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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI: Keiretsu Forum Investor Capital Expo: A Must-Attend Event for Angel Investors, Family Offices, and Venture Capital Professionals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The upcoming Investor Capital Expo, hosted by Keiretsu Forum in Philadelphia, offers a rare opportunity for accredited investors to engage directly with early-stage companies that have undergone Keiretsu Forum’s rigorous due diligence process. Scheduled for October 31, 2024, at Convene City View in Philadelphia, this event provides a platform for investors to explore diverse high-growth opportunities while building relationships with fellow investors and company founders.

    This year’s twelve presenting companies represent a wide range of sectors, each poised to make a significant impact in their respective industries. Among them are Relavo Medical, Seneca Therapeutics, and Iris Dynamics Limited:

    Relavo Medical is revolutionizing kidney failure treatment with its innovative device, the PeritoneX, which addresses a critical barrier to peritoneal dialysis (PD) adoption by reducing the risk of peritonitis. With only 12% of kidney failure patients currently choosing PD, the PeritoneX’s in-line disinfection system significantly reduces microbial contamination and integrates with existing setups, offering a safer, more accessible option for patients to receive treatment at home. Investors will find a compelling opportunity in Relavo Medical’s mission to improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs.

    Seneca Therapeutics is advancing cancer treatment with its oncolytic immunotherapy, SVV-001. This innovative approach targets solid tumors that express the TEM8 receptor, enhancing the immune response and offering hope for patients with drug-resistant cancers. Having demonstrated safety and potential efficacy in preclinical and clinical trials, Seneca Therapeutics is actively seeking funding to push its promising cancer therapy into later-stage trials.

    Iris Dynamics Ltd., based in Victoria, British Columbia, specializes in advanced motion control systems designed for applications ranging from aerospace to virtual reality simulation. Their Orca Series motors and IO SmartHub are transforming industrial automation with high-precision control and simplified integration. Investors interested in cutting-edge technology will find Iris Dynamics’ expansion plans to be an exciting opportunity in intelligent motion control.

    These companies, along with the other presenters, have comprehensive investment packages and are actively raising capital. Attendees at the Investor Capital Expo will have the chance to engage with these companies’ leadership teams, gaining deeper insights into their growth strategies and potential returns on investment.

    “We’re proud to present such a strong lineup of companies that are actively shaping the future of their industries,” said Howard Lubert, Regional President of Keiretsu Forum. “This Expo is a valuable chance for investors to collaborate with other seasoned professionals and explore opportunities backed by our extensive due diligence process.”

    Networking and Collaboration: The Key to Successful Investing

    In addition to company presentations, the Investor Capital Expo offers unparalleled networking opportunities for investors to connect with peers from across the angel investing and early-stage company landscape. Whether attending in person or virtually, participants will have the chance to build relationships and discover new investment opportunities.

    Event Details:

    Date: October 31, 2024, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EDT

    Location: Convene City View, 30 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA

    Registration: Accredited angel investors can register HERE

    Don’t miss this chance to engage with high-potential companies and collaborate with top investors. Join us in Philadelphia for a day of learning, networking, and discovery.

    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Cindi Sutera
    CindiS@AMSCommunications.net
    610-613-2773

    About Keiretsu Forum

    Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest private equity angel investment network with 2000+ accredited investors in 35 North American and 23 International chapters, who have invested more than $1B in early-stage companies in the last 23 years.

    The Keiretsu Forum portfolio features Entrepreneurs and Companies from Technology-(Internet, Software, Cyber Security, SaaS, Mobile Systems, IoT, etc.), Life Sciences-(Pharma, Medical Devices, Health IT, etc.), FinServ/FinTech, Consumer Products, Clean-Green Energy, Consumer Products, & more!

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Video: Slow growth and the cost of debt: the World Bank’s Chief Economist on the global outlook

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    “The global economy – it’s a complicated picture, in the sense that it’s doing better than we expected just six months ago but it’s doing much worse than what it was doing six years ago.”

    World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill gives his assessment of the ‘glass half-full’ global economy.

    And as the World Economic Forum publishes the latest edition of its Chief Economists Outlook, the Forum’s Head of Economic Growth, Revival and Transformation, Aengus Collins, talks us through the highlights.
    Links:

    Chief Economists Outlook: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-world-bank-indermit-gill
    Related podcasts:

    How do we ensure the green transition doesn’t penalise the poorest? (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/equitable-transition-climate/)

    Globalization is in transition – not retreat, says this analyst of global trade (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/geopolitics-trade-amnc24/)

    The long game: how to understand China and how it sees its role in the world (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/china-west-geopolitics-trade-marcus-herrmann/)

    Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts (http://wef.ch/podcasts) :

    YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts) – https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

    Radio Davos (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos) – subscribe (https://pod.link/1504682164) : https://pod.link/1504682164

    Meet the Leader (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader) – subscribe (https://pod.link/1534915560) : https://pod.link/1534915560

    Agenda Dialogues (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/agenda-dialogues) – subscribe (https://pod.link/1574956552) : https://pod.link/1574956552

    Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club (https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub) : https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AR5sHZ89us

    MIL OSI Video –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flooding impacts from heavy rainfall from Monday 23 September

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Heavy rain and thunderstorms from Monday 23 September have led to flooding in parts of England.

    Heavy rain and thunderstorms from Monday 23 September have led to flooding in parts of England. These impacts included a combination of surface water flooding and some river flooding. Around 200 properties were flooded across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent and the Home Counties.

    Environment Agency staff remain out on the ground, clearing blockages and supporting local authorities in their response work.

    With unsettled conditions expected during the coming few days, further flooding is possible but not expected on Thursday and Friday, so we continue to urge people to keep an eye on the weather, check their flood risk, and take care planning their journeys.

    Kate Marks, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

    Following this week’s heavy rain and thunderstorms, flood warnings and alerts remain in place across many parts of the country. The risk of further significant surface water flooding is also possible but not expected in parts of the country on Thursday and Friday.

    Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding. We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.

    People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates.

    The Environment Agency recognises the threat from surface water flooding and is taking action to improve the country’s resilience – for instance supporting local flood authorities to enhance local surface water flood risk mapping. See our blog on surface water flooding for more information.

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statement by Antonio Tajani, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy in his capacity as Chair of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly (23 September 2024)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    1. Introduction

    In today’s meeting in New York, in the wake of the Summit of the Future, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the High Representative of the European Union reiterated their commitment to upholding the rule of law, humanitarian principles and international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, and to protecting human rights and dignity for all individuals.

    They re-emphasized their determination to foster collective action in order to preserve peace and stability to address global challenges, such as the climate crisis and to advance the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    In doing so, the G7 members renewed their commitment to the promotion of free societies and democratic principles, where all persons can freely exercise their rights and freedoms.

    2. Summit for the Future

    In the spirit of the renewed determination to strengthen the multilateral system based on the UN Charter’s principles, as reflected in the Pact for the Future adopted at the Summit of the Future by world Leaders, the G7 members committed to continue working with countries and all relevant stakeholders within the UN system through dialogue, mutual understanding and respect in the pursuit of common solutions, with the aim of upholding and reforming the multilateral system so that it better reflects today’s world and is fit to respond to the complex global challenges of the future. They reaffirmed their commitment to work with all UN member states to strengthen the roles of the UNSG as well as the UNGA. They also recommitted to the reform of the UNSC.

    3. Steadfast Support to Ukraine

    The G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering support to Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, against Russia’s brutal and unjustifiable war of aggression. The G7 members strongly condemned Russia’s blatant breach of international law, including the UN Charter, and of the basic principles that underpin the international order. They strongly condemned the serious violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by Russia’s forces in Ukraine, which have caused a devastating impact on the civilian population. Violence against civilians, including women, children, and prisoners of war is unacceptable.

    They expressed their outrage at Russia’s repeated attacks against critical infrastructure and they condemned in the strongest possible terms any targeting of civilian buildings and even hospitals. Ensuring the protection and resilience of Ukraine’s energy grid and its power generation capacity remains a fundamental and urgent priority as winter approaches. They welcomed the international conference on energy security held on August 22. .as well as the ongoing coordination of the G7 energy group. They reiterated their commitment to help Ukraine meet its urgent short-term financing needs, as well as support its long-term recovery and reconstruction priorities.

    Russia must end its war of aggression and pay for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. The G7 members reiterated their commitment to explore and use all possible lawful avenues by which Russia is made to meet those obligations.

    The launch of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans for Ukraine, as mandated by G7 leaders, will make available approximately USD 50 billion in additional funding to Ukraine that will be serviced and repaid by future flows of extraordinary revenues stemming from the immobilization of Russian sovereign assets held in the European Union and other relevant jurisdictions.

    The G7 Foreign Ministers and the High Representative are working, together with Finance Ministers, to operationalize the G7 Leaders’ commitment by the end of the year. They will maintain solidarity in this commitment to providing this support to Ukraine. The G7 members confirmed that, consistent with all applicable laws and their respective legal systems, Russia’s sovereign assets in their jurisdictions will remain immobilized until Russia ends its aggression and pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine.

    They also committed to strengthening the Ukraine Donor Platform to help coordinate the disbursal of funds and ensure they align with Ukraine’s highest priority needs at a pace it can effectively absorb. This will play a key role in advancing Ukraine’s reforms in line with its European path and in contributing to a successful Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Italy in 2025.

    Any use of nuclear weapons by Russia in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine would be inadmissible. They therefore condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s irresponsible and threatening nuclear rhetoric, as well as its posture of strategic intimidation. They also expressed their deepest concern about the reported use of chemical weapons as well as riot control agents as a method of warfare by Russia in Ukraine.

    The G7 members remained committed to holding those responsible accountable for atrocities in Ukraine, in line with international law. They also condemned the seizures of foreign companies and called on Russia to reverse these measures and seek acceptable solutions with the companies targeted by them.

    They condemned Russia’s seizure and continued control and militarization of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which poses severe risks for nuclear safety and security, potentially affecting the entire international community. They reiterated their support to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts directed at mitigating such risks.

    They underlined once again their support for Ukraine’s right of self-defense and reiterated their commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security, recalling the launch of the Ukraine Compact in Washington on 11 July 2024. They re-affirmed the intention to increasing industrial production and delivery capabilities to assist Ukraine’s self-defense. They highlighted their support to Ukraine in its efforts to modernize its armed forces and strengthen its own defense industry. They expressed their resolve to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities to save lives and protect critical infrastructure.

    They remained committed to raising the costs of Russia’s war of aggression by building on the comprehensive package of sanctions and economic measures already in place. Though existing measures have had a significant impact on Russia’s war machine and ability to fund its invasion, its military is still posing a threat not just to Ukraine but also to international security.

    The G7 members expressed the intention to continue taking appropriate measures, consistent with their legal systems, against actors in China and in third countries that materially support Russia’s war machine, including financial institutions, and other entities that facilitate Russia’s acquisition of items for its defense industrial base.

    They expressed their intention to continue to apply significant pressure on Russian revenues from energy and other commodities. This will include improving the efficacy of the oil price cap policy by taking further steps to tighten compliance and enforcement, including against Russia’s shadow fleet, while working to maintain market stability.

    They especially emphasized the urgency to support Ukraine’s energy security, including by coordinating international assistance through the G7+Ukraine Energy Coordination Group. They underscored the importance to continue working with the Ukrainian authorities and International Financial Institutions through the Ukraine Donor Platform, and by mobilizing private investments and fostering participation of civil society.

    They highlighted the reality of millions of internally displaced Ukrainians and the importance of an inclusive rights-based, gender-responsive recovery, including the reintegration of veterans and civilians with disabilities, and to address the needs of women, children as well as other population groups who have been disproportionately affected by Russia’s war of aggression. They reiterated their condemnation of Russia’s unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children and welcomed coordinated efforts to secure their safe return. They called on Russia to release all persons it has unjustly detained and safely return all civilians it has illegally transferred or deported, starting with children. They welcomed the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10 point peace formula that will be hosted by Canada on October 30-31.

    They reiterated the need to support Ukraine’s agriculture sector, which is critical for global food supply, particularly for the most vulnerable nations, and called for unimpeded exports of grain, foodstuffs, fertilizers and inputs from Ukraine.

    They acknowledged the importance to involve the private sector in the sustainable economic recovery of Ukraine. They welcomed and underscored the significance of Ukraine itself continuing to implement domestic reform efforts, especially in the fields of anti-corruption, justice system reform, decentralization, and promotion of the rule of law. These endeavors are in line with the Euro-Atlantic path Ukraine has embraced. The G7 members were unanimous on the need to continue to support efforts of the Ukrainian government and people in these endeavors.

    They resolutely condemned Russia’s holding of illegitimate ‘elections’ in the occupied Ukrainian Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Russia’s actions once again demonstrate its blatant disregard for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, and the UN Charter. They called on all members of the international community to refrain from recognizing Russia’s illegitimate actions.

    They welcomed the Summit on Peace in Ukraine that took place in Switzerland on June 15-16 and its focus on the key priorities needed to achieve a framework for peace based on international law, including the UN Charter and its principles, and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They remained committed to follow up on the Conference through constructive engagement with all international partners to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.

    The G7 members acknowledged that Russia continues to expand its campaigns of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). They condemned Russia’s use of FIMI to support its war of aggression against Ukraine. They reiterated their determination to bolster the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism by developing a collective response framework to counter foreign threats to democracies.

    4. Situation in the Middle East

    The G7 members reiterated their condemnation of Hamas’ horrendous attacks on October 7, 2023. 101 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas. They noted with deep concern the trend of escalatory violence in the Middle East and its repercussions on regional stability and on the lives of civilians shattered by this conflict, from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli-Lebanese Blue Line. Actions and counter-reactions risk magnifying this dangerous spiral of violence and dragging the entire Middle East into a broader regional conflict with unimaginable consequences. They called for a stop to the current destructive cycle, while emphasizing that no country stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East.

    They expressed their deep concern about the situation along the Blue Line. They recognized the essential stabilizing role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon in mitigating that risk. They demanded the full implementation of UNSCR 1701 (2006) and urged that all relevant actors implement immediate measures towards de-escalation.

    The G7 members reaffirmed their strong support for the ongoing mediation efforts undertaken by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to reach a resolution between the parties to the conflict in Gaza. They reiterated their full commitment for the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2735 (2024) and the comprehensive deal outlined by President Biden in May that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, and an enduring end to the crisis, to secure a pathway to a two-state solution with a safe Israel alongside a sovereign Palestinian state. They urged the parties to the conflict to unequivocally accept the ceasefire proposal, stressing the need for countries in a position to directly influence the parties to cooperate in strengthening mediation efforts. They called for the full implementation of the terms of the ceasefire proposal without delay and without conditions.

    They called on all parties to fully comply with international law, including international humanitarian law. They expressed their deep alarm for the heavy toll this conflict has taken on civilians, deploring all losses of civilian lives equally and noting with great concern that, after nearly a year of hostilities and regional instability, it is mostly civilians, including women and children, who are paying the highest price. Protection of civilians must be an absolute priority for all parties at all times.

    The G7 members expressed concern at the unprecedented level of food insecurity affecting most of the population in the Gaza Strip. Securing full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access in all its forms and through all relevant crossing points remains an absolute priority. They urged all parties to allow the unimpeded delivery of aid and ensure protection of humanitarian workers by properly implementing de-confliction measures. They recognized the crucial role played by UN agencies and other humanitarian actors in delivering assistance especially health care for the most vulnerable persons, including the polio vaccination campaign. They expressed their support for UNRWA to effectively uphold its mandate, emphasizing the vital role that the UN Agency plays.

    The G7 members reaffirmed their unwavering commitment, through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process, to the vision of a two-state solution where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stress the importance of unifying the Gaza strip with the West Bank under Palestinian Authority. We note that mutual recognition, to include the recognition of a Palestinian state, at the appropriate time, would be a crucial component of that political process. They expressed their concern about the risk of weakening the Palestinian Authority and underlined the importance of maintaining economic stability in the West Bank. They welcomed the EU’s 400 million Euro emergency package for the Palestinian Authority. All parties must refrain from unilateral actions and from divisive statements that may undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including the Israeli expansion of settlements and the “legalization” of settlement outposts. They condemned the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians, which undermines security and stability in the West Bank and threatens prospects for a lasting peace. They expressed their deep concern regarding the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank.

    They reiterated their commitment to working together – and with other international partners – to closely coordinate and institutionalize their support for civil society peacebuilding efforts, ensuring that they are part of a larger strategy to build the foundation necessary for a negotiated and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. The G7 members called on Iran to contribute to de-escalation of tensions in the region. They demanded that Iran cease its destabilizing actions in the Middle East. They underlined that they stand ready to adopt further sanctions or take other measures in response to further destabilizing initiatives.

    They reiterated their determination that Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon and that the G7 will continue working together, and with other international partners, to address Iran’s nuclear escalation. A diplomatic solution remains the best way to resolve this issue. As the IAEA remains unable to verify that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, they urged Iran’s leadership to cease and reverse nuclear activities that have no credible civilian justification and to cooperate with the IAEA without further delay to fully implement their legally binding safeguards agreement and their commitments under UNSCR 2231(2015).

    They condemned in the strongest possible terms Iran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles. Evidence that Iran has continued to transfer weaponry to Russia despite repeated international calls to stop represents a further escalation of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has used Iranian weaponry such as UAVs to kill Ukrainian civilians and strike their critical infrastructure.

    They reiterated that Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly.

    They reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to hold Iran to account for its unacceptable support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine that further undermines global security. In line with their previous statements on the matter, they underscored that they are already responding with new and significant measures.

    They also reiterated their deep concern about Iran’s human rights violations, especially against women and minority groups. They reiterated their call on Iran to allow access to the country to relevant UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures mandate holders.

    De-escalation efforts in the region must also include the immediate and unconditional termination of any attack by the Houthis against international and commercial vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. The G7 members reiterated their strong condemnation of these attacks and the right of countries to defend their vessels from attacks. They called for the immediate release by the Houthis of the Galaxy Leader and its crew. They expressed their strong concern about the August 21 attack on the merchant vessel Sounion and the ongoing risk of an environmental catastrophe as salvage operations continue. They welcomed the efforts by the EU maritime operation Aspides and by the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect vital sea lanes. They appreciated the efforts of those countries that are committed to protect freedom of navigation and trade, as well as maritime security, in line with UNSCR 2722 (2024) and in accordance with international law.

    5. Fostering partnerships with African Countries

    The G7 members reaffirmed their commitment to support African nations in the pursuit of sustainable development as well as the creation of jobs and growth. The focus remains on fostering fair partnerships, built on shared principles, democratic values, local leadership, and practical initiatives.

    They reiterated their intention to align actions with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the specific needs of African countries, including plans to improve local and regional food security, infrastructure, trade, and agricultural productivity. They expressed their support for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a crucial factor for Africa’s growth in the next decade.

    The G7 members emphasized the need to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with African countries and regional organizations. In addition to maintaining financial support for African nations, they expressed their determination to improve the coordination and effectiveness of G7 resources, mobilizing domestic resources and encouraging increased private investments.

    They welcomed the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20, and the creation of an additional Chair for Sub-Saharan Africa on the IMF Executive Board in November.

    They reaffirmed their commitment to the G20 Compact with Africa, a tool aimed at enhancing private investment, driving structural reforms, supporting local entrepreneurship, and fostering cooperation, particularly in the energy sector. The G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), and initiatives like the EU’s Global Gateway can contribute to promote sustainable, resilient, and economically viable infrastructure in Africa, ensuring transparency in project selection, procurement, and financing. In this framework, they welcomed Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa.

    They recognized that sustainable development, peace and security and democracy go hand in hand, reaffirming their commitment to help African governments in strengthening democratic governance and respect for human rights, while addressing conditions conducive to terrorism, violent extremism, and instability.

    They expressed their deep concern about the destabilizing activities of the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group and other Russia-supported entities. They called for accountability for all those responsible for human rights violations and abuses.

    6. Indo-Pacific

    The G7 members reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, based on the rule of law, which is inclusive, prosperous and secure, grounded on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms and human rights. They reaffirmed the importance of working together with regional partners and organizations, notably the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They reaffirmed their thorough support for ASEAN centrality and unity. They reaffirmed their intention to work to support Pacific Island Countries’ priorities, as articulated through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

    As they seek constructive and stable relations with China, they recognized the importance of direct and candid engagement to express concerns and manage differences. They reaffirmed their readiness to cooperate with China to address global challenges. They expressed their deep concern at the China’s support to Russia. They called on China to step up efforts to promote international peace and security, and to press Russia to stop its military aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine. They encouraged China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine. They also expressed their deep concern at China’s ongoing support for Russia’s defense industrial base, which is enabling Russia to maintain its illegal war in Ukraine and has significant and broad-based security implications. They called on China to cease the transfer of dual-use materials, including weapons components and equipment, that are inputs for Russia’s defense sector.

    They recognized the importance of China in global trade. However, they expressed their concerns about China’s persistent industrial targeting and comprehensive non-market policies and practices that are leading to global spillovers, market distortions and harmful overcapacity in a growing range of sectors, undermining our workers, industries and economic resilience and security, as well as impacting on currencies. The G7 members are not decoupling or turning inwards. They are de-risking and diversifying supply chains where necessary and appropriate and fostering resilience to economic coercion. They called on China to refrain from adopting export control measures, particularly on critical minerals, that could lead to significant supply chain disruptions. Together with partners, the G7 members will invest in building their respective industrial capacities, promote diversified and resilient supply chains, and reduce critical dependencies and vulnerabilities.

    They remained seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterated their strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion. They reaffirmed that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and they reiterated their opposition to China’s militarization and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea. They re-emphasized the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirmed UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas. They reiterated that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on 12 July 2016 is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties. They reiterated their strong opposition to China’s dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea and its repeated obstruction of countries’ high seas freedom of navigation. They expressed deep concern about the dangerous and obstructive maneuvers, including water cannons and ramming, by the China Coast Guard and maritime militia against Philippines vessels.

    The G7 members reaffirmed that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to international security and prosperity, and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. There is no change in the basic position of the G7 members on Taiwan, including stated One-China policies. They supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where it is.

    They remained concerned by the human rights situation in China, including in Xinjiang and Tibet. They are also worried about the crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy and independent institutions, and ongoing erosion of rights and freedoms. They urged China and the Hong Kong authorities to act in accordance with their international commitments and applicable legal obligations.

    The G7 members strongly condemned North Korea’s continuing expansion of its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple UNSC resolutions and its continuous destabilizing activities. They reiterated their call for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and demanded that North Korea abandons all its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other WMD and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, in accordance with all relevant UNSC resolutions. They called on North Korea to return to dialogue to promote peace and stability in the Korean peninsula. They urged all UN Member States to fully implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions. They reiterated their deep disappointment with Russia’s veto last March on the mandate renewal of the UNSC 1718 Committee Panel of Experts.

    They condemned in the strongest possible terms the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including North Korea’s export and Russia’s procurement of North Korean ballistic missiles and munitions in direct violation of relevant UNSCRs, as well as Russia’s use of these missiles and munitions against Ukraine. They are also deeply concerned about the potential for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missiles-related technology to North Korea, in violation of the relevant UNSCRs. They urged Russia and North Korea to immediately cease all such activities and abide by relevant UNSCRs. They urged North Korea to respect human rights, facilitate access for international humanitarian organizations, and resolve the abductions issue immediately.

    They called on China not to conduct or condone activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities and the integrity of our democratic institutions, and to act in strict accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

    7. Regional Issues

    Venezuela

    The G7 members reiterated their deep concern about the situation in Venezuela, following the vote on July 28.

    They emphasized that the announced victory of Maduro lacks credibility and democratic legitimacy, as indicated by reports of the UN Panel of Experts and independent international observers as well as data published by the opposition. They underscored that it is essential for electoral results to be complete and independently verified to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people.

    They expressed their outrage for the arrest warrant and constant threats to the security of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who decided to seek refuge in Spain. According to the above-mentioned independent reports, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia appears to have won the most votes.

    They urged Venezuelan representatives to cease all human rights violations and abuses, arbitrary detentions and widespread restrictions on fundamental freedoms, particularly affecting the political opposition, human rights defenders, and representatives of independent media and civil society. They called for the release of all political prisoners and for a path to freedom and democracy for the people of Venezuela.

    They urged the international community to keep Venezuela high on the diplomatic agenda and they expressed their support for efforts by regional partners to facilitate the Venezuelan-led democratic and peaceful transition that the people of Venezuela have clearly chosen in the polls.

    Haiti

    The G7 members expressed their determination to continue supporting Haitian institutions – including the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) and the Government of Prime Minister Conille – in their commitment to create the necessary conditions of general security and stability for the convening, by February 2026, of free and fair elections. The expression of popular will would set the foundation for the full restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Haiti.

    They also expressed full support to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, which is providing critical support to the Haitian National Police as they counter criminal gangs engaged in illicit trafficking and inflicting brutal violence upon the population.

    The G7 members emphasized the importance of continued support to the MSS mission through financial contributions to the UN Trust Fund as well as contributions in kind. They expressed their strong appreciation for the commitment of the Government of Kenya – which has already deployed 380 personnel on the ground – to support the Haitian National Police in restoring peace and security.

    They called on all countries that have committed to deploy their contingents to the MSS mission to do so as soon as possible, to consolidate the mission and its fundamental role in the Country. They called on Haiti’s partners to continue their humanitarian assistance to the Haitian people and to expedite their financial and in-kind contributions to the MSS mission to help ensure that the mission is resourced for success.

    They called also on the United Nations Security Council to consider a UN Peace Operation to maintain the security gains of the Haiti National Police and the MSS mission for holding free and fair elections and called on the Secretary-General accordingly to provide support.

    The G7 members welcomed the work of the G7 Working Group on Haiti in monitoring institutional, political, social and security developments in Haiti, with a view to supporting the stabilization of the country and the restoration of full democratic governance.

    Libya

    The G7 members reiterated their unwavering commitment to Libyan stability, sovereignty, independence and unity. They expressed deep concern about recent developments in the country, in particular those involving the leadership of the Central Bank of Libya and the High Council of State, which show the fragility and unsustainability of the present status quo. They urged relevant Libyan parties to rapidly reach the necessary compromises to begin to restore the institutional integrity of the Central Bank of Libya and its standing with the international financial community. They called on Libyan political actors to refrain from taking harmful unilateral actions that create further political tension and fragmentation and make the country vulnerable to harmful foreign interference.

    They noted advances made in the organization of local elections and they called for a free, fair and inclusive participation of all Libyans. It is now imperative to relaunch a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process facilitated by the UN towards free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.

    They expressed their support and commended the efforts made by UNSMIL officer in charge Stephanie Koury in support of the stabilization of Libya. They called on the Secretary General to appoint a new Special Representative without delay.

    Sudan

    The G7 members reiterated their grave concern over the ongoing fighting, mass-displacement and famine in Sudan.

    They condemned the serious human rights violations and abuses against the civilian population, including widespread sexual and gender-based violence, as well as international humanitarian law violations by both sides to the conflict. They called for an immediate end to the escalating violence, which is creating further displacement, and urged the warring parties to ensure the protection of civilians. They reiterated their commitment to holding accountable all those responsible for violations of international law in Sudan.

    They condemned the emergence of famine in Sudan as a direct consequence of efforts to restrict access of humanitarian actors. They noted recent progress in relation to the re-opening of the Chad-Sudan Adre border crossing, in the wake of the Paris Conference and of the Geneva talks. They called for full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access both into Sudan and across lines of conflict so aid can reach all those in need.

    They urged all parties to cease hostilities immediately and to engage in serious negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting ceasefire, humanitarian access and protection of civilians without pre-conditions.

    They called on external actors to refrain from fueling the conflict, to respect the UN arms embargo on Darfur, and to play a responsible role in resolving the crisis.

    They welcomed mediation efforts by regional and international actors and organizations to facilitate a durable peace for the country.

    Inclusive, national dialogue, aimed at restoring democracy, re-establishing and strengthening the civilian and representative institutions after the end of the conflict, is a prerequisite for lasting peace. The G7 Members emphasized that it is necessary for representatives of Sudanese civil society, including women, to be fully engaged in the reflection on the political future of the country.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Celebration of Creative Industries”: Telling Stories 2024 Festival Held at HSE

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    It was dedicated to the 10th anniversary Faculty of Creative Industries HSE University. September 20 at the venues Center of Cultures Lectures, master classes, discussions, screenings of works and other activities were held at the HSE. Students, teachers and other faculty members, artists and media business leaders, as well as future applicants took part in them.

    The first Telling Stories festival took place in 2018 and since then it has usually been held for 1-3 days at the end of May. This time the dates have been changed, as it became part of the FCI anniversary program.

    “Telling Stories “This is a celebration of the creative industries of the Higher School of Economics,” says the deputy dean of the FCI, director Institute for the Development of Creative Industries HSE Tatyana Rivchun. – It is a large program consisting of lectures, seminars, round tables, master classes, demonstrations of students’ work and much more. The best and completed works are selected, which are worth showing to a wide audience, including our future applicants.”

    All departments of the faculty demonstrate their achievements: Institute of Media, School of Design, School of Communications, Institute of Cinema and the Institute for the Development of Creative Industries. So the festival becomes a platform for interaction between students and teachers of various educational programs.

    “Here we have the opportunity to discuss issues that go beyond the interests of a particular school or institute,” explains Arseniy Meshcheryakov, head of the School of Design. “Creative industries are an interdisciplinary concept, so designers should communicate with advertisers, media people with filmmakers, and so on. The festival helps establish horizontal connections and the emergence of joint projects.”

    “I was delighted”

    Every year, the festival welcomes stars of the creative industries.

    This time, writer and screenwriter Alexander Tsypkin was among them. He held a screening and discussion of two of his short films, one of which, “Farewell, Beloved!”, was awarded the Russian Guild of Film Scholars and Film Critics prize at Kinotavr “For an original solution to the traditional theme of separation in the spirit of modern times.”

    “I really enjoyed interacting with the students. Not only did they ask great questions, but they also offered me creative ideas,” he said. “One young man reimagined the ending of the film ‘Farewell, Love!’ and I think his version is cooler than mine. I was amazed.”

    The discussion “From Cannes Lions Winners to Russian Masterpieces,” dedicated to storytelling techniques in advertising videos, was moderated by Vladimir Evstafiev, a professor at the HSE School of Communications and a legend in the Russian advertising industry.

    “I like the HSE auditorium, and as a teacher I consider it one of the most interesting for communication,” said Vladimir Evstafyev. “Advanced and interested students study here, who want to know, think and understand meanings. All the questions were to the point, and not a single person left the room.”

    Together with the master, Guzella Nikolaishvili, president of the LIME social advertising and communications festival, also held at the FKI, took part in the conversation with the students. “We showed a brilliant work – a social video that won one of the seasons. The viewers were able to see that social advertising is a special art,” added Vladimir Evstafiev, head of the LIME jury.

    “A Surge of Creativity”

    The lecture by Igor Kirikchi, a well-known media manager and CEO of the advertising and communications group BBDO Moscow, was devoted to creativity in advertising. He gave a definition according to which creativity is, among other things, a person’s ability to deviate from standard rules, ideas and templates, and put forward the thesis that creativity determines the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

    “The modern history of Russian advertising began in 1989 and in the 1990s it was marked by a surge of creativity,” said Igor Kirikchi. “It may seem strange to you, but even a fan factory was among the advertisers. Financial pyramids were advertised – “MMM”, “Khoper-Invest”, as well as the bank “Imperial”, vodka “White Eagle”, Herschi Cola and much more. This advertising was remembered by people who lived in those times, because it was original, sometimes a little primitive, sometimes naive, but quite interesting.”

    The lobby of the Center of Culture hosted the All-Russian creative competition “Advertising Designer,” which is held annually by the School of Communications at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    “In the tenth grade, I took part in the first ever “Advertising Designer” competition, not suspecting that it would help me at the start and when choosing a profession,” shared Arina Torubarova, a student at the Faculty of Culture and Information Technologies. “I was very interested in the topic of museums, and I made a video about the favorite museums of my peers. In it, I showed that culture and museum work are not boring, that this is a real cultural field where there is room for creativity and a modern approach. I took a camera from my father, edited the video and won. Now I am studying at the Higher School of Economics.”

    Film about the temple

    One of the key events of the festival was the screening of the documentary film “Remember What You Want to Forget”, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan. The authors focused on the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, located next to School No. 1. The heroes of the film were school teachers, former hostages, parents who lost their children, and icon painters.

    Before the screening, the authors of the film, 4th-year students of the educational program “Journalism» HSE Institute of Media Arina Korosteleva and Maxim Selivanov — told about the history of its creation and promotion. They especially noted the role of the senior lecturer of the Institute of Media Alexander Dyukov, who took over the leadership of this project. On September 1, 2024, the premiere of the film took place on the Spas TV channel.

    The students emphasized that the work on the film was completed with the support of the FKI – with a grant from the HSE this summer they went on a second trip to Beslan, which made it possible to make the film long and multifaceted. “If you want to realize your idea and you need advice on how to fill out an application for a grant, contact us, we will be happy to explain everything,” Arina Korosteleva told the meeting participants.

    After the premiere, it was possible to speed up the collection of funds to complete the construction and painting of the temple. You can find out more about how the students worked on the film Here.

    Chekhov and Shakespeare

    The festival program also included screenings of feature films shot by students of the HSE Film Institute. There was also a screening of the play “The Seagull”, prepared last year by second-year students. The director was the academic director of the educational program “Actor» Igor Sharoiko.

    The play’s protagonist is a young director, Kostya Treplev. In order to understand his fate, he decides to stage a play through the prism of his memories and finds similarities between his life and Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”. In particular, he finds out that his family’s quiet life has ceased to be so because of his father.

    The genre of the play is a combination of physical theatre, when the actors’ movements dominate the text, and modern drama. True connoisseurs recognized not only Chekhov and Shakespeare, but also contemporary figures of theatrical art in the lines heard from the stage.

    Actor Sergey Bolgar, a student at the Institute of Cinema, told how the work on the play went. “Each student brought a sketch, paired or single. Based on them, we put together a physical theater play. Each movement has its own subtext,” he explained.

    “For us, performing at the festival with the play “The Seagull” is a happy opportunity to show what we do,” says Igor Sharoiko. “In addition, this is a popularization of physical theater, which exists in Russia, but is rarely talked about. Young artists enter the territory of an expressive language, which requires words to a lesser extent, and to a greater extent – their psychophysical expression, as well as plastic skills.”

    “Camera, action!”

    The festival program also featured student works in the short film and animation genres.

    The School of Design showed the audience a selection of animated films that combined minimalist motion design and animation created using traditional, hand-made materials. Nikolai Kovalenko, a graduate of Ivan Tverdovsky’s workshop at the School of Design, presented the film “Lelera” to the guests. This work was awarded the Grand Prix of the 31st Open Festival of Student and Debut Films “Saint Anne”. Alexandra Persheeva, academic director of the educational program “Contemporary art“.

    Students of the Institute for the Development of Creative Industries Danil Popov and Alena Semirikova recorded a special episode of the program “Perspective” with the guests of the festival. “This is a podcast from students for students, in which we, together with experts, discuss what creative industries are,” they explained.

    AI and designers

    The authors of the Telling Stories 2024 program could not leave aside the topic of artificial intelligence. It was the subject of a discussion organized by the School of Design. The participants — famous artists and designers — were asked to answer the question of how the paradigm of their work is changing in the era of AI.

    According to digital artist Andrey Maksimov, there are very few players left in the design industry who do not use neural networks. “Everyone chooses what a neural network will be for them – an assistant in some work or a powerful tool for implementing visual ideas. This, of course, makes work easier and helps in self-expression,” he explained.

    Arseniy Meshcheryakov stated that the use of AI will lead to increased competition in the field of art and design.

    “Previously, you could say: “I learned to draw a plaster head in art school, look what a master I am,” but today it is nonsense. You need to create a comprehensive project that for some reason will be in demand by your audience, consumer, customer. And this clashes with what is happening in education in the era of ChatGPT, when there is no point in exams based on tickets, and students need to develop their horizons, system of views, and the ability to implement projects,” says the head of the School of Design.

    What’s next?

    As Tatyana Rivchun noted, other events dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the FCI are also being held under the Telling Stories festival brand this year. In particular, the School of Design and the School of Communications are planning to organize them in the coming months.

    “Our faculty is a whole universe of creativity, full of stars. Each of them is constantly growing and shining brighter. Every year new stars appear. Due to this, our FCI universe is expanding. We hope that it will give birth to other galaxies and dimensions in the field of creative industries, and our festival will involve new participants from all over the world in its orbit,” added Tatyana Rivchun.

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

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

    http://vvv.hse.ru/nevs/life/966313170.html

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs and Centre for Food Safety remind public not to illegal import regulated food

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs and Centre for Food Safety remind public not to illegal import regulated food
    Hong Kong Customs and Centre for Food Safety remind public not to illegal import regulated food
    ******************************************************************************************

         ​Hong Kong Customs and the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (September 25) held a joint press conference to report on the latest number of illegal import of regulated food (such as raw meat, poultry and eggs) cases and to remind members of the public not to illegally bring regulated food into Hong Kong.     In the first eight months this year, Customs detected about 1 300 cases of illegal imports of regulated food through passenger channel at land boundary control points, exceeding the 1 019 cases in the year of 2023 and doubling that of the same period last year. This reflects that there has been a significant increasing trend in such cases recently.     The CFS said members of the public who illegally bring regulated food into Hong Kong will not only be prosecuted, but also need to be aware that these foods may be improperly stored during travel, such as at an improper temperature or unhygienic packaging, leading to the growth of pathogenic bacteria and increased food safety and personal health risks.     With the National Day Golden Week approaching, Customs and the CFS reminded members of the public not to illegally bring regulated food from the Mainland or overseas into Hong Kong for the sake of convenience, so as to avoid criminal liability and health risks. Meat and egg products not fully cooked and raw meat products in any forms of packaging (including vacuum packed or tinfoil) are all subject to the control of relevant regulations. Customs and CFS officers will distribute leaflets at different land boundary control points before and during the holiday to remind inbound travellers to abide the relevant regulations.      In addition, according to the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (Cap. 132AK), it is an offence to bring any game, meat, poultry or eggs into Hong Kong without a health certificate issued by an issuing entity of the place of origin and/or without prior written permission granted by the FEHD. An offender shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months.     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, September 25, 2024Issued at HKT 19:40

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Lam Sai-hung attends transport forum

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung today attended the Global Sustainable Transport Forum (2024), hosted by the Ministry of Transport in Beijing.

    This year’s forum, themed “Sustainable Transport: Logistics Connecting the World”, is focused on topics including global governance, connectivity, common development, innovation-driven development and “eco-sound” development.

    Mr Lam participated in the forum’s opening ceremony and a plenary session this morning. In the afternoon, he delivered a speech at a thematic session titled “Connectivity – Strengthening Cooperation in Governance & Emergency Response, & Building Resilient International Logistics & Supply Chains”. In the speech, he outlined the need to strengthen the resilience of global logistics supply chains in four directions, namely building extensive networks, upgrading technologies, exchanging information and deepening co-operation.

    The transport chief said: “The international order is constantly changing, making it more important than ever to strengthen the resilience of logistics supply chains. We must construct a comprehensive and extensive transportation network to ensure the logistics network has adequate responsiveness and endurance.

    “Continuous improvements to the technology level of the logistics industry, promotion of supply chain digitisation, seamless connections between various aspects, as well as the continuous strengthening of regional logistics co-operation will help enhance the resilience of logistics supply chains.”

    Mr Lam then attended a ministers’ forum titled “Global Governance – Fostering a Global Sustainable Transport Partnership”, in which he exchanged views with representatives from the transport authorities and related enterprises of various countries and regions.

    He then met Vice Minister of Transport Li Yang and briefed him on developments in Hong Kong’s aviation and maritime sectors, and on usage of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI USA: Understanding Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Connecticut

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Despite the gradual arrival of fall, mosquitos are still active in our state. Paulo Verardi, professor of virology and vaccinology and head of the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, shares information that can keep Connecticut residents safe from mosquito-borne diseases.

    What types of mosquito-borne diseases are we seeing in Connecticut?

    Mosquito-borne diseases are spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. In Connecticut, one would immediately think of West Nile virus, by far the most common mosquito-borne virus in the region. However, we have

    additional viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, and Cache Valley virus, that luckily are less common. Sometimes Connecticut has imported cases of additional mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever and Zika virus disease. These are acquired when people travel to areas where the virus is circulating, get bitten by an infected mosquito, and then travel back to Connecticut. If you are traveling outside the country in areas like the Caribbean and Central or South America, you should also be aware of chikungunya virus, yellow fever virus, and Oropouche virus, to name a few.

    Why are these diseases appearing more frequently in the state?

    Cases are linked to the proliferation of mosquitoes, which is driven by several factors including precipitation and temperature patterns, as well as alterations in these patterns. Climatic changes seem to also be impacting the distribution of these diseases, especially because warmer temperatures can promote a wider geographical range of disease-transmitting mosquitoes.

    West Nile virus has been in Connecticut since 1999, when it was introduced in New York City, so it is relatively new. On the other hand, evidence of EEE in Massachusetts dates back almost 200 years, and thus it is considered a local disease. West Nile cases in people are not uncommon during every mosquito season, but EEE seems to be impactful only every few years, such as in 2019 when a larger outbreak last occurred.

    West Nile and EEE viruses are actually maintained in nature in reservoir hosts, typically birds, and therefore these are considered zoonotic diseases. This means that the interplay amongst people, animals, plants, and the environment is a major factor determining the prevalence and transmission of these diseases, in what we call the One Health concept.

    What times of year do we need to be concerned about mosquito-borne diseases?

    We ought to be concerned any time of the year when mosquitoes are up and about. Generally, we think of the hot summer months, but transmission can start in the spring and last well into the fall season. A good example is EEE, as cases typically peak in late summer, but transmission can occur as late as October.

    What are the symptoms of these diseases?

    Diseases like West Nile and EEE are caused by viruses, so flu-like symptoms are typical:  fever, headache, fatigue, and in some instances rashes. Most people may not even feel sick at all, while a few others may end up developing inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or of the membranes around the brain and the spinal cord (meningitis), leading to severe disease symptoms.

    What should someone do if they are sick?

    First, never assume that you may just have a cold, and pay attention to the severity of your symptoms. Consult a health care provider if symptoms do not improve, particularly if you have high fever and headache. Go immediately to an emergency room if symptoms become severe and you suspect any neurological involvement. The key is to be vigilant and proactive.

    It is noteworthy that horses with EEE are severely affected with up to 95% mortality (about half that rate for West Nile fever), and routine vaccination of horses for both diseases is recommended.

    How dangerous/deadly are these diseases?

    Fortunately, for most of us infections are self-contained. Our immune system can keep the invading viruses in check, and all you may experience are mild flu-like symptoms, if any. But symptoms can be more severe and can worsen very quickly. Pay attention to any rashes or severe symptoms, such as high fever, intense headache, stiffness of the neck, and other neurological problems. Encephalitis and meningitis are dangerous and life-threating complications, so a visit to the emergency room is necessary at the onset of neurological signs.

    What actions are state and local governments taking to help?

    Connecticut’s Department of Public Health (DPH) and Department of Agriculture (DoAg) are monitoring the situation in Connecticut and surrounding states closely. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) is doing surveillance of mosquitoes, and the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn is monitoring wild and domestic animals (mammals and birds). In some cases, agencies may decide to curtail outdoor activities in certain areas at dusk, as Connecticut did in 2019 when we had high activity of EEE in Eastern Connecticut CT and neighboring states, and mosquito spraying may be recommended in limited areas by the Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

    How can Connecticut residents protect themselves and help stop the spread of these diseases?

    By preventing mosquito bites:

    • Avoid outdoor activities during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
    • Use approved insect repellents
    • Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when outside
    • Keep mosquitoes out of your house with the appropriate use of window and door screens.

    One can also treat clothing and gear with permethrin, which will help repel both mosquitoes and ticks. Vaccines against some mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis are available for people traveling to high-risk areas. Visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Traveler’s Health site for further information.

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI USA: Bringing Emphasis on Lab Quality to the World

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    As an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, Anu Maharjan is driven to share her knowledge with UConn medical students. As a volunteer with the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine, she is driven to share her knowledge clinical labs around the world.

    Maharjan, who also is the director of UConn Health’s Core Laboratory, spent part of her summer in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where she led three topics at the ADLM’s quality control workshop.

    “These workshops help us understand how laboratory medicine is set up in different parts of the world, and the host country also gets information about how U.S. laboratories function in terms of regulation, quality, and education,” Maharjan says. “The idea of these workshops is to ensure that laboratories improve their quality programs so that their patient test results are reliable.”

    UConn Health Core Laboratory Director Anu Maharjan presents at the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine’ quality control workshop in Mongolia, July 2024. (Photo provided by Anu Maharjan)

    Maharjan’s presentations were titled “Troubleshooting and Corrective Actions for Quality Control Failures,” “Risk-based Approach for Quality Control,” and “Quality Control Case Studies.” She shared her first-hand experience with a quality control tool known as “moving average,” a method of recalculating data in real time as additional data becomes available, and notes that both the labs there and our labs can learn from each other.

    “I was happy to share our flowchart in one of the presentations on how to troubleshoot when we receive alerts for moving average,” Maharjan says. “I was able to show some of the pictures from Mongolia and show the enthusiasm that us laboratorians have throughout the world to make laboratory tests more effective and accurate. I was able to share with our supervisors here that the Mongolian laboratorians have similar pain points like we do.”

    Another takeaway from the workshop how regulations governing lab medicine vary around the world. For example, lab medicine in the U.S. is subject to rules and regulations of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which requires frequent proficiency testing to earn and maintain accreditation. Maharjan says in Mongolia, only the largest labs participate in proficiency testing. She suggests a greater commitment to quality initiatives globally would help the laboratory medicine community get closer to the goal of standardization.

    “Clinical laboratorians are usually the unnoticeable health care staff that are working to provide reliable test results,” Maharjan says. “Communities in laboratory medicine throughout the world want to advance health care and that starts with providing better quality in terms of laboratory testing.”

    The ADLM is an international association of more than 70,000 clinical lab professionals, physicians, researchers and business leaders focused on achieving better health through laboratory medicine.

    A member of the ADLM since 2017, Maharjan serves as chair of the group’s New York Metro Local Section and is a member of the Asia Pacific ADLM Global Laboratory Quality Initiative, which is what led to the workshop in Mongolia.

    “We emphasize the value of laboratory medicine and foster scientific enhancement in underserved regions of the world,” Maharjan says. “The focus of our workshop in Mongolia was to provide practical approaches to understanding the subject of laboratory quality.

    “Presenting what I know about practical approaches to laboratory quality control to another part of the world was humbling and satisfying at the same time. In addition, I am originally from Nepal, and the idea of being able to provide an outreach in Asia-Pacific region really drew me into this group.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Translation: DDPS and municipalities agree on reference values for the introduction of the F-35A at Payerne Air Base

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French

    Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport

    Bern, 25.09.2024 – The DDPS and the municipalities around the Payerne Air Base have been in discussions for some time about the economic development of the airfield and the noise pollution that will be caused by the new F-35A fighter jet. An agreement was reached on the reference values for the further procedure during a meeting attended by the President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd, the municipalities concerned, the Regional Community of Broye (COREB) and the Association for the Protection of the Interests of the Municipalities Bordering the Airfield (ASIC). The calculations of the exposure to noise pollution take into account 4,200 take-offs and landings, and no training flights with F-35As will take place on Monday morning and Friday afternoon. The DDPS is setting up two working groups: one with a view to creating a training centre for aeronautical maintenance professions and the other to identify possibilities for developing and establishing jobs in the region. By withdrawing their preventive opposition, the municipalities are allowing the construction of the F-35A training centre for pilots and ground staff, which should offer around forty additional jobs in Payerne.

    In February 2022, the DDPS informed the municipalities around the Payerne Air Base of the results of the noise measurements carried out during the evaluation of the new combat aircraft and presented them with the calculations in December 2023. It then launched a coordination process to prepare the adaptation of the military sector plan. In this context, the stakeholders are discussing, among other things, the noise calculations and the air base regulations. For the calculations, the stakeholders agreed on a basis of 4,200 take-offs and landings. This represents around half of the current air movements and corresponds to the forecasts for the actual flight service contained in the summary report on noise measurements of February 2022. Annual fluctuations in actual air movements are not to be taken into account. By reducing the number of air movements, the Air Force will concentrate the flight service of the combat aircraft over time. No regular training with F-35As will take place on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. The noise pollution register and regulations will be drawn up on the basis of these values and harmonised with the municipalities. In this regard, the DDPS will continue to examine and implement noise pollution reduction measures where possible.

    For the region, it is important that the continued development of Payerne as the main air base of the Air Force generates economic benefits for the region. This is why several discussions have taken place with a view to the establishment of jobs and the economic development of the aerodrome.

    Exchange of the President of the Confederation with the municipalities and the COREB

    At the beginning of September, Viola Amherd, head of the DDPS and president of the Confederation, met with representatives of the municipalities, the Regional Community of Broye (COREB) and the Association for the Protection of the Interests of the Broye Municipalities Affected by the Payerne Military Airfield (ASIC). In this context, the DDPS and the region agreed on two principles.

    Payerne, as a major military airfield with increasing civilian use, is to host a training centre for aircraft maintenance professions. This intention is to be implemented by a working group led by the DDPS and the Regional Community of Broye (COREB). This group is to bring together the relevant departments of the Confederation, the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, RUAG and swiss aeropole. It will be set up in the coming weeks and will specify the procedure to follow. A second working group is to identify possibilities for developing and establishing jobs on the Payerne site. This group will be led by the DDPS and will be set up by the end of 2024. It is to involve in particular armasuisse, the Air Force, the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, COREB, swiss aeropole and EPFL.

    New training centre with 40 additional jobs

    In autumn 2023, the DDPS put the building permit application for an F-35A training centre with a flight simulator and training facility for ground personnel under investigation. The Regional Community of Broye (COREB), the Association for the Protection of the Interests of Broye Municipalities Affected by the Payerne Military Airfield (ASIC) and 14 municipalities had filed preventive oppositions.

    Following the agreement reached, the municipalities withdrew their objections or confirmed their intention to do so. They allow the start of preparatory work for the construction of the training centre, after the formal approval of the building permit application in October. The buildings should be operational from mid-2028.

    Around forty jobs will be created for the training centre, which will allow pilots to carry out their training flights on simulators and ground personnel from all Air Forces to carry out their basic training.

    Construction measures for the F-35A

    A large part of the real estate infrastructure of the Payerne, Meiringen and Emmen air bases can be reused for the deployment of the F-35A, as its dimensions are similar to those of the F/A-18. Adaptations are necessary in terms of training infrastructure, technical facilities and security arrangements. For the construction measures, Parliament approved a commitment credit of CHF 120 million as part of the 2022 Armed Forces Message.

    The concepts and planning for the adaptation of the infrastructure to the F-35A have been prepared and verified in detail over the past twelve months in collaboration with the U.S. government’s F-35 project office, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, and manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Pratt.

    The construction phase at the Payerne airbase will begin in October. For Meiringen and Emmen, the submission of building permit applications is planned for the end of 2024. Work will begin from 2025.

    Address for sending questions

    Communication DDPS 41 58 464 50 58kommunikation@gs-vbs.admin.ch

    Olivier Piccard, president of COREB 41 26 557 37 37olivier.piccard@vd.ch

    Author

    Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sporthttp://www.vbs.admin.ch

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI USA: Medical Startup Soleia Biosciences Aims to Eliminate Severe Pain–Without the Opioids

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Surgeons perform almost 800,000 total-knee replacements, and more than a half-million hip replacements, in the United States each year.

    And while those procedures are typically life- and mobility-enhancing, the initial post-surgical pain can be very unpleasant for some patients. Opioids remain among the most popular prescription medication to combat orthopedic post-surgical pain, but two UConn Health faculty members think they’ve found a better solution.

    Researchers Lakshmi Nair, Ph.D. and Yusuf Khan, Ph.D., both associate professors in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, believe they are on the cusp of a breakthrough pain-reduction treatment that is both highly effective and safe. Nair has been working to significantly extend the duration of local anesthetics, enabling patients to be pain-free, mobile, and benefit from medications that have been safely used for decades. The pain medication would be delivered by injection.

    Their pharmaceutical company, Soleia Biosciences, has been identified as one of five extremely promising UConn-affiliated startups. They will be pitching in the Wolff New Venture Competition on Oct. 1 in Downtown Hartford.

    Opioids Are the ‘Most Feared’ Treatment

    “Opioids are among the most popular prescriptions, and most feared,’’ Khan says. “We’ve spoken with doctors, patients, and pharmacists during our customer discovery research, and they universally agree there needs to be a better strategy. No one has said, ‘Ah, we’ve got it all figured out!’’’

    Nair, who has been working on this pain-relief challenge for a decade, says the human responses to pain are complicated and complex.

    “That may be why there is no great opioid alternative developed so far,’’ she says. “We’re entering the market with a niche solution. To provide alternative therapies for surgeons to recommend and offer that extended pain relief to patients is truly exciting.’’

    Khan says although opioids work well, they present considerable concern about addiction. Patients often speak with their family or their medical team and refuse to take opioids. They also present side effects in some patients, including stomach upset, sleeplessness and brain fog.

    Soleia Bioscience Contending in Wolff Competition

    Nair and Khan are excited to be competing in the Wolff New Venture Competition, which is the School of Business’ pinnacle entrepreneurship challenge. The event, which is open to the public, will award more than $70,000 in prize money to participants, with the first-place finisher receiving a $30,000 check.

    If they win the Wolff prize, Nair and Khan will hire FDA consultants to begin their formal application process, and will work to refine their scientific dosage studies followed by clinical trials.

    New this year, a startup showcase is being added alongside the pitch competition. Thirty UConn startups will be exhibiting their technologies, products, and services. Among them are: Lambda Vision, a company developing the first protein-based artificial retina to restore vision for patients who are blind or have lost sight due to macular degeneration and other diseases, and Kona Brand, a clothing company that makes fun winter flannels with summer designs. Attendees will be able to purchase items from the startups that sell consumer products. The startup showcase companies will vie for $45,000 in in-kind prizes will be awarded.

    Pre-Clinical Studies Are Already Underway

    Nair has been working on developing pain management approaches for about a decade and she has completed many successful pre-clinical studies on animals. Earlier this year Hair and Khan participated in a National Science Foundation I-Corps program through UConn.

    “Many scientists form the company first, and then complete the pre-clinical studies, so I think we’re farther along in the process than we initially thought,’’ Khan says. Although they are initially focused on orthopedic post-surgical care, they believe their formula will have multiple applications in the future.

    The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation extended an invitation to the Soleia Bioscience team to participate in its eight-week Summer Fellowship Accelerator, where the founders took business classes for entrepreneurs and met mentors who are eager to help them take the next-steps to grow their company. The experience was incredible, Khan says.

    “We had to learn how to build from the ground up,’’ Khan says. “We’re researchers. We write articles and conduct experiments. CCEI gave us the map and showed us where to begin to establish ourselves as a business. The Center is rich with business advisers, mentors, and contacts.

    “The best part is that just because the program is over, they’re still there for us. We can pick up the phone at any time and they’re willing to help,’’ he says. “We got exactly what we hoped for from the program—and more.’’

    “After two months everything about our business trajectory went from fuzzy to clear,’’ Nair says. “We know what we need to know, who to contact, and where to get help!’’

     

    The Wolff New Venture Competition will be held on Oct. 1 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the YG Club at Dunkin Park in Hartford. The event is free to attend, and all are welcome. Please pre-register at Wolff New Venture Competition.

    The Competition is supported thanks to the generosity of the Wolff Family Fund for Strategic Entrepreneurship, as well as Revyrie, wiggin(x), Digital Surgeons, Santander, Sardilli Produce and Dairy, Prime Materials Recovery Inc., Webster Bank, Fiondella, Milone and LaSaracina CPAs, Baystate Financial, Mark and Jamie Summers, and Event Resources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Translation: The Confederation closes its Mastodon instance

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French

    Federal Chancellery

    Bern, 25.09.2024 – The Federal Chancellery has been operating a Mastodon instance for the federal administration since September 2023. The pilot project, which was limited to one year, ends today as the conditions for its continuation have not been met.

    As part of their legal information mandate, the Federal Council and the federal administration have also been communicating on social networks for many years and are constantly examining whether previously unused platforms are relevant.

    In September 2023, the Conference of Federal Information Services decided to launch a pilot project on the decentralised Mastodon platform. The Federal Chancellery then opened the social.admin.ch instance, on which members of the Federal Council and departments could manage official accounts. The pilot project was limited to one year.

    Mastodon has useful features for government communication. Thanks to its decentralized organization, the platform escapes the control of a single company and any state censorship. Its source code is open, it respects data protection and is not driven by algorithms.

    Too few active users

    On the social.admin.ch instance, three departments administered five accounts, and the Federal Chancellery administered one account for the entire Federal Council. The six accounts of the Confederation had around 3,500 subscribers in total.

    On platforms such as X or Instagram, the Federal Council and the Federal Administration reach significantly more subscribers with comparable accounts. In addition, the contributions of the Mastodon accounts of the Federal Council and the Federal Administration have rather low engagement rates (likes, shares, comments). Finally, the number of active Mastodon users worldwide is once again declining.

    The Conference of Information Services of the Confederation therefore considers that the conditions for continuing the pilot project have not been met, and activities on the Mastodon accounts of the Federal Council and the federal administration are suspended as of today. The social.admin.ch instance will be closed at the end of the month.

    Address for sending questions

    Urs BrudererHead of Communication Section058 483 99 69urs.bruderer@bk.admin.ch

    Author

    Federal Chancelleryhttps://www.bk.admin.ch/bk/fr/home.html

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI: AGF Management Limited Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    • Reported quarterly adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.37
    • Total assets under management and fee-earning assets of $49.7 billion
    • Declared quarterly dividend per share of 11.5 cents

    AGF Management Limited (AGF or the Company) (TSX: AGF.B) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended August 31, 2024.

    AGF reported total assets under management and fee-earning assets1 of $49.7 billion compared to $47.8 billion as at May 31, 2024 and $42.3 billion as at August 31, 2023.

    “Amid an uncertain economic backdrop and significant market volatility, we are pleased to see early signs of improvement with positive retail net flows complementing our solid investment performance,” said Kevin McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, AGF. “This improvement can be attributed to our long-term strategic plan which diversifies our business across asset classes and client channels ensuring we thrive through changing market cycles.”

    AGF’s mutual fund gross sales were $1,012 million for the quarter compared to $934 million in the previous quarter and $633 million in the prior year quarter. Mutual fund net sales were $14 million compared to net redemptions of $112 million in the previous quarter and net redemptions of $151 million in the prior year quarter.

    “Given the current market environment and industry trends, we are pleased with the trajectory of our sales strategy,” said Judy Goldring, President and Head of Global Distribution, AGF. “Heading into the final months of 2024, we remain focused on diversifying our capabilities and offerings through a vehicle agnostic approach that meets the evolving needs of our clients.”

    _________________
    1 Fee-earning assets represents assets in which AGF has carried interest ownership and earns recurring fees but does not have ownership interest in the managers

    Key Business and Financial Highlights:

    • AGF International Advisors Company Limited, a subsidiary of AGF, was once again accepted as a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code, a best-practice benchmark in investment stewardship.
    • AGF Management Limited partnered with Archer Holdco, LLC – a leading technology-enabled service provider to the investment management industry – to help further grow its Separately Managed Accounts (SMA) model business through additional product offerings and investment strategies.
    • AGF SAF Private Credit LP was named a Top Contender for a 2024 Canadian Hedge Fund Award Fund.
    • Adjusted EBITDA2 for the three months ended August 31, 2024, was $40.2 million, compared to $37.0 million for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and $33.7 million in the prior year comparative period.
    • Net management, advisory and administration fees2 were $78.7 million for the three months ended August 31, 2024, compared to $81.2 million for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and $73.8 million for the comparative prior year period.
    • Adjusted revenue from AGF Capital Partners for the three months ended August 31, 2024, was $18.5 million, compared to $12.0 million for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and $7.3 million for the comparative prior year period. The increase quarter over quarter and year over year were driven by higher fair value adjustments and distribution income and the consolidation of a full quarter of KCPL financial results. Revenue from AGF Capital Partners can be variable quarter to quarter and can be impacted by fair value adjustments, timing of monetizations and cash distributions as well as performance fees and carried interest.
    • Adjusted selling, general and administrative costs2 were $59.6 million for the three months ended August 31, 2024, compared to $60.0 million for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and $50.3 million for the comparative prior year period.
    • Adjusted net income attributable to equity owners was $24.5 million ($0.37 adjusted diluted EPS) for the three months ended August 31, 2024, compared to $23.6 million ($0.35 adjusted diluted EPS) for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and $22.9 million ($0.34 adjusted diluted EPS) for the comparative prior year period.
        Three months ended Nine months ended
          August 31,     May 31,     August 31,     August 31,     August 31,  
      (in millions of Canadian dollars, except per share data)   2024     2024     2023     2024     2023  
                           
      Revenues                    
      Management, advisory and administration fees $ 114.4   $ 116.4   $ 107.4   $ 339.4   $ 324.0  
      Trailing commissions and investment advisory fees   (35.7 )   (35.2 )   (33.6 )   (104.6 )   (101.5 )
      Net management, advisory and administration fees2 $ 78.7   $ 81.2   $ 73.8   $ 234.8   $ 222.5  
      Deferred sales charges   1.4     1.9     1.8     5.3     5.7  
      Adjusted revenue from AGF Capital Partners2   18.5     12.0     7.3     54.7     29.4  
      Other revenue2   1.2     1.9     1.1     5.1     2.4  
      Total adjusted net revenue2   99.8     97.0     84.0     299.9     260.0  
                           
      Selling, general and administrative   66.3     68.2     50.2     192.3     156.2  
      Adjusted selling, general and administrative2   59.6     60.0     50.3     173.1     155.0  
                           
      EBITDA2   33.0     26.6     33.8     104.8     103.8  
      Adjusted EBITDA2   40.2     37.0     33.7     126.8     105.0  
                           
      Net income – equity owners of the Company   20.3     18.1     23.0     68.9     70.9  
      Adjusted net income – equity owners of the Company   24.5     23.6     22.9     81.8     71.9  
                           
      Diluted earnings per share   0.30     0.27     0.34     1.03     1.05  
                           
      Adjusted diluted earnings per share   0.37     0.35     0.34     1.23     1.07  
                           
      Free cash flow2   29.1     23.7     22.9     73.9     62.8  
                           
      Dividends per share   0.115     0.115     0.110     0.340     0.320  
      (end of period) Three months ended
          Aug. 31,     May 31,     Feb. 28,     Nov. 30,     Aug. 31,  
      (in millions of Canadian dollars)   2024     2024     2024     2023     2023  
                             
      Mutual fund assets under management (AUM)3 $ 28,104   $ 26,961   $ 26,186   $ 24,459   $ 24,377  
      ETFs and SMA AUM   2,128     1,800     1,676     1,465     1,332  
      Segregated accounts and sub-advisory AUM   6,430     6,313     7,162     6,774     7,058  
      Total AGF Investments AUM   36,662     35,074     35,024     32,698     32,767  
      AGF Private Wealth AUM   8,186     8,026     7,836     7,341     7,360  
      AGF Capital Partners AUM   2,774     2,663     48     46     42  
      Total AUM $ 47,622   $ 45,763   $ 42,908   $ 40,085   $ 40,169  
      AGF Capital Partners fee-earning assets4   2,080     2,081     2,104     2,095     2,090  
      Total AUM and fee-earning assets4 $ 49,702   $ 47,844   $ 45,012   $ 42,180   $ 42,259  
                             
      Net mutual fund sales (redemptions)3   14     (112 )   (125 )   (224 )   (151 )
      Average daily mutual fund AUM3   27,542     26,604     25,197     23,840     24,168  

    2 Net management, advisory and administration fees, adjusted revenue from AGF Capital Partners, total net revenue, adjusted selling, general and administrative, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow are not standardized measures prescribed by IFRS. The Company utilizes non-IFRS measures to assess our overall performance and facilitate a comparison of quarterly and full-year results from period to period. They allow us to assess our investment management business without the impact of non-operational items. These non-IFRS measures may not be comparable with similar measures presented by other companies. These non-IFRS measures and reconciliations to IFRS, where necessary, are included in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis available at www.agf.com.
    3 Mutual fund AUM includes retail AUM and institutional client AUM invested in customized series offered within mutual funds.
    4 Fee-earning assets represents assets in which AGF has carried interest ownership and earns recurring fees but does not have ownership interest in the managers.

    For further information and detailed financial statements for the third quarter ended August 31, 2024, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis, which contains discussions of non-IFRS measures, please refer to AGF’s website at www.agf.com under ‘About AGF’ and ‘Investor Relations’ and at www.sedarplus.com.

    Conference Call

    AGF will host a conference call to review its earnings results today at 11 a.m. ET.

    The live audio webcast with supporting materials will be available in the Investor Relations section of AGF’s website at www.agf.com or at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/fwjgan3c/. Alternatively, the call can be accessed over the phone by registering here or in the Investor Relations section of AGF’s website at www.agf.com, to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN.

    A complete archive of this discussion along with supporting materials will be available at the same webcast address within 24 hours of the end of the conference call.

    About AGF Management Limited

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With nearly $50 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact:

    Ken Tsang
    Chief Financial Officer
    416-865-4338, InvestorRelations@agf.com

    Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements about the Company, including its business operations, strategy and expected financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as ‘expects,’ ‘estimates,’ ‘anticipates,’ ‘intends,’ ‘plans,’ ‘believes’ or negative versions thereof and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as ‘may,’ ‘will,’ ‘should,’ ‘would’ and ‘could.’ In addition, any statement that may be made concerning future financial performance (including income, revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, fund performance, and possible future action on our part, is also a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on certain factors and assumptions, including expected growth, results of operations, business prospects, business performance and opportunities. While we consider these factors and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to, among other things, risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our operations, economic factors and the financial services industry generally. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by us due to, but not limited to, important risk factors such as level of assets under our management, volume of sales and redemptions of our investment products, performance of our investment funds and of our investment managers and advisors, client-driven asset allocation decisions, pipeline, competitive fee levels for investment management products and administration, and competitive dealer compensation levels and cost efficiency in our investment management operations, as well as general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, taxation, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, technological changes, cybersecurity, the possible effects of war or terrorist activities, outbreaks of disease or illness that affect local, national or international economies, natural disasters and disruptions to public infrastructure, such as transportation, communications, power or water supply or other catastrophic events, and our ability to complete strategic transactions and integrate acquisitions, and attract and retain key personnel. We caution that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than specifically required by applicable laws, we are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more complete discussion of the risk factors that may impact actual results, please refer to the ‘Risk Factors and Management of Risk’ section of the 2023 Annual MD&A.

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI: Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. Declares Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLDWATER, Mich., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Pink: SOMC) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share on the outstanding shares of the corporation’s stock. The dividend is payable on October 18, 2024, to shareholders of record October 9, 2024. The annualized cash dividend of $0.60 per share represents a 3.47% dividend yield based on the current market price of $17.29 per share.

    Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company and the parent company of Southern Michigan Bank & Trust. It operates 17 offices within Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph Counties providing a broad range of consumer, business, and wealth management services throughout the region. For more information, please visit the Southern Michigan Bank & Trust website, www.smb-t.com.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the financial services industry, the economy, and Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. Although we currently expect to continue to pay a quarterly cash dividend, each future dividend will be considered and declared by the board of directors in its discretion. Whether the board of directors continues to declare dividends depends on a number of factors, including our future financial condition and profitability. Forward-looking statements are based upon current beliefs and expectations and involve substantial risks, uncertainties, and assumptions (“risk factors”), which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise our forward-looking statements to reflect developments that occur, or information obtained after the date of this report.

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI: AGF Management Limited Declares Third Quarter 2024 Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On September 24, 2024, the Board of Directors of AGF Management Limited (TSX:AGF.B) declared a dividend of 11.5 cents per share on both the Class B Non-Voting shares and the Class A Voting common shares of the company. This dividend will be payable on October 17, 2024 to shareholders of record on October 10, 2024.

    ABOUT AGF MANAGEMENT LIMITED

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With nearly $50 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact:

    Ken Tsang
    Chief Financial Officer
    416-865-4338, InvestorRelations@agf.com

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI: Hampton Financial Corporation Announces the Appointment of New CEO of its Oxygen Working Capital Subsidiary

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hampton Financial Corporation (“Hampton” or the “Company”, TSXV:HFC) is pleased to announce the appointment of John Levac, as CEO of Oxygen Working Capital Corp. (“Oxygen”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hampton.

    “As we continue to develop and expand the scale of our newly acquired factoring business, Oxygen Working Capital Corp., we are delighted to welcome John Levac as CEO of Oxygen. John brings decades of experience in asset-backed and securitized lending to the company, having worked previously with major players in this space such as Wells Fargo & RBC. He also brings along numerous industry, lender and borrower relationships and we are pleased to have him join the team,” said Hampton Executive Chairman & CEO, Peter Deeb.

    “I am delighted to announce my appointment as CEO of Oxygen Working Capital, joining their Toronto based team. Oxygen consists of a highly diversified team of financial experts. As their growth potential across North America as an established and growing alternative lender is very exciting, the future looks bright. Under this new role, I look forward to connecting with many of my industry colleagues and developing new relationships with those whom I have not had the privilege of meeting yet, to enhance Oxygen’s capabilities and further diversify their relationship base,” stated John Levac.

    Hampton acquired Oxygen in early 2024 and has worked to integrate Oxygen’s factoring business into the Hampton platform while expanding Oxygen’s lending portfolio.

    About Oxygen Working Capital

    Oxygen, founded in 2017, is a specialized Canadian based lender focused on the commercial factoring business with clients across Canada, and with prospects for expanded reach and continued growth across broader North America. Oxygen provides entrepreneurs with short term financing solutions via immediate upfront capital by factoring their invoices and receivables, allowing businesses to meet their immediate working capital needs. Acquired in 2024, Oxygen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hampton.

    About Hampton Financial Corporation

    Hampton is a unique private equity firm that seeks to build shareholder value through long-term strategic investments. In addition to Oxygen, through its Investment Dealer subsidiary, Hampton Securities Limited (“HSL”), Hampton is actively engaged in family office, wealth management, institutional services and capital markets activities. HSL is a full-service investment dealer, regulated by CIRO (Formally IIROC) and registered in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, and Quebec. In addition, the Company provides investment banking services, which include assisting companies with raising capital, advising on mergers and acquisitions, and aiding issuers in obtaining a listing on recognized securities exchanges in Canada and abroad. The Company is also exploring opportunities to diversify its sources of revenue by way of strategic investments and acquisitions in both complimentary business and non-core sectors that can leverage the expertise of its Board and the diverse experience of its management team.

    For more information, please contact:

    Olga Juravlev
    Chief Financial Officer
    Hampton Financial Corporation
    (416) 862-8701

    Or

    Peter M. Deeb
    Executive Chairman & CEO
    Hampton Financial Corporation
    (416) 862-8651

    The TSXV has in no way approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

    No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction outside of Canada. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. There will be no public offering of securities in the United States.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements“) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “should”, “hopeful”, “recovery”, “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project” or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes.

    Forward-looking statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors beyond the Company’s ability to predict or control which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results may vary, and vary materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein. Accordingly, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements herein and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking statements herein are made only as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI: Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp. Announces Definitive Agreement to Merge with YD Biopharma Limited

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    YD Biopharma is a Clinical-Stage Biopharmaceutical Company Focusing on Cancer Prevention Diagnostics and Seeking to Transform the Treatment of a Wide Spectrum of Diseases

    Pro Forma for the Transaction, Combined Company is Expected to Have an Estimated Enterprise Value of Nearly $700 Million

    The Proposed Merger is Expected to Close by Early 2025; After Closing, the Combined Company is Expected to be Listed on Nasdaq Capital Market

    YD Biopharma has Recently Obtained Patents, Technology, and U.S. Authorization for Core Methylation Detection of Pancreatic Cancer, Along with Entering into an Agreement to Acquire Licenses for Breast Cancer Detection Upon the Closing of the Merger

    IRVING, Texas, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp. (OTCQX: BRZH, BRZHR, BRZHW) (“Breeze” or the “Company”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with YD Biopharma Limited (“YD Biopharma”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on cancer prevention medical diagnostics and the development of exosome-based therapeutics with the potential to transform the treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases with high unmet medical need. Following the closing, the combined company is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

    Using Technology to Detect Health Problems Early On
    YD Biopharma specializes in the biopharmaceutical business and serves as a supplier of drugs and medical materials for clinical trials. In 2015, YD Biopharma was appointed as a clinical testing drug supplier by Novartis and has since expanded its offerings to include development and supply of ancillary products post-launch. YD Biopharma’s mission is to create a cancer-free world through advancements in biotechnology.

    More recently, YD Biopharma obtained patent and technology authorization from 3D Global Biotech Inc. (“3D Biotech”) to pioneer the application of corneal mesenchymal stem cells and their exosomes for treating eye diseases. YD Biopharma has introduced new advanced drugs and treatments for conditions such as dry eye disease, glaucoma, and corneal repair. YD Biopharma aims to optimize the treatment market for eye diseases by distribution through pharmacies, optometrists, and other channels.

    Earlier this year, YD Biopharma obtained patents, technology and U.S. market authorization from EG Biomed Taiwan for core methylation detection of pancreatic cancer with high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. This partnership has led to the establishment of an independent laboratory in the U.S. dedicated to pancreatic cancer early detection and monitoring technology that marks a significant expansion of YD Biopharma’s research and development capabilities to collaborate with hospitals, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies to reach new patients.

    YD Biopharma has also recently negotiated related authorizations for breast cancer detection to further expand the Company’s product offerings. YD Biopharma is in the process of acquiring licenses from EG BioMed Taiwan for advanced breast cancer detection technology in the U.S., E.U., and Asia-Pacific that has high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. The acquisition of the licenses for EG Biomed’s breast cancer detection technology in the U.S., E.U., and Asia-Pacific is expected to be consummated simultaneously with the closing of the merger with Breeze.

    Management Commentary
    Dr. Ethan Shen, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of YD Biopharma, has an extensive background in the pharmaceutical industry having worked at a well-known global pharmaceutical company. Inspired by his father’s struggle with cancer and subsequent passing, Dr. Shen is dedicated to eradicating cancer and helping people to avoid chronic and painful treatments through early detection.

    Dr. Shen stated the following regarding the proposed transaction, “I’m pleased to announce the next phase of our strategy as we embark on a public listing in the U.S. through the proposed business combination with Breeze. Since our founding in 2013, we’ve made significant strides in expanding our capabilities through organic innovation, licensing agreements, and notable strategic partnerships. We have a strategic roadmap in place for accelerated growth and a compelling story to tell in the U.S. market as we aim to deliver health problem detection at an earlier stage than ever before through minimal intervention.”

    J. Douglas Ramsey, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Breeze, commented, “From day one, it has been our mission at Breeze to find a company with innovative and disruptive technology that has the potential to deliver significant growth to our shareholders. We are highly optimistic about the proposed business combination with YD Biopharma, a company that we believe is a true outlier in the biotech industry with strong growth potential in a variety of healthcare markets. We are working closely with their team to expeditiously close the transaction by early 2025 and move forward with YD Biopharma as a publicly traded company in the U.S.”

    YD Biopharma Key Investment Highlights

    • Proven Capabilities Across a Broad Spectrum of Solutions: YD Biopharma has an extensive suite of solutions ranging from ophthalmology cellular drug development to pancreatic and breast cancer diagnostics to nutritional product sales.
    • Notable Strategic Partnerships, Offering Validation and Growth Potential: YD Biopharma is a clinical testing drug supplier for Novartis, a top five global pharmaceutical company, as well as having licensing partnerships with EG BioMed for pancreatic cancer detection and 3D Global Biotech to develop treatment for eye disorders.
    • Proprietary Technology Supported by Licensing Agreements and IP Portfolio: Multi-decade, exclusive licensing agreements and owned, patented technology provides YD Biopharma with significant competitive first-mover advantage in each of its clinical markets.
    • Large and Underserved Markets for Each Solution Showcase Untapped Growth Potential: Multi-billion-dollar global market sizes and high single digit CAGRs over the next decade provide significant growth potential for YD Biopharma’s solutions.
    • Strong Leadership Team with Deep Expertise in Biotech and Finance: YD Biopharma has a founder-led management team with experience in new drug development, medical-grade health product development, pharmacy channel development, and financial management and accounting.

    Transaction Overview
    Under the terms of the business combination agreement, Breeze and YD Biopharma will each merge into wholly-owned subsidiaries of a newly formed Cayman holding company expected to be named “YD Biopharma Holdings Limited” and is anticipated to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

    Assuming no redemptions, the combined company will have an estimated post-transaction enterprise value of $694 million, consisting of an estimated equity value of $715 million, $21.0 million in cash and no debt. Cash proceeds raised will consist of Breeze’s $10.1 million cash in trust (before redemptions and payment of any transaction expenses) and $15 million in anticipated new capital.

    YD Biopharma intends to use the proceeds from the transaction to expand production and continue development, approval and launch of new technologies.

    The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both YD Biopharma and Breeze. It is expected to close by early 2025, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, and other customary closing conditions. Additional information may be found in the Current Report on Form 8-K that was filed by Breeze Holdings today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Upon completion of the transaction, YD Biopharma will continue to be led by Founder, Chairman, and CEO Dr. Ethan Shen. Wu Cheng-fend will serve as Chief Medical Officer, and May Tsai will serve as Chief Business Officer.

    Advisors
    ArentFox Schiff LLP and Ogier are acting as legal advisors to YD Biopharma. I-Bankers Securities, Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Breeze Holdings. Woolery & Co. PLLC is acting as legal advisor to Breeze Holdings.

    About YD Biopharma
    YD Biopharma Limited is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on cancer prevention medical diagnostics and the development of exosome-based therapeutics with the potential to transform the treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases with high unmet medical need. Through continuous effort and innovation, the Company has also become a recognized supplier of clinical trial drugs and has begun developing and supplying post-market auxiliary products.

    For more information, please visit www.yd-biopharma.com.

    About Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp.
    Breeze Holdings is a blank check company organized for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combinations with one or more businesses or entities.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It
    This press release relates to a proposed business combination transaction involving Breeze Holdings and YD Biopharma. In connection with the proposed transaction, a newly-formed Cayman exempted company expected to be named “YD Biopharma Holdings Limited” (“YD Holdings”) intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form F-4 that will include a proxy statement of Breeze and that also will constitute a prospectus of YD Holdings with respect to the ordinary shares of YD Holdings to be issued in the proposed transaction (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”). This document is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. The definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) will be delivered to Breeze Holdings’ and YD Biopharma’s stockholders. Breeze Holdings may also file other relevant documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF BREEZE HOLDINGS AND YD BIOPHARMA AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BREEZE HOLDINGS, YD HOLDINGS, YD BIOPHARMA, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS.

    Investors and security holders of Breeze Holdings and YD Biopharma may obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) and other documents that are filed or will be filed with the SEC by Breeze Holdings through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Breeze Holdings will be available free of charge at Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp., 955 W. John Carpenter Fwy., Suite 100-929, Irving, TX 75039, attention: J. Douglas Ramsey.

    Participants in the Solicitation
    Breeze Holdings, YD Biopharma and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Breeze Holdings and YD Biopharma in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about Breeze Holdings’ directors and executive officers and their ownership of Breeze Holdings common stock is set forth in Breeze Holdings’ filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on April 25, 2024 (the “Annual Report”). To the extent that holdings of Breeze Holdings’ securities have changed since the amounts included in the Annual Report, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership of Form 4 filed with the SEC. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC in respect of the proposed transaction when they become available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among other things, statements regarding the anticipated benefits and impact of the proposed transaction on the combined company’s business and future financial and operating results, the anticipated timing of closing of the proposed transaction, the anticipated growth of the industries and markets in which YD Biopharma competes, the success and customer acceptance of YD Biopharma’s product and service offerings and other aspects of YD Biopharma’s operations, plans, objectives, opportunities, expectations or operating results, the expected ownership structure of the combined company and the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the proposed transaction. Words such as “may,” “should,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimated,” “target,” “project,” and similar phrases or words of similar meaning that denote future expectations or intent regarding the combined company’s financial results, operations and other matters are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and other factors, both known and unknown, which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control and that may cause actual results and the timing of future events to differ materially from the results and timing of future events anticipated by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction within the time frame anticipated or at all, which may adversely impact the price of Breeze Holdings’ securities; (ii) the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction or those benefits taking longer than anticipated to be realized; (iii) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed by Breeze Holdings’ business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain further extensions of the business combination deadline if sought by Breeze Holdings; (iv) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including the adoption of the definitive merger agreement by the stockholders of Breeze Holdings or YD Biopharma, the receipt of any required governmental or regulatory approvals or the failure to meet the Nasdaq listing standards in connection with the closing of the proposed transaction; (v) the lack of a third party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed transaction; (vi) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the definitive merger agreement; (vii) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or related governmental or regulatory orders ; (viii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed transaction on YD Biopharma’s business relationships, performance and business generally; (ix) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of YD Biopharma and any potential difficulties in YD Biopharma employee retention as a result of the proposed transaction; (x) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against YD Biopharma or Breeze Holdings related to the definitive merger agreement or the proposed transaction or any product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to YD Biopharma’s products or services; (xi) the ability to maintain the listing of YD Holdings’ securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market after the closing of the proposed transaction; (xii) potential volatility in the price of Breeze Holdings’ securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which YD Biopharma operates, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting YD Biopharma’s business, and changes in the combined company’s capital structure; (xiii) the ability to implement business plans, identify and realize additional opportunities and achieve forecasts and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transaction; (xiv) the risk of downturns and the possibility of rapid change in the highly competitive industries in which YD Biopharma operates or the markets that YD Biopharma targets; (xv) the inability of YD Biopharma and its current and future collaborators to successfully develop and commercialize YD Biopharma’s products and services in the expected time frame or at all; (xvi) the risk that the combined company may never achieve or sustain profitability or may need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; and (xvii) the costs of the proposed transaction. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to additional risks, uncertainties and factors, including those described in Breeze Holdings’ most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Breeze Holdings from time to time. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future performance as projected financial information and other information are based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date hereof. Forecasts and estimates regarding YD Biopharma’s industry and end markets are based on sources we believe to be reliable, however there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part. Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.

    No Offer or Solicitation
    This press release is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or to buy any securities or a solicitation of any proxy, consent, vote or approval with respect to any securities in respect of the proposed transaction and is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement/Prospectus or any other document that Breeze Holdings may file with the SEC or send to Breeze Holdings’ or YD Biopharma’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. No offer, sale, issuance or transfer of securities shall be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale, issuance or transfer would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

    Contacts:

    YD Biopharma Limited
    Bob Chiu
    bobc95@udn-pharm.com

    Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp.
    Investor Relations
    Cody Slach and Cody Cree
    Gateway Group

    (949) 574-3860
    BREZ@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI: Purpose Investments Inc. Announces Final September 2024 Distribution Rate for Purpose High Interest Savings Fund, Purpose US Cash Fund, Purpose Cash Management Fund, and Purpose USD Cash Management Fund

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Purpose Investments Inc. announced today the final September 2024 distribution rates for Purpose High Interest Savings Fund, Purpose US Cash Fund, Purpose Cash Management Fund, and Purpose USD Cash Management Fund.

    Due to the recent interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, the distribution levels for our US cash funds have been proportionately reduced to align with this adjustment.

    The following table reflects the final distribution amounts for the month of September. Ex-distribution date is September 26, 2024.

    Open-End Fund Ticker Symbol Final distribution per unit Record Date Payable Date Distribution Frequency
    Purpose USD Cash Management Fund – ETF Units MNU.U US $ 0.4091 09/26/2024 10/02/2024 Monthly
    Purpose Cash Management Fund – ETF Units MNY $ 0.3587 09/26/2024 10/02/2024 Monthly
    Purpose High Interest Savings Fund – ETF Units PSA $ 0.1670 09/26/2024 10/02/2024 Monthly
    Purpose US Cash Fund – ETF Units PSU.U US $ 0.4052 09/26/2024 10/02/2024 Monthly


    About Purpose Investments Inc.

    Purpose Investments Inc. is an asset management company with more than $20 billion in assets under management. Purpose Investments has an unrelenting focus on client-centric innovation, and offers a range of managed and quantitative investment products. Purpose Investments is led by well-known entrepreneur Som Seif and is a division of Purpose Unlimited, an independent technology-driven financial services company.

    For further information please contact:
    Keera Hart
    Keera.Hart@kaiserpartners.com
    905-580-1257

    Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. Please read the prospectus and other disclosure documents before investing. Investment funds are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurance that the full amount of your investment in a fund will be returned to you. If the securities are purchased or sold on a stock exchange, you may pay more or receive less than the current net asset value. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Economics: BaFin warns consumers about the website coinaimex.net

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the website coinaimex.net. According to information available to BaFin, Coinaimex Ltd, London, United Kingdom, offers financial and investment services there without authorization.

    BaFin has warned consumers about several almost identical websites that have come to its attention recently. The homepage of each website begins with the following sentence: “Step Into the Trading Arena With Confidence & [name of website]”.

    Anyone providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation. Information on whether a particular company has been granted authorisation by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.

    The information provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Global: Historic racism still negatively affects the way paintings of black people are perceived – as our study shows

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tobiasz Trawinski, Lecturer in psychology, Liverpool Hope University

    There is little doubt that historic racism has influenced the content and composition of several famous figurative paintings. In March 2024, this could be seen in the debate around the exhibition of the Rex Whistler mural, The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats (1927), at the Tate Britain. Critics asked whether such artworks should remain on public display.

    There are several shocking elements of Rex Whistler’s mural, originally commissioned by the Tate as “decoration for the new refreshment room”, including the image of a black child chained to a horse and cart as it moves at speed. The debate raises the question – does the ongoing presence of artworks like this in public spaces serve to confront or maintain historic racist views?

    In some instances, the racist attitudes behind such paintings have been explicitly expressed by artists or painting owners, making them well-documented. Take, for example, John Trumbull (1715–1787), a painter who had several enslaved people living in his household. Another example is Gilbert Winter Moss (1828–1899), a banker who owned Richard Ansdell’s painting The Hunted Slaves (1861). According to the UCL Legacies of Slavery database, Moss’s family was deeply involved in the slave trade. In other cases, things aren’t so clear-cut.

    But even if not explicitly expressed, racist attitudes may have been implicitly held, to an extent that they were able to influence the creative process. Implicitly held racial attitudes are mental associations that, when triggered by race, can guide people’s judgment and actions. As a researcher in psychology, I wanted to explore if implicitly held racial attitudes affect the viewing of paintings when the images themselves make no suggestion of racial inequality.

    Alongside my colleagues, I have explored this question in a series of recent studies of portraits of black and white people. In one study, we used gaze-mapping technology to measure the eye movements made by visitors to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

    The measurement of when and where our eyes move, and how long they focus on specific objects, provides a time-sensitive index on what is important to viewers. We measured the eye movements of the visitors to the gallery who agreed to take part in our study as they looked at a set of five portraits of black sitters (including Two Jamaican Girls by Augustus John, 1937) and five portraits of white sitters (including Interior at Paddington by Lucian Freud, 1951).

    Their task was to say how much pleasure they experienced when looking at each painting. We also assessed the visitors to the gallery on their implicit racial attitudes and actual contact with different racial communities.

    Our results

    Our study showed that visitors to the gallery who reported little contact with black people and who held negative implicit racial attitudes reported experiencing little pleasure when viewing paintings showing black sitters.

    Perhaps more surprisingly, though they reported little pleasure, these visitors focused their attention more on the faces of the black sitters than others did. The results suggest that little contact with black people, combined with holding negative implicit racial attitudes, can be associated with an undue focus on black faces when viewing these paintings.

    We believe our findings suggest that negative implicit racial attitudes have not only influenced the historic content and composition of some paintings, but continue to exert an influence on the viewing of paintings in the present day. Moreover, the influence of negative implicit racial attitudes on the viewing of paintings exerts its effect even when the images themselves are quite neutral.

    Whether or not racist paintings are removed from public spaces, our results show that implicit racial attitudes will, for some viewers, continue to exert an influence on their perception of paintings representing black people and culture.



    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.


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

    – ref. Historic racism still negatively affects the way paintings of black people are perceived – as our study shows – https://theconversation.com/historic-racism-still-negatively-affects-the-way-paintings-of-black-people-are-perceived-as-our-study-shows-227007

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Economics: AGNICO EAGLE PROVIDES NOTICE OF RELEASE OF THIRD QUARTER 2024 RESULTS AND CONFERENCE CALL

    Source: Agnico Eagle Mines

    Stock Symbol:  AEM (NYSE and TSX)

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) (“Agnico Eagle” or the “Company“) today announced that it will release its third quarter 2024 results on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, after normal trading hours.

    Third Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call and Webcast

    Agnico Eagle’s senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 11:00 AM (E.D.T.) to discuss the Company’s financial and operating results.

    Via Webcast:

    To listen to the live webcast of the conference call, you may register on the Company website at www.agnicoeagle.com, or directly via the link here.

    Via Phone:

    To join the conference call by phone, please dial 416.945.7677 or toll-free 1.888.699.1199 to be entered into the call by an operator. To ensure your participation, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call.

    To join the conference call without operator assistance, you may register your phone number here 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call to receive an instant automated call back.

    Replay Archive:

    Please dial 289.819.1450 or toll-free 1.888.660.6345, access code 80122#. The conference call replay will expire on November 30, 2024.

    The webcast, along with presentation slides, will be archived for 180 days on the Company’s website.

    About Agnico Eagle

    Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects in these countries as well as in the United States. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading environmental, social and governance practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.

    View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnico-eagle-provides-notice-of-release-of-third-quarter-2024-results-and-conference-call-302258002.html

    SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    MIL OSI Economics –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Global: OpenAI’s Strawberry program is reportedly capable of reasoning. It might be able to deceive humans

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Shweta Singh, Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Management, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

    OpenAI, the company that made ChatGPT, has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) system called Strawberry. It is designed not just to provide quick responses to questions, like ChatGPT, but to think or “reason”.

    This raises several major concerns. If Strawberry really is capable of some form of reasoning, could this AI system cheat and deceive humans?

    OpenAI can program the AI in ways that mitigate its ability to manipulate humans. But the company’s own evaluations rate it as a “medium risk” for its ability to assist experts in the “operational planning of reproducing a known biological threat” – in other words, a biological weapon. It was also rated as a medium risk for its ability to persuade humans to change their thinking.

    It remains to be seen how such a system might be used by those with bad intentions, such as con artists or hackers. Nevertheless, OpenAI’s evaluation states that medium-risk systems can be released for wider use – a position I believe is misguided.

    Strawberry is not one AI “model”, or program, but several – known collectively as o1. These models are intended to answer complex questions and solve intricate maths problems. They are also capable of writing computer code – to help you make your own website or app, for example.

    An apparent ability to reason might come as a surprise to some, since this is generally considered a precursor to judgment and decision making – something that has often seemed a distant goal for AI. So, on the surface at least, it would seem to move artificial intelligence a step closer to human-like intelligence.

    When things look too good to be true, there’s often a catch. Well, this set of new AI models is designed to maximise their goals. What does this mean in practice? To achieve its desired objective, the path or the strategy chosen by AI may not always necessarily be fair, or align with human values.

    True intentions

    For example, if you were to play chess against Strawberry, in theory, could its reasoning allow it to hack the scoring system rather than figure out the best strategies for winning the game?

    The AI might also be able to lie to humans about its true intentions and capabilities, which would pose a serious safety concern if it were to be deployed widely. For example, if the AI knew it was infected with malware, could it “choose” to conceal this fact in the knowledge that a human operator might opt to disable the whole system if they knew?

    Strawberry goes a step beyond the capabilities of AI chatbots.
    Robert Way / Shutterstock

    These would be classic examples of unethical AI behaviour, where cheating or deceiving is acceptable if it leads to a desired goal. It would also be quicker for the AI, as it wouldn’t have to waste any time figuring out the next best move. It may not necessarily be morally correct, however.

    This leads to a rather interesting yet worrying discussion. What level of reasoning is Strawberry capable of and what could its unintended consequences be? A powerful AI system that’s capable of cheating humans could pose serious ethical, legal and financial risks to us.

    Such risks become grave in critical situations, such as designing weapons of mass destruction. OpenAI rates its own Strawberry models as “medium risk” for their potential to assist scientists in developing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.

    OpenAI says: “Our evaluations found that o1-preview and o1-mini can help experts with the operational planning of reproducing a known biological threat.” But it goes on to say that experts already have significant expertise in these areas, so the risk would be limited in practice. It adds: “The models do not enable non-experts to create biological threats, because creating such a threat requires hands-on laboratory skills that the models cannot replace.”

    Powers of persuasion

    OpenAI’s evaluation of Strawberry also investigated the risk that it could persuade humans to change their beliefs. The new o1 models were found to be more persuasive and more manipulative than ChatGPT.

    OpenAI also tested a mitigation system that was able to reduce the manipulative capabilities of the AI system. Overall, Strawberry was labelled a medium risk for “persuasion” in Open AI’s tests.

    Strawberry was rated low risk for its ability to operate autonomously and on cybersecurity.

    Open AI’s policy states that “medium risk” models can be released for wide use. In my view, this underestimates the threat. The deployment of such models could be catastrophic, especially if bad actors manipulate the technology for their own pursuits.

    This calls for strong checks and balances that will only be possible through AI regulation and legal frameworks, such as penalising incorrect risk assessments and the misuse of AI.

    The UK government stressed the need for “safety, security and robustness” in their 2023 AI white paper, but that’s not nearly enough. There is an urgent need to prioritise human safety and devise rigid scrutiny protocols for AI models such as Strawberry.

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

    – ref. OpenAI’s Strawberry program is reportedly capable of reasoning. It might be able to deceive humans – https://theconversation.com/openais-strawberry-program-is-reportedly-capable-of-reasoning-it-might-be-able-to-deceive-humans-239748

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Global: Did COVID come from an animal market? Here’s what the new evidence really tells us

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh

    The argument about the origins of COVID has always been heated, and nowadays it feels more like a brawl than a scientific debate.

    Some say that ground zero for the pandemic was a live animal market in Wuhan, China. Others argue that SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID) leaked from a nearby laboratory that was studying similar viruses. Both are plausible scenarios.

    Proponents of the market hypothesis have been aggressively vocal in recent weeks. In August, an anonymous editorial in a leading medical journal talked about the “hubris needed to underpin alternative hypotheses” and “fanciful ideas … more in keeping with popular movies”.

    A commentary in another journal lamented that scientists were being harassed for rejecting the lab leak hypothesis. With breathtaking hypocrisy, the same commentary then attacked a junior researcher who favours that hypothesis, dismissing her work as “conjecture, correlation and anecdote”.

    We can at least agree that the virus was present in the Wuhan market. Samples collected from market stalls and drains in early January 2020 contain SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. A recent analysis of this material, published in the journal Cell, claimed to show that the common ancestor of the viruses at the market was the common ancestor of the whole pandemic.

    That sounds compelling, until you realise that all of these samples were collected weeks after the pandemic began and none came from a live animal. Unaccountably, no samples were collected before the market was closed and the animals destroyed. Primarily for this reason, most commentators – including me – consider these latest results suggestive but not definitive.

    The lack of samples from animals is a problem. No one believes that this virus originated in Wuhan. The natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses are horseshoe bats, and no infected colonies have been found within 1,500km of the city.

    So it must have been brought into the market from somewhere. Yet no SARS-CoV-2 has been found along the supply chains for the animals sold there.

    Could a person rather than an animal have brought SARS-CoV-2 into the market in late 2019? That’s entirely possible. Many of the viruses near the base of the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral tree came from people with no links to the market. Several, including a cluster from Guangdong Province, were not even from Wuhan.

    Despite the many uncertainties and unanswered questions, it would be much easier to accept the market hypothesis if the pandemic had begun in one of the hundreds (or possibly thousands – no one seems to know for sure) of other Chinese cities that had similar markets in 2020.

    After all, the 2002 outbreak of the original SARS coronavirus (a very close relative of SARS-CoV-2) began in a market selling civet cats and other animals in, as it happens, Guangdong.

    Yet the epicentre of the COVID pandemic was less than 20 kilometres from China’s pre-eminent coronavirus research lab, the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That is an extraordinary coincidence, and you’d need compelling evidence that the market was the source (or that the lab wasn’t) to dismiss it. The evidence we have simply isn’t that strong.

    That said, there is no evidence – at least, not that the Chinese authorities have shared – that SARS-CoV-2 was present in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, though some closely related viruses were. I cannot know if it was or wasn’t, but it didn’t have to be.

    Scientists from the institute went on coronavirus-hunting expeditions to places such as Guangdong. Scientists from the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention – just a five-minute walk from the market – were making their own expeditions, too. There’s an obvious and plausible alternative route to the first human case.

    Dismissed as a conspiracy theory

    Yet as far back as March 2020, on a bare minimum of evidence, the idea that a lab was involved in any way was already being dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

    Two years ago, one of the most strident proponents of the market hypothesis claimed that his latest research “lays to rest the idea that the virus escaped from a laboratory”. An author of the new analysis in Cell says alternative explanations are “fanciful” and “absurd”.

    Who is all this bombast supposed to win over? Not scientists who can read the research papers, take note of the caveats and make their own judgments. Not politicians who have taken an ideological stance on the issue, particularly in the US. And not the intelligence agencies who many believe are our best hope for getting at the truth.

    I have studied the origins of human viruses for 25 years but, having examined the evidence, I still don’t know how the COVID pandemic began. I do know that the question is important and that debating it should be encouraged, not stifled.

    Mark Woolhouse receives funding from the European Union and the Wellcome Trust. He is a member of the Scottish Government’s Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and has advised the Scottish and UK governments, and the WHO, on pandemic preparedness and response.

    – ref. Did COVID come from an animal market? Here’s what the new evidence really tells us – https://theconversation.com/did-covid-come-from-an-animal-market-heres-what-the-new-evidence-really-tells-us-239533

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Global: Why building new towns isn’t the answer to the UK’s housing crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amrita Kulka, Assistant Professor, Political Economy and Public Economics, University of Warwick

    The UK is aiming to build 1.5 million homes over five years. Nick Beer/Shutterstock

    The UK’s new government is intent on building 1.5 million homes over the next five years. It’s all part of the plan to address the housing supply and affordability crisis.

    Many of these homes are to be built in the form of large communities or new towns of more than 10,000 housing units each. Some English new towns built after the second world war, such as Milton Keynes, Harlow and Basildon, have been successful economically. But the building of new towns has ground to a halt since the 1990s.

    The importance of large developments for housing supply in the UK has increased dramatically in the last 25 years. We have put together new evidence that reveals a significant shift in the source of housing supply. These days, an increasing share of new homes are coming from large developments.

    At the turn of the century, very large developments of at least 500 units made up only single digits of the total percentage of potential housing supply. Today, such developments represent 38% of permitted housing units. These very large projects only made up 0.2% of applications over the 25 years, but make up a disproportionately large chunk of new housing supply.

    This graphic shows the share of permitted new homes from 2000 to 2023 for applications of different development sizes across the UK.

    Proportion of new homes by development size

    Our research, undertaken with the support of our research assistant Alex Gallagher, explores the barriers that developments face in terms of paperwork and waiting time for a decision. We show that the amount of paperwork increases dramatically with the size of the project, going from one application for projects involving one unit, to more than eight applications for projects involving 500 or more units.

    The additional paperwork is generated by things like environmental surveys, infrastructure needs and public utilities.

    Northstowe in Cambridgeshire, which was planned to be the largest new town since Milton Keynes was built in the 1960s, also required funding for local infrastructure. Developers were obliged to contribute more than £120 million, most of which went to the construction of local schools. The development was left in limbo for around four years due to a delay to the expansion of the A14 trunk road, upon which the new town was entirely dependent. It is still not complete, with residents frustrated at the lack of infrastructure.

    In the case of Buckshaw Village, a new Lancashire development built on a former munitions factory, developers had to decontaminate the site. This required a £10.5 million contract to decontaminate more than 850 buildings.

    Of course many of these requirements are necessary, and beneficial for long-term planning. But it demonstrates that building a new town goes far beyond constructing houses.

    Decade-long delays

    In our research we also find that the time taken to reach a planning decision rises dramatically from projects involving one unit to projects involving two to nine units, and keeps rising for larger projects. The average time from the first application to the last decision is just over four years and four months for projects with more than 500 units. But even projects involving just one unit can expect to wait nearly a year.

    For bigger projects, waiting times for a decision are over 11 years in some cases (the most delayed 10%). One example is Ebbsfleet Valley – another newly planned town near London with large potential – which has seen only 4,000 of 43,000 planned homes built since planning began in 1996.

    The time taken for a planning decision plays a role in this delay. The borough councils resolved to grant outline planning permission (which lets a developer know if its plans are acceptable in principle) in 1998, two years after the application was submitted. But outline planning permission was not actually granted until November 2002. And then the need to supply more plans caused further delays, which meant building did not start until 2006 – 10 years after the original outline was filed.

    The long wait times for decisions, added to the fact that bigger developments must file additional applications, mean that housing supply from large projects is slow to be realised.

    These barriers have important implications for developers, which have to weigh the cost savings of large developments against the increased chance of obstacles that these larger developments are likely to throw up. So are new towns the most effective way to build a large amount of housing units in a short space of time?

    New towns are most comparable to the large-scale developments that represent an increasing share of residential units in the UK since the early 2000s.

    While these development schemes can deliver large amounts of housing alongside local infrastructure (at the developer’s expense rather than local government), they are unlikely to do so in the short term as they also face the toughest barriers under planning regulations.

    Therefore, so-called infill developments (that is, new buildings on unused or under-used land) as well as smaller and medium-sized developments, should not be neglected.

    Urban extensions and new neighbourhoods in the sites we’re already living in may provide ways to keep costs and uncertainties of new infrastructure to a minimum – even while planning larger developments or the new towns of the future.

    Amrita Kulka receives funding from Research England.

    Nikhil Datta receives funding from the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Economic and Social Research Council, and Research England.

    – ref. Why building new towns isn’t the answer to the UK’s housing crisis – https://theconversation.com/why-building-new-towns-isnt-the-answer-to-the-uks-housing-crisis-238635

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – Ituri Province: two churches closed after desecration by rebels

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – In the diocese of Bunia, capital of the province of Ituri in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, two churches desecrated by a rebel group have been closed. This was announced by the Bishop of Bunia, Dieudonné Uringi Uuci, during the Mass on Sunday 22 September. Bishop Uringi stressed in his statement: “In view of the reprehensible acts committed by elements of the armed Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), who closed the churches of Kpandroma and Jiba during the night of 28-29 August, acts that are classified as desecration and which are prohibited under can. 1211 require penance, and considering the threat to the physical and moral integrity of the priests working in these churches and the arbitrary taking hostage of two faithful collaborators of the priests, as well as the deliberate intention to extort money for the release of these faithful with the sole aim of harming the Church, and considering our and the immediate ordinary authority pursuant to Can. 381, paragraph 1, we decree the closure for an indefinite period of time of the “Marie-Reine” parish of Jiba and the Kpandroma pastoral unit.” Bishop Uringi also decided to recall the priests working in the two parishes. Can. 1211 states: “Sacred places are violated by gravely injurious actions done in them with scandal to the faithful, actions which, in the judgment of the local ordinary, are so grave and contrary to the holiness of the place that it is not permitted to carry on worship in them until the damage is repaired by a penitential rite according to the norm of the liturgical books.” The bishop stressed that the violence began after the Church called for dialogue and the laying down of weapons. The CODECO militiamen then demanded to meet the priests. When they did not find them, they attacked their employees, looted the premises and blocked the doors of the two churches. A similar incident had already occurred six months ago in one of the affected parishes. The militiamen had mistreated and imprisoned several priests and demanded the release of CODECO prisoners. Various Lendu militias are united in the armed group. The name of a cooperative, unusual for a guerrilla group, derives from the fact that when CODECO was founded in the 1970s, it was an agricultural development cooperative made up of Lendu farmers. Over the years, land disputes with Hema nomads led to two groups arming themselves, and CODECO eventually became a name for a union of various Lendu militias fighting against the Hema. CODECO is accused of several crimes against humanity, including massacres in villages and refugee camps. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Banking: AGNICO EAGLE PROVIDES NOTICE OF RELEASE OF THIRD QUARTER 2024 RESULTS AND CONFERENCE CALL

    Source: Agnico Eagle Mines

    Stock Symbol:  AEM (NYSE and TSX)

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) (“Agnico Eagle” or the “Company“) today announced that it will release its third quarter 2024 results on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, after normal trading hours.

    Third Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call and Webcast

    Agnico Eagle’s senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, October 31, 2024, at 11:00 AM (E.D.T.) to discuss the Company’s financial and operating results.

    Via Webcast:

    To listen to the live webcast of the conference call, you may register on the Company website at www.agnicoeagle.com, or directly via the link here.

    Via Phone:

    To join the conference call by phone, please dial 416.945.7677 or toll-free 1.888.699.1199 to be entered into the call by an operator. To ensure your participation, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call.

    To join the conference call without operator assistance, you may register your phone number here 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call to receive an instant automated call back.

    Replay Archive:

    Please dial 289.819.1450 or toll-free 1.888.660.6345, access code 80122#. The conference call replay will expire on November 30, 2024.

    The webcast, along with presentation slides, will be archived for 180 days on the Company’s website.

    About Agnico Eagle

    Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects in these countries as well as in the United States. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading environmental, social and governance practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.

    View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnico-eagle-provides-notice-of-release-of-third-quarter-2024-results-and-conference-call-302258002.html

    SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/HAITI – Father Massimo Miraglio: “With courage and determination, we continue our commitment so that people will one day have a decent standard of living”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 25 September 2024

    MM

    by Antonella PrennaPourcine (Agenzia Fides) – “Although the international spotlight on Haiti has long since faded, newspapers and media no longer report on it, the situation has not changed or improved in any way”. This is what the Italian Camillian Father Massimo Miraglio complains to Fides about the reality he found upon his return to Haiti after a long forced break in Italy.”Despite the intervention of the UN units led by the Kenyan force, which arrived on the island on June 25 and which have been reinforced in recent days by additional soldiers from Jamaica and Belize, the situation is still disastrous. It can be said that the presence of these troops in Haiti is almost ineffective. They complain of a lack of material, fear of loss of life and restrictive rules of engagement”, says the missionary. “In fact, the capital, Port au Prince, remains in the hands of armed gangs that spread terror among the population. All activities remain almost paralyzed. The entrances to the south and north of the capital are completely blocked, with various groups demanding bribes from people who stop them on the way. But this only applies to public transport and trucks, which in many cases are confiscated instead of letting them through. The exit to Jeremie, 200 km south of the capital, is also closed; it is practically impossible to get there by land. In this sad situation for the majority of the Haitian population, the new school year begins on October 1,” explains Father Massimo, who has lived on the island for almost twenty years.”We cannot hide the fact that the start of the school year will be accompanied by great fears and many difficulties. Many children will not go to school and many schools will be closed, especially in Port-au-Prince, due to the presence of armed gangs. Many children will not be able to go to school because they do not have the money to buy the minimum school supplies. Consider that 80 percent of schools in Haiti are private and costs are rising every year, while families are plunged further into poverty,” the missionary says. In Jeremie – where the Camillians have a parish – the situation is also dramatic and many children are unlikely to be able to start the school year on time on October 1st. “Books, like all school materials, are prohibitively expensive and difficult to get from the capital. The same goes for uniforms and school bags for students. Finding a decent pair of shoes to send them to school has become very difficult and expensive. In short, it promises to be a very difficult school year for children in Haiti,” adds Father Miraglio.”In our parish in Pourcine, in the mountainous hinterland of Jeremie, 250 students will be enrolled in primary and kindergarten this year,” explains Father Massimo, who is the parish priest (see Fides, 28/9/2023). “We have managed to build two very simple small buildings out of local wood, tents and sheet metal, which will accommodate six elementary school classes and two kindergarten classes. With just as much effort, we have managed to complete the teaching staff. They are all very young and the only ones who are prepared to teach in such a distant place despite the prospect of a salary. This will be the second school year in which the school will open here in the Pic Makaya mountains.”Among the various projects that the missionaries want to implement on the Caribbean island, the Camillians’ top priority is the establishment of a medical clinic on site. “We would like to set up a small outpatient clinic in the parish to save the sick from having to travel long distances; our “Foyer Saint Camille” in Port au Prince is far away. In addition, this week we will organize a mobile clinic with a group of Cuban doctors and the support of a local organization, with which we can provide first aid to the sick in a mountain region and bring people from two neighboring valleys. This is also a difficult undertaking, because to reach the place where we want to set up the clinic, we need more than four hours on foot and the same time to return to the paths along the slopes, which are very dangerous, especially in this rainy season.”“Following the charism of our founder, Saint Camillus, we want to work in this area with groups of chronically ill people, children with nutritional problems and the elderly who are often abandoned and alone in their homes. We hope to be able to set up an outpatient clinic by 2025, we are very grateful to the “Madian Orizzonti” organization of the Camillian Missionaries of Turin, who have supported us with great affection and we trust in the support of many other people who will meet us on our way,” stresses the missionary. “At the moment, unfortunately, the province is not free of problems due to the enormous difficulties in communication with the capital. It is very complicated to receive all kinds of goods from Port au Prince because Haiti is a country where everything is very centralized and everything comes from the capital. Recently, transport from the province to the capital, Jeremie, has also been difficult due to the rising prices of diesel and gasoline,” he reports.”In Pourcine Pic-Makaya, in our community, work is continuing on the aqueduct, we bring the water from the source to the center of the village. This is very important, not only because it shortens the distance between the source and the valley where most people live, but above all because it allows us to purify the water and avoid/limit the constant and frequent epidemics of cholera and intestinal diseases. In addition to the aqueduct, work to support agriculture is also continuing. We hope to create a coffee nursery in the coming months in the area that in the past provided some prosperity. But we do not give up hope and we continue to fight for better living conditions,” said Father Miraglio. “The aqueduct, the schools, the kindergarten, the mobile clinics, all these are important aspects to revive the hope of the population and ensure that their living conditions improve and prevent people from leaving these rural towns to concentrate in the metropolis or in the provincial towns that, like Jeremie, are already overcrowded and where there is no possibility of giving work and hope to these people who leave the countryside to come to the city. With courage and determination we continue our commitment alongside these rural populations, we try to support them in their faith, to accompany them so that one day they can have a decent standard of living,” he concludes. (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
    MM

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/LEBANON – Middle East Council of Churches: “comprehensive aggression” against Lebanon. Father Zgheib: attack in a village a few kilometers from the Maronite Patriarchate

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    UNHCR

    Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – The ongoing military escalation in Lebanon has developed into a “comprehensive aggression against various Lebanese regions, resulting in the martyrdom of thousands of citizens and the displacement of hundreds of thousands from southern Lebanon and the BekaaValley. These are “crimes” that “show the disregard for the principles of international law, the rules of the Geneva Conventions and all conventions governing on armed conflicts”. This is emphasized by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), based in Beirut, which in a statement released yesterday called on the international community to “intervene as soon as possible and issue a clear position condemning the war crimes against civilians by launching raids, and the systematic destruction of property and the interruption of food and health supplies.”In light of the tragic events in Lebanon, the Council held an emergency meeting of the General Secretariat chaired by the Secretary General, Lebanese Orthodox Christian Professor Michel Abs. Participants in the meeting prayed together for peace and discussed “urgent humanitarian issues and ways to support families.” Without mentioning the Israeli army by name, the MECC in its communiqué “strongly condemns the killing of innocent people, children, women, the elderly, and other civilians, and deplores the attacks carried out by aggressor forces on densely populated areas that have led to the death of some 500 people in one day and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens from their areas”. The text also urges “the provision of international protection for civilians so that organizations and associations can supply them with the necessary materials for a decent life”.During the meeting, the participants also set up a working group to coordinate local initiatives to support families displaced from their areas.”We all live in a situation where fear, pain, anger and anxiety are mixed,” said Maronite priest Rouphael Zgheib, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Lebanon and professor at the Jesuit University “Saint Joseph”, to Fides. “The uncertainty about what awaits us weighs on everything. It is not clear who can stop all this and whether the attacks are just the beginning.” The Israeli army’s bombings are directed against targets identified as possible bases of the Shiite Hezbollah Party. A strategy that has also been hitting small Shiite enclaves and villages in predominantly Christian areas for days. “This morning,” Father Rouphael Zgheib told Fides, “the small Shiite village of Maaysra in the Keserwan area, a historical settlement area of Catholic communities, was bombed. It is a village just a few kilometers from the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké.”The bombings in central Lebanon are causing fear among the population. Mistrust and suspicion are also increasing after the deadly danger also came from pagers and walkie-talkies, making it dangerous to speak to or approach people belonging to the Shiite community and directly or indirectly linked to Hezbollah. “This uncertain situation,” adds Father Zgheib, “is also affecting the relief efforts for the displaced and injured. Hospitals are collapsing, they were not prepared to treat the many people wounded in the face and eyes by pagers that became bombs.” “Churches and schools are opening to welcome the displaced, and there are many individual initiatives of solidarity with Christians and Muslims fleeing the south and other affected areas,” he affirms. “However, this spontaneous solidarity is accompanied by mistrust. The propaganda and political polarization of recent years have fueled distrust and triggered mutual attacks between the various parties, who accuse each other of betraying Lebanon and being a disaster for the country. The economic crisis has also limited the willingness to help those in need. This leads many to help only members of their own family network and confessional group,” the priest concludes. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN/GENERAL AUDIENCE – Lebanon: the international community should “make every effort to stop this terrible escalation”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 25 September 2024

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “I am saddened by the news from Lebanon, where in recent days the intense bombings have claimed many victims and caused destruction,” said Francis during the general audience in front of thousands of pilgrims and tourists. “I hope that the international community will make every effort to stop this terrible escalation. It is unacceptable. I express my closeness to the Lebanese people, who have already suffered too much in the recent past.”And let us pray for everyone, for all the peoples who suffer as a result of war: let us not forget tormented Ukraine, Myanmar, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, all the suffering peoples. Let us pray for peace,” added the Pope, who reiterated during today’s 500th general audience of his pontificate that one should not speak to the devil. “The strongest proof of the existence of Satan is found not in sinners or the possessed, but in the saints,” the Pope explained. He continued the cycle of catechisms on the theme “The Spirit and the Bride” and today focused on the role of the Holy Spirit as “our ally in the fight against evil”.”It is true that the devil is present and working in certain extreme and “inhuman” forms of evil and wickedness that we see around us,” said Pope Francis. “But by this route, though, it is practically impossible to reach, in individual cases, the certainty that it is truly him, given that we cannot know with precision where his action ends and our own evil begins. This is why the Church is so prudent and so rigorous in performing exorcism, unlike what happens, unfortunately, in certain films!”.”It is in the life of the saints, precisely there, that the devil is forced to come out into the open, to place himself “against the light,” he stressed. All the saints, all the great believers testify to their struggle with “this obscure reality”and one cannot honestly assume that they were all deluded or mere victims of the prejudices of their time. He was more skeptical about the attempt to deduce the existence of the devil from the evil in the world. “And yet our technological and secularized world is teeming with magicians, occultism, spiritualism, astrologers, sellers of spells and amulets, and unfortunately with real satanic sects.” Unfortunately, modern technology offers “countless means” to give an opportunity to the devil. “Think of online pornography, behind which there is a flourishing market: we all know this. It is the devil at work, there. And this is a very widespread phenomenon, which Christians should beware of and strongly reject.” But Christians should not be discouraged by “knowing the devil’s action in history.” “Christ overcame the devil and gave us the Holy Spirit to make His victory our own.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    September 29, 2024
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS proceeds to UK from Spain (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his visit to Madrid, Spain, today (September 25, Madrid time).

         In the morning, he led a delegation of technology start-ups to attend an exchange session organised by the IESE Business School, in which the delegation’s start-ups met and connected with over 10 Spanish start-up entrepreneurs, representatives of venture capital funds, investors, and enterprises for business matching. The IESE is one of the top business schools in Europe and the world, and has close collaborations with several universities in Hong Kong, as well as with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport.

         Mr Chan introduced the new advantages and new opportunities in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the policies and measures of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in promoting innovation and technology, along with the recent flourishing development of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology ecosystem. Representatives of start-ups and investors from both economies also introduced their businesses and development strategies, with a view to enhancing mutual knowledge and understanding, and opening up more opportunities for collaboration.

         Thereafter, Mr Chan met with the Dean of the IESE Business School, Professor Franz Heukamp, to exchange views on the business environments of Hong Kong and Spain, as well as promoting academic exchanges and co-operation between the two places. Mr Chan welcomed the IESE to further leverage Hong Kong’s international academic environment, as well as convenient connections with Mainland China and Asia, to deepen exchanges with various academic institutions and businesses in Hong Kong, promoting more bilateral co-operation in education, company executive training, and other business areas. 

         Mr Chan will leave Madrid this afternoon local time, and proceed to visit London, the United Kingdom.         

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024
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