Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Flow Traders Ltd. (Euronext: FLOW) publishes the Q3 2024 pre-close call script to be used with analysts post the market close on 26 September 2024.
Flow Traders will conduct a pre-close call with the analyst community post the European market close today, prior to the start of the silent period on 1 October 2024. The script to be used can be found on our website.
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The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of PrairiesCan, will announce federal support for businesses, communities and organizations to develop their local tourism products and share them with visitors from across Canada and around the world.
Minister Boissonault will be joined by Shae Bird, Executive Director, Indigenous Tourism Alberta; Traci Bednard, Executive Director, Explore Edmonton; Juanita Marois, Executive Director, Métis Crossing; and Allen Jacobson, Cultural Director, La Cité Francophone.
Following the address, speakers will be available to answer questions from the media.
Date: Friday, September 27, 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. (MT)
Location: Room 107Edmonton Expo Centre7515 118 Ave NWEdmonton, Alberta
Please use entrance 5.
Free parking is available: please register your license plate by scanning a QR code at the entrance to the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, will join the Honourable Cory Deagle, PEI Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture, to make an announcement regarding support for tourism in Prince Edward Island.
North Rustico, Prince Edward Island September 26, 2024 Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, will join the Honourable Cory Deagle, PEI Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture, to make an announcement regarding support for tourism in Prince Edward Island.
Date: September 27, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Eliayhu Wellness Center 20 Recreation Street North Rustico, PEI.
Contact persons
Connor BurtonPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyConnor.Burton@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
Mylène Paradis (BA [communications], Université Laval, 1991; MA [journalism], Université Laval, 1993) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2002.
Mylène Paradis (BA [communications], Université Laval, 1991; MA [journalism], Université Laval, 1993) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2002. At headquarters, she held positions with the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force and the Central America and Caribbean Bureau. She was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister of International Development and Director of the Global Health and Nutrition Branch. Abroad, she was posted to Madrid from 2005 to 2008. Throughout her career, she has held secondments to various departments, including the Privy Council Office, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Health Canada. Most recently, she was Director General of Canadian Partnerships for Health and Social Development at Global Affairs Canada.
Marianick Tremblay (BBA [civil and international law], Université de Sherbrooke, 1989; LL.B. Université de Sherbrooke, 1990) was called to the Quebec Bar in 1990 and joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1993. At headquarters, she served as senior counsel in the Environmental Law Division, coordinator of the Human Security Program, and senior counsel for small arms. Ms. Tremblay also served as deputy director of the Brazil and Southern Cone Section, and then as director of Hemispheric Affairs, which included relations with the Organization of American States and coordination of the Canadian delegation’s participation in the Summit of the Americas. From 2018 to 2021, she served as director general of the Mobilization of Canadians in the Partnerships for Development Innovation Sector. She has served in various overseas postings, including Mexico (1995–1998), Morocco (2001–2005), Chile (2007–2010), and as Ambassador to El Salvador (2010–2012), Ecuador (2015–2018), and Colombia (2021–2024).
Craig Weichel (BA Honours [History], Wilfrid Laurier University, 1994; MA [History], McMaster University, 1996) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1998. At headquarters, he worked in the U.S. General Relations, Northern Europe, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (Nuclear), and United Nations divisions. He also headed the Natural Disaster Response and Civilian Security Policy Division and the North Korea Task Force. From 2007 to 2009, he was President of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. Abroad, he served in New York with the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations; in Vienna with the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; in Rome and, more recently, in Washington, where he directed the embassy’s environment and energy program.
Brenda Wills (Hons BComm, University of Manitoba, 2003; MSc [Sustainable Development], University of Sussex, 2021) is a Métis from Red River, Manitoba who joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2004. Her first posting abroad was in Washington, D.C. as Second Secretary (Trade Policy). She subsequently served as First Secretary (Trade) in Chile, Senior Trade Commissioner and Counsellor (Trade) in Colombia, and Counsellor (Trade Policy) in Mexico City. At Headquarters, she worked in the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch, first on negotiations with the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, and then on the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations as Deputy Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement. She also served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Deputy Minister of International Business Development and Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner. Most recently, she served as Senior Trade Commissioner and Counsellor (Commercial Affairs) in Singapore.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French
Defense Group
Bern, 26.09.2024 – Instructional and training flights with the Air Force’s F/A-18 fleet were suspended as a precaution on Thursday, 26 September 2024. This decision is due to the oxygen supply of the combat aircraft. However, air policing and operational readiness remain assured.
Pilots have noticed anomalies in the oxygen supply of the F/A-18 fighter jet in recent days. Since safety is the top priority, this irregularity is being thoroughly investigated with the help of specialists.
A decision will then be made on the resumption of training and instruction flights. Air policing and operational availability are guaranteed.
The CRTC has selected a new project that will receive funding under its Broadband Fund.
The CRTC has selected a new project that will receive funding under its Broadband Fund.
The CRTC has committed $79.4 million to the Kativik Regional Government to build a 933-kilometre fibre optic link that will connect the communities of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Aupaluk, Tasiujaq, Quaqtaq and Kangirsuk to high-speed Internet services. This project will provide high-speed Internet to more than 40 key institutions, including schools and health care centres. This initiative will have significant social, educational and economic benefits for these communities. It will also support future projects to connect businesses and more than 700 households.
This project will build on previous Nunavik Region Broadband Fund projects and will provide all Kativik communities with access to high-speed Internet services.
The CRTC continues to assess applications and will announce additional funding in the coming months.
The selected project is as follows:
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that theCenter for Digital Governmenthas given Connecticut national recognition for its ongoing digital government efforts, awarding the state with its second-consecutive grade of “A-” and ranking it first in the nation in digital services related to transportation and motor vehicles. The recognition was included as part of the organization’s2024 Digital States Survey, which was released this morning.
Governor Lamont has made it a priority during his administration to build an all-digital state government that provides Connecticut’s residents and businesses with the tools necessary to digitally connect with services administered by the state. In recent years, that work has included the launch of thebusiness.ct.gov,health.ct.gov, andjobs.ct.govportals, to give residents and businesses easy access to state services from across agencies in one location.
“Innovation is Connecticut’s biggest asset,” Governor Lamont said. “This well-deserved recognition is a testament to the cross-agency work across state government to make our digital government services more accessible, easier to navigate, and more user friendly. The first-in-the-nation ranking for the use of technology in transportation and motor vehicles is thanks in large part to innovative programs – the wrong-way driver system on the state’s highways and the online appointment system that has dramatically reshaped the public’s ability to interact with the Department of Motor Vehicles.”
Connecticut’s digital services program is primarily based out of the Bureau of Information Technology Solutions (BITS) within the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). Improving the digital experience for our residents deeply involves all agencies
“Connecticut is fortunate to have a top-notch team dedicated to streamlining digital government services,” DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman said. “But the state’s digital journey is a total team effort, and we are proud to collaborate with partners from across state government. Congratulations to all involved in this meaningful work.”
The grade of “A-” reflects a state whose technology leaders are using “very strong innovation, high performing solutions, and have applied excellent practices in all aspects of operations, governance, and administration,” according to Teri Takai, senior vice president of the Center for Digital Government.
“I could not be more proud of the progress Connecticut continues to make in technology,” Connecticut Chief Information Officer and DAS Deputy Commissioner Mark Raymond said. “Our people, our partners, our agencies and our approach bring the best that technology has to offer to the residents and businesses of our state.”
A listing of all 50 states and their grades is published on the Center for Digital Government’s website athttp://www.centerdigitalgov.com.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Justice upheld in District Court’s sentencing in a case of “conspiracy to publish seditious publication” Justice upheld in District Court’s sentencing in a case of “conspiracy to publish seditious publication” ******************************************************************************************
Following the conviction of three defendants on August 29 in a case of “conspiracy to publish and/or reproduce seditious publication”, the District Court handed down its sentence today (September 26). The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government spokesman said: “The court has held earlier that Chung Pui-kuen and Lam Shiu-tung, while holding chief editorial positions at Stand News, had knowledge and approved of the seditious intent of the articles, providing Stand News as a publishing platform for inciting hatred against the Central Authorities and the HKSAR Government, as well as hatred against the administration of justice.” The spokesman said, “The reasons for verdict by the Court have pointed out clearly that the ideology of Stand News was localism which excluded China, and that it even became a tool to smear and vilify the Central Authorities and the HKSAR Government during the movement of opposition to the proposed legislative amendments. The court found that the relevant articles, without any objective basis, attacked the relevant law and procedures; and relevant law enforcement and prosecutorial process; spread hatred and anti-government sentiment with disinformation; attacked law enforcement by the Police and glorified the behaviour of rioters – in other words, they were not based on facts. To distort acts of inciting hatred as “journalism” is a complete reversal of right and wrong.” “According to Schedule 3 of the Implementation Rules of Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has made an application to court for a confiscation order to confiscate the proceeds of the relevant crime. DoJ will continue to handle subsequent procedures in accordance with the law.” “The court stated in its reasons for sentence that at the time of the offence, the three defendants were not engaging themselves in genuine journalistic work but were participating in the so-called protest at the time. From the editorial of Stand News and News Stand, it is evident that they sided with the protesters against the Government. The crimes committed by the three defendants are very serious.” “The reasons for sentence also pointed out that, given Stand News had approximately 1,600,000 followers, the seditious articles involved have undoubtedly caused significant harm to both the Central Government and HKSAR Government as well as the residents, although it is difficult to quantify.” The spokesperson stated: “The reasons for sentence also indicated that, due to the severity of the offences, imprisonment is the only appropriate sentencing option. Regarding the length of the sentence, the maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment. This maximum penalty is completely disproportionate to the severity of the offences. According to the existing Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the maximum penalty for the crime of sedition is seven years’ imprisonment. Based on the culpability of the second defendant, Chung Pui-kuen, a starting point of 23 months’ imprisonment was adopted, and a sentence of 21 months was passed. For the third defendant, Lam Siu-tung, a starting point of 14 months’ imprisonment was adopted but due to the potential risk to his life if sent to prison, a sentence was imposed that allows for his immediate release.” The spokesman says, “Following the verdict in this case, some have expressed concerns about freedom of the press and speech in Hong Kong. Some foreign media or other people with ulterior motives, as well as anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians, made untruthful and purely political remarks smearing the HKSAR. We have made clarifications and rebuttals many times to set the record straight. As demonstrated in the court’s reasons for its verdict, Stand News completely disregarded objective facts and contravened the “special duties and responsibilities” which journalists must observe under international human rights conventions.” The spokesman pointed out that, “The Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights guarantee fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, procession and demonstration. Members of the public (including journalists) in Hong Kong are, as always, free to make comments or criticisms that are based on facts, and to enjoy and exercise freedoms of the press and of speech in accordance with the law, without fear of unwittingly violating the law.” “It is the constitutional duty of the HKSAR to safeguard national security. In this regard, the HKSAR Government will ensure that laws are observed and continue to enforce the law resolutely, decisively and rigorously with a view to effectively preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for acts and activities endangering national security with all-out efforts.”
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 23:57
Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today officiated at a ceremony to welcome a pair of giant pandas presented by the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region that arrived safely from Dujiangyan, Sichuan.
The two giant pandas, An An and Ke Ke, left the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda at 3.05am. They then left Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport this morning, arriving at Hong Kong International Airport at 11.05am.
At the ceremony, Mr Chan said: “It doubled the happiness to welcome the two recently matured and energetic giant pandas to join the Hong Kong family in the run-up to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.”
He thanked the State Council’s Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office, the National Forestry & Grassland Administration, the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda, and the Sichuan Provincial Government for their time and tremendous effort in arranging the transfer of the giant pandas to Hong Kong over the past few months.
“This fully demonstrates the central government’s care and support for the Hong Kong SAR and recognises our efforts in the conservation, caring and rearing of giant pandas, which is of great significance to Hong Kong,” he added.
Upon their arrival in Hong Kong, the giant pandas were immediately transported to Ocean Park where they will undergo a one-month quarantine period, followed by approximately one month to adapt to their new environment.
Subject to the health and adaptation condition of the pandas, the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau will arrange for them to meet the public as early as possible.
The two giant pandas already had names while they were at the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda, with the male panda being called An An and the female called Ke Ke.
To welcome them to the Hong Kong family, the bureau will soon hold a citywide naming competition, inviting all Hong Kong citizens to exercise creativity and suggest meaningful new names for the giant pandas that highlight their characteristics.
The bureau will also organise a large-scale painting competition, inviting members of the public to vividly depict the adorable nature of the giant pandas through their artwork. Details of the two competitions will be announced shortly.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Keynote address by SJ at seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (English only) (with photos) Keynote address by SJ at seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (English only) (with photos) ******************************************************************************************
Following is the keynote address by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond in in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today (September 26): Her Excellency Dato’ Sri Azalina (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said), 鄭學方代辦 (Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, Mr Zheng Xuefang), Dato’ Seri Gobalakrishnan (President, National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia), ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I am very pleased to be here today. Firstly, I must thank all of you for joining our seminar. I was told that there are all together around 150 friends from Malaysia attending this event. It is a daunting task to speak right after such an eminent panel of speakers sharing their experiences and expertise. I would like to begin by a very important fact. That is the relationship between China and Malaysia. The year of 2024 is extremely important because it marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries. I think the exact date was May 31, 1974. Fast forward, in June this year, the Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Li Qiang, visited Kuala Lumpur. On that occasion, he renewed a co-operation agreement between the two countries for another five years. And fast forward, not too long ago, I think less than two weeks ago on September 20, the King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar went to Beijing and met President Xi Jinping. He described the trip as a great success. ASEAN is now the number one trading partner of China, and I understand that Malaysia is going to be the chairman of ASEAN in 2025. So I have no question whatsoever that the relationship between China and Malaysia and ASEAN will be taken to a new height in the very near future. Now, returning to Hong Kong. Many speakers have already mentioned the historical ties of people-to-people connection. Our Chief Executive actually came to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July 2023. On that occasion, 11 co-operation agreements and memorandum of understanding were signed. Your Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry actually came to Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago to attend the Hong Kong – ASEAN Summit. And right after that, the governments of Hong Kong and Malaysia announced that we are finalising the negotiation of establishing an Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Kuala Lumpur and we are very hopeful that the ETO will be established very soon. Once again, that will signify another important development between Hong Kong and Malaysia. So the certainty is that we are going to see a much closer relationship or economic co-operation between the jurisdictions. And against this background, there must be a huge demand and need for legal co-operation between the two jurisdictions. That is exactly the purpose of my trip, joined by a group of very eminent lawyers from Hong Kong. The message that we wish to convey is reflected by the theme of this seminar – Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond. In answer to one of the questions posed by the participants, we are not saying that Hong Kong is the only gateway. It is not an exclusive gateway, but it is a very unique gateway. It is unique because, as Janice (panel speaker Ms Janice Chew) has mentioned, I used six factors to describe why Hong Kong legal service is unique in the sense that it cannot be found elsewhere. Now I have to repeat the six factors, but I would like to put that in a different way so that my friends who have attended the Ho Chi Minh City event would not feel bored. The first point is very important, which is also mentioned by some of the speakers — the stability of our common law system which is guaranteed to be continuing beyond 2047. Jern-fei (panel speaker Mr Ng Jern-fei, KC) mentioned that one of the linkage between Malaysia and Hong Kong is that we share the common law heritage. We are common law jurisdictions. In the past, there were questions as to whether the “one country, two systems” principle including our common law system can go beyond 2047. I think Elaine (panel speaker Ms Elaine Lo) gave a very good answer, she referred to government leases. But I can be even more specific. Firstly, I think that is one piece of freehold land in Hong Kong, the St John’s Cathedral. But subject to that, all land in Hong Kong is leasehold land. On July 5 this year, actually a very important legislation came into existence, that is known as the Extension of Government Leases Ordinance. The effect is that most leases in Hong Kong have been automatically renewed for 50 years in the sense that they will go beyond 2047. So it is not just a direction given by the central authorities. That has been given statutory force. I think that serves as a very good piece of evidence proving that the “one country, two systems” principle and the common law system will survive after 2047. The second factor goes to the reliability of our judicial system. When it comes to reliability of judicial system, I think I have to mention two facts, the quality of our judges and the integrity of our system. I think one of the speakers referred to the fact that the judgments of our Court of Final Appeal (CFA) have been cited in many other common law jurisdictions. I do have the statistics between 2018 and 2024, there are 46 occasions on which CFA judgments have been cited in many common law jurisdictions. This figure is provided by the Judiciary, so I think it is quite reliable. When it comes to integrity, our Judiciary put a lot of emphasis to ensure that our judicial proceedings will remain to be of very high standard and there is no compromise. One example, nowadays we are very fond of using artificial intelligence (AI) in our work. Our Judiciary issued a guideline in July this year regulating the use of artificial intelligence in judicial proceedings, in short, telling the judges in what circumstances and for what purposes they can resort to AI. I think the purpose is to ensure that our judicial proceedings will not be compromised by the use of modern technology. So that’s the second point. The third point is we have a very business-friendly legal environment. I can again give you some objective evidence. According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024 compiled by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland, Hong Kong overall ranked the fifth, and when it comes to business legislation, the business law, Hong Kong ranked the first in the world. So that tells a lot about the quality of our business law. But we recognise that there is no room for complacency. And Elaine also mentioned one point about how we ensure that our business environment will be as attractive as possible to investors. She referred to a new listing rule. In March last year, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange introduced a Chapter 18C under the Listing Rules to allow specialist technology company to get listed in Hong Kong. And the first successful case actually took place on June 13 this year. A company named QuantumPharm Inc, stationed in Shenzhen and specialised in artificial intelligence and robotics, became a public listed company pursuant to Chapter 18C. Again, that is a very good piece of evidence showing the efforts that we have made to ensure that our laws and regulations will remain to be very business-friendly and attractive. The fourth point is that we provide a very safe and secure environment – no exchange control, freedom of movement of funds and property. One of the participants asked a question about the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption), that is a very important matter. In fact, in my very brief conversation with Her Excellency Minister right before we enter this room, this is a matter that we touched upon. Hong Kong is a very safe place because we have very clean law enforcement agencies to ensure that all the laws and regulations will be strictly enforced. There is a Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by an NGO (non-governmental organisation) called Transparency International. I think for the latest survey, Hong Kong ranked 14th out of 180 countries and territories. So that’s why you are so interested about ICAC, because it is the institution responsible for ensuring there is no corruption. So for all practical purpose, there is absence of corruption in Hong Kong. The fifth point is the feature that distinguishes Hong Kong from any other common law jurisdictions. That is our connection, the connection with the Mainland legal system via a number of very important mutual legal assistance arrangements. Now Joanne (panel speaker Ms Joanne Lau) has mentioned one of them, the interim arrangement, but I would like to give another example, which is also very telling. In January this year, a mutual legal arrangement concerning the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters by the courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region came into effect in Hong Kong. It means that a Hong Kong judgment, provided that certain criteria and conditions have been fulfilled, can be enforced and recognised in Mainland China, and vice versa. And I would like to compare the arrangement with the Hague Judgments Convention, because we have adopted the same principle. We are more liberal in the sense that while we are striking a balance between the interest of judgment creditor and the judgment debtor, the scope or the type of cases covered by this arrangement is even wider than the Hague Judgments Convention. It is because some types of intellectual property (IP) cases have been included in the arrangement, whereas IP cases have been completely excluded from the Hague Judgments Convention. So this is my fifth factor. The last factor is also something very important. It is about the abundant supply of truly international legal practitioners. We have very good examples here. For example, Janice, she is dually qualified in Malaysia and Hong Kong. But she is just one of the numerous examples. There are around 13 000 solicitors, 1 600 barristers and more than 920 law firms in Hong Kong. Some of these firms have altogether 315 oversea offices and 85 offices in Mainland China. And we have 77 registered foreign law firms and more than 1 450 registered foreign lawyers. And I think three of them are qualified in Malaysia. So when you instruct a Hong Kong lawyer, you are not instructing a mere Hong Kong lawyer but you are instructing a global lawyer who is able to provide legal service not confining to matters concerning Hong Kong law. Another important factor is that we are not just familiar with the common law, we are not just familiar with international law practice, we are also familiar with the Chinese culture – how things are done in our culture, why things are done in a certain way, why documents are drafted in a certain manner. And when it comes to legal service, what is important? It is not simply your knowledge about the law, it is how much you know your client, how much you know how the business community actually works. It is about knowing the people instead of knowing the law on paper. So combining these six factors, I would venture to say that not only the gateway is a very scenic route, as mentioned by Jern-fei, but it is also a very unique route that you cannot find elsewhere. But to enable the very unique legal services to serve the interests of Malaysia, I think the pre-condition is that we have to know each other better and we have to have more platforms for regular exchanges and to explore opportunities for collaboration. That’s why I am very delighted that in a moment, the Asian International Arbitration Centre in Malaysia is going to sign MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the SCIA (South China International Arbitration Center (HK)) and also with eBRAM (eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre). I am aware that you have many questions, but because of the time constraint, the panel speakers were not able to answer all the questions as pointed out about Alex (panel moderator Mr Alexander Tang). But right after this seminar we have a reception which I believe will last until 8pm. So I would encourage all of you to take the opportunity to have more exchanges and to make friends. I’m sure that all the members from the Hong Kong delegation will be more than happy to answer whatever questions that you have in mind. I always like to use analogy to end my submission. I always describe the legal service offered by Hong Kong is something like you are entering a food plaza or food hall which consists of many different types of restaurants serving different cuisines. And the important point is that no matter what you want, no matter what you need, you name it and you will get it. So that is what Hong Kong undertakes to serve. And I do hope that today marked a new beginning of the collaboration between Malaysia and Hong Kong when it comes to legal co-operation. I look forward to meeting all of you very soon, perhaps right after the seminar or on other occasion. Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 23:55
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
If enacted, the legislation would be the single most significant update to the hospice benefit and payment structure since its inception in 1982.
WASHINGTON, D.C —Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, introduced the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform and Enforcement Act (Hospice CARE Act) to modernize Medicare’s hospice benefit, which has remained largely unchanged since its inception in 1982. The proposal comes as egregious reportsof fraud and abuse within the benefit persist, despite action from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The legislation is the product of years of collaboration between stakeholders, lawmakers, and industry leaders. It builds on Blumenauer’s decades-long commitment to ensure the federal government supports families at a time of great stress and vulnerability: the end of life.
“The United States spends significantly more on health care than other developed nations for worse outcomes. Nowhere is this more egregious than in the hospice industry,” said Congressman Earl Blumenauer. “Patients and families deserve better. We need a reset. It is past time for Congress to act to end the fraud, waste, and abuse within the hospice benefit and bring it into the 21st century.”
To protect patients and taxpayers, the Hospice CARE Act would institute a number of long overdue reforms to crackdown on fraud while incentivizing high-quality care. Critically, it would:
Reform the payment structure:The underlyinghospice per-diem payment structure—which generally pays hospices for each day of care regardless of if care is provided on a given day—rewards bad actors who exploit the benefit for financial gain. The legislation revises the payment structure to ensure that providers are incentivized to deliver high-quality care and meet the current needs of individuals and their families.
Bolster program integrity: Additional safeguards and oversight is needed to prevent fraudulent providers from enrolling in Medicare, especially for new hospices. That includes temporarily preventing new hospices from enrolling in Medicare, with exceptions where additional access to care is needed, increasing survey frequency, and increasing ownership transparency
A one-page fact sheet can be found here. Bill text here.
“The hospice benefit, while unique, is ripe for change. This legislation is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to improve it,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, including hospice, on the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (CARE) Act of 2024. “Revising a benefit that has not been altered significantly since its creation in 1982 is a formidable undertaking – but a necessary one. Done right, changes will expand the benefit to support the realities of modern-day hospice care and address vulnerabilities that are currently being exploited. There is more work to do and we look forward to continuing our productive partnership to ensure this bill achieves these goals.”
“The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) is thankful for the work of Congressman Blumenauer, his staff, and the Ways and Means Committee staff who worked with the hospice and advanced illness community to put forward the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (CARE) Act. This legislation is an encouraging and unique opportunity to consider reforms that would strengthen the Medicare hospice benefit by ensuring it continues to support patients, families, and the non-profit providers who were the original foundation of hospice care,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO and founder of NPHI. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Congress and relevant stakeholders on efforts to modernize the hospice benefit and improve care of those at the end-of-life.
“The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC),truly appreciates the introduction of the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. We commend Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3rd) for this important work and for his decades of support for compassionate end-of-life care and for bringing policies to the national stage with bi-partisan support,” stated Jon Broyles, C-TAC CEO. “We have had the privilege to work with the Congressman, his staff, Ways & Means Committee staff and other advocates on this bill and it is an important starting point for ideas that will lead to modernizing the hospice program and improving the lives of people with serious illness and their family caregivers.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Katherine Clark (5th District of Massachusetts)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in recognition of World Contraception Day, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Rep. Kathy Manning (NC-6), Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-2), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and reproductive freedom advocates to highlight extremist Republican threats to contraception.
“Thank you so much, Congresswoman Manning, for your continued leadership in our defense of reproductive freedom. And to all my colleagues who are here and to all who stand with us. And thank you to Dana and our grassroots partners for bringing your voices to bear in this fight.
“As Congresswoman Manning said, today is World Contraception Day — a global call for the basic autonomy and bodily freedom that is owed to every person. No matter their gender. No matter the country they happened to be born in.
“This year’s theme puts it plainly: ‘A choice for all. Freedom to plan. Power to choose.’ Common sense. A cause that we should be fighting for in every corner of the world. A fight America used to lead. But not anymore.
“Here in America, MAGA Republican ideology has rolled back the clock on women, on freedom, and on the fight for access to birth control.
“470 days ago, Congresswoman Manning reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act. Both of the MAGA Majority’s two speakers in this session have refused to put it up for a vote. So this summer — 114 days ago — she filed a discharge petition. An opportunity for every House Republican to show where they stand. To match their rhetoric with an actual signature. A chance to cross the aisle and put people over politics. To choose freedom over fealty to Donald Trump. Not a single Republican has had the courage to make that choice.
“Unfortunately, that does not come as a surprise. They’ve told us their vision for women and girls in this country. It is written down in Project 2025: tearing birth control options out of your insurance coverage, conducting what they call ‘abortion surveillance,’ prosecuting pharmacists and jailing doctors, arresting women for the ‘crime’ of having a miscarriage. All under the authority of a nationwide abortion ban — with zero exceptions.
“So, today is a reminder of just how profound an injustice has been inflicted on us. We should be a model of freedom and dignity. But MAGA Republicans have made us ground zero in the struggle for freedom. They’ve rescinded human rights — and they’re coming for more.
“We will not stop fighting back. These extraordinary advocates will not stop fighting back. The American people will not stop fighting back, until we restore and permanently cement reproductive freedom in our country.
“And now, it’s my pleasure to introduce a leading champion for that brighter future, our colleague from Florida, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.”
Photos of the event can be found HERE, the full event can be viewed HERE.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth, participated in a hearing titled “Providing Small Business Relief from Remote Sales Tax Collection.”
Grassley in his opening remarks acknowledged challenges small online retailers have faced since South Dakota v. Wayfair. He additionally discussed Iowa’s membership in the StreamlinedSales and Use Tax Agreement and its associated reforms to facilitate compliance with state tax laws.
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Excerpts from Grassley’s exchange with hearing witnesses follow.
Lowering Burdens in Non-Streamline States
Grassley: “Since the Wayfair decision, have states that aren’t Streamlined members enacted reforms to limit burdens on interstate commerce or taken steps to join Streamlined?”
Craig Johnson, Executive Director, Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board: “Most states have not done anything specifically, that I am aware of, to remove those undue burdens. Now, they have done what the Supreme Court noted in Wayfair: they did the no retroactive applications, they put in a small seller threshold. But the question is, did they do the third thing, which is, remove the undue burdens or join the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board? I think that’s the question that still remains, and that’s a question the Supreme Court did not answer.”
Impact of Simplification Requirements on Retailers Compliance with Sales Taxes
Grassley: “Mr. Johnson, you note that more than 30,000 sellers have registered with Streamlined to collect and remit taxes to members. [… Another witness,] Mr. Bishop-Henchman, notes it is estimated that nearly 50,000 businesses are ignoring their obligation to collect and remit sales taxes and risking getting caught. In your view, would greater adoption of the simplification requirements implemented by Streamlined members increase the compliance rate of retailers with sales tax obligations – in other words, getting at those 50,000?”
Johnson: “As far as whether or not [greater adoption of Streamlined simplification requirements] would improve the compliance, I think the answer is yes, absolutely it would. I think our member states have recognized the simpler you make the laws for sellers to comply with, the greater the voluntary compliance. And you’re going to recognize the revenues that are going to come along with it because you’re going to make it easy for business to be able to calculate collect and remit the tax.”
States Enforcing Pre-Wayfair Laws
Grassley: “Mr. Bishop-Henchman, you noted that multiple states have tried or are attempting to enforce pre-Wayfair laws. They are effectively seeking to retroactively collect sales taxes from retailers that had no legal obligation to collect such taxes at that time. Are individual states generally observing the Supreme Court’s recognition of the need for simplification to avoid imposing an ‘undue burden’ on interstate commerce?”
Joseph Bishop-Henchman, Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union Foundation: “Unfortunately, not enough.”
Mr. Bishop-Henchman cited litigation as a potential tool in the toolbox to prevent one state from imposing burdens on the rest of the country but said the Supreme Court’sNational Pork Producers Council v. Rossdecision “undercut” that possibility by punting to Congress for a fix.
Grassley: Do you see more states voluntarily adopting simplification measures or becoming Streamlined members as more time passes after the Wayfair decision?
Bishop-Henchman: “At this point, my answer would be no, I don’t see states joining unless there’s some incentive for them to do so.”
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
Exactly one year ago, the Polytechnic launched the Lepota ecosystem project — the discussion club “You have the floor!” During this time, students and university staff have had six distinguished guests as interlocutors: the coach of the Zenit football club Sergey Semak, academician of the Russian Academy of Education Tatyana Chernigovskaya, legendary hockey player Vyacheslav Fetisov, neuropsychologist and psychotherapist Alena Vanchenko, chief architect of the investment and construction holding “A101” Elizaveta Grechukhina, professional developer of educational games and author of additional education programs Andrey Latyshev.
And now a new season has begun in the discussion club. It was opened by the St. Petersburg actor, TV and radio host and blogger Andrey Zaitsev.
Andrey is best known to the general public as a dubbing actor. He voices characters in at least 199 foreign films. Including the main characters: programmer Daniel Domscheit-Berg, played by Daniel Brühl in The Fifth Estate, Sam Hall played by Jake Gyllenhaal in The Day After Tomorrow, Richard Madden’s prince in Cinderella, etc. Fans of the Star Wars saga certainly know that Andrey Zaytsev has been speaking for Anakin Skywalker since 2002. Fans of The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy know Andrey as Star Lord. And if you rewatch Terminator, note that in the third part, Andrey voices John Connor. And, of course, Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean.
So, one can say that in Andrey the polytechnicians saw (or rather heard) all their favorite movie characters at once, which is why the atmosphere at the meeting was so light and relaxed. In addition, Andrey has a great sense of humor, and he easily won over the audience. Although he admitted that he was very nervous, because speaking in front of an audience is always difficult. By the way, among the numerous questions to the guest was one about how to overcome constraint in public speaking.
“The most important thing is that I can be useful to you,” Andrey said at the very beginning of the meeting, inviting us to a dialogue. “Today, many people, in parallel with their main activities, try themselves in voice-over work, try to show themselves, primarily on social networks, and this is normal. I will tell you everything that interests you in the industry of dubbing, cinema, sound, artificial intelligence, to which I have also already contributed my voice.”
The guys were interested in whether AI could replace voice actors in the future. In response, Andrey let them listen to his own voice, made by a neural network.
“This is already happening,” he admitted. “For example, Teo Voice signed a contract with me, we made two voices. One is my regular one, and the other is an old man’s. It’s for streamers, for computer games. Artificial intelligence will help us develop further. Today, if we have professional burnout, we go to ChatGPT and solve the problem with its help. But creative brains cannot be replaced by anything.”
Naturally, the audience wanted to know why Andrey took up dubbing films.
I always dreamed of working with a microphone. I graduated from school in 1996. The first place I wanted to get into was the radio. I thought you had to speak endlessly fast there, like DJs in the 90s, and I still speak very fast and often now — such is my professional deformation. I started with Radio Shanson, then worked for 16 years at Avtoradio. I understood that radio people in the 90s were mostly educated as actors.
The meeting did not pass without discoveries. Thus, the students learned that whispering is harmful to the vocal cords, it is a lot of strain. And the best way to restore a torn voice is… regular sleep. And silence.
It also turned out that in dubbing, in addition to the translator, there is also the profession of “stacker”.
“The actors must get not only the intonation right, but also the closure,” Andrey Zaitsev explained. “It’s not enough to translate a film; there’s a concept called ‘lip syncing’ (full synchronization of sound and visuals in films – Ed.). Sometimes it’s not the dubbing that’s bad, it’s just the translation that’s ‘off track.’ And the perfect dubbing is in the film ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’”
Andrey advised those students who were interested in how to get into voice acting to act on their own.
Come to try at a studio – there is no such practice now. Now there is the Internet. I always recommend starting on your own. But if you try to voice, then choose characters of your age. And sometimes your build. When dubbing, specific actors are selected for specific characters.
The conversation ended with a question about plans and dreams for the future.
I don’t make plans in the dubbing industry, I’ve already done everything there. I’ve made my acting business cards and want to do something where I can be useful 300 percent, and not plug a hole in another run-of-the-mill series. It’s a little comforting to me that Louis de Funes became popular at 54, I still have some time to spare.
According to tradition, two Lepota branded T-shirts appeared on stage at the end of the meeting. One, with the seventh number, was given to the guest. And on the second one, he left an autograph for the Polytechnicians. Andrey wrote a wish: “Live only for what you love.” And, of course, he could not help but add the great words from the star saga, but did it with reference to the meeting place: “May the power of the Polytechnic be with you!”
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 26, 2024
Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
Dr. Rand Paul Introduces HEMP Act to Relieve Unnecessary Constraints on Hemp Industry, Provide Transparency and Certainty
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) continued his efforts to address Kentucky hemp farmers’ concerns with federal overreach and bring clarity, transparency, and certainty to regulation by introducing the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act.
“For years, I’ve led the fight in Washington to restore one of Kentucky’s most historically vital crops by legalizing industrial hemp. We achieved a hard-won victory, but there is still work to do to prevent the federal government from weighing down our farmers with unnecessary bureaucratic micromanaging. My legislation will help this growing industry reach its full economic potential and bring transparency to government regulations,” said Dr. Paul.
This legislation creates transparency and certainty by defining a margin of error in hemp testing and provides real solutions to help Kentucky hemp farmers and processors.
The HEMP Act amends the definition of “hemp” from 0.3 percent THC to 1 percent THC. It also requires testing of hemp-derived products rather than the hemp flower or plant itself. Additionally, to help prevent legal hemp from being seized during transport, the bill requires that hemp shipments be accompanied by one of two easily accessible types of documentation.
Dr. Paul is proud to be a leading voice for removing government restrictions on hemp, including championing legislation, testifying before the Kentucky legislature, and advocating for Kentucky farmers in Washington. This legislation ensures Kentucky can rebuild its hemp industry and push forward to a prosperous future.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
The UK has sanctioned 5 ships and 2 entities involved in the Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) sector.
the UK has sanctioned 5 ships and 2 entities involved in the Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) sector
this is the first time the UK is using its new ship specification power to target LNG vessels directly
today’s action builds on efforts alongside allies to bear down on Russia’s attempts to bolster its future energy revenues – the most critical source of funding for Putin’s war in Ukraine
The UK has today, 26 September, taken decisive action to sanction 5 vessels and 2 associated entities involved in the shipping of Russian LNG, including from Russia’s flagship Arctic LNG 2 project.
LNG is an important source of funding for Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. Russia has plans to expand its LNG revenues, aiming to grow their global LNG market share from 8% to 20%.
Earlier this year, the UK sanctioned Arctic LNG 2, alongside our allies in the US and EU. Since then, the project has been forced to slash production. Today’s action builds on this by targeting ships and entities involved in the Russian LNG sector, which engage with projects important to Russia’s future energy production.
The UK has now sanctioned 15 vessels and entities involved in the Russian LNG sector and we will continue to bear down on this important source of funding for Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.
The vessels sanctioned today are:
PIONEER (IMO 9256602)
ASYA ENERGY (IMO 9216298)
NOVA ENERGY (IMO 9324277)
NORTH SKY (IMO 9953523)
SCF LA PEROUSE (IMO 9849887)
We are also sanctioning the following entities associated with the vessels:
OCEAN SPEEDSTAR SOLUTIONS OPC – The operator and manager of PIONEER and ASYA ENERGY.
WHITE FOX SHIP MANAGEMENT – The operator and manager of NORTH SKY
Ships specified under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 are prohibited from entering a port in the UK, may be given a movement or a port entry direction, can be detained, and will be refused permission to register on the UK Ship Register or have its existing registration terminated.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Joint statement by Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the UK, USA, and Qatar.
Joint statement:
The situation between Lebanon and Israel since 8 October 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation. This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.
It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.
Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.
Thus we call for an immediate 21 day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701, and the implementation of UNSCR 2735 regarding a ceasefire in Gaza
We call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately consistent with UNSCR 1701 during this period, and to give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement.
We are then prepared to fully support all diplomatic efforts to conclude an agreement between Lebanon and Israel within this period, building on efforts over the last months, that ends this crisis altogether.
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston:
“I am amazed to read that Fujitsu, the company at the heart of the Post Office Horizon scandal, has been placed on a government contract worth up to £576 million by the Department of Heath.
“Such a decision is inexplicable given the role of the company in a scandal which has shocked the whole of the UK.
“In the wake of the Grenfell findings, Westminster announced that companies which were found to have fallen short would be removed from government contracts. It would seem obvious to me that a similar approach should be taken with Fujitsu given its role in events which have resulted in at least one suicide.”
Note to editors
The question tabled today by Mr Gaston as a two day priory is as follows:
To ask the Minister of Health, in light of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, to detail why Fujitsu have been placed on a government contract worth up to £576 million.
After a hearty lunch at work, you and your co-workers go into a meeting. First one colleague starts to yawn, then a second and finally it’s your turn. Many biological explanations have been put forward for this, but what is the scientific consensus?
Yawning is a universal phenomenon, observed in many vertebrate species, from wolves to parrots, and, of course, humans, from a very early age. But why do we tend to yawn when we see someone else doing it?
The reason why yawning has been present in so many species for so long is that it seems to be a necessary survival mechanism. But what is its real purpose? Whether it’s to oxygenate the brain, regulate body temperature or provide a social signal, there is no shortage of hypotheses, both among the general public and in the scientific community.
The widespread idea that yawning increases oxygenation of the brain has not been confirmed. Another explanation suggests that yawning helps maintain attention. Again, there is no consensus on this either.
What seems more certain is the link between yawning and circadian rhythm, our biological clock. The majority of yawns occur at rest, generally concentrated around the phases of waking and falling asleep. More precisely, they occur when the body is less alert, as when it’s working to digest a meal.
A means of communication?
Although the reasons behind yawning have yet to be confirmed, it’s “contagious” nature is generating significant discoveries in various disciplines, both in biology and social psychology.
Yawning could play an important role in social interactions, as observed in ostriches, which use it to synchronise group behaviour. As in humans, they often yawn when they shift from waking to resting, or vice versa. Yawning can then serve as a signal indicating a change in activity or alertness, ensuring that all members of the group are alert or at rest at the same time, increasing collective safety and maintaining the group’s rhythm.
However, the contagion of the yawn seems to be a predominantly human characteristic, with a few exceptions, such as chimpanzees or the lion monkey. This specificity reinforces the idea that human yawning, over and above its purely physiological functions, is a means of non-verbal communication. The main hypothesis is that yawning helps to synchronise group behaviour, a function similar to that observed in ostriches.
Indeed, seeing or hearing someone yawn stimulates brain regions involved in imitation and empathy, thanks in particular to mirror neurons. These neurons are activated by observing actions – for example when a child follows his parent’s movements to tie her or his shoes. However, certain areas of the brain specifically involved in contagious yawning are part of neural networks linked to empathy and social interaction.
A predisposition to contagious yawning?
Empathy appears to play a key role in susceptibility to contagious yawning. Individuals with social disorders, such as autism or schizophrenia, seem less receptive to picking up yawning from others. Research even shows that external factors such as breathing and body temperature could respectively reduce and increase contagious yawning.
This observation reinforces the idea that the perception of contagion may be exaggerated, partly because studies often involve observing individuals in groups. This dynamic could influence the observed frequency of yawning, suggesting that it is not necessarily seeing someone yawn that triggers the reaction, but rather the presence and interactions within the group.
So if you find yourself yawning when your colleague yawns after lunch, it may well be that it’s not his or her yawning that’s influencing you. Instead, it could simply be the shared context – in this case, having eaten well together – that provokes this synchronised reaction.
Astrid Thébault Guiochon ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
The prominent blogger, writer and human rights activist is due to be released on Sunday after five years of arbitrary imprisonment
Egypt has track record of submitting political detainees to ‘rotation’, where bogus reasons are found to deny their release
‘The UK government should pull out all the stops to ensure Alaa walks free this Sunday’ – Sacha Deshmukh
The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the prominent Egyptian-British blogger, writer and human rights activist Aala Abdel Fattah who will have completed his unjust five-year prison sentence in three days’ time (29 September), said Amnesty International today.
In reprisal for his activism, the Egyptian authorities arrested Alaa Abdel Fattah on 29 September 2019, and subsequently – following a grossly unfair trial – sentenced him to five years in prison on charges that included “spreading false news”.
Amnesty is warning that there is a risk that the authorities will refuse to release the prominent political activist despite his having served the full five years in prison, by refusing to count time spent in pre-trial detention as part of his prison sentence already served. The authorities may also seek to extend his arbitrary detention by bringing fresh charges against him. The Egyptian authorities have a track record of indefinitely detaining people imprisoned for political reasons by bringing new bogus identical or similar charges, even after a court has ordered their release or they’ve completed their sentence – a highly abusive practice known as “rotation”.
For years, Abdel Fattah was detained in deplorable conditions and security officials subjected him to torture and other ill-treatment in custody. In May 2022, following a public outcry, he was transferred to Wadi al-Natroun Prison where his health and detention conditions improved. It was only recently that the authorities finally allowed him access to reading materials, as well as television and written correspondence.
However, the prison authorities have continued to deny him access to fresh air and sunlight for the past five years, only allowing him to exercise in an indoor hall. The authorities also continue to deny him access to his lawyer as well as to consular visits from the UK authorities.
“Alaa Abdel Fattah has spent most of the last decade being repeatedly arrested and unjustly imprisoned simply for peacefully exercising his human rights.
“He is a prisoner of conscience – he should never have been forced to spend a single minute behind bars.
“Egyptian authorities have a dreadful track record of indefinitely detaining political dissidents by concocting new reasons to keep them locked up.
“The prospect that the authorities could further extend his unlawful imprisonment instead of releasing him is appalling.
“If the authorities fail to release Alaa Abdel Fattah this would further compound the cruelty and injustice he has already suffered in custody.
“The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release him and allow him to reunite with his loved ones at long last.”
Jailed for ‘spreading false news’
On 20 December 2021, an Emergency State Security Court convicted Alaa Abdel Fattah on charges which included “spreading false news” and sentenced him to five years in prison following a grossly unfair trial in reprisal for his activism. Human rights lawyer Mohamed Baker and blogger Mohamed Radwan “Oxygen” were also convicted on similar charges, and sentenced to four years in prison. On 19 July 2023, following sustained campaigning for his release, Mohamed Baker received a presidential pardon after nearly four years of arbitrary detention. Abdel Fattah is a prominent political activist and government critic who has been repeatedly targeted for his role in the country’s 2011 uprising. He is among thousands of people who continue to be arbitrarily detained without legal basis in Egypt solely for exercising their human rights. The Egyptian authorities continued to carry out arrests of actual or perceived critics as part of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent.
Long-running UK campaign
Alaa Abdel Fattah is a UK national and his family have mounted a long-running campaign – supported by Amnesty – calling on the UK government to help secure his freedom. In June, the family marked Father’s Day by unfurling a giant banner down the side of Brighton Pier to draw attention to Abdel Fattah’s links to Brighton, the city in which his young son lives. In October and November 2022, Abdel Fattah’s family staged various protests outside the Foreign Office and Downing Street to highlight the fact that Alaa was conducting a lengthy hunger strike in prison in the lead-up to the COP27 climate change summit in Egypt. Amnesty has been calling on the UK government to develop a coherent strategy for how it acts over cases where UK nationals such as Abdel Fattah are arbitrarily detained overseas. Amnesty believes the new strategy should include, as a minimum, the Government calling for an arbitrarily-detained person’s immediate release (including publicly where requested by the family), pressing for access to a lawyer, a fair trial and medical care where relevant, demanding consular access, insisting that UK officials be able to attend trials, and regularly meeting with family members to outline the Government’s overall approach in the case.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:
“Alaa’s a courageous democracy activist who should never have spent a single day behind bars never mind five years, and the UK government should pull out all the stops to ensure Alaa walks free this Sunday and is guaranteed safe passage to the UK.
“The family have campaigned long and hard on Alaa’s case and we share their frustration that the previous Government has appeared to ‘coast’ for long periods over his case rather than exerting sustained diplomatic pressure on his behalf.
“The UK government must press hard for Alaa’s release on Sunday and see this as an opportunity to turn a corner on how it deals with the cases of British nationals arbitrarily detained overseas.”
Headline: A year of DAX Copilot: Healthcare innovation that refocuses on the clinician-patient connection
In 2012, a child’s drawing of her appointment with a physician was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In the brightly colored sketch, the girl is sitting on the exam table accompanied by her mother and siblings. To those of us working in healthcare, her doctor is the most notable part of the image. He is sitting at his desk, typing on the computer — with his back to the patient.
This drawing, published alongside an article titled “The Cost of Technology,” is emblematic of the unintended consequences of healthcare innovation. With more tools for physicians to use and greater demands on their time, technology can easily become a barrier between the clinician and the patient. For example, in 2023 approximately 53% of physicians surveyed by Medscape reported feeling burned out, and 23% reported feeling depressed. Long working hours, bureaucratic demands and loss of work-life balance due to administrative requirements are leading causes. Our mission has always been to help clinicians turn their chairs around by providing the support they need to fully focus their attention on delivering care.
Fast-forward to today, and we’ve translated that goal into reality. After establishing the ambient technology category, we introduced DAX Copilot, the first generative AI voice-enabled solution, which has been generally available for one year, and we’re seeing remarkable momentum. Part of a proven and extensible platform, DAX Copilot leverages health systems’ existing investments in the trusted family of Dragon Medical solutions, which is used by more than 600,000 clinicians worldwide.
DAX Copilot combines proven conversational and ambient AI with generative AI to automatically convert multiparty conversations into specialty-specific standardized draft clinical summaries that integrate with existing workflows. DAX Copilot was the first ambient solution to be integrated into the Epic electronic health record (EHR) workflow and allows clinicians to seamlessly document patient visits directly within the EHR. Across the country, more than 400 organizations have already embraced its revolutionary capabilities, streamlining administrative tasks and lightening clinicians’ documentation workloads.
This transformative year has highlighted many of the ways we’re helping empower healthcare teams today and bringing joy back to practicing medicine for thousands of clinicians.
Improving Access to Care — and Enhancing Documentation Quality
DAX Copilot is helping Northwestern Medicine in Chicago improve patient access to care, with physicians using the solution in at least 50% of patient encounters and able to see an average of 11.3 additional patients per month. DAX Copilot users at Northwestern Medicine also report spending an average of 24% less time on notes and a 17% decrease in ‘pajama time,’ working on administrative tasks late into the night.
“Northwestern Medicine is committed to providing a superior work environment that promotes well-being, and implementing DAX Copilot will allow our physicians to spend more quality time with our patients, focusing on their needs rather than on paperwork and data entry,” says Dr. Gaurava Agarwal, chief wellness executive, Northwestern Medicine.
Overlake Medical Center & Clinics in Bellevue, Washington, deployed DAX Copilot to help reduce after-hours documentation time and equip its clinicians with tools to manage escalating demands. A pilot with 30 Overlake clinicians saw a significant reduction in time spent on notes outside of scheduled hours. Users also reported other important benefits: 81% said DAX Copilot had reduced their cognitive burden and77% said the solution had improved the quality of their documentation.
At Atrium Health, “DAX Copilot is enabling a better clinician experience,” says Dr. Matthew Anderson, senior medical director of primary care at Atrium Health. “Most of our surveyed users are reporting a positive impact on their day-to-day schedule, being able to increase the number of patients they are able to see and even spending more time with them.”
Enhancing Clinician Well-being
Atrium Health isn’t alone in finding that the time saved on documentation with DAX Copilot is having a positive impact on clinicians’ quality of life. “I finally have weekends back,” says Dr. Christy Chan, a family medicine physician at Overlake. “I used to always have to worry that there was something I had to do — get back onto the EMR, log back in — but I actually have some weekends back.”
Clinicians at Novant Health are experiencing similar benefits. “DAX Copilot has done an amazing thing for the physicians and clinicians who are currently using it,” says Dr. Aram Alexanian, a family physician at Novant Health. “When you hear a comment like ‘I am now able to do things with my daughter in the evenings and weekends that I couldn’t do before,’ nothing satisfies us more than knowing the impact DAX is having on our clinicians.”
DAX Copilot can accurately identify different voices in the room during pediatric visits, differentiating between parents and children to accurately capture the patient exam note for the physician to review and approve.
Community Health Network places a major focus on clinician well-being and implementing DAX Copilot has had a major impact on its clinicians’ ability to close notes before they leave for the day. “Since we have implemented DAX Copilot, I have not left clinic with an open note,” says Dr. Patrick McGill, chief transformation officer for Community Health Network. “We have seen improved access, improved numbers of patients, but overall, it’s really the clinician satisfaction that we’ve seen. In one word, DAX Copilot is transformative. It transforms how we’re able to deliver care and how we’re able to document it. It also transforms the patient experience.”
“DAX Copilot has made my professional life easier. My patients have also benefited from my using Nuance DAX during our appointments. I can be right there with the patient and not furiously writing notes. I cannot thank you enough,” said Anita M. Kelsey, M.D., Duke Health.
Transforming the Patient Experience
Dr. Dominick Lanzo, an orthopedic surgeon at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, agrees. “Once I introduced the DAX Copilot program, it completely transformed the patient experience, and it’s turned out to be incredibly accurate with regards to the history of present illness and the physical exam,” he says. “It’s made my practice much more efficient. I can see more patients, my notes are more accurate, and they’re done in a timely fashion by the end of the afternoon.”
For Dr. Alison Pomykala, an internal medicine specialist at Baptist Medical Group, the integration of DAX Copilot with the Epic EHR is particularly valuable. “The thing I like most about DAX Copilot embedded in the Epic workflow is I’m able to focus more on the patient and I’m spending less time in the exam room typing on the computer,” she says.
“I think the interface is wonderful with Epic. It has been great to see the notes coming up basically in real time on the Epic system. That’s also helped with other things: where we needed to generate a note quickly for referrals, for insurance pre-certifications, for imaging studies, or to have a complete note ready for a patient that we’re sending to the hospital.”
“At our academic health system, integrating DAX Copilot has revolutionized patient care,” says Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, co-president and CEO at Cooper University Health Care. “By automating clinical documentation through ambient voice technology, it has significantly reduced administrative workloads. This allows our physicians to focus on real-time patient interactions, leading to better care outcomes and increased job satisfaction. DAX Copilot has not only improved efficiency but has also empowered our team to spend more time where it matters most — caring for patients.”
It’s a privilege to see this industry-leading solution make a meaningful difference for the clinicians who are already on board — but the work never stops. The Microsoft healthcare team is determined to continue solving some of the industry’s most complex challenges, and harnessing the power and potential of AI is how we’ll achieve that. We will continue to be leaders in innovation, collaborating across our ecosystem of incredible customers, partners and Microsoft researchers to bring real impact to clinical settings.
DAX Copilot is an innovative solution that goes beyond documentation, offering unique features such as orders, problem-based charting and pre-charting capabilities. For example, recent updates to DAX Copilot include a robust set of features, such as the ability to customize documentation style and formatting, as well as automatically create referral letters, diagnostic evidence, after-visit summaries and encounter summaries. The solution also now offers AI coaching to help users improve the quality and completeness of their notes. Also, the new Summarized Evidence capability offers a comprehensive and sophisticated approach that helps clinicians validate and trust the note output by combining insights that go beyond evidence linking, helping clinicians validate the note.
Importantly, when creating technologies that can change the world, Microsoft believes organizations need to ensure that the technology is used responsibly. Microsoft is committed to creating responsible AI by design that is guided by a core set of principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability.
DAX Copilot is helping restore the human connection at the heart of medicine. We’re excited to drive this solution forward and expand its reach to more clinicians over the coming year and beyond.
Today, the solution can be used across ambulatory specialties, in-office primary care and urgent care, telehealth and emergency medicine. And we are scaling the solution’s availability and capabilities to even more care settings, such as nursing and geographies.
If you’d like to learn how DAX Copilot can help transform healthcare at your organization, please visit: the DAX Copilot website.
Tags: AI, Copilot, Dax Copilot, Dragon Medical solutions, Generative AI, Microsoft Partners, Responsible AI
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
1.KEY INFORMATION
(a)Full name of discloser:
AXA Investment Managers S.A.
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
SEGRO plc
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
13 September 2024
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
YES Tritax EuroBox plc
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
10p ordinary
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
13,576,703
1.00
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL: AXA Investment Managers does not have discretion regarding voting decisions in respect of 5,859,925 shares that are included in this total.
13,576,703
1.00
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
10p ordinary
Purchase
4,000
GBP 9.09
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
26 September 2024
Contact name:
Sabrina AID
Telephone number*:
+33 1 44 45 58 79
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
*If the discloser is a natural person, a telephone number does not need to be included, provided contact information has been provided to the Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit.
CLINTON, N.J., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Unity Bank is proud to announce that five local businesses have each been awarded $10,000 grants through the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLB) Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) Program.
These grants aim to help businesses overcome challenges posed by inflation, supply chain constraints, rising energy costs, and a volatile rate environment. As a committed member of FHLB, Unity Bank continues to champion local businesses, providing vital support as they navigate today’s economic challenges.
By leveraging their SBRG Program, Unity Bank granted $10,000 each to five businesses:
Isaac Simon Realty LLC – Child Care Services, Brooklyn, NY
Sontort Realty Holding LLC – Full Service Restaurant, Flemington, NJ
Lebanon Hotel – Full Service Restaurant, Lebanon, NJ
Ionian Sky Inc. – Full Service Restaurant, Edison, NJ
James A. Hughes, President & CEO of Unity Bank, said, “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy, and these grants will provide critical relief to ensure they can continue to serve our communities. By utilizing the FHLB’s Small Business Recovery Grant Program, we’re able to deliver meaningful support where it’s needed most.”
Unity Bank’s partnership with FHLB highlights its ongoing commitment to empowering small businesses and fostering community growth. The SBRG Program has been instrumental in addressing the financial pressures many small enterprises face due to the current economic climate.
Unity Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNTY) is the parent company of Unity Bank, a financial services organization based in Clinton, New Jersey. Unity Bank operates 21 branches across New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, offering community-focused commercial banking services, including deposit accounts, loans, and digital services. For details, visit unitybank.com or call 800-618-BANK (800-618-2265). Unity Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). To learn about FDIC insurance, visit FDIC.gov.
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
1.KEY INFORMATION
(a)Full name of discloser:
AXA Investment Managers S.A.
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
SEGRO plc
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
04 September 2024
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
YES Tritax EuroBox plc
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
10p ordinary
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
13,572,703
1.00
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL: AXA Investment Managers does not have discretion regarding voting decisions in respect of 5,855,925 that are included in this total.
13,572,703
1.00
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
None
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
26 September 2024
Contact name:
Sabrina AID
Telephone number*:
+33 1 44 45 58 79
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
*If the discloser is a natural person, a telephone number does not need to be included, provided contact information has been provided to the Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
WACO, Texas – Two Temple men were sentenced today to life in federal prison for crimes committed in violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and the Hobbs Act. In February, a federal jury found the men guilty of all charges.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Atorius Marquis Williams aka Lil Man, 27, and Trashawn Lamar Alexander aka Mad Max, 30, were members and associates of a criminal organization referred to as Killas With Aggression (KWA), an organization engaged in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by, among other things, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to rob persons engaged in the distribution of controlled substances.
Williams and Alexander, along with codefendant Demonta Daniels aka Tado aka Tato, conspired to commit four murders, multiple violent assaults, extortion, drug trafficking and armed robberies in furtherance of the criminal enterprise. Specifically, the indictment alleges four overt acts to include murder—one committed by Williams on Sept. 30, 2017, in Belton; the second, committed by Williams and Alexander on Dec. 10, 2017, in Temple; the third, committed by Williams and Daniels on Jan. 16, 2018, in Temple; and the fourth, committed by Williams, Daniels and Alexander on Jan. 31, 2018, in Temple.
Additionally, the defendants conspired to affect commerce by robbery, committing acts of physical violence and threatening to commit acts of physical violence to steal controlled substances and proceeds from persons engaged in illegal drug distribution. Williams, Daniels and Alexander were also convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, namely robbery. Alexander was convicted of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
On Monday, Alexander and Williams were each sentenced to life in prison for three counts and a concurrent 20 years in prison for three additional counts.
“The result in this case is a testament to this office’s commitment to seek justice for our community members,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “It reflects the hard work and interagency cooperation of our federal and state law enforcement partners, whose efforts brought this case to a successful conclusion. Violence in our communities will not be tolerated and justice will be served.”
“Texas citizens have the right to feel safe from violent crime. The drug and gang activity that fuels these acts in our communities is unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “Our agents have put in years of hard work to bring these defendants – Atorius Williams and Trashawn Alexander – to justice, and today’s sentence is evidence of their dedication. We want to thank our partners for their continued dedication to keeping our communities safe from violent crime.”
Daniels will be sentenced at a later date. Seven other codefendants in the case had been sentenced prior to todays. Dominic Johnson was sentenced in January 2023 to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Desmond Wilkerson was sentenced in September 2023 to 71 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; James Roy Whitfield Jr was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 102 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Jason Mayse was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 40 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; Jyaraciel Whitfield was sentenced in September 2023 to 144 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Christopher Meyers was sentenced in August 2022 to 144 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; and Reginald Williams was sentenced in September 2023 to 96 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting.
The FBI, Temple Police Department, Belton Police Department, Bell County Organized Crime Unit, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Cameron Police Department, and Hearne Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Killeen Police Department and Bell County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-9)
Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) introduced H.R. 9763 the No Funding Without Freedom Act, which would prohibit U.S. financial aid to Afghanistan until every wrongfully detained American citizen is released by the Taliban.
The bill is a direct response to the wrongful detainment of American citizens Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann. Corbett, who grew up in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, was detained by the Taliban in August 2022 while working in Afghanistan, and Glezmann was detained in December 2022 during a five-day cultural trip. Both men have been held in deplorable conditions, with their health rapidly deteriorating.
The United States is the single largest humanitarian donor in Afghanistan. The U.S. has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since mid-August 2021.
Meuser said, “Last month marked three years since the Biden-Harris Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to seize control of the country. And despite the Taliban’s wrongful imprisonment of Americans like Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann, this administration has continued to provide billions of dollars in humanitarian aid to the terror group. The United States is the largest humanitarian donor to Afghanistan, and my legislation would ensure that not one penny more will be sent until every American hostage is released. We must leverage all options, including withholding financial aid, to secure the release of Ryan and George.”
Original cosponsors of the No Funding Without Freedom Act include: Bill Posey (FL-08), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), French Hill (AR-02), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Randy Weber (TX-14), and Greg Lopez (CO-04).
Text of the legislation can be found here.
Specifically, H.R. 9763 would:
Prohibit funds from assisting Afghanistan unless the Secretary of State certifies that all unlawfully or wrongfully detained U.S. nationals in Afghanistan have been released.
Allow the President to waive the funding limitation if it is necessary to secure the release of unlawfully detained U.S. nationals, provided that Congress is informed with a detailed justification.
Require that 30 days after the bill is enacted, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of State must report to Congress on the status of unlawfully detained U.S. nationals in Afghanistan and on efforts to secure their release.
The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the needs of all persons with disabilities in Canada, including people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, and those who care for them.
September 26, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada
The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the needs of all persons with disabilities in Canada, including people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, and those who care for them.
The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, tabled in Parliament today: Autism Framework in Canada (Framework). The Framework describes the principles and benchmark practices that will guide autism policy, programs and activities in Canada. It leverages the Government of Canada’s leadership role in advancing best practices to support autistic people of all ages, their families and caregivers.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has also launched the Autism Strategy in Canada(Strategy). The Strategy is a multi-year action plan that supports the federal government’s implementation of the Framework. It outlines short- and medium-term initiatives specific to the federal government and builds on existing programs and measures to address key priority areas. The Strategy will be updated regularly, based on the evolving needs and priorities of autistic people of all ages living in Canada.
The Framework and Strategy were developed by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group in collaboration with autistic people, their families, caregivers, provinces, territories, Indigenous organizations and other stakeholders. Implementation will require coordinated efforts from governments across Canada, as well as many partners, organizations and individuals whose work touches on autism initiatives. The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to address the needs of autistic people in Canada.
Finally, today we officially launched the process of creating a National Autism Network. This Network is intended to bring together the skills and resources of organizations and stakeholders in the field of autism, including people with lived experience, in order to support the implementation of activities guided by the Framework and the Strategy. We invite eligible organizations to respond to the call for applications linked to the Network by November 25, 2024.
This sets out a vision to improve screening, diagnosis and services across Canada; strengthen economic inclusion; improve data collection, public health surveillance and research; increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance; and facilitate access to evidence-based autism resources and tools.
“Through this Framework and Strategy, our government is taking concrete steps to break down the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in Canada. In the spirit of ‘Nothing Without Us,’ we are working with the autism community to create a strategy that meets the diverse needs of the community, which will better support and equip autistic persons, their families and caregivers.”
The Honourable Kamal KheraMinister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Autism (also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that lasts throughout life. People with autism may communicate and connect with others differently, have differences in sensory processing, or focus intensely on certain interests or activities. People with autism may also have other physical, intellectual, learning, or mental health conditions that can create additional complexities and challenges.
It is estimated that 1 in 50 children and youth aged 1 to 17 years have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in Canada. The Government of Canada is exploring options to measure and report on autism in adults living in Canada. This information will help build the evidence base needed to inform public health actions to improve the health and well-being of people with autism across the lifespan.
Since 2018, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research has invested approximately $88 million in autism research. This research increases our understanding of autism and guides the development of innovative tools and more effective ways to support people on the autism spectrum and their families.
Budget 2021 provided an investment of $15.4 million over two years for PHAC to work collaboratively with provinces, territories, families and stakeholders to create an autism strategy.
In 2022, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences published aevaluation reporton autism in which she highlights gaps in knowledge about the needs and situation of autistic adults, particularly with regard to quality of life, daily activities, loneliness and mental health.
The Framework is aligned with other disability-related activities, such as the Action Plan for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (DIAP), which was presented on October 7, 2022. The DIAP is a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to disability inclusion that integrates disability considerations into government programs while identifying targeted investments in important areas to drive change.
The National Autism Network will be a not-for-profit organization, working independently from the Government of Canada to share expertise, knowledge and resources, supporting key autism priorities and providing a forum for ongoing engagement on federal policies and programs. The Network will work directly with provinces and territories on specific provincial/territorial initiatives and will coordinate and integrate autism investments, while bringing together the knowledge and experience of local autism organizations and partners, as well as the perspectives of people with lived experience of autism. It will also lead targeted national public awareness campaigns and provide sustainable, accessible and culturally relevant resources (available online and elsewhere) to support autistic people in Canada, their families and caregivers.
PHAC hosted two national autism conferences in November 2022 and August 2024. The first to bring together people from across Canada to identify potential short-, medium- and long-term priority actions for an autism strategy and the second to discuss the five priority areas of the Framework and the actions needed to advance them.
The Sussex RCMP detachment is asking for the public’s help to locate a missing 48-year-old man from Whites Mountain, N.B.
David Alexander Mitchell was last seen on September 9, 2024, at a residence on Whites Mountain Road, in Whites Mountain, N.B. He was reported missing to police on September 25, 2024. Police have followed up on several leads to try to locate him but have so far been unsuccessful. Police and his family are concerned for his wellbeing.
David Alexander Mitchell is described as being approximately six feet two inches (188 centimetres) tall, and weighing approximately 200 pounds (91 kilograms). He has hazel eyes, grey hair and a grey goatee. A clothing description is not available at this time.
Anyone who may have seen David Alexander Mitchell since September 9, 2024, or who has information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Sussex RCMP Detachment at 506-433-7700.