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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 9.25.24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Sep 25, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Fidencio Guzman, of Imperial, has been appointed Warden at Centinela State Prison, where he has served as Acting Warden since 2023, was Chief Deputy Warden from 2021 to 2023 and was Correctional Administrator from 2018 to 2021. Guzman held several positions at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison from 2009 to 2018, including Correctional Administrator, Captain, Correctional Counselor II Specialist and Lieutenant. He was a Sergeant at Centinela State Prison from 2006 to 2009. Guzman served as a First Lieutenant in the California Army National Guard from 2002 to 2009. He was a Correctional Counselor I at Calipatria State Prison from 2003 to 2004, where he was a Correctional Officer from 1999 to 2003 and 2004 to 2006. Guzman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,524. Guzman is a Republican. 

    Edward Borla, of Paso Robles, has been appointed Warden at the Correctional Training Facility, where he has served as Acting Warden since 2023. Borla was Correctional Administrator at Salinas Valley State Prison from 2015 to 2023. He was a Captain at the Correctional Training Facility from 2012 to 2015. Borla was a Correctional Lieutenant at Avenal State Prison from 2008 to 2012. He held multiple positions at California Men’s Colony from 1997 to 2008, including Correctional Sergeant, Correctional Lieutenant and Correctional Officer. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,524. Borla is a Republican.

    Allison Ganter, of Davis, has been appointed In-Custody Death Review Director at the Board of State and Community Corrections, where she has been Deputy Director since 2014 and was Field Representative and Compliance Monitor from 2000 to 2014. Ganter was a Correctional Facility Specialist at the New York Commission of Correction from 1999 to 2000 and Assistant to the Chairman there from 1997 to 1999. She was a Staff Training Assistant and Legislative Aide in the New York State Assembly from 1995 to 1997. Ganter earned a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University at Albany, State University of New York. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $186,876. Ganter is a Democrat. 

    Jennifer Branning, of Susanville, has been appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Branning has been Chief Probation Officer of Lassen County since 2013. She was President of the Chief Probation Officers of California in 2023 and is a member of Lassen Crime Stoppers. Branning earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Studies from California State University, Dominguez Hills. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Branning is registered without party preference.

    Karen Lai, of Berkeley, has been appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Lai has been a Physician at Traditions Behavioral Health since 2019. She was a Resident and Fellow Physician at the University of California, Los Angeles from 2014 to 2019. Lai was a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco from 2010 to 2011. She was a Sal Romano Research Fellow at Rutgers University from 2007 to 2008. Lai was a Stanford Public Interest Network Fellow at MetroPlus Health Plan Inc. from 2006 to 2007. She is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Lai earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Duke University, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lai is a Democrat.

    Recent news

    Sep 25, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Moving to support the ongoing recovery from July wildfires in Kern, Butte and Tehama counties, Governor Gavin Newsom has requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to further assist recovery efforts in communities impacted by the Park and…

    Sep 25, 2024

    News What you need to know: New laws will give local communities more authority to protect their neighborhoods from oil and gas operations and drive faster plugging of old oil and gas wells.  INGLEWOOD, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed three bills into law…

    Sep 24, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Steve Juarez, of Truckee, has been appointed to the California State Teachers’ Retirement Board. Juarez served as a Deputy State Treasurer at the California State Treasurer’s Office…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Immediate measures to step up safeguards against African swine fever from Europe

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The mitigation measures will help to prevent the spread of ASF across the border, protecting the pig sector worth over £8 billion to the UK economy 

    Immediate measures have been introduced to protect pig farmers and industry from an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak. 

    ASF is a highly contagious and deadly disease in pigs and wild boar that can be transmitted through infected meat, but poses no risk to human health. The new safeguarding rules will help protect UK livestock by mitigating its spread across the border to the UK.  

    To safeguard the UK’s pig and farming industries, personal imports of pork and pork products from the EEA (European Economic Area), the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland will be banned from tomorrow (Friday 27th September), unless such products are manufactured and packaged to EU commercial standards and weigh less than a maximum of 2kg. 

    An outbreak of ASF could have a significant impact on the UK’s £8 billion pig industry, as well as its annual pork and pork product exports worth £600 million. It is estimated that an outbreak could cost the UK between £10 million to £100 million.  

    Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said:  

    African swine fever is a deadly disease wreaking havoc in Europe.   

    These new measures will protect British pig farmers and pork products, preventing infected meat from being brought over the border and threatening our biosecurity.

    The UK has never had an outbreak ASF, and commercial meat imports are routinely checked at the border to ensure infected goods do not reach UK shores. 

    Preventing an outbreak of ASF in the UK remains one of Defra’s key biosecurity priorities, and it keeps policy on personal meat and dairy imports under constant review, as well as works closely with devolved governments on contingency planning and preventing an incursion from infected goods. 

    Those found to bring pork or pork products illegally may be fined up to £5,000 in England. Products will be seized and destroyed on arrival.  

    Defra is investing £3.1 million to Dover Port Health Authority for 2024/25 to help Border Force tackle illegal meat imports and keep African Swine Fever out of Great Britain.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)
    Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)
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         The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to begin their visit to Beijing today (September 26) and called on the National Health Commission (NHC), the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) to introduce to the Mainland officials the latest developments of various healthcare reforms in Hong Kong to keep deepening synergistic collaboration on healthcare-related areas with the Mainland.     During the meeting with Vice-minister of the NHC Mr Yu Xuejun, Professor Lo engaged in an in-depth discussion on how to further deepen cross-boundary collaboration on health and medical innovation between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Professor Lo also actively put forward to the NHC multiple proposals on measures for promoting cross-boundary flow of innovation elements (including entry and exit of human genetic resources) in the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Development Plan for Shenzhen Park) promulgated by the State Council, with a view to supporting and encouraging innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies with full effort.      Professor Lo said that the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park emphasises co-ordinated development of Shenzhen and Hong Kong through the establishment of an internationally competitive base for industrial pilot-scale testing and transformation in Hetao to support the innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies. “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” also proposed the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. To this end, the Health Bureau (HHB) strives to push forward with multiple key initiatives as follows: (1) To reform Hong Kong’s evaluation, approval and registration mechanism for drugs and medical devices and prepare for the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation, with a view to progressing towards the “primary evaluation” approach; (2) To join forces with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to set up in the Hetao Area an international clinical trial collaboration platform for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the “one zone, two parks” model in expectation of simultaneous commencement of operation in the fourth quarter of this year;(3) To promote cross-boundary real-world data research; and(4) To introduce world-leading enterprises of advanced therapeutic products as well as innovative drugs and medical devices.     He continued, “The development of innovative drugs and medical devices not only enhances healthcare standards but also transforms the industry, thus realising the vision of introducing good drugs for use in Hong Kong, bringing benefits to citizens with research and development, fostering transformation of innovation and technology, and driving the development of the industry. The healthcare system of Hong Kong must keep abreast of times and pursue transformation with innovation. With the staunch support of national policies in various areas, the HHB will certainly make greater efforts to motivate the local healthcare and medical sector to actively integrate into the overall national development by fully utilising the unique advantages of the HKSAR and playing an active role in the country’s comprehensive deepening of reforms, thereby serving the nation’s needs with the strengths of Hong Kong.”      Professor Lo and the delegation today also met with the Commissioner of the NATCM, Professor Yu Yanhong, and discussed issues related to the promotion of the development of Chinese medicine (CM). He said, “The HKSAR Government expresses sincere gratitude to the NATCM for its robust support for the development of CM in Hong Kong, particularly with regard to the establishment of the first Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute as well as collaboration on rolling out the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Talent Training Programme, etc. The HKSAR Government will continue to press ahead with the high-quality development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts by giving full play to the characteristics of CM in Hong Kong and the city’s strengths in areas such as service delivery, standard-setting, international connectivity and clinical research in a bid to foster the better integration of Hong Kong into the construction of CM highlands in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as well as the overall development of the country, thereby assisting our nation to propel CM to go global.”     Separately, at the meeting with the Head of the Department of Political Affairs of the GACC, Ms Lyu Weihong, Professor Lo said that, since the signing of the Co-operation Arrangement for Entry-exit Health Inspection and Quarantine between the GACC and the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government by the HHB and the GACC in November last year, the HKSAR Government has been maintaining close co-operation with the entry-exit health inspection and quarantine authorities of the Mainland as well as strengthening the joint efforts in disease prevention and control in terms of entry-exit health inspection and quarantine between the Mainland and Hong Kong, with a view to safeguarding the wellbeing and safety of residents and travellers of the two places. The two parties also exchanged views on the promotion of cross-boundary flow of innovation elements as mentioned in the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park.           Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Sam Hui; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko. The delegation will call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the National Medical Products Administration tomorrow (September 27) before departing for Hong Kong in the evening.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 19:12

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appointment of Over 15000 Youth in First 100 Days of Modi 3.0 by Central Ministries and Departments Paving the Path to VIKSIT BHARAT

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 25 SEP 2024 10:28PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always accorded the highest priority to generation of employment opportunities and empowerment of youth in the country. The Prime Minister has always held that our demographic dividend is one of the biggest strengths of our country and the Government of India is according the highest priority to ensure the talent of the youth is fully utilized in the nation building to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat.

    First 100 days of the third term of the present Government have been marked by several key initiatives and decisions which have positively impacted the lives of people and laid a strong foundation for Vikshit Bharat@2047. The citizen-centric decisions have been driven by the vision of the Prime Minister to enhance ease of living and make life better for the poor & middle class, dalit, vanchit, adivasis, Nari shakti and Yuva shakti.

    During the period of 100 days, appointment letters have been issued to over 15000 youth for government jobs by Central Ministries and Departments. The new appointments comprised of various ranks, posts and groups, including the following:

    Ministry of Home Affairs- Inspector, Assistant Sub Inspector, Constable, Head Constable, Sub Inspector, Carpenter, Store, Driver, Constable (Executive) in Delhi Police etc.

    Ministry of Coal– Surveyor (Mining), Senior Medical officer, Medical Specialist, Executive Trainee, Dumper Operator etc.

    Ministry of Health and Family Welfare – Doctor, Nursing Officer, Professor, Assistant Professor, Medical Specialist, Pharmacist, MTS, Lower Division Clerk, Radiographer, and Library Clerk, Laboratory Attendant.

    Department of Higher Education – Assistant Professor, Registrar, Multi-Tasking Staff, Private Secretary, Controller of Examination, Technical Officer, Sports Officer, Executive Engineer, Counselor, Law Officer.

     

    Department of Revenue –Inspector, Examiner, Preventive Officer, Tax Assistant, Multi -Tasking Staff etc.

     

    Ministry of Power- Engineer (Trainee), Manager, Dy. Manager etc.

    Ministry of Defence (Civilian)– Scientist, Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), Tradesman, Civilian Motor Driver, Clerk, etc.

    The newly inducted appointees will also be getting an opportunity to train themselves through “Karmayogi Prarambh”, an e-learning module on iGOT Karmayogi portal, where more than 1200 high quality e-learning courses have been made available for ‘anywhere any device’ learning format. More than 43 Lakh Karmayogis have so far been onboarded onto the portal Mission Karmayogi, launched in September 2020, aiming at promoting citizen-centric governance.

    The new appointees will be able to serve the Nation by joining their services in various roles and will be witness to India@2047 and are expected to play a significant role in nation building. They will be, inter alia, involved in the task of strengthening Industrial, Economic and Social Infrastructure of the nation thereby building New India with their innovative ideas, cutting edge technology and public participation in governance. The momentum of transformative change continues to shape the nation’s rise at the global stage.

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    AG

    (Release ID: 2058859) Visitor Counter : 31

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Two-Thirds of Healthcare Organizations Hit by Ransomware – A Four-Year High, Sophos Survey Finds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OXFORD, United Kingdom, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today released a sector survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024,” which revealed that the rate of ransomware attacks against healthcare organizations has reached a four-year high since 2021. Of those organizations surveyed, two-thirds (67%) were impacted by ransomware attacks in the past year, up from 60% in 2023. The rising rate of ransomware attacks against healthcare institutions contrasts with the declining rate of ransomware attacks across sectors; the overall rate of ransomware attacks fell from 66% in 2023 to 59% in 2024.

    Alongside an increase in the rate of ransomware attacks, the healthcare sector reported increasingly longer recovery times. Only 22% of ransomware victims fully recovered in a week or less, a considerable drop from the 47% reported in 2023 and 54% in 2022. In addition, 37% took more than a month to recover, up from 28% in 2023, reflecting the increased severity and complexity of attacks.

    “While we’ve seen the rate of ransomware attacks reach a kind of “homeostasis” or even declining across industries, attacks against healthcare organizations continue to intensify, both in number and scope. The highly sensitive nature of healthcare information and need for accessibility will always place a bullseye on the healthcare industry from cybercriminals. Unfortunately, cybercriminals have learned that few healthcare organizations are prepared to respond to these attacks, demonstrated by increasingly longer recovery times. These attacks can have immense ripple effects, as we’ve seen this year with major ransomware attacks impacting the healthcare industry and impacting patient care,” said John Shier, field CTO, Sophos.

    “To combat these determined adversaries, healthcare organizations must adopt a more proactive, human-led approach to threat detection and response, combining advanced technology with continuous monitoring to stay ahead of attackers.”

    Additional findings from the report include:

    • Ransom Recovery Costs Surge: The mean cost of recovery in a healthcare ransomware attack was $2.57 million in 2024, up from $2.2 million in 2023 and double the 2021 cost
    • Ransom Demands vs Payments: 57% of healthcare institutions that paid the ransom ended up paying more than the original demand
    • Root Cause of Attack: Compromised credentials and exploited vulnerabilities were tied for the number one root cause of attack, each accounting for 34% of attacks
    • Backups Targeted: 95% of healthcare organizations hit by ransomware in the past year said that cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backups during the attack.
    • Increased Pressure: Organizations whose backups were compromised were more than twice as likely to pay the ransom to recover encrypted data (63% vs. 27%)
    • Who Pays the Ransom: Insurance providers are heavily involved in ransom payments, contributing in 77% of cases. 19% of total ransom payment funding comes from insurance providers

    The latest Sophos report on real-world ransomware experiences explores the full victim journey, from attack rate and root cause to operational impact and business outcomes, of 402 healthcare organizations. The results for this sector survey report are part of a broader, vendor-agnostic survey of 5,000 cybersecurity/IT leaders conducted between January and February 2024 across 14 countries and 15 industry sectors.

    Learn More About Ransomware

    Read the full State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024 report on Sophos.com for additional global findings and data by sector.

    About Sophos

    Sophos is a global leader and innovator of advanced security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, including Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and incident response services and a broad portfolio of endpoint, network, email, and cloud security technologies. As one of the largest pure-play cybersecurity providers, Sophos defends more than 600,000 organizations and more than 100 million users worldwide from active adversaries, ransomware, phishing, malware, and more. Sophos’ services and products connect through the Sophos Central management console and are powered by Sophos X-Ops, the company’s cross-domain threat intelligence unit. Sophos X-Ops intelligence optimizes the entire Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem, which includes a centralized data lake that leverages a rich set of open APIs available to customers, partners, developers, and other cybersecurity and information technology vendors. Sophos provides cybersecurity-as-a-service to organizations needing fully managed security solutions. Customers can also manage their cybersecurity directly with Sophos’ security operations platform or use a hybrid approach by supplementing their in-house teams with Sophos’ services, including threat hunting and remediation. Sophos sells through reseller partners and managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at http://www.sophos.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Bispecific Antibodies Clinical Trials Market Size FDA Approved Bispecific Antibodies Insight

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Delhi, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Bispecific Antibody Market, Drugs Sales, Patent, Price and Clinical Trials Insight 2029 Report Highlights:

    • Bispecific Antibodies Development Proprietary Platforms Insight: > 30 Platforms
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Market Size Yearly and Quarterly Sales (2018 till 2023)
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Market Size 2023: > USD 8 Billion
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Market Forecast Till 2029
    • Approved Bispecific Antibodies Yearly and Quarterly Sales (2018 till 2023)
    • Approved Bispecific Antibodies Regional Sales (2018 till 2023)
    • Clinical and Commercial Insight On Approved Bispecific Antibodies: 14 Antibodies
    • Approved Bispecific Antibodies Pricing and Dosage Analysis
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Clinical Trials By Company, Indication and Phase: > 800 Antibodies
    • FDA and EMA Fast Track Approval, Orphan Designation, Priority Status Insights

    Download Report:

    https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-bispecific-antibody-market-bispecific-antibodies-market

    Before the advent of immunotherapy, the focus was primarily on targeting agents and inhibiting their functions. However, to unlock the full potential of immunotherapy, researchers have begun to move beyond just targeting immune checkpoints. Early attempts at immunotherapy concentrated on enhancing the immune system’s response. As cancerous cells transformed from healthy ones, several cell-based therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and vaccines emerged that exploited tumor-associated antigens. The success of monoclonal antibodies opened the door for novel bispecific antibody immunotherapies, leading to dynamic research and development activities in the field.

    The development of bispecific antibodies began when scientists recognized the potential of monoclonal antibodies. This marked the start of a new era in therapeutics in the late 1990s. Bispecific antibodies offer multiple benefits, including dual targeting of different antigens, improved specificity, enhanced targeting ability, reduced dose-limiting toxicities, and the potential for drug-drug or drug-to-protein conjugates. These antibodies provide diversity by targeting two different antigens or epitopes simultaneously.

    Bispecific antibodies represent a promising approach in the field of immuno-oncology therapy. They have garnered significant attention from healthcare professionals who are dedicated to developing improved therapies and providing cures for patients suffering from cancer worldwide. As a result, several bispecific antibodies—such as Blincyto, Hemlibra, Rybrevant, Vabysmo, Tecvayli, and Lunsumio—have made their mark in the commercial market, receiving FDA and EMA approval over the past decade for various indications, including hemophilia A, B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, uveal melanoma, multiple myeloma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

    Furthermore, the success of bispecific antibodies, exemplified by the granting of fast track approval for the GPCR5D-targeted bispecific antibody by the EMA in 2023, has spurred significant growth in preclinical and clinical trials. Currently, more than 400 clinical trials are underway in the field of immunotherapy, with the primary objective of developing innovative therapies to reduce the cancer burden. For example, the experimental anti-TIGIT/anti-PD-1 bispecific antibody Rilvegostomig (AZD2936) is currently in clinical research for the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma. This study is in the Phase I/II clinical stage and is sponsored by AstraZeneca.

    Due to its groundbreaking mechanism of action, bispecific antibody therapy can be used either as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs. For instance, in an umbrella study, Elranatamab (PF-06863135) is being researched in combination with lenalidomide, dexamethasone, or Nirogacestat for the treatment of multiple myeloma, and is currently in Phase II clinical trials.

    The presence of major pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and Pfizer in clinical trials has attracted numerous companies, research centers, and universities, including Beijing Cancer Hospital, Sharp Memorial Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Institute for Medical Research-Mbeya Medical Research Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Hoffmann-La Roche. These institutions are addressing various indications such as solid tumors, metastatic melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Hodgkin disease, and CD30-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

    The bispecific antibody market is growing at an exceptional pace, as evidenced by the increasing number of antibody approvals. In 2023, two additional therapies—Epkinly (epcoritamab-bysp) and Columvi (glofitamab-gxbm)—received FDA approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Currently, the US dominates the market, as indicated by the rising number of approvals and ongoing clinical trials. However, China is emerging as the fastest-growing nation in terms of advancements and clinical trial activities.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic arrangements for National Day Fireworks Display on October 1

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Police will implement special traffic arrangements on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon to facilitate the National Day Fireworks Display to be held on October 1 (Tuesday).Kowloon——-Crowd safety management measures in Tsim Sha Tsui————————————————-     Police will implement crowd safety management measures in Yau Tsim District and Hung Hom Waterfront Promenade, including pedestrianising roads at Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom Waterfront Promenade in phases.      Depending on the prevailing crowd situation, Police will implement safety measures within the pedestrianised areas including the closure of pedestrian subways and putting up barriers. One-way flow will be applied on overcrowded footbridges and in the vicinity of the waterfront promenade. If necessary, restrictions on access to MTR stations will be put into force by the MTR Corporation Limited.      The Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the vicinity of the Clock Tower, and the Avenue of Stars are known to be popular gathering and vantage points. When these areas are saturated, the crowd will be diverted to other areas.      At present, there are some construction works at the West Kowloon Cultural District. The contractors have erected hoardings and barriers to seal off the area concerned with relevant notices displayed. Members of the public are urged not to enter these sites and not to climb or lean against the barriers.      Members of the public should follow the instructions given by Police officers and take heed of Police signage and broadcasts at scene.Special traffic arrangements—————————-     The following special traffic arrangements will be implemented by phases until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:A. Road closure and traffic diversionsPhase I (from 6pm onwards)    The following roads will be closed:- Eastbound and westbound Hung Hom Bypass between Salisbury Road and Hung Hom Road;- Southbound and northbound Hung Hom Bypass between Salisbury Road and Metropolis Drive;- Southbound Salisbury Road between Hong Chong Road and Hung Hom Bypass;- Eastbound and westbound Salisbury Road between Science Museum Road and Kowloon Park Drive, including Salisbury Road’s eastbound and westbound underpass;- The U-turn slip road of Salisbury Road leading from eastbound Salisbury Road U-turn to westbound Salisbury Road;- Hong Wan Path;- Mody Lane;- Mody Road;- Mody Square;- Granville Square;- Granville Road between Chatham Road South and Science Museum Road, except for franchised buses and green minibuses (GMBs) (the road will be will be re-routed to one-way eastbound);- Southbound Chatham Road South between Cheong Wan Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Chatham Road South between Cheong Wan Road and Granville Road, except for franchised buses and GMBs;- Northbound Chatham Road South between Granville Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound and northbound Carnarvon Road between Granville Road and Nathan Road;- Hau Fook Street;- Cameron Lane;- Cameron Road;- Humphreys Avenue;- Prat Avenue;- Hart Avenue;- Hanoi Road;- Bristol Avenue;- Minden Row;- Minden Avenue;- Blenheim Avenue;- Middle Road;- Northbound Nathan Road between Austin Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Nathan Road between Granville Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Kowloon Park Drive between Canton Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Canton Road between Kowloon Park Drive and Salisbury Road;- Ashley Road;- Hankow Road;- Lock Road;- Haiphong Road;- Ichang Street; and- Peking Road.    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along southbound Hung Hom Road will be directed from Hung Hom Bypass to Cheong Tung Road South roundabout;- Traffic along eastbound Metropolis Drive cannot turn right to southbound Hung Hom Bypass;- Traffic along southbound Hung Hom Bypass must turn right to westbound Metropolis Drive;- Traffic along westbound Cheong Wan Road leading to Chatham Road South must turn right to northbound Chatham Road South or go straight to westbound Austin Road, except for franchised buses and GMBs;- Franchised buses and GMBs along southbound Chatham Road South must turn left to eastbound Granville Road;- Franchised buses along southbound Nathan Road must turn right to westbound Public Square Street or westbound Jordan Road;- Traffic along westbound Jordan Road cannot turn left to southbound Canton Road. Vehicles must go straight to Nga Cheung Road direction or turn left to southbound Wui Man Road;- Traffic along southbound Canton Road must make a U-turn to northbound Canton Road outside China Hong Kong City;- Traffic along northbound Kowloon Park Drive cannot turn left to southbound Canton Road;- Traffic along eastbound Salisbury Road must turn left to northbound Kowloon Park Drive;- Traffic along northbound Kowloon Park Drive cannot turn right to Peking Road;- Westbound Granville Road between Nathan Road and Carnarvon Road will turn to eastbound contraflow. Traffic along southbound Nathan Road will be instructed to turn left to eastbound Granville Road;- Traffic along Science Museum Road cannot turn to Mody Road and Granville Road;- Traffic along southbound Salisbury Road near Hong Chong Road will be diverted to Tsim Sha Tsui East; and- Traffic along eastbound Granville Road must turn left to northbound Chatham Road South.Phase II (from 6.30pm onwards)     The following roads will be closed:- Northbound Kowloon Park Drive between Canton Road and Salisbury Road; and- Eastbound and westbound Salisbury Road between Canton Road and Kowloon Park Drive.Phase III (from 7pm onwards)     The following roads will be closed:- The U-turn slip road of Austin Road West near the Xiqu Centre leading from westbound Austin Road West U-turn to eastbound Austin Road West;- The first lane of Austin Road West leading to Austin Road West roundabout;- The U-turn slip road of Austin Road West near The Harbourside leading from eastbound Austin Road West U-turn to westbound Austin Road West;- Museum Drive; and- Cultural Drive.    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along eastbound and westbound Austin Road West cannot enter the slip roads of Austin Road West; and- Traffic along southbound Nga Cheung Road entering Austin Road West roundabout cannot turn to Museum Drive. Vehicles will be directed to eastbound Austin Road West or northbound Nga Cheung Road.Phase IV (from 8.45pm onwards)     The following roads will be closed:- Southbound and northbound Nathan Road between Jordan Road and Austin Road;- Eastbound Bowring Street between Pilkem Street and Nathan Road;- Eastbound Tak Shing Street between Tak Hing Street and Nathan Road;- Southbound Nathan Road between Austin Road and Granville Road;- Pine Tree Hill Road;- Hillwood Road;- Carnarvon Road between Kimberley Road and Granville Road;- Shun Yee Street;- Granville Circuit;- Northbound Chatham Road South between Observatory Road and Granville Road;- Kimberley Road between Nathan Road and Observatory Road;- Kimberley Street;- Granville Road between Nathan Road and Chatham Road South;- Southbound and northbound Canton Road between Austin Road and Kowloon Park Drive;- Austin Road West roundabout between the entrance of Austin Road West and the exit and entrance of Museum Drive; and- Southbound and northbound Nga Cheung Road between Jordan Road and Austin Road West.    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along southbound Nathan Road must turn right to westbound Jordan Road;- Traffic along westbound Jordan Road cannot turn left to southbound Nathan Road;- Traffic along westbound Austin Road and southbound Cox’s Road cannot turn to Pine Tree Hill Road;- Traffic along Observatory Road cannot turn to westbound Kimberley Street;- Traffic along northbound Pilkem Street cannot turn right to eastbound Bowring Street;- Traffic along eastbound Bowring Street must turn left to northbound Pilkem Street;- Traffic along southbound Canton Road cannot go straight. Vehicles must turn left to eastbound Austin Road or turn right to westbound Austin Road West;- Traffic along eastbound Austin Road West cannot turn right. Vehicles must turn left to northbound Canton Road or go straight to eastbound Austin Road;- Traffic along northbound Gateway Boulevard must leave from northbound Kowloon Park Drive;- Traffic along westbound Jordan Road must turn to the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange after turning left to southbound Nga Cheung Road;- Traffic along westbound Austin Road West must go straight to Nga Cheung Road elevated road; and- Traffic along southbound Nga Cheung Road entering Austin Road West roundabout must turn left to eastbound Austin Road West.Contingency plan     If necessary, the following roads will be closed:- Hung Luen Road between Wa Shun Street and Hung Lok Road;- Oi King Street; and- Kin Wan Street.     During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along westbound Hung Luen Road must turn left to Wa Shun Street;- Traffic along Wa Shun Street must turn right to eastbound Hung Luen Road;- Traffic along southbound Hung Lok Road cannot turn left to eastbound Hung Luen Road; and- Traffic along eastbound Hung Luen Road must turn left to northbound Hung Lok Road.B. Suspension of Bus Terminus and Public Transport Interchange     The following Bus Terminus and Public Transport Interchange will be suspended, until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:     The Mody Road Bus Terminus will be suspended from 6pm.     The Star Ferry Bus Terminus will be suspended from 6.30pm.     The China Hong Kong City Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from 8.45pm.C. Suspension of car park     Vehicles will not be permitted to access or leave car parks in the affected areas during the road closure period.D. Suspension of on-street parking spaces     All on-street parking spaces located at Tsim Sha Tsui South (i.e. South of Austin Road) will be suspended from noon on October 1 to 0.01am of the following day.Hong Kong Island—————-A. Road closurePhase I (Before the fireworks display)Central District—————     Tramway Lane outside Lower Peak Tram Station leading from Garden Road to the office of World Wild Fund for Nature Hong Kong will be closed from 2pm to 11.59pm, except for franchised buses.Wan Chai North————–     Expo Drive East at the north of Expo Drive outside Golden Bauhinia Square including the pick-up and drop-off areas will be closed from 4pm to 11.59pm.     The following roads will be closed from 7.30pm onwards:Central District—————- Man Kwong Street;- Man Fai Street;- Man Yiu Street between Man Kwong Street and Man Po Street;- Loading and unloading area outside Central Ferry Piers 7, 8 and 9; and- Unnamed Road near Lung Wo Road outside General Post Office.Central – Wan Chai Bypass————————- – The slip road linking eastbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass to Expo Drive;- The slip road linking Lung Wo Road to eastbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass; and- The slip road linking westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass to Lung Wo Road.Wan Chai North————— Eastbound Fenwick Pier Street;- Lung King Street;- Eastbound Harbour Road;- Expo Drive;- Expo Drive Central;- Expo Drive East;- Lung Wo Road between Lung Hop Street and Fleming Road;- Lung Tat Path;- Convention Avenue;- Fleming Road Flyover;- Fleming Road between Expo Drive and Harbour Road;- Northbound Tonnochy Road between eastbound Harbour Road and Hung Hing Road;- Southbound Tonnochy Road between Hung Hing Road and Gloucester Road;- Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Hung Hing Road;- Marsh Road Flyover;- Marsh Road between Hennessy Road and Lockhart Road;- Hung Hing Road;- Hung Hing Road Flyover;- Wan Shing Street; and- Wan Ying Street.Peak Area———- Northbound Peak Road beyond the car park entrance of Peak Galleria, except for residents’ vehicles;- Barker Road, except for residents’ vehicles;- All laybys along Stubbs Road between Peak Road and Stubbs Road roundabout; and- All laybys along Magazine Gap Road between Peak Road and May Road.     The following roads will be closed from 8pm onwards:Eastern District————– Watson Road;- Whitfield Road;- Glass Street;- King Ming Road;- Hing Fat Street northward of Whitfield Road; and- Victoria Park Road (Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter).     The following roads will be closed from 8.15pm onwards:Central District————— Yiu Sing Street;- Lung Wo Road;- Edinburgh Place;- Tim Wa Avenue;- Legislative Council Road;- Tim Mei Avenue;- Lung Wui Road;- Lung Hop Street;- Unnamed road between Harcourt Road and Performing Arts Avenue;- Performing Arts Avenue; and- Edinburgh Place.Wan Chai North————— Tonnochy Road Flyover;- Northbound Tonnochy Road between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road;- Westbound Harbour Road;- Harbour Drive;- Fleming Road between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road; and- Fenwick Street between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road.Phase II (During the fireworks display)     The following roads will be closed from 8.55pm to 9.28pm:Eastern District—————– Westbound Island Eastern Corridor between Victoria Park Road and Man Hong Street, except for franchised buses;- Slip roads leading to westbound Island Eastern Corridor from Healthy Street Central and Tong Shui Road; and- Westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass.Phase III (After the fireworks display)     The following roads will be closed from 8.55pm onwards:Central District————— Man Yiu Street between Man Cheung Street and Man Po Street;- Man Po Street; and- Finance Street between Man Yiu Street and Man Po Street.Wan Chai South————— Lockhart Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;- Jaffe Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;- Southbound Luard Road between Gloucester Road and Jaffe Road;- O’Brien Road;- Fleming Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Stewart Road;- Tonnochy Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Canal Road West between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Canal Road East between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- If necessary, Percival Street between Lockhart Road and Gloucester Road; and- If necessary, westbound Gloucester Road service road between Percival Street and Canal Road East.B. Traffic Diversions     In connection with the above road closure, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:From 7.30pm onwards:- Rumsey Street between Chung Kong Road and Connaught Road Central will be re-routed to one-way southbound; and- All uphill traffic along Peak Road towards Harlech Road, Lugard Road and Mount Austin Road will be diverted downhill via the slip road beside the car park entrance at the Peak Galleria, except for residents’ vehicles or vehicles with permits.From 8.55pm to 9.28pm:     Traffic along westbound Island Eastern Corridor will be diverted to Man Hong Street.From 8.55pm onwards:     Traffic along eastbound Connaught Road West Flyover will be diverted to Finance Street.C. Suspension of parking spaces     All on-street metered, motorcycle and disabled parking spaces (Meter nos: 3186 to 3188, 3190 to 3193 and 3197) at Tramway Lane outside Lower Peak Tram Station will be suspended from 1pm to 11pm.     All on-street parking spaces at Expo Drive East at the north of Expo Drive outside Golden Bauhinia Square will be suspended from 4pm to 11.59pm.     All on-street metered and motorcycle parking spaces at Victoria Peak Garden and Mount Austin Road (Meter nos: 1515(A/B) to 1518(A/B), 1523(A/B) to 1526(A/B), 1519A, 1520A, 1521(A/B) and 1522B) will be suspended from 7pm to 11.59pm.     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 3pm to 11.59pm:- Man Kwong Street;- Ying Sing Street;- Lung Wo Road;- Unnamed Road near Lung Wo Road outside General Post Office;- Edinburgh Place;- Lung Wui Road; and- Lung Hop Street.     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 4pm to 11.59pm:- Hung Hing Road;- Expo Drive;- Expo Drive East;- Convention Avenue;- Wan Shing Street;- Gloucester Road service road;- Stewart Road between Jaffe Road and Gloucester Road service road;- Marsh Road between Hennessy Road and Lockhart Road;- Jaffe Road between Percival Street and Luard Road; and- Lockhart Road between Percival Street and Luard Road.     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 7pm to 11.59pm:- Watson Road; and- Whitfield Road.D. Suspension of Public Transport Interchange     The Exhibition Centre Station Public Transport Interchange and Man Yiu Street Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from 6.30pm to 11.59pm.E. Suspension of car parks     Vehicles parked in car parks within the above closed areas at North Point, Wan Chai North, Wan Chai South and Central District will not be permitted to enter/leave the car parks during the road closure period.     If necessary, the vehicular entrance/exit along on westbound Gloucester Road between Paterson Street and Percival Street will be closed without prior notice.     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.     Members of the public are advised to use public transport to access the above areas. They should pay attention to the latest special traffic arrangements announced by the Transport Department and the latest weather news released by the Hong Kong Observatory. Actual implementation of the crowd safety management measures and traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.     If the cancellation of the fireworks display is announced by the organiser, the above-mentioned crowd safety management measures and special traffic arrangements will not be implemented.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: This year, more than 70 modern elevators were installed in the capital’s medical institutions

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Specialists from the city services complex have installed more than 70 modern elevators in the capital’s medical institutions. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

    “As part of the implementation of city programs, this year 21 elevators were replaced in clinics undergoing major repairs, and 52 elevators whose service life had reached the end of their service life were replaced in operating hospitals. Healthcare facilities are equipped with new elevator equipment that fully meets safety requirements. The replacement of elevators in hospital buildings was carried out in stages so that employees and patients would not experience difficulties when moving between floors,” noted Petr Biryukov.

    Elevators were updated in the City Clinical Hospital (CCH) named after F.I. Inozemtsev, City Clinical Hospital No. 29 named after N.E. Bauman and City Clinical Hospital named after S.S. Yudin.

    Lifts for medical institutions are characterized by high load capacity and increased door openings, which allows transporting patients on gurneys and intensive care beds. The cabins are made of high-strength stainless steel, resistant to constant treatment with antiseptics, and are equipped with high-precision stopping systems.

    For visitors with limited mobility and patients with hearing and vision impairments, handrails, a device for voice announcements and buttons with Braille alphabet are provided.

    The elevators have ventilation and disinfecting UV recirculators, they are equipped with an uninterruptible power supply system and a special evacuation mode: in an emergency, the elevator does not stop, but goes down to the nearest floor and opens the doors. All parts and components are domestically produced, which simplifies maintenance.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144505073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: CD47 Targeted Cancer Immunotherapy Drugs Clinical Trials FDA Approval Insight

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Delhi, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global CD47 Inhibitor Drug Clinical Trials Insight & Market Opportunity Outlook 2028 Report Highlights

    • Global & Regional Market Opportunity Outlook
    • Insight On More Than 100 CD47 Inhibitor Drugs In Clinical Trials
    • Global CD47 Inhibitors Clinical Trials Insight By Company, Country, Indication & Phase
    • Orphan, Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy Designation Insight
    • Key Drugs Initiation & Completion Year
    • CD47 Clinical Application & Development Outlook By Indication
    • CD47 Inhibitor Drugs Clinical Developments & Trends By Country
    • Global CD47 Inhibitor Drug Market Dynamics

    Download Report:

    https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-cd47-antibody-cd47-inhibitor-cd47-function-cd47-expression-cd47-t-cells-cd47-marker-anti-cd47-antibody

    Traditionally, cancer management has primarily relied on surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. While these treatments have demonstrated significant efficacy in eradicating primary tumors, they are accompanied by systemic toxicities and high rates of relapse, which represent major limitations. The increasing prevalence of cancer and the shortcomings of conventional therapies have driven the demand for novel targeted therapies that can address these limitations while enhancing specificity and targeting capabilities against the disease. One such innovative approach involves targeting the CD47 surface checkpoint, which can inhibit cancer proliferation.

    Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy capable of overcoming the challenges associated with traditional cancer treatments. This novel therapy aims to harness the immune system’s ability to recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells. Preliminary and clinical studies have shown that CD47 proteins are overexpressed in various tumor types. A primary factor contributing to the hallmark characteristics of cancer is the inhibition of macrophage phagocytosis due to the blockade of the CD47/SIRPα interaction, which sends a “don’t eat me” signal to macrophages. Consequently, multiple antibodies targeting the CD47 checkpoint are currently in development to reduce cancer cell proliferation.

    Moreover, CD47-targeted therapies aim to utilize various components of the immune system, acting at different stages of the immune response to enhance the body’s natural defense against target cells. In support of this hypothesis, numerous clinical studies are underway. For example, HX009 is a recombinant humanized anti-CD47/PD-1 bifunctional antibody under development and clinical investigation by Waterstone Hanxbio. An ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial is assessing HX009 as a novel treatment for patients advanced solid tumors.

    The therapeutic landscape of immunotherapy now includes a range of agents, such as monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates, and more, all aimed at improving outcomes for cancer patients through combination therapies. For example, the novel CD47 inhibitor evorpacept (ALX148) is currently being evaluated in several clinical trials as part of various combination regimens. Specifically, evorpacept is being tested in combination with Cetuximab and Pembrolizumab for the treatment of colorectal cancer, with Venetoclax and Azacitidine for acute myeloid leukemia, and with Rituximab and Lenalidomide for various types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

    Furthermore, regulatory bodies have been supportive towards the growing class of CD47-targeting therapies, as suggested by the recent IND clearances and the awarding of drug designations. FDA granted the fast track designation to PT217, a bispecific antibody targeting CD47 and DLL3, in April 2024, while China’s NMPA also accepted Immuneonco’s clinical trial application to conduct pivotal phase 3 clinical studies for its CD47 inhibitor IMM-01, in combination with the PD-1 Inhibitor tislelizumab. All these factors indicate that the CD47 market is expanding rapidly and is expected to grow further due to the rising incidence of cancer, which is projected to increase in the coming years.

    Additionally, the involvement of multiple pharmaceutical companies in the field of CD47-targeted immunotherapy has spurred growth in clinical research. Various organizations, hospitals, and centers, such as The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, are conducting clinical trials to address cancer-related ailments.

    In summary, immunotherapy targeting the CD47 protein has emerged as a breakthrough therapy in cancer management, demonstrating promising responses in patients. Although no therapies have yet been approved for the commercial market, several CD47-targeted immunotherapies are anticipated to enter the market soon, driven by a surge in clinical trials and research in this area. Currently, the United States leads the CD47 immunotherapy sector; however, developing countries like China are increasingly engaging in numerous preclinical and clinical studies in this domain, fueled by technological advancements, a rising cancer patient population, and expanding collaborations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: HHS Maternal Health Briefing | September 2024

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) host a briefing on Maternal Health policies and programs. Speakers included senior officials and subject matter experts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and others. For more information, contact the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at partnerwithus@hhs.gov for more information.

    —

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov

    http://www.Twitter.com/HHSGov | http://www.Facebook.com/HHS http://www.Instagram.com/HHSGov
    http://www.LinkedIn.com/company/us-department-of-health-and-human-services

    HHS Privacy Policy: http://www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf39Cz784Ho

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Smoke Free website launches to help people in Coventry and Warwickshire quit smoking

    Source: City of Coventry

    A new Smoke Free website has launched to help people in Coventry and Warwickshire quit smoking.

    It provides details of local free, confidential stop smoking services, as well as resources and information about smoking and vaping. It was created through a partnership between Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and Coventry City Council (CCC) with funding from the UK Government.

    The website is part of a national effort championed by the UK Government to create the first ever smoke free generation. Under this initiative, earlier this year both councils received funding to increase local authority-led stop smoking services and support to reduce smoking rates across Coventry and Warwickshire.

    An estimated 18.4% of people aged 18+ smoke in Coventry and 13.9% in Warwickshire. In Warwickshire, this varies across the district and boroughs. (Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics, 2022.) Those who wish to quit often struggle due to their addiction to nicotine – over 80% of smokers start before they turn twenty, most as children (Source: Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024). The new Smoke Free website and enhanced services and initiatives aim to tackle this by providing evidence-based support that is free, non-judgemental, and easy to access.

    People aged 12+ who live, work, or are registered with a GP in Coventry or Warwickshire are entitled to free support. Smokers who sign up to their local stop smoking service get access to the following:

    • 12 weeks of one-to-one support (face-to-face or virtual) with a specialist stop smoking practitioner.
    • Help to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
    • Free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products or Vape Quit Kits (18+ only).
    • Access to a Smoke Free App.

    People who quit smoking with the support of a stop smoking service are three times more likely to quit for good.

    A male Warwickshire resident, aged 67, who recently accessed the Warwickshire stop smoking service said : “I have smoked for over 50 years and smoking 30 cigarettes a day I never in a million years thought I could do it, all of the staff I have spoken to during my journey have been amazing and I thank them very much for helping me get where I am today. I have quit and remain confident that I will continue to stay quit for the future ahead.” 

    Allison Duggal, Director of Public Health in Coventry said: “The website will help people to access services and it really makes sense to work alongside Warwickshire colleagues.

    “We have a particular focus on young people, in fact I started smoking myself at a young age and it doesn’t surprise me that eight of 10 smokers started before they turn 20.

    “I managed to stop 21 years ago, but I know it is not an easy process for people. We have lots more work to do to help people through the process of stopping. It’s about managing cravings, withdrawals and the reliance that people have with smoking.

    “People from the age of 12 can access free support so we want everyone to know there is help available.”

    She added: “I feel so much healthier and it’s why I feel able to train for my first marathon.”

    Councillor Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Social Care and Health at WCC, said: “We know how challenging quitting smoking can be, but having the right support makes all the difference. Our new website is part of a wider enhancement of the stop smoking support available to people in Warwickshire.

    “Smoking has a huge impact on an individual’s health – quitting can reduce your risk of developing dementia, lung disease, heart disease, cancer and stroke. Stopping smoking also boosts your mental health and wellbeing. We encourage any residents who smoke to visit the website and learn more about the support available, and in doing so, take their first step towards happier, healthier lives.”

    Smokers are encouraged to learn more by visiting smokefreecw.co.uk. Free stop smoking support can also be accessed via phone on 0800 122 3780 for Coventry services or 0333 005 0092 for Warwickshire services.

    Stopping smoking is hard, but when a new baby is due, quitting smoking is one of the best choices people can make as a family to give their baby the best start in life. Across Coventry and Warwickshire, there are specialist Stop Smoking in Pregnancy advisors trained to support pregnant people and their families through their journey to stop smoking. Information on stop smoking in pregnancy services.

    Both WCC and CCC are also increasing the awareness of the impact of vaping, with the clear message: if you don’t smoke, don’t vape and children should never vape. Vaping information and advice.

    Further work is being scoped to provide additional support and initiatives to reduce smoking prevalence across Coventry and Warwickshire with a particular focus on priority groups.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plans set out for provision of new affordable housing in Perth and Kinross

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for 2025/26 – 2029/30 sets out the investment priorities of the Council and its local Housing Association partners for affordable housing over the coming years.

    The SHIP sits alongside the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) as one of the main delivery plans for additional local housing. It has been developed through engagement with Registered Social Landlords, the Health and Social Care Partnership, tenants, housing developers and the Council’s Housing, Planning and Economic Development teams.

    Since 2016/17 the Council and its partners have delivered almost 2,000 affordable homes in Perth and Kinross, averaging 274 affordable homes per year against our target of 210.

    The projection for 20024/25 is an additional 223 affordable homes, and then a yearly average of 230 new affordable homes over the next five years.

     A report on the updated SHIP to be considered by the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday 2nd October estimates that the Council and its local housing partners could deliver an additional 1,152 new affordable homes over the period 2025/26 – 29/30, using Scottish Government subsidies and local investment.

    This housing will be provided through Council new build projects, replacing older homes, bringing empty homes back into use as housing, buying back ex-Council homes, re-modelling existing buildings for new housing and buying ‘off-the shelf’ housing from developers.

    The homes will:

    • All be built to the highest standards, with energy efficiency measures included to help meet local and national climate change targets. 
    • Include housing for people with particular needs, helping them to live independently and happily in the community.
    • Be built in areas of high demand, including rural areas, giving people access to housing of a type and in an area suitable for their current and future needs.

    Housing and Social Wellbeing Convener, Councillor Tom McEwan, said: “High quality affordable homes significantly enhance the overall quality of life for the people who live in them. This in-turn has a positive effect on social issues such as health, employment opportunities and poverty, and that is why delivering more affordable housing is a priority for this Council.

    “With demand for housing in Perth and Kinross continuing to rise, and the housing needs of our communities becoming more complex, our commitment to provide a wide range of affordable housing options remains a key strategic aim.

    “We have made great progress over the last five-years in Perth and Kinross, consistently delivering more new affordable homes than our target. Here in Perth and Kinross we have a very good working partnership with our partner housing providers, and this has been one of the key factors in the success we have seen.

    “I am pleased that the updated SHIP for the next five years continues to be very ambitious. This plan will help us achieve the outcomes set out in our Local Housing Strategy and support the Scottish Government’s ‘Housing to 2040’ agenda which states that everyone should have a safe, energy-efficient home that is affordable and meets their needs, in the place where they want to be.”

    Members of the Committee will be asked to approve the updated SHIP and its submission to the Scottish Government.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: President  Biden and Vice President Harris Announce Additional Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save  Lives

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    New Executive Order Directs Federal Agencies to Combat Emerging Firearms Threats andImprove School-Based Active Shooter Drills
    Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing a new Executive Order directing federal agencies to improve school-based active shooter drills and combat the emerging threats of machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms, as well as additional executive actions that advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s agenda to reduce gun violence and save lives.
    After the prior Administration oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, President Biden and Vice President Harris took action from the start of their Administration to reduce violent crime. The President and the Vice President helped deliver over $15 billion in funding through the American Rescue Plan for law enforcement, community violence interventions, and other public safety strategies. By the middle of 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration had already announced more executive actions to reduce gun violence than any other administration. Then, on June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence prevention law in nearly 30 years. On September 22, 2023, to help drive further progress, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris.
    Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, in 2023 the United States experienced the single largest homicide rate drop in recent history. The reduction in homicide has accelerated this year. Data submitted to the Department of Justice shows that the homicide rate dropped another 17 percent from January through June 2024, compared to the same time period in 2023. Data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that the number of mass shootings so far this year is 20 percent lower than it was at this time last year.
    Today, as we mark one year since the establishment of the Office, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing additional meaningful actions to reduce gun violence and save lives. This announcement builds on the numerous additional life-saving actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken, as detailed in the Office’s Year One Progress Report.
    President Biden is signing an Executive Order to accelerate progress on two key priorities: combating emerging firearms threats and improving school-based active shooter drills.
    Combatting Emerging Firearms Threats: In April 2021, one of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first executive actions to reduce gun violence was to address the emerging threat of firearms without serial numbers, often referred to as “ghost guns.” To expand these efforts, ATF established an Emerging Threats Center. This Center focuses ATF’s resources on identifying developments in illicit firearm marketplaces, including the use of new technologies to make and unlawfully distribute undetectable firearms and devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into illegal machineguns.
    Now, President Biden and Vice President Harris are taking additional action on two emerging firearms threats: machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms.
    Machinegun conversion devices enable semi-automatic firearms, including easily concealable handguns, to match or exceed the rate of fire of many military machineguns with a single engagement of the trigger—up to 20 bullets in one second. From 2017 through 2021, ATF recovered 5,454 of these devices, a 570 percent increase over the previous five-year period. Machinegun conversion devices are illegal to possess under federal law, but we continue to see these devices show up at crime scenes because they are small, cheap, and easy to install. Machinegun conversion devices are often illegally imported or illegally made on a 3D printer from computer code found online. The 3D-printing of a machinegun conversion device costs as little as 40 cents and takes fewer than 30 minutes.
    Unserialized, 3D-printed firearms can be used for illegal purposes such as gun trafficking, unlawful possession by people convicted of felonies or subject to domestic violence restraining orders, or unlawfully engaging in the business of manufacturing or selling firearms. These firearms can be 3D-printed from computer code downloaded from the Internet and produced without serial numbers that law enforcement use to trace firearms recovered in criminal investigations. Some 3D-printed firearms can be made to be undetectable by magnetometers used to secure airports, courthouses, and event spaces, even though these undetectable firearms are illegal to make, sell, or possess under federal law. As 3D-printing technology continues to develop rapidly, the safety threat posed by 3D-printed firearms may suddenly increase.
    In this Executive Order, President Biden is establishing an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force, consisting of leadership from key federal departments and agencies. President Biden is directing the Task Force to issue a report within 90 days that includes: an assessment of the threat posed by machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; an assessment of federal agencies’ operational and legal capacities to detect, intercept, and seize machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; and an interagency plan for combatting these emerging threats. The report will include any additional authorities or funding the federal agencies need from Congress in order to complete this work.
    Improving School-Based Active Shooter Drills: The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preventing gun violence in schools, including by keeping guns out of the hands of potential school shooters and investing more resources in school safety and violence prevention. The majority of schools are currently using drills to prepare for an active shooter situation. Despite the ubiquity of these drills, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and limit any collateral harms they might cause. Many parents, students, and educators have expressed concerns about the trauma caused by some approaches to these drills. Federal agencies need to help schools improve drills so they can more effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma.
    In the Executive Order, President Biden is directing the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Surgeon General, to develop and publish, within 110 days, information for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education regarding school-based active shooter drills. The information will include a summary of: existing research on active shooter drills and resources for school districts and institutions of higher education on how to create, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed active shooter drills; how to conduct effective and age- and developmentally-appropriate drills; how best to communicate with students, families, and educators about these drills; how to prevent students and educators from experiencing trauma or psychological distress associated with these drills; and how best to serve people with disabilities and those with language-related needs, including by ensuring compliance with federal civil rights laws, when designing and implementing school-based active shooter drills.
    In addition to the Executive Order, federal departments and agencies are taking the following actions:
    Promoting Safe Gun Storage and Red Flag Laws
    Encouraging Safe Storage of Firearms: Today, the Department of Education is providing schools, school boards, and policymakers with a new tool to promote safe gun storage in their communities. Following up on its initial safe storage actions, the Department of Education is publishing an interactive website that highlights examples of state, community, and school district actions across the nation that promote safe gun storage within school communities. The website includes a map with state safe storage laws, examples of how schools are communicating with parents about safe storage, and examples of local policies on safe storage education. This new resource builds on guidance the Department published earlier this year to highlight physical safety measures schools can pursue to help keep students safe in the event of gun violence in schools.
    Clarifying Medicaid Reimbursement for Counseling on Firearm Safety: Health systems, hospitals, and healthcare workers are an essential component of a healthy gun violence prevention and intervention system. By the end of October, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will announce that states may choose to use Medicaid to pay a health care provider for counseling parents and caregivers on firearm safety and injury prevention. This announcement will build off the coverage that Medicaid provides for “anticipatory guidance,” which is health education and counseling to help parents and caregivers understand and improve the health and development of their children. For example, Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines include firearm safety guidance, such as safe storage guidance, as recommended anticipatory guidance for pediatricians to provide to parents.
    Implementing State Red Flag Laws: The Department of Justice is announcing over $135 million in formula awards to 48 states under the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP), which provides funding for the implementation of extreme risk protection order, or “red flag”, programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related programs/initiatives. The implementation of state red flag laws is supported by the National Extreme Risk Protection Resource Center.
    Funding Community Violence Intervention
    Funding Community Violence Interventions: In furtherance of the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to invest in community violence interventions as a proven solution to prevent gun violence, the Department of Justice is announcing an additional $85 million in funding through the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). This funding will help 30 agencies and organizations develop and expand their community violence intervention work, including hospital-based violence intervention, street outreach, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These strategies are essential complements to law enforcement and this investment is part of the $400 million in total funding that the Biden-Harris Administration has secured for CVIPI. CVIPI is only one part of how the Administration funds community violence interventions. This fact sheet lists the full range of federal resources available to address community violence.
    Clarifying Medicaid Reimbursement for Violence Intervention: CMS previously clarified that states may authorize health care providers to be reimbursed by Medicaid for violence intervention programs. In October, CMS expects to proactively raise this clarification with states. CMS will also explore how best to convene state governments and healthcare providers on incorporating Medicaid benefits into violence prevention programs.
    Improving the Gun Background Check System
    Facilitating Enhanced Background Checks for Individuals Under Age 21: The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) established enhanced background checks for individuals under age 21 trying to purchase a firearm. These enhanced checks have already stopped over 900 transactions, keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. But a number of states across the country have privacy laws that prevent state officials from fully responding to enhanced background check inquiries. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Agenda made fixing this issue a top priority for states, and Connecticut, Vermont, Nevada, Texas, and Kentucky have all recently made necessary changes. Today, the Department of Justice is issuing model legislation that additional states may use to inform their own legislation and allow a carve-out to share juvenile records solely for the purpose of enhanced background checks. In addition, the Justice Department is releasing information on whether state laws permit information-sharing with regard to juvenile records for the purposes of enhanced background checks.
    Maximizing the Enhanced Background Check with Red Flag Laws: Part of the enhanced background check requires requesting records from state and local law enforcement and mental health repositories about potential purchasers under 21.  In these and other circumstances, if a person shows clear signs of being in crisis and a danger to themselves or others, they may qualify for consideration under applicable red flag laws which would generally result in that person being ineligible to possess or receive firearms.  By October 22, the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) National Resource Center will provide training to state and local law enforcement on the ERPO process, including how it intersects with individuals under 21.
    Improving the Federal Gun Background Check System: BSCA’s enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under age 21 and the law’s narrowing of the “boyfriend loophole,” along with the expanding number of states with red flag laws, are placing new challenges on state and local agencies attempting to ascertain what records they need to send to the federal gun background check system. To address these challenges, there needs to be system-wide improvements and a new era of collaboration among various entities engaging with the federal gun background check system. By December 15, the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs will have evaluated the existing grant programs that support improvements to the gun background check system and make any changes needed to support states looking to improve their records systems, which may include lengthening the duration of grants where appropriate. 
    Expanding Data on Gun Violence and Gun Trafficking
    Publishing Additional Data on Ghost Gun Trends and Firearms Trafficking: This winter, ATF will publish the fourth volume of its National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment. This volume will provide an update on ghost gun trends and trafficking investigations, as well as expanded information on machinegun conversion device recoveries.
    Expanding Collection of Gun Violence Data: There is a lack of reliable and timely data on gun deaths and gunshot injuries that show what is happening nationwide and in individual communities. This data is critical to focusing investment and enforcement efforts. Today, the FBI is announcing that it will collect additional detail in its data collection for gunshot injury wounds in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by June 2025. The FBI will implement a new injury code to reflect a gunshot wound in the NIBRS victim segment. NIBRS will also enable law enforcement agencies to submit additional detail as to how firearms were used in specific crimes, and the nature of the crime at issue.
    Improving Data on Gunshot Injuries: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is improving a data visualization tool to present gun death and injury data faster and at a more local level. Using data from vital statistics and emergency rooms at the local level can help inform prevention strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
    Supporting Survivors of Gun Violence
    Addressing the Trauma Resulting from Gun Violence: This fall, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will take additional action to support individuals dealing with the trauma that results from gun violence. SAMHSA will release:
    Best practices for local offices of violence prevention to use in addressing trauma resulting from gun violence;A tip sheet for individuals affected by gun violence who may be seeking more information on the behavioral health impacts of gun violence and how to seek help;A report on lessons learned from the federal ReCAST grant program to uplift the voices of communities impacted by violence as well as share strategies other communities can implement to promote healing, recovery, and resiliency; and
    A toolkit for faith-based leaders, educators, and other leaders to help communities affected by the trauma resulting from gun violence.

    Destroying Crime Guns
    Ensuring Appropriate Disposition of Firearms Seized by Law Enforcement: Firearms or firearm parts that were presumed to be destroyed by law enforcement have begun showing up in crimes. Sometimes the guns recovered by law enforcement are sent to a third-party that only partially destroys them. By October 30, the Department of Justice will refresh and clarify best practices for federal law enforcement disposition of seized firearms, including when working in partnership with state and local law enforcement. The Department of Justice will also release a plan to offer new training and education for state and local partners on safe and appropriate firearm disposition.
    Preventing Firearm Suicide
    Facilitating Voluntary Out-of-Home Storage to Prevent Firearm Suicide: Voluntary out-of-home storage of firearms is an effective tactic to saves lives by creating time and space between a person in crisis and a firearm. A number of states, including Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, have developed gun storage maps to show different locations where a gun owner can voluntarily store their firearms. A federally funded program has developed model guidelines, contracts, and standard operating procedures for businesses interested in providing this option. Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs and SAMHSA are using their network of teams committed to preventing Veteran suicide—known as the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Families—to encourage states to convene federally licensed gun dealers around offering out-of-home storage to our Nation’s heroes and their families.
    Congress must act. While the Biden-Harris Administration’s gun violence prevention actions are saving lives, there is much more to do. President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to call on Congress to enact commonsense gun safety legislation—from a ban on assault weapons and bump stocks to universal background checks to a repeal of gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability—and to enact federal safe storage and red flag laws and fully fund community violence intervention programs and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Appointment of Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey: 26 September 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, in succession to The Venerable Tricia Hillas following her appointment as Bishop of Sodor and Man.

    Background

    Mark was educated at Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, initially in Veterinary Science. He trained for ministry at Westcott House Cambridge, served his title at the parish of Cirencester with Watermoor in the Diocese of Gloucester, and was ordained priest in 2001. In 2003 Mark was appointed Chaplain and Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and in 2006 moved to become Chaplain and co-ordinator of spiritual care at Helen & Douglas House, a children’s hospice, in Oxford. In 2010 he was appointed as Chaplain at Lord Mayor Treloar’s School and College before moving into parish ministry as Priest in Charge of St Faith, Winchester, in 2012, alongside which he continued in chaplaincy work as Chaplain of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester. In 2015 Mark was appointed Minor Canon and Chaplain at Westminster Abbey, becoming Sacrist in 2018. He was appointed to his current role as Precentor in 2020.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey: 26 September 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, in succession to The Venerable Tricia Hillas following her appointment as Bishop of Sodor and Man.

    Background

    Mark was educated at Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, initially in Veterinary Science. He trained for ministry at Westcott House Cambridge, served his title at the parish of Cirencester with Watermoor in the Diocese of Gloucester, and was ordained priest in 2001. In 2003 Mark was appointed Chaplain and Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and in 2006 moved to become Chaplain and co-ordinator of spiritual care at Helen & Douglas House, a children’s hospice, in Oxford. In 2010 he was appointed as Chaplain at Lord Mayor Treloar’s School and College before moving into parish ministry as Priest in Charge of St Faith, Winchester, in 2012, alongside which he continued in chaplaincy work as Chaplain of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester. In 2015 Mark was appointed Minor Canon and Chaplain at Westminster Abbey, becoming Sacrist in 2018. He was appointed to his current role as Precentor in 2020.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS Scotland consultants pay offer

    Source: Scottish Government

    £124.9 million investment in consultants pay for 2024-25.

    Consultants across Scotland have been offered a £124.9 million investment in their pay and reward package ensuring it is competitive with other UK nations.

    The offer, if accepted by trade unions, will see the investment applied as a 10.5% uplift to basic pay and an investment of £5.7 million in other contractual elements.

     It will be backdated to 1 April 2024.

    Health Secretary Neil Gray said:

    “Following weeks of constructive engagement with BMA Scotland, I am pleased to propose a pay offer that will ensure that our consultant workforce feel valued, supported and fairly rewarded.

    “This will bring Scotland back into line with recent pay deals in other parts of the UK, ensuring our NHS remains competitive when recruiting and retaining consultants.

    “I wish to thank our consultants for their dedication and patience. They are a critical part of NHS Scotland’s workforce and we are committed to supporting them.

    “BMA will now put this to their members and I hope the unions will accept our offer.”

    BACKGROUND

    A total of £124.9 million has been committed for consultants’ pay in 2024-25. This will be distributed as a 10.5% pay uplift for all consultants with £5.7 million invested to uplift Discretionary Points from £3204 to £3600 per point.

    Examples of basic pay increases for 2024-25:

    • consultants on pay point 3 will receive £11,015
    • consultants on pay point 9 will receive £12,059
    • consultants on pay point 14 will receive £12,794

    New Proposed 2024-25 Pay Scale

    Pay Point

    2023/24 Pay Scale

    Proposed 2024/25 Pay Scale

    % Uplift

    £ Uplift

    0

    £96,963

    £107,144

    10.50%

    £10,181

    1

    £99,011

    £109,407

    10.50%

    £10,396

    2

    £101,957

    £112,662

    10.50%

    £10,705

    3

    £104,906

    £115,921

    10.50%

    £11,015

    4

    £107,846

    £119,170

    10.50%

    £11,324

    5

    £107,846

    £119,170

    10.50%

    £11,324

    6

    £107,846

    £119,170

    10.50%

    £11,324

    7

    £107,846

    £119,170

    10.50%

    £11,324

    8

    £107,846

    £119,170

    10.50%

    £11,324

    9

    £114,846

    £126,905

    10.50%

    £12,059

    10

    £114,846

    £126,905

    10.50%

    £12,059

    11

    £114,846

    £126,905

    10.50%

    £12,059

    12

    £114,846

    £126,905

    10.50%

    £12,059

    13

    £114,846

    £126,905

    10.50%

    £12,059

    14

    £121,846

    £134,640

    10.50%

    £12,794

    15

    £121,846

    £134,640

    10.50%

    £12,794

    16

    £121,846

    £134,640

    10.50%

    £12,794

    17

    £121,846

    £134,640

    10.50%

    £12,794

    18

    £121,846

    £134,640

    10.50%

    £12,794

    19

    £128,841

    £142,369

    10.50%

    £13,528

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The second conference of heads of offices in 2024 focused on the development of population protection

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

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French

    Federal Office for Civil Protection

    Bern, 26.09.2024 – On 24 and 25 September 2024, the heads of the cantonal services responsible for civil protection and civil protection met at the Federal Training Centre in Schwarzenburg for an exchange with the Federal Office for Civil Protection. The agenda included topics such as the redefinition of the civil protection service and capacity profile, the new orientation of the Coordinated Health Service and the revision of the national risk analysis “Disasters and Emergencies in Switzerland”.

    On 24 and 25 September 2024, representatives of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) and the heads of the cantonal civil protection and civil protection services met at the Federal Training Centre Schwarzenburg (CFIS) for their biannual conference. Led by Michaela Schärer, Director of the FOCP, the conference enabled participants to address current issues in civil protection and develop strategies for its future.

    Redefinition of the profile of services and capacities of civil protection

    The adaptation of the civil protection performance and capacity profile to current challenges was discussed in a workshop. In the past, the focus has been more on natural disaster and emergency management. While examining the capacities required in this context, emphasis was placed on the need to identify and strengthen preparedness for armed conflicts, taking into account the changing global security situation. The following questions were addressed: What basic capacities must be available everywhere? What extended capacities are only needed at regional level in accordance with cantonal hazard analyses? Should opportunities be created to ensure capacities by networking several municipalities? How do capacities influence staffing levels? These are important elements for ensuring civil protection that is geared to future goals and challenges.

    New direction of the Coordinated Health Service

    Since its attachment to the OFPP on 1 January 2023, the Coordinated Health Service (SSC) has taken a new direction. The OFPP took stock of various ongoing projects. Some questions relating to management structures and protected sanitary constructions were also addressed with a view to developing the “New orientation of the SSC” strategy. The need to set up intercantonal structures and cooperation was generally recognised.

    Revision of the national CaSUS risk analysis

    With the national risk analysis “Disasters and Emergencies in Switzerland” (CaSUS), the FOCP is laying the foundations for in-depth analyses, strategic developments, preventive planning, exercises and event preparedness within the framework of disaster management. The results of the current analysis cycle will be available at the end of 2025. The subsequent update of the KATAPLAN guide, an important reference document for carrying out hazard analyses at cantonal level, was approved and supported by the heads of department.

    In addition to discussing the topics mentioned and passing on current information from the OFPP to the cantonal services, the aim of this two-day conference was to further strengthen exchanges and collaboration between the federal office and the cantons.

    Address for sending questions

    Dennis RhielCommunication OFPP 41 58 462 69 32media@babs.admin.ch

    Author

    Federal Office for Civil Protectionhttp://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.

    “Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”

    Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.

    OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.

    “We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.

    “The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”

    OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.

    View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.

    View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.

    View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.

    View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.

    “Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”

    Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.

    OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.

    “We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.

    “The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”

    OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.

    View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.

    View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.

    View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.

    View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Address by Jean-Noël Barrot Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council (24.09.24)

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

    President,

    Secretary-General,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Ukraine has now been exercising its right to self-defence for two and half years with a bravery that can only fill us with admiration and compel us to act. That right that our Charter clearly grants it. The right to defend its freedom, its territory, its independence and its existence.

    I, too, would like to welcome the presence of President Zelenskyy, who is with us here today and who embodies this combat being fought by the Ukrainian people. This combat is also our combat.

    How can we not be outraged by this brutal, illegal, unjustifiable war of aggression that Russia is waging on Ukraine, by this massive and continual violation of the most fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations? By Russia’s obstinacy and refusal to pay heed while we are more than 140 countries condemning it, in our unequivocal votes, at the United Nations General Assembly?

    How can we not be outraged by the systematic and deliberate pounding of civilian targets, by the cold and methodical destruction of energy infrastructure plunging Ukrainians into the cold and darkness? How can we not be outraged by these repeated atrocities and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law? How can we not condemn rape being used a weapon of war? Nothing and nobody are being spared in Ukraine. This must end, the suffering must end.

    How can we not be outraged by the tragic fate of Ukraine’s children? By the young patients undergoing cancer treatment near the ruins of Kyiv’s Children’s Hospital. By the young Ukrainians whose mental health is failing.

    By the orphaned girls and boys. By the children and babies who have been killed in Russia’s strikes. By the thousands and perhaps tens of thousands of children taken from their families and undergoing “re-education” in Russia and Belarus, which is an unspeakably cruel way to be treated. What has happened to them? What will they become?

    France will continue to stand with those who are fighting for Ukrainian children’s return to Ukraine and supports the initiatives under way.

    There can be no impunity for the crimes being committed. The International Criminal Court has already issued six arrest warrants against Russian officials. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.

    No one should be complicit in these crimes against humanity. Let it not be said that supporting Ukraine is the same as supporting Russia: Russia is flouting all the rules and attacking its democratic and peaceful neighbour, while Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defence that laws and moral standards justify. No one should support Russia! France therefore urges all States to refrain from providing Russia with weapons, dual-use goods and components that could fuel its war of aggression, the first being North Korea and Iran. We condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia, which has recently been confirmed. It constitutes significant escalation and directly threatens European security.

    We are especially concerned about Russia’s continuation of its aggressive and dangerous moves on the European continent, which are increasingly bold. The territorial integrity of several European countries has been repeatedly violated this year and Russia is continuing its efforts to destabilize democracies such as Moldova and Armenia – two democratic States whose only error according to Moscow is to have chosen freedom.

    But, ladies and gentlemen, Russia’s war of aggression affects us all, beyond the European continent where it is happening, it is something that concerns the whole world. It is a war against food and energy insecurity. So many States and peoples are impacted by its consequences. And it is not Russia today, but France and its partners, who are enabling Ukrainian grain to be sent to the civilian population in Gaza.

    Lastly, Russia’s war of aggression is a war against the international order.

    To accept Russia’s fait accompli would be to accept the idea that “might is right”. It would leave the door open to other border changes. It would mean abandoning the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. It would mean abandoning the possibility of establishing collective security. There is no collective security without the United Nations and there is no United Nations without compliance with the Charter, which serves as its foundation. It is our raison d’être, here at the United Nations, that is being attacked.

    For all these reasons, Russia is counting on our fatigue and disengagement, and it is wrong. France will continue to support Ukraine, at every level and over the long term. We will activate all European instruments and ensure Ukraine has a path to the European Union and NATO.

    A path other than that of aggression and devastation is possible.

    A path to just peace, which should be based solely on international law, with respect for its territorial integrity. It cannot take the form of the surrender of those being attacked. Because there are definitely those who are attacking and those who are being attacked. France will continue to provide its support to President Zelenskyy’s peace plan. Ukraine must be free to choose its alliances and its path.

    President,

    If Russia chooses to stop being a source of insecurity and instability, another future can be envisaged.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Connecting Norfolk Island

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The Australian Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen Norfolk Island connectivity, with the community now benefitting from faster, more efficient satellite internet.

    Thanks to a $7.35 million investment from the Government, Norfolk Telecom’s satellite internet service is now delivering network speeds that are four times faster. 

    This is supporting Norfolk Island Central School students to access online study services, with increased bandwidth available for individual use inside and outside of school hours.

    Faster connectivity is also supporting more reliable access to medical support from the mainland – including telehealth appointments.

    The upgraded satellite service was delivered in partnership with Norfolk Island Regional Council’s Norfolk Telecom and Telstra.

    The use of satellites to transmit data between networks in remote locations is vital to helping close the digital divide – increasing access to reliable and more resilient connectivity.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Territories, Kristy McBain MP: 

    “We’re committed to boosting the resilience of communication networks in our external territories, which is why we invested $7.35 million towards this faster and more reliable satellite internet service on Norfolk Island.

    “We need fast and reliable connectivity to run our businesses, to access education and health services, and to keep in touch with family and friends – which is why this upgraded satellite service will make a huge impact on Norfolk Island.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Bean, David Smith MP:

    “Improving Norfolk Island’s connectivity is something that the local community have long called for, which is why we worked with Norfolk Telecom, Council and Telstra to deliver this significant upgrade.

    “Better internet capability will improve learning at Norfolk Island Central School, boost the services at Norfolk Island Health and Residential Aged Care Service, and also unlock new opportunities for on-island businesses.

    “I’ll continue working with the community to advocate for the projects they want to get off the ground.” 

    Quotes attributable to Norfolk Island Regional Council Administrator, Mike Colreavy: 

    “We are continuing to improve and ensure the quality of Norfolk’s telecommunications services through targeted projects, like this satellite backhaul upgrade.

    “We provided these upgrades centrally through Norfolk Telecom, in partnership with Telstra and the Australian Government, so that community can have confidence that we are working to deliver local solutions to local challenges, through partners they can trust.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: Connecting Norfolk Island

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    The Australian Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen Norfolk Island connectivity, with the community now benefitting from faster, more efficient satellite internet.

    Thanks to a $7.35 million investment from the Government, Norfolk Telecom’s satellite internet service is now delivering network speeds that are four times faster. 

    This is supporting Norfolk Island Central School students to access online study services, with increased bandwidth available for individual use inside and outside of school hours.

    Faster connectivity is also supporting more reliable access to medical support from the mainland – including telehealth appointments.

    The upgraded satellite service was delivered in partnership with Norfolk Island Regional Council’s Norfolk Telecom and Telstra.

    The use of satellites to transmit data between networks in remote locations is vital to helping close the digital divide – increasing access to reliable and more resilient connectivity.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Territories, Kristy McBain MP: 

    “We’re committed to boosting the resilience of communication networks in our external territories, which is why we invested $7.35 million towards this faster and more reliable satellite internet service on Norfolk Island.

    “We need fast and reliable connectivity to run our businesses, to access education and health services, and to keep in touch with family and friends – which is why this upgraded satellite service will make a huge impact on Norfolk Island.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Bean, David Smith MP:

    “Improving Norfolk Island’s connectivity is something that the local community have long called for, which is why we worked with Norfolk Telecom, Council and Telstra to deliver this significant upgrade.

    “Better internet capability will improve learning at Norfolk Island Central School, boost the services at Norfolk Island Health and Residential Aged Care Service, and also unlock new opportunities for on-island businesses.

    “I’ll continue working with the community to advocate for the projects they want to get off the ground.” 

    Quotes attributable to Norfolk Island Regional Council Administrator, Mike Colreavy: 

    “We are continuing to improve and ensure the quality of Norfolk’s telecommunications services through targeted projects, like this satellite backhaul upgrade.

    “We provided these upgrades centrally through Norfolk Telecom, in partnership with Telstra and the Australian Government, so that community can have confidence that we are working to deliver local solutions to local challenges, through partners they can trust.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Wednesday, September 18, 2024

    BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced yesterday for tampering with liquid oxycodone syringes at a local rehabilitation center.

    Jaclyn McQueen, 44, of Dedham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to three years of probation. In January 2024, McQueen pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. McQueen was charged by Information on Dec. 7, 2023.

    From approximately February through May 2020, McQueen worked as a registered nurse at a rehabilitation center in Dedham that provided long-term chronic and post-acute care to patients. In her capacity as a nurse, McQueen had access to oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic, prescribed to patients at the rehabilitation center.  During her work shifts, McQueen removed liquid oxycodone from syringes intended for use by patients, consumed the oxycodone herself and refilled the syringes with water to avoid detection. McQueen returned the diluted syringes to the medication carts where they could have been administered to patients.  

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Begg Lawrence, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mississippi Seafood Distributor and Managers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Misbranding of Seafood

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    Office of Public Affairs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, August 27, 2024

    Company Agrees to Pay More than $1.1M in Criminal Penalties

    A Mississippi seafood distributor and two company managers pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to mislabel seafood and to commit wire fraud by marketing inexpensive and frozen imported substitutes as more expensive and premium local species. 

    Quality Poultry and Seafood Inc. (QPS), the largest seafood wholesaler on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has agreed to pay the United States $1 million in forfeitures and a criminal fine of $150,000. QPS sales manager Todd A. Rosetti and business manager James W. Gunkel, both of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, also pleaded guilty to misbranding seafood to facilitate QPS’ fraud. 

    QPS admitted to participating in this fish substitution scheme from as early as 2002 and continuing through November 2019. The indictment alleges that QPS recommended and sold to its restaurant customers foreign-sourced fish that could serve as convincing substitutes for the local species the restaurants advertised on their menus. QPS also labeled the cheap imports that it sold to customers at its own retail shop and café as premium local fish.

    “QPS and company officials went to great lengths in conspiring with others to perpetuate fraud for more than a decade, even after they knew they were under federal investigation,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mislabeling seafood harms local wholesalers and fishermen who compete to sell locally sourced, premium fish in a market unfairly flooded with less expensive fish, frozen and imported from overseas.”

    “When imported substitutes are marketed as local domestic seafood, it depresses the value of authentic Gulf Coast seafood, which means that honest local fishermen and wholesalers have a harder time making a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This kind of mislabeling fraud hurts the overall local seafood market and rips off restaurant customers who were paying extra to eat a premium local product. These convictions should serve as a warning: restaurants and wholesalers will face criminal prosecution if they are not honest with customers about what they are actually buying.”

    “U.S. consumers expect their seafood to be correctly identified. When sellers purposefully substitute one fish species for another, they deceive consumers and cause potential food safety hazards to be overlooked or misidentified by processors or end users,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above public health.”

    The indictment alleges that even after agents from the FDA executed a criminal search warrant at QPS to investigate its sale of mislabeled fish, QPS continued for over a year to sell frozen fish imported from Africa, South America and India for use as substitutes for local premium species.

    Mary Mahoney’s, which pleaded guilty in May, admitted that between December 2013 and November 2019, it fraudulently sold, as local premium species, approximately 58,750 pounds (over 29 tons) of fish that was not the species identified on its menu. QPS supplied seafood to Mary Mahoney’s and many other restaurant restaurants and retailers.

    QPS, Rosetti and Gunkel will be sentenced on Dec. 11. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.

    Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy F. Korzenik of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Illegal Depressant Etizolam Over the Internet

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, August 29, 2024

    BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant Etizolam over the internet.

    Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2024. 

    Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it would be shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail.  Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the Encern.com website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it cannot be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China and imported those drugs into the United States and sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy. 

    According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity, and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants.

    The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead provides for a sentence up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gate City Pharmacist Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Western District of Virginia

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Monday, August 26, 2024

    Dillon Breeding Will Serve 24 Months in Federal Prison

    ABINGDON, Va. – A Gate City, Virginia pharmacist who tampered with oxycodone and hydromorphone was sentenced last week to 24 months in federal prison.

    Dillon West Breeding, 34, pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of tampering with consumer products.

    “Ensuring the integrity of our prescription drugs is vital to maintaining the public’s confidence in our healthcare system,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When patients go to the pharmacy, they trust the medicines they receive are legitimate, and prosecutions like this one go a long way towards ensuring that trust. I am grateful to the FDA, Virginia Department of Health Professions, Virginia State Police, and the Gate City Police for bringing this important matter forward.”

    “FDA-OCI remains committed to safeguarding the drug supply chain from individuals who endanger public health and safety by tampering with products,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metropolitan Washington Field Office. “When pharmacists betray their customers’ trust by tampering with narcotic medications, they not only risk causing needless suffering from ineffective substitutes but also put lives at risk by introducing potentially harmful substances into the drug supply chain. The foundational work of the Gate City Police Department and our valued partnership with the Virginia State Police were integral to our efforts in safeguarding public health and safety in this case.”

    According to court documents, Breeding swapped oxycodone tablets with prednisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation, and replaced hydromorphone tablets with leflunomide, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

    Additionally, Breeding would dispense medication to patients and short them pills, keeping the additional pills for himself.

    Because Breeding tampered with these products, a pharmacist could have filled and dispensed the wrong drug to a customer, placing them in danger of death or bodily injury.

    The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, along with the Gate City Police Department and the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted the case for the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Injectable Stem Cell Product Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Felony Distribution of Unapproved Drug

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    Office of Public Affairs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, August 27, 2024

    The founder and chief executive officer of a California-based company that marketed stem cell-based products linked to multiple hospitalizations pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

    John W. Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Orange County, California, pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in custody serving a sentence for a separate, unconnected conviction. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II for the Central District of California presided over the hearing pursuant to a plea agreement with the government. The court set Kosolcharoen’s sentencing for Sept. 23.

    According to court documents, beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, Liveyon LLC and Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.” In pleading guilty, Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness.

    In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.

    As part of the plea agreement, Kosolcharoen admitted that to mislead FDA about Liveyon’s activities, he directed Liveyon’s purchase orders to falsely state that the stem cell products were being sold “for research purposes only.” In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients, and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. According to FDA records, that inspection documented evidence of significant deviations from good manufacturing and tissue practices.

    “Unapproved stem cell treatments not only endanger public health but also exploit the hopes of patients who seek relief from the most serious of diseases,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to safeguarding the public from these schemes and will vigorously pursue legal action to hold accountable those who unlawfully market and sell these unproven therapies.”

    “This defendant recklessly put people’s lives in danger, giving false hope to patients with serious illnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Today’s guilty plea shows that we will hold accountable corporate executives and healthcare professionals who put profits over patients.”

    “We are grateful for the work by the Department of Justice to hold accountable establishments that prey upon vulnerable populations by marketing potentially dangerous stem cell products with false and misleading claims about their safety and effectiveness,” said Director Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D. of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

    “When unscrupulous providers offer umbilical cord blood stem cell products and treatments that are both unapproved and unproven, they put consumers’ health at risk, and multiple users of this firm’s products in fact suffered adverse events,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “FDA will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who endanger the public’s health for material gain.”

    “This investigation was a joint effort between multiple federal agencies and state and local health departments to quickly put a stop to the distribution of unsafe, contaminated products,” said Director Michael Bell, M.D. of CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “The rapid response by our public health system identified products marketed as stem cell treatments to be the source of serious infections in dozens of patients. Our message to all consumers and providers is to heed the warning against the use of unapproved products like these with unproven claims of effectiveness for conditions like joint disease, chronic pain, or COVID-19. Please don’t let products like these put you or your patients’ health at risk.”

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration and California Department of Health Care Services investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aveis and David Chao for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Conspiracy and Fraud Charges Added Against Operator of Central California Bio-Lab and His Partner in Connection with Sale of Millions of Dollars in COVID-19 Test Kits

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Eastern District of California

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, August 15, 2024

    FRESNO, Calif. — The operator of a Reedley lab, who was indicted in November 2023, faces additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud after a federal grand jury returned a 12-count superseding indictment today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs. The superseding indictment also charges Zhu’s romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, 38, a citizen of China, who operated the biolabs Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) in Fresno and Reedley along with Zhu. UMI and PBI distributed COVID-19, pregnancy, and other types of test kits.

    According to court documents, from August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu and Wang conspired to defraud buyers of UMI and PBI’s COVID-19 test kits. They imported hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits from Ai De Ltd., which was a company in China that they controlled, and falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were made in the United States. They illegally imported the COVID-19 test kits, which they were not approved to import, by falsely declaring them as pregnancy test kits, which they were approved to import.

    Zhu and Wang also falsely represented to the buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States and that the test kits were made in connection with other labs that were certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finally, they falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zhu and Wang made over $1.7 million through their fraud.

    When buyers requested to inspect UMI and PBI’s facilities in Fresno and Reedley, Zhu and Wang denied them access and fabricated reasons for the denial. The fabricated reasons included that the facilities were undergoing construction and renovation, and that proprietary and confidential information and technology was inside. In reality, however, they did not want the buyers to know that UMI and PBI were obtaining the COVID-19 test kits from China.

    Zhu is currently detained in custody pending his federal trial. His next status conference is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2024. Wang is not in custody.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis Clemente, Joseph Barton, and Henry Carbajal III are prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Zhu and Wang each face maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges, and an additional three years in prison for the distribution of adulterated and misbranded medical device charges. Zhu also faces another five years in prison for the false statements charge. Any sentences, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations. Zhu and Wang are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    23cr219.sup_.ind_.0815.pdf

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia 2024 Preventing Violence Hackathon

    Source: Australian Ministers for Social Services

    *Check against delivery*

    Good afternoon everyone and thank you for having me here today.

    I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and acknowledge their custodianship.

    I pay my respects to the Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

    I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge anyone here who has lived or living experience with family, domestic, and sexual violence.

    The voices of victim-survivors are central to all our efforts, and I offer my deepest thanks to those who share their experiences as a platform for change.

    I would also like to recognise here with us today:

    • Holly Donaldson, CAPHIA Executive Director and the CAPHIA Board of Directors
    • Lisa Hall, Sheelagh Lawler, Rebecca Johnson and the University of Queensland Public Health team
    • Associate Professor Courtney Ryder, Injury Prevention Discipline Lead at Flinders University and CAPHIA Board Member and Director
    • Jack Feng, Chief Student Entrepreneur, University of Queensland, Mindmuse.care Co-Founder, and
    • Damian Topp, Challenge DV Board Member, Chief Executive Officer PA Research Foundation.

    As we all know, family, domestic and sexual violence is an issue that remains pervasive within our society.

    It has long term and far-reaching impacts – affecting children, families, friends, work colleagues, communities and society as a whole.

    Ending violence requires sustained and collective efforts across all parts of society.

    The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments in Australia have committed to these efforts through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children.

    This is our national policy framework which seeks to end violence against women and children within a generation.

    Within the National Plan, family, domestic and sexual violence is called out as a health issue.

    Victim-survivors may experience physical injuries including lifelong disability and increased pain, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, fear.

    These issues will no doubt continue to affect them throughout their lives.

    Viewing family, domestic and sexual violence through a public health lens presents the opportunity to understand its multifaceted nature.

    It also helps us to better understand the significant and often lifelong health and wellbeing impacts for victim-survivors, family members and communities.

    Family, domestic and sexual violence is preventable when addressed within a systemic framework.

    In 2022, the Albanese Labor Government appointed the first federal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin.

    Commissioner Cronin just last month tabled her first yearly report to Parliament. The report noted that of workforces that respond to domestic, family and sexual violence, 90 per cent are medical professionals and allied health workers.

    Health services which are person-centred, trauma informed and coordinated across public health services with other support services can enable effective support and treatment while ensuring safety is a priority.

    And importantly at this conference, we can consider what can be done to enhance healthcare workers’ knowledge of family, domestic and sexual violence.

    Because we know that primary health care professionals are often a first point of contact, and therefore play a vital role in prevention, early identification and responding to family, domestic and sexual violence.

    It’s vital to look across all service support systems and how they interact to support those that need help.

    As I stand here at a university, it would be remiss of me not to mention the important role universities play when it comes to ending gender-based violence.

    As with all workplaces, universities also have an important role in reducing, preventing and responding appropriately to sexual harassment and violence.

    The Albanese Government recently introduced legislation to establish an independent National Student Ombudsman to investigate student complaints and resolve disputes with universities, including in relation to sexual assault and sexual harassment.

    A National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence will also be established.

    Universities also have a critical part to play in furthering the research and evidence we need.

    Everyone across our community has a part to play and I commend the students and judges participating in these Hackathon pitches, and all of you here today – students, academics and educators – for your work and your interest in this important issue.

    I encourage you all to think broadly about how we can prevent gender-based violence, knowing that where a person interacts with a service – be it a GP, a counsellor, or a police officer – might be one of the only opportunities we have to help them.

    I look forward to getting feedback from these pitches, and hope you enjoy the rest of the forum.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –