NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Roy & Sen. Cruz demand answers from Biden-Harris admin on growing presence of Tren de Aragua gang

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)

    WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) and Senator Ted Cruz (TX) demanded answers from Department of  Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the growing presence of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Texas and across America.

    The Texas lawmakers wrote in a letter,“The Biden-Harris administration has imported Venezuelan illegal aliens at an alarming rate, allowing criminals – including the gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) – to gain a foothold in Texas and communities throughout the United States. Texans and the American people deserve better.”

    On October 5, 2024, Texas law enforcement executed “Operation Aurora,” a sting targeted at TdA members occupying a San Antonio apartment complex that had been forcefully taken over by the violent gang, similar to the situation recently seen in Aurora, Colorado. Authorities arrested 19 Venezuelan illegal aliens, four of whom are confirmed TdA members.

    The lawmakers said, “Alleged TdA affiliates have committed heinous crimes against Americans. The two Venezuelan illegal aliens charged with raping and murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray before tossing her dismembered body into a Houston bayou, both of whom were released under your tenure after they unlawfully crossed into Texas earlier this year, are believed to have ties to TdA.”

    “Our law enforcement community and the Texans they serve deserve answers on the scope of infiltration of TCOs under this administration,” the letter concludes.

    Read the full letter here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Guatemala: Internacional organizations demand due process guarantees at key hearing for Jose Rubén Zamora’s release

    Source: Amnesty International –

    19 international civil society organisations demand due process at the review of journalist Jose Rubén Zamora’s detention due on Friday 18 October 2024. A Guatemala City court will consider the request for revision of pre-trial detention order issued against journalist Zamora. He has been unjustly imprisoned since 29 July 2022. We, the undersigned organisations, express our deep concern regarding the violations of his human rights and the new threats to judicial independence.

    Since being appointed to preside over the hearing on Friday the 18, the substitute judge has faced stigmatisation on social media and a criminal complaint, intended to exert undue pressure. This kind of intimidation is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader, deeply troubling trend of criminalisation targeting those implicated in politically motivated prosecutions. This tactic is frequently deployed against human rights defenders, journalists, judicial officers and others. They, like Jose Rubén Zamora, have courageously taken a stand in the fight against impunity and corruption.

    At least 10 lawyers who have taken up Zamora’s defence have been forced to abandon the case due to external pressures. Some have even faced unjust criminal proceedings leading to their imprisonment, as reprisal for their  efforts on behalf of the journalist. These alarming incidents, combined with a series of irregularities, unjustified delays, and the absence of credible evidence, have severely tainted the criminal proceedings against Zamora and violated his rights to a defense, to the presumption of innocence and to a fair and impartial trial.

    Jose Rubén Zamora has been unjustly deprived of his liberty for over 800 days in the Mariscal Zavala prison in Guatemala City. International experts have raised alarming concerns that the conditions of Zamora’s imprisonment could constitute torture, and cruel and inhumane treatment. Such conditions are a grave violation of human dignity and justice. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has classified his prolonged detention as arbitrary and has unequivocally called for his immediate release. The criminal prosecution against Jose Ruben also violates freedom of expression and seeks to silence critical voices in the country.

    Jose Rubén Zamora is currently facing two separate criminal proceedings, both resulting in pre-trial detention orders. His path to freedom is blocked unless both courts handling these cases concurrently decide to replace his pre-trial detention with house arrest.

    In August 2024, the court overseeing the alleged money laundering offence case ruled to modify Jose Rubén Zamora’s pre-trial detention order. However, a second pre-trial detention order remains in force in a separate case, and on 18 October, another court will examine this order. This is the only legal rationale currently keeping the journalist behind bars.

    We, the undersigned organisations, call for this pivotal hearing to be conducted with full guarantees of independence and impartiality, ensuring strict compliance with the fundamental requirements of due process.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tech can help kids connect with nature and go outdoors – here are tips to make it work

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kellie Vella, Postdoctoral researcher in Human-Computer Interaction, Queensland University of Technology

    RasaBasa/Shutterstock

    Young children’s lives are increasingly spent indoors. They have less access to green spaces, their parents are concerned about safety, and there’s also the draw of digital entertainment. This shift away from the natural world has been evocatively named “the extinction of experience”.

    By being in green spaces, children benefit in many ways, including greater physical activity and improved concentration and self-control. The outdoors is also good for children’s learning. Benefits such as these have fuelled the rise of forest schools and the integration of nature play in early childhood education.

    The things that play the biggest role in limiting children’s time in nature are urbanisation and parental attitudes. Despite this, digital devices are often blamed for keeping kids indoors.

    Digital entertainment is widely perceived as addictive and detrimental. While the concept of screen time is contested, most Australian children are exceeding the current recommended guidelines.

    Our research took a different approach, asking: could digital technologies be designed to foster nature connection? After looking at studies of digital technologies used by children aged eight years and under, we found a wide range of ways technology can help children find their way back into the great outdoors.

    Being in nature

    The ways children connect to nature go through several phases: “being in nature, being with nature, and being for nature”. Key experiences that boost this connection include free time in nature, seeing others like oneself in natural settings, recording nature experiences, and gaining confidence and a sense of agency outdoors.

    We found technologies that help children to

    • have social and playful experiences outdoors
    • discover nature
    • show their care for and learn about other species and the environment, and
    • focus their creative and artistic abilities on the world around them.

    The most commonly used technology were digital cameras in various forms: handheld, GoPros, or built into smartphones or prototype devices.

    Case studies from all around the world show how digital imagery opens doors into the natural world. In São Paulo, Brazil, photography helped children notice urban nature they had overlooked. In the United States, it allowed them to collect images of species to learn about.

    In Australia, children took photos in parks for creative manipulation later, while in Finland, an augmented reality “forest elf” encouraged imaginative nature exploration that children could photograph. In Italy, the ABBOT prototype used a screenless camera device linked to a tablet application, enabling nature exploration without the distraction of screens.

    Julle, the augmented reality ‘forest elf’ used in the Finnish study.
    Kumpulainen et al. (2020), CC BY

    Young citizen scientists

    Nature photography is also a gateway to citizen science. Apps like QuestaGame, though not a subject of our research, bridge the appeal of photography and the game design of Pokémon Go. The goal of the game is to collect images of species for science.

    Our study found one citizen science project with seven- and eight-year-old children text logging seashore species they found. While the youngest children needed parental support to do this, they were reportedly the most enthusiastic.

    Sound technologies can also help connect kids with nature. The Ambient Birdhouse plays nature videos in the home so that children are sensitised to bird sounds when outside. Another tool, the Eko nature sound collector, pairs with an app to let children manipulate sounds they’ve collected outdoors.

    Like photography, sound technologies are an entry point to noticing the natural world. And children can use these even if they can’t yet read.

    How can we use tech to connect children with nature?

    There are many ways to appropriate existing technologies and make new ones to help children connect with nature. Parents and educators can use accessible technologies like cameras, and applications such as QuestaGame, including their schools-oriented challenge.

    To add mystery and excitement by having to look at the images later – much like with film cameras – parents can cover up the screen of a smartphone or digital camera. (A few inches of painter’s masking tape can do the trick.)

    Going out to check an automatic nature camera can also be exciting. It can even turn into a daily ritual. These cameras are available both commercially and DIY. To find the best places to put them, children can engage in backyard experimentation, adding another dimension to this activity.

    To further encourage their children’s creative and scientific learning, parents can help children make digital stories out of nature photos, or learn about species together.

    Finally, tech developers can use all this evidence to design dedicated tech tools for children to use in nature. These designs should be easy for young children to use, engage more senses than sight, and encourage outdoor play, wonder and care for nature.

    If such technologies are designed in collaboration with children, families and educators, they have the chance to be widely embraced, both at home and in the classroom.

    Our work shows there are ways to use technology to build kids’ interest in the outdoors. By listening to parents’ concerns about addiction to smart devices and children’s safety, we can ensure a world where children play outdoors freely, without veering towards surveillance.

    Kellie Vella is a Research Fellow with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

    Madeleine Dobson is an Associate Investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

    – ref. Tech can help kids connect with nature and go outdoors – here are tips to make it work – https://theconversation.com/tech-can-help-kids-connect-with-nature-and-go-outdoors-here-are-tips-to-make-it-work-240442

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ottawa — Significant transnational organized crime group disrupted by RCMP, FBI and police across Canada and the Americas

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The RCMP and FBI worked together for over a year to target a Mexican Cartel-linked criminal network. This network has been moving large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine from Central and South America via the United States to Canada and overseas. It also has been commissioning murders across North America, and laundering significant proceeds of crime.

    Enforcement action against the network began in Mexico earlier this month and continued this week with targeted arrests in Colombia, the United States, and Canada. These efforts are ongoing.

    The alleged leader of the network, Canadian Ryan Wedding, remains at large. He is wanted by the United States and Canada on separate charges.

    As part of FBI Operation GIANT SLALOM, US authorities indicted 16 people, including 10 Canadians, for a range of serious charges including drug trafficking, murder, conspiracy to murder and continuing a criminal enterprise.

    Four Canadians were arrested in Ontario this week by local Canadian law enforcement at the request of United States authorities, pending extradition. They were:

    • Hardeep Ratte
    • Gurpreet Singh
    • Rakhim Ibragimov
    • Malik Cunningham

    Three Canadian individuals were also arrested in the US:

    • Nahim Jorge Bonilla
    • Ranjit Singh Rowal
    • Iqbal Singh Virk

    A ninth Canadian, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico by local authorities earlier this month as part of efforts against this network.

    A tenth Canadian, Gennadii Bilonog, remains at large.

    Along with the indictments, law enforcement seized over one tonne of drugs and collected evidence on numerous homicides and conspiracies to commit murder.

    RCMP Federal Policing worked closely with the FBI during the investigation and acted as a crucial link to Canadian law enforcement, including Niagara Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police.

    This successful collaboration between the RCMP, the FBI, police in Canada, and overseas highlights the RCMP’s continued international and domestic efforts to reduce the harm to Canadians caused by global drug trafficking and violent crime. It is one example of the tireless work we do here in Canada and around the world everyday with our partners to tackle the threats we face and prevent transnational crime from hurting everyday Canadians and our allies. Our global efforts are yielding results that keep Canadians safe.

    Liam Price, Director General, International Special Services

    As the world becomes more interconnected, organized crime groups continue to evolve and expand internationally. Through collaborative efforts with the FBI, we have disrupted a major organized crime group. The actions taken during this operation will have positive impacts on the safety and security of our communities and citizens.

    Chief Superintendent Mathieu Bertrand, Director General, Serious and Organized Crime and Border Integrity

    Organized crime extends beyond borders and is constantly developing new ways to thwart the law. Partnerships, such as the one with the FBI, allow the RCMP to join forces to disrupt criminal activity.

    Appeal to the public

    Any member of the public with information on the whereabouts of Gennadii Bilonog is asked to call their local Police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477

    Do you have information on the illegal activities of individuals or groups of individuals? Contact the RCMP or your local police department.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Tillis to introduce legislation to promote protection of international digital freedom

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) today announced plans to introduce the Advancing Digital Freedom Act of 2024, which would equip the U.S. State Department with the authorities to elevate digital freedom as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and support its critical role in advancing democratic governance around the world. Companion legislation will also be introduced in the House by Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.).
    “As a global leader of human rights, the United States must deter authoritarian and illiberal states that are using advanced technologies to threaten human rights alongside our own national security,” said Senator Coons. “Protecting digital freedom abroad is a cornerstone of American foreign policy for the modern age, and that is why we must cooperate with like-minded countries to develop and deploy emerging technology in a manner that respects democracy and rule of law. As Co-Chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, I’m confident that this bill will help protect digital freedoms and counter global misinformation and disinformation in partnership with our allies.”
    “With increasing cyber threats and attacks on the horizon than ever before, working with our allies to counter them is all the more important,” said Senator Tillis. “Protecting and promoting digital freedom across the globe must be a priority, which is why I look forward to introducing this bipartisan legislation to ensure the Department of State continues to prioritize this as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.”
    “Digital technology has both benefits and drawbacks when it comes to advancing democracy,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “It can enable citizens to access information, share ideas, and organize while simultaneously allowing for authoritarian regimes to spread propaganda, enhance surveillance, and stifle free speech. We must ensure that digital technologies are used to strengthen democracy, not dismantle it. It is crucial for the United States to develop a comprehensive strategy to safeguard digital freedom worldwide and work with partners to implement this plan. Promoting human rights and democracy at home and abroad must remain a bipartisan issue, and I am proud to advance these priorities with a bipartisan, bicameral group of congressional colleagues.”
    “The Unholy Alliance, including the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, relies on abusive surveillance technologies to restrict access to information and the outside world and to maintain their grip on power,” said Congresswoman Young Kim, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. “To remain a global human rights leader, the United States cannot stand idly by as these authoritarian regimes use digital technologies and platforms to suppress innocent civilians, religious minorities, and political dissenters. I am proud to join Representative Kamlager-Dove and Senators Coons and Tillis to lead this bipartisan, bicameral effort to protect the right to international digital freedom. I’ll keep fighting to ensure the United States promotes global human rights and protects freedom-loving people around the world.”
    The right to freedom of expression has become a fault line between pro-democracy groups and authoritarian governments. Digital platforms, including social media, have been crucial tools for movements such as the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran or the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. However, autocratic governments have attempted to stifle these efforts by cracking down on digital freedom. Russia and China deploy digital tools to identify and silence dissidents, Iran routinely blocks access to thousands of websites conveying political content, and North Korea and Venezuela coordinate disinformation campaigns to undermine citizens’ access to credible information. To address such threats to digital freedom, the Advancing Digital Freedom Act would strengthen the United States’ role in leading efforts to ensure technology is used to uphold human rights, democratic values, and the rule of law. 
    Specifically, the bill would:
    Elevate digital freedom as a foremost foreign policy priority of the United States;
    Empower the Coordinator for Digital Freedom in the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to lead global efforts to protect digital freedom, counter disinformation and misinformation, and advance democratic governance in the digital space;
    Encourage the State Department to engage with foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, and other actors to coordinate efforts to defend digital freedom against digital authoritarianism; and
    Require the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to submit an annual report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the state of global digital freedom, including analysis of emerging and concerning trends impacting digital freedom.                                                                                                
    As Co-Chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, Senators Coons and Tillis are committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy through U.S. foreign policy. Recently, the caucus has held briefings and issued statements on the state of conflict and human rights across the globe, including in the Horn of Africa, Ukraine, and across Latin America.   
    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Natural Gas Producer Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in New Mexico

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Settlement Includes $9.4M Civil Penalty and Compliance Measures that Will Result in Reduction of Over 113,000 Tons’ Worth of CO2 Pollution

    The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a settlement with Hilcorp Energy Company resolving Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations in New Mexico.

    Under the settlement, Hilcorp agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9.4 million for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations. The civil penalty will be split between the U.S. and the State of New Mexico. In addition, the company must employ an EPA-approved third-party auditor to ensure compliance with all applicable Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.

    Hilcorp is further directed to account for the excess volatile organic compound (VOC) and methane emissions released through improper well completions by replacing, on a faster timeline than federal regulations require, old process control equipment with equipment that does not emit air pollution. This mitigation project will occur on Tribal lands of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, in Rio Arriba County, and on Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land in San Juan and Sandoval counties; all of these areas have potential environmental justice concerns.

    The work that Hilcorp will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 113,000 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions over the next three years, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 24,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 583 tons of VOC emissions annually.

    The case is the first to address violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.”

    “Hilcorp is a large, sophisticated natural gas producer and should know better than to violate Clean Air Act requirements to capture and control gas produced as a result of fracking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law and holding industry accountable. Today’s settlement importantly includes commitments to make infrastructure upgrades that will result in significant reductions of methane and VOC emissions.”

    “Oil and gas production results in significant air pollution, including emissions of methane that are one of the leading sources of near-term climate change, which makes today’s settlement with Hilcorp Energy a huge win for the environment and the planet,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is requiring Hilcorp to pay a $9.4 million penalty and make substantial investments in Clean Air Act compliance, which will reduce climate damaging emissions and improve air quality for all New Mexico residents, including communities with environmental justice concerns.”

    “This settlement holds one of the San Juan Basin’s largest polluters accountable for their contribution to climate change and ozone pollution,” said Secretary James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department. “If we want to make New Mexico’s air safe for future generations then Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Corporation executives need to step up their game and comply with federal and state rules.”

    Federal Clean Air Act and New Mexico state air regulations require oil and gas producers to capture gas that flows back to the surface following fracking using equipment that can accommodate flowback and to implement a reduced emission completion control, commonly referred to as a green completion. Producers have several green completion options to choose from. If none are technically feasible, producers may route the captured gas to a pollution control device like a flare.

    Based on EPA’s and NMED’s investigations, the U.S. and the state allege that Hilcorp conducted at least 192 well completion operations in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties from Aug. 2, 2017, through Aug. 1, 2019.

    At 145 of these well completions, Hilcorp captured none of the gas and instead released into the atmosphere all gas that flowed back following fracking. At the remainder of well completions, Hilcorp captured a portion of the gas and directed it to a flare but did not demonstrate that all green completion options were infeasible. Hilcorp’s actions resulted in thousands of tons of harmful methane and VOC emissions being released into the environment. Methane is a climate super pollutant and potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs adversely affect human health in multiple ways, including being involved in the formation of ground level ozone.

    Hilcorp is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production companies, and a top producer of natural gas in New Mexico from 2018-2021. New Mexico is one of the top ten producing states for natural gas in the United States for 2018-2023. In 2022, on-shore oil and gas industry data reported to EPA showed that Hilcorp’s San Juan Basin operation emitted the most methane in the U.S. among all oil and gas operations.

    The settlement is part of EPA’s Mitigating Climate Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, which focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, the Mitigating Climate Change initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.

    More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s Hilcorp Energy Company webpage.

    The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. Information on providing public comment and the complaint and proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at http://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

    EPA and NMED investigated the case.

    Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 17th, 2024 JEC Chairman Martin Heinrich Hosts “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” Roundtable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    PHOTOS & VIDEO
    Heinrich highlights how federal legislation is expanding pathways to in-demand jobs in New Mexico
    ALBUQUERQUE — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), hosted a “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” roundtable to talk directly with New Mexicans about how federal legislation he helped pass into law is creating careers in high-demand sectors and strengthening New Mexico’s health care, skilled trades, early childhood education, and union workforce.   

    Heinrich Hosts “Pro-Worker, Pro-Business Opportunities” Roundtable on October 17, 2024.
    “The manufacturing and clean energy renaissance driven by historic investments from the Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act is creating career opportunities across New Mexico. We need to build on this momentum by expanding access to apprenticeships, supporting new, high-quality jobs in the building and skilled trades, growing pathways to health care careers, and strengthening our early childhood education workforce. I will continue fighting to address workforce shortages, build the middle class, grow our economy, and provide more New Mexicans with the careers they can build their families around in their home communities,” said Heinrich.
    Thanks to recently enacted legislation that Heinrich helped pass into law, like the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Law, New Mexico is now at the center of a clean energy “manufacturing renaissance,” which is creating hundreds of jobs in New Mexico that people can build their families around.  
    Heinrich discussed his work with community leaders to create more pathways to in-demand careers, including through jobs training and registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. He also highlighted the success of the domestic manufacturing tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act that have expanded clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing in New Mexico.
    Through his role as Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), Heinrich has held hearings on job training in the clean energy sector, the domestic boom in manufacturing, and investing in early childhood education. Heinrich has also released reports on growing registered apprenticeship programs, job training for the clean energy transition, the manufacturing renaissance, addressing rural health worker shortages, the economic benefits of early childhood education, employing women in the clean energy sector, and growing the labor force in New Mexico.
    Heinrich has long been committed to creating new pathways to careers for New Mexicans in the communities where they grew up, while tackling shortages in in-demand sectors like health care and early childhood education.  
    Heinrich introduced the Apprenticeship Pathways Act, legislation to create pathways to careers for high school students by expanding access to apprenticeship programs for occupations with high need, including the building trades, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, and early childhood education. 
    Earlier this year, Heinrich introduced the Pre-Apprenticeships To Hardhats (PATH) Act, legislation to strengthen the pipeline for careers in New Mexico, address rising workforce shortages, and grow the state’s economy through quality pre-apprenticeship programs.  
    In March, Heinrich introduced the Providing Resources and Opportunities for Health Education and Learning (PRO-HEAL) Act, legislation that will tackle the health care provider shortage in New Mexico and nationwide by expanding pathways to high-quality, in-demand health care careers that medical professionals can access in their communities. Specifically, the PRO-HEAL Act addresses medical provider shortages by incentivizing states and institutions of higher education to expand or create health care provider pipeline programs, particularly in underserved and rural communities. The legislation is inspired by the success of the Combined BA/MD Degree Program at the University of New Mexico, where over 65% of students who have graduated from their program practice medicine in New Mexico.   
    Last year, Heinrich introduced the Pathways to Health Careers Act, legislation that reauthorizes and modernizes the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to help address health care shortages in New Mexico and across the country and create pathways to high-quality, in-demand health care careers.  
    The HPOG program has a proven track record of successfully educating workers for jobs in the health care industry, while also providing career coaching, job placement, and a mix of other support services. The Pathways to Health Careers Act would restart and expand the HPOG Program, providing $425 million to make HPOG available nationwide from FY2024 through FY2028 and includes set asides for Tribes and U.S. Territories. 
    In 2021, Heinrich introduced the Championing Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees in Technology (CHANCE in Tech) Act, legislation to create earlier pathways to high-paying careers in the information technology (IT) industry. 
    Investments in Clean Energy and Advanced Manufacturing:
    Heinrich has been fighting hard to pass legislation and secure investments that are growing the state’s economy, building the middle class, and expanding high-quality jobs New Mexicans can build their families around.  
    In 2022, Heinrich helped author and pass into law the landmark Inflation Reduction Act,which has created a manufacturing renaissance in the state and established New Mexico at the center of the nation’s clean energy future. Heinrich marked the two-year anniversary of the legislation being signed into law in August, highlighting how its incentives have expanded and spurred a number of new clean energy projects across New Mexico. 
    Earlier this year, Heinrich highlighted $20 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for Pajarito Powder to scale production of components for electrolyzers and fuel cells. Heinrich invited the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to tour the facilities of Pajarito Powder in Albuquerque, N.M. 
    In June, the N.M. Delegation welcomed $23.9 million from the CHIPS and Science Act for SolAero, an Albuquerque, N.M.-based manufacturing company, to increase its production of compound semiconductors for spacecraft and satellites, as part of an expansion and modernization of their facility. Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury, along with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, welcomed U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and White House CHIPS Coordinator Ryan Harper to New Mexico to highlight this investment.  
    In April, Heinrich and Luján welcomed Energy Secretary Granholm to break ground on a new 216,000-square-foot Array Technologies manufacturing campus — a $50+ million investment located on Albuquerque’s Westside — which will employ over 300 additional New Mexicans to facilitate the production, assembly, design, engineering, and customer service of solar tracking technology.  
    That same day, Heinrich, Granholm, and Vasquez participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the production of the first wind towers coming off the Arcosa Wind Towers manufacturing line. The ribbon-cutting ceremony came nearly nine months after Heinrich welcomed President Biden to the Belén manufacturing facility — a $60 million investment that will have a $314 million economic impact and create 250 jobs in the region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Puerto Rico’s Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested in Lajas, PR

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Nelson Torres-Delgado, a.k.a. “El Burro”, was arrested today in the municipality of Lajas, PR, on criminal charges related to his alleged drug trafficking and violent crimes charges in three different indictments since 2017. Torres-Delgado’s first indictment in Crim. Case No. 17-621 was issued on December 8, 2017, where he was charged in a conspiracy with 43 other individuals with drug trafficking and firearms violations. The second indictment was issued by a grand jury on May 20, 2019, in Crim. Case No. 19-307 where he was charged with 25 other individuals also with drug trafficking and firearms violations. The third indictment pending against Torres-Delgado was issued on August 21, 2024, in Crim. Case 23-273, where he was charged in a conspiracy with 51 other individuals with drug trafficking, firearms violations, and drug-related murders.

    According to court documents, Nelson Torres-Delgado, 37, was the leader of a violent drug trafficking organization in Caguas and other areas, since the early 2010s. He had been a federal fugitive since 2017 and maintained control over the criminal organization as a fugitive through deadly violence and intimidation, and by engaging in violent turf wars against rival drug trafficking organizations. His methods of avoiding capture while controlling his gang included limited face-to-face contact to only the highest and most trusted leaders in his organization.

    “As alleged in the indictments, Torres-Delgado was the leader of a violent, armed criminal enterprise that he controlled even as a fugitive from justice since 2017. Thanks to the tenacious efforts and collaboration of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, he now will face justice in a United States courtroom in Puerto Rico,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

    “When we work together, we accomplish more and when communities come alongside us as partners in the fight against drug trafficking and violent crime, amazing things can happen,” said Joseph González, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “No one is above the law, and no one is untouchable. Especially, when the public collaborates with law enforcement. The FBI’s commitment is to the people and I look forward to continuing the work we have begun with our local partners and the support of the public.”

    “This arrest is a culmination of a long-term fugitive apprehension effort of one of the most violent individuals in an effort to bolster public safety for the people of Puerto Rico,” said Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Division.

    Torres-Delgado is charged with drug trafficking, firearms violations, money laundering, and multiple drug-related murders. If convicted, Torres-Delgado faces up to life in prison, with the possibility of the death penalty for certain offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    This arrest was led by the FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), ATF, and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Héctor Siaca Flores are prosecuting the case.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Natural Gas Producer Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Emissions in New Mexico

    Source: US State of California

    Settlement Includes $9.4M Civil Penalty and Compliance Measures that Will Result in Reduction of Over 113,000 Tons’ Worth of CO2 Pollution

    The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) today announced a settlement with Hilcorp Energy Company resolving Clean Air Act and New Mexico state law violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations in New Mexico.

    Under the settlement, Hilcorp agreed to pay a civil penalty of $9.4 million for violations resulting from Hilcorp’s failure to reduce emissions during well completion operations. The civil penalty will be split between the U.S. and the State of New Mexico. In addition, the company must employ an EPA-approved third-party auditor to ensure compliance with all applicable Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.

    Hilcorp is further directed to account for the excess volatile organic compound (VOC) and methane emissions released through improper well completions by replacing, on a faster timeline than federal regulations require, old process control equipment with equipment that does not emit air pollution. This mitigation project will occur on Tribal lands of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, in Rio Arriba County, and on Navajo Nation Off-Reservation Trust Land in San Juan and Sandoval counties; all of these areas have potential environmental justice concerns.

    The work that Hilcorp will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 113,000 tons of reduced carbon dioxide emissions over the next three years, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 24,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 583 tons of VOC emissions annually.

    The case is the first to address violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.”

    “Hilcorp is a large, sophisticated natural gas producer and should know better than to violate Clean Air Act requirements to capture and control gas produced as a result of fracking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law and holding industry accountable. Today’s settlement importantly includes commitments to make infrastructure upgrades that will result in significant reductions of methane and VOC emissions.”

    “Oil and gas production results in significant air pollution, including emissions of methane that are one of the leading sources of near-term climate change, which makes today’s settlement with Hilcorp Energy a huge win for the environment and the planet,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is requiring Hilcorp to pay a $9.4 million penalty and make substantial investments in Clean Air Act compliance, which will reduce climate damaging emissions and improve air quality for all New Mexico residents, including communities with environmental justice concerns.”

    “This settlement holds one of the San Juan Basin’s largest polluters accountable for their contribution to climate change and ozone pollution,” said Secretary James Kenney of the New Mexico Environment Department. “If we want to make New Mexico’s air safe for future generations then Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Corporation executives need to step up their game and comply with federal and state rules.”

    Federal Clean Air Act and New Mexico state air regulations require oil and gas producers to capture gas that flows back to the surface following fracking using equipment that can accommodate flowback and to implement a reduced emission completion control, commonly referred to as a green completion. Producers have several green completion options to choose from. If none are technically feasible, producers may route the captured gas to a pollution control device like a flare.

    Based on EPA’s and NMED’s investigations, the U.S. and the state allege that Hilcorp conducted at least 192 well completion operations in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties from Aug. 2, 2017, through Aug. 1, 2019.

    At 145 of these well completions, Hilcorp captured none of the gas and instead released into the atmosphere all gas that flowed back following fracking. At the remainder of well completions, Hilcorp captured a portion of the gas and directed it to a flare but did not demonstrate that all green completion options were infeasible. Hilcorp’s actions resulted in thousands of tons of harmful methane and VOC emissions being released into the environment. Methane is a climate super pollutant and potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs adversely affect human health in multiple ways, including being involved in the formation of ground level ozone.

    Hilcorp is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production companies, and a top producer of natural gas in New Mexico from 2018-2021. New Mexico is one of the top ten producing states for natural gas in the United States for 2018-2023. In 2022, on-shore oil and gas industry data reported to EPA showed that Hilcorp’s San Juan Basin operation emitted the most methane in the U.S. among all oil and gas operations.

    The settlement is part of EPA’s Mitigating Climate Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, which focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, the Mitigating Climate Change initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.

    More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s Hilcorp Energy Company webpage.

    The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and is subject to a 30-day comment period. Information on providing public comment and the complaint and proposed consent decree are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

    EPA and NMED investigated the case.

    Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Activist News – Weekly protests are extending further around the country as Israel runs riot and our government’s policy of appeasement towards Israel fails dramatically – PSNA

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa

     

    Details of our weekly solidarity protests around the country are listed at the end of this letter sent to the Prime Minister yesterday.

     

    Rt Hon Christopher Luxon

    Prime Minister

    Parliament Buildings

    Wellington

    c.luxon@ministers.govt.nz

     

    Kia ora Mr Luxon,

     

    We write to you as a matter of utmost urgency, with a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

     

    The policy of appeasement towards Israel over the past year by western countries has failed miserably.  Israel has expanded its attacks and has abandoned all pretence of any sort of negotiated settlements.

     

    Our government is holding on desperately to a hopelessly weak and indefensible policy towards the Middle East. I have no doubt you know this.

     

    Israel is running riot with endless bombing and killing as it spreads murder and mayhem.  The majority of victims in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank are women and children – tens of thousands of children.

     

    You and I know this would never be tolerated if the victims were European.

     

    The situation has now become even more desperate and deadly with

    • Israel has refused to allow any food or supplies to be delivered since the beginning of this month to northern Gaza.  It has again unleased its firepower with absolute impunity on refugee camps and other civilian areas with the openly stated aim of ethnic cleansing of the majority of the 400,000 Palestinians who remain there.
    • Israel’s delivery of its threat to turn Lebanon into another Gaza, with attacks throughout the country, including Christian areas.
    • Israel’s endless attempts to widen the war across the region into Iran with repeated violations of its sovereignty until Iran responded – though without a single Israeli casualty.
    • Israel’s blatant attacks on UNIFIL positions and demands that UNIFIL withdraw from its mission to allow Israeli military advances further into Lebanon to achieve regime change for a Lebanese government subservient to its interests.

     

    Despite all that has happened over 12 months you have issued only platitudes “calling an all sides to exercise restraint” and condemnation of all parties Israel decides that is its enemies.

     

    You have failed to condemn Israel for anything it has ever done against the Palestinian victims of its settler colonial project and yet you have condemned every act of Palestinian resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.

     

    Other countries, the UK, France, Spain, Norway, and Ireland have spoken out and taken, albeit token, action to remind Israel that it is operating outside international law.

     

    History will condemn your 12 months of complicit silence but action now can make a real difference and saves tens of thousands of innocent lives. A minimum list of actions includes:

     

    1. Condemn Israeli action against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank as war crimes
    2. Join South Africa’s case of proving genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice
    3. Implement the recent obligations specified by the ICJ under the Geneva Conventions towards ending Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
    4. Identify and ban imports of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
    5. End procurement of goods and services from companies identified by the United Nations as complicit in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements
    6. Direct the Superfund, ACC and Kiwisaver providers to divest from companies on the UN list
    7. Investigate the export of Rakon Industry components which are incorporated into US weapons which almost inevitably end in the industrial-scale killing of Palestinians.
    8. Immediately close the Israeli embassy as Israel’s propaganda and lobby outlet in New Zealand
    9. Clearly and publicly state that NZDF personnel in the Middle East will neither participate in nor provide assistance to either US or Israel attacks or preparations for attacks on Iran
    10. Publicly join other countries in condemning the Israeli military attack on UNIFIL and demand of Israel that it will cease to demand UNIFIL withdraw from any of its positions in Lebanon
    11. Reiterate New Zealand’s participation in UNTSO and demand that Israel allow UNTSO continue its work unmolested
    12. Demand Israel revoke its declaration that the UN Secretary General is persona non grata in Israel.
    13. Note and support this UN report https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/un-commission-finds-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-israeli-attacks

     

    Please respond to this letter urgently.

     

    John Minto

    National Chair

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

     

    Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week

     

    These are on the PSNA Facebook events page here with the basic details listed below.

     

    North Island

    Opononi – Gathering for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October 

    1.30pm

    Opononi (outside the Four Square)

     

    Kerikeri – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Whangarei – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Auckland – Picket 

    Friday 18 October 

    12:00 noon

    New World Devonport – 

    35 Bartley Terrace, Devonport,

     

    Waiheke – Market Stall – hosted by Stand With Palestine Waiheke!

    Every Saturday

    8:00 am – 1:00 pm

    Ostend Market, Waiheke Island

     

    Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau

    Saturday 19 October 

    10:00 am

    Text John on 021 899 659 for location

     

    Auckland – Central Bike Ride for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    Meet at 12.45 to leave (ride to the rally) at 1.10pm

    Western Park. Ponsonby Road

     

    Auckland – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    2:00 pm

    Te Komititanga – Britomart Square, Tamaki Makaurau

     

    Then travel to Browns Bay for the Prayer Vigil for Gaza

     

    Auckland – Prayer Vigil @ Erica Stanford’s Office

    Aotearoa Christians for peace in Palestine will hold a Prayer Vigil to mark a year since the Israeli airstrike on St Porphyrius Church in Gaza City

    Saturday 19 October 

    4:00 pm

    85 Beach Front Lane, Browns Bay, Auckland

    https://www.facebook.com/events/s/vigil-for-gaza-st-porphyrius-c/1056552113142463/

     

    Auckland – Movie – The Last Sky

    Saturday 19 October 

    7:00 pm

    Trades Hall auditorium – 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn

    Limited seats. Tickets essential

    Admission by Koha

    https://events.humanitix.com/the-last-sky

    Director Nicholas Hanna will have a Q&A after the movie

     

    Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children

    (Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice – Hauraki)

    First Saturday of the month

     

    Tauranga – Flag wave

    Sunday 20 October 

    11:00 am

    SH2 Bethlehem – By Woolworths

     

    Hamilton – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 pm

    Civic Square, Hamilton

     

    Whaingaroa/Raglan

    To be advised

     

    Cambridge – Rally for Palestine

    Every Saturday

    11:00 am

    Cambridge Town Hall

     

    Rotorua – Rally for Palestine

    Every Thursday

    4:00 pm

    Rotorua Lakes Council, Haupapa Street (Sir Howard Morrison Corner)

     

    Gisborne – Farmers Market – Vigil to Stop the war on Children

    Every Saturday

    9:30 – 11:30 am

    Gisborne Farmers Market

     

    Napier – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:30 am

    Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout

     

    Hastings – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    1:00 pm

    Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD

     

    Palmerston North – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    2:00 pm 

    The Square, Palmerston North

     

    New Plymouth – Flags on the Bridge

    Friday 18 September

    4:30 pm

    Paynters Ave Bridge, New Plymouth

     

    New Plymouth – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 PM 

    The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth

     

    Whanganui – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:00 am

    Riverside Market, Whanganui

     

    Carterton – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Tuesday

    12:00 midday

    Memorial Square.

     

    Martinborough – Vigil for Palestine

    Every Wednesday

    11:00 am

    The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough

     

    Masterton – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Sunday

    9:30 am

    Town Hall Lawn, Masterton

     

    Featherston – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Saturday

    11:00 am

    The Squircle (opposite the op shop).

     

    Wellington – Vigil for Palestine (by Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine)

    Every Friday

    6:00 pm

    In front of Wellington Hospital

    49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington

     

    Wellington – Flags on the Bridge

    (hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)

    Every Friday

    7:15 – 8:15 am

    Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington

     

    Wellington – Rally

    (hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 – 2:00 pm

    Meet at Glover Park and Hikoi down Cuba Mall and back to Glover Park

     

    South Island

    Nelson – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    10:30 am

    Rocks Road by the beach

     

    Blenheim – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:00 am

    Blenheim Railway Station

     

    Christchurch – Nobela Protest

    Thursday 17

    11:45 am

    Foodstuffs Headquarters

    167 Main North Road, Northcote, Christchurch

     

    Christchurch- Flag Waving for Palestine

    Friday 18 October 

    4:00 pm

    Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

     

    Christchurch – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 – 2:00 pm

    Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

     

    Timaru

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Dunedin – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Queenstown
    No Rally this weekend

     

    Invercargill – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    1:00 pm

    Wachner place Invercargill.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 2nd Hainan Int’l Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo kicks off in Haikou

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    2nd Hainan Int’l Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo kicks off in Haikou

    Updated: October 18, 2024 09:43 Xinhua
    A staff member arranges alcoholic drinks from Chile during the 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Oct. 17, 2024. The 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo kicked off here Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff member prepares food by a robot chef during the 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Oct. 17, 2024 shows candies from Japan displayed during the 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff member arranges food from Malaysia during the 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Oct. 17, 2024 shows fungi from southwest China’s Yunnan Province displayed during the 2nd Hainan International Tropical Food Supply Chain Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s top diplomat calls for deepening China-Brazil cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with a high-level Brazilian delegation led by Rui Costa, chief of staff of the presidency, in Beijing on Oct. 17, 2024. [Photo/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

    China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met with a high-level Brazilian delegation led by Rui Costa, chief of staff of the presidency, in Beijing on Thursday, calling for deepening practical cooperation between the two countries.

    Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, noted that China and Brazil are the largest developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres, respectively, with highly complementary economies, aligned development strategies and shared governance concepts.

    Under the new circumstances, the all-round strategic cooperation between China and Brazil not only serves the long-term and fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also sets a good example for the solidarity and coordination of countries in the Global South, Wang said.

    China attaches great importance to its relations with Brazil and is full of confidence in Brazil’s development prospects, Wang said, adding that China is ready to work with Brazil to take the opportunity of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties to intensify high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation, enhance strategic collaboration and jointly build a community with a shared future.

    Costa and the other delegation members said Brazil is willing to push for more tangible results in cooperation in various fields, such as economy, trade, finance, infrastructure, green transformation, re-industrialization, and scientific and technological innovation.

    The Brazilian side is ready to enhance the strategic relationship of the two countries and push the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, said the delegation.

    The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on improving global governance and agreed to safeguard the common interests of developing countries, international fairness and justice, and to become an important stabilizing force in today’s turbulent world.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Hats in the air for new PSOs

    Source: South Australia Police

    Weeks of comprehensive training have paid off for 11 new Police Security Officers (PSO) who today graduated from the South Australia Police (SAPOL) Academy.

    Ranging in age from 19 to 39, 10 men and one woman have been welcomed into the blue family and share a desire to help the community.

    Course 3 graduates bring a variety of work experience to the role, including in retail, fitness, healthcare, labour, HR, customer service, and childcare.

    Former flight attendant, Marcio, was living in Dubai when his journey towards a new SAPOL career began.

    “I was working as a flight attendant for an airline up to June 2023. I met my wife, who is from Adelaide, in 2014 while doing our flight attendant training course,” he said.

    “We got married and welcomed our baby boy in 2022 and decided that it was time to retire our wings and the nonstop flight attendant lifestyle to give full attention to our growing family.

    “I feel very lucky to have travelled the whole world and met so many people of diverse cultures and backgrounds.”

    Australia is the fourth continent Marcio has lived in during the past 14 years.

    “I lived in Dublin, Ireland in 2010/11. I was back in Brazil in 2012/13, and from 2014 to 2023 I was in Dubai and now Australia for the foreseeable future,” he explained.

    “Throughout my time at SAPOL’s academy I have become more aware of things happening around me and more situationally aware now. My active listening skills have improved.

    “I am really excited to graduate and start doing the job I have been training so hard for. I will likely be posted to the Police Security Services Branch where I will work across many important government sites and on metro patrols.”

    Fellow graduate, Libby, was working as a childcare educator and playing SANFLW before joining SAPOL.

    “Learning to communicate with children and their families has helped my communication skills throughout the academy,” she said.

    “I’m excited to work in the variety of roles the Police Security Services Branch has to offer, including custody management, school patrols, and getting to communicate with the community daily.

    “Throughout my time at the academy, participating in the Operational Safety Training Exercises (OSTT) was one of the most memorable experiences.”

    Libby plans to undertake SAPOL’s Constable Development Program in the future, after seeing how far she can go in the PSO role.

    Both graduates encouraged anyone thinking about a new career to consider joining SAPOL.

    “It’s like joining a tight-knit family,” Marcio said.

    “I really get that welcoming feeling every time I bump into a PSO in the corridors of the police academy.”

    Libby similarly felt accepted and supported throughout her training.

    “Everyone in our course had their strengths and weaknesses and as a group we were able to work together to help everyone graduate, backed by our mentors,” she added.

    If you’re looking for job security, career progression pathways and a chance to make a real difference in local communities visit Achievemore – Join Us (police.sa.gov.au)

    Marcio and Libby are among 11 new Police Security Officers to graduate today from the South Australia Police Academy.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: The U.S.-Germany  Partnership

    Source: The White House

    On the occasion of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s visit to Germany, the United States reaffirms its commitment to deepening the close and historic bond between the two nations as Allies and friends.  For over 75 years, Germany has been a crucial partner in ensuring the stability, security, and prosperity of the transatlantic alliance.  In October 2023, President Biden welcomed President Steinmeier to Washington during German-American Day, underscoring the enduring people-to-people ties between our two countries, including the over 40 million Americans who claim German heritage and strengthen the diverse fabric of the United States.  In February 2024, President Biden welcomed Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House, where the two leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s war of aggression, discussed regional stability in the Middle East, and prepared for the NATO Summit in Washington.

    During his visit to Germany, President Biden will underscore our mutual commitment to upholding democracy, combating antisemitism and hatred, and expanding collaboration to promote economic growth and technological innovation.  In addition, he will express gratitude to Germany for its role in hosting approximately 39,000 U.S. service members and its vital contributions to the security of NATO and the broader transatlantic community. 

    The United States and Germany are partners in a wide range of new and continuing initiatives to address the most pressing challenges of our time, some of which are listed below.

    # # #

    SECURITY AND DEFENSE

    • The United States and Germany cooperate through several multilateral institutions including NATO, the G7, the OSCE, and the UN, to advance security, democracy, and the rule of law globally.
    • As host to the largest U.S. troop presence in Europe and second largest globally, Germany continues to play a critical role as a platform for U.S. military force projection, including support for NATO’s eastern flank and training for Ukrainian soldiers. 
    • Germany has been a key provider of military assistance to Ukraine in its defense against the Kremlin’s aggression.  Contributions include advanced weaponry such as Leopard 2 tanks, air defense systems (such as IRIS-T), artillery, and ammunition. Germany also supplies medical aid, vehicles, and training for Ukrainian forces, continuously adapting its support to Ukraine’s evolving needs in coordination with NATO allies.
    • As announced by President Biden and Chancellor Scholz on July 10, 2024, the United States looks forward to beginning the episodic deployments of its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany in 2026, as part of planning for enduring stationing of these conventional long-range fire capabilities in the future.
    • Germany plays a key role in the U.S-Italy co-led G7+ Coordination Group for Ukraine Energy Security Support.  Germany has been a leading provider of financial assistance and critical components such as transformers and power generators to support the repair and strengthening of Ukraine’s energy sector in response to Russia’s continued brutal attacks on civilian infrastructure.
    • Germany is a robust partner in the fight against terrorism and terrorism financing, in the Financial Action Task Force, and as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS).  On September 30, State Secretary Tobias Lindner joined Secretary Blinken for the D-Isis Ministerial Meeting in Washington, D.C. 
    • Germany will accede to Operation Olympic Defender, a U.S.-led multinational effort intended to strengthen nations’ abilities to deter hostile acts in space, strengthen deterrence against hostile actors, and reduce the spread of debris orbiting the earth. International partners currently include the UK, Canada, and Australia.

    DEFENDING DEMOCRACY

    • As the second-largest provider of assistance to Ukraine after the United States, Germany has provided $37.2 billion (€34 billion) in bilateral assistance since February 2022.  This includes humanitarian assistance, budgetary support, military equipment and training, and funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction.  Germany hosted an international reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Berlin in June 2024 which generated over €60 billion in commitments to Ukraine and emphasized the human dimension of post-war recovery.
    • At the September 2024 United Nations General Assembly, the United States, in partnership with Germany and other international allies, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting democratic transitions as part of the Democracy Delivers Initiative, launched by USAID.  The initiative mobilized over $517 million to provide financial and technical assistance to countries undergoing democratic renewal, including Guatemala, Armenia, and Moldova, with the aim of strengthening global democratic resilience.
    • Germany has increasingly recognized the importance of supporting Taiwan as a like-minded democratic partner.  Education Minister Stark-Watzinger’s visit to Taiwan in 2023 marked the first visit by a German minister to Taiwan in 26 years.  Two German warships recently transited the Taiwan Strait, a visible demonstration of Germany’s commitment to upholding international laws and norms and increasing engagement to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
    • Germany was one of the first of twenty-one countries to endorse the U.S. government’s Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation, the U.S. Department of State’s key initiative to galvanize like-minded democracies to respond collectively to the threat posed by disinformation.  

    ECONOMICS & TRADE

    • Germany is the United States’ largest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching over $324 billion in goods and services in 2023.  U.S. direct investment in Germany was $193.2 billion in 2023.  In total, German firms employ an estimated 923,600 people in the United States.  Germany is the fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States and the number one foreign investor in U.S. renewable energy projects.  Germany is currently the third-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, with investments worth more than $660 billion based on 2023 data.
    • On September 24, 2024, the United States and Germany held the third round of the U.S.-Germany Economic Dialogue, building on the framework established in the 2021 Washington Declaration.  The talks focused on strengthening collaboration to increase economic security, including cooperation in sectors such as digital technologies and clean energy supply chains.  Both countries committed to enhancing supply chain resilience and advancing sustainability goals.
    • Germany and the United States partner on several initiatives to advance women’s economic security around the world, including bolstering women’s participation in climate sectors through the Women in the Sustainable Economy Initiative, closing the gender digital divide through the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative, and supporting women to join the workforce by investing in efforts to close the global childcare gap through the Invest in Childcare Initiative.

    COMBATTING ANTISEMITISM:

    •  Germany is a global leader and vital partner in the fight against antisemitism and extremism.  Senior officials are unequivocal in condemning antisemitism and federal and state governments have robust strategies for tackling the problem.  In July 2024, Germany co-launched the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism in Buenos Aires, an initiative led by U.S. Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt.
    • Launched in 2021, The U.S.-Germany Dialogue on Holocaust Issues, plays an essential role in combatting Holocaust distortion online and promoting accurate Holocaust education and commemoration.
    • Germany and the United States cooperate on improving resolution to Nazi-confiscated art to ensure just and fair solutions for survivors and heirs, and salute Germany’s new art restitution policy.

    EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES

    • The German-American Fulbright program is one of the largest and most varied of the Fulbright Programs worldwide, sponsoring over 40,000 Germans and Americans since its inception in 1952.
    • Established in 2016 as a public-private partnership, each year the USA For You program brings youth from underserved German communities to the United States for a two-week homestay and community service experience.  The program promotes civic engagement and helps counter extremism and xenophobia by fostering cultural understanding.  In 2023, the German government launched a reciprocal Germany for You program, allowing American high school students to visit Germany for a similar exchange, further strengthening transatlantic ties.
    • The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), jointly funded by the United States and German governments, supports the transatlantic relationship by fostering year-long academic, homestay, and community service opportunities for 700 American and German youth annually.  Since 1983, CBYX has promoted cross-cultural understanding, professional skills, and mutual awareness of each nation’s history, politics, and society.  With around 15,000 German and 14,000 American participants to date, the program strengthens ties and deepens the transatlantic partnership between the next generation of leaders.
    • The German Bundestag-Bundesrat exchange (CBBSX) program is an annual two-way exchange between German Bundestag and Bundesrat staff and U.S. Congressional staff members.  It was initiated during the 1983 German-American Tricentennial celebration and first implemented in 1984.  Participants focus on the U.S. legislative process and U.S.-German relations; examining U.S. Congress and the U.S. political system.  In 2024 the IVLP brought 10 German Bundestag and Bundesrat staff members to the United States.  For the first time, CBBSX participants also engaged with state and local government.

    SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT, SPACE, & TECHNOLOGY

    • On January 10, 2024, the United States and Germany held a U.S.-Germany Critical and Emerging Technology Track 1.5 Dialogue to share strategic objectives, outlooks, and lessons learned in technological innovation. The two countries agreed to convene the first of an ongoing AI Dialogue to discuss approaches to AI governance, infrastructure and innovation, and applications of AI for good. They intend to hold the first session of this dialogue in early 2025.
    • Furthering their commitment to monitoring the effects of climate change, the United States and Germany have partnered on space collaboration through NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission, which monitors Earth’s water movement by tracking shifts in gravity.  This mission provides critical data for managing water resources, monitoring sea levels, and understanding climate change impacts on a global scale.
    • The U.S.-Germany scientific partnership was further strengthened throughfunding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) program, which advances cutting-edge research in brain function and computational neuroscience.  This initiative supports interdisciplinary approaches to understanding neural systems.
    • On September 14, 2023, the United States and Germany held the inaugural U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue, advancing collaboration in space exploration, satellite technology, and space security.  This dialogue promotes joint efforts in planetary science, climate monitoring, and managing space debris, while advancing international norms for responsible space operations.

    CLIMATE & ENERGY

    • In July 2021, the United States and Germany launched the U.S.-Germany Climate and Energy Partnership to deepen collaboration on the policies and sustainable technologies needed to accelerate the global net-zero future.  Notable outcomes of the Partnership include the first U.S.-Germany Climate and Energy Summit held in Pittsburgh September 2022, and the U.S.-German Clean Hydrogen Conference held in Berlin October 2023.
    • Beyond our strong bilateral partnership, the United States and Germany are also intensifying our cooperation to accelerate the clean energy transition and promote clean economic growth in emerging and developing economies.  This includes leveraging and scaling-up our collective technical, policy, and financial support to catalyze investments in clean energy manufacturing and industrial decarbonization in developing countries, leveraging key international platforms such as the Climate Club and Clean Technology Fund.

    GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

    • The United States participated in the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan, hosted by France, Germany, and the European Commission on April 15, 2024, to address the vital need for greater humanitarian assistance for the Sudanese people.
    • The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) are strengthening their partnership through a Strategic Development Dialogue.  This initiative focuses on joint efforts to tackle global challenges in climate change, food security, gender equality, health, and G7 development priorities.
    • The United States and Germany have worked closely across multiple presidencies of the G7 Food Security Working Group to support efforts to achieve long-term food and nutrition security.  As most recently affirmed in the Apulia G7 Leaders’ Communiqué, both countries have committed to promoting and supporting multi-stakeholder programs to build climate resilience in our food systems.  These programs include the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils, launched by the United States in partnership with the African Union and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU is the leader in the BRICS ranking among Russian universities located in the regions

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The Association of Rating Compilers (ACR) has published Pilot ranking of universities in the BRICS countries. The final list included 600 educational institutions from ten Commonwealth countries: Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and South Africa. Russia became the second country in the ranking by the number of participants – 161 universities. Novosibirsk State is in 19th place in the overall ranking, occupying the highest positions among Russian universities located in the regions.

    In general, the BRICS rating methodology repeats the methodology of the “Three University Missions” rating, but takes into account the national characteristics of the countries that are part of the association. The university’s activities are also characterized in three areas: education, science, and relations with society. The difference is that the weights of some indicators have been changed and one new indicator has been added: “the number of joint scientific publications with BRICS partners.”

    — NSU’s high positions in the BRICS university rankings are explained by several factors. First of all, this is the quality of education and scientific activity. A positive impact was exerted by the increase in the significance of such an indicator as “the number of victories of university students in international student Olympiads” (data on Olympiads were taken into account from 2019 to 2023). And also the addition of such a criterion as the number of scientific works in partnership with colleagues from BRICS countries to the new ranking. NSU is traditionally strong in international scientific ties, especially with the states that are part of this association. We currently have 126 partner universities in 24 countries of the world, more than 300 publications with foreign co-authors are published annually, — noted NSU Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.

    A total of 24 Russian universities made it into the top hundred of the ranking. The highest positions were taken by Moscow State University (2nd place), St. Petersburg State University (5th place), Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (6th place), HSE (10th place) and MEPhI (15th place). Next come universities located in the regions, among which the leader is Novosibirsk State University (19th place), followed by Tomsk State University (36th place) and Ural Federal University (38th place).

    The strongest point of Russian universities is the quality of education; 39 educational institutions in Russia were included in the top 100 universities according to this group of criteria, with 10 of them being in the top twenty.

    Rating information:

    The idea of the ranking was proposed in 2023 by representatives of South Africa, and in the same year it was enshrined in the declaration following the meeting of the BRICS education ministers. The BRICS principles on which the ranking was formed werevoicedat the congress of the Russian Union of Rectors in July 2024, and then they were discussed and supported by the working groups of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education and the Ministry of Education and Science. Principlespublishedon the website of the rating “Three University Missions”.

    Full list of universities, included in the rating.

    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.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/education/ngu-leader-in-brix-rating-among-russian-universities-located-in-regions-/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS to visit Peru and US

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    FS to visit Peru and US
    FS to visit Peru and US
    ***********************

         The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for Peru this evening (October 18) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting and other related events to be held in Lima, after which he will visit New York, the United States, from October 22 to 24.     In addition to attending the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting during his visit to Lima, Peru, Mr Chan will have bilateral meetings with officials of other economies to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. He will also attend a luncheon hosted by the APEC Business Advisory Council and meet with members of business communities from various regions.     With a theme of “Sustainable + Digital + Resilient = APEC”, this year’s Finance Ministers’ Meeting will explore topics including global economic and financial outlook, fostering green and sustainable development, providing financial support to tackle climate change, as well as digitalisation of finance and financial inclusion.      During his visit to New York, Mr Chan will attend the Global Regulatory Forum organised by Bloomberg and deliver a keynote speech. He will also join a number of breakfast meetings and luncheons to meet and exchange views with members of the political, business and financial communities in the United States, and promote Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities. Mr Chan will also visit local enterprises.     Mr Chan will leave New York on October 24 local time and arrive in Hong Kong in the early evening of October 25. During his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will be the Acting Financial Secretary.

     
    Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 14:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS to visit Peru and the US

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart for Peru this evening to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting and other related events in the country’s capital Lima, before heading to New York City in the US.

    Under the banner “Sustainable + Digital + Resilient = APEC”, this year’s finance ministers’ meeting will explore the global economic and financial outlook, how to foster green and sustainable development, the provision of financial support to tackle climate change, digitalisation in finance, and financial inclusion. In addition to attending the APEC event, Mr Chan will hold bilateral meetings with officials from other economies to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. He will also attend a lunch hosted by the APEC Business Advisory Council.

    During his visit to New York, the Financial Secretary will deliver a keynote speech at the Global Regulatory Forum, organised by Bloomberg.

    In addition, Mr Chan will attend a number of breakfast meetings and lunches to promote Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities. He will also visit local enterprises.

    Mr Chan will arrive back in Hong Kong on October 25. During his absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will be Acting Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Ambassador of Peru to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received Ambassador of Peru to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN Luis Tsuboyama at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. They discussed Dr. Kao’s participation in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to be held in Lima, Peru, on 14 November 2024. Peru is the chair of APEC this year, having previously served as the APEC Chair in 2008 and 2016. The ASEAN Secretariat is one of the official observers of APEC, along with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Ambassador of Peru to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vladimir Stroyev took part in the opening of the Forum of Rectors of BRICS Universities

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev and Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Dmitry Bryukhanov took part in the opening meeting of the BRICS University Rectors’ Forum, which was held on October 17, 2024, in the building of Lomonosov Moscow State University and brought together about 200 university leaders and representatives from 20 countries.

    The event was held within the framework of the Russian Federation’s chairmanship of the BRICS association in 2024 under the auspices of the Russian Union of Rectors and is the first such forum with the participation of rectors of leading universities of the BRICS countries, as well as representatives of the scientific and expert communities in an expanded format.

    The Forum’s plenary session featured welcoming speeches and speeches by distinguished guests, including Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Education of the Federative Republic of Brazil Alexandre Brasil Carvalho da Fonseca, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Academician Vladislav Panchenko and others.

    In his speech, Konstantin Mogilevsky noted that cooperation between BRICS countries in the field of education, science and technology is growing stronger from year to year, transforming from bilateral to multilateral and network forms of interaction.

    On the sidelines of the forum, Vladimir Stroev held a number of meetings and discussions with colleagues and partners from various Russian and foreign universities, as well as government and scientific structures.

    On the day of the Forum, the Association of Rating Compilers (ARC) prepared a pilot version of the BRICS universities ranking, which included the State University of Management.

    The methodology of the BRICS university ranking is based on the approaches to compiling the global list of “Three University Missions” – the first academic ranking. At the same time, changes were made to the ranking model to take into account the national characteristics of educational institutions in the BRICS countries.

    The final list included 600 educational institutions from ten Commonwealth countries: Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and South Africa. The largest number of universities in the ranking are located in China (207 universities). The second country by the number of participants in the ranking was Russia (161 universities), and the third place in this parameter was taken by India (93 universities).

    On the second day of the Forum, October 18, its participants will discuss issues of forming the ranking of universities in the BRICS countries.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/18/2024

    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.

    Vladimir Stroyev took part in the opening of the Forum of Rectors of BRICS Universities

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ITUWTSA 2024 Champions Gender Equality in Telecommunication Standards with Historic Milestone in Women’s Leadership Participation

    Source: Government of India

    ITUWTSA 2024 Champions Gender Equality in Telecommunication Standards with Historic Milestone in Women’s Leadership Participation

    Witnessed highest ever female participation in the history of ITUWTSA events, marking a significant step toward gender-balanced delegations and leadership roles

    Boosting women’s participation in standards development is not just about numbers—it’s about ensuring that women’s voices are heard, empowering future leaders, and fostering inclusion: Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the ITU

    Posted On: 18 OCT 2024 11:44AM by PIB Delhi

    The ITU-WTSA 24 which is being held in Delhi in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, saw a landmark event yesterday, focused on promoting gender diversity in the field of telecommunication standardization. The special event, The Network of Womenin Standards (NoW), led by the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), underscored the commitment to advancing women’s leadership roles in STEM and standardisation.This topic is particularly significant for India as the government is implementing various measures to create an inclusive technology sector and empower women through technology platforms, in line with the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who advocates for women-led development. India is making progress in this area, with an increasing number of women co-founders in startups and over 40% of participants in STEM education being women. Initiatives such as Namo Drone Didi, Bank Sakhi, and Mahila E-Haat are empowering women to take on leadership roles in technology.

     

    The Network of Women (NoW) in ITU-T, aligned with WTSA Resolution 55 (Rev. Geneva, 2022), is dedicated to fostering active female participation in standardization activities and ensuring a gender-inclusive approach across all ITU-T processes. This initiative is critical as the global push for digital inclusion accelerates, with women playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of technology.

     

    In her opening remarks, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the ITU, emphasized the importance of addressing gender imbalances in the field. She stated, “We can, and we must, increase the number of women in leadership roles, especially in our standards study groups. It’s crucial for women to step up, take the floor, and make their voices heard. This is what the Network of Women stands for—creating an environment where women feel empowered and supported. Mentorship plays a vital role in this transformation. It’s through mentoring, creating opportunities, and sharing our knowledge that we can truly progress. If there is no seat at the table, we must bring our own chair—and bring one more for those who will follow. Let’s continue pushing forward, lifting each other up, and ensuring that the digital future is shaped by all of humanity. Together, we can and will make real progress toward digital inclusion.”

    Dr. Rim Belhassine-Cherif, Chair of NoW, ITU-T, and Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer responsible for Digital Transformation at Tunisie Télécom, highlighted the progress made in achieving gender balance at ITU-WTSA 2024. She noted, “One of the key objectives of ITU-WTSA 2024 was to promote gender-balanced delegations and increase the number of women in leadership roles, particularly as heads of delegations. Through various initiatives such as panel discussions, training sessions, tutorials, and the support of regional preparatory groups, we have achieved the highest-ever participation rate of women in ITU-WTSAhistory.”

    The increasing involvement of women in ICT standardization is crucial as disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerge. Women’s contributions can help ensure the development of inclusive, equitable, and sustainable standards that will drive technological progress for the benefit of all humanity.

    The event featured a dynamic fireside chat, moderated by Doreen Bogdan-Martin, with Dr. Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, Minister of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, Burkina Faso, and Neha Satak, Founder & CEO of Astrome. The discussion focused on closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and in standardization. Panelists stressed the importance of a supportive environment and early capacity building to encourage more girls to pursue careers in tech.

    Expert panelists examined and discussed the challenges surrounding gender equality in AI and shed light on incentives and opportunities for technical standards to support inclusive AI during panel discussion on “Standards for inclusive AI”.  Also discussed were the ways to explore how standards could help address gender bias and ensure an equitable future. The session was  moderated by Ms Susan Ferguson, UN Women India Representative and panelists were Prof Sandra Maximiano, Chair of the Board, Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (Portugal’s national regulatory authority for the communications sector), Mr Vishnu Ram, AI expert, Vice Chair of ITU Focus Group on Autonomous Networks, Dr Alessandra Sala, Sr. Director of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Shutterstock, Global President of Women in AI, Dr Ebtesam Almazrouei, Founder and CEO of AIE3, Expert AI Executive and Tech Visionary Leader and MsPico Velazquez, founder & CEO at VIIRA, Computational Architect & Multiverse Thought Leader.

    The session also recognised the leading women in ITU Standardisation. Mr. Seizo Onoe, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and Ms. Madhu Arora, Member, Technology/Digital Communication Commission, Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Communications, Government of India felicitated Dr. Rim Belhassine-Cherif, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, TunisieTélécom, Tunisia; Dr. Hyoung Jun Kim, Vice Chair, NoW, Chair of ITU-T;Ms. Rebecca MukiteNoW in ITU-T Regional Representatives, Africa; Ms. Tania Villa, Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), Mexico; Ms Basma Tawfik, International Organizations Manager National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egypt​; Ms Miho Naganuma, TSAG Vice Chair, Senior Executive professional, NEC Corporation, Japan; Ms Maria Bolshakova, Acting Deputy Director General, Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC), Russia; Ms Izabela Iglewska, Minister Advisor, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Poland; Additionally, member states from Cameroon, the Dominican Republic, Ghana and Europe were also felicitated for their high female participation rates in delegations.

     

    ITU-WTSA 2024 continues to drive pivotal conversations on gender equality in telecommunications, addressing both statistical and stereotypical biases, mitigating biases, and promoting active participation of women in the telecom and tech sector.

    WTSA 2024, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), serves as a platform for the development and implementation of global telecommunications standards, uniting regulators, industry leaders, and policymakers to shape the future of communications worldwide.

     

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    SB/DP/ARJ

    (Release ID: 2065992) Visitor Counter : 51

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: DNA Fund Acquires Coral Capital; To Manage $50 Million AUM In Web3, AI & Emerging Tech

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • With this acquisition, DNA Fund, known for its big-ticket investments in web3, aims to expand into new verticals, including a Bitcoin & Ether Yield Fund.
    • Coral Capital previously managed the funds of DNA’s principals.

    Puerto Rico, Oct. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — — DNA Fund, the Financial Institution of the future in high-ticket emerging tech and web3 investments, has announced its acquisition of Coral Capital Holdings LLC, an established investment management firm that has previously managed millions in the DNA founders’ personal funds. 

    As early-stage investors in established Web3 brands and founders of some of the sector’s most notable projects, DNA and its founders have invested in or founded projects such as Tether, EOS, Mastercoin, Bancor, and Hedera Hashgraph. The acquisition will see the DNA Fund manage an additional AUM of over $50 million, which includes Coral’s high-yield hedge funds and venture funds focused on DeFi, AI, blockchain, and other emerging technology sectors. Some of Coral’s top-performing investments include Near Protocol and Atmos Labs.

    Thomas L. McLaughlin, Coral’s Chief Investment Officer, will continue in his role, managing the funds with a unique focus and strategy aimed at maximizing investor returns.

    Regarding the acquisition, Christopher Miglino, CEO of DNA Fund, said, “By bringing Coral Capital under our umbrella, we are not only expanding our investment capabilities but also enhancing our ability to offer unique, high-growth opportunities to our clients. Our combined expertise allows us to navigate the complexities of the digital asset landscape and continue delivering value to our investors.”

    Thomas L. McLaughlin, CIO of Coral Capital Holdings, added, “Joining forces with DNA Fund is an exciting new chapter for Coral. Our shared vision for leveraging technology to drive financial growth is perfectly aligned. Together, we are set to redefine what’s possible in digital asset investments and deliver superior results for our investors.”

    Since its inception in 2021, Coral has delivered consistent returns with innovative strategies, delivering high multiples on the benchmark of the overall market cap of digital assets. Coral’s Flagship fund, initially started as a market-neutral vehicle, was rebranded in 2023 as a discretionary liquid token, surviving a number of high-volatility events, including FTX and Terra.

    With a 61.6% return (net of fees) and a maximum annual drawdown of only 11.6% in FY 2022, these funds have outperformed the broader digital asset market. Over a similar period, Bitcoin returned 36.7%. 

    Through this acquisition, DNA Fund also aims to capitalize on the growing interest from institutional investors and expand into several new verticals over the coming year, including a Bitcoin & Ether Yield Fund, as well as more speculative funds focused on AI, memecoins and microcaps.

    -END-

    About DNA Holdings Venture Inc.(DNA Fund):
    Since 2013, DNA Holdings Venture Inc. has been a leader in the digital asset investment space and at the forefront of the next global financial ecosystem. Co-founded by Brock Pierce, a pioneering innovator and investor in the blockchain industry, and Scott Walker, a key figure in early crypto adoption and one of the most successful investors in the history of the space, DNA Fund leverages its deep industry knowledge to drive innovation and provide value to investors worldwide.

    About Coral Capital Holdings LLC
    Founded in 2021, Coral Capital Holdings LLC has been a trusted name in crypto fund management, with a focus on delivering innovative strategies and strong returns for its investors. Under DNA’s leadership, Coral continues to build on its legacy of excellence with a renewed focus on emerging opportunities in digital assets and technology.

    Investor Relations
    DNA Holdings Venture Inc.  
    investors@dna.holdings  

    Media Contact
    Jonny Hesketh
    Luna PR, jonny@lunapr.io, +971 555 496776

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lengthy Sentences in Federal Prison Handed Down in Ongoing Large Scale Drug Conspiracy and Money Laundering Case

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced four individuals convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

    Nathan Johnson, age 39, from Denver, Colorado, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on June 17, 2024. He was sentenced to 36 years and eight  months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Johnson was sentenced in September of 2024.

    Michele Johnson, age 48, from Steen, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on July 29, 2024. She was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. She was sentenced in October of 2024.

    Jesse Richmond, age 51, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on June 18, 2024. He was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Richmond was sentenced in September of 2024.

    Tony Hunter, age 53, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on May 29, 2024. He was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Hunter was sentenced in September of 2024.

    Nathan Johnson, Michele Johnson, Matthew Thomas, Jesse Richmond, and Tony Hunter were originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. A third superseding indictment was filed in May of 2024 adding defendant, Alfred Siani.

    From December of 2022 to July of 2023, the above-mentioned defendants alongside numerous other co-conspirators transported large loads of methamphetamine from California to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nathan Johnson, acting as the leader of the conspiracy, would travel from his home in Denver, Colorado to meet with his source of supply in Southern California. While there, Nathan Johnson would receive approximately 150-pounds worth of methamphetamine which would go on to be further distributed in Denver, Colorado, as well as South Dakota.

    While in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nathan Johnson would distribute bulk amounts of methamphetamine to his co-conspirators: Jesse Richmond, Tony Hunter, and Michele Johnson. Richmond, Hunter, and Michele Johnson would go on to further distribute the methamphetamine throughout the Sioux Falls community and into southwest Minnesota.

    The amount of methamphetamine involved was in excess of 300 pounds and over $450,000 in drug proceeds were laundered during the existence of this conspiracy.

    “The multi-decade sentences obtained thus far illustrate the seriousness of the crimes and the dogged commitment of every agency involved to focus our resources on those criminals who choose to distribute dangerous substances in our state,” said United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are grateful for the collaboration of more than a dozen federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and joint task forces, as well as out-of-state agencies, which resulted in the takedown of a network of drug dealers responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of illegal narcotics into South Dakota. We are fortunate to have such dedicated men and women doing the difficult investigative and prosecutorial work required to keep our communities safe.”

    “These sentences should serve as a wake-up call to anyone transporting or distributing methamphetamine into South Dakota communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steve Bell said. “These four people are facing a combined 119 years in federal prison. Each sentence should provide the offender with ample time to reflect on the damage and destruction they’ve inflicted on so many lives.”  

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the Rocky Mountain Field Division, Omaha Field Division, Mexico City Country Office, Los Angeles Field Division, Special Operations Division), as well as South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation team, El Paso Intelligence Center, and collaboration received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Marshals Service, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, Denver Police Department, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Worthington Police Department, Brookings Police Department, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Forde, and the Colorado Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

    All four defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic at the BRICS University Rectors Forum

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The BRICS University Rectors’ Forum has started at Moscow State University. It is attended by 250 heads and representatives of universities from 20 countries – all BRICS countries (Russia, Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and South Africa), as well as Belarus, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine and Sudan.

    It is important for us to work together to prepare new generations of personnel who are capable of not only achieving outstanding scientific results, but also increasingly feeling their responsibility for the future of science and humanity. The modern university community, as we see it, is open to equal, mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation, to mutual enrichment with the experience of developing universities in different countries, – the President of the Russian Union of Rectors, Rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy greeted the participants.

    Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky emphasized: Education and science are becoming the most important tools for finding joint answers to global challenges such as climate change, economic inequality and global pandemics. It is thanks to the unification of the BRICS countries that we can implement practical initiatives of mutual interest.

    In his welcoming speech, the Vice Minister of Education of Brazil, Alexandre Brasil Carvalho da Fonseca, noted: The internationalization of education is a global perspective, and we aim to involve all BRICS countries in this process. We understand that the experience of all participants is a valuable resource for creating structures aimed at the internationalization of our activities. Our goal is to ensure access to higher education for Brazilians of different social classes, regardless of their status. We are confident that this cooperation will contribute to the improvement of research activities in universities and the improvement of the quality of life of the population within the BRICS.

    Welcoming speeches on the importance of inter-university cooperation were delivered by the Rector of Ain Shams University Saleh Hasem Mustafa Abdelrazek from Egypt, the Rector of the University of Sharjah Hamid Midwil Al-Naimi from the UAE and the President of the Association of Arab Universities Amr Ezzat Salama.

    Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy noted that the mechanism of regular dialogue at the level of ministers of education and enlightenment, ministers of science, technology and innovation, heads of academies of sciences of the BRICS countries is currently functioning effectively. Interaction is ongoing through the alliance of cooperation in the field of technical and vocational education and training.

    We are confident that this event, unprecedented in its scale and nature, will open a new chapter in the development of scientific and educational cooperation in BRICS, which will be supplemented by creative innovative solutions and joint achievements, he added.

    Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladislav Panchenko emphasized the importance of the BRICS association: Cooperation between the academies of sciences and universities of the BRICS countries opens up enormous prospects for us. The exchange of young scientists and students allows us not only to solve modern scientific and social problems, but also to achieve significant success within the framework of our association. We pay great attention to this process, discussing the importance of the inextricable link between science and education, which was emphasized at the recent meeting of the heads of the academies of sciences of the BRICS countries in Moscow, timed to coincide with the three hundredth anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The Polytechnic delegation at the forum was headed by Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev. The busy program between business sessions included negotiations with partner universities and national associations. Following the forum, agreements were signed with leading universities of the BRICS countries – Indore Institute of Technology (India), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, State University of Campinas, State University of Sao Paulo “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (Brazil), Isfahan University of Technology (Iran), Gomel State Technical University named after P. O. Sukhoi (Belarus).

    We see significant interest from Brazil, India, and the Arab world in establishing strong long-term relations with Russia. It is gratifying that the Polytechnic University is known in these countries. This means that we are pursuing the right policy of forming our international reputation and promoting the university on the world stage. The agreements reached today create space for opportunities and development potential for us in the BRICS countries, – commented Dmitry Arsenyev.

    Print version

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

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

    https://www.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/international_activize/polytech-at-the-forum-of-university-rectors-of-Brix-countries/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hemingway, after the hurricane

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Verna Kale, Associate Editor, The Letters of Ernest Hemingway and Associate Research Professor of English, Penn State

    Rescue workers search debris for victims of the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, a Category 5 storm that devastated parts of the Florida Keys. Bettman/Getty Images

    The 2024 hurricane season has been especially disastrous, and the casualties and widespread damage from flooding and high winds in towns like Cedar Key, Florida, call to mind another historic hurricane, the Labor Day hurricane of 1935.

    As one of the editors of “The Letters of Ernest Hemingway Volume 6 (1934-1936),” with Sandra Spanier and Miriam B. Mandel, I am reminded of the eyewitness account that the writer, then a resident of Key West, Florida, gave of the catastrophic storm that leveled Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key and took the lives of more than 400 people, many of them World War I veterans.

    Then, as now, the aftermath of a natural disaster included political finger-pointing.

    Today the debates center around how resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are allocated or how climate change contributes to the intensity of the storms.

    Back then, Hemingway had a different beef with the government, blaming the deaths of hundreds of World War I veterans on the failure to evacuate Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key ahead of the storm.

    The calm before the storm

    Hemingway was no stranger to hurricanes.

    A serious deep-sea angler who fished the waters off Florida, he kept an eye on weather patterns. Hurricane season was an anticipated, if dreaded, annual event.

    “Now the lousy hurricanes are starting,” he wrote his friends Jane and Grant Mason in June 1934. “Wish we would get lots of east wind and current … and then have a fine july and august without hurricanes.” Knowing that these conditions were unlikely, he jokingly asked the Masons “and what do you want for xmas Mr. and Mrs. Mason yourselves?”

    Ernest Hemingway was an avid fisherman. Here he poses with a marlin in Havana Harbor, Cuba.
    Ernest Hemingway Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

    In a Sept. 30, 1934, letter, he wrote friends Gerald and Sara Murphy with hopes that he would get through the rest of hurricane season without incident: “no hurricanes yet […] if we get through the next 20 [days] are all right,” and he was glad that he “can fish without having to tie [the boat] up somewhere up some creek.”

    The next day, he wrote to fellow novelist John Dos Passos, “Hurricane months if you dont get a hurricane are fine.”

    ‘Not a building of any sort standing’

    But the following year, when the hurricanes did come, it was not fine.

    Over Sept. 2-3, 1935, a hurricane made landfall in the Florida Keys. Occurring in the days before storms were given names, the Labor Day hurricane, as it is commonly known, was the first recorded Category 5 hurricane in the U.S.

    It remains the third-most intense storm on record in the Atlantic basin, with a barometric pressure drop to 892 millibars and wind gusts exceeding 200 mph. Much of its damage was caused by the storm surge, and the Overseas Railroad, which had been completed in 1912 and connected the Florida Keys to the mainland, was destroyed and would not be rebuilt.

    After the storm, Hemingway wrote to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, describing its aftermath.

    Though communications were down and the island was cut off from the mainland, Key West had sustained relatively little damage.

    Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key, however, were a different story.

    “Imagine you have read about it in the papers but nothing could give an idea of the destruction,” Hemingway writes. “The foliage absolutely stripped as though by fire for forty miles and the land looking like the abandoned bed of a river. Not a building of any sort standing. Over thirty miles of railway washed and blown away.”

    Worse yet were the human casualties: He notes that the last time he witnessed so many dead in one place was in Europe during World War I as a Red Cross ambulance driver, adding, “We made five trips with provisions for survivors to different places and nothing but dead men to eat the grub.”

    A corpse floats in the aftermath of the hurricane.
    Ernest Hemingway Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

    Many of the victims were veterans, employed by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration to work on the Overseas Highway construction project. Outraged by the federal government’s failure to send a train to evacuate the workers in time, Hemingway tells Perkins that the veterans “were practically murdered.”

    Federal administrators, he adds, “had all day Sunday and all day monday to get those vets out and never did it. If they had taken half the precautions with them that we took with our boat not a one would have been lost.”

    The letter contains graphic descriptions of the hundreds of dead bodies, rapidly decomposing in the Florida sun as they awaited transport to Arlington, Virginia, to be buried.

    ‘That smell you thought you’d never smell again’

    Hemingway would repeat many of these same details in an article published in the Sept. 17, 1935, issue of the leftist magazine The New Masses.

    The article, which Hemingway titled “Who Killed These Men?,” and which was re-titled by the editors as “Who Murdered the Vets?,” criticized the federal government for not evacuating the workers.

    “Who sent nearly a thousand war veterans … to live in frame shacks on the Florida Keys in hurricane months?” Hemingway asks.

    Hemingway, no stranger to the sight and smell of the dead from his experiences during World War I, was disgusted not merely by the bodies “swollen and stinking” but by what brought the veterans to the work camps to begin with.

    Skeptical of the various government programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Hemingway saw the Federal Emergency Relief Administration work camps as a way for Washington to conveniently rid itself of hundreds of down-on-their-luck veterans, many of whom were experiencing what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder.

    “I would like to make whoever sent them there carry just one out through the mangroves, or turn one over that lay in the sun along the fill, or tie five together so they won’t float out, or smell that smell you thought you’d never smell again, with luck,” Hemingway writes.

    This impassioned response to the disaster in 1935 still resonates. Hemingway recognized that while storms are inevitable, mass casualties do not have to be. The government can’t control the weather, but it can fulfill an obligation to protect the most vulnerable in the path of the storm.

    Verna Kale works for the Hemingway Letters Project, which has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

    – ref. Hemingway, after the hurricane – https://theconversation.com/hemingway-after-the-hurricane-241103

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Senior Chinese, Brazilian officials meet on advancing ties

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Rui Costa, chief of staff of the Presidency of Brazil, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, Oct. 18 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Rui Costa, chief of staff of the Presidency of Brazil, on Friday in Beijing.

    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said both China and Brazil are important representative countries of the Global South, calling the two countries like-minded good friends and good partners marching forward hand in hand.

    Ding noted that under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ leaders, the China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership has shown vigorous development momentum, with political mutual trust being constantly consolidated and new progress made in exchanges and cooperation of various fields.

    China is ready to work with Brazil to earnestly act on the important consensus reached by the two countries’ heads of state, and take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to constantly expand the depth, width and height of mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote bilateral ties to a new high, said Ding.

    Costa said Brazil highly values China and takes China as a reliable long-term partner, expressing the hope to make joint efforts with China to make bilateral relations more strategic and comprehensive.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: National Ocean Service helps reopen Florida ports after Hurricane Milton

    Source: US National Ocean Service News

    A NOAA survey boat examines Tampa Bay’s shipping channels in the wake of Hurricane Milton Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Credit: NOAA National Ocean Service/Douglas E. Jessmer)

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the National Ocean Service’s Office of Coast Survey conducted hydrographic survey operations to help reopen Port Tampa Bay and SeaPort Manatee. As part of the response effort, Coast Survey deployed teams, including a contract surveyor, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    The routes of two NOAA navigation response teams, Fernandina and Gulfport, as they conducted hydrographic survey missions Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11-12, 2024, to assist with the reopening of Port Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton. The contracted R/V Thunder surveyed the approaches to Tampa Bay. (Credit: NOAA National Ocean Service/Nicolas Alvarado)

    “We very much appreciate the close-knit relationship the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has with both the U.S. Coast Guard and the NOAA,” said Col. Brandon Bowman, Jacksonville District Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “This enables our federal agencies to quickly respond, survey and reopen vital federal channels for navigation to aid in delivering supplies and minimize impact to the shipping industry.”
    Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm at approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 9, near Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota, Florida. In the aftermath of the storm, the U.S. Coast Guard prioritized surveying SeaPort Manatee, to ensure safe passage for cargo ships carrying fuel to the region. 
    “Reopening the ports is critical,” said Dr. Nicolas Alvarado, NOAA Navigation Manager for Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “The faster we can get the necessary information to our partners so the port can be reopened, the better. The navigation response teams are heroes — they work around-the-clock to get the surveying done.”

    From left, physical scientist John Gray, NOAA Corps Lt. Robert Sobelsohn, and physical science technician Michael Coughlin surveyed Tampa Bay’s shipping channels Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in the wake of Hurricane Milton. This NOAA survey crew and their boat were part of the agency’s collaborative response to help open Port Tampa Bay quickly for commerce and navigation. (Credit: NOAA National Ocean Service/Douglas E. Jessmer)

    When hurricanes make landfall, they often bring stronger-than-normal ocean currents that can shift navigational channels and bring debris that can threaten the ability of vessels to navigate safely along the coast and into ports. NOAA’s navigation response teams use multibeam and sidescan sonar to detect any dangers in the water and speed the reopening of ports and waterways.
    Coast Survey strategically places navigation teams around the country. While 80% of their time is spent acquiring data for routine nautical chart updates, they also maintain a state of readiness for rapid response mobilization after emergencies.

    Navigation response team Gulfport in the foreground when oil/chemical tanker Golden State enters Tampa Bay’s shipping channels in the wake of Hurricane Milton Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. Thanks to NOAA’s hydrographic expertise, the channel was surveyed to update navigational charts and to ensure safe navigation in the hurricane’s wake. (Credit: NOAA National Ocean Service/Nicolas Alvarado)

    According to the American Association of Port Authorities “2024 Port and Maritime Industry Economic Impact Report,” U.S. ports’ contribution to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product totals almost $311 billion. Port Tampa Bay receives approximately 33 million tons of cargo a year, while more than 11 million tons of cargo move through SeaPort Manatee annually. Delays in shipping, even minor ones, can cost the economy millions each year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Peruvian National Sentenced in Transnational Scheme to Defraud Spanish-Speaking United States Consumers

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Peruvian national was sentenced yesterday to 98 months in prison and to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution to his more than 1,100 victims for his role overseeing a transnational fraud conspiracy that targeted recent immigrants to the United States.

    According to court documents, Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40, of Lima, was the operator of a Peruvian call center that defrauded and extorted Spanish-speaking United States residents by falsely threatening them with arrest, court proceedings and immigration consequences. Zuñiga was extradited from Peru in March to face charges related to the scheme and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in July.

    In pleading guilty, Zuñiga admitted that he owned and operated a call center in Lima, that placed unsolicited calls to Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States and falsely claimed that they had won or qualified for free products, including computer tablets and English language courses. On later calls, Zuñiga and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that victims were contractually obligated to pay large sums to receive the products. Zuñiga and his co-conspirators impersonated lawyers, court officials, police officers and representatives of a supposed “minor crimes court” to intimidate victims and force them to send payments. Zuñiga and his co-conspirators queried potential victims about their country of origin and threatened victims with court proceedings, arrest and immigration consequences if they did not pay.

    Many victims who made payments following these lies and threats were frequently re-victimized by Zuñiga and his co-conspirators with a related restitution scheme. The defendant and his co-conspirators placed additional calls to victims who had already paid and, while posing as lawyers for a U.S. court, falsely represented that victims were entitled to restitution payments and would receive their money back if they paid additional fees. In reality, there was no lawyer, no restitution order and no funds returned to the victims who made those additional payments. Instead, Zuñiga kept those additional victim payments for himself.

    “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch is dedicated to protecting vulnerable U.S. consumers from fraudsters no matter where those fraudsters reside,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that individuals who defraud our immigrant communities will be held accountable in U.S. courts. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that individuals who impersonate government and court officials are brough to justice.”

    “The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly and recent immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will not allow transnational criminals to use fear tactics and intimidation to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”

    “Today’s sentencing of Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano is proof of the dedication between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to stop at nothing to bring those suspects who victimize our citizens to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division.

    With today’s sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 12 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced in connection with a $15 million transnational fraud scheme that defrauded and threatened Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers, claiming they would suffer legal consequences if they did not pay for English-language learning products they never requested. Collectively, the scheme was responsible for defrauding more than 30,000 Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. Many of the victims were recent immigrants who had merely expressed interest in learning English.

    The 12 defendants include eight Peruvian call center owner-operators and four distribution center owner-operators who processed payments, distributed products and facilitated the fraud in the United States. Many of the defendants shared strategies on how to defraud Spanish-speaking residents of the United States.

    Zuñiga is the eighth defendant to be extradited from Peru and plead guilty in federal court to fraud charges related to Peruvian call centers involved in the English language learning scam. In 2021 and 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr., sentenced Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Renteria, Fernan Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla and Josmell Espinoza to sentences ranging from 88 months to 110 months in prison.

    USPIS and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case.

    Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Peruvian National Prosecutor General’s Office and Peruvian National Police provided critical assistance.

    The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States.

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

    More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at http://www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at http://www.ovc.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peruvian National Sentenced in Transnational Scheme to Defraud Spanish-Speaking United States Consumers

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Peruvian National Sentenced in Transnational Scheme to Defraud Spanish-Speaking United States Consumers

    A Peruvian national was sentenced yesterday to 98 months in prison and to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution to his more than 1,100 victims for his role overseeing a transnational fraud conspiracy that targeted recent immigrants to the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Defense Ministry Spokesperson’s Remarks on Recent Media Queries Concerning the Military 2024-10-18 On the afternoon of October 15th, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense Senior Colonel Wu Qian answered recent media queries concerning the military.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2

    On the afternoon of October 15th, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense Senior Colonel Wu Qian answered recent media queries concerning the military.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on the afternoon of October 15, 2024. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by He Youwen)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    I have four pieces of information at the top.

    The first one.

    At the invitation of China’s Ministry of National Defense, defense attachés from more than 60 countries including Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Jordan, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Canada and Argentina went to the PLA Eastern Theater Command area on October 14th for a five-day visit. This visit will help them better understand the Chinese path to modernization, especially the great achievements made by the people’s military in the new era, and will advance the friendly cooperation between the PLA and their militaries.

    The second one.

    According to the annual plan and the consensus reached between China and Thailand, the Commando 2024 joint army training will be held in Yunnan Province from mid- to- late October. The training focuses on joint counter-terrorism operations, including manned/unmanned coordination, special blasting, helicopter fast-roping, and joint search and clearing. It aims to improve interoperability between the Chinese and Thai armies and bolster regional stability.

    The third one.

    The PLA Army Engineering University will host the 11th International Army Cadets Week (IACW) in Nanjing from October 28th to November 3rd. Officer cadets from military academies of countries including Argentina, Egypt, Italy, Pakistan, and Singapore will participate in the event. Under the theme of “Enhancing the Capability of Junior Officers for Future Warfare”, this year’s IACW will have themed discussions, leadership challenges, live-fire shooting training, cultural exchange and other activities. The IACW is a platform for officer cadets to communicate and learn from each other.

    The fourth one.

    The PLA Army Command College will host the Zhongshan International Forum in Nanjing from October 21st to 25th. Army representatives from over ten countries including Laos, Cambodia, Iran, Tanzania and Kazakhstan will participate in the event. Under the theme of “Future-oriented and New Type Modern Army”, the forum will have themed discussions on such topics as “objectives and trends in army development”, “theoretical innovation for army combat and training”, “army deployment in MOOTW”, and “cultivation of army commanders and staff officers”. The forum will facilitate exchanges and mutual learning among the participants, and promote theoretical innovation for army development.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on the afternoon of October 15, 2024. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by He Youwen)

    Question: It is reported that the recruitment of naval pilot cadets for 2025 has started. Please tell us more about it.

    Wu Qian: The PLA Navy recently launched the naval pilot cadet recruitment for 2025. As usual, eligible high school graduates and fresh graduates from universities either with a bachelor’s or master’s degree could apply. In reference to the recruitment standards in major naval powers, the PLA Navy has loosened the criteria on eye sight, widening the scope of applicants to include those who have received vision correction surgery. To meet takeoff/landing requirements for carrier-borne aircraft in complex sea conditions, the Navy has added such testing items as stereoscopic vision, visual contrast sensitivity, magnetic resonance imaging and chest CT scanning, as well as a 15-hour airborne ability screening, to make the recruitment more science-based and precise.

    Pursue your dream to fly in the Navy, and serve the country with dedication and loyalty. The recruitment of naval pilot cadets for 2025 started on October 15th. We welcome young people to join this cause for the brave and become dancers on the blade. For more details, please log on to http://www.hjzf.mil.cn.

    Question: Naval forces from the United States, Japan, India and Australia conducted Exercise Malabar in the Indian Ocean on October 8th. Some reports say this exercise is directed at China and can enhance the Quad mechanism among the four countries in security areas. What’s your comment?

    Wu Qian: China believes that security cooperation among relevant countries should not harm the interests of any third party or undermine regional peace and stability. The so-called Quad mechanism has become a sheer political tool for the United States to contain China and maintain its hegemony. We firmly oppose relevant parties to use China as an excuse to stir up confrontation and escalate regional tensions. A small circle bloc will not make any big difference. The Asia-Pacific should be a grand stage where countries join hands to cooperate, rather than an arena for geopolitical competition. We require relevant countries to give up their obsession with zero-sum mindset and put more efforts on protecting regional security, instead of doing the opposite.

    Question: It is reported that the Japanese Defense Ministry recently released reports and photos about the movements of the PLA Navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier task group, which sailed around the Philippines, and was then joined by the aircraft carrier Shandong in Hainan. Please comment on that.

    Wu Qian: We have noticed the media hype by the Japanese side. The Japanese photographer is trying to catch headlines, and is showing off his or her techniques again. Recently, the PLA Navy sent the Liaoning aircraft carrier task group to conduct training in waters of the South China Sea. This is a routine arrangement within the annual plan that is aimed to enhance the task group’s combat capability. The PLA will routinely organize similar training activities in the future.

    Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers recent media queries concerning the military on the afternoon of October 15, 2024. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by He Youwen)

    Question: According to media reports, the US Government Accountability Office recently accused Raytheon of fraud in selling expensive weapons to Taiwan, which procured the Patriot missile system in 2013 and radar systems in 2017 from that company. A public opinion representative from the Kuomintang criticized US arms dealers as fraud dens. Do you have any comment?

    Wu Qian: We firmly oppose US provision of weapons to China’s Taiwan region. I believe what the reports revealed is only a tip of the iceberg. The Democratic Progressive Party Authorities have been doing everything to court their masters in the US to buy weapons, which only wasted the hard-earned money of people in Taiwan. It is evident that what they bought are pieces of junk that only benefited corrupted officials and arms dealers. There are growing opposition and dissatisfaction from the local people.

    Sky-high price and obsolete functions are two hallmarks of US arms sales to Taiwan. From mouldy bulletproof vest to expired ammunition to expensive missiles and radars, we can see that the Americans only care about American interests. “Taiwan Independence” is a dead end and outsiders are never reliable. Those who try to rely on US support for independence will only court their own destruction.

    Question: Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba once suggested establishing an “Asian version of NATO” and working with Western countries in containing China. Officials from the Japanese Defense Ministry said China and Russia’s infringement upon Japan’s airspace is a regional and international concern. Please comment on that.

    Wu Qian: In disregard of fact on the ground, the Japanese side often hypes-up the non-existent “China threat” to divert the international community’s attention from its military expansion. China is strongly opposed to this approach. It is known to all that Japan has broken away from its pacifist constitution and “exclusively defense-oriented” policy in recent years, and largely enhanced its military preparedness, such behavior has put its Asian neighbors and the international community on high alert.

    We urge the Japanese side to stop forming exclusive military alliances and “cliques”, be very cautious with its words and deeds regarding military security, and do more for regional peace and stability.

    Question: The Israel Defense Force recently attacked the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL). What’s your comment? Are Chinese peacekeepers safe?

    Wu Qian: China is seriously concerned about and strongly condemns the Israeli military’s attack on the UNIFIL. China firmly opposes any attack on UN peacekeepers. We require a thorough investigation on the incident and hold those responsible accountable. We urge relevant parties to take real actions to prevent such an incident from happening again. The parties involved in the conflict must ensure the safety of the personnel and assets of the UNIFIL.

    The Chinese peacekeeping units in Lebanon are safe now. China is closely monitoring the security situation in Lebanon, and will take additional measures to strengthen security protection of our troops.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hispanic Heritage Month: Capt. Guillermo Pimentel’s Story of Cultural Pride and Military Service

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month across the country through food, family and culture, Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC) reflects on stories of the Hispanic Americans who have shaped our country through service and dedication.

    One such story comes from the director for NMRC’s Biological Defense Research Directorate (BDRD), Capt. Guillermo Pimentel.

    Pimentel, born in Manhattan and raised in Puerto Rico, began his career in the U.S. Navy Reserve as a hospital corpsman in 1988.

    “We lived in the Guánica, the poorest town in Puerto Rico. It is the friendliest town, and a beach-lovers paradise,” Pimentel recalled. “During my senior year of high school, I was approached by a Navy recruiter. I ‘failed’ the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery by 2 points.”

    Nevertheless, that same recruiter went on to explain the benefits of joining the Navy.

    “It was very appealing, since I come from a low-income family, and I would be fully independent, so I joined the Navy at 17.”

    Following his time as a reservist in the Gulf War, Pimentel left the service to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial microbiology and a master’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico.

    Pimentel then braved the cold climate of Pullman, Washington to earn a doctoral degree in plant pathology from Washington State University (WSU), focusing on mycology and population genetics. Following his graduation from WSU, Pimentel, now a lieutenant, became head of the microbiology department at the U.S. Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia.

    From 2003 to 2010, Pimentel served multiple leadership positions at the Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) 3 (now NAMRU EURAFCENT), then located in Cairo. In these roles, he managed research projects with the mission of implementing and strengthening laboratory-based disease surveillance capabilities in the Middle East, Central Asia, former Soviet Union, North Africa and West Africa. Pimentel led research and surveillance efforts to understand the epidemiology of infectious diseases of public health importance in the EUCOM, CENTCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility. He went on to provide laboratory support during several H5N1 flu outbreaks in West Africa and Central Asia. During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, Pimentel led the NAMRU-3 outbreak support to forces deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and 20 partner nations.

    In August of 2015, Pimentel reported to the NAMRU-6 (now NAMRU SOUTH) in Lima, Peru as executive officer. In March 2017, he became commanding officer of the NAMRU.

    Before returning to NMRC as BDRD director, Pimentel served as the Chief of the Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Branch at the Defense Health Agency from 2019 to 2022, leading the DoD global infectious disease surveillance network in support of Force Health Protection for the Geographic Combatant Commands.

    Pimentel shared thoughts on these experiences in the Navy, and on growing up in Puerto Rico, as part of NMRC’s recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.

    ‘We should absolutely recognize Hispanic Heritage Month,” Pimentel commented at a recent command gathering. “As humans, we tend to forget history and past contributions of our personnel pretty quickly. I see Hispanic Heritage Month program as a mechanism to reflect on the past and to learn from the history of an organization.

    “We all learn and experience differently across our lives. This it is what make us unique as individuals. When we bring all this unique and diverse knowledge to an organization, it makes us stronger.”

    Pimentel also spoke on the Hispanic leaders that inspire him.

    “I love to learn about past contributions of our military and civilian personnel to the mission,” Pimentel said. “A good example is how Dr. Martinez-Lopez, a Puerto Rican just like me, was a general for the Army, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, and now is Assistant Secretary of Health Affairs.

    “As a Puerto Rican, it gives me lot of pride, and sometime hope, because less than 1% of all admirals and generals come from a truly Hispanic background. I love to listen from where they came, how they fought challenges, how they apply their experiences and their impact to the mission.”

    Throughout Hispanic Heritage month, NMRC aims to recognize the contributions of our sailors, scientists and civilian personnel with roots in countries and cultures with Spanish-speaking heritage.

    NMRC is engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to investigations in operational environments. In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation, operational mission support, epidemiology and behavioral sciences.

    MIL Security OSI –