and was about to return, and that it was vital to tell the world.

To some other Jews, this belief seemed suspiciously close to Christian faith in the second coming of Jesus. Still, many Lubavitchers persist in their messianic beliefs.

The future

This issue still divides some Lubavitchers. Nonetheless, since Schneerson’s passing three decades ago, the movement has increased in size and strength.

The group’s cohesiveness has been aided by creative uses of technology to foster a sense of the rebbe’s continued presence in their lives. For example, the Jewish Educational Media organization regularly produces videos that splice footage of his talks with current visuals to make him feel present in the moment. Lubavitchers have reinterpreted Hasidic texts to fit their current predicament, helping them feel grounded despite his physical absence.

While the precise future of Lubavitch is unknown, the fact that it has managed to weather the storm of the rebbe’s passing and emerged stronger gives his followers hope for the future.

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

– ref. What is Chabad-Lubavitch? A Jewish studies scholar explains – https://theconversation.com/what-is-chabad-lubavitch-a-jewish-studies-scholar-explains-222218

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Coastal cities have a hidden vulnerability to storm-surge and tidal flooding − entirely caused by humans

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Philip M. Orton, Research Associate Professor in Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology

A consequence of dredging deep channels is that water also enters more easily with tides and storm surge. Google Earth

Centuries ago, estuaries around the world were teeming with birds and turbulent with schools of fish, their marshlands and endless tracts of channels melting into the gray-blue horizon.

Fast-forward to today, and in estuaries such as New York Harbor, San Francisco Bay and Miami’s Biscayne Bay – areas where rivers meet the sea – 80% to 90% of this habitat has been built over.

The result has been the environmental collapse of estuary habitats and the loss of buffer zones that helped protect cities from storm surge and sea-level rise. But the damage isn’t just what’s visible on land.

Below the surface of many of the remaining waterways, another form of urbanization has been slowly increasing the vulnerability of coastlines to extreme storms and sea-level rise: Vast dredging and engineering projects have more than doubled the depths of shipping channels since the 19th century.

Some of these oceanic highways enable huge container ships, with drafts of 50 feet below the waterline and lengths of nearly a quarter mile, to glide into formerly shallow areas. An example is New Jersey’s Newark Bay, which was as little as 10 feet (3 meters) deep in the 1840s but is 50 feet (15 meters) deep today.

A consequence of dredging deep channels is that water also enters and exits the estuaries more easily with each tide or storm. In these dredged channels, the natural resistance to flow created by a rough and shallow channel bottom is reduced. With less friction, that can lead to larger high tides and storm surge.

As coastal engineers and oceanographers, we study coastal ocean physics and storm surge. There are solutions to the problems “estuary urbanization” is causing, if people are willing to accept some trade-offs.

An unintended side effect of dredging

The effects of dredging are most visible in the daily tides, which have grown larger over the past century in many estuaries and aggravated nuisance flooding in many cities, as our research shows.

Tide range – the average variation between high and low tide – has doubled in multiple estuaries and changed significantly in others. As a result, high-tide levels are often rising faster than sea-level rise, worsening its consequences.

The most common culprit for these larger tides is estuary urbanization.

For example, in Miami, where the tide range has almost doubled, a major contributor is the construction and dredging of a nearly 50-foot-deep (15 meter), 500-foot-wide (150 meter) harbor entrance channel beginning in the early 20th century.

In New York City, some neighborhoods in southern Queens see 15 minor tidal floods per year today. Computer modeling shows that these floods are caused in about equal measure by sea-level rise and landscape alterations, including dredging and wetland reclamation projects that fill in wetlands to build industrial sites, airports and neighborhoods.

Evidence and computer modeling show that any hurricane storm surge affecting parts of New York City, Jacksonville, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Southeast Florida and Southwest Louisiana, among other locations, will likely produce higher water levels due to estuary urbanization, potentially causing more damage in unprotected regions.

These costs have gone largely unnoticed, since changes have occurred gradually over the past 150 years. But as sea-level rise and turbo-charged storms increase flooding frequency and severity, the problem is becoming more visible.

Building solutions to the flooding problem

In response to rising sea levels, a different form of estuary urbanization is attracting new attention as a possible solution.

Gated storm-surge barriers or tide gates are being built across estuaries or their inlets so they can be closed off during storm-surge events. Some examples include barriers for New Orleans; London; Venice, Italy; and the Netherlands. Such barriers are increasingly being proposed alongside levee systems for coastal protection of urbanized estuary shorelines.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently recommended surge barriers for 11 additional estuaries, including near Miami, Jamaica Bay in Queens and Galveston, Texas.

Surge barriers are not long-term solutions to flooding driven by sea-level rise, and their negative impacts remain poorly understood.

Venice’s rising flood wall includes 58 gates, each about the size of two tennis courts, that rise to block the inlet from storm surge.

Natural solutions

Wetlands and mangroves have also emerged as a popular nature-based solution.

Communities and government funding have focused on attempts to restore or create new wetlands as buffers in shoreline areas. But this solution is ineffective for flood protection in most harbor cities, such as New York, due to the lack of available space.

A storm surge crossing over a mile of marsh can be reduced by several inches, depending on the site’s characteristics. But typical urban estuary waterfronts have only tens of feet of open space to work with, if that much. In a narrow space, the best that vegetation can do is reduce wave action, which often isn’t the the most pressing problem for cities on estuaries that are typically sheltered from wind-driven storm waves.

As a result, engineered wetlands, while attractive, may be ineffective, especially if trends in ship sizes and estuarine urbanization continues.

Better ways to put nature back to work

Our research reveals an opportunity for scientists, engineers and broader society to think bigger – to consider a more comprehensive reshaping and restoration of the natural features of estuaries that once mitigated or absorbed flooding.

Possible solutions include halting the maintenance dredging of underutilized shipping channels, gradually retreating from vulnerable – and now often waterlogged – landfill industrial sites and neighborhoods, and restoring these larger expanses to wetlands.

These approaches can sharply reduce flooding and provide years of protection against sea-level rise. Restoration to historical channel and wetland configurations, however, is rarely given serious consideration in coastal storm risk management studies because of the perceived economic cost, but also because the cumulative effect of deeper channel depths is often unrecognized.

Renaturing urbanized estuaries in these ways could be paired with buyout programs to also reclaim the floodplain, reducing risk in more sustainable ways. Or it could be paired with seawalls to protect existing neighborhoods in a more ecologically beneficial way. These approaches should be considered as alternatives to further urbanizing our cities’ few remaining natural areas – their estuaries.

Philip M. Orton receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, pertaining to the assessment of coastal flooding from storms, high tides, sea level rise and estuary urbanization.

Stefan Talke receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the California Department of Transportation, Pacific Northwest National Labs, and the California Delta Stewardship Council. The research pertains to the effect of sea-level rise and anthropogenic change on tides and floods in the past, present, and future.

– ref. Coastal cities have a hidden vulnerability to storm-surge and tidal flooding − entirely caused by humans – https://theconversation.com/coastal-cities-have-a-hidden-vulnerability-to-storm-surge-and-tidal-flooding-entirely-caused-by-humans-231374

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: GUU is among the leaders of the M-rating in social networks

MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

Based on the results of work for September, the State University of Management took a leading position in the official rating of media activity of Russian universities in the section “Social Networks”.

The GUU channel on Rutube became the undisputed leader of the month, having overtaken the channels of other universities in terms of indicators. In September, about 50 horizontal and vertical video materials were published on the channel, which gained a total of almost 95 thousand views.

On the Zen platform, the GUU channel took 3rd place among more than 140 university channels, improving its own indicators several times. The most popular article of the month was “Why is there a mass rebranding of Russian companies?”, which was read by over 18 thousand users.

As a result, in general, in terms of the “Social Networks” indicator, our university entered the top leaders and took 10th place.

Thank you, our beloved subscribers and readers, this is our common achievement! Subscribe to our channels, tell us what topics you would like to see in future materials and remember: we are all a GUU family!

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/16/2024

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

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

https://guu.ru/guu-in-the-leaders-rating-on-social-networks/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bill to end the injustice of the Irish Sea Border introduced in Parliament today

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

Mr Allister’s Bill, entitled, ‘European Union (Withdrawal Amendments) Bill’, seeks to address the constitutional and practical detriment of the Windsor Framework/Protocol arrangements as they affect Northern Ireland.

This detriment includes the diminution of NI’s position within the UK, by virtue of being subject in much of its economy to EU, not UK laws, and the resulting imposition of a partitioning goods border in the Irish Sea.

The Bill seeks to reverse this detriment and enables practical solutions to govern the movement of goods from NI to the EU’s territory of the Republic of Ireland.

Clause 1 will set out constitutional imperatives governing all future arrangements. These will require respect for the territorial integrity of the UK and the avoidance of any part of the UK being subject to foreign made laws.

Clause 2 will then temper the effect of section 7A of the EU Withdrawal Act 2018, which is the conduit by which EU law flows into effect in NI, by circumscribing it with the statutory requirement to respect both the territorial integrity of the UK and the common rights of the Acts of Union.

Clause 3 and an associated Schedule will then address how goods should move from NI to ROI and vice versa by making provision for Statutory Instruments enabling both alternative arrangements and mutual enforcement, such as was anticipated under the NI Protocol Bill 2022, which passed the Commons before being ‘pulled’ by Rishi Sunak.

The Windsor Framework/Protocol is wreaking constitutional havoc in respect of NI and its governance, with new impositions evolving all the time. This Bill is designed to reverse that and put relations back on the internationally accepted framework of the EU and the UK each respecting the territorial integrity of the other. Only such can provide the foundation for a neighbourly and successful relationship.

In addition to Jim Allister being the primary sponsor of this Bill, he is pleased that all NI unionist MPs have assented to be co-sponsors, along with the former Conservative leader, Ian Duncan Smith, Labour MP, Graham Stringer, and Reform UK MPs, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice.

This is a coalition agreed on the unworkability and unacceptability of the present arrangements and determined to offer a better way forward.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Australia donates 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine

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

Defence Department Supplied Photo

The Albanese government is giving 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, despite earlier this year apparently playing down the prospect of the donation.

The latest Australian package is worth A$245 million. It brings the total Australian military aid to Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 to A$1.3 billion, and overall Australian support to A$1.5 billion.

When asked about a possible gift of the tanks in February, Defence Minister Richard Marles said it was “not on the agenda”.

Government sources say donating the tanks required US approval since Australia had purchased them from Washington, so there had been a process to go through.

Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy, who is on his way to the NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels, announced the decision in London. In Brussels, Conroy will meet with the Ukraine defence minister.

Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea form the “Indo-Pacific Four” group of non-NATO countries attending the meeting.

The 49 tanks are near the end of their life, so a small number will have to be repaired before they are delivered. Alternatively, they could be used as spare parts if Ukraine wants them delivered more quickly. Ukraine will decide which option to pursue.

The Australian army is retaining a handful of the M1A1 Abrams to help the transition to the M1A2 fleet of tanks.

Conroy said: “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion. These tanks will deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian armed forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine”.

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

– ref. Australia donates 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/australia-donates-49-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-241485

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Vimeo and the European Film Academy Partner to Celebrate Filmmakers and Bring “Staff Picks” Content to an All-New Audience

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vimeo (NASDAQ: VMEO), the world’s most innovative video platform, is proud to announce its new partnership with the European Film Academy to celebrate the diversity and layered richness of European filmmaking.

This exciting collaboration builds upon both organizations’ shared mission to celebrate creators as they educate, entertain and inspire audiences worldwide. As part of the partnership, the European Film Academy will provide a new destination for European audiences to discover extraordinary films and filmmakers, including some Vimeo Staff Picks content, on its website. Vimeo will also serve as the exclusive title sponsor of the European Short Film category at the European Film Awards this December, underscoring its dedication to supporting emerging talent and celebrating exceptional creativity within the European film community. The category will be renamed “EUROPEAN SHORT FILM – Prix Vimeo.”

“We are deeply honored to collaborate with the European Film Academy to celebrate the visionary European filmmakers who are shaping the future of cinema,” said Philip Moyer, CEO of Vimeo. “Europe has been an authentic soul for storytelling for centuries, and the European Short Film Awards is one of the most respected showcases for exceptional new talent within the European film community. Vimeo is committed to supporting European filmmakers with tools, and visibility. We are proud to support the European Film Awards’ short film competition with the EUROPEAN SHORT FILM – Prix Vimeo award, as the organization recognizes and inspires new generations of European filmmakers.”

The European Film Academy is a long standing customer, using Vimeo’s OTT service to deliver video-on-demand to its members. Vimeo also hosts its European Film Club platform. This expanded partnership introduces exciting new avenues for creative expression and recognition. The European Film Awards’ website will now showcase its weekly selection of European Film Award-nominated short films and Vimeo Staff Picks. This creates an opportunity to celebrate short films all year long and will provide film enthusiasts access to an ever evolving collection of exceptional content.

Vimeo will also lend its support to the prestigious European short film category of the European Film Awards, taking place on December 7, 2024 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

“This expanded partnership with Vimeo marks exciting new steps for the European Film Academy,” said Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and Director of the European Film Academy. “Together, we can amplify the voices of some of the world’s most talented filmmakers and provide them with an even greater platform for their innovative storytelling to flourish. We are happy to join forces and are particularly thrilled to welcome Vimeo “Staff Picks” to our Awards’ website, offering our members and film enthusiasts a curated selection of exceptional films from the Vimeo community.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.europeanfilmawards.eu/vimeo/

About Vimeo

Vimeo (NASDAQ: VMEO) is the world’s most innovative video experience platform. We enable anyone to create high-quality video experiences to better connect and bring ideas to life. We proudly serve our community of millions of users – from creative storytellers to globally distributed teams at the world’s largest companies – whose videos receive billions of views each month. Learn more at http://www.vimeo.com.

About the European Film Academy

The European Film Academy is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting European cinema. Founded in 1988, the Academy seeks to support and connect its 5,000 members and celebrates and promotes their work. Its aims are to share knowledge and to educate audiences of all ages about European cinema. Positioning itself as a leading organisation and facilitating crucial debates within the industry, the Academy strives to unite everyone who loves European cinema, culminating annually in the Month of European Film and the European Film Awards, by including European film heritage in its portfolio and by expanding its focus on young audiences through the European Film Club. Learn more at http://www.europeanfilmacademy.org.

Contact:
Frank Filiatrault
Director of Communications
frank.filiatrault@vimeo.co

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: France: Discriminatory algorithm used by the social security agency must be stopped

Source: Amnesty International –

The French authorities must immediately stop the use of a discriminatory risk-scoring algorithm used by the French Social Security Agency’s National Family Allowance Fund (CNAF), which is used to detect overpayments and errors regarding benefit payments, Amnesty International said today.

On 15 October, Amnesty International and fourteen other coalition partners led by La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) submitted a complaint to the Council of State, the highest administrative court in France, demanding the risk-scoring algorithmic system used by CNAF be stopped.

“From the outset, the risk-scoring system used by CNAF treats individuals who experience marginalization – those with disabilities, lone single parents who are mostly women, and those living in poverty – with suspicion. This system operates in direct opposition to human rights standards, violating the right to equality and non-discrimination and the right to privacy,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International.

In 2023, La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) got access to versions of the algorithm’s source code – a set of instructions written by programmers to create a software – thereby exposing the discriminatory nature of the system.

Since 2011, CNAF has used a risk-scoring algorithm to identify people who are potentially committing benefits fraud by receiving overpayments. The algorithm assigns a risk score between zero and one to all recipients of family and housing benefits. The closer the score is to one, the higher the probability of being flagged for investigation.

Overall, there are 32 million people in France living in households that receive a benefit from CNAF. Their sensitive personal data, as well as that of their family, is processed periodically, and a risk score is assigned.

The criteria that increase one’s risk score include parameters which discriminate against vulnerable households, including being on a low income, being unemployed, living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, spending a significant portion of income on rent, and working while having a disability. The details of those who are flagged due to having a high-risk score are compiled into a list that is investigated further by a fraud investigator.

“While authorities herald the rollout of algorithmic technologies in social protection systems as a way to increase efficiency and detect fraud and errors, in practice, these systems flatten the realities of people’s lives. They work as extensive data-mining tools that stigmatize marginalized groups, and invade their privacy,” said Agnès Callamard.

Amnesty International did not investigate specific cases of people flagged by the CNAF system. However, our investigations in Netherlands and Serbia suggest that using AI-powered systems and automation in the public sector enables mass surveillance: the amount of data that is collected is disproportionate to the purported aim of the system. Moreover, evidence by Amnesty International also exposed how many of these systems have been quite ineffective at actually doing what they purport to do—whether it be identifying fraud or errors in the benefits system.

While authorities herald the rollout of algorithmic technologies in social protection systems as a way to increase efficiency and detect fraud and errors, in practice, these systems flatten the realities of people’s lives. They work as extensive data-mining tools that stigmatize marginalized groups, and invade their privacy.

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International

It has also been argued that the scale of errors or fraud in benefits system has been exaggerated to justify the development of such tech systems, often leading to discriminatory or racist or sexist targeting of particular groups, particularly migrants and refugees.

Over the past year, France has been actively promoting itself internationally as the next hub for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, culminating in a summit scheduled for February 2025. At the same time, France has also been legalizing mass surveillance technologies and has consistently undermined the EU’s AI Act negotiations.

“France is relying on a risk-scoring algorithmic system for social benefits that highlights, sustains and enshrines the bureaucracy’s prejudices and discrimination. Instead, France should ensure that it complies with its human rights obligations in the first place that of non-discrimination. The authorities must address current and existing AI-related harms amid the country’s quest to become a global AI hub,” said Agnès Callamard.

Under the newly adopted European Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act), AI systems used by authorities to determine access to essential public services and benefits are considered to pose high risk to rights, health and safety of people. Therefore, they must meet strict technical, transparency and governance rules, including an obligation on deployers to carry out an assessment of human rights risks and guarantee mitigation measures before deployment.

In the meantime, certain systems, such as those used for social scoring, are considered to pose unacceptable level of risk and therefore must be banned.

It is unfortunate that EU lawmakers have been vague in explicitly defining social scoring within the AI Act. The European Commission must ensure that its upcoming guidelines provide a clear and enforceable interpretation of the social scoring ban, especially as it applies to discriminatory fraud detection and risk-scoring systems.

Agnès Callamard

It is currently unclear whether the system used by CNAF qualifies as a social scoring system due to a lack of clarity in the AI Act on what constitutes such a system.

“It is unfortunate that EU lawmakers have been vague in explicitly defining social scoring within the AI Act. The European Commission must ensure that its upcoming guidelines provide a clear and enforceable interpretation of the social scoring ban, especially as it applies to discriminatory fraud detection and risk-scoring systems,” said Agnès Callamard.

Regardless of its classification under the AI Act, all evidence suggests that the system used by CNAF is discriminatory. It is essential that authorities stop employing it and scrutinize biased practices that are inherently harmful especially to marginalized communities seeking social benefits.

Background

The European Commission will issue guidance on how to interpret the prohibitions in the AI Act prior to their entry into force on 2 February 2025, including what would qualify as social scoring systems.

In August 2024, the AI Act came into force. Amnesty International, as part of a civil society coalition led by the European Digital Rights Network (EDRi), has been calling for EU artificial intelligence regulation that protects and promotes human rights.

In March 2024, an Amnesty International briefing outlined how digital technologies including artificial intelligence, automation, and algorithmic decision-making are exacerbating inequalities in social protection systems across the world

In 2021, Amnesty International’s report Xenophobic Machines exposed how racial profiling was baked into the design of the algorithmic system by the Dutch tax authorities that flagged claims for childcare benefits as potentially fraudulent.

MIL OSI NGO –

January 23, 2025

The following is a summary of abbreviations used in this news release:

boepd	Barrels of oil equivalent per day
$	Canadian dollars

Category: Europe

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