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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Global: The universe is smoother than the standard model of cosmology suggests – so is the theory broken?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ian G. McCarthy, Reader of Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University

    Cosmic microwave background shows fluctuations in temperature. ESA/Planck Collaboration

    Given how unfathomably large the universe is, it is perhaps understandable that we haven’t yet cracked all its secrets. But there are actually some pretty basic features, ones we used to think we could explain, that cosmologists are increasingly struggling to make sense of.

    Recent measurements of the distribution of matter in the universe (so-called large-scale structure) appear to be in conflict with the predictions of the standard model of cosmology, our best understanding of how the universe works.

    The standard model originated some 25 years ago and has successfully reproduced a whole plethora of observations. But some of the latest measurements of large-scale structure, a topic which I work on, indicate that the matter is less clustered (smoother) than it ought to be according to the standard model.

    This result has cosmologists scratching their heads looking for explanations. Some solutions are relatively mundane, such as unknown systematic errors in the measurements. But there are more radical solutions. These include rethinking the nature of dark energy (the force causing the universe’s expansion to accelerate), invoking a new force of nature or even tweaking Einstein’s theory of gravity on the largest of scales.

    At present, the data cannot easily distinguish between different competing ideas. But the measurements from forthcoming surveys are poised to take a giant leap forward in precision. We may be on the cusp of finally breaking the standard model of cosmology.

    This is article is part of our series Cosmology in crisis? which uncovers the greatest problems facing cosmologists today – and discusses the implications of solving them.

    The early universe

    To understand the nature of the current tension and its possible solutions, it is important to understand how structure in the universe formed and subsequently evolved. Much of our understanding comes from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The CMB is radiation that fills the universe and is a leftover relic from the first few hundred thousand years of cosmic evolution after the Big Bang (for comparison, the universe is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old).

    Scientists discovered the CMB by accident in 1964 (garnering them a Nobel prize), but its existence and properties had been predicted years earlier.

    In excellent agreement with some of the earliest theoretical work, the observed temperature of the CMB today is an incredibly chilly 3 Kelvin (-270°C). However, at very early times, it was sufficiently hot (millions of degrees) to enable the fusion of all of the light elements in the universe, including helium and lithium, into heavier ones.

    The CMB’s spectrum (light broken down by wavelength) suggests it must have been in thermal equilibrium with matter in the past – meaning they had the same distribution of energies. Matter and radiation can only reach thermal equilibrium in very dense environments. So measurements of the CMB convincingly demonstrate that the universe was once an extremely hot and dense place, with all the matter and radiation packed into a very small space.

    As the universe expanded, it quickly cooled. And as it did so, some of the free electrons that existed at the time were captured by protons, forming atoms of hydrogen. This “era of recombination” happened around 300,000 years after the Big Bang. After this point, the universe was suddenly less dense so the CMB radiation was “released” to travel without impediment, and it has not significantly interacted with matter since.

    The universe’s timeline.
    Nasa/wikipedia, CC BY-SA

    As the radiation is very old, when we make measurements of the CMB today, we are learning about the conditions of the early universe. But detailed mapping of the CMB tells us a great deal more than this.

    A key insight from CMB maps obtained with the Planck telescope is that the universe was also exceptionally smooth at early times. There was only a 0.001% variation from place to place in the density and temperature of the matter and radiation in the universe. If there had been more extreme variation, that matter and radiation would have been much more clustered.

    These variations, or “fluctuations”, are of fundamental importance to how structure subsequently evolved in the universe. Without these fluctuations, there would be no galaxies, no stars or planets – and no life. A very interesting question is, where did these fluctuations come from?

    Our current understanding is that they are a result of quantum mechanics, the theory of the microcosmos of atoms and particles. Quantum mechanics shows that empty space has some background energy which allows sudden, local changes, such as particles popping in and out of existence. The quantum nature of matter and energy has been verified to remarkable accuracy in the laboratory.

    These fluctuations are thought to have been blown up to large scales in a very rapid period of expansion in the early universe called “inflation”, although the detailed mechanism behind inflation is still not fully understood.

    Over time, these fluctuations grew and the arrangement of matter and radiation in the universe became more clustered. Regions that were slightly denser had a stronger gravitational pull and so attracted even more matter, which increased the density, which strengthened the gravitational pull, and so on. Regions of slightly lower density lost out, becoming emptier with time – a cosmic case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

    The fluctuations grew to such an extent over time that galaxies and stars started to form, with galaxies being distributed in and along the familiar filaments and nodes that make up a “cosmic web”.

    The standard explanation

    The rate at which fluctuations grow over time, and how they are clustered in space depends on several factors: the nature of gravity, the constituent components of matter and energy in the universe, and how these components interact (both with themselves and with each other).

    These factors are encapsulated in the standard model of cosmology. The model is based on a solution to Einstein’s general theory of relativity (our best understanding of gravity) that assumes the universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales – meaning it looks the same in every direction to every observer.

    It also assumes that the matter and energy in the universe is composed of normal matter (“baryons”), dark matter consisting of relatively heavy and slow-moving particles (“cold” dark matter) and a constant amount of dark energy (Einstein’s cosmological constant, denoted Lambda).

    Since its origin approximately 25 years ago, the model has successfully explained a great many observations of the universe on large scales, including the [detailed properties of the CMB].

    And until very recently, it also provided excellent fits to a variety of measurements of the clustering of large-scale structure at late times. In fact, some measurements of large-scale structure are still very well described by the standard model and this may be providing an important clue as to the origin of the current tension.

    Remember that the CMB shows us the clustering of matter (the fluctuations) at early times. So we can use the standard model to evolve that forward in time and predict what it should, theoretically, look like today. If there is a fit between this prediction and observations, that is a very strong indication that the ingredients of the standard model are correct.

    The ‘S8’ tension

    What has changed recently is that our measurements of large-scale structure, particularly at very late times, have significantly improved in their precision. Various surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey and the Kilo Degree Survey have found evidence for inconsistencies between observations and the standard model.

    In other words, there is a mismatch between the early time and late time fluctuations: the late-time fluctuations are not as large as expected. Cosmologists refer to this clash as the “S8 tension”, as S8 is a parameter that we use to characterise the clustering of matter in the late-time universe.

    Depending on the particular data set, the chance of the tension being a statistical fluke may be as low as 0.3%. But from a statistical point of view, that is not enough to firmly rule out the standard model.

    However, there are strong hints of the tension in a variety of independent observations. And attempts to explain it away due to systematic uncertainties in the measurements or modelling have simply not been successful to date.

    For example, it had previously been suggested that perhaps energetic non-gravitational processes, such as winds and jets from supermassive black holes, could inject enough energy to alter the clustering of matter on large scales.
    However, we have shown using state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (called Flamingo) that such effects appear to be too small to explain the tension with the standard model of cosmology.

    If the tension is indeed pointing us to a flaw in the standard model, this would imply that something in the basic ingredients of the model is not correct.

    This would have huge consequences for fundamental physics. For example, the tension may be indicating that something is wrong about our understanding of gravity, or the nature of the unknown substance called dark matter or dark energy. In the case of dark matter, one possibility is that it interacts with itself via an unknown force (something beyond just gravity).

    Alternatively, perhaps dark energy is not constant but evolves with time, as early results from the Dark Energy Survey Instrument (Desi) may indicate. Some scientists are even considering the possibility of a new (fifth) force of nature. This would be a force of similar strength to gravity that operates over very large scales and would act to slow the growth of structure.

    But note that any modifications of the standard model would also need to account for the many observations of the universe that the model successfully explains. This is no simple task. And before we jump to grand conclusions, we must be sure that the tension is real and not simply a statistical fluctuation.

    The good news is that forthcoming measurements of large-scale structure with Desi, the Rubin Observatory, Euclid, the Simons Observatory and other experiments will be able to confirm if the tension is real with much more precise measurements.

    They will also be able to thoroughly test many of the alternatives to the standard model that have been proposed. It may be that within the next couple of years we will have ruled out the standard model of cosmology and profoundly changed our understanding of how the universe works. Or the model may be vindicated and more reliable than ever. It’s an exciting time to be a cosmologist.

    Ian G. McCarthy receives funding from UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). He works for Liverpool John Moores University.

    – ref. The universe is smoother than the standard model of cosmology suggests – so is the theory broken? – https://theconversation.com/the-universe-is-smoother-than-the-standard-model-of-cosmology-suggests-so-is-the-theory-broken-238098

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Himpathy: the psychology of why some people side with perpetrators of sexual misconduct – podcast

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    In 2018, the Australian philosopher Kate Manne coined the word “himpathy” to describe what she called “the inappropriate and disproportionate sympathy powerful men often enjoy in cases of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, homicide and other misogynistic behavior”.

    This happened to former US President Donald Trump who was found liable for sexually abusing the writer E. Jean Carroll in 2023. Carroll faced abuse from online trolls, she received death threats and was driven from her home.

    What makes somebody more likely to feel himpathetic, either to somebody facing accusations in the public eye, or in their own workplace?

    In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to a human behaviour expert whose research seeks to understand what makes some people more inclined to support perpetrators of sexual misconduct than the victims.

    Samantha Dodson is an assistant professor of organisational behaviour and human resources at the University of Calgary in Canada. She first started researching the ways people react to accusations of sexual misconduct around the time of the #MeToo movement, as women came forward with accusations of sexual harassment in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein case.

    Dodson and her colleagues wanted to understand why some people are predisposed to express sympathy towards male perpetrators of sexual misconduct, or himpathy. Over a series of five studies, both analysing public comments on X related to the #MeToo movement and through lab-based psychology experiments. Her team used moral foundations theory to build a profile of the kinds of people more likely to be himpathetic.

    Moral foundations theory argues that there are innate moral concerns that everybody holds to different levels. These concerns include respect for authority, loyalty, staying pure, being fair and being caring toward other people.

    Don’t rock the boat

    What we found is that when people strongly value things like loyalty, respect for authority and purity, they’re more likely to feel sympathy toward the man accused of sexual misconduct and feel anger toward the women who made that allegation.

    Dodson says people who hold these moral values very strongly are more likely to see allegations as a threat to the stability of a company, or institution. And, as a result, they’re also less likely to believe a victim.

    It also leads to people being more likely to seek punishment for the women who made the accusations and less likely to seek punishment for the men who have been accused.

    Overall, Dodson found the vast majority of people in their studies were “not himpathetic” and it’s just a small subset of people who react this way.

    The challenge is if those people are in positions of authority, or … if you have one person that you work with who’s himpathetic and you’re a victim you might experience some iciness from them or ostracism.

    Their work also looks at how managers can better deal with accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace as a result of their findings.

    Listen to Samantha Dodson talk about her research and the recommendations from it on The Conversation Weekly podcast, which also features an introduction from Eleni Vlahiotis, business and economy editor at The Conversation in Canada.

    A transcript of this episode is available on Apple Podcasts.

    This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Sound design was by Michelle Macklem, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer.

    Newsclips in this episode from ABC News,
    PBS News Hour and NBC News.

    You can find us on Instagram at theconversationdotcom or via email. You can also subscribe to The Conversation’s free daily email here.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.

    Samantha Dodson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

    – ref. Himpathy: the psychology of why some people side with perpetrators of sexual misconduct – podcast – https://theconversation.com/himpathy-the-psychology-of-why-some-people-side-with-perpetrators-of-sexual-misconduct-podcast-239860

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ARU collaborates on new childhood cancer project

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 26 September 2024 at 12:28

    Scientists will work with Medannex to help accelerate treatment for bone cancer

    Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is collaborating with Scottish biopharmaceutical company Medannex on a £313,000 project to develop a new treatment for a childhood bone cancer.

    Thanks to funding from Innovate UK’s Cancer Therapeutics programme, Medannex will work with senior scientists at ARU’s School of Life Sciences and world-leading paediatric oncologists to prepare its first-in-class therapy MDX-124 for a clinical study focusing on paediatric osteosarcoma.

    MDX-124 is the first clinic-ready agent to target annexin-A1, a protein known to drive numerous cancers and other diseases. In preclinical tests, MDX-124 has been shown to stop the growth and spread of certain cancers, as well as harnessing the immune system to attack tumours. MDX-124 is currently being evaluated in a first-in-human Phase 1b oncology study in adults (‘ATTAINMENT’).

    Recent data mining of a paediatric genomics database and staining of tumour tissue has revealed that annexin-A1 is highly expressed in osteosarcoma, making MDX-124 a strong candidate to treat this form of cancer.

    Osteosarcoma is a rare primary cancer of the bone characterised by a high degree of malignancy, strong invasiveness, rapid disease progression and a high mortality rate. Approximately 50% of cases are in children and young adults, representing about 2% of all paediatric cancers.

    In the UK, around 65% of children with osteosarcoma survive for five years after diagnosis, however this drops to only 24% for those with metastatic disease. Therefore, there remains a significant unmet clinical need for novel therapies like MDX-124.

    Professor Chris Parris, Head of the School of Life Sciences at ARU, said:

    “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Medannex to explore this innovative approach to childhood cancer treatment and we look forward to generating key data in the coming months.”

    The project’s Clinical Advisory Board is led by Professor Pamela Kearns, Chair of Clinical Paediatric Oncology at the University of Birmingham, who said:

    “This grant award will allow Medannex to tackle the critical unmet need for new treatments in osteosarcoma. I look forward to helping guide the company’s development in this area and exploring the potential of MDX-124 to radically improve patient outcomes.”

    Medannex CEO, Ian Abercrombie, said:

    “We’re grateful to Innovate UK for this resounding endorsement of the potential of our first-in-class therapy to make a real difference to osteosarcoma patients and their families. Our team is excited to drive the project forward with the support of our scientific collaborators and specialist clinical advisors.”

    Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, will fund £231,000 of the project costs, with the remainder financed by Medannex.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester to host 2025 UK Space Conference

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Space professionals from organisations across the UK will descend on Manchester in July 2025 for the UK Space Conference.

    Sponsored by the UK Space Agency, the biennial event brings together organisations with an interest in space to meet, network, discover business opportunities and help shape the future of the space sector. The event will be held at Manchester Central on 16 to 17 July 2025.

    Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

    Following successful conferences in Newport and Belfast, and after opening new satellite offices across the UK this year, we are excited to host the UK Space Conference in Manchester, the world’s first industrial city.

    We look forward to welcoming attendees from across the UK, forging new collaborations and championing the benefits of the space industry as a key provider of jobs, prosperity and innovation.

    The UK space sector generates £18.9 billion and employs 52,000 people – and supports critical national Infrastructure, including energy grids and healthcare services. 

    Colin Baldwin, Executive Director of UKspace, official trade association of the UK space industry, said:

    UKspace is delighted to be supporting the 2025 UK Space Conference. This biennial event, organised by and for the sector through our strong and connected ecosystem, brings us together to discuss key issues and opportunities including addressing skills challenges, supporting fit-for-purpose regulation, spreading sustainability standards and promoting private investment – all of which underpins the long-term health of the sector.

    This first UK Space Conference under the new government will enable the sector to showcase how it plays a significant role in the delivery of the Government’s five missions – high growth, safer streets, clean energy, opportunity for all and a society that is fit for the future.

    In the early 19th century, the rapid growth of Manchester’s cotton industry drove the town’s expansion, putting it at the heart of new, global networks of manufacturing and trade.  The city is now the heart of the wider region’s thriving space sector, which comprises over 180 organisations and over 2,300 space professionals – collectively termed the North West Space Cluster.

    Companies based in Manchester include graphene specialists Smart IR, who are using breakthrough technology to control infrared thermal radiation and Graphene Innovations Manchester, who have ambitions to develop human rated graphene space structures. MDA Space UK is expanding their workforce and operations in all their UK locations, including their site near Manchester Airport, where their growing team designs and delivers digital systems and payloads for telecoms satellites.

    A night time view of Manchester from space. Image: NASA

    The North West sector has been supported by investment from the UK Space Agency’s Local Growth initiative and STFC’s (Science and Technology Facilities Council) industrial cluster development, which is helping to drive its expansion, accelerate innovation and seize commercial opportunities.

    STFC’s Alan Cross, Development Manager, North West Space Cluster, said:  

    From Jodrell Bank’s early breakthroughs to launch vehicle testing at Spadeadam in Cumbria, the North West has a proud legacy of driving space exploration and innovation. Today, as the UK reaches for new frontiers, the North West’s space sector is thriving.  

    Manchester’s satellite manufacturing and the University of Liverpool’s missions to the International Space Station are just two standout examples of this, and the UK Space Conference 2025 in Manchester will showcase this vibrancy and progress.

    Dr Phil Carvil, Head of STFC’s North West Cluster Programmes said: 

    As we leverage space to tackle 21st-century challenges and prepare for humanity’s return to the Moon, the North West Space Cluster is excited to welcome the UK Space Conference 2025 to Manchester.  

    Our businesses and institutions across the region are leading the way in space innovation and collaboration, inspiring our next generations that they too can take part in shaping the future of space and benefiting society as a whole.

    Renowned for being the birthplace of scientists James Joule and John Dalton, and sparking their discoveries in thermodynamics, meteorology and atomic theory, the region now boasts world class expertise in materials science and has unique capabilities in nuclear materials for deep space applications. A University of Manchester lab holds a world-leading range of equipment for simulation of and experimentation into material behaviours in the extreme conditions of space exploration.

    The largest scientific instrument in Human history, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, is headquartered in Cheshire alongside the University of Manchester’s prestigious Jodrell Bank Observatory. With investment from both the UK and European space agencies, the National Nuclear Laboratory is also developing the next generation of deep space power systems in Cumbria.

    Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS Group said:

    The UK space sector is growing, unlocking significant opportunities for economic growth throughout the UK whilst delivering innovative solutions to domestic and global challenges.

    I’m delighted to see the UK Space Agency take its biannual conference to Manchester and we look forward to the event as an integral part of the space sector calendar.

    In 2023 the UK Space Conference was hosted at the ICC in Belfast and brought over 1,700 leaders together from national and international industry, government and academia to Northern Ireland for three days and generated a direct economic impact of £1.7 million through visitor spend alone. Local stakeholders in Northern Ireland reported that bringing the conference to Belfast provided Northern Ireland with a unique opportunity to promote its capabilities to an influential global space audience as well as to exchange ideas, plans and encourage development and success in the emerging space age.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 9.25.24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Sep 25, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Fidencio Guzman, of Imperial, has been appointed Warden at Centinela State Prison, where he has served as Acting Warden since 2023, was Chief Deputy Warden from 2021 to 2023 and was Correctional Administrator from 2018 to 2021. Guzman held several positions at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison from 2009 to 2018, including Correctional Administrator, Captain, Correctional Counselor II Specialist and Lieutenant. He was a Sergeant at Centinela State Prison from 2006 to 2009. Guzman served as a First Lieutenant in the California Army National Guard from 2002 to 2009. He was a Correctional Counselor I at Calipatria State Prison from 2003 to 2004, where he was a Correctional Officer from 1999 to 2003 and 2004 to 2006. Guzman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,524. Guzman is a Republican. 

    Edward Borla, of Paso Robles, has been appointed Warden at the Correctional Training Facility, where he has served as Acting Warden since 2023. Borla was Correctional Administrator at Salinas Valley State Prison from 2015 to 2023. He was a Captain at the Correctional Training Facility from 2012 to 2015. Borla was a Correctional Lieutenant at Avenal State Prison from 2008 to 2012. He held multiple positions at California Men’s Colony from 1997 to 2008, including Correctional Sergeant, Correctional Lieutenant and Correctional Officer. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,524. Borla is a Republican.

    Allison Ganter, of Davis, has been appointed In-Custody Death Review Director at the Board of State and Community Corrections, where she has been Deputy Director since 2014 and was Field Representative and Compliance Monitor from 2000 to 2014. Ganter was a Correctional Facility Specialist at the New York Commission of Correction from 1999 to 2000 and Assistant to the Chairman there from 1997 to 1999. She was a Staff Training Assistant and Legislative Aide in the New York State Assembly from 1995 to 1997. Ganter earned a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University at Albany, State University of New York. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $186,876. Ganter is a Democrat. 

    Jennifer Branning, of Susanville, has been appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Branning has been Chief Probation Officer of Lassen County since 2013. She was President of the Chief Probation Officers of California in 2023 and is a member of Lassen Crime Stoppers. Branning earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Studies from California State University, Dominguez Hills. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Branning is registered without party preference.

    Karen Lai, of Berkeley, has been appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Lai has been a Physician at Traditions Behavioral Health since 2019. She was a Resident and Fellow Physician at the University of California, Los Angeles from 2014 to 2019. Lai was a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco from 2010 to 2011. She was a Sal Romano Research Fellow at Rutgers University from 2007 to 2008. Lai was a Stanford Public Interest Network Fellow at MetroPlus Health Plan Inc. from 2006 to 2007. She is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Lai earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Duke University, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lai is a Democrat.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of Vice-President’s address at the 83rd CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations at the NASC Complex, New Delhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 26 SEP 2024 3:06PM by PIB Delhi

    Good morning, all of you. 

    It could not have been more delightful for me, everyone present in this room is a role model for me. Your contributions are spinal, your contributions in silence are resonating with the last man in the last row, your efforts are changing Bharat. A great occasion for me to be here, this is a very distinguished premium platinum category that is defining the growth history of Bharat, home to one-sixth of humanity. 

    Professor Ajay K. Sood, rightly honoured with the civilian distinction of Padma Shri, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, his address though brief on account of constraints of time, was illuminating. He indicated synergetic stance being generated with all stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the rise of Bharat. 

    Dr. K. Radhakrishnan his lecture will be a feast to intellect, team excellence, team itself in hears excellence, team is something which is harmonious. Harmony doesn’t mean keeping your point of view to yourself, harmony means having enough space to voice the other’s point of view. It is heard with respect, not rejected by drop of a hat. Team excellence is the ultimate sublime evolution of it, then, Indian Space Odyssey and your life lessons.

    I have instructed my team to record it, I will have a look at it, as will millions, through our platform in Rajya Sabha and Parliament. 

    Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR, normally we say, the man is always in the move, gone are those days, she is always on the move, always in action, with passion, mission, and execution. 

    I very fondly remember the visit I had where she was there, I had the occasion to see for myself how the aviation landscape of skilling will be changed by what her team has created. I had the occasion to visit Dehradun and another institute in her absence, we are proud of her because she sacrificingly gives credit to everyone except herself. I was greatly touched by this reflection of Indian civilisational ethos.

    Dr. G. Mahesh he is a Chairperson of the CSIR Foundation Day Celebration, we are gratified and honoured by the presence of those who laid the firm foundations of CSIR who headed it as DGs Dr. Mashelkar is present here. 

    Dr. Samir Brahmachari  is amongst us but science is all about finding out. Everyone present here, particularly in the front row, is to be respected by us. Because like education, education never ends when you leave an institution, education is life long learning same they may have left legally CSIR but their bond continues. 

    I must mention the Central Electronics Limited chairperson, Mr. Jain, for one reason, the honourable minister, who is very passionate about this sector, he wanted to come, I dissuaded him please won’t, he was preoccupied unavoidably.

    Distinguished scientists, researchers, staff, and esteemed audience, my greetings to the entire scientific community in the country, we are beholden to this category for the contributions they have made to make a Viksit Bharat which is before us today. This day is a special day, not just for CSIR alone. This is a very special day for the nation because if we go into our historical perspective, we will find that ages ago, our Bharat had scientific prowess. We were global leaders, we were the centre of the globe when it came to scientific knowledge, the kind of discoveries and inventions that were made by us made the world proud, we lost our way somewhere, we are regaining that way. 

    It is your foundation day, but it is integrally connected with the firm foundations of Bharat, you are firming up those foundations of the most vibrant, functional democracy on the planet. You are firming up the foundations of a nation that is on the rise as never before, and this rise is unstoppable, the rise is incremental, and the destination of a developed nation by 2047 will be realised, if not earlier.

    What I see here is your activities and activities of your sister’s concerns.  It is an endorsement that we are on the way to regaining our past pristine glory in the world of science. As I said, your contributions are in silence, I am using the word “silos” in a positive sense, your activities are in silos, but they physically, positively, and affirmatively impact the lives of 1.4 billion people.

    CSIR can be defined as a catalyst scientifically and imaginatively for Ras. C for catalyst, S for scientifically, I for imaginatively, and R for rashtra. 

    Distinguished audience, it is my great honour and privilege, and it will forever be etched in my memory, that I am associating with the 83rd Foundation Day of CSIR. This is an occasion to commemorate and commend the past achievements, and also to look ahead, unfold a roadmap to be more significantly involved with the nation’s rise and global rise, because Bharat stands for Vasudev Kutumbakam.

    A journey that started in 1960, when I was in class four, and where we have come, is a recognition of the hard work you all have done. I am fully aware of the headwinds you face, the air pockets you endure, the difficult terrain you negotiate, and, on occasions, the lack of due recognition therefore an ecosystem existed earlier where you were contributing, but recognition was not forthcoming in the right form. Soothing to note that, in the last few years, recognition for the scientific community has increased. It has increased in several ways, including the government’s serious focus on it. The Prime Minister’s heart and soul are deeply connected to the scientific community. His belief in your power, prowess, and capacity to generate, at global level, those aspects of science which matter to humanity is evident. I am sure, therefore, that we are in good times.

    Now, there is an ecosystem in place where our scientists can fully exploit and expand their energy, exploit their talent, and contribute to the nation by unleashing their innovative skills. I was not surprised, because that was my expectation, but I was in disbelief when I went through the thematic exhibition, amazing things are happening. Imagine if, from bamboo, you can have wooden flooring. Imagine if, from bamboo, you can have something which far superior or equivalent to sagon teak wood and sagon teak wood life is 4 decades or so. It helps the farmer, and it creates wealth. I am making a reference only to only one, there were many such things, I was greatly touched. 

    These developments reaffirm my confidence, and the confidence of the nation, that Bharat is a factor to reckon with globally. Your tremendous accomplishments have emboldened me to assert that, in research and development, it is matter of time when we will be having our due share at the moment, we are on way to it., much remains to be done. Several energies have to converge, they have to converge diligently, they have to work togetherness and in tandem, there has to be the right amount of fiscal input.

    I am so glad that the Principal Scientific Advisor that is uppermost in his mind, you may not be aware, and it may not have been covered in the media, but he is your star batsman when it comes to securing everything for your scientific community. 

    Let me make a brief reference to the Union Budget 2024-25. He must have put his foot down, I am sure of it when the budget is formed, there are always too many claimants. He fought for your segment, got the due, and it can only be incremental henceforth. It emphasises the budget. Innovation, Research and Development, and Anusandhan – the National Research Foundation has been started. I leave it at that; you know it when a beginning is made, even by a toddler, it takes shape over the years, unstoppably. My congratulations to him, for being your advocate with the government, you are an able advocate. I am so glad. 

    The growth engine of the nation, any nation in the world, is driven by science and technology and this is fuelled by research and development, this makes the focus on research and development of paramount importance. I call upon you from this platform to come forward and generously invest in research and development. I look forward to the day when our corporates will figure in the top 20 global corporates that invest in research and development at the moment, there is none, that doesn’t mean our corporates are not doing enough, they are doing enough. In automobile and in information technology, much is being done but looking at our nation’s size, its potential, its position, and the growth trajectory on which it is, our corporates need to come forward to engage in research and development.

    The investment in research and development is lasting and this, distinguished audience, please note, has another cutting edge: soft diplomacy, if you get something, nations flock to you. We have that power, research and development is so integrated with security these days therefore, investment is for the nation. Investment is for growth. Investment is for sustainability. 

    I am concerned about one aspect in particular, and that aspect, fortunately for me, was voiced in a survey by CSIR, the sample size was 3,000. We must not do lip service to research and development, our contribution has to be substantial, the result has to be substantial, not cosmetic or superficial. We cannot just take pride in saying so much for research and development. The one doing research or development in academic institutions should not be in pursuit only of academic information. Research is not a simulation. Research is research, and I therefore appeal to everyone concerned to have SOP for it. Invest in that human resource or institution that can authentically engage in research and development. The two are separate, when I went to one of the IITs – all IITs are doing well, I am not naming the IIT for that reason – I was amazed that research and development were excellent, it was being done by professors and students. So, we will have to be on guard that merely because physical resources are committed, we cannot take pride, saying, “Oh, I have spent so much for research and development.”

    Investment in research and development, distinguished audience, has to be correlated to tangible outcomes and there are people in the front row who can evaluate what is a tangible outcome. 

    Friends, there is enough to say, but I will conclude by focusing on the state of the nation, state of the nation today is beyond my dreams. I never imagined it. I did not conceive of the earth as it is today, I did not have that contemplation. I am referring to 1989, when I was elected to the Lok Sabha. In 1990, I was a union minister. I will focus on four aspects. 

    One, we went to Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, as a member of the Council of Ministers. We stayed at a hotel near Dal Lake, everything was dull, not even twenty souls could be seen on the road, a state of dejection and hopelessness and it was declared in the Rajya Sabha, which I preside as chairman, that last year, two crore tourists went to Jammu and Kashmir. Where is the figure of twenty? Two crores, article 370, a temporary article of the constitution – the only article labelled as temporary was taken by some people, including those who had taken oath under the constitution to be permanent. It is no longer there.

    Second, I suffered the pain because, as a student, हमें पढ़ाया गया था कि भारत सोने की चिड़िया है। As a minister, I had the occasion to see our gold physically airlifted, to be placed in two Swiss banks to sustain our fiscal credibility, because our foreign exchange was around one billion US dollars. Now it is more than six hundred billion US dollars, mind you. We are getting things back rather than giving. I suffered the pain then when the World Bank and IMF would give us not advisories or advice, but peremptorily direct us: “Do this, otherwise…”  and now the same institutions, IMF says, India is a favourite global destination of investment and opportunity. World Bank says, digitisation of India and its penetration that happened in six years is otherwise not achievable in four decades or more. We are a role model, according to the World Bank, of digitisation, that happened there.

    Another aspect was that we had a system where corruption was rampant in power corridors, nothing could catalyse without a middleman, your pedigree was a password to opportunity and a job or a contract. Now power corridors are fully sanitised, the middleman has disappeared from the one-sixth of humanity, at least. Do we see middlemen around? No. All transactions are taking place digitally, without human interface. That is the change I never imagined. This change I am seeing myself. We were living in an era where there was privilege pedigree.some thought law was not for them, they were immune to law. They were not accountable to law, it was a concept not known to them but now, the privileged pedigree is feeling the heat of law and why not? Equality before the law is an inalienable facet of democracy. How can we call a nation a democratic nation if some people pass away more equal than others? That is the benefit to young minds and as a result of that, our youth are energised.

    The fourth point I wish to make is about the economy. I can’t even tell you the size of the Indian economy in 1990 was smaller than the city of London or Paris. Imagine. A decade ago, we were counted amongst the fragile five nations. A cliff hanging economy, a concern to the global community. Now we are a robust economy, we are amongst the five great economies of the world, we are the fifth largest, on the way to becoming the third, ahead of Japan and Germany, in two years. Our economic rise is like a plateau, affecting everyone. 

    In all this, the contribution of science is there, technology is there, corruption would have been there, Transparent, accountable governance would not have been there unless there was technology. Digitisation and penetration would not have happened but for democracy. People are adept at technology, they may not be very literate, but they know how to use the internet, how to avail themselves of services. This means the Great Marathon March for Viksit Bharat@2047. You are the major stakeholders. You may not be that visible on the screen, but you are the driving force of it. You will have to be contributing 24X7. 

    My best wishes to you, CSIR exemplifies excellence, academic brilliance and cutting-edge research. In the near future, we will doubtlessly see Bharat emerging as a global pioneer in the domains of science and technology that will help us script a new chapter in our growth story.

    Thank you so much.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)
    Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)
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         The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to begin their visit to Beijing today (September 26) and called on the National Health Commission (NHC), the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) to introduce to the Mainland officials the latest developments of various healthcare reforms in Hong Kong to keep deepening synergistic collaboration on healthcare-related areas with the Mainland.     During the meeting with Vice-minister of the NHC Mr Yu Xuejun, Professor Lo engaged in an in-depth discussion on how to further deepen cross-boundary collaboration on health and medical innovation between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Professor Lo also actively put forward to the NHC multiple proposals on measures for promoting cross-boundary flow of innovation elements (including entry and exit of human genetic resources) in the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Development Plan for Shenzhen Park) promulgated by the State Council, with a view to supporting and encouraging innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies with full effort.      Professor Lo said that the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park emphasises co-ordinated development of Shenzhen and Hong Kong through the establishment of an internationally competitive base for industrial pilot-scale testing and transformation in Hetao to support the innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies. “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address” also proposed the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. To this end, the Health Bureau (HHB) strives to push forward with multiple key initiatives as follows: (1) To reform Hong Kong’s evaluation, approval and registration mechanism for drugs and medical devices and prepare for the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation, with a view to progressing towards the “primary evaluation” approach; (2) To join forces with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to set up in the Hetao Area an international clinical trial collaboration platform for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the “one zone, two parks” model in expectation of simultaneous commencement of operation in the fourth quarter of this year;(3) To promote cross-boundary real-world data research; and(4) To introduce world-leading enterprises of advanced therapeutic products as well as innovative drugs and medical devices.     He continued, “The development of innovative drugs and medical devices not only enhances healthcare standards but also transforms the industry, thus realising the vision of introducing good drugs for use in Hong Kong, bringing benefits to citizens with research and development, fostering transformation of innovation and technology, and driving the development of the industry. The healthcare system of Hong Kong must keep abreast of times and pursue transformation with innovation. With the staunch support of national policies in various areas, the HHB will certainly make greater efforts to motivate the local healthcare and medical sector to actively integrate into the overall national development by fully utilising the unique advantages of the HKSAR and playing an active role in the country’s comprehensive deepening of reforms, thereby serving the nation’s needs with the strengths of Hong Kong.”      Professor Lo and the delegation today also met with the Commissioner of the NATCM, Professor Yu Yanhong, and discussed issues related to the promotion of the development of Chinese medicine (CM). He said, “The HKSAR Government expresses sincere gratitude to the NATCM for its robust support for the development of CM in Hong Kong, particularly with regard to the establishment of the first Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute as well as collaboration on rolling out the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Talent Training Programme, etc. The HKSAR Government will continue to press ahead with the high-quality development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts by giving full play to the characteristics of CM in Hong Kong and the city’s strengths in areas such as service delivery, standard-setting, international connectivity and clinical research in a bid to foster the better integration of Hong Kong into the construction of CM highlands in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as well as the overall development of the country, thereby assisting our nation to propel CM to go global.”     Separately, at the meeting with the Head of the Department of Political Affairs of the GACC, Ms Lyu Weihong, Professor Lo said that, since the signing of the Co-operation Arrangement for Entry-exit Health Inspection and Quarantine between the GACC and the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government by the HHB and the GACC in November last year, the HKSAR Government has been maintaining close co-operation with the entry-exit health inspection and quarantine authorities of the Mainland as well as strengthening the joint efforts in disease prevention and control in terms of entry-exit health inspection and quarantine between the Mainland and Hong Kong, with a view to safeguarding the wellbeing and safety of residents and travellers of the two places. The two parties also exchanged views on the promotion of cross-boundary flow of innovation elements as mentioned in the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park.           Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Sam Hui; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko. The delegation will call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the National Medical Products Administration tomorrow (September 27) before departing for Hong Kong in the evening.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 19:12

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi chairs a review meeting of United Nations World Food Programme- Country Programme Advisory Committee

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 26 SEP 2024 11:38AM by PIB Delhi

    Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi chaired a meeting of the Country Programme Advisory Committee (CPAC) to review the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027 with representatives of the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) and members from concerned Ministries/Departments.

    To address the national priorities in food security and nutrition through capacity building and technical support, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and the United Nations World Food Programme. Under the MoU, the CSP 2023-27 addresses four strategic outcomes which includes (i) more effective and efficient national food-based social protection systems; (ii) increasing consumption of diverse, nutritious, and fortified foods; (iii) enhancing the social and financial mobility of women; and (iv) strengthening the adaptive capacity to build climate-resilient livelihoods and food systems.

    To coordinate and review the progress on initiatives under Country Strategic Plan, a Country Programme Advisory Committee has been constituted under the chairperson of Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi and Joint Secretaries of concerned Ministries and NITI Aayog as its members. The committee meets at least annually.  This was the first meeting of CPAC under CSP 2023-27 to review and discuss the progress and accomplishments of the ongoing Country Strategic Plan (CSP).

    The Country Director of WFP Ms Elizabeth Faure informed the committee about the status of various targeted outcomes of the CSP. WFP informed about various ongoing initiatives which includetransforming agriculture and enhancing food security for smallholder farmers in states like Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh; nationwide efforts for mainstreaming millets; building resilience in fishing communities through the ‘Secure Fishing’ App; initiative for optimizing the Public Distribution System (PDS); Annapurti initiative provides grain ATMs; school nutri-gardens; andrice fortification etc.

    Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi highlighted that the department and WFP have maintained a long-standing partnership, driven by shared goal of achieving food and nutrition security. He suggested the officers toidentify the scalable interventions and initiatives and prepare mechanism for including the same in ongoing programmes of ministries/departments. He further advised WFP to organise a one-day workshop to present and discuss the important initiatives and pilots exclusively in the Agriculture Sector with officers of the department. He also emphasised that while accessing the nutritional outcomes of the programmes we should also look at the standards on nutrition applicable for Indian population. Along with ongoing fortified varieties of different cereals, existing local varieties of red and black rice and millet, which are nutritious, should also be popularised. He also advised exploring the possibilities of bringing the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) intodifferent initiatives.  

    The meeting was also attended by officers and representatives from D/o Food & Public Distribution, M/o Women and Child Development, D/o Rural Development, M/o Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, D/o School Education & Literacy, M/o External Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, India Meteorological Department and M/o Earth Sciences.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Mere commitment of fiscal resources and lip service to R&D is not enough; focus on tangible outcomes, says VP

    Source: Government of India

    Mere commitment of fiscal resources and lip service to R&D is not enough; focus on tangible outcomes, says VP

    PM’s heart and soul is deeply with scientific community-VP

    Ecosystem in place where scientists can fully exploit their potential, says VP

    R&D contributions have to be substantial not cosmetic-VP

    Research is integral to soft diplomacy and security-VP

    Shri Dhankhar calls on corporates to invest in research and development

    CSIR stands for Catalyst for Scientifically Imaginative Rashtra, underlines VP

    R&D in institutions should not be in pursuit of gaining academic information alone-VP

    Vice-President addresses the 83rd Foundation Day Celebrations of CSIR at New Delhi today

    Posted On: 26 SEP 2024 3:22PM by PIB Delhi

    The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that contributions to R&D must be “substantial, the result has to be substantial, not cosmetic or superficial”, he stressed. He said that mere commitment of fiscal resources is not enough and significance of any research should be measured in terms of tangible outcomes.

    “We will have to be on guard that merely because fiscal resources are committed, we cannot take pride, oh, I have spent so much for research and development. Investment in research and development has to be correlated to tangible outcomes,” he added.

    Addressing the gathering at the at the 83rd CSIR Foundation Day Celebrations, Pusa Road, New Delhi today, the Vice-President invited attention to the significance of research and development in the contemporary scenario, Shri Dhankhar emphasised that research and development is integral to soft diplomacy and national security.

    “The investment in research and development is lasting…..Research and development is so integrated to security these days. And therefore investment is for the nation. Investment is for growth. Investment is for sustainability”, he asserted.

    Highlighting the current environment, Shri Dhankhar expressed satisfaction that recognition for the scientific community has significantly increased. “Soothing to note that in last few years recognition for the scientific community has gone up. It has gone up in several ways including government being very serious about it, and Prime Minister’s heart and soul is deeply in scientific community”.

    Shri Dhankhar further lauded Prime Minister’s deep respect for and belief in the potential of India’s scientists.

    Reflecting on the past where the contributions of scientists were not always appropriately recognized, Shri Dhankhar remarked “I am fully alive of the headwinds you face, air pockets you suffer, difficult terrain you negotiate and on occasions there is no due recognition. Therefore, an ecosystem that existed earlier where you were contributing and recognition was not coming in the right form”, he added.

    Recognising the current change in ecosystem, Shri Dhankhar underlined, “Now there is an ecosystem in place where our scientists can fully exploit and expand their energy exploit their talent and contribute for the nation by unleashing their innovative skills”.

    Calling upon corporate to invest more in research and development, he said “significant contributions being made by Indian companies in sectors like automobile and information technology. Looking to our nation’s size, its potential, its position, and the growth trajectory on which it is there, our corporates need to come forward to engage in research and development”.

    Terming CSIR as Catalyst for Scientifically Imaginative Rashtra, Shri Dhankhar highlighted, “It is your Foundation Day, but it is integrally connected with the firm foundations of Bharat. You are firming up those foundations of the most vibrant, functional democracy on the planet. You are firming up the foundations of a nation that is on the rise as never before, and the rise is unstoppable” 

    He further emphasized the crucial role of science and technology as the growth engine for any nation, underscoring that this engine is primarily driven by research and development (R&D).

    Expressing his deep concern about the current approach to research and development (R&D) in India’s institutions, Shri Dhankhar highlighted the need for substantial contributions rather than mere lip service. “I am concerned about one aspect in particular, and that aspect, fortunately for me, was voiced in a survey by CSIR,” he stated.

    He further stressed that those engaged in research within academic institutions should not be motivated solely by academic gains, asserting, “Research is not a simulation. Research is research.”

     He appealed for the establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that investments in human resources and institutions are directed towards authentic and impactful research.

    Acknowledging the critical role played by CSIR in shaping modern India’s scientific and technological landscape, Shri Dhankhar emphasized the historical legacy of India’s scientific stating “if we go into our historical perspective we will find ages ago our Bharat had scientific prowess. We were global leaders; we were centre of the globe when it came to scientific knowledge”.

    He also noted that while the country lost its way for a period, it is now on the path to regaining our past pristine glory in the world of science. “The kind of discoveries and inventions that were made, we made the world proud, we lost way somewhere, we are beginning that way”, he remarked. 

    Earlier the Vice-President also inaugurated the ‘CSIR Thematic Exhibition 2024’ at NASC Complex. 

    Shri Prof. Ajay K. Sood, PSA to GoI, Dr. K. Radhakrishanan, CSIR Foundation Day Speaker, Former Chairman, ISRO, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR, Dr. G Mahesh, Chairperson, CSIR Foundation Day Celebration and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

    Read full text here: pib.gov.in/PressRelese

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCSD to present “Glorious Voyage: Splendid Achievements of the People’s Republic of China in Its 75 Years” Exhibition Series to showcase developments and achievements of China (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCSD to present “Glorious Voyage: Splendid Achievements of the People’s Republic of China in Its 75 Years” Exhibition Series to showcase developments and achievements of China (with photos)
    LCSD to present “Glorious Voyage: Splendid Achievements of the People’s Republic of China in Its 75 Years” Exhibition Series to showcase developments and achievements of China (with photos)
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         To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present the “Glorious Voyage: Splendid Achievements of the People’s Republic of China in Its 75 Years” Exhibition Series, at the Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH) and the Hong Kong Science Museum (HKScM) from tomorrow (September 27) to illustrate the important developments and achievements of China over the past 75 years from a variety of perspectives. Admission to the exhibitions is free.           Addressing the opening ceremony of the exhibition today (September 26), the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, said that China is a force to be reckoned with in the areas such as economy, manufacturing, trade, technology, infrastructure, culture and sports. Today, China is the world’s second-largest economy, the largest industrial manufacturing country, the largest goods trading country and the largest foreign exchange reserve holding country. These are the results of the people’s forging ahead steadfastly and also the pride of all Chinese people. This exhibition series is one of the signature events organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, to promote the spirit of patriotism in the community. Its three exhibitions, namely “Leapfrog Development”, “Scientific Breakthroughs” and “Era of Intelligence”, showcase the country’s modernisation process from the perspectives of economy, education, technology, culture, sports and people’s livelihood. It aimed to enhance the understanding of the public, especially the younger generation, of the achievements of New China over the past 75 years, thereby enhancing their sense of national identity and sense of belonging.           Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Mr Yin Zhonghua; Vice President and Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Association for Science and Technology, Mr Meng Qinghai; Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR Mr Fang Jianming; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, Mr Li Dahong; the Convenor of the Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee, Ms Starry Lee; the Chairperson of the History Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Joshua Mok; and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu.           The “Leapfrog Development” exhibition, located in the Lobby, 1/F, HKMH, presents the developments and achievements of the economy, infrastructure, culture, sports and ecological conservation initiatives of China through text and images. It also displays medals won by athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games to showcase their spirit of perseverance and hard work. They include the first gold medal won by Hong Kong, China windsurfer Ms Lee Lai-shan at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for the HKSAR, the gold medal won by So Wa-wai, representing Hong Kong, China in the men’s 100m races (T36) at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, the gold medal won by Chinese diver Ms Guo Jingjing in the women’s three-metre springboard event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the silver medal won by Ms Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, representing Hong Kong, China in the women’s 100m freestyle events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For details of the exhibition, please visit hk.history.museum/en/web/mh/exhibition/75A-Exhibition.html.           The country’s scientific and technological endeavours have made remarkable progress over the past 75 years. The “Scientific Breakthroughs” exhibition at the 2/F Exhibition Hall, HKScM is divided into three parts, namely “The Lifeblood of the People’s Republic of China”, “Silent Thunder”, and “A Chip-driven Patriotic Heart”, based on three significant historical events: the 65th anniversary of the discovery of the Daqing Oil Field, the 60th anniversary of the successful detonation of China’s first atomic bomb, and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the State Preeminent Science & Technology Award. The exhibition showcases China’s outstanding achievements in science and technology through graphics, videos, objects, and interactive exhibits, demonstrating the patriotic spirit and steadfast beliefs of Chinese scientists. Highlight exhibits include the Core Sample from Songliao Basin No.3 Stratigraphic Well (replica), which is important historical evidence for the discovery of the Daqing Oil Field; the immersive space “Big Bang in the East”, which explores significant historical events such as the launch of the Dongfeng-1 missile, atomic bomb detonation, hydrogen bomb detonation, and the launch of the Dongfanghong-1; and the model of the Zuchongzhi Superconducting Quantum Computer, developed independently by a Chinese research team, which is the only one in China and one of only two globally to achieve “quantum advantage”.           The “Era of Intelligence” exhibition at the Special Exhibition Hall, G/F, HKScM introduces the transformative technology of artificial intelligence, which has experienced rapid developments in recent years. The application of artificial intelligence in daily life will also be demonstrated at the exhibition. The exhibition features a total of 22 exhibits, with about 70 per cent of them being interactive. These include the immersive zone “Gravitational Battlefield”, which is based on Mainland writer Liu Cixin’s science fiction novel “The Three-Body Problem” and integrates artificial intelligence and mixed reality technologies; a simulation of autonomous driving; and an artificial intelligence model named Master Guess, with which visitors can train and play paper-scissors-stone. Visitors can engage directly with multiple artificial intelligence models to understand how they function in various scenarios such as chess playing, music composition, painting and the implementation of mixed reality. For details of the “Scientific Breakthroughs” and “Era of Intelligence” exhibitions, please visit hk.science.museum/en/web/scm/exhibition/75A2024.html.           The exhibition series is presented by the LCSD. The “Leapfrog Development” exhibition is organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office and the Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, in collaboration with the HKMH, and supported by the Academy of Chinese Studies and the Hong Kong China Sports Alliance. The “Scientific Breakthroughs” exhibition is organised by the HKScM and the China Science and Technology Museum, in collaboration with the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the China Association for Science and Technology and the Beijing – Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. The “Era of Intelligence” exhibition is organised by the HKScM, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, the Hong Kong Institution of Science and Innovation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and SenseTime. The exhibitions will run until February 5 next year.           Apart from museums, a display titled “Trendsetting Travel in China”, which showcases the remarkable achievements of the motherland through a stunning array of media photographs and a relaxed curatorial approach, will be held at the covered walkway of Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park from September 28, providing members of the public an additional opportunity to learn more about the country’s achievements.           The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 18:55

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  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: Experts want Albanese to lead on indoor air quality as part of pandemic planning

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock

    Last month, a delegation led by Brendan Crabb, head of the Burnet Institute, a prestigious medical research body, met Anthony Albanese in the prime minister’s parliament house office.

    Its members, who included Lidia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology, a world-leading expert on air quality and health, also blitzed ministers and staffers. They were pitching for the federal government to spearhead a comprehensive policy on clean indoor air and for the issue to be put on the national cabinet’s agenda.

    They pointed out to Albanese that indoor air is an outlier in our otherwise comprehensive public health framework. Despite people spending the majority of their time inside, indoor air quality is mostly unregulated, in contrast to the standards that apply to, for example, food and water.

    There are multiple health and economic reasons to be concerned about this air quality but a major one is to limit the transmission of airborne diseases, such as COVID.

    For many of us, COVID has become just a bad memory, despite its lasting and mixed legacies. For instance, without the pandemic, fewer people would now be working from home. More small businesses would be flourishing in our CBDs. Arguably, fewer children would be trying to catch up from inadequate schooling.

    While the media have largely lost interest in COVID, and people are now rather blase about it, the disease is still taking a toll.

    In 2023 there were about 4,600 deaths attributed to COVID, and almost certainly more in reality, given Australia that year had 8,400 “excess deaths” (defined as actual deaths above expected deaths).

    Up to July this year there were 2,503 COVID deaths.

    In nursing homes, whilst survival rates from COVID are much improved with vaccination and antivirals, as of September 19, there were 117 active outbreaks with 59 new outbreaks in that past week. There had been 900 deaths for the year so far.

    Long COVID has become a serious issue, with varying respiratory, cardiac, cognitive and immunological symptoms. It is estimated between 200,000 and 900,000 people in Australia currently have long COVID.

    The Albanese government is presently awaiting the report it commissioned into how the COVID pandemic was handled.

    The inquiry has looked at the performance of the Morrison government, but its terms of reference didn’t include the states. That limits its usefulness, but there were politics involved, given high profile state Labor governments.

    Not that the state and territory leaders of that time are around anymore (apart from the ACT’s Andrew Barr). Those faces that became so familiar from their daily news conference have disappeared into the never-never: Victoria’s Dan Andrews, Western Australia’s Mark McGowan, New South Wales’ Gladys Berejiklian, Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk.

    COVID variously made or tarnished leaders’ reputations. McGowan, in particular, reached stratospheric heights of popularity. Andrews deeply divided people.

    In general, however, COVID boosted support for leaders and increased public trust in them and in government. In times of uncertainty, the public looked to known institutions and to authority figures. Since then, trust has eroded again.

    Experts came into their own during the pandemic but then found themselves in the middle of the political bickering. In retrospect, some of them were wrong.

    In the broad, especially in terms of the death rate and the economy, Australia navigated the crisis well. But drill down, and the story is more complex, as documented by two leading economists, Steven Hamilton (based in Washington and connected to the Australian National University) and Richard Holden (from UNSW).

    In their just-published book, Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism, their bottom-line conclusion is that Australia was very impressive in its (vastly expensive) economic response but it was a mixed picture on the health side.

    While Australia was quick out of the blocks in closing the national border and bringing in other measures, it fell down dramatically on two fronts. The Morrison government failed to order a wide variety of vaccines and it failed to buy enough Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs).

    The “vaccine procurement strategy was an unmitigated disaster,” Hamilton and Holden write. This was not just “the greatest failure of the pandemic – it was arguably the greatest single public policy failure in Australian history”.

    “We put all our vaccine eggs in just two baskets”, both of which failed to differing degrees. This was “a terrible risk to take. Pandemics are times for insurance, not gambling,” they write.

    “And while our tax and statistical authorities marshalled their forces to operate much faster and more nimbly to serve the desperate needs of a government facing a once-in-a-century crisis, our medical regulatory complex repeatedly ignored international evidence and experience, and our political leaders capitulated to their advice. And then the prime minister told us that when it came to getting Australians vaccinated:‘it’s not a race’”.

    The failure to order every vaccine on the horizon meant when production or supply problems arose for those that were hoped for or on order, the rollout was delayed.

    After this bungle, “stunningly, we turned around and repeated these same mistakes all over again” by not obtaining and distributing freely massive numbers of RATs. In this failure, “our federal government showed the same lack of foresight, the same penny-wise but pound-foolish mindset that it had displayed in the vaccine rollout”.

    The authors blame Scott Morrison, then-health minister Greg Hunt, then-chief medical officer Brendan Murphy, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) for the health failures, which prolonged the lockdowns, cost lives and delayed reopening.

    Urging better preparation for the next pandemic, Hamilton and Holden have a list of suggestions. They stress we need to ensure we have mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability (on which there is fairly good progress). We must get vaccine procurement “right from the start” regardless of cost. Huge quantities of RATs should be procured as soon as they become available, ready to be used immediately.

    A complete overhaul of the medical-regulatory complex should be undertaken. As well, Australia should continue to invest in “economic infrastructure”. In the pandemic, the economic effort was facilitated by having a single touch payroll system. “The first obvious candidate for improvement is a real-time GST turnover reporting capability.”

    Perhaps a comprehensive indoor clean air policy could be added to the infrastructure list.

    The government’s review will have its own recommendations. Crabb and his colleagues hope they include attention to indoor air quality, following advice from the Chief Scientist and the National Science and Technology Council.

    Members of the delegation say they received an attentive hearing from the PM.

    Anna-Maria Arabia, chief executive of the Australian Academy of Science, and a member of the delegation, says Albanese “understood that improving indoor air quality is a cornerstone requirement to preparing for future pandemics and [he] was attuned to the practical implications of having good indoor air quality systems, including schools and workplaces being able to stay open and functional, reduce absenteeism and boost productivity”.

    What’s needed beyond awareness, however, is timely policy action. Pandemics don’t give much notice of their arrival.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Grattan on Friday: Experts want Albanese to lead on indoor air quality as part of pandemic planning – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-experts-want-albanese-to-lead-on-indoor-air-quality-as-part-of-pandemic-planning-239829

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft helped Penza Zoo repair polar bear enclosure

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    With the support of Rosneft, the Penza Zoo renovated the walking enclosure for the polar bear named Bely.

    The work lasted about a month, during which the floor covering of the site was completely replaced: the old screed was removed, the concrete abutment of the pool bowl was restored, the site was covered with soil, treated with concrete contact, and a self-leveling floor was installed, onto which a particularly strong polyurethane paint was applied.

    During the construction work, the polar bear exhibit was closed to visitors, and the White Bear was kept in the feeding enclosure. After the repairs, the bear was released onto the renovated site.

    Preservation and protection of the polar bear population is one of the main areas of Rosneft’s environmental program. Since 2013, Rosneft has been caring for all polar bears living in Russian zoos. Currently, the Company patronizes 34 polar bears in 16 zoos in the country, providing them with care, feeding, veterinary support, as well as updating their enclosures and conducting scientific research. With the support of Rosneft, special toys have been developed to increase the physical activity of animals. Several types of products made from particularly durable plastic are sent to zoos every year.

    Reference:

    Rosneft is conducting research on polar bears as a bioindicator species of Arctic ecosystems. During this time, several large-scale expeditions have taken place, during which specialists have studied the migration routes, numbers and distribution density of these polar predators, and have also conducted various analyses of biological samples.

    In September, with the support of Rosneft, an expedition to study and monitor the polar bear population took place on the northwestern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula and the islands of the Kara Sea. Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted a full-scale census of the distribution of the number of endangered animals during the ice-free period.

    The field work is being carried out as part of Rosneft’s biodiversity conservation program, called Tamura. It is being implemented by the Company’s Arctic Research Center. From 2024 to 2027, research is planned on the Taimyr Peninsula of reindeer, birds, and fish in the mouth of the Yenisei River. A total of ten expeditions will be conducted over four years.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft September 26, 2024

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

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

    http://vvv.rosneft.ru/press/nevs/item/220847/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic arrangements for National Day Fireworks Display on October 1

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Police will implement special traffic arrangements on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon to facilitate the National Day Fireworks Display to be held on October 1 (Tuesday).Kowloon——-Crowd safety management measures in Tsim Sha Tsui————————————————-     Police will implement crowd safety management measures in Yau Tsim District and Hung Hom Waterfront Promenade, including pedestrianising roads at Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom Waterfront Promenade in phases.      Depending on the prevailing crowd situation, Police will implement safety measures within the pedestrianised areas including the closure of pedestrian subways and putting up barriers. One-way flow will be applied on overcrowded footbridges and in the vicinity of the waterfront promenade. If necessary, restrictions on access to MTR stations will be put into force by the MTR Corporation Limited.      The Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the vicinity of the Clock Tower, and the Avenue of Stars are known to be popular gathering and vantage points. When these areas are saturated, the crowd will be diverted to other areas.      At present, there are some construction works at the West Kowloon Cultural District. The contractors have erected hoardings and barriers to seal off the area concerned with relevant notices displayed. Members of the public are urged not to enter these sites and not to climb or lean against the barriers.      Members of the public should follow the instructions given by Police officers and take heed of Police signage and broadcasts at scene.Special traffic arrangements—————————-     The following special traffic arrangements will be implemented by phases until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:A. Road closure and traffic diversionsPhase I (from 6pm onwards)    The following roads will be closed:- Eastbound and westbound Hung Hom Bypass between Salisbury Road and Hung Hom Road;- Southbound and northbound Hung Hom Bypass between Salisbury Road and Metropolis Drive;- Southbound Salisbury Road between Hong Chong Road and Hung Hom Bypass;- Eastbound and westbound Salisbury Road between Science Museum Road and Kowloon Park Drive, including Salisbury Road’s eastbound and westbound underpass;- The U-turn slip road of Salisbury Road leading from eastbound Salisbury Road U-turn to westbound Salisbury Road;- Hong Wan Path;- Mody Lane;- Mody Road;- Mody Square;- Granville Square;- Granville Road between Chatham Road South and Science Museum Road, except for franchised buses and green minibuses (GMBs) (the road will be will be re-routed to one-way eastbound);- Southbound Chatham Road South between Cheong Wan Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Chatham Road South between Cheong Wan Road and Granville Road, except for franchised buses and GMBs;- Northbound Chatham Road South between Granville Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound and northbound Carnarvon Road between Granville Road and Nathan Road;- Hau Fook Street;- Cameron Lane;- Cameron Road;- Humphreys Avenue;- Prat Avenue;- Hart Avenue;- Hanoi Road;- Bristol Avenue;- Minden Row;- Minden Avenue;- Blenheim Avenue;- Middle Road;- Northbound Nathan Road between Austin Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Nathan Road between Granville Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Kowloon Park Drive between Canton Road and Salisbury Road;- Southbound Canton Road between Kowloon Park Drive and Salisbury Road;- Ashley Road;- Hankow Road;- Lock Road;- Haiphong Road;- Ichang Street; and- Peking Road.    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along southbound Hung Hom Road will be directed from Hung Hom Bypass to Cheong Tung Road South roundabout;- Traffic along eastbound Metropolis Drive cannot turn right to southbound Hung Hom Bypass;- Traffic along southbound Hung Hom Bypass must turn right to westbound Metropolis Drive;- Traffic along westbound Cheong Wan Road leading to Chatham Road South must turn right to northbound Chatham Road South or go straight to westbound Austin Road, except for franchised buses and GMBs;- Franchised buses and GMBs along southbound Chatham Road South must turn left to eastbound Granville Road;- Franchised buses along southbound Nathan Road must turn right to westbound Public Square Street or westbound Jordan Road;- Traffic along westbound Jordan Road cannot turn left to southbound Canton Road. Vehicles must go straight to Nga Cheung Road direction or turn left to southbound Wui Man Road;- Traffic along southbound Canton Road must make a U-turn to northbound Canton Road outside China Hong Kong City;- Traffic along northbound Kowloon Park Drive cannot turn left to southbound Canton Road;- Traffic along eastbound Salisbury Road must turn left to northbound Kowloon Park Drive;- Traffic along northbound Kowloon Park Drive cannot turn right to Peking Road;- Westbound Granville Road between Nathan Road and Carnarvon Road will turn to eastbound contraflow. Traffic along southbound Nathan Road will be instructed to turn left to eastbound Granville Road;- Traffic along Science Museum Road cannot turn to Mody Road and Granville Road;- Traffic along southbound Salisbury Road near Hong Chong Road will be diverted to Tsim Sha Tsui East; and- Traffic along eastbound Granville Road must turn left to northbound Chatham Road South.Phase II (from 6.30pm onwards)     The following roads will be closed:- Northbound Kowloon Park Drive between Canton Road and Salisbury Road; and- Eastbound and westbound Salisbury Road between Canton Road and Kowloon Park Drive.Phase III (from 7pm onwards)     The following roads will be closed:- The U-turn slip road of Austin Road West near the Xiqu Centre leading from westbound Austin Road West U-turn to eastbound Austin Road West;- The first lane of Austin Road West leading to Austin Road West roundabout;- The U-turn slip road of Austin Road West near The Harbourside leading from eastbound Austin Road West U-turn to westbound Austin Road West;- Museum Drive; and- Cultural Drive.    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along eastbound and westbound Austin Road West cannot enter the slip roads of Austin Road West; and- Traffic along southbound Nga Cheung Road entering Austin Road West roundabout cannot turn to Museum Drive. Vehicles will be directed to eastbound Austin Road West or northbound Nga Cheung Road.Phase IV (from 8.45pm onwards)     The following roads will be closed:- Southbound and northbound Nathan Road between Jordan Road and Austin Road;- Eastbound Bowring Street between Pilkem Street and Nathan Road;- Eastbound Tak Shing Street between Tak Hing Street and Nathan Road;- Southbound Nathan Road between Austin Road and Granville Road;- Pine Tree Hill Road;- Hillwood Road;- Carnarvon Road between Kimberley Road and Granville Road;- Shun Yee Street;- Granville Circuit;- Northbound Chatham Road South between Observatory Road and Granville Road;- Kimberley Road between Nathan Road and Observatory Road;- Kimberley Street;- Granville Road between Nathan Road and Chatham Road South;- Southbound and northbound Canton Road between Austin Road and Kowloon Park Drive;- Austin Road West roundabout between the entrance of Austin Road West and the exit and entrance of Museum Drive; and- Southbound and northbound Nga Cheung Road between Jordan Road and Austin Road West.    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along southbound Nathan Road must turn right to westbound Jordan Road;- Traffic along westbound Jordan Road cannot turn left to southbound Nathan Road;- Traffic along westbound Austin Road and southbound Cox’s Road cannot turn to Pine Tree Hill Road;- Traffic along Observatory Road cannot turn to westbound Kimberley Street;- Traffic along northbound Pilkem Street cannot turn right to eastbound Bowring Street;- Traffic along eastbound Bowring Street must turn left to northbound Pilkem Street;- Traffic along southbound Canton Road cannot go straight. Vehicles must turn left to eastbound Austin Road or turn right to westbound Austin Road West;- Traffic along eastbound Austin Road West cannot turn right. Vehicles must turn left to northbound Canton Road or go straight to eastbound Austin Road;- Traffic along northbound Gateway Boulevard must leave from northbound Kowloon Park Drive;- Traffic along westbound Jordan Road must turn to the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange after turning left to southbound Nga Cheung Road;- Traffic along westbound Austin Road West must go straight to Nga Cheung Road elevated road; and- Traffic along southbound Nga Cheung Road entering Austin Road West roundabout must turn left to eastbound Austin Road West.Contingency plan     If necessary, the following roads will be closed:- Hung Luen Road between Wa Shun Street and Hung Lok Road;- Oi King Street; and- Kin Wan Street.     During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:- Traffic along westbound Hung Luen Road must turn left to Wa Shun Street;- Traffic along Wa Shun Street must turn right to eastbound Hung Luen Road;- Traffic along southbound Hung Lok Road cannot turn left to eastbound Hung Luen Road; and- Traffic along eastbound Hung Luen Road must turn left to northbound Hung Lok Road.B. Suspension of Bus Terminus and Public Transport Interchange     The following Bus Terminus and Public Transport Interchange will be suspended, until the crowd has dispersed and traffic resumes normal:     The Mody Road Bus Terminus will be suspended from 6pm.     The Star Ferry Bus Terminus will be suspended from 6.30pm.     The China Hong Kong City Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from 8.45pm.C. Suspension of car park     Vehicles will not be permitted to access or leave car parks in the affected areas during the road closure period.D. Suspension of on-street parking spaces     All on-street parking spaces located at Tsim Sha Tsui South (i.e. South of Austin Road) will be suspended from noon on October 1 to 0.01am of the following day.Hong Kong Island—————-A. Road closurePhase I (Before the fireworks display)Central District—————     Tramway Lane outside Lower Peak Tram Station leading from Garden Road to the office of World Wild Fund for Nature Hong Kong will be closed from 2pm to 11.59pm, except for franchised buses.Wan Chai North————–     Expo Drive East at the north of Expo Drive outside Golden Bauhinia Square including the pick-up and drop-off areas will be closed from 4pm to 11.59pm.     The following roads will be closed from 7.30pm onwards:Central District—————- Man Kwong Street;- Man Fai Street;- Man Yiu Street between Man Kwong Street and Man Po Street;- Loading and unloading area outside Central Ferry Piers 7, 8 and 9; and- Unnamed Road near Lung Wo Road outside General Post Office.Central – Wan Chai Bypass————————- – The slip road linking eastbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass to Expo Drive;- The slip road linking Lung Wo Road to eastbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass; and- The slip road linking westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass to Lung Wo Road.Wan Chai North————— Eastbound Fenwick Pier Street;- Lung King Street;- Eastbound Harbour Road;- Expo Drive;- Expo Drive Central;- Expo Drive East;- Lung Wo Road between Lung Hop Street and Fleming Road;- Lung Tat Path;- Convention Avenue;- Fleming Road Flyover;- Fleming Road between Expo Drive and Harbour Road;- Northbound Tonnochy Road between eastbound Harbour Road and Hung Hing Road;- Southbound Tonnochy Road between Hung Hing Road and Gloucester Road;- Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Hung Hing Road;- Marsh Road Flyover;- Marsh Road between Hennessy Road and Lockhart Road;- Hung Hing Road;- Hung Hing Road Flyover;- Wan Shing Street; and- Wan Ying Street.Peak Area———- Northbound Peak Road beyond the car park entrance of Peak Galleria, except for residents’ vehicles;- Barker Road, except for residents’ vehicles;- All laybys along Stubbs Road between Peak Road and Stubbs Road roundabout; and- All laybys along Magazine Gap Road between Peak Road and May Road.     The following roads will be closed from 8pm onwards:Eastern District————– Watson Road;- Whitfield Road;- Glass Street;- King Ming Road;- Hing Fat Street northward of Whitfield Road; and- Victoria Park Road (Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter).     The following roads will be closed from 8.15pm onwards:Central District————— Yiu Sing Street;- Lung Wo Road;- Edinburgh Place;- Tim Wa Avenue;- Legislative Council Road;- Tim Mei Avenue;- Lung Wui Road;- Lung Hop Street;- Unnamed road between Harcourt Road and Performing Arts Avenue;- Performing Arts Avenue; and- Edinburgh Place.Wan Chai North————— Tonnochy Road Flyover;- Northbound Tonnochy Road between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road;- Westbound Harbour Road;- Harbour Drive;- Fleming Road between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road; and- Fenwick Street between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road.Phase II (During the fireworks display)     The following roads will be closed from 8.55pm to 9.28pm:Eastern District—————– Westbound Island Eastern Corridor between Victoria Park Road and Man Hong Street, except for franchised buses;- Slip roads leading to westbound Island Eastern Corridor from Healthy Street Central and Tong Shui Road; and- Westbound Central – Wan Chai Bypass.Phase III (After the fireworks display)     The following roads will be closed from 8.55pm onwards:Central District————— Man Yiu Street between Man Cheung Street and Man Po Street;- Man Po Street; and- Finance Street between Man Yiu Street and Man Po Street.Wan Chai South————— Lockhart Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;- Jaffe Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;- Southbound Luard Road between Gloucester Road and Jaffe Road;- O’Brien Road;- Fleming Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Stewart Road;- Tonnochy Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Canal Road West between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- Canal Road East between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;- If necessary, Percival Street between Lockhart Road and Gloucester Road; and- If necessary, westbound Gloucester Road service road between Percival Street and Canal Road East.B. Traffic Diversions     In connection with the above road closure, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:From 7.30pm onwards:- Rumsey Street between Chung Kong Road and Connaught Road Central will be re-routed to one-way southbound; and- All uphill traffic along Peak Road towards Harlech Road, Lugard Road and Mount Austin Road will be diverted downhill via the slip road beside the car park entrance at the Peak Galleria, except for residents’ vehicles or vehicles with permits.From 8.55pm to 9.28pm:     Traffic along westbound Island Eastern Corridor will be diverted to Man Hong Street.From 8.55pm onwards:     Traffic along eastbound Connaught Road West Flyover will be diverted to Finance Street.C. Suspension of parking spaces     All on-street metered, motorcycle and disabled parking spaces (Meter nos: 3186 to 3188, 3190 to 3193 and 3197) at Tramway Lane outside Lower Peak Tram Station will be suspended from 1pm to 11pm.     All on-street parking spaces at Expo Drive East at the north of Expo Drive outside Golden Bauhinia Square will be suspended from 4pm to 11.59pm.     All on-street metered and motorcycle parking spaces at Victoria Peak Garden and Mount Austin Road (Meter nos: 1515(A/B) to 1518(A/B), 1523(A/B) to 1526(A/B), 1519A, 1520A, 1521(A/B) and 1522B) will be suspended from 7pm to 11.59pm.     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 3pm to 11.59pm:- Man Kwong Street;- Ying Sing Street;- Lung Wo Road;- Unnamed Road near Lung Wo Road outside General Post Office;- Edinburgh Place;- Lung Wui Road; and- Lung Hop Street.     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 4pm to 11.59pm:- Hung Hing Road;- Expo Drive;- Expo Drive East;- Convention Avenue;- Wan Shing Street;- Gloucester Road service road;- Stewart Road between Jaffe Road and Gloucester Road service road;- Marsh Road between Hennessy Road and Lockhart Road;- Jaffe Road between Percival Street and Luard Road; and- Lockhart Road between Percival Street and Luard Road.     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 7pm to 11.59pm:- Watson Road; and- Whitfield Road.D. Suspension of Public Transport Interchange     The Exhibition Centre Station Public Transport Interchange and Man Yiu Street Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from 6.30pm to 11.59pm.E. Suspension of car parks     Vehicles parked in car parks within the above closed areas at North Point, Wan Chai North, Wan Chai South and Central District will not be permitted to enter/leave the car parks during the road closure period.     If necessary, the vehicular entrance/exit along on westbound Gloucester Road between Paterson Street and Percival Street will be closed without prior notice.     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.     Members of the public are advised to use public transport to access the above areas. They should pay attention to the latest special traffic arrangements announced by the Transport Department and the latest weather news released by the Hong Kong Observatory. Actual implementation of the crowd safety management measures and traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.     If the cancellation of the fireworks display is announced by the organiser, the above-mentioned crowd safety management measures and special traffic arrangements will not be implemented.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: CD47 Targeted Cancer Immunotherapy Drugs Clinical Trials FDA Approval Insight

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Delhi, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global CD47 Inhibitor Drug Clinical Trials Insight & Market Opportunity Outlook 2028 Report Highlights

    • Global & Regional Market Opportunity Outlook
    • Insight On More Than 100 CD47 Inhibitor Drugs In Clinical Trials
    • Global CD47 Inhibitors Clinical Trials Insight By Company, Country, Indication & Phase
    • Orphan, Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy Designation Insight
    • Key Drugs Initiation & Completion Year
    • CD47 Clinical Application & Development Outlook By Indication
    • CD47 Inhibitor Drugs Clinical Developments & Trends By Country
    • Global CD47 Inhibitor Drug Market Dynamics

    Download Report:

    https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-cd47-antibody-cd47-inhibitor-cd47-function-cd47-expression-cd47-t-cells-cd47-marker-anti-cd47-antibody

    Traditionally, cancer management has primarily relied on surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. While these treatments have demonstrated significant efficacy in eradicating primary tumors, they are accompanied by systemic toxicities and high rates of relapse, which represent major limitations. The increasing prevalence of cancer and the shortcomings of conventional therapies have driven the demand for novel targeted therapies that can address these limitations while enhancing specificity and targeting capabilities against the disease. One such innovative approach involves targeting the CD47 surface checkpoint, which can inhibit cancer proliferation.

    Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy capable of overcoming the challenges associated with traditional cancer treatments. This novel therapy aims to harness the immune system’s ability to recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells. Preliminary and clinical studies have shown that CD47 proteins are overexpressed in various tumor types. A primary factor contributing to the hallmark characteristics of cancer is the inhibition of macrophage phagocytosis due to the blockade of the CD47/SIRPα interaction, which sends a “don’t eat me” signal to macrophages. Consequently, multiple antibodies targeting the CD47 checkpoint are currently in development to reduce cancer cell proliferation.

    Moreover, CD47-targeted therapies aim to utilize various components of the immune system, acting at different stages of the immune response to enhance the body’s natural defense against target cells. In support of this hypothesis, numerous clinical studies are underway. For example, HX009 is a recombinant humanized anti-CD47/PD-1 bifunctional antibody under development and clinical investigation by Waterstone Hanxbio. An ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial is assessing HX009 as a novel treatment for patients advanced solid tumors.

    The therapeutic landscape of immunotherapy now includes a range of agents, such as monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates, and more, all aimed at improving outcomes for cancer patients through combination therapies. For example, the novel CD47 inhibitor evorpacept (ALX148) is currently being evaluated in several clinical trials as part of various combination regimens. Specifically, evorpacept is being tested in combination with Cetuximab and Pembrolizumab for the treatment of colorectal cancer, with Venetoclax and Azacitidine for acute myeloid leukemia, and with Rituximab and Lenalidomide for various types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

    Furthermore, regulatory bodies have been supportive towards the growing class of CD47-targeting therapies, as suggested by the recent IND clearances and the awarding of drug designations. FDA granted the fast track designation to PT217, a bispecific antibody targeting CD47 and DLL3, in April 2024, while China’s NMPA also accepted Immuneonco’s clinical trial application to conduct pivotal phase 3 clinical studies for its CD47 inhibitor IMM-01, in combination with the PD-1 Inhibitor tislelizumab. All these factors indicate that the CD47 market is expanding rapidly and is expected to grow further due to the rising incidence of cancer, which is projected to increase in the coming years.

    Additionally, the involvement of multiple pharmaceutical companies in the field of CD47-targeted immunotherapy has spurred growth in clinical research. Various organizations, hospitals, and centers, such as The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, are conducting clinical trials to address cancer-related ailments.

    In summary, immunotherapy targeting the CD47 protein has emerged as a breakthrough therapy in cancer management, demonstrating promising responses in patients. Although no therapies have yet been approved for the commercial market, several CD47-targeted immunotherapies are anticipated to enter the market soon, driven by a surge in clinical trials and research in this area. Currently, the United States leads the CD47 immunotherapy sector; however, developing countries like China are increasingly engaging in numerous preclinical and clinical studies in this domain, fueled by technological advancements, a rising cancer patient population, and expanding collaborations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Launch

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Watch the launch of NASA’s SpaceX #Crew9, the first human spaceflight mission to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff on Saturday, Sept. 28 is set for 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 UTC). The Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the International Space Station for a science mission of approximately five months. This will be Hague’s second mission to the orbiting laboratory, and Gorbunov’s first spaceflight.

    Hague and Gorbunov will fly to the space station as commander and mission specialist, respectively. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will fly home with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025.

    About Crew-9’s science mission: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/nasas-spacex-crew-9-to-conduct-space-station-research/
    Crew-9 mission updates: https://blogs.nasa.gov/crew-9/

    Credit: NASA

    #NASA #Astronauts #Launch #RocketLaunch #SpaceStation #SpaceX

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKXtysRx0b4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO announces launch of the third cycle of the Young Professionals Programme

    Source: NATO

    We are pleased to inform you that the third cycle of the NATO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is now open for applications!

    Are you a young professional, interested in accelerating your career by gaining experience working for a political and military alliance that protects one billion people?

    If you are a citizen of a NATO member country with a Master’s degree and at least one year of work experience, the YPP offers a unique opportunity to work with NATO for three years across different countries and NATO bodies.

    For the third cycle of the YPP there are 13 positions available for talented people from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds, including:

    • Data Science and Innovation
    • Economics and Finance
    • Engineering and Logistics
    • Human Resources
    • ICT and Cyber Security
    • International Political Affairs
    • Legal Affairs
    • Marketing and Communications
    • Programme and Project Management

    The deadline to apply is 27 October 2024. We encourage you to apply well in advance.

    For more information about the NATO Young Professionals Programme, including eligibility criteria and the full application process, please visit the Young Professionals Programme web page.  

    Following Sweden’s accession to NATO on 7 March 2024 as NATO’s 32nd member, we are pleased to announce that Swedish nationals are welcome to apply to the Young Professionals Programme, alongside candidates from NATO’s 31 other member countries.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Managing Director appointed for pioneering partnership

    Source: City of Liverpool

    The person tasked with positioning Liverpool as the ultimate global destination has been appointed.  

    Natalie Wyatt has been announced as the new Managing Director of the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP).

    Natalie, who starts the role at the end of October, will be instrumental in the strategic development and management of LVEP, a newly established body dedicated to enhancing the Liverpool City Region’s thriving visitor economy. The role will focus on destination marketing, stakeholder engagement, and promoting tourism on both a national and international scale. This role is crucial in amplifying the region’s reputation as a premier visitor destination, leveraging the unique cultural and environmental opportunities that the city region offers.

    Although yet to be officially named, the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) has been put in place to significantly boost the region’s £5bn-a-year visitor economy, which currently employs around 51,000 people.

    This partnership, supported by local authorities in the city region, will be delivered in collaboration with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council. Chaired by Tony Hall CBE, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, LVEP aims to position Liverpool City Region as one of Europe’s major events capitals, maximising the economic benefits of its global appeal.

    Natalie brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise having previously served as Head of Marketing and Revenue Growth at Merseyrail. In her previous role, Natalie led the development and delivery of marketing and passenger communication strategies, strategic partnerships, and supporting major events across the Liverpool City Region.

    For more information about LVEP, head to the official website.

    Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:

    “This new collaborative approach is about unlocking the full potential of the Liverpool City Region and this new appointment plays a pivotal role in its success. Liverpool has already excelled in events and self-promotion, but now, by uniting the entire region, we can achieve even greater impact.

    “Through a one-front-door strategy, we’ll enhance our accessibility and visibility, showcasing our world-class attractions, thriving film industry, leadership in gaming and science, and rich cultural heritage.

    “This partnership will cement the Liverpool City Region’s status as a key global player – accelerating our key strengths, developing our skills, connectivity and international positioning.”  

    Natalie Wyatt said:

    “I can’t wait to get going and start to make a real, positive difference. I’m so pleased to be part of a team committed to devising and delivering a strategy which places our six amazing boroughs at the epicentre of everything.

    “It will be LVEP’s ambition to amplify the City Region’s endless assets to such an extent, that we’re the first destination that comes to mind for anyone organising a major event, looking for new business locations or filming the next Hollywood blockbuster.

    “By embracing innovation, fostering collaboration, and prioritising the well-being of both visitors and residents, LVEP will ensure Liverpool City Region remains a top destination on the global stage.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The Middle East North Africa programme: a link between all initiatives linked to the region

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

    Source: Universities – Science Po in French

    The Middle East North Africa (MENA) program at Sciences Po centralizes initiatives related to the study and research of this region. A study day is organized September 26 on the occasion of the launch of the program on the theme of the wars in the Middle East and their repercussions on the societies of the region.

    An interdisciplinary and transversal structure, the main mission of the MENA program is to promote, coordinate and energize the institution’s activities related to the Middle East and North Africa. By strengthening academic, scientific and cultural collaborations with partner universities, the program supports the work of students at all levels (bachelor, master, doctorate), while creating a unique space for dialogue between researchers, artists and civil society actors, thus promoting an enriched understanding of the region.

    Meeting with the two co-directors of the program: Léa Albrieux, Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Gulf and Pakistan mission manager at the International Affairs Department, and Bayram Balci, researcher at the Center for International Research (CERI).

    Can you introduce your background and your interest in the Middle East North Africa region?

    We both studied the Middle East and North Africa as part of our studies and spent many years there. Our interest also comes from the fact that this region, its conflicts, but also its culture – including its cuisine – are present in our daily lives in France and we would even say in Europe. Also, the desire to understand this region, whose conflicts have repercussions that go far beyond it, played a central role in the academic choice we made to dedicate ourselves to it. It is also an area that forms a link between several continents, which makes the collaborations to be considered with Sciences Po’s other regional programs, covering Africa and South Asia, all the more interesting.

    What are the major contemporary challenges facing this region and how does this new programme intend to address them?

    The main challenge is to find a path towards peace, stability and democracy that go hand in hand. Cradle of the three great religions, but also of several great cultures and civilizations, the region has been constantly confronted since its emergence from colonial domination with conflicts of varying intensity, security and political challenges that regularly call into question the gains made. Our program is intended to be modest; it does not claim to resolve the tensions that the region in question is experiencing. Helping to analyze and understand it, through research and teaching, would already be a first step.

    Can you explain your vision and ambitions as co-directors of the program?

    This structure brings together the different actors who study and work on the region within the departments, research centers, directorates, campuses and schools at Sciences Po. Its mission is to support and highlight all of the scientific, educational and partnership activities of the institution in relation to the MENA region. To this end, we plan to develop varied activities that combine teaching, research, partnerships, but also actions related to the arts and culture of this region.

    What themes will be highlighted during the launch day on September 26?

    Although the aim of our programme is not to comment on every event that is shaking up the region, the day of 26 September will be mainly devoted to the attack of 7 October 2023 and its effects on the societies of the Middle East. Indeed, the unprecedented attack by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023 plunged the Middle East into a new phase of war. While this renewed violence has profound effects on the regional balance, it also has major consequences on the societies of the region, in Israel and Palestine, but also in neighbouring countries. This conference will focus more specifically on this internal and local dimension of the ongoing conflict.

    Sciences Po and the MENA region

    Sciences Po maintains particularly strong links in this vast area stretching from North Africa to Iran. They are reflected in numerous student exchanges with our 35 partner institutions spread across 12 countries, but also in particularly dynamic research: with around twenty researchers and around twenty specialist doctoral and postdoctoral students, Sciences Po is positioned as one of the leading universities in Europe for studies on this region. The region is also present in academic programs, notably with the Mediterranean-Middle East minor of the Menton campus at the bachelor level.

    While 16 nationalities from the MENA region are represented among our initial training students, our institution welcomes an average of 700 students from the region each year. In return, approximately 120 Sciences Po students go on exchange, and 120 on internships, to one of the countries in the region each year. Upon completion of their studies, 5% of young graduates working abroad work in the region.

    Cover image caption: Doha, Qatar, March 2019. (credits: Jaanus Jagomägi / Unsplash)

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa – Big Data and Technology Key to Fast-tracking Development of Smarter Cities, Huawei Says

    Nairobi, September 26, 2024 – Huawei has underscored the transformative impact of Big Data and cutting-edge technologies in fast-tracking the development of smarter, more sustainable, and human-centric cities.

     

    Speaking at the 41st International Association of Science Parks and areas of innovation (IASP) World Conference 2024 held in Nairobi, Steve Kamuya, Executive Director at Huawei Kenya, highlighted the transformative potential of data-driven solutions in urban development.

     

    Kamuya stressed the importance of a human-centric approach to city planning, adding that technology should be used to enhance the quality of life for all residents, making cities more livable, inclusive, and sustainable.

     

    “By leveraging data, we can better understand the needs of diverse populations and address challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and resource management. As urban populations grow, data and technology will play an even greater role in ensuring cities remain sustainable, resilient, and adaptable to future needs,” he said.

     

    He further noted that technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT) were already being integrated to fast-track development of smarter cities like Konza Technopolis and at the same time were being used to optimize critical city operations like transportation, energy management, and public safety, globally.

     

    “Overall, smart cities rely on a combination of cloud computing, robust networking, edge computing, and date aggregation to optimize urban operations. These technologies not only increase efficiency but also reduce environmental impact, a key pillar in creating sustainable urban environments. Huawei’s vision aligns with the broader goals of smart cities worldwide – creating cities that are not just technologically advanced but also prioritize the well-being and inclusivity of their inhabitants,” he added.

     

    Huawei Kenya’s Director for Government Affairs and Policy, Adam Lane, provided a focus talk presentation to kick-off the session on Transformative Models in Sustainable Development. He focused on the large opportunities available from even simple interventions such as using microphones in forests to detect deforestation as well as making advanced AI solutions easier for communities to develop through Huawei Cloud’s Pangu Models, many of which are already pre-trained and easily applicable to different industry uses.

     

    Lane provided further details on how Integrated Operations Centers can transform coordination, management, and governance through integrating data from multiple sources and thus improving public service delivery, efficiency and sustainability. Huawei’s exhibition stand at the conference provided opportunities for participants to interact with these tools and solutions and discuss with Huawei experts.

     

    Huawei is the Platinum Sponsor of IASP World Conference 2024, which is being hosted by Konza Technopolis on behalf of the Kenya Government.

     

    The conference has brought together global leaders, innovators, and stakeholders in the science park and innovation district sectors from more than 50 countries, to explore how demographics, entrepreneurship, and technology are shaping future global economies.

     

    The conference is also featuring discussions on how innovation hubs like Konza Technopolis are pioneering digital transformation in Africa, offering a glimpse into the future of urban development.

     

    The 42nd IASP World Conference will be held in Beijing, China, between September 9-16, 2025.

     

    For more information on Huawei’s initiatives in smart city development, please visit

    https://www.huawei.com

     

    About Huawei

    Huawei is a leading global provider of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains—telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services—Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

     

    About IASP

    The International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) is a global network that connects professionals managing science, technology, and research parks.

     

    With membership of more than 300 associations, the IASP World Conference brings together experts from around the world to explore the latest trends in innovation ecosystems.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A scientific and educational center for unmanned systems will be created at the Polytechnic University

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Unmanned systems are a priority area for the development of science and technology in the country. Naturally, this area is actively developing at the Polytechnic University: these include our own developments in UAVs, unmanned boats, underwater robotics, and machine vision systems for ground-based UAVs. The university has the status of a federal provider of training in the field of unmanned aircraft systems — design, operation, and piloting of UAVs, including in the form of youth design bureaus. However, the subject matter is very broad and complex.

    Rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy noted during the signing of the agreement with partners on the creation of the UAV scientific and educational center: The tasks in this area can be called global, they cover many technologies and areas of research and training. These include communications, 3D printing, and new materials. Of course, this is impossible without modern digital modeling technologies, which we have full control over. Our university is ready to respond to the challenges of the time and will fully develop this area.

    The agreement was signed with NPO Kaisant, ANO TsPV ZOV-AA, JSC TsNII Cyclone, and Engineering Systems LLC with the participation of the 56th UAV training center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

    The partners agreed to organize and develop cooperation in the following areas:

    creation of innovative software products for UAVs; development of circuit solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their main components; development of radio jamming systems (EW); development of SIGINT systems (electronic intelligence); methodological support for the design, development and operation of unmanned aircraft systems, including legal support; conducting full-scale tests.

    In order to improve the qualifications of the university staff and students, a test site for UAVs/EW/SAR will be used on the basis of two military ranges of the 56th UAV training center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. As part of the practice, students will be able to assemble real UAVs, as well as EW/SAR units. The first stage of such practice will be launched on the basis of the Institute of Secondary Vocational Education. In addition, the discussion was about the participation of partners in the military-patriotic education of youth. The basis for all this should be a scientific cluster for the development of technologies in the field of UAVs/EW/SAR.

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

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

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/education/a scientific-educational-center-for-unmanned-systems will be created at the Polytechnic University/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Appointment of Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey: 26 September 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, in succession to The Venerable Tricia Hillas following her appointment as Bishop of Sodor and Man.

    Background

    Mark was educated at Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, initially in Veterinary Science. He trained for ministry at Westcott House Cambridge, served his title at the parish of Cirencester with Watermoor in the Diocese of Gloucester, and was ordained priest in 2001. In 2003 Mark was appointed Chaplain and Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and in 2006 moved to become Chaplain and co-ordinator of spiritual care at Helen & Douglas House, a children’s hospice, in Oxford. In 2010 he was appointed as Chaplain at Lord Mayor Treloar’s School and College before moving into parish ministry as Priest in Charge of St Faith, Winchester, in 2012, alongside which he continued in chaplaincy work as Chaplain of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester. In 2015 Mark was appointed Minor Canon and Chaplain at Westminster Abbey, becoming Sacrist in 2018. He was appointed to his current role as Precentor in 2020.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey: 26 September 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

    The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Mark Birch, Minor Canon and Precentor at Westminster Abbey as Canon Rector of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, in succession to The Venerable Tricia Hillas following her appointment as Bishop of Sodor and Man.

    Background

    Mark was educated at Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford Universities, initially in Veterinary Science. He trained for ministry at Westcott House Cambridge, served his title at the parish of Cirencester with Watermoor in the Diocese of Gloucester, and was ordained priest in 2001. In 2003 Mark was appointed Chaplain and Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and in 2006 moved to become Chaplain and co-ordinator of spiritual care at Helen & Douglas House, a children’s hospice, in Oxford. In 2010 he was appointed as Chaplain at Lord Mayor Treloar’s School and College before moving into parish ministry as Priest in Charge of St Faith, Winchester, in 2012, alongside which he continued in chaplaincy work as Chaplain of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester. In 2015 Mark was appointed Minor Canon and Chaplain at Westminster Abbey, becoming Sacrist in 2018. He was appointed to his current role as Precentor in 2020.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – New book describes the rise of the ocean’s most fearsome predators – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    If you think Jaws is scary, then imagine a 16 metre super-sized shark weighing more than 60 tonnes  attacking a dolphin or small whale.
     
    The rise and fall of the ancient megalodon (Otodus megalodon) is among the stories contained in a major new book by leading Australian palaeontologist, Flinders University Professor John Long.
     
    The Secret History of Sharks, to be launched at a special event hosted by the South Australian Museum, covers the complete, untold story of how sharks emerged as Earth’s ultimate survivors.
     
    Professor Long says: “Sharks have been fighting for their lives for 500 million years and today are under dire threat.
     
    “They are the longest-surviving jawed vertebrate on Earth, outlasting all five major global mass extinction events that decimated life on the planet.
     
    “But how did they thrive for so long? By developing superpower-like abilities that allowed them to ascend to the top of the oceanic food chain.”
     
    As well as the megalodon, the book describes a gigantic shark with a deadly saw blade of jagged teeth and bizarre sharks fossilised while in their mating ritual.
     
    Flinders University Strategic Professor of Palaeontology Long has been studying fossil fishes and sharks all his life, and draws upon his own experiences and adventures in remote localities around the world when he was involved in some of the key discoveries contained in the book.
     
    Over the past 30 years, Professor Long’s own research efforts led to the discovery of the first fossil found in the Kimberley region Gogo fossil field in Western Australia. This demonstrated how early sharks had remnant bone cells in their cartilage. He also named a fossil shark found in Victoria (Maiseyodus).
     
    Among a range of global experts in shark evolution and biology are Flinders University Southern Shark Ecology researchers Professor Charlie Huveneers and Dr Lauren Meyer who study the tourism attraction of White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) cage diving in South Australia and elsewhere.
     
    Other novel research outlined in the book includes ways sharks contribute to medical advances and how Flinders University Professor Youhong Tang and other experts’ discovered the potential for marine vessels to copy the streamlined pattern of shark skin.  
     
    “These amazing scientific discoveries have ramifications far beyond the ocean and can teach us about our own survival.”
     
    Hear Strategic Professor Long discuss his latest book – The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators – at the SA Museum.
     
    Tuesday 8 October 6pm-8pm
    South Australian Museum
     
    Listen to Professor Long on RN Conversations here  https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/sharks-megalodon-ocean-history-paleontology/104215338
    The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators by John Long (Quercus Books, Australia; Ballantine Books, USA).

    Professor John Long is the strategic professor of palaeontology at Flinders University, one of Australia’s largest palaeontological research groups. The former vice president of research and collections at the Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, Long has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, some 25 books and over 150 popular science articles. His groundbreaking research work on the evolution of fishes and the origins of sex has appeared in the magazines Nature, Science, and Scientific American.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI: GPTBots.ai Partners with QSTP Incubated Startup sKora Tech to Revolutionize AI Services in Sports

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GPTBots.ai, a leading global provider of AI bot services for business operations, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with sKora Tech, a QSTP (Qatar Science & Technology Park) incubated startup. This strategic collaboration marks the first formal partnership between an international tech company and a QSTP incubated startup, and it promises to create significant advancements in the integration of AI technology in the sports industry.

    GPTBots.ai is renowned for its no-code AI platform that seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence across various enterprise domains, including marketing, customer service, HR, IT, and data analysis. By simplifying the integration of AI into business operations, GPTBots.ai empowers companies of all sizes to enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and foster growth through accessible AI solutions.

    sKora Tech, a data-driven sports agency launched ahead of FIFA 2022, is on a mission to empower over 300 million football players worldwide. The company offers a digital platform that leverages decades of sports agency expertise to create personalized growth pathways for athletes. Through its innovative sKora AI-Agent, sKora Tech enables players to convert their athletic data into marketable CVs in just minutes, helping them unlock new career opportunities in the global sports market.

    Key highlights of the partnership include:
    1. Integration of GPTBots.ai’s AI technology with sKora Tech’s sports agency expertise
    2. Enhanced personalization of growth pathways for athletes using advanced AI algorithms
    3. Streamlined process for converting athletic data into comprehensive, marketable CVs
    4. Expansion of AI-driven solutions in the sports management sector

    “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with sKora Tech,” said Jerry Yin, VP of GPTBots.ai. “Our goal is to make AI accessible and user-friendly across all industries, and this collaboration allows us to take a significant step forward in the sports sector. By combining our AI expertise with sKora Tech’s unique platform, we are creating a powerful tool that will help athletes realize their full potential.”

    “Partnering with GPTBots.ai will enable us to leverage cutting-edge AI technology to provide even more personalized and effective services for our athletes,” said Adel Saad, CEO of sKora Tech. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to empower players and democratize access to professional growth opportunities in football.”

    GPTBots.ai’s Vision for the Middle East and Beyond

    As part of its strategic expansion, GPTBots.ai has identified the Middle East as a key growth market, particularly with the region’s increasing focus on innovation and technology. Qatar, with its rapidly growing tech ecosystem and world-class infrastructure, provides an ideal platform for GPTBots.ai to expand its AI services across various sectors, including sports, finance, and education.

    “The Middle East is a region full of potential for AI innovation, and we are committed to establishing a strong presence here,” said Jerry Yin, VP of GPTBots.ai. “This partnership with sKora Tech is just the beginning. We believe that our AI technology can play a transformative role in many industries, and we are excited to contribute to the region’s vision of becoming a hub for technological advancement.”

    GPTBots.ai’s long-term vision is to empower businesses in the Middle East to fully leverage the power of AI, making it accessible and intuitive for companies of all sizes. By partnering with local innovators and startups, GPTBots.ai plans to drive the adoption of AI technology across a wide range of industries, helping to accelerate digital transformation and foster economic growth.

    As part of this partnership, the two companies will work closely to integrate GPTBots.ai’s advanced AI solutions into sKora Tech’s platform, enhancing the user experience for athletes and providing new tools to help them succeed in their professional journeys. This collaboration is expected to unlock new opportunities for both companies and further establish Qatar as a hub for sports technology innovation.

    About GPTBots.ai

    GPTBots.ai is a no-code AI platform designed to integrate artificial intelligence into various enterprise functions, including marketing, customer service, human resources, IT, and data analysis. The company’s mission is to bridge the gap between AI technology and business operations, offering accessible and efficient solutions to improve productivity and foster growth. GPTBots.ai is committed to making AI technology simple and user-friendly for businesses of all sizes.

    For more information, please visit: http://www.gptbots.ai

    About sKora Tech

    sKora Tech is a data-driven sports agency founded in Qatar in the lead-up to FIFA 2022. The company’s platform leverages decades of in-house sports agency expertise to provide personalized growth pathways for footballers. sKora Tech’s AI-Agent allows athletes to turn their athletic data into professional, marketable CVs, empowering them on their journey to success. The company’s mission is to democratize access to professional growth opportunities for football players around the world.

    For more information, please visit: http://www.skoratech.com

    About Aurora Mobile Limited

    Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) is a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China. Since its inception, Aurora Mobile has focused on providing stable and efficient messaging services to enterprises and has grown to be a leading mobile messaging service provider with its first-mover advantage. With the increasing demand for customer reach and marketing growth, Aurora Mobile has developed forward-looking solutions such as Cloud Messaging and Cloud Marketing to help enterprises achieve omnichannel customer reach and interaction, as well as artificial intelligence and big data-driven marketing technology solutions to help enterprises’ digital transformation.

    For more information, please visit https://ir.jiguang.cn/.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Aurora Mobile’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Aurora Mobile may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Aurora Mobile’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Aurora Mobile’s strategies; Aurora Mobile’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Aurora Mobile’s ability to attract and retain customers; its ability to develop and effectively market data solutions, and penetrate the existing market for developer services; its ability to transition to the new advertising-driven SAAS business model; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand; the competition with current or future competitors; its ability to continue to gain access to mobile data in the future; the laws and regulations relating to data privacy and protection; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Aurora Mobile undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.

    “These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”

    The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.

    “Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”

    The funding announced today includes:

    • $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
    • More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
    • $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
    • $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
    • $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
    • $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
    • $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.

    “These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”

    The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.

    “Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”

    The funding announced today includes:

    • $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
    • More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
    • $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
    • $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
    • $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
    • $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
    • $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing unveils 20 science-themed museum trails

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Beijing on Wednesday unveiled 20 new routes for science and technology museum tours, aiming to enhance educational experiences for students and the public.
    The initiative, launched at the 2024 “City of Science and Technology Museums” ceremony, includes eight “textbook” routes, six popular venue routes and six thematic routes.
    The “textbook” routes align with school curricula, allowing students to experience science concepts in their textbooks firsthand. For example, sixth-graders can examine the ancient star map of the Longfu Temple caisson ceiling at the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, which is depicted in their science textbooks. Meanwhile, first-year high school students can visit the solar telescope at the Huairou Solar Observing Station, as mentioned in their geography textbooks.
    The six popular venue routes released at the event integrate similar museums in Beijing, providing more options for museum tours. For example, when tickets to the National Museum of Natural History are in short supply, people can visit the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences to appreciate diverse plants instead.
    In addition, the six thematic routes focus on current scientific trends and popular topics, providing insights into cutting-edge developments.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eco-anxiety Q&A: how the IPCC’s vice-chair keeps her head cool on a warming planet

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, Professor of Environmental Sciences, Central European University

    In the past months, the planet has experienced the hottest months of June and August, boreal summer and day on record, with a global average temperature of 17.16°C on 22 July. While many have been getting on with their lives as best as they can, there are many more who are feeling the heat, as levels of climate anxiety continue to rise. At risk are people experiencing climate impacts in the Global South, but also professionals in the Earth sciences documenting and modelling them.

    So, how can we channel our alarm in a way that doesn’t paralyse us, but propel us into action? To answer this question, The Conversation Europe spoke to one of the world’s most public-facing climate scientists, the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Diána Ürge-Vorsatz.

    Could you start off by describing your work? According to you, what have been the highlights of your career as a climate scientist?

    So I mostly work in the area of energy efficiency. I have done a lot of modelling, including to demonstrate how higher efficiency buildings could reduce carbon emissions. Among others, I have alerted the world of what we call the carbon lock-in risks of inefficient building retrofits — when fossil fuel-intensive systems perpetuate, delay, or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.

    I’ve always tried to concentrate on solutions which not only allow us to solve environmental issues, but also to increase human well-being and meet other societal goals. That’s because I come from a country [Hungary] where I see that while the environment and climate change are important, they typically play second fiddle to other priorities. Hence, I believe we have to solve these things in a way that makes it worthwhile.

    Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, 2024.
    Fourni par l’auteur

    My work therefore prompted lawmakers to revise the EU’s legislation to boost building energy efficiency – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – in 2010. On the first day the Fidesz government was reelected that year, I showed them how many jobs could be created through high efficiency building retrofits. Based on our research, they committed that the entire building stock would be refurbished to slash energy consumption by 60 %, which would have been really very ambitious, the first such commitment in the world. Unfortunately, a few months later, they changed their direction and they rather went into other energy policy priorities.

    Do you also research alarming climate scenarios? You told me the other day that you were particularly concerned with the potential collapse of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) at the moment

    That’s one of my concerns, yes, because it’s amongst the tipping points that would exert its impact the earliest.

    If we look at other Earth system tipping points, most of them require a century, several centuries, if not several millennia until they exert a full impact. If AMOC collapses, it would exert its full impact within two to three decades, potentially. These are very strong impacts predicted clearly, on Europe as well as other regions. More and more papers have shown evidence that its collapse could already be underway. That’s definitely been alarming.

    When you started on this career path, would you describe yourself as prey to eco-anxiety? And if not, was there a turning point when it appeared?

    No, when I started I don’t think we had any knowledge that would have amounted to any existential threat, and it was still not so tangible that so many things could go wrong.

    I was studying for my PhD at UCLA, at UC Berkeley from 1992-96. In the LA Times, there was a two page advertisement calling for artists to design artwork that would scare anyone away, which they could put above the Yucca Mountain deep high-level based nuclear repository so that even if people didn’t speak English or they didn’t understand our script anymore, they could still understand that there was something really dangerous under that.

    At that point, I remember thinking: “Oh my God, if you just can’t dig or walk wherever you want anymore, that’s just wrong. We cannot do that to future generations.”

    Then there’s the never-ending news cycle, making it hard to pinpoint specific moments that alarm you. One that comes to mind has been the discovery over time that forever chemicals – Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are everywhere, even in the most remote parts of the earth and rain is no longer of drinking water quality even in Antarctica. This isn’t going to go away — precisely because PFAS are what we call forever chemicals. We will never be able to vacuum clean the planet from PFAS. Likewise with microplastics. When you start looking ahead with your eyes open, it can be really scary.

    And how do you experience the intimate knowledge of that alarming data on the one hand, and the public’s, and above all the elites’, climate inaction on the other?

    Well, I wouldn’t quite call it “climate inaction”. It’s easy to dwell on the idea that the glass is half empty. But in fact, the glass is half full. Lots has been done since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was itself a miracle.

    You were there when the deal was struck, weren’t you? Could you tell us what it was like?

    Well, it was truly euphoric, because before that, if a scientist dared mentioning [the threshold of] 1.5°C [of warming above pre-industrial levels], you were a tree-hugger and an advocate, not a scientist. You did not get funding.

    And suddenly that became a political reality, or at least a political goal. I think that was really amazing for me because that time we didn’t have science clearly backing that you actually could achieve 1.5°C. So in the run-up to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked the IPCC to produce a report on 1.5°C. I remember talking about it with colleagues at the time, who told me: “That’s crazy, this train is gone, let’s not do it”.

    Then the months went by and and those voices faded. By the time we got to the plenary meeting in January there was not a single voice saying “We shouldn’t do this report”. Scientists changed course and put so much effort in on trying to say “Okay can this be done well? Let’s actually see”. Then they ran their models to figure out that actually not only can it be done — but there are so many ways we can get there. Yes, I know that it’s now increasingly unlikely that we still will meet it, but it still created a lot of momentum.

    One fact that we don’t emphasize enough: we have prevented the world from warming by five to six degrees by the end of the century, and we are now at worst saying perhaps four degrees, but more likely 2.5°C to 3.5°C.

    How do you communicate with your children about the climate crisis? For example, are there things that you choose not to tell them in order to protect them?

    I don’t hide anything from them. We quite frequently talk about the gravity of the situation because I cannot help bearing on them in the evening all the negative experiences and facts I learned during the day and I just have to unload these for them at dinners and so on.

    One of my daughters did experience quite severe environmental anxiety for almost two years when she was about nine years old. She had come with me to a TV shooting and they allowed her into the studio. And before my interview, they just played this intense clip about storms and fires – typical climate impacts. But after that, she was really very afraid for a long time.

    How did that fear translate itself?

    She couldn’t sleep very well. She was constantly afraid physically. She would tell me: “My god, is this going to burn around us? Are we going to have floods?”

    And it’s that a nine year old cannot, of course, fully comprehend yet how these risks will unfold in the future. I think she was put in this state of fear and anxiety. So that’s why it was also hard to manage because it wasn’t anything concrete or anything that she could verbally express or phrase nicely.

    And I couldn’t say, “Look darling, it’s not going to happen.”

    And how did she manage to surface from that state of paralysis?

    After a while, I think she understood that it wasn’t yet threatening her life. But all of my children are still concerned and many of them want to contribute to fighting climate change in some way.

    For example, my eldest daughter was studying medicine, but after her second year, she spent the entire summer in tears. She was deeply passionate about climate action and believed there were only two paths forward. Either she could still save the planet by becoming an architect to design zero-energy buildings, or, if it was too late, she should focus on mitigating the damage by remaining in medicine. After two months of struggling with this dilemma, she abandoned her dream of architecture and decided to continue with medical school. It was heartbreaking for me to see how little hope they had of solving the climate crisis.

    What would your advice be for parents whose children are suffering from eco-anxiety?

    I think the best way is to turn anxiety into action — to explain to them that they have and we still have agency. Even though we are small, we have a very important impact. We can vote. We can choose a profession where we can change the world. We can be role models and we can influence our peers through social media and many other ways.

    So if we tell them the five scenarios that the IPCC presents (investor, consumer, citizen, role model, professional) in the 6th Assessment Report as individual roles we can play to curb climate change, it’s not only through whether we choose to take a plastic bag or not. The future isn’t something that happens to us, but in our hands. We are all part of systems where each of us can influence more than we think.

    If your children were to start striking for the climate, would you support them?

    Yes, I think protests are one of the very important ways how we can have an impact. Besides, children often don’t have any other tools. And that’s why they also feel anxiety because they don’t yet have influence. They don’t have any money to spend, or any voting rights yet. They don’t yet have a profession through which they can influence the world. They feel powerless.

    And often children’s only power is to protest. If we give them other means to where they can influence the processes, that’d be even better.

    Diána Ürge-Vorsatz ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Eco-anxiety Q&A: how the IPCC’s vice-chair keeps her head cool on a warming planet – https://theconversation.com/eco-anxiety-qanda-how-the-ipccs-vice-chair-keeps-her-head-cool-on-a-warming-planet-231226

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Eco-anxiety Q&A: how the IPCC’s vice-chair keeps her head cool on a warming planet

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, Professor of Environmental Sciences, Central European University

    In the past months, the planet has experienced the hottest months of June and August, boreal summer and day on record, with a global average temperature of 17.16°C on 22 July. While many have been getting on with their lives as best as they can, there are many more who are feeling the heat, as levels of climate anxiety continue to rise. At risk are people experiencing climate impacts in the Global South, but also professionals in the Earth sciences documenting and modelling them.

    So, how can we channel our alarm in a way that doesn’t paralyse us, but propel us into action? To answer this question, The Conversation Europe spoke to one of the world’s most public-facing climate scientists, the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Diána Ürge-Vorsatz.

    Could you start off by describing your work? According to you, what have been the highlights of your career as a climate scientist?

    So I mostly work in the area of energy efficiency. I have done a lot of modelling, including to demonstrate how higher efficiency buildings could reduce carbon emissions. Among others, I have alerted the world of what we call the carbon lock-in risks of inefficient building retrofits — when fossil fuel-intensive systems perpetuate, delay, or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.

    I’ve always tried to concentrate on solutions which not only allow us to solve environmental issues, but also to increase human well-being and meet other societal goals. That’s because I come from a country [Hungary] where I see that while the environment and climate change are important, they typically play second fiddle to other priorities. Hence, I believe we have to solve these things in a way that makes it worthwhile.

    Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, 2024.
    Fourni par l’auteur

    My work therefore prompted lawmakers to revise the EU’s legislation to boost building energy efficiency – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – in 2010. On the first day the Fidesz government was reelected that year, I showed them how many jobs could be created through high efficiency building retrofits. Based on our research, they committed that the entire building stock would be refurbished to slash energy consumption by 60 %, which would have been really very ambitious, the first such commitment in the world. Unfortunately, a few months later, they changed their direction and they rather went into other energy policy priorities.

    Do you also research alarming climate scenarios? You told me the other day that you were particularly concerned with the potential collapse of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) at the moment

    That’s one of my concerns, yes, because it’s amongst the tipping points that would exert its impact the earliest.

    If we look at other Earth system tipping points, most of them require a century, several centuries, if not several millennia until they exert a full impact. If AMOC collapses, it would exert its full impact within two to three decades, potentially. These are very strong impacts predicted clearly, on Europe as well as other regions. More and more papers have shown evidence that its collapse could already be underway. That’s definitely been alarming.

    When you started on this career path, would you describe yourself as prey to eco-anxiety? And if not, was there a turning point when it appeared?

    No, when I started I don’t think we had any knowledge that would have amounted to any existential threat, and it was still not so tangible that so many things could go wrong.

    I was studying for my PhD at UCLA, at UC Berkeley from 1992-96. In the LA Times, there was a two page advertisement calling for artists to design artwork that would scare anyone away, which they could put above the Yucca Mountain deep high-level based nuclear repository so that even if people didn’t speak English or they didn’t understand our script anymore, they could still understand that there was something really dangerous under that.

    At that point, I remember thinking: “Oh my God, if you just can’t dig or walk wherever you want anymore, that’s just wrong. We cannot do that to future generations.”

    Then there’s the never-ending news cycle, making it hard to pinpoint specific moments that alarm you. One that comes to mind has been the discovery over time that forever chemicals – Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are everywhere, even in the most remote parts of the earth and rain is no longer of drinking water quality even in Antarctica. This isn’t going to go away — precisely because PFAS are what we call forever chemicals. We will never be able to vacuum clean the planet from PFAS. Likewise with microplastics. When you start looking ahead with your eyes open, it can be really scary.

    And how do you experience the intimate knowledge of that alarming data on the one hand, and the public’s, and above all the elites’, climate inaction on the other?

    Well, I wouldn’t quite call it “climate inaction”. It’s easy to dwell on the idea that the glass is half empty. But in fact, the glass is half full. Lots has been done since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was itself a miracle.

    You were there when the deal was struck, weren’t you? Could you tell us what it was like?

    Well, it was truly euphoric, because before that, if a scientist dared mentioning [the threshold of] 1.5°C [of warming above pre-industrial levels], you were a tree-hugger and an advocate, not a scientist. You did not get funding.

    And suddenly that became a political reality, or at least a political goal. I think that was really amazing for me because that time we didn’t have science clearly backing that you actually could achieve 1.5°C. So in the run-up to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked the IPCC to produce a report on 1.5°C. I remember talking about it with colleagues at the time, who told me: “That’s crazy, this train is gone, let’s not do it”.

    Then the months went by and and those voices faded. By the time we got to the plenary meeting in January there was not a single voice saying “We shouldn’t do this report”. Scientists changed course and put so much effort in on trying to say “Okay can this be done well? Let’s actually see”. Then they ran their models to figure out that actually not only can it be done — but there are so many ways we can get there. Yes, I know that it’s now increasingly unlikely that we still will meet it, but it still created a lot of momentum.

    One fact that we don’t emphasize enough: we have prevented the world from warming by five to six degrees by the end of the century, and we are now at worst saying perhaps four degrees, but more likely 2.5°C to 3.5°C.

    How do you communicate with your children about the climate crisis? For example, are there things that you choose not to tell them in order to protect them?

    I don’t hide anything from them. We quite frequently talk about the gravity of the situation because I cannot help bearing on them in the evening all the negative experiences and facts I learned during the day and I just have to unload these for them at dinners and so on.

    One of my daughters did experience quite severe environmental anxiety for almost two years when she was about nine years old. She had come with me to a TV shooting and they allowed her into the studio. And before my interview, they just played this intense clip about storms and fires – typical climate impacts. But after that, she was really very afraid for a long time.

    How did that fear translate itself?

    She couldn’t sleep very well. She was constantly afraid physically. She would tell me: “My god, is this going to burn around us? Are we going to have floods?”

    And it’s that a nine year old cannot, of course, fully comprehend yet how these risks will unfold in the future. I think she was put in this state of fear and anxiety. So that’s why it was also hard to manage because it wasn’t anything concrete or anything that she could verbally express or phrase nicely.

    And I couldn’t say, “Look darling, it’s not going to happen.”

    And how did she manage to surface from that state of paralysis?

    After a while, I think she understood that it wasn’t yet threatening her life. But all of my children are still concerned and many of them want to contribute to fighting climate change in some way.

    For example, my eldest daughter was studying medicine, but after her second year, she spent the entire summer in tears. She was deeply passionate about climate action and believed there were only two paths forward. Either she could still save the planet by becoming an architect to design zero-energy buildings, or, if it was too late, she should focus on mitigating the damage by remaining in medicine. After two months of struggling with this dilemma, she abandoned her dream of architecture and decided to continue with medical school. It was heartbreaking for me to see how little hope they had of solving the climate crisis.

    What would your advice be for parents whose children are suffering from eco-anxiety?

    I think the best way is to turn anxiety into action — to explain to them that they have and we still have agency. Even though we are small, we have a very important impact. We can vote. We can choose a profession where we can change the world. We can be role models and we can influence our peers through social media and many other ways.

    So if we tell them the five scenarios that the IPCC presents (investor, consumer, citizen, role model, professional) in the 6th Assessment Report as individual roles we can play to curb climate change, it’s not only through whether we choose to take a plastic bag or not. The future isn’t something that happens to us, but in our hands. We are all part of systems where each of us can influence more than we think.

    If your children were to start striking for the climate, would you support them?

    Yes, I think protests are one of the very important ways how we can have an impact. Besides, children often don’t have any other tools. And that’s why they also feel anxiety because they don’t yet have influence. They don’t have any money to spend, or any voting rights yet. They don’t yet have a profession through which they can influence the world. They feel powerless.

    And often children’s only power is to protest. If we give them other means to where they can influence the processes, that’d be even better.

    Diána Ürge-Vorsatz ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Eco-anxiety Q&A: how the IPCC’s vice-chair keeps her head cool on a warming planet – https://theconversation.com/eco-anxiety-qanda-how-the-ipccs-vice-chair-keeps-her-head-cool-on-a-warming-planet-231226

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with photos)
    SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with photos)
    **********************************************************************************

         The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, attended the Government Career Fair at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (September 26) and reminded those interested in applying for four civil service graduate posts to submit their applications through the online application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) website by next Friday (October 4).     Mrs Yeung toured the career fair with the Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) of PolyU, Professor Ben Young. It is the first time for the career fair to take place at PolyU, with the participation of officers from various departments and civil service grades to introduce the entry requirements of respective grades and share their personal work experience, as well as to encourage students to join the civil service.     “Thirty government bureaux and departments took part in the career fair today, covering over 50 civil service grades. Apart from the general grades, there are also professional grades and the disciplined services. In view of the characteristics of the courses offered by PolyU, we have arranged officers from the relevant departments to introduce their grades to students. For instance, today’s career fair highlights civil service job opportunities relating to surveying and maritime fields, so that PolyU students who are currently enrolled in the relevant courses can gain a better understanding of the grades concerned. We hope that students will join the Government after graduation and put their knowledge and skills in the relevant professional fields to good use,” Mrs Yeung said.     The CSB is organising Government Career Fairs at 10 local universities from mid-September to early October. In addition to PolyU, Government Career Fairs were held at City University of Hong Kong, the Education University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hong Kong Baptist University. The remaining two career fairs will take place at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.     Mrs Yeung encouraged those who are aspiring to serve the community to join the civil service to unleash their potential, pursue their dreams and contribute to Hong Kong. She pointed out that since July 2022 all candidates for civil service jobs must attain a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) in order to be considered for appointment. By the end of 2023, the number of applicants for the BLNST had reached nearly 140 000. The Government has strengthened its recruitment efforts in recent years and a number of grades have recorded a noticeable increase in the number of applicants. In particular, the number of candidates applying for Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII) and other grades under the joint recruitment exercise in 2023-24 had surged by nearly 40 per cent, showing that a career in the Government is quite attractive to job seekers.     The Government has launched a joint recruitment exercise for the appointment of four civil service grades, namely AO, EOII, Assistant Trade Officer II and Transport Officer II. Students graduating in the years of 2025 or 2026 may also apply this year. The deadline for submitting applications is 11.59pm on October 4. Candidates interested in applying for posts under the joint recruitment exercise must attain the requisite results in the relevant paper(s) of the Common Recruitment Examination and the BLNST. For details, please refer to the CSB website.

     
    Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 16:15

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –