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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Increase Accessibility Funding to Child Care Facilities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on December 20, 2024

    Today, the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada have announced that regulated child care facilities across the province will now receive up to $3,200 per month for every child eligible under the Enhanced Accessibility (EA) Grant, an increase of $1,200. 

    The EA Grant assists regulated child care facilities in covering the additional costs associated with offering services to children who have intensive needs across various areas of development.

    “We are listening to the sector and hearing their challenges on being able to offer specialized care,” Education Minister Everett Hindley said. “This increase in funding will allow Saskatchewan child care facilities to continue providing safe, inclusive child care for families of children with special needs.” 

    The grant is provided directly to a regulated child care facility and can be used to assist with the cost of  additional staffing required to care for children with exceptionally high needs. 

    The number of children supported with the EA Grants can vary over time as more children enter regulated child care and require additional supports.

    “This additional funding is a huge step to support our inclusive environments for children of all abilities,” Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre Executive Director Sheila Paradis said. “The increased demand for early learning services in our community has also increased the demand for inclusive services. This is a much-needed change and this increase will help us hire suitably educated inclusion supports who help children overcome challenges, improve their quality of life, impact educational outcomes and significantly influence life long success.”

    The ministry is committed to supporting child care facilities in building their capacity to meet the needs of children with intensive needs. Supports include access to a tuition-free Autism Certificate of Achievement, tuition-free inclusion micro-credentials, the Building Inclusive Practices initiative and numerous online resources and learning modules in the ministry’s Early Learning Portal to support inclusive practices.

    “A high-quality, affordable, and flexible child care system must also be inclusive, so every child in Saskatchewan, and across the country, can thrive,” Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds said. “We are making it easier for families to access services that meet the diverse needs of every child.”

    A one-time Accessibility Rating Grant is now available to child care centres to help identify barriers and create accessible spaces for all children using the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) assessment. The RHFAC is a national rating system that measures and certifies the level of meaningful access to buildings. The $12,500 grant will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis to child care centres with an accessible entryway and experience supporting children with intensive needs.

    The Accessibility Rating Grant is a commitment made under Saskatchewan’s Action Plan for the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Infrastructure Fund, which provides $19.1 million to Saskatchewan from 2023 to 2026, to help build more inclusive and accessible child care spaces across the province.

    Funding for both the EA Grant and the Accessibility Rating Grant is available under the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The agreement, which was signed in August 2021, supports an early learning and child care system in Saskatchewan based on principles of affordability, accessibility, quality and inclusion. 

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks Makes Holiday Calls to Deployed Service Members

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon provided the following readout:

    Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks spoke today via video call with deployed service members from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy to wish them happy holidays.

    During the conversations, Deputy Secretary Hicks thanked the service members and their families for their unwavering dedication and sacrifice in defense of the nation.

    She commended their commitment and hard work toward ensuring the safety and security of the United States, as well as their continued commitment to supporting America’s allies and partners around the globe.

    Deputy Secretary Hicks spoke with service members from the following units:

    • 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade. Soldiers from this unit are deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, to develop the Djiboutian security forces’ capabilities and capacity to rapidly deter threats through the Battalion Intervention Rapide (BIR).
    • 480th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron. Airmen from this unit are deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudia Arabia, supporting aircraft and training requirements in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
    • USS Gettysburg (CG 64). Sailors aboard USS Gettysburg (CG 64), a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, are deployed in defense of the Harry S. Truman Strike Group to ensure regional stability and security in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. 

    Deputy Secretary Hicks also commended the professionalism and integrity with which U.S. service members worldwide carry out their duties, and the vital contributions of military families in support of our all-volunteer force.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Files Settled Charges Against Multiple Entities for Failing to Timely File Forms D in Connection With Securities Offerings

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against two private companies and one registered investment adviser for failing to timely file Forms D for several unregistered securities offerings in violation of Rule 503 of Regulation D. The parties charged are:

    • GRID 202 LLC, a registered investment adviser which does business as Re-Envision Wealth;
    • Pipe Technologies Inc., a privately held financial technology company; and
    • Underdog Sports Holdings, Inc., a privately held corporation that operates an online fantasy sports website and mobile app.

    All offers and sales of securities must either be registered under the Securities Act or fall within an exemption from registration. Regulation D contains certain offering exemptions and a safe harbor from the Securities Act’s registration requirements. To protect investors and safeguard markets, an issuer offering or selling securities in reliance on one of those exemptions or the safe harbor is required to file a Form D within 15 days after the first sale of securities in the offering.

    An issuer’s failure to follow the requirements to file a Form D (or amend its existing Form D filing) impedes the Commission’s ability to fully assess the scope of the Regulation D market, which is key to the Commission’s understanding of whether Regulation D is appropriately balancing the need for investor protection on one hand and the furtherance of capital formation on the other, particularly as it relates to small businesses. It also harms the Commission’s ability to monitor and enforce compliance with the requirements of Regulation D and the ability of state securities regulators and self-regulatory organizations to monitor and enforce other securities laws and rules. In addition, it hampers the ability of investors and other market participants to understand whether companies are complying with federal securities laws in their offerings, to research and analyze the Regulation D market, and to report on capital-raising in industries that use Regulation D.

    “Form D filings are crucial sources of information on private capital formation, and compliance with the requirement to make such filings in a timely manner is vital to the Commission’s efforts to promote investor protection while also facilitating capital formation, especially with respect to small businesses,” said Sanjay Wadhwa, Acting Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “Today’s orders find that the charged entities deprived the Commission and the marketplace of timely information concerning nearly $300 million of unregistered securities offerings.”

    Without admitting or denying the findings, Re-Envision Wealth, Pipe Technologies, and Underdog Sports Holdings agreed to cease and desist from violating the charged provisions and to pay the respective civil penalties of $60,000; $195,000; and $175,000.

    The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Alicia Guo, Karen M. Lee, and Adam S. Grace of the Enforcement Division’s New York Regional Office and Claire M. Tafelski and Lee A. Greenwood of the Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit, with assistance from Beth Groves and Howard Kaplan in the Enforcement Division’s Office of Investigative & Market Analytics, Rachita Gullapalli and Daniel Bresler in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis and Gerard Sansobrino, Barry Simmons, Christopher Ruvolo, and David S. Eidelman of the Division of Examinations. The investigation was supervised by Sheldon L. Pollock of the New York Regional Office.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Artificial Intelligence and Its Potential Effects on the Economy and the Federal Budget

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that have traditionally required human intelligence, such as learning and performing other activities that require cognitive ability. A general attribute of AI is its ability to identify patterns and relationships and to respond to queries that arise in complex scenarios for which the precise computational algorithm that is needed cannot be specified in advance.

    Because AI has the potential to change how businesses and the federal government provide goods and services, it could affect economic growth, employment and wages, and the distribution of income in the economy. Such changes could in turn affect the federal budget. The direction of those effects—whether they increased or decreased federal revenues or spending—along with their size and timing, are uncertain. Some budgetary effects could occur relatively quickly, whereas others might take longer. In this report, the Congressional Budget Office provides an overview of the channels through which the adoption of AI could affect the U.S. economy and the federal budget.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Research: BMX 2024 Annual Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, BitMart released the BMX 2024 Annual Report.

    1. 2024 Crypto Market Review

    At the beginning of the year, capitalizing on the momentum generated by the previous year’s bull market, BTC achieved a peak price of $73,881 in March. Nevertheless, despite the occurrence of its halving event in April, the market did not transition into a sustained upward trajectory. Instead, it underwent a significant decline in June, resulting in an extended period of adjustment. The primary catalysts in the first half of the year included the approval of an ETF for both Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as the halving event. While the introduction of the ETF attracted institutional investment and enhanced the recognition of cryptocurrency assets within traditional financial markets, the halving event, despite lacking immediate positive impacts, is anticipated to substantially increase the value of Bitcoin over the long term. The market correction observed in June was precipitated by numerous factors, including Japan’s interest rate hikes, developments surrounding the Mt. Gox compensation case, and the German government’s liquidation of crypto assets, which collectively heightened selling pressure and instigated market panic.

    In the latter half of the year, the cryptocurrency market experienced a resurgence of momentum. Expectations regarding interest rate cuts revitalized the market, while the election victory of Donald Trump contributed to a robust recovery, resulting in BTC prices exceeding the $100,000 threshold and reaching a new all-time high of $104,088. Consequently, the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies and trading volumes witnessed significant increases. In this context, altcoins displayed strong performance, with substantial gains observed in SOL, ETH, XRP, and ADA across various sectors. Trump’s proposed policies — characterized by the easing of regulations, the establishment of national reserves, and the support of mining enterprises — emerged as central themes for market recalibration. This highlights the positive influence of clear regulatory frameworks in enhancing User confidence and fostering growth within the industry.

    In contrast to previous years, the participation of institutional users has begun to significantly reshape market dynamics. Bitcoin’s dominance has continued to strengthen, while Ethereum has encountered challenges to its previously monopolistic position due to competition from emerging blockchain technologies and its constrained value capture capabilities. Concurrently, the decline in the popularity of altcoins has facilitated the emergence of the MEME sector as a new focal point within the market. These developments indicate a discernible trend toward diversification within the cryptocurrency industry.

    2. BMX Market Performance

    Figure 1: Annual Changes in Exchange Platform Tokens’ Prices and Market Capitalizations

    (Data Source：CMC、CG)

     According to data from CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, the prices and market capitalizations of platform tokens from major exchanges have exhibited an upward trajectory over the past year, although notable variations in performance have been observed. BMX experienced a price escalation of 57.9% accompanied by a market capitalization increase of 56.8%, culminating in a total market capitalization of $262 million, indicative of consistent growth. Generally, lower-market-cap tokens have experienced substantial benefits due to their smaller baselines, resulting in rapid growth. In contrast, higher-market-cap tokens have demonstrated stable growth, reflecting resilience albeit with comparatively slower rates of increase.

    It is worth noting that Trump’s presidency may lead to clearer crypto market regulations, potentially reshaping the global cryptocurrency landscape. This development could significantly impact the future of the crypto industry. The resignation of SEC Chairman Gary Gensler further signals a turning point for crypto enterprises previously targeted by SEC lawsuits. Centralized exchanges, long under SEC scrutiny, are likely to benefit substantially from this leadership change, potentially achieving significant progress in regulatory compliance.

     Figure 2: Comparison of Exchange Spot Average Daily Trading Volume and Circulating Market Capitalization Over the Past Year

    (Data Source：CMC、CG)

     According to data from CoinGecko, the circulating market capitalization of BMX currently amounts to $262 million, a figure that is significantly lower than that of other exchange platform tokens. However, BitMart has demonstrated an average daily spot trading volume of $803 million over the past year. A comparison of BMX’s market capitalization with BitMart’s daily trading volume reveals that the exchange’s trading activity exceeds the valuation of its platform token. Furthermore, both the market capitalization and price of BMX have experienced considerable growth over the last year. This trend indicates that, despite its relatively modest market capitalization, BMX is undergoing heightened market activity and demand, as the broader market gradually starts to acknowledge its potential value.

     3. BMX Burn Progress

    Figure 3: BMX Burn Progress Table

    In accordance with the repurchase mechanism detailed in the BMX whitepaper, BitMart executed the repurchase of approximately 5,672,978 BMX tokens in the year 2024, amounting to a total value of approximately $2,034,343. This series of repurchase initiatives underscores BitMart’s ongoing commitment and confidence in its platform token, BMX. By allocating a portion of its revenue generated from transaction fees towards these repurchases, BitMart has effectively decreased the circulating supply of BMX in the market, thereby contributing to its stability and scarcity.

     4. New Features and Activities for BMX in 2024

    Figure 4: New BMX Features in 2024

    In 2024, BMX introduced a series of new features that substantially enhanced its value and liquidity. The implementation of a staking feature enables users to obtain stable annual returns without facing any entry barriers, thereby attracting a larger number of long-term participants. Additionally, the small asset conversion feature addresses the issue of “dust” balances in user accounts, improving the utility of minor assets while expanding the practical use cases for BMX. Users can also benefit from transaction fee discounts and engage in various platform activities. Furthermore, the establishment of a P2P trading market has rendered BMX trading more adaptable, allowing users to conduct transactions using diverse payment methods, which, in turn, increases the liquidity and market demand for BMX. The listing of BMX on KuCoin signifies an important step in its expansion within the global market, drawing greater interest from users. Additionally, the introduction of the BMX Flash Sale feature has further elevated the exclusive benefits available to holders.

    The introduction of the stake-to-list feature has empowered BMX holders to make independent decisions regarding the listing of projects on BitMart, while also benefiting from shared transaction fees and additional advantages. This initiative fosters a sense of collective ownership, enhances decision-making authority, and provides users with control, growth opportunities, and shared responsibilities within the BitMart community.

    The recent enhancements to the BMX platform have significantly broadened its range of applications, offering users an increased array of opportunities for investment returns and active participation. With functionalities including staking, conversion, peer-to-peer trading, IEO, and stake-to-list mechanisms, the diverse features of BMX have substantially elevated its market appeal and liquidity. These improvements have not only enriched the user experience but have also contributed to the platform’s growth and adoption within the cryptocurrency market.

    Figure 5: New BMX Activities in 2024

    In 2024, BMX implemented several strategic initiatives that significantly enhanced its market appeal and user engagement. These initiatives encompassed trading competitions, external collaborations, and community-building programs. The trading competitions incentivized a substantial influx of participants, thereby increasing the liquidity of BMX. External collaborations not only served to promote BMX but also elevated the visibility of related projects. The community-building program recognized and rewarded active members, while also providing essential traffic support. Collectively, these initiatives not only broadened the applications of BMX but also improved its liquidity and market influence. Through this program, BMX fostered user retention, attracted a greater number of dedicated users and community contributors, and bolstered its market activity and long-term growth potential.

    5. BMX Value Benefits

    – Higher Account Levels and Trading Fee Discounts: BMX holders are eligible for higher account levels and better trading fee rates. The more BMX a user holds, the greater the discount they receive.

    – Higher Copy Trading Profit Share: BMX holders qualify for a higher percentage of copy trading profit sharing.

    – Participation in Launchpad: BMX holders can participate in BitMart’s exclusive Launchpad and receive free airdrops of newly listed tokens.

    – VIP Membership Upgrade Criteria: BitMart offers a lifetime VIP membership plan, and holding BMX is one of the criteria for upgrading.

    – Stake-to-List: Users can stake BMX to support their favorite projects and earn rewards.

    – Participation in BitMart Products: Users can stake BMX to participate in various products offered by BitMart and earn higher interest rates.

    – Ecosystem Payment Token: BMX can be used as a payment token for projects within the BitMart ecosystem.

    – Holding Trading Rebate: Invite friends to hold and trade BMX to earn rebates.

    Risk Warning:

    Use of BitMart services is entirely at your own risk. All crypto investments, including earnings, are highly speculative in nature and involve substantial risk of loss. Past, hypothetical, or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

    The value of digital currencies can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk in buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Investing involves risks, and the content should be approached with caution. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Serstech recruits new Chief Commercial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Niclas Ekström will join Serstech as Chief Commercial Officer on March 24, 2025.
     
    Niclas has more than 25 years of experience in international sales and commercial leadership roles as Marketing Director, Product Director, Head of Sales and Managing Director. He has a MSc degree in business administration and economics and will be a member of the senior management team of Serstech.
     
    “I’m excited to welcome Niclas to Serstech and our management team. With his solid background and experience, Niclas will bring invaluable expertise to Serstech”, says Stefan Sandor, Serstech CEO.

    For further information, please contact:
    Stefan Sandor,
    CEO, Serstech AB Phone: +46 739 606 067
    Email: ss@serstech.com

    or

    Thomas Pileby,
    Chairman of the Board, Serstech AB Phone: +46 702 072 643
    Email: tp@serstech.com
    or visit: www.serstech.com

    Certified advisor to Serstech is Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgranskning AB (SKMG).
     
    About Serstech
    Serstech delivers solutions for chemical identification and has customers around the world, mainly in the safety and security industry. Typical customers are customs, police authorities, security organizations and first responders. The solutions and technology are however not limited to security applications and potentially any industry using chemicals of some kind could be addressed by Serstech’s solution. Serstech’s head office is in Sweden and all production is done in Sweden.

    Serstech is traded at Nasdaq First North Growth Market and more information about the company can be found at www.serstech.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB, Hamkorbank Sign Deal to Enhance Financial Access for Rural MSMEs in Uzbekistan

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN (20 December 2024) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Hamkorbank has signed a 625 billion Uzbek sum (equivalent to about $50 million) loan to enhance access to financing to rural micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Uzbekistan.

    A majority of the loan will be allocated to support financial inclusion for MSMEs outside the capital of Tashkent. At least 20% of the loan will be directed towards women-owned or led MSMEs, and at least 10% will be earmarked for green technology investments. The country’s nearly half a million MSMEs are a key pillar of the economy, contributing over 50% of GDP and employing most of the working population. Even so they struggle to access bank loans, especially those run by women who often lack basic finance and management skills.

    “ADB is committed to Uzbekistan’s inclusive economic development. This partnership with Hamkorbank will provide much-needed support for rural MSMEs, empowering entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and contributing to the country’s overall economic resilience,” said ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Suzanne Gaboury. “By focusing on MSMEs and green technology investments, ADB’s support for Hamkorbank will stimulate local economies, fostering long-term, inclusive growth that benefits a wide cross-section of society including women-led businesses.”

    “This partnership underscores Hamkorbank’s commitment to supporting the Uzbekistan’s economic reforms and development strategies. ADBs financial support, especially given the market scarcity of medium-term local currency financing, will help meet the evolving needs of MSMEs, contributing to a more dynamic and resilient Uzbekistan,” said a Hamkorbank’s CEO Bakhtiyorjon Juraev.

    Established in 1991, Hamkorbank is Uzbekistan’s third-largest private bank, with a strong rural footprint, servicing its clients through a network of 50 branches, 150 service outlets, and multi-sales channels.

    ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Heat Up This Holiday Streaming Season With New Festive Flicks and TV Picks on Samsung TV Plus

    Source: Samsung

     
    Thursday, December 20, 2024: This Christmas, Samsung welcomes a range of new content to bolster its free, festive line-up on Samsung TV Plus, as families settle in for the holiday streaming season.
     
    With over 200 live TV channels and thousands of movies and shows on demand, all for free, Samsung TV Plus offers a diverse range of premium programming to suit every taste this holiday season. No subscriptions, no downloads—just pure festive fun available across Samsung Smart TVs[1].
     
    Samsung is bringing the heat this Christmas with a wide range of content to suit every home’s festive viewing wishes. From viral YouTube interview show, Hot Ones, iconic Christmas classics on Festive Hub, the latest in trending K-content, festive foodie content from Jamie Oliver, and live sporting coverage on FIFA+ and the Tennis Channel, there really is something for everyone.
     
    Beyond the hundreds of free live TV channels spanning multiple genres like news, entertainment, sports, Samsung is also delivering top gaming action with the Samsung Gaming Hub – your gateway to over 3,000 cloud-enabled games, right from your TV[2].
     
    With leading services like XBOX Game Pass[3], NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and Amazon Luna integrated seamlessly, players can jump into their favourite titles instantly. Whether you’re battling through epic adventures, solving puzzles, or enjoying family-friendly classics, the Samsung Gaming Hub makes gaming more accessible and immersive than ever. It’s, perfect for holiday gatherings or solo play.
     
    Gus Grimaldi, Head of Samsung TV Plus EMEA, said: “At Samsung, we’re creating an all-in-one entertainment hub that offers something for everyone. From festive favourites and globally loved shows on Samsung TV Plus to immersive gaming experiences on the Samsung Gaming Hub, we’re providing families with choice and convenience this Christmas. Our goal is to make it easier than ever for people to come together, enjoy incredible content, and create lasting memories this holiday season.”
     
    Jordan Byers, Brand Marketing Lead at Samsung Electronics UK&I comments: “Our Christmas offering is just one of the many ways we’re committed to delivering more than just a TV. With advanced AI optimisation that provides the perfect picture and sound, to an ever-growing rooster of content to watch and play, we’re offering our customers more ways to enjoy and experience our products than ever before.”
     
    Samsung TV Plus Top Christmas Selects
     
    Festive Hub: the home of heart-warming holiday films
     
    Festive Hub delivers the essential Christmas experience for a range of audiences. With a line-up of many cheerful films such as snowy romances from Hallmark media and Lifetime entertainment, to great comedies, and animated specials. There are seasonal offerings for the whole family, perfect for cosy evenings by the fire.

    Hot Ones: the YouTube series heating up the holidays

    Dive into the globally beloved Hot Ones, where celebrities answer questions while enduring increasingly spicy wings. It’s the ultimate mix of laughs, spice, and surprising revelations to keep you entertained this Christmas, with its latest guests including Paul Mescal, Idris Elba, and Millie Bobbie Brown.
     
    The latest in K-Content: your gateway to global stories
     
    For fans of Korean dramas, movies, and variety shows, Samsung TV Plus brings the freshest K-content to your screen. Celebrate the holidays with gripping stories, high-quality productions, and globally trending series.
     
    Jamie Oliver cooking shows: festive inspiration for your Christmas feast
     
    Jamie Oliver’s beloved cooking shows are here to make your Christmas delicious. From traditional roasts to creative twists on festive favourites, Jamie brings expert guidance and accessible recipes for all.
     
    [1] Samsung Gaming Hub comes already available on Samsung Smart TV models from 2022, 2023 and 2024.
    [2] Internet connection, additional gaming service subscription and compatible controller required. Gaming Hub not available in Republic of Ireland.
    [3] Requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Internet connection and compatible controller required.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: South Sudan receives thousands of displaced and injured people fleeing intensified war in Sudan

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Juba – As South Sudan receives a massive influx of tens of thousands of people fleeing the intensified war in Sudan, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is scaling up its response to the humanitarian crisis in Renk and surrounding informal settlements along the border. Over the last weeks the number of recently displaced people has surpassed 80,000, including hundreds of people with war wounds. MSF is calling for immediate, coordinated humanitarian and medical support for displaced people to address critical gaps and prevent further suffering.

    Over 5,000 people have crossed into South Sudan each day since the beginning of December, as the fighting escalates near the border in Sudan’s White Nile, Blue Nile, and Sennar states. The influx of people into Renk town and surrounding areas has overwhelmed an area that is already scarce of resources, leaving displaced people in crisis.  

    “We have added 14 tents around the hospital to make space for the war-wounded patients that are arriving at Renk County hospital,” says Emanuele Montobbio, MSF emergency coordinator in Renk. “There is no place for other tents in the surroundings, while patients and their families keep coming to the hospital.”

    “We are working alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to treat war-wounded patients and manage the growing influx of critical cases and the mass casualty response in pre- and post-operative care wards, but the situation is completely overwhelming and it’s not enough,” he says. “Just a few dozen people have been treated with surgical interventions and tetanus vaccinations in recent weeks, while over 100 wounded patients, many with serious injuries, still await surgery.”

    Outside the transit centres within Renk and in informal settlements, thousands are forced to live under trees or in makeshift shelters, with limited access to food, clean water, healthcare or any other basic services. The poor water and sanitation conditions are heightening the risk of disease outbreaks at a time when Renk is already experiencing a cholera outbreak.  

    “Immediate action must be taken,” says Roselyn Morales, MSF deputy medical coordinator in South Sudan, following the team’s assessment on the ground. “Thousands of people are living in dire conditions under the open sky in informal settlements, facing critical shortages of food, clean water, shelter and healthcare.”

    A stagnant pool of water is the only easily accessible water source in the Jerbana informal settlement. Both humans and livestock depend on this pool, which is gradually drying up. South Sudan, 19 December 2024.
    Isaac Buay/MSF

    “We urgently call on both South Sudanese authorities and international organisations to rapidly scale up their response in Renk and beyond, ensuring that the essential and lifesaving needs of the affected population are addressed without delay,” she says.

    The two transit centres in Renk, which are designed to accommodate a maximum of 8,000 people, are now sheltering over 17,000. While most returnees and refugees initially entered South Sudan through the official Joda border crossing, an increasing number are now crossing through informal routes to the east of Renk. More than 82,000 new arrivals have been recorded in areas including Joda, Duku Duku, Jerbana, Shemmedi, Gosfami, and Atam.  

    “Our village was in flames,” says Alhida Hammed, who is displaced from Sudan’s Blue Nile state and is currently under treatment for a gunshot wound at Renk County hospital. “The houses were blazing, and everyone was running in different directions. We have been displaced and now live under a tree. I have no desire to return home. Home is no longer a home—it is filled with bad memories.” 

    “I used to only hear about air raids, but recently, it became a reality,” says Bashir Ismail, who is from Mosmon in Sudan’s Blue Nile state. “I was at the market buying some items when the bombing started. Something hit me in the chest—it was the most painful experience of my life. I was so disoriented that it felt like I had lost my memory. The next thing I knew, I was in Renk County hospital.” 

    MSF is deploying mobile clinics to provide general healthcare in informal settlements in Gosfami, Atam, Jerbana and Joda, where displaced people are concentrated. On 17 December alone, MSF teams conducted over 250 medical consultations in Gosfami and referred severely ill people to Renk County hospital.

    We are also launching activities in response to the urgent need for water and sanitation in Atam and Jerbana. Additionally, relief items have been delivered to these areas for distribution to 2,500 displaced families. However, despite these efforts, the response remains insufficient due to the absence of other humanitarian organisations in these informal settlements, which has left a significant gap in support for displaced people.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Could trusting each other more unlock economic growth?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex

    Shutterstock/GoodStudio

    Trust in Britain’s institutions is in bad shape, according to recent data from the European Social Survey.

    Trust is important because a good deal of governing involves trying to persuade people to do things or convince them that things will get better in the future. This is increasingly difficult to do if trust is in decline. Trust in political institutions is particularly important when governments have to make unpopular decisions, such as raising taxes.

    Data covering a 20-year period shows a marked decline in trust in parliaments, political parties and politicians. The following question is asked in the European Social Surveys over time:

    Please tell me on a score of 0-10 how much you personally trust each of the following institutions. 0 means you do not trust an institution at all, and 10 means you have complete trust in it.

    The decline in trust began around the time of the 2016 survey, when the lowest level of trust in politicians and political parties was recorded in 20 years of doing the survey. Parliament has done a bit better, but decline in trust for it is still quite marked. It is no coincidence that this decline started in 2016 – the year of Brexit.

    Average trust scores for British institutions, 2002-2022

    Trust on the slide.
    P Whiteley, CC BY-ND

    But the European Social Survey carries another important measure of trust – our trust in fellow citizens. A question in the surveys asks how trusting respondents felt about other people on an 11-point scale, with a high score indicating that people are trusting.

    Average trust scores in other people in Britain, 2002-2022

    Trust in other people.
    P Whiteley, CC BY-ND

    After a shaky start at the beginning of the millennium, trust in other people increased significantly in Britain in 2006, to over 5.35 on the 11-point scale. It then dropped in 2008, the year of the financial crisis. The recovery from this decline was in place by 2010. It is noticeable that the trust scores fell again in 2018, when the political consequences of Brexit were making themselves felt. Trust revived again in 2020 during the pandemic.

    So, our trust in each other is in healthier shape than our trust in institutions. This is important because trust in others is a key measure of social capital – the willingness of people to work together to solve social and economic problems in society. The importance of social capital in creating prosperity in the US was highlighted by the American political scientist Bob Putnam in his best-selling book, Bowling Alone.

    Trust is lacking in British politicians.
    Flickr/UK Parliament, CC BY-NC-ND

    There is now a large literature on social capital and trust, some of it focusing specifically on Britain. The findings are that trust promotes prosperity for a number of reasons. If people trust each other, they are more likely to volunteer. This free labour helps to provide a social safety net, which increases prosperity for all – even if it is not fully recognised in the national income statistics.

    High-trust countries like Denmark and Sweden also have low levels of corruption – and corruption is a blocker to growth. In a high-trust environment, the costs of doing business are lower because there is less need for elaborate contracts, expensive lawyers and lots of litigation to make other people behave properly. This is, in part, why high-trust countries are richer than low-trust countries.

    It’s well established that economic growth is driven by investment in innovation, skills and transport, extra manufacturing capacity and greater workplace productivity. However, it is also the case that social capital helps to create economic growth. In researching this across a variety of countries, I found that trust was very important in stimulating economic growth alongside these other factors.

    Government has limited direct influence on social capital, but it can encourage it by investing in voluntary organisations and increasing transparency in its dealings with the public.

    Britain has suffered from a lack of investment in capital spending and infrastructure, and has neglected investment in education over the past 15 years. Social capital seems to be in much better shape, and faced with the significant challenge of restoring growth, the UK government needs to pull every lever at its disposal. It can repair trust in politics with its own actions, and this is likely to help with sustaining social capital, which is part of the solution to restoring economic growth.

    Paul Whiteley has received funding from the British Academy and the ESRC.

    – ref. Could trusting each other more unlock economic growth? – https://theconversation.com/could-trusting-each-other-more-unlock-economic-growth-246302

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Givinostat conditionally approved to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today (20 December 2024) granted a conditional marketing authorisation for the medicine givinostat (Duvyzat) to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

    Givinostat is a nonsteroidal drug indicated for the treatment of patients aged 6 years of age and older with all genetic variants of DMD.

    DMD is a muscle wasting condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. It usually only affects boys and those assigned male at birth.

    It’s caused by alterations in a protein called dystrophin. This causes muscle fibres to break down. They’re replaced by fibrous or fatty tissues that cause the muscle to gradually weaken.

    Around 100 boys are born with DMD each year, and there are about 2,500 people living with the condition in the UK at any one time.

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Keeping patients safe and enabling their access to high quality, safe and effective medical products are key priorities for us.

    We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards for the approval of this medicine have been met.

    As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.

    Givinostat comes as an oral suspension to be taken twice daily.

    It is a drug from a family of molecules called HDAC inhibitors (histone deacetylase) which reduce in­flammation and fibrosis in muscle tissues. HDAC inhibitors also promote muscle regeneration and slow down the progression of DMD.

    This approval is supported by evidence from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 18-month study involving 179 ambulatory patients with DMD who were given a placebo or givinostat for 18 months. Further data is required for the efficacy in non-ambulatory patients and will be subject to review following completion of additional clinical trials, as detailed in the condition associated with approval.

    The study found that participants treated with givinostat over an 18-month period took significantly less time to climb four stairs compared to those given placebo.

    A secondary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline to month 18 in physical function as assessed by the North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) — a scale commonly used to rate the motor function in boys with DMD who are capable of walking. Compared to placebo, patients treated with givinostat saw less worsening in their NSAA score after 18 months.

    The most common side effects of the medicine (which may affect more than 1 in 10 people) include abdominal pain, decrease in blood platelet count (which can increase risk of bleeding), diarrhea, elevated levels of triglycerides (a type of blood fats), fever, nausea and vomiting. The prescribing information for givinostat advises healthcare providers to assess patients’ platelet counts and triglyceride levels prior to initiating treatment. During treatment, regular monitoring of platelet counts and triglycerides is recommended to determine whether dosage adjustments are necessary.  Additionally, givinostat may lead to QTc prolongation, a condition where the heart takes longer than normal to recharge between beats, which can elevate the risk of irregular heart rhythms. Patients with certain heart conditions or those taking other medications that prolong QTc intervals should avoid using givinostat.

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of givinostat under close review.  Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors 

    1. The new conditional marketing authorisation was granted on 20 December 2024 to Italfarmaco S.p.A. More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.

    2. Giovinostat has been conditionally approved through the International Recognition Procedure (IRP). A conditional marketing authorisation is an early temporary license in which we may accept less completed clinical studies than would be necessary to issue a full marketing authorisation, provided the manufacturer clearly indicates when complete clinical data will be available. However, CMA post-approval conditions are determined on a case-by-case basis, and don’t have to be limited to providing further clinical data. A CMA lasts for one year and can be renewed annually.

    3. For more information about Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/muscular-dystrophy/

    4. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.

    5. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.

    6. For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 December 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK calls on all parties to the conflict to refrain from obstructing MONUSCO operations: UK Statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Explanation of vote delivered by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, following the vote on renewing MONUSCO’s mandate.

    The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of this resolution renewing MONUSCO’s mandate. And we thank France and Sierra Leone for their leadership of the negotiations.

    I would like to make two points.

    First, The UK is disappointed by the postponement of the Luanda Process Heads of State Summit scheduled for 15 December.

    We remain greatly appreciative of Angola’s mediation efforts and urge all parties to engage with the Luanda Process in good faith and deliver on their commitments.

    Second, we are concerned by the surge in violence since the 15 December.

    In this context, the UK is concerned by the presence of Rwanda Defence Forces in DRC, as reported by the Group of Experts. 

    We call on all parties to the conflict to refrain from obstructing MONUSCO operations.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 December 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza is now a graveyard and there’s no escape, say UN aid teams

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    Hunger, dire living conditions made worse by heavy winter rains and ongoing hostilities continue to endanger people’s lives in Gaza, which has become “a graveyard”, UN humanitarians warned on Friday. 

    “The world is not seeing what’s going on with these people, it’s impossible for families to shelter in these conditions,” said Louise Wateridge, from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

    Speaking from Nuseirat in central Gaza after heavy winter rains overnight and into Friday morning, the  UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer insisted that “an entire society here is now a graveyard…Over two million people are trapped. They cannot escape. And people continue to have basic needs deprived and it just feels like every path here that you could possibly take is leading to death.”

    Echoing that warning, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted widespread and dangerous malnutrition levels in the enclave, where more than 96 per cent of women and children in Gaza “cannot meet their basic nutritional needs,” said Rosalia Bollen, Children’s Fund (UNICEF) communication specialist.

    Speaking from Amman, Ms. Bollen noted that the most northerly part of Gaza has been under a near total siege for 75 days. This has largely prevented humanitarian assistance from reaching youngsters in need there “for more than 10 weeks”, she said.

    “The suffering is not just physical, it is also psychological…Children are cold, they’re wet, they’re barefoot; I see many children who still wear summer clothes and with cooking gas gone, there’s also lots of children I see scavenging through piles of garbage looking for plastic they can burn.”

    With more heavy rain expected on Friday evening, UNRWA’s Ms. Wateridge emphasized the critical need to get aid into the enclave to support Gazans who have been uprooted multiple times by Israeli bombardment and who have little to protect themselves from the elements.

    “It’s impossible for families to shelter in these conditions,” Ms. Wateridge insisted. “Most people are living under fabric, they don’t even have waterproof structures and 69 per cent of the buildings here have been damaged or destroyed. There’s absolutely nowhere for people to shelter from these elements.”

    Multiple and continuing aid obstacles imposed by the Israeli authorities have meant that humanitarians have had to prioritize food over shelter, leaving Gazans desperate and at risk from food stampedes.

    “The certainty of winter has been the only thing that the United Nations has been able to plan for,” Ms. Wateridge maintained. “And yet we have still not yet been facilitated to bring in enough shelter supplies for people, because we have had to prioritize food. Women have been crushed to death waiting for a piece of bread.”

    On Thursday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported that the Israeli authorities had “denied another UN request to reach besieged areas of North Gaza governorate with food and water. As a result, Palestinians in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and parts of Jabalya remain cut off from the essential assistance they need to survive.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New development of ‘impossible’ polymer capable of increasing both stiffness and flexibility

    Source: US Government research organizations

    An NSF-funded research team solves a centuries-long dilemma in the world of polymers

    Scientists have developed something long thought impossible: a polymer that’s both stiff and stretchable, without one quality compromising the other. Materials research has shown that the stiffer a polymer, the less flexible it will be — but no longer. 

    The findings are published in the journal Science Advances and supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The University of Virginia research team behind these findings shows that strength and “stretchability” don’t necessarily have to be opposites when it comes to polymers.  

    Liheng Cai, assistant professor of materials research and principal investigator of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development award, says, “We are addressing a fundamental challenge that has been thought to be impossible to solve since the invention of vulcanized rubber in 1839.” The research was led by doctoral student Baiqiang Huang.  

    Credit: Matt Cosner, University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science

    University of Virginia assistant professor Liheng Cai (right), Ph.D. graduate student Baiqiang Huang (left) and UVA alumnus and former postdoc Shifeng Nian (not pictured) have solved a dilemma that has flummoxed polymer engineers since Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber: How to make polymer networks that stretch as needed without sacrificing stiffness.

    Says Huang, “This limitation has held back the development of materials that need to be both stretchable and stiff, forcing engineers to choose one property at the expense of the other.”   

    He adds, “Imagine, for example, a heart implant that bends and flexes with each heartbeat but still lasts for years.” 

    Cai and team discovered that polymer qualities of stiffness and flexibility have the same molecular basis. What they have in common: They’re both based on cross-linked polymer strands.  

    The more cross-links are added the stiffer the material becomes. But it also grows more fragile, and less supple or “stretchable,” the more cross-links are added in the process. That is only when they are added in a linear fashion.  

    Instead of linear cross-links, Cai and colleagues tried for a “bottlebrush” structure. This nonlinear network of material is made up of “core” cross-link strands branching out into polymer “side chains.”  

    On a molecular level, these allow the material to have a foldable or accordion-like structure when it moves — imbuing the polymer with qualities of firmness and flexibility simultaneously and independently of each other.  

    Andrew Lovinger, program director in the NSF Division of Materials Research, says, “This very clever polymer architecture by Professor Cai opens the door to materials with unprecedented combinations of properties and exemplifies the very rich design potential offered by polymers.”  

    Materials with this capability show promise for medical, health care and robotics innovations, such as implants, prosthetics, electromechanical devices and more.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Electronic components can self-assemble using new technique

    Source: US Government research organizations

    A recent proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates a potential way to manufacture electronic devices with less energy and waste

    A new technique for creating simple electronic device components proved effective in recent tests. The results show that self-assembly for more complicated electronics, like 3D computer chips, could be possible. 

    The findings are published in Materials Horizons and supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Center for Complex Particle Systems. The technique exhibits a relatively “passive” creation process compared to current industry methods, eliminating the need for high-cost robotic or manual labor.  

    The method explores arrays of transistors and diodes for now but could be used to fabricate more complex structures, such as 3D chips, in the future. 

    Martin Thuo is a professor of materials science and engineering at North Carolina State University and an author of the study. Says Thuo, “Existing chip manufacturing techniques involve many steps and rely on extremely complex technologies, making the process costly and time-consuming. Our self-assembling approach is significantly faster and less expensive.” 

    Credit: Julia Chang

    These microscopic objects were self-assembled using the new technique which the researchers refer to as a directed metal-ligand reaction or D-Met. So far, the technique can be used to create diodes, transistors and other simple electronic components.

    “What’s more, current manufacturing techniques have low yield, meaning they produce a relatively large number of faulty chips that can’t be used,” adds Thuo. “Our approach is high yield — meaning you get more consistent production of arrays and less waste.” 

    Using this approach, the experiment runs a solution of carbon and oxygen “ligands” pulled through liquid metal particles. These flow into a preset mold — think of it like nanotech “Jell-O mixture” or “cupcake batter” setting into molds to be “baked.” Only, in their case, they become end-products like diodes and transistors.  

    Before heating this solution, the ligands capture ions from the liquid metal before flowing into the mold. These grow into intricate 3D structures or arrays, while any liquid matter naturally evaporates away during this process.  

    Finally, the array is heated and transformed into all-new structures. These consist of mixed-metal oxides and carbon atoms, self-arranged to become new diodes, transistors or other electronic parts. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Corrections Facilities Senate Study Committee Adopts Final Committee Report

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (December 20, 2024) – On Friday, December 13, the Department of Corrections Facilities Senate Study Committee, chaired by Majority Whip Sen. Randy Robertson (R–Cataula), voted unanimously to adopt its final report during the committee’s concluding meeting. The committee, established through Senate Resolution 570, spent nearly four months exploring strategies to enhance the welfare of Department of Corrections employees and those in its custody.

    Sen. Robertson praised the committee’s efforts, stating: “This committee has heard an abundance of valuable testimony since August. Our committee’s recommendations aim to enhance safety, promote fairness and support the Department of Corrections officers and the inmates they care for around the clock. I am grateful to each committee member for their dedication to this important issue and to the Lieutenant Governor for his unwavering support of our work.”

    Sen Robertson continued, “I also want to thank the Georgia taxpayers who came to the Capitol to share their experiences and suggestions. These citizens fund our budget and trust us to spend their tax dollars on worthwhile projects that provide quality care to those in our custody. As a former law enforcement officer, the welfare of our corrections officers and the inmates they protect will always be of utmost importance to me.”

    The final report outlines findings and recommendations to guide Georgia’s approach to employee and inmate safety within the Georgia Department of Corrections. Key highlights include:

    1. Increasing mental health services available to incarcerated population and staff.
    2. Investing in correctional officer recruitment and retention.
    3. Asking the Georgia Department of Audits to review all contract renewals for the past five years to see if there is a pattern of runaway costs by any vendors.
    4. Implementing a pay study for all Georgia Department of Corrections employees.
    5. Convert all existing facilities and construct all new facilities to single-person, single-cell facilities.
    6. Advocating the federal government to allow state prisons to use cell phone and drone jamming technology.
    7. Leveraging public-private partnerships to expand the capacity of the Georgia Department of Corrections.
    8. Prioritizing the hardening of existing corrections facilities to ensure their longevity while ensuring upcoming facilities are built to modern standards of security.
    9. Ensuring wardens adhere to consistent policies across facilities to prevent cultural differences within corrections facilities.

    The full report is available on the Georgia General Assembly website here.

    # # # #

    Sen. Randy Robertson serves as Majority Whip of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents Senate District 29, which includes Harris, Meriwether, and Troup Counties and a portion of Muscogee County. He can be reached at 404.656.0045 or at randy.robertson@senate.ga.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.C. Trails Committee Awards Over $1.24 Million in Federal Grants, Recommends Designations for Access Points on State Paddle Trails

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: N.C. Trails Committee Awards Over $1.24 Million in Federal Grants, Recommends Designations for Access Points on State Paddle Trails

    N.C. Trails Committee Awards Over $1.24 Million in Federal Grants, Recommends Designations for Access Points on State Paddle Trails
    jejohnson6

    At its December meeting, the North Carolina Trails Committee selected 13 trail development projects and five safety and education projects to receive matching federal grants, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. In addition, the committee recommended the official designation of the first access points on the new Haw River State Trail and four accesses on the Yadkin River State Trail.

    “This annual funding from the federal government is key to continuing North Carolina’s distinction as the Great Trails State,” said N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson. “Trail improvements, new trail development, and trail safety and education programs help residents and visitors take advantage of healthy and affordable outdoor recreation opportunities.”

    The selected projects include relocation of an off-road vehicle trail to make it more sustainable, updates to a paddle trail access, improvements to greenways, and construction on new trails. The projects range from a little over $54,000 up to the maximum of $100,000, with a total of over $1.2 million. The Safety and Education grants are around $5,000 each, totaling over $24,000.

    In addition, the committee recommended to the DNCR Secretary the approval of the first designated access on the Haw River State Trail, on Brooks Bridge in Rockingham County, along a segment called High Rock Ford. The Haw River State Trail was authorized by the General Assembly in 2023. The committee also recommended official designations for four accesses on the Yadkin River State Trail:

        • The boat access at Morrow Mountain State Park

        • Donnaha Access in Yadkin County

        • Moravian Creek Access in the town of Wilkesboro, and

        • Ronda Memorial Park Access in the town of Ronda.

    Together, these access points will add 13.6 designated miles to the Yadkin River State Trail.

    “We are very excited to continue to make progress on the state trails,” said Division Director Brian Strong. “These accesses allow the public to enjoy two of North Carolina’s beautiful rivers, the Haw and the Yadkin. We appreciate the hard work that our state trail partners and section sponsors have put in to help us grow the state trails network in North Carolina.”

    State trails, a unit of the state parks system, epitomize partnerships. They are composed of multiple connected sections, and each section of the trail is sponsored by a state or federal agency, local government, or private landowner. Section sponsors build, maintain, and manage their section of the trail. Once a segment of trail or access is constructed within the planning corridor of a state trail, the section sponsor must apply for official state trail designation. Until the trail segment is designated, it is not part of the state trail.

    The Division’s Trails Program manages the federal Recreational Trails Program Grant from the Federal Highway Administration. The grant provides funding for construction of new trails, maintenance and repair of existing trails, land acquisition, purchase of trail tools, and planning, legal, environmental, and permitting costs. Safety and Education grants are a subset of the program and are awarded for safety and education instructor fees, speaker fees, displays, signage, and other uses. Federal, state, or local government agencies or qualified nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for the annual RTP grants.

    The seven-member Trails Committee, appointed by the DNCR Secretary, advise the Trails Program on funding recommendations. Final determination on grant awards is made by the DNCR Secretary. The committee members represent various trail use communities across the state, including hiking, biking, paddling, equestrian, and off-road vehicles.

    The Trails Committee also reviews designation applications for state trails and makes recommendations for the DNCR Secretary’s final approval.

    Grant recipients and awards are as follows:

    Trail Development Projects

    Recipient County Project Name Funds Awarded
    U.S. Forest Service Burke 2024 Brown Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area Maintenance – Trail Relocation $100,000
    U.S. Forest Service Burke Brown Mountain OHV Area Mini-Excavator – Trail Equipment $100,000
    Town of Rolesville Wake Granite Acres Greenway Connection Project – New Trail $100,000
    Alamance Parks (on behalf of Friends of Haw River State Trail) Alamance, Guilford, Rockingham Haw River State Trail Paddle and Land Trail Improvements – Greenway Facilities $78,000
    Chatham County Chatham HRST Pegg Tract Improvements – New Trail $100,000
    Blue Ridge Conservancy Ashe Northern Peaks State Trail Three Top Mountain Phase 1 – New Trail $100,000
    Town of Sylva Jackson Pinnacle Park Recreation Trails – New Trail $92,000
    Town of Boone Watauga NPST Rivers House Park – New Trail $54,932
    Town of Rosman Transylvania Rosman Riverfront Park Phase 1 – New Trail $100,000
    Catawba Lands Conservancy Gaston Spencer Mountain Trail Construction – New Trail $100,000
    Cleveland County Water Cleveland Stagecoach Greenway Narrows Segment – New Trail $100,000
    City of Rocky Mount Nash Sunset Park New Multi-Use Natural Surface Trail, Joint Trailhead and Renovation of Sunset Tar River $100,000
    Camp Grier McDowell Woods Mountain Trail Restoration $100,000
        TOTAL $1,224,932

    Safety and Education Grants

    Recipient County Program Name Funds Awarded
    Dan River Basin Association Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes Public Water Safety Classes for Recreational Boaters $5,000.00
    McDowell County McDowell McDowell Trails Tool and Education Fund $4,960.48
    McDowell Tech Community College McDowell McDowell Tech Trail School $5,000.00
    Carolina Mountain Club Buncombe, Haywood, Madison Certification of CMC Sawyers $4,900.00
    Camp Grier McDowell Usability and Sustainability Program for Volunteer Trail Crew $4,988.41
        TOTAL $24,848.89

    About North Carolina State Parks
    North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Dec 20, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Captain in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Charged with Murder and Terrorism Offenses

    Source: US State of California

    Defendant Allegedly Orchestrated the Nov. 7, 2022, Murder of Stephen Troell, a U.S. Citizen Living in Iraq, in Retaliation for the January 2020 Death of Qasem Soleimani

    Note: View the unsealed complaint here.

    A complaint was unsealed today charging Mohammad Reza Nouri, 36, of Iran, also known as Muhammad Rida Husayn, Ali Asghar Nuri, and Abu Abbas, an Iranian national and officer in the IRGC, in connection with Nouri’s alleged role in orchestrating the Nov. 7, 2022, murder of American Stephen Troell in Baghdad, Iraq. Nouri was arrested in Iraq in March 2023.

    “The Department of Justice will not tolerate terrorists and authoritarian regimes targeting and murdering Americans anywhere in the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that Mohammad Reza Nouri, an officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of Stephen Troell, an American citizen living in Iraq, carrying out the Iranian Regime’s efforts to take vengeance for the death of Qasim Soleimani. Stephen should still be alive today, and the Justice Department will work relentlessly to ensure accountability for his murder.”

    “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains determined to target U.S. citizens, and orchestrated a cold-blooded plot to brutally murder Stephen Troell, a Tennessee native working at an English language institute in Iraq,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “According to the allegations, Mohammad Reza Nouri, an IRGC captain, played a key role in planning the attack in which Troell was ambushed as he drove home from work with his wife. Today’s announcement makes clear that the FBI and our partners will not tolerate the IRGC’s ruthless attacks on Americans, here in the United States or overseas, and will hold accountable any who seek to harm our citizens.”

    “As alleged, Mohammad Reza Nouri, a Captain in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, orchestrated the murder of American Steven Troell in Iraq,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Kim for the Southern District of New York. “Nouri is alleged to have gathered intelligence on Troell’s daily routine and whereabouts, procured weapons and vehicles, and provided safe harbor to the operatives who carried out the sinister plot to brutally attack Troell in front of his wife. As alleged, the Iranian regime is actively targeting U.S. citizens, such as Troell, living in countries around the world for kidnapping and execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the regime and to take vengeance for the death of Qasem Soleimani. This office will not stand by when an American is attacked and murdered in cold blood, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring Nouri to justice.”

    “As alleged in the complaint, Nouri facilitated Troell’s murder. He gathered information and coordinated with a co-conspirator to procure supplies that operatives relied on during their attack on Troell,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring IRGC operatives, including Nouri’s co-conspirator, to justice for harming Americans.”

    According to court documents, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for kidnapping and/or execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The IRGC is an Iranian military and counterintelligence agency under the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, comprised of components including an external operations force, the IRGC-QF, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since April 15, 2019. The IRGC has publicly stated its desire to avenge the death of Soleimani, and, among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting U.S. citizens residing in the United States and abroad. In November 2022, the Iranian regime struck in Iraq: a group of operatives working on behalf of the IRGC brutally murdered Stephen Troell, a 45-year-old American living in Baghdad, where he worked at an English language institute, as Troell was driving home with his wife after work.

    Nouri is an IRGC Captain who works for the IRGC in Iraq and is involved in the IRGC’s external attack plotting against U.S. citizens and others. Nouri played a key role in the IRGC’s targeting and ultimate murder of Troell, whom Nouri appears to have believed was working as an American or Israeli intelligence officer. Nouri, on behalf of the IRGC, collected critical, highly personal information about Troell to facilitate stalking, attacking, and ultimately killing Troell. Nouri, with the assistance of co-conspirators, developed a source with access to details of Troell’s life and daily routine. With this information, Nouri created intelligence documents for his IRGC associates and a group of operatives recruited to execute the attack, which included Troell’s date of birth, coordinates of his residence, occupation, work schedule, telephone number, wife’s name, and children’s names, among other information. In the weeks leading up to the murder, Nouri coordinated with one of his co-conspirators (CC-1) in the plot targeting Troell to procure some of the means for attacking Troell, including firearms as well as a vehicle for use in the lethal attack on Troell. On the evening of Nov. 7, 2022, the group of recruited operatives carried out the attack. Troell was driving home from work with his wife when heavily armed gunmen in two cars forced the Troells to stop shortly before they reached their residence, blocked any possible escape route, approached Troell on the driver’s side, and, using an assault weapon, shot and killed Troell as his wife witnessed the attack in the passenger seat.   

    On the day of the murder, Nouri coordinated with CC-1 shortly before and immediately after the attack. Nouri and CC-1 spoke repeatedly in the hours leading up to the attack. Less than a half hour after the attack, Nouri sent CC-1 encrypted messages inquiring about the wellbeing of the operatives tasked with carrying out the hit on Troell, asking, “The guys are fine?” and “They are doing well?” to which CC-1 responded, “One is injured.”  As the night went on, CC-1 continued to update Nouri, noting that “two so far” of the operatives on the hit squad — whom Nouri referred to as “our guys” — had gathered safely since the murder, that “the rest are on the way,” and that the injury sustained by one of their confederates was “slight.”  In the course of these encrypted messages, Nouri and CC-1 celebrated the events of the day and their success. That night, after the murder, Nouri left Iraq for Iran. Shortly before departing Baghdad, Nouri visited a religious site associated with mourning for Soleimani’s death.

    Following the murder, approximately nine of the operatives on the hit squad also left Iraq and entered Iran, where they joined Nouri. In Iran, Nouri arranged housing for the operatives, providing them safe harbor in the aftermath of the murder. Nouri and another IRGC official addressed the operatives during their stay in Iran, offered their blessings to the hit squad, and told them that Troell was purportedly a spy on behalf of America and Israel, that Troell threatened Islam by attracting Iraqi youths to the Jewish religion and spreading it in Iraq, and that Troell therefore deserved to be murdered.

    In March 2023, Iraqi authorities arrested Nouri, and he was subsequently convicted by an Iraqi court for his role in Troell’s murder. Nouri remains in custody in Iraq.

    Nouri has been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to take hostages, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; murdering a U.S. national outside the United States, and faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; and  causing death through the use of a firearm, and faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Justice Department’s Attaché in Iraq; FBI Legal Attaché office in Iraq; Iraqi authorities; and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig, Matthew J.C. Hellman, and Kyle A. Wirshba for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Timothy J. Reardon III of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Port St. Lucie Firearms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Failing to Keep Proper Records of Sales

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On Dec. 18, Michael John Pellicione, 76, the owner of a Port St. Lucie, Fla., gun shop, who operated out of his residence, pleaded guilty to the five-count indictment for selling several firearms “off the books” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(5), which penalizes the failure of a firearms dealer to keep a proper record of sales.

    Pellicione, a federal firearms licensee (FFL), failed to enter the sale of five firearms into his acquisition and disposition (A&D) record. Federal law requires an FFL to record, in the A&D book, all of the firearms that the FFL receives or makes, and then indicate where each of those firearms are – whether they are still in the FFL’s inventory or where they went if they were sold or transferred. Additionally, the A&D book must include the type of firearm, the make, model, caliber, and serial number, the date and from whom the firearm was received and that person’s address, as well as the name, date, and address of the person to whom the firearm was sold or transferred.

    A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled in this matter. At sentencing, Pellicione faces up to five years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Markenzy Lapointe, U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.

    HSI Fort Pierce and ATF Fort Pierce investigated this case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger is prosecuting this matter.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14055.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE: Appeal to trace witnesses following fatal shooting in Brent

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of Michelle Sadio have issued an image of individuals they are keen to speak to.

    Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation into Michelle’s murder and have today released an image of people they believe may have information about the occupants of a car linked to the shooting.

    The car, a black Kia Niro with distinctive alloys, with the number plate LA23 XRE was being driven by the suspects who then fired a number of shots in Gifford Road, NW10 on Saturday, 14 December.

    Michelle was one of three people injured and she sadly died at the scene.

    Following the shooting, the car was driven from Gifford Road to Barnhill Road where it was then abandoned and set alight.

    Detective Chief Inspector Phil Clarke, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our investigation has progressed at pace but we are still keen to hear from anyone who can help piece together the series of events which led to Michelle’s murder.

    “We have an image of a number of people who were seen speaking to the occupants of a black Kia Niro of interest on Church Road, NW10 at 20:50hrs on Saturday, 14 December.

    “Are you one of the people pictured in the white Mercedes or on the pavement nearby, or do you recognise anyone? Did you hear or see something either before or after the shooting that may help with the investigation?

    “I would like to stress that none of those pictured have done anything wrong. They may not live in the area but they could hold information that is important to the investigation and I urge them to contact us.”

    At approximately 21:15hrs on Saturday, police were called to reports of the shooting, which happened as Michelle and others were standing outside the church following a wake. Officers and London Ambulance Service paramedics attended the scene.

    Michelle, aged 44, was found suffering serious injuries – despite the efforts of the emergency services she was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Michelle’s family have been informed and continue to be supported by specialist officers. They have requested that media respect their privacy during this difficult time.

    Two men, both aged in their 30s, also suffered injuries. One remains in hospital in a critical condition; the other man’s injuries are not life threatening.

    There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries into the circumstances continue.

    Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or message @MetCC on X giving the reference CAD 7137/14DEC.

    You can also provide information, or upload images and footage, through the online portal here or by scanning the attached QR code.

    Information can also be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 2024: Eurojust year in review

    Source: Eurojust

    Here are a few highlights:

    Deepening Cooperation with Latin America

    Organised crime groups are increasingly operating on a global scale, which means efforts for cooperation with partner countries outside of the EU is a priority. With 68% of the most threatening criminal networks operate globally, and 36% of these networks engaged in drug trafficking, forging closer partnerships with countries who are frequent origin or transit points is critical.

    Over the course of the year, new Working Arrangements were signed between Eurojust and the Prosecution Services of Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru. These arrangements strengthen cooperation in crime areas that affect both the EU and Latin American countries, such as drug and arms trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime.

    Launch of the European Judicial Organised Crime Network

    In September, we took another important step in the fight against organised crime with the launch of the European Judicial Organised Crime Network (EJOCN). The Network, which is hosted at Eurojust, aims to go beyond investigation-based collaboration to combat organised crime strategically. Specialised prosecutors from all EU Member States are brought together to focus on the horizontal issues that arise in the investigation and prosecution of high-risk criminal groups. This will allow them to tackle recurring legal challenges and identify new, practical opportunities for closer cooperation.

    The members benefit from Eurojust’s unique operational expertise in setting up joint investigation teams and using other judicial cooperation tools in cross-border criminal investigations. The first priority focus of the EJOCN is combatting drug-related organised crime connected to European ports and other logistic hubs.

    Supporting Accountability Efforts in Ukraine

    Documenting and prosecuting core international crimes is a long-term commitment and Eurojust remains resolute in our accountability efforts. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, we have been at the forefront of supporting accountability for Russian crimes. In July, we marked one year since the launch of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The ICPA’s independent prosecutors and investigators from different countries have been working together regularly at Eurojust, benefitting from the Agency’s dedicated team of legal experts and tailor-made technical, logistical and financial support. This has enabled them to exchange information and evidence quickly and efficiently, and coordinate a common investigative and prosecutorial strategy.

    This year also saw the joint investigation team on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine amend the JIT Agreement to enhance investigations on crimes of torture, ill-treatment and filtration.

    Hosting Partners in The Hague

    Our close partnership with national judicial authorities sits at the foundation of our Agency. Every year, we have thousands of prosecutors coming to Eurojust to discuss cases or participate in coordination centres or coordination meetings. In 2024, we were able to welcome many high level visitors, including the President of Slovenia, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, Ministers of Justice and Interior from many EU Member States, and many others.

    These visits are opportunities to discuss ways to strengthen judicial cooperation, update national authorities on Eurojust’s work, and identify opportunities for closer collaboration.

    Welcoming our New Presidency

    2024 was also marked by a change in Eurojust’s leadership, with Mr Ladislav Hamran bidding the Agency farewell after serving 11 years in the Presidency – 7 as President and 4 as Vice-President. Austrian National Member Mr Michael Schmid was elected as his successor, with his 4-year tenure beginning in November. We also welcomed a new Vice-President, Spanish National Member Jose de la Mata, in December.

    With no equivalent worldwide, Eurojust continued to deliver remarkable results in 2024, enabling prosecutors and law enforcement authorities from the EU and beyond to bring perpetrators to justice.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: From fake art to money laundering: Eurojust’s cross-border investigations in 2024

    Source: Eurojust

    Some highlights of our 2024 casework:

    EUR 2 billion money laundering network dismantled

    A financial institution in Lithuania was discovered laundering around EUR 2 billion through a worldwide web of shell companies. Italian, Latvian and Lithuanian authorities, supported by Eurojust and Europol, took down the network during an action day on 27 February. Eighteen people were arrested and over EUR 11.5 million in assets and bank accounts were frozen.

    Takedown of online infrastructure used for terrorist propaganda

    After a complex investigation that monitored the online activities of terrorist groups, authorities in Spain traced servers across the globe that were supporting multiple media outlets disseminating worldwide propaganda meant to incite terrorism. A global coalition between Spanish, German, Dutch, American and Icelandic authorities was set up to take the servers offline. With the support of Eurojust and Europol, servers were taken down and nine radicalised individuals were arrested.

    Large anti-mafia operation leads to arrest and freezing of EUR 50 million

    Authorities uncovered an intricate money laundering scheme run by a mafia family in Brazil. Profits of their crimes were reinvested into multiple companies in Brazil, including a well-known hotel. Through a joint investigation team at Eurojust, Italian and Brazilian authorities investigated the activities of the mafia family and planned a large global operation to arrest the suspects. The operation led to the arrest of one of the mafia members and the freezing of financial assets worth EUR 50 million.

    Belarusians Charged for Forced Plane Landing

    Eurojust supported a joint investigation team between Polish and Lithuanian authorities that investigated the forced landing in Belarus of a commercial flight. The unprecedented case shed a light on the real reason behind the flight’s diversion: suspects instructed air traffic controllers to land the aircraft in order to arrest a Belarusian dissident. In September, the investigation led to the arrest warrants for three Belarusian officials.

    Authorities stop malware targeting millions of people

    Two infostealers, malware that is able to steal personal data from infected devices, was taken down by a global operation. Authorities from the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia and Eurojust and Europol shut down three servers in the Netherlands and seized two domains. The operation stopped the malware from stealing data such as usernames and passwords that were used to steal money or carry out other hacking activities.

    Fake art network discovered that could have cause losses of EUR 200 million

    Banksy, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh are among the artists whose work was forged by a criminal group that set up a sophisticated fake art operation. The group produced the art, organised exhibitions of the forged works and worked together with compromised auction houses to sell the pieces. Eurojust supported Italian authorities to dismantle the criminal group and set up the cooperation between Belgian, French and Spanish authorities. During an action day in November, 38 people were arrested and over 2 000 fake art works were seized.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami Duo Found Guilty of Kidnapping and Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On Dec. 17., James Edward Daniels, 59, and Frederick Eugene Rudolph, 69, of Miami, Fla., were found guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, multiple counts of kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping, at trial before U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman. 

    On Dec. 5, 2020, Daniels, Rudolph, and other co-conspirators kidnapped three victims from a truck yard in Opa Locka, Fla. They bound and tortured the victims, duct-taped their eyes, and threw them into the back of a rented van after stealing the victims’ drugs. They drove around the city for hours before taking the victims to an abandoned house in Opa-Locka and attempting to execute them by shooting the three victims. Two of the victims died, while one miraculously survived.

    Daniels stole jewelry from one of the murdered victims, and all the defendants benefitted by receiving drugs, money, or both, in exchange for their participation in the conspiracy.

    A third defendant, Herbert Barr, 56, pled guilty to kidnapping on Nov. 26.

    U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.

    FBI Miami Division Homestead Resident Agency, Miami-Dade Police Department Homicide Bureau,  and DEA Homestead Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yara Dodin, Nardia Haye, and Katie Guthrie are prosecuting the case.

    Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2025, before Judge Altman. Daniels and Rudolph face up to life in prison, criminal fines of up to $250,000 as to each count, and up to a lifetime on supervised release.

    This investigation was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations.  The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats. For more information regarding HIDTA visit https://www.dea.gov/operations/hidta.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20431.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Foresight Ventures Latest Research Dissects Story’s Revolutionary Protocol for AI-Driven IP Economy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Foresight Ventures, a global leading Venture Capital in Web3 and blockchain, has unveiled its latest research report on Story, highlighting its transformative potential in building a decentralized ecosystem for managing intellectual property (IP). The research delves into how the protocol enables trustless IP management, automated licensing, and dynamic royalty systems, fostering an AI-driven IP economy that redefines digital creativity and collaboration.

    Revolutionizing the IP Landscape

    Story recently introduced the Agent Transaction Control Protocol for Intellectual Property (ATCP/IP), a groundbreaking framework enabling the seamless and autonomous exchange of IP on-chain. By integrating programmable licensing terms, royalty automation, and dispute resolution mechanisms, it provides a scalable, trustless infrastructure for creators and innovators.

    “Story is more than a blockchain; it’s an operating system for decentralized creativity,” said Maggie Wu, Research Lead at Foresight Ventures. “Its ability to empower creators with scalable, automated, and transparent IP tools is a paradigm shift in how we view and manage intellectual property globally.”

    Pioneering the AI Economy

    A key highlight of the research is Story’s role in bridging blockchain technology with the growing AI ecosystem. The ATCP/IP framework allows AI agents to autonomously manage, license, and trade datasets, outputs, and algorithms, facilitating collaboration and innovation at an unprecedented scale.

    “AI and blockchain are converging to reshape how we manage and transact value,” said Forest Bai, Co-founder of Foresight Ventures. “Story stands out by enabling a frictionless marketplace for intellectual property, empowering creators while fostering sustainable innovation through trustless systems.”

    Real-World Applications and Future Potential

    Story’s applications extend beyond intellectual property to address broader market needs. From tokenized real-world IPs like Bored Ape Yacht Club to royalty-based financial derivatives, its modular framework provides robust solutions for creators and enterprises. Its AI integration further amplifies its scalability, enabling decentralized knowledge economies to thrive.

    For more details of the research, users can visit this LINK.

    About Foresight Ventures

    Foresight Ventures is the first and only crypto VC bridging East and West. With a research-driven approach and offices in the US and Singapore, they are a powerhouse in crypto investment and incubation. Their premier media network includes The Block, Foresight News, BlockTempo, and Coinness. The team aggressively invest in the most daring innovations. They are dedicated to partnering with visionary projects and top teams to help them succeed, reshaping the future of digital finance and beyond.

    For more information, users can visit: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Discord | Linktree

    Contact

    PR team

    Foresight Ventures

    media@foresightventures.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dac580f8-8c12-4c67-8160-89c64194c36f

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology to Collaborate on Fusion, Materials and Hydrogen Science & Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHALK RIVER, Ontario, Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany’s premier research institution, to pursue collaborative research related to fusion, materials characterization and hydrogen science and technology. With shared scientific missions to address national priorities in clean energy and environmental sciences, the agreement serves as a framework through which the national research organizations can collaborate in areas of mutual interest, leveraging their individual resources, facilities, and expertise.

    According to terms of the agreement, the organizations will explore collaborative research projects in fields that include tritium analytics, tritium barriers and surface analysis, tritium fuel cycle optimization, characterization and metallurgy of irradiated materials, and hydrogen safety. Working together, the organizations hope to realize important progress in the advancement of these fields of research and others, which are priorities to both country’s domestic clean energy research programs.

    “CNL is a world leader in nuclear science and technology, including hydrogen. We are now working to re-establish ourselves in fusion, which is yielding some very exciting commercial opportunities, and drawing the attention of other leading research organizations who share our goals in clean energy,” commented Dr. Stephen Bushby, CNL’s Vice-President of Science and Technology. “With the signing of this agreement with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a leading German research institution that has complementary capabilities, CNL continues to expand its network and pursue even more ambitious collaborative research. By working together, I think we can help to accelerate these promising fields of study and contribute to much-needed progress in clean energy.”

    “With fusion taking momentum all around the world, Germany investing substantial amounts to promote the cooperation between National Labs and private actors in the field, and KIT being at the centre of fusion technologies and materials development in Germany and in Europe, it is quite straightforward for us to engage in an international cooperation that offers plenty of opportunities for world-leading developments, e.g., in the fusion fuel cycle, hydrogen, and materials areas,” said Dr. Klaus Hesch, Head of KIT´s Fusion Programme. “CNL´s tritium expertise derived from decades of scientifically-technically accompanying and enabling the operation of the CANDU reactors perfectly complements the experience we have acquired in our Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe with regard to tritium handling and processing for fusion. There is interest to extend the cooperation both towards other fusion companies as well as to the European Fusion Programme.”

    CNL has decades of experience and expertise in materials characterization, hydrogen production, safety and storage, and tritium research, among other related fields of research. The Chalk River campus is also home to a state-of-the-art Tritium Facility and a Hydrogen Isotopes Technology Laboratory, as well as a rapidly growing fusion energy program. Not only did CNL recently announce the expansion of two of its flagship clean energy programs to include fusion – its advanced reactor siting program and the Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative (CNRI) – but CNL also invested $10 million into General Fusion, an international leader in commercial fusion energy. This is in addition to the launch of a new joint venture with Kyoto Fusioneering known as Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc. (FFC), which is moving forward with a globally unique test facility available to industry to test and refine their unique processes.

    All of these projects, programs and resources are complemented by those at KIT, which serves as one of the largest science institutions in Europe, with over 5,000 people conducting research on a broad range of disciplines, from natural sciences to engineering. KIT is also home to research centers that focus on problems of fundamental importance to the existence and further development of society, and on key issues resulting from the striving for knowledge, which includes climate and environment, energy, materials in technical and life sciences, and elementary particle and astroparticle physics, among others. With the agreement now serving as a framework to facilitate collaborative research activities, both organizations believe that it could also act as a first step towards a broader relationship that expands into other fields of research.

    If you’d like to learn more about CNL or its projects in clean energy and environmental sciences, please visit www.cnl.ca. For more information on KIT and its programs of work, please visit www.kit.edu.

    About CNL

    As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

    By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

    To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

    About KIT

    Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

    To learn more about KIT, please visit www.kit.edu.

    CNL Contact:
    Philip Kompass
    Director, Corporate Communications
    1-866-886-2325
    media@cnl.ca

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2147c02c-0c21-421c-8a37-e6f279aeb3ea

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: How do we make the green transition fair for everyone?

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    A sustainable future is not just about going green—it’s about fairness, equity, and ensuring no one is left behind.

    From empowering workers with green skills to addressing economic inequalities, the Equitable Transition Initiative brings leaders together to create a future that’s both sustainable and fair.

    Watch our film and learn more about how we’re making this vision a reality at the Equitable Transition Initiative:
    : https://initiatives.weforum.org/equitable-transition-initiative/home

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/ 
    Twitter ► https://twitter.com/wef
    LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
    TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #InclusiveGrowth #ClimateAction #EnergyTransition #GreenSkills #wef25

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oZ3TmhLZv8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Lord Mandelson as the next British Ambassador to the United States of America

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Prime Minister has today confirmed the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson to be the next British Ambassador to the United States of America. 

    The Prime Minister has today confirmed the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson to be the next British Ambassador to the United States of America. 

    His Majesty the King approved the appointment on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. 

    Lord Mandelson is co-founder of Global Counsel, a global public policy advisory firm. 

    He will bring extensive foreign and economic policy knowledge, strong business links and experience at the highest levels of government to the role – all of which will be crucial as the UK seeks to continue deepening its relationship with one of its closest allies. 

    He will take up the position early next year.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

    I am delighted to appoint Lord Mandelson to be the next British Ambassador to the United States of America. 

    The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship, Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength. 

    I would also like to thank Dame Karen Pierce for her invaluable service for the last four years, and in particular the wisdom and steadfast support she has given me personally since July. She made history as the first woman to serve as U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. and she has been an outstanding representative of our country abroad. I wish her all the very best in future.

    Lord Mandelson said: 

    It is a great honour to serve the country in this way. We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

    It is wonderful to welcome Peter back to the team. He offers a wealth of experience in trade, economic and foreign policy from his years in government and the private sector. 

    He will arrive in Washington DC as we deepen our enduring alliance with the incoming United States administration, particularly on growth and security.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 December 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kemp, Elected Leaders to Visit Georgia Guardsmen at Texas Border

    Source: US State of Georgia

    Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced plans for a Command visit of the Georgia National Guard Task Force at the U.S. Southern Border in Texas. He will be accompanied by Lt. Governor Burt Jones; Speaker Jon Burns; Chairman Chuck Payne of the Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee; and Chairman Josh Bonner and Representative Chas Cannon from the House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee. The group of elected officials will visit the roughly 85 Georgia Guardsmen stationed in Texas on Friday to thank them for their service and sacrifices, especially as Americans prepare to celebrate the holidays in the upcoming weeks while these brave servicemembers spend them away from home and loved ones.

    “Since 2019, through every holiday and with constant vigilance and professionalism, our Georgia Guardsmen have maintained the longest continuous presence at the U.S. Southern border of any state in the country,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As Georgia and the nation celebrate Christmas and the New Year, the devoted young men and women currently stationed there will continue to put the security of our border, our communities, and our families ahead of their own comfort and time with family and friends. I look forward to thanking them personally on behalf of all Georgians for their service, bravery, and dedication.”

    “I want to thank Governor Kemp for inviting me to join him for a visit to our border,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “It is an honor to have the chance to personally thank the brave men and women of the Georgia National Guard for all they are doing to ensure our border is secure. These heroes are putting their lives on the line so that we can remain a safe country, and we can never thank them enough. We are proud they call Georgia home and we will continue to support them until they are back home safely.”

    “Our heroes in the Georgia National Guard sacrifice immeasurably to protect our communities and citizens across the nation,” said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. “It is an honor to join Governor Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Jones in Texas to visit with the guardsmen who are defending our southern border, and deliver a few gifts to remind them of home. We join alongside every Georgian in thanking them for their dedicated service and praying for their continued safety this holiday season.” 

    For more information on this particular visit, please reach out to Edd Natividad, Director of Public Affairs for the Joint Task Force North, U.S. Northern Command (contact info below).

    For more information on the Georgia Guard presence on the U.S. southern border, please reach out to the Georgia Guard. 

    About the Georgia Guard U.S. Southern Border Mission:

    Members of the Georgia National Guard are currently deployed in support of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s mission along the Southwest border. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, their mission is to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations by providing detection and monitoring support. Approximately 85 Georgia National Guardsmen are providing mission enhancing support to CBP’s border security operations to enable CBP agents to conduct their law enforcement mission more efficiently.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: In Rome, in the Holy Land and throughout the World. Vademecum to obtain Indulgences in the Jubilee Year 2025

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 20 December 2024

    by Gianni ValenteRome (Agenzia Fides) – In 2025, the Catholic Church will once again celebrate the Jubilee Year, a special time of remission and forgiveness, designed as an opportunity to intensely experience healing and liberation from sins and debts that oppress life and soul.The possibility of requesting and obtaining indulgences constitutes a central aspect of the Jubilee tradition. As Pope Francis points out in the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee 2025 (Spes non confundit, § 23): «Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms “mercy” and “indulgence” were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bond».Below is a brief vademecum with the fundamental indications on how to request the gift of indulgences during the Jubilee, both in Rome, in the Holy Land and anywhere in the world.WHAT IS AN INDULGENCE«An indulgence is the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven [i.e., for which absolution has already been obtained by confessing, ed.], which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful gains under certain and defined conditions by the assistance of the Church which as minister of redemption dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints» (Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 992).WHAT IS TEMPORAL PUNISHMENTSin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1472).This second consequence of sin, that is, temporal punishment, to which one may still be obliged despite the forgiveness of sins obtained in Confession, can be fullfilled either here on earth (with voluntary prayers and penances, with works of piety, mortification and charity), or in the afterlife, in purgatory.WHAT IS PLENARY INDULGENCEPlenary indulgence in itself completely remits the temporal punishment resulting from sins that have already been forgiven as to guilt. This remission, in the case of mortal sins, necessarily requires sacramental Confession.WHO CAN OBTAIN INDULGENCESIndulgences can be obtained by all baptized persons who are not in a state of excommunication. However, to receive them, the faithful must be in God’s grace, that is, without mortal sin. This is because the debt of the temporal punishment can only be cancelled after the remission of the guilt and eternal punishment caused by sin, which is achieved through the sacrament of Confession.In cases where confession is not possible, sincere contrition, with the intention of accessing the sacrament of penance as soon as possible, may be sufficient to achieve remission.It is also essential to have the intention of obtaining the indulgence. The benefit of the indulgence is only granted to those who request it consciously and with the purpose of receiving it, with a positive attitude.HOW IS A PLENARY INDULGENCE OBTAINEDTo obtain a Plenary Indulgence, in addition to performing the specific act to which the Church has granted this grace, the following conditions must always be met:- Confession: confession must be individual and complete, that is, without deliberately omitting any sin.- Receive Eucharistic Communion.- Pray according to the Pope’s intentions: for example, an Our Father and a Hail Mary.HOW CAN EVERY FAITHFUL RECEIVE THE DAILY PLENARY INDULGENCE DURING THE JUBILEE OF THE YEAR 2025?The norms for granting the plenary indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, published on May 13, 2024 by the Apostolic Penitentiary, presided over by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, establish the specific acts that can lead to the acquisition of the daily plenary Indulgence throughout the Holy Year.In addition to fulfilling the usual conditions (detachment from sin, even venial; sacramental confession; Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), the faithful will be able to perform a series of specific acts that will allow them to receive the plenary indulgence each day of the Jubilee. These acts are listed below:* PILGRIMAGES AND VISITS TO HOLY PLACESThe faithful can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they make a pilgrimage to any holy Jubilee place. During this pilgrimage, they must actively participate in one of the following activities: Holy Mass, or Stations of the Cross, or the Recitation of the Holy Rosary or the Akathist hymn, or a Penitential Celebration, which concludes with the individual confession of the penitents.- IN ROME AND IN ITALYIf they are in Rome, to request the Plenary Indulgence, the faithful can make a pilgrimage to at least one of the four Major Papal Basilicas (Saint Peter’s – the Vatican Basilica, Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Basilica of Saint Mary Major and Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls).On the special occasion of the Jubilee Year, in addition to the places of pilgrimage mentioned above, it will also be possible to visit: Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem), Basilica di San Lorenzo al Verano (The Basilica of Saint Lawrence “Outside the Walls” lies next to the Verano Cemetery), Basilica di San Sebastiano (Basilica of Saint Sebastian, stops that complete the visit known as “the seven Churches”, so dear to St. Philip Neri), il Santuario del Divino Amore (The Sanctuary of Divine Love), la chiesa di Santo Spirito in Sassia (the church of the Holy Spirit in Sassia), la chiesa di San Paolo alle Tre Fontane (Church of St. Paul of Three Fountains – site of the Martyrdom of the Apostle), the Christian Catacombs; in addition, it will be possible to visit (and carry out the pious practices provided there) the churches on the jubilee routes dedicated to the Iter Europaeum and the churches dedicated to the Patronesses of Europe and to the Doctors of the Church, respectively: Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Santa Brigida in Campo de’ Fiori, the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, the church of Trinità dei Monti, Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, Basilica of Sant’Agostino in Campo Marzio).In Italy, jubilee pilgrimages can also be made to the two minor Papal Basilicas of Assisi: Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi (Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi) and Santa Maria degli Angeli. And the papal basilicas of: Madonna di Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto) della Madonna di Pompei (Our Lady of Pompei), and Sant’Antonio di Padova (Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padu).- IN THE HOLY LANDIn the land of Jesus, it will be possible to make Jubilee pilgrimages and ask for plenary indulgence by visiting at least one of the three Basilicas of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, of the Nativity in Bethlehem, of the Annunciation in Nazareth.- WORLDWIDEIn other ecclesiastical circumscriptions, the faithful can obtain the jubilee indulgence if, individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any sacred place (minor basilicas, cathedral churches, Marian shrines) designated as a Jubilee place by each diocesan Bishop, as well as national or international shrines, indicated by the Episcopal Conferences. There, for an appropriate time, they must dedicate time to Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any of its legitimate forms and invocations to Mary, Mother of God.Sincerely repentant faithful who, for serious reasons, cannot participate in pilgrimages and pious visits (for example, cloistered monks and nuns, the sick and those in prison) can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence under the same conditions if, united in spirit with the faithful present, especially at the moments when the words of the Supreme Pontiff or the diocesan Bishops will be disseminated through the media, they recite the Our Father, the Profession of Faith and other prayers in conformity with the purposes of the Holy Year.* WORKS OF MERCY AND PENANCEIn addition to making pilgrimages or pious visits to the Jubilee sites, the faithful can obtain the jubilee indulgence through:- Participation in POPULAR MISSIONS;- Participation in SPIRITUAL EXERCISES or FORMATION MEETINGS on the texts of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, held in a church or other suitable place.- Performing Corporal and Spiritual WORKS OF MERCY.- Performing PENITENTIAL ACTS, such as:a) Rediscovering the penitential value of Fridays, by abstaining for at least one day from useless distractions (induced, for example, by the media and social networks) and from superfluous consumption (for example, by fasting or practicing abstinence according to the general norms of the Church and donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor).b) Supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in favor of the defense and protection of life in all its phases, of abandoned children, of young people in difficulty, of the elderly in need or alone, of migrants from various countries.c) Dedicate an appropriate part of one’s free time to voluntary activities of interest to the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment.Despite the general rule according to which only one Plenary Indulgence can be obtained per day (cf. Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, IV ed., norm. 18, § 1), the Instruction issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary with the norms for receiving Plenary Indulgences during the Jubilee Year 2025 states that “the faithful who have performed the act of charity in favor of the souls in Purgatory, if they legitimately approach the sacrament of Communion for the second time on the same day, may obtain a Plenary Indulgence twice on the same day, applicable only to the deceased (it is understood within a Eucharistic celebration). (Agenzia Fides, 20/12/2024)

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: MSF condemns RSF violent attack on Bashair Teaching hospital in South Khartoum

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Khartoum – Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) strongly condemns the violent incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the emergency room of Bashair Teaching hospital in South Khartoum, Sudan, on 18 December. The attackers fired weapons inside the emergency ward, directly threatened medical staff, and severely disrupted lifesaving care. MSF urgently calls on RSF to respect the neutrality of medical facilities and the safety of healthcare workers.

    This latest attack follows an earlier incident on 11 November, when armed fighters stormed the hospital, fired shots, and killed a patient receiving treatment. These repeated violations of the neutrality of healthcare facilities and the sanctity of medical care are unacceptable.

    “Several RSF soldiers entered the emergency rooms and some of them started firing against medical personnel, threatening patients and MSF and Ministry of Health staff,” says Samuel David Theodore, MSF’s head of mission in Sudan.  

    “Luckily, no one was injured but everyone is extremely affected by this traumatic aggression inside the hospital. Attacks against medical facilities and health personnel are unacceptable, hospitals must remain safe spaces, free from violence and intimidation. Staff cannot have their lives threatened whilst they provide care,” he says. 

    The bullet marks left by the Rapid Support Forces inside the emergency room of Bashair Teaching hospital in South Khartoum, Sudan, 19 December 2024.
    MSF

    Bashair Teaching hospital is one of the last functioning healthcare facilities in South Khartoum amidst the ongoing conflict. MSF staff have tirelessly maintained lifesaving activities under exceptionally difficult conditions.

    “Bashair Teaching hospital is a lifeline for thousands of people in South Khartoum,” says Claire San Filippo, emergency coordinator for Sudan. “MSF support is critical for countless men, women, and children affected by this devastating conflict.  However, the safety of our patients and staff is paramount. Attacks like these severely compromise our ability to continue operating.”

    Since the beginning of June 2024, MSF has conducted 12,396 emergency consultations, 2,510 patients were admitted in the maternity ward, and 4,490 children were screened for malnutrition at Bashair Teaching hospital in South Khartoum. 

    MIL OSI NGO –