Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Watch Prime Minister’s Questions with BSL: https://youtu.be/lhbxI_qSyPQ
Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.
In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.
The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.
Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:
Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)
Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Carrie Kagawa and military service recruitment leaders hold a panel on 2025 recruitment issues at the Pentagon on October 30, 2024.
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Your military is an all-volunteer force that serves to protect our security and way of life, but Service members are more than a fighting force. They are leaders, humanitarians and your fellow Americans. Get to know more about the men and women who serve, who they are, what they do, and why they do it.
For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
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Keep up with the Department of Defense on social media!
Like the DoD on Facebook: http://facebook.com/DeptofDefense
Follow the DoD on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeptofDefense
Follow the DoD on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DeptofDefense
Follow the DoD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/DeptofDefense
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
Ethel Kennedy was there as soon as I entered political office in 1972 when I lost my family in an automobile accident. And she was there for me 50 years later when I was elected president.
She was a hero in her own right.
May she be reunited with the blessed pieces of her soul.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The Vehicle Acquisition Activity training video is intended to provide information on the AFG program priorities, what is new for 2024, and tips to develop and submit a successful application for projects within the Vehicle Acquisition activity.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The Fundamentals of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) training video is intended to introduce the AFG program to those that are new to the program or have not applied recently. This includes a program overview, understanding the awards process and tips for preparing to apply.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
This video, provided for interested agencies, organizations, and government jurisdictions, discusses FEMA’s implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). Introduced in Executive Order 13690, the standard aims to strengthen resilience against the growing risks of flooding, exacerbated by climate change and other environmental threats. The FFRMS seeks to reduce the impacts of flooding on communities, federal assets, and critical infrastructure, addressing concerns related to public health, safety, economic stability, and national security. Watch to learn about FEMA’s strategies for building a more flood-resilient future.
For more resources on the FFRMS, see Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. If you have questions about FEMA’s implementation of the FFRMS, you can contact us at fema-ehp-communications-team@fema.dhs.gov.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The Narrative Development training video is intended to provide information on the AFG program, what is new for 2024, and tips to assist applicants in developing their narrative for all application types and activities.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The State Fire Training Academy (SFTA) training video is intended to provide information on the AFG program priorities, what is new for 2024, and tips to develop and submit a successful SFTA application.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Activities training video is intended to provide information on the AFG program priorities, what is new for 2024, and tips to develop and submit a successful application for projects within the Equipment and PPE activities.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
The Wellness and Fitness, Modification to Facilities and Training Activities training video is intended to provide information on the AFG program priorities, what is new for 2024, and tips to develop and submit a successful application for projects within the Wellness and Fitness, Modification to Facilities and Training activities.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
We are honored to have special guests from diverse backgrounds: The Honorable James D. Rodriguez, Assistant Secretary, Department of Labor, Veterans Employment & Training Service (VETS), Silvana Montenegro with JPMorgan Chase, Head of Advancing Hispanics & Latinos, and Roman Palomares, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National President. We also presented on how “Food is Medicine,” displaying some traditional cuisine and other special guests.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
During the devasting flooding of Hurricane Helene, a Marine Corps veteran and his family survived 9 hours in the loft of their workshop while they watched their property get engulfed by water.
With the help of FEMA’s Immediate Needs funding and Transitional Housing program, they are starting their road to recovery.
Find a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) near you: Call: 800-621-3362 Apply online: DisasterAssistance.gov fema.gov/about/glossary/disaster-survivor-assistance
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Spokesperson Matthew Miller leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on October 30, 2024.
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Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
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Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
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State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken delivers remarks on American Diplomacy for a New Era at the Foreign Service Institute, on October 30, 2024.
Transcript: https://www.state.gov/american-diplomacy-for-a-new-era/
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Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw
State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, foundational technology domains are converging to create new opportunities. In addition to their breakthrough potential, the simultaneous development of quantum, robotics, AI and more are accelerating mutual advancements.
What are the driving forces behind this convergence and how can organizations position themselves strategically within it for future growth?
This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 in Dubai on 17 Oct, 2024. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/events/annual-meeting-of-the-global-future-councils-2024/sessions/the-nexus-of-innovation/
Speakers:
Chantal Shen, Chief Scientist, Synthetic Biology, BGI Research
Hoda Al Khzaimi, Director, Centre for Cybersecurity, New York University Abu Dhabi
Press conference by European Commission President Ursula von der LEYEN and Former Finnish President Sauli NIINISTÖ
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
Follow us on:
-X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
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-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
-Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Watch PMQs with British Sign Language (BSL) –
Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.
In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.
The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.
Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will then deliver the Budget Statement in the House of Commons.
Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.
In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.
The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.
Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will then deliver the Budget Statement in the House of Commons.
Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:
Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the opening of the High-Level Segment of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) in Cali, Colombia.
“President Petro,
Thank you for hosting this important session, here in Cali – a microcosm of our planet’s rich biodiversity.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Nature is life.
And yet we are waging a war against it.
A war where there can be no winner.
Every year, we see temperatures climbing higher.
Every day, we lose more species.
Every minute, we dump a garbage truck of plastic waste into our oceans, rivers and lakes.
Make no mistake.
This is what an existential crisis looks like.
No country, rich or poor, is immune to the devastation inflicted by climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution.
These environmental crises are intertwined. They know no borders.
And they are devastating ecosystems and livelihoods, threatening human health and undermining sustainable development.
The drivers of this destruction are embedded in outdated economic models, fueling unsustainable production and consumption patterns.
They are multiplied by inequalities – in wealth and power.
And with each passing day, we are edging closer to tipping points that could fuel further hunger, displacement, and armed conflicts.
We have already altered 75% of the Earth’s land surface and 66% of its ocean environments.
Dear friends,
Biodiversity is humanity’s ally.
We must move from plundering it to preserving it.
As I have said time and again, making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century.
That is the spirit of today’s Declaration of the World Coalition for Peace with Nature:
A call for action to enhance national and international efforts towards a balanced and harmonious relationship with nature – protecting nature and conserving, restoring and sustainably using and sharing our global biodiversity.
A call to recognize the vital knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous people, people of African descent, farmers and local communities.
A call for life.
Excellencies,
Last month, UN Member States adopted the Pact for the Future.
The Pact recognizes the need to accelerate efforts to restore, protect, conserve and sustainably use the environment.
It emphasizes the importance of halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, and other terrestrial and marine ecosystems that act as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases.
This means conserving biodiversity, while ensuring social and environmental safeguards – in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
When the Framework was adopted two years ago in Montreal, the world made bold commitments to living in harmony with nature by mid-century.
Its goals and targets require robust monitoring, reporting, and review arrangements to track progress, as well as a resource mobilisation package to increase finance for biodiversity from all sources – mobilizing at least USD 200 billion per year by 2030.
But we must now turn these promises into action in four vital ways.
First – at the national level, all countries must finally present clear, ambitious and detailed plans to align with the Framework’s targets.
These national plans should be developed in coordination with Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans – with positive outcomes in the Sustainable Development Goals.
We must shift to nature-positive business models and production: renewable energies and sustainable supply chains… zero-waste policies and circular economies… regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices…
These must become the default for governments and businesses alike.
Second – we must agree on a strengthened monitoring and transparency framework.
This is not only vital for accountability but also about enabling course corrections and driving ambition.
Third – finance promises must be kept and support to developing countries accelerated.
We cannot afford to leave Cali without new pledges to adequately capitalize the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, and without commitments to mobilize other sources of public and private finance to deliver the Framework – in full.
And we must bring the private sector on board.
Those profiting from nature cannot treat it like a free, infinite resource.
They must step up and contribute to its protection and restoration.
By operationalizing the mechanism on the sharing of benefits from the use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources, we will give them one clear avenue to do so, bringing more equity and inclusivity…”
Full remarks: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-10-29/secretary-generals-remarks-the-high-level-segment-of-cop16-biodiversity-trilingual-delivered-scroll-down-for-all-english
Briefing by Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Tor Wennesland, warned the Security Council of the implications of two laws on UNRWA adopted by the Israeli Knesset on 28 October 2024.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
For Ada Limón, the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate, poetry is her way of connecting — to others, to ourselves, to our natural world. Ada’s work is deeply personal, inspired by gratitude for loved ones, awe and nature, and her struggles with scoliosis and infertility. In this conversation with the Surgeon General, she reflects on her process for writing, which she says often starts with the simple act of seeing what’s around her. When Ada shares her poems, she finds joy in other people seeing their own feelings and life experiences in her writing. In the course of this conversation she beautifully recites two of her poems. “The Raincoat” was written for her mother. The other, “In Praise of Mystery,” is shooting through outer space right now on a NASA aircraft bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa.
(07:36) Can poetry help keep us grounded?
(10:33) How does poetry help when language fails us?
(12:35) Ada shares her poem “The Raincoat”
(17:50) What are some unexpected ways poetry opens people up?
(22:40) What if we don’t “get” poetry?
(26:42) What is it like to live the life of a poet?
(31:38) How Ada gets herself in the mindset to write
(38:08) On staying present
(44:02) How life challenges shaped her creativity
(52:14) How does Ada define success at this point in her life?
(59:36) A reading of her poem “In Praise of Mystery.”
(01:03:08) What gives Ada Limón hope?
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov
Ester Baiget, Novonesis CEO, says ramping up existing nature-based solutions could cut global carbon emissions by 8%.
In an open letter to public and private sector, leaders ahead of COP29, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders calls for urgent action to combat climate change. Highlighting the critical role of collaborative leadership from business and government, the letter advocates for ambitious, science-based targets to improve the business case for climate action and spur investment.
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group [IKEA], says businesses and governments need to work closely together to ensure the world meets climate targets.
In an open letter to public and private sector leaders ahead of COP29, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders calls for urgent action to combat climate change. Highlighting the critical role of collaborative leadership from business and government, the letter advocates for ambitious, science-based targets to improve the business case for climate action and spur investment.
Read the full letter: wef.ch/COP29OpenLetter24
#AllianceofCEOClimateLeaders
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.