NewzIntel.com

Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Taupō SH1 maintenance jumps the queue

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    A major change in the scheduling of the maintenance on SH1 between Tīrau and Waiouru has seen the closure of the East Taupō Arterial section of SH1 brought forward to Monday 11 November until 6 December 2024. 

    The work required on the East Taupō Arterial road includes rebuilding 2.5km of the road, adjusting median barriers, clearing the shoulders, repairing signs and adding in new line marking.  

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Roger Brady, says this change in scheduling has a range of benefits for road users and the wider Taupō community.  

    “There are a number of large events planned in November and December in Taupō, including the Cycle Challenge and Ironman 70.3 World Championship(external link). Changing the sequence of our work on SH1 means we avoid causing considerable disruption to competitors and spectators during the lead up and at the events. 
       
    “We had originally planned on a second SH1 closure between Ātiamuri to Wairakei to happen before this Christmas, but the work on that section will now take place in spring 2025. As a result we can fit in the work on the East Taupō Arterial section of SH1 before Christmas.  

    “Once completed, we would only need to come back for the final surfacing early next year, minimising the overall impact of motorists. 

    “We’ve worked closely with Taupō District Council (TDC) to understand the best timing for closing the various sections and believe together we have come up with a solution that is best for the wider Taupō community. TDC are able to incorporate road works they need to do into our closure, and they have helped to shape our traffic management to minimise disruption as much as possible. We’d like to extend our thanks to TDC for working so collaboratively with us.  

    “We’d also like to thank the Taupō community and businesses for their understanding and patience. We know that we haven’t been able to provide much notice, but this short-term disruption will be worth it in the long run.” 

    Taupō will be very busy during December and there will be pressure on the highways and local roads in the area due to the various events as well as the road works. Motorists are encouraged to use the official detour via Broadlands Road and Ohaaki Road to SH5, and vice versa. The recommended detour adds an extra 45.5 km and approx. 32 min to journeys.

    Those travelling to north or south destinations either side of Taupō may prefer to utilise other state highway routes such as SH3, SH4 and SH49.  

    Putāruru to Tokoroa closures in December 

    SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri is currently closed, with the road rebuilding work progressing well.  Subject to this work being completed as planned by the end of November, the crews will then start work on the Putāruru to Tokoroa section in the last week of November. SH1 will be closed for approximately 4 weeks until Friday 20 December with all north and south bound vehicles being detoured 24/7. 

    “Crews are working hard to finish work on the Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri. We are also depending on good weather. Once completed, over 24 lane kilometres, or nearly 130,000 square metres of road, will have been upgraded,” Mr Brady says.

    “As soon as crews are finished there, they will be moving north to the next section. We’re unable to work on both sections as it’s too disruptive to have both sections closed to the public at once.” 

    Specific work sites and final dates are expected to be confirmed in the coming week. Keep an eye on nzta.govt.nz/t2w for the latest updates.  

    This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

    Construction work on SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 241-2024: Services Restored: Wednesday 30 October 2024 – Biosecurity directions

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    30 October 2024

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients anticipating the receipt of email notifications for biosecurity directions from the department.

    Information

    Restored time:

    As of: 14:10 Wednesday 30 October 2024 (AEDT).

    Detail:

    The unplanned service disruption to the department’s Agriculture Import Management System (AIMS) has been resolved. Clients will now receive email notifications for biosecurity…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New fire season resources to prepare the community

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    CFA is providing new materials and resources for its brigades and members to make sure they and the community are prepared for the summer season.

    As Fire Danger Periods begin, it’s critical that the community understands what activities they can and can’t do, particularly with open-air fires and the restrictions that apply during these times. 

    Last year, CFA launched a new series called ‘Can I or Can’t I?’ that focused on topics such as camp fires, barbecues, burning off, and explaining what people can and cannot do on a Total Fire Ban days or during Fire Danger Periods. We have added some new topics to this series in response to the growing demand for information about firepits and other outdoor cooking. The new artwork comprises flyers, posters, animations, and more detailed content online. 

    Many of these topics have also been translated into 12 languages, which are available on the Languages section of the CFA website. This includes the new resources about fire pits and outdoor cooking, and the majority of the ‘Can I or Can’t I?’ series of animations including camp fires, travel, burning off, and barbecues. 

    We also have a range of other translated material including smoke alarms, urban grassfires, and Fire Danger Ratings. These resources include simplified fact sheets, animations and audio. 

    Alongside out assets we also support the Victorian Government’s ‘How well do you know fire?’ campaign, which will continue to emphasise how everyone has a shared responsibility to stay safe and how unpredictable fires can be. As with previous years, this campaign started in October and will continue to the end of the summer with prepare, leave early and traveller messages.  

    People should begin preparing for the fire season as soon as possible. Preparing your property and having a fire plan in place could save your life. Visit How well do you know fire? | vic.gov.au 

    There is also a new online fire planner, that allows people to create a fire plan that can be customised to their needs and shared with family and friends. You can develop your plan here: Online Fire Planner | Victoria State Government 

    Submitted by Nancy Thompson

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DoD Releases National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The Department of Defense (DoD) today published the unclassified National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP), detailing how the DoD will achieve the four strategic priorities laid out in the NDIS. Released by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP)), the document outlines ongoing and future actions that DoD is taking, to modernize the defense industrial base.

    The NDIS-IP describes six cross-cutting initiatives and associated lines of effort, which will enable the DoD to achieve a more resilient defense industrial ecosystem and buy-down risks. In addition to detailing the work being done across the Services and DoD components, the NDIS-IP demonstrates activities and initiatives that the U.S. Government, private industry, and international allies and partners are undertaking, emphasizing that this effort cannot be a DoD-only initiative.

    “Publishing the NDIS was a significant accomplishment as we work to strengthen the size and resilience of our industrial base,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante said, “But we’ve always said that it was only the first step—implementation is what really matters. While we still have a lot of work ahead of us, this implementation plan is showing that we remain focused on putting words into tangible actions.”    

     “This implementation plan offers industry, global allies, and partners clear direction on the Department’s priorities for industrial capacity building.” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale. “Implementing these initiatives will require coordinated efforts across the DoD, and support and cooperation from our interagency, industry, and international stakeholders, as well as our champions in Congress.” 

    An NDIS-IP Classified Annex is forthcoming and will further detail vulnerabilities and articulate the necessary steps the DoD is taking to ensure its resilience and strength. The unclassified NDIS-IP and a corresponding factsheet are available here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Marine saves two from drowning in Hawaii

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    HONOLULU, Hawaii  –  

    On June 16, 2023, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Sean Olson, administrative clerk, Headquarters and Service Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, went to China Walls, a favorite cliff-jumping spot on Oahu’s coast. The cliffs, known for their stunning ocean views and crystal-clear waters, regularly draws crowds seeking both thrills and relaxation. The sea was restless that day, its waves beginning to stir and crashing against the rocks. Olson, a former lifeguard, had seen rough waters before, but nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

    The casual events of the day quickly shifted when Olson spotted a young woman struggling to stay afloat in the rough surf below the cliffs. Olson’s instincts kicked in as he began to monitor the situation. He knew all too well how quickly the ocean’s mood can change. As the waves rose, the young woman fought to keep her head above water. Without hesitation, he leapt into the sea.

    As the situation intensified, Olson’s training and experience took over. “As soon as I saw her plunge into the water, that’s when I knew it was time to jump in,” said Olson.

    He reached the panicked woman, who was thrashing in the water and remained calm as he steadied her, allowing them to navigate through the hazardous surf. Battling strong currents and waves that seemed to crash harder with every second, Olson skillfully brought the woman through the waves and to safety at the base of the cliffs.

    Just as the adrenaline of the rescue subsided, another figure caught Olson’s attention- a second woman who was further out, intoxicated, and struggling to stay afloat. Despite the exhaustion setting in, Olson jumped back into the water. He reached the woman and began guiding her when a wave crashed over him, slamming him into the cliffs. Protecting his head with his arms, he felt a sharp sting as his back scraped the surface, leaving a deep gash.

    Olson’s former lifeguard skills were sharpened by his time in the Marine Corps, where water survival training is a continuous effort. “I want to be a MCIWS, a Marine Corps Water Instructor, it’s pretty much what got me into the Marine Corps,” Olson said afterward. His swift and decisive actions that day reflected not only his physical abilities but also his mental resilience, a combination of both his civilian and military experiences.

    For his bravery and quick-thinking actions, Cpl. Olson was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. His selfless act at China Walls, putting his own safety at risk to save others, is a testament to his dedication both as a Marine and as a person. In addition to the commendation, Cpl. Olson was also meritoriously promoted during the ceremony for his continuous hard work and dedication to his unit. His colleagues and superiors celebrated both achievements, highlighting the positive impact he continues to have within the community.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ8: Members of public engaging in outdoor activities under inclement weather

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ8: Members of public engaging in outdoor activities under inclement weather
    LCQ8: Members of public engaging in outdoor activities under inclement weather
    ******************************************************************************

         Following is a question by the Hon Steven Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (October 30): Question:      It has been reported that whenever a typhoon hits Hong Kong, some members of the public will recklessly disregard warnings and purposely go to the seaside to “chase wind”, and some people will even engage in outdoor activities such as hiking and surfing under extreme weather. There are views pointing out that such behaviour not only endangers their own lives and safety, but also wastes the Government’s rescue resources and leads to casualties among rescuers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the following information on cases received by the Government in each of the past five years where members of the public encountered danger and sought assistance while engaging in outdoor activities when weather warnings were in force: the number of such cases, the types of outdoor activities involved, the number of search and rescue (S&R) personnel, the casualties among the S&R personnel, and the public expenditure involved; (2) given that the existing legislation empowers the authorities to close beaches or country parks when necessary, and it is an offence to enter such closed beaches or country parks without permission, of the number of prosecutions instituted by the authorities in the past three years in respect of the aforesaid offence; (3) of the work undertaken by the Government in the past three years to prohibit members of the public from entering dangerous areas such as waterfronts, riversides and hills when weather warnings were in force (including putting up notices and disseminating warning messages through the media), as well as the expenditure involved (with a breakdown by work initiative); and (4) whether it has considered imposing charges on those members of the public who encounter danger and seek assistance as a result of riskily engaging in outdoor activities under inclement weather (e.g. requiring them to bear a certain proportion of the S&R expenditure), so as to achieve a deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? Reply: President,      The Government strongly discourages the public from taking risks to engage in outdoor activities under inclement weather. It will continue to remind members of the public through various channels of the risks of engaging in outdoor activities under inclement weather, and step up enforcement actions. Under extreme weather conditions, such as when the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above, or the Black Rainstorm Warning are in force, mountain-climbing or other water sports activities will become even more dangerous. In case of an accident, it will also put rescuers in a dangerous situation.      In consultation with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Environment and Ecology Bureau, our consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Steven Ho is as follows: (1) Between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2024, the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and the Government Flying Service have been deployed for mountain rescue arising from camping or hiking and immersion incidents arising from swimming or surfing when an Amber, Red or Black Rainstorm Warning, or Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above was in force. Details are as follows:

    Year
    Number of mountain rescue incidents
    Staff deployed
    Number of immersion incidents
    Staff deployed

    2020
    1
    22
    2
    32

    2021
    5
    58
    2
    38

    2022
    10
    71
    1
    33

    2023
    23
    352
    16
    334

    2024(as at September 30)
    21
    146
    3
    72

          The above deployments did not result in any casualties among the rescuers. The rescue teams have not maintained a statistical breakdown of the operating cost. (2) As far as temporary closure of beaches is concerned, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has, in addition to giving advice on multiple occasions, issued a total of four verbal warnings in the past three years to persons entering/intending to enter temporarily closed beaches for water sports activities. During the period, no prosecution was instituted against non-compliance with the temporary closure of beaches.      As regards the hoisting of red flags at unclosed beaches, the LCSD has, in addition to giving advice on multiple occasions, successfully instituted one prosecution against water sports activities illegally conducted within the area of gazetted beaches in the past three years. Furthermore, during the law enforcement operation at Big Wave Bay Beach on October 25, 2024, two members of the public were found to have committed the acts of illegal surfing during hoisting of red flags at the unclosed beach, suspected of contravening the Bathing Beaches Regulation. An investigation by the LCSD is underway into such a case and prosecution is under consideration.      On the other hand, in the past three years, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) had not closed country parks due to inclement weather. The AFCD will consider the closure of country parks having regard to the actual situation and when necessary. (3) During temporary closure of beaches and hoisting of red flags at unclosed beaches, beach staff will advise or verbally warn members of the public who are oblivious to the dangers at sea for their action jeopardising their own safety and that of rescuers. The LCSD will also consider instituting prosecutions against wrongdoers to serve as deterrence. Generally, members of the public heed the advice from the staff in virtually all cases. The above work does not involve additional expenditure.      When adverse weather warnings (such as Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or Rain Storming Warnings) are about to be issued or while these are in force, the AFCD will appeal to members of the public to refrain from going to the country parks through news broadcasts and social media platforms. Moreover, the AFCD will regularly utilise the social media and other communication channels to promote hiking safety, and remind members of the public to avoid visiting country parks during adverse weather. The above work forms part of the AFCD management of country parks, and therefore does not involve additional expenditure.      Whenever a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal is in force, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) will remind the public to stay away from the shoreline and refrain from conducting any water sports activities. When a Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force, the HKO will remind the public to stay away from watercourses, and to stay alert to the possible dangers of flooding of the watercourses even after the Rainstorm Warning is cancelled. Other weather warnings or alerts are also accompanied by corresponding points to note. The HKO currently disseminates the above information to the public through various channels, including the HKO’s website, the mobile application MyObservatory, and social media platforms. The relevant operation and maintenance expenses have been subsumed into the recurrent cost of the HKO which cannot be further broken down. (4) The Government has always accorded top priority to public safety and the protection of people’s life and property. When calls for various emergencies are received, the HKPF and the FSD will immediately assess the nature of each incident and deploy appropriate resources to the scene.      The Government strongly discourages the public from taking risks to perform outdoor activities under inclement weather, as these activities will bring significant risks not only to the members of the public themselves, but also to the rescue personnel deployed in case of emergency. Notwithstanding the above, people’s lives are a top priority, and the Government will provide effective, reliable and efficient emergency services to people in distress or in need under all circumstances. The last thing we want to see is those in need being deterred from seeking emergency call services due to any reasons, including the charging of a levy.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 12:20

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ1: Promoting digital corporate identity

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Shang Hailong and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         The Financial Secretary has indicated in the 2024-2025 Budget that the Government will set up a “Digital Corporate Identity” (CorpID) Platform to enable authentication of identity of enterprises using electronic government services or conducting online business transactions in a secure, convenient and efficient manner. The Government’s goal is to roll out the Platform progressively from end‑2026 onwards. However, there are views pointing out that notwithstanding the pressing demand of enterprises for CorpID, the Government’s progress in the relevant work appears to be slightly slow. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that the Digital Policy Office has been established since July this year, whether the Office can give priority to the work on setting up the CorpID Platform, so that the target launch date of the Platform will be advanced to 2025;
     
    (2) as there are views that the current utilisation rate of personal digital certificate is on the low side, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may also be less inclined to adopt CorpID in the future, of the Government’s plan in place to publicise CorpID’s functions, and whether it will consider providing incentives to promote more extensive use of CorpID by SMEs, thereby facilitating smart city development; and
     
    (3) whether it will consider introducing new eligibility criteria for future funding schemes of enterprises, such as accepting applications only from SMEs using CorpID, so as to enhance their participation in CorpID?

    Reply：
     
    President,
     
         Promoting the development of smart city and digital economy in Hong Kong is one of the development directions of the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) is expediting the development of relevant digital infrastructure, including the development of the “Digital Corporate Identity” (CorpID) Platform, to support digital and intelligent transformation.
     
         My reply to the questions raised by the Hon Shang is as follows:

    (1) The CorpID Platform provides various functions, including corporate identity authentication, digital signing, pre-filling of forms and storage of digital licences and permits, etc, which facilitate corporations to undergo corporate identity authentication and corporate signature verification in a secure, convenient and efficient manner when using e-government services or conducting online transactions, hence alleviating the current paper-based and complicated procedures.

         The CorpID Platform is a brand new and complex large-scale digital infrastructure. The DPO must make adequate preparation and conduct comprehensive testing, including security risk assessment and audit, third party independent testing, as well as cybersecurity testing, etc, to ensure the security and reliability of the Platform. Since the Legislative Council approved of its funding in June this year, we have been pressing ahead with the project at full speed, including the collection of business requirements from stakeholders to ensure that the system design and functionalities meet the needs of different public and commercial application scenarios.

         The DPO strives to invite tender within this year and award the contract for design and development of the system in the middle of next year, with a view to launching the CorpID Platform progressively from end-2026. On the premise of ensuring system security and stability, the DPO will explore the feasibility of compressing the timeline.

    (2) and (3) The CorpID will offer users a corporate-based digital certificate. The Government has been driving the application of digital certificates. At present, digital certificates are being used in many domain areas including “iAM Smart”, “Government-to-Business” services (such as the Government Electronic Trading Services) and “Business-to-Business” services (such as financial services, secure email transmission), etc. With the growing number of citizens using “iAM Smart” and the launch of the CorpID Platform, the adoption of digital certificates will be further promoted.

         The DPO plans to implement the following measures to attract and encourage corporations and government departments to use the CorpID:
     

    in collaboration with the government departments that have business dealings with corporations, roll out several functions through connecting with the CorpID Platform. The DPO will also require all corporate-related e-government services to support the use of the CorpID within 18 months after its launch;
     
    through a Sandbox Programme, the service providers interested in supporting the CorpID can conduct proof-of-concept testing and develop their applications to design application scenarios and solutions that better meet the market demands;
     
    consider integrating the CorpID Platform with other corporate identity standards widely adopted in the industries for interoperability; 
     
    facilitate registration by enabling applicants to submit online applications through the CorpID Platform and create their CorpID once verified successfully, so that they can complete the application process while staying indoors; and
     
    publicise and promote the convenience and main functions of the CorpID to the industry through diversified channels, including websites, social media and communications platforms, promotional videos, industry organisation activities, etc. 

         The above work will help government departments and corporations better understand the functions, advantages and applicability of the CorpID Platform. Various departments can also utilise the CorpID as a technical solution for identity authentication and digital signing in accordance with their own policies, individual project objectives, development needs and technical requirements, etc, to facilitate the implementation of various policy measures in order to enhance efficiency and benefit the public and businesses.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Quotations invited for tenancies at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Quotations invited for tenancies at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port
    Quotations invited for tenancies at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port
    ********************************************************************************

         The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting two separate quotations for (i) Shop No. 302 and (ii) Shop No. 306, both on Ground Floor, Passenger Clearance Building, 33 Shun Fai Road, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, Lantau, Hong Kong, each for a three-year tenancy subject to the provisions for renewal for a further term of two years.     Both premises should only be used for general retail and/or services purposes excluding storage, sale or display of:(1) dutiable goods as defined under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), unless the premises have been issued with a warehouse licence under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109);(2) duty-paid goods as defined under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109); and(3) goods, merchandise or commodities that are from time to time prohibited from import into Hong Kong under the laws of Hong Kong.     The decision of the landlord as to what constitutes goods, merchandise or commodities under (3) above shall be final, conclusive and binding on the tenant. All references in the Form of Tenancy Agreement to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) shall include any regulations made thereunder and any amending legislation.     The quotation notices were uploaded today (October 30) to the GPA Property Portal: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/index.html. Quotation documents are available for collection at the GPA, 9/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during the period from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The documents can also be downloaded from the GPA Property Portal.     Interested bidders who wish to conduct a site inspection of the premises should make a prior appointment with the GPA by calling 3842 6915 or 3842 6917 on or before November 6.     Bidders must submit their quotations by placing them in the GPA Quotation Box placed at the Ground Floor Lobby, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, before noon on November 19. Late quotations will not be accepted.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 12:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Loretta Hart, 94.7 The Pulse

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    LORETTA HART, HOST: As we celebrate 50 years of community radio in Australia, we’re featuring women doing great things in the sector and those making an impact on it. One such woman is my next guest, someone who is a champion for all things community broadcasting, the Honourable Michelle Rowland, Minister for Communications. Welcome to the program.

    MICHELLE ROWLAND, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS: Great to be with you. 

    HART:  And we’ve also been joined by Libby Coker in the studio as well, our Federal Member for Corangamite. Welcome, Libby.

    LIBBY COKER, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CORANGAMITE: Welcome to you too. It’s great to be with you.

    HART: And look, I can’t go past that we actually got our station manager. Leo. Leo, welcome back from long service leave.

    LEO RENKIN, 94.7 STATION MANAGER: Thank you, Loretta. It’s been a very entertaining first day.

    HART: Absolutely. So, Michelle, you know, we know that the Labor Government introduced community radio back in the ‘70s. Can you share with us the importance of community broadcasting and radio, what- the importance it holds for the Government of today?

    ROWLAND: It’s absolutely an essential part of our media ecosystem, and I think it is opportune to reflect when Gough Whitlam started community broadcasting 50 years ago, it was referred to as experimental. So this was a step into the unknown about what can be done with this very valuable resource we call spectrum. I think it was one of the wisest moves that’s been made in communications regulation in this country, because where community broadcasting fits in in this whole ecosystem is it provides the heavy lifting that’s been done on media diversity. We are one of the most concentrated media ownership markets in the world, and to have hundreds of community broadcasters right around Australia serving localism, supported by volunteers, having connections with community.

    I’m really privileged to be here, just seeing the connections that you have with individuals, with community, how you reflect the local area. You try and think of another media format that can do that. You can’t. You can’t do it on a digital platform. You can’t do it in a profit making commercial broadcasting sense. It’s done through people who want to make a difference. Meeting Marwa, earlier from Syria, one of your stars. Clearly, that’s been life changing for her and she’s found a place here. I just think that says it all. It says everything about community broadcasting, community radio. It really does bring people together. Congratulations to The Pulse for clearly doing it so well. You really are the epitome of why we support this sector.

    HART:  Thank you so much. You used the word experimental, and I know we’re 50 years on, but I would say it still feels experimental. We have this opportunity to bring in new voices, to try new things to be nimble, which is such an exciting place for us to be. I’m wondering, Michelle, you know, as we move into this on demand lifestyle, I watch everything these days on – when it suits me on the TV, people are into their podcasts. Where do you see community radio fitting into this on demand space?

    ROWLAND: I think community radio is going to continue to innovate. Everyone thought radio was going to die with the advent of the iPod and then the iPhone, but community radio has really still found its place. You can find the app; you can listen to it anywhere you want. We’ve introduced a prominence framework in Australia as well to make local content easier to find. I think that the sector will continue to adapt, and I think it does it through two ways. Firstly, it is that local element, but it also is able to connect. It’s two-way. It’s not television. It’s two-way. When you have those personalities that are able to engage, continue to innovate through innovations like podcasting. Podcasting is one of those things, you know, it took off a few years ago, as did- we saw it with the ABC developing iView to have a library. Community broadcasting is doing the same thing, and it’s that kind of innovation that is going to keep it strong. But the key thing here, I’m sure Libby will agree, you need people. You need people, which goes to the whole reason why we’re doing the first really deep sustainability dive into the sector. You can’t operate for profit, but sponsorships are harder to come by. Volunteerism is on the decline, that’s just a fact. So we’ve got to look at new ways of support, and you’ve got to be able to attract people to be part of this. You’re doing it so well here. I could tell as soon as I walked in – you’re very lucky, Libby, to be representing such a special electorate.

    COKER: Yeah. Thanks, Michelle. I’m very fond of The Pulse. It’s been a place where people can come together and it fills a unique niche in this region. We have commercial radio, but we are also quite limited in our range of media. So if you want to have an in-depth interview on an issue, you really need to come to The Pulse to do that. I wish you all the best, and hope you continue to go from strength to strength and be here for another 50 years. It’s an impressive effort.

    HART:  Thank you, Libby. We will hold you to helping us.

    COKER: Yes, I know you will.

    LEO RENKIN CO-HOST: Just one thing that we haven’t really mentioned is the people who go on from the community radio station as well. Like we have Stefan, who’s gone back to Serbia and now presents TV over there. We also have Michelle Rimmer, you might see who’s an ABC reporter over in the UK – they all get their start somewhere like here. It’s very important because most commercial stations and there’s very limited opportunities at the ABC to get experience, and without it, there would be a lot of people who couldn’t go on and make a career out of radio. I think it’s one of the most underrated, important things that happen, not only radio, TV they go onto as well.

    HART: Couldn’t agree more.

    RENKIN: Yeah. That’s part of I think that thing is getting harder and harder to get experience, particularly for people in the media. I think that’s one of the things that we often forget about. You know, coming to a place like we’ve spoken about Marwa this morning, coming to a place where you can then get a chance to go ahead and do those things in media. Without it, as you mentioned before, it’s not a very diverse sector in the media field.

    ROWLAND: I think it’s great that people who are in community broadcasting, like Rove McManus, you know, he got his start on community TV. They go on to great things. But we also want them to stay.

    RENKIN: Exactly.

    ROWLAND: To nurture others as well. So it becomes a virtuous cycle.

    RENKIN: That’s right. They get picked very quickly, yeah.

    HART:  That’s right. I keep telling Marwa not to be so good because SBS is going to find her. She’s our most downloaded program and does an amazing job for her community. But I think that’s right. I mean, and we’re really proud of the links that we’re making with Deakin to support young journalists, students, and those in communications and marketing to come in. I want to give a shout out we had a young man, Cooper Watkins. Cooper came and did an eight-week intro to broadcasting program with us. Just on the weekend, he hosted an hour program with three interviews, and then on Monday, did six interviews for a two-hour program. And he’s just finished his journalism degree. But he is eager to get his hands on these buttons, to get behind the microphone and to get experience.

    So you’re right, Leo. I think that whilst we can have diverse voices, we can have underrepresented stories being given some air, but we’re also a training ground. But you’re right, Michelle, we want people to stay as well. Yeah.

    RENKIN: I’ve got Loretta chained to the desk actually.

    [Laughter]

    I think one of the underrated things about community radio is, like we’ve seen this morning, a diverse group of people coming together, and I think that’s very important for social cohesion as well. We often think of everyone in the community being different, but a place where they can come together and be different is a very special thing to have.

    ROWLAND: Couldn’t agree more.

    HART:  Michelle, just lastly, what can we look forward to- as community broadcasters, what can we look forward to the Albanese Government supporting and providing in this space?

    ROWLAND: Well, I want to reiterate that this is a government that doesn’t just say we support community broadcasting. We’ve backed that up with $23 million in funding. We want to continue to make sure that this sector remains strong. The first Bill I actually presented to the Parliament as Minister was on community broadcasting to help ease some of that regulatory burden. We have the sustainability review that’s being finalised by my Department now. I think it’s been really important to go out and to consult with the sector about what their needs are. When that comes through, I’m sure it will have some really practical suggestions in there for reform.

    But as Libby will tell you too, you know, we want to be judged on our delivery. It’s really something to be able to go to- I’ve lost count of how many community radio stations I’ve been to or have been on around Australia. But I want to be clear to your listeners. We’re a Government of delivery. We’re not afraid of the hard reforms. There are hard things happening in the media at the moment. This sector is under great challenge through the multinational digital platforms, under great stress through just the transition as well. It’s not the advertising market that it used to be. It is hard. There has to be that adaptation across mainstream media, but also by every part of the ecosystem, including community and just discussions today. This is an area that’s not without its challenges, even here in Geelong.

    But I can give you this commitment that we want to follow through on ensuring sustainability. We are going to have to make some hard decisions. But you can be assured that with good people like Libby backing you up in the Parliament as well, I think that this is a universally supported sector. It’s one that actually goes right across the aisle. You get people from regional areas and from metro areas who do support community radio. So I think that the proposals that we will put up, I’m confident that they’ll have strong support. There’s always a need to do more. Let’s be clear. I want to do expectations management. There’s always a need to do more. With hundreds of community radio stations across Australia with so many thousands of volunteers, we do have to remember I think come back to first principles. This is the fourth estate. It’s about making sure that authentic Australian voices, entertainment, and news get out there. We’re in an era of mis- and disinformation that is harmful to our democracy. This fourth estate that you support here is the front row of that fight against it. That’s one of the key reasons why I’m so passionate about it.

    RENKIN: Can I just add to that, Loretta?

    HART: Yeah, well, you can, but you’ve got 30 seconds.

    RENKIN: Sorry, 30 seconds. We found in COVID that we did have enormous amount of people come to us from different ethnic groups and want us to promote the vaccination programs and things that were going on because the only information they were referring to was online stuff, information from their own country. So for example, they were getting information from Croatia about what was going on, and then trying to think that was what was going to go on in Australia. Well, it was completely wrong. So we had some of our presenters come in and say, we have to get this message out, we have to get this message out. I think that’s one of the things that we- you know, when you said before about being the fourth pillar, I suppose, is that we can provide information from local community groups and for the local community groups, the best thing they know is word of mouth. And if it comes from one of the representatives, and then-

    ROWLAND: They trust. 

    RENKIN: They trust, exactly.

    HART:  They do indeed. It’s been a very fantastic conversation this morning. Thanks so much to Leo. Thanks very much to Libby Coker. And also thanks so much, Michelle, for being here, our Federal Minister for Communications. It’s been wonderful to have you in the studio with us.

    ROWLAND: Absolute pleasure.

    COKER: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ14: Improving the water quality of the Tsuen Wan waterfront

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Joephy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         In his 2022 Policy Address, the Chief Executive set a target of reducing the pollution load at identified outfalls emanating stench in specific districts (including Tsuen Wan) by half before the end of this year. It has been reported that the Government department concerned has indicated recently that the aforesaid target has been achieved ahead of the schedule, and the pollution load of the Tsuen Wan waterfront has been reduced by about 80 per cent. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) as it has been reported that the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) indicated last month that 70 cases of misconnection of drains had been found in Tsuen Wan and, among them, 36 cases had been rehabilitated or were under acceptance inspection, of the specific locations of such cases of drain misconnections and the specific rehabilitation measures taken; as for the remaining cases of drain misconnections pending rehabilitation, of the Government’s rehabilitation works plan and timetable;
     
    (2) as the EPD has indicated that following the rehabilitation of misconnected drains, the next task is to continue to identify other sources of pollutants, of the progress and targets of such task and the plans in place to monitor the water quality situation of the Tsuen Wan waterfront, for example, whether prosecution will be instituted against property owners involved in the misconnections of drains to prevent recurrence of similar problems; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (3) upon the completion of the drain rehabilitation works mentioned in (1), of the specific measures put in place by the Government to ensure that the drains can be effectively maintained and managed on a long-term basis, and whether such measures cover preventive maintenance and contingency rehabilitation plans; whether the Government will introduce new technologies to enhance the durability and operation efficiency of drains;
     
    (4) whether the Government has plans to extend across the territory the successful experience and fruitful outcomes of rehabilitating drains at the Tsuen Wan waterfront as well as the techniques applied, so as to improve the overall pollution load and odour intensity of the waterfront of Hong Kong; whether the Government will collaborate with environmental groups and experts to jointly take forward the work of ameliorating pollution at the waterfront;
     
    (5) as it has been reported that the Government has installed monitoring systems at the Tsuen Wan Sports Centre to monitor on an ongoing basis the odour changes of the Tsuen Wan waterfront, of the details of the data collected by such monitoring systems (including ways to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data); of the water and air quality data of the Tsuen Wan waterfront collected by the Government over the past two years, and whether such data shows a trend of progressive improvement; and
     
    (6) whether the Government has short-term and long-term plans to continuously improve the water quality and odour of the Tsuen Wan waterfront; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:
     
    President,

         The Government has all along been attached great importance to improving the water quality of Victoria Harbour. Since the launch of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme by the Government, all sewage generated from both sides of Victoria Harbour, including Tsuen Wan District, has been intercepted and diverted to the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works for centralised treatment. As a result, the overall water quality of Victoria Harbour has improved significantly. The Cross Harbour Race, which was suspended for years due to poor water quality, has resumed since 2011 and has returned to its traditional route in the central area of Victoria Harbour since 2017. To further ameliorate the remaining near-shore water quality and odour problems of Victoria Harbour, the Chief Executive set out the target in the 2022 Policy Address to reduce the pollution load by half before end-2024 at stormwater outfalls with serious pollution problems along both sides of Victoria Harbour, in particular in Tsuen Wan, Sham Shui Po and Kowloon City districts. Since then, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has conducted large-scale pollution source investigations mainly in the three priority areas mentioned above. More than 8 000 stormwater and sewage manholes have been inspected, with nearly 2 000 water samples collected for chemical and Escherichia coli (E. coli) level analyses. We have also identified pollution sources by way of dye-tracing tests, detection robot, ground penetrating radar (GPR), sonar inspection boat and other advanced equipment, while working closely with the Drainage Services Department (DSD) and the Buildings Department (BD) to rehabilitate defective sewers. With the progressive completion of rehabilitation works, the overall pollution load at the relevant outfalls in the above three priority areas has been reduced by about 80 per cent and the odour problem has also been ameliorated significantly, which is widely welcomed by residents in the vicinity. 
     
         My reply to the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan is as follows:

    (1) Most of the cases found in Tsuen Wan District are concentrated in areas of earlier development, such as Chung On Street (Tai Pei Square, Yi Pei Square, Sam Pei Square and Sze Pei Square), Lo Tak Court and the area around Heung Wo Street, etc. To trace the pollution sources in Tsuen Wan District, the EPD made the best endeavour and inspected over 1 000 stormwater and sewage manholes, collected over 400 water samples for chemical and E. coli level analyses, and successfully identified a total of 70 locations of sewer misconnection in the district. With instant follow-ups and rectifications made in collaboration with the DSD and the BD, we have so far completed rehabilitation for 36 cases involving a higher pollution load, thereby reducing the overall pollution load by about 90 per cent. The distribution of sewer misconnection cases in the district is listed in Table 1. The remaining 34 sewer misconnection cases pending rectification are mainly confronted with a more complex construction environment or technical issues. For example, works are required to be carried out beneath busy vehicular accesses and in narrow back lanes with congested underground utilities, which significantly limit the available space for the works. Our target is to complete these remaining misconnection cases within this year to further improve the water quality and odour problem of the harbourfront in the district.

    (2) In terms of progress and target for continuous identification of pollution sources, the EPD has implemented a continuous monitoring programme in Tsuen Wan District and adopted innovative tracking methods, including installing surveillance camera systems inside stormwater manholes at certain strategic locations to perform around-the-clock flow monitoring inside the manholes. When abnormal discharge is detected, the intelligence function will immediately issue an alert message for taking prompt follow-up actions. Compared with the traditional method of deploying staff to open manholes for inspection every time, this new method can monitor the flow of sewage from upstream into the stormwater systems continuously and identify the pollution sources, thus saving manpower. Besides, the EPD has applied other innovative technologies to monitor the conditions of drains, including deploying a sonar inspection boat and using a GPR to scan underground drains and sewers, which enable the generation of instant images to show the connections of underground stormwater drains and nearby sewers without digging up the roads. In order to continuously monitor the water quality of the Tsuen Wan harbourfront, the EPD has also set up three regular near-shore water quality monitoring stations at the near-shore locations of Tsuen Wan Bay near the outfalls of Tai Chung Road, Ma Tau Pa Road and Tai Ho Road box culverts. Monthly sampling is conducted to monitor the water quality, with indicators including dissolved oxygen and organic pollutant levels (5-day biochemical oxygen demand), etc.

         To rectify misconnection cases, the DSD carries out regular inspections of the conditions and structures of public sewerage and stormwater drainage systems. When defective sewers or manholes are found, rehabilitation works will be promptly arranged. As for misconnection cases in buildings, the BD will issue statutory repair/removal orders pursuant to the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) to urge or order the property owners concerned to discharge their responsibilities to rectify the problems of sewer misconnection. For cases which remain non-compliant after receipt of such orders, the BD will take appropriate enforcement actions according to the circumstances. Among the 30 ongoing misconnection cases in buildings in Tsuen Wan District, 22 cases are undergoing rectification, while the BD will continue to follow up the remaining eight cases, for which statutory orders have been issued.

    (3) Upon completion of the pipe rehabilitation works, the DSD will conduct regular inspections and clearances of sediment from the drainage pipe system to ensure its proper functioning. Furthermore, the DSD will inspect and assess the operational and structural conditions of the existing underground channels according to their plans. Following a risk-based principle, appropriate replacement and rehabilitation plans are formulated in an orderly manner, including deploying different methods to install fibreglass or polyester fibre linings in the existing pipes through trenchless excavation, thereby enhancing the maintenance of the drainage system. These advanced technologies for pipe replacement and rehabilitation can maintain the reliability of the drainage system and at the same time reduce the impact on the public during the construction period. The contractors of the DSD have also reserved materials for rehabilitating drainage pipes and manpower for emergency deployment to carry out urgent pipe rehabilitation works. Meanwhile, the DSD is committed to the development and application of various innovative technologies and machinery to assist in drainage service operations, including remote-controlled desilting robots and pipeline inspection robots, the use of drones for pipeline closed-circuit television surveys, and smart water level sensors. These devices can not only enhance the efficiency of drainage service operations, but can also reduce the risks of works and protect the safety of workers.

    (4) Based on the success case in rehabilitating sewer misconnections in Tsuen Wan District, the EPD has extended the techniques applied therein to other priority areas and has been in close communication with various organisations and university research teams to pool our wisdom and work together for improving the harbourfront environment. In particular, the EPD has since 2022 engaged a team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to install monitoring instruments at the Tsuen Wan Sports Centre, specifically monitoring the concentration of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which is an air pollutant associated with odours at the Tsuen Wan harbourfront. The DSD also worked with another HKUST team to jointly develop new technologies. By deploying large curtains and Malodour Control Hydrogel at the outlets of box drains along the coast, the emission of malodour is inhibited. Looking ahead, the Government will continue to collaborate with experts from various fields to adopt innovation and practicable solutions to further consolidate the achievements in ameliorating the water quality and odour problems of Victoria Harbour.

    (5) To objectively assess the actual effectiveness of rectification of misconnections in improving the odour levels in harbourfront areas, the Government has installed odour monitoring instruments at the Tsuen Wan Sports Centre and other locations along Victoria Harbour shorelines to continuously monitor odour changes in harbourfront areas. A team from the HKUST will conduct regular maintenance and calibration for the monitoring instruments, and verify the collected data to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the monitoring data. The monitoring data collected from the Tsuen Wan harbourfront revealed that the concentration of H2S, which is the key cause of odour, showed a significant downward trend. The H2S concentration recorded in August 2024 was 80 per cent lower when compared to that in early 2022. The records of monthly average concentration data are shown in Figure 1 and Table 2.

         As for water quality, the monitoring data recorded in the waters near three stormwater drain outlets at the Tsuen Wan West harbourfront showed that the near-shore water quality in the area has undergone significant improvement. The overall average dissolved oxygen level in seawater has increased by about 30 per cent, while the content of organic pollutants has decreased by about 40 per cent. The annual average water quality data recorded at the near-shore water quality monitoring stations are shown in Table 3.
         
         The EPD interviewed members of the public at the Tsuen Wan harbourfront in August this year. Seventy-five per cent of the respondents agreed that the odour problem at the harbourfront had improved, with half of them considering the improvement to be significant.
         
    (6) In order to continuously improve the water quality and odour problems at the Tsuen Wan harbourfront, apart from the short-term measures including investigating and rectifying misconnections as mentioned in (2) to (4), the Government will continue to implement the following medium-to-long-term improvement measures:

    (i) Desilting Works: Regular desilting works will be carried out for the three main box culverts (stormwater drains in Tai Chung Road, Tai Ho Road and Ma Tau Pa Road) in Tsuen Wan District to reduce the discharge of pollutants or sediments from the stormwater drains into the near-shore waters;

    (ii) Sewer Replacement and Rehabilitation Works: To prevent leakeage of sewers from affecting the water quality along the Tsuen Wan harbourfront, the Government will undertake public works projects to rehabilitate some of the aged underground sewers in Tsuen Wan District. As at December 2023, approximately 11 kilometres of sewers in Tsuen Wan District were undergoing replacement and rehabilitation, and the works are expected to be completed in phases by end-2026; and

    (iii) Village Sewerage Sytems: Village sewerage works for Chuen Lung and Lo Wai are expected to be completed by end-2025. Moreover, village sewerage works are also underway in rural areas in Tsuen Wan District, namely San Tsuen, Wo Yi Hop and Sheung Kwai Chung. The works projects will commence upon completion of land acquisition procedures and funding approval by the Legislative Council, and the works are expected to be completed in three to five years.

         All in all, the Government will continue to take forward various improvement and monitoring measures to strive for turning the Tsuen Wan harbourfront into a new landmark of water-friendly culture.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: World Osteoporosis Day highlights need for comprehensive care strategies, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    World Osteoporosis Day highlights need for comprehensive care strategies, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    Marking World Osteoporosis Day on 20 October, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) brought worldwide attention to a crucial issue: the urgent need for robust osteoporosis screening and sustained care strategies to prevent fragility fractures. Under the theme “Say No to Fragile Bones,” it highlighted the gaps in diagnosis and treatment, stressing the importance of proactive approaches and structured care to mitigate rising fracture risks as global populations age, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Osteoporosis, often termed a “silent disease,” progresses without symptoms until a fracture occurs, making it the primary cause of fragility fractures worldwide. With millions affected globally, osteoporosis results in weakened bone structure and increases fracture risk, particularly in the spine and hip.

    Such fractures lead to extended recovery times, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life and placing strain on healthcare systems. As the global population ages, untreated osteoporosis will exert an even greater burden on health services, underscoring the need for preventive strategies and consistent patient management.

    Sulayman Patel, MSci, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “World Osteoporosis Day 2024 pushes both the public and healthcare professionals to prioritize preventive measures. The IOF’s ‘5 Steps to Bone Health’ campaign emphasizes specific actions, including weight-bearing exercises, a nutrient-rich diet, and lifestyle adjustments. However, these guidelines must be coupled with systems that ensure early identification and consistent management of at-risk individuals to be effective.”

    Research from GlobalData and expert interviews reveal significant under-treatment in osteoporosis care. A European key opinion leader (KOL) stated, “We are currently doing very bad, with few patients having osteoporosis that receive treatment. There is a tremendous gap between what should be done and what is currently done.”

    This shortfall is especially pronounced in post-fracture care, where many patients are neither diagnosed nor treated for underlying osteoporosis. These gaps highlight the need for structured follow-up care and comprehensive treatment pathways.

    Patel continues: “This gap presents an opportunity for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies to drive advancements in diagnostic tools. Companies like Siemens Healthineers and ImageBiopsy Lab are already using machine learning technologies to enhance early detection. Wider adoption of these tools could lead to earlier diagnoses, minimizing healthcare costs associated with untreated osteoporosis.

    Amid persistent unmet needs, Amgen’s Evenity addresses a critical gap by simultaneously promoting bone formation and reducing bone resorption, offering a comprehensive approach to fracture prevention.

    Patel concludes: “Moreover, structured programs like Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are essential for effective osteoporosis management. FLS provides post-fracture patients with critical assessments, medication, and lifestyle support to prevent future fractures. Yet FLS programs remain underutilized, particularly in regions with fragmented healthcare systems. World Osteoporosis Day highlights the need for a coordinated approach to osteoporosis care, spanning diagnosis and ongoing management, to ensure comprehensive support for all patients.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

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

    Source: GlobalData

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

    Posted in Pharma

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Egypt marks major achievement with malaria-free certification, but need for global R&D remains significant, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Egypt marks major achievement with malaria-free certification, but need for global R&D remains significant, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as being malaria-free, following a near 100-year endeavour by the Egyptian government. Egypt is the third country to be declared malaria-free in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the 44th country globally. However, hundreds of millions of cases of malaria are still reported worldwide each year. These staggering numbers reinforce a global need for research and development, particularly for malaria vaccines, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Egypt’s malaria-free certification is a significant achievement, as this is a country which once recorded millions of cases. Unfortunately, the global burden of malaria remains high.”

    The WHO reported nearly 250 million cases of malaria and over 600,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide in 2022.

    In order to be certified malaria-free by the WHO, a country must prove that there has been no local transmission of any human malaria parasites for at least the past three consecutive years. Additionally, a country must maintain a fully functional surveillance and response system to prevent the re-establishment of indigenous transmission.

    Egypt’s efforts to reduce mosquito-borne diseases began in the 1920s, when the country prohibited agricultural crops near homes. Other efforts over the past 100 years have included opening a malaria control station, recruiting thousands of healthcare workers, launching a public health surveillance project, and public education.

    Kurdach continues: “To address the global burden of malaria and work towards global eradication, research and development is critical. Just as Egypt remains obligated to maintain surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment efforts throughout the nation, other nations plagued by malaria are in dire need of robust surveillance systems, diagnostic tools, affordable health care, and malaria vaccines.”

    There are currently only two malaria vaccines which are WHO prequalified* and recommended for use in children: GSK’s Mosquirix and Serum Institute of India’s R21/Matrix-M.

    According to GlobalData, there are 12 other malaria vaccines currently in Phase II development, including vaccines from BioNTech, GSK, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the University of Oxford. No new malaria vaccines are in Phase III development or pre-registration.

    Kurdach concludes: “There is a serious global unmet need for malaria vaccines, which is evidenced by the late-stage development pipeline. Egypt’s malaria-free certification serves as a reminder and call to action that malaria elimination is possible with increased research and development.”

    *The recommendations of Mosquirix and R21/Matrix-M by the WHO are relatively recent and occurred in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Diabetes Awareness Month shines light on prevention and treatment options, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Diabetes Awareness Month shines light on prevention and treatment options, says GlobalData

    Posted in Medical Devices

    Diabetes Awareness Month, observed every November, is dedicated to raising awareness about diabetes, promoting education, and advocating for improved care and support for those affected by the condition. This month-long campaign seeks to improve public understanding of diabetes, address common misconceptions, and reduce the stigma often associated with the condition. It also provides a platform for people living with diabetes to share their stories, foster community, and encourage advocacy efforts. Diabetes Awareness Month is important, as prevalence is increasing for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Diabetes is a chronic health condition characterized by the body’s inability to properly regulate blood sugar levels. There are three primary types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. Each type of diabetes presents unique challenges, requiring tailored approaches to management and treatment. During Diabetes Awareness Month, organizations work to educate the public on these differences and the importance of early diagnosis.

    Alexandra Murdoch, Senior Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Diabetes is a growing global health issue. Increasing awareness around diabetes can lead to earlier diagnoses, better management, and a decrease in related complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.”

    According to GlobalData’s pipeline database, diabetes care devices are the leading market by pipeline products, with over 250 active products in the pipeline. These devices include digital therapeutics, continuous glucose monitors, contrast agents for diagnostics, and more. Many of the diabetes care devices in the pipeline database are expected to be approved in 2025, and many more from 2026-2029.

    Early diagnosis and the creation of a treatment plan is crucial when it comes to diabetes, as there are several complications co-occurring conditions associated with diabetes, including vision loss, heart disease, kidney disease, foot ulcers and lower limb amputations. It is possible to reduce the risk of complications through lifestyle management, such as not smoking, being active, controlling blood pressure, eating healthy, and monitoring blood glucose levels.

    Murdoch concludes: “Diabetes Awareness Month plays a critical role in promoting understanding and support for the millions affected by diabetes worldwide. By highlighting the realities of living with diabetes, addressing misconceptions, and emphasizing the importance of early detection and effective management, the campaign makes strides toward reducing the overall impact of diabetes on individuals and society.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The number of users of the My ID service has doubled since the beginning of 2024

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Mobile application “My id” is becoming increasingly popular among Muscovites. Since the beginning of this year alone, the number of users has more than doubled. It now exceeds 125 thousand people.

    In the capital Department of Information Technology noted that the demand for the application is growing due to the constant expansion of its capabilities.

    “Since the launch of “My ID”, the number of documents whose information can be viewed in it has increased by 1.5 times. For example, a digital certificate of a large family has become available in the application, which can be presented to confirm the privileged status. At the same time, we continue to improve the already popular services of the application. Thus, recently, pet owners have the opportunity not only to view basic information about their pets, but also to control the timing of vaccinations and treatment, as well as quickly proceed to an appointment at a state veterinary clinic directly from the application,” the press service of the department said.

    With the My ID app, city residents can be sure that the necessary information will always be at hand. Currently, 14 types of documents and services are available in the app, including information on Russian and foreign passports, taxpayer identification numbers, birth certificates, SNILS, and others. This simplifies filling out various applications and online forms, and also allows sending information to trusted persons.

    In addition, the application provides digital versions of some documents, including a compulsory medical insurance policy, a single library card, and a large family certificate. They can be used to obtain various city services. For example, the barcode of the single library card from the application can be presented in the capital’s libraries to borrow and return books, and the QR code of the digital certificate of a large family will allow you to confirm your privileged status, for example, when buying tickets in the capital’s cultural institutions.

    Any registered user of the mos.ru portal can use the application – just log in to the application using your account. In the settings, the user can independently select the documents that he wants to use. The information specified by the user in the personal account or provided when receiving government services will be automatically displayed in the application.

    The mobile application “My id” is developing Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow together with the State Institution “New Management Technologies”.

    The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life of city residents corresponds to the objectives of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” and the regional project of the capital “Digital Public Administration”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow can be found Here.

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145916073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: More than 3.4 thousand coaches and teachers prepare athletes in Moscow

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Sergei Sobyanin congratulated Muscovites on Coach’s Day and wished everyone who works in this field success in their work.

    “Today, Russia celebrates Coach’s Day. This is an opportunity to pay tribute to the most important people in the lives of athletes, those who pass on their invaluable experience and support them throughout their careers,” the Moscow Mayor noted on his Telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin 

    More than 3.4 thousand specialists are involved in training athletes in Moscow, 350 of whom hold the title of “Honored Trainer of Russia”.

    “In addition, the number of amateurs who regularly engage in physical culture is growing, so specialized specialists are in great demand. There are many sports dynasties in Moscow. Children, inspired by their parents, follow in their footsteps. First they do it themselves, then they start teaching,” added Sergei Sobyanin.

    An example of the capital’s sports dynasty is the spouses Raisa and Sergey Galperin, who have trained more than one generation of successful athletes. Both are honored coaches of Russia. Their sons Gleb and Egor also linked your life with sports.

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11969050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Thanks to the service on mos.ru, large families can receive compensation for the purchase of school uniforms

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow families with many children receive annual compensation for the cost of purchasing school uniforms for more than 340 thousand children. In total, there are over 200 thousand families with many children in the capital. Digital city services are provided for them, which make life easier and allow them to spend as much time as possible with their children.

    The annual compensation payment for the 2024/2025 academic year, which parents can receive for the purchase of a school uniform, was made in May of this year. The service is provided to children aged six to 16 years old if the large family has a valid preferential status.

    “We see a steady increase in the number of users of this service every year — about 30 thousand new applications. Already about 340 thousand children receive compensation. At the same time, the peak of initial applications from year to year falls at the beginning of the school year — September and October. It is enough to submit an application for the service once, then the payment will be assigned automatically, and the information will be verified online. This procedure for receiving is especially convenient for parents with many children, because digitalization frees them from the need to fill out documents on time every year and allows them to spend time on leisure with their family,” she noted.

    Elena Shinkaruk, Chairman of the Committee for State Services of the City of Moscow.

    A parent of a large family in which a child will go to first grade in the new school year, as well as in which children after 16 years of age will continue their education in educational institutions, can apply for payment starting from September 1 annual compensation. To do this, you need to submit an application on the mos.ru portal. It is required for families that became large after May of this year, as well as for families in which children went to school before reaching the age of six or in which children over 16 continue their education at school or college. For families that became large, it is enough to submit an application once.

    “To submit an application, you will need the passport details of both parents indicating their registration at their place of residence in Moscow, and the child’s birth certificate. Information about the child’s education in an educational institution will be received by the Social Treasury, which makes the payment, as a result of interdepartmental interaction,” she specified.

    Ekaterina Logacheva, Deputy Head of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the City of Moscow.

    If the child is studying in a private or federal educational institution, a certificate must be provided.

    GetThe status of a large family can only be obtained on the mos.ru portal since November 2020. In case of a positive decision, a notification of assignment (extension) of the preferential status is sent to the applicant in his personal account.

    As noted in the capital Department of Information Technology, a certificate of a large family for Muscovites is available in digital format. The electronic document is equivalent to a paper one and contains a unique QR code, information about all members of the large family and the validity period of the benefit. All Muscovites with the status of a large family automatically receive a certificate in their personal account on the mos.ru portal. It can be downloaded to your smartphone as a pdf file. The document can also be used using the city mobile application “My id”.

    The digitalization of the above services and services for large families is the result of joint work Committee of State Services of Moscow, capital Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population and the Department of Information Technology.

    The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life of city residents is in line with the objectives of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” and the Moscow regional project “Digital Public Administration”. More information about the national projects implemented in the capital can be found Here.

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145904073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From Classicism to Art Deco: Mosgornasledie Opens the Exhibition “Architecture and Fashion. In the Flow of Time”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage invites you to the exhibition “Architecture and Fashion. In the Flow of Time”. It will be held in the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman pavilion at VDNKh. Visitors will be able to trace the relationship between architecture and fashion: learn how the trends of the time were manifested both in the historical buildings of the city and in the fashionable images of its residents.

    “Moscow is a city where, walking along the streets, you can see architectural monuments of completely different styles: classicism, baroque, modernism, constructivism and many others. The exhibition “Architecture and Fashion” is designed to show this diversity, the entire palette of the capital’s cultural heritage sites and their unique architectural details. Last year, the event received a great response, and we are pleased to invite everyone to visit the new exhibition,” said the head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow.

    Alexey Emelyanov.

    The exhibition includes eight sections dedicated to different architectural styles and their refraction in fashion: from mature classicism to art deco. The Ostafyevo Museum-Estate, the Khlodov-Panteleyev House on Zemlyanoy Val, the Lopatina mansion on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, the Kievsky Railway Station building, the V.P. Zotov Bakery on Khodynskaya Street and other cultural heritage sites of the 18th–20th centuries will be presented here. Against their background, you can see costumes from the corresponding eras. For example, the I.S. Turgenev Museum-Estate on Ostozhenka and outfits that the heroines of the great writer’s works could have worn, a masterpiece of constructivism, the Narkomfin House on Novinsky Boulevard, combined with the geometry of the dress — the costume of the new man of the 1920s, as well as the building of the Russian State Library on Vozdvizhenka Street and art deco silhouettes.

    The authors of the exhibition believe that architecture serves as a guiding thread for fashion, which in turn inspires architects to new ideas. These two trends have been and remain a reflection of any era.

    At the exhibition, guests will be able to join a guided tour and panel discussions with experts in the field of architectural history and fashion. The project will be of interest to anyone interested in historical and cultural heritage and creative industries.

    The organizers of the exhibition “Architecture and Fashion. In the Flow of Time” hope that its holding will contribute to increasing interest in the topic of the cultural and historical heritage of the capital, the history of Moscow architecture, its preservation and development.

    The exhibition can be seen from November 2 to 21 every day except Monday, from 11:00 to 22:00.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145918073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Competitions, master classes and interactive exhibition: Moscow to host Sportland family festival

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Sportland family festival will be held in Gostiny Dvor on November 1 and 2 from 11:00 to 19:00. It will be held with the support of the capital’s Department of Sports. The festival will feature more than 50 sports, master classes, competitions and other events.

    Thus, the organizers will offer participants to take the route “Sport as a Game”, where they will get acquainted with different sports in a game format. Among them are rugby, boxing, roller sports, rock climbing, tug-of-war, wushu, shooting, golf, fishing, sword fighting, parachute and kettlebell lifting, sports dancing and others.

    The interactive exhibition of the Sportland Expo festival will tell guests about strategic and developmental games, fitness programs, new and traditional forms of joint leisure and recreation, and will also present the products and services of partners in the healthy lifestyle industry.

    The festival will feature a program called “Family Competitive Testing” and for the first time will host open Moscow family games called “My Family – My Team”. Everyone is welcome to participate – both a full family team and a child accompanied by one of the parents. The conditions can be found on the website. Following the competition, everyone will receive a medal for participation, and the winners will be awarded sets of useful paraphernalia with the symbols of “Moscow Sport”.

    In addition, the main stage will host a non-stop multi-genre competition for young athletes and artists, “Sport as Art”.

    For the most active participants, the event organizers and partners have prepared prizes. Every day at certain hours, the “Time of Gifts” campaign will be held.

    Entry to the festival is free, with prior registration. You can register and also find out the detailed schedule of all events on the website festival. Guests of the festival will need to bring comfortable clothes and shoes. First of all, the festival is waiting for parents with children who want to choose a sport and participate in competitions with their family.

    “Sportland” is an interactive platform that unites organizations that work in the field of mass sports, healthy lifestyle, family leisure and children’s creativity. The main goal of the festival is to form a healthy lifestyle and joint family leisure. The event is dedicated to the Year of the Family. It contributes to the implementation of the national project “Demography”, as well as the regional project “Sport is the Norm of Life”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow can be found on a special page.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145896073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 30 thousand students took part in the Moscow Youth Days

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Over 30,000 students from more than 60 educational institutions in the city joined the Moscow Youth Days this year. Events in this format have been held in the capital since 2023.

    “The Days of the Moscow Youth are an important communication platform for interacting with students. Here, kids can get to know the areas that interest them better, and also learn a lot of useful information about large-scale events and city projects,” she noted.

    Ekaterina Dragunova, Chairman of the Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy of Moscow.

    The project days are held at the capital’s universities and colleges throughout the academic year. In 2023, more than 22 thousand students took part in them. In 2024, the Moscow Youth team visited more than 60 educational institutions in Moscow, including the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, the Russian State University for the Humanities, the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the Moscow Aviation Institute and many others. The last day of Moscow Youth this year was held on October 30 at the Kutafin Moscow State Law University.

    Representatives of the “Youth of Moscow” spoke about key events and student competitions. After that, the students visited a project fair, where they talked to teams, took part in various events and themselves became activists. Here you could find a community of interests and, together with like-minded people, engage in career advancement, stand-up comedy, public speaking, street sports and much more.

    Students also had the opportunity to join the Youth of Moscow team and become ambassadors of the project. At the moment, more than 120 people have joined their ranks. They introduce other students to the opportunities the city provides to young Muscovites, such as campaigns, useful resources, innovative sites, educational programs and large-scale events. To join the team of ambassadors, you must submit an application on a special page.

    Days of Moscow Youth are a convenient platform for direct interaction with the active youth of the city. Every semester, educational institutions of the capital host off-site events, where students are introduced to various projects. Moscow Youth is constantly working in 11 areas. The team has organized over 3.5 thousand events, in which more than two million people took part.

    You can find out more about the project on the portal orin social networks.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145924073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS visits Saudi Arabia

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan led a delegation from the financial and innovation sectors on a visit to Saudi Arabia and attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.

    While participating in a panel discussion during the conference, Mr Chan stated that Hong Kong is actively promoting the development of green finance and green technology.

    He emphasised that the city could provide capital support for infrastructure and green projects in the Global South and guide funding to new projects through innovative financial products, such as securitised loans.

    In response to questions raised at the panel discussion, Mr Chan highlighted that Hong Kong is collaborating with multiple central banks to launch Project mBridge, aiming for faster, more cost effective, and more secure cross-border payments and settlements.

    He also witnessed the signing of a strategic co-operation agreement between the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation and a venture capital firm there. The signatory parties will share resources, recommend startups to each other, facilitate connections within their startup networks, and jointly engage in market promotion and events.

    In the evening, the Financial Secretary attended two receptions. One such function was hosted by Cathay Pacific.

    Mr Chan noted that the goal of his visit is to expand ties between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, adding that the resumption of flights between the two places yields huge potential.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI to conduct Overnight Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction under LAF on October 30, 2024

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    On a review of the current and evolving liquidity conditions, it has been decided to conduct a Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction on October 30, 2024, Wednesday, as under:

    Sl. No. Notified Amount
    (₹ crore)    		 Tenor
    (day)    		 Window Timing Date of Reversal
    1 75,000 1 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM October 31, 2024
    (Thursday)

    2. The operational guidelines for the auction as given in the Reserve Bank’s Press Release 2019-2020/1947 dated February 13, 2020 will remain the same.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1398

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Suzuki and Toyota to Deepen Collaboration in the Field of Electrified Vehicles

    Source: Toyota

    Headline: Suzuki and Toyota to Deepen Collaboration in the Field of Electrified Vehicles

    Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) have decided to further strengthen collaboration in the supply of a battery EV (BEV) SUV model developed by Suzuki to Toyota. This new model is scheduled to be manufactured at Suzuki Motor Gujarat in India from the spring of 2025.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US elections: Editorial writers at LA Times, Washington Post resign after billionaire owners block Kamala Harris endorsements

    Democracy Now!

    This is Democracy Now!, “War, Peace and the Presidency.” I am Amy Goodman, with Juan González:

    The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post newspapers are facing mounting backlash after the papers’ publishers announced no presidential endorsements would be made this year. The LA Times is owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, and The Washington Post is owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

    National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting more than 200,000 people have cancelled their Washington Post subscriptions, and counting.

    A number of journalists have also resigned, including the editorials editor at the Los Angeles Times, Mariel Garza, who wrote, “How could we spend eight years railing against Trump and the danger his leadership poses to the country and then fail to endorse the perfectly decent Democrat challenger — who we previously endorsed for the U.S. Senate?”

    Veteran journalists Robert Greene and Karin Klein have also resigned from the L.A. Times editorial board.

    At The Washington Post, David Hoffman and Molly Roberts both resigned on Monday from the Post editorial board. Michele Norris also resigned as a Washington Post columnist, and Robert Kagan resigned as editor-at-large.

    David Hoffman, who just won a Pulitzer Prize for his series “Annals of Autocracy,” wrote, “I believe we face a very real threat of autocracy in the candidacy of Donald Trump. I find it untenable and unconscionable that we have lost our voice at this perilous moment.”

    David Hoffman joins us now, along with former Los Angeles Times editorials editor Mariel Garza.

    David Hoffman, let’s begin with you. Explain why you left The Washington Post editorial board. Oh, and at the same time, congratulations on your Pulitzer Prize.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Thank you very much.

    I worked for 12 years writing editorials in which I said over and over again, “We cannot be silent in the face of dictatorship, not anywhere.” And I wrote about dissidents who were imprisoned for speaking out.

    And I felt that I couldn’t write another editorial decrying silence if we were going to be silent in the face of Trump’s autocracy. And I feel very, very strongly that the campaign has exposed his intention to be an autocrat.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, is there any precedent for the publisher of The Washington Post overruling their own editorial board?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Yeah, there’s lots of precedent. It’s entirely within the right of the publisher and the owner to do this. Previous owners have often told the editorial board what to say, because we are the voice of the institution and its owner. So, there’s nothing wrong with that.

    What’s wrong here is the timing. If they had made this decision early in the year and announced, as a principle, they don’t want to issue endorsements, nobody would have even blinked. A lot of papers don’t. People have rightly questioned whether they actually have any impact.

    What matters here was, we are right on the doorstep of the most consequential election in our lifetimes. To pull the plug on the endorsement, to go silent against Trump days before the election, that to me was just unconscionable.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Mariel Garza, could you talk about the situation at the LA Times and your reaction when you heard of the owner’s decision?

    MARIEL GARZA: Certainly. It was a long conversation over the course of many weeks. We presented our proposal to endorse Kamala Harris. And, of course, there was — to us, there was no question that we would endorse her. We spent nine years talking about the dangers of Trump, called him unfit in 5 million ways, and Kamala Harris is somebody that we know. She’s a California elected official.

    We’ve had a lot of conversations with her. We’ve seen her career evolved. We were going to — we were going to endorse her. And there was no indication that we were going to suddenly shift to a neutral position, certainly not within a few weeks or months of the election.

    At first, we didn’t get a clear answer — sounds like it’s the same situation that happened at The Washington Post — until we pressed for one. We presented an outline with — these are the points we’re going to make — and an argument for why not only was it important for us, an editorial board whose mission is to speak truth to power, to stand up to tyranny — our readers expect it.

    We’re a very liberal paper. There is no — there is no question what the editorial board believes, that Donald Trump should not be president ever.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to —

    MARIEL GARZA: So, it was perplexing. It was mystifying. It was — go ahead.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to get your response to the daughter of the LA Times owner. On Saturday, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s daughter Nika Soon-Shiong posted a message online suggesting that her father’s decision was linked to Kamala Harris’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

    Nika wrote, “Our family made the joint decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. This was the first and only time I have been involved in the process.

    “As a citizen of a country openly financing genocide, and as a family that experienced South African Apartheid, the endorsement was an opportunity to repudiate justifications for the widespread targeting of journalists and ongoing war on children,” she wrote.

    Her father, Patrick Soon-Shiong, later disputed her claim, saying that she has no role at the Los Angeles Times. Mariel Garza, your response?

    MARIEL GARZA: Look, I really don’t know what to say, because I have — that was — if that was the case, it was never communicated to us. I do not know what goes on in the conversation in the Soon-Shiong household. I know that she is not — she does not participate in deliberations of the editorial board, as far as I know. I’ve never spoken to her.

    We all know how she feels about Gaza, because she’s a prolific tweeter. So, I really can’t say. And this is part of the bigger problem, is we were never given a reason for why we were being silent.

    If there was a reason — say it was Israel — we could have explained that to readers. Instead, we remain silent. And that’s — I mean, this is not a time in American history where anybody can remain silent or neutral.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, this whole issue has been raised by some critics of Jeff Bezos that his company has a lot of business with the US government, and whether that had any impact on Bezos’s decision. I’m wondering your thoughts.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: I can’t be inside his mind. His company does have big business, and he’s acknowledged it’s a complicating factor in his ownership. But I can’t really understand why he made this decision, and I don’t think it’s been very well explained. His explanation published today was that he wants sort of more civic quiet, and he thought an endorsement would add to the sense of anxiety and the poisonous atmosphere.

    But I disagree with that. I think, like in the LA Times, I think readers have come to expect us to be a voice of reason, and they’ve looked to endorsements at least for some clarity. So, frankly, I also feel that we’re still lacking an explanation.

    AMY GOODMAN: You know, you have subtitle, the slogan of The Washington Post, of course, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” It’s being mocked all over social media. One person wrote, “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.”

    David Hoffman, your response to that? But also, you won the Pulitzer Prize for your series “Annals of Autocracy,” and you talk about digital billionaires, as well, and what this means. How does this fit into your investigations?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: You know, I would hope everybody would understand and acknowledge that we’ve done a lot of good for democracy and human rights. You know, I’ve had governments react sharply to a single editorial. When we call them out for imprisoning dissidents, it matters that we are very widely read.

    And that’s another reason why I feel this was a big mistake, because we actually were on a path, for decades, of championing democracy and human rights as an institution.

    And, you know, I have to tell you, I wrote a book in Russia about oligarchs. I understand how difficult it is when you have a lively and independent group of journalists. And ownership really matters. And, you know, we’re not just another widget company.

    This is actually a group of very, very deep-thinking and oftentimes very aggressive people that have a desire to change the world. That’s the kind of journalism that The Washington Post has sponsored and engaged in.

    In 2023, we published a series of editorials that took a look deep inside how China, Russia, Burma, you know, other places — how these autocracies function. One of the findings was that many of these dictatorships are using technology to clamp down on dissent, even things as tiny as a single tweet.

    Young people, young college students are being thrown in prison in Cuba, in Belarus, in Vietnam. And I documented these to show how this technology actually isn’t becoming a force for freedom, but it’s being turned on its head by dictatorship.

    AMY GOODMAN: We have to leave it there, David Hoffman, Washington Post reporter, stepped down from the Post editorial board when they refused to endorse a presidential candidate; Mariel Garza, LA Times editorials editor who just resigned.

    I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

    This programme is republished under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Shenzhou-19 spaceship docks with space station combination

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship successfully docked with the space station combination on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
    The spaceship made a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station’s core module Tianhe at 11 a.m. (Beijing Time).
    The astronaut trio aboard the spaceship will then enter the Tianhe module. Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-18 crew members are ready for their arrival.
    The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China early on Wednesday. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Salvation Army/Diabetes Australia Partnership Launch

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    Good afternoon, everybody. Fantastic to be here. I’d like to acknowledge that Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I just want to make four points. Settle in, it’ll take about half an hour. I was joking. First of all, Nick McCallum. I’d like to acknowledge Nick does a great job. He’s one of a band of people, Colonel Kelvin, who Brendan has gathered around him, and there’s a few other like-minded souls. And, whenever Brendan and Sandra think something needs to be pushed along, Nick has always got a very open mind and journalist in the best tradition of Melbourne. He wants to see the right thing by our community. It’s great to see Nick Reece here. You’ll get up, son. Okay. I just want to be the first to call you the Mayor, Lord Mayor. Justine Cain, CEO of Diabetes Australia. Thank you, Diabetes Australia I’m going to talk a little bit more about it in a moment, but it’s great you’re here. You’ll be busy.

    And Justine in your introduction, you said you’ve already had important conversations with 60 to 70 people. That’s almost everyone in the room, or the equivalent of. And when you think about it, when we reduce it, 1.9 million Australians have diabetes and someone’s diagnosed every five minutes, you realise that it is a big issue and you realise that people who live on the streets, people who live insecurely, just don’t get the same deal.

    So, I’m very pleased that Diabetes Australia took up our encouragement to work with Brendan, and I’m hoping that this is a model, as you are very positively and optimistically said. I should also acknowledge Brendan and Sandra. I acknowledge Brendan. Sandra. Well done. I love Brendan. He’s on a he’s on billboards in my electorate. I mean, they do a great job, and this is a great building. I just want to make these points so, you know, acknowledge everyone else too. You’re beautiful people.

    Diabetes, it’s real. I’ve had family members with it. But it’s treatable. There are things that can be done. And the worst thing in the world is seeing preventable conditions. You know, being the Minister for the NDIS, sometimes you get a genetic lottery. The great American poet Robert Frost, talking about the suicide of his son, he used the term the shafts of fate. And some things are unavoidable. But preventable illness is as it says, it’s really on all of us to go that extra distance. And so, the fact that you’re teaming up with Project 614, I think there’ll be a lot of other organizations very interested. So, I’m just excited. I think it’s really good, and I make at this point that, = you know, behind us, Matthew 1128 up on the wall, it really says it invites people to – this building and what happens in it is to provide support. It’s to provide comfort, to provide peace. But that doesn’t happen without people making that happen. So, great about the diabetes.

    I’d also like to acknowledge part of the reason why I keep coming back here, other than Brendan’s amazing charisma is, they do a lot of good stuff. And since I’ve been the Minister for Services Australia, which is a great privilege, I learned a lot about, you know, it’s not the sexiest portfolio in the government, but I’m now convinced there’s no thing that the government does, which is any more important than what we do at Services Australia. And what I’ve found out is that every year, or last year, Australians went online and dealt with Services Australia and Medicare 1.1 billion times online. That’s a lot. And we have 318 offices, and we have 30,000 plus people working. Over 10 million people come and visit Service Australia offices, which is a lot. It’s amazing. We just answer tens of millions of calls. And by the way, we’re answering quicker than we used to, which is great. But for some people, they’re not going to get on the phone. They’re not going to come into the office. They’re not going to be a digital native transacting. And then you what I realized is we need to go out to the people.

    And that in our communities, there are people who are under-documented or undocumented. We’ve got people who just aren’t in the Medicare system. It’s not that the safety net is inadequate. They’re just not in it. And that’s not anybody’s fault. Life has a way of, can upend endured, you know. A traumatic childhood, you just – there’s no blame about this. But some people are not going to go and sit down and sit in a Centrelink office or fill in a Medicare form online. And that’s where I think what Brendan’s Project 614 and the Salvo’s do so well, and plenty of other places. So, it’s been very exciting for me to be able to work with my agency and say, why don’t we put really special people in our agency, at the homelessness organisations or frontline organisations and Nick Carbine’s here. He’s done a great job, but we’re now doing it in 27 different organisations around the country. This is not rocket science. This has not involved us having to go to the budget to get new money. And by the way, the Services Australia staff, they get more volunteers to come out and do the outreach than there are outreach positions. So, it reflects well on our public servants. But now we’re doing it right across Australia, but we started it here and in Sydney with Bill Crews, the Reverend Bill Crews.

    Now there’s 27 frontline organizations. Over 20,000 different people have now been joined into the system who were missing, and that just means that they are getting some of that support, which a lot of other people take for granted. Now we’ve extended them. We’ve got Hearing Australia, putting in checking people’s hearing here. That’s great. That’s another agency that I work with. The National Disability Insurance Scheme, they’re now working with a lot of people on the NDIS and making sure they can get access. And so that’s fabulous. I mean, Project 614 has of course been doing other work, drug and alcohol work and VicPol and the Housing Vic people have also been utilising this place. But what I like about this place and working with it with the feds is, we’re going to the people and that’s really what it’s all about.

    When I announced that I was changing jobs – not retiring, changing jobs, Brendan was one of the first on the phone. I thought oh, that’s beautiful. He’s just a beautiful man, Brendan. He said, is our contract sorted for when you go? I mean, he sort of said, is it true? And he got into that conversation. And it’s great that David Hazlehurst is here. Services Australia sees the value of doing the outreach work. But really, what I wanted to say in conclusion, in addition to the diabetes work done here by the Salvos, the work done by all of you to join people up is really hope. See, I love coming to this building. It’s a marvellous building. You know, back in the 1880s, 1890s, people were building buildings to last. It showed the importance they attached to it. But whilst this is a beautiful building, it’s what happens in the building is what makes it significant.

    So, this is really a canteen of hope. It’s a building of hope. The volunteers and the people who work here, they’re people of hope. Hope is just the idea which says that you can have a better future and see. Hope is just the emotion that you can look forward to things, and that you have the ability, therefore, to take those steps. If we don’t have hope in our lives, then we have nothing. If we don’t have the idea or the expectation or the dream that things can get better, that there’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning, then you live in a very dark place. And what I love about this building of hope, this operation of hope, is that it delivers that in spades.

    And I love the fact that it’s got – the canteen, it’s rated 4.3, I think, on Google reviews, which is great. It is ironic because that’s what Grossi Florentino across the road. So, it is interesting. And the ham cheese and tomato sandwiches here are probably more value for money too.

    So, you’ve got the hope that you can get a good food, good meal here. But more importantly, all of you are people who subscribe to the view that other people are important. None of you are here because of yourselves. You are all here because you know that none of us are worth anything unless our fellow man and woman is doing okay. And that’s why I was lucky to be introduced by Warren Snowdon. Warren was the father of the House. that’s a term they used in parliament. Longest serving member. And he’s worked on diabetes and Aboriginal communities in central Australia because he represented most of the Northern Territory. But when I think about Warren or I think about any of you who I haven’t mentioned by name, I just know that the world is a very complex and disturbing place. Big elections in America. The news is full of all the things going wrong. But the people in this room, you’ve got hope that the place can be better. And that’s what Diabetes is doing. And that’s why I love today. Because this is just all about hope.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: SAPOL mobile application

    Source: South Australia Police

    From 6 December 2024, the South Australia Police mobile application will no longer be available to download.

    Members of the community can access the same information from the SAPOL website.

    Launched in 2016, the app initially offered users an alternative to the SAPOL website, with about 8,000 having downloaded the app.

    Those with the app remaining on their device should be aware that the application will no longer be updated or supported and the recommended action will be to uninstall the app.

    All the functions/applications within the app can be accessed directly from the SA Police Website via desktop or mobile – SAPOL – Home (police.sa.gov.au)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Unexplained death at Port Augusta

    Source: South Australia Police

    Major Crime Investigation Branch and Port Augusta CIB detectives are investigating the unexplained death of a 26 year-old woman from Port Augusta.

    The woman, who had physical and intellectual disabilities, died in Royal Adelaide Hospital on Monday night (October 28).

    She was taken to Port Augusta Hospital on October 24 after SA Ambulance attended at her Edinburgh Terrace home. She was found to be seriously ill with significant infected wounds.

    On October 25, the woman’s condition deteriorated, and she was transported to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Port Augusta CIB detectives were advised and commenced a criminal neglect investigation and searched her home.

    The woman’s death has been declared a major crime.

    Major Crime officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the investigation was in its early stages and the examination of the house was expected to take several days.

    Major Crime detectives and Forensic Response Section officers have been in Port Augusta working with local police since yesterday.

    “There are significant indicators of criminal neglect, but it is not yet clear if that caused the woman’s death,’’ he said.

    “Because of this there is a simultaneous criminal and coronial investigation underway that involves a significant commitment of resources.

    “The criminal investigation will examine the role of everyone who was involved in the provision of care to the victim and to determine if anyone is criminally responsible for the death. I expect that will take some time.’’

    “I would urge anyone who knows the victim that had raised concerns about her care to contact police.’’

    Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Supporting at-risk young men in Victoria to break the cycle of gendered violence

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    Joint with:

    The Hon Justine Elliot MP
    Assistant Minister for Social Services 
    Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
    Member for Richmond

    Mr Sam Rae MP
    Member for Hawke

    The Albanese Labor Government is strengthening efforts to prevent gender-based violence in Australia through its new $23 million early intervention trials focussed on engaging at risk young men and adolescent boys, including two trial sites in the Hume and Greater Shepparton regions of Victoria.

    Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence, Justine Elliot, alongside the Federal Member for Hawke, Sam Rae, today met with Berry Street and their consortia partners who have been chosen to deliver the trial in the Hume region.

    Speaking from the trial site in Hume, Assistant Minister Elliot said early intervention work with young men is vital to helping break future cycles of violence in the community.

    “Ending gender-based violence is a complex issue, and we know that early intervention as part of a holistic approach is critical,” Assistant Minister Elliot said.

    “Through the Trial, we will intervene early to break the cycle of family, domestic, and sexual violence by improving the wellbeing of at-risk young men and boys in the key 12-to-18-year age range”

    “The 12 trial sites across Australia, including here in North-West of Melbourne, will support young men and boys to recover and heal from their experience of violence and help them to avoid choosing to use violence in their future relationships.”

    Local Federal Member, Sam Rae MP, said how important it was for these trials to be delivered by local services in order to get the best outcomes for the community.

    “Berry Street, alongside Uniting, Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, Care First Support Services and Drummond Street, are experts in the field and importantly, know our area and our community”, Mr Rae said.

    “Backed by investment from the Albanese Labor Government, these services will deliver this critical support in our area, and provide the counselling and care that some young men and boys may need to ensure a safer future.”

    Successful grant recipients across Australia are expected to commence delivering services from early 2025.

    Following National Cabinet last month, the Albanese Labor Government committed a further $80 million to enhance and expand child-centric trauma-informed supports for children and young people who have witnessed or experienced family, domestic and sexual violence.

    More information on the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 is available on the Department of Social Services website.

    If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family, or sexual violence, call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au  for online chat and video call services.

    If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au

    Feeling worried or no good? Connect with 13YARN Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporters on 13 92 76, available 24/7 from any mobile or pay phone, or visit www.13yarn.org.au

    Kids Helpline (1800 551 800) is a free, confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From an ambulance to a hybrid operating room: How Moscow saves stroke patients

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Stroke is an acute disorder of blood supply to the brain, in which it is important to provide fast and high-tech assistance. In Moscow, a stroke network has been created on the basis of the largest multidisciplinary hospitals, which includes 13 specialized centers. In anticipation of World Stroke Day, which is celebrated on October 29, we tell you about one of them – at the flagship emergency care center City Clinical Hospital (CCH) No. 15 named after O.M. Filatov.

    A mos.ru correspondent followed in the footsteps of a patient at a stroke center and talked to doctors. How a multidisciplinary team is formed, what high-tech equipment allows finding the brain lesion and performing minimally invasive intervention, and what a hybrid operating room looks like — in our report.

    Beyond the Red Line. From the Ambulance to the Shock Ward

    Severe headache, nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness or loss of consciousness, convulsions. These symptoms are typical of both ischemic stroke (impaired blood circulation due to vascular occlusion) and hemorrhagic stroke (ruptured blood vessels, causing blood to enter tissues). The first step is to call an ambulance team, which will take you to the nearest stroke center with a free operating room. Osman Osmanov, Deputy Chief Physician for Emergency Care at City Clinical Hospital No. 15 named after O. M. Filatov, shows an information board installed in the admissions department of the flagship center on the first floor.

    “Already on the way, the ambulance team gives us information about the patient. On the board, we see what time the acute condition arose, what is the level of consciousness according to the Glasgow Coma Scale and hemodynamic indicators: blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, saturation. In all flagship centers, the “triage” system has been implemented, according to which people are distributed among functional zones depending on the priority of assistance: red, yellow or green. Critical patients are marked on the board in red. Stroke is always “red”. Due to a blood clot in a vessel, brain tissue is damaged due to starvation,” Osman Osmanov specified.

    Meanwhile, a patient arrives at the center. There is a separate entrance for ambulances: through a spacious box separated from the reception area by glass doors. These doors open automatically for the team. Following the red line on the floor, it takes the patient to the anti-shock department. Doctors simultaneously register the person and collect a full anamnesis from the ambulance paramedics. Five minutes after arriving at the center, the patient is taken to the CT room.

    A multidisciplinary team is formed for each new case, emphasized Ikram Tagirov, head of the resuscitation and intensive care department for patients with acute cerebrovascular accident.

    “Not a minute can be wasted in vascular accidents, the life and subsequent rehabilitation of a person depend on our actions. That is why stroke centers are opening in Moscow, where there is everything for diagnostics and provision of qualified medical care for such pathologies: CT, MRI, ECG, at least two angiographs, laboratory equipment. We have four X-ray surgical operating rooms, one of which is hybrid. A multidisciplinary team of neurologists, resuscitators, specialists in radiation diagnostics, and X-ray endovascular surgeons is on duty around the clock. They are ready to meet the patient when they see on the board that he is coming. Sometimes a stroke or a heart attack occurs, then we involve cardiologists. If it turns out not to be a stroke, but a hematoma, then we involve neurosurgeons,” the doctor explained.

    From the triage system to the “space” operating room: how the flagship center of the O.M. Filatov Hospital No. 15 is organizedMoscow doctors have developed a technique for diagnosing childhood strokes — SobyaninSobyanin: Vascular centers received 8 angiographs with 3D modeling functionOver the past eight years, Moscow doctors have managed to increase the number of operations performed to remove blood clots by more than 30 times.

    Computed tomography for scanning the bloodstream

    The council is assembled right in the CT room. First of all, blood is taken for analysis and a native CT examination is performed (without contrast agent): the overall picture is assessed. Then, if indicated, CT angiography is performed to detect cerebral artery occlusion.

    If a hemorrhage or a space-occupying lesion of the brain is detected during a native examination, the patient is consulted by a neurosurgeon. When a person with an ischemic stroke is admitted in the therapeutic window (the time when a drug that dissolves a clot can be administered to a patient in this condition) and in the absence of contraindications, the question of thrombolytic therapy (TLT) arises. This is the breakdown of blood clots using medications. The faster the procedure is performed, the better the effect and the lower the neurological deficit. Thrombolytic therapy has strict time limits – 4.5 hours from the onset of symptoms, noted neurologist Zaretta Kurbanova.

    “We usually understand whether a particular patient is suitable for thrombolytic therapy before the ambulance arrives, since we know the onset time of the disease. If we are convinced by native CT that the ischemic focus (zone of dead cells) has not yet formed, we perform thrombolytic therapy and administer a thrombolytic drug. By that time, the test results are ready, because before thrombolysis it is important to check hemoglobin, platelets, and a coagulogram. After a native examination of the brain, if there are indications, we proceed to CT angiography. Contrasting the vessels allows us to scan the bloodstream and find the site of blockage that caused the stroke. It is in the CT examination room that a neurologist and an X-ray endovascular surgeon decide whether endovascular intervention (thromboextraction) is possible, that is, surgical extraction of a thrombus,” said Zaretta Kurbanova.

    In case of intracerebral hematoma, angiography is used to find the source of the hemorrhage and the patient is transferred to a neurosurgeon. Diagnostic procedures take about 30-40 minutes. The next stage is the operating room.

    Inside the “space” operating room. Stenting and thrombus extraction

    We leave the CT room and call the “red” elevator. The doors open immediately, and we go in a spacious cabin to the third floor – to the operating and resuscitation unit. If an intervention were planned, the anesthesiologist would already be waiting for us here. Most often, operations are performed under general anesthesia: the patient should not move while the surgeon works with microinstruments on small vessels.

    We put on a doctor’s suit – gowns, caps, masks – and go into the hybrid operating room. This is the heart of the stroke center, and doctors call it “Cosmos”. The latest generation angiographic complex, an artificial blood circulation machine, and ultrasound devices are installed here. Cardiovascular and general surgeons, traumatologists, gynecologists and other specialists can work together in the operating room. To understand all the sensors and monitors, we ask Sergei Korotkikh, a doctor of X-ray endovascular diagnostics and treatment, to give us a tour.

    He approaches the angiographic complex, presses a button on the display, and the couch smoothly rotates in different planes. For example, it tilts to the side: in this position, cardiac surgeons can conveniently operate on the aorta. In the case of a stroke, the couch is straightened. Sergei Korotkikh presses another button, and now the angiograph tube — an X-ray machine — moves in different planes.

    “With the help of an angiograph, we display a detailed image of the lesion on the screen, “remove” bone structures and build a vascular tree. The operation is performed using a minimally invasive endovascular method. Through small punctures, we insert flexible catheters into the vessel and open a stent in the thrombosis area. It is embedded in the structure of the thrombus, and we remove them both. After the intervention, we check whether the blood flow has been completely restored. And we always monitor the pressure: it can jump or fall sharply. After the thrombus is removed, the blood supply is restored, and the tissue in the brain is soft, it reacts sensitively to the effects of blood,” the doctor explained.

    We study angiographic images taken during operations. In the first one, the black “branches” – the blood supply – are cut off. In the second one, after treatment, they stretched across the brain again. The operation lasts about half an hour, then the person, accompanied by an anesthesiologist, is transported to the neurological intensive care unit.

    On the mend. Rehabilitation and prevention of recurrent stroke

    The final stage is a comprehensive examination to identify the cause of the stroke and reduce the risk of its recurrence. Rehabilitation begins in intensive care and continues in specialized centers or hospital departments.

    Innovative equipment also helps to recover from a stroke. For example, training is carried out on exercise machines with biofeedback. And a glove exercise machine helps to restore fine motor skills of the hands. A neurointerface is used to restore statolocomotor disorders, control of upper limb movements, and cognitive functions. Muscovites can receive free medications to reduce the risk of secondary stroke for two years from the date of diagnosis.

    The city also has a stroke prevention program. People at risk undergo ultrasound examinations of the neck vessels to detect atherosclerotic plaques, and those diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are prescribed blood thinners.

    Saving Hearts. Moscow’s Chief Cardiac Surgeon on Minimally Invasive Techniques and Disease PreventionTechnologies on guard of health: what high-precision equipment is used in Moscow hospitalsAngiograph, incubator and robotic technology: what makes the capital’s new medical centers uniqueSobyanin spoke about the new standard of emergency medical care in flagship centers

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145869073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –