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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova: More than 30 thousand primary healthcare facilities will be modernized in 2025–2030

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Tatyana Golikova at the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the present day”

    October 30, 2024

    Tatyana Golikova at the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the present day”

    October 30, 2024

    Tatyana Golikova at the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the present day”

    October 30, 2024

    Tatyana Golikova at the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the present day”

    October 30, 2024

    Tatyana Golikova at the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the present day”

    October 30, 2024

    Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the plenary session of the 3rd National Congress with International Participation “National Healthcare”

    October 30, 2024

    At the end of the plenary session, the winners of the All-Russian competition of young leaders – healthcare organizers were awarded

    October 30, 2024

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    Tatyana Golikova at the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the present day”

    The central event of the third national congress with international participation “National Healthcare” took place in the Great Hall of the State Kremlin Palace – the plenary session “From N.A. Semashko to the Present Day”, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding scientist and physician.

    The plenary session of the third national congress with international participation “National Healthcare” was opened by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

    The moderator of the plenary session was Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. The event was attended by Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, Head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova, Governor of the Orenburg Region Denis Pasler, and TV presenter of the Russia 24 TV channel Alexandra Suvorova.

    The plenary session included a discussion of key areas of development and achievements of the Russian healthcare system through the prism of the merits of the outstanding Soviet healthcare organizer N.A. Semashko: development of human health; accessibility of medical care regardless of place of residence; unity of prevention and treatment; public involvement in the implementation of state policy in the field of healthcare; ensuring sanitary well-being; healthcare management from a scientific point of view; provision of affordable healthy food for everyone and modern affordable medical products.

    “The peculiarity of this congress was its dedication to one of the significant organizers, the first People’s Commissar of Health Nikolai Aleksandrovich Semashko, who laid the foundations of the world’s first state health care system and formed a hierarchical state centralized model with a district principle of providing primary health care, which was subsequently implemented in many countries of the world – Great Britain, Norway, France, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and others. We carried the main principles of Semashko’s system through the years and laid them at the foundation of our Russian health care system,” emphasized Tatyana Golikova.

    The state character of the Russian healthcare system, its free nature and accessibility for citizens, has been preserved.

    “Every year, the state’s expenses on paying for medical care alone increase and by the end of 2023 amounted to 4 trillion rubles. Over the past five years, compared to 2018, expenses on paying for medical care have increased by 1.5 trillion rubles. And by the end of 2024, such expenses are preliminarily estimated at 4.5 trillion rubles,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    Currently, medical care is provided by 7 thousand state and municipal medical organizations, including more than 300 federal ones.

    The federal law “On the Fundamentals of Health Protection of Citizens in the Russian Federation” establishes an approach to the formation of human health from birth and throughout the entire period of his life.

    The entire population of our country is attached to medical organizations. And at least 118 million people use their capabilities annually, including almost 31 million children. Medical organizations annually perform more than 1 billion cases of medical care.

    As Tatyana Golikova noted, in order to implement the main principle of Soviet medicine – disease prevention and prophylaxis – since 2024, the volume of medical care provided in outpatient settings has been increased, and dispensary observation at the workplace has been introduced. “But so far only 36 regions of our country have taken advantage of this opportunity. I ask all regions to more actively implement this approach to dispensary observation,” the Deputy Prime Minister said. She emphasized that the principle of accessibility of medical care at the place of residence, work or study is the main one in Russian legislation.

    Accessibility of medical care and its provision itself are impossible without medical personnel. “Until 2023, we noted a decrease in the number of doctors. Therefore, a whole range of measures was implemented at the federal level, which allowed us, by the end of 2023, for the first time in the last five years, to stop this decline and increase the number of doctors by 7.5 thousand people without taking into account new regions,” Tatyana Golikova emphasized.

    Developing and continuing the foundations laid by Nikolai Aleksandrovich Semashko, the primary health care system is being actively modernized, which in 1978 was recognized by the World Health Organization as the best in the world, which was recorded in a specially adopted declaration. Therefore, the federal project for the modernization of the primary health care system is the most resource-intensive project of the new national project “Long and Active Life”.

    “Over the past three years, we have already modernized over 18,000 healthcare facilities, which affected over 24 million of our citizens. By the end of 2025, within the framework of current regional programs, we will modernize almost 2,000 more facilities. The plans for 2025-2030 include over 30,000 more facilities, where over 80 million residents of the country receive medical care, including those living in rural areas, urban-type settlements and small towns,” noted Tatyana Golikova.

    The priority of prevention in health protection has been established by law, the unity of prevention and treatment has been regulated. Almost 5 thousand medical prevention departments and health centers have been opened in its development. 35.5 million people have applied to these departments for training in the principles of a healthy lifestyle. Another 9 million people have been trained in so-called schools.

    The population is provided with medical examinations and preventive check-ups.

    Since 2024, as part of the Year of the Family, a medical examination to assess reproductive health has been introduced for the first time. Over 3 million men and women of reproductive age have already been examined. In 11% of cases, diseases that negatively affect reproductive function were detected. Additional examination and treatment of such patients is being carried out.

    “We have preserved and strengthened the state system of ensuring sanitary well-being and social hygiene, the foundations of which were laid by Nikolai Aleksandrovich. We have launched a new federal project, “Sanitary Shield of the Country”. We have formed a single centralized system for responding to possible infectious threats. As a result, we have ensured a multiple reduction in infectious diseases. Last year alone, such a reduction was 30%. More than 17 million cases of infectious pathology were prevented,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    Since 2019, a separate project aimed at promoting healthy eating has been implemented within the framework of the national project “Demography”. The project’s activities have already covered more than 40 million people.

    Research for the development of medical science is conducted by over 400 scientific, medical and educational organizations. These organizations perform almost 5.5 thousand studies for medicine. 120 billion rubles have been allocated from various sources for these purposes.

    “We have created conditions for the development of the medical and pharmaceutical industries. In 2023 alone, Russian medical products worth over 1 trillion rubles were produced,” said Tatyana Golikova.

    The participants of the discussion presented information in the format of “was – became – will be” on each thematic area of the session: since the time of N.A. Semashko, achievements of the present time and what will be implemented in the future, in focus on the advantages of the Soviet and Russian health care system and the replication of the Soviet experience of building a health care system in other countries.

    The final plenary session included an award ceremony for the winners of the All-Russian Competition of Young Leaders – Healthcare Organizers. The competition was held by the Central Research Institute of Healthcare and Informatics with the support of the Ministry of Healthcare. The award ceremony was held by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and Minister of Healthcare Mikhail Murashko.

    The plenary session ended with an opera ball featuring artists from the Helikon Opera musical theatre.

    The third national congress with international participation “National Healthcare” was held with the support of the Russian Government. The event was organized by the Ministry of Healthcare and the Roscongress Foundation. The organizational partner of the event was the Central Research Institute for Healthcare Organization and Informatization of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Witchcraft and a Haunted Case of Torture in Joost de Damhouder’s Praxis Rerum Criminalium (1555)

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    One of the perplexing aspects of the surge in witch trials that took place in Europe between the 15th and the 18th centuries is the question of how much the personal experiences of that era’s legal personnel influenced the practice of criminal justice throughout the period. In a previous post on this blog, we saw that the political philosopher and witchcraft theorist Jean Bodin cited the existence of a (mostly) invisible guiding spirit that helped to steel his resolve against demonic foes. In this post, we will take a look at Joost de Damhouder, the author of an important 16th century handbook on criminal law, who described an anomalous experience involving an amulet that shaped his views on the use of torture, a story that seems actually to have taken place.

    In the first half of the 16th century, the legal field underwent a process of professionalization throughout much of Western Europe. This was driven in part by the expansion of the use of the printing press, which gave legal practitioners access to a much wider body of legal texts and information than was possible before the age of printing. That change also triggered new demand for small-format general practice guides that could put immediate and practical knowledge in the hands of the lawyers, magistrates and lower officials that managed the daily business of the law in Renaissance Europe.

    Within a couple decades, the market for subject-specific practice books and treatises began to expand as well. On the subject of criminal procedure, two important examples of this literature appeared in Venice, Italy to solid commercial success, Practica causarum criminalis of Hippolytus de Marsiliis [Venice, 1529] and Practica Nova Causarum Criminalium of Lodovico Carerio (Venice, 1546). These were joined by others in short order. For example, Joost de Damhouder (1507-1581), a lawyer from Bruges who had worked in criminal law and who was a member of the fiscal council of the Netherlands in Brussels (which is now in Belgium), seized the opportunity to capitalize on this trend. He published in 1554 a work that captured the current state of criminal practice law in his home region of Flanders. (Dauchy et. al., ch. , 3sect. 26.) That work was Praxis rerum criminalium (Criminal Matters Practice).

    Damhouder’s book contains images of various categories of crime, one of which, depicted here in this full-page woodcut illustration from Damhouder’s 1554 Enchiridion rerum criminalium, is the crime of parricide. Photo by Nathan Dorn.

    Damhouder first published Praxis rerum criminalium under the title Enchiridion rerum criminalium (Guidebook of Criminal Matters) in Leuven in 1554 and changed the title in subsequent editions. It went on to be printed many times and became over a handful of years perhaps the most influential short handbook on the subject of criminal law in Europe. (Dauchy et al., ch. 3, sect. 26.) In some respects, this was because of the qualities of the text, which presented succinct and clear statements on a number of areas within the subject of criminal law, including rules governing accusation, investigation of crime, torture, incarceration, and various categories of criminal activity. Some of these categories are very familiar: theft, fraud, assault and battery, murder, rape, arson, and more. Others sound antiquated: throwing waste out of a window, adultery, banditry, and grave robbery, for instance. (Dauchy et al., ch. 3, sect. 26.) Some belong to a world that is distinctly alien to most of the audience of this post: blasphemy, sacrilege, treason against God, and witchcraft. Categories along these lines sufficed, apparently, to make the book widely useful.

    A large measure of its success, however, must also be due to the 57 wood engravings that Damhouder commissioned for the book’s publication. Unlike many books of that format and price point, Praxis rerum ciminialium was more-or-less festooned with images. These depicted crimes, tribunals, and penalties suffered by the convicted. Illustrations of this or any quality were more typically found in books that sold at luxury prices. This title, however, was both offered in a less expensive format and illustrated with fascinating images of the world of crime and punishment. (Dauchy et. al., ch. 3, sect. 26.)

    This image from Damhouder’s 1554 Enchiridion rerum criminalium depicts the crime of harming passersby through carelessly hurling waste out of the windows of city houses. Photo by Nathan Dorn.

    An interesting point about Damhouder’s book is that it is, almost in its entirety, a Latin translation of a pre-existing manuscript that was written by another author. The original that stands behind Praxis rerum criminalium, was a Flemish work by Philips Wielant (1441 or 1442-1520), a magistrate who served on the Council of Flanders. That book was called Corte instructie in materie criminele. (Dauchy et al., ch. 3, sect. 26.) Wielant prepared a first version of the text in 1510 and a second, augmented version, in 1515. A French version dating to 1519 also exists. (Monballyu, p. 293.) Wielant, who was a couple generations older than Damhouder, never had the book printed, and it did not appear in print until an edition of Wielant’s works was made from existing manuscripts in 1872. That publication led to the discovery that Damhouder’s book cannibalized Wielant’s text. (Dauchy et al., ch. 3, sect. 26.)

    The originality of Damhouder’s work has to do first with its publication in the Latin language, which made it far more accessible to the overall European community than the Dutch original, and secondly with the images that he added, which had something like the same effect. But we do see a flash of independence in another area, in a place in which Damhouder deviates from Wielant’s text. That is regarding the crime of witchcraft. (Monballyu, p. 299 and following.)

    Damhouder places witchcraft in the category of lèse-majesté divine, treason against God. This image from Damhouder’s 1554 Enchiridion rerum criminalium depicts blasphemous acts. Photo by Nathan Dorn.

    Where Damhouder provides a bit of original material is in his chapters on torture. (Monballyu, p. 293.) Of interest to him is that people who practice magic sometimes use magical means to avoid suffering the pain of torture. And if the torture victim suffers no pain from the ordeal, then she will not be compelled to answer the investigator’s questions. This renders the magistrates helpless to produce a confession. If this is allowed to take place, many accused will escape punishment. To avoid this, Damhouder makes a particular plea that investigators should never neglect to shave the entire body of a person accused of witchcraft. The purpose of this surprising measure is simple: one must expose to sight any place on the body of the accused where she might hide a talisman or a charm, since magical objects were often used to nullify the pain that the investigators were trying to inflict. Damhouder is especially insistent that shame and embarrassment should not prevent investigators from shaving the accused entirely. (Monballyu, p. 293.) In the French version of the book, Pratique judiciaire des causes criminelles, published in Anvers in 1564, Damhouder relates an experience he claims to have had that convinced him of the need for this precaution. The story appears in chapter 37 of the 1564 work, from paragraph 19 onward (ff. 38v.-41r.).

    This image from Damhouder’s 1554 Enchiridion rerum criminalium depicts a tribunal attempting to extract a confession from the accused by torture. Photo by Nathan Dorn.

    The story he tells took place when Damhouder resided in Bruges, a period between 1537 and 1550, during which time he was a city alderman. There was an old woman living in town who was said to be able to effect miraculous cures for people who had injuries or illnesses. In general, she was highly regarded by the public, which valued her healing skills and tended to think of her as a quite devout, even saintly, Christian, “an apostle of Christ,” in Damhouder’s telling. This reputation did not impress certain aldermen of Bruges who sought to have her investigated on grounds she might be using illicit magic to work her cures. In consequence of this, she was apprehended in the middle of the night and incarcerated with a view to questioning her. The interrogation was, at first, entirely useless, despite the investigators’ use of torture. The old woman insisted throughout that she was doing nothing at all out of line and that she was a devout Christian. In a strange episode, the mayor of Bruges, who was present, gasped several times on account of suffering a severe case of arthritis. When the woman commented on it, he offered her payment to cure him. She agreed, and when one of the men present asked what means she would use, she assured the mayor that he needed to do nothing but believe that she could heal him. These were fateful words. Upon hearing them, the men who were present warned the mayor that her answer revealed that she was not relying on God, but on some other power to effect her cures and that he should have nothing to do with it. Apostles of Christ, they said, always mention God’s name.

    What followed was a series of fruitless interrogations assisted by torture. In the third session, Damhouder tells us, she mocked her captors and even fell asleep during the questioning. At length, it was noticed that while her hair was shaved in preparation for the fourth round of questioning, that the interrogators had neglected to shave all of her body hair before continuing. When they finally did so, they discovered, hidden on her person, a small parchment on which was written strange writing and the symbol of the cross. Once it was removed from her body, she was returned to be tortured again. During that session, she confessed to relying on the aid of the devil to perform her cures. In view of her age and gender, the authorities agreed to subject her to a brief public humiliation and then to banish her from the city rather than to execute her. In time, she was arrested again, this time by magistrates in Middlebourg, a town in

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/CHAD – After 40 soldiers died in a jihadist attack, the Chadian government promises a harsh response

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    N’Djamena (Agenzia Fides) – Three days of national mourning in Chad in memory of the victims of the jihadist attack on a military base near Lake Chad were declared by Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby, who personally traveled to the site of the attack on October 28 and announced the start of a counter-offensive, called “Haskanite”, to find the perpetrators of the massacre.On the night of October 27-28, an armed group attacked the Chadian army garrison on the island of Barkaram, on the border with Nigeria. Of the 200 soldiers present, 40 were killed, including their commander. The attackers occupied the base until dawn and left with a large amount of weapons and ammunition. Chadian authorities claim that the attack was carried out by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram, which has long experienced several splits, the most important of which led to the creation of ISWAP (Islamic State in West Africa Province). Following the death of Boko Haram’s historic leader Abubakar Shekau in 2021, who reportedly committed suicide to avoid falling into the hands of ISWAP’s rivals, the leadership was taken over by Bakura Modu. The group he led continues to lose fighters who join ISWAP and others who join the Nigerian army’s demobilization and reintegration program for jihadists and lay down their arms. If the Barkaram attack was indeed carried out by militiamen led by Bakura Modu, it is seen as an attempt by this militia to assert its leadership role and show the outside world that it is alive and capable of carrying out wide-ranging actions. The Chadian President, in turn, must show determination in the face of the challenge that faces him, as his predecessor Idriss Déby did after the massacre of about 100 soldiers in March 2020 at the Bohama base, also in the Lake Chad region, by Boko Haram (see Fides, 28/3/2020). The father of the current president had gone to the site of the massacre and launched Operation Wrath of Bohama to pursue the perpetrators. Chad is today the only country in the Sahel where Western troops, especially French and American, are stationed. The three countries where military juntas came to power through coups (Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger), grouped in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have expelled foreign military missions from their territories (except for the Italian contingent still stationed in Niger). All these countries are facing offensives by various jihadist groups. Chad is trying to maintain good relations both with the West and with countries such as Russia and China, as well as with its AES neighbors. Today it was announced that an important Chadian delegation is visiting Niger. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 30/10/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: RAISE Summit 2025 to Shape the Future of AI Confirmed for July in Paris

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PARIS, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RAISE Summit, the leading conference for the AI industry, has announced its 2025 event. Set to take place on July 8-9 in Paris, RAISE 2025 will bring together thousands of delegates to explore the future of artificial intelligence and meet the visionaries shaping this transformative technology.

    Poised to be the largest RAISE Summit yet with more than 5,000 delegates, the 2025 event at the Carrousel du Louvre will feature three stages and an exhibition hall. Highlights include a startup competition, hackathon, and VIP dinner, while 2,000 companies and more than 250 speakers will address key themes including the potential of AI to reshape everyday life.

    Speakers confirmed for the 2025 event include Jonathan Ross, CEO and Co-founder of Groq; Clément Delangue, CEO and Co-founder of Hugging Face; and Scott Belsky, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP, Design & Emerging Products at Adobe. Event tracks include Infrastructure, Finance & Insurance, Cybersecurity, Healthcare, Public Policy and Compliance & Safety, Breakthrough (Agents Economy, AGI), and Blockchain x Decentralisation.

    RAISE Summit Co-Founder Hadrien de Cournon said: “We are thrilled to announce the expansion of RAISE Summit into a two-day event at the iconic Carrousel du Louvre. Following the overwhelming success of our inaugural event in April 2024, it’s clear that businesses are eager to unlock the full potential of generative AI.

    “This next edition will be the European flagship AI event for businesses, offering C-suite executives a unique platform to shape their AI strategies and connect with the partners needed to drive meaningful implementation. As AI continues to transform industries, we are committed to helping leaders navigate this journey with confidence and insight.”

    One of the main draws of the 2025 summit, the RAISE Startup Competition, will attract cutting-edge innovators from across the world. Sponsored by leading venture capital firms, the competition is designed for emerging AI companies to gain recognition, connect with top investors, and accelerate their growth. The RAISE Summit Hackathon, meanwhile, will feature more than 300 participants tasked with creating impactful solutions that will drive the adoption of AI for businesses and consumers alike.

    As a tech-agnostic and cross-industry event, RAISE aims to bring together builders and innovators spanning multiple disciplines to explore and drive the future of AI. Delegates can look forward to in-depth case studies that showcase proven AI implementations and interactive sessions to refine strategy with industry experts. There will also be networking opportunities and side-events with key partners aided by an event app so attendees can plan meetings in advance.

    Praises for the inaugural RAISE Summit of 2024 included: “RAISE is where everyone in AI is going,” from Jonathan Ross, Founder, Groq; “As things become more virtual, I think it’s increasingly important for people to come together. The serendipity that can happen when you’re together in a physical space is life-changing,” from Chamath Palihapitiya, Co-Founder, Social Capital; and “I found RAISE to be quite remarkable and I’m sure many people will find value from it through contacts and opportunities,” from Karim Beguir, Co-Founder, Insta Deep.

    To reserve a place see here https://www.raisesummit.com/register 

    About the RAISE Summit

    More than just another AI event, RAISE SUMMIT forms a global gathering for the brightest minds, visionary partners, and industry leaders intent on transcending boundaries and driving AI innovation. RAISE Summit is the premier event for professionals seeking to disrupt, build, and connect in the AI industry.

    RAISE Summit 2024 saw 2,100 attendees, 545 leading companies, and 110 inspiring speakers, with over 40 sponsors. For 2025, we’re building on that success, expanding to a two-day event, expecting +5000 attendees, 2000 companies, 250 speakers, 200 sponsors and focusing on the transformative potential of Generative AI to reshape industries, societies, and everyday life.

    Keynote speakers in 2024 included Chamath Palihapitiya, Co-Founder, Social Capital; Aravind Srinivas, Co-Founder, Perplexity AI; Jonathan Ross, CEO and Co-founder of Groq; Arthur Mensch, Co-Founder, Mistral AI; Caspar Herzberg, CEO, AVEVA Systems; Nicolas Dufourq, CEO, BPI France; Tony Fadell, Entrepreneur & Author – Ex-Apple SVP – iPod; Rodrigo Liang, CEO & Co-Founder of; SambaNova Systems; Renate Nyborg, Founder & CEO, Meeno; Michael Kratsios, ex-CTO of the USA – MD Scale AI. Leading sponsors included Google, AWS, Mistral AI, NVIDIA, Salesforce, Accenture, Tesla, Oracle, Hackerone and bpifrance.

    https://www.raisesummit.com/

    Jen Summers

    jen@chainof.events

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91fcc022-7daa-4394-87be-1f4915e6b62b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max

    October 30, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max

    M4 Pro and M4 Max join M4 to form the most advanced family of chips ever built for a personal computer

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced M4 Pro and M4 Max, two new chips that — along with M4 — bring far more power-efficient performance and advanced capabilities to the Mac. All three chips are built using industry-leading, second-generation 3-nanometer technology, which improves performance and power efficiency. The CPUs across the M4 family feature the world’s fastest CPU core, delivering the industry’s best single-threaded performance, and dramatically faster multithreaded performance.1 The GPUs build on the breakthrough graphics architecture introduced in the previous generation, with faster cores and a 2x faster ray-tracing engine. M4 Pro and M4 Max enable Thunderbolt 5 for the Mac for the first time, and unified memory bandwidth is greatly increased — up to 75 percent. Combined with a Neural Engine that’s up to 2x faster than the previous generation and enhanced machine learning (ML) accelerators in the CPUs, the M4 family of chips brings incredible performance for pro and AI workloads. And they deliver blazing performance for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy.

    “Apple silicon has taken the Mac to unprecedented heights, and the rapid pace of innovation continues with M4 Pro and M4 Max,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “With the world’s fastest CPU core, immensely more powerful GPUs, and the fastest Neural Engine ever, the power-efficient performance and capabilities of the M4 family extend its lead as the most advanced lineup of chips in the industry.”

    M4: Phenomenal Performance and New Capabilities

    For entrepreneurs, students, creators, and more, the phenomenal performance of M4 comes to Mac for the first time. M4 features an up to 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and up to six efficiency cores. It’s up to 1.8x faster than M1, so multitasking across apps like Safari and Excel is lightning fast. A 10-core GPU provides incredible graphics performance, up to 2x faster than M1, making everything from editing photos to AAA gameplay exceptionally fast and smooth. And the faster 16-core Neural Engine is great for Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and other AI workloads.

    M4 supports up to 32GB of unified memory and has higher memory bandwidth of 120GB/s. The display engine of the M4 family is enhanced to support two external displays in addition to a built-in display. And M4 now supports up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, providing fast data transfer speeds and even more flexibility across peripherals.

    M4 Pro: Far More Powerful and Capable than Any AI PC Chip

    M4 Pro takes the advanced technologies debuted in M4 and scales them up for researchers, developers, engineers, creative pros, and other users with more demanding workflows. M4 Pro features an up to 14-core CPU consisting of up to 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s up to 1.9x faster than the CPU of M1 Pro, and up to 2.1x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 The GPU features up to 20 cores for graphics performance that is 2x that of M4, and up to 2.4x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 This huge boost in performance makes building and testing apps across multiple simulators in Xcode quicker than ever. And with the improved hardware-accelerated ray-tracing engine in the M4 family GPU, games like Control look more compelling, and pro 3D renderers can produce stunning imagery in even less time.

    M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of fast unified memory and 273GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is a massive 75 percent increase over M3 Pro and 2x the bandwidth of any AI PC chip.3 This, combined with the faster Neural Engine of the M4 family, means on-device Apple Intelligence models run at blazing speed. M4 Pro also supports Thunderbolt 5 on Mac, delivering up to 120Gb/s data transfer speeds, which more than doubles the throughput of Thunderbolt 4. For professionals working on larger file sizes across AI, video, code bases, and more, M4 Pro offers stunning performance and Apple silicon’s legendary power efficiency.

    M4 Max: The Most Powerful Chip for a Pro Laptop

    M4 Max is the ultimate choice for data scientists, 3D artists, and composers who push pro workflows to the limit. It has an up to 16-core CPU, with up to 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s up to 2.2x faster than the CPU in M1 Max and up to 2.5x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 The GPU has up to 40 cores for performance that is up to 1.9x faster than M1 Max and up to an astounding 4x faster than the latest AI PC chip.2 So heavy workloads like de-noising raw video footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio can now run in real time.

    M4 Max supports up to 128GB of fast unified memory and up to 546GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is 4x the bandwidth of the latest AI PC chip.3 This allows developers to easily interact with large language models that have nearly 200 billion parameters. The enhanced Media Engine of M4 Max includes two video encode engines and two ProRes accelerators, making it the ultimate choice for video professionals. And like M4 Pro, M4 Max also supports Thunderbolt 5 with up to 120Gb/s data transfer capability. M4 Max rips through the most challenging pro workloads and, thanks to the energy efficiency of Apple silicon, delivers exceptional battery life in a laptop.

    Apple Silicon Powers Apple Intelligence

    M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max are built for Apple Intelligence.4 Ushering in a new era for the Mac, Apple Intelligence brings 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.

    Better for the Environment

    The power-efficient performance of M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max helps the all-new MacBook Pro lineup meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and deliver up to 24 hours of battery life.5 This results in less time needing to be plugged in and less energy consumed over its lifetime. And for desktop systems like iMac and Mac mini, the energy efficiency of Apple silicon also reduces the total amount of energy used. 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.

    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 October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    2. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using select industry-standard benchmarks. AI PC chip performance data from testing MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo (A2VMG-014US) with Core Ultra 7 258V.
    3. Based on published technical specifications of shipping competitive chips as of October 2024.
    4. 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.
    5. Testing was conducted by Apple from August through October 2024. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/macbook-pro for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Todd Wilder

    Apple

    wilder@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New MacBook Pro features M4 family of chips and Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: New MacBook Pro features M4 family of chips and Apple Intelligence

    October 30, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple’s new MacBook Pro features the incredibly powerful M4 family of chips and ushers in a new era with Apple Intelligence

    With an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, Thunderbolt 5 on M4 Pro and M4 Max models, and an all-new nano-texture display option, MacBook Pro gets even more capable and even more pro

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the new MacBook Pro, powered by the M4 family of chips — M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max — delivering much faster performance and enhanced capabilities. The new MacBook Pro is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. Now available in space black and silver finishes, the 14-inch MacBook Pro includes the blazing-fast performance of M4 and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, starting with 16GB of memory, all at just $1,599. The 14- and 16-inch models with M4 Pro and M4 Max offer Thunderbolt 5 for faster transfer speeds and advanced connectivity. All models include a Liquid Retina XDR display that gets even better with an all-new nano-texture display option and up to 1000 nits of brightness for SDR content, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, along with up to 24 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac.1 The new MacBook Pro is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning November 8.

    “MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life’s best work, and today we’re making it even better,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With the powerful M4 family of chips, and packed with pro features like Thunderbolt 5, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, an all-new nano-texture display option, and Apple Intelligence, the new MacBook Pro continues to be, by far, the world’s best pro laptop.”

    Supercharged by the M4 Family of Chips

    Built using second-generation 3-nanometer technology, the M4 family is the most advanced lineup of chips for a personal computer. The M4 family features phenomenal single-threaded CPU performance with the world’s fastest CPU core,2 along with outstanding multithreaded CPU performance for the most demanding workloads. Combined with machine learning accelerators in the CPU, an advanced GPU, and a faster and more efficient Neural Engine, Apple silicon is built from the ground up to deliver incredible performance for AI. Together with faster unified memory, each chip also includes increased memory bandwidth, so large language models (LLMs) and other large projects run smoothly and on device. Additionally, the industry-leading performance per watt of the M4 family means that users get up to 24 hours of battery life, raising the bar of what users can do on a single charge.

    New 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4

    The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 is the ideal choice for entrepreneurs, students, creators, or anyone doing what they love. Featuring a more powerful 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, and a faster 10-core GPU with Apple’s most advanced graphics architecture, the new MacBook Pro starts with 16GB of faster unified memory with support for up to 32GB, along with 120GB/s of memory bandwidth. With M4, MacBook Pro is up to 1.8x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 for tasks like editing gigapixel photos, and even more demanding workloads like rendering complex scenes in Blender are up to 3.4x faster.1 With a Neural Engine that’s over 3x more powerful than in M1, it’s great for features in Apple Intelligence and other AI workloads. The M4 model also supports two high-resolution external displays in addition to the built-in display, and now features three Thunderbolt 4 ports so users can connect all their peripherals.

    MacBook Pro with M4 delivers:1

    • Up to 7x faster image processing in Affinity Photo when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1.
    • Up to 10.9x faster 3D rendering in Blender when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 3.4x faster when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1.
    • Up to 9.8x faster scene edit detection in Adobe Premiere Pro when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.7x faster when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1.

    MacBook Pro with M4 Pro: A Pro Powerhouse

    For researchers, developers, engineers, creative pros, or anyone that needs even faster performance for more demanding workflows, MacBook Pro with M4 Pro offers a tremendous performance boost. M4 Pro features a powerful 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores for a jump in multicore performance, along with up to a 20-core GPU that is twice as powerful as M4. With M4 Pro, the new MacBook Pro gets a massive 75 percent increase in memory bandwidth over the prior generation — double that of any AI PC chip.3 The new MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is up to 3x faster than models with M1 Pro, speeding up workflows like geo mapping, structural engineering, and data modeling.1

    MacBook Pro with M4 Pro offers:1

    • Up to 4x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 3x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.
    • Up to 5x faster simulation of dynamical systems in MathWorks MATLAB when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.
    • Up to 23.8x faster basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.

    MacBook Pro with M4 Max: The Ultimate in Pro Performance

    Designed for pros like data scientists, 3D artists, and composers who constantly push workflows to the limit, MacBook Pro with M4 Max empowers users to work on projects that were previously only imaginable on a desktop. M4 Max brings up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth, and a Neural Engine that is over 3x faster than M1 Max, allowing on-device AI models to run faster than ever. With M4 Max, MacBook Pro delivers up to 3.5x the performance of M1 Max, ripping through heavy creative workloads like visual effects, 3D animation, and film scoring.1 It also supports up to 128GB of unified memory, so developers can easily interact with LLMs that have nearly 200 billion parameters. And with the powerful Media Engine in M4 Max, which features two ProRes accelerators, MacBook Pro performance is amazing even when taking 4K120 fps ProRes video captured with the new iPhone 16 Pro and editing it in Final Cut Pro.

    MacBook Pro with M4 Max enables:1

    • Up to 7.8x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 3.5x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
    • Up to 4.6x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
    • Up to 30.8x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 1.6x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.

    Industry-Leading Liquid XDR Display Gets Even Better

    The new MacBook Pro introduces an all-new nano-texture display option that dramatically reduces glare and distractions from reflections. In bright lighting conditions, the new MacBook Pro can now show SDR content at up to 1000 nits and still displays HDR content at up to 1600 nits of peak brightness. All together, it’s a game-changing experience for users working outdoors.

    New 12MP Center Stage Camera

    MacBook Pro includes a new 12MP Center Stage camera that delivers enhanced video quality in challenging lighting conditions. Video calls are even more engaging with Center Stage, which automatically keeps users centered in the frame as they move around. The new camera also supports Desk View, which adds a whole new dimension to video calls. And with studio-quality mics and a phenomenal six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio, MacBook Pro delivers an incredibly immersive audio experience whether users are listening to music or watching a movie in Dolby Atmos.

    Thunderbolt 5 Comes to the Mac

    MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max features Thunderbolt 5 ports that more than double transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s, enabling faster external storage, expansion chassis, and powerful docking and hub solutions. For example, by connecting just a single cable, pros like music producers can now light up their entire studio. All MacBook Pro models feature an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution, a SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 port for charging, and a headphone jack, along with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

    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.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new MacBook Pro experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and notifications directly from their Mac.4 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,5 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 new beautiful built-in backgrounds for video calls, which include a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    The Perfect Time to Upgrade or Switch to a Mac

    Upgraders will get monumental improvements over Intel-based MacBook Pro models, including the amazing features of Apple Intelligence. When compared to an Intel-based MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Pro provides nearly 10x faster performance for AI-based workloads,1 and for graphics-intensive workloads, users get up to 20x faster performance.6 With battery life on the new MacBook Pro now up to 24 hours, upgraders will also experience up to 14 additional hours. And with the Liquid Retina XDR display, a new 12MP Center Stage camera, an immersive six-speaker sound system, the unrivaled experience of macOS Sequoia, and more, there’s never been a better time to upgrade or switch to MacBook Pro.

    MacBook Air: The World’s Most Popular Laptop Now Starts at 16GB

    MacBook Air is the world’s most popular laptop, and with Apple Intelligence, it’s even better. Now, models with M2 and M3 double the starting memory to 16GB, while keeping the starting price at just $999 — a terrific value for the world’s best-selling laptop.

    Better for the Environment

    The new MacBook Pro is built to last and incredibly durable, created from a custom alloy that uses 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure. It also uses 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled tin soldering, gold plating, and copper in multiple printed circuit boards. The packaging for the 14-inch MacBook Pro is now entirely fiber-based, joining the 16-inch MacBook Pro and 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 MacBook Pro starting today, October 30, 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.
    • The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 starts at $1,599 (U.S.) and $1,499 (U.S.) for education; the 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts at $1,999 (U.S.) and $1,849 (U.S.) for education; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 (U.S.) and $2,299 (U.S.) for education. All models are available in space black and silver.
    • Additional technical specifications, including the nano-texture display and configure-to-order options, are available at apple.com/mac.
    • MacBook Air with M2 and M3 comes standard with 16GB of unified memory, and is available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray, starting at $999 (U.S.) and $899 (U.S.) for education.
    • New accessories with USB-C — including Magic Keyboard ($99 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID ($149 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad ($179 U.S.), Magic Trackpad ($129 U.S.), Magic Mouse ($79 U.S.), and Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable ($69) — are available at apple.com/store.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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 from August through October 2024. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/macbook-pro for more information.
    2. Testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    3. Based on published technical specifications of shipping competitive chips as of October 2024.
    4. 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.
    5. Testing was conducted by Apple in August 2024. See apple.com/safari for more information.
    6. Results are compared to previous-generation 1.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.

    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 Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Pink October – B10-0087/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    B10‑0087/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Pink October

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rule 149 of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan,

    A. whereas Pink October promotes breast cancer screening to detect tumours at an early stage, which improves the chances of remission and the possibility of conservative surgery;

    B. whereas 90 % of breast cancer patients recover if it is detected early;

    C. whereas screening rates are still low, however, and in France less than half of all women between the ages of 50 and 74 take part in the recommended screening;

    D. whereas cancer detection rates are rising, particularly among younger women;

    1. Highlights the growing shortage of medical services, which automatically reduces screening rates;

    2. Urges the Member States to provide better breast services to reduce the delays faced by women and carry out mammograms more quickly;

    3. Calls on the Commission to propose an initiative to combat tobacco addiction;

    4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: A NEW SATELLITE AGREEMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE PAN-AFRICAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FRANCE AND MOROCCO

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: A NEW SATELLITE AGREEMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE PAN-AFRICAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FRANCE AND MOROCCO

    • French President Emmanuel Macron set to meet with Moroccan King Mohammed VI on a state visit this week.
    • Morocco’s Panafsat and Thales Alenia Space sign memorandum of understanding to build a pan-African satellite telecommunications system.

    Rabat, October 29, 2024 – Moroccan company Panafsat and Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), today announced they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of a Moroccan satellite communications system. The system will deliver very-high-throughput services (VHTS) to 26 African countries, 23 of them in French-speaking Africa, covering a combined population of around 550 million people over an area spanning 12 million square kilometers.

    The memorandum of understanding between the Moroccan operator Panafsat and Thales Alenia Space was signed today as part of the state visit of French President, Emmanuel Macron, to the Kingdom of Morocco,in the presence of Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Moroccan Minister of the Economy and Finance and Antoine Armand, French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry.

    Under the MoU, Thales Alenia Space will build a very-high-performance flexible satellite. Once in orbit, the satellite will deliver high-speed internet to accelerate the transformation of Africa’s digital landscape. This will be achieved by providing the connectivity required for high value-added services for the benefit of governments, businesses and individuals. It will also help bridge the digital divide in rural and isolated communities.

    Chairman and CEO of Panafsat Ahmed Toumi stated: “This project is the next key stage in the digital transformation process and the development of a digital economy in Morocco, and across Africa as a whole. It will change the lives of millions of people, eager to benefit from Internet access and all the essential services they need. We are delighted to be able to draw on the outstanding expertise and capabilities of a partner like Thales Alenia Space. We look forward to working together on this major project, which will bring significant benefits across the continent.”

    Thales Alenia Space CEO Hervé Derrey added: “It is a privilege for Thales Alenia Space to be chosen by Panafsat to deliver this new geostationary telecommunications satellite. The project will make a significant contribution to bridging the digital divide in rural areas, as well as boosting economic growth and strengthening digital sovereignty across the African continent. We are honored to embark on this long-term partnership with Africa’s foremost private operator, helping it to expand its capabilities and develop space services for the benefit of the entire continent.”

    The MoU is part of a roadmap developed by France and Morocco encompassing digitalization initiatives such as Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A) and Digital Morocco 2030, as well as the hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2030 in Morocco.

    About Panafsat

    Panafsat SA is a Moroccan private equity firm with Casablanca Finance City (CFC) status.

    It was set up by Ahmed Toumi, an elected board member of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Radio Regulation Board from 1998 to 2002. Ahmed Toumi was also Chairman and Director-General of ITSO-Intelsat (the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization) from 2001 to 2009. He was awarded the Order of the Throne Officer class. Panafsat is developing Morocco’s first geostationary satellite to provide Internet access for 26 African countries. The project will contribute to the digital transformation of Africa in line with regional and global objectives.

    Press contact

    Kaoutar HAKAM            Tel: +33 7 79 80 39 26               kaoutar.hakam@panafsat.ma

    ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE

    Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 9 countries, with 16 sites in Europe and a plant in the US. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

    THALES ALENIA SPACE – PRESS CONTACTS

    Tarik Lahlou                    Tel: +33 (0)6 87 95 89 56           tarik.lahlou@thalesaleniaspace.com

    Catherine des Arcis       Tel: +33 (0)6 78 64 63 97           catherine.des-arcis@thalesaleniaspace.com

    Cinzia Marcanio             Tel.: +39 (0)6 415 126 85           cinzia.marcanio@thalesaleniaspace.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Ecuador’s National Councils for Equality, Ask about State of Emergency Restrictions and Military Management of Prisons

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the seventh periodic report of Ecuador on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with Committee Experts commending the State’s national councils for equality, and raising issues concerning restrictions imposed under the state of emergency and the deployment of military personnel to manage State prisons. 

    A Committee Expert welcomed that the State party had established national councils for equality.  How had the initiatives of the National Council for Gender Equality contributed to promoting gender equality?

    Another Committee Expert cited reports that freedom of movement and assembly had been considerably curtailed under the state of emergency, and that vulnerable sectors of society had been disproportionately affected by restrictions.  How would the State party ensure that measures taken under the state of emergency were strictly proportionate, time-bound and necessary?

    Under the state of emergency, military personnel had been deployed to administer prisons, the Expert noted.  Was the State party considering gradually withdrawing the military from prisons?  There had been complaints of torture and abuse of authority, as well as murders and arbitrary detention by military personnel in prisons.  Had the State party investigated these and prosecuted any personnel?

    Juan Carlos Larrea, Attorney General of State of Ecuador and head of the delegation, said that the Office of the Attorney General had carried out constant training for members of the national police and armed forces on international human rights and humanitarian law, the use of force, and the rights of persons deprived of liberty. The delegation added that the State party was working to strengthen training for prison staff.  It planned to train almost 7,000 staff over a five-year period.

    The delegation said the National Council for Gender Equality had a mandate to mainstream and monitor public policies on gender equality and promote the rights of women and persons from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community.  Some of the goals of the national agenda on equality were to reduce maternal and child mortality and teenage pregnancy, and there had been progress in these areas.

    The delegation said a state of emergency had recently been implemented to confront spiralling acts of violence, terrorism, internal armed conflict, and the prison crisis.  All measures implemented under a state of emergency needed to be time bound and to conform with principles of necessity and proportionality, and all states of emergency were monitored by the Constitutional Court.

    Formerly, Ecuador’s prisons were in effect being run by organised gangs due to a lack of oversight, creating a crisis in the prison system, the delegation said.  The State party had implemented the “Phoenix Plan” to regain control and safety in all prisons.  The armed forces were ensuring physical security in only eight of the 35 adult detention centres in the State. 

    The delegation also said armed forces personnel had been involved in 72 cases of habeas corpus, with personnel cleared of wrongdoing in 68 cases and the remaining cases still being investigated.  A specialised prosecutor’s unit had been established to investigate cases of harm or death caused by the armed forces and the prison service.

    In concluding remarks, Mr. Larrea said Ecuador was fully committed to implementing international human rights law and promoting respect for human rights.  It was facing challenges in the field of human rights, including spiralling international organised crime, but remained committed to addressing these.  The delegation hoped that the Committee would provide concrete recommendations that addressed the complex challenges Ecuador was facing.

    Tania María Abdo Rocholl, Committee Chairperson, in concluding remarks, said the dialogue had addressed historic human rights violations, measures to combat terrorism, reproductive rights, the independence of the judiciary, and the situations of human rights defenders and indigenous peoples, among other topics.  The Committee was committed to its mandate of guaranteeing the highest level of implementation of the Covenant in Ecuador.

    The delegation of Ecuador was made up of representatives of the Ministry for Women and Human Rights; National Council for Gender Equality; National Service for the Comprehensive Care of Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility; Office of the Attorney General of the State; Ministry of National Defence; and the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Human Rights Committee’s one hundred and forty-second session is being held from 14 October to 7 November 2024.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Monday, 4 November, to hear the presentation of the progress report of the Committee’s Special Rapporteur on Views.

    Report

    The Committee has before it the seventh periodic report of Ecuador (CCPR/C/ECU/7).

    Presentation of the Report

    JUAN CARLOS LARREA, Attorney General of State of Ecuador and head of the delegation, said Ecuador had demonstrated its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights through the ratification of the 27 United Nations instruments on human rights; the open invitation to the Rapporteurs and Special Procedures of the United Nations and the Inter-American system; timely and continuous submission of periodic reports; and the establishment of the national mechanism for the implementation, follow-up and monitoring of Ecuador’s international human rights recommendations.

    Ecuador had implemented public policies to comply with the provisions of the Covenant.  Notable achievements over the reporting period included the creation of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights; the decriminalisation of abortion in cases of rape; the implementation of the second phase of the spotlight initiative for the eradication of gender-based violence; and actions taken to improve the situation of persons deprived of liberty. 

    The executive had trained 25,844 people on the right to life, freedom of expression and peaceful protest, due process, the right to liberty, free mobility, equality and non-discrimination.  The judiciary had held training events on human rights which benefited 69,624 officials, professional associations and universities.  Similarly, the Office of the Attorney General had carried out constant training for members of the national police and armed forces on international human rights and humanitarian law, the use of force, and the rights of persons deprived of liberty. 

    The organic law on communication created a mechanism to protect the life and integrity of journalists and to develop indicators on murder, kidnapping, forced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists.  The State was also developing protocols for their protection and to ensure prevention. So far in 2024, 97 alerts of aggression against media workers had been received.  In response to these, the Communication Council had carried out 78 protective actions, in addition to security workshops in conjunction with the national police and armed forces. 

    The National Council for the Equality of Peoples and Nationalities had drawn up the agenda for the equal rights of indigenous nationalities and peoples, the Afro-Ecuadorian people and the Montubio people. Representatives of organizations and civil society were consulted in its development.  In 2023, the National Council held 14 territorial conferences with members of organizations of Afro-Ecuadorian communities to examine issues related to the Decade for People of African Descent at the national and international levels and move forward with proposals for its fulfilment, from which support for the declaration of a second Decade was concluded.

    ARIANNA TANCA MACCHIAVELLO, Minister for Women and Human Rights, said the Ministry was dedicated to preventing, addressing, repairing and eradicating violence against women, children and adolescents.  The Ministry had 45 comprehensive protection services established within the framework of legislation and the national plan to prevent and eradicate violence against women 2020-2030.  There were State-run centres providing free psychological care, legal advice and social work services to victims of violence against women, and the State had cooperation agreements with shelters and comprehensive care centres.

    The recent establishment of the technical standard to mainstream a gender approach in all public policies and actions reinforced the State’s efforts.  The National Council for Gender Equality had formulated the national agenda for gender equality 2021-2025.  Further, in January 2024, the organic law for equal pay between women and men was approved, and 18 September was declared “Equal Pay Day” to raise awareness in society about the gender pay gap.  In May 2024, a law on reparation for relatives of victims of femicide was approved, which guaranteed family members the right to comprehensive reparation, scholarships and financial aid for children who were orphaned, and to medical and psychiatric care and counselling. 

    Ecuador has prioritised the elimination of sexual abuse and violence against children and adolescents in schools.  Among the main measures adopted were the national plan on the creation of protective educational environments and the public policy for the eradication of sexual violence in education. 

    The State Attorney General’s Office had a policy promoting access to justice for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community, which established guidelines for the investigation of hate crimes and discrimination against this group.  In addition, the diversity action plan 2022-2025 was adopted, which established 148 actions and 151 indicators to improve living conditions and guarantee equal rights for this community in Ecuador.  In 2023, a measure was introduced for the identification and prosecution of people and entities who discriminated against others based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.  The Ministry of Public Health had prepared a manual of good practices in comprehensive health care for this community.  From 2019 to June 2024, more than 39,000 services were provided for people who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex.

    The organic law on human mobility determined the procedures to be followed in the event of inadmissibility at borders, deportation and expulsion, taking into account international standards on non-refoulement.  The extraordinary regularisation process for Venezuelan migrants, which began on 1 August 2022 and was still in force, had provided more than 97,000 exceptional temporary residence visas, including 871 visas for unaccompanied or separated children. Ecuador had been awarded for its good practices regarding recognition of sexual diversity and gender identity within refugee status determination procedures.

    Ecuador was committed to the protection, respect and promotion of human rights, in particular within the framework of the obligations assumed under the Covenant.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert welcomed measures adopted by Ecuador in recent years to tackle serious human rights issues in the country. What measures had been adopted by the State party to implement the Views of the Committee concerning the cases of Isaías Dassum v. Ecuador and Pérez Barriga et al. v. Ecuador.  Had the State party established a procedure for implementing the Committee’s Views?  Had courts other than the Constitutional Court expressly referred to the Covenant’s provisions?  Could the delegation provide updated figures on training for public officials on the Covenant?  What was the situation of the Ombudsperson’s Office?  Did it have sufficient resources to fulfil its mandate? 

    Vulnerable sectors of society had reportedly been disproportionately affected by restrictions imposed under the state of emergency.  What safeguards were in place in this regard?  Under the state of emergency, military personnel had been deployed to administer prisons.  Was the State party considering gradually withdrawing the military from prisons? There had been complaints of torture and abuse of authority, as well as murders and arbitrary detention, by military personnel in prisons.  Had the State party investigated these and prosecuted any personnel? 

    The Constitutional Court had declared the state of emergency as being unconstitutional in 2023.  Why had the executive continued to maintain it, contrary to the Court’s decision?  Was the current state of emergency being monitored by the Court?  There were reports that freedom of movement and assembly had been considerably curtailed under the state of emergency.  How would the State party ensure that measures taken under the state of emergency were strictly proportionate, time-bound and necessary?

    Another Committee Expert asked for information on cases contained within the Truth Commission’s final report on historic human rights violations that had not been concluded.  Reportedly, a large percentage of cases had not been concluded 14 years after the report was issued.  How many persons had been provided with reparations?

    What court cases had been ruled on regarding terrorism in the last three years?  How was the State party ensuring fair trial guarantees for persons accused of terrorism? Around 35,000 people had reportedly been arrested this year alone on charges of terrorism.

    A Committee Expert welcomed that the State party had established national councils for equality.  What impact had these councils had in promoting equality and preventing discrimination?  How had the initiatives of the National Council for Gender Equality contributed to promoting gender equality?  The State party had provided training for members of the judiciary on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Was this effective in combatting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons?  What impact had measures to improve health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons had?  What measures were in place to protect and improve the rights of transgender and intersex persons, including children?

    The police had registered 15,000 complaints of violence against women in 2021.  Had inquiries into these cases contributed to combatting impunity and ensuring reparation for victims?  What progress had been achieved by the plan to bolster training regarding violence against women?  What would be done to speed up the legislative process for cases of violence? How would the State party ensure that women who were victims of violence had access to remedy and appropriate protection mechanisms, including psychosocial and rehabilitation services?

    Another Committee Expert asked about the State party’s position on the United Nations’ human rights protection system.  The Expert welcomed that reform of the Democracy Code in 2020 had introduced gender parity on election lists, and said that there had been positive progress in the implementation of legislation to tackle gender-based violence in the political sphere.  However, there were 23 cases of violence against women politicians between 2022 and 2023, including two femicides, one of a female mayor.  How was the State party working to combat such violence and promote women’s participation in politics, including the participation of minority women? 

    Women’s representation in political bodies continued to be limited, particularly for minority women.  What awareness raising campaigns were in place to address stereotypes concerning women’s role in society?  Could the delegation comment on the implementation of the law on equal opportunities and the “purple economy”?

    There were reports of violence against indigenous peoples by the armed forces in the northern border area; had these been investigated and had cases been prosecuted?  Would the State party provide material reparation to indigenous communities affected by violence and the actions of resource sector companies?

    One Committee Expert said there were concerns regarding gaps in the protection system for the children of victims of violence. What steps had been taken to protect vulnerable children and to guarantee a sustainable budget for support payments for victims, so that families of victims could benefit? 

    The Committee was concerned by the high number of girls being subjected to sexual abuse, rape and incest.  Violence against girls in schools was reportedly endemic and girls were discouraged from reporting sexual attacks.  What measures were in place to protect vulnerable girls against such attacks?  What sanctions were imposed for sexual offences and what reparations were provided to girl victims?  Were vulnerable girls’ families provided with legal assistance? 

    Ecuador had expanded access to abortion for victims of sexual assault in a new law.  Would the State party decriminalise abortions in the case of malformation of the foetus?  Had the State party organised education for women and girls regarding contraception and established family planning counsellors within health care facilities? Had the State party approved guidelines for therapeutic abortion care and taken action to inform society regarding the law on abortion and medical centres where abortions were available? How did the State party ensure that there were health care professionals who were able to provide safe abortions in all remote and rural areas?  The Committee noted a Constitutional Court ruling calling on the State party to not prosecute health care professionals who performed abortions.  Had this been implemented?  How was the State party protecting the confidentiality of women who sought abortions?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Truth Commission had the mandate to investigate serious human rights violations occurring between 1983 and 1998.  The Commission’s final report documented enforced disappearances and other violations occurring during that period.  The Ombudsman had been called on to implement reparations for the victims of these violations; more than 150,000 direct and indirect victims had benefited from reparations.  Two criminal cases addressing historic human rights violations had been prosecuted. 

    A law preventing sexual violence and harassment in education had been developed and a national plan for addressing such violence had been implemented.  After victims of violence and harassment were identified, they were referred to mental health services.  The State party promoted the best interests of the child and their right to be informed in all matters affecting them.  Eleven protocols had been issued addressing sexual crimes against minors.

    A law permitting abortion in cases of rape was implemented in 2022 and inter-institutional mechanisms were set up to ensure that the law was properly applied.  Victims of rape did not need to file a legal complaint to access abortions. The prosecution was obliged to provide victims of rape with information on accessing abortions, and all health care facilities were required to provide information immediately on access to abortion in cases of rape.  The State party provided free and confidential guidance on abortions, and health care providers were required to protect the confidentiality of persons who sought abortions.

    The National Council for Gender Equality had a mandate to mainstream and monitor public policies on gender equality and promote the rights of women and persons from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community.  The national agenda on equality addressed the barriers faced by various groups of minority women.  Some of the goals of the agenda were to reduce maternal and child mortality and teenage pregnancy, and there had been progress in these areas.  Guidelines had been developed to ensure that vulnerable women had access to credit lines and the digital economy.  The State party was also promoting rural women’s access to land titles.  The police had carried out capacity building programmes addressing gender stereotypes and promoting positive masculinity.

    Formerly, Ecuador’s prisons were in effect being run by organised gangs due to a lack of oversight, creating a crisis situation in the prison system.  The State party had implemented the “Phoenix Plan” to regain control and safety in all prisons and promote the rehabilitation of all those deprived of liberty.  It was working to improve prison infrastructure to address overcrowding and was currently building two new prisons. 

    Protocols were in place to ensure cooperation between the armed forces and the national police in the management of prisons.  The armed forces were ensuring physical security in only eight of the 35 adult detention centres in the State.  The State party was working to strengthen training for prison staff.  It planned to train almost 7,000 staff over a five-year period.  This year, the State party would almost entirely eliminate mixed gender detention to prevent gender-based violence in prisons.

    Ecuador was fully committed to cooperating with the United Nations human rights protection system and was grateful for the support and advice that it offered to the State.  The Constitution allowed for the direct and immediate application of international human rights instruments ratified by the State. Regarding the case of Isaías Dassum v. Ecuador, investigations had been carried out and resolved in favour of the individual involved and reparation had been provided, in compliance with the Committee’s recommendations.

    Ecuador’s President had the ability to impose a state of emergency in cases of violence, threats to the State, and natural disasters. All measures implemented under a state of emergency needed to be time bound and to conform with principles of necessity and proportionality, in line with the Covenant.  A state of emergency had recently been implemented to confront spiralling acts of violence, terrorism and internal armed conflict, and the prison crisis.  All states of emergency were monitored by the Constitutional Court, which had questioned the restriction of rights in certain contexts.  The State party’s duty was to ensure that its people were able to live in a safe society free of corruption.

    The national allowance for orphans whose mothers had been murdered was a monthly allowance indexed to the monthly basic income. So far, 486 allowances had been provided to children.

    An agreement had been reached to strengthen relations with indigenous peoples and to prevent violence against indigenous communities.  There was also a protocol that aimed to protect indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation.

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said there appeared to be a large gap between the legal and institutional framework on human rights and the situation on the ground.  The rate of femicide was on the rise and women were increasingly becoming victims of enforced disappearance, leading to an increase in orphaned children.  Had drug trafficking groups become so strong that authorities could not control them?  Why was the State party not sufficiently reacting to the prevailing environment of impunity?  What measures were in place to protect vulnerable groups, including children?

    Another Committee Expert said that the Prosecution Service had launched over 200 investigations into torture and abuse of authority by the police force.  Had any rulings been issued for these cases?

    One Committee Expert asked about the role of victims of past human rights violations in creating the Museum of Memory. Why had their proposals regarding the location of the Museum not been taken on board?  Had the prison population increased or decreased as a result of the security measures being implemented by the State party?  Were the prisons in which the armed forces were present the largest and most modern?  Were there plans to reduce the number of prisons administered by the armed forces?  The Expert commended the State party’s significant efforts to train prison guards. What was the current ratio of guards to prisoners?

    A Committee Expert said the allowance for children whose mothers were victims of femicide was a good measure, but all orphaned children needed to receive it.  What were the prospects for decriminalising abortions in cases other than rape or where the mother’s life was at risk?  Did the State party support access to contraception for low-income families?

    Another Committee Expert asked whether allowances given to children whose mothers were murdered were the same regardless of the number of children in the family.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Government would implement the single register on violence by the start of next year.  It had been providing training to public officials on the handling of sensitive information within this register.  The register would allow the State party to gain insights into patterns of violence in different areas of the country, as part of its efforts to eradicate gender-based violence.

    There was a five-year training plan for prison officials and 60 million United States dollars had been invested in improving the prison system this year.  Improving the national rehabilitation system was a priority for the Government.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked about measures to prevent torture and ill treatment by the police against detained persons.  How did the State party ensure transparency in investigations of complaints against the police related to torture?  What redress was provided to victims of torture? What measures were being considered to strengthen human rights training for the police?

    The Transitional Council for Citizen Participation and Oversight was endowed with extraordinary powers allowing for the dismissal and appointment of judges and magistrates at the discretion of the executive branch, violating principles of judicial independence.  It appointed the Attorney General, judges of the National Court of Justice, and 137 other oversight authorities, and had reportedly removed judges and judicial officials who did not align with the political interests of the Presidency.  What mechanisms were in place to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that the Council complied with international standards on judicial independence?  How was transparency and the participation of citizens ensured in the Council’s evaluations of public authorities?  When did the mandates of the Attorney General and the members of the Council expire?  Why did the Council still have “transitional” status?

    What mechanisms were in place to ensure that migrants at the northern border had access to basic services such as health, education and employment?  Were there programmes to protect migrant women and children from exploitation and abuse? How was discrimination against migrants addressed in regularisation and asylum processing?  Was the State party monitoring and evaluating asylum policies on the northern border?

    The Ecuadorian Government had reportedly failed to implement adequate protection measures for human rights defenders, allowing threats and attacks against these people to go unpunished and exposing them to the constant risk of violence and intimidation.  Had the State party strengthened the legal framework for protecting human rights defenders?  Were human rights defenders involved in developing policies that affected their work? What protection mechanisms were in place for at-risk persons?  Investigative journalists Anderson Boscán and Mónica Velásquez faced threats and were forced into exile in Canada after making complaints about Attorney General Diana Salazar’s alleged connections to organised crime networks.  Why were these persons’ security being jeopardised?

    One Committee Expert asked about the entity that carried out investigations into the excessive use of force.  How many officials had been prosecuted for the excessive use of force?  A 2024 decree called on the armed forces to participate in controlling internal order. Had the State party held a referendum on this decree, and did it comply with the Covenant?

    How did Ecuador guarantee the principle of non-refoulement?  What measures were in place to safeguard the physical security of asylum seekers and refugees?  Restrictions on the freedom of movement had limited migrants’ ability to find jobs. Curfews had affected migrants in street situations, who did not have a place to stay.  Had legal aid or counsel been provided by the State to defend asylum seekers’ rights in regularisation processes?  How was the State party ensuring access to justice for migrants who were victims of extortion?

    Indigenous peoples had been adversely affected by mining projects, including illegal mining linked to organised crime.  What consultation processes had been held regarding these projects?  The State party had adopted decrees but had yet to adopt a law on prior consultation and free, informed and prior consent regarding mining and resource projects. Would the State party speed up the adoption of such a law?  Oil spills had affected the environment and the health of indigenous peoples.  What preventive measures had been taken regarding oil spills and what reparations had been provided to affected persons?

    A Committee Expert said the Committee was concerned about conditions in places of detention and overcrowding, a serious and persistent problem in prisons.  Detainees lacked access to food, water and health services, and overcrowding also increased tensions between inmates and made the management of prisons difficult. Since January 2024, the overall prison capacity had increased by 7.8 per cent, but there were still 18 prisons with critical overcrowding at over 120 per cent capacity.  What measures were in place to address the issue?  Had the State party considered dismantling mega prisons?

    The Committee noted significant efforts by the State party to address the issue of human trafficking through training of judicial actors.  What were the prospects of establishing a specialised office addressing trafficking within the prosecution?  Had compensation been provided to victims of trafficking?  How were victims protected from criminal liability?  How did the State party promote the social inclusion of victims, protect them from revictimisation, and support their access to the labour market?

    Another Committee Expert said there had been more than 600 deaths of detainees between 2018 and 2023.  In March 2024, a violent riot in a prison had led to the death of 12 detainees, while another riot in July led to 18 deaths.  Two prison wardens had recently been murdered. Organised crime had reportedly infiltrated prisons, inciting these events.  What measures were in place to regain control of the prison system and promote the basic rights of prisoners?  How many deaths had occurred in prisons this year, and were there any deaths resulting from torture or ill treatment?  Would the State party grant access to prisons for the national preventive mechanism?

    The Committee was concerned about the reported penetration of organised crime into the judiciary.  Members of the judiciary were allegedly paid bribes to give shortened prison sentences to members of organised crime groups.  What investigations had been carried out into such allegations?  How did the State party ensure the integrity of investigations into corruption?  What was the disciplinary structure for judges and how was their independence guaranteed?

    In 2018, three journalists were kidnapped and murdered by organised crime and four journalists were murdered in 2022.  What investigations had been carried out into these events?  The judicial system was reportedly used as a tool for censorship against journalists. How did the State party ensure that journalists could carry out their work without interference?

    One Committee Expert said the Communication Council had been involved in promoting diversity in the media and in organising training on media workers’ rights.  What results had been obtained by training programmes?  Between July and December 2021, there were 62 reports of harassment against journalists.  What measures were in place to ensure that threats against journalists were properly investigated and punished?  During 2022 demonstrations, at least nine deaths were recorded and close to 200 people were arrested.  How did the State party guarantee the right to peaceful assembly and ensure justice for victims of excessive force by State officials?

    Was the law issued in 2022 on the use of force and firearms by the police in line with the Covenant?  Was civil society involved in the drafting of the law?  How was the law being implemented?  Did the State party provide training programmes on the law to police?

    How had the State party guaranteed access to justice for indigenous peoples in indigenous languages?  What obstacles were there in providing legal aid to indigenous peoples?  What measures were in place to strengthen the indigenous legal system and to ensure coordination between indigenous and regular legal systems?

    In some regions, authorities did not recognise the legal status of indigenous peoples.  Farmers who were defending their lands were reportedly perceived as criminals and harassed by authorities.  How was the State party preventing such harassment?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said training had been provided for around 500 prosecution staff and over 2,000 civil servants on investigating violent deaths of women and girls since 2022.  This year alone, over 500 members of the armed forces and other civil servants had participated in the prosecution office’s training on international human rights law. 

    The armed forces were ensuring internal security in the context of the high level of armed conflict occurring in the State, caused by organised gangs.  The activities of the armed forces strictly complied with human rights standards, regulations on the use of force and firearms, and principles of necessity and proportionality.  The State party was constantly updating provisions on the use of force in line with international standards.  During the first six months of this year, the murder rate had fallen significantly and criminal structures had been dismantled.

    The armed forces’ activities had helped to reduce criminal activities within the prison system.  The armed forces allowed oversight visits to prisons by Government bodies.  Members of the armed forces were trained in human rights, the use of force, and the protection of vulnerable persons.  Accusations of human rights violations by members of the armed forces were investigated in cooperation with public bodies.  Armed forces personnel had been involved in 72 cases of habeas corpus, with personnel cleared of wrongdoing in 68 cases and the remaining cases still being investigated.  A specialised prosecutor’s unit had been established to investigate cases of harm or death caused by the armed forces and the prison service.

    The State party was strengthening the national framework for the prevention of terrorism.  It was receiving international support to bring its legislation on terrorism in line with international standards.

    Ecuador ensured full reparation for direct and indirect victims of homicide, including through the law on support for family members of victims of femicide.  The public policy on reparation was being updated to strengthen support for victims’ relatives through consultations with civil society.  Support payments for orphaned children whose parents were murdered were increased progressively depending on the number of children in the family.

    State legislation protected the activities of human rights defenders.  An inter-institutional board was developing a comprehensive policy on the protection of human rights defenders and carrying out an analysis of threats faced by human rights defenders.  The State provided protection to victimised human rights defenders involved in court proceedings through the witness protection programme.  Regional councils of human rights defenders had been established.

    The Government had delineated certain areas as “protected land” where mining activities could not be carried out.  It had provided training on promoting the human rights of indigenous peoples and tackling their exploitation.  Over 3,000 interventions related to indigenous peoples had been carried out by the Government.  The State party worked closely with local autonomous governments to ensure the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into policies and activities to address climate change.

    Before implementing measures related to non-admission and deportation, investigations needed to be carried out to assess whether the individual concerned needed international protection.  Asylum seekers could receive free legal aid and the support of translation services if required.  An online platform to support asylum requests had been established; it had received more than 56,000 such requests.  Over 96,000 Venezuelan citizens had been granted temporary residency through a special procedure implemented in 2022.  Emergency care was being provided for the large number of migrants on the northern border in collaboration with international organizations and private sector bodies, to ensure that these migrants and asylum seekers received the highest standard of care.

    The State party had been procuring building materials and conducting repairs to improve prison infrastructure and the living conditions of detainees.  Accommodation in two prisons had recently been increased by 1,700 places.  The State had authorised the construction within 300 days of two new prisons to house a maximum of 800 detainees.  These would greatly reduce the rate of overcrowding. The Government was increasing human resources for administering these prisons.  Around 600 prisoners who had been detained for over five years and were not accused of violent crimes would soon be pardoned to further reduce overcrowding.

    The National Red Cross Committee had been training medical staff to improve health care in prisons.  A classification plan was in place to revise the classification of detainees to reduce the grouping of members of organised crime in prisons. Female detainees had been relocated to exclusively female prisons.  Over the next five years, the State party planned to recruit 700 new prison guards. A protocol on the handling of complaints within the prison system had been developed.

    Although a law on free, prior and informed consent had yet to be implemented, the Constitutional Court had established standards relating to this consent that needed to be respected by administrative authorities.  Bills had been developed to enact such a law that were currently before Parliament. The State party was undertaking environmental consultations that were in line with international standards in relation to upcoming mining projects.  It was also working to respect the life and integrity of indigenous peoples and preventing them from being harmed by the actions of third parties.  The Government had been successful in reducing conflict over indigenous territory and was fostering a culture of peace.  A health cordon had been established to improve the health conditions of people living in voluntary isolation.

    State legislation ensured respect for judicial independence.  No Government entity could interfere with the activities of the judiciary.  A roadmap had been developed to promote judicial independence through strict internal oversight of appointment, promotion and evaluation of members of the judiciary.  The Council of the Judiciary had implemented measures to ensure the safety of judicial operators.  The transitionary period for the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control had concluded and its regular members were being appointed.

    There was a protection and early warning system for media professionals who were facing aggression.  The Government was strengthening its capacity to react to attacks against media professionals and to prevent such attacks.  Civil society organizations were involved in providing protection measures and improving the working environment for media professionals. 

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked why the State party allowed civilians to carry firearms in violent areas in the country.  Had any initiatives been adopted to regularise migrants who came into the country after 2022?

    Another Committee Expert said judges and prosecutors had been killed and the rule of law was in danger in the country.  Some judges had been murdered outside of the premises of the judiciary.  There needed to be effective protective actions to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.  What transparency measures would be implemented to increase public trust in the judiciary?  It was positive that the State party had begun a reform of legislation on terrorism in cooperation with international bodies.  Would the bill of law being developed provide procedural guarantees in terrorism cases in line with the Covenant?

    One Committee Expert said that, since the deployment of armed forces across the territory, femicides, the enforced disappearance of women, and the violation of indigenous peoples’ rights had continued with impunity for offenders.  The State party had not ensured the protection of indigenous human rights defenders, whose rights were violated by the activities of mining companies. There were environmental issues threatening the lives of indigenous peoples that had not been investigated and several indigenous peoples were awaiting compensation.  Environmental rights defenders were continually harassed by authorities.  Could the delegation provide information on the killing of an indigenous chief in February 2024 who was protesting oil prospecting in his region?

    Another Committee Expert said poverty and insecurity were serious issues in Ecuador that were disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups.  How would the State party address these issues and protect the rights of workers?

    Closing Remarks

    JUAN CARLOS LARREA, Attorney General of State of Ecuador and head of the delegation, said Ecuador was fully committed to implementing international human rights law and promoting respect for human rights.  It was the first country in Latin America to receive a visit from the current High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.  It was working to implement all recommendations issued to it by the United Nations human rights system.

    Ecuador was facing challenges in the field of human rights, including spiralling international organised crime and the current energy crisis, but remained committed to addressing these, and to strengthening efforts to promote the human rights of all people on its territory. It called on the international community to increase technical support for the promotion and protection of human rights in Ecuador.  The delegation hoped that the Committee would provide concrete recommendations that addressed the complex challenges that Ecuador was facing.

    TANIA MARÍA ABDO ROCHOLL, Committee Chairperson, thanked all those who had contributed to the dialogue.  The dialogue had addressed Constitutional and legal frameworks related to the Covenant, historic human rights violations, measures to combat terrorism, reproductive rights, the independence of the judiciary, detention conditions, the right to life, freedom of expression and association, trafficking in persons, and the situations of human rights defenders and indigenous peoples, among other topics.  The Committee was committed to its mandate of guaranteeing the highest level of implementation of the Covenant in Ecuador.

     

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

     

    CCPR24.023E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UNRWA, Ukraine, Biodiversity & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (29 Oct 2024) | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    -Briefings
    -Biodiversity
    -UNRWA
    -Occupied Palestinian territory
    -Security Council
    -Lebanon/Israel
    -Lebanon
    -Financial contribution
    -Ukraine
    -Democratic Republic of the Congo
    -Sudan
    -International Day of Care and Support

    BRIEFINGS
    Tomorrow, you will have a heavy day. We’ve asked Amy Pope, the head of the International Organization for Migration who is currently in Sudan to brief you. She will be here at 11 a.m. vie videoconference from Port Sudan to brief you on her ongoing trip. At noon you will have to deal with me. Then at 1 p.m., there will be a briefing here by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel and that Commission includes Navid Pillay, Miloon Kothari and Chris Sidoti. Then at 2:00 p.m., Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 will be here live in person in this very room.

    BIODIVERISTY
    This morning, the Secretary-General is in Cali, in Colombia, where he is attending the high-level segment of the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16). In his remarks, he highlighted that nature is life, and yet we are waging a war against it, a war where there can be no winner. He is in fact about to deliver those remarks and he is expected to warn that no country, rich or poor, is immune to the devastation inflicted by climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, adding that these environmental crises are intertwined, they know no borders.
    The Secretary-General noted that when the Framework was adopted two years ago in Montreal, the world made bold commitments to living in harmony with nature by mid-century. He said that we must now turn these promises into acts.
    This morning, he had a series of bilaterals. He met with Leslie Voltaire, the President of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti. They agreed on the need to expedite the political transition towards holding elections. In the meeting, the Secretary-General appealed to Haitian stakeholders to set aside their differences and work together for Haiti’s peace and security.
    This afternoon, the Secretary-General will engage in discussions with indigenous people and local communities, as well as representatives of civil society, including youth and women.
    And I think he just met with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia.  Tomorrow, on the sidelines he will speak at an event on plastic pollution organized by the UN Environment Programme. He will also speak to journalists at a press conference before heading out of Cali and coming back to New York.

    UNRWA
    You saw that last night we issued a statement in the Secretary-General’s name in which he expressed his deep concern at the adoption yesterday by the Israeli Knesset of two laws concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, better known to all of us as UNRWA, and the laws which, if implemented, would likely prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as mandated by the General Assembly of these United Nations.
    The Secretary-General emphasized that UNRWA is the principal means by which essential assistance is supplied to Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. There is no alternative to UNRWA.
    He calls on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under the Charter of the UN and its other obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and those concerning the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. National legislation cannot alter those obligations. He is bringing this matter to the attention of the General Assembly and will keep the Assembly closely informed on the situation as it develops. 
    Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, added that these bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell. He said that these bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment. Mr. Lazzarini also sent a letter to the President of the General Assembly to express those concerns in detail.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=29%20October%202024

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvOsMwPEo38

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pacific Trade Invest – Investment Webinar: EXPANDING the HORIZON for Women in Technology

    Source: Pacific Trade Invest NZ

    Pacific Trade Invest NZ is delighted to invite you to our upcoming hour-long webinar, Expanding the Horizon for Women in Technology.

    Join us on Thursday 7 November 2024 at 2:00 PM New Zealand time as industry experts and thought leaders discuss their involvement in the technology sector; what’s on the horizon and the investment possibilities the sector presents for investors.  

     

    Register here    https://shorturl.at/C34uL

     

    A great line-up of speakers is confirmed:
     
    Julia Arnott-Nene and Eteroa Lafaele, Co-Founders and Directors Fibre Fale
    Julia and Eteroa are an award-winning changemaker team in tech, on a mission for Digital Equity and increased representation of Pacific people in technology. Fibre Fale is an innovative Aotearoa collective creating pathways into technology for Pacific people. Fibre Fale builds future tech leaders and prepares the future of the technology industry in the Blue Pacific.

    Priyanka Brahmbhatt, Executive Director, Bankai Group and CEO Bankai Technology
    Global leader in technology and investments; a member of the Forbes Council. As a UN Youth Delegate she’s advocated for climate action, women in tech, mental health awareness, and socio-economic empowerment of marginalized communities.

    Tenanoia Simona, CEO Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation
    An innovator and leader in implementing effective technology in the Blue Pacific. Simona has spearheaded initiatives from satellites, xGPON fibre network roll-out, and 4G LTE deployment in remote islands. She firmly believes that diversity and inclusion are vital for driving innovation and achieving meaningful progress in small island nations.

     

    The speakers will discuss topics such as: 

      • Technology as a rewarding career path for women
      • The positive role of government and educational institutions, in contributing to this transformation
      • The Fibre Fale model 
      • How technology has evolved over time.
      • Investing in women in technology

    Register here    https://shorturl.at/C34uL

     

    ABOUT PACIFIC TRADE INVEST NZ

    • Is part of the Pacific Trade Invest Global Network of offices operating in Sydney, Australia; Beijing, People’s Republic of China; Geneva, Switzerland and Auckland, New Zealand.
    • An agency of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and is funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
    • Supports the 16 Forum Island countries and Territories: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Charged in Scheme to Defraud the Federal Government

    Source: United States Attorneys General 8

    Six defendants have been charged for their roles in schemes to rig bids, defraud the government and pay bribes and kickbacks in connection with the sale of IT products and services to federal government purchasers, which resulted in overcharges of millions of dollars to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense (DoD). 

    On Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, a federal grand jury in Baltimore returned indictments against two additional defendants. Four other defendants were also charged. These are the first charges in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into IT manufacturers, distributors and resellers who sell products and services to government purchasers, including to the intelligence community. 

    “Antitrust crimes can undermine competition for products and services that are vital to our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “When fraudsters siphon taxpayer funds, the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) partners across the government will hold accountable those who collude to subvert competition, line their pockets with federal procurement dollars and compromise the integrity of our intelligence community programs.”

    “This office and our partners will use all available resources to hold accountable those who would undermine and distort the government’s procurement of goods and services, especially those related to our cybersecurity infrastructure,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. 

    “This investigation demonstrates the vital need to protect the DoD procurement process, particularly within the Intelligence Community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to identifying fraudsters who abuse public trust and enrich themselves through criminal schemes.”

    “There is no place for fraudsters and crooks scheming to manipulate the government bidding process for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfastly committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those conspiring to enrich themselves by cheating taxpayers.”

    “Investigating complex fraud schemes is a top priority of ours,” said National Security Agency Acting Inspector General Kevin Gerrity. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department for their work protecting the integrity of federal contracting.”

    “Each part of the government must do its part to detect and prosecute instances of waste, fraud and abuse, and CIA’s Office of Inspector General was pleased to join its law enforcement partners in investigating this egregious case,” said CIA Inspector General Robin C. Ashton.

    United States v. Victor Marquez

    Victor M. Marquez, a Maryland resident and owner of two IT companies with significant government contracts, was charged in a four-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and major fraud against the United States for rigging bids and inflating the amount of money obtained from valuable IT contracts. 

    Antwann C.K. Rawls, an employee of one of Marquez’s companies, and Scott A. Reefe, an IT sales executive, have been charged for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

    As alleged in the indictment, Marquez, Rawls, Reefe and their co-conspirators used their positions of trust to learn sensitive, confidential procurement information, including procurement budgets for large U.S. government IT contracts. The co-conspirators used that inside information to craft bids at artificially determined, non-competitive and non-independent prices, ensuring Marquez’s company would win the procurement. 

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators shared their bids in advance of submitting them to the government, with one co-conspirator emailing that he would submit a “high price third bid.” Marquez and his co-conspirators submitted their collusive bids despite knowing the government sought independent, competitive bids for the valuable contracts, and despite Marquez’s certification of independent bidding.

    If convicted, Marquez faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for the major fraud charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States v. Breal L. Madison Jr.

    Breal L. Madison Jr., a Maryland resident, was charged in a 13-count indictment with conspiracy, bribery of a public official, mail fraud and money laundering for orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud his employer and the United States out of over $7 million in connection with the sale of IT products to various government agencies.

    Brandon Scott Glisson, an IT contractor providing IT services to the U.S. government, and Glisson’s supervisor, Lawrence A. Eady, a former senior government employee, have also been charged for their respective roles in the scheme.

    According to court documents, through multiple misrepresentations, Madison and his co-conspirators conspired to steal money from Madison’s employer and government agencies, illegally siphoning over $9 million in stolen proceeds to Madison’s shell company, Trident Technology Solutions, and another shell company. They used the money to purchase luxury items and to pay approximately $630,000 in bribes to Eady in exchange for Eady’s ensuring the purchase of additional products sold by Madison. 

    Madison used his ill-gotten gains to buy a Vanquish VQ58 yacht, 2020 Lamborghini Huracan and multiple other vehicles, all of which the United States seeks to forfeit in the indictment. 

    If convicted, Madison faces maximum penalties of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 15 years in prison for each bribery count, 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count and 10 years for each money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DCIS, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, CIA Office of Inspector General and NSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Acting Assistant Chief Michael Sawers and Trial Attorneys Zachary Trotter and Elizabeth French of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, Sean M. Delaney and Darren Gardner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. 

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

    View the Rawls information.

    View the Eady information.

    View Reefe information.

    View the Glisson information.

    View the Madison indictment.

    View the Marquez indictment.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Six Charged in Scheme to Defraud the Federal Government

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Six defendants have been charged for their roles in schemes to rig bids, defraud the government and pay bribes and kickbacks in connection with the sale of IT products and services to federal government purchasers, which resulted in overcharges of millions of dollars to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense (DoD). 

    On Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, a federal grand jury in Baltimore returned indictments against two defendants. Four other defendants were also charged. These are the first charges in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into IT manufacturers, distributors and resellers who sell products and services to government purchasers, including to the intelligence community. 

    “Antitrust crimes can undermine competition for products and services that are vital to our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “When fraudsters siphon taxpayer funds, the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) partners across the government will hold accountable those who collude to subvert competition, line their pockets with federal procurement dollars and compromise the integrity of our intelligence community programs.”

    “This office and our partners will use all available resources to hold accountable those who would undermine and distort the government’s procurement of goods and services, especially those related to our cybersecurity infrastructure,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. 

    “This investigation demonstrates the vital need to protect the DoD procurement process, particularly within the Intelligence Community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to identifying fraudsters who abuse public trust and enrich themselves through criminal schemes.”

    “There is no place for fraudsters and crooks scheming to manipulate the government bidding process for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfastly committed to identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those conspiring to enrich themselves by cheating taxpayers.”

    “Investigating complex fraud schemes is a top priority of ours,” said National Security Agency Acting Inspector General Kevin Gerrity. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department for their work protecting the integrity of federal contracting.”

    “Each part of the government must do its part to detect and prosecute instances of waste, fraud and abuse, and CIA’s Office of Inspector General was pleased to join its law enforcement partners in investigating this egregious case,” said CIA Inspector General Robin C. Ashton.

    United States v. Victor Marquez

    Victor M. Marquez, a Maryland resident and owner of two IT companies with significant government contracts, was charged in a four-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and major fraud against the United States for rigging bids and inflating the amount of money obtained from valuable IT contracts. 

    Antwann C.K. Rawls, an employee of one of Marquez’s companies, and Scott A. Reefe, an IT sales executive, have been charged for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

    As alleged in the indictment, Marquez, Rawls, Reefe and their co-conspirators used their positions of trust to learn sensitive, confidential procurement information, including procurement budgets for large U.S. government IT contracts. The co-conspirators used that inside information to craft bids at artificially determined, non-competitive and non-independent prices, ensuring Marquez’s company would win the procurement. 

    According to court documents, the co-conspirators shared their bids in advance of submitting them to the government, with one co-conspirator emailing that he would submit a “high price third bid.” Marquez and his co-conspirators submitted their collusive bids despite knowing the government sought independent, competitive bids for the valuable contracts, and despite Marquez’s certification of independent bidding.

    If convicted, Marquez faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for the major fraud charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States v. Breal L. Madison Jr.

    Breal L. Madison Jr., a Maryland resident, was charged in a 13-count indictment with conspiracy, bribery of a public official, mail fraud and money laundering for orchestrating a years-long scheme to defraud his employer and the United States out of over $7 million in connection with the sale of IT products to various government agencies.

    Brandon Scott Glisson, an IT contractor providing IT services to the U.S. government, and Glisson’s supervisor, Lawrence A. Eady, a former senior government employee, have also been charged for their respective roles in the scheme.

    According to court documents, through multiple misrepresentations, Madison and his co-conspirators conspired to steal money from Madison’s employer and government agencies, illegally siphoning over $9 million in stolen proceeds to Madison’s shell company, Trident Technology Solutions, and another shell company. They used the money to purchase luxury items and to pay approximately $630,000 in bribes to Eady in exchange for Eady’s ensuring the purchase of additional products sold by Madison. 

    Madison used his ill-gotten gains to buy a Vanquish VQ58 yacht, 2020 Lamborghini Huracan and multiple other vehicles, all of which the United States seeks to forfeit in the indictment. 

    If convicted, Madison faces maximum penalties of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 15 years in prison for each bribery count, 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count and 10 years for each money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DCIS, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, CIA Office of Inspector General and NSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

    Acting Assistant Chief Michael Sawers and Trial Attorneys Zachary Trotter and Elizabeth French of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, Sean M. Delaney and Darren Gardner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. 

    Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

    View the Rawls information.

    View the Eady information.

    View Reefe information.

    View the Glisson information.

    View the Madison indictment.

    View the Marquez indictment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Sets New Benchmark in TV Security With FIPS 140-3 Certification

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung Electronics today announced that its proprietary cryptography module, Samsung CryptoCore,1 has earned the prestigious FIPS 140-3 certification2 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This certification underscores Samsung’s commitment to providing industry-leading security and data protection for Smart TV users.
     
    “As home entertainment systems become more connected, it becomes critical for technology companies to safeguard the personal data that enables the seamless connectivity enjoyed by so many,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “By integrating the FIPS 140-3-certified CryptoCore into our Smart TVs, Samsung is taking our commitment to secure home entertainment a step further and ensuring that our users can freely experience the value of our products.”
     
    Beginning in 2025, Samsung CryptoCore will be fully integrated into Tizen OS,3 Samsung’s Smart TV operating system, enhancing the security of key products such as TVs, monitors and digital signage. With Samsung CryptoCore embedded in Tizen OS, personal data linked to Samsung accounts will be securely encrypted, SmartThings authentication information will be protected from external hacking threats and content viewed on TVs will benefit from enhanced copyright protection.
     
    Since 2015, Samsung has equipped its Smart TVs with Samsung Knox,4 a security platform that has earned Common Criteria (CC) certification5 for 10 consecutive years. But with its newly acquired FIPS 140-3 certification, Samsung has strengthened its defenses against hacking and data breaches even further, proactively protecting personal information with advanced encryption technology.
     
    Recognized by governments in 10 countries,6 the FIPS 140-3 certification requires comprehensive testing of cryptographic modules to ensure their security, integrity and reliability. For users, this means Samsung Smart TVs offer cutting-edge protection against privacy breaches, allowing them to enjoy their content, connect smart devices and engage with IoT services securely and without concerns.
     

     
    1 Samsung CryptoCore is a software library that encrypts and decrypts data during both transmission and storage.2 Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 covers the security requirements for cryptographic modules.3 Tizen OS 9.0.4 Samsung Knox provides privacy protection on its Smart TVs through features like Tizen OS Monitoring, Phishing Site Blocking and Knox Vault. Knox Vault is available only on the QN900D and QN800D models.5 Common Criteria (CC) certification is a global security standard recognized by 31 countries for IT product integrity.6 Recognized in the United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: TV festival attracts global cultural exchange in entertainment

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The China Pavilion appeared at the Palace of Festivals and Conferences for MIPCOM Cannes in France from Oct 21 to 24, marking the 21st time it has participated in the autumn TV festival, which offers a series of events under the theme “Focus on China, Stories Without Limits”.

    Cao Shumin, director of the National Radio and Television Administration, attended the forum and delivered a speech noting that 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. MIPCOM Cannes is the world’s largest market for international studios and distributors of entertainment content. It serves as a window for showcasing audio-video programs and a platform for discussing industry development.

    Cao shared three characteristics of the Chinese audiovisual content market.

    The quality of audio works is continuously improving, with numerous hits emerging, particularly realistic works that reflect common human experiences and emotions that resonate with audiences worldwide.

    Cultural exchanges and cooperation always adhere to inclusiveness and mutual appreciation, using audio/visual works to enhance understanding and communication in promoting the coexistence and development of diverse global cultures.

    The market has enormous potential and unlimited space for cooperation and innovation. Efforts are being made to deeply integrate and develop radio, television and online audiovisual content and dissemination, using technology to empower innovative audiovisual program forms and improve service quality, thus providing broad prospects.

    At the panel session of the forum, Yang Xiaopei, founder of Xixi Pictures from China, discussed the latest trends in international audiovisual content cooperation.

    Works produced by Yang’s team have been broadcast on streaming platforms and TV stations in various countries. By collecting audience comments and feedback, they found audiences in many countries that appreciate Chinese culture and stories, which greatly encourages and motivates her team, she said.

    The China Pavilion covered a total area of 258 square meters, featuring over 30 outstanding Chinese audiovisual content production, distribution and broadcasting organizations, showcasing 179 works.

    The festival gathered over 1,500 leading distribution and production companies from over 100 countries and regions, with more than 320 booths and 31 national and regional pavilions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Panasonic in Numbers: nanoe™ Device

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Panasonic in Numbers: nanoe Device

    The cumulative number of nanoe devices manufactured and shipped by Panasonic now exceeds 100 million units*. The devices, with properties that range from purifying and deodorizing the air to moisturizing the skin and hair, are now available in 107 countries worldwide.Research and development of the technology began in 1997, and the first practical device was introduced in 2003. Since being introduced, nanoe devices have continued to evolve, and the range of products incorporating this technology continues to expand. Today, nanoe devices are used not only in Panasonic products, but also in facilities and public spaces around the world, including railroad trains, automobiles, schools, hospitals, hotels, offices, and commercial facilities.
    * Cumulative global shipments of nanoe and nanoe X devices from September 2003 to June 2024** As of August 2, 2024

    The content in this website is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.Please note that German, French and Chinese versions are machine translations, so the quality and accuracy may vary.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pacific leaders’ mission to Nouméa – Mapou says New Caledonia at ‘turning point’

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor

    A three-day fact-finding mission, headed by three Pacific leaders, has wrapped up in Nouméa, and New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou says the French territory is at a “turning point”.

    The semi-autonomous Pacific territory has been riddled with violent unrest since May.

    While tensions have reportedly eased for now, the main political decision-making body for the Pacific region has been in Nouméa this week on a “strictly observational” but “critical mission”.

    New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou . . . “They willingly shared their own history.” Image: 1ère TV

    Territorial President Louis Mapou told reporters why the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) “troika -plus” visit was so important.

    “They have a shared intention with government members, drawing on their own experience in the region: the Cook Islands, which are in free association with New Zealand; Tonga, a country that was never colonised; and the Solomon Islands, which have experienced interethnic conflicts in the northern part, where youth played a significant role,” he said.

    “And finally, Fiji, which gained independence, decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth, and is now re-evaluating its connection with the British Crown. So, they willingly shared their own history.

    “They pointed out that in each of these histories, it was often the internal decisions of the populations involved that ultimately shaped the choices made about their country’s future.”

    What a pleasant honour to have Hon. Prime Minister @slrabuka welcomed by @LegionEtrangere & @RSMA_NC , writing a poem about his visit in New-Caledonia as a member of the @ForumSEC high level Troïka-Plus information mission . pic.twitter.com/HVVoebqPfA

    — Véronique Roger-Lacan (@rogerlacanv) October 28, 2024

    Hope and perspective
    Local government spokesperson Charles Wea said the visit brought hope and perspective.

    “It is important that that people from New Caledonia can arrive to express their views, and also the political perspectives, in terms of political future,” he said.

    “The process of decolonisation, for example, which is quite a major subject topic that will be in the discussion with a mission”

    Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni led the PPIF troika-plus delegation — Rabuka was the “plus” factor.

    “We are not there to judge you or to tell them what to do right now. It is a preliminary visit. So, basically, we just want to listen.”

    While it is a fact-finding mission, there are some indisputable facts, such as New Caledonia being on the United Nations Decolonisation List.

    Tuvalu MP Simon Kofe has expressed his thoughts on this.

    Pacific ‘needs to support decolonisation’
    “My position is for independence, we need to continue supporting the decolonisation of the Pacific,” Kofe told RNZ Pacific.

    Hu’akavameiliku’s views were somewhat more diplomatic.

    “I do believe that there is a way of having some sovereignty and control of your country. There are various models in the Pacific. You have Niue and Cook Islands. Then you have American Samoa.

    “We are not the ones who will tell [New Caledonia] what is working and what is not. We respect their sovereignty.”

    But amid the politicking, a Kanak leader from the Protestant Church of Kanaky New Caledonia, Billy Wetewea, said people were struggling.

    In particular, the indigenous population, who were battling inequities in education, employment and health, he said.

    “The destruction that the youth have made since May, was a kind of expression of the frustration towards all of these social injustices,” he said.

    “We are fighting for our humanity. So, it’s for the dignity of our humanity, and our humanity is the humanity of everyone.”

    ‘Neither marginalised nor mistreated’
     The pro-France loyalists, however, have a different perspective.

    “Contrary to what some separatists suggest, the Kanak people are neither marginalised nor mistreated,” they said in a statement.

    “On the contrary, [Kanaky people are] one of the most advantaged in our Oceanian region.”

    Wea said the Pacific leaders had the chance to hear from all sides involved in the unrest.

    The findings will be presented to the 18 Pacific leaders at next year’s leaders meeting.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Bladder cancer diagnosed incident cases across 8MM to reach 0.34 million in 2033, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Bladder cancer diagnosed incident cases across 8MM to reach 0.34 million in 2033, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The diagnosed incident cases of bladder cancer in the eight major markets (8MM*) are set to register an annual growth rate (AGR) of 2.24% from 0.28 million in 2023 to 0.34 million in 2033, forecasts GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest report, “Bladder Cancer – Epidemiology Forecast to 2033,” reveals that the US will have the highest number of diagnosed incident cases of bladder cancer among the 8MM at 0.10 million cases, whereas France will have the lowest number at 0.02 million cases in 2033.

    Antara Bhattacharya, Associate Project Manager, Epidemiology team at GlobalData, comments: “In 2023, men are more affected than women with approximately 78% men and 22% women.”

    Older adults in ages 60 years and above accounted for almost 87% of the diagnosed incident cases of bladder cancer in the 8MM in 2023, while younger adults in ages 18–59 years accounted for approximately 13% of the cases.

    GlobalData estimates that in 2023, approximately 45% of the incident cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in the early stages by AJCC TNM staging, whereas only 6% of cases had a delayed diagnosis. Additionally, approximately 79% of the incident cases by tumor “T” stage at diagnosis were diagnosed in earlier stages, whereas only 4% cases were in severe stages.

    The high rate of diagnosis at earlier stages can be attributed to the success of increasing rates of cystoscopy, which is an invasive and expensive procedure. Approximately 74% of diagnosed prevalent cases of NMIBC relapse or recurred to MIBC.

    Bhattacharya concludes: “Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer type, and timely detection of the disease is both challenging and expensive. Diagnosis relies mainly on cystoscopy, which is an invasive procedure and difficult in low-resource settings. Even after being diagnosed in early stages when the disease is highly treatable, the relapse and recurrence rates are high.

    “Hence, adequate research and medical interventions are needed to facilitate different medical approaches for the timely detection and treatment. Epidemiological studies focusing on bladder cancer stages with relapse or recurrence can improve treatment outcomes. Additionally, bladder cancer treatment requires a multifaceted approach that integrates medical and surgical interventions, lifestyle modifications, ongoing support, along with immunotherapy, targeted therapy, clinical trials, and follow-up care.”

    *8MM: The US, 5EU (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK), Japan, and urban China.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Telegram of the Holy Father on the death of His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino

    Source: The Holy See

    Telegram of the Holy Father on the death of His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, 29.10.2024

    The following is the telegram of condolence on the death on Monday 28 October 2024 of His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, protodeacon of San Francesco di Paola ai Monti, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, sent by the Holy Father Francis to the late Cardinal’s brother, Marcello Martino:

    Telegram of the Holy Father
    MR. MARCELLO MARTINO00012 GUIDONIA MONTECELIO
    ON LEARNING OF THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF YOUR BROTHER, CARDINAL RENATO RAFFAELE MARTINO, I WISH TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES TO YOU, TO ALL HIS FAMILY AND TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SALERNO-CAMPAGNA-ACERNO OF WHICH HE WAS A RESPECTED PRESBYTER. AS I REMEMBER THIS ZEALOUS PASTOR WHO SERVED THE GOSPEL AND THE CHURCH, I THINK WITH GRATITUDE OF HIS LONG AND DILIGENT COLLABORATION WITH MY PREDECESSORS AS APOSTOLIC NUNCIO TO A NUMBER OF ASIAN COUNTRIES AND ESPECIALLY TO THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION, WHERE HE SPARED NO ENERGY TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE POPE’S PATERNAL CONCERN FOR THE FATE OF HUMANITY, AND FINALLY AS PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE. IN THE VARIOUS ROLES ENTRUSTED TO HIM, HE WORKED WITH GREAT DYNAMISM FOR THE GOOD OF PEOPLES, CONSTANTLY PROMOTING DIALOGUE AND CONCORD. I ASK THE LORD TO WELCOME THIS FAITHFUL SERVANT OF HIS TO THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM AND FROM MY HEART I IMPART MY BLESSING TO THOSE WHO MOURN HIS DEPARTURE, WITH A GRATEFUL THOUGHT FOR THOSE WHO CARED FOR HIM.
    FRANCIS

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “I would be interested in talking to Chinese farmers”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Veronika Smirnova studies the Chinese approach to global food security and spent a year at the Renmin University of China in Beijing. In an interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she spoke about Xi Jinping’s flagship initiatives, her interest in FAO’s John Boyd Orr, and her love of malatan and xiao long bao.

    How I got started in science

    It wasn’t a strategic plan. Science chose me, like many future scientists who enjoyed studying many subjects at school. Surprisingly, math and physics were the easiest for me, but I ended up choosing the humanities.

    Around the 9th grade, I thought about what direction I would like to choose in the future, and the topic of international relations seemed interesting to me. At that time, I was not yet interested in Chinese culture, I only heard in the news that Russian-Chinese relations were developing at a rapid pace. When it was time to choose a second language (internationalists always learn two), I spent a long time choosing between German and French. But then something sank in my heart, and I began to study Chinese, not yet knowing what awaited me in the future. This is how my love for China began, I gradually began to take an interest in culture and politics.

    In my undergraduate studies at Nizhny Novgorod State University, we had amazing courses on analytics for government bodies. I really liked this subject, and I became interested in working in this field. When I went to the master’s program at HSE, I saw that CCEMI, where I now work, was recruiting interns, and I applied. That’s how my path in science began. Then I went to graduate school and continued scientific research.

    What am I studying?

    China’s participation in the global food security system. Interest in this topic did not develop immediately. In my bachelor’s degree, I studied more about culture and soft power. But in my master’s degree, I thought: I would like to study something more practice-oriented, which could contribute to the improvement of Russian-Chinese relations. The food topic found me itself.

    The HSE education system involves earning several credits for projects during the course of study. In my Master’s program, I chose a project that was conducted by the School of Oriental Studies together with Azbuka Vkusa. Against the backdrop of Covid, we studied how retail is developing in Asian countries. I was doing research on China. And then one of the teachers said that there was an opportunity to do an internship at the UN.

    At first I wasn’t interested, but my friend, who had this experience, explained that it was a very interesting track where you act as a manager of an educational course.

    I applied for the next intake and was accepted to this project. The internship was online. I helped organize a course for UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) and FAO (FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The course was designed for officials from the post-Soviet space on the topic of agriculture in international trade agreements.

    I thought it was an interesting topic because China and Russia were developing relations in the agricultural sector, so I decided to take it up more seriously and continued to study it in graduate school.

    What was my master’s thesis about?

    I studied Chinese concepts in global governance. This topic is close to my PhD thesis, where I examine how China promotes its approaches to food security co-operation internationally.

    In my master’s degree, I was interested to see how China’s policy ambitions are growing in practical terms, what approaches it offers – whether it is trying to take the place of the United States or is offering something unique.

    I decided to look at the theoretical approaches of Chinese scholars and compare them with the statements of Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping. And I saw that, in principle, the same thing happened to the concept of global governance developed in the West as to many other Western concepts in China – from complete rejection to active participation.

    At first, China came out with sharp criticism, claiming that the concept was aimed at Western countries controlling global development. Then with interest – how to apply it with Chinese specifics. Then, gradual testing began in specific areas. For example, Chinese scientists separately studied issues of sovereignty, participation of non-profit organizations. And already at the next stage, they proposed their own approaches.

    At the same time, Chinese leader Xi Jinping put forward the concept of a Community of Shared Future for Humanity and the flagship Belt and Road Initiative, and Chinese scholars were studying how to develop global governance together with other countries through these projects.

    What is the Community of Shared Destiny for Humanity?

    Xi Jinping put forward this concept in 2013 — by the way, he first spoke about it in Moscow, at MGIMO. At the first stage, it was quite simple, it could be characterized by his words: “In me there is you, in you there is me.” The world is interconnected, and we need to manage things together, because if one participant starts having problems (as we saw during the pandemic), they arise for others as well.

    A more correct translation of the name is “the concept of a common destiny.” “A common destiny” implies unification. And China insists that everyone has the right to follow their own path of development, and this community is expressed in the fact that we develop together, but in different ways.

    Why China Believes the World Needs Food Security

    China is primarily interested in ensuring internal security. It relies on the concept of self-sufficiency. This issue is particularly sensitive for it. In the past, periods of famine were associated with political instability.

    During the Cold War, when China suffered famine, the country also faced a food embargo from the United States. And now China believes that “it must hold the rice bowl firmly in its own hands,” as Xi Jinping says.

    But having joined the WTO and participated in world trade, one cannot be completely autonomous. If there are problems in the food security sphere somewhere, it affects everyone. China is interested in maintaining general world stability. It is also developing cooperation in the “south-south” direction. This is cooperation between a developing country and a similar country, where it acts not as a donor, but as a partner, sharing its experience in solving problems.

    In the area of food security, China’s experience is a strong case: the country was able to defeat hunger with very few resources, land and water. Therefore, this is one of the key areas for cooperation with developing countries. China focuses on them, and mainly seeks to develop partnerships with them.

    Russian-Chinese relations

    Our relations are now at the peak of prosperity. During the Cold War, Sinologists had a hard time. Relations were tense, we had different views on what communism should be. The Chinese reacted quite sharply to the debunking of Stalin’s personality cult. We had border conflicts. China then, especially against the backdrop of rapprochement with the United States, diverged even more from the USSR.

    I remember my first academic supervisor in my bachelor’s degree told me that he was criticized in his close circle for studying the language of a country where he would never go, with which we are at odds. But he said that he was right. The prerequisites for normalizing relations began to emerge in the Brezhnev era, later the issues of demarcation and delimitation of the border were resolved, economic relations also developed, and now our relations have become the best.

    What results and achievements I am proud of

    I spent the last year in China, and returned in July. I was accepted to the New Sinology program for postgraduate students. It is designed to develop new approaches to China studies, building connections so that scholars can see their subject up close. I chose Renmin University of China, one of the largest in Beijing. I was able to work on my topic with a Chinese supervisor, Professor Song Wei, who is developing the theoretical framework I used in my work.

    My other achievements are not really in the scientific sphere. Within my center, I am actively involved in the implementation of joint humanitarian projects between Russia and China.

    We organized a Russian-Chinese summer school for students, and we had a project called “China Perspective,” where students from our department met with China experts and learned how to build a career in cooperation with the PRC.

    Basically, my journey of getting to know HSE and CCEIS began with me being a participant in the Russian-Chinese summer school — the 9th intake. And the next time, I was already on the organizing committee. The school was held online because of COVID, but there were many participants, some even joined from Brazil.

    What I dream about

    I am very interested in getting more field experience. For example, going to Chinese villages and talking to farmers. In China, most agricultural products are still produced on small farmsteads.

    Where I was in China

    I traveled a lot around China, visited ten cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Xi’an, Luoyang, Tianjin, Chengdu and Chongqing. In Shanghai, colleagues from my center organized a conference of the Valdai Club together with the East China Normal University. I was included in the delegation.

    There was also a trip to a conference in Shenzhen, to MSU-PPI – a joint university of Moscow State University and Beijing Polytechnic University. I already went to other cities with friends, to immerse myself in Chinese culture. A guy from India studied with me on the program, we became friends, he was more advanced in studying Chinese culture, and I went on my first trip with him.

    Science for me is a way of life, a space of connections. You are constantly looking for something to talk about, something to study.

    If I hadn’t become a scientist, I could have become a manager or producer of educational courses in the humanities. I still combine this with my scientific career, but I would have concentrated on it.

    Who would I like to meet?

    For my dissertation, I would like to meet the first FAO Secretary-General, John Boyd Orr, and talk more about his failed initiatives. My research is more in the area of international cooperation, while his research is specifically looking at how certain policies reduce malnutrition in the world.

    I was very inspired by the history of the creation of FAO. Boyd Orr was the first Secretary-General, he stood at its origins. He advocated a comprehensive approach to food security. At that time, food security was considered to be only access to products and their availability. He suggested looking at the problem more broadly and advocated that the newly formed organization should control not only development issues and information collection, but also trade, production, and food delivery.

    For example, during World War II, scientists discovered that if you increase the rations for pregnant women, then infant mortality drops sharply. They made several such discoveries, were inspired, and thought that this new knowledge would allow them to significantly reduce hunger within the organization.

    But due to the onset of the Cold War, due to the importance and criticality of this topic for the world’s major powers, there was not enough space for trust to be created so that a common supranational structure in the form of a UN institution could control all these processes.

    What my typical day looks like

    Now my typical day is loaded with work: the last year of graduate school, finishing my dissertation, going to the pre-defense. So I wake up, have breakfast, go to work and sit here for a long time. I solve work issues, and when I have a free minute, I finish the text of the dissertation.

    What will I do after my defense?

    I will continue working at CCEMI. I think that there will be more time for scientific work. I would like to study the topic of Russian-Chinese agricultural cooperation in more detail. It is also interesting to look at the development of the foodtech sphere in China, startups in this area. I would also try to publish in Chinese journals. They are not taken into account in our systems, which is critical for a postgraduate student, and after the defense this issue will no longer be so acute.

    Do I get burnout?

    I think it was at the beginning, when I didn’t understand how to combine work and study, but here my colleagues helped. We have a friendly atmosphere in the team, everyone supports each other. I adhere to the approach that there are always many interesting projects, but it is important to refuse most of them and concentrate on the most important, otherwise burnout can occur.

    What are my interests besides science?

    I love yoga. It helps me maintain a sports regimen during periods of intense work. I also like digital drawing, sometimes I even do something design-related. At the launch stage of our project “Chinese Perspective”, I made posters for the VKontakte group.

    Where do I recommend starting your acquaintance with China?

    I would recommend looking at VK groups dedicated to China. In our Russian-speaking community, for example, there is a group called “Grey Mocha” that publishes cultural notes about China. The Vyshka Chinese Club also provides a lot of useful information.

    China has its own social networks. If you want to watch Chinese videos, you should go not to YouTube, but to Bilibili and Kuaishou. WeChat is a must to communicate with Chinese colleagues. They have an interesting service called “Little Red Book” — something like a combination of Instagram and Telegram, it helped me a lot while traveling around China. You can type in “Tasty places there,” and it will show you. You could even find out which of the many cafeterias at my university serves the best food. Or figure out how to take a photo in the Temple of Heaven without people being visible. But to immerse yourself in the Chinese blogosphere, you need to know the language and understand how it works. If you come to China with only English, it will be more difficult.

    The leading contemporary Chinese writer

    Probably Mo Yan. In the book “Frogs” he describes the social reality of the “One Family – One Child” era. I also liked the plot of the book “Children of the Herd Age” written by Liu Zhenyun. One of the stories describes how a man gave a large ransom for a woman, and she ran away with this ransom without marrying him, and his sister tries to find her.

    Popular Chinese Attractions Among Russians

    Beijing, Shanghai and Harbin — because of the proximity of the border. In Beijing, the heritage of ancient culture is interesting: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China. In Shanghai, people walk along the embankment, look at the Pearl Tower, there are more monuments of Western culture there. Hainan Island is also popular, especially among residents of Siberia and the Far East. The sea there is very clean. There are many interesting delicacies, for example, candies made from shark meat. Other destinations are for more advanced tourists who are also interested in nature. For example, the province of Sichuan, where pandas live and there are national parks.

    Differences between Western and Chinese culture

    There are, and very strong ones. In China, they tend to be collectivist, not individualistic. We have the concept of conscience, and they have shame. This is a capacious topic, it is difficult to talk about briefly, but it can be outlined with a series of illustrations by Chinese artist Yan Liu.

    What was the last thing I read and watched?

    Our colleague Ivan Yuryevich Zuenko recently published a book, “China in the Era of Xi Jinping.” I read it and even attended the presentation.

    Because of my dissertation, everything is about China now, and I watch something to support Chinese. For example, the talk show “This is China” with Professor Zhang Weiwei and the program “Round Table” with the popular host Dou Wentao.

    Advice to young scientists

    Get involved in the scientific community early on, as talking to colleagues helps you understand early on what to watch out for and what new and interesting perspectives there are on the issues you’re studying.

    Try to publish and speak at conferences. The sooner you gain such experience, the easier it will be to move along this path. And for a sinologist, it is especially important to have your own knowledge base and know exactly where to find certain materials. Order disciplines and helps in scientific work.

    Favorite place in Moscow

    VDNKh. I lived there during my first year of graduate school, and often walked there. This place is associated with my first pleasant memories after moving to Moscow.

    Favorite places in Beijing

    First of all, Beihai Park. Chinese parks are different from ours. When I came there for the first time in the evening, I felt like I was in a fairy tale. I also love Houhai, it’s also in the center, a walking place around the lake. And Qianmen Street, it’s quite lively, there are a lot of Chinese eateries, street food.

    At first, I didn’t quite have the right idea of Beijing. I thought it was high-rise and modern. But if you travel around southern cities, you’ll notice that Beijing has many low buildings in the center and it’s not so densely built up. There are hutongs on Qianmen Street – ancient buildings. And a nice coffee shop called Metal Hands.

    Chinese cuisine

    I like it. I often ate xiao long bao (steamed meat buns like dumplings), malatan (a spicy soup where you put the ingredients yourself), and different types of beef noodles. Because of my Indian friends, I also fell in love with Indian food. But in general, there are a couple of places in Beijing where you can eat Russian food. When I started missing mashed potatoes with a cutlet, it was easy to get them.

    Where would I go in China

    See the natural attractions near the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing. You need to go there in a group and think everything through in advance. There are two large national parks near Chengdu. And next to Chongqing is the Wulong Karst geological park. And there is also a beautiful place Zhangjiajie, you also need to go there for five days, preferably with a group and a guide.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel’s ban on UNRWA continues a pattern of politicizing Palestinian refugee aid – and puts millions of lives at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicholas R. Micinski, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Maine

    The Israeli parliament’s vote on Oct. 28, 2024, to ban the United Nations agency that provides relief for Palestinian refugees is likely to affect millions of people – it also fits a pattern.

    Aid for refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees, has long been politicized, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, has been targeted throughout its 75-year history.

    This was evident earlier in the current Gaza conflict, when at least a dozen countries, including the U.S., suspended funding to the UNRWA, citing allegations made by Israel that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. In August, the U.N. fired nine UNRWA employees for alleged involvement in the attack. An independent U.N. panel established a set of 50 recommendations to ensure UNRWA employees adhere to the principle of neutrality.

    The vote by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to ban the UNRWA goes a step further. It will, when it comes into effect, prevent the UNRWA from operating in Israel and will severely affect its ability to serve refugees in any of the occupied territories that Israel controls, including Gaza. This could have devastating consequences for livelihoods, health, the distribution of food aid and schooling for Palestinians. It would also damage the polio vaccination campaign that the UNRWA and its partner organizations have been carrying out in Gaza since September. Finally, the bill bans communication between Israeli officials and the UNRWA, which would end efforts by the agency to coordinate the movements of aid workers to prevent unintentional targeting by the Israel Defense Forces.

    Refugee aid, and humanitarian aid more generally, is theoretically meant to be neutral and impartial. But as experts in migration and international relations, we know funding is often used as a foreign policy tool, whereby allies are rewarded and enemies punished. In this context, we believe Israel’s banning of the UNRWA fits a wider pattern of the politicization of aid to refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees.

    What is the UNRWA?

    The UNRWA, short for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was established two years after about 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes during the months leading up to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war.

    Palestinians flee their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
    Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Prior to the UNRWA’s creation, international and local organizations, many of them religious, provided services to displaced Palestinians. But after surveying the extreme poverty and dire situation pervasive across refugee camps, the U.N. General Assembly, including all Arab states and Israel, voted to create the UNRWA in 1949.

    Since that time, the UNRWA has been the primary aid organization providing food, medical care, schooling and, in some cases, housing for the 6 million Palestinians living across its five fields: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, as well as the areas that make up the occupied Palestinian territories: the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

    The mass displacement of Palestinians – known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” – occurred prior to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defined refugees as anyone with a well-founded fear of persecution owing to “events occurring in Europe before 1 January 1951.” Despite a 1967 protocol extending the definition worldwide, Palestinians are still excluded from the primary international system protecting refugees.

    While the UNRWA is responsible for providing services to Palestinian refugees, the United Nations also created the U.N. Conciliation Commission for Palestine in 1948 to seek a long-term political solution and “to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation.”

    As a result, UNRWA does not have a mandate to push for the traditional durable solutions available in other refugee situations. As it happened, the conciliation commission was active only for a few years and has since been sidelined in favor of the U.S.-brokered peace processes.

    Is the UNRWA political?

    The UNRWA has been subject to political headwinds since its inception and especially during periods of heightened tension between Palestinians and Israelis.

    While it is a U.N. organization and thus ostensibly apolitical, it has frequently been criticized by Palestinians, Israelis as well as donor countries, including the United States, for acting politically.

    The UNRWA performs statelike functions across its five fields, including education, health and infrastructure, but it is restricted in its mandate from performing political or security activities.

    Initial Palestinian objections to the UNRWA stemmed from the organization’s early focus on economic integration of refugees into host states.

    Although the UNRWA officially adhered to the U.N. General Assembly’s Resolution 194 that called for the return of Palestine refugees to their homes, U.N., U.K. and U.S. officials searched for means by which to resettle and integrate Palestinians into host states, viewing this as the favorable political solution to the Palestinian refugee situation and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this sense, Palestinians perceived the UNRWA to be both highly political and actively working against their interests.

    In later decades, the UNRWA switched its primary focus from jobs to education at the urging of Palestinian refugees. But the UNRWA’s education materials were viewed by Israel as further feeding Palestinian militancy, and the Israeli government insisted on checking and approving all materials in Gaza and the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967.

    A protester is removed by members of the U.S. Capitol Police during a House hearing on Jan. 30, 2024.
    Alex Wong/Getty Images

    While Israel has long been suspicious of the UNRWA’s role in refugee camps and in providing education, the organization’s operation, which is internationally funded, also saves Israel millions of dollars each year in services it would be obliged to deliver as the occupying power.

    Since the 1960s, the U.S. – the UNRWA’s primary donor – and other Western countries have repeatedly expressed their desire to use aid to prevent radicalization among refugees.

    In response to the increased presence of armed opposition groups, the U.S. attached a provision to its UNRWA aid in 1970, requiring that the “UNRWA take all possible measures to assure that no part of the United States contribution shall be used to furnish assistance to any refugee who is receiving military training as a member of the so-called Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) or any other guerrilla-type organization.”

    The UNRWA adheres to this requirement, even publishing an annual list of its employees so that host governments can vet them, but it also employs 30,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom are Palestinian.

    Questions over links of the UNRWA to any militancy has led to the rise of Israeli and international watch groups that document the social media activity of the organization’s large Palestinian staff.

    In 2018, the Trump administration paused its US$60 million contribution to the UNRWA. Trump claimed the pause would create political pressure for Palestinians to negotiate. President Joe Biden restarted U.S. contributions to the UNRWA in 2021.

    While other major donors restored funding to the UNRWA after the conclusion of the investigation in April, the U.S. has yet to do so.

    ‘An unmitigated disaster’

    Israel’s ban of the UNRWA will leave already starving Palestinians without a lifeline. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said banning the UNRWA “would be a catastrophe in what is already an unmitigated disaster.” The foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the U.K. issued a joint statement arguing that the ban would have “devastating consequences on an already critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in northern Gaza.”

    Reports have emerged of Israeli plans for private security contractors to take over aid distribution in Gaza through dystopian “gated communities,” which would in effect be internment camps. This would be a troubling move. In contrast to the UNRWA, private contractors have little experience delivering aid and are not dedicated to the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality or independence.

    However, the Knesset’s explicit ban could, inadvertently, force the United States to suspend weapons transfers to Israel. U.S. law requires that it stop weapons transfers to any country that obstructs the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid. And the U.S. pause on funding for the UNRWA was only meant to be temporary.

    The UNRWA is the main conduit for assistance into Gaza, and the Knesset’s ban makes explicit that the Israeli government is preventing aid delivery, making it harder for Washington to ignore. Before the bill passed, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller warned that “passage of the legislation could have implications under U.S. law and U.S. policy.”

    At the same time, two U.S. government agencies previously alerted the Biden administration that Israel was obstructing aid into Gaza, yet weapons transfers have continued unabated.

    Sections of this story were first used in an earlier article published by The Conversation U.S. on Feb. 1, 2024.

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

    – ref. Israel’s ban on UNRWA continues a pattern of politicizing Palestinian refugee aid – and puts millions of lives at risk – https://theconversation.com/israels-ban-on-unrwa-continues-a-pattern-of-politicizing-palestinian-refugee-aid-and-puts-millions-of-lives-at-risk-242379

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis announces 2024 Board of Directors election results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (“FHLBank Indianapolis” or “Bank”) today announced the results of the election of two Indiana Member Directors and three Independent Directors to its Board of Directors (“Board”). The following individuals were elected to the Board and will each serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

    The new Indiana Member Directors are:

    • Dan L. Moore, executive chairman, Home Bank, S.B., Martinsville, Ind. Previously, Moore served as its chairman, president and CEO and director. Moore served on the Board from 2011 to 2022 and was Board Chair from 2019 to 2022. He also served as Chairman of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks in 2022.
    • Jamie R. Shinabarger, CEO, Springs Valley Bank & Trust Co., Jasper, Ind. Shinabarger also serves on the bank’s board of directors and of SVB&T Corp., the bank’s holding company in French Lick, Ind.

    The new Independent Directors are:

    • Kathryn M. Dominguez, professor of public policy and economics, University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in Ann Arbor, Mich. She also serves as the school’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and is the co-faculty director of the Center on Finance, Law and Policy. Dominguez was appointed to the Board as an Independent Director to fill a partial term in 2023, and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Risk Oversight Committee.
    • Charlotte C. Henry, former chief information technology officer for the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, Detroit. Henry has been an Independent Director on the Board since 2017. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board’s Security and Technology Committee, and formerly served as the Chair of that committee.
    • Todd E. Sears (Public Interest Independent Director), vice president of development, Cohen Esrey, Indianapolis. Previously, Sears served as chief investment officer and chief financial officer of Valeo Financial Advisors and was executive vice president of research, policy and strategy at Kittle Property Group, Inc., in Indianapolis. Sears previously served as the executive vice president for the non-profit CDFI, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership. He has served as an Independent Director on the Board since 2021 and previously served on the Board’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council from 2012-2018.

    Annually, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency determines the size of the Board and designates at least a majority, but no more than 60%, of the directorships as member directorships and the remainder as independent directorships. Independent directors are nominated by the Board after consultation with the Bank’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

    Media contact:
    Scott Thien, Sr. Communications Lead
    317-902-3103
    sthien@fhlbi.com

    Building Partnerships. Serving Communities
    FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to provide access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members’ customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded, and they receive no Congressional appropriations. One of 11 independent regional cooperative banks across the U.S., FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com and follow the Bank on LinkedIn, and Instagram and X at @FHLBankIndy.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Haiti’s gangs turn to starving children to bolster their ranks

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics, Lancaster University

    After months of relentless gang violence, thousands of killings, and the unseating of a government, Haiti is faced with another heartbreaking issue which seems likely to prolong the Caribbean island nation’s woes for another generation. Testimonies collected by Amnesty International have uncovered how Haiti’s armed gangs are enlisting hundreds of children.

    Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, says: “We have documented heartbreaking stories of children forced to work for gangs: from running deliveries to gathering information and performing domestic tasks under threats of violence.”

    Boys as young as six are being forced to work as lookouts, made to build street barriers, trained to use machine guns, and are being ordered to participate in kidnappings and other acts of violence. Girls in the possession of gangs are subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by older male gang members, according to Piquer.

    Haiti’s 200 or so armed gangs currently control around 90% of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of the country are ungovernable. The collapse in law and order has allowed gang leaders such as Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier to commit terrible atrocities largely unchallenged.



    Read more:
    Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier: the gangster behind the violence in Haiti who may have political aspirations of his own

    The involvement of children in Haiti’s gangs is not exactly new. According to Unicef, between 30% and 50% of children in Haiti are involved with armed groups in some capacity. There are several socioeconomic explanations for this.

    Haiti was once the wealthiest European colony in the Americas – and staged the only ever successful slave rebellion against its French colonial masters before declaring independence in 1804. But modern Haiti is a failed state where more than half of the population now live below the World Bank’s poverty line.

    According to figures published by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Haiti has the highest prevalence of food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean. One-third of the population goes hungry every day.

    Impoverishment and grinding poverty has made the population desperate. With limited options for survival, many children in Haiti are drawn into criminal groups. At times, the promise of a single meal can be enough to attract a child to join a gang.

    That said, the breakdown of order throughout the country has undoubtedly encouraged the gangs to increase their recruitment of children. As with most conflict zones, once indoctrinated, child soldiers make for cheap and deadly combatants.

    There is also one other specific social factor that contributes to some parents turning a blind eye to their children joining the gangs. The prevalence of child recruitment by gangs can be linked to a Haitian socioeconomic practice called restaveks.

    A restavek, which is Creole for “to stay with”, is a child who is given away by impoverished parents with the unwritten understanding that they will be fed, looked after and will not die of hunger. It has become a form of modern-day slavery.

    The End Slavery Now project has found that “more than 300,000 children are victims of domestic slavery” in Haiti today. Many of these children regularly undergo forms of physical and sexual violence.

    A set pattern

    Child sex slavery and sexual abuse are familiar occurrences in societies torn by civil war. It is more likely to take place in settings where the process of governance is weak or non-existent. This situation facilitates conditions of criminal impunity, leading various actors involved in conflict to sexually exploit children.

    There is an established pattern of predatory child sexual slavery in Haiti. Following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 and the ensuing cholera epidemic, some members of the UN peacekeeping force stationed in the country were found to have been running a child sex racket.

    In 2017, an investigation by the Associated Press revealed at least 134 Sri Lankan peacekeepers were involved. It has been documented that girls as young as 11 were sexually abused and impregnated by the peacekeepers, and then subsequently abandoned to raise their children alone. Impoverished and starving Haitian children fell victim to this racket in exchange for scraps of the peacekeepers’ leftover food.

    According to its own admission, the UN peacekeeping force was responsible for “transactional sex” during its operations in the country.



    Read more:
    ‘They put a few coins in your hands to drop a baby in you’ – 265 stories of Haitian children abandoned by UN fathers

    In 2019, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, branded violence against children as a “silent emergency” of our time. Unfortunately, not much is being done to address this challenge, despite the urgency of Guterres’ statement.

    There are many existential challenges facing Haiti. Some of them are homegrown, such as the prevalence of gangs and their terror techniques.

    But, as it is located on a geological fault line in a region susceptible to severe storms, Haiti is particularly prone to natural disasters. A devastating earthquake in 2010 and a cholera epidemic in 2016 debilitated the country, and the knock-on effects will last decades.

    To make matters worse, Haiti also suffers from a compassion deficit. A lack of real engagement from the international community has contributed to the erosion of the Haitian civil society and left the population at the mercy of gang violence.

    Even the Kenyan-led policing mission tasked with restoring order is suffering from inadequate funding and equipment, which has affected its operational capacity. Only around US$400 million (£308 million) of the US$600 million that was originally pledged for the mission has materialised, with the US shouldering a disproportionate financial burden.

    Preoccupied with more high-profile conflicts elsewhere, the international community appears to have little interest in the horrors that are unfolding under the tropical sun in the faraway Caribbean.

    Amalendu Misra is a recipient of British Academy and Nuffield Foundation fellowships.

    – ref. Haiti’s gangs turn to starving children to bolster their ranks – https://theconversation.com/haitis-gangs-turn-to-starving-children-to-bolster-their-ranks-241386

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The supernatural beliefs of medieval people – from elves and fairies to abductions and the undead

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anne Lawrence-Mathers, Professor in Medieval History, University of Reading

    Medieval people have a reputation for being superstitious – and many of the supernatural phenomena found in the pages of medieval chronicles, miracle stories and romances are still alive in modern culture. Think ghosts, werewolves, demons, vampires, fairies and witches. But while (almost all) people today regard these beings as entirely fictional, many medieval people believed in them.

    Christian theologians accepted the existence of the supernatural, categorising such beings broadly as “fallen angels” who viewed humanity as a battleground in their ongoing conflict with God. Their enormous power meant they could even appear as deities, including the pagan gods and goddesses – they were seen to take on a monstrous appearance mainly when claiming the souls of the damned or being defeated by a Christian leader.

    The smaller and less powerful supernatural creatures known in Old and Middle English as “elves”, however, were seen to have less straightforward explanations.

    Elves, fairies and sirens

    Medieval elves were not usually as powerful as the glamorous beings envisioned centuries later by J.R.R. Tolkien. They merged with demons in some accounts and with fairies in others.

    A siren and a centaur depicted in a bestiary (1278–1300).
    Courtesy of the Getty Open Content Program

    For the 13th-century English priest Layamon, it was elves (alven) who gave King Arthur magical gifts and who, in the form of beautiful women, carried him away to the mythical island of Avalun to heal. However, Layamon was careful to say that this was the belief of “the Britons” (Celtic people), which he was simply recording.

    Fairies first appeared in French-language accounts and quickly blended with other categories of supernatural being. They were apparently more human in appearance than elves, though wings were added later.

    They formed one category of the large group of tempting, supernatural female creatures who lured human men into dangerous relationships. Perhaps most famous is the fairy Melusine, who was strongly linked to water.

    Melusine’s Secret Discovered, from Le Roman de Mélusine (circa 1450).
    National Library of France

    Melusine was half-human, half-serpent and was both beautiful and powerful. She brought prosperity and numerous sons to her human husband, but forbade him to see her at a specified time (Saturdays). When he broke his promise, Melusine’s true form was revealed, and she left forever.

    It is unclear whether the chroniclers and readers who enjoyed such stories entirely believed them, but it seems likely that fairies were considered more real in the middle ages than now.

    Medieval abductions and miracles

    For medieval people, elves, fairies and sirens inhabited the ambiguous territory between fact and fiction. The same may be said of mysterious beings who abducted unsuspecting humans, often women, and carried them off to strange and frightening regions. Those who allegedly reported these experiences believed them to be real, although they were condemned as demonic illusions by moralists.

    Depiction of a miracle from 1531.
    The Book of Miracles

    Being taken high above the Earth is a recurring theme in medieval writing, including tales of witches deliberately flying on the backs of animals. These abduction tales could be compared to modern accounts of alien abductions.

    While tales of abduction by fairies were sometimes dismissed as delusions, stories of saints’ miracles and natural marvels were usually accepted as true. It might be tempting to compare the powers of miracle-working saints with those of modern superheroes – but miracles were considered overt demonstrations of the power of God, whereas superheroes tend to result from scientific or technological extremes.

    A revenant rises from his grave (16th-century facsimile).
    Bavarian State Library, Munich

    A particularly sensational example was recorded in the Life of St Modwenna (an early Irish princess and abbess), written by the abbot Geoffrey of Burton circa 1120-1150. In his account, two tenants of Burton Abbey stirred up a violent feud between the abbot and Count Roger the Poitevin. The troublemakers died suddenly and were buried in haste, but apparently reappeared at sunset carrying their own coffins, before transforming into terrifying animals.

    These revenants (spirits or animated corpses) reportedly brought death to the village – only three people were left alive. When the graves of the runaways were opened, they were found to be bloodstained but intact. A formal apology to the abbey and the saint was followed by ritual dismembering of these corpses and burning of their hearts. This apparently led to the expulsion of an evil spirit and the recovery of the surviving peasants.

    Natural marvels

    “Natural marvels” were medieval phenomena which were accepted as parts of God’s creation, but could not be scientifically explained. Many of the creatures found in bestiaries (medieval encyclopedias of animals both real and mythological) fitted here, such as dragons, unicorns and basilisks.

    Dragons and unicorns remain popular fantasy characters today, but basilisks are less well known – although a giant one once proved a fearsome opponent for Harry Potter. Basilisks were said to be so poisonous that their scent, their fiery breath and even their gaze could kill. They were attested not only by bestiaries but by the Roman philosopher and botanist Pliny in his book Natural History (circa AD77). They were found in the province of Cyrene, in modern Libya.

    A basilisk depicted in a bestiary (circa 1200-1225).
    British Library

    Similarly, different regions of the Earth were characterised by natural marvels recorded in works such as priest and historian Gerald of Wales’s book, The History and Topography of Ireland (1185-88).

    Gerald noted that some readers would find his stories “impossible or ridiculous”, but testified to their accuracy. They included strange islands where no female creature could survive and nobody could die a natural death, as well as strange creatures and humans forced to transform periodically into wolves by the power of St Natalis (an Irish monk and saint).

    Medieval people believed in a wide array of supernatural beings. While today we mostly see them as the stuff of nightmarish fiction, our enthusiasm for this diversity hasn’t waned – just look at the breadth of supernatural costumes on display every Halloween.


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

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

    – ref. The supernatural beliefs of medieval people – from elves and fairies to abductions and the undead – https://theconversation.com/the-supernatural-beliefs-of-medieval-people-from-elves-and-fairies-to-abductions-and-the-undead-240756

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Scott Shortliffe to the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications

    Source: Government of Canada News

    For our part, the CRTC imposes requirements that help CBC/Radio-Canada meet its mandate in both official languages, across all its services. The CRTC renewed CBC/Radio-Canada’s broadcasting licence in July 2022 and modified some of its requirements.

    Ottawa, Ontario
    October 29, 2024

    Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director, Broadcasting
    Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

    Check against delivery

    Good morning and thank you for inviting us to appear before your committee.

    Before I begin, I would like to thank the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people for having me here as a guest on their unceded, unsurrendered territory. I would also like to thank the Anishnaabeg people for being stewards of the land and waters in this area since time immemorial.

    I am joined today by my colleague Michael Craig, Director of Television Programming.

    As you know, the CRTC is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. The CRTC holds public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and makes decisions based on the public record.

    On the broadcasting side, we are implementing the Online Streaming Act and modernizing Canada’s broadcasting framework. This is in addition to our ongoing work in broadcasting, which includes issuing licences and determining the conditions of service under which broadcasters are allowed to operate in Canada. One of those broadcasters, of course, is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or CBC/Radio-Canada, whose programming is the subject of today’s meeting.

    For our part, the CRTC imposes requirements that help CBC/Radio-Canada meet its mandate in both official languages, across all its services. The CRTC renewed CBC/Radio-Canada’s broadcasting licence in July 2022 and modified some of its requirements.

    The CRTC imposed enhanced reporting requirements on CBC/Radio-Canada to allow stakeholders to assess its performance in meeting its mandate, in particular for Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, the 2SLGBTQI+ community, and others. At the same time, the CRTC removed some of the requirements where CBC/Radio-Canada had routinely exceeded those requirements, such as those on independent production. To ensure compliance, we receive detailed annual reports from CBC/Radio-Canada on different aspects of its licences, in addition to other reporting requirements.

    In September 2022, the Governor in Council directed the CRTC to reconsider certain aspects of CBC/Radio-Canada’s licence conditions. This was after petitions were filed by stakeholders raising concerns about some of the conditions. Specifically, the Governor in Council asked how the CRTC would ensure that CBC/Radio-Canada would continue to make a significant contribution to local news, children’s programming, original French-language programming and independent programming.

    Following the referral back, Parliament passed the Online Streaming Act. We are currently reviewing those elements of the licence touched on by the reconsideration, while also examining how the Online Streaming Act can help us ensure that these elements are addressed. We are continuing to monitor CBC/Radio-Canada’s activities through its annual reporting. Currently, these activities meet or exceed the CBC/Radio-Canada requirements.

    While the review process is ongoing, let me assure the Committee that the CRTC prioritizes the issues connected to CBC programming that you are studying, especially the availability of local and regional radio, television, and online services. The availability of local content is a key priority of our work in implementing the Online Streaming Act.

    The changes that are needed to the broadcasting framework are substantial and complex. There are many interconnected issues to be addressed. That’s why we are consulting widely while also moving quickly.

    In June, we released a major decision that will require online streaming services to make a base contribution to Canadian broadcasting. That funding will go to funds that have a proven track record of successfully supporting regional and local news, independent and emerging artists, and other areas of immediate need.

    Additionally, we will soon be launching public consultations on issues of importance to Canadians, such as providing more flexibility to traditional radio broadcasters by updating regulatory requirements, and updating the definition of Canadian content for the audiovisual sector. We will also have proceedings considering the relationships between small, medium and large players in the traditional broadcasting system, including online streaming companies, as well as looking at radio and audio streaming in Canada, including how to define audio content and how to support Canadian music.

    We look forward to hearing from Canadians on these issues.

    We have also prioritized our work around the Online New Act, noting that it will provide help to news organizations across Canada, including CBC/Radio-Canada. Just yesterday, we issued a decision on Google’s exemption request, clearing the way for it to provide funding to the Canadian Journalism Collective to be distributed to Canadian news organizations.

    Thank you again for the opportunity to appear today. The CRTC is focused on what Canadians need from their broadcasters and broadcasting system.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Monica Pasillas Appointed IAM Grand Lodge Auditor

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes has appointed longtime IAM activist Monica Pasillas as a Grand Lodge Auditor, effective Oct. 1, 2024.

    Pasillas, a 13-year IAM member, initiated into IAM Chicago Local 2339O in 2011 as an ExpressJet flight attendant. She later transferred to Newark Local 2339N. She had taken on leadership roles in both locals including conductor sentinel, recording secretary, grievance representative and secretary-treasurer. In these capacities, she effectively advocated for the needs of members, played an integral role in ensuring their rights were upheld, participated in organizing and strike campaigns, and served on the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Event Review Committee.

    “Monica is as well-rounded an IAM activist as we have in our organization,” said IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes. “She has a tireless commitment to serving our membership, and will be a huge help in ensuring the safe stewardship of our membership’s resources.”

    Pasillas, a fluent Spanish speaker with proficiency in French, expanded her leadership skills with her involvement in the Spanish Leadership at the IAM’s Winpsinger Center, where she helped promote education and support for Spanish-speaking members.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Monica into her role as a Grand Lodge Auditor,” said Paul Kendall, IAM Assistant Secretary to the General Secretary-Treasurer. “Our Grand Lodge Auditing Team continues to adapt to the needs of our membership and assist every local across North America.”

    In 2018, Pasillas transitioned to the National IAM Benefit Trust Fund (BTF) as an education representative, gaining valuable insights into the health and welfare needs of the participants. The following year, she joined the General Secretary-Treasurer’s Office as an administrative staff secretary, where she has held key roles in the Central Files Department, Pension Department, and currently, the Auditing Department.

    “Monica brings a unique skill set and experience level to her new role as a Grand Lodge Auditor,” said Bryan Pinette, IAM Special Assistant to the General Secretary-Treasurer. “Our members will continue to be well-served by her determination to defend and protect our organization and the causes we care about.”

    Pasillas holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences with a concentration in commercial French studies and supporting coursework in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a first-generation Mexican American growing up in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, Pasillas developed a strong sense of community and resilience. With a focus on empowering others by providing them with the resources and tools they need to thrive in their roles, she will continue to champion the voices of those like her, ensuring a bright future for all.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple’s new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple’s new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence

    October 29, 2024

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple’s all-new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence

    The compact, do-it-all desktop now features the power of M4 and M4 Pro, and marks an important environmental milestone as the first carbon neutral Mac

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the all-new Mac mini powered by the M4 and new M4 Pro chips, and redesigned around Apple silicon to pack an incredible amount of performance into an even smaller form of just 5 by 5 inches. With M4, Mac mini delivers up to 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance over the M1 model.1 With M4 Pro, it takes the advanced technologies in M4 and scales them up to tackle even more demanding workloads. For more convenient connectivity, it features front and back ports, and for the first time includes Thunderbolt 5 for faster data transfer speeds on the M4 Pro model. The new Mac mini is also built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves while protecting their privacy. And marking an important environmental milestone, Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac with an over 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its materials, manufacturing, transportation, and customer use.2 Starting at just $599 with 16GB of memory, the new Mac mini is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning November 8.

    “The new Mac mini delivers gigantic performance in an unbelievably small design thanks to the power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative new thermal architecture,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “Combined with the performance of M4 and the new M4 Pro chip, enhanced connectivity on both the front and back, and the arrival of Apple Intelligence, Mac mini is more capable and versatile than ever, and there is nothing else like it.”

    Small, but Fierce

    The new Mac mini footprint is less than half the size of the previous design at just 5 by 5 inches, so it takes up much less space on a desk. The super-compact system is enabled by the incredible power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative thermal architecture, which guides air to different levels of the system, while all venting is done through the foot.

    When compared to the best-selling PC desktop in its price range, Mac mini is up to 6x faster at one-twentieth the size.1 For a wide range of users, from students to aspiring creatives and small business owners, the Mac mini with M4 is a tiny powerhouse. Mac mini with M4 features a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and now starts with 16GB of unified memory. Users will feel the performance of M4 in everything they do, from multitasking across everyday productivity apps to creative projects like video editing, music production, or writing and compiling code.

    When compared to the Mac mini with Intel Core i7, Mac mini with M4:

    • Applies up to 2.8x more audio effect plugins in a Logic Pro project.1
    • Delivers up to 13.3x faster gaming performance in World of Warcraft: The War Within.1
    • Enhances photos with up to 33x faster image upscaling performance in Photomator.3

    When compared to the Mac mini with M1, Mac mini with M4:

    • Performs spreadsheet calculations up to 1.7x faster in Microsoft Excel.1
    • Transcribes with on-device AI speech-to-text up to 2x faster in MacWhisper.1
    • Merges panoramic images up to 4.9x faster in Adobe Lightroom Classic.4

    Introducing M4 Pro for Pro-Level Performance 

    For users who want pro-level performance, Mac mini with M4 Pro features the world’s fastest CPU core5 with lightning-fast single-threaded performance. With up to 14 cores, including 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores, M4 Pro also provides phenomenal multithreaded performance. With up to 20 cores, the M4 Pro GPU is up to twice as powerful as the GPU in M4, and both chips bring hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the Mac mini for the first time. The Neural Engine in M4 Pro is also over 3x faster than in Mac mini with M1, so on-device Apple Intelligence models run at blazing speed. M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory and 273GB/s of memory bandwidth — twice as much bandwidth as any AI PC chip — for accelerating AI workloads. And M4 Pro supports Thunderbolt 5, which delivers up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds on Mac mini, and more than doubles the throughput of Thunderbolt 4.

    When compared to the Mac mini with Intel Core i7, Mac mini with M4 Pro:

    • Performs spreadsheet calculations up to 4x faster in Microsoft Excel.1
    • Executes scene-edit detection up to 9.4x faster in Adobe Premiere Pro.3
    • Transcribes with on-device AI speech-to-text up to 20x faster in MacWhisper.1
    • Processes basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW up to 26x faster.1

    When compared to the Mac mini with M2 Pro, Mac mini with M4 Pro:

    • Applies up to 1.8x more audio effect plugins in a Logic Pro project.1
    • Renders motion graphics to RAM up to 2x faster in Motion.6
    • Completes 3D renders up to 2.9x faster in Blender.6

    Upgraded Connectivity and Display Support 

    The new Mac mini features a wide array of ports to drive any setup. It includes front-facing ports for more convenient access, including two USB-C ports that support USB 3, and an audio jack with support for high-impedance headphones. On the back, Mac mini with M4 includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while Mac mini with M4 Pro features three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Mac mini comes standard with Gigabit Ethernet, configurable up to 10Gb Ethernet for faster networking speeds, and an HDMI port for easy connection to a TV or HDMI display without an adapter. With M4, Mac mini can support up to two 6K displays and up to one 5K display, and with M4 Pro, it can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz for a total of over 60 million pixels.

    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.

    The First Carbon Neutral Mac 

    The new Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac, marking a significant milestone toward Apple 2030, the company’s goal to be carbon neutral across the entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade.

    Mac mini is made with over 50 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards, and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. The electricity used to manufacture Mac mini is sourced from 100 percent renewable electricity. And, to address 100 percent of the electricity customers use to power Mac mini, Apple has invested in clean energy projects around the world. Apple has also prioritized lower-carbon modes of shipping, like ocean freight, to further reduce emissions from transportation. Together, these actions have reduced the carbon footprint of Mac mini by over 80 percent.2 For the small amount of remaining emissions, Apple applies high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects, like those generated by its innovative Restore Fund.

    In another first for Mac mini, the packaging is now entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from its packaging by 2025.

    An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Sequoia

    macOS Sequoia completes the new Mac mini experience with a host of exciting features, including iPhone Mirroring, allowing users to wirelessly interact with their iPhone, its apps, and notifications directly from their Mac.7 Safari, the world’s fastest browser,8 now offers the Highlights feature, 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 window 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 new, beautiful built-in backgrounds for video calls, which include a variety of color gradients and system wallpapers, or upload their own photos.

    Pricing and Availability

    • Customers can pre-order the new Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro starting today, Tuesday, October 29, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will start arriving to customers, and in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, beginning Friday, November 8.
    • Mac mini with M4 starts at $599 (U.S.) and $499 (U.S.) for education. Additional technical specifications are available at apple.com/mac-mini.
    • Mac mini with M4 Pro starts at $1,399 (U.S.) and $1,299 (U.S.) for education. Additional technical specifications are available at apple.com/mac-mini.
    • New accessories with USB-C — including Magic Keyboard ($99 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID ($149 U.S.), Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad ($179 U.S.), Magic Trackpad ($129 U.S.), Magic Mouse ($79 U.S.), and Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable ($69) — are available at apple.com/store.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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/mac-mini for more information.
    2. Carbon reductions are calculated against a business-as-usual baseline scenario: No use of clean electricity for manufacturing or product use, beyond what is already available on the latest modeled grid; Apple’s carbon intensity of key materials as of 2015; and Apple’s average mix of transportation modes by product line across three years. Learn more at apple.com/2030.
    3. Results are compared to previous-generation 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7-based Mac mini systems with Intel Iris UHD Graphics 630, 64GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    4. Results are compared to previous-generation Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
    5. Testing conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.
    6. Results are compared to previous-generation Mac mini systems with Apple M2 Pro, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 8TB SSD.
    7. Available on Mac computers with Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers with a T2 Security Chip. Requires that iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication, iPhone and Mac are near each other and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and 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 Europe: Publication of the Media and Development Roadmap

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    This Roadmap sets out the approach of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) as regards media development for the 2023-2027 period. This strategy is the result of broad consultation which has brought together MEAE departments and the diplomatic network abroad, in close collaboration with Canal France International (CFI), the French media development agency.

    This included 11 hearings bringing together 80 experts who took part in discussions and shared their experiences.

    This Roadmap has two main ambitions:

    • To reveal France’s action priorities and how best to achieve them;
    • To increase the coordination of French initiatives in the media development sector.
    1. To improve the environment for the media;
    2. To support the production of reliable, high-quality information and step up the fight against disinformation;
    3. To strengthen the production and dissemination of information on the Sustainable Development Goals and global challenges;
    4. To improve the effectiveness of actions supporting media development.

    This Roadmap must ensure there is consistency across all initiatives and create spaces for discussion and information-sharing in order to implement a clearer, more effective overall policy.

    Find out more

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Change in the composition of the Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Media relations:
    Victoire Grux
    Tel.: +33 6 04 52 16 55
    victoire.grux@capgemini.com

    Investor relations:
    Vincent Biraud
    Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 87
    vincent.biraud@capgemini.com

    Change in the composition of the Board of Directors

    Paris, October 29, 2024 – Meeting on October 29, 2024, the Board of Directors of Capgemini SE, took due note of Olivier Roussat’s resignation as a director with immediate effect.

    The Board of Directors warmly thanked Olivier Roussat for his contribution to the work of the Board and the Strategy & CSR Committee on which he sat.

    On October 29, 2024, the Board of Directors therefore comprised 14 Directors, including two Directors representing employees and one director representing employee shareholders. 82% of its members were independent 1, 43% had international profiles and 45% were women1 .

    About Capgemini
    Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2023 global revenues of €22.5 billion.
    Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com

    1 The Directors representing employees and employee shareholders are not taken into account in calculating this percentage, in accordance with the provisions of the AFEP-MEDEF Code and the French Commercial Code.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Medieval Women: In Their Own Words at the British Library is unmissable

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Diane Watt, Professor of English, University of Surrey

    The British Library’s breathtaking new exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, brings to life the experiences, stories and voices of women from the distant past.

    The show covers the period from 1100 to 1500, and a range of mainly western countries and cultures. Many of the women featured are from the elite ranks of society: queens, princesses, noblewomen and nuns.

    On first entering the gallery, visitors encounter a striking late 13th-century carved stone figure of Eleanor of Castile, who was queen of England from 1274 until her death in 1290. It’s one of a series of 12 memorials commissioned by her bereft husband, Edward I, to mark the sites where her body was temporarily set down on its funeral procession from Lincolnshire to Westminster.

    Also on display near the entrance are examples of the work of Hildegard of Bingen and Christine de Pizan. Hildegard was a German abbess, mystic, composer and scholar, and de Pizan was the first professional woman writer in France.

    Both were exceptional, highly educated and privileged women, but the exhibition doesn’t limit itself only to the most famous medieval women.

    These lovely illuminated manuscripts contrast with the next item, a much more mundane – if touching – missive from a woman named Alice Crane. Crane is only known to historians because she corresponded with her friend Margaret Paston during the 15th century. Paston was a Norfolk gentry woman and prolific letter writer. This is one of the few letters we have from the time that testifies to friendship between women. Alice writes: “Thanking you for the great cheer that I had of you when I was last with you with all my heart.”

    This first part of the exhibition is titled “Private Lives” and explores topics such as cosmetics and perfume and women’s medicines and healthcare. Visitors are introduced to women medical practitioners and wet-nurses and find out about education and domestic piety.

    There are displays about pregnancy and pregnancy loss, love and marriage, adultery and divorce and property ownership and inheritance. Margery Brews’s Valentine letter (believed to be the oldest example of a Valentine’s day note) and Gwerful Mechain’s poem in praise of the “cunt” are both displayed – and recited.

    One of the most striking items on display is a birthing girdle – a parchment covered in prayers and illustrations that was believed to have talismanic properties. Birthing girdles were intended to protect both mother and baby during labour.

    The public lives of medieval women

    Powerful women visually dominate the second part, “Public Lives”. It includes an arresting portrait of Henry VIII’s grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, founder of two Cambridge University colleges, and the skull of a lion thought to have been owned by the Margaret of Anjou, leader of the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses.



    Read more:
    How Henry VIII’s grandmother used a palace in Northamptonshire to build the mighty Tudor dynasty

    Military conflict is an important theme – there is a book chronicling the history of Shajar al-Durr, Sultana of Egypt, who defeated a crusader army. Nevertheless, several documents provide insight into lives less known.

    There’s the chancery bill of Maria Moriana, whose name suggests she was a woman of colour. A record of a debt owed to the Jewish businesswoman Licoricia of Winchester who was subsequently murdered in what was very likely a hate crime is displayed. As is a Venetian contract for the sale of an enslaved Russian called Marta. And the record of the interrogation of Eleanor Rykener – a sex worker we would likely recognise today as a trans woman.

    Books produced or sold by women scribes, notaries, printers and booksellers lead the visitor into the main display of manuscripts of works by women writers, from Marie de France, a secular poet in the court of Henry II, to Juliana Berners, the probable author of a treatise on hunting, fishing and heraldry.

    “Spiritual Lives” introduces nuns, mystics and heretics. There are records relating to Joan of Arc, the peasant French military leader of the hundred years war, who was captured and executed by the English. A letter bearing Joan’s signature is exhibited for the first time outside her mother country (in the land of her persecutors, to boot).

    Here visitors also encounter the manuscripts of The Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich and The Book of Margery Kempe. These are two of the earliest works by women to have been written in English and have been brought to life by the artist Tasha Marks in an arresting scent installation. Julian’s satanic torments are conjured up by the stink of sulphur. Kempe’s scent of angels is evoked by notes of honey, strawberry and caramel.

    The curators have done an extraordinary job in making this material accessible to a wide audience. Information panels provide context and correctives. They reveal that the gender pay gap was around 25% at the end of the 15th century, and that only around 1% of women became nuns.

    There are interactive displays that can tell you if you would have grounds for medieval divorce, or if you’d have been vulnerable to witchcraft charges (warning: don’t keep a box of stolen penises).

    The exhibition draws attention to the sheer diversity of the lives and experiences of medieval women in England and beyond, from the quotidian to the sublime. Providing abundant evidence of their learning and scholarship, skills and ingenuity and creativity and artistry, it is, quite simply, unmissable.

    Medieval Women: In Their Own Words is at the British Museum from October 25 2024 to March 5 2025.


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    Diane Watt has received funding from the AHRC, British Academy and Leverhulme Trust.

    – ref. Medieval Women: In Their Own Words at the British Library is unmissable – https://theconversation.com/medieval-women-in-their-own-words-at-the-british-library-is-unmissable-242258

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –