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  • MIL-OSI China: ​Universal Music launches label division in China’s GBA

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Universal Music Greater China, a division of Universal Music Group, announced on Sept. 24 the launch of Universal Music China Greater Bay Area, a new label division covering the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in China.

    Night view of Luohu district in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of China’s most open and economically vibrant regions. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The new division, headquartered in Shenzhen, marks the first time a major international music company has established an office specifically focused on serving the Greater Bay Area, home to over 86 million people and one of the world’s most populous urban areas.

    Gary Chan, managing director of Universal Music Hong Kong and senior vice president of Universal Music Greater China, will lead the new division, aiming to enrich the area’s music scene. By embracing its economic and cultural vibrancy, this initiative aims to elevate both the local and global appeal of the region’s diverse musical heritage.

    “The launch of Universal Music China Greater Bay Area represents a strategic expansion, leveraging the vast market potential and unique cultural atmosphere of the Greater Bay Area,” said Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Greater China. “We eagerly anticipate welcoming the outstanding talents from this region to join us in driving forward the next era of Chinese pop music. In this pursuit, we are setting our sights on transforming the Greater Bay Area into a trendsetting hub that epitomizes creativity, vitality, and connectivity, crafting fresh musical expressions and innovative entertainment experiences.”

    The Greater Bay Area, which includes nine cities in Guangdong province and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, is a significant economic and cultural hub. It contributed 11.1% to China’s GDP in 2023 and generates nearly a quarter of the country’s music performance revenue. The region’s rich Cantonese cultural heritage has profoundly shaped local and Asian pop culture, resonating with audiences worldwide.

    The announcement stated that the new label would assemble a “robust” local team to handle marketing, talent scouting and artist management in the area. Its mission is to transform the local music scene “by blending global musical trends with the Greater Bay Area’s vibrant and youthful energy.” The company noted that this approach leverages the region’s musical heritage and entertainment industry, aiming to create unique “experiences that captivate audiences worldwide.”

    Adam Granite, executive vice president of Market Development at Universal Music Group, said: “Our commitment to the Greater Bay Area is part of Universal Music Group’s global strategy to invest in local and regional music scenes, particularly in rapidly growing markets like China. By deepening our roots in local cultures and enhancing support for local artists, we aim to elevate the Chinese music landscape and introduce its unique sounds on the world stage.”

    Regarding China as a key music market, Universal Music Greater China has already established offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan to support growth across the region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: RMB, stocks rally amid China’s stimulus

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The renminbi rallied to its strongest level in more than a year and Chinese equities continued their rebound on Wednesday, after a potent policy package lifted investors’ confidence in the Chinese economy, which is expected to sail through headwinds.

    Economists, investment banks and asset managers said that policymakers’ more decisive stance to shore up the economy, a global interest rate cut cycle, and low asset valuations have combined to make it a potentially good time to invest in Chinese financial assets, which are expected to attract more foreign inflow in the months ahead.

    However, they cautioned that the forecast may be contingent upon the implementation of further policy support to address economic challenges, with the most urgent priorities being additional fiscal spending to bolster domestic demand and direct funding to alleviate property sector woes.

    On Wednesday, the renminbi, or Chinese yuan, rose to 6.9951 against the US dollar in the offshore market, up 158 basis points from the previous close and past the 7-per-dollar milestone for the first time in 16 months.

    Guan Tao, global chief economist at BOCI China, said that the renminbi’s rally is attributable to both Tuesday’s policy release, which strengthened investors’ confidence in China’s economy, and the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut last week, which narrowed the yield spreads between US and Chinese bonds.

    Looking ahead, Guan said the renminbi is likely to register two-way fluctuations against the dollar, with limited possibility of one-sided, drastic appreciation because uncertainties remain surrounding the Fed’s pace of rate cuts, including that the Fed might even reconsider rate hikes if the US economy turns out to be overheated.

    Moreover, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, is expected to take measures to prevent any renminbi exchange rate overshooting if needed, and has accumulated rich experience in this regard, said Guan, who had served as head of the Balance of Payments Department at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

    Guan added that in the base case scenario, in which the United States achieves a soft landing while the Fed continues rate cuts, foreign institutions may continue to boost holdings in renminbi-denominated bonds, especially treasury bonds.

    As of August, overseas institutions’ holdings in China’s interbank bond market had risen for 12 consecutive months, an increase in foreign holdings of as much as 1.34 trillion yuan ($190.7 billion), according to the PBOC’s Shanghai head office.

    Upbeat sentiment

    The upbeat sentiment was seen in the A-share market as well. The Shanghai Composite Index went up 1.16 percent to Wednesday’s close of 2,896.31 points, extending a jump of 4.15 percent on Tuesday, the biggest rise in about four years.

    “I believe that this may be a good time to revisit Chinese stocks,” said David Chao, global market strategist for the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) at Invesco, a global investment management company.

    Chao said China has fired off a meaningful monetary stimulus salvo, which may potentially usher trillions of renminbi in liquidity if fully implemented, sending a strong signal that the government is responding to economic headwinds.

    Major package

    On Tuesday, China’s top financial regulators unveiled a set of measures that some analysts said might be the country’s biggest monetary stimulus package following the pandemic.

    This includes a 20 basis point reduction in the seven-day reverse repo rate, a key policy benchmark of interest rates, as well as a 50 basis point cut to rates on existing mortgages and another 50 basis point cut to the reserve requirement ratio, apart from other steps supportive of the property and stock markets.

    The PBOC started to put the package into action by lowering the one-year medium-term lending facility rate, a policy rate, by 30 basis points to 2 percent on Wednesday.

    A Goldman Sachs report said on Wednesday that the latest stimulus package would be strong enough to catalyze a policy-induced rally in shares listed in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland, though it would be unlikely to “turn things around fundamentally”.

    The report said a relending program unveiled on Tuesday will allow listed companies to borrow inexpensive money to shore up stock prices and boost investor sentiment, while the stock stabilization fund that is under policy study, if launched, might help fend off systemic risks in the stock market, as indicated by experiences in other markets.

    While the PBOC introduced two new policy tools aimed at boosting stock market liquidity, the China Securities Regulatory Commission released a guideline on Tuesday to encourage mergers and acquisitions and a draft rule to strengthen listed companies’ market capitalization management.

    Yet more could be done, with Goldman Sachs saying that “we would turn more aggressive on A shares when signs of property market stabilization emerge or policy momentum further strengthens”.

    Ding Shuang, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, underlined the importance of beefing up fiscal support, as “monetary easing would be less effective without proactive fiscal policy”.

    It is likely that the government will increase bond issuance to accelerate government spending, Ding said, adding that investor sentiment could improve if policymakers decide to broaden the use of bond proceeds, especially to reduce home inventory.

    Ding said that Standard Chartered Bank analysts retain the base case forecast that the renminbi will stay within the range of between 7 and 7.1 against the dollar by the end of the year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The capital’s road workers have improved two major highways in Lugansk and Donetsk

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital’s road workers repaired two major highways in Lugansk and Donetsk.

    On one of the busiest highways in Luhansk, almost eight kilometers long, the asphalt concrete pavement of the roadway was renewed, sidewalks were installed, manholes were repaired, and markings were applied. In addition, public transport stops were placed there, a lighting system was installed, and the area was landscaped. For the safety of motorists, delineators with signal posts were installed and safety buffers were made.

    Benches, park swings and lanterns were installed on the sidewalks, and flower beds were planted. A bicycle path of almost seven kilometers was laid from the city center to the residential areas. In addition, three bicycle parking areas were equipped.

    Last year, the capital’s road workers implemented a similar comprehensive improvement project on another central street in Lugansk. Its length is 6.7 kilometers. On an area of 37.1 hectares, they replaced utility networks, sidewalk and road surface, changed the traffic organization, completely updated public transport stops, made children’s and sports playgrounds, and landscaped the area.

    In Donetsk, this year, work was also carried out on one of the central and longest streets. It passes through two districts, and was last improved more than 15 years ago. The city’s main medical institution is located here, and now specialists from the capital are restoring it.

    The work was carried out along the entire length of the street – about six kilometers, as well as on the boulevard part, which is more than 1.5 kilometers long. The capital’s road workers repaired the roadway and sidewalks, applied markings, replaced traffic lights, trans-barrier and pedestrian fences, installed bus stops, mounted a lighting system, and also expanded one parking zone and equipped three new parking lots.

    In addition, small recreation areas with benches surrounded by flower beds have appeared. Later, additional trees and shrubs will be planted.

    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/144417073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Place for meetings and walks: the portal “Discover Moscow” has published a route along the embankments

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the portal and in the mobile application “Get to Know Moscow” a new walking route has appeared. The path goes through the Krymskaya, Prechistenskaya, Bersenevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Raushskaya and Kremlevskaya embankments. Thanks to the audio guide, you can put the excursion in the background and enjoy a leisurely promenade through the capital without being distracted by the screen.

    City residents and tourists will be able not only to admire the colorful views and ancient buildings, but also to learn interesting facts about their history and architecture. In addition to familiar places, participants will discover completely new routes. For example, during a walk along the Krymskaya Embankment, you can walk along the pedestrian bridge over the Vodootvodny Canal of the Moscow River, which opened this summer.

    “The capital’s embankments are among the favorite walking places of Moscow residents and guests. Each of them has its own history, style and architectural features. The new route is an opportunity to look at familiar, well-known places from a different point of view, learn more about them and experience the atmosphere of the capital in a new way. Users can study their favorite embankment in detail or devote a day to a leisurely stroll around all the points. And the audio guide will make the excursion more exciting and memorable,” the press service said.

    Department of Information Technology the city of Moscow.

    In the mid-19th century, there were meadows on this site where horses were grazed, and in architectural plans the location appeared as the Crimean Dam, the rampart from the Crimean Bridge, or the passage from the Crimean Bridge.

    It is suggested to start your acquaintance with the Krymskaya Embankment with a look at the monument to Peter I at the confluence of the Moscow River and the Vodootvodny Canal. The impressive sculpture made of steel and bronze weighs over two thousand tons and rises 98 meters above the ground. It was installed in 1997, when Moscow celebrated its 850th anniversary.

    This summer, a new pedestrian bridge across the Vodootvodny Canal of the Moscow River was opened near the monument to Peter the Great. It is 58 meters long and eight meters wide. The bridge connects Balchug Island with the Krymskaya and Yakimanskaya embankments, adding beauty and convenience to walks in the city center. There is a long bench on the bridge where you can rest and admire the scenery.

    Prechistenskaya Embankment is located on the left bank of the Moskva River in the Khamovniki district. It owes its name to the street of the same name, which appeared on the map of Moscow back in the 16th century. The pedestrian Patriarch’s Bridge, located next to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, connects it with Bersenevskaya Embankment.

    The architectural pearls of Prechistenskaya Embankment have been mansions for many years. For example, the building of the patron Ivan Tsvetkov, designed by the famous Viktor Vasnetsov. Or the house of Alexander Levenson, designed by Fyodor Shekhtel. And not without the city estate of Ivan Mazurin, decorated with a turret.

    The main attraction of the embankment is the apartment building of Z.A. Pertsova. The building with majolica, resembling a fairy-tale tower, is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding buildings of the capital in the neo-Russian style. Each of these mansions has its own stories, legends and ancient secrets.

    Bersenevskaya Embankment is located opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It starts near the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, curving towards the monument to Peter I. According to one version, the embankment owes its name to gooseberries: once upon a time, there were Bersenevskaya gardens on this bank of the Moscow River.

    The legendary Krasny Oktyabr factory is located in the Bersenevskaya Embankment area. The old brick buildings are an example of industrial architecture from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The famous House on the Embankment, immortalized in Yuri Trifonov’s novel, is also located in the historical Yakimanka area.

    Sofiyskaya Embankment stretches along the right bank of the Moskva River directly opposite the Kremlin. It starts from Serafimovich Street and ends near the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. This place is famous for its beautiful view of the Kremlin.

    The name of the embankment is associated with the Church of St. Sophia the Wisdom of God in Srednie Sadovniki, one of the oldest buildings in Zamoskvorechye. The wooden church itself was destroyed in a fire in 1493, and in 1682 a stone St. Sophia Church was built here.

    Walking along the embankment, listeners will pass by the legendary Kokorevsky Podvorye. The old hotel building with shops and wholesale warehouses was built in the early 1860s on the initiative of the entrepreneur and philanthropist Vasily Kokorev.

    Raushskaya Embankment runs along the Moskva River in the Zamoskvorechye district. It is located between Balchug Street and the Bolshoy Ustinsky Bridge. The name of the embankment is presumably associated with the ravushki — canals that used to drain water from the floodplain lands of Zamoskvorechye.

    In 1896, the Raushskaya power plant, which is still operating today, appeared here. Built by order of Emperor Alexander III, it was the first station to produce alternating current. The building of GES-1 of PAO Mosenergo supplies energy to the center of Moscow. The oldest power plant in Russia is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique object of industrial architecture. The appearance of the Raushskaya Embankment is complemented and decorated by the Church of St. Nicholas in Zayatskoye, built in the middle of the 18th century under the supervision of the famous master Prince Dmitry Ukhtomsky.

    The Kremlin Embankment, the first stone embankment in Moscow, has long been depicted on all city postcards and is still the most recognizable symbol of the capital. It is about one kilometer long. The embankment offers a good view of Red Square and Vasilievsky Spusk, as well as the southern wall of the Kremlin with its unique ancient towers. In addition, the embankment overlooks the Alexander Garden, as well as the Zotov Estate, an architectural monument of the 18th–19th centuries.

    “Discover Moscow” is a joint project of the departments of information technology, culture, cultural heritage, education and science. The interactive guide contains photographs and descriptions of more than 2.3 thousand buildings, 704 monuments, 410 museums, 490 places, over 270 walking routes, as well as information about 333 historical figures. All this is also available in the mobile application “Get to Know Moscow”.

    The implementation of digital solutions in the cultural sphere corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Culture” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Culture”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow can be found on a special page.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144474073/

    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 New Zealand: Emergency preparedness: Solid progress made by Auckland Council following reviews

    Source: Auckland Council

    Auckland Council has made large steps towards enhancing our emergency preparedness and response capabilities, since the extreme weather events of early 2023.  

    That’s according to the Auditor-General’s report: Improving Aucklanders’ emergency preparedness, which was tabled in Parliament today. 

    Councillor Sharon Stewart, Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management chairperson says the uptake on the OAG report recommendations shows the council is committed to being better prepared for future emergencies. 

    “The flooding and cyclone events in early 2023 had a devasting toll on Auckland, with many people losing their homes and some people suffering the loss of a loved one. 

    “In the aftermath of these tragic events it was clear the council needed to become better prepared to help Aucklanders in future emergencies. 

    “We commissioned three independent reviews which all made a number of recommendations about enhancing our emergency response systems and processes. 

    “I’m heartened by the progress made by Auckland Emergency Management in considering and implementing the recommendations of the reviews. 

    “Continually striving to enhance our emergency preparedness will ultimately result in a safer region and could save lives.”  

    Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson says last year was incredibly challenging and it was important to him that Auckland Council had a good honest look at how it did, and how well prepared it is.   

    “A number of internal and independent reviews, including this one carried out by the Office of the Auditor General, contributed to a prioritised programme of work. 

    “But we can’t take our foot off the pedal – the risk is too high. With complex and difficult recovery efforts continuing, the work is by no means over and our community continues to suffer. 

    “We do not and will not shirk from the central role that Auckland Emergency Management and the council needs to play, but event after event shows us that as critical as our preparations are, we are not the only answer – every household in Tāmaki Makaurau needs to have a plan. 

    “If you haven’t already, check your risk on Auckland Council’s

    Flood Viewer and use the many guides available on Auckland Emergency Management’s website to put that plan in place for your home and whānau,” says Mr Wilson. 

    The council engaged the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) to report on how effectively Auckland Emergency Management has addressed the recommendations of three reviews following the early 2023 extreme weather events. 

    These were: the Auckland Flood Response Review: Independent, External Review of Events, January 27-29, 2023 by Bush International Consulting (The Bush Review); the Auckland Severe Weather Events 2023 Debrief by Toa Consulting (The Toa Review) and the Auckland Council: Preparedness for responding to an emergency, Controller and Auditor-General, June 2023, (The OAG review). 

    John Cranfield, Acting General Manager Auckland Emergency Management says he welcomes the OAG review and outlines the progress the council has made around enhancing emergency preparedness. 

    “Since the flooding and cyclone events in early 2023, the council has been working tirelessly to improve how we respond to future emergency events and we have acted on the recommendations of the reviews. We have made real progress across a number of emergency preparedness areas. 

    “Sites for new Civil Defence centres across Auckland have been identified to increase their number and geographical spread. They are now being provisioned and resourced.  

    “In the training space, we conducted two large scale exercises (in October 2023 and March 2024), which gave us an opportunity to test our Emergency Coordination Centre, procedures, and response staff. Almost 400 Auckland Council staff have completed foundation level emergency management training through our ACES programme and new emergency response standard operating procedures and guides have been put in place for all staff, the Mayor and elected members. 

    “Getting local communities emergency ready is a crucial element in Auckland’s emergency preparedness. A new team of community advisors are working with local boards to develop readiness and response plans and provide support to local boards to increase readiness capabilities. 

    “Communications support has been enhanced within AEM, focusing on digital platforms, accessibility, increasing public awareness and keeping the Mayor, elected members and key stakeholders informed, during and after an emergency response. 

    “The welfare coordination group has been reviewed and the terms of reference re-established to ensure a planned and well-coordinated cross agency approach to Auckland’s future emergency responses.” 

    The OAG report found that Auckland Council is better placed today than it was in early 2023 to respond to the next major emergency, noting “there is more work to do to fully address and keep working to implement the recommendations of the three Auckland reviews.” 

    The OAG report also stated that Auckland Council, “accepted the recommendations of the three reviews and developed plans to implement them” and once fully implemented the OAG “considers that all 51 recommendations [across the three reviews] have been met.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chang’e-6 lunar samples to be displayed at Airshow China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Lunar samples collected by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the far side of the moon will be on display at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense announced Wednesday.
    The Chang’e-6 return capsule will also be showcased, allowing the public to witness the advancements of China’s space industry, said Li Yang, an official with the agency.
    The airshow is scheduled for Nov. 12-17 in Zhuhai, a city in south China’s Guangdong Province, and will feature various types of aircraft and carrier rockets.
    According to Hao Changfeng, spokesperson for China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the company will present nearly 200 high-tech products, including first-time exhibits such as the Chang’e-6 probe and the Long March-8A carrier rocket. “About 150 items will be debuting, with new exhibits making up 75 percent of the display,” said Hao.
    Wu Jiwei, spokesperson for the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, announced that the company will showcase more than 260 products, emphasizing advancements in new quality productive forces.
    Since its inception in 1996, Airshow China has become an important window for showcasing advanced aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment from home and abroad. It has also become an international platform for promoting business cooperation in aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Win for SA sport with new SASI up and running

    Source: University of South Australia

    26 September 2024

    UniSA’s Prof Jon Buckley and Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing Katrine Hildyard with SASI athletes.

    South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) athletes have had a first look at their new, state-of-the-art Mile End facility, ahead of operations commencing next week.
     
    The nearly $90 million SASI build has been designed to give South Australian and SA-based athletes a competitive edge, featuring nation-leading spaces including:

    • Strength and conditioning gym, fit with five lane synthetic turf testing space (three lanes are 60 metres and two lanes are 40 metres) and anti-gravity treadmill.
    • Environmental chamber for athlete testing under a range of temperature, hypoxic and humidity conditions.
    • Full sized indoor sprung timber court and half court movement studio, designed for instant performance analysis under individual and team modes.
    • Ergometer training space, home to the SASI rowing and canoe/kayak programs.
    • Physiology laboratory and athlete health rooms, fit out for our allied health partners.
    • Athlete recovery centre, complete with athlete nutrition zone.
    • Biomechanics and exercise physiology laboratories fit for our allied health partners and for students to learn about the role that forces play in movement and physiological responses to exercise and training.

    The Malinauskas Government has invested $68 million towards the development, which provides a world-class sport, research and education hub to high performance athletes, coaches and university students.

    UniSA Prof Jon Buckley and SASI athlete and weightlifter Callum Thomas

    Project partner UniSA has contributed a further $20 million for capital costs, which will see the UniSA Sports Science Hub open on the second floor in the coming months, with high performance sport science laboratories and teaching spaces for students undertaking a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
     
    The building will also be home to the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, which was instrumental in the design and building process, working alongside COX Architecture and Hansen Yuncken.
     
    The new facility launches as one of the best high-performance sports precincts in the country. Its Mile End location sits right on the doorstep of Adelaide’s CBD, and is co-located with the pioneering National Centre for Sports Aerodynamics, upgraded SA Athletics Stadium, and the SA Netball Centre.
     
    The Mile End sports precinct is set to be a drawcard for international sports teams with world-renowned organisations having already expressed their interest in basing themselves in Adelaide to use these amenities.
     
    A SASI open day event will be held early next year where members of the public will be invited to come along and take a tour of the new facility.
     
    Quotes attributable to Katrine Hildyard
     
    Through this remarkable new SASI, our Government is proudly ensuring South Australia is at the forefront of world-class sport performance and research, and empowering more athletes to chase their sporting dreams.
     
    The new SASI and its state-of-the-art features will be a key site in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Games and beyond, supporting the work of our South Australian athletes and coaches and also attracting national and international teams to Adelaide.
     
    This almost $90 million development is a key part of the brilliant sporting precinct we are developing at Mile End with our National Centre for Sports Aerodynamics, upgraded Athletics Stadium and soon to be redeveloped SA Netball Centre all neighbours.
     
    We know that the new SASI will enable every athlete who uses this facility to have the best possible support around them as they strive to realise their ambition to compete at the highest level.
     
    Quotes attributable to SASI Director Keren Faulkner
     
    SASI’s new home in Mile End is something I am extremely proud of where we will help athletes develop into the best version of themselves, both in their sporting pursuits and in their everyday lives.
     
    As an organisation that is at the heart of South Australia’s sporting success, I’m thrilled that this space has been designed to be inclusive and support every type of elite athlete.
     
    It will also enable our coaches and staff to power greatness in their work where we’ve always had a world class team and now, we have the facilities to match this – the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can achieve.
     
    Our partnership with UniSA will also give us great opportunities to promote the way research, science and academia can work together with sport.
     
    Quotes attributable to UniSA Professor Jon Buckley, Executive Dean: UniSA Allied Health and Human Performance Academic Unit
     
    UniSA is very pleased to partner with the State Government and South Australian Sports Institute in this world-class development.
     
    The collaboration draws upon the expertise of SASI and UniSA to dually advance the preparation of high-performance athletes and educate the elite sports workforce of the future.

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Rogers Votes to Extend Federal Funding and Avoid a Government Shutdown

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Harold Hal Rogers (KY-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), Dean of the House, voted for the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 to avoid a government shutdown on September 30th and extend federal funding past the election, through December 20, 2024. Both the House and Senate passed the bipartisan bill on Wednesday, sending it on to the president’s desk for his signature. 

    The funding protects critical benefits programs and includes $231 million in additional resources for the Secret Service to ensure candidates and government leaders are protected, while also ensuring the full cooperation of the Secret Service with congressional investigations.

    “We have the responsibility to protect the federal programs and funding that Americans rely on everyday. This temporary extension will get us through the election, and will allow the president-elect to engage in our next steps,” said Congressman Rogers, a senior appropriator. “We cannot afford a government shutdown or any disruption in our national security, especially when our nation’s leadership hangs in the balance of an election that is only weeks away.” 

    The House Appropriations Committee passed all twelve federal funding bills earlier this summer, and the House has already passed five of those bills on to the Senate for consideration.  

    For more information about Congressman Rogers’ work in Washington and at home in Kentucky visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ARBOR REALTY SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. – ABR

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until September 30, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (“ABR” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ABR), if they purchased the Company’s securities between May 7, 2021 and July 11, 2024, inclusive (the “Class Period”). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

    Get Help

    Arbor Realty investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-abr/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

    About the Lawsuit

    Arbor Realty and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

    On March 14, 2023, NINGI Research reported that “ABR has been hiding a toxic real estate portfolio of mobile homes with a complex web of real and fake holdings companies for more than a decade.” On this news, the price of ABR shares fell from $12.99 per share on March 13, 2023, to $12.12 per share on March 14, 2023, and then $11.53 per share on March 15, 2023. Then, on July 12, 2024, Bloomberg reported that the Company was the subject of a probe by federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York that were “inquiring about lending practices and the company’s claims about the performance of their loan book.” On this news, the price of ABR shares fell from $15.53 per share on July 11, 2024, to $12.89 per share on July 12, 2024.

    The case is Martin v. Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., No. 24-cv-05347.

    About ClaimsFiler

    ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

    To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit http://www.claimsfiler.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: 3rd global digital trade expo highlights AI innovations, low-altitude economy

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

    The exhibition area of humanoid robots is pictured at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. The third Global Digital Trade Expo opened in Hangzhou on Wednesday, showcasing the latest technological innovations and business development of the digital economy sector. [Photo/Xinhua]

    HANGZHOU, Sept. 25 — The third Global Digital Trade Expo opened in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday, showcasing the latest technological innovations and business development of the digital economy sector.

    Themed “Digital Trade, Global Access,” this year’s edition has attracted more than 1,500 enterprises from home and abroad, among which over 300 are international companies. Over 30,000 purchasers have signed up for the event, with more than 6,000 of them from foreign countries and regions.

    A total of 446 new products and technologies are scheduled to be showcased at the five-day expo. Notably, this year’s expo has set up special exhibition areas for robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) innovations and the smart traffic solutions of the low-altitude economy.

    The size of China’s low-altitude economy is estimated to have exceeded 500 billion yuan (about 70.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

    Co-hosted by the Zhejiang provincial government and China’s Ministry of Commerce, the event is currently China’s only digital trade themed expo at the national level. China’s digital industry has seen robust growth in recent years, reporting a total revenue of 32.5 trillion yuan in 2023.

    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the launching ceremony of the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Sales staff promote African products via livestreaming during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the China Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A visitor poses for photos at the booth of “Black Myth: Wukong” during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members promote products via livestreaming at the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Smart City Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People use VR devices to enjoy virtual concerts during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Thailand Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Visitors try the games at the booth of “Black Myth: Wukong” during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the main entrance to the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A visitor learns about a driverless aircraft at the Smart Mobility Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members promote products at the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows a view outside the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A foreign merchant consults about a small intelligent translation device at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members showcase a smart office desk at the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Issues Statement on FAFSA Update: Urges Careful Implementation and Accessibility for All Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Education’s update on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

    “I wrote the FAFSA Simplification Act to make it easier for students to get the financial aid they deserve—it should be uncomplicated for students and parents to navigate this form and figure out what kind of federal aid they’re eligible for. And I want to be clear: I wrote this law to make the FAFSA accessible for everyone, including students who are unhoused, low-income, or first-generation—it’s important to me that I continue to see serious progress on this front. I will be closely following the Department’s implementation of these newly announced improvements to make sure a truly simplified FAFSA is the end result.”

    In May and February, Murray led Congressional oversight efforts of the newly simplified FAFSA form’s implementation and she has continued to stay in close contact with the Department of Education since then. The Senate Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill, authored and negotiated by Murray, which funds the Department of Education includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs—the funding will support a wide range of activities including implementation of the FAFSA. The bill also directs the Department of Education to undertake various activities related to the FAFSA, including conducting outreach to students who have uncompleted FAFSA applications, providing weekly updates to Congress on FAFSA implementation, and correcting errors that have made it difficult for unaccompanied homeless youth to access the FAFSA application. Murray’s funding bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee 25-3.

    As the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), in 2020, Senator Murray successfully negotiated—and got signed into law—bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid. Now, the changes are taking effect—making the financial aid application process easier to navigate for families and getting more federal support to more students.

    The bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act that Senator Murray negotiated was signed into law in December 2020. In particular, Senator Murray secured policies that, among other things:

    • Restore Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, students who have been defrauded, and students with drug-related offenses;
    • Significantly expand who is eligible to receive Pell Grants and the maximum award; simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
    • Make the financial aid process easier to navigate for students experiencing homelessness and students formerly in foster care.

    More about the changes Senator Murray secured HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM Intensifies Emergency Response to Severe Flooding across West and Central Africa

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Geneva/ Dakar, 25 September – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is scaling up its emergency operations to assist millions impacted by the severe flooding across West and Central Africa.  IOM is working to deliver a comprehensive and integrated regional response, collaborating closely with sister UN agencies, including OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP.   

    Since the onset of the rainy season, heavy downpours have ravaged vast regions, claiming more than 1,500 lives, affecting 4 million people and displacing more than 1.2 million individuals across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger.  

    “This year’s floods are unprecedented, a stark reminder of the growing impacts of climate change in our region,” said Sylvia Ekra, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Our teams are working tirelessly on the ground to support affected communities and local authorities. While we continue to strengthen emergency preparedness year-round, the scale of the situation at hand demands urgent additional funding to address immediate and longer-term needs” .

    In Chad, one of the hardest-hit countries, over 1.5 million people have been affected, and over 164,000 homes destroyed. Displacement is widespread, particularly in N’Djamena and southern regions along the Chari River. The floods have devastated more than 400,000 hectares of arable land, severely impacting food security and livelihoods. IOM is leveraging its experience in helping the government’s emergency response, drawing on lessons learnt from the 2022 flood.   

    Rapid response teams are helping local authorities assess immediate needs through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). IOM has also reopened previously used displacement sites to provide temporary shelter and essential services to those affected, actively coordinating within the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) framework.   

    In the Lake region and N’Djamena, IOM Chad is preparing to provide immediate multisectoral assistant to 7,000 direct beneficiaries through the provision of 700 shelters, water trucking, and repairing of 21 water pumps and 350 latrines.   

    In Nigeria, the floods have displaced nearly 650,000 people. Torrential rains have destroyed homes, farmlands, and vital infrastructure across 31 states, with the most severe impact reported in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and Benue. IOM has allocated $3 million through its Rapid Response Fund (RRF) to provide critical relief, while working with local partners to assess additional needs. 

    Meanwhile, between July and September, Mali has experienced the most significant rainfall since 1967, affecting nearly all regions and impacting over 180,000 people. IOM has been helping the government to assist those impacted in the hardest-hit regions of Gao, Ségou, and Mopti.  The Organization’s support includes emergency tents and shelter materials, as well as technical assistance for the construction of 635 shelters.  As of 19 September, 20,389 flood-affected individuals had been registered by the DTM team.   

    Across West and Central Africa, the floods have exacerbated health concerns. Stagnant water and poor sanitation has increased the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera while damaged infrastructure such as roads have limited access to affected areas further complicating humanitarian response efforts.   

    Despite the ongoing effort, the scale of the disaster has revealed critical gaps in the resources available to respond to the emergency. With the rainy season expected to continue until November, IOM urgently calls on the international community for increased support to meet the growing needs.    

    IOM’s ongoing efforts on the ground are made possible thanks to the generous support of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB). 

      

    For more information, please contact:   

    Dakar : Joëlle Furrer, jfurrer@iom.int    

    Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int   

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: On the Heels of Inflation, Why Experts Expect Gold Prices Will Climb to Record Highs in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Gold prices are forecast to climb to record highs in the coming year. The price of gold has soared to new heights this year and is positioned to climb into early 2025, rising to new record highs, according to Goldman Sachs Research. The precious metal has increased more than 20% this year, peaking at a record of more than $2,500 per troy ounce. Goldman Sachs Research forecasts the price will reach $2,700 by early next year, buoyed by interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and gold purchases by emerging market central banks. The metal could get an additional boost if the US imposes new financial sanctions or if concerns mount about the US debt burden. They see that Gold prices are forecast to climb to record high. Goldman Sachs says that: “Gold is our strategists’ preferred near-term long (the commodity they most expect to go up in the short term), and it’s also their preferred hedge against geopolitical and financial risks. In this softer cyclical environment, gold stands out as the commodity where we have the highest confidence in near-term upside,” Goldman Sachs Research strategists Samantha Dart and Lina Thomas write. Active Mining Companies in the markets today include Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB), Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX), Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC), Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD), IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG).

    In an additional article, Goldman Sachs added: “The yellow metal typically only guards against very high inflation and large inflation surprises caused by losses in central bank credibility and geopolitical supply shocks. Gold usually didn’t perform well in response to positive demand shocks when the central bank responded swiftly by hiking rates. Gold emerged as the best commodity to serve as a potential hedge against inflation and geo-political risks. Goldman Sachs Research’s base case is that gold appreciates to $2,700/troy ounce by year-end, an increase of about 16%, on solid demand from central banks in emerging markets and from Asian households. Gold could help shield against potential stock market drops if a trade war erupts, and it has upside if concerns mount about the US debt load or if the Fed is subordinated by a new administration.”

    Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB) Gold Production Continues Upward Trend For Third Quarter, As Ore Stockpile Processing Plant Advances Towards Completion – Asia Broadband Inc. (“AABB” or the “Company) is pleased to announce that the Company’s operations for the 3rd quarter ending September 30, 2024, will be completed next week and production levels have already surpassed the second quarter. The Company has exceeded its production and gross profit levels achieved in both the 1st and 2nd consecutive record quarters this year. Gold production more than doubled in the 1st quarter of 2024, in comparison to the 4th quarter of 2023, due to higher grade selection, recovery efficiencies and increased daily throughput levels. Additionally, the economies of scale from higher productions levels reduced production costs and added to the bottom-line gross profit, which has continued in an upward trend over the last three quarters.

    The elevated operational strategies and efficiencies of the AABB mining team continued in the 3rd quarter and has firmly established the foundation for the high production levels to follow the completion of the Company’s processing plant. The new facility is currently under construction in Etzatlan, Mexico, and its capacity will be primarily dedicated to processing the estimated $1 billion dollar ore value of the Company’s exclusive rights surface stockpile. AABB continues to develop the processing plant and will release updates as progress milestones are reached. The Company will release a processing plant project update in October.

    “The elevation of our production processes by the mining operations team in all three quarters of this year will have a multiplier effect with increased production levels. We are eagerly awaiting to extend this expertise to our massive ore stockpile processing when the new plant is complete. This will take us to a much higher level than we have ever reached before,” expressed Chris Torres, the Company President and CEO.

    AABB continues to implement its mining property acquisition strategy to optimize development capital utilization by focusing operations in regions of Mexico where AABB has a comparative advantage of development resources and expertise readily available for rapid expansion and duplication of the Company’s previous gold production success. CONTINUED… Read this full release for Asia Broadband at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-aabb/

    Other recent developments in the mining industry include:

    Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) recently said it is projecting a 30% growth in the production of gold-equivalent ounces from its existing assets by the end of this decade while it continues to unlock the value embedded in its portfolio, says president and chief executive Mark Bristow.

    Speaking at the Gold Forum Americas, Bristow said while Barrick was alert to potentially value-accretive opportunities generated by the consolidation of the industry, it had the rare luxury of doing so from an asset base that would support organic growth well into the future.

    “Five years ago, we set out to build a sustainably profitable gold and copper business focused on world-class assets. We did not have to buy them at a premium: they were embedded in the merged portfolio of Barrick and Randgold and we just had to unlock their value,” he said.

    Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC) recently provided an update on the Great Bear project (the “Project”), located in Red Lake, Ontario, Canada. Kinross has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Great Bear project which supports the Company’s acquisition thesis of a top tier high-margin operation in a stable jurisdiction with strong infrastructure. Based on mineral resources drilled to date, the PEA outlines a high-grade combined open pit and underground mine with an initial planned mine life of approximately 12 years and production cost of sales of $594 per ounce. The Project is expected to produce over 500,000 ounces per year at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of approximately $800 per ounce during the first 8 years through a conventional, modest capital 10,000 tonne per day (tpd) mill.

    Kinross has also released an updated mineral resource estimate increasing the inferred resource estimate by 568koz. to 3.884 Moz. which is in addition to the existing M&I resource estimate of 2.738 Moz. The mineral resource estimate and PEA for the Great Bear project are available here.

    Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX) recently announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) for its 100% owned, exploration-stage Hasaga Property (“Hasaga” or the “Property”) in Red Lake, Ontario.

    “Hasaga is located in the Red Lake Gold District of northwestern Ontario, which is renowned for its high gold grades and prolific historical gold production. This updated Mineral Resource Estimate focuses on the high-grade nature of the gold mineralization and is a departure from the previous bulk-tonnage approach,” stated Scott Heffernan, EVP Exploration of Equinox Gold. “As expected, the updated Mineral Resource Estimate contains fewer gold ounces but at significantly higher average gold grades.

    “Further, the main zones of gold mineralization included in the updated Mineral Resource Estimate remain open, with numerous historical gold intersections defining drill-ready targets highlighting the potential for resource growth and new discoveries.”

    IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG) recently announced that the Côté Gold Mine (“Côté Gold” or “Côté”) has reached commercial production. Côté Gold is located in Ontario, Canada and is operated as a joint venture between IAMGOLD, as the operator, and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (“Sumitomo”). Commercial production is defined as the achievement of reaching a minimum of 30 consecutive days of operations during which the mill operated at an average of 60% of nameplate throughput of 36,000 tpd.

    “I would like to commend our teams at Côté Gold who have come together to achieve another great milestone as we progress and ramp up what we believe will be one of Canada’s largest gold mines and a model for modern mining in Canada,” said Renaud Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAMGOLD. “Since achieving the first pour of gold on March 31, 2024, our teams have spent the last four months methodically and iteratively testing and ramping up all facets of the mine. This process has required remarkable commitment, ingenuity and teamwork to bring all the systems online together to achieve this milestone.”

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Asia Broadband Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    resident of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gedion Onyango, Research Fellow, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to them if they reported corruption cases. Gedion Onyango, who researches public accountability reforms, anti-corruption and whistleblowing reforms, sets out what protections are needed and how to change public mindsets.

    What is whistleblowing?

    Whistleblowing is disclosing information about behaviour or misconduct that could harm the public interest – the overall welfare of a society.

    Whistleblowing is primarily associated with disclosing corruption in state institutions. Because the private sector has become a partner in public service and national development processes, emerging laws like Kenya’s whistleblower protection bill and existing ones like Botswana’s Whistleblower Protection Act 2016 have been designed also to expose activities of companies and institutions that directly affect public affairs.

    Several key conditions must be met for whistleblowing to be effective.

    Read more: Corruption in South Africa: would paying whistleblowers help?

    Firstly, the society needs to broadly agree on what misconduct is. People should feel obliged to flag and address wrongdoing, and know what is expected when such information is disclosed. Essentially, the disclosure must be made in good faith.

    Secondly, there must be an authority that is expected to and is willing to take action after receiving such information.

    Thirdly, clear procedures or legal processes should be in place for receiving the information and determining the truth.

    The person disclosing the information must find it easy to report, besides having sufficient evidence to support their claims. A thoroughly bureaucratic way of receiving information about wrongdoing is more likely to intimidate and discourage potential whistleblowers.

    Fourthly, a system should be in place to reward individuals who disclose wrongdoing. This could involve recognising their contribution to society or providing financial incentives, often a percentage of money recovered in cases of corruption and asset recovery. Not all countries have this provision. But having such a reward is not always enough. This has been shown in Nigeria, where whistleblowing is declining despite the reward of 5% of recovered funds.

    Finally, there needs to be trust in the authority and the process for it to work.

    Why the focus on whistleblowers?

    Whistleblowers are important sources of information about misconduct, dishonesty and unethical behaviour that would otherwise remain concealed from the public. They are critical in promoting human rights, fighting corruption and addressing governance misconduct and inequalities.

    Many infamous scandals around the world have been brought to light by individuals who disclosed the wrongdoing. These include Kenya’s Anglo Leasing scandal.

    Whistleblowing is essential to ethical public leadership. It is no accident that many developing countries are now enacting laws to encourage and protect whistleblowers. With new laws in Kenya, whistleblowers would no longer have to primarily defend themselves against non-disclosure clauses that outlaw disclosures of a potential wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have previously been targeted by public organisations for releasing information in an unprocedural manner.

    You want to blow the whistle. What next?

    Potential whistleblowers can use internal or external mechanisms to disclose wrongdoing. The choice of mechanism will depend on the whistleblower’s confidence or history with these mechanisms.

    Studies have shown that internal whistleblowing is less desirable, and most whistleblowers prefer anonymous external whistleblowing channels that could prompt an investigation by an authority.

    Read more: South Africa’s corporate whistleblowers don’t get enough protection: what needs to change

    What protections should whistleblowers expect?

    Effective whistleblower protection mechanisms include protecting the identities of whistleblowers until the responsible authority has checked that there was wrongdoing.

    Whistleblowers should be protected from retaliation or harm, including social victimisation, physical attacks and disciplinary actions.

    The law should ensure that an insider whistleblower, such as an employee, is protected from being intimidated, disciplined or removed from their position. This should be for a long enough time (for example, at least five years), even if the case ultimately collapses, as often happens.

    In other words, the person should be protected from any loss, including damages that would affect their mental health or their job. This is typical of legislation globally.

    In today’s age of social media, the laws against defamation should be applied strictly to guard against online harassment.

    What would a forward-looking whistleblower policy look like?

    It’s important that whistleblower protection policies are understood and accepted by everyone. The process should start with extensive consultation. It should involve authorities such as religious groups, traditional leaders and government administrators at the lowest levels.

    Including whistleblowing in the country’s school, college and professional curriculum would increase awareness and improve social acceptance.

    It’s often the case that whistleblowers are seen as betrayers or snitches rather than as courageous defenders of public interest and ethical members of society. The reward system for whistleblowers should be included in prestigious national honours such as the Presidential Award.

    – Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them
    – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-whistleblowers-are-key-to-fighting-corruption-how-a-new-law-could-protect-them-239647

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Old industry base in N China sees green and environmental friendly shift

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

    Old industry base in N China sees green and environmental friendly shift

    Updated: September 25, 2024 21:46 Xinhua
    Workers arrange exhibits at the exhibition hall of a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. As one of the old industry bases in the central south of Hebei, Botou is dubbed “origin of casting industry” in the country, home to 322 casting companies, and boasting an annual output of 24.7 billion yuan (about 3.52 billion U.S. dollars) by clustered players there. Recent years have witnessed their manufacturing processes converted to green and environmental friendly ones. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker assembles a piece of mold at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers assemble products at a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers check product quality at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker is seen at a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker arranges exhibits at the exhibition hall of a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker scans a piece of automotive mold for quality check at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers operate at a workshop of a casting company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker checks product quality at a casting company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Steel, Lee Legislation Boosting Geothermal Production

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Michelle Steel (CA-48)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Susie Lee’s (D-NV) legislation to speed up geothermal energy production, a move which would provide a more sustainable and reliable energy future in the United States.

    H.R. 6474 would expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas. California and Nevada lead the nation in geothermal energy production, with more growth opportunities possible under the provisions outlined in the legislation.

    “Geothermal energy is a vital tool to make America more energy independent and less reliant on our adversaries. This legislation will provide a cleaner energy future and allow my home state of California to seize the reins as a leading national energy provider,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “I was honored to work with Representative Susie Lee to successfully pass this legislation through the House of Representatives and look forward to its passage in the Senate.”

    You can view Rep. Steel’s floor speech here.

    The legislation amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow for new categorical exclusions for geothermal projects, under permitting requirements set by the National Environmental Policy Act.

    “If we want to fully unleash our renewable energy potential, then we need to cut the red tape that has been a barrier to the growth of geothermal energy development,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I want to thank Congresswoman Steel for partnering on this commonsense, bipartisan bill to strengthen energy independence and help lower costs for the working families we represent.
     
    According to 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California provides 66.6% of the nation’s geothermal power while Nevada provides 26.1%.

    “America’s energy future requires an all-of-the-above strategy. Congresswoman Steel’s legislation that passed the House today will expedite geothermal energy projects and streamline development of our abundant geothermal energy sources right here in America. I applaud her for her thoughtful work on this issue and her forward-thinking legislative solution,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

    After passing the House, the legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for approval.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens disappointed in lack of SNP commitment to hospitality fair work charter.

    Source: Scottish Greens

    25 Sep 2024 Economy

    SNP fail to back the Fair Work Charter for hospitality workers

    More in Economy

    The Scottish Government’s lack of up-front commitment to a fair work charter for the hospitality sector is disappointing, says Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman.

    This comes following the publication of an inquiry report by the Fair Work Convention, which made 12 key recommendations, including the creation of tax incentives for businesses that pay the Real Living Wage, developing accredited training for managers to champion fair work practices, and the creation of a single Fair Work Charter under which hospitality businesses can operate.

    During portfolio questions in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman asked the Government:

    “The [Fair Work Convention’s] Inquiry recommends the establishment of a voluntary Fair Work Charter for Hospitality that stipulates a range of workers’ protections, from payment of the Real Living Wage and recognition of Real Living Hours to effective voice, robust anti-bullying procedures and “safe home” policies for all workers asked to travel to or from work after 11 pm.

    “Can the Minister say how quickly he expects the Charter to be in place, what mechanisms will be in place if an employer breaches any aspect of the Charter, and how he expects public bodies, including local authorities, to support the implementation of the Charter?

    “And will the Scottish Government incentivise the adoption of the charter through conditionality for public funding?”

    Answering Ms Chapman’s question, the Minister for Employment, Tom Arthur, welcomed the findings of the inquiry; however, he failed to say when the Scottish Government would fully endorse the recommendations.

    In response to the Minister’s answer, Ms Chapman said:

    “This is a bit of a disappointing response from the Minister. I had expected at least a commitment from the Scottish Government to back the Fair Work Charter, but the Government has sidestepped this answer and said nothing.

    “Just yesterday, at the launch of the report, the Minister for Employment said we need to do more to embed the fair work agenda into the structures of the hospitality industry. The Scottish Greens have been pushing to improve conditions for hospitality workers, ensuring every worker gets a real living wage and proper protections.

    “We need to see conditions in the hospitality sector rapidly improve for workers; this is such an essential part of our culture and economy, and those working in it deserve clear protection.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Molinaro Hosts Two Broome Community Leaders In DC For Hearing On Workforce Development

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19)

    Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today will have Frank Stento of the International Union of Painter’s and Allied Trades (IUPAT), and Ashley Gamba of Community Options testify at a House Small Business Committee hearing. The hearing will examine workforce development strategies.

    Rep. Molinaro will chair the hearing, which begins at 10am and can be viewed here.

    Frank Stento is a skilled craftsman who completed a registered apprenticeship program in 2016, offering him a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience. He is now the Business Development Director for IUPAT District Council 4, which represents 2,000 workers in the Southern Tier and Central New York. He helps attract new members and connects current members with work opportunities. 

    Ashley Gamba is an Executive Director with Community Options in Binghamton, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and employment support for individuals with disabilities. Prior to this position, Ashley was the New York State Director of Employment Services, overseeing vocational services in Binghamton, Syracuse, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. She has been an advocate for individuals with disabilities for over 18 years.

    Rep. Molinaro said, “I’m excited to have Frank Stento and Ashley Gamba in Washington today to share their perspectives. Through our Think DIFFERENTLY and Broome County’s Next Chapter initiatives, we have been working to create an economy that offers good-paying job opportunities for every person of every ability. I look forward to hearing their testimony on how we can build on our work in Broome County and across Upstate New York.”

    Frank Stento, Business Development Director for District Council #4 of the IUPAT said, “The construction industry as a whole faces challenges with workforce demand but with that comes opportunities. An abundance of projects on the horizon thanks to the CHIPS Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act means contractors will be looking at improved methods to recruit & retain skilled labor for years to come. There is no better way to address that need than through an earn while you learn Registered Apprenticeship Program. I look forward to sharing my experience and connecting with our leadership in Congress to address ways to build a more robust workforce. Rep. Molinaro has been a steadfast supporter of the Building & Construction Trades Councils in his district and together we will find solutions towards these workforce challenges.”  

    Ashley Gamba, Executive Director for Community Options in Binghamton said, “The unemployment and underemployment rate for people with disabilities is significantly higher than people without disabilities. Community Options is proud to collaborate with the small business community to provide meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities to enter the workforce, helping to create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New approach to electrical testing will increase tenants’ safety in their homes The new approach will ensure everyone who lives in a Sheffield City Council property will receive an electrical safety test every five years, as well as a condition check of their home. 25 September 2024

    Source: City of Sheffield

    A new approach to carrying out both electrical testing and condition reports in tenants’ properties will ensure those who live in council properties are even safer moving forward.

    The new approach will ensure everyone who lives in a Sheffield City Council property will receive an electrical safety test every five years, as well as a condition check of their home.

    This was unanimously agreed at today’s (Wednesday September 25th) Strategy and Resources Committee at Sheffield Town Hall.

    In Sheffield, people are at the heart of what we do, and we are continually looking at ways to improve services for tenants. This includes being committed to keeping tenants’ homes in a good and safe condition.

    We will of course inform all of our tenants when we are due to attend their property. It is vital tenants work with us to allow the inspections to take place and ensure that their property is safe for them and their families.

    We don’t want tenants to worry about these visits, and we want to ensure people our staff will cater for the vulnerabilities of any resident which might make these essential safety visits to their home more challenging for them.

    The increased frequency of testing keeps the Council in line with the Safety and Quality Standard in the new Consumer Standards set for all local authority and housing association landlords which were put in place in April this year (2024).

    The Council owns more than 38,500 social housing properties, and these have been subject to a 10-year inspection cycle up to now. Under the new regulations, there will be 15,502 properties that fall outside of the five-year cycle window, as well as 6,436 properties that will fall outside that window by the end of 2024.

    This is part of the ongoing journey of improvement the Council’s Housing and Repairs Services are undertaking in order to comply with current regulations. Dialogue with the Regulator of Social Housing has taken place to outline our plans to ensure we quickly achieve compliance in regards to our electrical testing.

    The Housing Service is part of an ambitious Council-wide transformation programme which is called Future Sheffield [link to Future Sheffield piece on SheffNews]. This work is committed to better service delivery for residents, and will help us become the organisation we need to be, providing consistent, modern, and high-quality services that Sheffield deserves.

    The next steps are for the Council to seek two external contractors to carry out both sets of checks due to a lack of capacity to carry out such a large number of checks through our own Housing and Repairs teams.

    Therefore, the committee today approved that £19,668,000, will be spent over the next five-and-a-half years to ensure all these checks take place to keep our tenants safe. As well as covering the cost of carrying out the safety checks, this will also cover the cost of any new electrical equipment that has to be installed to future proof properties.

    Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee, said:

    “Sheffield City Council recognises that everybody deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. Good quality homes are fundamental for enabling everyone to live happy, healthy lives.

    “Part of that is ensuring homes are kept up to standard in terms of electrical safety. The Regulator of Social Housing has brought in welcome regulatory standards for all social properties this year, which we welcome. This work will help us comply with those regulations which are there to keep social housing tenants nationwide safe in their homes.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Grab a bargain as Revive open third Leeds reuse shop in Hunslet

    Source: City of Leeds

    New store offering recycled goods opens

    PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY REVIVE LEEDS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEEDS CITY COUNCIL 

    Almost 14 years after establishing its first shop reuse in Seacroft, Revive had its grand opening this week of its newest retail outlet in Hunslet.

    The Hunslet store provides everything from quality furniture and electrical items to clothes, music and books, at a fraction of the price of something new, to help local people pass on their pre-loved things.

    Revive’s five retail outlets across West Yorkshire are run by a team of 67 staff, with over 30 volunteers with people on work-based training providing practical retail and warehousing experience to give them a step-up into paid employment.

    Revive carries out electrical testing on all donated items and money from the sales go back into their two member Charities, SLATE’s The Feel Good Furniture Stores who provide work opportunities for people with learning disabilities and The St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) who are working to alleviate poverty in Leeds.

    Residents can either buy or drop-off donations at the Hunslet store which is open 10am to 5:30pm, seven days a week.

    Revive work in partnership with Leeds City Council to help collect reusable donations deposited at household waste recycling centres. These items including furniture, bric-a-brac and clothing are sold at low prices at their reuse shops including sites at Kirkstall and Seacroft.

    Leeds City Council executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, Councillor Mohammed Rafique said:

    “It’s great to see a third Revive shop being opened in Leeds that helps to build on our successful partnership together. It can only be a good thing that more and more of the fantastic reuseable items we receive at council recycling centres can find a new home whilst benefitting our local communities and the environment.”

    Louise Megson, Director at Revive, said:

    “Revive are proud to yet again open another retail outlet which not only aids in our objective to convert as much, designated waste, into reuse but also brings employment to the local communities where we are based.  Last year we saved 1,650 tonnes from the waste stream providing local people with affordable and quality goods.”

    Editor’s notes

    The Hunslet shop has just under 3,000 square feet of floor space and is open seven days a week with accessible parking for two cars at the front of the store.

    Common items for sale include:

    • House and garden furniture
    • Clothing and footwear
    • kitchen items like cutlery and crockery
    • books, DVDs, CDs, records, board games and toys
    • electrical items like lamps and food mixers

    Last year, Revive helped reuse 1,150 bicycles and sold 40,968 books.

    Find out more about Revive at www.revivereuse.org.uk

    Revive Reuse Community Interest Company was established in November 2010 as a partnership between local organisations which continues today with St Vincent de Paul and SLATE.  Any year-end financial surplus is divided between their member charities to assist in continuing to provide quality services to their own specific client groups. 

    In a joint venture with Leeds City Council, Revive Leeds set up its first re-use shop in August 2011 on the Seacroft household waste and recycling centre designed to catch and divert waste back into valuable reuse. To date, Revive have expanded and now has five stores across Leeds and Kirklees including in Seacroft, Kirkstall, Hunslet, Huddersfield and Batley.

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please email louise.megson@revivereuse.org.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Homeland Security Marks National “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Department of Homeland Security Marks National “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day

    lass=”text-align-center”>Annual #SeeSayDay is September 25 

    Encourages Public to “Spot the Signs. Report the Activity.” 

    Today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is observing  #SeeSayDay, the “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign’s annual national awareness day. This year’s theme, “Spot the Signs. Report the Activity,” highlights the crucial role of public vigilance in national security and counter-terrorism efforts within the current threat environment. The #SeeSayDay call-to-action urges individuals to spot and report suspicious activity to help prevent terrorism-related crime – on September 25, and year-round.  

    “Ensuring our collective security takes all of us, working together and looking out for each other,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Saying something when you see something could be the difference between life and death for a family member, friend, neighbor, or someone you don’t even know. Encourage your friends and others in your community to do the same, and we can help prevent tragedies and make our whole country safer.” 

    A 2024 RAND study of 628 plots targeting soft targets and crowded places found 64% of foiled attack plots were stopped because of public tips. The DHS “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign, launched in July 2010 in conjunction with the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, reinforces that we must always be alert, and when we have information about a terrorism-related threat, speak up. The campaign aims to inspire Americans to participate in national security and foster positive relationships between citizens and law enforcement. On #SeeSayDay each year, DHS and its campaign partners across the country come together to remind the public that our American communities have a collective stake in homeland security.  

    Members of the public are encouraged to get involved on #SeeSayDay in several ways: 

    • Learn the 16 signs of suspicious activity. Remember: Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity are not suspicious.  

    • Find and save your SAR number. Navigate to the campaign’s interactive map to look up the appropriate Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) number for wherever you live, work, vacation, or spend time – then save that number in your phone. As always, call 9-1-1 immediately for any emergencies. 

    • Use social media to spread the word. Access ready-to-use graphics, pre-drafted captions, and newsletter content that you can share on your personal or organization’s social media platforms and other communication channels to help raise awareness and promote this year’s theme on #SeeSayDay. Use the hashtag #SeeSayDay to note your involvement! 

    • Stay connected year-round. Learn more about the campaign, how to become a partner, and access other resources to share with your communities on September 25 or anytime of the year. 

    For more information on #SeeSayDay, visit DHS.gov/SeeSayDay.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ­­Robotic Moving ‘Crew’ Preps for Work on Moon 

    Source: NASA

    As NASA moves forward with efforts to establish a long-term presence on the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign, safely moving cargo from landers to the lunar surface is a crucial capability.  
    Whether the cargo, also known as payloads, are small scientific experiments or large technology to build infrastructure, there won’t be a crew on the Moon to do all the work, which is where robots and new software come in. 
    A team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, spent the last couple of years infusing existing robotic hardware with a software system that makes the robot operate autonomously. Earlier this month, that team, led by researcher Dr. Julia Cline of NASA Langley’s Research Directorate, ran demonstrations of their system called LANDO (Lightweight Surface Manipulation System AutoNomy capabilities Development for surface Operations and construction). 

    The demos took place in an area set up to look like the Moon’s surface, complete with fake boulders and a model lunar lander. During the first demo, the team placed the payload, a small metal box, on a black pedestal. The robotic arm stretched over the scene, with its dangling hook poised to grasp the box.
    As the team huddled nearby around computers, sensors on the arm scanned the surrounding area, looking for the metal box, which was outfitted with encoded markers — similar to QR codes — that revealed critical information about its position and orientation relative to the arm. Using a graphic user interface, team member Amelia Scott also chose a location for LANDO to place the payload.

    After locating the metal box and computing a safe path to move it, the arm began a slow, deliberate movement toward its target, coming in at a precise angle that allowed the hook to select a capture point on the payload. Once engaged, the arm slowly lifted the payload from the pedestal, moved right, and gently lowered the payload to the simulated lunar surface. With the payload safely on the surface, the system carefully disengaged the hook from the capture point and returned to its home position. The entire process took a few minutes. Shortly after the first demo was complete, the team did it again, but with a small model rover.  
    “What we demonstrated was the repeatability of the system,moving multiple payloads to show that we’re consistently and safely able to get them from point A to point B,” said Cline. “We also demonstrated the Lightweight Surface Manipulation System hardware – the ability to control the system through space and plan a path around obstacles.” 
    The system’s successful performance during the September demonstration marks the end of this project, but the first step in developing a larger system to go to the Moon. 
    Now that the team has determined how the system should function, Cline believes the next natural step would be to develop and test an engineering design unit on one of the landers going to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The team is actively looking for industry partners who want to commercialize the capability. 
    Through CLPS, NASA is working with commercial companies to deliver science and technology demonstrations to the Moon.  
    The work behind LANDO could be directly infused into much larger versions of a lightweight surface manipulation system.

    “The overall control system we’ve developed would apply to larger versions of the technology,” said Cline. “When you think about the payloads we’ll have to offload for on the Moon, like habitats and surface power systems, this is the kind of general-purpose tool that could be used for those tasks.” 
    The LANDO system was funded through the Early Career Initiative in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Through STMD, NASA supports and develops transformative space technologies to enable future missions. As NASA embarks on its next era of exploration with the Artemis campaign, STMD is helping advance technologies, developing new systems, and testing capabilities at the Moon that will be critical for crewed missions to Mars. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Fatal Shooting Over Drug Debt

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

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a man who shot someone trying to collect a drug debt to 12 years in prison.

    Terrell Donta McDaniel agreed to sell 10 grams of fentanyl to Andre Nash on Nov. 2, 2022, for $500. But McDaniel did not give Nash the full amount of fentanyl, and Nash began looking for McDaniel to collect the debt.

    After learning that McDaniel was staying at a vacant house in the 4100 block of Clara Place, Nash went there and entered the house. McDaniel shot and killed Nash.

    McDaniel and others then wrapped Nash’s body in tarps and plastic and placed him in the trunk of a stolen car, dumping the body in the 5900 block of St. Louis Avenue that night. The body was discovered the next morning.

    In court Monday, McDaniel apologized to Nash’s family. He said he was afraid for his life and had been trying to dodge Nash for four to five months.

    McDaniel, now 42, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of discharge of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

    The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Actions During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON – A Michigan man pleaded guilty today to a felony offense related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Jason Howland, 47, of Clinton Township, Michigan, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden. Judge McFadden will sentence Howland on Jan. 10, 2025.

                According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Howland was identified in open-source video among a large group of rioters assembled near the base of the scaffolding on the northwest side of the U.S. Capitol building. There, U.S. Capitol Police officers had formed a police line to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the scaffolding. Rioters directly in front of the police line began to assault officers and attempt to overrun the police line. Howland observed this and, in response, turned to the crowd behind him and yelled, “Let’s go,” and waved his arm forward twice.

                Immediately after Howland yelled, “Let’s go,” he and other rioters began to push forward, overrunning the police line and advancing toward the Capitol. As Howland advanced forward with the crowd, he pushed on the back of individuals in front of him. Court documents say that Howland’s conduct obstructed, impeded, and interfered with U.S. Capitol Police officers lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties.

                Howland then advanced to the Upper West Terrace and entered the Capitol at approximately 2:17 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door. Inside the building, Howland traveled to the Crypt, where he chanted with others and observed rioters assault police. At approximately 2:20 p.m., while inside the Crypt, Howland received and read a message from another individual telling him, “Congress in session just figured out u guys are there and went running out of the session. Now on recess n house on lockdown.”

                At approximately 2:51 p.m., Howland entered the Capitol Rotunda and observed a line of Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police officers attempting to clear the area of rioters. In response, Howland approached the police line. At approximately 3:06 p.m., Howland entered the East Foyer. As he entered, he yelled at a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers.

                Howland exited the U.S. Capitol at approximately 3:17 p.m. In total, Howland was inside the Capitol for approximately one hour.

                After leaving the Capitol, Howland remained on the East Plaza, where he yelled at police officers who were arriving to respond to the riot. At approximately 5:28 p.m., an individual texted Howland asking whether ANTIFA had broken into the Capitol. Howland replied, “I’m not going to tell you who specifically. It wasn’t Antifa. It was patriots,” then added in a successive message, “No. Not Antifa. For a fact.” When the individual told Howland: “Well everyone on Twitter and all over is assuming it was Antifa. So that’s awesome,” Howland replied, “Good. Congress knows who it was.”

                The FBI arrested Howland on Jan. 24, 2024, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

                This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Detroit and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former President of Beverly Hills-Based Publisher Found Guilty of Embezzling at Least $1.3 Million From Company and Its Owner

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County woman has been found guilty by a jury of defrauding a Beverly Hills-based independent publishing company and its owner by embezzling at least $1.3 million from the company and the owner’s personal bank account over several years for her own personal expenses, including spa treatment, veterinary bills, and designer handbags.

    Kimberly Ann Miletta, 51, of Ventura, was found guilty late Monday of three counts of wire fraud.

    According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, from 2009 to 2018, Miletta was president of Phoenix Books, an independent book and audio publisher owned by a victim identified in court documents as “J.O.” As the president of Phoenix Books, Miletta had full control over the business, including its finances, but she only was authorized to use company funds to pay for legitimate business expenses.

    From October 2013 to January 2018, Miletta embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars by using the company credit card – over which she had exclusive control – to pay for personal items, and then paid for the credit card bills out of the company’s owner’s personal bank account.

    Miletta used the company credit card to pay for, among other things, personal spa treatments, designer handbags, high-end clothing, a multi-thousand-dollar mattress, and years’ worth of veterinary bills and pet products for her cats. Miletta fraudulently charged more than $185,000 worth of purchases at clothing and department stores to the company credit card. Miletta also made a fraudulent wire transfer out of the personal account of the company’s owner of nearly $1 million, which Miletta used to buy an ocean-view home in Ventura.

    The jury found Miletta not guilty of two additional counts of wire fraud.

    United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a January 10, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Miletta will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. 

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna G. Williams of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Declan T. Conroy of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Launches 990 EVO Plus SSD With Best-in-Class Performance Speeds Supported by PCIe 4.0

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced the release of the 990 EVO Plus, adding to its lineup of leading SSD products. With PCIe 4.0 support and latest NAND technology, the 990 EVO Plus is an ideal solution for consumers seeking enhanced performance and power efficiency on their PCs. Optimized for gaming, business and creative endeavors.
     
    “Our daily lives are increasingly demanding more data with the images we share on social media and high-quality video streaming,” said Hangu Sohn, Vice President of Memory Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics. “The 990 EVO Plus is built for laptop and desktop PC users seeking faster processing speeds and expanded storage capacity.”
     
     
    Enhanced Performance and Power Efficiency

     
    The 990 EVO Plus is built on decades of Samsung’s pioneering semiconductor technology with proven reliability. Sequential read speeds come up to 7250 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and write speeds up to 6300MB/s, an enhancement of up to 50% over the previous 990 EVO. The performance boost is thanks to Samsung’s latest 8th generation V-NAND technology and 5-nanometer (nm) controller, while an innovative nickel-coated heat shield minimizes overheating, allowing 73% higher power efficiency than its predecessor.
     
    The 4TB model has an industry-leading random read speed of 1,050K IOPS and 1,400K input/output operations per second (IOPS) for random write. This remarkable performance nearly rivals that of SSD products with DRAM, despite not using DRAM cache, making it an optimal solution for gaming and AI tasks that require high performance.
     
     
    Expanded Storage Capacity
    The ever-increasing demand for high-capacity storage devices is driven by managing large-sized files, high-quality video editing and next-generation gaming. To meet today’s growing storage requirements, the 990 EVO Plus offers ample capacity with a 4TB model, exceeding the storage limits of the 990 EVO. The 990 EVO Plus is equipped with Samsung’s intelligent TurboWrite 2.0, revamped for maximized performance, offering rapid file transfer speeds and reduced lag.
     
     
    Samsung Magician Software Support
    Samsung Magician software presents a suite of optimization tools for enhanced functionality for all Samsung SSDs, including the 990 EVO Plus. Users can streamline the data migration process for SSD upgrades effortlessly and securely. In addition, Samsung Magician protects valuable data, monitors drive health and offers customized performance optimization.
     
    The 990 EVO Plus will be available to consumers worldwide at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $109.99 for the 1TB model, $184.99 for the 2TB model, and $344.99 for the 4TB model. For more information — including warranty details — please visit samsung.com/SSD or semiconductor.samsung.com/internal-ssd/. For a user guide on how to install the 990 EVO Plus onto your laptop or computer, visit https://semiconductor.samsung.com/consumer-storage/ssdupgrade/.
     
     
    Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus Specifications

    Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus
    Interface
    PCIe® Gen 4.0 x4 / 5.0 x2 NVMe 2.01
    Form Factor
    M.2 (2280)
    Storage Memory
    Samsung V-NAND 3-bit TLC
    Controller
    Samsung In-house Controller
    Capacity2
    1 TB
    2 TB
    4 TB
    Sequential Read/Write Speed 3,4
    Up to 7,150 MB/s, 6,300 MB/s
    Up to 7,250 MB/s, 6,300 MB/s
    Up to 7,250 MB/s, 6,300 MB/s
    Random Read/Write Speed (QD32) 3,4
    Up to 850K IOPS, 1,350K IOPS
    Up to 1,000K IOPS, 1,350K IOPS
    Up to 1,050K IOPS, 1,400K IOPS
    Management Software
    Samsung Magician Software
    Data Encryption
    AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption, TCG/Opal V2.0,
    Encrypted Drive (IEEE1667)
    Total Bytes Written
    600 TB
    1200 TB
    2400 TB
    Warranty 5
    Five-year Limited Warranty 6
     
    * Product availability may vary depending on model and region.
     
     
    1 The NVM Express® design mark is a registered trademark of NVM Express, Inc.2 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes by IDEMA. A certain portion of capacity may be used for system file and maintenance use, so the actual capacity may differ from what is indicated on the product label.3,4 Sequential and random performance measurements are based on IOmeter1.1.0. Performance may vary based on an SSD’s firmware version, system hardware & configuration.
    Test system configuration: AMD Ryzen9 7950x 16-Core Processor CPU@4.5GHz, DDR5 4800MHz 16GBx2), OS-Windows 11 Pro 64bit, Chipset – ASRock X670E Taichi5 Samsung Electronics shall not be liable for any loss, including but not limited to loss of data or other information contained on Samsung Electronics’ products or loss of profit or revenue which may be incurred by the user. For more information on the warranty, please visit samsung.com/SSD or semiconductor.samsung.com/internal-ssd/6 Five years or total bytes written (TBW), whichever comes first. For more information on the warranty, please refer to the enclosed warranty document in the package.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: TAB Bank Partners with The Fiesta Tableware Co., Dishing Up $4.5 Million in Financing to Serve Up Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OGDEN, Utah, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TAB Bank announces the closing of a $4.5 million credit facility with The Fiesta Tableware Co. of West Virginia. This partnership will ensure the American-made tableware company continues helping home chefs refresh and reinvent their table settings.

    The Fiesta Tableware Co., formerly known as The Homer Laughlin China Company, was established in 1871 and has been a leading producer of ceramic tableware in the United States for over a century. Based in Newell, West Virginia, The Fiesta Tableware Co. produces professional-grade dinnerware for retail stores and home chefs. The company is the last standing potter of its square footage in the country.

    “It has been a real pleasure to work with the TAB Bank team as we navigated the due diligence process and made the transition to TAB. We anticipate a strong mutually beneficial relationship in the months and years ahead,” commented Matt Wicks, Chief Operating Officer at The Fiesta Tableware Co.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with a company with a rich history of supporting American jobs and craftsmanship,” said Tyler Heap, President at TAB Bank. “We look forward to a strong and lasting relationship with such an iconic brand.”

    The $4.5 million credit facility will help The Fiesta Tableware Co. with its working capital needs as it continues scaling the company sustainably. The company is dedicated to the safety of its customers, the preservation of natural resources and a reduced environmental impact.

    TAB Bank provides various financial solutions to help small and midsize businesses, including term loans and lines of credit. The bank tailors its credit solutions to fit the specific needs of each company, ensuring consistent cash flow and the ability to scale. TAB Bank works closely with businesses to find the ideal financing for their unique situation, offering accounts receivable financing, equipment loans and asset-based lending.

    About TAB Bank
    At TAB Bank, our mission is to unlock dreams with bold financial solutions that empower individuals and businesses nationwide. We are committed to making financial success accessible to everyone through our innovative banking products. Our dedication drives us to continuously improve, ensuring that we meet the evolving needs of our clients with excellence and agility. For over 25 years, we have remained steadfast in offering tailored, technology-enabled solutions designed to simplify and enhance the banking experience. 

    For more information about how we can help you achieve your financial dreams, visit www.TABBank.com.

    Contact Information:
    Trevor Morris
    Director of Marketing
    801-624-5172
    trevor.morris@tabbank.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Department of Homeland Security Marks National “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Annual #SeeSayDay is September 25 

    Encourages Public to “Spot the Signs. Report the Activity.” 

    Today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is observing  #SeeSayDay, the “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign’s annual national awareness day. This year’s theme, “Spot the Signs. Report the Activity,” highlights the crucial role of public vigilance in national security and counter-terrorism efforts within the current threat environment. The #SeeSayDay call-to-action urges individuals to spot and report suspicious activity to help prevent terrorism-related crime – on September 25, and year-round.  

    “Ensuring our collective security takes all of us, working together and looking out for each other,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Saying something when you see something could be the difference between life and death for a family member, friend, neighbor, or someone you don’t even know. Encourage your friends and others in your community to do the same, and we can help prevent tragedies and make our whole country safer.” 

    A 2024 RAND study of 628 plots targeting soft targets and crowded places found 64% of foiled attack plots were stopped because of public tips. The DHS “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign, launched in July 2010 in conjunction with the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, reinforces that we must always be alert, and when we have information about a terrorism-related threat, speak up. The campaign aims to inspire Americans to participate in national security and foster positive relationships between citizens and law enforcement. On #SeeSayDay each year, DHS and its campaign partners across the country come together to remind the public that our American communities have a collective stake in homeland security.  

    Members of the public are encouraged to get involved on #SeeSayDay in several ways: 

    • Learn the 16 signs of suspicious activity. Remember: Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity are not suspicious.  

    • Find and save your SAR number. Navigate to the campaign’s interactive map to look up the appropriate Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) number for wherever you live, work, vacation, or spend time – then save that number in your phone. As always, call 9-1-1 immediately for any emergencies. 

    • Use social media to spread the word. Access ready-to-use graphics, pre-drafted captions, and newsletter content that you can share on your personal or organization’s social media platforms and other communication channels to help raise awareness and promote this year’s theme on #SeeSayDay. Use the hashtag #SeeSayDay to note your involvement! 

    • Stay connected year-round. Learn more about the campaign, how to become a partner, and access other resources to share with your communities on September 25 or anytime of the year. 

    For more information on #SeeSayDay, visit DHS.gov/SeeSayDay.  

    MIL Security OSI –