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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Increased sentencing powers for magistrates to address prisons crisis

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    More victims will get the justice they deserve sooner under plans to give magistrates greater sentencing powers.

    • Magistrates can send offenders to prison for up to one year
    • New powers to ease historic crisis in prisons and deal with court backlog
    • Next step in government’s plan to resolve inherited long-term prison capacity issues

    More victims will get the justice they deserve sooner under plans to give magistrates greater sentencing powers, announced by Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood.

    The changes, the latest step in the government’s plans to tackle the inherited crisis in our prisons, will allow magistrates to hand-down prison sentences of up to a year. This will help to tackle the record remand population in jails and address the Crown Court backlog, also at a historic high.

    The Lord Chancellor confirmed the plans to allow magistrates to issue custodial sentences for up to 12 months for a single offence – a doubling of their current powers. The move will save approximately 2,000 days in the Crown Court, so that time can be reserved for the most serious and complex cases.

    Bolstered powers will better support victims, with some who have been waiting months and even years to see justice done due to a system in disarray.

    It will also help the government drive down the record remand population – those who are in prison while they await their trial – and relieve pressure on prison capacity which was left at the brink of collapse.

    Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said:

    This government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis, with dangerously overcrowded prisons and victims waiting far too long to see justice.

    This marks a further step towards addressing the deep challenges in our criminal justice system, both reducing the record remand population in our jails and delivering swifter justice for victims.

    The significant increase in the remand population, which currently stands at a record 17,000, is one of the key factors in the current prison capacity crisis. This is because remand prisoners can only be held in “reception prisons” where the capacity in the prison estate is most acute, where some of our most dangerous offenders must be held, and where all new prisoners are sent to begin their sentences.

    Tackling the backlog of those awaiting trial in prison is a key priority and these reforms build on the government’s work to reduce pressure on the prison estate ahead of launching a sentencing review later this year.

    Mark Beattie, national chair of the Magistrates’ Association said:

    Magistrates are flexible and support the efficient and fair administration of justice. By being able to take on this additional responsibility and hear cases that carry a maximum sentence of 12 months, our members will be able to help prevent an increase in the backlog of cases in the crown courts, enabling the most serious offences to be dealt with quicker in crown courts; speeding justice for all.

    I know our members and colleagues will take up this increased responsibility with professionalism and integrity and will – as always – strive to deliver the highest quality of justice in their courts.

    Allowing magistrates to deal with more cases will also free up valuable Crown Court time in order to try and reduce the outstanding backlog.

    There are currently over 14,000 magistrates in England and Wales who play a vital role in our justice system hearing over a million cases on average every year. Coming from all walks of life they hear cases ranging from petty theft to serious assault. Magistrates and legal advisers will be fully trained in these new measures by the Judicial College in order to deliver longer sentences effectively.  The previous government extended sentencing powers in May 2022 but deactivated them in March 2023.

    Further information

    The Statutory Instrument to increase sentencing powers is due to be laid on 28 October and changes will come into force on 18 November.

    The Magistrates’ Association is a national charity and the membership body for the magistracy. With more than 12,000 members across England and Wales, it is a unique source of information and insight, and the only independent voice of the magistracy.

    The Magistrates’ Association will be available for media interviews stories. Please email media@magistrates-association.org.uk or call 020 3937 8863.

    A sentencing review will be published later this year.

    This power was previously activated in May 2022 and closed in March 2023.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Regulators urge safer giving to help people impacted by humanitarian crisis in the Middle East

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Fundraising Regulator advise people to give support via registered charities.

    Today (17 October 2024) the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Fundraising Regulator have published advice on how people can help civilians impacted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

    The advice comes as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launches a humanitarian appeal to help civilians affected by humanitarian crises in Gaza and Lebanon caused by conflict.

    DEC brings together 15 leading registered UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently in times of crisis overseas.

    The appeal will fund the distribution of emergency items such as mattresses, blankets, tents, food and water to those in need of basic humanitarian relief in the region.

    The government has pledged to match donations received by the DEC appeal, up to £10million, which will make the public’s generosity go up to twice as far to help those in need.

    Many people in the UK will separately be wishing to support charities operating in or supporting those across communities impacted by recent events in Israel. Checking charity registers before donating will ensure that support reaches its intended cause.

    By supporting existing, registered charities, including through the DEC, people can be assured that they are giving safely.  

    David Holdsworth, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said:

    As we’ve watched the appalling humanitarian crisis unfold in the Middle East, many of us will be asking how best to help the millions of people in need of basic aid.

    Registered charities with experience working in incredibly complex and dangerous circumstances, across and within borders, are the best organisations to support financially to ensure donations reach civilians in need.

    That’s why we’re reminding people to give with confidence through registered charities, including the appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee.

    Gerald Oppenheim, Chief Executive of the Fundraising Regulator said:

    The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East is devastating for so many people. The generosity of the British public means that many will be eager to support those affected in any way they can.

    Supporting registered charities, which have infrastructure established within the region, ensures that your donations will reach those who need it.

    Steps to giving safely 

    People can give with confidence to relief efforts by following a few simple steps: 

    • consider donating through the DEC’s emergency appeal
    • for those who choose to donate to other charities, the charity regulator is reminding people to check charities are registered and legitimate
    • look out for the Fundraising Badge – the logo that says ‘registered with Fundraising Regulator’ – and check the Fundraising Regulator’s Directory of organisations committed to fundraise in line with its Code of Fundraising Practice. 
    • contact a charity directly or find out more online about the charity that you’re seeking to donate to or work with to understand how it is spending funds 
    • make sure the charity is genuine before giving any financial information 
    • be careful when responding to emails or clicking on links within them 
    • check the charity’s name and registration number on the Charity Register – most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered in England and Wales 

    ENDS  

    Notes to editors:  

    1. Further tips on donating with confidence to registered charities are available on GOV.UK 
    2. The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society. It can be reached on 
    3. There are separate registers for charities in England and Wales, charities in Scotland and charities in Northern Ireland. Charities can be on more than one register, reflecting the nations where they operate
    4. The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Further guidance on giving safely to charity is available on the Fundraising Regulator’s website. It can be reached on FR@pagefield.co.uk

    Press office

    Email pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number: 07785 748787

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: GIANTX Gaming and Samsung UK Unite for EGX Comic Con 2024

    Source: Samsung

     
    London, UK.  October 17, 2024 –  Today, GIANTX, is excited to announce its collaboration with electronics manufacturer Samsung, set to make a mark on the gaming world with a uniquely tasteful collaboration at the first ever EGX Comic Con event in October in London. This activation stands as a testament to the synergy between two brands, driven by their shared commitment to enhancing gamer experiences and shaping the future of interactive entertainment.
     
    Taglined as “ONE TAP”, the campaign encapsulates the spirit of the collaboration – the ease and efficiency of Samsung’s gaming experience delivered through Samsung Gaming Hub*, emphasising that everything a gamer needs is available at their fingertips. Coupled with referencing the term for a perfect shot in gaming – a single, precise move that hits the target.
     
    This dual meaning reinforces the idea that Samsung’s gaming platform offers both precision and ease, making it the ultimate destination for gamers seeking a seamless and high-quality experience.
     
    Samsung Gaming Hub is a game streaming service that has been built into all Samsung gaming TVs and monitors as standard since 2022[1]. It provides quick and easy access to more than 3,000 top gaming titles from Xbox[2] NVIDIA GeForce NOW and other popular streaming services. It’s all cloud based so there are no downloads, no storage limits, and no console or PC is required – simply stream and play.
     
    Plus there are added features in certain Samsung TV models such as AI Auto Game Mode that recognises the genre of the game you are playing and then adjusts the settings accordingly for the ultimate immersive gaming experience and ultra smooth motion.
     
    The booth will include:
    Multiple Samsung TV and mobile gaming stations
    Sonic themed space
    Play to win activities
    Prizes worth up to £3000
    Red Bull refreshments
     
    The brands will work together to showcase Samsung’s premium product lines across its Odyssey Gaming range of gaming monitors and its innovative NEO QLED  TV range that both have Samsung’s Gaming Hub built in, as well as a selection of the newest models across the brand’s mobile and tablet ranges.
     
    Luis Garcia, Commercial Director at GIANTX, expressed his excitement:
     
    “We are delighted to welcome Samsung to the GIANTX family. We look forward to activating together at EGX Comic Con 2024, bringing a unique experience to fans from the UK and beyond, showcasing the latest of Samsung technology to our captive audience of gaming and esports enthusiasts.”
     
    Zeena Hill, Director of Marketing for TV/AV at Samsung Electronics in the UK and Ireland, said: “We’re really excited to be collaborating with GIANTX to provide thousands of fans at EGX Comic Con and beyond in the multiple benefits of  our superior TV range. We know that gaming is a huge passion point for so many of our customers which is why Samsung’s Gaming Hub is made so easily accessible – all you need is a controller and away you go.
     
    “This collaboration with GIANTX will not only showcase the stunning clarity and gaming performance of our TV technology but also the ease in accessing thousands of top game titles without the need for a console.”
     
    The announcement brings Samsung UK into the GIANTX partnership line-up alongside other household names like HSBC UK and EE, with the brands aligning on the values of inspiring through technology while demonstrating commitment to the UK gaming scene. It demonstrates GIANTX’s commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences to an unrivalled global fan base and showcase excellence in associated commercial propositions.
     
    For more information, please visit GIANTX.
     
    [1] Internet connection, additional gaming service subscription and compatible controller required. Gaming Hub not available in Republic of Ireland.
    [2] Requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Internet connection and compatible controller required.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: G7 Cyber Expert Group recommends action to combat financial sector risks from quantum computing

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    G7 Cyber Expert Group publishes guidance for the finance sector on planning for quantum computing.

    The G7 Cyber Expert Group (CEG) – chaired by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Bank of England – released a public statement on 25 September highlighting the potential cybersecurity risks associated with developments in quantum computing and recommending steps for financial authorities and institutions to take to address those risks.

    G7 Cyber Expert Group statement on planning for the opportunities and risks of quantum computing (PDF, 483 KB, 3 pages)

    Quantum computers are being built that will be able to solve computational problems currently deemed impossible for conventional computers to solve within a reasonable amount of time.  While potentially providing significant benefits to the financial system, these powerful computers will also carry with them unique cybersecurity risks.  One of the most significant is that cyber threat actors could use quantum computers to defeat certain cryptographic techniques that secure communications and IT systems, potentially exposing financial entity data, including customer information.

    While the exact timeline for developing quantum computers with these capabilities is uncertain, there is a real possibility that such capabilities could emerge within a decade. These quantum computers would not only put future data at risk, but also any previously transmitted data that cyber adversaries have been able to intercept and store with the intent of decrypting later with quantum computers. Due to the potentially long lead time needed to put in place quantum-resilient technologies, the time to start planning is now.

    An initial set of quantum-resilient encryption standards was released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) last month. Additional standards from NIST and other standard-setting bodies are expected in the future. It is important for financial entities to maintain the agility required to incorporate new encryption standards in a timely and appropriate manner as they become available.

    With the availability of NIST’s standards, some financial entities may be in a position now to start making the needed changes to implement quantum resilient technologies within their systems. Others may be dependent on vendors and other third parties to develop implementations of the new standards that can be incorporated once they become available. No matter where entities are in their adoption timelines, the G7 CEG strongly encourages financial authorities and institutions to begin taking the following steps to build resilience against quantum computing risks:

    1. Develop a better understanding of the issue, the risks involved, and strategies for mitigating those risks.
    2. Assess quantum computing risks in their areas of responsibility.
    3. Develop a plan for mitigating quantum computing risks.

    The CEG statement provides additional details on quantum computing risks and the specific actions that financial entities can start taking to build quantum resilience within the financial system.

    The G7 CEG’s membership includes representatives of financial authorities across all G7 jurisdictions as well as the European Central Bank.  It was founded in 2015 to serve as a multi-year working group that coordinates cybersecurity policy and strategy across the member jurisdictions.  In addition to policy coordination, the G7 CEG also acts as a vehicle for information sharing, cooperation, and incident response.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: U.S. Economic Footing Firmer Than Previously Thought, Projected to Expand 2.3 Percent in 2024

    Source: Fannie Mae

    WASHINGTON, DC – Following annual revisions to the national accounts and an improvement in payroll employment growth in both August and September, the economy now appears to be on firmer footing than previously thought, according to the October 2024 commentary from the Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group. While the ESR Group still expects economic growth to slow from the robust 3.2 percent pace recorded in 2023, the degree of expected slowing is smaller; growth in 2024 and 2025 is now expected to be 2.3 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively, near the long-run trend growth rate. The improved economic outlook stems in large part from significant upward revisions to recent personal income data. Previously, the ESR Group expected consumption growth to retrench, as it had grown unsustainably relative to incomes, but revised data now show the relationship between income and consumption to be closer to historical levels. As such, the ESR Group believes the economy can maintain growth closer to its long-run potential through its forecast horizon, barring an unforeseen shock to consumer or business confidence from an adverse exogenous event.

    Following data revisions and recent employment data, bond market expectations for rate cuts have moved into closer alignment with the dot plot from the Federal Reserve’s latest Summary of Economic Projections. As a result, the 10-year Treasury is currently up more than 40 basis points from its mid-September low. This represents upside risk to the ESR Group’s latest mortgage rate forecast, which now sees the 30-year mortgage rate ending the year at 6.0 percent, down from last month’s 6.2 percent projection, and to decline steadily to 5.7 percent by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the ESR Group expects annual home prices to grow 5.8 percent in 2024 and 3.6 percent in 2025, both slight adjustments to their previous forecasts of 6.1 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively. While the general low level of homes available for sale is expected to continue to exert upward pressure on prices, the ESR Group expects ongoing affordability constraints and rising inventories of homes available for sale to help moderate the magnitude of home price growth moving forward.

    “While potential homebuyers have noticed the decline in mortgage rates over the last few months, they are equally aware that there has been little relief on the home price side, the other primary driver of unaffordability, particularly for first-time buyers,” said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “The timing of the long-expected pick-up in home sales activity, as well as a further moderation in home price appreciation, will depend in part on the willingness of current homeowners to relinquish their low mortgage rates by offering their homes for sale. Of course, continued strong homebuilding activity will also play a significant role as the shortage of national housing stock remains the primary impediment to affordability.”

    Visit the Economic and Strategic Research site at fanniemae.com to read the full October 2024 Economic Outlook, including the Economic Developments Commentary, Economic Forecast, Housing Forecast, and Multifamily Market Commentary. To receive e-mail updates with other housing market research from Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, please click here.

    About the ESR Group
    Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Mark Palim, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lender groups to provide forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets.

    Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views of Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae’s business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR Group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views published by the ESR Group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on GoCapital Finance Limited, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated October 07, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on GoCapital Finance Limited, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of ‘Master Direction-Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Company-Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023’, issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under the provisions of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 58G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of section 58B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

    The correspondence of the company pertaining to the intimation of appointment of additional director revealed, inter alia, non-compliance with RBI directions on change in management of Non-Banking Financial Company. Based on the findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.

    The company failed to take prior written permission of the RBI for effecting change in management resulting in change of more than 30 per cent of its directors, excluding independent directors.

    This action is based on deficiency in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1326

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Jila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 07, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.50 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on Jila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh (the bank), for contravention of the provisions of section 26A read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with section 46(4)(i) and section 56 of the BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions.

    After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.

    The bank had failed to transfer eligible unclaimed deposit amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed period.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1327

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Kottarakara Co-operative Urban Bank Limited, Kerala

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated October 07, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on The Kottarakara Co-operative Urban Bank Limited, Kerala (the bank) for non-compliance with specific directions issued by RBI under Supervisory Action Framework (SAF). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI instructions issued under SAF and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.

    After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.

    The bank had sanctioned/renewed credit facilities to sectors having high level of NPA / defaults in non-adherence to directions issued under SAF.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1325

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Catholic Co-operative Urban Bank Limited, Telangana

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated October 07, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹3.00 lakh (Rupees Three Lakh only) on The Catholic Co-operative Urban Bank Limited, Telangana (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Maintenance of Deposit Accounts – Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks’, ‘Management of advances-UCBs’ and ‘Loans and advances to directors, their relatives, and firms /concerns in which they are interested’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

    A scrutiny of the bank was conducted by RBI in October 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty.

    The bank had:

    1. not monitored operations in certain deposit accounts and issued balance confirmation letters without having balance in those accounts, and

    2. sanctioned loans to relatives of a director.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1324

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Celebrating 40 years of offshore wildlife recording Four decades of a unique partnership to chronicle the birds and other wildlife seen from North Sea oil and gas platforms has been celebrated in a new book.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Four decades of a unique partnership to chronicle the birds and other wildlife seen from North Sea oil and gas platforms has been celebrated in a new book.
    From 1979 to 2019 the North Sea Bird Club and the University of Aberdeen worked together to record and identify birds, marine animals, bats and moths and butterflies viewed from more than 250 offshore installations by over 400 observers.
    While it had been known for many years that birds cross the North Sea in very large numbers – especially in spring and autumn – it was quickly noted that those working offshore were in a unique situation to provide details of the species involved and their numbers.
    In November 1984, one offshore worker on the Maureen platform was recorded as saying: “On opening the door from the control room it appeared to be snowing. The sky was full of birds in every direction – Blackbirds, thrushes, Snow Buntings, Lapwings and even some Canada Geese. In addition there were at least 50+ owls. I’d estimate the numbers to be hundreds of thousands around the platform”
    To take advantage of this unique viewpoint, in 1979 the North Sea Bird Club was formed by a group of senior oil industry executives, and a collaboration with the University of Aberdeen began which would see more than 120,000 records sent in over the next four decades.
    The history of the partnership and the fascinating wildlife sightings and identification it led to has been set out in a book by Andrew Thorpe, the club’s former Recorder who was employed on a part-time basis by the University as a Research Assistant between 1999 and 2019.
    The North Sea Bird Club 1979-2019 mixes entertaining anecdotes, interesting facts and hard data to tell the story.
    Andrew said: “Back in 1979, it was thanks to the foresight of Professor George Dunnet, Regius Professor of Natural History at the University and other associates that the Club was created.
    “He continued to act as an adviser to the club and we drew heavily on University expertise. Being located within the Zoology Department, we were able to access other specialists – Dr Mark Young  provided support with identification of butterflies and moths sent from offshore, Professor Paul Racey provided guidance for those who found bats on offshore installations and Mr Kenn Watt was a hoverfly expert in the department who helped with identification.
    “Marine animals offshore were also recorded and the University’s Oceanlab staff were able to assist here.”
    Although the club was wound up with the downturn of the industry in 1999, the records it received, maintained by the University, continue to be used for academic research.
    “A Club Secretary in 1990 wrote ‘The North Sea Bird Club is a unique organisation operating in a unique environment’ and that remained true throughout the 40 years,” Andrew added.
    “Records came from all over the North Sea and allowed us to put together a picture of where birds were moving at peak migration times and this could often be related to similar patterns of arrival onshore.
    “The 120,000 record database the University helped us to create has been used to provide data to many interested parties. For example several different University students requested data on Buzzard feathers, Twite records offshore, Porbeagle shark and bat records.
    “Professor Racey, formerly of the University, informed us that much valuable information about the occurrence of Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat had been obtained from offshore records of that species. Certain corpses of dead birds found offshore were passed to The National Museum Scotland for their collections.
    The North Sea Bird Club 1979-2019 is available at £21.00 (inc p&p) to purchase directly from Andrew Thorpe by emailing Andrew.Thorpe147@btinternet.com.
     
    Interesting Facts from the North Sea Bird Club         
    Many common ‘garden’ birds regularly cross the North Sea;
    Blackbirds, robins, chaffinches, blue tits, crows and owls are all regularly reported from rigs in the North sea;
    Even tiny wrens cross the North Sea.  In 1998, a total of 58 wrens was reported from offshore installations;
    Blackbirds and thrushes can cross the North Sea in large numbers, usually in autumn.  In 1979, over 30,000 blackbirds were reported offshore;
    In November 1984, an exceptional number of birds landed on the Maureen platform during very bad weather – some 200-300,000 were estimated including 40-50 owls;
    Starlings regularly cross the North Sea in spring and autumn in very large numbers.  A flock of an estimated 50,000 was seen to pass by Auk Alpha in 1984!
    Ringed birds are often found dead on rigs;
    A Starling that was ringed in Poland in May 1992 was found on the Hewett platform in December that year.  It had travelled over 1500km;
    A Blue Tit ringed in Norway in July 1988 was found on Beryl B, halfway between Norway and the Shetland Isles;
    The first British record of a Pacific Swift came from Shell BT platform in 1981.  It normally breeds in the Far East and migrates to Australia!
    It’s not only birds that were reported:
    Over 300 killer whales have been seen offshore and reported. 20-30 were around Brae B in April 1988 and one remained there for almost a year (photo);
    Butterflies, moths and dragonflies are regularly reported too;
    A Blue Dasher dragonfly from America which was found on an unmanned rig near Shetland was the first record in Europe!
    Bats are occasionally found and sent in;
    The NSBC has provided much valuable information on the Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat which previously was rarely recorded in the UK.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sheffield Cares Excellence Awards nominations now open Sheffield’s carers are to be celebrated for the care and support that they give to the people of Sheffield.The Sheffield Cares Excellence Awards, hosted by Sheffield City Council’s Adult Health and Social Care team, will celebrate and empower the city’s most skilled and dedicated carers. 17 October 2024

    Source: City of Sheffield

    Sheffield Cares Excellence Awards 2025

    Sheffield’s carers are to be celebrated for the care and support that they give to the people of Sheffield.The Sheffield Cares Excellence Awards, hosted by Sheffield City Council’s Adult Health and Social Care team, will celebrate and empower the city’s most skilled and dedicated carers.

    People are asked to help with these awards, that will shine the spotlight on the city’s amazing carers, by nominating carers for an award from the city’s 17,500 strong care sector workforce.

    In addition, Sheffield has around 11,000 unpaid carers and around 7,000 young carers.

    Anyone who contributes to social care support in Sheffield can be nominated. This includes carers who are paid or unpaid, managers, office staff, domestic staff, caretakers, chefs working in the care sector, occupational therapists and nurses working in care, social workers, activity coordinators or volunteers from the voluntary sector who offer social care support, social care personal assistants and individual employers.

    The awards will be celebrated in the Sheffield Cares Excellence Awards Ceremony which will place at Sheffield City Hall on Thursday 13th February 2025.

    Councillor Angela Argenzio, Chair of the Adult Health and Social Care Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “These awards are a great opportunity for anyone to nominate someone for an award who is dedicated to providing the best possible standard of care to someone who relies on their support, skill and expertise. Carers and everyone involved in social care carry out an essential role every day all over the city and we are so grateful for the huge difference they make to so many people’s lives. There are so many people in our local communities who are potential award winners and nominating someone for an award is a really easy process too, so I encourage as many people as possible to start nominating between now and midnight on 10th November. I very much look forward to meeting everyone involved in these awards and the winners at the awards ceremony in February 2025.”

    Who can nominate? 

    Anyone can make a nomination and there is no limit on how many people that someone can nominate in each category.

    Those nominating carers for an award can nominate in more than one award category. 

    Who can be nominated? 

    People nominated must have an active paid or unpaid role in providing safe, high-quality care in Sheffield. 

    Anyone nominating someone for a Young Carer Award must get permission from the carer’s parent or legal guardian.

    What are the award categories?

     The main Care Excellence Awards are focused around four themes:  

    • Compassion in Care 
    • Inspirational Support or Leadership  
    • Dignity, Respect & Inclusion in care   
    • Commitment to Care 

    In addition, there are seven specialist awards: 

    • Young Carer Award (Primary age, secondary age, & Young Adult 16-25) 
    • Newcomer / Apprentice of the Year   
    • Personalised Support Award – Supporting People to Live the Life they want to live   
    • Dignity Award  
    • Team of the Year   
    • Social Care Hero of the Year     
    • Lifetime Achievement Award 
    Nomination deadline

    Nominations close at midnight on Sunday 10th November 2024. 

    How to nominate 

    Those who want to nominate someone for an award can use the online form at https://forms.office.com/e/2gEEphZHBT or they can write or email with their nomination details.

    Detailed information about nominating is here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/careawards

    Award Winners

    All nominations will be carefully considered by our independent panel of decision-makers.  The panel will be made up of individuals who receive care and support and of people who have a wider interest in the social care sector in the UK.

    More information about the awards criteria is at https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/careawards​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Mint 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal™ Now on Sale

    Source: United States Mint

    WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) began accepting orders for the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal on October 15 at noon ET. The medal pays homage to the Flowing Hair dollar coin, the first dollar coin issued by the U.S. Federal government on October 15, 1794. Mintage is limited to 75,000 medals.

    As part of the release, the Mint will celebrate the year in which the Flowing Hair dollar coin was issued and the number of years that have elapsed since the coin was introduced. 1,794 medals will feature a “230” privy mark. 230 of the privy-marked medals will also include a certificate of authenticity hand-signed by the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the United States Mint. The 1,794 medals will be interspersed among the inventory of medals and randomly shipped to customers.

    Struck at the Mint’s Philadelphia facility, this historic medal is 99.9 percent fine silver with an uncirculated finish. Its obverse (heads) design is a faithful rendition of the first dollar coin, designed and sculpted by Robert Scot, the Mint’s first Chief Engraver. The portrait of Liberty faces right and is surrounded by 15 stars, representing the 15 states that had ratified the Constitution by 1794. The design retains the “LIBERTY” inscription and includes an updated “2024” date.

    The obverse was re-sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist John P. McGraw.

    The medal’s reverse (tails) design stays true to the 1794 original, depicting a laurel wreath surrounding an eagle with spread wings in the center, an early predecessor of the American heraldic eagle. The inscription is “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

    Mint Medallic Artist Eric David Custer re-sculpted the reverse.

    The medal is encapsulated and placed in a stylish clamshell. A classic black presentation case embellished with the United States Mint seal and an outer sleeve with a silver embossed image of the Flowing Hair Liberty complete the packaging. A certificate of authenticity with matching imagery accompanies each medal.

    The 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair Silver Medal is priced at $104. To place an order, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/230th-anniversary-flowing-hair-silver-medal-24YH.html/ (product code 24YH).

    Orders are limited to one medal per household for the first 24 hours of sales. The household order limit will be enforced at the time the product launches online and applied across all retail channels.

    This product is included in the Mint’s Authorized Bulk Purchase Program (ABPP). Products listed in the ABPP will be eligible for early release, carry an AB suffix in the product code, and carry a premium. Early released products are not eligible for discounts.

    The medal will also be available at the Mint’s sales centers at the Philadelphia Mint, 151 N. Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (on 5th Street between Arch Street and Race Street); the Denver Mint, 320 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 (on Cherokee Street, between West Colfax Avenue and West 14th Avenue); and the Mint Headquarters Coin Store in Washington, D.C., 801 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20220.

    The Mint will open sales for the 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair High Relief Gold Coin on November 14. In addition, the Mint will auction a select number of these companion gold coins to the public. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Please use the Mint’s catalog site at catalog.usmint.gov/ as your primary source of the most current information on product and service status or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing and speech impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).

    About the United States Mint
    Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

    Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of October 15, 2024, at noon EDT.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World Day against the Death Penalty 2024: Joint statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK and other OSCE participating States mark World Day against the Death Penalty at the OSCE.

    Location:
    Vienna
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you Mr Chair,

    I am speaking on behalf of Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, the United Kingdom and my own country Switzerland.

    The 10th of October marked the 22nd World Day against the Death Penalty.

    We categorically oppose the death penalty under all circumstances, it is not consistent with human rights, including the right to life. In this context, we welcome the fact that the global trend towards the abolition of capital punishment continues unabated in all parts of the world, including the OSCE region. Today, almost three-quarters of states are abolitionist, either in law or in practice. Amid growing pressure on human rights and increasing instability, this positive development – that crosses the globe – should not go unnoticed.

    However, it should also not invite complacency in our collective efforts against the death penalty, especially given recent setbacks observed. Last year, recorded global executions soared to their highest number in almost a decade.

    In light of this, it is important to emphasize that the death penalty neither makes communities safer nor serves as a deterrent to crime. On the contrary, it exacerbates cycles of violence and is often used as a tool of repression. Responding to a crime, no matter how heinous, by committing another crime should never be the solution.

    As of today, only two participating States of the OSCE continue to apply capital punishment: Belarus and the United States. Regarding Belarus, we deeply deplore the fact that the use of the death penalty has been extended twice in recent years. We therefore urge the Belarusian authorities to reverse this trend and establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition.

    We also remain concerned that capital punishment continues to be used in the United States. We welcome the current moratorium on Federal executions and we call on the relevant US authorities to commute all Federal death sentences into prison terms

    Mr Chair,

    Our countries are committed to the universal abolition of the death penalty and call on all States, both within and beyond the OSCE, to completely abolish capital punishment or, as a first step, establish a moratorium on its use. In this context, we urge all participating States to vote in favour of the UN resolution, currently under negotiation at the UN General Assembly, which calls for a moratorium on capital punishment.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center in Christiansburg, Va. Will Open Oct. 18

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center in Christiansburg, Va. Will Open Oct. 18

    Disaster Recovery Center in Christiansburg, Va. Will Open Oct. 18

    BRISTOL, Va.– A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will be opening in Montgomery County at the Montgomery County Government Center at 755 Roanoke Street in Christiansburg on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at 8 a.m. Disaster survivors can visit any DRC to receive assistance. Additional centers will be opening in the coming weeks throughout southwest Virginia.

    The center is located at: 

    Montgomery County  

    Montgomery County Government Center

    755 Roanoke Street

    Christiansburg, Va. 24073

    Hours of operation:

    Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    Closed Sundays

    Survivors do not have to visit a DRC to register with FEMA. You can call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. You can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA App on your phone.

    The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is Dec. 2, 2024.

    If you have received a letter from FEMA about your application status, visit a DRC to learn more about next steps. DRC staff can help you submit additional information or supporting documentation for FEMA to continue to process your application and answer any questions you may have.

    Sign outside of the Disaster Recovery Center in Washington County, Va. (Photo: Phil Maramba / FEMA)

    FEMA has set up a rumor response webpage to clarify our role in the Helene response. Visit Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response.

    For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.  

    ###

    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.

    To apply for FEMA assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or download and apply on the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages). Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.

    erika.osullivan

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center Open in Dixie County

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Open in Dixie County

    Disaster Recovery Center Open in Dixie County

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Dixie County to provide one-on-one help to Floridians affected by Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Helene. Survivors of any of the storms can visit any center. 

    Survivors do not need to visit a center to apply for assistance. Survivors are encouraged to apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by downloading the FEMA App. FEMA does not distribute cash at Disaster Recovery Centers. 

    Center location:

    Dixie County
    Old Town Education Center
    841 SE Hwy 349
    Old Town, FL 32680
    Hours: 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday-Sunday

    To find other center locations go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

    Homeowners and renters are encouraged to apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by using the FEMA App. You may also apply by phone at 800-621-3362. If you choose to apply by phone, please understand wait times may be longer because of increased volume for multiple recent disasters. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to FEMA Accessible: Applying for Individual Assistance – YouTube.

    If you applied to FEMA after Hurricane Debby and have additional damage from Hurricane Helene, you will need to apply separately for Helene and provide the dates of your most recent damage.

    For the latest information about Hurricane Helene recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. For Hurricane Debby recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4806 . Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    kirsten.chambers

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Definitive Healthcare launches Monocl Conferences to improve conference planning and participation for biopharma and medtech organizations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Definitive Healthcare (Nasdaq: DH), a leader in healthcare commercial intelligence, today announced the launch of Monocl Conferences. This solution is designed to enhance conference planning and participation for life science organizations by providing medical affairs, marketing, and conference planning teams with rich, contextualized conference data and access to the experts driving conference activities.

    By delivering a comprehensive overview of key conference insights—including information about presenters, timing, and locations of the most relevant scientific and medical updates—Monocl Conferences can help biopharma and medtech organizations make the most of every conference.

    Key features of Monocl Conferences include:

    • Visualized conference data: A user-friendly dashboard delivers powerful data visualization, making key insights easy to understand and eliminating the need for cumbersome spreadsheets.
    • Searchable conference insights: Users can quickly find relevant sessions, speakers, and topics across numerous presentations to identify important discussions and data readouts to attend.
    • Comparable data: Organizations can monitor year-over-year trends, presentations, topics, and conference activity of other key players across the industry with historical conference data for deeper insights.

    “We understand the vital role that conferences play in the biopharma and medtech industries,” said Kristoffer Gustafsson, VP Platform Monocl at Definitive Healthcare. “Monocl Conferences is designed to streamline the planning process, drive strategic engagement, and ultimately support organizations in delivering innovative therapies and medical devices that improve patient outcomes.”

    Monocl Conferences offers quick access to presentations, allowing users to uncover both their and their competitors’ share of the program. Additionally, the platform provides insights into conference discussions via social media listening, revealing trending topics and key online contributors, along with access to presentation titles and abstracts that highlight conference focus areas and details about the presence of centers of excellence.

    Monocl Conferences is tailored to support diverse teams within life science organizations. It can help enhance scientific communication and expert engagement for medical affairs teams, streamline event organization and execution for conference planners, and provide marketing teams with insights to inform their conference selection, messaging, and presence. Together, these capabilities enable organizations to refine their conference strategies and derive maximum value from every event.

    For more information about Monocl Conferences, visit definitivehc.com/conferences.

    About Definitive Healthcare

    At Definitive Healthcare, our mission is to transform data, analytics, and expertise into healthcare commercial intelligence. We help clients uncover the right markets, opportunities, and people, so they can shape tomorrow’s healthcare industry. Our SaaS products and solutions create new paths to commercial success in the healthcare market, so companies can identify where to go next. Learn more at definitivehc.com.

    Media Contacts:
    Bethany Swackhamer
    bswackhamer@definitivehc.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Brian Denyeau
    ICR for Definitive Healthcare
    brian.denyeau@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How images of knives intended to stop youth knife crime may actually be making things worse

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Charlotte Coleman, Deputy Head of the Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences, Sheffield Hallam University

    Nicole Kwiatkowski/Shutterstock

    You’d be forgiven for thinking that young people are behind most knife crime in the UK. Media coverage often focuses on youth involvement, and the government’s plan to halve knife crime focuses specifically on young people and vulnerable teenagers.

    Evidence shows that most knife-involved crime is committed in the home, between adults, in the form of intimate partner violence. Only around 18% of knife offences are carried out by 10- to 17-year-olds. These usually involve other young people.

    Although young people’s share of knife crime is low, their involvement is a significant concern and has risen starkly in the last decade.

    Choosing to carry a knife out of the home, into the streets, or into school is a rare choice that most children never make. Estimates show that between one and four in 100 young people carry knives.

    For those few who do, it is important to understand the complex factors behind why. This is what we, and many other academics, have been studying in our research.

    Both researchers and young people themselves cite protection as a factor in knife carrying. Many young people are fearful of being victims of knife crime, and knife carrying may offer a sense of security and defence from potential threats.

    This fear is not necessarily correlated to reality. Young people tend to overestimate the prevalence of weapon carrying among their peers. What’s more, those carrying knives for defence often end up having their own knife used against them.

    Seeing images of knives

    One reason that young people may have a fear of knife crime is because of how the threat is presented to them through images.

    Media reports and anti-knife campaign material often features images of shocking weapons, such as zombie knives. Depictions of piles of seized weapons and vicious blades all paint a picture of a risky landscape.

    You probably noticed that the photos illustrating this article do not include a picture of a knife. This is a deliberate choice. Our research has found that such knife imagery can evoke fear or excitement for some young people.

    Their heightened emotional responses suggest that these young people are the most likely to be vulnerable to future knife carrying. Those who feel most unsafe in their communities are the most likely to respond negatively to graphic imagery.

    Interestingly, the young people who participated in our research self-reported knife imagery as having little impact on them. But our study investigated their unconscious emotional response through an implicit association test. This approach is key in a research area vulnerable to self-presentation bias, where young people might attempt to hide their true feelings.

    The test we used assessed response speeds to determine associations between images of knives and words relating to fear and excitement. Overall, response times were faster (showed more association) for fear-related words.

    Other evidence suggests that anti-knife crime imagery and messaging can create exaggerated belief about the prevalence of knife carrying. This may increase, rather than reduce, the fear of victimisation, and further encourage people to carry knives.

    Some young people say they carry knives because they feel a need to protect themselves.
    No Knives, Better Lives, © Open Aye, CC BY-NC

    Floods of knife images in a young person’s social and educational environment may normalise knife carrying. Nearly two-thirds of young people report experiencing secondary traumatic stress when viewing knife crime news on social media.

    When knife imagery is used in intervention materials presented by someone in a position of authority (a teacher or police officer, for example), it can validate the fears even more.

    In other words, the more we talk about knife crime, the scarier it can seem, and the more young people feel the need to protect themselves by carrying a weapon.

    Labour’s plan to cut knife crime – including a ban on zombie knives that has just come into effect – should go a long way to reducing the availability of “status” weapons. It may also mean that images of these knives are less prevalent in the media, which, given our research findings, would likely have a positive effect.

    But, as noted earlier, most young people are not at risk, and have had no exposure to knife crime. Knife carrying is not normal behaviour for most young people. Anti-knife messaging would serve young people better by avoiding the use of knife imagery, and instead focus on discussing how to keep safe by avoiding risky behaviour, and how to get help if a dangerous situation arises.

    Dr Charlotte Coleman receives funding from N8 Policing Research Partnership.
    Dr Charlotte Coleman is a member of the Youth Justice Board Academic Liaison Network
    Dr Charlotte Coleman is an executive member of the Society for Evidence Based Policing.

    Jess Scott-Lewis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How images of knives intended to stop youth knife crime may actually be making things worse – https://theconversation.com/how-images-of-knives-intended-to-stop-youth-knife-crime-may-actually-be-making-things-worse-239153

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Department of Veterans Affairs Selects Rise8 for $2.4B Multiple-Awardee IDIQ for Developer Experience Platform Enablement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rise8 announced its selection for a SPRUCE Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle to provide the VA with streamlined delivery services and teams. As one of 10 awardees for the contract vehicle, with a total ordering ceiling of $2.4B, Rise8 will support the VA with a multidisciplinary, expert team to assist with developing modern digital products that maximize results for Veterans.

    With the SPRUCE contract vehicle, the VA will connect VA product owners with best-in-class industry partners to deliver high-quality digital products and improved user experiences. SPRUCE requires expertise in critical areas including software development and operations, technical advising and architecture planning, service design and user research studies, data science and data analytics, and product support operations.

    This is perfectly aligned to Rise8’s mission of enabling large enterprises to continuously deliver valuable software that users love. “We’re proud to be a part of the VA’s mission to incorporate more modern software development practices, and make those streamlined services available to VA employees and Veterans,” said Bryon Kroger, CEO and founder of Rise8. “This opportunity represents much more than just a contract win to me – as a Veteran myself with a father who struggled with VA care, I vowed to take Rise8 to the VA to help the great people there better achieve their mission to serve Veterans and provide exceptional experiences. Working with the VA on this is one of the most meaningful things I have ever been able to do. They are heroes serving heroes, and we can’t wait to serve them.”

    This latest contract award marks another significant milestone in Rise8’s work with the VA. In 2022, the company delivered a continuous Authority to Operate (cATO) to the VA in support of the Lighthouse Program, equipping them with the ability to ship software earlier and continuously. Last month, a separate program within the VA also awarded Rise8 a $10M Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract for VA.gov Watchtower, providing support and improvements for observability, monitoring, and site reliability.

    To learn more about how Rise8 works to create a future where fewer bad things happen because of bad software, visit https://www.rise8.us/.

    About Rise8
    Rise8 enables large enterprises with critical missions to continuously deliver valuable software that users love. Rise8 is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) with headquarters in Tampa, FL, and a fully remote workforce. Learn more at https://www.rise8.us/ and on LinkedIn, and X.

    The views expressed are those of Rise8 and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. government.

    Media Contact:
    Casey Dell’Isola
    REQ for Rise8
    rise8@req.co

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Unlimited Hedge Fund Barometer: Emerging Markets Funds Dominated in Q3 as China Stocks Rally

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Unlimited, an investment firm and ETF sponsor that uses proprietary technology to provide low-cost alternative strategies to a variety of investors, published its Q3 2024 Hedge Fund Barometer today, showing emerging markets hedge funds leading their peers with an average 5% gross return in the quarter. Global macro and managed futures funds saw the weakest performance in the quarter at -1.2%.

    According to Unlimited’s latest Barometer, aggregate hedge fund performance was moderately positive across most strategies in Q3 2024. To read the full report, click here.

    Unlimited’s Barometer uses machine learning and multiple data sources to track performance for the major hedge fund strategies. It also provides a near real-time view into how hedge funds are positioned across major asset classes, industry sectors and geographies.

    Unlike Q2 where equity long/short funds outperformed other hedge fund strategies, emerging markets managers had the strongest performance in Q3 and long/short equity and event driven managers rode through the summer turmoil to deliver positive returns. Hedge funds generally have also reduced their exposure to Japanese equities, which performed strongly in Q1.

    “One of the more acute market moves in the quarter came in onshore and offshore Chinese equities,” said Bob Elliott, CEO and CIO of Unlimited. “While managers appear to have trimmed underweights from earlier in the year, as those stocks sold off, their position remained more neutral despite the recent market action.”

    Unlimited Hedge Fund Barometer Q3 2024 Findings

    Despite a turbulent August, long/short equity managers continue to hold roughly normal levels of overall equity exposure while continuing their rotation toward large cap growth stocks and away from small and mid-caps. Fixed income managers have started to trim their near peak exposure to corporate spreads after their approach of levering up into secularly low spreads backfired in August as spreads rose. Other highlights include:

    • Average gross returns across strategies were just below +3.5%
    • The best performing fund style was Emerging Markets equity at +5%
    • The worst performing fund style was Managed Futures at -1.2%

    As we enter the last quarter of 2024, Unlimited’s Barometer also shows hedge funds:

    • Were modestly overweight equities – specifically growth stocks – following a period of being underweight stocks in ‘22-’23. They also remained underweight small and mid-cap stocks.
    • Were roughly neutral on the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, as Fed policy has shifted to a more dovish stance over the last several months. On the British pound, short positions were closed in recent months. They were modestly long the yen.
    • Remained relatively neutral bonds, weighing the risks between reacceleration and recession. Earlier in the quarter Fixed Income managers held near historical peak levels while spread levels approached all-time lows, a strategy that backfired in August. Subsequently, managers appear to have reduced risks in credit spreads.
    • Have reduced positions in energy commodities as prices have fallen. Positions in other growth-oriented commodities like metals have remained roughly neutral in recent months.

    Click here to view a video on how Unlimited’s technology works.

    About Unlimited
    Founded in 2022 by Bob Elliott, Bruce McNevin and Matt Salzberg, Unlimited is an investment firm using proprietary technology to create strategies that offer lower-cost access to 2 & 20 style alternative investment strategies, such as hedge funds, to a wide variety of investors. Mr. Elliott has built innovative hedge fund strategies for more than two decades, including at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. Mr. McNevin is a Professor of Economics at New York University and has held various data science positions at hedge funds Clinton Group and Midway Group, along with positions at Bank of America and BlackRock. Mr. Salzberg serves as a Managing Partner at Material and Board Director of Unlimited. Learn more at unlimitedfunds.com.

    Media Contacts:

    Sarah Lazarus Zach Kouwe
    Dukas Linden Public Relations Dukas Linden Public Relations
    +1 617-335-7823 +1 551-655-4032
    sarah@dlpr.com zkouwe@dlpr.com
       

    For informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. The data shown herein represents past performance and should not be construed as providing any assurance or guarantee as to returns that may be realized in the future. No representation is being made that any investment will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those shown herein. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee return or eliminate risk in any market environment.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PLUMAS BANCORP DECLARES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RENO, Nev., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plumas Bancorp (Nasdaq:PLBC), the parent company of Plumas Bank (the “Bank”), today announced that the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend on Plumas Bancorp common stock of $0.27 per share, payable November 15, 2024, to stockholders of record as of November 1, 2024.

    About Plumas Bancorp

    Plumas Bank is a subsidiary of Plumas Bancorp (NASDAQ: PLBC), a bank holding company headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Plumas Bank is a locally managed, award-winning community bank founded in 1980 and headquartered in Quincy, California. With 15 branch offices in Northeastern California and Northern Nevada, and loan production offices in California and southern Oregon, Plumas Bank is one of the top performing community banks in the country. For more information regarding Plumas Bancorp and Plumas Bank, visitplumasbank.com.

    Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve the risks and uncertainties, including the timely availability and acceptance of Bank products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the management of growth, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Bank’s publicly available regulatory reports.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Traliant rolls out training to navigate regulatory risks and strengthen ethical practices

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Traliant, an innovator in online compliance training, announced new and enhanced compliance and ethics training to safeguard organizations from unfair business practices, regulatory violations and potential legal risk. The courses include Antitrust Competition Law, Export Controls, US Import Regulation, Labor Relations and Forced Labor in Global Supply Chains ─ areas under increased scrutiny in today’s regulatory landscape.

    From navigating antitrust laws and understanding the intricacies of import-export regulations to managing labor relations and ensuring ethical supply chains, employees must navigate complex legal requirements to ensure an organization stays compliant. By having strong training programs, companies can significantly reduce the likelihood of violations and avoid costly penalties.

    “Managing and minimizing these risks requires all employees to be familiar with regulatory requirements and know how to recognize and report potential violations,” said Michael Johnson, Chief Strategy Officer at Traliant. “Ongoing training equips employees with the knowledge and tools needed to stay compliant, mitigate risks and uphold ethical standards across all operations.”

    Penalties for failing to comply with U.S. antitrust laws reached a record $5.7 billion in fines and settlements in 2022. Similarly, violations in export controls can result in civil and criminal penalties with fines up to $1 million per violation. Forced labor in global supply chains is also a growing concern, with nearly 20 million people worldwide estimated to be victims of forced labor. These risks to organizations underscore the importance of employee training.

    In addition to the introduction of new Labor Relations training, Traliant enhanced existing courses by adding realistic workplace scenarios, fun games and interactive quizzes to increase engagement, learning and retention. To learn more about Traliant, visit: https://www.traliant.com/.

    About Traliant 
    Traliant, a leader in compliance training, is on a mission to help make workplaces better, for everyone. Committed to a customer promise of “compliance you can trust, training you will love,” Traliant delivers continuously compliant online courses, backed by an unparalleled in-house legal team, with engaging, story-based training designed to create truly enjoyable learning experiences.
      
    Traliant supports over 14,000 organizations worldwide with a library of curated essential courses to broaden employee perspectives, achieve compliance and elevate workplace culture, including sexual harassment training, diversity training, code of conduct training, and many more.  
      
    Backed by PSG, a leading growth equity firm, Traliant holds a coveted position on Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America for four consecutive years, along with numerous awards for its products and workplace culture. For more information, visit http://www.traliant.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

    Contact
    Reagan Bennet
    traliant@v2comms.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Progress AI-Powered Flowmon Introduces Up to 10x Search Acceleration for Faster Cyberthreat Hunting and Network Troubleshooting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IP Address Indexing is the first in a series of major performance and scalability enhancements to the Flowmon AI-powered Network Detection and Response & Network Visibility offerings.

    BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS), the trusted provider of AI-powered infrastructure software, today announced the latest release of Progress® Flowmon®, the network observability platform with AI-powered detection for cyberthreats, anomalies and fast access to actionable insights for greater network and application performance across hybrid cloud ecosystems. With today’s release, the Flowmon platform enhances IP search efficiency up to tenfold with innovative IP address indexing that empowers network administrators to swiftly track network activities tied to specific IP addresses. The result is a significant reduction in the time needed for data analysis and troubleshooting, providing robust protection for optimal network performance.

    “For many IT teams, retrospective analysis while hunting for threats amidst growing volumes of telemetry data can be time-consuming, especially in large and complex networks. In the ever-shifting terrain of cybersecurity, the urgency to resolve network performance and security issues rapidly—within moments, is paramount,” said Sundar Subramanian, EVP and General Manager, Infrastructure Management, Progress. “With the addition of IP Address Indexing in Flowmon, IT professionals can perform near-immediate searches to process IP address data swiftly, gaining critical insights essential for quick troubleshooting of their networks.”

    As networks grow, the volume of telemetry data expands exponentially. This growth, while beneficial, results in increasingly longer search times and slows threat-hunting efforts. Near-immediate answers to retrospective analysis of compromise indicators are now available such as, “Did anyone from my network communicate with the following malicious IPs last month?” This solution propels IP search queries to new heights, achieving up to tenfold increase in speed. Network administrators and cybersecurity professionals can now rapidly identify network activities associated with specific IP addresses. This significantly reduces the time required for thorough data analysis and effective troubleshooting. Additionally, the IP Address Indexing is designed to scale alongside network growth, driving sustained search efficiency regardless of the expanding number of IP addresses.

    Additional features include:

    • Enhanced Usability and Streamlined Workflows: Flowmon now sets IP Conversation as the standard selection for the most important statistics, delivering instant insights into network interactions. Moreover, the Analysis chart has been updated to allow selectively switching network performance monitoring metrics on or off for a more customized and relevant view of data. The Monitoring Center, along with the Dashboards and Reports, has been improved with new application information icons for external IP addresses and now prominently highlights denied IP addresses from Flowmon ADS blacklists.
    • Precision and Reliability in Event Reporting: Flowmon now introduces flexible event reporting with Syslog messages over the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). This enhancement delivers targeted and reliable event reporting to designated IP addresses, accelerating the time for data processing and capturing and issue identification.

    Flowmon network observability solution, with AI-powered detection for cyberthreats and anomalies, allows fast access to actionable insights for greater network and application performance across hybrid cloud ecosystems. For more information about the latest release of the Flowmon platform, please visit http://www.flowmon.com.

    About Progress
    Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS) empowers organizations to achieve transformational success in the face of disruptive change. Our software enables our customers to develop, deploy and manage responsible, AI-powered applications and experiences with agility and ease. Customers get a trusted provider in Progress, with the products, expertise and vision they need to succeed. Over 4 million developers and technologists at hundreds of thousands of enterprises depend on Progress. Learn more at http://www.progress.com.

    Progress and Flowmon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the US and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

    Press Contact:
    Kim Baker
    Progress
    +1-800-477-6473
    pr@progress.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Trade Without Limits: Orderly Unity by Orderly Network Unleashes First-Ever Omnichain Orderbook on Solana

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orderly Network is proud to unveil its groundbreaking expansion to the Solana Network following the successful deployment of its omnichain vault on the Solana Blockchain, allowing both EVM and non-EVM users to trade perps from a single, shared orderbook.

    Centered around unified liquidity, the mainstay of Orderly Network’s DeFi solutions, the initiative known as Orderly Unity will see Solana become the latest blockchain equipped to provide a truly omnichain trading experience to users.

    Solana-based traders can now deposit their assets on Orderly and trade against counterparts on all other Orderly-supported chains from the same orderbook, without their funds ever needing to leave the parent network. As of today, the Solana integration is now live on testnet, with mainnet set to go live in November.

    By bringing Solana into the fold, Orderly takes another decisive step forward in creating a DeFi ecosystem where anyone can trade any asset seamlessly, on any platform.

    Thanks to Co-Founder Ran Yi’s unique background in traditional finance, Orderly is able to position itself via Orderly Unity as the equivalent of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

    By deploying asset vaults on multiple chains, with all trades then executed and settled on the Orderly Chain, cross-netting capabilities and better capital efficiency is created. The result is an inclusive, trader-first approach to the expansion of DeFi that’s not yet been seen, with Orderly leading firmly from the front.

    Focused on creating omnichain trading infrastructure with ready-to-use liquidity for builders, Orderly is already deployed across major chains, such as Arbitrum, Base, Mantle, Ethereum Mainnet, OP, Polygon, and now Solana, wrapping up an impressive market offering that will allow traders better access to popular assets such as memecoins. Through Orderly, traders and exchanges have access to over 50 markets, ensuring robust liquidity on all major chains through a unified trading infrastructure.

    “We’re excited to see Orderly take its place as the first trading solution in DeFi to unite onchain perps trading for both EVM and non-EVM users in the same shared orderbook,” says Ran Yi, Orderly Network CoFounder. “This is in-line with our protocol’s charge forward: Orderly Unity. We’re on a mission to unify liquidity across all chains and create an environment for trading without limits.”

    “Solana is renowned for its high throughput, low latency, and cost-effective transactions, making it an ideal network for the next phase of Orderly’s omnichain expansion,” says Arjun Arora, Orderly Network COO.

    “By deploying our omnichain vault on Solana, we are bringing a seamless perps trading experience to Solana’s vibrant ecosystem of traders, builders, and dApps. This expansion marks the first in the space to offer perpetuals to both EVM and non-EVM users within one unified orderbook, supporting our Orderly Unity mission of a truly omnichain DeFi ecosystem.”

    The latest in a string of useful, high-profile integrations and initiatives, 2024 has been a year of consistent growth for Orderly Network, which has already surpassed its recent milestone of $83 billion in total trading volume.

    About Orderly Network
    Orderly Network is transforming DeFi with its cutting-edge cloud liquidity infrastructure by unifying cross-chain trading through its Orderly Chain and a single shared orderbook, while enhancing trading efficiency, delivering deeper liquidity, and ensuring tighter spreads. The platform provides seamless access to over 50 markets, empowering developers, traders, and exchanges to engage in limitless trading through a streamlined, cohesive trading ecosystem.

    Learn more at orderly.network        
    For PR enquiries related to this release, please contact pr@orderly.network

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FSI ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER 2024 REVENUE

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE- AMERICAN: FSI), is the developer and manufacturer of biodegradable polymers for oil extraction, detergent ingredients and water treatment as well as crop nutrient availability chemistry. Flexible Solutions also makes nutraceuticals, biodegradable and environmentally safe water and energy conservation technologies. Today the Company announces top line revenue for third quarter (Q3), 2024.

    Sales were up in Q3, 2024 compared to Q3, 2023. Flexible Solutions’ top line revenue increased from $8.721 million (Q3, 2023) to $9.287 million (Q3, 2024), up approximately 6.5% year over year.

    Complete financial results will be available after market close on Thursday, November 14, 2024, concurrent with the Company’s SEC second quarter filings. A conference call will be scheduled for 8:00 am Pacific Time, 11:00 am Eastern Standard Time, the following business day, Friday, November 15, 2024. See the FSI November 14, 2024 financials news release for the dial in numbers.

    About Flexible Solutions International
    Flexible Solutions International, Inc. (http://www.flexiblesolutions.com), based in Victoria, British Columbia, is an environmental technology company. The Company’s NanoChem Solutions Inc. subsidiary specializes in biodegradable, water-soluble products utilizing thermal polyaspartate (TPA) biopolymers. TPA beta-proteins are manufactured from the common biological amino acid, L-aspartic and have wide usage including scale inhibitors, detergent ingredients, water treatment and crop enhancement. Along with TPA, this division started producing other crop enhancement products as well. The other divisions manufacture energy and water conservation products for drinking water, agriculture, industrial markets and swimming pools throughout the world. FSI is the developer and manufacturer of WaterSavrTM, the world’s first commercially viable water evaporation retardant. WaterSavrTM reduces evaporation by up to 30% on reservoirs, lakes, aqueducts, irrigation canals, ponds and slow moving rivers. HeatsavrTM, a “liquid blanket” evaporation retardant for the commercial swimming pool and spa markets, reduces energy costs by 15% to 40% and can result in reduced indoor pool humidity.

    Safe Harbor Provision
    The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “Safe Harbor” for forward-looking statements. Certain of the statements contained herein, which are not historical facts, are forward looking statement with respect to events, the occurrence of which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements may be impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors. Information concerning potential factors that could affect the company is detailed from time to time in the company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Flexible Solutions International
    6001 54thAve, Taber, Alberta, CANADA T1G 1X4

    Company Contacts
    Jason Bloom
    Toll Free: 800.661.3560
    Fax: 403.223.2905
    Email: info@flexiblesolutions.com

    To find out more information about Flexible Solutions and our products please visit http://www.flexiblesolutions.com

    If you have received this news release by mistake or if you would like to be removed from our update list please reply to: info@flexiblesolutions.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sphera’s Newly Integrated Supply Chain Transparency Solution Enables Proactive Risk Management and Mitigation, Streamlined Supplier Engagement and Regulatory Compliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Through real-time risk monitoring and integrated sustainability and due diligence data, Sphera Supply Chain Transparency helps strengthen every link in the supply chain

    CHICAGO, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In today’s world where risk exposure in global supply chains is dynamic and regulations related to sustainability and supply chain due diligence are ever-evolving, businesses need tools and actionable insights that enable them to withstand the uncertainties, get ahead of disruption and be compliant.

    Supply chains are under closer scrutiny now in many parts of the world as regulations — such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) — have emerged to hold companies accountable for human rights and environmental impacts within their supply networks. By integrating Supply Chain Sustainability (SCS) and Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) into one platform, Sphera’s Supply Chain Transparency (SCT) product line provides organizations with end-to-end visibility across the entire supply chain to effectively manage supply chain risk, sustainability and regulatory compliance.

    “Supply chains have been facing unprecedented volatility with network disruptions resulting from extreme weather events, economic trends, cyber incidents and ESG-related risks,” said Paul Marushka, Sphera’s CEO and president. “Companies are also facing growing pressure to meet global ESG regulations and consumer demands for greater transparency and ethical sourcing practices. A holistic approach to managing risk and sustainability in the supply chain not only enables businesses to address risk before it disrupts operations but also enables enterprises to build resilient supply chains that can adapt faster to evolving situations, withstand impacts and recover quickly.”

    The Supply Chain Transparency (SCT) product line from Sphera, the leading provider of Enterprise Sustainability Management (ESM) performance and risk management software, data and consulting services, provides procurement, supply chain and sustainability professionals with an innovative solution for mitigating risk and strengthening their supply chain. Having the ability to proactively monitor risk, collect and assess direct supplier data and comply with evolving standards, helps businesses reduce potential costs associated with risk, gain competitive advantage and build transparent, agile supply chains.

    Sphera SCRM (formerly riskmethods) leverages AI along with a team of risk research experts to validate and manage information from internal and external data sources to provide real-time risk monitoring. Having an improved risk profile helps companies gain competitive advantage with a well-managed approach to ensure business continuity, protect their reputation and reduce the costs related to supply chain risk. Sphera SCRM issues alerts to users, which provide actionable insights that enable companies to implement countermeasures at the earliest opportunity, proactively monitor the situation to address additional developments and mitigate consequences. Some examples include:

    • In the lead-up to the traffic jam in the Panama Canal — which sees 6% of global maritime trade and 40% of all U.S. container traffic relying on the passageway — the first alert went out in April 2023 when the Panama Canal Authorities imposed restrictions for the first time. Starting August 8, 2023, Sphera SCRM began informing customers about delays on the Panama Canal due to low water levels and continued during the crisis.
    • During a period of historic flooding in Europe, alerts indicated heavy rainfall in the southern parts of Europe as early as September 5, 2024, and a total of 115 alerts were issued to users as the flooding progressed and included impacts such as power outages and product delays. The impacts caused some factories to stop production lines, some stores to close and challenges in moving materials by rail.
    • When a potential for a strike by dockworkers at 36 major ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast of the United States loomed, early warnings were sent to users on August 13, 2024, via the Countrywide Industrial Disputes indicator and sent 10 alerts between then and the second day of the strike.

    Sphera SCS (formerly SupplyShift) provides unparalleled tracking of ESG-related and regulatory risks with direct visibility into every tier of a company’s supply chain. The solution empowers streamlined supplier engagement and direct performance visibility with standardized assessments, multi-tier data collection and audit-ready, quantifiable supplier data to ensure regulatory compliance and help companies build more responsible supply chains. Sphera SCS helps businesses:

    • Connect every tier of supply chain data with broader sustainability initiatives.
    • Identify, analyze and measure supplier performance to drive improvement.
    • Operationalize compliance and sustainability goals by integrating industry-specific supplier data with enterprise systems, including the collection of direct Scope 3 data.
    • Ensure legislative compliance through robust tracking, auditing and validation processes.

    Naved Siddique, Sphera’s chief product officer, said, “With increased regulatory pressure coupled with a host of hidden risks in the supply chain, companies need to be empowered to proactively mitigate risk and build resilient, sustainable supply chains. This is what we deliver with our Supply Chain Transparency solution. Supply Chain Sustainability provides deeper visibility into multiple tiers of the supply chain and enables seamless collection of supplier environmental, human rights and other sustainability data, while Supply Chain Risk Management provides AI-powered insights for early risk detection and real-time monitoring throughout a supply network. This provides businesses with unparalleled risk visibility, proactive risk management, sustainability integration and regulatory compliance.”

    About Sphera
    Sphera is the leading provider of Enterprise Sustainability Management (ESM) performance and risk management software, data and consulting services focusing on Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S), Operational Risk Management (ORM), Product Stewardship and Supply Chain Transparency. For more than 30 years, we have served over 8,400 customers and a million-plus users in 95 countries to help companies keep their people safe, their products sustainable and their operations productive. Learn more about Sphera at http://www.sphera.com. Follow Sphera on LinkedIn.

    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Amanda Meador / Alaina Caruso, pro-sphera@prosek.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Automation Drives Higher Career Satisfaction for Accounts Payable Professionals, New Survey Reveals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In today’s fast-paced business environment, more and more finance departments are beginning to turn to automation to improve efficiency and job satisfaction. As automation continues to transform the landscape of financial operations, new data suggests that accounts payable (AP) professionals with a higher degree of automation are benefiting both in their careers and lifestyles. According to a new survey conducted by the Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM), in partnership with AvidXchange, more than 500 AP professionals across various industries revealed that greater automation within AP departments is linked to improved job satisfaction, healthier work/life balance, and more opportunities to work on strategic initiatives to advance their careers.

    Career and Lifestyle Satisfaction

    Based on the survey results, higher levels of automation are correlated with higher career satisfaction and growth opportunities. The majority of AP professionals who are “extremely satisfied” with their role work in mostly automated AP departments, and staff in fully automated departments are twice as likely to “strongly agree” that there are career advancement opportunities at their organization compared to those in manual environments. AP professionals believe the lack of automation in their departments impacts their career advancement opportunities, with 74% believing access to technology like automation aids in professional development and skills growth.

    Automation isn’t only enhancing job satisfaction; it’s also contributing to a healthier work/life balance for AP professionals. The survey revealed that nearly 75% of AP departments with some level of automation operate remotely or in a hybrid setting. In contrast, departments with lower levels of automation are often confined to office-based work. In fact, the survey showed that teams relying entirely on manual AP processes are more than twice as likely to work exclusively in the office compared to those with fully automated systems, showcasing how automated systems support flexible work environments. Additionally, there has been a decrease in AP professionals working solely in the office between 2023 and 2024, highlighting a broader movement towards more flexible work environments. For departments aiming to adapt to this trend, investing in automation is essential. 

    Strategic Decision-Making

    Another significant finding from the survey highlights the advantages AP professionals can gain from greater access to automation, advanced reporting, and key analytics. Finance teams are becoming an increasingly important influence on business growth and operational efficiency, and they are being tasked with more value-added responsibilities such as data analytics, business advisory, and financial technology integration.

    Finance teams with mostly manual processes can spend much of their time on repetitive tasks, leaving little room to focus on strategic initiatives. AP professionals with a higher degree of automation are more likely to work on strategic initiatives. 78% percent of AP professionals in mostly automated departments also have access to the technology, reports, and analytics they need to make strategic business decisions, making the connection between the level of automation and the ability to engage in strategic work clear. 

    “The results of this survey are reflective of the value we’ve been bringing to our customers for years,” said AvidXchange President Dan Drees. “Automation is a game-changer for modern AP professionals. Not only does it improve work/life balance and enable access to data-driven analytics, but it also empowers finance teams to work on more strategic initiatives. AvidXchange is proud to pioneer solutions and tools that help finance teams succeed.”

    For more information on how end-to-end AP automation can help companies improve overall satisfaction and work/life balance and for a deeper look into the AP professional career satisfaction survey results, download the white paper: 2024 Accounts Payable Career Satisfaction Report.

    Survey Methodology

    IOFM conducted a survey, in partnership with AvidXchange, comprising of more than 500 Accounts Payable professionals. Survey respondents worked in organizations with annual revenue ranging from less than $500,000 to $1 billion or more from various industries and represented staff, middle management, and upper management. The survey was conducted in June 2024.

    About AvidXchange
    AvidXchange is a trusted, leading provider of accounts payable (“AP”) automation software and payment solutions for middle market businesses and their suppliers. AvidXchange’s Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) based, end-to-end software and payment platform digitizes and automates the AP workflows for over 8,000 buyer customers, and it has made payments to more than 1.2 million supplier customers of its buyers over the past five years. Additionally, AvidXchange, Inc. is a licensed money transmitter for US B2B payments, licensed as a Money Transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services, as well as all other states that require AvidXchange to have an applicable license. 

    To learn more about how AvidXchange, and its publicly traded parent AvidXchange Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVDX), are transforming the way companies pay their bills, visit avidxchange.com.

    About the Institute of Finance & Management

    Accounting and finance professions have each undergone nothing short of a complete transformation since the Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM) was founded in 1982. Since then, our mission has been, and continues to be, to align the resources, events, certifications, and networking opportunities we offer with what companies need from the accounting and finance functions to deliver market leadership. IOFM empowers accounting and finance professionals to maximize the strategic value they offer their employers. Our enduring commitment to serving the accounting and finance professions is unmatched. IOFM has certified over 25,000 accounting and finance professionals and serves several thousand conference and webinar attendees each year. IOFM is proud to be recognized as the leading organization in providing training, education and certification programs specifically for professionals in accounts payable, procure-to-pay, accounts receivable and order-to-cash, as well as key tax and compliance resources for global and shared services professionals, controllers, and their finance and administration (F&A) teams. Learn more at IOFM.com

    Contact:

    Kevin Logan
    Manager, Corporate Communications
    pr@avidxchange.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Top KingWin Ltd. Announces Trading Ticker Symbol Change to “WAI”

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Guangzhou, China, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Top KingWin Ltd. (“Top KingWin” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: TCJH) announced today that effective on October 21, 2024, its Class A ordinary shares will begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “WAI”. This new ticker symbol will replace the Company’s previous ticker symbol “TCJH”.

    No action by the Company’s shareholders is required with respect to the ticker symbol change. The Company’s Class A ordinary shares continue to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the CUSIP number remains unchanged.

    About Top KingWin Ltd

    Top KingWin’s main clients are entrepreneurs and executives in small and medium-sized enterprises in China. Services provided by Top KingWin to its clients including (i) corporate business training services, which mainly focus on providing training services of advanced knowledge and new perspectives on the capital markets, (ii) corporate consulting services, which mainly focus on providing a combination of customized corporate consulting services to fulfill client’s unique financial needs, and (iii) advisory and transaction services, which mainly focus on connecting entrepreneurs and businesses with diversified sources of capital. Its mission is to provide comprehensive services to address clients’ needs throughout all phases of their development and growth.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the use of proceeds from the Company’s offering, the intent, belief or current expectations of Top KingWin and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.

    For more information, please contact:
    Bonnie
    Email: IR@tcjhgw.cn

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SMX Awarded $79.4M CFTC cGate Contract Through GSA Alliant 2

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HERNDON, Va., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SMX®, a leader in next-generation mission support, digital transformation, and IT solutions, announced today that it has been awarded the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Cloud Governance and Administration of Technology and Engineering (cGATE) contract through the General Services Administration’s (GSA), Assisted Acquisition Support, Alliant 2 vehicle, to provide cloud-based licensing and services. CFTC cGate is a competitively awarded contract with a total maximum value of up to $79.4M and a 5-year contract length.

    The cGATE contract represents a cornerstone of the CFTC’s ongoing efforts to enhance its oversight of the futures and derivatives markets, ensuring integrity and transparency. SMX has supported the migration of several applications and the transition of numerous workloads to Azure and AWS for mission critical data and market oversight applications. Under this contract, SMX will continue to provide cutting-edge technology and support services in the areas of cloud operations, data management, and advanced security, that enable CFTC to advance its critical mission of protecting market participants and the public from fraud, manipulation, and abusive practices.

    Sandeep Dorawala, President of the SMX Digital Solutions Group, commented, “We are honored to have been selected by the CFTC to support their critical mission through the cGATE contract. This award is a testament to our team’s continued dedication and expertise in delivering high-quality technology solutions that meet the complex needs of our federal clients. We look forward to continuing to partner with the CFTC to enhance their capabilities in market oversight and enforcement.”

    As a trusted partner to the federal government, SMX brings deep domain expertise, a commitment to excellence, and a history of successful project execution. This contract award reinforces SMX’s position as a leading provider of IT solutions in the federal marketplace.

    About SMX
    SMX is a leader in next-generation cloud, C5ISR, and advanced engineering and IT solutions operating in close proximity to clients across the U.S. and around the globe. SMX delivers scalable and secure solutions combined with the mission expertise needed to accelerate outcomes for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Public Sector, Fortune 1000 and other public and private sector clients. For more information on our services, please visit https://www.smxtech.com/.

    For inquiries about this press release, please contact us at communications@smxtech.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FloQast Achieves AWS Retail Competency Status

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Retail Competency status. This designation highlights the proven value of FloQast’s Accounting Transformation Platform in helping retail customers drive financial transformation both in the cloud and across their broader businesses.

    Achieving the AWS Retail Competency differentiates FloQast as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that provides specialized accounting workflow automation designed to help retail enterprise businesses adopt, develop, and deploy complex projects on AWS. To receive the designation, APN members must possess deep AWS expertise and a proven track record with retail clients to deliver solutions seamlessly on AWS. 

    “Achieving AWS Retail Competency is a great milestone for FloQast and reflects how far we’ve come since our partnership with AWS started in 2014,” said Mike Whitmire, CEO and co-founder of FloQast, CPA. “We’ve always placed importance on helping retail customers streamline their accounting operations, and this recognition reinforces the impact of our platform. It’s yet another step forward as we continue to grow and innovate to meet the evolving needs of the industry.”

    FloQast’s Accounting Transformation Platform was developed over more than a decade of innovation, incorporating direct customer feedback and the latest advancements in artificial intelligence. Designed to meet evolving market demands and the growing pressures on accounting teams, the platform empowers organizations with AI-driven efficiencies and insights for more strategic decision-making.

    AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify Consulting and Technology APN Partners with deep industry experience and expertise. 

    About FloQast

    FloQast, an Accounting Transformation Platform created by accountants for accountants, enables organizations to automate a variety of accounting operations. Trusted by more than 2,800 global accounting teams – including Twilio, Los Angeles Lakers, Zoom, and Snowflake – FloQast enhances the way accounting teams work, enabling customers to automate close management, account reconciliations, accounting operations, and compliance activities. With FloQast, teams can utilize the latest advancements in AI technology to manage aspects of the close, reduce their compliance burden, stay audit-ready, and improve accuracy, visibility, and collaboration overall. FloQast is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

    Contact:
    Kyle Cabodi
    FloQast Director of Corporate Communications
    kyle.cabodi@floqast.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Software Piracy, Overuse, and Misuse are Equally Undermining Revenue Goals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ITASCA, Ill., Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Revenera, producer of leading solutions that help technology companies build better products, accelerate time-to-value, and unlock new revenue opportunities, today released the Revenera Monetization Monitor: Software Piracy and Compliance 2025 Outlook report. Based on the results of a global survey of 418 leaders at global technology companies, this report is the 2nd in a three-part annual series, which provides product executives at software, intelligent device, and IoT companies with benchmarks about the prevalence and scope of unlicensed software usage.

    Piracy, overuse, and misuse are currently equally significant problems, with approximately ⅓ of respondents reporting that each is a “major problem” contributing to revenue leakage. This aligns them with more traditional business problems, such as customer churn, also cited by ⅓ of respondents as a “major problem.”

    “Software and tech companies are pushing hard to deliver high customer value at a good profit margin, but yet, they often treat customer compliance, which can be a significant revenue stream in some segments of the industry, as an afterthought. Losses of more than 30 percent of revenue are on the rise for all forms of unlicensed software usage, including piracy, overuse, and misuse,” said Nicole Segerer, General Manager at Revenera. “Accurate data into software use is essential to complement revenue loss and to implement effective monetization models that capture revenue opportunities.”

    Highlights from the Revenera Monetization Monitor: Software Piracy and Compliance 2025 Outlook report include:

    • Piracy, overuse, and misuse are equally concerning issues, with major financial ramifications.
      • Approximately ⅓ of respondents citing each as a “major problem,” putting them on par with more traditional problems like customer churn (major problem for 30 percent) and inefficient monetization models (major problem for 37 percent).
      • Losses of more than 30 percent of revenue are on the rise for all forms of unlicensed software usage.
      • Churn risk is a major problem for ⅓ of respondents, putting this long-standing problem on a par with piracy, overuse, and misuse and that each must be addressed in order to comprehensively address revenue leakage.
    • Unlicensed software usage, a global issue, must be addressed for successful revenue recovery initiatives.
      • While reflecting an improvement over the past year, approximately 1 in 10 respondents are still unaware of how much revenue is lost to unauthorized software usage.
      • Awareness of how revenue loss is taking place is improving. Presently only 5 percent are unaware of how they are losing revenue to software piracy, overuse, or misuse, falling from 21 percent a year ago.
      • Barriers to essential usage insights remain: Only 57 percent of respondents can see if utilization for a specific customer is increasing or declining; fewer (47 percent) can see the fundamental metric of whether a customer is using the software at all.
      • The global use of unlicensed software presents an $18.7 billion revenue opportunity for software suppliers. Aggregate data from Revenera’s Compliance Intelligence customer, identifying the top 20 piracy and license compliance hotspots, reveals opportunities for revenue recovery.

    Methodology

    The Revenera Monetization Monitor 2025 Outlook series of reports is based on 418 complete responses to a survey conducted by Revenera from May through July 2024. Job levels of these survey respondents were C-level/executive (23 percent), SVP/VP (17 percent), director (44 percent), manager/team leader (15 percent), and individual contributors/non-manager/consultant (1 percent). The first report in this series focuses on Software Monetization Models and Strategies. This report focuses on Software Piracy & Compliance. The final report will focus on Software Usage Analytics.

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    About Revenera
    Revenera helps product executives build better products, accelerate time-to-value, and monetize what matters. Revenera’s leading solutions help software and technology companies drive top-line revenue with modern software monetization, understand usage and compliance with software usage analytics, empower the use of open source with software composition analysis, and deliver an excellent user experience—for embedded, on-premises, cloud, and SaaS products. To learn more, visit http://www.revenera.com.

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