NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK sanctions Putin’s interference actors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK has sanctioned three Russian agencies and three senior figures who are attempting to undermine and destabilise Ukraine and its democracy.

    • UK sanctions Russian disinformation agencies seeking to undermine Ukraine.   

    • Kremlin tasked Social Design Agency (SDA) is exposed for trying to incite anti-Ukraine protests across Europe.    

    • New sanctions also hit three leaders directing the firm’s operations.

    Three Russian agencies and three senior figures who are attempting to undermine and destabilise Ukraine and its democracy have been sanctioned today by the UK.  

    The Social Design Agency (SDA) is tasked and funded directly by the Russian State, and along with its partner company Structura, has attempted to deliver a series of interference operations designed to undermine democracy and weaken international support for Ukraine.    

    This year, the SDA also attempted to incite protests in half a dozen European countries. However, despite Russian pouring money into these malign organisations’ interference activities, their lies have consistently struggled online, with bots and fake sites getting limited interaction. This has forced the SDA to consider buying social media views.  

    The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:   

    Putin is so desperate to undermine European support for Ukraine he is now resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to try and stoke unrest.   

    Today’s sanctions send a clear message; we will not tolerate your lies and interference, and we are coming after you.  

    Putin’s desperate attempts to divide us will fail. We will constrain the Kremlin, and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. 

    These firms and their leadership are responsible for a vast malign online network, also commonly known as Doppelganger, which plagues social media with fake posts, counterfeit documents and deepfake material. These deceitful tactics are designed to mask the truth around Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and distract from the true nature of the war. Their murky actions are part of a co-ordinated attempt to use deceptive information operations to undermine democracy in pursuit of their aims.    

    These new sanctions demonstrate that no matter how desperate the Russian interference activity has become, the UK is committed to taking action against Russian information manipulation. We will continue to bear down on anyone conducting such activities on behalf of SDA.    

    The US, Canada, France, European External Action Service (EEAS), Germany and Australia join us in calling out the SDA’s underhand activity globally. 

    Background:    

    The full list of those sanctioned today is:   

    • PR agency Social Design Agency (SDA).   

    • PR agency Structura National Technologies.    

    • PR agency ANO DIALOG.    

    • Ilya Andreevich GAMBASHIDZE, the founder of SDA.    

    • Nikolay Aleksandrovich TUPIKIN, the CEO of SDA and owner of Structura.    

    • Andrey Naumovich PERLA, SDA Project Director.    

    These firms are responsible for a vast malign online network, commonly known as Doppelganger. Content including fake posts, counterfeit documents and deepfake material has been pushed out to audiences in English, German and French through a complex online network. The SDA has crafted a web of at least 120 sites spoofing existing news and government websites, towards which it deceptively redirects unsuspecting social media users. Tactics included avoiding common trigger words to circumvent content moderation tools and evade account takedowns. We are working with social media platforms to ensure they are aware of this activity.    

    Our international partners have also previously exposed Doppelganger’s malign interference networks, including France and the EEAS. As part of the monitoring and analysis for the 2024 European Parliament Elections. The European External Action Service has detected that an Doppelganger / RRN Media operation actively promoted Russian narratives to disrupt and interfere with the electoral process. This network was previously attributed by META to the SDA and revealed to be running global information operations aimed at weakening support for Ukraine. France has exposed these Russian actors in June 2023 through the publication of a report by its agency, Viginum.

    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.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Banner KC review proposes roadmap to speed up delivery of national infrastructure

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    New roads, railway lines and offshore windfarms could be delivered more quickly and easily, powering economic growth, according to a new independent report.

    New roads, railway lines and offshore windfarms could be delivered more quickly and easily, powering economic growth, according to a new independent report published today (Monday, 28 October).  

    The Review of Legal Challenges to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, by leading planning barrister Lord Charles Banner KC, aims to reduce delays to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and get Britain building, with ten recommendations set out for government on how to reduce barriers to development and resolve challenges more effectively.

    These include options to streamline the judicial review process, reduce the amount of time it takes for legal challenges against these projects to move through the courts, and improve the way data on case progress is published.

    These major projects, which can include harbours, power stations and waste water management facilities, are often held up by judicial review challenges, sometimes setting them back years in delays, increasing the costs significantly.

    The Government will carefully review recommendations and the responses received in the call for evidence before publishing a response with a focus on ensuring there is a balance between the critical need for projects and maintaining the public’s right to challenge government decisions. 

    Alongside the publication of the review, the Ministry of Justice, has published a call for evidence seeking views on Lord Banner’s recommendations.

    Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said:    

    Building new and improved national infrastructure is essential to delivering the government’s economic growth and clean power missions and we must have planning system fit to deliver it.

    With demands on the consenting process having changed considerably over recent years, I’m grateful to Lord Banner for reviewing how we might speed up the delivery of major infrastructure projects.

    The government will carefully review his recommendations and consider further proposals before determining how we will further improve the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.

    Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects are major infrastructure projects within the categories of energy, transport, water, wastewater, and waste.  

    The publication of this review comes as the government continues to focus on its commitment to break down barriers to building and deliver the investment, growth and 1.5 million homes that the country needs. This includes a consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to fix the foundations of the housing and planning system, new mandatory housing targets for councils to ensure homes are built where they are most needed and the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will turbocharge housebuilding and accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects.

    ENDS 

    Notes to editors:

    A summary of the ten recommendations in the report include:

    • The cost caps, which limit the legal costs the losing party must pay the winning party in certain judicial review claims, should not be amended.
    • The current rules on ‘standing’ – i.e. who may bring a judicial review – should not be amended. 
    • There should be fewer ‘bites of the cherry’ for claimants seeking permission to bring a judicial review.  
    • The option of raising the permission threshold for a judicial review of a Development Consent Order (DCO) decision requires further consideration. 
    • The option of introducing an NSIP ticket, authorising a small pool of judges to hear DCO judicial reviews, requires further consideration. 
    • DCO Judicial Reviews should be designated as significant planning court claims, which would ensure these cases are dealt with promptly by the Planning Court, in line with target timescales set out in Civil Procedure Rules
    • Case management conferences should be introduced for DCO judicial reviews, requiring parties to come together at an early stage to consider how best to approach these claims.  
    • Target timescales should be introduced for DCO judicial reviews in the Court of Appeal.  
    • Target timescales should be introduced for DCO judicial reviews in the Supreme Court. 

    • The Planning Court and the Court of Appeal should regularly publish data on key performance indicators such as the average length of time taken for DCO judicial reviews to progress through the courts. 

    • The call for evidence will run for nine weeks and can be accessed here.
    • Lord Banner is a leading expert in planning and environmental regulation and was appointed by the previous government to conduct an independent review into the legal challenges causing delays to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Aktsiaselts Infortar Investor Webinar introducing the results of the Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Infortar will organize a webinar for investors on 4 November 2024 at 12:00 (EET) in Estonian and at 14:00 (EET) in English to introduce the third quarter 2024 results. The webinar will be attended by the Chairman of the Board of Infortar Ain Hanschmidt, the Managing Director of Infortar Martti Talgre and Investor Relations Manager Kadri Laanvee.

    The webinar will be hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform. Please note that to participate, no prior registration is required, and no reminder of the webinar will be sent. You can either participate by joining from your web browser or via Microsoft Teams application. When using a smart device to join the webinar, you first need to download the Microsoft Teams application from either Play Store or App Store.

    Please join the webinar via the following links:

    Questions can be sent to kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee before the webinar and via Teams Q/A during the event. The webinar will be recorded and will be available online for everyone on the company’s website at https://infortar.ee/en/reports.

    Aktsiaselts Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Aktsiaselts Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Aktsiaselts Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in AS Eesti Gaas and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 113,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Aktsiaselts Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, taxi business and other areas. A total of 104 companies belong to the Aktsiaselts Infortar group: 95 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Aktsiaselts Infortar employs 6,625 people.

    Additional information:

    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Reports of indiscriminate attacks on Sudanese civilians in Al Jazirah state are appalling: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    I thank the Secretary-General and Ms Eltigani for briefing us today as we pass the harrowing milestone of eighteen months of brutal conflict in Sudan.

    I will make three points on behalf of the UK.

    First, we welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendations for the protection of civilians in Sudan. Both warring parties made commitments at Jeddah to limit the conflict’s impact on civilians. 

    And yet only this past weekend, we have had further appalling reports of major attacks in Al Jazirah State resulting in over 100 civilian deaths, with the Rapid Support Forces allegedly shooting at civilians indiscriminately, raping women and girls, and looting and destroying homes.

    Meanwhile, aerial bombardments by the Sudanese Armed Forces are causing large-scale destruction and civilian deaths across the country.

    Alleviating the plight of Sudanese civilians is critical, and we hope the Council can come together in the coming weeks to agree further steps supporting the implementation of these recommendations from the Secretary-General.

    Second, as we’ve heard today, the humanitarian crisis continues. With famine in Darfur and cholera spreading across the country, millions are at risk of an early, preventable death.

    And yet bureaucratic obstructions continue. Expelling UN staff and restricting the movements of humanitarian missions, are just a few damning examples of how life-saving assistance is being systematically blocked from reaching those in need.

    We urge the Sudanese authorities to permanently open the Adre border crossing.

    We reiterate our clear calls to both warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and facilitate cross-border and crossline access, across multiple entry points.

    Third President, we call on the warring parties to engage meaningfully with existing diplomatic initiatives–including the efforts of Personal Envoy Lamamra–towards a national ceasefire.

    We also call on the SAF and RSF to agree modalities for monitoring compliance with their commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration. Civil society and women’s participation is also vital for peace efforts to be fully effective.

    In conclusion, coordinated, international action, including by the African Union and the United Nations, is more important now than ever. The RSF and SAF must bring an end to the fighting now.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leicester angler prosecuted for fishing offences

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Leicester angler who was caught fishing in the close season and without a licence on the River Soar in May this year.

    •  Angler caught fishing in close season on River Soar between Abbey Mills and Abbey Park
    • Clamp down on angling offences to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable
    • Case heard at Northampton magistrates on 21 October 2024 

    At Northampton Magistrates Court on 21 October 2024, the charges against Vaidotas Jucaitis, 52, of Highfield Street, were proved in his absence. He was ordered to pay a total of £415 in fines and costs.

    Jucaitis was caught fishing during the close season between Abbey Mills and Abbey Park on 9 May 2024. He was also fishing without a licence. He was fined £100 for each charge, ordered to pay costs of £135 and a victim’s surcharge of £80.

    Close season

    The close season restrictions, which run between 15 March-15 June, are to prevent fishing for coarse fish in rivers and streams across England. The restriction helps to protect fish when they are spawning and supporting vulnerable stocks.

    Environment Agency officers conduct patrols to ensure anglers respect this no fishing period. 

    A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: 

    We hope these penalties will act as a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing either without a licence or during the close season. 

    The close season is in place to reduce disturbances to protect vulnerable stocks during their peak spawning period. 

    We urge anglers to respect the close season in order to help reduce pressures on our fisheries, benefitting fish and the wider environment. 

    Our fisheries enforcement team work seven days a week to check that anglers are following fishing regulations.

    Fisheries enforcement 

    The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. 

    Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.  

    Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

    Fishing licences

    All income from fishing licence sales is used to fund the Environment Agency’s work to protect and improve fish stocks, fisheries and the environment. 

    This includes improving habitats for fish, reinvesting money back to facilities and clubs for anglers and tackling illegal fishing. It also includes working with partners to encourage more people to give fishing a go. 

    Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence.  

    A 1-day licence costs from just £7.10 and an annual licence costs from just £35.80. Concessions are available. Junior licences are free for 13 to 16-year-olds.  

    Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.  

    The charges for Vaidotas Jacaitis

    On 9 May 2024, at Abbey Park to Abbey Mills, River Soar, Leicester, fished for freshwater fish in the close season. This is contrary to byelaw 2 of the Environment Agency National Byelaws made on July 12 210. And contrary to byelaw 6 confirmed 22 March 2010 and made pursuant to section 210 and schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and contrary to Section 211 of the said Act.

    On 9 May 2024, at Abbey Park to Abbey Mills, River Soar, Leicester, in a place where fishing is regulated, fished for freshwater fish or eels by means of an unlicensed fishing instrument, namely rod and line. This is contrary to Section 27 (1) (a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Black History Month event to drum up some fun

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Aberdeen City Council is celebrating Black History Month with a free interactive workshop in which participants will be encouraged to show off their drumming skills.

    The event which takes place in the Town House’s Town and County Hall  at 12,30pm on Thursday 31 October features local drummer and percussionist David Imevbore, also known as Bingo Dave, demonstrate his rhythmic skills and encourage the audience to join in.

    The theme of this year’s Black History Month is Reclaiming Narratives and as well as a reflection on the importance of recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture, the event will also include a keynote address ‘Nostalgic Suspension – the Headwrap Journey’ by Ebun Young.

    Councillor Miranda Radley, Communities, Housing and Public Protection Convener, said:  “The Black History Month event offers all of our communities the opportunity to take part in a collaborative event which promises not only to be educational but also fun.

    “Aberdeen is a welcoming, multicultural city. The event reaffirms the Council’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and our ambition of ensuring that all our communities can prosper.

    “This is sure to be a very popular event, so I would encourage people to book their place as soon as possible.”

    Culture spokesman, Councillor Martin Greig said:” I am delighted that we are hosting this local event to celebrate Black History Month. It is a great chance to enjoy and learn more about the multicultural character of our city. Aberdeen is a tolerant, friendly place where people from all backgrounds are welcome.”

    Councillor Deena Tissera, who will also be at the event, said: As a longstanding supporter of the Black community, I’m honoured to celebrate Black History Month with Aberdeen City Council.

    “This month is a crucial commemoration of the contributions of Black communities in Britain and beyond, yet much remains to be done to increase representation within Scottish politics.

    “Here at Aberdeen City Council, there are calls to improve BAME leadership in the workforce, as seen in our recent Diversity in Recruitment report. As we honour Black History Month, we’re reminded of the ongoing need to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity in our workplaces and communities.”

    To register for the event visit Aberdeen City Council Event Booking System

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor of Leeds to open major Commonwealth trade and investment conference

    Source: City of Leeds

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, is set to welcome guests from across the Commonwealth to a major trade and Investment conference in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday 29 October). 

    The Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Commonwealth conference has been organised by law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, and is being jointly hosted by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    The conference will feature a range of speakers including; Megan Wood, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Dr Olushola Kolawole, lecturer at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, and the Pakistani Consul General in Bradford, Zahid Jatoi. Several influential British-based groups, such as the Ethnic Minority Business and Policy Forum and British Friends of Pakistan, will also attend along with Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce James Mason.

    The event brings together experts from India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria to reflect on the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024, held in Samoa last week, and will explore how the UK’s commercial links to the Commonwealth can be enhanced. 

    The 56 nations of the Commonwealth are among the UK’s largest and fastest-growing trading partners. The UK exports £83 billion to Commonwealth markets annually, which accounts for 10% of overall UK exports, with significant further trade and investment opportunities for companies in West Yorkshire.

    The event will be an opportunity to encourage further West Yorkshire-Commonwealth trade, upskill businesses on commercial opportunities in the Commonwealth, and highlight the synergies around culture, education, and diasporic communities. It supports our mission to create an economy that works for everyone as set out in the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy.

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: “It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome our distinguished Commonwealth guests and partners to Leeds.

    “I look forward to discussing furthering trade, culture, and education opportunities for our city, region and the Commonwealth markets. Leeds has a vibrant range of industries that would directly benefit from increasing opportunities with our Commonwealth partners, especially in our professional and financial services, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology sectors, highlighted as growth-driving sectors in the UK’s recent Modern Industrial Strategy Green Paper.

    “The strength of our city and a driver of its success is its diversity, vibrancy, and people. Forging closer links with our Commonwealth partners is a great opportunity to build on that diversity, create new ideas and investment opportunities and succeed together.”

    Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development Councillor Jonathan Pryor said:

    “We are delighted that Leeds is hosting honoured guests from around the world to this trade and investment conference. As a city Leeds is very proud of the diverse make-up of our communities, and this is reflected in our commitment to welcome and support international trade and businesses to invest here.

    “As one of the leading UK cities for private-sector job creation, international investment and supporting business creation and growth across a wide-ranging economy, we very much look forward to this conference and the benefits it can help deliver through further strengthening international relationships and boosting the city and regional economy for all to benefit from.”

    Notes for editors:

    Leeds City Council Inclusive Growth Strategy: https://www.inclusivegrowthleeds.com/ 

    West Yorkshire Trade and Investment Statistics

    • India: 629 West Yorkshire businesses export goods to India at a total value of £126m, and 963 West Yorkshire businesses import goods from India at a total value of £356m. The value of services exported from West Yorkshire is £113m, and the total value of services imported from India to West Yorkshire is £134m. Total bilateral trade in goods and services between West Yorkshire and India is worth £729 million.
    • Indian Tech company Mastek delivers significant UK digital infrastructure projects (including the NHS Spine, and MOD contracts). Mastek has a substantial presence in Leeds including an ambitious new graduate programme. Mastek continues to strengthen its Leeds operation, recently creating an additional 200 new jobs.
    • In 2021 Mphasis launched a new UK Centre of Excellence in Leeds for their insurance clients. In 2022, Mphasis, announced plans to create an additional 1,000 new jobs in West Yorkshire. The investment will be worth tens of millions of pounds to the West Yorkshire economy.
    • Prime Focus Technologies create high-tech AI-enabled software for the media and entertainment industry.  Leeds is home to their UK headquarters and new state-of-the-art Media Centre which delivers Media and Online services for Channel 4 and other media companies.
    • The latest published figures are for the 2021/22 academic year and show the count of Indian students at West Yorkshire institutions to be 4,080. Indian visitors to Yorkshire as a whole spend £14 million annually. British Indian’s make up roughly 2.7% of the population in West Yorkshire which is higher than most groups except for British Pakistani’s (10.7%).
    • Pakistan: Pakistani’s make up the largest West Yorkshire Diaspora group, with 10.7% of the population.
    • Yorkshire and Humber accounted for over 5% of UK exports to Pakistan in 2023, with a value of £23 million and over 7% of imports from Pakistan, valued at £111 million.
    • Pakistan’s trade with the UK is covered by the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which allows for preferential and tariff free trade on many products. 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK are covered by the scheme, reducing tariffs by £120 million. Trade is expected to double between 2022-25.
    • The UK is Pakistan’s largest export destination in Europe and the third globally.
    • Canada: In 2023, the value of UK goods traded between Yorkshire and the Humber and Canada amounted to £442 million in exports (7.8% of total exports) and £0.3 billion in imports (5.1% of total imports).
    • With both Canada and the UK being signatories of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), 99% of goods traded between CPTPP member countries will be tariff-free. This is projected to diversify both countries’ supply chains within the broader Asia-Pacific region whilst boosting trade, investment and innovation in sectors such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, and machinery.
    • Leeds-based construction company Turner & Townsend have developed a strong presence in Canada with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
    • In the UK in 2020-21 the total number of Canadian students was 6615 while the amount of Canadian academic staff amounted to 1635. Academic partnership has seen 40,745 UK publications co-authored with Canadians, between 2018-2021.
    • Nigeria: In 2023, Yorkshire and Humber was the largest UK regional exporter to Nigeria, accounting for 45.5% of exports worth £661 million. In terms of imports, the region imported £29 million of goods from Nigeria during the same period.
    • The UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) is the first the UK has signed with an African country and is designed to grow the UK and Nigeria’s already thriving trading relationship, which totalled £7 billion in the year to September 2023.
    • In 2022/23 Nigerian students were the third largest international group in Yorkshire. Council figures suggest that between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the number of students coming from Nigeria to Leeds Beckett rose from 17 to 677.

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

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

    Lisa A. Wannamaker, Assistant Crown Attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Peterborough, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Lindsay. Justice Wannamaker replaces Justice D.S. Gunsolus (Lindsay), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 28, 2022.

    Robin A. Bellows, a sole practitioner in Huntsville, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Parry Sound. Justice Bellows replaces Justice J. Stothart (Parry Sound), who will be transferred to Sudbury upon the appointment of a new Judge. Due to internal court transfers by the Chief Justice, the vacancy is located in Parry Sound.   

    Quote

    “I wish Justices Wannamaker and Bellows every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Ontarians well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario”.

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biographies

    Justice Lisa A. Wannamaker was raised in Peterborough. She received an honours degree in political science and economics from the University of Waterloo after which, she travelled and lived abroad in Ireland.  She later attended law school at Queen’s University. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2005.

    Justice Wannamaker worked for Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and the Ontario Securities Commission. She joined the Etobicoke Crown Attorney’s Office in 2006 and joined the Peterborough office in 2012. She has handled complex prosecutions in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice including homicides, sexual assaults, and dangerous offender proceedings.  She was frequently involved in education and training for other crowns and presented to police services across the province on search issues, expert issues and statements. She was an annual director for the crown attorney school on expert evidence. She also taught in the forensic science program at Trent University.

    Justice Wannamaker is highly committed to her community. She was on the board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters Peterborough and worked as a manager and game day announcer with the Peterborough Wolverines Football Organization and the Kinsmen Minor Football League. She was an articling principal and a mentor to junior lawyers. She has volunteered for student moots, and with the Ontario Justice Education Network.

    Justice Wannamaker enjoys travel with friends, and spending time between the lake and the football fields, with her two wonderful children and her dog.

    Justice Robin A. Bellows was born in Toronto and spent most of her formative years in Newfoundland. She began her undergraduate degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 2003 before obtaining her Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2006. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007.

    Justice Bellows started her criminal defence practice in Muskoka in 2007, where she worked as a sole practitioner and as duty counsel for 10 years. In 2017, she became the Agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada for Parry Sound. In 2023, she was appointed as a per diem Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court.

    Justice Bellows served on the Board of the Muskoka Law Association since 2008 and became President in 2020. Additionally, she has been the President of the Parry Sound Law Association since 2021. For several years, she had the joy and privilege of coaching the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School mock trial team. Outside of her legal pursuits, she shared her creative talents with the Muskoka theatre community, creating costumes and props for local productions.

    Justice Bellows is also a watercolor artist, a keen player of high-strategy board games, and a loving mother to two bright and caring children.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Denis Beau: Perspectives on increasing prominence of digital money

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    I am glad to join you virtually today for the Hong Kong FinTech Week, to share our perspective at the Banque de France on the development of digital payments and its implication for the fulfilment of our mandate to ensure the proper functioning of payment systems.

    Although wholesale and retail payments are being transformed by distinct trends, they present similar challenges from a safety and efficiency perspective. To meet these challenges, we have been at the Banque de France simultaneously acting on three key levers. First, the provision of central bank money services. Second, the support to industry initiatives in line with our policy goals. Third, the promotion of adjustments to the regulatory and supervisory framework. 

    In that context, I would like to explain in my introductory remarks how we consider using our first lever, the provision of central bank money services.

    1. Wholesale digital payments

    In the wholesale space, the security and efficiency of financial transactions between financial intermediaries importantly hinges on the nature of the settlement asset chosen. 

    Lessons learned from past financial crises have underlined the critical importance of using secure settlement assets. In response, members of the Bank for International Settlements have committed to promoting the use of central bank money in the wholesale payments space and mitigate both liquidity and counterparty risks. This commitment is reflected in Principle 9 of the CPMI-IOSCO’s Principles for financial market infrastructures (PFMIs), designed to strengthen and preserve financial stability. And they have been successful in the implementation of this policy as central bank money is actually the very dominant settlement asset in the wholesale space.

    However, as tokenisation of assets gains momentum, private settlement assets, particularly stablecoins, are being used and are likely to be settlement assets of choice, to settle transactions in tokenised assets, absent the availability of central bank money on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). In addition, the proliferation of uncoordinated settlement solutions resulting from the lack of public sector response to the tokenisation of finance could lead to increased liquidity fragmentation.

    This is why we consider that we need to adapt the provision of central bank money to the demands of an increasingly digital financial system, particularly as transactions involving tokenised assets gain prominence, to prevent regression in the safety and efficiency of wholesale transactions. 

    Accordingly, the Banque de France was one of the first central banks to launch an ambitious experimental program focused on the use of wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) in various settlement processes for varied assets. 

    In addition, in an evolving landscape, where traditional infrastructures are likely to coexist with new DLT systems, interoperability will be crucial in preventing market fragmentation and central bank money can help ensure it. The Payment-vs-Payment (PvP) experiment in CBDC we recently conducted with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is an illustration of this, with an interoperability mechanism supported by SWIFT to ensure synchronised settlement of both legs of the transaction.

    Since May 2024, the Eurosystem has also been testing various interoperable solutions for settling tokenised financial assets via central bank money and we are actively contributing to it. Looking further ahead, the BIS has put forward the vision of a global unified ledger-a long-term vision that could begin with the establishment of regional unified ledgers, such as a European Unified Ledger. Project Agorá is likely to be an important building block in an exploratory approach to make this vision concrete and test it, and we are also taking part in it.

    2. Retail digital payments

    In the retail space, contrary to the wholesale one, we observe the coexistence and complementarity of central bank money – in the form of cash – and private money. While their respective role has evolved over time with users’ habits, in Europe it has undergone very rapid and significant changes in the past few decades, in relation with the development of the digital economy. The use of cash has steadily declined: in 2022, cash was used in 50% of in-store payments in France, compared with 68% in 2016. Meanwhile, cashless payment solutions have rapidly developed, boosted by the growth of e-commerce and innovative solutions such as contactless and mobile payments.

    These changes bring many benefits for consumers, with payments becoming increasingly convenient, faster and innovative. The Banque de France therefore strongly supports and encourages innovation by payments stakeholders and the private sector. 

    However, digitalisation also comes with challenges for central banks. 

    • First, regulatory and supervisory frameworks need to be adopted to foster innovation in a trusted environment. This is what we have done in the case of private digital assets in Europe where the MiCA regulation has provided a clear, harmonised regulatory framework for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) and stablecoins issuers, with the support of the Banque de France.
    • Second, the development of digital payments comes with increased dependence on a few dominant non-EU players – international card schemes and global technology providers (BigTechs). Those stakeholders exploit large network effects and own many proprietary standards used in retail payments. In Europe, that trend raises issues in terms of operational resilience, market competition and innovation, and ultimately, challenges the strategic autonomy of European players.

    The Banque de France has helped to address those dependency issues with first a clear support, along with the Eurosystem, to the emergence of pan-European solutions for retail payments such as the European Payments Initiative. Their digital wallet called Wero has just been launched in France, after Germany and Belgium, for person-to-person payments in the first stage. It will gradually expand coverage, to other countries and use cases (e-commerce and in-store payments) in the next years.

    We have also intensively contributed to the preparation underway of a retail CBDC, namely the digital euro. This new form of public money would be comparable to a “digital banknote”. Its legal tender would make it usable everywhere in the euro area, in all contexts – therefore supporting European integration. It would offer cash-like privacy – notably thanks to the offline functionality that would also strengthen our resilience. The underlying standards and infrastructures would be governed by European players – also supporting our strategic autonomy.

    The digital euro is also intended to perpetuate the “public-private partnership” that lies at the heart of our monetary system. It would be distributed by banks and other private intermediaries, with a viable and attractive business model, therefore preserving financial intermediation. It could also facilitate the development of private pan-European projects that could benefit from its open and harmonised standards to extend their scope and benefit from large network effects.

    Conclusion

    As payments become increasingly digital, central banks face the issue of revisiting the way they provide central bank money services to their economy. At the Banque de France, we consider that the Eurosystem should stand ready to adapt its provision of central bank money both in the wholesale and retail spaces. We see this as necessary to maintain the ‘singleness of money’ in our economy and the robustness of our monetary system, both from a stability and sovereignty perspective. On the wholesale side, a CBDC would appropriately accompany and secure a trend towards the tokenisation of financial assets. It could also be a first step towards the provision of a new and decentralised form of infrastructure, a European Unified Ledger. In the retail sphere, we see the deployment of a digital euro as a natural evolution of, and complement to cash, whose success should be built on a strong public-private partnership.

     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Klaas Knot: Partly cloudy skies in the euro area, with a silver lining

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning everyone,

    It is my pleasure to present the euro area perspective in this panel session on the Global Economic Outlook. The latest PMI releases point to steady global growth.  Weakness in manufacturing is compensated by strong growth in the service sector.

    However, as you can see in the left hand chart, the economic situation in the euro area is less favorable than the global average. The current mood is a bit like October weather in Amsterdam. Not as bad as some people would have you believe, but definitely not great either.

    Economic growth in the euro area has been sluggish for two years now. As shown in the right hand chart, especially domestic demand has been weak. Initially, this could be explained by falling real wages. Over the past two years, however, wages have largely been catching up with prices. The short-term outlook is pointing to slow growth while economic sentiment remains subdued and the household savings rate is still higher than before the pandemic. Looking further ahead though, we do expect the economy to strengthen. Rising real incomes will allow households to consume more and the gradually fading effects of restrictive monetary policy will support consumption and investment.

    Zooming in on the various member states, confidence is not low everywhere. Economic sentiment is significantly above the long-term average in for instance Spain, Portugal and Greece. The mood is especially good in the service sector, benefiting from the reallocation of consumption from goods to services after the pandemic. This growth boost is particularly visible in tourism and hospitality. But also other sectors of the economy perform relatively well in these countries.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Fabio Panetta: Statement – meeting of the Development Committee

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Bretton Woods institutions. In this turbulent time, their mission is more important than ever. Together they must foster growth, create jobs, increase stability, build resilience, fight poverty, and reduce inequalities, all while facing massive global challenges – climate change, fragility, mass migration, pandemics, and the risks stemming from new technologies and demographic trends.

    We believe that the World Bank Group (WBG), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the wider system of multilateral development banks (MDBs) should pursue this complex mission cooperatively, leveraging their respective comparative advantages. In this regard, we greatly appreciate the Development Committee Paper, “A Future-Ready World Bank Group,” for its comprehensive report on what has been accomplished under the WBG Evolution, launched in October 2022.

    We commend the WBG for progress made in improving its operational and financial model to better serve all its clients, with particular attention to the poorest and the most vulnerable. It demonstrates an impressive amount of work that is reshaping and revamping the organization with an eye to strengthening partnership and collaboration within the WBG and with other MDBs.

    Our constituency continues to advocate for improved monitoring and reporting of the impact of WBG operations, by incorporating better data, impact evaluation, and lessons learned from past experiences. We will continue to ensure that impact and accountability anchor any reforms to operational efficiency and effectiveness. Improved measurement standards in the 22 indicators of the new WBG Scorecard are particularly welcome, and we look forward to further improvements.

    One of the most important tools the WBG can provide is knowledge. It benefits all countries and is necessary to raise the impact of financial flows on development. To this end, we strongly support the newly envisioned Knowledge Compact and the new Knowledge Hubs, designed to favor the flow of expertise and lessons learned around the globe.

    We commend management for further achievement in implementing the G20 Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF) Review, launched under the Italian G20 Presidency, which has increased the IBRD’s financing capacity by up to $150 billion over the next decade. We congratulate the Bank for the newly adopted IBRD Framework of Restoration Measures, while calling for rapid approval of remaining reforms to ensure its full functionality and alignment with major regional MDBs.

    We also applaud the work that the MDBs are jointly making to better recognize the value of existing callable capital. While continuing the dialogue with credit rating agencies, we urge management to integrate a part of callable capital into the WB’s capital adequacy metrics. We also appreciate the newly established enhanced callable capital, and we call for the most inclusive approach in recognizing the financial leverage of shareholders’ voluntary contributions in a way that is consistent with the credit rating agencies’ practice.

    We should be very cautious in designing any reform of IBRD pricing which may have negative impacts on IBRD and IDA financial capacity, which we have been striving to expand. Moreover, we should be aware of any conflicting effects on the newly established Framework for Financial Incentives. We also call for greater analysis of spillovers of price changes for the broader MDBs system, as well as on their implications for the Bank budget anchor and the incentives for country graduation and private sector financing.

    We urge MDBs to develop effective partnerships with climate and environmental vertical funds so as to maximize scarce concessional resources. MDBs can greatly help improve access to these funds at scale and speed. Thanks to their financial leverage, MDBs can also augment the resources available in vertical funds, by associating programmatic approaches with their parallel subscription of WBG hybrid capital and portfolio guarantees, to strengthen predictability of resources for beneficiary countries. We look forward to continuing work with the WBG to implement the conclusions of the forthcoming G20 Independent High-Level Expert Group Review on the Vertical Climate and Environmental Funds.

    We appreciate the WBG’s new approach to private capital mobilization. Enhanced country diagnostics, stronger country dialogue, and closer collaboration among the WBG institutions are needed to increase the supply of effective projects. The WBG guarantees platform, the publication of GEMs data, the introduction of new products to mitigate foreign exchange risks, and the promotion of policy reforms specifically designed to improve the business environment will all help lower the actual and perceived risks of private investment in developing countries. Project standardization and securitization will contribute to attracting investors and accelerating the WBG’s portfolio turnover, thus making capital more efficient.

    The poorest countries are facing the greatest hardships, and 700 million people worldwide are still trapped in extreme poverty. It is our duty to help them overcome challenges and build a more equitable future. As the largest international development fund in the world, IDA has a major responsibility to help low-income countries return to the path of recovery and sustainable growth, as well as transition out of conflicts, poverty, and deprivation.

    This year, IDA21 negotiations are creating a new architecture in order to better integrate IDA into a One WBG and strengthen its alignment with the Evolution agenda. IDA must continue to be centered on concessional financing, meaningful policy commitments, and result-oriented targets.

    At this crucial juncture, we are committed to ensuring that IDA remains the largest and most impactful partnership between borrowers – at different income levels – and donors. Highly concessional resources are a vital source of financing for low-income IDA countries, especially those lacking significant access to capital markets. At a time of heightened debt vulnerabilities, higher interest rates, and lower FDIs, this is even more important. We should collectively deploy all efforts to mobilize adequate concessional finance for IDA21.

    In this collective effort, the rule-based formula to increase IBRD transfers under better financial conditions and higher incomes – agreed upon in 2018 – is playing a crucial countercyclical role, and it should make shareholders proud of the IBRD’s increased role among the key contributors to IDA. The 2018 agreement remains a sign of solidarity and mutual responsibility for a poverty-free world.

    We also commend the further efforts of IDA itself to stretch its own balance sheet with new CAF measures. These measures allow for more efficient deployment of resources belonging to IDA beneficiaries. We support their full engagements in this decision to best calibrate the appropriate balance between the degree concessionality and volumes, should a trade-off emerge.

    Our ultimate goal is to spur long-term development through an effective IDA21. The IDA model is well tested in delivering complex and transformative projects in key sectors, based on country ownership. Mission 300, in partnership with the African Development Bank, is an excellent model for using IDA resources through regional multiphase approaches, building partnerships and – together with IFC and MIGA – mobilizing private capital. IDA is also uniquely positioned to deliver infrastructures for regional integration, along with projects and policy reforms to strengthen industrial development and the local private sector. This is especially important in fighting food insecurity, increasing access to healthcare and job opportunities, building sustainable local value chains for critical minerals, and preparing for pandemics.

    Rising active conflicts and regional instability call on the WBG to renew its approach in addressing the root causes of fragility and maintaining effective engagement in conflict situations. This requires reducing geographical inequalities, promoting broad-based growth, supporting public service delivery in situations of active conflict, and strengthening institutions – including effective and decentralized justice systems and community dispute-resolution mechanisms to mitigate and prevent social conflicts.

    As part of this effort, the Italian G7 Presidency is working with its partners to ensure a successful replenishment of IDA21, building a solid package that addresses all of these critical issues. IDA must remain relevant to the needs of its clients, particularly Africa and fragile countries. A collective endeavour will be paramount in striking the right balance among donor contributions, internal efficiency, and borrower effort, while broadening the donor base.

    Africa is a top priority for this constituency, an agenda further advanced during the G7 Italian Presidency. The Mattei Plan, launched by the Italian Government at the Italy-Africa Summit last January, aims to build a renewed relationship with African countries based on equal cooperation, shared interests, and mutual benefits to foster economic growth and social development at the local level.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Old National, Axletree Solutions Collaborate for New Level of Secure Transaction Messaging Leveraging Swift

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Old National Bancorp (“Old National”) and Axletree Solutions today announced an innovative collaboration whereby Axletree will host Old National Bank’s Swift architecture, providing a new level of highly-secure transaction messaging. This will ensure end-to-end control and complete transparency of banking transactions via Swift (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).

    Axletree Solutions, a “Software as a Service” provider specializing in connectivity and integration, is Old National’s Swift Service Bureau, providing the bank with access to Swift without the internal burden and costs of managing the requisite Swift technology and infrastructure. Axletree also provides value-added services to Old National that include creating, enriching and transporting various Swift message types from legacy back-office systems with routing rules to achieve internal efficiencies and enhance revenue. Through Axletree, Old National also has access to track international payments in real time leveraging Swift APIs, for the benefit of its customers through an end-to-end secure environment.

    “Our partnership with Axletree allows Old National to meet the technology needs of many of our financial institution and corporate customers,” said Joe Wicklander, President of Treasury Management, Merchant Services and Financial Institutions for Old National Bank. “Our clients continue to invest in automation to leverage their ERP systems, treasury workstations, and accounting platforms, and we thank Axletree for their commitment to providing innovative solutions that allow our clients to be even more successful.”

    Swift provides a single secure channel rather than requiring multiple proprietary connections. Swift is a member-owned cooperative providing safe and secure financial transactions for funds and funds administrators, brokers and dealers, clearing firms and financial market infrastructures, payment processors, and asset and wealth managers.

    Swift messaging supported by Old National will include Single Customer Credit Transfer, General Financial Institution Transfer, Bank to Bank Free Format Message, Confirmation of Debit, Confirmation of Credit, Customer Summary Statement Message, and Customer Detailed Statement Message. Swift connects multiple domestic and global institutions through a single, secure channel. Messaging capabilities include:

    • Wire transfer payments and confirmations
    • ACH payments and confirmations
    • Prior-day and current-day information reporting in BAI2 format
    • Integrated payable files in ISO 20022, CSV and EDI formats

    “We are thrilled to partner with Old National Bank to improve its secure financial messaging experience via Swift,” said Jeff Ferguson, Director of Business Development for Axletree Solutions. “Through the use of our solution Symmetree by Axletree®, Axletree was able to help Old National Bank’s legacy systems create, translate and transport Swift-ready messages to facilitate its secure financial messaging needs. Axletree’s connection with Swift will also allow Old National customers to trace their cross-border Swift transactions in real-time. We thank Old National Bank for allowing us to show how Axletree provides its customers with ‘peace of mind.’”

    ABOUT OLD NATIONAL
    Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB) is the holding company of Old National Bank. As the sixth largest commercial bank headquartered in the Midwest, Old National proudly serves clients primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. With approximately $53 billion of assets and $30 billion of assets under management, Old National ranks among the top 30 banking companies headquartered in the United States. Tracing our roots to 1834, Old National focuses on building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients while also strengthening and supporting the communities we serve. In addition to providing extensive services in consumer and commercial banking, Old National offers comprehensive wealth management and capital markets services. For more information and financial data, please visit Investor Relations at oldnational.com. In 2024, Points of Light named Old National one of “The Civic 50” – an honor reserved for the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

    ABOUT AXLETREE
    Axletree Solutions, a premier financial technology provider since 2002, empowers businesses with seamless bank connectivity and enterprise integration. As North America’s first SWIFT Service Bureau for Banks and Corporates, Axletree has evolved into a global leader in financial transaction and payments solutions. Processing over $100 billion USD daily, Axletree transmits transactions from any system, across any network, anywhere in the world. The company’s innovative technology and client-centric approach have established it as a trusted partner for secure, mission-critical services, reinforcing Axletree’s role as the central communication pathway for its clients’ financial operations. With a comprehensive solution suite covering the entire payment lifecycle, Axletree enables organizations to realize efficiencies and reduce costs by replacing complex manual processes with automation. As the company expands its global presence through the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Axletree continues to drive efficiency and integration for the world’s largest organizations, guaranteeing seamless connectivity and peace of mind.

    ABOUT SWIFT
    Swift is a global member-owned cooperative and the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services. They provide communities with a platform for messaging and standards for communicating and offer products and services to facilitate access and integration, identification, analysis and regulatory compliance. Their messaging platform, products and services connect more than 11,500 banking and securities organizations, market infrastructures and corporate customers in more than 200 countries and territories. While Swift does not hold funds or manage accounts on behalf of customers, they enable a global community of users to communicate securely, exchanging standardized financial messages in a reliable way, thereby supporting global and local financial flows, as well as trade and commerce all around the world. Headquartered in Belgium, Swift’s international governance and oversight reinforces the globally inclusive character of its cooperative structure. Swift’s global office network ensures an active presence in all the major financial centers.

    Investor Relations:
    Lynell Durchholz
    (812) 464-1366
    lynell.durchholz@oldnational.com

    Media Relations:
    Rick Vach
    (904) 535-9489
    rick.vach@oldnational.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Europol: Over EUR 14 million in counterfeit currency seized in operation targeting postal shipments

    Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

    Law enforcement agencies from 18 countries have seized over EUR 14 million in counterfeit currency in Operation DECOY, a Europol-coordinated action led by Spain, Portugal, and Austria. This joint customs and police operation, developed under EMPACT, aimed to disrupt the distribution of fake banknotes and coins via postal services across Europe.

    Read the full press release on Europol’s website

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Chief of Naval Operations Receives Leonardo Da Vinci Award from National Italian American Foundation

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, a native of Rochester, N.Y., received the Leonardo Da Vinci Award in Military Service from the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), at the NIAF 49th anniversary gala, Oct. 26.

    This award recognizes significant achievements and societal contributions by Italian Americans.

    Franchetti was one of six Italian Americans honored this year.

    Her full remarks are below:

    “Thank you to NIAF for this incredible recognition. It is truly an honor to be with you this evening to receive the Leonardo Da Vinci Award for Military Service.

    As you just saw in the video, my grandparents came to America in search of the American dream – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and new opportunities for their families.

    They arrived with the firm belief and the strongest of convictions, that if you worked hard, learned all you could, and did things the right way that you and your family would find success in this new world.

    My grandfather, Rebello Franchetti, a seasoned stonecutter, lived those values, as did my grandmother, Chiarina Rhea, the matriarch of our family. Together, they laid a strong foundation for my father, Lawrence Franchetti to be the first person in our family to go to college, become an engineer and find his success as a plant manager.

    Through the example they set they passed on those same values – values you’ve heard a lot about tonight, to me. And I passed them on to my own college freshman, Isabel Maria Franchetti, who studied Italian and learned about our Italian heritage firsthand, when we lived in Italy as part of our Navy journey.

    There is no doubt that those values and the love and support of my family laid the foundation for my success as a naval officer and as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations.

    But, there is also no doubt that this award and my every success I’ve had is owed to our amazing team of Navy Sailors and civilians. People who come from across the rich fabric of America. People with who I’ve had the opportunity to serve with over all these 39 years.

    So, as we sit here tonight enjoying this friendship and this wonderful dinner, many of our Sailors are deployed. They’re standing the watch very far from home and far from their family. In fact, on any given day, roughly 110 ships and 70,000 Sailors and Marines are deployed operating around the world and around the clock to preserve our Nation’s security and prosperity, to deter any would-be adversary, and stand ready to fight and win decisively, if called. I could not be more proud of our Navy team.

    And, they are doing it alongside Allies and partners, including the very capable Italian Navy, and just in case you didn’t see it in the news, our Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group just wrapped up a series of operations with the Italian Carrier Strike Group, ITS Cavour in the Indo-Pacific, and I can say with confidence that the partnership between the U.S. Navy and the Italian Navy grows stronger every single day. So, thank you again to NIAF. Thank you to all of you.  I could not be more proud of my Italian-American heritage or more grateful for the values that helped pave my way. Thank you very much.

    Have a great night!”

    Photos from the ceremony can be found here: LINK.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: CNO Remarks at National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Gala

    Source: United States Navy

    Thank you to NIAF for this incredible recognition. It is truly an honor to be with you this evening to receive the Leonardo Da Vinci Award for Military Service.

    As you just saw in the video, my grandparents came to America in search of the American dream – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and new opportunities for their families.

    They arrived with the firm belief and the strongest of convictions, that if you worked hard, learned all you could, and did things the right way that you and your family would find success in this new world.

    My grandfather, Rebello Franchetti, a seasoned stonecutter, lived those values, as did my grandmother, Chiarina Rhea, the matriarch of our family. Together, they laid a strong foundation for my father, Lawrence Franchetti to be the first person in our family to go to college, become an engineer and find his success as a plant manager.

    Through the example they set they passed on those same values – values you’ve heard a lot about tonight, to me. And I passed them on to my own college freshman, Isabel Maria Franchetti, who studied Italian and learned about our Italian heritage firsthand, when we lived in Italy as part of our Navy journey.

    There is no doubt that those values and the love and support of my family laid the foundation for my success as a naval officer and as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations.

    But, there is also no doubt that this award and my every success I’ve had is owed to our amazing team of Navy Sailors and civilians. People who come from across the rich fabric of America. People with who I’ve had the opportunity to serve with over all these 39 years.

    So, as we sit here tonight enjoying this friendship and this wonderful dinner, many of our Sailors are deployed. They’re standing the watch very far from home and far from their family. In fact, on any given day, roughly 110 ships and 70,000 Sailors and Marines are deployed operating around the world and around the clock to preserve our Nation’s security and prosperity, to deter any would-be adversary, and stand ready to fight and win decisively, if called. I could not be more proud of our Navy team.

    And, they are doing it alongside Allies and partners, including the very capable Italian Navy, and just in case you didn’t see it in the news, our Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group just wrapped up a series of operations with the Italian Carrier Strike Group, ITS Cavour in the Indo-Pacific, and I can say with confidence that the partnership between the U.S. Navy and the Italian Navy grows stronger every single day. So, thank you again to NIAF. Thank you to all of you.  I could not be more proud of my Italian-American heritage or more grateful for the values that helped pave my way. Thank you very much.

    Have a great night!

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    October 28, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple Intelligence is available today on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Users can now tap into Apple Intelligence to refine their writing; summarize notifications, mail, and messages; experience a more natural and capable Siri; remove distracting objects from images with Clean Up; and more

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the first set of Apple Intelligence features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users is now available through a free software update with the release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI. Today marks the availability of the first set of features, with many more rolling out in the coming months.

    “Apple Intelligence introduces a new era for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, delivering brand-new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use — all while protecting their privacy. Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way that only Apple can deliver, and we’re incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives.”

    “Apple Intelligence unlocks exciting new capabilities that make your iPhone, iPad, and Mac even more helpful and useful, from Writing Tools to help refine your writing, to summarized notifications that surface what’s most important, to the ability to search for almost anything in your photos and videos by simply describing it,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “And it’s all built on a foundation of privacy with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, a groundbreaking new approach that extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to protect users’ information. We are thrilled to bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features to users today, and this is just the beginning.”

    Systemwide Writing Tools

    Deeply integrated across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Writing Tools allow users to refine their language by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text virtually everywhere they write, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.

    With Rewrite, Apple Intelligence allows users to choose from different versions of what they have written, and adjust the tone — professional, concise, or friendly — to suit the audience and task at hand. Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure while also suggesting edits — along with explanations of the edits — that users can review or quickly accept. Users can also select text and have it summarized in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.

    More Natural and Conversational Siri

    Siri becomes more natural, flexible, and deeply integrated into the system experience. It has a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when active on iPhone, iPad, or CarPlay. On Mac, users can place Siri anywhere on their desktop to access it easily as they work. Users can type to Siri at any time on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and can switch fluidly between text and voice as they use Siri to accelerate everyday tasks. With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri can follow along when users stumble over their words and maintain context from one request to the next. In addition, with extensive product knowledge, Siri can now answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple products. Users can learn everything from how to take a screen recording to how to easily share a Wi-Fi password.

    More Intelligent Photos App

    The Photos app is even more intelligent with many new capabilities. Natural language search gives users the ability to search for just about anything by simply describing what they are looking for, like “Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt.” This works across videos, too, so users can search for something that happened in a specific segment of the video and go right to it. Search also offers smart completion suggestions to help users quickly complete a search.

    For those times when an unwanted object or person ends up in the frame of a photo, the Clean Up tool gives users a way to remove distracting elements while staying true to the moment as they intended to capture it.

    The Memories feature now gives users the ability to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description.1 Using language and image understanding, Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on a user’s description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc.

    New Ways to Prioritize and Stay Focused

    Staying on top of emails has never been easier. Priority Messages, a new section at the top of the inbox in Mail, shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day invitation to lunch or a boarding pass. Across their inbox, users can see summaries without needing to open a message, and for long threads, they can tap or click Summarize to view pertinent details. Additionally, Smart Reply provides suggestions for a quick response and will identify questions in an email to ensure everything is answered.

    Apple Intelligence helps users prioritize and stay in the moment with notification summaries that allow users to scan long or stacked notifications with key details right on the Lock Screen, such as when a group chat is particularly active. A new Focus, Reduce Interruptions, surfaces only the notifications that might need immediate attention.

    In the Notes and Phone apps, users can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call in the Phone app, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to help recall key points.

    Many More Features to Come

    New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months.

    Apple Intelligence will add new ways for users to express themselves visually. Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, and can also be personalized using a photo of a friend or family member. Image Playground will allow users to create playful images in moments. Image Wand will make notes more visually engaging by turning rough sketches into delightful images. When a user circles an empty space, Image Wand will create an image using context from the surrounding area.

    In December, Writing Tools will get even more powerful with the ability for users to describe a specific change they want to apply to their text, like making a dinner party invite read like a poem, or adding more dynamic action words to a résumé. And users will have the option to access ChatGPT’s broad world knowledge within Writing Tools and Siri, allowing them to benefit from its image- and document-understanding capabilities without needing to jump between tools.

    Also coming in December, a new visual intelligence experience will build on Apple Intelligence and help users learn about objects and places instantly, thanks to the new Camera Control on the iPhone 16 lineup.2 Users will be able to pull up details about a restaurant in front of them and interact with information — for example, translating text from one language to another.3 Camera Control will also serve as a gateway to third-party tools with specific domain expertise, like when users want to search Google for where they can buy an item, or benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.

    In the months to come, Priority Notifications will surface what’s most important, and Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that’s tailored to them. Siri will also gain onscreen awareness, as well as be able to take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.

    Breakthrough Privacy Protections

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require more processing power, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request. In a first for the industry, independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise — an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.

    Users can choose whether or not to enable the ChatGPT integration, which is available as part of using Siri, Writing Tools, or visual intelligence with Camera Control. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Availability

    • The first set of Apple Intelligence features is available now as a free software update with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will be available for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and Mac with M1 and later.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Create a Memory Movie is available on iPhone and iPad, and will be available on Mac in the coming months.
    2. Camera Control is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
    3. Information about places of interest will be available in the U.S. to start, with support for additional regions in the months to come.

    Press Contacts

    Nadine Haija

    Apple

    nhaija@apple.com

    Jacqueline Roy

    Apple

    jacqueline_roy@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple introduces new iMac supercharged by M4 and Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces new iMac supercharged by M4 and Apple Intelligence

    October 28, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple unveils the new iMac with M4, supercharged by Apple Intelligence and available in fresh colors

    The world’s best all-in-one desktop features even more performance, a nano-texture display option, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity — all in a strikingly thin design

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new iMac, featuring the powerful M4 chip and Apple Intelligence, in its stunning, ultra-thin design. With M4, iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming, compared to iMac with M1.1 With the Neural Engine in M4, iMac is the world’s best all-in-one for AI and is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. The new iMac is available in an array of beautiful new colors, and the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers a new nano-texture glass option.2 iMac features a new 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports,3 and color-matched accessories that include USB-C. Starting at just $1,299, now with 16GB of unified memory, the new iMac is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Friday, November 8.

    “iMac is beloved by millions of users, from families at home to entrepreneurs hard at work. With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game once again,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With M4 and Apple Intelligence, gorgeous new colors that pop in any space, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, and a new nano-texture glass display option, it’s a whole new era for iMac.”

    Supercharged by M4

    The M4 chip brings a boost in performance to iMac. Featuring a more capable CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core,4 the new iMac is up to 1.7x faster than iMac with M1. Users will feel this performance across everyday activities like multitasking between their favorite apps and browsing webpages in Safari. And with an immensely powerful GPU featuring Apple’s most advanced graphics architecture, iMac with M4 handles more intense workloads like photo editing and gaming up to 2.1x faster than iMac with M1. This also enables a smoother gameplay experience in titles like the upcoming Civilization VII. The new iMac comes standard with 16GB of faster unified memory — configurable up to 32GB. The Neural Engine in M4 is now over 3x faster than on iMac with M1, making it the world’s best all-in-one for AI, and accelerating the pace at which users can get things done.

    M4 takes iMac performance even further:

    • Families, small businesses, and entrepreneurs can fly through daily productivity tasks with up to 1.7x faster performance1 in apps like Microsoft Excel, and up to 1.5x faster browsing performance5 in Safari compared to iMac with M1.
    • Gamers can enjoy incredibly smooth gameplay, with up to 2x higher frame rates5 than on iMac with M1.
    • Content creators can edit like never before, with up to 2.1x faster photo and video editing performance when applying complex filters and effects in apps like Adobe Photoshop1 and Adobe Premiere Pro5 compared to iMac with M1.
    • Compared to the most popular 24-inch all-in-one PC with the latest Intel Core 7 processor, the new iMac is up to 4.5x faster.1
    • Compared to the most popular Intel-based iMac model, the new iMac is up to 6x faster.1

    A New Era with Apple Intelligence on the Mac

    Apple Intelligence ushers in a new era for the Mac, bringing personal intelligence to the personal computer. Combining powerful generative models with industry-first privacy protections, Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to unlock new ways for users to work, communicate, and express themselves on Mac. It is available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1. With systemwide Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text nearly everywhere they write. With the newly redesigned Siri, users can move fluidly between spoken and typed requests to accelerate tasks throughout their day, and Siri can answer thousands of questions about Mac and other Apple products. New Apple Intelligence features will be available in December, with additional capabilities rolling out in the coming months. Image Playground gives users a new way to create fun original images, and Genmoji allows them to create custom emoji in seconds. Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to take actions across the system and draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. In December, ChatGPT will be integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to access its expertise without needing to jump between tools.

    Apple Intelligence does all this while protecting users’ privacy at every step. At its core is on-device processing, and for more complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute gives users access to Apple’s even larger, server-based models and offers groundbreaking protections for personal information. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. For those who choose to connect their account, OpenAI’s data-use policies apply.

    Array of Gorgeous New Colors

    The new iMac comes in seven vibrant colors, bringing fresh shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue, alongside silver. The back of iMac features bold colors designed to stand out, while the front expresses subtle shades of the new palette so users can focus on doing their best work. Every iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or optional Magic Trackpad, all of which now feature a USB-C port, so users can charge their favorite devices with a single cable.

    New Nano-Texture Display Option

    The expansive 24-inch 4.5K Retina display on iMac is its highest-rated feature, and for the first time, it’s available with a nano-texture glass option that drastically reduces reflections and glare, while maintaining outstanding image quality.2 With nano-texture glass, users can place iMac in even more spaces, such as a sun-drenched living room or bright storefront.

    Enhanced Video Calls with 12MP Center Stage Camera

    A new 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View makes video calls even more engaging. Center Stage keeps everyone perfectly centered on a video call — great for families gathered on FaceTime. Desk View makes use of the wide-angle lens to simultaneously show the user and a top-down view of their desk, which is useful for educators presenting a lesson to students, or creators showing off their latest DIY project. Rounding out the unrivaled audio and video experience is the beloved studio-quality three-microphone array with beamforming and an immersive six-speaker sound system.

    Advanced Connectivity

    On the new iMac, all four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 for superfast data transfers, so users can connect even more accessories like external storage, docks, and up to two 6K external displays, creating a massive canvas with more than 50M pixels for users to spread out their work.3 iMac also supports both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. And with the advanced security of Touch ID, users can easily and securely unlock their computer, make online purchases with Apple Pay, and download apps.6 Additionally, Touch ID works with Fast User Switching, so customers can switch between different user profiles with just the press of a finger.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new iMac experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and its notifications directly from their Mac.7 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,8 now offers Highlights, which quickly pulls up relevant information from a site; a smarter, redesigned Reader with a table of contents and high-level summary; and a new Video Viewer to watch videos without distractions. With Distraction Control, users can hide items on a webpage that they may find disruptive to their browsing. Gaming gets even more immersive with features like Personalized Spatial Audio and improvements to Game Mode, along with a breadth of exciting titles, including the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Easier window tiling means users can stay organized with a windows layout that works best for them. The all-new Passwords app gives convenient access to passwords, passkeys, and other credentials, all stored in one place. And users can apply beautiful new built-in backgrounds for video calls, including a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    Better for the Environment

    The new iMac with M4 is designed with the environment in mind, with 100 percent recycled aluminum in the stand, and 100 percent recycled gold plating, tin soldering, and copper in multiple printed circuit boards. iMac meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. New this year, the packaging of iMac is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from its packaging by 2025.

    Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and, as part of its ambitious Apple 2030 goal, plans to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new iMac with M4 starting today, October 28, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Friday, November 8.
    • iMac starts at $1,299 (U.S.) and $1,249 (U.S.) for education, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory configurable up to 24GB, 256GB SSD configurable up to 1TB, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
    • iMac with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU starts at $1,499 (U.S.) and $1,399 (U.S.) for education, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It features 16GB of unified memory configurable up to 32GB, 256GB SSD configurable up to 2TB, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
    • Additional technical specifications — including the nano-texture display option, configure-to-order options, and accessories — are available at apple.com/mac.
    • With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
    • Apple Intelligence is available now as a free software update for Mac with M1 and later, and can be accessed in most regions around the world when the device and Siri language are set to U.S. English. The first set of features is in beta and available with macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come.
    • Apple Intelligence is quickly adding support for more languages. In December, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., and in April, a software update will deliver expanded language support, with more coming throughout the year. Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages will be supported.
    • AppleCare+ for Mac provides unparalleled service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know Mac best.
    • Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Testing was conducted by Apple in September and October 2024. See apple.com/imac for more information.
    2. Actual diagonal screen measurement is 23.5 inches. Nano-texture display is an option on models with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
    3. All four USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 on models with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
    4. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    5. Results are compared to previous-generation 24-inch iMac systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    6. iMac with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU can configure to Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad, and iMac with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU comes standard with Touch ID.
    7. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Requires that the user’s iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication, their iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and their Mac is not using AirPlay or Sidecar. Some iPhone features (e.g., camera and microphone) are not compatible with iPhone Mirroring.
    8. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Successfully Integrates Coronagraph for Roman Space Telescope

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully completed integration of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument onto Roman’s Instrument Carrier, a piece of infrastructure that will hold the mission’s instruments, which will be integrated onto the larger spacecraft at a later date. The Roman Coronagraph is a technology demonstration that scientists will use to take an important step in the search for habitable worlds, and eventually life beyond Earth.
    This integration took place at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where the space telescope is located and in development. This milestone follows the coronagraph’s arrival at the center earlier this year from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California where the instrument was developed, built, and tested.

    The Roman Coronagraph Instrument is a technology demonstration that will launch aboard the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission. Roman will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope and explore scientific mysteries surrounding dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. Roman is expected to launch no later than May 2027.
    The mission’s coronagraph is designed to make direct observations of exoplanets, or planets outside of our solar system, by using a complex suite of masks and active mirrors to obscure the glare of the planets’ host stars, making the planets visible. Being a technology demonstration means that the coronagraph’s goal is to test this technology in space and showcase its capabilities. The Roman Coronagraph is poised to act as a technological stepping stone, enabling future technologies on missions like NASA’s proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory, which would be the first telescope designed specifically to search for signs of life on exoplanets.
    “In order to get from where we are to where we want to be, we need the Roman Coronagraph to demonstrate this technology,” said Rob Zellem, Roman Space Telescope deputy project scientist for communications at NASA Goddard. “We’ll be applying those lessons learned to the next generation of NASA flagship missions that will be explicitly designed to look for Earth-like planets.”

    A Major Mission Milestone
    The coronagraph was successfully integrated into Roman’s Instrument Carrier, a large grid-like structure that sits between the space telescope’s primary mirror and spacecraft bus, which will deliver the telescope to orbit and enable the telescope’s functionality upon arrival in space. Assembly of the mission’s spacecraft bus was completed in September 2024.
    The Instrument Carrier will hold both the coronagraph and Roman’s Wide Field Instrument, the mission’s primary science instrument, which is set to be integrated later this year along with the Roman telescope itself. “You can think of [the Instrument Carrier] as the skeleton of the observatory, what everything interfaces to,” said Brandon Creager, lead mechanical engineer for the Roman Coronagraph at JPL.
    The integration process began months ago with mission teams from across NASA coming together to plan the maneuver. Additionally, after its arrival at NASA Goddard, mission teams ran tests to prepare the coronagraph to be joined to the spacecraft bus.

    During the integration itself, the coronagraph, which is roughly the size and shape of a baby grand piano (measuring about 5.5 feet or 1.7 meters across), was mounted onto the Instrument Carrier using what’s called the Horizontal Integration Tool.
    First, a specialized adapter developed at JPL was attached to the instrument, and then the Horizontal Integration Tool was attached to the adapter. The tool acts as a moveable counterweight, so the instrument was suspended from the tool as it was carefully moved into its final position in the Instrument Carrier. Then, the attached Horizontal Integration Tool and adapter were removed from the coronagraph. The Horizontal Integration Tool previously has been used for integrations on NASA’s Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope.
    As part of the integration process, engineers also ensured blanketing layers were in place to insulate the coronagraph within its place in the Instrument Carrier. The coronagraph is designed to operate at room temperature, so insulation is critical to keep the instrument at the right temperature in the cold vacuum of space. This insulation also will provide an additional boundary to block stray light that could otherwise obscure observations.
    Following this successful integration, engineers will perform different checks and tests to ensure that everything is connected properly and is correctly aligned before moving forward to integrate the Wide Field Instrument and the telescope itself. Successful alignment of the Roman Coronagraph’s optics is critical to the instrument’s success in orbit.

    This latest mission milestone is the culmination of an enduring collaboration between a number of Roman partners, but especially between NASA Goddard and NASA JPL.
    “It’s really rewarding to watch these teams come together and build up the Roman observatory. That’s the result of a lot of teams, long hours, hard work, sweat, and tears,” said Liz Daly, the integrated payload assembly integration and test lead for Roman at Goddard.
    “Support and trust were shared across both teams … we were all just one team,” said Gasia Bedrosian, the integration and test lead for the Roman Coronagraph at JPL. Following the integration, “we celebrated our success together,” she added.
    The Roman Coronagraph Instrument was designed and built at NASA JPL, which manages the instrument for NASA. Contributions were made by ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. Caltech, in Pasadena, California, manages NASA JPL for the agency. The Roman Science Support Center at Caltech/IPAC partners with NASA JPL on data management for the Coronagraph and generating the instrument’s commands.

    The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
    By Chelsea GohdNASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, Calif.
    ​​Media Contact:Claire Andreoliclaire.andreoli@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.301-286-1940

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR Government strongly condemns US lawmakers’ attempt through a so-called “bill” to intimidate HKSAR personnel safeguarding national security

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (January 25) strongly condemned those United States (US) lawmakers again requesting a review, through a so-called “bill”, of including a number of HKSARG officials, and a number of judges and prosecutors, in a so-called list of “sanctions” in an attempt to intimidate the HKSAR personnel concerned who safeguard national security, as well as the unfounded and biased remarks which deliberately misled the public and smeared the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). 

         A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, “It is the constitutional duty of the HKSAR to safeguard national security. In accordance with international law and international practice based on the Charter of the United Nations, safeguarding national security is an inherent right of all sovereign states. Many common law jurisdictions, including western countries such as the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Singapore, have enacted multiple pieces of legislation to safeguard national security. Turning a blind eye to the fact and making exaggerated remarks, the US politicians have demonstrated typical political hegemony and hypocrisy with double standards.”

         “While the ‘black-clad violence’ and the Hong Kong version of ‘colour revolution’ back in 2019 severely damaged the social stability of Hong Kong, the implementation of the NSL in the past four years has enabled the livelihood and economic activities of the Hong Kong community at large to swiftly resume as normal and the business environment to be restored and improved continuously. In the Economic Freedom of the World 2024 Annual Report, Hong Kong ranks as the world’s freest economies among 165 economies. In the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, Hong Kong’s ranking improved by two places to fifth globally. However, those US politicians insist on turning a blind eye to all these facts, and even clamour for so-called ‘sanctions’ against the HKSAR personnel who dutifully safeguard national security. The HKSAR Government strongly condemns their political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all.

         The spokesperson pointed out, “The HKSAR despises any so-called ‘sanctions’ and shall never be intimidated. It shall continue to resolutely discharge the responsibility of safeguarding national security. The HKSAR Government strongly urges the US politicians concerned to discern facts from fallacies, and immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China’s internal affairs.”

         The spokesperson also pointed out that, “Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, human rights in the city have always been robustly guaranteed constitutionally by both the Constitution and the Basic Law. The legal framework in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR is in line with relevant international human rights standards. The NSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security. The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to the HKSAR are protected in accordance with the law.”

         “The HKSAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. The Department of Justice of the HKSAR is in charge of criminal prosecutions under Article 63 of the Basic Law, with all prosecution decisions made based on an objective analysis of all admissible evidence and applicable laws.

         “The Judiciary of the HKSAR exercises judicial power independently in accordance with the law, and everyone charged with a criminal offence has the right to a fair hearing. The courts decide cases strictly in accordance with the evidence and all applicable laws. Cases will never be handled any differently owing to the profession, political beliefs or background of the entities involved. The prosecution has the burden to prove beyond reasonable doubt the commission of an offence before a defendant may be convicted by the court.
          
         “The judicial system of the HKSAR has always been highly regarded by international communities. Any attempt by any country, organisation, or individual to interfere with the judicial proceedings in the HKSAR by means of political power is a reprehensible act undermining the rule of law of the HKSAR. Making any statement with the intent to interfere with or obstruct the course of justice, or engaging in conduct with the same intent, is very likely to constitute the offence of criminal contempt of court or the offence of perverting the course of justice.”

         The spokesman reiterated, “The HKSAR steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and fully and faithfully lives up to this top priority of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. The HKSAR Government will, as always, resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the NSL, the SNSO and other relevant laws safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, to effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law, whilst upholding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the principle of ‘one country, two systems’.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK The Brighton Bomb: Lord Butler of Brockwell shares his experience on #LordSpeakersCorner

    Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

    Forty years ago this month, Robin Butler – Principle Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher – was in the room with the prime minister when the Brighton bomb exploded nearby in their hotel.

    Hear from Lord Butler of Brockwell as he talks to the Lord Speaker about the experience, plus working with five prime ministers, in the latest Lord Speaker’s Corner.

    Watch or listen now – search ‘House of Lords’ on YouTube or visit https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/house-of-lords-podcast/lord-butler-of-brockwell–lord-speakers-corner/

    #LordSpeakersCorner #HouseOfLords

    Catch-up on House of Lords business:

    Watch live events: https://parliamentlive.tv/Lords
    Read the latest news: https://www.parliament.uk/lords/

    Stay up to date with the House of Lords on social media:

    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UKHouseofLords/
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKHouseofLords
    • Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/ukhouseoflords/albums
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-house-of-lords
    • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@UKHouseOfLords

    #HouseOfLords #UKParliament #Shorts

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP12TvKo7lU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Real Estate Developer Sentenced to Prison for Bribing Former Taylor Mayor

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

    DETROIT –Real estate developer was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for bribing former Mayor of Taylor Richard Sollars with cash, home renovations, and other things of value in exchange for obtaining tax-foreclosed properties from the City of Taylor for redevelopment, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. 

    Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Shady Awad, 44, of Allen Park was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.

    According to court documents, between 2016 and 2018,  Awad provided a steady stream of bribes to then-mayor Sollars in the form of cash, home improvements to Sollars’ home and lake house, appliances, and other items of value.  Awad also agreed to charge more than $19,000 to his credit cards, and then convert the charges to cash for Sollars. In total, Awad provided Sollars with goods and services valued at $85,011.73, in exchange for being permitted to acquire tax-foreclosed properties to redevelop through the City of Taylor’s Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program. This was a program designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment.  As a result of the bribes Awad paid to Sollars, Sollars recommended to City Council that Awad be awarded the vast majority of the City’s ROFR properties.  

    “Mr. Awad’s conviction and sentence should send a strong message that not only will public officials who accept bribes be brought to justice by my office, but also, those who seek to gain an advantage by bribing public officials will face serious consequences as well,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison.

    “Mr. Awad and the former Mayor of Taylor unlawfully corrupted the City of Taylor’s real estate redevelopment program, meant to benefit the city and its residents, for their own private gain,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “FBI Michigan’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force remains committed to rigorously investigating public corruption, especially individuals who cheat the system by bribing public officials.”

    The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Taylor Mayor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Bribery Conspiracy

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

    DETROIT –Richard Sollars was sentenced to 71 months in prison for conspiring to accept bribes and engaging in wire fraud while he was the Mayor of the City of Taylor, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

    Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Between 2016 and 2018, Sollars, 50, exercised his authority and influence as Mayor and recommended to the Taylor City Council that Realty Transition, a company owned by his co-defendant, Shady Awad, be awarded the vast majority of the tax-foreclosed properties that the City had or would acquire under its Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program. This was a program designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment. Sollars recommended Realty Transition for the ROFR program, intending to be influenced and rewarded by the free home renovations and other items of value that Awad provided to Sollars for his personal residence, office, and lake house. After an evidentiary hearing, the Court found that Sollars received bribes from Awad totaling $85,011.73 as part of this bribery scheme. The bribes included items such as home renovations, a humidor, kitchen appliances, a washer and dryer, a Dyson vacuum cleaner, a camera, and cash.

    In addition, as part of his election efforts, Sollars established a campaign account entitled, “Committee to Elect Richard Sollars, Jr.” Sollars engaged in a scheme to defraud his donors by fraudulently using donated funds for his personal benefit rather than for his political campaign.  In furtherance of the fraudulent scheme, Sollars directed his campaign treasurer to provide him with signed blank checks from his campaign account. Sollars then made those checks payable to Dominick’s Market in various amounts, each purporting to represent payment for catering services provided to the campaign. As known to Sollars, the owner of Dominick’s Market, Hadir Altoon, prepared false invoices for catering services that were not actually provided. Instead, Altoon would provide Sollars with some or all of the proceeds from the cashed fraudulent checks for Sollars’s personal use. After an evidentiary hearing, the Court found that Sollars received $70,362.98 from this, and other, wire fraud schemes related to his campaign account.

    “Sollars, as the Mayor of the City of Taylor, pledged to represent the best interests of the citizens he represented and the voters who supported him. Instead, he used his elected office to award city contracts and spend campaign funds for his own personal financial enrichment,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Sollars’s conviction and sentence demonstrate my office’s commitment to ensuring that those elected officials who place their own greed above their duties to the citizens in the community will be held to answer for their breach of trust.”

    “The diligent work of the FBI’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, working in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, resulted in the conviction of Richard Sollars, the former mayor of the City of Taylor,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Gibson. “This betrayal of public trust is a stark reminder of the importance of integrity and accountability in public office. We remain committed to upholding the principles of justice and transparency, ensuring that such actions do not go unpunished. Today’s sentencing of Mr. Sollars brings closure to a lengthy and thorough investigation of the former mayor’s administration.”

    The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 15 years of the Regulatory Policy Committee

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The RPC has now been operating for 15 years. To commemorate this, we have updated the history document originally published for our 10th anniversary.

    15-Year Anniversary Review of the RPC

    PDF, 1.08 MB, 21 pages

    This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

    Request an accessible format.
    If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email enquiries@bis.gsi.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

    The document details the changes to the role of the RPC over the last decade and a half, provides some case studies of the regulatory measures we have worked on, and includes suggestions to the new Government on how to make our role even more effective.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preston City Council encourages eligible residents to apply for Round 6 of the Household Support Fund

    Source: City of Preston

    Preston City Council encourages eligible residents to apply for Round 6 of the Household Support Fund 

    Round 6 of the Household Support Fund is now open for applications from all residents of Preston to apply for help and assistance with;  

    • energy and water bills 
    • food 
    • essentials linked to energy, water and food 
    • wider essentials.

    The objective of this round of funding is to help residents of Preston with rising energy costs, however continued support is also available for other essentials too. 

    Councillor Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: 

    “Schemes like the Household Support Fund are intended to help those who need help and support during these difficult times, and I would urge all eligible residents in need of help and assistance with energy and water bills, food and essential items to apply.”  

    To be eligible, applicants must reside in the Preston area. More than one application will be considered in this round of funding, however there must be a minimum of three months between applications.

    Funding is aimed at anyone who cannot pay for essential items and to those residents who are no longer eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment to apply. 

    You do not have to be in receipt of benefits to get help from your local council. If you are in receipt of benefits, they will not be affected if you receive a payment from the Household Support scheme.  

    For a list of supporting evidence and more information, visit the Household Support Fund page.

    How to apply for the Household Support Fund

    You can apply online via the Household Support Fund form, and for any queries or help with your online application please call 01772 906777.  

    Applications are open from today, Monday, 28 October 2024 until Monday, 31 March 2025. However, this is subject to change if all funds have been exhausted. 

    Further Information

    Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone. 

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Banbridge Job Fair Connects Local Employers with Job Seekers

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. Councillor Kyle Savage trying the electric scooter from business Post Smart who were advertising job opportunities at a Job Fair held in Banbridge Leisure Centre on Thursday 24th October. Also photographed is Nicola Wilson, Head of Economic Development at ABC Council.

    A vibrant job fair held at the Banbridge Leisure Centre on Thursday 24th October attracted over 200 job seekers and local employers, showcasing the region’s commitment to economic growth and workforce development.

    The event, organized by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council’s Labour Market Partnership, in collaboration with the local Jobs and Benefits Office, featured key local businesses from various sectors, including retail, healthcare, and technology.

    The Council’s Labour Market Partnership (LMP) is funded by the Department for Communities. Labour Market Partnerships create targeted employment action plans for council areas, allowing for collaboration at local and regional level to support people towards and into work.

    Job vacancies were on offer from Almac, Tesco, Alternative Heat, The Boulevard, Marks and Spencer, Autism Initiatives, NW Care and more. Job seekers had the opportunity to engage directly with these potential employers and find out about jobs, training and support schemes available to them.

    Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Kyle Savage was in attendance and commented:

    “The goal of these local job fairs is to create a platform where employers and job seekers can connect and explore opportunities. The turnout exceeded expectations, demonstrating the demand for jobs in our community and the eagerness of employers to find local talent.”

    Attendees were able to explore a diverse range of job openings, and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the fair as an invaluable resource for both job seekers looking to launch or advance their careers and companies seeking skilled workers.

    Labour Market Partnership job fairs take place across the borough throughout the year and anyone who attends is given a list of available vacancies when they arrive. They are also provided with information on training opportunities, self-employment, careers guidance and practical advice to help improve their chances of finding employment.

    To find out more about the work of LMP, visit www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/lmp

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: York care leavers celebrate award nomination during national Care Leavers’ Week

    Source: City of York

    Young care leavers from York’s Care Leavers Forum ‘I Still Matter’ are celebrating being nominated for a prestigious national award this Care Leavers’ Week (28 October-3 November).

    The group, which represents care leavers across the city, and City of York Council’s Pathway Team, which supports care leavers, have been shortlisted for the National Voice Awards 2024 in The Collaboration Award category.

    The shortlisting highlights the work the team and ‘I Still Matter’ group have been doing to work together to reshape and design the new local offer for care leavers. The project included consultations with wide groups of care leavers to ensure the new offering was designed around lived experiences, and includes increase support for care leavers who are parents and improvements to financial support, leisure and travel offering and wellbeing support. The awards will be announced on 30 October.

    National Care Leavers’ Week gives young care leavers the opportunity to challenge the perceptions given to them and raise awareness of the issues those in care face, whilst also celebrating the incredible things many go on to achieve. The theme this year will be: All of us, we are one.

    Events are being organised across the city to celebrate care leavers and the family, carers, friends, and mentors who support them.

    The council is also launching its new Care Leavers’ Offer during Care Leavers’ Week. The document sets out what young people leaving care can expect from the council and how they can access help and support.

    Danielle Johnson, the council’s, Director of Safeguarding, Children’s Services said:

    “We want to support our young people as they make the transition from care through to independent living and beyond, just as most parents support their children well into adulthood.

    “In York, we’re incredibly fortunate to have the support of some fabulous businesses and partners who help support our care leavers, through opportunities or Christmas gifts, work experience placements or apprenticeships. I’d like to thank all those who have helped support our care leavers over the last year. It really does take a village – or in our case, a city – to raise a child.”

    Abbie, a care leaver, said:

    “We’ve spent a lot of time working with the pathway team to co-produce the new offer.

    “We wanted an offer that was tailored more to the individual rather than a blanket offer – because we all need different things at different times.”

    Find more information on helping care leavers.

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  • MIL-OSI Video: UK What does Chairman of Ways and Means do during the Budget Statement?

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Nusrat Ghani MP, the Chairman of Ways and Means, will chair the Budget Statement and debate on Wednesday 30 October.

    Watch the #Budget2024 live with #BSL interpretation here.

    12.30pm GMT, Wednesday 30 October.

    Want to find out more? https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/autumn-budget-2024/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3TCbk4lLcs

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Middle East: Foreign Secretary’s statement, 28 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave an oral statement to the House of Commons on the situation in the Middle East.

    Delivered on:

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the Middle East.

    After over a year of horrifying violence, civilian suffering has increased, the conflict has widened, the risks of a yet wider regional war have risen.  

    Today, Mr Speaker, I want to address three elements of this crisis, and outline the urgent steps the Government’s taking in response.

    Mr Speaker, I will first consider events over the weekend. Targeted Israeli strikes hit military sites inside Iran, including a missile manufacturer and an air defence base.

    This was in response to Iran’s escalatory ballistic missile attacks on Israel condemned across the House. These attacks were the latest in a long history of malign Iranian activity. Its nuclear programme, with their total enriched uranium stockpile now reported by the IAEA to be thirty times the JCPoA limit. And political, financial and military support for militias, including Hizballah and Hamas.

    Let me be clear. The Government unequivocally condemns Iranian attacks on Israel. This Government has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iranian individuals and organisations responsible for malign activity, most recently on the fourteenth of October. And we have consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Iranian attacks, and attacks by Iranian-backed terrorists, whose goal is the complete eradication of the Israeli state. We do not mourn the deaths of the heads of proscribed terrorist organisations.

    The priority now is immediate de-escalation. Iran should not respond. All sides must exercise restraint. We do not wish to see the cycle of violence intensifying, dragging the whole region into a war with severe consequences. Escalation is in no one’s interest as it risks spreading the regional conflict further. We and our partners have been passing this message clearly and consistently. Yesterday, Mr Speaker, I spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi and Israeli Foreign Minister Katz and urged both countries to show restraint and avoid further regional escalation.

    Mr Speaker, let me turn to the devastating situation in northern Gaza, where the United Nations estimates over four hundred thousand Palestinian civilians remain.

    Access to essential services worsen by the day. Yet still, very little aid is being allowed in. Israel’s evacuation order in the north has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians. Driven from destruction, disease, and despair. To destruction, disease and despair. Nine in ten Gazans have been displaced since the war began. Some have had to flee more than ten times in the past year. What must parents say to their children? How can they explain this living nightmare? How can they reassure it will ever end?

    There is no excuse for Israeli’s government’s ongoing restrictions on humanitarian assistance – they must let more aid in now. Aid is backed up at Gaza’s borders. In many cases funded by the UK and our partners. But now stuck, out of reach of those who need it so desperately. These restrictions fly in the face of Israel’s public commitments. They risk violating international humanitarian law. They are a rebuke to every friend of Israel, who month after month have demanded action to address the catastrophic conditions facing Palestinian civilians. So let me be clear once again. This Government condemns these restrictions in the strongest terms.

    Since our first day in office, the Government has led efforts to bring this nightmare to an end. We have announced funding for UK-Med’s efforts to provide medical treatment in Gaza, for UNICEF’s work to support vulnerable families in Gaza, for Egyptian health facilities treating medically evacuated Palestinians from Gaza.

    We are matching donations to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal. And, together with France and Algeria, we called an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address the dire situation. We sanctioned extremist settlers, making clear their actions do not serve the real interests of either Israel or the region.

    And we have moved quickly to restore funding to UNRWA, overturning the position of the last Government. We did that to support UNRWA’s indispensable role in assisting Palestinians, and to enable them to implement the recommendations of the independent Colonna report.

    All over the world, in every war zone, every refugee camp, the United Nations is a beacon of hope. And so it’s a matter of profound regret that the Israeli parliament is considering shutting down UNRWA’s operations. The allegations against UNRWA staff earlier this year were fully investigated, and offer no justification for cutting off ties with UNRWA.

    This weekend, we therefore joined partners in expressing concerns at the Knesset’s legislation, and urged Israel to ensure UNRWA’s lifesaving work continues. We call on UNRWA to continue its path to reform, demonstrating its commitment to the principle of neutrality.

    And finally, Mr Speaker, I will cover the conflict in Lebanon. A country that has endured so much in my lifetime and now sees fighting escalate once again, killing many civilians, and forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes. While in northern Israel, communities live in fear of Hizballah attacks, unable to return home.

    Here too, the Government has led efforts to respond. Our swift call for an immediate ceasefire was taken up by our partners and in the United Nations Security Council. The Defence Secretary and I have visited Lebanon, where Britain’s ongoing support for the Lebanese Armed Forces is widely recognised as an investment in a sovereign and effective Lebanese state.

    At the start of October, I announced ten million pounds for the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Last week, my Right Honourable Friend Minister Dodds announced further funding for the most vulnerable amongst those fleeing from Lebanon into Syria, while my Honourable Friend Minister Falconer joined the Lebanon Support Conference in Paris. And today, my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister will meet Prime Minister Mikati to reassure him of our support.

    Mr Speaker, across the region, our priorities are clear. De-escalation. Humanitarian assistance. Immediate ceasefires. Upholding international law. Political solutions.

    This is how we save lives. How we liberate hostages, like British national Emily Damari. And how we pull the region back from the brink.

    The Government has stepped up our diplomatic engagement to this end. The Prime Minister has spoken directly to both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Pezeshkian. While I have made five visits to the region in just four months, held around fifty calls and meetings with Ministers and leaders in the region, and spoke this weekend to US Secretary Blinken, just back from the region.

    Mr Speaker, it is a source of deep frustration that these efforts have not yet succeeded. We have no illusions about the deep-seated divisions in this region. A region scarred by fighting and false dawns in the past. But it is never too late for peace. Never too late for hope.

    This Government will not give up on the people of the region. We will keep playing our part in achieving a lasting solution. So that, one day, they might all live side by side in peace and security.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First tenants move into pioneering affordable homes in Edinburgh

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Tenants have moved into the first ‘net zero ready’ affordable homes to be delivered in Granton Waterfront.

    A housing emergency was declared in Edinburgh last year and the 75 energy efficient homes for social and mid-market rent at Granton Station View built by CCG (Scotland) Ltd on behalf of the Council are part of the local authority’s £1.3bn regeneration of the area to provide much needed affordable housing.  

    The project is part of the major transformation of Granton Waterfront to create a new coastal town in the north of the city with tenants and homeowners also due to start moving into over 400 ‘net zero ready’ homes for social rent, mid-market rent and homes for sale at Western Villages throughout next year.  Work is also well underway to deliver a further 143 ‘net zero ready’ social and mid-market rent homes at Silverlea due for completion in Summer 2026.

    The homes at Granton Station View are the first Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme pilot which is part of a collaborative programme between local and national government, academia and the construction industry that has developed a new model for delivering affordable housing in Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. The homes will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the city’s 2030 net zero target. The homes were largely manufactured offsite and have high performance energy efficient features which will help reduce utility bills for tenants. Features include triple glazing, communal zero direct emissions heating as well as solar panels linked to the communal energy centre being provided. The University of Edinburgh will monitor the energy efficiency of the building design for the first year.

    Granton Station View was supported by of over £6.6m funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (ASHP).  

    Other innovative features in the development include an underground waste collection system, cycle parking twice the capacity of the residents living there and links to existing and established walking, cycling and wheeling routes.

    Three commercial spaces are also situated underneath the homes at Granton Station View providing business and employment opportunities for the area. Two of the spaces have recently been let out ensuring that residents of Granton Station View will have access to a local convenience store with a post office and a fitness gym.

    As well as delivering over 3,500 ‘net zero’ homes in the next 10 years, the wider £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration will include a primary school, a health centre, commercial and cultural space as well as a new public park at the iconic Granton Gasholder, currently being restored.

    Council leader Cammy Day said:

    Today’s announcement is welcome news as the housing emergency we declared last year means we have a chronic shortage of housing in the city.

    Despite Scottish Government cuts in affordable housing, the homes at Granton Station View are part of an exciting pilot project which will not just help us ease this shortage but will provide many individuals and families with comfortable modern homes using the very latest technology to keep energy bills down.

    I wish everyone moving into Granton Station View well and look forward to seeing hundreds of other individuals and families move into the high-quality homes we are delivering at Western Villages and Silverlea as part of our wider £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.

    Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

    I am pleased that the City of Edinburgh Council has delivered 75 high-quality, energy-efficient homes for social and Mid-Market Rent in Granton. These homes were backed by over £6.6 million of Scottish Government funding and they will help to meet the needs of the local community for generations to come, whilst supporting Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.

    We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 with at least 70% for social rent and 10% in our rural and island communities.

    CCG (Scotland) Managing Director, David Wylie, said:

    Scotland is in a housing emergency and our planet is in the midst of a climate emergency. Both issues are some of the most challenging that will face this generation and it is fundamental that we tackle both in equal measure by delivering more, sustainable homes like we have here at Granton Station View.

    Through our own, pioneering construction methods and a new delivery model that focuses on streamlined procurement and collaborative working, we have unlocked brownfield land and evidenced that a just net zero transition is achievable, the needs of our communities can be met, and our carbon impact can be significantly lowered.

    We thank the partners of the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme for their support during construction, and we look forward to continuing our work with the Council at Western Villages where a further 444 net zero ready homes, including 56 for sale from CCG Homes, will be completed in 2025.

     The EHD programme has developed a housing delivery model for ‘net zero ready’ homes across the six council areas in the City Region Deal. As part of this programme, in Edinburgh, there are also 140 affordable homes being built in Greendykes which will be ready in 2027 and another 40 affordable homes currently being designed for Burdiehouse Crescent. These homes will have similar energy saving features.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Music students to get invaluable experience at the King’s Hall

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Music students to get invaluable experience at the King’s Hall

    An exciting new partnership between the King’s Hall in Herne Bay and EKC Canterbury College will see the college’s music students taking part in high quality work experience placements at the iconic seafront venue.

    The project will offer the students invaluable opportunities to learn a variety of skills, explore potential career paths, and develop attitudes and approaches that are highly sought after in the performing arts sector.

    They will develop their skills in organising, supporting and playing active roles in performances and events that take place at the King’s Hall, such as Battle of the Bands and open microphone nights, as well as at other music events organised and managed by the students themselves.

    As a concert, theatre and dance hall venue, the King’s Hall, which is owned and managed by Canterbury City Council, puts on a range of activities for local musicians, performers and community groups to get involved in.

    Cabinet member for culture, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, said: “Given its roots in the heart of the community, the King’s Hall is the perfect venue to back this initiative. We are delighted to be working with EKC Canterbury College to support their students as they develop their skills and learn about the music and entertainment industry.

    “In particular, it will be great to watch them go about organising their own events and I look forward to being in the audience to see the results of their hard work in due course.”

    EKC Canterbury College is part of the wider East Kent College Group. Victoria Copp-Crawley, Executive Principal for the Group, said: “High quality work experience is critical to ensuring the UK’s future workforce is adequately skilled to seamlessly integrate with existing employees, and for the country to remain competitive in the global labour market.

    “To be able to experience this sector first hand at a local venue such as the King’s Hall is a fantastic opportunity and we are sure our students will benefit hugely from all the time they spend there.”

    This is the latest tie in between EKC Canterbury College and the city council, following another project running at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury.

    Cllr Cornell added: “We were very pleased to collaborate with the college at the Beaney through the launch of their Foundation Degree (FdA) in Creative Professional Business Practice, which started this autumn and gives students the opportunity to work on projects in the museum and galleries as part of their course.”

    Published: 28 October 2024

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