NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Naval Forces Participate in Republic of Korea Multi-National Mine Warfare Exercise

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    BUSAN, Republic of Korea  –  

    Naval forces from the U.S., the Republic of Korea (ROK) and 17 partner and allied nations concluded Multi-National Mine Warfare Exercise (MNMIWEX) 24 in Busan, ROK, Oct. 25, 2024.

    Part of an annual series of exercises hosted by the ROK Navy, MNMIWEX 24 increased proficiency in mine countermeasures (MCM) operations within a multi-national naval force.

    This year’s iteration had 19 nations and approximately 100 personnel participating, making MNMIWEX 24 the largest of the series to be held.

    “I was grateful for the opportunity to work with our hosts, the ROK Navy, and our partner nations and allies,” said Capt. Antonio Hyde, commodore of Mine Counter Measures Squadron (MCMRON) Seven, which belongs to Task Force 76, U.S. 7th Fleet’s expeditionary warfare force. “This multi-national training refines how we operate in a complex maritime environment to maintain open sea-lanes and freedom of navigation for all countries in the region.”

    MCM forces from the U.S., Australia, Canada and New Zealand embarked the tank landing ship ROKS Cheon Wang Bong (LST 686), which teamed with the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Patriot (MCM 7) to conduct mine hunting operations during the eight-day at-sea phase.

    A multinational watch floor directed MNMIWEX operations ashore. This facilitated a command structure that promoted interchangeability and helped build the capacity of multinational MCM forces to operate effectively as a team.

    “Through this exercise, we improve our abilities to carry out multinational mine operations to protect major ports and sea lines of communication from the complex threats of enemy in case of emergency,” said Capt. Lee Taek-sun, commander of ROK Navy Mine Squadron 52. “We will continue to develop the combat capabilities necessary for mine warfare and further improve mine operation abilities and procedures with multinational forces.”

    MNIMIWEX 24 featured participants from the United States, Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of the Philippines, Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Thailand, Belgium, Malaysia, Oman, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, Chile and the Netherlands.

    The exercise took place in U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, which routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Strengthening Ties: 51st MXG hosts ROKAF Immersion Tour

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea  –  

    For the first time in six years, the 51st Maintenance Group hosted a maintenance immersion tour with Republic of Korea Air Force Airmen to showcase Osan’s maintenance and logistics capabilities at Osan Air Base, ROK, Oct. 21-23, 2024.

    ROKAF officers assigned to multiple bases across the peninsula were given the opportunity to tour various facilities such as the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, the 731st Air Mobility Squadron, as well as the 25th and 36th Fighter Generation Squadrons.

    “This tour provides insights into various career fields and their operational status,” said Capt. Michael Shin, 36th Fighter Generation Squadron sortie generation flight commander. “But it also fosters personal connection among the participants and our Airmen.”

    Throughout the tour, ROKAF Airmen engaged in demonstrations and discussions with Osan AB personnel, gaining critical knowledge about aircraft maintenance, procedures and logistical operations.

    “The systems we were able to see were more similar than I had assumed,” said Capt. Eugene Koo, 15th Special Missions Wing operations support plan officer, “I learned a lot of new things and corrected some misconceptions I originally had.”

    The tour also emphasized the importance of building relationships between the two forces. Informal networking sessions allowed ROKAF and U.S. Air Force members to share experiences and strategies, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that is crucial for joint operations.

    “I enjoyed seeing the differences between our two cultures in a work environment,” said Capt. Yunseok Yang, 5th Aircraft Maintenance Group component maintenance squad leader. “I think it’s important for us to continue to work together and learn from each other.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by President  Biden on the Biden-⁠ Harris Administration’s Record of Delivering for Tribal Communities, Including Keeping His Promise to Make this Historic Visit to Indian Country | Laveen Village,  AZ

    Source: The White House

    Gila Crossing Community School
    Laveen Village, Arizona

    10:44 A.M. MST

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I’m Joe Biden.  I’m Jill Biden’s husband  (Laughter.)

    Gov, thank you for that introduction and to the Gila Indian River Community — the — Gila — yeah, Gila — nothing wrong with me — (laughter) — Gila River Indian Community for welcoming me today. 

    You know — (applause) — I say this with all sincerity, this, to me, is one the most consequential things I’ve ever had an opportunity to do in my whole career and as president of the United States.  It’s an honor — a genuine honor to be in this special place on this special day. 

    Thank you to Senator Mark Kelly, a great friend, who also is married to an incredible woman who is my friend. 

    Please have a seat, by the way.  (Laughter.)

    And Congressman Greg Stanton.  I saw Greg when I came in.  He’s over there somewhere.  Greg, thank you.

    And I’m putting these glasses on because I’m having trouble seeing this. 

    And all the elected leaders and the Tribal community leaders for being here. 

    You know, I can’t tell you what a special thanks I have for Deb Haaland, my Interior secretary.  I was determined — (applause) — I was determined — I made a commitment when I became president to have an administration that looked like America.  Except you’re America, and there’s — never has been — never has been a Native American, an Indigenous person who was on — in the Cabinet or in a — in the secretary’s job or any consequential job in a presidential administration.

    She’s the first — but it’s clearly not the last — Native American Cabinet secretary ever.  (Applause.)  And her historic and dedicated leadership is strengthening the relationship between the Tribal Nations and the federal government — is unlike ever happened before. 

    That’s why we’re here today. 

    You know, when I got to the Senate, I was only 29 years old.  I had to wait 17 days to be eligible.  And I had — after I got elected, w- — while I waiting, my wife and daughter were killed and my two boys were badly injured.

    And a guy that came to my assistance was a guy named Danny Inouye.  And the first thing he taught me — not a joke — was, “Joe, it is not ‘Indians.’  It’s ‘Indian Nations’ — Indian N-” — (applause) — No, I — he was serious, deadly earnest about it.

    It’s been 10 years since a sitting president — president came and visited Indian Country.  That’s simply much too long.

    And that’s why I am here today not only to fulfil my promise to be a president that — first president to visit Indian Country but, more importantly, to right a wrong, to chart a new path toward a better future for us all.

    I am also here because, as I said, my wife Jill has been here 10 times in Indian Country, literally.  The first lady sends her love and said, “Joe, make sure you come home.”  (Laughter.)  Because every time she goes — she spent a lot of time in, excuse me for saying this, the Navajo Nation.  I’m worried — (applause) — every time she goes, I’m worried she’s not coming home.  (Laughter.)

    I watched that beautiful performance just now, and it moved me deeply.  It’s a reminder of everything Native people enjoy and employ: sacred traditions, culture passed down over thousands of — thousands of years.  (Applause.)  

    Long before there was a United States, Native communities flourished on these lands.  They practiced democratic government before we ever heard of it, developed advanced agriculture, contributed to science, art, and culture.  (Applause.)

    But eventually, the United States was established and began expanding, entering treaties with sovereign Tribal Nations.  But as time moved on, respect for s- — for Tribal sovereignty evaporated, was shattered, pushing Native people off their homelands, denying — denying their humanity and their rights, targeting children to cut their connection to their ancestors and their inheritance and their heritage. 

    At first, in the 19- — 1800s, the effort was voluntary, asking Tribes to sell their children — to send their children away to vocational schools.  But then — then the federal government mandated — mandated the removal of children from their families and Tribes, launching what’s called the Federal Indian Boarding School era — era.  Over a 150-year span — 150 years — from the early 1800s to 1870 — to 1970.  One of the most horrific chapters in American history.  We should be ashamed.  A chapter that most Americans don’t know about.  The vast majority don’t even know about it. 

    I was — I was at my hotel today.  I told the pe- — the hotel staff, as we were leaving.  They said, “Where are you going?”  I told them.  They said, “What are you doing?”  I told them.  They said they’re Natives here.  They said, “I never knew that.  I never knew that.”  Think of how many people don’t know.

    As president, I believe it’s imper- — important that we do know — know generations of Native children stolen, taken away to places they didn’t know with people they never met who spoke a language they had never heard.  Native communities silenced.  Their children’s laughter and play were gone. 

    Children would arrive at schools.  Their clothes taken off.  Their hair that they were told was sacred was chopped off.  Their names literally erased and replaced by a number or an English name. 

    One survivor later recounted her days when taken away.  She said, quote, “My mother standing on that sidewalk as we loaded into a green bus.  I can see the image of my mom burned into my mind and my heart where she was crying.”

    Another survivor described what it was like at the boarding school, and I quote, “When I would talk in my Tribal language, I would get hit.  I lost my tongue.  They beat me every day.”

    Children abused — emotionally, physically, and sexually abused.  Forced into hard labor.  Some put up for adoption without the consent of their birth parents.  Some left for dead in unmarked graves. 

    And for those who did return home, they were wounded in body and in spirit — trauma and shame passed down through generations. 

    The policy continued even after the Civil Rights Act, which got me involved in politics as a young man.  Even after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, it continued. 

    All told, hundreds and hundreds of Federal Indian Boarding Schools across the country.  Tens of thousands of Native children entered the system.  Nearly 1,000 documented Native child deaths, though the real number is likely to be much, much higher; lost generations, culture, and language; lost trust. 

    It’s horribly, horribly wrong.  It’s a sin on our soul.

    I’d like to ask, with your permission, for a moment of silence as we remember those lost and the generations living with that trauma. 

    (A moment of silence is observed.)

    After 150 years, the United States government eventually stopped the program, but the federal government has never — never — formally apologized for what happened until today. 

    I formally apologize — (applause) — as president of the United States of America, for what we did.  I formally apologize.  And it’s long overdue.

    At the Tribal school — at a Tribal school in Arizona, a community full of tradition and culture, and joined by survivors and descendants to do just that: apologize, apologize, apolo- — rewrite the history book correctly.  (Applause.)

    I have a solemn responsibility to be the first president to formally apologize to the Native peoples — Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Native Alaskans — and [at] Federal Indian Boarding Schools. 

    It’s long, long, long overdue.  Quite frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took 50 years to make. 

    The Federal Indian Boarding School policy and the pain it has caused will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history. 

    For too long, this all happened with virtually no public attention, not written about in our history books —

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yeah, what about the people in Gaza?

    THE PRESIDENT:  — not taught in our schools.

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  What about the people in Palestine, huh?

    (Cross-talk.)

    AUDIENCE:  Booo —

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

    THE PRESIDENT:  Let her talk.  Let her talk.

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible) empty promise for our people.  How can you apologize for a genocide while committing a genocide in Palestine?

    Free Palestine!  Free Palestine!

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Get out of here!

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Free Palestine!

    THE PRESIDENT:  No, no.  Let — let her go.  There’s a lot of innocent people being killed. 

    AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

    THE PRESIDENT:  There’s a lot of innocent people being killed, and it has to stop.

    For those — (applause) — for those who went through this period, it was too painful to speak of.  For our nation, it was too shameful to acknowledge.  But just because history is silent doesn’t mean it didn’t take place.  It did take place.  (Applause.)

    While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing.  It erases nothing.  Some injustices are heinous, horrific, and grievous.  They can’t be buried, no matter how hard people try. 

    As I’ve said throughout my presidency, we must know the good, the bad, the truth of who we are as a nation.  That’s what great nations do.  We’re a great nation.  We’re the greatest of nations.  We do not erase history; we make history.  We learn from history, and we remember so we can heal as a nation.  It takes remembering.

    This formal apology is the culmination of decades of work by so many courageous people, many of whom are here today: survivors and descendants, allies and advocates — like the nation’s Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and other — (applause) —

    All of you who are part of that, stand up.  Stand up.  (Applause.)  As my grandfather would say, you’re doing God’s work.

    And other courageous leaders who spent decades shining a light on this dark chapter.  And leaders like Secretary Haaland, whose grandparents were children at one of those boarding schools. 

    U.S. Interior Department, the same department that long ago oversaw Federal Indian Boarding Schools — guess what? — the extensive work on the — breaking ground, it’s happened with her.  It’s appropriate that she is bringing an end to what that very agency did.  (Applause.)  Groundbreaking report documenting what happened. 

    We owe it to all of you across Indian Country.  The truth — the truth must be told.  And the truth must be heard all across America. 

    But this official apolocy [apology] is only one step toward and forward from the shadows of failed policies of the past.  That’s why I’ve committed to working with Indigenous communities across the country to write a new and better chapter of our — in our history, to honor the solemn promise the United States made to Tribal Nations, to fulfill our federal trust and treaty obligations.  It’s long, long, long overdue.  (Applause.)

    And I say this with all sincerity, from day one, my administration, Jill and I, Kamala and Secretary Haaland, our entire administration have worked to include Indigenous voices in all we do.  Along with Secretary Haaland, I’ve appointed Native Americans to lead across the federal government.

    I signed a groundbreaking executive order to give Tribes the — more autonomy to make your own decisions — (applause) — requiring federal agencies to streamline grant appro- — grant appropriations and applications, to comanage federal programs, to eliminate heavy-handed reporting requirements.  It’s about representing your autonomy.  And, I might add, it’s a hell of a lot more efficient when you do it too.  (Applause.)

    Folks, I’m proud to have reestablished the White House Council on Native American Affairs — (applause); relaunched the White House Tribal Na- — Tribal Nations Summit — (applause); and taken historic steps to improve Tribal consultation.  (Applause.) 

    With the historic laws I’ve signed, we’re making some of the most significant investments in Native communities ever — ever in American history. 

    It’s part of my Invest in America agenda, and it’s helping all Americans from every state and every Tribe, and that’s good for all America. 

    Helping Native communities get through the pandemic with vaccine shots in arms and checks in pockets. 

    I’m proud this helped cut child poverty in Native communities by more than one third.  (Applause.) 

    I’m proud our economy — our economic plan has created 200,000 jobs for Native Americans, record-low [un]employment in Native communities. 

    With the strong support from Secretary Haaland and all of you, we’re finally modernizing Tribal infrastructure, for God’s sake — (applause) — building new roads, new bridges; delivering clean water, affordable high-speed broadband in every Native community; and so much more. 

    Folks, we’re just getting started.  We’re making historic climate investments in clean energy, conservation, and clean water [for] Native communities, including co-stewardships of our land and waters. 

    We just des- — designated the first National Marine Sancrutary — Sanctuary proposed by Indigenous communities, which is off the coast of California.  We just got that done.  (Applause.)  And I have restored and designated multiple national monuments to honor Tribal Nations, including the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, right here in Arizona, where I had the honor of visiting.  (Applause.)  It was breathtaking.  It was breathtaking.

    I secured the first-ever advanced funding for Indian Health Services — (applause) — so Tribal hospitals can plan ahead, order supplies, hire doctors and know that the money will be there.  (Applause.)  

    We’re also preserving ancestral Tribal homelands, restoring salmon and other native fish, recognizing the value of Indigenous knowledge and languages, especially those damaged in the boarding school era. 

    In fact, my administration was proud to defend the Indian Child Welfare Act — (applause) — an act that was passed in 1970 [1978] in no small part to remedy the harms of 150 years of taking Native children away from their families. 

    But you all know, that act was challenged just a few years ago in the summer of 2023.  Those who opposed us challenged — challenged on the grounds that Native families should not have priority over everyone else in adopting Native children.  Well, I took that all the way to the Supreme Court and we won.  We won.  (Applause.)

    We also extended mental health programs through the Bureau of Indian Education so young people have the tools to end cycles of generational trauma. 

    As an educator, this is something Jill cares deeply about, my wife, just as she’s traveled across Native communities to increase access to health care and so much more, including helping open the first cancer cure [care] center in Navajo Nation.  (Applause.)

    And more to do — a lot more to do.

    And, by the way, the infrastructure bill is over a trillion dollars.  It’s not a decade.  I mean, it’s not a quarter.  It’s going to be there for a decade.  Much, much more to come, and you got to get your fair share.   

    By [re]authorizing the Violence Against Women Act — an Act I took great pains in writing 30 years ago, we also — (applause) — we also reasirmed [reaffirmed] Tribal sovereignty and expanded Tribal jurisdiction in cases where outside predators [perpetrators] harm members of your Nation. 

    And as we mark Native Americans History Month in November — this November, we recognize the contributions of Indigenous people in — to American history.  You — you are the first Americans.  I might add, you’re among the most patriotic Americans.  (Applause.)  Well, that’s a fact.  The whole of America should know, all Americans should know Indigenous people volunteer to serve in the United States military five times more than any other single group.  (Applause.)  Five times.  Five.  Five.  Five.  (Applause.)  Many having paid the ultimate sacrifice in every war since our founding. 

    To all of you, thank you — thank you for serving in so many ways — as first responders, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, doctors, scientists, and so much more — sharing your culture and your knowledge for the good of future generations, believing in possibilities — the possibility to usher in a new era to a nation-to-nation relationship grounded in dignity and respect.  It matters. 

    My dad used to have an expression.  He’d say, “Joey, everyone — everyone — is entitled to be treated with dignity.  Everyone.”  “Everyone is enti-” — he meant it.  (Applause.)

    Well, let me close with this.  It’s about restoring your dignity.

    I know no apology can or will make up for what was lost during the darkness of the Federal Boarding School policy.  But today, we’re finally moving forward into the light. 

    As president of the United States, I’ve had the honor to bestow our nation’s most prestigious medals to distinguished people and organizations all across America.  That includes Native Americans who survived the boarding school era. 

    Early in my term, I bestowed the Medal of Freedom — our highest civilian honor — on a man my grandfather, who was an Irish immigrant and was not treated very well because he was an Irish Catholic in the coal-mine era in Scranton — but he went on to be an all-American football player at Santa Clara.  And every time they’d talk about all-Americans, he’d say, “Joey, the greatest athlete in American history is Jim Thorpe.”  (Applause.)  Oh, I’m seri- — I knew a lot about Jim Thorpe before some of you probably even knew.  (Laughter.)

    As a child, Jim was taken from his home but went on to become one of the greatest athletes ever, ever, ever in all of American history. 

    And earlier this week, I bestowed two other revere- — revered medals — the National Medals of Arts and the National Medal of the Humanities — to 39 extraordinary Americans and organizations, including Roseta Wrol [Rosita Worl], an Alaskan Native.  (Applause.) 

    More than 80 years ago, she was a six-year-old when she was taken to a federal boarding school.  She spent three years without her family, her family not knowing if she’d ever come home.  Nine years old, she was one of those who did come home. 

    Over the next seven decades, she became a leading anthropologist and advocate, building a new era of understanding.  Her story, from being taken from her home as child to standing in the Oval Office receiving one of the nation’s most consequential medals, is a story of the truth, the power of healing. 

    When Roseta [Rosita] sees young people signing tradi- — singing traditional songs, just like we heard today, she says, and I quote, “We will hear the voices of our ancestors, and we are now hearing it through our children.”

    For too long, this nation sought to silence the voices of generations of Native children, but now your voices are being heard.    

    That’s the America that we should be.  That’s the America we can all be proud of.  That’s who we are.  For God’s sake, let’s make sure we reach out and embrace, because you make us stronger.  You are America.

    God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops. 

    Thank you.  (Applause.)

    11:07 A.M. MST

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Care centres operating on Saturdays remain open

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

    Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:

         “The Social Welfare Department announces that while Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 has been issued, child care centres, centres providing after school care programmes, elderly services centres and day rehabilitation units including sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres, integrated vocational training centres and day activity centres, which normally operate on Saturdays, remain open during their normal operating hours. If necessary, members of the public can contact the centres to make arrangements for the safe return home of their children and family members.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCSD’s “Cheers!” Series to present family entertainment programmes from December to March next year (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCSD’s “Cheers!” Series to present family entertainment programmes from December to March next year (with photos)
    LCSD’s “Cheers!” Series to present family entertainment programmes from December to March next year (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

    　　The “Cheers!” Series, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be held from December to March next year. Eight local and visiting performing groups are invited to give audiences fabulous family entertainment programmes, covering dance, music, puppetry and music theatre performances, which are ideal for friends and families to celebrate fun-filled winter festivities together.  　　”Släpstick” from the Netherlands will make its Hong Kong debut with “Schërzo”, a performance blending music and comedy elements. With virtuosic musicianship and hilarious physical language, the five musicians of the troupe will deliver an absurd and entertaining musical feast for all ages. Australia’s Windmill Theatre Company will present the puppetry show “Grug and the Rainbow”. Grug is a character from the much-loved picture books by the Australian writer Ted Prior. The grassy little friend will return to Hong Kong to meet his fans and toddlers and embark on a heart-warming adventure full of surprises.　　The performances prepared by local performing groups are also exciting. Local a cappella group Boonfaysau will kick off the series with a new a cappella musical, “Peter and the Wolf”, featuring a rearranged version of Prokofiev’s classic symphonic tale for children by local composer Austin Leung, as well as original Cantonese songs with lyrics written by renowned lyricist and film director Norris Wong, to delight the audience. In the Musical Fairy Tales: “Goldipegs & The Three Cellos”, Premiere Performances of Hong Kong will bring together local music ensembles and musicians to present three musical fairy tales, from Ferdinand the Bull who enjoys flowers, to the Frog Prince awaiting his royal kiss, and Goldipegs who enters the home of a family of cellos and discovers amazing music. 　　”The Snowman & The Bear” concert will return this winter, with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong performing live on stage alongside the screening of the two Christmas animated films accompanied by storytelling and singing, bringing audiences into a dreamlike winter world. In the “A Christmas Wish for Peace On Earth” concert, the Hong Kong Oratorio Society will collaborate with Hong Kong Strings and a number of musicians to present a variety of classical Christmas pieces, classic Christmas carols, and a new Christmas suite by local composer Alfred Wong. 　　Local puppet theatre troupe Make Friends With Puppet will stage a children’s puppet musical “Winter in Sweetyland 2024 – Snowy Dreams”, which uses cute puppets and original music to tell a touching story of Cotton Candy, who decides to find winter for saving Sweetyland, sending audiences into a sweet and cosy world of candy. Featuring dancers from the professional tap dance company R&T (Rhythm & Tempo) and child performers, “Papa is My New Classmate” is a tap theatre show that combines tap dance and local folk songs to bring back memories and feelings for grown-ups while introducing children to the music of an earlier era.　　For programme dates, venues and ticket prices of the “Cheers!” Series, please see the Annex. Tickets will be available from October 28 (Monday) onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Various discount schemes, such as package discount and family package discount, will be offered. For programme enquiries and discount schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/f_entertainment/groups_1809.html.

     
    Ends/Saturday, October 26, 2024Issued at HKT 11:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, EU reiterate willingness to solve EV dispute via dialogue

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China and the European Union(EU) have reiterated willingness to solve the dispute over EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles through dialogue.

    The two sides have decided to continue to make price commitment as the solution to the case, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce after a talk held via video link on Friday between China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

    There are strong calls and high expectations from various sectors in China and Europe for the proper handling of the case, said Wang.

    Since Sept. 20, intensive negotiations have been conducted between the two sides regarding the price commitment, with some positive progress made in certain aspects, but significant differences still exist on issues of core concern to the business communities in China and Europe, he said.

    Wang noted that China will unswervingly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises. He also expressed the hope that both sides will continue to advance negotiations based on the previous stage of consultations, and achieve substantive breakthroughs as soon as possible.

    In the next stage of price commitment negotiations, consultations should be conducted based on mutual consideration of core concerns, and in accordance with the principles of pragmatism and balance, said Wang, adding that both the effectiveness of the agreement and the core interests of enterprises should be taken into account.

    A bilateral communication mechanism should be established for the implementation and supervision of price commitment on the basis of mutual trust, he explained.

    The European side has put forward specific suggestions regarding the price commitment plan and proposed that technical teams from both sides engage in video consultations on this matter. The Chinese side agrees to immediately start the next stage of negotiations and welcomes the European technical team to come to China as soon as feasible.

    The two sides also exchanged views on the trade remedy investigations initiated by China against certain EU goods, such as brandy, pork and dairy products.

    The Chinese side emphasized that these investigations were initiated at the request of domestic industries, in full compliance with the rules of the World Trade Organization, as well as Chinese laws and regulations.

    China will continue to conduct the investigations in accordance with the law and regulations, and fully safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all parties involved, according to the ministry. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Horsford Applauds New Lithium Project Bringing Jobs and Critical Minerals to Nevada

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

    NORTH LAS VEGAS – Today, Congressman Steven Horsford applauded the approval of the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron project, an important milestone towards advancing America’s clean energy future and securing a domestic supply of critical minerals. As an early supporter of the project, Congressman Horsford played a key role in ensuring its progress, working closely with the Department of the Interior and the Council on Environmental Quality. 

    “I’m proud to have America’s most advanced new lithium project right here in Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District,” said Congressman Horsford. “This project reinforces Nevada’s leadership as the only state with significant lithium production and strengthens our country’s domestic reliance on a critical mineral essential for fighting climate change. The Rhyolite Ridge project will power our transition to clean energy, create hundreds of good-paying jobs, and boost our local economy.” 

    The Rhyolite Ridge project will provide enough lithium to power nearly 370,000 electric vehicles annually, supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate goals. Located in Nevada’s Fourth District, this project cements Nevada’s role as a leader in lithium production and ensures long-term economic benefits through the creation of up to 500 construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs during operations. The mine is expected to generate $125 million in annual wages, providing significant economic support to local communities, including job training and scholarship opportunities. 

    Environmental protections are a key part of the project’s design. The Bureau of Land Management and the project developers collaborated with federal agencies to protect Tiehm’s buckwheat, a rare plant found only in the project area. Conservation measures include redesigning project features to limit impacts on the plant and developing a formal protection plan. 

    The Rhyolite Ridge mine will also produce boron, a material essential for industries such as glass and semiconductors, further expanding the project’s economic and technological significance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese rocket startup plans to launch commercial spaceflights in 2027

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese rocket startup Deep Blue Aerospace recently announced that it plans to carry out commercial suborbital flights in 2027, projecting a ticket price of about 1.5 million yuan (210,674 U.S. dollars).

    The suborbital flights will last approximately 12 minutes, during which time the spacecraft will fly to an altitude of 100 kilometers, but will not enter orbit, according to Deep Blue.

    The manned spacecraft has six panoramic windows, can accommodate up to six passengers, and is designed to be used over 50 times, the company said.

    The spacecraft is approximately 4 meters tall, with a maximum diameter of 3.5 meters and a takeoff weight of 7.9 tonnes. It is expected to ascend to altitudes between 100 kilometers and 150 kilometers, providing a zero-gravity experience that will last up to five minutes, according to Deep Blue.

    The company pre-sold two tickets for its 2027 suborbital flights during an e-commerce livestream activity on Thursday, with each ticket charged at a discounted price of 1 million yuan.

    The successful purchasers have paid a deposit of 50,000 yuan per ticket, but Deep Blue requires interested customers to sign contracts offline and visit the company before making their final payment.

    The startup plans to subject its Nebula-1 rocket to multiple recovery and reuse tests in 2025, and complete dozens of tests on its manned spacecraft and rocket combination in 2026.

    The oxygen and kerosene-fueled Nebula-1 is Deep Blue’s first reusable launch vehicle. It completed 10 of its 11 key verification tasks during its first high-altitude vertical recovery flight test last month, but experienced an anomaly in the final landing phase, leading to a fracture in the body of the rocket.

    Despite these imperfect results, Zhao Ya, executive president of Deep Blue, says that the test has provided valuable data and experience to help the company identify problems and deficiencies, and to improve the performance and reliability of the rocket.

    Deep Blue has said that its decision to sell tickets three years in advance stems from a deep awareness of the complexities and risks involved in rocket technology. The company is dedicated to rigorous research and development, extensive testing and performance optimization to ensure its rocket meets the highest safety standards.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police to increase presence on Auckland public transport

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Aucklanders will see a greater Police presence on public transport services to boost safety and reassure public transport workers and passengers, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. 

    “Minister Brown and I are working together, alongside Police and Auckland Transport in response to the horrific attack that took place in Onehunga,” Mr Mitchell says.

    “I want to acknowledge the outstanding Police work in identifying, locating and arresting the alleged offender.

    “This attack has shaken Aucklanders, and particularly public transport users. The Government utterly condemns this senseless and horrific loss of life, and is taking action to make public transport safer for workers and passengers alike,” Mr Mitchell says. 

    To increase safety and provide reassurance to public transport workers and users, Police have increased staff presence and visibility across public transport modes in the city.  

    “Kiwis deserve to be able to get on a bus, train or ferry and be safe doing so. That is why the Government is determined to create a safer environment for everyone on public transport.” 

    Transport and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says he will be asking the Justice Select Committee to explore if changes are needed to the Sentencing (Reform) Amendment Bill for an expansion of aggravating factors to include offences to all public transport users 

    “An expansion could include making offences against all public transport users an aggravating factor, ensuring greater protection for those who rely on buses, trains, and ferries. The Bill already provides for a new aggravating factor for offences against public transport workers. 

    “This is about making sure that public transport remains safe for everyone, whether you are a worker or a passenger. It sends a clear message that violence and abuse in these spaces will not be tolerated,” Mr Brown says.

    In addition, the Government will ensure that the $15 million in Budget 2024 funding for bus driver safety and work conditions is provided to Public Transport Authorities by the end of 2024. This funding will be used for safety improvements, including retrofitted safety screens and real-time CCTV monitoring.

    “Our Government is committed to delivering practical, long-term improvements to ensure safer and more secure conditions for public transport workers and passengers. Whether it’s tougher sentencing or immediate safety upgrades, we are working to ensure that everyone who uses or works in public transport can do so with confidence,” Mr Brown says. 

    The Ministry of Transport and NZTA are also working together to ensure there is a consistent policy across New Zealand for how public transport workers can address anti-social or violent behaviour aboard public transport services. 

    Discussions will continue with Police and Public Transport Authorities about other measures may be needed for Kiwis to have greater assurance to use public transport.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Cielo Provides Virtual AGM Reminder and Announces Extension of Proxy Voting Deadline

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. (TSXV:CMC; OTC PINK:CWSFF) (“Cielo” or the “Company”), a company fueling renewable change, wishes to remind its shareholders that its forthcoming Annual General Meeting of shareholders (the “AGM”) will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 10 a.m. MT. As the AGM will be held virtually, shareholders will not be able to attend in person.

    To attend the AGM, shareholders will have to access the following link online: https://teams.microsoft.com/CieloAGM2024 (meeting ID 218 185 286 033, passcode 5A4kx6). Shareholders will have an equal opportunity to participate at the AGM by video conference regardless of their geographic location. Additional details related to the AGM, including the method of attending the AGM virtually, are described in the Company’s meeting materials, which are available on SEDAR+ (http://www.sedarplus.ca) and the Company’s website (http://www.cielows.com/investors).

    Proxy Deadline

    In addition, the Company has elected to extend the deadline for submission of proxies related to the AGM to Monday, October 28, 2024, at 2 p.m. MT, to allow shareholders additional time for voting. Management encourages voting in advance of the AGM by proxy to allow for a more efficient AGM. Those who vote in advance of the AGM by proxy will still have an opportunity to participate in the AGM, including during the planned question and answer period.

    ABOUT CIELO

    Cielo is fueling renewable change with a mission to be a leader in the wood by-product-to-fuels industry by using environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and market-ready technologies. We are proud to advance our non-food derived model based on our exclusive licence in Canada for patented Enhanced Biomass to Liquids (EBTL™) and Biomass Gas to Liquids (BGTL™) technologies and related intellectual property, along with an exclusive licence in the US for creosote and treated wood waste, including abundant railway tie feedstock. We have assembled a diverse portfolio of projects across geographic regions and secured the ability to leverage the expertise of proven industry leaders. Cielo is committed to helping society ‘change the fuel, not the vehicle’, which we believe will contribute to generating positive returns for shareholders. Cielo shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “CMC,” as well as on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol “CWSFF.”

    For further information please contact:

    Cielo Investor Relations

    Ryan Jackson, CEO
    Phone: (403) 348-2972
    Email: investors@cielows.com

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should” or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and are subject to certain factors and assumptions. Cielo is making forward-looking statements, with respect to, but not limited to: the AGM, including timing and the proxy deadline.

    Investors should continue to review and consider information disseminated through news releases and filed by the Company on SEDAR+. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

    Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by S for Health at media session

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the remarks made by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at a media session after attending a radio interview this morning (October 26):

    Reporter: Regarding the “1+” mechanism, how do you see the figures that five new drugs getting approved since the implementation last November? And it will also be expanded to cover all new drugs starting this November, how significant the move is to patients in Hong Kong, as well as the pharmaceutical companies? What are the responses from the pharmaceutical companies so far? Could you also share with us the timeline of the comprehensive review on (inaudiable)? When does the Bureau aim to complete the review?

    Secretary for Health: The “1+” mechanism for drug registration and approval started in November last year. Over the last one year, we are very happy and encouraged to see that the pharmaceutical (companies) are very interested. We have received enquiries from over 80 companies for over 260 drug entities. We are quite encouraged to see that five drugs have already been approved under this new mechanism, particularly with a CAR-T therapy for cancer patients, which has been incorporated into the Hospital Authority Drug Formulary. We can see that the industry is very interested. But of course, it is a process. It takes time for the Drug Office under the Department of Health to streamline all the processes, guidelines and procedures.

         In addition, it also takes time for the pharmaceutical industry to get used to this new mechanism. Remember that in the past, we have the “secondary evaluation”, meaning that many pharmaceutical companies in Hong Kong are not used to provide objective clinical trial data, as well as applications for approval and registration, so all these pharmaceutical companies will also need to learn and prepare a new office for R&D (research and development) and registration and approval in Hong Kong. I am sure that with our new policy initiative to extend this “1+” mechanism to cover for all new chemical entities in November this year, there will be more and more interest in it. Now, any new chemical entity will be able to be registered in Hong Kong through this new “1+” mechanism. I want to highlight the fact that this also includes vaccines as well as advanced therapy products. Advanced therapy products mean not just drugs in the usual sense, but self-therapy or gene therapy which involve the processing of patients’ own blood for treatment of very advanced cancers or diseases. This is very important. We anticipate that with more and more drug companies aware of this, we are able to allow patients in Hong Kong, and even in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), to enjoy more advanced therapy products or new drugs of the most advanced one, and thus elevating and improving the healthcare standard in the whole area.

         And secondly, with more choices of drugs, the cost of these new treatments, drugs or new advanced therapy products will be lowered. Thirdly, it will promote the development of R&D, research and development, in the area . This will be very important for the development of the R&D in the whole GBA. Remember we have the special drug and medical devices’ connect measure in the GBA, which allows drugs and medical devices which have not yet been registered in the Mainland but already registered and used in Hong Kong to be used in specific healthcare institutions in the GBA. This is very attractive for pharmaceutical companies because once the drugs or medical devices are approved and registered in Hong Kong and used in the public hospitals, these drugs and devices will be able to have a “green channel” for use in the 68 million-population in the GBA. 

         About the review, we have received the report from the review committee of the Hospital Authority on October 8. Our team is reviewing it. We will ensure that the Hospital Authority will be able to follow, enforce and implement all those measures. We are looking into the details of how to implement and monitor the progress, and we will announce the results as soon as possible. Thank you. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AI-powered drone swarms transform industries beyond defense, reveals GlobalData’s Technology Foresights

    Source: GlobalData

    AI-powered drone swarms transform industries beyond defense, reveals GlobalData’s Technology Foresights

    Posted in Disruptor

    While drone swarms have been an area of technological development for many years, their practical applications have only recently gained significant momentum, particularly following increased attention during the Russia-Ukraine war, as reflected in Google search trends. The rapid advancement in AI technologies has further accelerated drone swarm control capabilities, enabling the integration of computer vision algorithms and geospatial data to recognize patterns and automate previously impossible operations. This evolution has led to drone swarms finding diverse applications across multiple industries, earning recognition as a high-impact innovation, according to Technology Foresights, an innovation intelligence platform by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    The latest advancement in drone swarm technology significantly enhances operational efficiency by eliminating the traditional requirement of one operator per drone. This breakthrough achieves advanced autonomy through onboard intelligent agents, developed using human-in-loop and trustworthy AI systems. These agents can independently assess their surroundings, exchange target data with other drones, and make mission-priority decisions without requiring constant communication with the control station. This innovation addresses a critical weakness in swarm-based warfare systems, where electronic warfare tactics frequently overwhelm communication systems and disrupt the data connection between drones and their control stations.

    Sourabh Nyalkalkar, Practice Head of Innovation Products at GlobalData, comments: “In an era marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, drone warfare has emerged as a pivotal element in modern military operations, with armed forces globally embracing unmanned aerial vehicles for a diverse range of tactical and reconnaissance missions. In a significant development, defense industry major Thales recently showcased a full-scale demonstration of drone swarm deployment, featuring multiple autonomy levels that significantly reduce operator cognitive burden. The company’s expertise in this domain has not gone unnoticed, as Thales has been recognized as one of the leaders in drone swarm control innovation, according to Technology Foresights.”

    In response to the current geopolitical climate and growing military demand for advanced drone capabilities, drone swarm control technology is expected to experience significant growth. Patent analysis reveals that over 50% of technology patents in this field have been granted within the past three years, with major corporations holding the majority share.

    Though smaller in proportion, startup-owned patents are rapidly increasing, accompanied by growing investment activity in the sector. Recent developments highlight this trend, as demonstrated by Ukrainian startup Swarmer securing $2.7mn in funding for the development and commercialization of its AI-based swarm control technology, Styx, while another US-based startup, EchelonAI, entered into M&A with Skyfire.

    Nyalkalkar continues: “The innovation landscape in drone swarm control technologies extends well beyond the defense sector, with significant developments emerging from the communications and networking industry. Telecommunication companies are rapidly adopting drone swarms for various applications, including network optimization, infrastructure monitoring, and emergency coverage deployment in critical areas.”

    The technology’s development ecosystem is diverse and competitive, with over 100 companies actively innovating in this space. While defense industry leaders like Thales, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems continue to advance military applications, specialized drone manufacturers such as SZ DJI, Skydio, and Tevel are making significant contributions.

    Additionally, major telecommunications players including Qualcomm, Ericsson, Verizon, and AT&T are developing their own drone swarm solutions, while geospatial solution providers like Here and Geofrenzy are expanding the technology’s capabilities.

    Nyalkalkar concludes: “The rapid advancement of AI technology has catalyzed unprecedented growth in drone swarm applications across diverse sectors. Retail and logistics giants such as Amazon, Walmart, and UPS are developing autonomous master-slave drone networks for last-mile delivery, while agritech companies such as Nileworks are creating innovative solutions for crop monitoring.

    “As drone swarm control technologies continue to evolve beyond traditional entertainment and light shows, this dynamic field promises exciting developments and transformative applications across multiple industries in the coming years.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AI integration in medtech could unlock efficiency and enhance patient care, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    AI integration in medtech could unlock efficiency and enhance patient care, says GlobalData

    Posted in Medical Devices

    At the 2024 MedTech Conference in Toronto, Canada, a central theme emerged in discussions on the future of healthcare delivery: the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize operations and improve patient outcomes. The integration of AI is poised to transform how healthcare professionals work, potentially alleviating physician burnout and creating a more patient-centric experience, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Joselia Carlos, Senior Medical Device Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Approximately 30% of the world’s data is created within hospitals, but an alarming 90% of this data goes unused, which is resulting in healthcare providers missing the opportunity to harness insights that could lead to more efficient operations and improved patient care. Hospitals are data-rich environments, and leveraging AI algorithms to process and analyze this information can pave the way for enhanced patient care and operational efficiencies.”

    At the MedTech Conference, Vaughn Schouten, global head of medtech advisory and innovation at Salesforce, mentioned that inefficiencies cost medtech companies an estimated 4% of their revenue annually. These inefficiencies are linked not just to lost productivity but also to physician burnout—a growing crisis in the healthcare sector. Burdened with administrative tasks and paperwork, physicians find themselves spending less time with patients, impacting the critical patient-doctor relationship at the heart of effective care.

    Carlos continues: “AI solutions have the potential to automate repetitive administrative tasks and optimize workflows, thereby reducing the strain on physicians. This, in turn, would enable them to focus on what they do best—developing the patient-doctor bond and providing quality healthcare service.”

    According to GlobalData’s Thematic Intelligence report on AI in Healthcare, the healthcare sector is poised to be a major driver of the AI market’s explosive growth by 2030. Valued at $103 billion in 2023, the AI market is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 39%, surpassing $1 trillion by 2030. From automating data entry and real-time documentation to leveraging predictive analytics for resource allocation, AI has the potential to significantly enhance operational efficiency, freeing up physicians to focus on direct patient care. By alleviating administrative burdens, AI can lead to higher job satisfaction among healthcare professionals and improved patient outcomes.

    Carlos concludes: “The integration of AI in healthcare delivery is not just about automation but it is also about creating a more human-centered approach to medicine. When physicians are liberated from routine tasks, they can spend more meaningful time with patients, which ultimately results in better diagnoses, treatment plans, and patient satisfaction.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: UK non-food online penetration set to improve for first time since COVID-19 pandemic, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    UK non-food online penetration set to improve for first time since COVID-19 pandemic, says GlobalData

    Posted in Retail

    The UK non-food online market is set to grow by 2.9% to reach £106m in 2024, with online penetration forecast to climb to 39%, marking an improvement for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData anticipates the non-food online market growth will outpace the total retail market, which is expected to increase by 2.1% in 2024.

    Tash Van Boxel, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Retailers must diversify online capabilities to take advantage of increased online demand. Enhancing online services will be essential, such as implementing AI powered tools to strengthen apps and websites and improving fulfilment services. Not doing so will expose retailers to fluctuations in footfall, impacting offline demand. A strong online proposition can help retailers convert online browsers to purchase through services such as Click & Collect.”

    As online growth is set to continue, retailers must ensure that delivery services provide good value for money and high efficiency. 85% of frequent online shoppers* would switch away from their favourite online retailer if they could find faster delivery for the same item elsewhere, according to GlobalData’s September 2024 Consumer Views survey**. A further 60% of frequent online shoppers stated that the delivery experience impacts whether they shop at the retailer again.

    Van Boxel continues: “Online shoppers value the delivery experience and will switch away to competitors if the experience goes sour. Prioritising cost-effective delivery methods is crucial for retailers to retain customers, ensuring shoppers have options, such as next-day delivery and nominated-day delivery at reasonable prices. Retailers must also be cautious about which couriers they partner with, as shoppers will look elsewhere if the only available courier has proved to be unreliable in the past.”

    Social media will play a vital role in the growth of the non-food online market, as consumers increasingly shop directly through social media platforms. 49.0% of UK consumers use Instagram, and 30.9% use TikTok, according to GlobalData’s October 2024 survey. Usage is highest among Gen Z consumers, with 88% using Instagram and 74% using TikTok.

    Van Boxel concludes: “Social media is growing as a retail channel, but given the variation in usage among the generations, retailers need to cater their content on each platform to reach their target audience. As younger consumers utilise Instagram and TikTok more than their older counterparts, retailers must tailor content to this demographic. For example, collaborations with content creators are more likely to resonate with younger consumers who are more trusting of social media reviews than sponsored posts announcing new product launches, which may capture all age groups. Personalising marketing campaigns and content will be key to growing retailers’ customer bases and bolstering online traffic.”

    *A frequent shopper is defined as a consumer who shops online every few days or once a week

    **GlobalData’s October 2024 and September 2024 monthly surveys were conducted with 2,000 respondents

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israel completes strike on Iranian targets

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Israel has completed what it called a retaliatory attack on military targets in Iran, said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) early Saturday morning.

    The IDF launched “precise and targeted” air strikes on targets in several areas in Iran, in response to the attacks from Iran in recent months, it said in a statement.

    The IDF statement was issued about three and a half hours after it announced the start of the operation.

    Israeli aircraft struck missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays, and additional Iranian aerial capabilities, according to the statement.

    Israel’s state-owned Kan TV News reported that dozens of jets, including F35, F16 and F15, attacked 20 military targets in Iran.

    IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a video statement that the operation has foiled immediate threats to Israel, warning Iran against further response if there’s a new round of escalation.

    Iranian eyewitnesses said early Saturday that big explosions were heard around the country’s capital Tehran. Shortly afterward, Iranian state-run IRIB TV reported that Iran’s air defense was engaged against Israeli strike attempts.

    On Oct. 1, Iran fired approximately 180 missiles at Israeli targets, describing the action as retaliation for the assassinations of several leaders of regional resistance groups, among other grievances.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israeli airstrikes target military sites in Syria

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Syrian Defense Ministry reported early Saturday that Israeli forces launched a series of airstrikes against military sites in Syria’s southern and central regions.

    The strikes, reportedly carried out around 2:00 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Friday), involved missiles launched from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanese airspace.

    According to the ministry, Syrian air defenses intercepted and downed several missiles, and efforts to assess the full impact of the strikes were ongoing.

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported that Israeli aircraft entered Syrian airspace to target locations linked to Iran. The monitor added that while Syrian air defenses attempted to intercept the jets, they were unable to prevent them from reaching their targets.

    Also on Saturday, Israel announced it launched “precise strikes” on military targets in Iran and the operation had concluded. Iran reported it had successfully countered the attack, with initial reports from local media indicating there was limited damage to some areas. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE: Investigation under way following stabbing in Dagenham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    An investigation continues following a stabbing in Dagenham.

    Police were called at approximately 17:35hrs on Friday, 25 October to reports of three people injured in First Avenue, Dagenham.

    Officers, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended.

    A woman, believed to be aged in her 30s, and two children, a girl believed aged eight and a boy believed aged two, were found suffering stab injuries – they were all taken to hospital for treatment where they remain.

    None of their injuries are thought to be life threatening.

    A man, aged in his 40s, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. He was also taken to hospital after being taken unwell. After being assessed he has been discharged into police custody.

    Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, responsible for policing in Barking and Dagenham, said:

    “This is a truly shocking attack and I want to thank local residents for their assistance and patience while we deal with this incident.

    “At this early stage, we believe those involved were known to each other and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

    “A crime scene will remain in place for some time while our officers carry out vital work and you will see an increased policing presence in the area over the coming days. If you have any concerns or information that could assist police then please speak to an officer or call police on 101.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD5931/25Oct. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Tabletop drill for sports park held

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Police have staged the first inter-departmental tabletop exercise for the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), aimed at ensuring the park’s smooth operation when it is officially commissioned in the first quarter of 2025.

     

    Over 150 representatives from various government departments and related organisations participated in the exercise. Codenamed WINGEDTIGER, it was held yesterday at the force’s Kowloon East Regional Headquarters.

     

    The exercise simulated a series of potential incidents during concerts and international football matches, seeking to ensure that all stakeholders can respond to emergencies within the park effectively.

     

    Stakeholders were required to allocate manpower, adopt contingency measures, and co-ordinate actions with other units in response to different emergencies in real-time. Experts were invited to share their professional knowledge after the exercise.

     

    Police said the exercise not only strengthened communication and co-operation among various organisations, but also improved overall crowd management, collaboration, and responsiveness when handling large-scale incidents.

     

    It served as a rehearsal for various test events and on-site drills scheduled that will be carried out between now the first quarter of next year, the force added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, EU seek dialogue to resolve EV dispute

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China and the European Union(EU) have reiterated willingness to solve the dispute over EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles through dialogue.

    The two sides have decided to continue to make price commitment as the solution to the case, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce after a talk held via video link on Friday between China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

    There are strong calls and high expectations from various sectors in China and Europe for the proper handling of the case, said Wang.

    Since Sept. 20, intensive negotiations have been conducted between the two sides regarding the price commitment, with some positive progress made in certain aspects, but significant differences still exist on issues of core concern to the business communities in China and Europe, he said.

    Wang noted that China will unswervingly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises. He also expressed the hope that both sides will continue to advance negotiations based on the previous stage of consultations, and achieve substantive breakthroughs as soon as possible.

    In the next stage of price commitment negotiations, consultations should be conducted based on mutual consideration of core concerns, and in accordance with the principles of pragmatism and balance, said Wang, adding that both the effectiveness of the agreement and the core interests of enterprises should be taken into account.

    A bilateral communication mechanism should be established for the implementation and supervision of price commitment on the basis of mutual trust, he explained.

    The European side has put forward specific suggestions regarding the price commitment plan and proposed that technical teams from both sides engage in video consultations on this matter. The Chinese side agrees to immediately start the next stage of negotiations and welcomes the European technical team to come to China as soon as feasible.

    The two sides also exchanged views on the trade remedy investigations initiated by China against certain EU goods, such as brandy, pork and dairy products.

    The Chinese side emphasized that these investigations were initiated at the request of domestic industries, in full compliance with the rules of the World Trade Organization, as well as Chinese laws and regulations.

    China will continue to conduct the investigations in accordance with the law and regulations, and fully safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all parties involved, according to the ministry. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: UN experts ‘alarmed’ by Kanaky New Caledonia deaths as Pacific fact-finding mission readies

    By Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews

    France has been criticised for the “alarming” death toll in New Caledonia during recent protests and its “cold shower” approach to decolonisation by experts of the UN Human Rights Committee.

    The UN committee met this week in Geneva for France’s five-yearly human rights review with a focus on its Pacific territory, after peaceful protests over electoral changes turned violent leaving 13 people dead since May.

    French delegates at the hearing defended the country’s actions and rejected the jurisdiction of the UN decolonisation process, saying the country “no longer has any international obligations”.

    A delayed fact-finding mission of Pacific Islands Forum leaders is due to arrive in New Caledonia this weekend to assess the situation on behalf of the region’s peak regional inter-governmental body.

    Almost 7000 security personnel with armoured vehicles have been deployed from France to New Caledonia to quell further unrest.

    “The means used and the intensity of their response and the gravity of the violence reported, as well as the amount of dead and wounded, are particularly alarming,” said committee member Jose Santo Pais, assistant Prosecutor-General of the Portuguese Constitutional Court.

    “There have been numerous allegations regarding an excessive use of force and that would have led to numerous deaths among the Kanak people and law enforcement,” the committee’s vice-chair said on Wednesday.

    Months of protests
    Violence erupted after months of protests over a unilateral attempt by President Emmanuel Macron to “unfreeze” the territory’s electoral roll. Indigenous Kanaks feared the move would dilute their voting power and any chance of success at another independence referendum.

    Eleven Kanaks and two French police have died. The committee heard 169 people were wounded and 2658 arrested in the past five months.

    New Caledonia’s economy is in ruins with hundreds of businesses destroyed, tens-of-thousands left jobless and the local government seeking 4 billion euros (US$4.33 billion) in recovery funds from France.

    France’s reputation has been left battered as an out-of-touch colonial power since the deadly violence erupted.

    Santos Pais questioned France’s commitment to the UN Declaration on Indigenous People and the “sufficient dialogue” required under the Nouméa Accord, a peace agreement signed in 1998 to politically empower Kanak people, that enabled the decolonisation process.

    “It would seem that current violence in the territory is linked to the lack of progress in decolonisation,” said Santos Pais.

    Last week, the new French Prime Minister announced controversial electoral changes that sparked the protests had been abandoned. Local elections, due to be held this year, will now take place at the end of 2025.

    Pacific mission
    Tomorrow, Tonga’s prime minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni will lead a Pacific “observational” mission to New Caledonia of fellow leaders from Cook Islands, Fiji and Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs, together known as the “Troika-Plus”.

    The PIF leaders’ three-day visit to the capital Nouméa will see them meet with local political parties, youth and community groups, private sector and public service providers.

    “Our thoughts have always been with the people of New Caledonia since the unrest earlier this year, and we continue to offer our support,” Sovaleni said in a statement on Friday.

    The UN committee is a treaty body composed of 18 experts that regularly reviews compliance by 173 member states with their human rights obligations and is separate from the Human Rights Council, a political body composed of states.

    Serbian committee member Tijana Surlan asked France for an update on investigations into injuries and fatalities “related to alleged excessive use of force” in New Caledonia. She asked if police firearms use would be reviewed “to strike a better balance with the principles of absolute necessity and strict proportionality.”

    France’s delegation responded saying it was “committed to renewing dialogue” in New Caledonia and to striking a balance between the right to demonstrate and protecting people and property with the “principle of proportionality.”

    Alleged intimidation by French authorities of at least five journalists covering the unrest in New Caledonia was highlighted by committee member Kobauyah Tchamdja Kapatcha from Togo. France responded saying it guarantees freedom of the press.

    French Ambassador for Human Rights Isabelle Rome addresses the UN Human Rights Committee meeting in Geneva, pictured on 23 October 2024. Image: UNTV

    France rejects ‘obligations’
    The French delegation led by Ambassador for Human Rights Isabelle Rome added it “no longer administers a non-self-governing territory.”

    France “no longer has any international obligations in this regard linked to its membership in the United Nations”, she told the committee on Thursday.

    New Caledonia voted by modest majorities to remain part of France in referendums held in 2018 and 2020 under a UN-mandated decolonisation process. Three referendums were part of the Nouméa Accord to increase Kanaks’ political power following deadly violence in the 1980s.

    A contentious final referendum in 2021 was overwhelmingly in favor of continuing with the status quo. Supporters of independence rejected its legitimacy due to a very low turnout — it was boycotted by Kanak political parties — and because it was held during a serious phase of the covid-19 pandemic, which restricted campaigning.

    “France, through the referendum of September [2021], has therefore completed the process of decolonisation of its former colonies,” ambassador Rome said. She added that New Caledonia was one of the most advanced examples of the French government recognising indigenous rights, with a shared governance framework.

    Another of its Pacific territories — French Polynesia — was re-inscribed on the UN decolonisation list in 2013 but France refuses to recognise its jurisdiction.

    No change in policy
    After a decade, France began attending General Assembly Decolonisation Committee meetings in 2023 to “promote dialogue” and that it was not a “change in [policy] direction”, Rome said.

    “There is no process between the French state and the Polynesian territory that reserves a role for the United Nations,” she added.

    Santos Pais responded saying, “what a cold shower”.

    “The General Assembly will certainly have a completely different view from the one that was presented to us,” he said.

    Earlier this month pro-independence French Polynesian President Moetai Brotherson told the UN Decolonisation Committee’s annual meeting in New York that “after a decade of silence” France must be “guided” to participate in “dialogue.”

    The Human Rights Committee is due to meet again next month to adopt its findings on France.

    Copyright ©2015-2024, BenarNews. Republished with the permission of BenarNews.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New medicines plan explained

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The “1+” mechanism for drug registration and approval will be expanded from November to cover all new chemical entities, with a view to giving patients more choices of drugs at lower costs, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said today.

     

    Responding to media questions after appearing on a radio programme this morning, Prof Lo said that it will be possible for any new chemical entity, including vaccines and advanced therapy products, to get registered in Hong Kong through the new “1+” mechanism,.

     

    “Advanced therapy products mean not just drugs in the usual sense, but self-therapy or gene therapy, which involve the processing of patients’ own blood for treatment of very advanced cancers or diseases. This is very important.

     

    “We anticipate that with more and more drug companies aware of this, we are able to allow patients in Hong Kong, and even in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), to enjoy more advanced therapy products or new drugs of the most advanced (kind), thus elevating and improving the healthcare standard in the whole area.

     

    “And secondly, with more choices of drugs, the cost of these new treatments, drugs or new advanced therapy products will be lowered.

     

    “Thirdly, it will promote the development of R&D, research and development, in the area. This will be very important for the development of the R&D in the whole GBA.”

     

    Elaborating on the GBA dimension, Prof Lo said that through a “connect” measure, drugs and medical devices which have not yet been registered in the Mainland but are already registered and used in Hong Kong, can be used in specific healthcare institutions in the GBA.

     

    “This is very attractive for pharmaceutical companies because once the drugs or medical devices are approved and registered in Hong Kong and used in the public hospitals, these drugs and devices will be able to have a ‘green channel’ for use (among) the 68 million population in the GBA.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: South Island state highway update: Surface flooding, snow and multiple closures

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is urging drivers to avoid all non-essential travel as surface flooding, snow and fallen trees have forced several road closures and resulted in treacherous conditions on roads across the South Island.

    Contractors will be working hard to restore access to closed roads progressively from tomorrow morning (Sunday 27 October), as flood waters recede and snow is cleared.

    NZTA Transport Systems Manager Mark Pinner says drivers are urged to plan ahead, avoid non-essential travel and take extra care.

    “We’re asking drivers to avoid stopping on snow-affected roads, and to be aware that ice may begin to form as snow melts in the early hours of Sunday. Potholes may also start to appear due to the saturated ground, there are likely to be fallen trees, slips and other debris on the road surface.

    “Our crews will be working hard to clear roads and restore access as soon as possible, but we need drivers to do their part by slowing down and take exta care when driving on South Island highways for the rest of the long weekend.

    The situation

    A slow-moving low lies just to the west of the South Island while an associated front directs cool and moist easterlies over the southern South Island bringing heavy rain to the West Coast and Marlborough regions, and headwaters of Otago and Canterbury rivers.  It has also brought heavy snow to inland passes from Canterbury south.  Rain is expected to ease after 6pm and rivers remain below flood warning levels. Further bad weather is forecast for Sunday and more snow is forecast.  

    Multiple surface flooding is reported in all regions, as well as fallen trees, rockfalls and slips.

    Closures and restrictions

    Tasman

    • SH60 Takaka  – between Pupu Valley Road and Waitapu Wharf Road – closed due to flooding No Detour
    • SH6/SH65 Murchison – Closed and will remain closed overnight due to slips and flooding

    Marlborough

    • SH6 Pelorus Bridge to Havelock – Closed due to flooding – high tide due 8pm
    • SH63 Renwick to between Brydon St and Angelsea St Closed due to flooding – local detour
    • SH63 St Arnaud – near Kowhai Point Camping Area – flooding across both lanes
    • There are a number of local road closures on the Marlborough District Council network including Queen Charlotte Sound due to flooding/slips.

    West Coast

    • SH6 Inangahua (Upper Buller Gorge), between intersection SH69 and Brown Creek Road – flooding, local detour in place.
    • SH6 Lower Buller Gorge  – Closed due to flooding.
    • SH7 Stillwater to Dobson – Stillwater Underpass – Closed due to flooding.
    • SH65 Closed at Springs Junction
    • SH73 Arthurs Pass – Closed due to snow

    Canterbury

    • SH73 Porters Pass – Closed Due to snow
    • SH7 Springs Junction – closed from midday Sunday to 3pm for vehicle recovery (subject to SH73 reopening)
    • SH80 Lake Pukaki to Mt Cook – Closed due to snow

    Otago/Southland

    • SH6 Haast to Makarora – Closed due to flooding
    • SH94 Milford Road – Closed due to snow

    Drivers should check for the latest conditions on the NZTA Journey Planner(external link)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Launch of Building Safety Weeks 2024 today (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Buildings Department (BD) launched Building Safety Weeks 2024 today (October 26), with a view to promoting building safety messages to the public through a series of activities, as well as working continuously with the public and the building industry to create a safe and sustainable living environment for the community.
     
         Speaking at the opening ceremony of Building Safety Weeks 2024 held at the BD Headquarters, West Kowloon Government Offices, the Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands), Ms Doris Ho, said that the Government is committed to enhancing building safety in Hong Kong, particularly addressing the issue of building dilapidation.  A regular inspection programme has been implemented by the BD since the first quarter of this year to inspect the external walls of 360 higher-risk buildings each year, and to use drones and smart technologies to quickly assess the condition of building external walls and carry out emergency works where necessary. The Government also continues to implement a series of building rehabilitation assistance schemes to assist owners in fulfilling their maintenance responsibilities. Moreover, the Government is reviewing the Buildings Ordinance (BO) to explore, among others, increasing penalties and streamlining enforcement procedures. As stated in the Policy Address just delivered, the Government will soon put forward elderly-friendly building design proposals for consultation. One of the themes is to foster a safe and comfortable living environment for the elderly.

         Ms Ho said that while it is the Government’s responsibility to improve building safety through policy review and measures, members of the public should also enhance their awareness of building safety and comply with government policies, so that the intended policy objectives can be achieved. She hoped that through the Building Safety Weeks 2024 promoting building safety, the community would work together to build a more liveable environment for Hong Kong.

         The Director of Buildings, Ms Clarice Yu, outlined the future direction of the BD at the opening ceremony. She said that the Government will put forth proposals to amend the BO and launch a public consultation later this year. The proposed amendments will include enhancing the deterrent effect against non-compliance with notices under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme, repair orders, removal orders and unauthorised building works, as well as strengthening the registration and disciplinary systems of contractors. It will also propose to increase the types of exempted works and minor works under the BO. The BD will render full support to the Development Bureau in taking forward the work. Meanwhile, the BD will step up enforcement in accordance with the current BO and continue to work with the industry to promote preventive building maintenance through various promotional and educational activities to enhance owners’ awareness of the importance of proper maintenance of their own properties to avoid building dilapidations.
     
         Ms Yu said that the BD has long committed to enhancing its services through innovative technologies, including the launch of Stage 3 of the Electronic Submission Hub (ESH) on June 30 this year to accept all types of plan submissions and related applications, facilitating the instant transmission of documents and communication between relevant departments, organisations, and building professionals, thereby enhancing work efficiency and significantly reducing paper consumption. The BD also launched in March this year the Building Information Modeling Area Tool to enable the industry to conduct automated checking of floor areas against the requirements under the BO, thereby enhancing quality and accuracy of the submissions of building plans. The BD will continue to play the role as a facilitator and strive to streamline the vetting procedures to assist the building industry in enhancing speed and efficiency in building developments. The industry is also encouraged to make use of innovative technologies to improve the built environment.
     
         Building Safety Weeks is a major event of the BD’s annual public education and publicity efforts, which include the BD Inno Tech Open Day held today at the BD headquarters. In addition to thematic talks, the Open Day also included various exhibitions covering the ESH, the “WIN SAFE” mobile application, digital rebound hammer tests for concrete, water seepage tests, the use of drones and artificial intelligence to assist in external wall inspections of old buildings, etc to enable the public to have a more comprehensive understanding of the BD’s daily operation, as well as to promote building safety and foster a building safety culture.
     
         In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Open Day featured “Learning about 75 Building Plans” as a special activity for the public to learn how to inspect building and minor works records through the BD’s Building Records Access and Viewing On-line system. The first 75 successful registrants were given a copy of the building plan, the structural plan and the drainage plan of their own residential unit for free.
     
         Another highlight of Building Safety Weeks is the Building Safety Symposium, which will be held on November 1 at the Y-Theatre, Youth Square, Chai Wan. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Building for Our Future: Smart Technologies for Building Safety and Sustainability”. Representatives from the building industry, the property management sector, the Government and academia will exchange views on the application of innovative technologies to enhance the safety of buildings and construction works.
     
         Moreover, the BD will hold the Building Safety Carnival on November 9 and 10 and November 16 and 17 at Tuen Mun Town Plaza and Olympian City 2 respectively, with an aim to help members of the public acquire proper building safety knowledge through playing simple games.
     
         For the latest information regarding Building Safety Weeks 2024, please visit the BD’s website (www.bd.gov.hk/en/whats-new/events-and-publicity/index.html).                  

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: InnoCarnival 2024 showcases I&T achievements to propel future development (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), InnoCarnival 2024 (IC 2024) is being held from today (October 26) to November 3 at the Hong Kong Science Park. Under the theme “Let’s Sail with Innovation and Technology”, this year’s carnival features a number of exhibits of local innovation and technology (I&T) achievements. IC 2024 is also one of the signature events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

         Officiating at the opening ceremony of IC 2024, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said that the theme of IC 2024 matches the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s policy in fostering economic diversification by creating a favourable environment for emerging industries to develop via technology. He said that I&T are not out of reach; rather, they are closely related to daily life and can produce substantial benefits. The Government has strived to enhance the I&T ecosystem of Hong Kong over the past few years, while the Chief Executive also announced multiple measures to promote the development of the technology industry in last week’s Policy Address.
          
         Mr Chan continued that it is also necessary to elevate the foundation of popularising science to have a vibrant local I&T development, while the InnoCarnival serves as a good opportunity to foster popularising science among the public. In fact, the carnival is not only an I&T event for the public to enjoy but also a platform for programme partners, especially start-ups, to realise their dreams. He believed that different activities in the carnival will inspire people’s interest in I&T and cultivate more talent to join the I&T field and contribute to Hong Kong and the country.
          
         Speaking at the ceremony, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, acknowledged that popularising science culture is crucial for developing the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong, while the carnival undoubtedly serves as an event to foster science education for all. He expressed special thanks to universities, research institutes and government departments for their enthusiastic participation in the carnival. He noted that universities and research and development (R&D) centres have been the backbone of the I&T ecosystem of Hong Kong, which have spawned a number of disruptive technologies in the past and nurtured many outstanding scientific talents, while government departments have responded positively to the development of Hong Kong into a smart city in recent years by utilising technology in their daily work. He said he believes that the annual InnoCarnival, where programme partners showcase their I&T achievements with pride, presents a good opportunity for technology education for the public.
          
         The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation are campaign partners of IC 2024. The event is receiving support from over 75 programme partners, including local universities, R&D centres and platforms, government departments and other organisations, which have set up booths at the Hong Kong Science Park, showcasing a series of I&T achievements and interactive games. Also, a diverse line-up of about 150 workshops and webinars across various subjects will be available during the carnival, with the aim of showing the public the importance of I&T in people’s daily lives.
          
         In addition, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, some significant scientific research projects in co-operation with Mainland institutions will be displayed, including the “Hong Kong Youth Scientific Innovation”, the world’s first large-scale artificial intelligence model scientific satellite jointly developed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and ADA Space with funding support from the Innovation and Technology Commission; “Surface Sampling and Packing System”, a space instrument developed for the Chang’e-6 by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to assist the country in completing the world’s first lunar far-side sampling mission; and the “Digital Deep-sea Typical Habitats (DEPTH),” an initiative under the United Nations’ Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development led by the country and participated by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. These projects not only testify to country’s remarkable achievements and developments in science and technology but also recognises Hong Kong’s contributions to the country’s I&T development.
          
         Furthermore, 23 winning I&T solutions and some of the prototypes of the second City I&T Grand Challenge will also be displayed for trial in the carnival. To promote an I&T culture and enhance the application of I&T in the community, the second City I&T Grand Challenge was launched in March this year under the theme “Hong Kong’s Got I&T”. It invited submissions from different sectors of the community to develop I&T solutions focusing on two subjects, namely “I&T for Nature (Yama)” (improving the operation and management of country parks and campsites, and enhancing hikers’ experiences in nature) and “I&T for Community (Community Wellness)” (enhancing support for carers). After rounds of assessment and pitching, over 50 awards across four categories, which were the Primary School Group, the Secondary School Group, the University/Tertiary Institute Group and the Open Group, were presented at the Grand Pitch in August this year.
          
         All IC 2024 activities are free of charge. Some of the activities require preregistration. Details are available on the thematic webpage (innocarnival.hk). Members of the public are most welcome to join.   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hospital Authority continues to strengthenthe on-the-job training and supervision of interns

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hospital Authority continues to strengthenthe on-the-job training and supervision of interns
    Hospital Authority continues to strengthenthe on-the-job training and supervision of interns
    ******************************************************************************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) stated today (October 26) that the HA has implemented various measures to enhance the on-the-job training and supervision of interns in order to improve their ability to handle different clinical situations, ensuring medical quality and patient safety.     Following a recent incident where a nasogastric tube was incorrectly placed, the HA has fully reviewed the workflow for interns reviewing nasogastric X-ray images. In mid-October, a training course was launched to enhance interns’ ability to review nasogastric X-ray images. Most interns have completed the training, with the remaining few who have not participated, will complete the training by the end of October.     The spokesperson said, “To ensure that interns have the correct skills to interpret nasogastric X-ray images, all interns working at the HA must undergo the training. Before completing the training and passing the assessment, interns must have their interpretation of nasogastric X-ray images confirmed by senior doctors.”     The HA has also reminded all healthcare staff through internal communications about the key considerations when interpreting nasogastric X-ray images, including ensuring the tube is not incorrectly placed in the bronchus, observing the distal position of the tube clearly, and checking for any coils. Healthcare staff have been advised to seek assistance from seniors immediately if they have any doubts during the nasogastric tube insertion procedure.     The HA will continue to enhance both pre-employment and on-the-job training for interns, including skills in performing different clinical procedures. Regular courses will be offered, and internal communication platforms will be used to help healthcare staff review key considerations when performing various clinical procedures. The HA will also continue to collaborate with two university medical schools to discuss training programmes for medical students, continually improving the clinical quality of healthcare staff.

     
    Ends/Saturday, October 26, 2024Issued at HKT 19:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Patrick Harvie Autumn Conference 2024 speech

    Source: Scottish Greens

    26 Oct 2024 Finance

    Patrick Harvie called for the Scottish Government to take serious climate action and deliver a fairer, greener and better budget for Scotland.

    Glasgow

    Scottish Greens Co-leader, Net Zero, Constitution and External Affairs spokesperson

    More in Finance

    Greens always aim to offer an inspiring and positive vision at election times, because we believe that politics is capable of changing our society for the better.

    Labour, by contrast, spent the whole election campaign trying to lower everyone’s expectations. Maybe they thought it was better to under-promise, rather than under-deliver. And yet somehow, they have managed to do both.

    I don’t think there can be a single voter left in the UK who can honestly say they’ve been inspired by what has happened since. 

    Of course there is reason to be happy about seeing the end of 14 years of Tory austerity, corruption, and downright lies; to be rid of Boris Johnson and his pals partying in Downing street; or the shameless profiteering on the back of Brexit and the pandemic; or the Liz Truss blink-and-you-miss-it catastrophe – it’s no wonder the British public jumped at the opportunity for a change of government. 

    But Labour’s offer to the electorate, after they’d dumped every remnant of a radical programme and purged their progressive candidates, was so insipid that I warned that the UK was likely to get a change of government without a change of politics. And that’s exactly what we’ve seen from Keir Starmer’s Labour since then. 

    We’ve just passed the 100 day mark of this new Labour government. And what have they achieved in that time? 

    Keir Starmer has some lovely new suits, and if you can believe it thousands of pounds worth of quite boring glasses. Some of the cabinet have had some nice free holidays and Taylor Swift tickets.

    But have they lifted the cruel two-child benefit cap which has forced families, and especially women and children into poverty? Perish the thought.

    Have they cut the artificial link between gas and electricity prices, instantly making renewable home heating cheap and affordable for millions? Of course not, instead they’ve removed winter fuel payments from nearly 10 million pensioners, forcing vulnerable older people to choose between heating their home and feeding themselves. 

    It is a decision that is up there with the worst of the Tories; it’s one that will kill people. And unlike so many of their bad policies, this one wasn’t even in the Labour manifesto.

    Our message to Keir Starmer is simple: reverse this cut. Do it now or your first year’s legacy will be a cold and deadly winter.

    This is a Labour Government working for the few, not the many. A Labour government that is defending a broken status quo and standing up for the interests of big business and their corporate donors rather than working people.

    Here in Scotland, Anas Sarwar told us to ‘read his lips’, promising that there would be ‘no austerity under Labour’. 

    Anas was probably hoping that a long Labour honeymoon would let him coast for much of the way to the 2026 election. Instead people have been given an instant reminder of just how underwhelming a Labour government can be.

    Two weeks ago, Scottish Labour had the chance to take a different path, and condemn their London colleagues’ decision to means-test the winter fuel payment in a vote in the Scottish Parliament. 

    Instead, they doubled down, standing up for Starmer’s decision and supporting one of the cruellest cuts for years.

    But perhaps Labour’s most shameful failure has been on the international stage.

    The last 12 months have seen daily horrors and atrocities inflicted on the people of Gaza. So many children, so many whole families, have had their lives destroyed in some of the gravest war crimes in living memory. It has been the collective punishment of millions of people.

    The killing has spread to Lebanon, and missile attacks between Israel and Iran, with Netanyahu deliberately increasing the risk of a wider regional war.

    For the international community this has been one of the most profound moral tests for our age, and it is one that Labour has failed badly.

    When hospitals and homes have been bombed into rubble, and when genocide is being inflicted, we all have a moral duty to stand against it, and to stand on the side of humanity.

    Yet, Keir Starmer can’t even bring himself to end political and military support for Israel or take action against even its most extreme far right politicians.

    Every government is under a moral obligation to do everything possible to oppose the atrocities. That is why we have persistently called on the Scottish Government to block all public contracts for companies who are complicit in the illegal settlements in the West Bank, and why we have called for an end to all public grants and support for the companies who are profiting from the killing.

    Even ending the arms sales and the bombing isn’t enough; peace requires justice, and that means an end to the decades of occupation, and it means statehood for Palestine.

    Conference, it is long past time to end this complicity. It is long past time for a watertight arms embargo and it is long past time for an end to all trade with the illegal settlements in the occupied territories.

    It is long past time for Scotland and the UK to join the call for boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against Israel. Because profiting from atrocities must have no place in a civilised society.

    Conference, the months and years ahead will be crucial for peace, and they will also be crucial for the fate of our planet.

    With global temperatures rising, Governments must take bold and urgent action both here in Scotland and around the world.

    With just 18 months left of this session of the Scottish Parliament, the SNP now face some key tests on an issue they still claim is a priority. 

    The first of those is underway already, as Holyrood considers the Scottish Government’s new Climate bill. 

    The first two Climate Change Acts were statements of high ambition. This third one will be an admission that, as Greens have long argued, Scotland is years behind where we should be. That’s an admission that needs to be made; but making it demands an urgent acceleration of action here and now, not just promise of more plans to come.

    When we last met in April, I said that Scotland has been held back by too many politicians ready to celebrate the supposed ‘world-leading’ targets, while blocking the action needed to actually meet them. 

    We have known for decades how to do it – it’s getting people out of cars and onto clean public transport; replacing fossil fuel for home heating with cheap, abundant renewables; changing the way we manage our land and farm our food, so we lock up more carbon than we produce; and ending the extraction of oil and gas in the north sea for good. 

    But what have we seen in the last six months from the now minority Scottish Government? Instead of accepting that missed targets demand accelerated action, they’ve chosen a sharp u-turn on much of the action that the Greens had been advancing. 

    Cutting the funding for climate projects and net-zero investment; returning to exorbitant prices on our railways; rolling back on new clean standards for home heating – these are not the actions of a Government that is serious about climate action.

    And on some key climate policy areas they are simply stalling. A new energy strategy is long overdue; they said it was ready to publish before the UK election, but we’re still waiting.

    Greens had insisted on a climate assessment of their road building plan for the A96, and it’s been sitting on Ministers’ desks too, unpublished. They need to come clean, publish that assessment, and make a decisive shift in their priorities, from unsustainable road building, to the green, low carbon infrastructure we need.

    While this dithering and inaction continues, experts like Jim Skea of the IPCC are now warning not only could 1.5 degrees of warming be moving out of reach, but that we are potentially headed to more than 3°C of global warming in this century if we carry on with the policies we have at the moment.

    Three degrees plus of warming would be catastrophic for life on this planet. We know what we need to do, yet the Scottish Government is refusing to take some of the most basic steps.

    So the Scottish Greens will not waive the Climate Targets bill through Holyrood as a ‘minor technical amendment’ as the Scottish Government claims. 

    When parliament goes back next week, Mark Ruskell and I will be moving amendments to the bill to try and improve it where we can. 

    We’ll try to keep the interim targets alive, as crucial milestones on our path to net zero; we’ll put forward improvements to the timescales in the bill, because as it stands they risk wasting most of the time left till the next Holyrood election without an agreed climate plan. 

    But the thing is, outside of the text of the Bill, what’s really needed now is an immediate programme of accelerated action to deliver emission cuts that are long overdue.

    A climate plan is only worthwhile if it takes the steps that are necessary, like halting new road building projects, investing in public transport and refusing the plan to expand the gas-fuelled power station at Peterhead. 

    These are just some of the actions that we have put forward as part of our Climate Reset package, published in August. Even these plans aren’t the end of the story, not by a long way, but without these kinds of changes right now, the Scottish Greens cannot vote for the new Climate bill. 

    Our demands for climate action must not end with this legislation however – tackling the climate emergency must be a mission across all parts and all levels of Government. 

    Nowhere is this more pressing than the upcoming Budget. 

    We recognise the challenges that come with the limitations of devolution, as well as the impact of 14 years of Tory cuts and now what looks like continued austerity under Labour. We know our full ambition for a fairer, greener economy can best be delivered with the powers of a normal independent country. 

    However, we’ve also been clear in recent months that we still have a duty to use every last lever available to solve the current crisis in Scotland’s public finances.

    On Wednesday, when the UK Government publishes its budget, we’ll have a better idea of the financial situation Scotland faces. Labour could and should choose to end austerity, and restore Scotland’s budget to workable levels. But given their track record, none of us will be holding our breath for that.

    Even the current rumours of an increase in capital spending won’t take us anywhere near the levels of investment that are needed, and UK Ministers have openly lobbied against the public service cuts they are being told to make.

    There are those in Scottish politics who refuse the responsibility to offer solutions. Instead they demand the impossible, pretending that every tax can be cut and every service funded, and they never need to make the sums add up. That’s dishonest politics, and it’s never been the Green approach.

    The Scottish Greens have been honest about needing to raise more money through fair taxes if we want to support public services. We are proud that we have the most progressive tax system anywhere in the UK. That is because of the work of Green activists and members in this hall and across this country, and our work in Parliament.

    That’s why there’s an extra billion and a half pounds going into public services every year. It’s why councils are now able to raise more tax from second homes, and from the tourism industry.

    We’ll continue to ensure the Scottish Government comes good on the commitments we secured to introduce new local taxes such as on cruise ships and carbon emissions from land, and we’ll hold them to account on the long overdue commitment for wider reform of local government finance – one of the biggest missed opportunities of the first 25 years of the Scottish Parliament, and one where the SNP are still dragging their feet. 

    We’ve shown how we could make big savings by stopping tax breaks to wealthy landowners and enterprise grants to arms companies, and by bringing in more money to support our healthcare system through a public health levy on supermarkets. 

    But these steps are only the start. Extra funds raised through tax or coming from the UK Government must go into reversing the broken promises made by the SNP government since they ended the Bute House Agreement. 

    That includes reinstating the plan to roll out free school meals to all children in Scotland’s primary schools before the next election, restoring the Scottish Green’s Nature Restoration Fund, fully funding an ambitious programme to cut energy bills and emissions from our home heating, and reversing the decision to bring back peak rail fares which punish workers and students.

    But crucially, John Swinney must also address the very real issue of the trust that was broken this year. 

    In the last six months we’ve not only seen Bute House Agreement policies facing the axe, but commitments which were agreed before we even entered Government, as well as commitments that were made to local government. 

    Now, for the first time in four years, we’re being asked to back a Scottish Government budget without a role in overseeing how it’s implemented; to vote on the basis of trust. That is a risk we cannot take lightly.

    Later today, our Finance portfolio lead Ross Greer will open a conference debate calling on the Scottish Government to guarantee no future agreements will be subject to in-year cuts.

    But even with that in place, we still face a challenging few months ahead. As Scottish Green MSPs, we have a responsibility to engage with the process in good faith, and with honesty. But as the only party that ever brought down an SNP budget, as John Swinney knows to his cost, we need to be clear that they cannot take our votes for granted. 

    Conference, this budget marks a turning point, not just because of the difficult circumstances and the challenges facing the country, but also because it’s the last full year budget for this parliamentary session.

    In just 18 months, Scotland will go back to the polls. Voters will make a decision that will be crucial to ensuring a sustainable and livable future for our planet, and for the people of Scotland.

    We’ve made important progress for Green politics in recent years – a string of ‘best ever’ election results at every level, from the 2019 European elections onward. Our first opportunity to enter government, and sustained high polling through turbulent times when the political right threw everything they had at us. 

    And despite the end of the Bute House Agreement, we have a clear role and opportunity to ensure delivery of what we got started, and hold the SNP to account for progressive Green policies they choose to drop, demonstrating to voters the reason why Green votes make a difference.

    But if we want the 2026 election to continue that string of election successes, and turn our potential into a reality, we need to keep learning, developing, and becoming the effective and professional political force we are capable of being.

    As a movement, Greens don’t exist for easy times. We’re here to draw attention to the profound challenges our society faces, from environmental destruction to poverty and inequality, from global threats to democracy, to the abuse of power by those who operate today’s failed economic model for their own short term benefit.

    Lots of politicians talk about “tough choices”, but what they really mean is sticking with the consequences of the status quo. They make brutal choices, but easy ones – hurting the most vulnerable is the path of least resistance, far easier then challenging the powerful. 

    Greens exist to take on the really tough choices – the choice to change our society, our economy and our politics, knowing that it’s not an easy path.

    Our party will do that, and will earn the trust of those who know it needs to be done, if we are united, true to our values, politically disciplined, and honest. And if we work hard – knocking on doors, campaigning in our communities and making green change happen at every level. 

    That’s what we are, that’s why we’re here, to be more than just a party, to be a movement. A movement for people, a movement for planet and a movement for peace. And a movement that is needed more than ever.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Harvie warns SNP not to take Green budget votes for granted

    Source: Scottish Greens

    26 Oct 2024

    Scotland’s next budget must deliver a fairer, greener Scotland to secure Green support.

    Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie has warned the First Minister, John Swinney, that he cannot take Scottish Green votes for granted on the upcoming Scottish budget, reminding the SNP leader that his party are the only ones to have ever brought down an SNP budget. 

    The Glasgow MSP said reversing the broken promises made by the SNP government since the end of the Bute House Agreement would be a priority for his party.

    Mr Harvie said, “We’ve shown how we could make big savings by stopping tax breaks to wealthy landowners and enterprise grants to arms companies, and by bringing in more money to support our healthcare system through a public health levy on supermarkets. 

    “But these steps are only the start. Extra funds raised through tax or coming from the UK Government must go into reversing the broken promises made by the SNP government since they ended the Bute House Agreement. 

    “That includes reinstating the plan to roll out free school meals to all children in Scotland’s primary schools before the next election, restoring the Scottish Green’s Nature Restoration Fund, fully funding an ambitious programme to cut energy bills and emissions from our home heating, and reversing the decision to bring back peak rail fares which punish workers and students.”

    As Scottish Green MSPs, we have a responsibility to engage with the process in good faith, and with honesty. But as the only party that ever brought down an SNP budget, as John Swinney knows to his cost, we need to be clear that they cannot take our votes for granted.”

    Mr Harvie also said the Scottish Greens MSPs would not ‘wave through’ the Climate Targets bill currently going through parliament, repeating calls for a ramping up of climate action from the minority SNP Government. 

    He said, “The first two Climate Change Acts were statements of high ambition. This third one will be an admission that, as Greens have long argued, Scotland is years behind where we should be. 

    “It is an admission that needs to be made; but making it demands an urgent acceleration of action here and now, not just promises of more plans to come.

    “But what have we seen in the last six months from the now minority Scottish Government? Instead of accepting that missed targets demand accelerated action, they’ve chosen a sharp U-turn on much of the action that the Greens had been advancing.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UN Ambassador’s Climate Message & Cities Cutting Air Pollution | WEF | Top Stories of the Week

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    This week’s top stories of the week include:

    0:15 UN ambassador’s climate message – Peter Thomson is the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. He’s urging young people to take part in climate action but he’s also clear about where responsibility lies. Scientists have devised the concept of ‘positive tipping points’ which are thresholds that can propel rapid decarbonization. However, Thomson says the first tipping point is up to us.

    4:05 How to make better decisions – Before entering business, Ravi Kumar S trained as a nuclear scientist. This gave him a huge helping hand in his career, he says. Kumar says modern companies aren’t hierarchies, but networks which draw on the ‘community knowledge’ of all their staff. As CEO, he has developed a decision-making process that takes his gut feeling and supports it with data in a continual feedback loop.

    7:08 Cities cutting air pollution – Curitiba in Brazil built an integrated transport network to cut congestion. Curitiba began by launching the world’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) in 1974. Today’s network combines express routes with suburban connections and cycle lanes so passengers can move easily from one transport to another.

    9:01 Where is AI headed? – At our Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai 500 experts gathered to share insights on pressing issues, including how rapid advances in AI are reshaping our world. As AI becomes more prevalent, it remains clear that the humanities are essential to a functioning society and a fulfilled life, says Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley.

    _____________________________________________

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
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    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCDFB39Eb8k

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Background Press Call on Israel’s Targeted Strikes Against Military Targets in  Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Via Teleconference
    11:15 P.M. EDT
    MODERATOR:  Good evening, everyone.  Thanks so much for joining the call, especially one on short notice and late on a Friday. 
    As a reminder, this call is on background, attributable to a senior administration official.  For your awareness, not for your reporting, on the call today we have [senior administration official]. 
    This call is embargoed until the conclusion of the call. 
    [Senior administration official] is going to have a few words at the top, and then we’ll take your questions. 
    Over to you.
    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you, everybody, for joining here late on a Friday. 
    So, I’m here to provide some brief comment and background on Israel’s response earlier this evening against Iran.  And just as you will recall, on October 1st, so a few weeks ago, Iran launched an unprecedented attack of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which was a significant escalation.  Many of these missiles targeted Israel’s most populated city of Tel Aviv.  Those missiles had the potential to kill hundreds of civilians. 
    Fortunately, that attack was defeated and ineffective thanks in no small part to U.S. assistance.  President Biden directed the U.S. military to help defend Israel during the attack.  And in the hours after that attack, we promised serious consequences for Iran. 
    The next morning, on October 2nd, the President spoke with his G7 counterparts to coordinate a diplomatic response.  And over the course of the following week, we and our partners implemented a coordinated series of sanctions against Iran.
    And just to review:
    The United States, we issued new sanctions against Iran’s oil sector, including its so-called Ghost Fleet that carries illicit oil products around the world. 
    The European Union for the first time sanctioned Iran’s civilian airliners, including Iran Air, rendering those airlines no longer able to access European destinations. 
    The United Kingdom and Australia issued new and sweeping sanctions against Iran’s missile program. 
    This is a coordinated effort across multiple jurisdictions that President Biden led, and those efforts are ongoing with allies and partners. 
    Tonight, Israel carried out a direct military response against Iran.  Specifically, Israel conducted precision airstrikes against multiple military targets across Iran and outside populated areas. 
    The United States was not a participant in this military operation. 
    The President and his national security team, of course, worked with the Israelis over recent weeks to encourage Israel to conduct a response that was targeted and proportional with low risk of civilian harm, and that appears to have been precisely what transpired this evening. 
    The President discussed the overall situation with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week.  He encouraged the Prime Minister to design a response that served to deter further attacks against Israel while reducing risk of further escalation.  And that is our objective; it’s Israel’s objective, as well, as they have stated this evening.
    Should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to once again defend against any attack.  We recently deployed a THAAD battery, which is a ballistic missile defense system, to Israel.  And we have worked to strengthen Israel’s air defense systems in the run-up to tonight’s response.
    President Biden and Vice President Harris have demonstrated clearly that we will always help defend Israel and secure its people and territory from Iran and its proxy terrorist groups.
    If Iran chooses to respond once again, we will be ready, and there will be consequences for Iran once again.  However, we do not want to see that happen.  This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.  Israel has made clear to the world that its response is now complete. 
    Accordingly, we would call on all countries of influence to press Iran to stop these attacks against Israel so that we can move beyond this direct cycle of attacks.
    Over the coming days, we are prepared to lead an effort to secure an end to the war in Lebanon through an agreement that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to safely return to their homes.  We are also prepared to lead an effort to finally achieve a ceasefire in Gaza together, with the return of hostages, which must happen without delay. 
    The overall contours of those arrangements are in place.  Tony Blinken was in the region last week.  This week, there will be further engagements, including a meeting of hostage negotiators over the coming days.  And it’s time to bring these deals to a resolution once and for all.  
    I would just note for some color on the recent hours here over the course of this evening: Of course, the President was briefed throughout the evening by Jake Sullivan, his National Security Advisor, as we are here at the White House.  Secretary Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Minister Yoav Gallant, a couple of hours ago.  And we just issued a — the Defense Department just issued a readout of that call, again, affirming Israel’s full right to self-defense against Iran and our support for its actions tonight, and our commitment to help defend Israel should Iran make the mistake to respond to this attack. 
    And with that, I’m happy to take a few questions. 
    MODERATOR:  Thank you.  We’ve got time for just a couple of questions. 
    First up, we’ll go to Aamer Madhani.  You should be able to unmute yourself. 
    Q    Hey.  Thank you both.  Did the U.S. assist in any manner at all?  Target selection, intel, jamming?  And do you assess this action to have had significant-enough impact on Iran’s ability to continue to strike Israel directly or its ability to arm Hezbollah?
    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, as I said in my statement, we did not participate in this military operation, and I think that’s very clear. 
    I would just say: I’ll leave it to the Israelis to describe the scope and breadth of their response this evening.  It was extensive.  It was targeted.  It was precise.  It was against military targets across Iran.  It was in multiple waves.  It was very carefully prepared.  And again, I think it was designed to be effective. 
    And I think — again, I will leave it, though, to the Israelis to characterize and to provide more details, given that this was their military operation. 
    MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to Trevor Hunnicutt.
    Q    Hey.  Thanks for doing this.  Could you talk a little bit about what, if any, communications or indications you had from Iran heading into this about what level of response they’re willing to engage in?  And could you talk a little bit about the President’s — any plans for the President to follow up with Netanyahu after this?
    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  We do have multiple channels with Iran, direct and indirect.  We try to avoid any sense of miscommunication.  And they know exactly what our position is on multiple issues, including the dangers and risks of their course of conduct, particularly the launching of 200 ballistic missiles focusing primarily on densely populated areas in Israel’s most populated city, which also includes tens of thousands of Americans. 
    That is totally unacceptable.  We will not accept it.  We will support Israel defending itself.  And, obviously, we’ll support Israel fully in its right to self-defense.  Iran knows our position on that is unequivocal.  And we are quite clear that there’s no misunderstanding or miscommunication between us and Iran.
    In terms of communication with the Israelis, we are in constant communication with the Israelis up and down their system — military to military, intel to intel, and at the political level.  That is something that is ongoing and continuous. 
    Again, Jake briefed the President multiple times throughout the evening as this was unfolding and, of course, throughout the day today as it was developing.  And I think that will obviously continue through the weekend.  But I don’t have any calls to preview or read out.
    MODERATOR:  We have time for one last question.  We’ll go to the line of Kayla Tausche.
    Q    Thank you, guys, so much for doing this.  We appreciate it. 
    I have two questions.  The first is: You’ve described these strikes as “designed to be effective.”  Can you elaborate on what effect they were intended to have and whether they, in fact, did?
    And then, you’ve suggested that this should be the end to the conflict, but does the administration believe it will be the end of the conflict?
    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, first of all, the effect, it’s a proportionate self-defense response to an unbelievably brazen and reckless ballistic missile attack, almost unprecedented in history, that has launched almost three weeks ago.  So, the effect is to deter future attacks and also to degrade the capabilities of Iran being able to conduct those types of activities.
    As to specific targets, I will say we know them, but I would leave it to the Israelis to discuss them in any further detail. 
    What was your second question?  I’m sorry.
    Q    The second question was: You have suggested that this should be the end of the conflict, but does the administration actually believe that it will be?
    SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, this should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran.  And so, we had a direct exchange in April, and that was closed off, and we’ve now had this direct exchange.  Again, a direct — 200 ballistic missiles fired from Iran at Israel.  Israel did not attack Iran.  Iran attacked Israel, 200 ballistic missiles.  And Israel, tonight, has responded to that attack as an exercise of self-defense.  As far as we’re concerned, that should close out that direct exchange between Israel and Iran.
    As to the broader conflicts in the region, obviously much more complex.  I mentioned and alluded to them in my statement.  We do have a number of initiatives ongoing with respect to those. 
    But as to the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran, we do think this should complete that direct exchange.  And, again, should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to defend Israel and support Israel, and there will be consequences should Iran make that unfortunate decision. 
    But as far as we’re concerned, this direct exchange, this should be the end of it.  I will say we’ve heard the same thing from many across the region, including many with close ties to Iran.  So we’ll see how that unfolds. 
    But that is our very strong view.  That’s been communicated to our partners throughout the region, and obviously it’s been communicated through multiple channels, indirectly and directly, to Iran. 
    MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone.  That’s all the time we have for tonight.  As a reminder, this call was on background to a senior administration official, and the embargo is now lifted.  Thanks so much, and have a good night.
    11:27 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message to the Donor Conference to Support Internally Displaced People and Refugees in Sahel and Lake Chad Region

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Download the video:  https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+8+Oct+24/3271915_MSG+SG+SAHEL+AND+LAKE+CHAD+08+OCT+24.mp4

    Excellencies, friends,

    I thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for convening this vital event.

    The Sahel and Lake Chad Basin regions have immense potential: rich in cultures, with vibrant youth populations, and endless possibilities for renewable energy – all valuable building blocks for sustainable development.  

    However, the area also faces profound challenges: from violence and terrorism, to the climate crisis.

    This year floods swept through the lives of around five million people.

    Across the regions we see crises of hunger, crises of hope, and crises of displacement.

    The Sahel is home to over seven and a half million people driven from their homes, including two million refugees. Over thirty million require humanitarian assistance.

    The United Nations is on the ground, supporting governments and communities to provide food, healthcare, education, and shelter.

    But we need more support.

    Our humanitarian response plans are around forty percent funded.

    I sincerely thank all those that have contributed for their generosity. This will save lives and livelihoods. But I also ask countries to dig deeper to help fund our response plans in full.

    And I urge action to move beyond aid, and tackle the root causes of crises:

    Addressing poverty and inequality, particularly among women and girls;

    Adapting to climate change;

    Promoting peace and democracy;

    And urging parties to end hostilities, protect civilians and ensure full humanitarian access.

    The United Nations is eager to work with communities, countries, humanitarian partners, Multilateral Development Banks, and international funds, to deliver change. 

    Together, let’s renew our resolve to help forge a path to a more secure, prosperous, and dignified future for the people of Sahel and Lake Chad.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –