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Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Recent developments in employment law

    Source: Allens Insights

    The latest issues, decisions and proposed changes impacting business and workplace risk 5 min read

    Fair Work Act changes have now commenced

    By: Tarsha Gavin, Lawrence Mai, Ruby Evans

    Time to review contractual arrangements and processes

    As foreshadowed in our August Insight, the second tranche of changes introduced by the Closing Loopholes amendments commenced on 26 August 2024. Some of the key changes that are now in force include:

    The right to disconnect

    The new right permits an employee to refuse to respond to contact (or attempted contact) from their employer or third parties when that contact is made outside of their working hours, unless the employee’s refusal is unreasonable.

    Changes to the definition of employment

    The new definition of an employment relationship requires an assessment of the ‘real substance, practical reality and true nature of the working relationship’ (now known as the ‘whole of relationship’ test).

    Rights for independent contractors

    Contractors who earn above the contractor high income threshold of $175,000 are now eligible to voluntarily opt out of the new definition of an employment relationship (if it would otherwise apply to them). Those who opt out of the ‘whole of relationship’ test will instead be governed by the ‘start of relationship test’, which assesses what the parties agreed about the nature of their relationship.

    Casual employment changes

    A new definition of a ‘casual employee’ has been introduced, and a new ’employee choice’ process for conversion to permanent employment has also come into effect.

    Key takeaway

    As the latest tranche of legislative changes impact permanent employees, casual employees and contractors, it is important that employers review contractual arrangements and processes across their workforce to ensure they are compliant with the recent changes.

    For more information on the above amendments, see Closing Loopholes (No 2) Bill passes both houses of Parliament.

    New delegates’ rights clause in operation

    By: Sonia Millen, Sarah Lunny & Steve Hatzipavlis 

    Expect a rise in union activity

    Implementing a key Closing Loopholes amendment, all modern awards now include a workplace delegates’ rights clause.1 Newly made enterprise agreements must now also include an equivalent or more favourable clause.

    Key takeaways

    • From 1 July 2024, all modern awards contain a term that sets out the rights of workplace delegates (being workers elected or appointed by their union to represent the interests of union members and employees eligible to be union members) in a workplace.
    • Any enterprise agreements put to a vote post-1 July 2024 must contain a delegates’ rights term. If an enterprise agreement does not contain a delegates’ rights term or the proposed term is less favourable than the modern award term, the more favourable modern award term is taken to form part of the agreement.

    What does the new delegates’ rights clause say?

    In summary, the new delegates’ rights clause provides workplace delegates with the following rights:

    Category of right What does the clause say?
    Representation

    Workplace delegates may represent the interests of eligible employees who wish to be represented in matters including:

    • consultation about major workplace changes and changes to rosters or hours of work;
    • resolution of disputes and disciplinary processes;
    • enterprise bargaining; and
    • any process or procedure that eligible employees are entitled to be represented for under an award, enterprise agreement or workplace policy.
    Reasonable communication  Workplace delegates may communicate with eligible employees for the purpose of representing their industrial interests, including by discussing union membership and representation. Workplace delegates may communicate with eligible employees during working hours or work breaks, or before or after work.
    Reasonable access to the workplace and workplace facilities  Workplace delegates must be provided with access to, or use of, an appropriate room or area to hold discussions with eligible employees, a physical or electronic noticeboard, an electronic means of communication to communicate with eligible employees (including access to WiFi), a secure document storage area and various office facilities and equipment.
    Reasonable access to training  Subject to various conditions set out in the clause, employers must provide workplace delegates with access to up to five days of paid time during normal working hours to attend initial training related to the representation of industrial interests of eligible employees. Each subsequent year, the employer must provide at least one day of paid training time.

    How does this affect you?

    We expect that the new delegates’ rights term will result in increased union activity and involvement in a wide variety of workplace matters.

    To ensure your organisation is prepared for the changes, we recommend:

    • if your organisation is bargaining for a new enterprise agreement, reviewing the model delegates’ rights clause and considering whether it is appropriate to adopt the modern award term or bargain for a different term (noting that any term must be at least as favourable as the modern award term);
    • notifying employees and managers of the rights available to workplace delegates; and
    • reviewing current practices and considering whether to introduce a protocol to support consistent, reasonable and appropriate management of workplace delegates.

    Fair Work Commission alters flexible working arrangement

    By: Tegan Ayling, Anastasia Hatzisarantinos 

    Decision highlights the importance of articulating reasonable business grounds 

    In a recent decision, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) ordered an employee to work in the office one day per week, at the same time highlighting the importance of adequately explaining reasonable business grounds if an employer refuses a request.

    Key takeaway

    Employers should clearly outline their reasonable business grounds for refusing flexible working requests. This involves not only explaining the benefits to the employer’s proposed working arrangement, but also explaining how the approval of the working arrangement requested by the employee would be detrimental to the employer’s business.

    Background

    FedEx gradually introduced hybrid arrangements that involved employees working back in the office post COVID-19. From July 2023, employees were required to work in the office three days per week.

    FedEx refused an employee’s request to work from home three days per week to care for his two teenage children who have an intellectual disability and autism, and his wife who suffers a debilitating illness. However, it agreed that the employee could continue his existing arrangement to work in the office two days per week and two days from home. While that arrangement was in place, the employee was in practice working in the office one day per week, taking leave one day per week and working two days from home.

    In January 2024, the employee made another request to work entirely from home. FedEx sought further information from the employee and suggested alternative arrangements, but no agreement was reached. FedEx subsequently rejected the employee’s request, and he lodged a dispute with the FWC.

    Following conciliation, FedEx agreed to trial three days at home and one day in the office, but the employee never returned to the office.

    Decision

    Since the matter could not be resolved between the parties, the FWC ultimately ordered the employee to work in the office one day per week and allowed FedEx to also direct him to work in the office in specific circumstances. This included if the employee did not attend the office for two consecutive weeks, there were performance concerns or there were genuine operational requirements that required his attendance.

    In its decision, the FWC emphasised the importance of following proper process when responding to a request for flexible working arrangements. In particular, the FWC criticised FedEx for failing to sufficiently articulate its reasonable business grounds in rejecting the employee’s request. The grounds FedEx relied on during the proceeding had not been clearly articulated to the employee in FedEx’s refusal of his request.

    The FWC also took into account that the employee had not followed FedEx’s lawful and reasonable direction to return to the office, noting that employees are not entitled to a flexible working arrangement without an approved request. The employee’s actions to ‘avoid working in the office at all costs‘ before the flexibility request was decided was a factor in the FWC decision to permit FedEx to direct the employee to work in the office, including in the specific circumstances outlined above.

    Employer not required to produce investigation report under terms of enterprise agreement

    By: Tarsha Gavin, Sayomi Ariyawansa and Steve Hatzipavlis

    Confidentiality does not automatically prohibit provision of documents

    The Full Bench of the FWC ruled that Aurizon Operations Limited (Aurizon) was not required under the terms of its enterprise agreement to produce an investigation report to an employee following an investigation into their alleged misconduct.2

    Key takeaways

    • The FWC will consider the process set out in the relevant enterprise agreement when determining the requirements of natural justice and due process in relation to an investigation, and any subsequent process relating to the determination of a disciplinary outcome.
    • Even if an investigation is confidential, the requirements of procedural fairness include informing an employee of the substance of the adverse material against them so the employee can provide a response before findings are made.
    • A clause stating that an investigation is confidential does not necessarily prohibit an employer from providing a copy of an investigation report to the employee.

    Decision

    Following an investigation by Aurizon into allegations of misconduct by an employee, an investigation report was prepared outlining the substantiated conduct, and the employee was provided with an opportunity to put forward their submissions on the appropriate disciplinary outcome. The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) on behalf of the employee requested a copy of the investigation report for the purposes of making these submissions. This request was refused.

    The RTBU brought an application in the FWC claiming that Aurizon’s failure to provide the report breached the applicable enterprise agreement which relevantly provided the following terms:

    1. Process: any investigation that may lead to the disciplinary action against an employee must apply the principles of natural justice and due process, including the employee being made fully aware of allegations subject to an investigation and being provided with sufficient information to provide an informed response.
    2. Confidentiality: disciplinary inquiries and investigations shall be confidential.
    3. Disciplinary outcomes: following the investigation procedure, the employee may be subject to various disciplinary outcomes, following a process that includes providing the employee with a reasonable opportunity to provide reasons regarding what the appropriate disciplinary outcome should be.

    The RTBU alleged that the principles of procedural fairness, as set out in (a), required Aurizon to provide the investigation report to the employee to assist with the employee’s response in (c) concerning the disciplinary outcome. The RBTU also alleged there was no utility in keeping the investigation confidential as the employee was already aware of the complainant’s identity and allegations. Aurizon claimed that because of the confidentiality requirements, the Full Bench of the FWC could not order Aurizon to produce the report.

    The Full Bench of the FWC found that:

    • the confidentiality clause did not prevent Aurizon from providing a copy of the investigation report to a worker. If this were the case, Aurizon would be unable to provide information to the employee subject to the investigation as required by (a) and it would make the disciplinary regime unworkable. Rather, the confidentiality clause prohibited workers from disclosing information obtained during the investigation and prohibited Aurizon from disclosing investigation information to any person not involved during the inquiry.
    • at the point the RTBU sought the investigation report, the investigation process was complete, and Aurizon was at the stage of assessing the appropriate disciplinary outcome. At this point of the disciplinary process, there was no requirement in the enterprise agreement for Aurizon to apply the general principles of natural justice and due process outlined in (a), as these did not apply in the assessment of disciplinary outcomes outlined in (c). As such, Aurizon was not required to produce the investigation report.
    • natural justice and due process had not been afforded to the employee under (a), as the substance of the adverse material in the report was not put to the employee for their response during the investigation process. The Full Bench recommended that it would be prudent for Aurizon to re-open the investigation to put the substance of the report findings to the employee, but did not make an order to this effect as the grounds of appeal in the matter were limited to dealing with the production of the completed report.

    Employees retain redundancy pay because of move to ‘dusty, noisy and malodorous’ office 

    By: Sarah Lunny and Bella Busby

    Connection between redundancy pay and alternative employment 

    After accepting that an employer had obtained ‘acceptable alternative employment’ for two former employees, the FWC allowed the two employees to keep 30% of their redundancy pay because of the inferior quality of their new office space.3

    Key takeaways

    • Employers can apply to the FWC to vary the amount of redundancy pay that would otherwise be payable to an employee under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) if the employer obtains other acceptable employment for the employee. The FWC has a broad discretion to vary redundancy pay to an amount it considers appropriate, including reducing the amount payable to zero.
    • Even if an employer has arranged a new role for a former employee, the FWC may determine that the employee is entitled to receive part of their redundancy pay entitlement if there is a difference in working conditions between the employee’s previous role and the new one.

    Background

    An employer in the recycling industry made an application to the FWC to reduce the redundancy pay entitlements of two administrative employees after the employer arranged comparable roles with another recycling business. Both office-based employees had been made redundant after the original employer’s business suffered a significant downturn, resulting in 100 employees being laid off.

    Both employees argued that their redundancy pay entitlements should not be reduced because the new roles the employer had arranged for them did not constitute acceptable alternative employment, including because:

    • the new employer had a less professional, more ‘blue collar’ work culture than the previous workplace; and
    • the new office was noisier and dirtier than their previous workplace, as it was physically attached to the recycling facility, where trucks would enter and unload rubbish several times a day.

    After comparing each employee’s role with the new employer to their role with the old employer, the FWC decided that both employees had been provided with ‘other acceptable employment’ because the work and conditions were sufficiently similar to those of their previous employment, even if there were some factors that made the new jobs less attractive to the employees.

    In considering whether to reduce the employees’ redundancy pay, the FWC weighed the ‘significant effort’ the employer had made to obtain other acceptable employment for the employees against ‘the disadvantage of the quite different work environment’ at the new employer. The FWC ultimately decided to reduce each employee’s redundancy pay by 70%, allowing each employee to keep 30% of their redundancy pay in consideration of the ‘marked difference’ between performing their administrative work in an office attached to a recycling warehouse compared to previously working in an office removed from the actual process of recycling.

    Resurrecting the dead: breathing life into a zombie agreement

    By: Andrew Wydmanski and Samuel Jackson

    Extensions remain viable during ongoing bargaining of enterprise agreements

    The Full Bench of the FWC has extended the default period of a ‘zombie agreement’, for a second time, rejecting the employer’s request to transition employees onto the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award) while bargaining for a new agreement was ongoing.4

    Key takeaways

    • The FWC is open to extending the life of zombie agreements during enterprise bargaining if it considers that extending the agreement would ‘minimise disruptions or changes to terms and conditions’ and where it might be expected that ‘a replacement agreement will be reached in the near future’.
    • Employers covered by a zombie agreement that has been extended by the FWC should prepare for the possibility that the FWC may grant further extensions if bargaining for a new enterprise agreement is ongoing.

    Background

    A ‘zombie agreement’ is an old industrial workplace agreement made before the commencement of the FW Act. Under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 (Cth), all zombie agreements were set to automatically end on the ‘default period’ of 7 December 2023, unless an application was made to the Commission to extend it.

    In September 2023, the Health Service Union (HSU) made an extension application in respect of the Kirinari Community Services Ltd Hume Riverina Branch Certified Agreement 2006-2008 (Agreement). The Full Bench of the FWC decided it was reasonable to extend the operation of the Agreement to 6 April 2024.

    The HSU again applied under the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009 (Cth) (Transitional Act) to extend the default period of the Agreement, this time until 6 December 2024.

    The employer, Kirinari Community Services Ltd (Kirinari), opposed the HSU’s application on the basis that:

    • from an administrative and payroll perspective, it would be more efficient and fairer for all of its employees to be covered by the SCHADS Award;
    • the terms of the SCHADS Award would provide employees with greater flexibility should they wish to work in Kirinari’s operations outside of the Hume Riverina region; and
    • given that bargaining for the new enterprise agreement was based on the SCHADS Award, transitioning remaining employees to the SCHADS Award would mean all employees would be familiar with rostering arrangements and other terms and conditions of the SCHADS Award.

    The Commission rejected Kirinari’s arguments, finding that moving employees from the Agreement to the SCHADS Award at a time when a replacement agreement was expected to be reached in the near future could disturb current bargaining.

    The Commission considered that more progress should have been made since its decision in September last year. It also noted that the parties had not sought the Commission’s assistance to finalise the replacement enterprise agreement. As a result, the Commission was satisfied that it was appropriate to extend the default period for a further four months.

    Former manager awarded $1.5 million following unlawful summary dismissal

    By: Anthony Hallal and Matt Stark 

    Penalties can be severe for breaches of the general protections regime

    The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCA) recently ordered an employer to pay a former manager over $1.5 million after summarily dismissing him in breach of the general protections regime in the FW Act and their employment contract.

    Key takeaway

    This case is a recent example of the substantial damages that can be awarded under the general protections regime where employees have been found to be unlawfully terminated.

    Background

    An employee of Laing O’Rourke Australia Management Services Pty Ltd (LOA), Mr Haley worked for LOA and other companies in LOA’s group for over 15 years. From 2018 he was the Commercial Team Leader in charge of cleaning up bushfire-damaged properties from the previous Christmas period (Bushfire Project).

    In early July 2020, Mr Haley and other LOA employees invited their colleagues to a property LOA was leasing while working on the Bushfire Project for a social event. Following noise complaints from neighbours, the owners of the property attended twice, which culminated in a verbal altercation between the LOA employees and the owners (the Incident).

    LOA subsequently conducted an investigation into the Incident, following which Mr Haley had a show cause meeting with LOA. Later in July 2020, Mr Haley was summarily dismissed by LOA on the basis that he had engaged in serious misconduct. Specifically, LOA alleged that Mr Haley had lied in the course of the investigation, and that Mr Haley’s conduct during the Incident breached LOA’s policies in a manner that ’caused imminent and serious risk to the reputation of [LOA]’.5

    The FCFCA decided that LOA had not established it was entitled to summarily dismiss Mr Haley from his employment. Further, LOA had taken adverse action by summarily dismissing Mr Haley in circumstances where it could not establish Mr Hayley’s complaints and inquiries in relation to his employment were not a reason for his dismissal.6

    Decision on damages

    Following this finding that Mr Haley had been unlawfully terminated, the most recent decision7 of the FCFCA concerned the assessment of damages to which Mr Haley was entitled.

    LOA was ordered to pay Mr Haley a sum of more than $1.5 million in respect of the summary dismissal, accounting for Mr Haley’s:

    • loss of income up to the date of judgment;
    • present value of Mr Haley’s loss of future income until March 2025 (accounting for likely promotions/pay increases throughout this period);
    • relocation costs back to the UK after the termination of his employment;
    • break fees for car rental and lease agreements; and
    • an amount of $50,000 for Mr Haley’s hurt, distress and humiliation.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia deployments with majority of world’s largest IXPs reflect push for scale, reliability and automation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release
    Nokia deployments with majority of world’s largest IXPs reflect push for scale, reliability and automation

    • Six of the world’s 10 largest IXPs have deployed Nokia networking infrastructure and cumulatively carry close to 45 Tbps of traffic during peak times
    • Performance at scale, security and AI-enhanced operations of Nokia IP, optical and DDoS solutions support buildouts of massive cloud networks
    • Stunning growth of regional clouds driven by unprecedented latency, security and bandwidth pressures as global digital economy flourishes

    30 Sept 2024
    Espoo, Finland: Nokia today reaffirmed its leadership and commitment to the global Internet Exchange market as it continues to work with more than 20 Internet Exchange Providers (IXPs), including six of the world’s 10 largest based on both peak traffic and number of members. As the local interconnection points for more than 5,000 member organizations, these six IXPs cumulatively transport close to 45 Tbps of traffic during peak times – a figure that’s set to grow as the Equinix Global Interconnection Index (GXI) 2024 predicts a stunning 34% five-year CAGR in interconnection bandwidth.

    The expanding digital economy, proliferation of edge compute, and anticipated move of latency-sensitive AI models to regional clouds for local consumption are contributing to the need for what the GXI calls an Interconnection Oriented Architecture® (IOA). According to the GXI 2024 report, “The economics of data, density, velocity and experience demand localized exchange to move the highest volumes of data with the lowest latency to dense clusters of participants and population centers.”

    Built to handle these current and future pressures, the characteristics of the Nokia IP, optical and security solutions align to those identified in the IOA and are central to why the Nokia portfolio has increasingly become the dominant choice of leading IXPs.

    The Nokia FP5 800GE technology, deployed by leading European IXPs including Germany’s DE-CIX and the Netherlands’ NL-ix , provides the fastest possible performance in the industry and is realizing dramatic sustainability gains. Since deploying this technology, NL-ix has shown a reduction in power consumption from 0.8 watts to 0.1 watts per gigabit in parts of its network.

    Thomas King, CTO at DE-CIX, said: “Nokia’s 800GE technology gives us the considerable runway needed to address future traffic growth in a cost- and energy-efficient way. 800GE optics consume the least amount of space and power per bit, and at the same time it provides the most headroom for traffic peaks of the future.”

    Nokia has also played a leadership role in the standardization of Ethernet Virtual Private Networks (EVPNs). With industry-leading functionality and scalability, the SROS implementation of EVPN provides IXPs an ideal toolset to manage the increase in traffic. When Telehouse America selected Nokia to upgrade its NYIIX peering exchange infrastructure in the US, it deployed the Nokia EVPN solution to resolve multiple technical challenges.

    Akio Sugeno, Vice President of Telehouse and founder of NYIIX, said: “EVPN is a game changer for us. It is a next-generation VPN solution that provides a unified architecture, in both the control and data planes, and solved many of our requirements. With our new EVPN implementation from Nokia we police and control broadcast, unknown-unicast and multicast traffic entering our network while also rate-limiting ARP requests, so they do not flood our network. With this same protocol, we are also able to implement load balancing techniques between our edge and the customer’s network to increase resiliency and network availability. Finally, with EVPN’s auto-configuration capabilities we can simplify operational complexity across the entire lifecycle of our VPNs.”

    Additionally, the virulent rise in cybercrime has made anti-DDoS solutions critical. Nokia partnered with NL-ix for an industry-first deployment of an anti-DDoS solution that performs mitigation directly on the router, avoiding dedicated scrubbing centers that would push up transport costs and impact latency. Nokia’s AI-enhanced Deepfield Defender actively detects DDoS attacks and then instructs Nokia’s FP5 silicon to block those packet flows without any impact on other router traffic.

    Jan Hoogenboom, Founder and Chief Vision Officer at NL-ix, said: “With this innovative anti-DDoS solution from Nokia we can provide our customers with security across their entire area of operations as we pursue our goal of zero enterprise downtime. We are now a one-stop-shop for Europe-wide connectivity and security, saving our customers the hassle of working with multiple parties or making complex arrangements to be protected by a third party.”

    Vach Kompella, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IP Networks business at Nokia, said: “As the nerve centers of the Internet, the world’s largest IXPs are host to every type of traffic and customer, and in response they have reset expectations around networking innovation – driving the highest levels of uptime, reliability and security with Nokia solutions. We are proud to be the leading provider of networking infrastructure solutions for these critical organizations.”  

    Nokia has won contracts with 23 IXPs, and has publicly announced wins with Telehouse NYIIX, NL-ix, LINX, LINX NoVa, BIX, DE-CIX, France-ix, ESpanix, LINX Nairobi, TOP-ix and TREX.

    Resources and additional information 
    Webpage: 7750 Service Router | Nokia
    Webpage: FP5 network processor | Nokia
    Webpage: Optical networks | Nokia
    Webpage: Deepfield Defender | Nokia

    About Nokia 
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. 

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.  

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    # # #

    Media inquiries
    Nokia, Corporate Communications
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New research reveals why the mighty Darling River is drying up – and it’s not just because we’re taking too much water

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney

    Water flows in mainland Australia’s most important river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, have been declining for the past 50 years. The trend has largely been blamed on water extraction, but our new research shows another factor is also at play.

    We investigated why the Darling River, in the northern part of the basin, has experienced devastating periods of low flow, or no flow, since the 1990s. We found it was due to a decrease in rainfall in late autumn, caused by climate change.

    The research reveals how climate change is already affecting river flows in the basin, even before water is extracted for farm irrigation and other human uses.

    Less rain will fall in the Darling River catchment as climate change worsens. This fact must be central to decisions about how much water can be taken from this vital natural system.

    A quick history of the Darling

    Murray Darling catchment map.
    Martyman/Wikimedia, CC BY

    The Darling River runs from the town of Bourke in northwest New South Wales, south to the Murray River in Victoria. Together, the two rivers form the Murray-Darling river system.

    The Indigenous name for the Darling River is the Baaka. For at least 30,000 years the river has been an Indigenous water resource. On the river near Wilcannia, remnants of fish traps and weirs built by Indigenous people can still be found today.

    The Darling River was a major transport route from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

    In recent decades, the agriculture industry has extracted substantial quantities of water from the Darling’s upstream tributaries, to irrigate crops and replenish farm dams. Water has also been extracted from Menindee Lakes, downstream in the Darling, to benefit the environment and supply the regional city of Broken Hill.

    A river in trouble

    Natural weather variability means water levels in the Darling River have always been irregular, even before climate change began to be felt.

    In recent years, however, water flows have become even more irregular. This has caused myriad environmental problems.

    At Menindee Lakes, for example, fish have died en masse – incidents experts say is ultimately due to a lack of water in the river system.

    Periods of heavy rain in recent years have dramatically improved water flows.

    But in between those episodes, water levels and quality have declined, due to factors such as droughts, expanded water extraction, salinity and pollution from farms.

    Compounding the droughts, smaller flows that once replenished the system have now greatly reduced. Our research sought to determine why.

    What we found

    We examined rainfall and water flows in the Darling River from 1972 until July 2024. This includes from the 1990s – a period when global warming accelerated.

    We found a striking lack of short rainfall periods in April and May in the Darling River from the 1990s. The reduced rainfall led to long periods of very low, or no flow, in the river.

    Since the 1990s under climate change, shifts in atmospheric circulation have generated fewer rain-producing systems. This has led to less rain in inland southeast Australia in autumn.

    The river system particularly needs rainfall in the late autumn months, to replenish rivers after summer.

    The periods of little rain were often followed by extreme floods. This is a problem because the rain fell on dry soils and soaked in, rather than running into the river. This reduced the amount of water available for the environment and human uses.

    In addition to the fall in autumn rainfall, we found the number of extreme annual rainfall totals for all seasons has also fallen since the 1990s.

    We also examined monthly river heights at Bourke, Wilcannia and Menindee. We found periods of both high and low water levels before the mid-1990s. But the low water levels at all three locations from 2000 onwards were the lowest in the period.

    Ensuring water for all

    Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Ensuring steady water supplies for human use has always been challenging.

    Falls in Darling River water levels in recent decades have largely been attributed to water extraction for farm dams, irrigation and town use.

    But as our research shows, the lack of rainfall in the river catchment – as a result of climate change – is also significant. The problem will worsen as climate change accelerates.

    This creates a huge policy challenge. As others have noted, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan does not properly address climate change when determining how much water can be taken by towns and farmers.

    Both the environment and people will benefit from ensuring the rivers of the basin maintain healthy flows into the future. As our research indicates, this will require decision-makers to consider and adapt to climate change.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. New research reveals why the mighty Darling River is drying up – and it’s not just because we’re taking too much water – https://theconversation.com/new-research-reveals-why-the-mighty-darling-river-is-drying-up-and-its-not-just-because-were-taking-too-much-water-239923

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Press Release 30 September 2024 Major international drought conference seeks to increase resilience

    Source: World Meteorological Organization

    Experts, policymakers, and practitioners will gather at the headquarters of the World Meteorological Organization at the Drought Resilience +10 Conference – so called because it marks a decade since the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy.

    The conference provides an opportunity for global stakeholders to reflect on a decade of advancements in drought preparedness, response, and adaptation while exploring new ways to turn knowledge into practical solutions that can help countries become more drought-resilient.

    “Droughts are an insidious and dangerous climate-related hazard, which undermines food human security and is a major cause of internal displacement in worst-hit countries. It can wreak a devastating impact on the environment and economies and reverse progress in sustainable development,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

    “We need sustainable solutions, based on scientific knowledge and tailored policies that promote integrated drought management practices and policies. We have the knowledge and the tools but we all too often lack the necessary political will and financial investment to build drought-resilient societies,” said Celeste Saulo.

    The Conference will focus on the escalating drought-related risks posed by climate change and increasing structural vulnerabilities in many societies. It will examine how to accelerate the shift in approach from a reactive, crisis-driven one to a more proactive approach, which leverages climate services such as seasonal forecasts, and anticipatory action tools, including innovative financing mechanisms.

    The conference will examine drought monitoring and forecasting advances and will discuss how to strengthen drought monitoring for early warnings for food security and health, and how to embed policies into the international Early Warnings for All initiative. There will be a heavy emphasis on case studies and community-led actions.

    It will also look at scientific and policy-making developments, including progress in satellite technology and artificial intelligence tools, which bring new perspectives to forecasting, monitoring and impact assessment.

    Drought is not a new phenomenon and has historically occurred as a consequence of natural climatic variability. However, climate change is intensifying the water cycle. This brings more intense rainfall and associated flooding, as well as more intense drought in many regions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

    Changes in land use and land cover are compounding the challenge.

    “Healthy economies depend on healthy lands. We must urgently recognize that our land and natural systems are allies in our responses to climate change and drought, and we must leverage them for integrated, proactive drought management. Drought Resilience +10 is a crucial opportunity to exchange knowledge and build momentum for UNCCD COP16, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December”, remarked the UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza.

    Drought Resilience +10 Conference

    State of Climate

    Between 1970 and 2019 drought caused approximately 650,000 reported deaths. Poverty and poor land use can increase vulnerability to drought and intensify their impact, according to the WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes.

    In Africa, 1 839 disasters attributed to weather, climate and water extremes were reported between 1970 and 2021. They caused 733 585 reported deaths and US$ 43 billion in economic losses. Droughts accounted for 95% of reported deaths.

    WMO State of the Climate reports report on the occurrence and impact of droughts.

    For instance, a prolonged La Niña event led to five consecutive failed rainfall seasons in the Horn of Africa, culminating in a massive humanitarian, food security and displacement crisis in 2023 in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.

    With the transition to El Niño in 2023-2024, Southern African nations became the focus of the drought crisis – especially countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.

    Enhanced drought resilience

    Despite the challenges, progress has been made in integrated drought management.

    The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) is a joint initiative between WMO and the Global Water Partnership (GWP), which works with over 45 partners to support countries and states, by providing them with policy and management guidance for handing droughts.

    There are a number of success stories. These examples underscore the importance of strong drought management policies and early warning systems. They highlight the need for governments to adopt forward-looking approaches that integrate climate data and resource management into their drought preparedness strategies.

    Brazil’s Northeast region, which historically faces frequent and severe droughts, provides a prime example of the benefits of proactive drought management policies. Recent policy responses focused on developing a comprehensive drought management system that integrates early warning systems, sustainable water management practices, and integration of climate change scenarios into infrastructure planning. Coordination between federal, state, and local governments was also enhanced to facilitate timely and efficient responses.  

    Similarly, in the USA, a proactive approach helped mitigate the effects of a severe water shortage in the State of Washington in 2024. With water supplies falling below 75% of normal levels in April, the state issued an early emergency drought declaration, unlocking funding for drought relief measures. This early action allowed communities and public entities to access funding for drought relief in advance, giving them time to implement mitigation strategies such as securing alternative water supplies and preparing for reduced irrigation.

    Drought Resilience +10 Conference

    Conference themes

    Discussions at DR+10 will focus on nine topics, each addressing key aspects of drought management and reflecting the central challenges and opportunities for building drought resilience globally.

    It will include national and regional case studies
    These include:

    • Drought resilience and global mechanisms
    • Drought risk governance: the regional, national and local challenges
    • Drought monitoring, impact assessment and forecasting
    • From policies to action
    • Ecosystems
    • Social inclusion and climate justice
    • Drought finance
    • Public-private civil society partnerships
    • Health

    There will be a high-level closing session: Turning Drought Resilience Challenges into Action.

    The Conference’s final declaration will include recommendations for countries to accelerate drought resilience efforts over the next decade. It will focus on policy implementation, drought resilience in countries’ preparedness plans, and adaptation strategies. It will also seek to mobilize resources to support vulnerable countries facing drought-related challenges.

    The outcomes of the Conference will inform the global drought community as well as the high-level discussions at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh in December 2024.

    Logos of the World Meteorological Organization, Drought Resilience High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy, and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation in atmospheric science and meteorology.

    WMO monitors weather, climate, and water resources and provides support to its Members in forecasting and disaster mitigation. The organization is committed to advancing scientific knowledge and improving public safety and well-being through its work.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thai experts laud China’s smart rice irrigation tech

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese and Thai experts learn about crop water demand testing at the Guangxi Irrigation Experimental Central Station in Guilin, Guangxi, Sept. 28, 2024. [Ren Bin/China.org.cn]

    A team of 30 agricultural irrigation experts, government officials and local community representatives from China and Thailand visited Guilin, a city in southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on September 28, to study climate-smart water and rice farming technologies as part of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism. 

    In Songlin village, Huixian township of Guilin, researchers from China’s Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI) of Changjiang Water Resources Commission, demonstrated smart irrigation equipment to Thai experts.

    “With our smart equipment, the data on flow rate, water level, soil moisture and meteorology can be remotely monitored in real-time with just a digital device in your hand,” said Li Yalong, director of CRSRI’s Agricultural Water Conservancy Department. “With the help of this information, local farmers can control the amount of irrigation water, for example, and it helps achieve the goals of energy saving, water conservation and emission reductionat the same time.”

    A local farmer surnamed Liao told China.org.cn about the improved drainage and water conservation since implementing the equipment.

    “Compared to last year, the cost of twice irrigation has been saved. And the crops are growing well,” said Liao. “In previous years, when I planted the rice all by myself, the field yield was 1,800 to 2,100 kilograms per acre, but this year, it is estimated to be more than 2,400 kilograms.”

    The demonstration site is part of a wider project promoting climate-smart water technologies for sustainable resources and rice production in the Lancang-Mekong Region, supported by the Lancang-Mekong Special Fund. 

    The project, guided by Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources, is jointly coordinated with several institutes, including the Asia Center of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI Asia Center) in Bangkok, the Environmental Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University, the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center, the CRSRI, and the Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research. It aims to enhance climate-smart technology innovation and promote sustainable regional rice production and water resource management.

    Thanapon Piman, water cluster lead and SEI Asia Center senior research fellow, who leads the project, praised the demonstration for strengthening cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries on climate-smart farm technologies. He said it helps local communities adapt to the impacts of climate change and reduce the risks of floods and droughts.

    “The technologies from China are good examples for Thailand to apply the technology in agricultural water resource management,” Piman said. “This visit gives us more confidence and inspiration on how to help local communities cope with the impact of climate change.”

    The team also visited the Guangxi Irrigation Experimental Central Station, exploring experimental areas for water conservation, pollution prevention, and precision irrigation. Thai experts exchanged ideas on irrigation experiments with the station’s technical staff.

    The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism is a multilateral framework established in 2016 for China and five Southeast Asian countries to collaborate on development and regional issues. 

    1   2   3   4   5   6   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Sept. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bango (AIM: BGO), today announces its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2024.

    Financial Overview (unaudited):

    Results for the 6 months ended 30 June 2024  1H24 1H23 Change
           
    Total Revenue $24.1M $20.3M +18.6%  
             
    Transactional Revenue1 $16.4M $15.5M +5.3%  
             
    DVM, Audiences & One-Off2 $ 7.7M $ 4.7M +62.5%  
             
    Annual recurring revenue (ARR)3 $12.9M $5.6M +130.4%  
           
    Net Revenue Retention4 159%      
             
    Adjusted EBITDA5 $4.0M ($0.2M) +$4.2M
           
    Profit/(Loss) before taxation ($3.4M) ($4.9M) +$1.5M
           
    Net (Debt6)/Cash ($5.1M) $5.5M -$10.6M


    Notes:

    • Transactional revenue grew 9.4% on a constant currency basis.
    • Other Income of $1.4M, which is not included in the revenue figure above, related to recovery of tax costs from the acquisition of DOCOMO Digital. $1.1M will be accounted for as a tax cost, resulting in $0.3M profit.
    • Gross profit margin of 80.8% (1H23: 90.0%) reduced from 82.8% in 2H 2023 due to geographic mix. Improvements expected in 2H 2024 as high margin DVM revenue grows.
    • Net debt6 of $5.1M at 30 June 2024 (net debt of $3.9M at 31 Dec 2023) after R&D investment of $7.6M in the period.

    Operational Highlights

    • Bango signed 4 new Digital Vending Machine® (DVM) customers in 1H24, including a Bank in Brazil. Post-period there has been a further 3 new customer wins.
    • A leading European telco that adopted the DVM in 2020 extended their contract for a further 3 years, with a minimum contract value of $1.5M over the term.
    • 13 new subscription content providers were added to the DVM in 1H24, taking the total to 106.
    • The eDisti7 program now has 20 content providers, including Microsoft and Disney, allowing Bango to provide a ‘pre-stocked’ Digital Vending Machine, reducing time to revenue for both DVM customers and Bango.
    • Bango signed a global agreement with Uber to accelerate the take-up of Uber One subscriptions through telco channels, proving the appeal of the Bango DVM beyond digital video, music and gaming services.
    • The ‘global technology leader’ (announced in June 2022) launched its first two telcos with Bango in 1H24. Additional launches are underway.
    • Chartered Accountant Tony Perkins joined the Bango Board as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. In Q3, Tony was appointed as Senior Independent Director replacing Eric Peacock who retired from the Board to focus on his recovery from an accident.

    Presentation and Webcast

    A presentation of the interim results will be made to investors and analysts at 10:00 BST today via the Investor Meet Company Platform. Those wishing to join the call can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free via:
    https://www.investormeetcompany.com/bango-plc/register-investor

    Full RNS announcement

    Read the full Interims Results RNS announcement here: https://polaris.brighterir.com/public/bango_plc/news/rns/story/r7ze9jw

    Paul Larbey, Chief Executive Officer of Bango, commented:

    “The first six months of 2024 have gone to plan and are in-line with the Trading Update issued in July. The payments business continues to deliver growth, providing cash to fund expansion of the Digital Vending Machine® (DVM), which continues to be adopted as the defacto standard platform for subscription bundling by the world’s largest companies. The addition of Disney+ to the Bango eDisti program is further evidence of this and will help accelerate time-to-revenue from DVM deals. With 4 new DVM wins in the 1H and a further 3 in Q3, the pipeline built over the past years continued to deliver results and provides confidence in meeting market expectations for the full year.

    The subscriptions market is vast and growing, and the percentage of subscriptions bundled through channels is increasing. Bango’s leadership position in this market is strengthening with the DVM now playing a key role in the customer acquisition and engagement strategies of major content brands. We are excited by the opportunity ahead and remain on track to continue our strong growth trajectory and return to a positive net cash position in FY25.”

    1 Transactional Revenue is revenue derived by charging a percentage of the retail price paid by the consumer and is made up of direct carrier billing, resale and revenue share amounts.
    2 DVM, Bango Audiences & one-off Revenue includes all DVM license and support fees, revenue from Bango Audiences (discontinued in Q1) and one-off fees including DVM set-up and change requests.
    3 Annual Recurring Revenue is the expected annual revenues to be generated in the next 12 months based on contracted revenues recognized as at 30 June 2024.
    4 Net Revenue Retention is a measure of the retention and expansion of revenue from customers over the previous 12 months and is calculated by dividing the ARR from existing customers at the end of 1H24 to the ARR from those same customers at the end of 1H23.
    5 Adjusted EBITDA is earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization, negative goodwill, exceptional items, share of net loss of associate and share based payment charge 
    6 Net debt is cash and cash equivalents plus short-term investments less the loan from NHN and borrowings. Barclays continues to provide an overdraft facility which was not used at the end of the period .
    7eDisti is a program that allows Bango to resell subscriptions from content providers removing the need for a commercial agreement between the DVM customer and the content provider.

    Contact Details:  
    investors@bango.com

    About Bango

    Bango enables content providers to reach more paying customers through global partnerships. Bango revolutionized the monetization of digital content and services, by opening-up online payments to mobile phone users worldwide. Today, the Digital Vending Machine® is driving the rapid growth of the subscriptions economy, powering choice and control for subscribers.

    The world’s largest content providers, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft trust Bango technology to reach subscribers everywhere.

    Bango, where people subscribe. For more information, visit http://www.bangoinvestor.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Threat posed by Digital Services Act to freedom of expression in Europe and EU-US relations – E-001592/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001592/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Fernand Kartheiser (ECR)

    Commissioner Breton has faced fire for the letter he addressed to Elon Musk on 12 August 2024, in particular from the US Congress and Trump’s election campaign officials. Meanwhile, in the EU, many people have expressed their concern that the Digital Services Act (DSA) poses a threat to freedom of expression.

    • 1.Will the Commission revise the DSA to remove anything that poses a threat to freedom of expression or would entail censorship in the EU?
    • 2.Does it agree that the primary use of the DSA is to prevent conservative views from being shared online, and that it is thus a weapon of lawfare to be used against opinions that bother the Commission?
    • 3.Is Mr Breton still in theory eligible to be a Commissioner?

    Submitted: 2.9.2024

    Last updated: 30 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA condemns ‘targeted’ assassinations, recent bombing of Lebanon

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The South African government has expressed its “profound concern” regarding the recent escalation of extrajudicial killings in the Middle East, most notably the tragic assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and other leaders in Lebanon. 

    This follows a series of widespread and indiscriminate attacks on communication and other devices used by civilians, particularly in Lebanon.

    According to reports, Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah was killed Friday in a strike on the group’s underground headquarters, where 20 Hezbollah members were also present.

    Hezbollah is a Lebanese militant group, described as “one of the most powerful paramilitary groups in the Middle East”.

    According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, these attacks have since resulted in numerous fatalities, including those from vulnerable groups, and left hundreds in critical condition and thousands injured. 

    “The scale of injuries caused by these indiscriminate explosions is deeply troubling and warrants strong condemnation from the international community. Such attacks on civilians constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law,” the statement read. 

    South Africa has since extended its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a swift and full recovery. 

    “We stand in solidarity with the government of Lebanon during this challenging time and express our support in the aftermath of these ongoing attacks.

    “These actions exacerbate an already tense situation in the Middle East and appear to be aimed at undermining regional international peace efforts.” 

    The government has since called on the perpetrators of these premeditated crimes to be held accountable through an international, transparent investigation.

    “South Africa unequivocally condemns these targeted assassinations and the recent bombing campaign against Lebanon, which has resulted in the tragic loss of more than 720 lives since the conflict escalated on Monday [last week].”

    Citing the United Nations (UN), the department said the number of displaced individuals from southern Lebanon has more than doubled, with over 211 000 people now displaced. 

    Additionally, at least 20 primary healthcare centres have been forced to shut down in the hardest-hit areas, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

    “South Africa urgently calls for an immediate ceasefire and adherence to international law to prevent a major regional military conflagration, which would have devastating consequences for all countries involved.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: AIIB, Uzbekistan Cement Long-Term Partnership With Landmark Agreements at 9th AIIB Annual Meeting

    Source: Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank

    The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) further solidified its long-standing partnership with the Republic of Uzbekistan through a series of agreements signed in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at the Bank’s 9th Annual Meeting, its first in Central Asia.

    The agreements follow the signing of a three-year rolling pipeline for sovereign-backed financed projects by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and AIIB President Jin Liqun in Beijing. This strategic partnership established a solid foundation for the current agreements, aimed at supporting Uzbekistan’s sustainable development goals.

    At the Annual Meeting, the Bank and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) signed an agreement for a USD8.8 million contribution to support the Karakalpakstan and Khorezm Water Supply and Sanitation Project. This critical initiative aims to improve water resource management, sanitation services and flood risk management in some of Uzbekistan’s most water-stressed regions. The project aligns with AIIB’s green infrastructure and technology-enabled Infrastructure thematic priorities and is a key step in advancing Uzbekistan’s long-term goals for climate resilience and water security.

    Following this, AIIB signed a pivotal loan agreement with Asakabank, marking AIIB’s inaugural partnership with the financial institution. The RMB-denominated loan will expand Asakabank’s portfolio in renewable energy and energy efficiency and provide much-needed financial support for green investments. This agreement is a critical part of Uzbekistan’s energy transition strategy and highlights AIIB’s role in fostering climate-resilient infrastructure development across Central Asia.

    Building on this momentum, AIIB signed a mandate letter with SQB (formerly Sanoat Qurilish Bank) to promote sustainable energy projects. This partnership will provide longer-tenor funding than typically available in the market, equipping SQB to finance renewable energy projects and furthering AIIB’s contribution to Uzbekistan’s clean energy goals. The agreement strengthens the relationship that began with the signing of a letter of intent in January 2024.

    Finally, AIIB signed a grant agreement to expand and modernize the country’s public education infrastructure, which marked AIIB’s first project in Uzbekistan’s education sector. This project addresses the pressing need for additional classroom capacity and focuses on building new schools, renovating existing ones and introducing modern educational tools and technology. This initiative has special emphasis on gender inclusion, digital technology and climate resilience, and will ensure that Uzbekistan’s youth are well-equipped to meet the demands of the future.

    “The three-year rolling pipeline agreement between President Mirziyoyev and President Jin established a strategic framework for aligning Uzbekistan’s development goals with AIIB’s expertise and resources,” said Konstantin Limitovskiy, AIIB Vice President for Investment Clients Region 2 and Project and Corporate Finance, Global. “The agreements signed during the Annual Meeting further underscore AIIB’s commitment to advancing impactful, long-term projects that foster prosperity, resilience and sustainable growth in Uzbekistan.”

    “The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has been a long-standing partner of Uzbekistan, supporting our country in its pursuit of sustainable infrastructure and investment development, improving living conditions for people, and achieving the goals of the Strategy 2030,” said Laziz Kudratov, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade and Governor for Uzbekistan at the AIIB. “The signing of the grant agreement for the project on the modernization and expansion of school infrastructure is another significant step on this path, supported by AIIB and our other partners.”

    AIIB’s continued investments in green infrastructure, renewable energy, education and water management demonstrate the Bank’s commitment to supporting Uzbekistan’s Sustainable Development Strategy: Vision 2030, which aims to alleviate poverty, promote inclusive growth and enhance resilience to global challenges. As AIIB and Uzbekistan continue to deepen their cooperation, these projects will serve as key drivers of the nation’s green transformation, promoting economic resilience and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

    About AIIB

    The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow in Asia and beyond—infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in 2016 and have since grown to 110 approved members worldwide. We are capitalized at USD100 billion and AAA-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Singapore and Ghana Launch First Call for Project Applications under Implementation Agreement on Carbon Credits Cooperation

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    Singapore, 30 September 2024 — Singapore and Ghana have set out the processes for authorising carbon credit projects under their Implementation Agreement on carbon  credits cooperation, in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Applications may be submitted through Singapore’s Carbon Markets Cooperation website, at http://www.carbonmarkets-cooperation.gov.sg.

    2               The carbon credit projects authorised under the Implementation Agreement will channel financing towards emissions reduction or removal projects in Ghana. These projects can promote sustainable development and generate benefits for local communities, including job creation, clean water access, improvements to energy security, and reducing environmental pollution (See Annex A for potential project types).

    3               Authorised projects can generate carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Under Singapore’s International Carbon Credit (ICC) Framework, these credits may be eligible for use by Singapore-based carbon tax-liable companies to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions.

    4               From 30 September 2024, interested parties may submit applications for their carbon credit projects in Ghana to be authorised. Applications submitted will be reviewed by Singapore and Ghana governments on a rolling basis as they are received.

    Application and Authorisation Process

    5               The application and authorisation process comprises four stages, each corresponding to a different stage of implementation for the carbon credit project (See Annex B). The first three stages require applicants to submit details on the design and implementation plan for the carbon credit project in the lead-up to project authorisation. The final stage is for corresponding adjustments to be applied to the carbon credits generated from the authorised project, in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

    6               Singapore and Ghana will assess applications against each country’s respective requirements. For Singapore, these projects must meet Singapore’s Eligibility Criteria for International Carbon Credits. The Eligibility Criteria, and the list of eligible carbon crediting programmes and methodologies under the Singapore-Ghana Implementation Agreement, are at Annex C, and on the Carbon Markets Cooperation website. The list will be reviewed regularly to maintain relevance and uphold environmental integrity.

    Annex A

    Potential Carbon Credit Project Types for Applications

    Project Type Description
    Clean Water Supply Rural communities are provided with water purification technologies (e.g. UV-based disinfection systems). This empowers communities with an alternate source of clean and safe drinking water without relying on the conventional method of using firewood to boil water. This reduces carbon emissions from burning firewood and associated deforestation activities, and carbon credits are issued based on the emissions reduced.
     
    Local communities can also benefit from improved water safety and security.
    Efficient and Clean Cookstoves In rural areas where households use firewood for their cooking and heating needs, the switch to efficient and clean cookstoves (e.g. cookstoves that use renewable fuel like biogas or solar energy) enables households to meet their cooking and heating needs more efficiently and cleanly. This reduces the burning of firewood and resulting carbon emissions from deforestation. Carbon credits are issued based on the emissions reduced.
     
    Co-benefits are also delivered to local communities, including cleaner air quality through the reduction of firewood burning.
    Green Mobility As Electric Vehicles (EVs) replace fossil fuel-powered vehicles for transportation needs, there are emissions reductions as EVs are more efficient and potentially powered by green energy. Carbon credits are issued based on the emissions reduced.
     
    There are also sustainable development benefits for local communities. Skilled jobs are created for the maintenance of EV infrastructure, and improves air quality from reduced reliance on fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

    Annex B

    Flowchart of Application and Authorisation Process

    Joint Committee The Joint Committee is a coordination body that oversees the administration of the Implementation Agreement. The Joint Committee under the Singapore-Ghana Implementation Agreement is co-chaired by the Director-General of Climate Change at the National Climate Change Secretariat of Singapore, and the Director of Environment, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana.
    Stage A: Project Application Applicants are to submit a concept note on the intended project, indicating the programme and methodology that the project will be developed under, and broadly how the project will be implemented to uphold environmental integrity (e.g. explanations on how the project will demonstrate additionality).
    Stage B: Project Design As the project concept is further developed, applicants are to submit a project design document (PDD) on the intended project. The PDD should contain the detailed implementation plan (e.g. how the baseline emissions will be determined, how the project will address permanence and leakage concerns).
    Stage C: Project Authorisation Under this stage, applicants are to submit a validation report from a third-party auditor determining that the project design meets all the rules and requirements of the intended methodology and carbon crediting programme. After receiving Letters of Authorisation from both Singapore and Ghana, the project should proceed to be registered under the intended carbon crediting programme, and proceed to implementation.
    Stage D: Corresponding Adjustment Application As the authorised project is implemented and the emission reductions and removals have been verified by a third-party auditor, the carbon crediting programme will issue carbon credits to the project. Applicants are to submit a Proof of Issuance from the carbon crediting programme accompanied with the verification report from the third-party auditor, to be considered for corresponding adjustments to be applied to the issued carbon credits, in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

     

    Annex C

    Singapore’s Eligibility Criteria and the Eligibility List under the Singapore-Ghana Implementation Agreement

    Eligibility Criteria

     1               The Eligibility Criteria requires ICCs to represent emissions reductions or removals that occur within the timeframe specified under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and meet seven principles to demonstrate environmental integrity (see Table C-1 below).

     Table C-1: Eligibility Criteria for ICCs

    Principle Definition
    To comply with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the certified emissions reductions or removals must have occurred between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2030.
    Not double-counted The certified emissions reductions or removals must not be counted more than once in contravention of the Paris Agreement.
    Additional The certified emissions reductions or removals must exceed any emissions reduction or removals required by any law or regulatory requirement of the host country, and that would otherwise have occurred in a conservative, business-as-usual scenario.
    Real The certified emissions reductions or removals must have been quantified based on a realistic, defensible, and conservative estimate of the amount of emissions that would have occurred in a business-as-usual scenario, assuming the project or programme that generated the certified emission reductions or removals had not been carried out.
    Quantified and verified The certified emissions reductions or removals must have been calculated in a manner that is conservative and transparent, and must have been measured and verified by an accredited and independent third-party verification entity before the ICC was issued.
    Permanent The certified emissions reductions or removals must not be reversible, or if there is a risk that the certified emissions reductions or removals may be reversible, there must be measures in place to monitor, mitigate and compensate any material reversal of the certified emissions reductions or removals.
    No net harm The project or programme that generated the certified emissions reductions or removals must not violate any applicable laws, regulatory requirements, or international obligations of the host country.
    No leakage The project or programme that generated the certified emissions reductions or removals must not result in a material increase in emissions elsewhere, or if there is a risk of a material increase in emissions elsewhere, there must be measures in place to monitor, mitigate and compensate any such material increase in emissions.

    Eligibility List under the Singapore-Ghana Implementation Agreement

     2               The Eligibility List of carbon crediting programmes and methodologies in Table C-2 adhere to the Eligibility Criteria and meet the requirements of both Singapore and Ghana. The carbon crediting programmes and methodologies that are eligible may be different for each host country, as host countries also have their own criteria.

     Table C-2: Eligibility List under the Singapore-Ghana Implementation Agreement 

    Carbon Crediting Programmes  Methodologies 
    Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG)  All active methodologies published before 31 March 2023, except those under the “Land Use and Forestry & Agriculture” category of GS4GG 
    Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)  All active methodologies published before 31 March 2023, except those that are under the “Sectoral Scope 14” category of VCS, with these allowable exceptions: 
    ·     Scenario 2a and 3 of VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) framework  
    ·     VM0012 
    ·     VM0017 
    ·     VM0021 
    ·     VM0022 
    ·     VM0024 
    ·     VM0026 (and VMD0040) 
    ·     VM0032 
    ·     VM0033  
    ·     VM0036  
    ·     VM0041 
    ·     VM0042 
     
    Where any VCS methodology is used, the project participant will be required to demonstrate the Sustainable Development contributions or co-benefits of the relevant mitigation activity by submitting to the Joint Committee its verification report under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCB Standards), the Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) or another standard recognised by VCS for such purpose. 

    Annex D

    Information on the Singapore-Ghana Implementation Agreement

     1               Singapore and Ghana signed an Implementation Agreement on carbon credits cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on 27 May 2024. Since the signing, Singapore has been working with Ghana to operationalise the Implementation Agreement.

     2               As an additional contribution to mitigation of global emissions, Singapore has committed to having 2% of the correspondingly adjusted carbon credits authorised under this Implementation Agreement cancelled at first issuance. These carbon credits cannot be sold, traded, or counted towards any country’s emission targets, and will instead contribute towards a net reduction in global emissions.

     3               Singapore has committed to channelling the value from 5% of the correspondingly adjusted carbon credits authorised under this Implementation Agreement towards adaptation measures such as heat resilience measures and coastal protection in Ghana.

     4               This is the second Implementation Agreement for Singapore, after the first with Papua New Guinea which was signed in December 2023. Singapore signed MOUs / Letters of Intent on carbon credits collaboration with countries such as Bhutan, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Mongolia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Vietnam, Rwanda, Senegal, and Sri Lanka, with the aim of inking similar Implementation Agreements.

     5               Effective international cooperation, such as through carbon markets, is an important part of Singapore’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, given Singapore’s national circumstances as an alternative-energy disadvantaged country with limited domestic mitigation potential.

     

     

     

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Tropical Storm Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    strong>ATLANTA, Ga.- North Carolina homeowners and renters in 25 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.

    FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can apply.

    There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. 

    To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.

    FEMA’s disaster assistance offers new benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors. In addition, a simplified process and expanded eligibility allows North Carolinians access to a wider range of assistance and funds for serious needs.

    What You’ll Need When You Apply

    • A current phone number where you can be contacted.
    • Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
    • Your Social Security number.
    • A general list of damage and losses.
    • Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
    • If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.

    If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

    For the latest information about North Carolina’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4827. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Florida After Hurricane Helene

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    How to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Florida After Hurricane Helene

    WASHINGTON — Florida homeowners and renters in 17 counties who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.

    FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor and Wakulla counties can apply.

    If you applied to FEMA after Hurricane Debby and have additional damage from Hurricane Helene, you will need to apply separately for Helene and provide the dates of your most recent damage. Apply for either storm online at DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA mobile app or by calling FEMA’s helpline toll-free at 800- 621-3362. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.

    FEMA’s disaster assistance offers new benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors. In addition, a simplified process and expanded eligibility allows Floridians access to a wider range of assistance and funds for serious needs.

    What You’ll Need When You Apply

    • A current phone number where you can be contacted.
    • Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
    • Your Social Security number.
    • A general list of damage and losses.
    • Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
    • If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.

    If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

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

    mashana.davis

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom issues legislative update 9.29.24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Sep 29, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed the following bills:
     

    • AB 98 by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) – Planning and zoning: logistics use: truck routes.
    • AB 347 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Household product safety: toxic substances: testing and enforcement.
    • AB 772 by Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) – Child day care facilities.
    • AB 796 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Athletic trainers.
    • AB 801 by Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) – Student privacy: online personal information.
    • AB 866 by Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) – Juveniles: care and treatment.
    • AB 977 by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) – Emergency departments: assault and battery.
    • AB 1755 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) – Civil actions: restitution for or replacement of a new motor vehicle. A signing message can be found here.
    • AB 1810 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Incarcerated persons: menstrual products.
    • AB 1824 by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) – California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018: opt out right: mergers.
    • AB 1825 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) – California Freedom to Read Act.
    • AB 1841 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Student safety: opioid overdose reversal medication: student housing facilities.
    • AB 1843 by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona) – Emergency ambulance employees.
    • AB 1907 by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) – California Child and Family Service Review System: Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment.
    • AB 1934 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Digital financial asset businesses.
    • AB 2074 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) – Pupil instruction: English Learner Roadmap Policy: statewide implementation plan. A signing message can be found here.
    • AB 2096 by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) – Restraining orders: educational institutions.
    • AB 2119 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Mental health.
    • AB 2123 by Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) – Disability compensation: paid family leave.
    • AB 2129 by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) – Immediate postpartum contraception.
    • AB 2132 by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) – Health care services: tuberculosis.
    • AB 2164 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) – Physicians and surgeons: licensure requirements: disclosure.
    • AB 2192 by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) – Public agencies: cost accounting standards.
    • AB 2215 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Criminal procedure: arrests.
    • AB 2224 by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) – Special immigrant juvenile status: court orders and guardianship.
    • AB 2245 by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) – Certificated school employees: permanent status: regional occupational centers or programs operated by single school districts.
    • AB 2318 by Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) – State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account: receipts and expenditures: report.
    • AB 2343 by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) – CalWORKs: childcare programs.
    • AB 2357 by Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Bakersfield) – University of California: school of medicine: University of California Kern County Medical Education Endowment Fund. A signing message can be found here.
    • AB 2377 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Sylmar) – Pupil instruction: physical education: accommodation: religious fasting.
    • AB 2443 by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) – Transactions and use taxes: Cities of Lancaster, Palmdale, and Victorville.
    • AB 2458 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) – Public postsecondary education: student parents.
    • AB 2475 by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) – Parole.
    • AB 2483 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Postconviction proceedings.
    • AB 2484 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Courts: juveniles: remote proceedings.
    • AB 2493 by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) – Tenancy: application screening fee.
    • AB 2499 by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) – Employment: unlawful discrimination and paid sick days: victims of violence.
    • AB 2531 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Deaths while in law enforcement custody: reporting.
    • AB 2738 by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-Sylmar) – Labor Code: alternative enforcement: occupational safety. A signing message can be found here.
    • AB 2741 by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) – Rental car companies: electronic surveillance technology.
    • AB 2843 by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) – Health care coverage: rape and sexual assault.
    • AB 2883 by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) – California State University: University of California: Lunar New Year holiday.
    • AB 2988 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) – Courts.
    • AB 2998 by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) – Opioid overdose reversal medications: pupil administration.
    • AB 3059 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Human milk.
    • AB 3145 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Family preservation services: standards.
    • AB 3206 by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) – Alcoholic beverages: hours of sale: arenas in the City of Inglewood. A signing message can be found here. 
    • AB 3258 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) – Refinery and chemical plants.
    • SB 285 by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) – Criminal procedure: sentencing.
    • SB 379 by Senator Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) – Victim services: restorative justice.
    • SB 442 by Senator Monique Limόn (D-Santa Barbara) – Sexual battery.
    • SB 504 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) – Wildfires: defensible space: grant programs: local governments.
    • SB 551 by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) – Beverage containers: recycling.
    • SB 575 by Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley) – Marriage: underage marriage.
    • SB 918 by Senator Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) – Law enforcement contact process: search warrants.
    • SB 940 by Senator Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) – Civil disputes.
    • SB 946 by Senator Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) – Personal Income Tax Law: Corporation Tax Law: exclusions: wildfire mitigation payments.
    • SB 958 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) – Surplus state property: County of Napa.
    • SB 1143 by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) – Paint products: stewardship program.
    • SB 1174 by Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) – Elections: voter identification.
    • SB 1303 by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) – Public works.
    • SB 1379 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) – Public Employees’ Retirement Law: reinstatement: County of Solano.
    • SB 1386 by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) – Evidence: sexual assault.

     The Governor also announced that he has vetoed the following bills:

    • AB 637 by Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) – Zero-emission vehicles: fleet owners: rental vehicles. A veto message can be found here. 
    • AB 1111 by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) – Cannabis: small producer event sales license. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 1122 by Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Bakersfield) – Commercial harbor craft: equipment. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 1296 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Bar pilots: regulation of vessels. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 1890 by Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) – Public works: prevailing wage. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 1895 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Public health: maternity ward closures. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 1973 by Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) – Personal Income Tax Law: Corporation Tax Law: Bobcat Fire: exclusions. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 2058 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Devices: disclosures. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 2178 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Prisons: bed thresholds. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 2447 by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) – California State University: fiscal transparency: internet website. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 2693 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) – Childhood sexual assault: statute of limitations. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 2773 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) – Elders and dependent adults: abuse or neglect. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 2892 by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) – Vehicles: financial responsibility: self-insurance. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 3179 by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) – Emergency telecommunications medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 3245 by Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) – Coverage for colorectal cancer screening. A veto message can be found here.
    • AB 3282 by the Committee on Judiciary – Courts. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 299 by Senator Monique Limόn (D-Santa Barbara) – Voter registration: California New Motor Voter Program. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 336 by Senator Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) – State grant programs: negotiated indirect cost rates. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 542 by Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) – Personal Income Tax Law: Corporation Tax Law: wildfires: exclusions. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 615 by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) – Vehicle traction batteries. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 782 by Senator Monique Limόn (D-Santa Barbara) – Gubernatorial appointments: report. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 984 by Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley) – Public agencies: project labor agreements. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 1022 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Enforcement of civil rights. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 1066 by Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) – Hazardous waste: marine flares: manufacturer responsibility. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 1155 by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) – Political Reform Act of 1974: postgovernment employment restrictions. A veto message can be found here.
    • SB 1281 by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley/Burbank) – Advancing Equity and Access in the Self-Determination Program Act. A veto message can be found here.

    For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

    Recent news

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    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom signed legislation today to expand IVF coverage. Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed SB 729 by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-Van Nuys) which requires large group health care…

    Sep 29, 2024

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Coastal odour improved

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan today visited the waterfront areas of To Kwa Wan, Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai to learn about the progress for improving the quality and odour of Victoria Harbour’s coastal waters.

    While inspecting the Cheung Sha Wan waterfront, Mr Tse was briefed by Environmental Protection Department officers on the conditions of sewer misconnections and the progress of rectification works.

    He also learnt about the collection of odour data in real time and the innovative technologies and equipment in identifying pollution sources, which are done through the odour-monitoring device installed at the waterfront.

    The environment chief was pleased to learn that the overall pollution load in the priority districts of Tsuen Wan, Sham Shui Po and Kowloon City had been reduced by about 80%, exceeding the target set in the 2022 Policy Address of reducing the pollution load at identified outfalls emanating stench in specific districts by half before end-2024.

    Mr Tse then inspected the bioremediation works carried out by the Civil Engineering & Development Department at To Kwa Wan Typhoon Shelter, which can speed up the removal of organic pollution in the sediment and facilitate the elimination of the sediment’s odour, thereby further ameliorating coastal odour problems.

    Mr Tse concluded his inspection by going to the waterfront areas of Wan Chai to learn about the various water quality improvement measures in the area, where triathlon events for the 15th National Games will be hosted in 2025.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Joachim Nagel: Interactions between monetary policy, regulation and financial markets

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Check against delivery 

    1 Introduction

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Good morning and welcome to the Conference on Markets and Intermediaries, an event jointly organised by the Bundesbank and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

    In my opening speech, I will take you on a helicopter tour of the programme and share some thoughts on the topics that will be covered over the next two days. The programme certainly does cover a wide range of topics. It addresses current challenges facing financial markets, financial intermediaries, and central banks.

    Since the Great Financial Crisis, central banks worldwide have expanded their balance sheets, injected additional liquidity into the financial system, and broadened their collateral frameworks. In addition, financial regulation has been adapted to make the financial system more stable.

    While these measures served useful purposes, they also had side effects, not least in money and capital markets. Policymakers and regulators are therefore well-advised to evaluate the effects of their measures.

    2 Non-bank financial institutions

    The first session is dedicated to non-bank financial institutions, or NBFIs.

    This sector includes, amongst others, insurers, investment funds, and money market and hedge funds. It is strongly interconnected, both with other sectors and across countries. Its share of the global financial system, as measured by total financial assets, is almost one-half.

    Clearly, it could be a source of systemic risks. But the risks presented by NBFIs often lie out of view. This makes them more difficult to monitor and assess. All the more important, then, to close data gaps and strengthen the resilience of the sector.

    One particular source of vulnerability are fire sales of open-ended funds. These are the subject of a paper that Rüdiger Weber is presenting this morning.1

    Open-ended funds are especially prone to fire sales because, during episodes of market stress, they often face significant pressure from investors who want to liquidate their holdings quickly. Fund managers may then be forced to offload fund assets at short notice. And if those assets are less liquid, they may have to sell them at lower prices. This may amplify price declines and liquidity shortages.

    Effective liquidity management and regulation are very important here. A recently published Bundesbank paper shows that price-based liquidity management tools help keep the financial fragility of open-ended mutual funds in check.2

    In times of stress, investors also try to protect their capital by shifting it into safer assets. However, this flight to safety can intensify the downward pressure on the prices of riskier assets as demand for the latter declines.

    The Financial Stability Board is doing important work in this field. But it is currently focused on microprudential regulation. I think the FSB’s work on this front needs to be complemented by the development of macroprudential regulation for the NBFI sector.

    In any case, we should not jeopardise what we have achieved in the banking regulation space by allowing stability risks to build up elsewhere in the financial system.

    3 Central bank digital currencies

    The second session is on central bank digital currencies (CBDC).

    CBDC is an issue that is keeping almost all central banks very busy at the moment. The Eurosystem is hard at work preparing for the potential introduction of a digital euro.

    As the world turns increasingly digital, the digital euro would provide a secure and efficient digital payment option that complements cash. It aims to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by building on European infrastructures, and to promote innovation in the private sector.

    However, introducing a CBDC could also have unintended side effects. If bank customers were allowed to hold it in large amounts, periods of banking distress could trigger large, sudden shifts out of deposits into CBDC. This could lead to financial instability.

    And if CBDC were too attractive a substitute for deposits, commercial banks’ access to retail deposits could erode over time. Which could lead to structural disintermediation and call into question our proven two-tier banking system. It is therefore of the essence to design CBDC in a way that prevents these risks from materialising.

    The challenge is to optimise the usability of CBDC as a means of payment while at the same time limiting its effects on the market for bank deposits. Two decisive factors in this regard are remuneration and holding limits. Let me say a few words on each of these.

    Remuneration means the rate of interest on people’s holdings of CBDC. If that rate of interest were positive, holding CBDC would be more attractive. But at the same time, that would lead to outflows out of bank deposits.

    Based on a welfare-maximising model setting, Pascal Paul will argue later this afternoon that central banks should allow for a positive interest rate.3 This stands in contrast to the intention of the Governing Council not to remunerate digital euro holdings.4

    Why are we not in favour of remuneration?

    Because our aim is to make the digital euro a digital complement to cash, and there is no remuneration for holding cash. We neither want to compete with commercial banks for deposits, nor do we want to employ the digital euro as a monetary policy instrument.

    The second, perhaps even more important, factor is holding limits. We intend to limit digital euro holdings to a certain amount, because we want to ensure the digital euro does not lead to large sudden shifts or disintermediation.

    The limits currently under discussion range from €500 to €3,000.5 A recent Bundesbank paper finds that an optimal holding limit would be in a range between €1,500 and €2,500.6 On the Governing Council, we have not yet taken a decision on the exact amount. What is more, EU legislators might be involved here.

    But as regards the practical usability of the digital euro, the exact limit does not play a major role anyway. This is because a reverse waterfall system, as it is called, would allow users to link their digital euro wallet to their bank account. They can then convert their bank deposits into digital euro automatically and instantly if their holdings are insufficient to make a payment.

    4 Banking and deposit flows

    Allowing users to convert an unlimited amount of deposits into CBDC would expose commercial banks to substantial run risk. In any case, zero or lower interest rates will not discourage them from doing that in times of crisis. However, digital bank runs can happen even without CBDC.

    The failure of Silicon Valley Bank and other regional banks in March 2023 showed how quickly customers can withdraw their deposits these days. At Silicon Valley Bank alone, customers pulled out USD 42 billion within the space of a single day, which equated to around one-quarter of total deposits. And another USD 100 billion would have been withdrawn a day later.7 The depositors on the run were apparently account holders with uninsured deposits.

    Banking and deposit flows are the subject of Session 3. Dominic Cucic will present a paper showing that bank customers do indeed redistribute their deposits when deposit insurance limits change.8 Credible and reliable deposit insurance helps to prevent bank runs and preserve financial stability.

    In the euro area, we currently have deposit insurance at the national level. Adding a European layer in the form of a hybrid model would help prevent situations where large shocks overwhelm national deposit insurance systems and lead to cross-border contagion.

    As a European layer should be risk-based, large exposures of banks to individual sovereigns are an issue. Currently, many banks hold a disproportionately large number of bonds issued by their domestic governments. If this were to continue, a common deposit insurance arrangement could lead to a redistribution of sovereign solvency risks.

    In my view, the new EU legislative session provides a good opportunity to move forward on both issues: with a reduction in banks’ exposures to individual sovereigns, and a common European deposit insurance system.

    5 Central bank interventions and market behaviour

    Session 4 of this conference focuses on the impact of central bank interventions on market behaviour. Both papers in this session underline that such central bank measures need to be carefully designed.9

    Central banks have taken a wide range of non-standard monetary policy measures to ensure sufficient monetary stimulus at the effective lower bound. But in the medium to long term, such policies may lead to inefficiencies. These could arise in financial markets themselves or in the allocation of resources affected by the boost to lending.

    This makes it all the more important to evaluate the instruments used and the lessons learned. It is therefore very fitting that we are currently carrying out a strategy review in the Eurosystem. Amongst other things, this will provide an opportunity to critically review the quantitative easing policies we have seen in the past.

    The extensive bond purchases contributed to price stability in an era of low inflation, but they were also associated with numerous side effects in financial markets. Without prejudging the outcome of the review, I think their use should be limited to exceptional circumstances.

    6 Conclusion

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    The conference concludes with a panel discussion on the ECB’s new operational framework. As I have already expressed my views on this on a different occasion,10 I will end my speech by expressing my gratitude.

    Thanks to the organisers from the Bundesbank and Humboldt University for setting up this conference. Thanks to the presenters, discussants and panellists for sharing their insights. Thanks to all participants for their contributions. And special thanks to Annette Vissing-Jørgensen from the Federal Reserve Board, who will give a keynote on “Balance sheet policy above the effective lower bound”.11

    Now I wish you all an exciting conference with valuable insights.

    Thank you very much. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on funding for cultural heritage in Europe – B10-0015/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    B10‑0015/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on funding for cultural heritage in Europe

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the Commission working document entitled ‘European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage’,

    – having regard to Rule 149 of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas in 2019, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris suffered a severe fire which reminded us of the fragility of our historical and religious heritage;

    B. whereas aside from the cultural aspect, churches are also of great value for aesthetic, historical, heritage and tourism-related reasons;

    C. whereas the European Union funds restoration projects through the ERDF and the EAFRD, and whereas the EIB provides loans to local authorities for this purpose;

    1. Calls on the Commission to use other funds, such as Horizon Europe or Creative Europe, to fund the restoration of this heritage;

    2. Calls on the Commission to fund programmes in the Member States to list and classify this heritage;

    3. Calls on the Commission to support the creation of a tax-exempt European heritage lottery;

    4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: ASIA/NEPAL – Floods and thousands of displaced people: “Critical situation”, says the pro-Vicar

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: The Holy See in Italian

    Caritas Nepal

    Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) – “We have had three days of heavy rains and floods, which occurred from many small rivers and streams that overflowed. They are among the most intense that Nepal has ever seen in recent decades”, says to Agenzia Fides Fr. Silas Bogati, pro Apostolic Vicar of Nepal. “Now there is great suffering, thousands of people have lost their homes and everything they had at home, many do not know where to sleep. The situation is critical in Kathmandu and in many other areas of the country”, he notes. The pro-Vicar is located in the small village of Godavari, a few kilometers from the capital Kathmandu, where there is a Catholic Pastoral Center that carries out various activities. “Even some Catholic families who live here, near the river, are in conditions of poverty and penury. They have nothing. But there is already an effort of solidarity to help them”, he notes. The heavy rains that hit Nepal between 27 and 28 September caused widespread floods that affected thousands of families. According to initial estimates by government authorities, some 217 people, including 35 children, have lost their lives, while over 130 are injured and at least 26 are missing. Hundreds of homes have been damaged. Landslides, mud and debris have blocked major roads, both in the capital and in other districts, hindering relief efforts and access to essential services. In addition, 13 major hospitals have been damaged and water supplies are cut off in many areas, with damaging, sometimes life-threatening, consequences for health and nutrition. There are fears of an outbreak of waterborne (such as cholera) and vector-borne (such as dengue fever) epidemics. “The damage to 54 schools deprives more than 10,000 boys and girls of access to safe learning spaces,” UNICEF said. “Schools are closed and roads impassable, there is mud everywhere, here in Godavari and in the capital. Now Caritas Nepal is assessing the situation and will seek a prompt response to help the displaced, who have no food or clothing, nor a place to spend the night. Some volunteers from our parishes have already started working and are helping to clean the mud from the houses that are still habitable”, continues Fr. Silas Bogati. “In this situation of suffering and precariousness, we try to do our part, bringing aid and showing solidarity to all those in need. We will need help from abroad”, he concludes. Nepal is a country of about 30 million inhabitants with a Hindu majority (80%), while Christians of various confessions make up about 1% overall, including about 8 thousand Catholics. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 1/10/2024) Share:

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wuthering Heights casting row: most adaptations struggle with picking the right Heathcliff and Cathy, but we deserve better in 2024

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adelene Buckland, Reader in Nineteenth-Century Literature, King’s College London

    How do you cast Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel about a child so brutalised by his adoptive family that he drives his pregnant love to death? Not, it would seem, like Emerald Fennell, the latest director to attempt it.

    Fennell’s previous projects include the Oscar-winning A Promising Young Woman (2020) and Netflix hit Saltburn (2023), but she has been under fire for casting Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in the lead roles of Heathcliff and Catherine, two teenagers on the wild, 19th-century Yorkshire moors. As tanned Australian actors aged 27 and 34, best known for playing Elvis and Barbie, it is hard to imagine how they can pull this off.

    But has anybody ever got Heathcliff and Catherine right?

    Lawrence Olivier was nominated for an Oscar for playing Heathcliff in 1939, but his clipped, Royal Shakespeare Company gentlemanliness hardly befitted the “savage vehemence” of the role. Heathcliff is an orphan, probably picked up on the Liverpool docks, bullied for looking like “a dark-skinned gypsy”, “a little Lascar, or an American or Spanish castaway” (a lascar was a sailor or militiaman often from Asia). Among his many eventual crimes, he tortures puppies and beats children. But the Olivier movie staged the novel as a classic Hollywood romance.

    Until very recently other directors followed suit, cutting the story’s more brutal elements (including most of its second half) and casting dashing (white) leads like Timothy Dalton (1970) and then-newcomer Ralph Fiennes (1992). In the latter film, Juliette Binoche’s Catherine had a notably French accent. (Maybe best not to mention Cliff Richard’s 1996 musical, in which, at 56, he was panned for playing a teenage Heathcliff as a pop idol.)

    As the director of a 2011 BBC Radio Three adaptation put it, Wuthering Heights is not supposed to be “a Vaseline-lensed experience”. But it has been mostly sold that way.

    Perhaps the only director to capture the nightmarishness of Bronte’s text is Andrea Arnold, who in 2011 cast untrained actors in the central roles, including a black actor, James Howson, as Heathcliff. At the time, some critics even found that decision controversial. But the casting was a turning point, and Arnold’s bleak, almost wordless, adaptation changed the game.

    In 2024, audiences are more aware that casting a white actor like Elordi as Heathcliff is not only to undersell the novel as romance, but to wilfully ignore the imperialism in the text.

    There is evidence to suggest that Heathcliff’s story was at least partly inspired by a local slave-owning family, the Sills, who, as well as making their money from sugar plantations in Jamaica, had 30 enslaved Africans working on their home estate in Yorkshire.

    Also, as mentioned, characters speculate about Heathcliff’s race throughout. For instance, Nelly Dean, Cathy’s family’s servant, wonders whether “[his] father was Emperor of China, and [his] mother an Indian queen.” He is clearly not white.

    Still, in going in the opposite direction to Arnold, Fennell’s film might offer us something new.

    The novel is difficult to film not only because it depicts human beings at their most primal, but also because it is so strangely told. Bronte rarely shows us Catherine or Heathcliff firsthand. We learn their tale through an uninitiated southerner, Lockwood, who himself hears much of the story from a servant with unreliable passions of her own.

    Key scenes in the novel have an emotional realism drawn not only from the rough-hewn Yorkshire rocks but also from gothic melodrama: Catherine’s ghost literally bleeds as it grasps Lockwood through a window; Heathcliff digs up Catherine’s grave just “to have her in my arms again”. If this is realism, it is so extreme it borders on the theatrical.

    And this is where Fennell excels. Saltburn’s bathtub scene is infamous for body horror, but mostly it depicts an urgent need to consume and be consumed by another. Saltburn also has its own graveside scene, which clearly echoes Heathcliff’s necrophiliac desires in Wuthering Heights.

    I would argue there can be no justification for casting a white actor as Heathcliff, and it is to be hoped that Fennell rethinks this decision. But perhaps there is also something to be gained from having a Heathcliff and Catherine with the glitzy theatricality of Elvis and Barbie. Fennell isn’t going to give us the Catherine and Heathcliff we have come to expect, but it is possible she will evoke the passion the characters deserve.


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

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

    – ref. Wuthering Heights casting row: most adaptations struggle with picking the right Heathcliff and Cathy, but we deserve better in 2024 – https://theconversation.com/wuthering-heights-casting-row-most-adaptations-struggle-with-picking-the-right-heathcliff-and-cathy-but-we-deserve-better-in-2024-240128

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Interactions between monetary policy, regulation and financial markets | Video message at the Conference on Markets and Intermediaries

    Source: Bundesbank

    Check against delivery.

    1 Introduction

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Good morning and welcome to the Conference on Markets and Intermediaries, an event jointly organised by the Bundesbank and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

    In my opening speech, I will take you on a helicopter tour of the programme and share some thoughts on the topics that will be covered over the next two days. The programme certainly does cover a wide range of topics. It addresses current challenges facing financial markets, financial intermediaries, and central banks.

    Since the Great Financial Crisis, central banks worldwide have expanded their balance sheets, injected additional liquidity into the financial system, and broadened their collateral frameworks. In addition, financial regulation has been adapted to make the financial system more stable.

    While these measures served useful purposes, they also had side effects, not least in money and capital markets. Policymakers and regulators are therefore well-advised to evaluate the effects of their measures.

    2 Non-bank financial institutions

    The first session is dedicated to non-bank financial institutions, or NBFIs.

    This sector includes, amongst others, insurers, investment funds, and money market and hedge funds. It is strongly interconnected, both with other sectors and across countries. Its share of the global financial system, as measured by total financial assets, is almost one-half.

    Clearly, it could be a source of systemic risks. But the risks presented by NBFIs often lie out of view. This makes them more difficult to monitor and assess. All the more important, then, to close data gaps and strengthen the resilience of the sector.

    One particular source of vulnerability are fire sales of open-ended funds. These are the subject of a paper that Rüdiger Weber is presenting this morning.[1]

    Open-ended funds are especially prone to fire sales because, during episodes of market stress, they often face significant pressure from investors who want to liquidate their holdings quickly. Fund managers may then be forced to offload fund assets at short notice. And if those assets are less liquid, they may have to sell them at lower prices. This may amplify price declines and liquidity shortages.

    Effective liquidity management and regulation are very important here. A recently published Bundesbank paper shows that price-based liquidity management tools help keep the financial fragility of open-ended mutual funds in check.[2]

    In times of stress, investors also try to protect their capital by shifting it into safer assets. However, this flight to safety can intensify the downward pressure on the prices of riskier assets as demand for the latter declines.

    The Financial Stability Board is doing important work in this field. But it is currently focused on microprudential regulation. I think the FSB’s work on this front needs to be complemented by the development of macroprudential regulation for the NBFI sector.

    In any case, we should not jeopardise what we have achieved in the banking regulation space by allowing stability risks to build up elsewhere in the financial system.

    3 Central bank digital currencies

    The second session is on central bank digital currencies (CBDC).

    CBDC is an issue that is keeping almost all central banks very busy at the moment. The Eurosystem is hard at work preparing for the potential introduction of a digital euro.

    As the world turns increasingly digital, the digital euro would provide a secure and efficient digital payment option that complements cash. It aims to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by building on European infrastructures, and to promote innovation in the private sector.

    However, introducing a CBDC could also have unintended side effects. If bank customers were allowed to hold it in large amounts, periods of banking distress could trigger large, sudden shifts out of deposits into CBDC. This could lead to financial instability.

    And if CBDC were too attractive a substitute for deposits, commercial banks’ access to retail deposits could erode over time. Which could lead to structural disintermediation and call into question our proven two-tier banking system. It is therefore of the essence to design CBDC in a way that prevents these risks from materialising.

    The challenge is to optimise the usability of CBDC as a means of payment while at the same time limiting its effects on the market for bank deposits. Two decisive factors in this regard are remuneration and holding limits. Let me say a few words on each of these.

    Remuneration means the rate of interest on people’s holdings of CBDC. If that rate of interest were positive, holding CBDC would be more attractive. But at the same time, that would lead to outflows out of bank deposits.

    Based on a welfare-maximising model setting, Pascal Paul will argue later this afternoon that central banks should allow for a positive interest rate.[3] This stands in contrast to the intention of the Governing Council not to remunerate digital euro holdings.[4]

    Why are we not in favour of remuneration?

    Because our aim is to make the digital euro a digital complement to cash, and there is no remuneration for holding cash. We neither want to compete with commercial banks for deposits, nor do we want to employ the digital euro as a monetary policy instrument.

    The second, perhaps even more important, factor is holding limits. We intend to limit digital euro holdings to a certain amount, because we want to ensure the digital euro does not lead to large sudden shifts or disintermediation.

    The limits currently under discussion range from €500 to €3,000.[5] A recent Bundesbank paper finds that an optimal holding limit would be in a range between €1,500 and €2,500.[6] On the Governing Council, we have not yet taken a decision on the exact amount. What is more, EU legislators might be involved here.

    But as regards the practical usability of the digital euro, the exact limit does not play a major role anyway. This is because a reverse waterfall system, as it is called, would allow users to link their digital euro wallet to their bank account. They can then convert their bank deposits into digital euro automatically and instantly if their holdings are insufficient to make a payment.

    4 Banking and deposit flows

    Allowing users to convert an unlimited amount of deposits into CBDC would expose commercial banks to substantial run risk. In any case, zero or lower interest rates will not discourage them from doing that in times of crisis. However, digital bank runs can happen even without CBDC.

    The failure of Silicon Valley Bank and other regional banks in March 2023 showed how quickly customers can withdraw their deposits these days. At Silicon Valley Bank alone, customers pulled out USD 42 billion within the space of a single day, which equated to around one-quarter of total deposits. And another USD 100 billion would have been withdrawn a day later.[7] The depositors on the run were apparently account holders with uninsured deposits.

    Banking and deposit flows are the subject of Session 3. Dominic Cucic will present a paper showing that bank customers do indeed redistribute their deposits when deposit insurance limits change.[8] Credible and reliable deposit insurance helps to prevent bank runs and preserve financial stability.

    In the euro area, we currently have deposit insurance at the national level. Adding a European layer in the form of a hybrid model would help prevent situations where large shocks overwhelm national deposit insurance systems and lead to cross-border contagion.

    As a European layer should be risk-based, large exposures of banks to individual sovereigns are an issue. Currently, many banks hold a disproportionately large number of bonds issued by their domestic governments. If this were to continue, a common deposit insurance arrangement could lead to a redistribution of sovereign solvency risks.

    In my view, the new EU legislative session provides a good opportunity to move forward on both issues: with a reduction in banks’ exposures to individual sovereigns, and a common European deposit insurance system.

    5 Central bank interventions and market behaviour

    Session 4 of this conference focuses on the impact of central bank interventions on market behaviour. Both papers in this session underline that such central bank measures need to be carefully designed.[9]

    Central banks have taken a wide range of non-standard monetary policy measures to ensure sufficient monetary stimulus at the effective lower bound. But in the medium to long term, such policies may lead to inefficiencies. These could arise in financial markets themselves or in the allocation of resources affected by the boost to lending.

    This makes it all the more important to evaluate the instruments used and the lessons learned. It is therefore very fitting that we are currently carrying out a strategy review in the Eurosystem. Amongst other things, this will provide an opportunity to critically review the quantitative easing policies we have seen in the past.

    The extensive bond purchases contributed to price stability in an era of low inflation, but they were also associated with numerous side effects in financial markets. Without prejudging the outcome of the review, I think their use should be limited to exceptional circumstances.

    6 Conclusion

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    The conference concludes with a panel discussion on the ECB’s new operational framework. As I have already expressed my views on this on a different occasion,[10] I will end my speech by expressing my gratitude.

    Thanks to the organisers from the Bundesbank and Humboldt University for setting up this conference. Thanks to the presenters, discussants and panellists for sharing their insights. Thanks to all participants for their contributions. And special thanks to Annette Vissing-Jørgensen from the Federal Reserve Board, who will give a keynote on “Balance sheet policy above the effective lower bound”.[11]

    Now I wish you all an exciting conference with valuable insights.

    Thank you very much.

    Footnotes:

    1. Rzeźnik, A. and R. Weber (2022), Money in the Right Hands, mimeo.
    2. Dunne, P. et al. (2024), Financial fragility in open-ended mutual funds: the role of liquidity management tools, Bundesbank Discussion Paper, No 36/2024.
    3. Paul, P., M. Ulate and J. C. Wu (2024), A Macroeconomic Model of Central Bank Digital Currency, mimeo.
    4. European Central Bank (2023), A stocktake on the digital euro. Summary report on the investigation phase and outlook on the next phase, 18 October.
    5. Balz, B. (2024), Only balances of €500 allowed? What the digital euro is intended to deliver – and what not, Interview with Focus online, 5 June.
    6. Bidder, R., T. Jackson and M. Rottner (2024), CBDC and banks: Disintermediating fast and slow, Deutsche Bundesbank Discussion Paper, No 15/2024.
    7. Congressional Hearing Transcript, Recent Bank Failures and the Regulatory Response, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, 28 March 2023.
    8. Cucic, D. et al. (2024), Distortive Effects of Deposit Insurance: Administrative Evidence from Deposit and Loan Accounts, mimeo.
    9. Eufinger, C. and Z. Ye (2024), Breaking Bagehot’s Rules: Loan Contracting with Advantageous Central Bank Funding, mimeo; Meisenzahl, R. R. and K. M. Pence, De-Limiting Arbitrage: Evidence from the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, mimeo.
    10. Nagel, J. (2024), Reflections on the Eurosystem’s new operational framework, Speech at the Konstanz Seminar on Monetary Theory and Monetary Policy, 16 May.
    11. Vissing-Jørgensen, A. (2023), Balance Sheet Policy Above the ELB, ECB Forum on Central Banking, Sintra.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Lebanon, Meloni – Mikati telephone conversation

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: Government of Italy

    October 1, 2024

    The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, had a telephone conversation today with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati.

    In renewing Italy’s closeness to Lebanon and the Lebanese people and in recalling the first immediate aid to the civilian population allocated yesterday by the Government, the Prime Minister reiterated Italy’s commitment to a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the conflict that will allow the displaced to return to their homes. Italy, also as the rotating Presidency of the G7, will continue to work for a de-escalation at the regional level.

    President Meloni finally recalled the crucial role of the Italian soldiers present in southern Lebanon within the UNIFIL mission, underlining the importance of their safety.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Lebanon: President Meloni’s telephone conversation with Prime Minister Mikati

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    1 Ottobre 2024

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, had a telephone conversation today with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati. 

    President Meloni reaffirmed Italy’s closeness with Lebanon and the Lebanese people and recalled the initial emergency aid allocated yesterday by the Italian Government for the civilian population, reiterating Italy’s commitment to a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the conflict which would allow the displaced persons to return to their homes. Italy, also as current G7 President, will continue to work for a de-escalation at regional level.

    Lastly, President Meloni recalled the crucial role of the Italian military personnel present in the south of Lebanon serving in the UNIFIL mission, stressing the importance of their safety.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials

    Biden-Harris Administration Prepared for Multi-State Event as Hurricane Helene Approaches, FEMA Encourages People in Storm’s Path to Listen to Local Officials

    At the Direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator to Travel to Florida to Survey Impacts

    WASHINGTON — Hurricane Helene is a massive, dangerous storm and FEMA is prepared for anticipated multi-state impacts. In advance of Hurricane Helene’s landfall in Florida, the Biden-Harris Administration approved pre-landfall emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. These declarations enable FEMA to provide federal resources to the states for emergency protective measures like reimbursement for evacuations and sheltering and aid initial response and recovery efforts.

    FEMA urges people in the path of Hurricane Helene to take immediate action to protect themselves as the storm approaches. Hurricane Helene is expected to continue strengthening and bring life-threating storm surge and hurricane conditions to Florida starting today. There is also the risk for dangerous flash and flooding in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

    “The Biden-Harris Administration is ready for this event. We are prepared and postured for response,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “People in Hurricane Helene’s path need to take this seriously. Listen to your state and local elected officials. If they tell you to evacuate, evacuate. If they tell you to shelter in place, stay where you are. These decisions can save lives.”

    FEMA, the entire federal family and partner organizations are actively coordinating response efforts across Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. There are over 1,100 personnel actively supporting from across the federal government, which include Urban Search and Rescue Teams, Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and power restoration teams from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An additional 700 FEMA team members already deployed across the region from previous events. To help people who may need to evacuate, the American Red Cross is actively standing up shelters in the areas likely to feel the impacts from Helene.

    Safety Tips During the Storm

    Residents in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina can find a list of state, tribal and local resources such as evacuation, shelter and important storm updates on FEMA.gov.

    • Pay attention to local officials. Weather conditions can change quickly. Make sure to heed their warnings and evacuate immediately if told to do so.
    • NOW is the time to finish preparations. Today is the day to prepare for this storm. Take action immediately to protect yourself, your family, your pets and your home. Finish gathering any supplies like food, water, medication, flashlights and food for your pets now. If possible, include cash in your emergency kit, as ATMs may not work after the storm.
    • If you did not evacuate, stay safe at home. Gather your supplies including flashlights, battery operated radio and food and water and keep them on a high shelf or upper level. Find a safe location to ride out the storm, such as a designated storm shelter or interior room for high winds.
    • Be in the know about your evacuation route. Several counties in Florida issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders. Visit Evacuation Orders | Florida Disaster to see the full list. Florida residents can call 800-729-3413 for shelter locations. People in Florida, Alabama and Georgia should be prepared to evacuate quickly if they are in the path of this storm and are told to do so.
    • Have several ways to receive alerts. People in areas along Florida’s Panhandle, west coast and into Alabama and Georgia should follow the forecast carefully and instructions of state and local officials by monitoring local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which require no sign up. You can also download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area.
    • Your neighbors are your lifeline. Check on your neighbors, especially older adults or those who may need additional assistance, to make sure they have what they need to ride out the storm. Have a plan to remain in contact during and after the storm.
    • Power outage and generator safety. If you lose power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. If using a generator, remember to always use them outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Additionally, make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. De-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and put up hurricane shutters if you have them.
    • Stay out of floodwater. Walking, swimming or driving through flood waters is extremely dangerous. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines or contain hazards such as wild or stray animals, human and livestock waste and chemicals that can lead to illness.
    • Turn Around. Don’t Drown™. Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous. Almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your car, look out for flooding in low lying areas at bridges and at highway dips. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle or fall if you are walking through it. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups.
    • Keep important documents safe. Save copies of birth certificates, passports, medical records and insurance papers in a safe, dry place. Keep important documents in a waterproof container and create password-protected digital copies. Take photos or videos of your belongings and property on your phone or upload them to the internet. Move valuables like photo albums, heirlooms and other treasured items to higher levels.

    mashana.davis

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meriwether County Resident Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking

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

    COLUMBUS, Ga. – A resident of Meriwether County with several previous felony convictions was found guilty of illegal gun possession and drug trafficking charges following a bench trial this week.

    Howatdrick Jamal Jones, 30, of Woodbury, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Clay Land that began and ended on Monday, Sept. 23. Jones faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “Repeat armed felons tied to violent criminal gangs will find themselves being held accountable at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement across the Middle District of Georgia is working closely with our office to bring the most dangerous offenders in our communities to justice and make our communities safer for all.”

    “Guns, drugs and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold violent drug traffickers accountable.”

    “I would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved for their hard work on this case,” said Waverly Hall Police Chief Jason Durham. “This is another proven example that illegal drugs and guns will not be tolerated.”

    According to the evidence at trial, Jones was stopped by a Waverly Hall Police Department officer on Oct. 16, 2019, after the officer’s automatic license plate reader triggered an alert that the owner of the car had active arrest warrants. The officer smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle, finding cocaine, a digital scale and a razor blade next to the drugs. Jones was concealing a .45 caliber pistol. At the time, Jones had several prior felony drug convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Jones was convicted of bank robbery on Sept. 20, 2023, in the Superior Court of Pike County, Georgia and is serving a life sentence for his crime.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Waverly Hall Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Williams and Crawford Seals are prosecuting the case for the Government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Block Gang Member Faces Minimum of Ten Years in Federal Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking

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

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Al’Donta Easterling (26, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Easterling faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than October 2022 and continuing through July 2024, Easterling was an armed distributor for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that transported large quantities of marijuana from California to Jacksonville. Easterling and his co-conspirators routinely traveled to California, where they acquired marijuana and smuggled it back to Jacksonville in suitcases on commercial flights or through mail parcels. In Jacksonville, Easterling and his co-conspirators sold marijuana from short-term rental properties. At these residences, Easterling and his co-conspirators routinely carried and possessed firearms to protect themselves, the drugs they distributed, and proceeds from the drug sales. Federal agents seized more than 100 kilograms of marijuana from the DTO during the investigation. On May 22, 2024, detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) arrested Easterling after finding a pound of marijuana and a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle. According to JSO, Easterling is a documented member of the Six Block street gang.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 200s Gang Member Charged with 2019 Murder of Innocent Bystander

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

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging LUIS FILPO with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder through the use of a firearm.  These charges relate to FILPO’s alleged membership in a street gang known as “the 200s,” operating in and around upper Manhattan.  As alleged, on January 31, 2019, FILPO and other 200s members shot and killed Roberto Vasquez, an innocent bystander who was mistaken for a gang rival.  FILPO, who was in New York State custody, was transferred to federal custody yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Luis Filpo murdered Roberto Vasquez after mistaking him for a gang rival.  Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners, Filpo will finally be held to account for this heinous crime. We hope that these charges bring some measure of comfort to Mr. Vasquez’s family and make clear that this Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop investigating those who commit violence on our streets.”

    According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court[1] and other court documents:

    From at least in or about 2016 up to and including March 2022, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, FILPO was a member of the 200s street gang.  In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the 200s engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and other acts of violence, including murder.  Members of the 200s sold narcotics in the gang’s territory and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership.  In particular, on January 31, 2019, FILPO shot and killed Roberto Vasquez, an innocent bystander mistaken for a rival gang member, in the vicinity of 158th Street and Broadway Avenue, in Manhattan, New York.

    *                *                *

    FILPO, 25, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum term of life in prison or death; and one count of causing death through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum term of life in prison or death.

    The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and New York City Police Department.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews and Patrick Moroney are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nashville Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Robbery and Firearms Convictions

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

    NASHVILLE – Terrell Stevenson, 35, of Nashville was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison today, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis.

    Within 40 minutes on Halloween night 2018, Stevenson robbed a Dollar General Store and a Mapco gas station in Nashville, brandishing a semi-automatic pistol and pointing it at the head of the clerk working at the Dollar General Store. Stevenson and his accomplice were arrested by police officers after fleeing from a traffic stop. Stevenson was charged by a federal grand jury in January of 2020 with two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was convicted on all charges following a jury trial in September 2023.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Stephens and Kathryn Risinger prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    # # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney and FBI Charge Man for Drive-By Shooting in Zuni

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo man was charged by criminal complaint with federal firearms violations following a drive-by shooting that occurred on the Pueblo of Zuni Indian Reservation.

    Devin Wyaco, 33, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

    According to the criminal complaint, on September 19, 2024, John Doe and his girlfriend were riding their bikes in Zuni, New Mexico when they noticed a white sedan with tinted windows drive past them, going in the same direction as them. The sedan then did a U-turn and stopped before driving back towards them. As the vehicle passed them, one shot was fired from the passenger side, striking John Doe in his abdomen.

    John Doe was transported via ambulance first to Zuni Hospital, then to University of New Mexico Hospital. When he was later interviewed by investigators, John Doe identified the vehicle as belonging to Wyaco’s girlfriend.

    Investigators executed a federal search warrant on Wyaco’s girlfriend’s residence. There, they spoke to Wyaco’s girlfriend, who stated she had been in the vehicle with Wyaco at the time of the shooting. Wyaco’s girlfriend told investigators that he had fled and was still in possession of the firearm.

    If convicted, Wyaco faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ERO Washington, D.C. arrests Venezuelan national charged with malicious wounding, DWI, hit and run, firearms crimes in Virginia

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. apprehended an unlawfully present 30-year-old Venezuelan noncitizen charged in Virginia with malicious wounding, DWI, hit and run, and numerous firearms crimes. Officers with ERO Washington, D.C.’s Special Response Team arrested Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas Sept. 12 in Springfield, Virginia.

    “Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas’ charges render him a significant threat to the residents of our Northern Virginia neighborhoods,” said ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office Director. “Mosquera allegedly committed numerous firearms crimes, including one that apparently endangered a child. ERO Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities.”

    U.S. Border Patrol encountered Mosquera Oct. 11, 2022, after he unlawfully entered the United States near El Paso, Texas. Officials issued Mosquera a record of arrival and lawfully paroled him into the United States. However, Mosquera violated the terms of his lawful admission.

    Fairfax County Police arrested Mosquera Jan. 1, 2023, and charged him with malicious wounding, reckless handling of a firearm, leaving a firearm loaded — endangering a child less than 14 years of age, and using a firearm in commission of a felony. Later that day, ERO lodged an immigration detainer against Mosquera with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. However, the detention center refused to honor ERO’s immigration detainer and released Mosquera from custody on an unknown date.

    Fairfax County Police again arrested Mosquera June 22, 2023, and charged him with using a firearm in commission of a felony. Later that day, ERO Washington, D.C. contacted the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center to lodge an immigration detainer, but Mosquera had already been released from custody.

    Fairfax County Police twice arrested Mosquera on Feb. 18 and again on May 2 and charged him with driving while intoxicated and hit and run with property damage. After each arrest, ERO lodged immigration detainers against Mosquera with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. On both occasions, however, the detention center refused to honor ERO’s immigration detainers and released Mosquera from custody without notification to ERO Washington, D.C.

    Officers from ERO Washington, D.C.’s SRT arrested Mosquera Sept. 12 in Springfield, Virginia. Mosquera remains in ERO custody.

    Detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity. Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved — ERO personnel, law enforcement officials, removable noncitizens and the public — by allowing an arrest to be made in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large within the community. Because detainers result in the direct transfer of a noncitizen from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize the potential that an individual will reoffend. Additionally, detainers conserve scarce government resources by allowing ERO to take criminal noncitizens into custody directly rather than expending resources locating these individuals at-large.

    ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROWashington.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Erdoğan’s Address to the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

    Source: Republic of Turkey

    ADDRESS TO THE 79TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
    by
    THE PRESIDENT of the REPUBLIC of TÜRKİYE,
    H.E. RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN
    (24 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK)

    Mr. President, 
    Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
    Mr. Secretary General,
    Esteemed Delegates,
    I greet you with my most heartfelt feelings and respect on behalf of myself, my country and my nation.
    I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address the United Nations General Assembly once again today.
    I wish the 79th General Assembly to be beneficial to our countries and to all humanity.
    I would like to congratulate Mr. Dennis FRANCIS, who has completed his Presidency of the General Assembly, and I wish success to Mr. Philemon YANG, who assumed this duty.
    I would like to express our pleasure in seeing the Representative of the friendly and brotherly Palestine in the place he deserves among the member states, after lengthy struggles.
    I wish this historic step to be the last stage on the way to Palestine’s membership in the United Nations.
    I also invite other states, that have not yet done so, to recognize the State of Palestine as soon as possible and take their place on the right side of history at this very critical period.
    Distinguished Delegates…
    We are living through and trying to manage the crises minute by minute that most of my friends here watch on TV screens.
    Therefore, I am addressing you today as the leader of a country that is not far from the tensions, but right in their epicentre.
    Even if some feel uncomfortable, even if some will once again criticize us, I wish to speak out certain truths openly today, in the name of humanity, from the common rostrum of humanity.
    Let’s consider… the United Nations, under whose roof we are now, was established to maintain international peace and security after the Second World War, during which millions of people lost their lives.
    With the establishment of the United Nations, expectations for global stability, peace and justice blossomed again, and hopes for peace revived.
    However, we observe with regret that in recent years, the United Nations is struggling to fulfill its founding mission and is gradually turning into a dysfunctional, unwieldy and inert structure.
    We need the values represented by the maxim “THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN FIVE”, more and more nowadays.
    We witness that international peace and security are too important to be left to the arbitrariness of the “privileged five”.
    The most dramatic example of this is the massacre that has been going on in Gaza for 353 days.
    More than 41 thousand Palestinians have lost their lives in the ongoing Israeli attacks since October 7.
    41 thousand people, 41 thousand lives brutally taken away, most of whom are children and women.
    Similarly, the whereabouts of more than 10 thousand Gazans, most of whom are children, is unknown.
    In the same way, about 100 thousand people have been injured and become disabled.
    172 journalists have been killed while trying to do their job under difficult conditions.
    More than 500 paramedics working to save lives have been killed.
    Humanitarian aid workers and more than 210 United Nations personnel, who rushed to the rescue of the people of Gaza struggling with hunger and thirst, have been killed.
    They hit 820 mosques and 3 churches that should be protected even at war.
    They hit tens of hospitals, hundreds of schools, and more than 130 ambulances carrying patients.
    By tearing down the Charter of the United Nations at the United Nations rostrum, they shamelessly challenged the whole world, all the conscientious people right from here, from this rostrum.
    Friends…
    The leaked images from the prisons that Israel has turned into “concentration camps” indicate very clearly what kind of persecution we are facing.
    As a result of the Israeli attacks, Gaza has become the largest cemetery for children and women in the world.
    More than 17 thousand children have been the targets of Israeli bullets and bombs.
    HİND RAJAB was only 6 years old.
    Their vehicle was hit by Israeli forces while she was searching for a safe place with her relatives.
    Her uncle, aunt-in-law, and cousins all died, only she survived.
    For 12 days she waited desperately to be rescued.
    She waited for a helping hand to reach out to her for 12 days, saying, “WILL YOU COME TO PICK ME UP? I AM SCARED!”
    Despite the level of development which our world has reached, despite the technology at our disposal; despite our organisations with huge budgets employing thousands of personnel under their roofs, unfortunately, as humanity of 8 billion, we have not been able to save a 6-year-old girl, an injured sparrow fluttering in front of our eyes.
    Hundreds of Gazan children have died so far because they were not able to find a bite of dry bread, a sip of water or a bowl of soup, and they are still dying.
    Not only children are dying in Gaza; the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the west claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one.
    I am asking you frankly from here…
    HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS!
    Are the ones in Gaza, the ones in the West Bank not human beings? 
    The children in Palestine, do they not have the right to study, live, and play in the streets?
    INTERNATIONAL PRESS ORGANISATIONS!
    The journalists that Israel massacred on live TV, whose offices were raided, are they not your colleagues?
    THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL!
    What are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza and to say “stop” to this cruelty, this barbarism?
    What more are you waiting for to stop the massacre network that endangers also the lives of its own citizens along with the Palestinian people and drags the entire region into war for the sake of its political prospects?
    AND THOSE WHO UNCONDITIONALLY SUPPORT ISRAEL!
    For how long will you continue to bear the shame of looking on this massacre, of being accomplices in this atrocity?
    Distinguished Friends…
    While children are dying in Gaza, Ramallah, Lebanon, and babies are dying in incubators, unfortunately, the international community has also given a very bad account of itself.
    What is happening in Palestine is an indicator of a huge moral breakdown.
    I believe that all the peoples of the world, leaders, international organisations should reflect on this painful picture.
    I also want to hereby express a truth loud and clear.
    Ignoring basic human rights, the Israeli government, is practicing ethnic cleansing, an overt genocide against a nation, a people, and occupying their territory step by step.
    Palestinians, whose freedom, independence and the most basic rights have been usurped, are very rightly exercising their “LEGITIMATE RIGHT OF RESISTANCE” against this occupation and these ethnic cleansing activities.
    The rightful resistance of the Palestinian people against those who occupy their land is too noble, honourable, heroic to be portrayed as illegitimate.
    From here, I wholeheartedly salute once again my Palestinian brothers who defend their country at the cost of their lives.
    The only reason for Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people is the unconditional support of a handful of countries to Israel.
    The countries that have an influence over Israel are openly becoming accomplices of this massacre with the policy of “run with the hare, hunt with the hounds”.
    Those who are supposedly working for a ceasefire in the limelight continue to send weapons and ammunition to Israel behind the stage, so that it can continue its massacres.
    This is inconsistency and insincerity.
    Please consider … there’s a document that has been going back and forth since May.
    HAMAS has repeatedly declared its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal.
    However, the Israeli government has very clearly indicated that it is the party that does not want peace by continuously hampering the process, constantly finding excuses, perfidiously killing the interlocutor it negotiated with at a time when the ceasefire was closest.
    There should be no more credit given to Israel’s distraction and deception moves.
    In an environment where United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 is not being implemented, coercive measures against Israel should be put on the agenda.
    Israel’s attitude has once again shown that it is essential for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians.
    Just as HITLER was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the “alliance of humanity”.
    We believe that the power of the General Assembly to make recommendations on the use of force, as it exists in the “Uniting for Peace Resolution dated 1950”, should definitely be considered in this process.
    An immediate and permanent ceasefire should be achieved, a hostage-prisoner exchange should be carried out, and humanitarian aid should be delivered to Gaza in an unhindered and uninterrupted way.
    We have to extend a helping hand to the people of Gaza trying to survive, especially before winter when conditions will deteriorate.
    Please consider, 70 percent of the water resources and 75 percent of the ovens in Gaza have been destroyed until now.
    95 percent of health centres have been partially or completely damaged.
    150 thousand houses were completely destroyed, 200 thousand houses were partially destroyed, 80 thousand houses became uninhabitable.
    Infectious diseases, especially polio and hepatitis, are gradually increasing.
    The people of Gaza can only reach a quarter of the amount of aid they need.
    As Türkiye, we have maintained and are continuing to maintain our humanitarian aid activities for our Palestinian brothers since the first day.
    With the amount of aid exceeding 60 thousand tons, Türkiye is the country that sends the highest amount of aid to Gaza. 
    In the same way, by stopping commercial transactions with Israel, we have demonstrated our sensitivity on this issue.
    We also stand with the people and government of Lebanon, where Israel has stepped up its attacks in recent days.
    Now we can all see this truth:
    Our conscience cannot be at peace until those who massacred 41 thousand people are held accountable for the crimes they committed, from the person who gives the order to the ones who pull the trigger, and drop the bomb.
    The bill for the billions of dollars of damage at the destroyed, wiped out, demolished cities must and will definitely be compensated by the perpetrators.
    We support the lawsuit filed by the Republic of South Africa at the International Court of Justice to ensure that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.
    We will take all necessary steps to ensure that justice is served in this case in which we have applied for intervention.
    We will make every legal struggle to find justice for our daughter Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest in Nablus.
    Although there is an urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the main issue is the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel.
    Creation of an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous Palestinian State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital can no longer be delayed.
    I would like it to be known that we are also closely following the increasing attacks against our first Qibla, Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
    While saying all this as Tayyip Erdoğan, I never speak with empty words from this rostrum.  
    Here, I am speaking with the courage that I get from my history and the conscientious and fair stance of my ancestors. 
    Because we are a nation that has always been on the side of the oppressed and stood against oppressor and tyranny throughout history.
    We had welcomed the Jews who escaped from the inquisition 500 years ago and the Jews who escaped from Hitler’s concentration camps.
    I tell it frankly; as a country and as a nation, we have no hostility towards the people of Israel.
    We are against ANTI-SEMITISM in the same way that we are against the targeting of Muslims just because of their beliefs.
    Our problem is with the policies of massacre of the Israeli government.
    Our problem is again with the oppressor and tyranny, just as it was 5 centuries ago.
    Everyone should know that we do not refrain from crying out the truth.
    Even if some feel uncomfortable, we are not afraid to tell the truth.
    Insha’Allah, we will continue to stand by the righteous until the end and speak of what we know as truth, even if it is harsh. 
    Hereby, I would also like to thank all the brave people who show solidarity with the Palestinian people without distinction of faith, country, language or religion, and raise their voice against the massacre in Gaza by filling the streets almost every week.
    Distinguished Delegates…
    Unfortunately, in the 14th year of the conflict, Syria is also still far from stability.
    The economic and humanitarian situation in the country, which is in the grip of terrorist and separatist organizations remains dire.
    We hope that the political process will be advanced and national reconciliation will be achieved on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.
    We are determined to maintain our position in favour of a realistic dialogue with sincerity.
    While our neighbour Iraq continues its struggle against terrorism, it is taking decisive steps towards development, reconstruction and reintegration with the region.
    The international community should support these efforts of Iraq.
    It is important in this context to implement initiatives that will benefit the entire region, such as the Development Road Project.
    The success of all these efforts depends on the elimination of the terrorist threat in Iraq, especially from the PKK.
    We believe that taking steps towards reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with our other neighbour Iran will contribute to the establishment of the environment of trust and stability in the region. 
    As the third year of the war in Ukraine comes to an end, we are still far from reaching a just and lasting peace.
    As the armament race accelerates, the field of diplomacy is gradually narrowing.
    We will further increase our support to the efforts to end the war through diplomacy and dialogue, on the basis of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
    In this process, we will continue to meticulously implement the Montreux Convention.
    We support the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and we hope that the work will be completed with good news as soon as possible.
    We are also taking mutually positive steps on the Türkiye-Armenia track.
    The developments that can be achieved in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process will also have a positive impact on the Türkiye-Armenia normalization process.
    Esteemed Friends…
    We play a constructive role for the prosperity and peace of the Balkans, of which we are an integral part, and act in close cooperation with all actors in the region. 
    As a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, we emphasize the importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity on every platform, and we continue to contribute to the EUFOR-ALTHEA Operation.
    We successfully continue the KFOR command that we assumed last year and support the Belgrade-Prishtina Dialogue process.
    We want to see the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean as a region of stability and prosperity where the legitimate interests of all parties concerned are respected.
    The limitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in accordance with international law, freedom and safety of navigation, and the development of cooperation, especially on maritime trade issues, are to the common interest of the entire region.
    Türkiye is ready for constructive cooperation on all issues, especially energy and environment.
    We expect the same approach from our neighbours.
    As the country with the longest coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye’s key role is undeniable.
    Türkiye has rights to the north and west of the Island of Cyprus in the declared continental shelf and Turkish Cypriots have rights all around the Island.
    It has been 50 years since the Cyprus Peace Operation and 61 years since the Cyprus issue emerged as a result of the usurpation of the partnership state by Greek Cypriots.
    From that day to this, peace and tranquillity have prevailed on the Island.
    It has always been the Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye that have shown a sincere will to bring about a just, permanent and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue.
    The federation model has now completely lost its validity.
    There are two separate states and two separate peoples on the island.
    The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots, which are their inherent rights, should be reaffirmed, and the isolation should now come to an end.
    Today, I once again call on the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and establish with it diplomatic, political and economic relations.
    We provide active support to the establishment of stability in Libya and the preservation of the unity and integrity of the country.
    We call on all states to take a sincere stand by Libya during this sensitive period and to contribute to the establishment of trust between the parties.
    We need to exert more efforts to end the conflicts in Sudan.
    We all have a responsibility to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of Sudanese displaced due to conflicts.
    Africa has a very huge potential with its young and dynamic population, rich natural resources and fertile extensive lands.
    On the basis of the principles of equal partnership and mutual respect, we support the Continent’s peace, stability and development efforts with the African peoples.
    We will continue to be in full solidarity with our African brothers and sisters.
    We are deepening our engagement with regional organizations, such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Pacific Islands Forum and particularly ASEAN.
    We maintain our will to develop our relations with BRICS, which brings together emerging economies.
    We share a deep-rooted history with the Central Asian countries; we further strengthen our cooperation on bilateral and multilateral grounds.
    Our Organisation of Turkic States is increasingly turning into a centre of attraction.
    The Organisation is becoming an exemplary model of cooperation, also with the contributions of observer members Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
    As the Turkic world, we will further strengthen our unity and solidarity.
    Within the framework of respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are in close dialogue with China to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Uighur Turks, with whom we have strong historical, cultural and human ties.
    We are trying to advance the friendly ties we have established with all the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to a further stage.
    Distinguished Delegates…
    We are obliged to work together to eliminate global injustice.
    The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ notion of “leave no one behind” is a guide for these efforts.
    As one of the countries that provide the highest aid in proportion to its national income, Türkiye’s activities contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
    We support the activities that will ensure fair, inclusive growth and development on all international platforms, especially within the G20.
    We believe that all nations should benefit equally from the transformative power of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
    The United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries that we host is a concrete manifestation of our efforts in this direction.
    The “cyber terrorist attacks” perpetrated against Lebanon last week demonstrated how these technologies can at the same time turn into a fatal weapon.
    We address climate change with a similar approach.
    No country can cope with the emission reduction and adaptation process to climate change alone.
    The most important issues for developing countries are financing, technology transfer and capacity building.
    I believe that the COP29 Climate Summit to be held in Baku will contribute to the solution of these issues.
    With the vision of a more sustainable and cleaner world, we have carried the Zero Waste Movement, which we launched under the auspices of my Spouse, Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, to a global level with the resolution co-sponsored by 105 countries and adopted unanimously at the United Nations General Assembly.
    Hereby, I invite all countries, international organisations and non-governmental organisations to become partners in our movement.
    We see that Islamophobia, xenophobia and racism are enveloping the world like a poison ivy.
    Hardly a day goes by that we do not witness attacks on mosques and our holy book, the Holy Quran.
    In the middle of Europe, people’s houses are being set on fire; their lives are being targeted; their most fundamental rights are being usurped because of their ethnic and religious identities.
    No one can ignore this growing danger any longer.
    As stipulated in the resolution adopted on 15 March 2024, we expect the appointment of a “Special Envoy for Combating Islamophobia” at the United Nations as soon as possible.
    Distinguished Friends…
    Today I would like to draw your attention once again to a danger that I raised at this rostrum last year.
    The attacks against the family institution, which is the basic pillar of society, are intensifying.
    The disgrace staged at the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games has revealed the dimensions of the threat we face as humanity.
    A sports event followed by innocent children and hundreds of millions of people of all ages and faiths has been used, in a very ugly manner, for degenderization propaganda.
    Those wicked scenes have deeply wounded not only the Catholic world, the Christian world, but also Muslims and everyone who respects the sacred.
    The issue of desexualisation is now turning into a global imposition rather than a “preference”, literally a war against the sacred and the creation.
    Anyone who raises a voice against this destruction project and shows the slightest reaction is silenced and becomes the target of lynching campaigns.
    Türkiye is determined to break this siege and resist this climate of fear at all cost.
    For this purpose, we became a member of the United Nations Group of Friends of the Family.
    Insha’Allah, we will not hold back from defending the family, the human being and the creation in solidarity with other member states.
    I invite the countries that share the same concerns with us to support this struggle.
    With these thoughts, I wish that the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly will be beneficial for all humanity.
    I salute you all once again with affection and respect.
    May you all remain in good health…

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy secures flood insurance, disaster aid wins for Louisianians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as part of the recent government funding package. Kennedy also helped secure language in the bill to help provide urgent disaster aid to Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Francine.
    “Our state is still picking up the pieces that Hurricane Francine left behind, and our communities need all the help they can get. I’m thankful we’ve delivered Louisianians additional disaster aid and protected their flood insurance so that the program doesn’t expire in the middle of hurricane season,” said Kennedy.
    Kennedy helped prevent the NFIP from expiring on Sept. 30 by securing an extension of the program until Dec. 20, 2024. 
    Kennedy also helped secure disaster relief in the continuing resolution that will help Louisianians recover from Hurricane Francine by allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide aid for future storms. 
    These disaster funds can provide Louisiana with emergency shelter, food and medical assistance, as well as long-term recovery efforts such as rebuilding public infrastructure, housing assistance and supporting small businesses. The funds may also cover mitigation measures to reduce the risk of future disasters and help communities become more resilient.

    MIL OSI USA News –