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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Security: Undercover online Met operation brings child sex offender to justice

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been jailed for 14 years and six months following an online undercover Met operation that exposed how he was planning to carry out disturbing sex offences towards children.

    Sean Wallace, 43 (17.07.1980), of Woodside Road, Haringey, was sentenced to 14 years and six months imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, 13 August for arranging the rape of a child under 13 and distributing an indecent image of a child.

    During an undercover operation in which a police officer posed online as a woman with access to a child, Wallace contacted the officer asking if he could sexually abuse the fictional child. He sent sexual images of himself as well as indecent images of other children. During online chat and telephone calls Wallace spoke openly about his desire to abuse young girls and made arrangements to meet the woman in order that he could rape the child.

    He was arrested at his home address after he failed to attend the planned meeting stating that he was nervous and needed more time to build up trust with the woman before meeting her.

    The examination of his mobile phone identified that Wallace was speaking online to numerous apparently underage girls.

    He was charged on Friday, 19 August 2022 and has been held on remand until his sentencing.

    Detective Sergeant Robert Blant, whose team led the investigation, said:

    “Sean Wallace is a dangerous predatory offender, who preyed on innocent and vulnerable young children.

    “My team worked around the clock to bring Wallace to justice by going through large amounts of disturbing digital evidence collated from his online activities and seized from his home. I’m pleased that as a result of great policing work, we have prevented a dangerous individual from continuing to offend and ruin the lives of children or young people.

    “Our dedicated teams will continue to apply their expertise in investigating child sexual offences to safeguard children and young people across London.”

    Children and young people are the most vulnerable in society, and the Met is committed to keeping them safe in person and online. As part of the New Met for London plan, our officers are working closely with third sector partners, including The Children’s Society to help young people, parents and carers spot the signs of sexual abuse and predatory behaviour online and offline.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Rents set for two new estates

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Housing Authority today said rents for 2,551 flats in four blocks of two new public rental housing estates will be set at the best rent level for their districts.

    The best monthly rent in urban districts of $104.4 per sq m will apply to 1,088 flats in Kin Yan House and Moon Yan House of Hiu Yan Estate.

    In Sheung Shui, the best monthly rent of $74 per sq m will apply to 1,463 flats in Fu Pak House and Kam Yuk House of Choi Shek Estate.

    Under this rent-fixing exercise, rents for over 69% of the flats will be less than $2,500 a month.

    The authority said the rents are heavily subsidised and inclusive of rates, management fees and maintenance costs.

    It added that applicants who are allocated new flats but cannot afford the rents may request refurbished flats at lower rents or apply for assistance under the Rent Assistance Scheme.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Wonderful gardens, the tsar’s residence and a Moscow salon: what the capital’s parks looked like in different years

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow parks have long been a place of attraction for residents. Lectures, excursions, master classes and even open-air film screenings are held here. This year, 14 Moscow parks will celebrate their anniversaries – many of them will be over 50 years old. We tell you which recreation area was improved by Sergei Tretyakov, where football player Alexei Khomich began his career and which park was founded by Peter I.

    Center of cultural life

    This year is special for Tagansky Park, located on Taganskaya Street (40–42 buildings) — it is turning 90 years old. It was founded in 1934 at the N. I. Bukharin Workers’ Club and immediately became the center of cultural life in the Tagansky District. In 1957, the Zenit Cinema was built on the site of the old club, housing a concert hall. At the same time, amateur art and applied arts clubs for children and adults opened here.

    The history of Tagansky Park is connected with the names of outstanding residents of the capital. For example, football players Konstantin Beskov and Alexey Khomich, USSR tennis champion Nikolay Ozerov and Olympic figure skating champion Irina Rodnina began their sports careers here.

    After the Great Patriotic War, the park hosted meetings with heroes of the Soviet Union, military-patriotic gatherings, competitions and holiday concerts. In addition, jazz and brass bands, as well as dance evenings, were organized here. The park hosted major festivals such as the Musical Bazaar on Taganka, Beauty Will Save the World, Moscow Yard, Spring in Tagansky Park, Taganka Running Festival and many others. And sports clubs from the districts and the city competed at the stadium.

    In the early 2000s, the park began to actively work with children and teenagers. For example, a creativity center with a chamber auditorium was opened, where musical performances and festivals were held. Today, the park still hosts concerts, master classes and sports competitions. In the summer, guests practice yoga, bachata and zumba, and in the winter, ice discos are organized for them at the stadium, which turns into a skating rink.

    Tagansky Park pleases visitors with a variety of plants, for example, poplars, chestnuts, lindens, maples, ash trees, apple trees and a three-hundred-year-old pedunculate oak grow here, tulips and lilacs bloom in the spring. While walking through the park, you can meet starlings, thrushes, tits, wagtails and squirrels.

    On the territory of Tagansky Park there is a large fountain, an open stage, a rope park, children’s and sports grounds, a stadium with a football field, stands and running tracks, a creativity center, a physical education and health complex, a martial arts center, as well as a Museum of Tricks and Illusions.

    In 2012–2013, a large-scale reconstruction of the park’s territory took place, during which the stadium was transformed and new sports grounds and leisure facilities appeared.

    Tagansky Park includes the N.N. Pryamikov Children’s Park (Taganskaya Street, Building 15a, Building 1) — one of the first recreation areas in the city, the history of which began in 1775. The park is named after the hero of the October Revolution. In 2017, the landscape was updated, small architectural forms and new modern equipment were installed.

    Today, Tagansky Park is a cultural, leisure and sports center, a place for active recreation and leisurely walks. It plans to continue its traditions and open even more clubs for the younger generation.

    The first pleasure garden

    The Hermitage Garden was founded 130 years ago. It was the first pleasure garden in Moscow with gazebos, flowerbeds, a theater, a stage, coffee houses and pavilions. From 1830 until the end of the 19th century, it was located on Staraya Bozhedomka (now Durova Street). The garden reached its greatest prosperity when it belonged to the entrepreneur and former actor of the Maly Theater Mikhail Lentovsky. However, after his destruction, the garden fell into disrepair and its entire territory was built up. In 1894, a new life for the garden began – but in a different place. In just a year, the plot of land on Karetny Ryad, which was owned by the Moscow merchant Yakov Shchukin, turned from a wasteland into a blooming garden. Flowerbeds and paths were laid out there, trees and bushes were planted, and the theater building was reconstructed. At the same time, electric lighting, running water and a swimming pool appeared in the Hermitage.

    A year later, in 1896, one of the first film screenings in Russia took place in the garden – the townspeople were able to appreciate the invention of the Lumiere brothers. A performance by the famous American illusionist Harry Houdini was also a significant event.

    Fyodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov, Antonina Nezhdanova sang on the stage of the Hermitage, and it was here that Sergei Rachmaninoff made his debut as a conductor. In 1898, the Moscow Art Theatre opened in the building of the Hermitage Theatre, where the play Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich was staged. Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Lenin often visited the garden.

    After 1917, the garden was nationalized and then leased privately. In 1924, the theater building was occupied by the Theater of the Moscow City Council of Trade Unions, which was later renamed the Mossovet Theater.

    The Hermitage Garden survived the Great Patriotic War, and in the summer of 1945, it was reconstructed. Three years later, a summer concert hall was built on its territory, where Arkady Raikin, Klavdiya Shulzhenko, Lidiya Ruslanova performed and Leonid Utesov’s orchestra played. Vladimir Vysotsky also sang in the garden and the first game of “What? Where? When?” was held.

    Today, the Hermitage Garden is a protected monument of landscape gardening. It is regularly renovated and landscaped. Concerts, performances and festivals are held here.

    First entertainment. The Hermitage Garden celebrates its 130th anniversaryOutdoor recreation and attractions: Glavarkhiv – about how parks were organized in the USSR

    The famous Moscow salon

    The history of the Vorontsovo estate, which has been around for five centuries, is no less interesting. The estate was first mentioned in the will of the Moscow Prince Ivan III. In 1640, the estate passed into the possession of the Repnin princes. However, all the buildings that have survived to this day were built at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries under Field Marshal Nikolai Repnin. At that time, the northern and southern wings, the greenhouse, the stable yard, the ensemble of the main entrance and the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity were erected.

    During the Patriotic War of 1812, a hot air balloon was developed at the estate under the direction of the German mechanic Franz Leppich. This episode is described in Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace. In the 1820s, the Vorontsovo estate was owned by Princess Zinaida Volkonskaya. All the celebrities of the time visited her Moscow salon; for example, the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz came here.

    After 1918, members of European socialist parties Emil Vandervelde, Arthur Waters, Theodor Liebknecht and Kurt Rosenfeld lived here. After the evacuation of the All-Union Scientific Research Vitamin Institute from Leningrad at the end of 1942, the Vorontsov Central Biological Station appeared on the estate, and in the 1950s, the state farm built three two-story buildings on the estate.

    Today, the Vorontsovo estate is a monument of landscape gardening and architecture with an area of 40.7 hectares. On its territory there is a cascade of ponds, an oak grove, Italian and Chinese gardens. The park has playgrounds, attractions, outdoor cafes and skating rinks. The estate often hosts city festivals and quests, flash mobs and exhibitions. Sports activities and excursions are also organized here.

    The Tsar’s residence in the south of Moscow

    Another historical park in Moscow is the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve. Kolomenskoye was first mentioned in the spiritual charters of Prince Ivan Kalita. Over time, this place turned into a famous grand ducal, royal and imperial residence.

    The names of representatives of the royal dynasties of Rurikovich and Romanov are associated with Kolomenskoye. Among them are Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan III, Vasily III, Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Mikhailovich the Quietest, Peter I, Catherine II and many others. At various times, the victory in the Battles of Kulikovo and Poltava was celebrated here and other events were marked.

    Today, the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve is a unique historical and cultural territory where medieval landscapes and natural monuments have been preserved. It was created in 1923 on the initiative of the cultural figure Pyotr Baranovsky.

    Sergei Sobyanin showed what Sokolniki, Gorky Park, Izmailovsky Park and Tsaritsyno looked like in spring several decades agoArt and nature: which theaters operate in the capital’s parks

    From falconry to concerts of Feodor Chaliapin

    Sokolniki Park is another favorite place for Muscovites to take walks since the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. In the 17th century, during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, falconry was held here, hence the name of the park. All high society gathered here, including princes, emperors and empresses.

    And, according to legend, at the end of the 17th century, by order of Peter I, the first clearing was cut in Sokolnichya Grove, which still exists today. In 1845-1848, a city park was created here, and new cascades of ponds appeared on the site of old reservoirs. In 1866, the recreation area was included in the boundaries of Moscow, and in 1879 it became the property of the city. The city mayor Sergei Tretyakov, the brother of the founder of the Tretyakov Gallery, invested his own funds in the improvement of the park territory, and he also ensured that the park territory became part of Moscow.

    Here, in the openwork pavilion-rotunda, classical music concerts were held, where Fyodor Shalyapin and Leonid Sobinov performed. In addition, film screenings and children’s parties were held. For example, in 1919, Vladimir Lenin organized a festive Christmas tree in the park for the students of the forest school.

    In 1931, the Moscow City Council declared Sokolniki a city park of culture and recreation. After the Great Patriotic War, the recreation area of over 500 hectares was reconstructed. In 1973, the legendary Sokolniki Sports Palace was built on its territory. In 1979, the park was recognized as a cultural heritage site, a monument of landscape gardening of regional significance.

    Wonderful Gardens and Menagerie

    The history of Izmailovsky Park goes back to the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. In the 17th century, marvelous Italian-style gardens were laid out in the royal estate located here, decorative towers with promenades were built, which complemented the landscape paintings. Three kilometers from the sovereign’s court, the Prosyansky Garden was arranged. On the territory of the forest (now Izmailovsky Park) there was one of the largest menageries in Europe, which served for the royal amusement. Lions, tigers, leopards, monkeys and rare birds were kept there. The forest also had farmland where fish were bred.

    The Izmailovsky Park of Culture and Leisure was created in 1931. Until 1961, it bore the name of Joseph Stalin. On its territory is the oldest Ferris wheel in the city, the open-air museum of military equipment “Ploshchad Muzhestva”, the 17th-century Round Pond and a music pavilion.

    Open-Air Stages. Theatrical History of Moscow Parks and EstatesAll eyes on the front: life in the capital’s parks during the war

    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/144324073/

    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 Germany: Invitation to bid by auction – Reopening 7-year Federal bond

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI German News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Background Press Call on President  Biden’s Engagements at  UNGA

    Source: The White House

    Via Teleconference

    5:33 P.M. EDT

    MODERATOR:  This is Michael Feldman with the NSC press team.  Just as a reminder for today’s call, it is on background and attributable to senior administration officials.  The call is also under embargo until 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow morning.

    For awareness and not for attribution, on today’s call we have [senior administration official] and [senior administration official].  I will now turn the call over to [senior administration official] to give some opening remarks.  Over to you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Excellent.  Thank you.  And good evening, everybody.  We’re very excited for the President’s trip to this year’s U.N. General Assembly, the last one of his presidency. 

    So, at meetings at the U.N. this week, we’re going to get a lot of business done for the American people.  The President, the Secretary of State, other Cabinet officials, and even some members of Congress are here in New York to advocate for our country’s interests and values. 

    At the General Assembly, the President will do what he has done throughout his presidency: rally global action to tackle some of our world’s biggest challenges.  So, for example, he’ll be talking this week about the climate crisis and the environment.  We’ll be talking about the need to strengthen our systems for providing humanitarian assistance; to end brutal wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan; and we’ll also be talking about the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. 

    When President Biden came to office nearly four years ago, he pledged to restore American leadership on the world stage.  And given that this is the President’s last General Assembly, it’s a chance for him to talk about how this approach has produced results, real achievements for the American people and for the world. 

    The President’s engagements this week reflect his vision for a world where countries come together to solve big problems.  This stands in contrast to some of our competitors, who have a more cynical and transactional worldview, one where countries interpret their self-interest very narrowly and don’t work together for the common good. 

    An overarching theme at this year’s General Assembly will be the need to reform and strengthen our global institutions, including the U.N., to make them more effective and inclusive.  And that’s been a big theme of the U.N. Secretary-General’s Summit for the Future, the marquee event at high-level week this year. 

    Last week, President Biden released a video message ahead of the summit.  I encourage you all watch it.  You can find it on the Web.  In the video, the President spoke about using this moment to reaffirm our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  And he talked about pushing for a stronger, more effective United Nations and a reformed and expanded Security Council.  And he also talked about our efforts, investing billions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building on the global consensus that we achieved last spring in the United Nations General Assembly on principles for the use of artificial intelligence. 

    We’re going into a General Assembly this year with the world facing many steep challenges, problems so big no one country can solve them on their own, but that’s why the President feels so strongly the world needs strong and effective global institutions, including an adapted United Nations.  This is his vision of countries working together.  It has been a theme of his presidency and an important part of his legacy. 

    Let me just briefly note the President’s key engagements, and then I’ll turn over to my colleague to discuss the major event that he’s hosting on the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. 

    On Tuesday morning, tomorrow, he will deliver and address to the U.N. General Assembly.  It will have many of the themes that I’ve mentioned here and talk about — again, some of the achievements of his approach to the United Nations and global cooperation. 

    The President will also meet tomorrow with U.N. Secretary-General Guterres to talk about how the United States and the United Nations are working together to advance peace, safeguard human rights, and help countries develop. 

    On Tuesday afternoon, the President will host a summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, and I’ll turn over to my colleague in a second to talk about that. 

    The President is also giving a major address later that afternoon on the urgent need to combat climate change. 

    On Wednesday, the President will meet with the President of Vietnam, To Lam.  The President of Vietnam just came into office four months ago, and this meeting will be an important opportunity for the two leaders to talk about our shared interest in stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia. 

    The President will also attend, that afternoon, a meeting focused on Ukraine reconstruction with other world leaders. 

    And then on Wednesday evening, at the Met, the President will host world leaders and senior U.N. officials for a reception. 

    This is just a small slice of all the diplomacy and business that we’re doing here at the U.N. General Assembly.  There’ll be high-level meetings on the future of multilateral cooperation, sea level rise, antimicrobial resistance.  Really, every big, major challenge will be addressed here, and we’ll have senior U.S. representatives at all of these main events on issues such as the impact of emerging technology and specific meetings on global crises such as the difficult situation in Haiti, Sudan, Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria, and the Rohingya refugee crisis. 

    Other U.S.-hosted and U.S.-attended side events will focus on climate; scaling clean energy for Africa; a major core group meeting of countries committed to LGBTQ rights that was attended by the First Lady; and partnering for a lead-free future. 

    So, again, this is just a small slice of everything that is going on, plus the countless private sector and civil society events focusing on the great challenges of the 21st century. 

    So, as I mentioned, we’re going to use this high-level week, the President’s last U.N. General Assembly, to get as much done for the American people in the coming days.

    I’d like to now turn over to my colleague who will discuss the President’s summit on the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Great.  Thanks so much, and thanks to all of you for joining this call. 

    I wanted to share with you the exciting news that, on Tuesday, President Biden will, as [senior administration official] already said, host a summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.  This is a coalition that President Biden launched in June 2023 to mobilize international action to tackle the synthetic drug crisis. 

    In just over one year, this global coalition has grown to include 158 countries and 15 international organizations working together to prevent the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs, to detect emerging drug threats, and to promote effective public health interventions. 

    With the summit as a motivating force, we now have 11 core coalition countries that will be joining the President tomorrow, and they will be announcing new initiatives that will continue to advance the work of the coalition, including work to prevent, detect, and disrupt the supply chain of synthetic drugs. 

    It’s important to emphasize that these international efforts complement intensive work that’s already been done and is being done domestically, including an increased focus on coordinated disruption of drug trafficking networks and concerted efforts to make the opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone, widely available over the counter. 

    These are just some of a wide array of actions that the Biden-Harris administration has taken to tackle the synthetic drug threats. 

    And as a result of these efforts, we’re starting to see the largest drop in overdose deaths in recorded history.  When President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office, the number of drug overdose deaths was increasing by more than 30 percent year over year.  Now we have the latest provisional data released from the Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, showing an unprecedented decline in overdose deaths of roughly 10 percent from April 2023 to April 2024.

    But there’s a lot more to be done, and the Global Coalition’s work recognizes that we need a global solution to a global problem. 

    We are thrilled that we have so many countries coming together tomorrow to celebrate the work of the coalition, and we also will be announcing a new pledge that all of the core coalition members will be announcing — will be signing on to tomorrow, and we will be working over the coming months to ensure that all coalition members sign on to this pledge. 

    And we truly think that this is a reflection of President Biden’s commitment to work both domestically and globally on the most important challenges that we face, recognizing that we need both domestic action and global action working together. 

    And with that, I’ll turn it back to [senior administration official].

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Michael.  I’ll turn it back to you. 

    MODERATOR:  All right.  Thank you, [senior administration officials].  All right, with that, we will take some questions. 

    The first question is going to go to Zeke Miller.  You should be able to unmute yourself. 

    Q    Thanks so much for doing this.  You mentioned this is the President’s last U.N. of his presidency.  He’s going to deliver remarks to the General Assembly tomorrow.  Can you give us a preview, potentially, of what his message will be?  And will it be different from his prior remarks, in the sense — you know, obviously, world events have changed, but, you know, with an eye towards his legacy?  Or is there some message he’s trying to give on the world stage before he leaves office in January?  Thank you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  You know, the themes I — thanks, Zeke.  The themes I previewed at the beginning will be really central to the President.  So, again, he came into office four years ago with a vision of America returning to the world stage, having a new way of interacting with other countries, bringing countries together to solve some of these big challenges.  This will be a good opportunity for him to look at the results that have been achieved. 

    We live in a world with many problems, with many divisions, but we have a story to tell about what we’ve done to rally the world to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, uphold principles of the U.N. Charter; what we’ve done to manage responsibly our competition with other countries including China; and also what we’re doing to deal with the ongoing and serious conflicts in our world in places like Gaza, where the President has worked tirelessly to get a hostage ceasefire deal, and conflicts like Sudan, where you have absolutely unprecedented displacement and a really serious crisis that we think needs to get more attention. 

    So I think that will be the frame, and I’ll leave the details for the President’s speech tomorrow.

    MODERATOR:  Great.  Thank you very much.  Our next question is going to go to Asma Khalid.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

    Q    Yes.  Hi.  Thanks for doing this.  Similarly, sort of on the speech, could I get a sort of broad, I guess, framework or tone that you all are thinking about?  I know you say that the President came into office talking about building international coalitions, wanting to rebuild the United States stature on the world, but this is a really different moment than when the President even gave the speech last year, before October 7th.  He is now leaving office, and there are multiple sort of intractable problems right now in the world.  And can you just kind of give us any sense of tone in how the President is thinking about that and the very limited time he has left to solve them?

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Asma.  Look, I think it’s a good question.  The world has changed.  The world has gotten more difficult in many ways, as you noted. 

    But, you know, as I said, the President came into office with a vision of how countries need to work together, how they need to work through institutions, how they need to partner to solve big global challenges.  And the fact that we do have these challenges, the fact that we do have Gaza, the fact that we do have Ukraine and Sudan, still serious issues in our world, just underscores the need for that kind of cooperation.  And I think you’ll hear that in his speech. 

    Yes, he’ll talk about the significant accomplishments, achievements of his approach, but also talk about how we need the spirit, we need to continue working together to solve these big challenges, whether it is the wars you mentioned or other challenges such as the climate crisis or managing the implications of some of the new technologies. 

    So I think this will be an important moment to say: Where do we go and what are the principles in which we’re going to solve these problems?  Thanks.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  Our next question is going to go to Paris Huang.  You should be able to unmute yourself. 

    Q    All right.  Hi.  Thank you, Michael.  Thank you, [senior administration official].  Two-parts question.  So, kind of follow up on the questions from Zeke and Asma.  So, of course, we know China and Russia have been heavily influencing the U.N. for years.  You know, we see all those voting records.  And President Biden have been doing a lot of reform during the four years.  Does he believe that those changes will sustain after he leaves the White House?

    And second question: In last year’s UNGA remarks, President Biden talked about the peace and stability of Taiwan Strait, which was the first time a U.S. president actually talked about Taiwan at the UNGA.  So, will he include Taiwan again in his remarks this year?  Thank you.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  And I appreciate the question.  I think it’s a good question in terms of, you know, have we left the United Nations as an institution better off.  I think we do have results, and the President will talk about that.  You know, it’s a time of great divisions, and the U.N. has already been — has always been a reflection of the world as it is. 

    That said, when you look at what we’ve done, including through the United Nations, to, for example, rally the world to defend the U.N. Charter after the Ukrainian invasion, we secured a U.N. General Assembly resolution in which 141 countries stood up and said, “We condemn this, and we stand in favor of the U.N. Charter.”

    You’ve also seen a more progressive and forward-leaning position on institutional reform.  For example, two years ago, the President announced a shift and a more forward-leaning position in reforming and expanding the United Nations Security Council.  And that’s definitely a piece of this well as well. 

    I won’t get into the details on, you know, specifically what he’ll mention on individual issues, but I will say that an important part of the President’s legacy has been thinking about how we responsibly manage our competition with China, and that includes many facets, economic security, and those will be addressed in the speech.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  Our next question is going to go to Sheryl Gay Stolberg.  You should be able to unmute yourself, Sheryl.

    Q    Hi.  Thank you for doing this call.  You know, this is not a political speech, but it does occur in the context of an election in which one of the candidates has an isolationist vision that is far apart, diametrically opposed to that of the President.  And I’m wondering, to what extent can the President use this speech to ensure that his own vision of global alliances survives?  Is he concerned that that vision will unravel?

    And will this speech be in any way directed to the American people, as much as to world leaders, as a reminder of the importance of America’s place in the world?

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Look, as you said, this is not a political speech, but the President, again, he has a vision.  He came into a vision — into office.  That vision has produced results.  And there are many opponents and critics of that vision, not just internationally but at home.  It has been the President’s view that he needs to explain why this vision of working together with countries to solve these big challenges actually produces results, and that’s actually how we’re going to be measured. 

    And when I say “produces results,” that means internationally, in terms of ending war, in terms of tackling challenges like sustainable development, the debt crisis, climate, but it also means that he needs to explain how his vision has produced results for the American people.  And that’s where I think there’s a very strong record, and some of it is very, very tangible. 

    For example, the summit on the coalition on synthetic drugs, that is him bringing together countries, all of whom share a challenge — dealing with synthetic drugs — but convening them here, talking about deliverables, talking about how we’re going to work together.  And this is something that directly affects the situation of the American public, as my colleague briefed earlier, in terms of the overall record on issues like fentanyl. 

    So I think he’ll lay that out tomorrow, and I think it will stand as representing that vision and what it’s achieved.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  We will go to Danny Kemp.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

    Q    Thanks very much for doing this.  I just wanted to ask about the current situation in the Middle East.  I mean, you know, the speech tomorrow is really going to be a bit overshadowed by the events in Lebanon, where we’ve seen nearly 500 people killed in the space of a day.  How’s he going to address that?  And more particularly, how will the President be seeking to — will he be talking to other leaders about that?  What’s he actually going to be doing at the UNGA more generally to try and get this thing sorted out?  Thanks.

    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  This is one of the advantages of the U.N. General Assembly: You literally have the whole world here.  So when you do have crises of the day, they’ll be addressed.  And I have no doubt that the situation in the Middle East will be an important theme in a lot of the meetings, not just that the President has, but other senior U.S. officials who will be convening to talk about various aspects of the crisis and what we can do to stabilize the situation. 

    He will address the Middle East, especially this very, very difficult year that we have all gone through.  And again, I think it’s an opportunity to talk about what we have achieved and what we still need to do, given a situation that is just heartbreaking where hostages have not been returned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and, as you know, just such a sensitive issue, such a delicate and dangerous situation between Israel and Lebanon right now.

    Thanks.

    MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  And unfortunately, that is all the time we have today.  Thank you all for joining this call.  Thank you to our speakers.  And feel free to follow up with our team at the NSC press team with any questions. 

    And again, this call is under embargo until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow.  Thank you all again, and hope you have a great rest of your evening.

    5:53 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China calls for joint efforts to advance global governance

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Wang Yi, special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, addresses the UN Summit of the Future at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called on the international community to “take good care of our common home” and make joint efforts to advance global governance, as “humanity has only one planet Earth to call home, and we belong to the same world community.”

    Facing profound changes unseen in a century, it was highly relevant that world leaders gathered at the Summit of the Future and, together, adopted the Pact for the Future to galvanize their collective efforts for world peace and development, and to map out the future of humanity, said Wang, who is also special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in his statement at the summit.

    Wang noted that with this goal in mind, Xi has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, advocated high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

    These vision and initiatives, he said, have provided new solutions for tackling the common challenges of humanity and drawn a new blueprint for building a better world.

    The minister elaborated the four-point proposal put forth by China. First, countries of the world need to build a future of peace and tranquility, and should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and settle disputes through dialogue, resolve differences through consultation and enhance security through cooperation. And major countries, in particular, should lead by example by breaking geopolitical circles, rising above bloc confrontation, and serving as propellers for world solidarity and anchoring for international peace.

    Second, countries of the world need to build a future of development and prosperity, follow a people-centered development philosophy and advocate a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, so as to deliver the fruits of development to the people and ensure common prosperity for all countries.

    Third, countries of the world need to build a future of fairness and justice, build an equal and orderly multipolar world, oppose acts of hegemonism such as unilateral sanctions, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

    Fourth, countries of the world need to build a better future by keeping abreast with the times and making global governance more just and equitable.

    “China will work hand in hand with countries around the world to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and create a more peaceful and better tomorrow,” Wang said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dangerous drugs worth about $5.6 million (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dangerous drugs worth about $5.6 million (with photo)
    Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dangerous drugs worth about $5.6 million (with photo)
    ****************************************************************************************

         Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 23) seized about 4 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 2.5kg of suspected crack cocaine, with a total estimated market value of about $5.6 million in Kwai Chung. A 34-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.     Through intelligence analysis and after an in-depth investigation, Customs targeted the man who was suspected of controlling a drug storage centre at Lai King Hill Road, Kwai Chung, and arrested him in Tsuen Wan yesterday afternoon. Customs officers then escorted the man to a residential flat in Kwai Chung for a search and found the batch of suspected dangerous drugs and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia therein.     The arrested man, who claimed to be a maintenance workman, has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 25).     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 16:55

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gunmen who shot at four-year-old girl sentenced following Met investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men who shot at a car that contained two children have been sentenced following an investigation by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

    Jordan Shaw, 20, (25.10.03) of Green Lanes, N8, was sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment for two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.

    Joshua Fraser, 19, (21.01.05) of King Edwards Road, E9, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to commit murder.

    On 25 February 2023, both Shaw and Fraser drove into the Shrubland Road, E8, area of Hackney where they shot at a car they thought belonged to a rival gang. However, the car belonged to an innocent family. A 13-year-old boy and four-year-old girl were inside at the time. Fortunately, nobody was injured.

    On 11 August 2023, Shaw was subsequently involved in a shooting on Stoke Newington High Street, N16, in which three shots were fired towards a victim who sustained a single gunshot wound to the arm.

    Detectives carried out extensive investigations into Shaw and Fraser before arresting them at their home addresses on 31 May 2023 and 4 October 2023 respectively.

    Across London, specialist detectives are working closely with local officers to dismantle serious and organised crime groups that pose the greatest harm to London’s communities. Last year, 386 illegal firearms were seized across the capital and between April 2023 and March 2024 there was a reduction in the number of firearms offences from 196 to 145.

    Detective Chief Inspector Andrea Ireland, from Specialist Crime North, said: “Following an extensive investigation, officers have taken two extremely dangerous men off the streets. Our teams also recovered the firearm used in the shooting in Hackney. Forensic work carried out on the gun revealed it was also used in 11 previous firearm discharges in London.

    “This vital work has no doubt had a significant impact in safeguarding our local community and securing justice for the victims of Shaw and Fraser’s crimes.”

    The sentencing took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 September.

    The Metropolitan Police Service is building a New Met for London, which aims to engage with communities, foster trust, and tackle crime that impacts Londoners the most, such as firearms offences.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs applies “communication right” under Copyright Ordinance for first time to combat case of illegal streaming of live football matches (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs applies “communication right” under Copyright Ordinance for first time to combat case of illegal streaming of live football matches (with photo)
    Hong Kong Customs applies “communication right” under Copyright Ordinance for first time to combat case of illegal streaming of live football matches (with photo)
    ******************************************************************************************

         Hong Kong Customs conducted an enforcement operation on September 22 to combat infringement activities that utilise illegal streaming technology to communicate live football matches to the public. During the operation, Customs seized a pay-TV channel television decoder, a suspected illegal streaming computer server, a mobile phone used for a remote server operation and an assortment of electronic equipment and audio-visual devices, with a total estimated market value of about $20,000. This is the first time since the implementation of the Copyright (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 for Customs to apply the “communication right” to combat a case involving illegal streaming devices used for broadcasting live football matches.     Customs earlier received information from a copyright owner alleging that someone had set up a web page to distribute copyright-protected pay-TV channels through streaming technology without the authorisation of the copyright owner. After an in-depth investigation, and with the assistance of the copyright owner, Customs officers took enforcement action during the live broadcast of overseas football matches and made use of computer forensic programmes to conduct real-time monitoring over related suspected illegal activities.      At the same time, Customs officers raided a residential unit in Lok Fu and seized a suspected illegal streaming server and assorted electronic equipment. Officers from the department’s Computer Forensic Laboratory were also summoned to the scene to render support and preserve relevant digital evidence from the streaming server concerned.     During the operation, two men, aged 69 and 43, were arrested. They were released on bail pending further investigation. The investigation is ongoing.     Customs reminds the public not to engage in unauthorised activities involving the dissemination of copyrighted works. Members of public should also respect intellectual property rights and refrain from watching infringing movie/TV works or pay-TV channels through any form of illegal streaming. Applications or streaming links related to illegal streaming may contain computer viruses or malicious programmes which can pose potential risks to users.     According to the Copyright Ordinance, it is illegal for anyone, without the authorisation of the copyright owner, to engage in any trade or business that involves communicating works to the public for profit or reward, or in the course of such trade or business, to communicate copyrighted works to the public; or to communicate copyrighted works to the public to an extent that damages the rights of the copyright owner. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for four years and a fine of $50,000 for each copyrighted work.     Members of the public may report any suspected infringement activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 17:40

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by CE at BritCham Hong Kong Summit 2024 (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Speech by CE at BritCham Hong Kong Summit 2024 (English only)
    Speech by CE at BritCham Hong Kong Summit 2024 (English only)
    *************************************************************

         Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at Britcham Hong Kong Summit 2024 today (September 24): Mr Jeremy Sheldon (Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong), Mr Paul McComb (Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong), Deputy Consul-General Sarah Robinson (Deputy Consul-General of the United Kingdom to Hong Kong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,      Good afternoon to you all. I am delighted to be here, today, for the fourth annual BritCham Hong Kong Summit. And what a day it’s been, with Commissioner Cui Jianchun opening the Summit and five smartly considered panel discussions, each centred on Hong Kong opportunity – long-term, far-reaching opportunities powered by innovation, sustainability, and more.           Panel One’s theme certainly caught my attention, with its focus, and I quote, “Business Leaders Perspective on Hong Kong as a Global Powerhouse City”.           Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong indeed endeavours to become a global powerhouse city. With its energy, entrepreneurship and connectivity.           More than an ambition, it is a goal and collective commitment that the Hong Kong SAR Government is working, tirelessly, to realise.           With welcome assistance, let me add, from organisations such as the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, and its membership of some 1 000 professionals from about 350 companies. Each and every one of you as committed as us in building a flourishing future for all, right here in Hong Kong.           At last count, over 640 UK companies call Hong Kong home. And it’s reassuring to tell you that Hong Kong and UK companies like to do business together. Last year, our bilateral merchandise trade was up a whopping 19 per cent, year on year, and reached nearly HK$130 billion.           Yes, Hong Kong has all along been a key export market for the UK. In the decade between 2014 and 2023, the value of UK exports to Hong Kong grew nearly 100 per cent, to GBP15.7 billion.           Our trade in services are just as vibrant. In 2022, the UK was Hong Kong’s third-largest services trading partner.           And, of course, we like to invest in each other’s economies and companies. In 2021, Hong Kong was the sixth-most popular destination for foreign direct investment from the UK, with a total value of GBP77.6 billion. That accounted for 4.4 per cent of the UK’s total outward FDI stock. Hong Kong, in 2021, was the second-largest Asian investor in the UK, with FDI stock worth GBP16.3 billion.           Hong Kong’s selling card, our great and enduring strength over the years, is our openness to trade and business, our eagerness to connect – with the UK and a world of companies and economies.           “One country, two systems” makes it happen. This unique principle allows Hong Kong to enjoy the wealth of opportunities our country presents, while taking full advantage of our dominant role as the multilevel bridge between the Mainland and the rest of the world.           It ensures that Hong Kong’s robust rule of law, as well as our continuous practice of the common law system, one that resembles that of the UK and many major global financial centres. It also helps to maintain our simple and low tax regime, world-class infrastructure, and international connectivity.           That’s probably why in the latest World Competitiveness Yearbook, published by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong ranked fifth globally. We came first in the world in “international trade” and “business legislation”, and was also among the global top five in “tax policy”, “international investment”, “basic infrastructure”, “finance” and “education”.           As a global powerhouse city, Hong Kong will never stop expanding its business and trade networks. These include our well-established partners among developed economies, as well as new and budding ones.           The 10 Member States of ASEAN – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – is one of our pre-eminent partners. For more than a decade now, ASEAN has been our second-largest merchandise trade entity. Investment between us is also buoyant. Indeed, Hong Kong is ASEAN’s fourth-largest source of inward direct investment.           It helps, of course, that the free trade agreement and investment agreement between us has been in full force now for three years.           It helps, too, that I have been to seven ASEAN countries since I assumed office just over two years ago. My latest visit, in July, to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, resulted in 55 MOUs and related agreements. They will expand our co-operation in trade and investment, as well as finance, technology, logistics and a good many other areas, too.           Our ties with the Middle East have also burgeoned following my visit to the region in February last year.           This past week, Saudi Arabia gave its approval for the first exchange-traded fund, or ETF, investing in Hong Kong equities to be listed on its stock exchange. That’s an encouraging development for investors, too.           Last November, HKEX, and investors, welcomed the listing of Asia-Pacific’s first ETF to track Saudi Arabian equities, allowing local and global investors to invest in the Saudi stock market through Hong Kong. This mutually rewarding co-operation is a boost for Hong Kong’s ETF market and the global connectivity of our financial services sector.           We look, too, to other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for connectivity, for long-term opportunity powered by innovation and technology. I’m sure you’ve heard as much at the panel discussion just now.           The Greater Bay Area, as you will be well aware, brings together Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong province. It counts a population of over 86 million people. Its GDP amounted to nearly US$2 trillion last year, rivalling the world’s 10th largest economy.           More than an enormous consumer market, the Greater Bay Area is fast becoming an innovation and technology hub. This year’s Global Innovation Index ranked the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster second in the world, for the fifth year in a row.           That only underlines the huge potential for I&T development in the Greater Bay Area – and in Hong Kong, China’s most international city as you all know. Hong Kong is the only Asian city that has as many as five universities in the world’s top 100, and boast world-class capabilities in research, a robust intellectual property rights protection system, and an established international business environment. Hong Kong has what it takes to play a pivotal role in the region’s rise as an I&T hub.           The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, situated right next to our boundary with Shenzhen, is central to that future. This Hong Kong Park, of 87 hectares in area, together with a 300-hectare Shenzhen Park, will form the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. It straddles our geographical boundary with the Mainland and will propel the region’s I&T growth.           The Hong Kong Park’s first three buildings, I’m pleased to say, are expected to complete, gradually, from the end of this year.           The Park’s first phase, a total floor area of up to one million square metres, will focus on a number of I&T areas, including life and health technology, AI, advanced manufacturing and industry, academic and research sectors.           That, of course, will demand technology specialists. A continuing flow of strategic talent of every kind, at every level.           We’re working on that, too. And, according to the International Institute for M
    anagement Development and its 2024 World Talent Ranking, we’re well on our way.           In the latest World Talent Ranking, published just last week, Hong Kong’s ranking rose to ninth, overall – up considerably from 16th last year. That’s also the first time we were back to the ranking’s top 10 since 2016.           And I’m delighted to say that Hong Kong topped the ranking in the percentage of graduates in sciences.           We’re making notable progress, too, in enticing talent to turn to Hong Kong for their future.           As at the end of last month, we have received more than 360 000 applications under our various enhanced talent admission programmes, launched in the end of 2022. Nearly 230 000 applications have been approved, and more than 150 000 professionals have already arrived in Hong Kong, many with their families.           The schemes are popular among our friends from the UK, I’m glad to add. Some 4 100 of these approved applicants are UK nationals. That’s a blessing. For our new Top Talent Pass Scheme, which targets graduates from the world’s best universities and high-income earners, about 7 per cent of the admitted top graduates are from British universities.           And our Working Holiday Scheme with the UK, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has also strengthened our youth ties. At last count, nearly 11 000 young people from Hong Kong and the UK have been granted visas to work, while holidaying, in each other’s places over the past decade.           More than our people-to-people bond, the young and talented professionals joining Hong Kong will boost our labour force. Good news for the economy. For business. For you as well.           Getting, and keeping, talent is, of course, a work in progress, as is the Hong Kong economy. I’ll have more to say on that, and much more, next month, in my annual Policy Address.           And my thanks to BritCham for its Policy Address submission, which I received in early August. I am grateful for your considered thoughts on how Hong Kong can boost its standing as an international trade and finance centre, how we can build our technology and innovation capabilities, take our place as an international talent hub and a good deal more.           I look forward to your continuing co-operation – the excellent work your Chamber is doing for our economy and our community.           On our community, I understand a cheering section from the Chamber will be in London for the upcoming Hong Kong Dinner. This annual gathering is one of the many deep-rooted traditions that have long defined, and distinguished, the abiding ties between our two economies and peoples.           Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you the best of business, health and happiness in the coming year. And, for those of you flying off to London this week, I wish you a memorable Hong Kong Dinner, brimful of the good stories of Hong Kong, a global powerhouse city.           Thank you.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 17:36

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – Next meeting – Committee on Fisheries

    Source: European Parliament

    The next PECH meeting will take place on Monday 30 September 2024 from 15:00 to 18:30 in Brussels.

    Source : © European Union, 2024 – EP

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Seed capital and (more) customers for Empa spin-off: Solar cells for the Internet of Things

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

    Dübendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 24.09.2024 – Perovskia Solar has won more than ten leading companies from the Internet of Things (IoT) industry as customers and received over two million Swiss francs in seed capital. The multi-award-winning Empa spin-off prints customized solar cells for almost any electronic device. These can be produced cost-effectively – and even work indoors.

    Every person owns an average of seven electronic devices. Hence there are several billion devices in use worldwide – and with the Internet of Things (IoT), the number is growing all the time. These need to be charged regularly, or their batteries need to be replaced. The Empa spin-off Perovskia Solar has therefore specialized in custom-made solar cells for all conceivable electronic devices – and successfully so: It has acquired more than ten leading companies from the Internet of Things (IoT) industry as new customers and has now received over two million Swiss francs from an international coalition of business angels and early-stage funds. “Energy harvesting for IoT devices is a rapidly growing market with a potential of several billion dollars,” said Anand Verma, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Empa spin-off. “Our easy-to-integrate designer solar cells either eliminate the need for batteries or extend their lifespan, opening up the possibility of powering any device with solar energy.”

    Solar cells from the printer

    The multi-award-winning Empa spin-off has launched the first perovskite solar cells on the market that can be used in smartwatches, keyboards and the like. Conventional silicon solar cells are complex and expensive to produce on a customized basis and are inefficient in poor lighting conditions. “We can print innovative perovskite solar cells in any size – and at low cost. With their high efficiency, they can power almost any indoor electronic device in bright home and office lighting,” says Verma.

    “Our energy harvesting technology has been developed over several years at Empa, which has enabled us to launch a market-ready product that powers next-generation devices for industrial and residential applications,” adds Tobias Meyer, founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Perovskia. Perovskites have excellent properties: They absorb light particularly efficiently and conduct the generated electricity well. Until now, however, perovskite-based solar cells were not stable enough and not durable enough for large-scale use. Anand Verma therefore spent five years at Empa researching printing processes for perovskite solar cells before setting up the company in 2020.

    A new factory and international support

    Perovskia Solar now supplies several international companies with customized solar cells for IoT applications and for consumer electronics devices. The Empa spin-off is now supported by Kickfund from Venture Kick and the venture capital company D&FG Elements as well as an international coalition of business angels led by Nils Hagander and Beda Rohner. “With a market-leading product, Perovskia is ideally positioned to drive the next generation of IoT devices for consumers and industry,” says Hagander, entrepreneur and investor in technology and service companies.

    The Empa spin-off recently set up a factory in Aubonne in the canton of Vaud. One million perovskite elements are to be printed there every year.

    Address for enquiries

    Manuel Martin
    Communications
    Phone +41 58 765 4454
    redaktion@empa.ch

    Publisher

    Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research
    http://www.empa.ch

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: France: EIB and European Commission provide €276 million in support for Métropole Européenne de Lille’s investments in sustainable mobility

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • Métropole Européenne de Lille is receiving a €245 million green loan from the EIB to back its modernisation and urban transport projects.
    • This financing comes together with a €31.5 million grant from the European Commission via the public sector loan facility (PSLF) set up under the European Green Deal’s Just Transition Mechanism (JTM).
    • This joint blended financing support from the EIB and European Commission will unlock additional investment for public entities in the European regions most affected by the energy transition.

    Métropole Européenne de Lille (Lille metropolitan authority) has taken out a €245 million green loan with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund its public transport network and cycle routes. It aims to provide 1.2 million local residents with more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly transport services.

    This project is also benefiting from a €31.5 million European Commission grant under a blended financing structure made possible by the public sector loan facility (PSLF), which is one of the key pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) set up under the European Green Deal. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will manage this grant and monitor the implementation of the project.

    The Mel in Green Mobility project will provide funding for various segments of Métropole Européenne de Lille’s public transport infrastructure. The first part of the project covers the modernisation of the public transport fleet, including the renewal of 30 trams and 42 buses with new clean vehicles. It also features investments in platforms, depots and other related facilities. Lastly, the project supports the Métropole’s ambitious cycling plan including 220 km of additional infrastructure between 2023 and 2027 to improve safety for cyclists, the financing of a new bus rapid transit line, and the construction of a multimodal interchange hub.

    It thereby aims to accelerate changes in user behaviour by developing a more efficient and sustainable mobility service, improving public transport accessibility and broadening soft mobility options. Once complete, the project will have improved tram and bus network performance, promoted intermodality (reduction in the share of private vehicles from 56% in 2023 to 40% in 2035) and diversified public transport in the area. This increased network efficiency will ultimately result in substantial time savings on the 410 000 daily journeys made by users, fewer traffic jams and better access to the Métropole Européenne de Lille.

    The regions most affected by the energy transition (like Hauts-de-France) are identified in the territorial just transition plans. These plans are drawn up by each EU Member State and outline the challenges to be addressed in each just transition region, together with the development needs and targets to be reached by 2030.

    Background information

    About the EIB

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its 27 Member States. It provides loans to the public and private sectors for sound investment contributing to EU policy goals. In 2023, France received more EIB financing for the energy and green transition than any other country, with an overall investment of €6.9 billion for renewable energy, clean mobility and energy efficiency. A partner of regional authorities, last year the EIB directed €2.3 billion in funding to rail and urban public transport and soft mobility, making it the number one sector in terms of EIB investment in France over the year.

    About the European Commission’s Just Transition Mechanism

    The public sector loan facility (PSLF) is the third pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) – a key tool of the European Green Deal investment plan to make sure that no one and no region is left behind in the transition to a climate-neutral economy.

    The public sector loan facility combines loans from the EIB (up to around €6 billion to €8 billion overall) and grants from the European Commission (up to €1.3 billion overall). The combined support is designed to mobilise additional investment for public sector entities in the European regions most affected by the climate and energy transition (like Hauts-de-France), as identified in the national territorial just transition plans, to meet their development needs as part of the transition to a climate-neutral economy. These plans are developed by each EU Member State and set out the challenges in each just transition region, along with the development needs and objectives to be met by 2030.

    The blend of the EIB loan and the European Commission grant will facilitate the financing of projects that do not generate sufficient revenue streams to cover their investment costs. The implementation of the public sector loan facility is managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

    About Métropole Européenne de Lille

    Métropole Européenne de Lille works every day to serve its 95 member municipalities and 1.2 million residents. It covers the key areas of transport, housing, economy, public space and roadways, urban planning, urban policy, water, wastewater, household waste, disability access, nature and living environment, sport, tourism and crematoria. Chaired by Damien Castelain since 18 April 2014, the Metropolitan Council is composed of 184 members elected by direct universal suffrage for a six-year mandate.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Ministerial Discussion on the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English

    New York, 23.09.2024 – Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) – Check against delivery

    Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    This ministerial discussion occurs amid a concerning global backdrop, with over 120 armed conflicts ongoing worldwide.

    As a result, millions of people require humanitarian aid and protection, while humanitarian and UN personnel face growing threats, often becoming targets of attacks.

    Switzerland is alarmed by the rising violence against humanitarian workers, which is sometimes deliberately directed at them.

    A concrete step was taken in May: my country introduced Security Council resolution 2730 on the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel, addressing this alarming trend. The resolution was adopted with the support of 98 UN Member States. I extend my thanks to all these States, especially Brazil for its initial work on the resolution.

    This resolution is crucial for three reasons:

    1. It reaffirms the obligations of States and parties in armed conflicts to respect and protect humanitarian and UN personnel, including national and local staff.

    2. It condemns attacks on these personnel and urges States to ensure accountability for related violations.

    3. It mandates the Secretary-General to submit recommendations to the Security Council within six months to prevent and address such attacks and combat impunity.

    These recommendations focus on concrete actions. They are currently being prepared, and we look forward to receiving them in November.

    Excellencies

    Humanitarian personnel are a lifeline for millions of civilians worldwide, risking their lives daily to assist and protect those affected by armed conflict.

    We must safeguard their ability to carry out this vital work and reaffirm our commitment to their protection.

    With so many conflicts raging and civilians suffering so much, we must step up our efforts to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and strengthen the political will to build a more humane world.

    Thank you.

    Address for enquiries

    FDFA Communication
    Federal Palace West Wing
    CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
    Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
    E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
    Twitter: @SwissMFA

    Publisher

    Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
    https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Derville Rowland: Change and challenges – responding to uncertainty, transforming for the future and driving innovation

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good afternoon. Many thanks to AFME for the invitation to speak at this conference again this year. Today I will focus on the regulatory outlook for financial services in Europe and Ireland in the context of a rapidly changing, more uncertain and ever challenging world.

    The old adage, attributed to Harold Wilson, that “a week is a long time in politics” is equally applicable in many walks of life – but it has often been the case in financial markets. The last period has been no different and week to week we have seen things change rapidly. At the start of August we saw a turbulent trading period following fears of an imminent US recession. More recently, we have seen markets respond to the Fed’s half-point interest rate reduction and the Bank of England and Bank of Japan hold rates steady.  While conditions have improved since, significant downside risks remain.

    In particular, geo-political events remain potential sources of fragility over the coming months, including uncertainty around electoral outcomes, continuing conflict in the middle-east and Ukraine, turbulent economic conditions. Closely linked to the issue of geopolitical tensions, there is now heightened focus on the centrality of cyber risk and operational resilience. The Crowdstrike cyber incident in July, while contained early and brought under control, caused significant disruption and highlighted the fragilities in the system. Cyber risk, and the link to geopolitical tensions, has been flagged by ESMA, EBA and EIOPA and are increasingly recognised as a significant and likely risk by regulated firms. Positively, we have also seen the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) and the EU Agency for Cybersecurity announce the signing of a multilateral MoU to strengthen their cooperation and information exchange on cybersecurity risk in the financial sector.  In light of heightened cyber risks, the importance of operational resilience remains paramount. The implementation of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) remains a key focus for regulators and firms. Digital operational resilience is a fundamental underpinning of a resilient and well-functioning financial system supporting the economy and serving the needs of citizens.  That said, ensuring proportionality has been a central focus of the work to develop the DORA framework. This is an important requirement of all regulation, but is certainly the case with DORA given it is cross-sectoral and applies to almost all financial firms. As implementation work progresses, it will be important for authorities to be mindful of ensuring that smaller firms, in particular, are not disproportionately burdened by the same requirements as larger institutions.

    In Europe, we have seen significant institutional change as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes up her second term in office and the process is underway to appoint new Commissioners. The broad parameters of the forthcoming European legislative and regulatory agenda have been signalled.  International competitiveness remains at the centre of the Commission’s programme, as we have seen from the recent Draghi and Letta reports. It seems likely that there will be a continued focus on reducing and simplifying existing EU law. That is an approach which all policy makers, including national authorities and the European Supervisory Authorities, should be mindful of. However, effective regulation which safeguards consumers, fosters market integrity and supports resilience is key to supporting financial stability. Financial stability and the resilience of the financial sector are prerequisites for sustainable economic growth and promoting competitiveness. In a drive to streamline regulation we must not lose sight of this. It is important to retain the outcomes achieved via legislative and regulatory initiatives enacted since the great financial crisis.

    At the centre of policy makers thinking is the need to finance the EU’s ambitious policy agenda. A significant challenge facing Europe is to secure the public and private finance for the economic and other programmes, including the digital transformation and green deal. At the centre of this is the concept of a Savings and Investment Union, building on the progress made under the Capital Markets Union agenda. In April, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen summed this up by saying that “European start-ups should not need to look at the US or Asia to finance their expansion. They must find what they need to grow right here in Europe. We need a deep and liquid capital market. And we need a competition policy that supports companies to scale up. Europe must be the home of opportunity and innovation.”

    There is much still to determine – including the level of ambition for this Savings Union and whether it should be a top-down exercise or if the lead should be taken at a Member State level.  But I suspect, like most things, the answer is likely somewhere in the middle.  While details remain to be worked out, the Letta and Draghi reports likely set out the broad roadmap for how this may be pursued. That said, there will be a need to radically prioritise. Implementing the Letta report alone would require a number of new legislative proposals, in addition to legislative reviews already committed to and implementation work that is required following the last Commission term.

    As the Draghi report outlines, Europe must refocus its collective efforts on closing the innovation gap with the US and China, especially in advanced technologies. This is important for many reasons, including that faster innovation will, in turn, help raise the EU’s productivity growth, leading to stronger growth in household incomes and stronger domestic demand. At the Central Bank of Ireland, we recognise the many potential benefits and opportunities that new technologies bring to financial services and consumers in Ireland and in Europe. It is important that these benefits can be realised, whilst also ensuring that the risks are well understood and managed. Regulation plays a crucial role in the safe, and therefore enduring, adoption of innovation into the system.

    Innovation has brought in new entrants, new products and new ways of serving customers and the economy. As a result, technological innovation continues to be a focus for the Central Bank. This is one of the reasons why we have enhanced our innovation facilities – with the establishment of an innovation sandbox programme which is due to commence for the first time later this year  – so that we can continue to engage, learn and develop a deeper understanding of the ecosystem, the opportunities, the benefits and the risks. Our goal is not to remain stagnant but to evolve and iterate so that we continue to regulate and supervise effectively.

    Recent years have seen tremendous innovations in financial services. Amongst the most notable have been the development of blockchain-based technologies. We can see the many areas where the blockchain has significant potential to bring about positive change, even transformation, in how we do things. Whether this be tokenisation of investment products or improvements in post-trade infrastructure and interoperability, there are important positive stories to tell.

    The European Commission’s 2020 digital finance package has set Europe up well to take advantage of these developments. The package reflected the EU’s ambition to embrace a digital transition, to help modernise the European economy across sectors, and to turn Europe into a global digital player. Almost 4 years later, we are about to implement the Markets in Crypto-Asset Regulation, or MiCAR.

    This is an important step forward in the regulation of crypto activities in Europe while also leading the way on the regulation of the crypto sector globally.  The potential for crypto and blockchain to build financial inclusivity or democratise finance has long been a theme of discussion in the sector. Crypto enthusiasts speak readily to how crypto and blockchain technologies, paired with global internet access, can provide easy and immediate access to people across the world to financial services and achieve a level of financial inclusivity that the traditional financial services cannot. While this is an exciting prospect, it cannot be achieved without guardrails. For the first time, MiCAR will introduce a harmonised regulatory framework for the sector that introduces prudential and conduct obligations for issuers of e-money tokens, asset-referenced tokens, and for crypto-asset service providers. There are also obligations for offers to the public of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens.

    There are two priorities I would signal with respect to MiCAR implementation. Firstly, we are working closely with our EU Peers and the ESAs to ensure the necessary coordination and consistency across Europe. The ESAs are, correctly, focused on driving a convergent approach to the implementation of MiCAR in national authorities authorisation and supervision processes. We see this as highly important work. MiCAR, being a first attempt at regulation in this area, is an important opportunity to avoid divergent approaches emerging in different jurisdictions.

    Secondly, over recent years, we have been working to continually improve our authorisation process. Through engagement with industry, other public bodies and applicants, we have sought to better explain our expectations, resulting in increased clarity and predictability. Better risk assessment, better communication and better supervisory outcomes have been the output of that work. We have produced new publications, enhanced our internal processes and responded to the changes in the authorisation landscape, including the increase in the number of complex applications. Under MiCAR, you can expect our approach of continuous improvement to continue.

    Innovation and new technologies can play an increasingly important role in facilitating retail investors participating in capital markets. As we shortly approach IOSCO’s World Investor Week, which is a global campaign to raise awareness of the importance of investor education and protection, it is timely for regulatory authorities and policy makers to take stock and redouble our efforts to support investor education, investor protection and financial literacy.

    Protecting consumers is at the heart of what we do at the Central Bank. We know that consumers who are well-informed and understand financial products and services are better placed to make good financial decisions and to look after their interests. These consumers are less likely to be vulnerable to harm from firms that are not securing their interests, and they are less vulnerable to frauds and scams. This is why high levels of financial literacy empower consumers to make effective and informed choices to safeguard their financial well-being. Irish authorities are currently in the process of developing a national Financial Literacy Strategy for Ireland, something which we at the Central Bank strongly support.

    Ireland’s financial sector has an important role to play in supporting the Savings and Investment Union and providing opportunities for retail investors to participate in capital markets. The sector has demonstrated high levels of resilience while continuing provide critical services to households and business in Ireland and abroad. As with the European economy as a whole, over the last decade, the Irish financial services sector has also continued evolve, in terms of its size, complexity and international connectedness. These developments are, of course, a positive for Ireland, and positive for their contribution to European financial markets. We of course must be mindful that an expanding and more complex financial sector may poses risks that need to be managed. This reinforces the importance of effective regulation and supervision – to maintain financial stability and to protect consumers and investors, both within Ireland, Europe and globally.

    As I mentioned earlier, we recognise that we too must change to keep pace with the changing world. I would like to finish by outlining some of the work we are doing in this regard.

    As you will be aware, we have introduced the Individual Accountability Framework (IAF). The IAF is all about helping underpin sound governance across the financial sector by setting out clearly what is expected of well-run firms. For both firms and the regulator it should be seen as a complement to the wider focus on governance, culture and behaviour. For the Central Bank our hope is that along with wider efforts, the IAF will help make firms take more ownership and responsibility for running their business and addressing any risks or deficiencies they may have. In an increasingly technological and rapidly changing world, the need for effective governance underpinned by a strong ethical culture and robust systems of delivery is becoming more and more essential.

    We are also transforming our supervisory approach – to ensure consumers of financial services are protected in all respects in this changing and increasingly complex environment. Building on the strong foundations of our current approach to supervision, we are moving to an integrated supervisory framework where directorates with oversight of banks, insurance companies and capital markets will be responsible for the supervision of all the functions in their respective sectors. Our approach will continue to be risk-based; but the new framework will ensure we are more efficient and effective in our supervisory work. It will make it easier to direct our supervisory resources to the areas of most risk to consumers or the system. Importantly, it will also place consumer and investor protection at the heart of day to day supervision. This change will maximise the benefit of our integrated mandate – enabling us to continue to deliver on our mission and ensure the financial system operates in the best interests of consumers and the wider economy.  These changes are not just important; they are necessary – so that in a changing world we continue to deliver in the public interest.

    Conclusion

    The EU will also need to take a number of very important decisions in the coming years, especially in terms of what elements of the legislative and regulatory agenda to prioritise, the level of ambition to apply in harnessing the EU’s investment potential, and how to navigate geo-political tensions. All of these – to different degrees – will have an impact on financial markets and firms. The speed of these developments – and their potential to cause ripple effects – will not decrease. And so the onus is on us – firms and regulatory authorities alike – to increasingly evolve our approach, innovate and prepare for what the future may hold.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Ida Wolden Bache: Time to ease monetary policy is approaching

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Presentation accompanying the speech

    Chart 1: Policy rate held unchanged

    The Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 4.5%. Based on the Committee’s current assessment of the outlook, the policy rate will most likely be kept at that level to the end of the year.

    Norges Bank is tasked with keeping inflation low and stable. The operational target is inflation of close to 2 percent over time. We are also mandated to help keep employment as high as possible and to promote economic stability.

    After inflation surged a couple of years ago, we have raised the policy rate significantly, and since December last year the policy rate has been held at 4.5 percent. The interest rate has contributed to cooling down the economy and to dampening inflation.

    Many central banks in trading partner countries have started cutting policy rates. One might wonder why we are not reducing the policy rate now.

    Inflation has declined significantly from its peak but is still above our inflation target. The rapid decline in inflation observed in recent months is not expected to continue going forward. Further disinflation will be restrained by the krone depreciation combined with the high growth in business costs.

    A restrictive monetary policy is still needed to bring inflation down to target within a reasonable time horizon. The Committee is concerned with the possibility that if the policy rate is lowered prematurely, inflation could remain above target for too long. On the other hand, an overly tight monetary policy could contract the economy more than needed. When we set the policy rate, we have to balance these trade-offs.  

    Chart 2: Gradual policy rate reduction from next year

    Based on our current assessment of the outlook, the policy rate needs to be kept at today’s level for a period ahead. At the same time, we are approaching the time to lower interest rates. If the economy evolves as envisaged, we will maintain the policy rate at 4.5 percent to the end of the year, before it is gradually reduced from the first quarter of next year. The policy rate forecast is little changed but implies a slightly faster rate reduction through next year than our previous forecast published in June. 

    Let me say a few more words about the background for the rate decision and the Committee’s assessment.  

    Chart 3: Low growth in the Norwegian economy

    Growth in the Norwegian economy was low through last year and has remained weak this year. High inflation and the rise in interest rates have reduced household purchasing power and consumption, and residential construction has shown a sharp decline. Economic activity is being supported by public sector demand and heavy investment in the petroleum industry.

    Information from our regional network indicates that economic growth will pick up a little in the second half of this year. But there are wide differences across industries, with oil services expecting strong growth and the construction industry a continued decline.

    Over the past couple of years, the labour market has become less tight, and firms are finding it easier to fill their recruitment needs. Employment is high, but the share of the population employed has fallen a little. Unemployment has edged up from a low level.   

    Chart 4: Inflation has declined markedly from its peak

    At its highest, inflation was above 7 percent. According to last week’s data, inflation is now running at 2.6 percent. Excluding energy prices, which are quite volatile, inflation is a little higher than 3 percent. Inflation has been lower than we expected in June.

    International inflation has also fallen notably, and central bank rate cuts are now expected to be deeper and faster than before summer.

    Chart 5: Wage growth is high

    While wage growth is subsiding among many trading partner countries, it is still high in Norway. Wages increased by 5.2 percent last year, and a comparable increase is expected this year. We expect wage growth to moderate in the years ahead, but given weak productivity growth, business costs will continue to grow at a fast pace.

    Chart 6: The krone has depreciated

    The krone exchange rate has depreciated in recent years and is now weaker than at the time of the June monetary policy meeting. A weaker krone means an increase in prices for imported goods and services, and higher costs for firms that depend on imported intermediate goods. For the export industry, a weaker krone means increased profitability, which can lead to higher wage growth and, in turn, to higher inflation.  

    Movements in the krone exchange rate are determined by a wide range of conditions, in both Norway and internationally. This makes it difficult to explain all exchange rate movements, but we can safely say that the interest rate matters for the krone exchange rate. If we had not tightened monetary policy in recent years, the krone would have been weaker. Experience has also shown that the krone weakens when oil prices fall or, as we saw this summer, financial markets experience turbulence.

    Chart 7: Inflation will slow and unemployment edge up

    With the current policy rate path, inflation is projected to move down further and approach 2 percent towards the end of 2027. Unemployment will likely edge up to about the level prevailing before the pandemic.

    Many people have experienced tighter household budgets in recent years, but most people will find that their budgets will stretch further going forward. Interest expenses will still be high, but we expect wages to rise faster than prices, and the debt burden will be easier to bear.

    The economy may evolve differently than we now anticipate. If the outlook suggests that inflation will return to target faster or there is a more pronounced slowdown in the Norwegian economy, the policy rate may be lowered faster than currently envisaged. On the other hand, if the krone depreciates further or economic pressures increase, inflation could remain elevated for longer. A higher policy rate than currently envisaged may then be required.

    Inflation has slowed sharply. That’s welcome news, and now it’s important that we go the last mile of returning inflation back to the target. By maintaining confidence in the inflation target, we are better equipped to deal with new shocks and periods of turbulence in the future.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Nicolas Vincent: Monetary policy decision-making – behind the scenes

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Introduction

    Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be here with you today.

    I’ve done a lot of hiking, camping and skiing in the Eastern Townships. But this is the first time I’ve had a chance to spend time in Sherbrooke. I’m very much looking forward to spending the next two days in your lovely city.

    As Bruno mentioned, I’m a professor at HEC Montréal and an external Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada. As an external Deputy Governor, I am a full member of Governing Council. I participate in all discussions related to monetary policy and financial stability.

    The Bank’s aim in creating an external, part-time role was to get new perspectives from someone who isn’t from the world of central banks but still knows a thing or two about economics. Thankfully, my teaching experience and academic research have come in quite handy in my role at the Bank, as has my early-career work in the public service. Even with my experience, however, I’ve had to learn a lot since joining the Bank in March 2023, particularly about the process involved in making interest rate decisions.

    At the beginning of September this year, in light of recent progress in the fight against inflation, the Bank announced a third consecutive cut of 25 basis points, bringing the policy rate to 4¼%. It will likely come as no surprise to any of you that it’s more pleasant to announce cuts than it is to announce increases. In recent years, decisions by the Bank have been the subject of much attention, interest and debate. This is to be expected. The decisions have an impact on everyone, in many different ways, and we are well aware of that. We know that households are worried about the cost of living, their mortgage loan renewal, house prices, rent and the fact that it is getting harder to find a job. Given the importance of our decisions, they must not be taken lightly. And having been at the Bank for 18 months now, I can confirm that they are not. Interest rate decisions are based on an enormous amount of analysis and reflection.

    But how are decisions reached? What does the process look like exactly? Since becoming Deputy Governor, I have often been asked such questions. Generally speaking, there is considerable interest in and curiosity about our work and our responsibilities. That’s why the Bank puts so much effort into making monetary policy understandable for everyone by communicating it in clear and simple terms. You can find detailed information on the Bank’s website explaining our work and our decision-making process. We want people to understand what we do.

    Yet, for all our efforts, the truth is that most people know little about how we work and the steps we take in deciding whether to raise, maintain or lower the policy interest rate. That may even be the case for many of you here. And when I think about it, it’s not particularly surprising. Even as a macroeconomist, I knew little about the process before starting at the Bank.

    Today I’d like to take you behind the scenes and speak about what happens behind closed doors. What are the steps in the process? What sources of data do we use? How do we make our projections? I’ll also talk about the debates, the differences of opinion and the ways we reach a consensus. As you’ll see, making a decision on monetary policy is much more complicated than pushing a button, and getting a computer to spit out calculations and having everything fall into place. I’ll also talk about my own experiences, what’s surprised me and what I’ve learned along the way.

    Analysis and consultations

    First, I’d like to start with a quick review of what monetary policy is and does. At its core, the Bank’s mandate is to keep inflation low, stable and predictable, and centred on the 2% target. The Bank’s main tool for doing this is the policy rate. Changes to the policy rate affect several other interest rates in the economy, notably mortgage rates and rates for business loans. If the Bank raises the policy rate in response to high inflation, the cost of borrowing increases. This lowers demand because people have less money to spend on things like eating out or clothing, while businesses defer spending on projects. When economic activity slows, inflation goes down, which shows that monetary policy is working.

    While that seems simple in theory, in practice it is rather more complicated because the effects of our actions are not felt immediately. I have been a Deputy Governor for 18 months, which is the period needed to observe the full effects of monetary policy on inflation. And because we are always making decisions about the future, the Bank must rely heavily on economic forecasting.

    In addition, the impacts of Bank decisions are complex and uncertain. Much like a business that faces many unknowns when deciding to adopt a new technology, the Bank also must make choices in the face of considerable uncertainty. This is why it’s important to have good information and good advice.

    To get the best possible understanding of the economic situation, Governing Council members have access to an extremely large number of datasets, analyses and points of view. When I’m asked to summarize the work of a Deputy Governor, I often say that I am a big aggregator of information. I am part of a team whose job is to put together all the pieces of the puzzle to inform our decision-making. Today, I’d like to explain to you what that means in concrete terms.

    Every year, the Bank makes eight monetary policy decisions. That means eight times a year, the Bank must decide whether it will raise, maintain or lower the policy interest rate. Four of the eight decisions are accompanied by the Monetary Policy Report (MPR), published most recently in July. The MPR examines the global and Canadian economies in terms of production, spending, the labour market and, of course, inflation. It also includes the Bank’s projections for growth and inflation and the risks to the projection over a two-year period.

    The decision-making process begins about a month before the announcement date, when Bank staff present an economic projection to Governing Council. We call this Case A. It draws on the Bank’s macroeconomic models and surveys, its analysis of various sectors and components of the economy, and its assessment of financial stability and financial market activity. Since we don’t have a crystal ball, we draw on the latest data and use our projection models to look into the future.1 For several hours, Governing Council members debate the assumptions and risks to the projection as well as alternative case scenarios prepared by staff.

    About 10 days later, Bank advisors and economists present Case B, a revised projection incorporating the comments of Governing Council members and, if any, new developments that occurred since Case A. We draw on that projection to make our policy rate decision.

    When there is a rate announcement without an accompanying MPR-as was the case two weeks ago-many of the same steps are involved, although staff do not make new projections. They report on new data released since the last policy decision and on how the economy as a whole performed against expectations. Although the amount of information we have access to differs between announcements with and without an MPR, all decisions are equally important.

    Throughout the process, Statistics Canada’s data on inflation, gross domestic product and employment are an invaluable source of information to guide our decisions. But they also have limits. First, data tend to be aggregate, which can make it difficult to discern the full range of experiences Canadians are having. That is why we spend a lot of time diving deep into the data to analyze what concerns and affects people on a day-to-day basis: rent, house prices, mortgage renewal, the prices of gas and groceries, how long it takes to find a job, and so on. All these factors help us to predict the path of inflation in the months and years ahead.

    Second, hard data draw from the past. That is why the Bank conducts quarterly surveys on consumer expectations and the business outlook. The qualitative and forward-looking nature of these surveys allows us to discover different points of view and obtain a more nuanced portrait of the future path of economic activity. Some of you may even have participated in these surveys; if so, I’d like to thank you for the contribution you’ve made to making monetary policy.

    We also engage with the public through outreach activities. The Bank needs to hear from a variety of participants in the economy to understand what is happening on the ground. Meeting with businesses, community groups and other organizations gives us an opportunity to listen, learn and deepen our understanding of their situation. The knowledge we gain helps us interpret the statistical data and contributes to our projections. This outreach also gives us an opportunity to explain the role of the Bank to Canadians.

    This is exactly what I will be doing during my time in Sherbrooke. I’ll have the opportunity to participate in a round table with Entreprendre Sherbrooke, speak with university students and meet with local officials. Sometimes outreach activities even have unintended outcomes. Last spring, I took an outreach trip to  Rimouski, where I grew up. After I was interviewed by local media, some childhood friends I had not heard from in years reached out and messaged me!

    As an aside, I’d like to point out that while the Bank seeks out views from a broad range of stakeholders, it makes monetary policy decisions independently. This protects the Bank from short-term political objectives and pressures from special-interest groups. The independence of a central bank is even more important when difficult decisions must be made, as has been the case in recent years.

    The next step in the decision-making process is the risk and recommendations meeting, which takes place about a week before the announcement date. Advisors and staff from economics departments share their points of view and debate the implications of raising, maintaining or lowering the policy rate. This culminates in a round-table discussion where each person puts forward a recommendation and its rationale. As you can imagine, we are never short on opinions. While Governing Council is ultimately responsible for making the decision, the decision is really the product of an enormous team effort.

    Once the members of Governing Council have heard from the advisors and studied their analyses and recommendations, they meet in private to evaluate everything they’ve learned and come to a decision. Now, I’ll shed a bit of light on how that works.

    Deliberating the decision

    Before I talk about the deliberation process, I have to let you in on a little secret. At the Bank’s head office, behind a massive wooden door, there is a room I like to call the Chamber of Secrets. It’s formally known as the Rasminsky Room, after Louis Rasminsky, the Bank’s third governor. All discussions and decisions about the policy rate take place in this room.

    It’s a secure room where the blinds are always drawn, and access is controlled. From inside this room, no communication with the outside world is allowed, and the use of electronic devices is strictly regulated. When we say “private” deliberations, we really mean it! The Bank takes security very seriously-and with good reason. A leak could have serious consequences. Many stakeholders-financial market participants, in particular-are very eager to get news of the decision.

    Returning to the topic of our deliberations, once all the members of Governing Council are in the room, the Governor opens the meeting. The Governor acts as chair and shepherds the discussions. Each member is given the opportunity to present their views on economic developments in Canada and abroad, and on the outlook for growth and inflation. Another tidbit from behind the curtain: in Governing Council discussions, the Deputy Governors speak in reverse order of seniority, with newer members speaking first. This ensures their views are not influenced by those of more senior members. The Senior Deputy Governor speaks next, followed lastly by the Governor. They express their views, which leads to further discussions. We then go around the table again, with members presenting their opinions on monetary policy and debating the rate decision.

    The process is not set in stone. The content and format of our discussions are adapted to the situation and vary depending on our thinking about the economic environment and risk landscape. For example, when I started at the Bank in March 2023, a number of regional banks in the United States had just failed. Questions about financial stability were at the forefront of our discussions. In recent months, an important focus of our discussions has been the stickiness of inflation in prices for certain services, including shelter.

    But how is the decision actually reached after all of these deliberations? Unlike other central banks, such as the US Federal Reserve or the Bank of England, where members vote, the Bank of Canada makes decisions by consensus. Members must therefore all agree on the course of action, even if we had different points of view when we walked into the Rasminsky Room. And it might not come as a surprise that we do not always agree on everything.

    In fact, it’s completely normal that members have differences of opinion. After all, each member of Governing Council has distinct expertise stemming from their past experiences and educational background. But the diversity of our expertise is exactly what makes it possible to have detailed and constructive discussions that lead to informed decision-making.

    So, how do we arrive at a consensus despite our differences of opinion? Here, the organic nature of our deliberations plays a key role. At times, points raised by other members may lead us to fine-tune or rethink the way we’ve interpreted the data. Or a colleague may raise a point or highlight issues that others had not originally considered. In my opinion, the need to arrive at a consensus strengthens our decision-making process. We must carefully consider the diversity of opinions within Governing Council and discuss among ourselves to arrive at a common position.

    I should also mention that reaching a consensus does not mean that all members of Governing Council share the same point of view on the economic outlook or the path for interest rates in the coming months. It means that members come to an agreement about the best decision to make at a particular moment in time.2 And the truth is that as new data are published and new information comes to light, differences of opinion tend to become less pronounced.

    Whatever shape the deliberations take, I can assure you that everyone around the table is always very conscious of the weight of these decisions. I fully felt this weight myself in June 2023 when I participated in my second round of monetary policy deliberations.

    In the year before my arrival, the Bank had decisively and forcefully raised the interest rate from 0.25% to 4.5% to combat the spike in inflation. At the beginning of 2023, the Bank indicated it would pause to evaluate the effects of the increases on the economy and inflation. But data released between April and June 2023 showed that the economy had been more robust than expected in the first quarter of the year and that inflation had even increased slightly. Given the situation, we reached the conclusion that we had to again raise the interest rate. But at the end of our Friday afternoon meeting, the Governor said, “Let’s take the weekend and sleep on this decision and come back on Monday with clearer heads to discuss again.”

    Over the course of that weekend, I came to fully feel the weight of the responsibility that came with my new role. I’d had countless discussions about monetary policy with colleagues and students over the course of my career as an academic. But as Deputy Governor, I found the discussions were no longer abstract or theoretical. I came to understand that I was one of six people whose decision would directly impact borrowing costs for millions of people like you and for businesses like yours. Believe me when I say that the realization made my head spin a little; it was really quite humbling.

    Communicating the decision

    One thing that may surprise you-as it did me-is that Governing Council’s work does not end once the decision is made. Communicating the reasons that led to the decision is almost as important as the decision itself. The members of Governing Council work closely with the Bank’s communications team to develop key messages and draft the press release and opening statement for the press conference. If only you knew how much time we spend trying to find the best ways to convey our message and looking for just the right words-in both official languages.

    With time, I’ve come to understand that this is not always an easy task. For example, at the July decision, we said downside risks to inflation were becoming increasingly important in our deliberations. Some people interpreted this to mean that we believed downside risks had strengthened. What we intended to communicate, however, was that, with the 2% target in sight, we gave increased consideration to the risk that inflation could fall below the target.

    As you can see, differences in interpretation can be very subtle, which makes choosing the right words all the more important. I’d like to think that all the years of explaining complex concepts to my students has given me a lot of practice in this regard.

    Even though I’ve been in this role for only a short time, I’ve been able to appreciate how the Bank’s approach to communication is constantly evolving. In the past, press conferences were held only when the rate announcement was accompanied by a Monetary Policy Report. Starting this year, all eight rate announcements now feature a press conference. This gives the Bank the opportunity to share its assessment of the economic outlook with the public and explain the reasoning that led to the rate decision. Following the decision, Governing Council members host information sessions and regularly give interviews with the media.

    Since January 2023, a summary of deliberations is published online two weeks after every decision. This document is a record of Governing Council’s assessment of the economic environment and the upside and downside risks to inflation. It also highlights where opinions converged and the topics that generated the most debate among members. The summary of deliberations for the September decision was published yesterday, in fact.

    Lastly, the Bank is always looking for new ways to communicate and for new channels to reach the widest audience possible. In fact, the Bank has accounts on YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to follow us.

    Conclusion

    It’s time for me to wrap up. I’ve now participated in 12 rate decisions. Since arriving at the Bank, I’ve always felt my experiences and external point of view have been useful to my work and valued by the other members of Governing Council and the organization as a whole.

    I genuinely feel I’m contributing to the mission of a rigorous and conscientious institution that is mindful that its credibility is directly linked to the effectiveness of its actions.

    Credibility must be earned. The Bank’s is founded on the trust that Canadians place in us and our actions. Even when those actions are difficult and have direct impacts, Canadians understand that we are always guided by our resolve to keep inflation low, stable and predictable.

    We are fully conscious of the responsibilities the Bank has toward all Canadians. To maintain the public’s trust, we must be rigorous, professional, humble, honest and transparent.

    It is to contribute to this transparency that I’ve spoken to you today about the Bank’s decision-making process. This process has allowed the Bank to weather many past storms, from recessions to economic crises and even a pandemic. And this process will keep us true to our promise to all Canadians: to bring inflation back to target and keep it there. That will always be the best way for the Bank to support the Canadian economy.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Asia Pacific – Governments, tech experts gather to boost regional commitments towards digital inclusion and transformation – ESCAP

    Source: ESCAP, United Nations

    Policymakers and industry experts today underscored the critical need to bridge the vast digital divide in the region, further calling for breakthrough solutions, more harmonized policy frameworks and increased investments toward scalable innovations with sustainable development impacts.

    Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in partnership with the Government of Kazakhstan, the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation aims to promote more inclusive digital economies and societies in the region, as well as foster digital cooperation to bridge the digital divide, strengthen digital connectivity, ensure robust digital skills training, and enhance digital trust and security.  

    “Digital by default has become our norm. It is restructuring our economies, bringing new opportunities for value creation, and reweaving the fabric of society to help tackle some of our most persistent sustainable development challenges. At the same time, digital transformation intersects with economic, environmental and social risks of unseen complexity and uncertainty,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in her opening remarks.

    Underscoring the importance of digital transformation, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov shared, “These technologies open new horizons for business, education, and healthcare, ensure economic growth, and expand opportunities for millions of people. We are actively developing these areas. Digital inclusion is also a crucial element, without which it is impossible to achieve the set goals. Only through cooperation, the exchange of knowledge, and best practices can we ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for all. We are ready to share our experience and knowledge.”

    While 96 per cent of the population live in areas covered by mobile broadband networks, only one-third productively use Internet services. Up to 40 per cent of people lack access to the Internet, most of whom are from vulnerable and marginalized groups. This significant divide also runs along income, age, education, geographic and gender fault lines.

    Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan was elected as the Chair of the Conference. “Kazakhstan is firmly committed to advancing a sustainable digital future. Today, digital technologies are key tools for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We have made significant progress: in 2023, we provided 274 million online services, 93 per cent of which are accessible to our citizens directly from their homes. We are also implementing proactive services automatically provided by the government, with 44 such services already available and used more than three million times. Kazakhstan is proud to rank eighth in the UN’s online services index and is ready to continue introducing innovative solutions for the benefit of society.”

    On the opening day, ESCAP also launched its Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2024 which considers how digital transformations will structurally and irreversibly affect the trajectory of climate change. It presents 27 illustrative case studies demonstrating the power of digital applications for smarter climate actions – across infrastructure, governance, mobility, industry and trade, disaster risk reduction, agriculture and biodiversity ecosystems.

    The report reveals that as the use of more advanced digital technologies is scaled up, there is a turning point beyond which carbon emissions tend to decline. Furthermore, the increased use of AI-driven geospatial data analytics is improving the accuracy and timeliness of early warning systems, so that the right information reaches the right people at the right time, thus contributing towards climate adaptation and mitigation measures in many countries.

    Policymakers from over 30 countries as well as representatives from the tech industry, start-ups, academia, international organizations, youth, business and civil society are participating in the two-day Conference and its associated events.  The Conference is expected to culminate tomorrow with the adoption of the Astana Ministerial Declaration on Digital Inclusion and Transformation.

    On the sidelines of the Conference, the Government of Kazakhstan is also hosting the Kazakhstan Tech Solution Day on 5 September, which will highlight the country’s tech companies, start-ups and digital innovations, such as SmartBridge (service showcase), Smart Data Ukimet (smart data government), and eOtinish.

    For further information: https://www.unescap.org/events/2024/asia-pacific-ministerial-conference-digital-inclusion-and-transformation

    Read report: http://www.unescap.org/kp/2024/asia-pacific-digital-transformation-report-2024-digital-innovation-smarter-climate-action

    Watch the proceedings: 

    www.youtube.com/unescap

    The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: China: Re-detention of activist Zhang Zhan highlights Beijing’s intolerance of dissent – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Chinese authorities must end their persecution of the citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, Amnesty International said after the activist was re-detained less than four months after being freed from prison.

    Zhang Zhan, who is being held at the Pudong New District Detention Centre in Shanghai, appears to have been targeted because she has continued to advocate for human rights since her release from jail on 13 May.

    “The depressingly predictable re-detention of Zhang Zhan is the culmination of the government’s ongoing campaign of harassment against her, even after she was ‘freed’ from prison. Since being released, Zhang has been subjected to surveillance that has intensified over the past month,” Amnesty International’s China Director, Sarah Brooks, said.

    “This latest detention underscores the Chinese authorities’ intractable intolerance of dissent and of Zhang Zhan herself, who despite being unjustly jailed has continued to raise her voice in solidarity with other human rights activists since being released. She has been re-detained because she refused to be silenced.”

    Following her release in May, Zhang Zhan expressed concern that her online speech was being monitored by authorities.

    According to information received by Amnesty International, she was regularly and repeatedly taken in for police questioning over the past month, with some interrogations lasting over 10 hours.

    In late August, it was reported that she traveled from Shanghai to the northwestern province of Gansu to show solidarity with other human rights defenders. Shortly thereafter, during a visit to her hometown in Shaanxi, she suddenly became unreachable; civil society reported that she had been taken into custody by police from Shanghai, well over 1000km away.

    “On 2 September, Zhang Zhan marked her 41st birthday – her first since being released. Yet instead of celebrating this hard-won reunion with her family, she has spent her fifth successive birthday deprived of liberty,” Sarah Brooks said.

    “We urge the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Zhang Zhan and ensure that she is granted full freedom and protection from any form of surveillance or harassment.”

    Background

    Zhang Zhan is a Chinese citizen journalist was who jailed for reporting on the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan.

    A former lawyer, she travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to provide on-the-ground information about what was happening there. She posted on social media about how government officials had detained independent reporters and harassed families of Covid-19 patients.

    She went missing in Wuhan in May 2020. It later emerged that she had been taken by the Chinese authorities and detained in Shanghai, where she was convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” after a sham trial.

    On 13 May of this year, after completing a four-year prison sentence, Zhang Zhan was released. However, since her release, she has been subjected to strict surveillance and continuous harassment by the authorities.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Tech Security – Study: Global online privacy and cybersecurity awareness continues to decline

    Source: NordVPN

    The most cybersecurity-aware country this year is Singapore.
    People ages 30-54 have the best cybersecurity skills.
    Only 6% of people globally know what privacy issues to consider when using AI for work.

    The world’s online privacy and cybersecurity awareness continues to decline, according to new research by the cybersecurity company NordVPN. Based on 31 analyzed markets with the highest numbers of responses, people globally knew best how to create strong passwords (96%), and they were worst with questions related to privacy issues that go hand in hand with AI usage for work (52%).  

    The annual National Privacy Test (NPT) is a global survey aimed to evaluate people’s cybersecurity, online privacy awareness, and educate the general public about cyber threats and the importance of data and information security in the digital age. It gathered 25,567 responses from 181 countries this year.

    “As the digital threat landscape evolves faster than ever, it is important that internet users understand the significance of safeguarding their personal information. The National Privacy Test takes the responsibility to educate people globally about cyber threats and equip them with essential tips to protect against fraud, data harvesting, surveillance, and other online dangers,” says Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer (CTO) at NordVPN.

    These countries rank in the top three for internet privacy and cybersecurity awareness:

    Singapore (62/100)
    Finland and Lithuania (61/100)
    Germany and the United States (60/100)

    Compared to 2023, less people understand the security benefits of updating apps

    The results of the test showed that people globally are also good at dealing with suspicious streaming service offers (95%), and they know which permissions to grant to different apps (91%).

    On the other hand, people globally also did not know what data ISPs collect as part of the metadata (13%), or how to secure their home Wi-Fi network (16%), most likely considering it safe by default.

    Among all respondents, 1% are Cyber Wanderers (barely know anything about internet privacy and cybersecurity), while the biggest proportion (66%) scored 50-74 points and were identified as Cyber Adventurers.

    Compared to 2023, less people understand the security benefits of updating apps as soon as the update is available. While in 2023, 69% said they update an app as soon as an update is available, this year, it’s 56%.

    Steps to increase online security and privacy

    Marijus Briedis from NordVPN shares a series of steps people can take to enhance their online privacy and security:

    Create unique and strong passwords. Use unique and robust passwords for each of your online accounts.
    Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). Strengthen your account security by enabling multi-factor authentication.
    Keep your software up to date. Regularly update your software, operating systems, and applications.
    Use a virtual private network (VPN). Always use a VPN to encrypt your internet connection, safeguarding your personal information from potential eavesdroppers.
    Review privacy settings. Regularly review and adjust privacy settings on social media platforms, mobile apps, and other online services.

    Methodology can be found here: https://nordvpn.com/blog/national-privacy-test-us-2024/

    ABOUT NORDVPN

    NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, chosen by millions of internet users worldwide. The service offers features such as dedicated IP, Double VPN, and Onion Over VPN servers, which help to boost your online privacy with zero tracking. One of NordVPN’s key features is Threat Protection Pro, a tool that blocks malicious websites, trackers, and ads and scans downloads for malware. The latest creation of Nord Security, NordVPN’s parent company, is Saily — a global eSIM service. NordVPN is known for being user friendly and can offer some of the best prices on the market. This VPN provider has over 6,400 servers covering 111 countries worldwide. For more information, visit  https://nordvpn.com.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Hong Kong: Government must show progress on same-sex partnership legislation after landmark ruling – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Government has one year left to deliver alternative legal framework for same-sex couples
    Same-sex couples in Hong Kong currently denied numerous rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples

    One year after a landmark ruling on LGBTI rights in Hong Kong, authorities should provide a progress update on their plans to recognize same-sex partnerships in the city, Amnesty International said today.

    On 5 September 2023, Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal ruled that the government had a constitutional duty to provide an alternative legal framework for same-sex partnerships to be recognized, setting a two-year deadline for its establishment.

    While the decision fell short of requiring marriage equality, it did establish a new benchmark for improving rights and recognition irrespective of sexual orientation.

    “One year since this memorable legal victory for LGBTI people in Hong Kong, we urge the government to provide an update on its plans to act on the Court’s judgment. The government has one year left to comply with the decision, but in the meantime equality is being denied on a daily basis,” Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said.

    “The government must heed their own courts’ call to ensure same-sex relationships in Hong Kong are recognized equally – and on the same basis and with the same rights and protections – as those of opposite-sex couples.”

    Hong Kong law does not currently recognize same-sex relationships, with same-sex couples not allowed to marry or enter into any form of registered civil partnership.

    Same sex couples are therefore prevented from enjoying the rights held by opposite-sex couples (with some exceptions if they married overseas*). Examples can be found in almost every aspect of life.

    Currently, individuals in same-sex relationships:

    Cannot jointly adopt children
    Cannot access assisted reproductive technologies
    Cannot inherit their deceased partner’s estate without a will*
    Cannot apply for public housing as an “ordinary family”*
    Cannot enjoy the potential benefits of filing income taxes jointly*
    Cannot extend medical benefits to their same-sex partner if they are employed by the government*
    Cannot object to the removal of their deceased partner’s organs for medical research or education
    Cannot receive immediate notification if their partner dies in prison
    Are not protected against less favourable treatment by their employer as a result of caring for a terminally ill partner.

    “The absence of a legal framework for same-sex partnerships in Hong Kong means couples face structural discrimination. It is time for the Hong Kong government to provide a transparent update on progress on this framework, including how much of it has been drafted, how they are consulting LGBTI people, and when it will be submitted to the city’s Legislative Council for discussion,” Sarah Brooks said.

    “Time is ticking. This one-year anniversary should be the impetus for accelerating the government’s work to comply with the Court’s ruling; to review and overhaul laws, policies and practices that discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status, and to uphold its rights obligations to all, however they identify and whomever they love.”

    Background

    On 5 September 2023, Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal handed a partial victory to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) activist Jimmy Sham. The Court set a two-year timeline for the government to provide an alternative framework for same-sex partnerships, meaning the process must be complete by 5 September 2025.

    Sham, who married his partner in the USA in 2013, began his campaign for Hong Kong to recognize same-sex marriages performed overseas in 2018, arguing that the current laws in place are unconstitutional.

    Currently, Hong Kong only legally recognizes “marriage” as being between a man and a woman and does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil partnership or any other form of legal union.

    The authorities have not taken sufficient steps to combat discrimination against LGBTI persons more broadly, despite a clear recommendation arising from the 2022 review of Hong Kong by the UN’s Human Rights Committee, tasked with monitoring the government’s implementation of obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

    However, in recent years, the Court of Final Appeal and lower courts in Hong Kong have held the blanket denial of partnership rights for same-sex couples to be discriminatory, opening the door to limited progress such as accepting the right of some same-sex couples to spousal dependant visas, employment benefits, joint tax assessment and public housing.

    Amnesty International opposes discrimination in civil marriage laws on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and calls on states to recognise families of choice, across borders, where necessary.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Nigeria: One out of every four children in Shinkafi and Zurmi is malnourished – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    MSF is urging immediate action after screening results reveal a catastrophic malnutrition crisis across Northwest Nigeria.

    Abuja,10 September 2024: One out of every four children under the age of five is malnourished in the Shinkafi and Zurmi areas of Nigeria’s Zamfara state, according to a mass screening conducted in June by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Ministry of Health. 

    Of the 97,149 children screened in 21 different urban and rural locations, 27 percent were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition, with five percent having severe acute malnutrition.

    These concerning figures far exceed the ‘critical level’ threshold established by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding malnutrition prevalence. MSF urges health authorities, international organisations, and donors to immediately intensify their efforts to tackle the escalating malnutrition crisis in Zamfara state, as well as whole of Northwest Nigeria – a region not yet included in the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan.

    The mass screening held in June in the Shinkafi and Zurmi areas further revealed that about 22 per cent of children screened are moderately malnourished. Currently, the nutritional supplies essential to treat such children, also known as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), are unavailable, as UNICEF halted its supplies at the start of the year. This current lack of humanitarian response to treat those who are moderately malnourished in Northwest Nigeria risks the lives of these children who, without immediate care, will progress to severe acute malnutrition that threatens their survival and compromises their long-term health.

    “The screening results from Shinkafi and Zurmi are nothing short of alarming, revealing a catastrophic malnutrition crisis across Northwest Nigeria,” declares Abdullahi Mohammad, an MSF representative in Nigeria. “The response to this overwhelming disaster is grossly insufficient. With malnutrition rates soaring beyond critical levels and no immediate treatment available for moderate acute malnutrition apart from at MSF facilities, we’re effectively letting more children fall into life-threatening conditions. It is crucial we ensure every child receives the medical care they desperately need.”

    MSF currently runs four inpatient and 17 outpatient facilities in Shinkafi, Zurmi, Gummi and Talata Mafara in Zamfara – a state badly affected by malnutrition. Across all four inpatient facilities, MSF teams have treated over 7,000 children from January to July 2024. These figures for admissions are 34 per cent higher than for the same period in 2023. In Shinkafi and Zurmi, where MSF conducted the recent malnutrition screening, the increase in admissions is 50 per cent more than the same period last year. At the medical facility in Gummi, admissions in July 2024 were almost double compared to the same month last year.

     

    Alongside the significant increase in malnutrition admissions, MSF teams are seeing high numbers of children with vaccine preventable diseases such as measles. In Zamfara, they have treated at least 5,700 measles cases so far this year. Infectious diseases like measles, malaria, and acute watery diarrhoea, severely compromise the nutritional status of children. In turn, malnutrition makes them far more susceptible to these illnesses, with a higher risk of death.

     

    “When I first brought my son into the hospital, I didn’t know if he would survive,” says Hafsat Lawal, a mother whose child is being treated for malnutrition at an MSF facility in Zamfara. “Back at home because of the insecurity we don’t have food. The prices of food have more than doubled. If we had money, we would have bought some grains, but we cannot.”

     

    Communities are facing high levels of violence in Zamfara and have told MSF teams that they are scared to move around the state, taking huge risks to reach functioning healthcare facilities. It is estimated by the health authorities that as of 2023, only about 200 out of 700 healthcare centres in Zamfara are accessible, and the rest are non-functional. One of the reasons being that healthcare workers struggle to reach them.

     

    Despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis and facing high levels of insecurity, communities in the Northwest have long been excluded from coordinated humanitarian response. It is essential that health authorities in this area, alongside international organisations and donors, urgently scale up their response. Immediate expansion of health facilities is needed to treat malnourished children to ensure that more hospitals can offer the type of inpatient care desperately needed to save lives. Moreover, UNICEF, as the primary supplier of RUTF, must ensure the consistent and sufficient delivery of these essential therapeutic foods to prevent more children from falling victim to this crisis.

     

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ​​​Tajikistan: Pamiri minority facing systemic discrimination in ‘overlooked human rights crisis’

    Source: Amnesty International

    The Tajikistani authorities are perpetuating systemic discrimination and severe human rights violations against the Pamiri minority, according to new research by Amnesty International. 

    The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) in East Tajikistan is home to several ethnic groups forming the Pamiri minority, mostly practicing the Shia Ismaili branch of Islam. 
    Denied official recognition as a minority and regarded as ethnic Tajiks by the central authorities, Pamiris face systemic discrimination, suppression of cultural and religious institutions, political oppression, and brutal reprisals for defending their rights.  

    “The ongoing persecution and human rights violations against the Pamiri minority in Tajikistan reached an alarming scale years ago. But there is almost no one to ring the alarm bell. 

    The Tajikistani authorities stifle virtually all information from the region, while the international community has largely overlooked this serious human rights crisis. It demands immediate attention and action from the international community to safeguard the rights and dignity of the Pamiri people,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

    Tajikistan: Reprisals against Pamiri minority, suppression of local identity, clampdown on all dissent highlights the violations of economic, social and cultural rights resulting from: the crackdown on Pamiri languages, cultural practices, and identities; the heavy presence of security forces from other regions of Tajikistan; violent repression of protest and widespread arbitrary detention; and socioeconomic marginalization faced by the Pamiri Ismaili community in Gorno-Badakhshan.

    Discrimination and securitization

    The central authorities have promoted a culture of prejudice against Pamiris. A state-sponsored narrative depicts them negatively, particularly Ismailis, leading to widespread discrimination. This policy manifests in repressive practices, including suppressing the use of Pamiri languages in media, education, and public life, excluding Pamiris from influential positions within the state administration and security apparatus, and extortion and destruction of local employment opportunities and Pamiri businesses.

    The heavy presence of security forces from other parts of Tajikistan reflects the authorities’ contempt for the Gorno-Badakhshan population. “The word ‘Pamiri’ [for the security forces] means […] separatist, oppositionist, main enemy,” said one of the interviewees.

    The presence of security agencies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), has significantly increased in GBAO. Security forces have set up armed cordons on roads and in city squares, including the capital city of GBAO, Khorugh, patrolled by heavily armed police and military. “The security forces in Khorugh behave like wolves looking after sheep. ‘You should not walk like this; you should not laugh!’” said one of the interviewees.

    Security operations in GBAO include surveillance, intimidation, and the excessive use of force — often justified as combating terrorism and organized crime — accompanied by arbitrary arrests and prosecutions of local informal leaders and ordinary Pamiris, despite a lack of credible evidence.  

    “The heavy-handed securitization in Gorno-Badakhshan is beyond any scrutiny. The local population is perceived as hostile by the central government, and people are harassed and discriminated against on a daily basis,” said Marie Struthers.

    2021-2022 crackdown and its aftermath

    Mounting tensions erupted after the killing of prominent Pamiri figure Gulbiddin Ziyobekov in November 2021. Officially described as the result of a shootout with law enforcement, evidence points to an unlawful killing of an unarmed man, which may amount to an extrajudicial execution. In response to a four-day protest in Khorugh, security forces used firearms against a crowd that had been peaceful until that point, killing two protesters and allegedly injuring around a dozen.  

    “We escorted the women away […] to a safer location. At that time, a bullet hit me. They were shooting from the entrance of the building, wearing uniforms. Some of them were standing directly in the entrance, some of them were on the second or third floor,” said one protester, describing the indiscriminate use of lethal force by law enforcement officials.

    After false promises to effectively investigate, the authorities instead persecuted informal community leaders, harassed civil society, and intimidated and prosecuted ordinary Pamiris.  

    A second outbreak of violence occurred in May 2022 when authorities violently dispersed peaceful protests in Khorugh and Rushan, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Pamiris, including informal leader Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov, shot by unidentified gunmen in a pickup — a likely extrajudicial execution. According to independent reports, 24 civilians died, some during the crackdown and some in alleged retaliatory unlawful killings.  

    A subsequent crackdown on civil society followed with the arbitrary detention of more than 200 human rights defenders, dissenters, and influential figures such as journalist and activist Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva and lawyers Faromuz Irgashev and Manuchehr Kholiknazarov. In December 2023, they received 21, 29 and 15-year sentences respectively, in secret trials, with the details of the charges made public only six months later.  

    Arbitrary detentions and torture

    The Tajikistani authorities routinely arbitrarily detain, allegedly torture, and engage in other ill-treatment of Pamiris, with reports of coerced confessions and fabricated charges of crimes against “public safety,” “fundamentals of the constitutional order” or “order of administration.” Legal proceedings lack transparency and due process, with many trials lasting only a few days. During the 2021-2022 crackdown, reports of torture and other ill-treatment were common.  

    One of the detainees in the aftermath of the May 2022 protests said he was deprived of sleep for two days, beaten with fists and batons and hit on the head with a thick book.

    “When they asked and I did not answer, they wrapped wet tissues around my fingers, then [fixed it with] tape. They put clips and switched something on. The [electric] current was strong. They did it with different fingers. They did it twice every day, four times in all,” he said.

    “After the 2021-2022 protests in Gorno-Badakhshan, the systemic discrimination against the Pamiri community has become ever more entrenched, resulting in fear, harassment and violation of human rights. The international community must urgently raise concerns about the human rights violations faced by Pamiris with the Tajikistani authorities, in all possible fora not the least international fora, stand in solidarity with the Pamiri people, give protection to those who seek it abroad, and take decisive action to oppose this vicious system in Tajikistan,” said Marie Struthers.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Asia Pacific – Singapore contributes to regional health emergency readiness through achieving Emergency Medical Team classification

    Source: World Health Organization (WHO)

    SINGAPORE, 12 September 2024 – Singapore’s Emergency Medical Team (EMT), known as SGEMT, today joined the ranks of quality-assured EMT,  prepared for self-sufficient and high-quality response to a wide range of health emergencies. This builds on years of work by Singapore’s government to support emergency response regionally and globally. The classification followed two days of intense evaluation by a team of expert peer reviewers from EMTs in China and Thailand, along with EMT experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Ensuring that Singapore is now able to deploy emergency responders to outbreaks or emergency events anywhere in the world, reflects the country’s commitment to advancing health security. SGEMT’s operational readiness reflects a whole-of-government effort that involves collaboration across multiple departments: health services, crisis strategy and operations, foreign affairs, military and civil defence forces.

    WHO’s EMT Global Classification is a quality assurance mechanism, using external peer review to assess compliance against international principles and standards. The process ensures that emergency medical teams are composed of trained team members, have appropriate equipment, are fully self-sufficient, and are well-integrated within national health systems when deployed for emergency response. This mechanism enables safe and high-quality medical care to be provided during public health emergencies are well-integrated within local health systems. This quality assurance mechanism enables the highest quality of medical care to be administered during any public health emergency.

    Enabling a network of emergency workforce across borders

    Members of classified emergency medical teams form an integral part of the global health emergency workforce, comprising a network of trained and equipped emergency responders that can surge when required and requested by affected countries. The EMT Initiative, hosted by WHO, aligns with global efforts to standardize quality and enhance interoperability between national, regional, and global emergency workforce capacities.

    EMT classification advances WHO’s Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) vision of a trained health emergency workforce centred in countries and coordinated regionally, as well as globally. GHEC provides a uniformly trained and globally connected emergency workforce corps that can effectively respond, as one cohesive unit, during a health emergency.

    Reiterating the value of global health emergency corps, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, noted: “In our interconnected world, efforts to build national emergency workforce capacities, simultaneously advance global health security. Initiatives like Emergency Medical Teams, ensure that countries are ready to respond with their own national emergency workforce during an emergency, and that they can access trusted networks of emergency responders across borders, when required.”

    The COVID-19 pandemic drove home the need for all countries to have emergency response capacities, a highly trained national workforce and access to essential technology and equipment. Through the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) collaborations between surge capacities such as emergency medical teams and rapid response teams, and other emergency response networks such as the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) expand countries’ capacities to diagnose faster and treat quicker.

    With the classification of the Singapore EMT, the Western Pacific now hosts 13 of 41 internationally classified EMTs, and national teams have been developed in  nearly every Member State across the Region, from Mongolia in the far north to New Zealand in the south, and in both the largest and smallest countries. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore, who attended the EMT verification process shared: “EMTs form a crucial resource for countries in the Western Pacific and the world at large that require deployable clinical capacity to reach remote and emergency-affected communities.” EMTs in the Region have supported multiple emergency response efforts, including for COVID-19, measles outbreaks, cyclones, earthquakes and even a volcanic eruption and tsunami.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Tools, ties and taverns: early Father’s Day boosts household spending in August – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    The CommBank Household Spending Insights Index saw the impact of energy rebates lower spending on Utilities, while university and school fees drove up Education spending.

    The CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index rose by 1.8 per cent in August to 154.3 as consumers splurged in the lead-up to an early Father’s Day.

    Ten of the 12 spending categories rose in the month, with Hospitality (+5.2 per cent) and Household Goods (+4.4 per cent) leading the way as consumers spoilt Dad at hardware stores, department stores and men’s clothing stores. Restaurants, pubs, taverns and bars and event hire saw a jump in spending in August.

    University and school fees paid in August led to a jump in spending on Education (+3.6 per cent), while Food & Beverage goods (+1.2 per cent), Household Services (+1.8 per cent), and spending on Motor Vehicles (+1.4 per cent) also rose.

    The annual pace of spending in the year to August remains subdued at 3.7 per cent for the year.

    “An early Father’s Day boosted spending in August as consumers appear to have lifted spend on household goods, while hospitality venues also saw people open their wallets during the month. The last time Father’s Day fell so early in the year spending retreated in September, which is worth keeping in mind as the annual spending rate still suggests a relatively weak consumer,” CBA Chief Economist Stephen Halmarick said.

    The biggest spending falls in the month were Utilities (-0.3 per cent) and Transport (-0.3 per cent) as government rebates on electricity and lower petrol prices offered some relief to consumers. This led to notable shifts in spending across home ownership status as renters saw an uptick in the annual rate of spending to 1.3 per cent, while those with a mortgage (+2.8 per cent) and outright owners (+1.8 per cent) saw a slowdown in spending compared to July.  

    “For the first time in August we saw the impact of the various government electricity rebates on wallets which can be seen by the decreased spending on utilities. This, coupled with increased education spend, impacted spending across home ownership categories as we saw a jump in spending by renters likely due to university fees, while outright owners benefited from reduced spend on utilities as this is typically a larger share of their wallet,” Mr Halmarick said.

    “While the earlier timing of Father’s Day has added some complexity to the data, we still anticipate that softer economic conditions, easing inflation, and rate cuts by other central banks will prompt the RBA to lower interest rates later in 2024. However, there is a possibility of delays pushing this into early 2025.”

    The CommBank HSI Index tracks month-on-month data at a macro level and is based on de-identified payments data from approximately 7 million CBA customers, comprising roughly 30 per cent of all Australian consumer transactions.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Russia – MSF-Netherlands is instructed to deregister in the Russian Federation and consequently has to close its programmes in the country

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    Moscow/ Amsterdam, 17 September 2024: Thirty-two years after starting work in the Russian Federation, Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had to close its operations in the country.  

    “It is with a heavy heart that we have to close our activities in the Russian Federation,” says Yashovardhan, head of MSF programmes in the country. “Our organisation’s work is guided by the principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality and medical ethics, we provide assistance based on the needs.”

    In August this year, we received a letter from the Ministry of Justice of Russia, with the decision to withdraw the affiliate office of the non-profit association ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’ (Netherlands) in the Russian Federation from the Register of affiliate and representative offices of foreign NGOs.

    The international humanitarian medical organisation had been present in Russia since 1992. For more than 30 years, we successfully implemented dozens of programmes, ranging from assistance to the homeless to emergency response to the collaborative work with the Ministry of Health in the innovative tuberculosis treatment. We worked in various regions of the country: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Kemerovo region, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and – more recently – in the Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions as well as in the south of Russia in Belgorod and Rostov-on-Don.

    A significant part of the history of MSF in Russia and the region was linked to the implementation of advanced approaches to the treatment of tuberculosis. MSF has collaborated with medical academic community of Russia and other countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia to extend effective, innovative treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) to patients in penitentiary and civil sectors across the region.

    In 2004-2017, we worked in close partnership with the Chechen Ministry of Health (MoH), providing technical and advisory support to the local health authorities in the treatment of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis in the Chechen Republic. The programme covered different aspects of TB diagnostics, treatment, laboratory services and health education, as well as adherence counselling and psychosocial support for patients and their families. In 2014, MSF supported MoH in introducing new treatment regimens for patients with extensively drug-resistant TB which yielded impressive results giving hope to patients who previously had no treatment options left.

    In 2021, MSF and local health authorities of the Arkhangelsk region in the north of Russia started successful implementation of a nine-month all-oral course of treatment for DR TB. 173 patients were enrolled on this treatment regimen. And later, in 2023, we started enrolling patients on an even shorter – just six months-long – all-oral treatment course that was recommended by the World Health Organization in the updated treatment guidelines in late 2022.

    In Arkhangelsk and starting from 2024 in Ivanovo, MSF was providing expertise and technical assistance to health authorities with a special emphasis on implementing new treatment regimens and enhancing patients’ adherence and integrating person-centred care. To date, 41 patients in the Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions started treatment for DR TB within this joint programme. The aim of the collaboration was to contribute to the evidence base for more effective – less toxic, person-centred – treatment with a view to scale up these scientifically proven treatment protocols in Russia.

    In Moscow and St Petersburg since 2020, MSF partnered with two community-based NGOs to support access to general healthcare, as well as testing and treatment for infectious diseases, for people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups, such as migrants, who otherwise struggle to obtain medical assistance.  Over 14,000 medical consultations were supported for patients from these vulnerable groups.

    Since the escalation of the armed conflict in Ukraine in 2022, many people have sought safety in Russia, and MSF in partnership with local NGOs in the Belgorod and Rostov regions in the south of Russia started providing assistance to those who crossed into Russia from Ukraine and later – with the development of the situation – internally displaced people. Since the start of our response in 2022, more than 52,000 refugees and displaced people were provided with humanitarian aid and more than 15,400 received free medical, mental health and psychosocial support.

    As part of this partnership, we were also planning to respond to the humanitarian and medical needs of the internally displaced people in the Kursk region. MSF continues to stand in solidarity with people impacted by this conflict and remain steadfast in our commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, irrespective of what side of the front line they are on, should the necessary conditions for our work be provided by relevant authorities.

    “We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our colleagues in Russia for their hard work and commitment to humanitarian values we hold high as an organisation,” says Norman Sitali, MSF Operations Manager responsible for programmes in Russia. “We are very sad to conclude our programmes in the country as many people in Russia in need of medical and humanitarian assistance will now be left without the support we could have provided to them. MSF would like to still work in Russia again if and when possible”.

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Business and Tech – 25 Disruptive Technology Startups Join Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab’s 10th Cohort

    Source: Morgan Stanley

    • Tenth Lab cohort includes 25 disruptive technology and technology-enabled startups from the Americas and EMEA
    • Five-month accelerator program to provide founders with $250,000 (£250,000) investment, as well as mentorship and business-growth resources
    • 117 companies have participated in the Lab to date.

    Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced the 2024 global cohort of the Inclusive Ventures Lab, with 25 companies selected from the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Over the next five months, the companies will participate in an in-house accelerator program designed to further develop and scale technology and technology-enabled startups in the seed to Series A funding round stage.

    Chosen from thousands of applications, the 25 startups represent a range of disruptive technologies across industries such as Climate Tech, Retail, Healthcare, FinTech, SaaS, Enterprise Software, Consumer and Travel – with many incorporating AI and sustainability into their products and services. Cohort companies will receive a $250,000 investment (£250,000 in EMEA) from Morgan Stanley, as well as a variety of mentorship opportunities, a tailored entrepreneurship curriculum and business-growth resources from the firm’s ecosystem of internal and external partners.

    “In today’s challenging venture capital environment, we are proud to welcome our largest cohort of groundbreaking startups to the Inclusive Ventures Lab and are eager to support them as they scale their innovations and work to build a better world,” said Selma Bueno, Global Head of the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Group. “Each year since the Inclusive Ventures Lab’s launch in 2017, we have expanded our efforts to ensure that more entrepreneurs around the world can succeed – and this year is no different.”

    The companies selected to participate in the 2024 cohort include the following:

    • Agri-Trak digitizes small farm operations with a smart platform for real-time labor, crop yield and cost tracking to optimize productivity, sustainability and profitability (US)
    • Beta Financial provides a transparent and comprehensive small business credit scoring solution, fostering financial inclusion and access to capital through innovative AI-driven technology (US)
    • Blip Energy is building a drop-in distributed energy resource to mitigate surging peak demand, optimize energy costs for users and reduce operating costs for utilities (US)
    • Compare Ethics is an AI-powered sustainability compliance platform that reduces costs by helping retail brands simplify, streamline and scale the way they make accurate green claims (UK)
    • Darent is a vacation rental marketplace platform in Saudi Arabia for travelers to search for properties with a focus on local experiences, a secure payment system and property insurance for hosts (Saudi Arabia)
    • For The Creators is an omni-channel circular fashion marketplace where women can rent and buy high-quality clothing for each stage of motherhood (UK)
    • GroceryList is a marketplace connecting immigrants worldwide with local merchants across Latin America and the Caribbean, enabling them to purchase groceries and essentials for their loved ones back home (US)
    • HANX is a consumer platform bringing together medically designed women’s reproductive health products, prescription treatments and community-focused content (UK)
    • Hire Ground is a B2B software platform that enables enterprise buyers to source and manage third party vendors while optimizing their procurement process (US)
    • Infinite Giving is a fintech platform that enables nonprofits to raise money, manage their cash reserves, and conservatively invest and grow (US)
    • Juniver is a health company leveraging AI technology to provide personalized digital interventions for lasting eating disorder recovery (UK)
    • KSI Vision uses existing AI on store and shopping center security cameras to generate real-time customer data and increase sales conversion (Uruguay)
    • Mavity is an AI-powered operating system for design and marketing teams that connects companies with on-demand creatives to streamline asset creation (US)
    • MyARC is a platform that enables fitness content creators to train their fans at scale (UK)
    • NÜWIEL provides electric mobility solutions for the cities of today and tomorrow (Germany)
    • OVUM is a one-stop shop for fertility wellness, providing educational resources, products and services for improving fertility outcomes (UK)
    • Research Grid is an automation engine for admin-free clinical trials (UK)
    • Revere is reinventing how allocators manage their alternative asset portfolios through AI, workflow automation tools and custom reporting (US)
    • Route is a platform of business management tools for commercial cleaning companies to automate sales, streamline operations, build contractor relationships and connect the entire cleaning industry (US)
    • Sanarai connects the Latino community to mental health professionals in Latin America and the US to offer culturally sensitive, Spanish-language emotional support at accessible prices (US)
    • Soralink leverages AI and smart sensors to assist manufacturers in preventing critical machine failures (Canada)
    • Sortile provides the textile industry with a system that enables the identification, traceability and recycling of textiles (US)
    • SWYE360 Learning is a data analytics company that uses machine learning and AI in education to measure software efficacy and detect students at risk of dropping out (US)
    • Tendo Technologies addresses the challenges faced by aspiring online retail entrepreneurs in Africa by connecting independent resellers to suppliers (Ghana)
    • Zest Equity is digitizing private market transactions, building tools to streamline and ensure greater transparency in how entrepreneurs, funds and investors transact (UAE).

    Programming will culminate in February 2025 with a global Demo Day, when participating companies will present to potential investors, business partners and customers. The investment firms in attendance at the last showcase represented over $40 billion of dry powder and indicated a high level of interest following the event.

    About the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab
    The Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab (MSIVL) is an intensive five-month in-house accelerator program designed to help further develop and scale startups, culminating in a showcase presentation and Demo Day to the investor community. Morgan Stanley launched MSIVL, formerly called the Multicultural Innovation Lab, in 2017 in order to address inequities in funding of startup founders, which our research shows equals over four trillion dollars in unrealized returns.

    About Morgan Stanley
    Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: India: Authorities must end repression of dissent in Jammu and Kashmir – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    The Indian authorities must stop using restrictive travel bans and arbitrary detentions under the country’s stringent anti-terror laws to intimidate critical dissenting voices from speaking out on Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International said today ahead of the first state elections in the last ten years.

    The authorities’ escalating repression of human rights after India revoked the special autonomous status of the region has resulted in arbitrary detentions, passports being revoked, the creation of opaque ‘no flying lists’, the denial of entry into India and arbitrary cancellations of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status and affected those with Indian and non-Indian citizenship speaking out against the repression.

    “The Indian authorities are using arbitrary restrictions and punitive actions to create a climate of fear in Jammu and Kashmir. Anyone daring to speak out – whether to criticize the government or to stand up for human rights – faces a clampdown on their rights to freedom of expression and association and are unable to move freely within and outside the country,” said Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India.

    “The Indian authorities must end their campaign of harassment and intimidation against dissenting voices. The people of Jammu and Kashmir must be able to exercise their right to fully participate in the decision-making about their future in the run up to, during and after elections.”

    Since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019, which scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special semi-autonomous status, and since Amnesty International issued its last briefing on the human rights situation in the region, we have verified the cases of at least five individuals, including journalists,  political leaders and activists, who have been prevented from travelling abroad or travelling into India, despite having the requisite travel documents, in violation of their right to freedom of movement. The Indian authorities have imposed the bans without any written explanation, court order or proper notification within the legal time frame which indicate a form of retaliation against their legitimate human rights work around Jammu and Kashmir.  

    The government also continues to misuse the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows authorities to arbitrarily detain people for up to two years without charge or trial, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to carry out arbitrary  detentions. This has led to self-censorship of independent voices, and the Indian authorities’ near total control over information from Jammu and Kashmir.

    Passports confiscations, revocations and delays in issuance

    While there is no official data on the cancellation, denial, impounding or revocation of passports in Jammu & Kashmir, media reports suggest that about “98-200” passports may have been revoked since the abrogation of Article 370. Amnesty International documented in detail two cases of critics facing arbitrary passport revocation and one case of inordinate delays in issuance of passports.

    Masrat Zahra, a Kashmiri photojournalist who has won several international awards, has found herself in a state of limbo after her Indian passport was revoked without warning while she was pursuing higher education in the United States. Her family in Kashmir received a notice on 24 September 2023, dated back to 3 July 2023, demanding a response by 20 July—a deadline that had already passed by the time she became aware of it.

    “They had already made their decision to revoke my passport, so responding seemed futile,” Zahra said. “I am essentially trapped. I cannot leave the United States, nor can I return to India. I’ve had to self-censor my thoughts, avoiding anything that might raise attention on social media. But the hardest part is being separated from my family and unable to continue my work in Kashmir. I feel a deep responsibility to be the voice of my people, who are currently voiceless. There are no stories coming out of Kashmir anymore.”

    Before leaving India in March 2021, Zahra had been targeted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in April 2020 for allegedly posting ‘anti-national’ content, though she was never formally detained. “Once I left, my name was added to a no-fly list. If I return to India, I know I will not be able to leave again. The police have harassed and surveilled my family, assaulted my father and mother. They questioned neighbors about my whereabouts and subjected my family to endless phone calls,” Zahra explained.

    In addition to these challenges, Zahra continues to face death threats, and the charges under which she was persecuted remain active. “Even though I was never given a copy of the FIR, the authorities retain the power to arrest me at any time if I return,” she added.

    Waheed Para, an activist and political leader associated with the opposition Jammu & Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was accused by the National Investigation Agency, India’s primary anti-terror investigation body of being a “threat to the security of the state”, and had his passport impounded and revoked in May 2023 by the Regional Passport Office in Srinagar before he could travel to the US to start a fellowship at Yale University.

    “They [Regional Passport Office] did not give me any concrete reasons for revoking my passport. They just arbitrarily invoked national security as a ground without any explanation… I lost a great academic opportunity…[I] could not even travel within India to secure a proper treatment for my father who was suffering from cancer and recently passed away. It has been extremely traumatic,” Para told Amnesty International.

    Iltija Mufti, who is the daughter and media advisor to Mehbooba Mufti, ex-chief minister and political leader associated with PDP, has routinely spoken against the repression in the region since the abrogation of Article 370. She waited months to have her passport issued.

    “Finally, I had to approach the court and was able to get my passport after more than a year. The authorities had similarly troubled my mother and grandmother with their passports. My freedom of movement is a right enshrined in the Indian Constitution, but I had to really struggle to exercise this right,” Mufti told Amnesty International.

    Till date, she has not been made aware of the reasons why the issuance of the passport was delayed. “They invoked the Official Secrets Act which is used in the cases of espionage to maintain secrecy. I haven’t even as much as had a traffic violation in my life. Their response was extreme. I was punished for daring to speak up,” she added.

    Documents conferring special rights cancelled

    Issued by the Indian government, an OCI status allow foreign nationals with links to India through ancestry, marriage or prior citizenship, to enter India without a visa and stay, work and hold property among other benefits.  

    In 2022, Amrit Wilson, an 82-year-old India-born British journalist and activist, received a formal document from the High Commission of India, accusing her of involvement in ‘multiple anti-India activities’ and ‘detrimental propaganda’ against the Indian government. As a result, her OCI was cancelled.

    “I was quite shocked to know that my OCI was cancelled. It is also extremely unfair because I have done nothing against India… It is absurd to say I’m anti-Indian. I grew up there. My parents lived their whole lives there,” Wilson told Amnesty International.

    While no concrete reason was offered to Wilson for the cancellation, an affidavit filed by the Indian authorities in an Indian court pointed towards several tweets she posted that were critical of the abrogation of Article 370 as grounds for cancellation.

    Nitasha Kaul is a British-Indian professor of politics of Kashmiri origin, who has testified about the human rights situation in Kashmir before the United State House Committee on Foreign Affairs. She holds a UK passport and an OCI, but on 23 February 2024, she was denied entry to India and as a result, hasn’t been able to see her ailing mother, who still lives there.  She was not given any reason by the immigration authorities for such a denial except to tell her that they had received orders to not allow her entry by “authorities in Delhi”.

    Kaul also told Amnesty International that a few weeks after she was denied entry to India, she received a notice from the Indian government on cancelling her OCI. Without any evidence, the letter accused her of “regularly targeting India and its leadership, particularly on Kashmir issue through [her] inimical writings, speeches, and journalistic activities at various international forums and social media platforms.”

     Kaul told Amnesty International, “Not being able to meet my only family has been deeply distressing. It is egregious and entirely unwarranted to punish scholars this way. My health has been significantly affected. My mother cannot travel to me, and I cannot be there for her. This is repression across borders and vindictive targeting of a scholar who does not toe the government line.”

    Arbitrary detention of critics

    In June 2024, the Indian authorities arrested the former president of the Jammu & Kashmir Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom who had been critical about human rights violations by Indian authorities and the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. In July 2024, they arrested three more lawyers under the PSA. All four lawyers are being detained in jails outside of Kashmir, often in Jammu and Uttar Pradesh state.

    Their detention come amidst a crackdown on the Bar Association, which has been accused by the Indian authorities of “providing free legal aid to anti-nationals” and holding “anti-national and pro-secessionist” ideology.

    Journalists Majid Hyderi and Sajad Gul are also being detained under PSA and held outside Kashmir in Kot Balwal jail in Jammu district. “Out-of-state detention acts as an additional punishment for the detainees who are mostly government critics. The distance away from their home state further suppresses their freedom of expression and makes their families suffer, as well as making it difficult for them to meet regularly. The detainees are also unable to meet with their lawyers regularly,” said Shafqat Shah*, a lawyer at J&K high court.

    As part of its research, Amnesty International reviewed the Habeas Corpus Petitions (HCPs) filed to challenge the detentions under PSA before the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in the periods of 2014-2019 and 2019-2024. It found that there was a seven-fold increase in the number of cases filed under the PSA after 2019, with Muslim-dominated Srinagar recording consistently more PSA cases than Hindu-dominated Jammu.

    Amnesty International also found that the average time taken to dispose of these petitions in Srinagar High Court has inordinately been increased since 2019, further enabling arbitrary and prolonged detention.  From 269.9 days in the period of 2014 – 2019 to conclude a HCP which essentially allow the detainees to challenge the lawfulness and conditions of their detention in an independent and impartial court of law, the average time taken has gone up to 329.2 days in the period of 4 August 2019 – 31 July 2024.

    Even though the Election Commission of India has reportedly instructed the government officials in Jammu & Kashmir to not undertake “unnecessary preventive detention” ahead of the state elections, any kind of meaningful reprieve will only come from releasing those held under PSA for merely exercising their human rights and holding the authorities accountable.

    Data published by the National Crime Record Bureau in 2022 shows that nearly 37 per cent of the UAPA cases all over India were registered in Jammu & Kashmir, with a conviction rate of 3%. This illustrates the likelihood that the law is being misused to clamp down on human rights defenders by ensuring that the criminal proceedings characterized by stringent bail provisions, prolonged detention, and lengthy investigation under the UAPA as punishment. Khurram Parvez, a civil society activist and coordinator of Jammu & Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, and journalist Irfan Mehraj continue to be detained under UAPA since 2021 and 2023 respectively.

    “The modus operandi of the Indian authorities is to avoid carrying out large scale arrests or extrajudicial killings of critics and intensify their intimidation and harassment. This leads to powerlessness of the journalists and civil society by trapping them in a revolving door of answering queries and fighting criminal cases,” said Akhtar Bano*, an editor from Kashmir.  

    Enhanced control of the union government

    In a further threat to human rights, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir – appointed by the central government –  was on 12 July 2024  given absolute control over the jurisdiction of state governance including the local administrative officials, prisons, prosecutions and law offices. The increase of the powers of the LG enhances the control of the union government over the region, concentrating power in the hands of the LG and significantly limiting the autonomy traditionally exercised by the local government. This shift not only reduces the role of the Chief Minister and the elected legislature but also marginalizes their influence over critical administrative and legal decisions, thereby diminishing the power of local governance.

     Since 5 August 2019, the Indian authorities have also cracked down on government officials in Jammu & Kashmir for allegedly holding views “prejudicial to the interests of the security of the state” or being related in whichever capacity to people who were once militants. According to media reports, at least 40 government officials have been terminated  from their services without giving a reasonable opportunity to the officials to appeal or challenge such termination.

    All cases of passport revocation, travel bans, and cancellation of OCI status documented by Amnesty International were characterised by over-broad reasons and a shroud of secrecy, closed executive appeal process and restricted access to courts, making them convenient tools of repression for the Indian authorities.  The making of decisions by the executive without any consultation of the public and the crackdown on government officials is further symbolic of violation of rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to take part in the political process and to express their opinions without any fear.

    “The first step to ending the repression in Jammu and Kashmir is to immediately release all those detained under the Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression,” said Aakar Patel.

    “The Indian authorities must go further and ensure all human rights are upheld and protected for everyone in Jammu and Kashmir. That is the ‘naya’ (new) Kashmir that the authorities must aspire to as they lay grounds for the return of the statehood of the region.”

    *Names changed to protect identities.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Early dingoes are related to dogs from New Guinea and East Asia – University of Sydney

    Source: University of Sydney

    Australian dingo has evolved over 3,000 years to become larger and leaner – New archaeological research by the University of Sydney has discovered for the first time clear links between fossils of the iconic Australian dingo, and dogs from East Asia and New Guinea.

    The remarkable findings suggest that the dingo came from East Asia via Melanesia, and challenges previous claims that it derived from pariah dogs of India or Thailand. 

    Previous studies used traditional morphometric analysis – which looks at the size and shape of the animal using callipers – to trace the dingo’s ancestry to South Asia.  

    However, the new study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, uses sophisticated 3D scanning and geometric morphometrics on ancient dingo specimens to show clearly that they are most similar to Japanese dogs, as well as the ‘singing dogs’ of New Guinea and the highland wild dog of Irian Jaya.
     
    Dr Loukas Koungoulos, a research associate in the Discipline of Archaeology at the University of Sydney, said: “The origins of this controversial Australian native animal have been heavily debated for more than a century. Our research has found the elusive first links between fossil material that suggest dingoes have evolved locally from an East Asian dog-like ancestor.”

    Dr Koungoulos added: “The archaeological sites at Lake Mungo and Lake Milkengay hold some of the oldest evidence of dingoes in the whole of Australia. It is incredible to see how these remarkable animals have evolved over thousands of years and gives us a greater understanding of this uniquely Australian species.”  

    The study team – which included Associate Professor Melanie Fillios from the University of New England and Dr Ardern Hulme-Beaman from the University of Liverpool – looked at the remains of ancient dingoes found at Lake Mungo and Lake Milkengay in western NSW.

    Associate Professor Melanie Fillios said: “Our research underscores the antiquity of dingoes, pointing to a common ancestor between dingoes and the more recent canines in Southeast Asia.”

    In collaboration with the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area Traditional Owners, the team used radiocarbon dating to discover that some remains were over 3,000 years old.

    The team also found that modern-day dingoes have evolved to become larger and leaner, standing at an average of 54cm tall compared to between 40-47cm for their ancient ancestors – a size much closer to their contemporary relatives in Southeast Asia and Melanesia.  

    RESEARCH

    Koungoulos, Loukas G. et al ‘Phenotypic diversity in early Australian dingoes revealed by traditional and 3D geometric morphometric analysis’. (Natural Scientific Reports)  

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65729-3

    DECLARATION

    Research funding was received from the Australian Government Research Training Partnership, the Carlyle-Greenwell Postgraduate Scholarship and the Ben Sandford Cullen Award.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ release notification

    Dear subscriber

    Below you can find Stats NZ’s information releases for the next week. For more information about these releases go to Insights and make your selections in the drop-down options.

    6 September 2024
    Value of building work put in place: June 2024 quarter
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    10 September 2024
    Business employment data: June 2024 quarter
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    Business financial data: June 2024 quarter
    View recent business financial data releases

    Local authority statistics: June 2024 quarter
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    11 September 2024
    International migration: July 2024
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    International travel: July 2024
    View recent international travel releases

    Our release calendar has a full list of release dates for official statistics.

    The release calendar is updated six months ahead, but dates may change.

    Information releases include the latest statistics for the subject, with a summary (in the Key facts section), statistical Tables, and links to metadata and related information.

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