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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs presents Elite Enterprise Partnership Award 2024 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Hong Kong Customs today (October 16) held an award presentation ceremony of the Elite Enterprise Partnership Award 2024 at the Customs Headquarters Building to commend 18 stakeholders of logistics and intellectual property industries for their proactive co-operation and contribution to Customs. Established in 2022, this year marks the third round of the Award. In the past two presentation ceremonies, eight and 13 enterprises were awarded. Among the awardees this year, four have been presented with the award for three consecutive years. Hong Kong Customs expresses sincere gratitude for their unfailing support to the work of the department.

         At the ceremony, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, said that the prevalence of e-commerce and online shopping has provided business opportunities for the industry, and brought new challenges to customs work at the same time. Hong Kong Customs attaches great importance to the participation of the private sector to strengthen its enforcement capabilities and recognises the instrumental role played by the industry for the department in striking a balance between clearance efficiency and enforcement effectiveness. Customs will maintain close co-operation with various industries to consolidate the role of Hong Kong as an international transport and logistics hub. 

         The awardees this year came from various sectors, including those of express couriers, logistics companies, container and terminal companies, logistics associations, and trademark representatives. The diversity of stakeholders showcases the close co-operation and connections between Customs and different enterprises.

         The World Customs Organization (WCO) has long been encouraging customs administrations to actively strengthen ties with partners. As the Vice-Chairperson for the Asia/Pacific Region of the WCO, Hong Kong Customs will spare no effort to reinforce the collaborative relationship between customs administrations in the region and the industry. In addition, Hong Kong Customs will promote new collaborative partnerships between regional customs authorities and other stakeholders to tackle the new challenges under the ever-changing enforcement environment.      

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Healthcare system set for reform

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee announced in his Policy Address that the Government will conduct a comprehensive review on the positioning and objectives of the healthcare system.

    “The review will cover the following areas: reforming the functions and division of work among the Hospital Authority (HA), the Department of Health and the Primary Healthcare Commission, strengthening health promotion and disease prevention in primary healthcare, and improving public healthcare services.

    “In parallel, we will reform private healthcare services in terms of their quality, cost effectiveness and price transparency.”

    Advancing primary healthcare development

    Elaborating on the measures, Mr Lee said primary healthcare development will be carried out in 10 ways:

    (1) formulating legislation to strengthen the regulatory framework of primary healthcare and authorise the Primary Healthcare Commission to set up quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms;

    (2) developing a community drug formulary and launching a community pharmacy programme to help the public obtain affordable, primary-healthcare drugs;

    (3) devising health promotion strategies by adopting a life course framework to formulate health management plans for the public according to age and health conditions;

    (4) revamping maternal and child health and family planning services to strengthen pre-pregnancy counselling and parental education and promote healthy fertility;

    (5) strengthening the Whole School Health Programme to recommend targeted school-based measures for physical activities, meals and other matters to improve students’ physical and psychological well-being;

    (6) upgrading more District Health Centre Expresses into District Health Centres, and expanding the service network, and integrating the services of Woman Health Centres and Elderly Health Centres;

    (7) expanding the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme to cover blood lipid testing; positioning the HA’s general out-patient services as the comprehensive, primary healthcare service providers for the underprivileged;

    (8) formulating risk-based screening programmes for prevalent cancers, and implementing hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer;

    (9) launching a Primary Dental Co-Care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents to encourage the prevention of dental diseases, as well as rolling out a Community Dental Support Programme to enhance dental services for underprivileged groups; and

    (10) continuing efforts in tobacco control.

    Enhancing healthcare services

    In his Policy Address, Mr Lee highlighted that the Government will strengthen the HA’s public healthcare services by the following means:

    (1) reviewing the structure and levels of the HA’s fees and charges to encourage prudent use of services and direct resources to patients who need them most, while increasing the support for patients with financial difficulties and strengthening the financial sustainability of the targeted subsidisation of public healthcare services;

    (2) strengthening the centralised procurement of drugs and medical devices by various clusters of the HA system in order to enhance their bargaining power and expedite the introduction of new drugs;

    (3) formulating a directory for inherited and rare diseases by using the Hong Kong Genome Institute’s genomic data, while supporting research and clinical trials to promote precision medicine;

    (4) fully integrating the paediatric services of various clusters at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital and developing more advanced healthcare services to make the best use of the Children’s Hospital;

    (5) finalising the projects and timetable of the Second Hospital Development Plan to dovetail with the development of the Northern Metropolis and address local districts’ needs;

    (6) setting up the first stroke centre and the second chest pain centre;

    (7) enhancing the triage system and referral arrangements for specialist out-patient services, including setting up inter-specialty, integrated, out-patient clinics to avoid the need for multiple referrals; and

    (8) increasing the service capacity for cataract surgeries by at least 20%.

    As regards the quality and efficiency of healthcare services, the Chief Executive said that the Government will establish a professional platform for developing evidence-based clinical protocols and explore the feasibility of devising service quality and efficiency standards for public and private healthcare sectors.

    In addition, quality indicators will be developed for public and private healthcare systems.

    To enhance service efficiency and address the issue of medical inflation, the Government will explore legislating for private healthcare price transparency.

    Furthermore, the Government will seek amending relevant legislations to require all healthcare providers to deposit essential health data in the personal eHealth accounts of citizens, so that people can have more complete electronic health records and better continuity of medical care.

    Bringing in healthcare professionals

    The Government will promote the use of the legislation passed earlier to proactively admit more non-local doctors, nurses and dentists to enhance manpower, Mr Lee said, adding that a bill on the admission of qualified non-locally trained supplementary medical professionals will be introduced next year.

    Establishing third medical school

    The Chief Executive pointed out in the Policy Address that the Government supports the plan by local universities to establish a third medical school in Hong Kong.

    “A task group will be set up, inviting universities interested in establishing the new medical school to submit proposals. The Government will set aside sites in the Northern Metropolis Ngau Tam Mei to develop the new medical school campus and build an integrated medical teaching and research hospital.”

    Promoting development of Chinese medicine

    The Government will publish the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint next year to take forward measures that helps Hong Kong develop into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of Chinese medicine (CM), Mr Lee said.

    One of the measures relates to exploring the application of big data to foster international research collaboration on herb-drug interaction to discover more evidence of clinical significance, promoting the internationalisation of CM.

    The blueprint will also promote the expansion of integrated Chinese-Western medicine services to cover more diseases in which CM has an advantage, including respiratory diseases and knee osteoarthritis, and to progressively extend the cancer care programme to all hospital clusters.

    Furthermore, the first Chinese Medicine Hospital and the permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute are expected to be completed and begin phased operation next year, while the first edition of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Cultural Festival will be held, Mr Lee added.

    Promoting mental health

    The Chief Executive also outlined measures, based on a medical-educational-social collaboration model, to promote mental health.

    The Government will develop a stepped care model for mental health, which comprises a multi-disciplinary framework with tiers, from dealing with general emotional problems in the frontline to handling cases requiring follow up and more serious mental illnesses cases.

    “The framework sets out the roles of different professionals and their division of work in the provision of mental health services for cases in each tier, enabling them to work together and perform their respective roles smoothly,” Mr Lee explained.

    An annual promotional theme will be set for the Mental Health Workplace Charter, and recognition will be given to participating organisations for achieving targets. The 4Rs Mental Health Charter in schools will also be campaigned to promote the mental health of students, teaching staff and parents in a more holistic manner.

    The Government will extend and enhance the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, and launch the Mental Health Literacy resource packages for senior secondary and lower primary levels. A real-time, online youth emotional support platform will be set up in the second quarter of next year.

    A Transitional Support Service Teams for Persons in Mental Recovery will be set up, offering support to discharged patients waitlisted for halfway house service. The Social Welfare Department will also launch an additional Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness.

    The Government will also strengthen teachers’ capacity in the early identification of, and support for, students with mental health needs, and assist parents in acquiring the knowledge and skills in addressing children’s mental health.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CHP retail crime task force recovers more than $8 million in stolen goods

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 15, 2024

    What you need to know: In September, California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force continued its high rates of enforcement and is already well on its way to surpassing enforcement totals for all of 2023. This year, the task force has conducted 621 investigations leading to 1,123 arrests and recovered 269,992 stolen items valued at $8.1 million. Since inception, the task force has made 3,223 arrests, and recovered 880,276 stolen items valued at more than $46 million.

    SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF), led by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), continues its work to tamp down on organized retail theft operations statewide. This year, the task force has conducted 621 investigations statewide leading to 1,123 arrests and recovered 269,992 stolen items valued at $8.1 million. 

    “California will continue to hold thieves accountable — helping to ensure the state’s historic low crime rates remain that way. I thank the California Highway Patrol for their work with local agencies throughout the state to protect our communities and businesses.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Since the inception of the task force in 2019, the CHP has been involved in more than 3,000 investigations leading to the arrest of 3,223 suspects and the recovery of over 880,276 stolen goods valued at nearly $46 million.

    “The California Highway Patrol commends our retail theft investigation teams for their exceptional work in dismantling organized theft rings and protecting businesses across the state,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.  “They prevent significant losses and ensure that those who target retailers are brought to justice. Their dedication, skill, and teamwork are critical in keeping our communities and economy safe.”

    In September alone, CHP recovered 1,995 stolen items worth more than $306,553.  

    This effort led by the CHP is part of Governor Newsom’s comprehensive approach to combat organized retail crime, which includes new measures to crack down on property crime and creates unprecedented funding for police and prosecutors in local communities.

    Stronger enforcement. Serious penalties. Real consequences.

    Recently, Governor Newsom signed into law the most significant bipartisan legislation to crack down on property crime in modern California. Building on the state’s robust laws and record public safety funding, these bipartisan bills establish tough new penalties for repeat offenders, provide additional tools for felony prosecutions, and crack down on serial shoplifters, retail thieves, and auto burglars.

     

    Local support to fight organized retail crime

    Governor Newsom has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. Today’s announcement demonstrates the success of the Governor’s Real Public Safety Plan – which focuses on strengthening local law enforcement response, ensuring perpetrators are held accountable, and getting guns and drugs off our streets, including by increased deployment of California Highway Patrol to hot spots such as Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Francisco.

    The Governor announced that last year the state distributed $267 million to 55 local law enforcement agencies to help communities combat organized retail crime. These funds have enabled cities and counties to hire more police, make more arrests, and secure more felony charges against suspects. In just the first six months of the grant cycles, local law enforcement agencies that received the grants reported more than 6,900 arrests for retail theft, motor vehicle theft, and cargo theft offenses.

    Last year, the California Highway Patrol reported an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.

    Recent news

    Oct 14, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Joe Shea, of Los Angeles, has been appointed Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy at the California Natural Resources Agency. Shea has served in several positions at the Office of…

    Oct 14, 2024

    News What you need to know: New measure will help prevent price spikes that cost Californians upwards of $2 billion last year, giving the state more tools to require that petroleum refiners backfill supplies and plan ahead for maintenance. SACRAMENTO – Today,…

    Oct 12, 2024

    News Welcome to The California Weekly, your Saturday morning recap of top stories and announcements you might have missed. News you may have missed1. BOOSTING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONThe state is awarding $206 million in NEW funding to expand clean bus and rail…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: San Gabriel Mountains National Monument project gets boost to improve access and water quality

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 15, 2024

    What you need to know: A $3.5 million federal grant will fund cleanup efforts at the recently expanded San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to improve access to the site and enhance water quality on the East Fork of the San Gabriel River, a key Southern California water source and recreational site within the national monument. 

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today highlighted a $3.5 million federal investment to improve access to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and enhance a key Southern California water source that provides Los Angeles County with one-third of its water supply.

    Federal, state, tribal and local partners celebrated the announcement today, which will support trash removal projects, create new walking trails and install additional restrooms on this popular stretch of the San Gabriel River used primarily for recreation by surrounding underserved communities.

    The state this month marked the 10-year anniversary of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, which was expanded by President Biden in May along with the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. This action increased protected lands in California by 130,000 acres. California has conserved more than 25% of its land to date and is on track to reach its 30×30 goal in collaboration with federal, state, tribal and community partners.  

    “This collaborative effort is a win-win that will improve an important source of water for Southern California communities, deliver a healthier watershed for native species and enhance outdoor access for millions in the Los Angeles Basin. California will continue working with partners across the board to protect and preserve our common home.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    The State Water Board awarded an initial $1.5 million grant for the San Gabriel project and is planning an additional $2 million investment over the next three years through funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program. The investments support a multi-phase project that will enhance river access, protect fragile forest and riparian habitat and improve conditions for sensitive species, including the endangered Santa Ana sucker. Construction on the project’s first phase is expected to start early next year and will include an access trail and stairs to the riverbank, native plant restoration, increased trash bins and dumpsters and an asphalt parking lot.  

    San Gabriel Mountains

    California’s ongoing work to conserve biodiversity and natural resources includes the state’s first-ever ancestral land return effort through the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Grant Program, which provided more than $100 million in funding for the return of roughly 40,000 acres to indigenous communities. The state is also advancing Nature-Based Solutions that support the ability of lands to absorb more carbon than they release, helping to combat the climate crisis. Earlier this year, the state opened the first new state park in nearly a decade, Dos Rios, which conserves approximately 1,600 acres of land and is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California.

    Recent news

    Oct 15, 2024

    News What you need to know: The state today broke ground on a project that expands ongoing restoration work at the Salton Sea to improve conditions for wildlife and surrounding communities. Most recently, $175 million in federal funding was made available to…

    Oct 15, 2024

    News What you need to know: California’s battery storage capacity has surged by more than 3,000 MW in the last six months alone, now exceeding 13,000 MW total — a 30% increase as the state endured its hottest summer on record.  SACRAMENTO – California’s battery…

    Oct 15, 2024

    News What you need to know: In September, California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force continued its high rates of enforcement and is already well on its way to surpassing enforcement totals for all of 2023. This year, the task force has conducted 621 investigations…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Skunk Captured Last Night at Honolulu Harbor

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Skunk Captured Last Night at Honolulu Harbor

    Posted on Oct 15, 2024 in Main

    October 15, 2024
     NR24-30

    HONOLULU – A live skunk was captured at Honolulu Harbor last night by agriculture inspectors from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) after several days of tracking the animal.

    Last Thursday, inspectors from HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch received a report at about 3:00 a.m. that stevedores spotted a skunk running around the parking lot at Pier 1. Inspectors set traps in the area that day.

    At midnight Friday, security personnel from the U.S. Immigration Office (USIO) at Pier 1 contacted inspectors and reported that the skunk was seen on a security camera entering and exiting the property through a fence. Inspectors responded to the area and attempted to capture the skunk but were not successful.

    Last night at 8:30 p.m., USIO security personnel reported the skunk was seen taking shelter under a cargo container used for storage. Three inspectors responded and were able to capture the skunk using a net, pole and wooden boards to scare it out its hiding place, while braving the animal’s odoriferous natural defense system. The skunk is being tested for rabies.

    It is not known how long the skunk had been in the area or what vessel it may have hitchhiked on.

    Live skunks have been captured at Pier 1 in February 2018 January 2021, July 2021 and June 2022. On Maui, a live skunk was captured at Kahului Harbor in December 2020 and one was captured at a trucking company in August 2018. All previously captured skunks have tested negative for rabies.

    Skunks are prohibited in Hawai‘i and are only allowed by permit for research and exhibition in a municipal zoo. Skunks inhabit the U.S., Canada, South America, Mexico and other parts of the world. In the U.S., they are recognized as one of the four primary wild carriers of rabies, a fatal viral disease of mammals that is often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Hawai‘i is the only state in the U.S. and one of the few places in the world that is free of rabies.

    Sightings or captures of illegal and invasive species should be immediately reported to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).

    ###

    Skunk found at Honolulu Harbor

    Skunk captured at Honolulu Harbor

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW sets target to boost billion-dollar screen and digital games industries, supporting thousands of jobs

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Published: 16 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for the Arts

    Supporting Australian storytelling, developing the next generation of creative talent, and a plan to grow the digital games sector are the key priorities of the new three-year screen and digital games strategy.

    The NSW screen industry added almost $1.1 billion to the state economy in 2021-22 and is currently home to 51% of Australia’s screen production, and 49% of post-production businesses. To ensure NSW remains the leading screen state, the NSW Screen and Digital Games Strategy will:

    Invest in developing local talent and audiences, including:

    • $1 million pilot program to address skills shortages will be developed and rolled out with TAFE, AFTRS and NIDA to fast-track entry level and mid-career below the line practitioners in the below the line workforce.
    • $200,000 IP option fund to give producers the ability to purchase IP rights to turn home-grown novels, non-fiction work and podcasts into screen and gaming content, so we have more Australian stories on screen.
    • $200,000 Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund will support communities share the vibrancy of screen stories with audiences from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, by bringing them together to enjoy screen community film festivals.

    Role of Screen NSW

    • New film friendly legislation will be introducedto ensure a strengthened standard of working.
    • Address impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the sector: Screen NSW will convene an industry working group to help develop an Australian industry response to AI, and review funding guidelines.
    • Priority hotline: The Head of Screen NSW will be given the authority to escalate critically urgent production issues for an urgent government response.

    Supporting infrastructure

    • Addressing the critical shortage of filming infrastructure in NSW, the NSW Government will develop new partnerships with the private sector to explore alternate options for studio space, including a second studio and Callan Park.
    • Centre for Screen culture and digital innovation. Working with local government and industry partners, the NSW Government will support plans to establish a hub for creative workers across the industry.

    Focus on developing digital games industry

    The $466 billion global digital gaming industry is highlighted as an enormous opportunity. New incentives to support games production and increase NSW revenue for digital games to $406.39 million in 2027-28 include:

    • Reducing Digital Games Rebate NSW expenditure minimum from $500,000 down to $350,000. The Rebate is designed to nurture homegrown developers, attract and retain work and talent to the state, and accelerate growth in the NSW digital games sector. While many larger, established studios currently access the Rebate, the lowered threshold mean it will now be more accessible to a broader range of digital games companies in NSW, including many independent studios that currently operate in the state. 
    • Increased investment in the Digital Games Seed Development Program and Market Travel Programs. A flourishing games industry is one that includes large and small developers, an investment of$1.5 million over three years will support digital games producers to essential skills and build their industry networks and knowledge.

    Minister for the Arts John Graham said:

    “Our people, our stories, and our skills – these are the reasons why more than half of Australian screen production happens here in NSW. This strategy sets out how the government and the industry could work together to build on that.

    “While there has been a recent slowdown in global screen production, the Federal Government’s increased location offset will see Australia gain a greater share of that market. This strategy recognises the opportunities that brings, as well as the pressure that puts on NSW production facilities.

    “We have identified ways of cutting the red tape that has made NSW a ‘No’ state when it comes to attracting productions. Backed by the introduction of a NSW Screen and Digital Games Act, we aim to make NSW a ‘Yes’ state.

    “For the first time in NSW, we are putting digital gaming front and centre. This strategy sets out a ‘hothouse’ approach that backs existing high performing producers to support the ambitious target of 20% compound annual growth in the sector.”

    Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said:

    “I am thrilled to be able to drive this strategy and provide a path forward for our sector, working towards a vibrant and sustainable future for all screen practitioners and game makers in NSW.

    “Storytelling has the power to unite and inspire, and as a state with such a rich depth of talent, we strive to be known as the place to create compelling stories. This is an exciting time for our sector as, while developing this strategy, we have taken stock of where the industry is at and looked forward to where we want to be in the next three years. This has informed our strategy and with this vital support we want to move forward with the industry and take it to new heights.

    “I am confident this strategy will provide assurance that Screen NSW are committed to supporting NSW stories and storytellers.”

    Background

    The strategy outlines four strategic priority focuses to support and sustainably grow the screen and digital games sector. These include:

    • Creating stories: We lead the way in making enriching, high calibre stories and cultural content for local and global audiences.
    • Building sustainable growth: Our businesses are globally recognised, connected and competitive. High quality, accessible spaces help them grow and create jobs that are future proofed and sustainable.
    • Improving capacity and capability: We set best practice standards to ensure workers have career pathways, are respected, safe, appropriately remunerated and supported in their career ambitions.
    • Developing audiences to increase demand: Local content finds and delights diverse audiences locally and around the world.

    New legislation: The strategy includes proposed new legislation to ensure screen friendly approaches across local councils and state government agencies.

    In 2025, the NSW Government will introduce the NSW Screen and Digital Games Act to strengthen NSW as a film-friendly jurisdiction, reduce red-tape and provide the highest level of cooperation across government with filmmakers to maximise opportunities for the sector. This will strengthen elements of the Making NSW Film Friendly Premier’s Memorandum and incorporate an updated Local Government Filming Protocol.

    Renewed Screen NSW agency: The strategy will provide Screen NSW with greater independence and will build its capacity to continue to strengthen and grow the industry. This will mean:

    • Shortening investment approval timeframes, contracting and payment terms.
    • Legislation will be introduced for the Film and Television Industry Advisory Committee to include digital games representation and renaming the board to reflect this update.
    • The Head of Screen NSW will be given the authority to escalate critically urgent production issues for an urgent government response.

    The full strategy available is here: Screen NSW – NSW Screen and Digital Games Strategy

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Judge orders Pennsylvania contractor to pay $85K in wages, benefits, overtime owed to 6 workers on federal projects in New York, New Jersey

    Source: US Department of Labor

    NEW YORK – An administrative law judge has ordered a Pennsylvania-based federal contractor to pay $85,284 in back wages for failing to pay prevailing wages, fringe benefits and overtime pay owed to workers employed on multiple federal construction projects, after an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

    A decision by the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges found that JRW Service Group LLC and its owner, Jason Winters, violated the Davis-Bacon Act by classifying and paying six workers as laborers improperly when they did the work of carpenters, pipefitters and other trades at three worksites for the U.S. General Services Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard. Specifically, the work was performed at federal court buildings in Brooklyn and Central Islip and the U.S. Coast Guard training center in Cape May, New Jersey. The judge also found the company failed to pay workers fringe benefits, as required in federal contracts.

    In addition, the judge found the employer did not pay employees the required overtime rates for hours over 40 in a workweek at all three worksites in violation of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. The case was referred to the department’s Office of the Solicitor when JRW Service Group refused to pay the workers’ back wages. 

    “Employers who fail to pay required prevailing wages and fringe benefits because they classify employees improperly cause financial harm to workers on government-funded projects,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jorge Alvarez in New York. “The Wage and Hour Division is committed to ensuring that these employees are made whole using all available enforcement tools.”

    The order also debarred the company and its owner from working on future federal and federally funded construction projects for three years.

    “This decision and debarment should make clear that the U.S. Department of Labor will pursue all necessary legal actions to ensure that employers are held accountable when they violate federal prevailing wage laws,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Jeffrey S. Rogoff in New York. 

    The division’s New York City District Office conducted the investigation. Trial attorneys Susannah Kroeber, Susan Jacobs and Stacy Goldberg of the regional Office of the Solicitor in New York litigated the case.

    Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division and the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division and how to file an online complaint. Workers and employers can call the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) confidentially with questions, regardless of immigration status. The division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.

    Download the agency’s Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – available in English and Spanish – to ensure hours and pay are accurate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union MoS for Health and Family Welfare Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel addresses 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union MoS for Health and Family Welfare Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel addresses 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities

    ICDRA is crucial in sharing knowledge, building partnerships, and working in harmonisation to ensure safe and effective medicines for everyone: Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel

    “New rules and regulatory procedures introduced in India such as New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules 2019 and Medical Device Rules 2017 have promoted scientific and ethical research at par with global expectation and international practices”

    “Gaining of affiliate membership of IMRDF and recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia by the Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group are milestones marking the harmonisation and recognition of regulatory standards”

    Quality medicines improve the quality of life, human productivity as well as the way of life. This year’s ICDRA is crucial for its commitment to strengthen regulatory environment worldwide, especially coming after the Covid-19 pandemic: Dr VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog

    “India licenced 8 vaccines for use during the pandemic through a proper regulatory process. Different variants of vaccines including mRNA, DNA, nasal vaccines etc were available for a fraction of the cost of other vaccines that were available in the world”

    Posted On: 16 OCT 2024 11:51AM by PIB Delhi

    “ICDRA is crucial in sharing knowledge, building partnerships, and working in harmonisation to ensure safe and effective medicines for everyone. How well are we doing in regulation – our efforts can lead to better health outcomes for people all over the world.” This was stated by Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare during her address at the 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA), here today. Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present.

    The event which is being hosted for the first time in India, from 14th – 18th October by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) brought together regulatory authorities, policymakers, and health officials from over 200 countries.

    Addressing the session, Smt. Patel emphasized on the new rules and regulatory procedures introduced in India. She said, “new regulations published in the areas of clinical trial as New Drugs and Clinical Trial rules 2019 and Medical Device Rules 2017 have promoted scientific and ethical research at par with global expectation and international practices. The medical device rules include risk-based classification, bringing all devices under regulation through registration and framing regulatory pathway.” She further stated that “there is robust pre-approval and post approval regulatory procedures of all medical devices, diagnostics managing product lifecycle indicating robust control.  We are collaborating globally with international organizations such as IMDRF, ISO, WHO and regional network like SEARN to harmonise regulatory requirements in the area of medical devices and diagnostics.”

    The Union Minister noted that India has been recently recognised as an affiliate member of IMDRF. “Recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia by the Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) is another milestone marking the harmonisation and recognition of regulatory standards”, she added.

    Smt. Patel highlighted that the recently published revised Schedule M, aligned with WHO requirements of good manufacturing practices for various products including biologicals, investigational products, further establish the harmonisation goal. “This coupled with e-governance for all regulatory procedures have established good regulatory practices in the regulation of medical products in India”. She also informed that “AMR containment is another priority area in which India is building its strategy for effective management and control.”

    Lauding WHO’s efforts in upgrading the regulatory systems of different countries, Smt. Patel stated that “the way WHO promotes partnership, reliance, experiential learning, pharmacovigilance systems, anticounterfeiting technologies and monitoring systems and reduction in use of animal experimentation need a word of appreciation. What is more important is the model of collaboration, deliberation and inclusive decision making which bring all the stakeholders together for best outcome.” On this note, Smt. Patel also underscored India’s commitment to work closely with WHO in contributing to many of these areas. “We have wealth of knowledge and appreciation for inclusive processes. Hosting ICDRA is a demonstration of our intent and commitment towards Global Public Health”, she said.

    On the Government’s commitment to Healthcare, the Union Minister said that “the focus is on building a strong healthcare system that meets the needs of our population. Programs like Ayushman Bharat ensure that over 500 million people have access to quality healthcare. This shows our commitment to making healthcare a right for everyone, not just a privilege.”

    She also highlighted the Union Government’s enthusiasm about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the face of healthcare. “AI can assist us in making quicker decisions, enhancing patient care, and speeding up research. By adopting new technologies, we can offer improved services to our people and achieve better health results”, she said.

    The Union Minister concluded her address by urging everyone to work together for a healthier future. “The ICDRA is not just a conference; it is a chance for us to collaborate, innovate, and support one another in our shared mission for better health for all”, she stated.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr VK Paul said that “quality medicines improve the quality of life, human productivity as well as the way of life.” He said that this year’s ICDRA is crucial for its commitment to strengthen regulatory environment worldwide, especially coming after the Covid-19 pandemic.

     

    Dr Paul highlighted the efforts being taken on healthcare sector by the present government such as the launch of the world’s largest health assurance scheme and a massive effort being taken in digital health. He said the future of healthcare in India and the world will be driven by technology and noted that India with its rich talent pool, strong government initiatives on digital health and medical infrastructure can be a driver of this change.

    Dr Paul informed that India licenced 8 vaccines for use during the pandemic through a proper regulatory process. He noted that India developed different variants of vaccines including mRNA, DNA, nasal vaccines etc which were available for a fraction of the cost of other vaccines that were available in the world.

    He also pointed out India’s heritage of a rich traditional system of medicines being practiced for hundreds of years. He underscored the importance of mainstreaming such traditional medicinal practices which can aid in improving the healthcare of people.

    Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Dept of Health Research and DG, ICMR highlighted the crucial role of regulators in health research. He said, “In the first three months of the pandemic, India developed indigenous tests at one-fortieth of the cost. Similarly, within nine months of the pandemic, India approved a Covid-19 vaccine.” He informed that three diagnostic tests have also been developed for MPox which were approved by CDSCO.

    Dr Yukiko Nakatini, Assistant Director-General, WHO noted that ICDRA 2024 is the first ICDRA after the Covid-19 pandemic. She noted that one urgent need highlighted by the pandemic was the need for a strong regulatory system. Dr Yukiko also congratulated India for its achievement of retaining Maturity level III for vaccine regulation.”

    Ms. Kimberlee Trzeciak, Deputy Commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration, USA highlighted the opportunities and risks brought about by the introduction of advanced drug manufacturing practices as opposed to the traditional methods. She also emphasized on the need to ensure compliance with quality and underscored the importance of collaboration between drug regulatory bodies across the world.

    Dr Rogerio Gasper, Director, Regulation and Prequalification Dept., WHO; Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Dept. of Health Research and DG ICMR; Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India; Shri Rajiv Wadhawan, Advisor (Cost), Health Ministry; Dr Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India; Mr. Hiiti Sillo, Unit Head, Regulation and Safety, WHO Dept of Regulation and Prequalification and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present at the event.

    ***

    MV/AKS

    HFW/ MoS ICDRA Plenary /16th October 2024/1

    (Release ID: 2065225) Visitor Counter : 90

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Defence undertakes pathbreaking initiatives under Special Campaign 4.0

    Source: Government of India

    Department of Defence undertakes pathbreaking initiatives under Special Campaign 4.0

    Himalayan Mountaineering Institute establishes Darjeeling’s first-ever Sewage Treatment Plant; Can treat 1,000 litres of waste water per day

    Posted On: 16 OCT 2024 1:50PM by PIB Delhi

    The Department of Defence as part of the Pan-India Swachhata Abhiyan initiative, has successfully covered 2,705 sites out of 3,832 locations, creating positive impacts across the country. As on October 15, 2024, over 20,976 physical files have been reviewed, leading to the weeding out of 5,391 files and freeing up 195k square feet of valuable space. Revenue generation of Rs 21.1 lakh has been achieved through the disposal of scrap materials and obsolete IT equipment.

    The sites include those under Military Hospitals, Controller General of Defence Accounts, Border Roads Organisation, Indian Coast Guard National Cadet Corps, Sainik Schools, Canteen Stores Department, Cantonments along with the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling.

    The cantonments have been at the forefront of the campaign and carried out initiatives like mosquito-breeding eradication campaigns and organised waste segregation workshops for local communities in coordination with volunteers. Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) have been transformed into plantation sites, further enhancing public spaces with dry-leaf composting initiatives in parks.

    Himalayan Mountaineering Institute established Darjeeling’s first-ever Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) named Swachhata Se Samriddhi which can treat 1,000 litres of wastewater per day, equivalent to 365 kilo litres annually. The treated water is repurposed for toilet flush systems, ensuring sustainable waste management within the institute. Additionally, the Institute has constructed a Rain Water Storage Plant with a capacity of 1.8 lakh litres, significantly reducing reliance on external water sources.

    The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute also exemplifies the ethos of sustainability by transforming damaged mountaineering gear, such as shoes and ropes, into decorative pieces, highlighting the innovative spirit of recycling and environmental stewardship.

    *****

    SR/MR/KB

    (Release ID: 2065273) Visitor Counter : 8

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar to be the Chief Guest on the 31st Foundation Day of the National Human Rights Commission, India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar to be the Chief Guest on the 31st Foundation Day of the National Human Rights Commission, India

    More than 23 lakh cases resolved and Rs. 254 crore recommended as relief to the victims of human rights violations during its 31 years journey

    The Foundation Day celebrations will be followed by a day-long national conference on the “Rights of Older Persons”

    Posted On: 16 OCT 2024 2:06PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India is organizing a function to celebrate its 31st Foundation Day at Vigyan Bhawan on the 18th of October 2024. On the occasion, the Chief Guest, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Vice-President of India will address several national and international dignitaries in the presence of NHRC, India Acting Chairperson, Smt Vijaya Bharathi Sayani and Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal and other senior officers of the Commission. The Foundation Day celebrations are a reminder of the Commission’s commitment to protecting and promoting human rights.

    Following this, the Commission will also be organizing a day-long national conference on the ‘Rights of Older Persons’ under the theme- ‘Assessing the Structural Framework, Legal Safeguards, Security Rights, and Institutional Protection for India’s Elderly.’ The conference will address various concerns of older persons under three key technical sessions including ‘Addressing the Aging Population,’ ‘The Gendered Perspective of Aging,’ and ‘Evaluating the Healthcare Landscape-Impact on Healthy Living, Productivity, and Social Security.’ These sessions will be attended and addressed by various stakeholders including eminent experts and civil society representatives.

    The live YouTube and Webcast link of the Foundation Day and the National Conference may be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzxbGV2pGGU and https://webcast.gov.in/nhrc

    The NHRC, India, recognizes senior citizens as valuable assets to society. It is essential to honour their contributions to nation-building by promoting their overall welfare, respecting their rights, and encouraging meaningful engagement. The Commission has a core group on the Rights of older persons to discuss and suggest measures for their welfare. Recently, the Commission assessed the institutional responses and support available to them. It also issued an advisory to ensure the rights of elderly persons during Covid-19. Besides promoting awareness about the need to protect the rights of the elderly in the country, the NHRC has been emphasizing the proper implementation of policies and laws including the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (MWPSC Act, 2007).

    In addition to the rights of older persons, the Commission has been working to promote and protect the rights of all segments of society, particularly those who belong to the vulnerable sections. During the 31 years of its journey since inception on 12thOctober, 1993 to 30thSeptember, 2024, the Commission has handled 2305194 (23 lakh 5 thousand and 194) cases including 2,873 cases of suo motu cognizance and recommended the payment of monetary relief of more than Rs. 254 crore in 8,731 cases to the victims of human rights violations.

    During the last one year w.e.f. 1st October, 2023 to 30th September, 2024, the Commission disposed of 68,867 cases and recommended more than Rs. 17.88 crore as monetary relief in 404 cases to the victims of human rights violations. It also registered 112 cases taking suo motu cognizance during this period. Besides, 19 spot inquiries were conducted into the allegations of human rights violations.

    The NHRC, India has conducted numerous spot investigations, open hearings, and camp sittings since its inception. Reviews of innumerable bills and laws, conferences and research projects, 31 Advisories, as well as more than 100 publications, including monthly newsletters, thousands of media reports, and engagements in international forums bear testimony to the work of the Commission towards the promotion and protection of human rights.

    The 31 advisories issued by the Commission including the recent, among others are Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), Rights of the Widows, people involved in begging, the Right to Food, Right to Health and mental Health, Rights of the Informal Workers, Upholding the Dignity of the Dead, Rights of Truck Drivers, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Advisory for ensuring the welfare of Transgender Persons, Advisory to mitigate Deliberate Self Harm and suicide attempts by prisoners and Advisory to Prevent, Minimize and Mitigate Ocular Trauma.

    The NHRC, India has designated 14 Special Rapporteurs to assess human rights conditions across various regions of the country. They conduct visits to shelter homes, prisons, observation homes, and similar institutions, compiling reports for the Commission that detail their observations and suggestions for future action. Additionally, the Commission has also appointed 21 Special Monitors tasked with overseeing specific thematic human rights issues and reporting their findings to the Commission. Throughout the year, they have visited several places to suggest improvements in human rights situations.

    The Commission has also proactively engaged with the NGOs and Human Rights Defenders. It has constituted 12 core groups on various thematic issues related to human rights to hold discussions with the domain experts and the concerned senior government functionaries representing different ministries from time to time to finalize its recommendations for the government. Besides these core group meetings, the Commission also organizes open house discussions with different stakeholders on various issues of human rights. The Commission during the last one year, w.e.f. 1st October, 2024 to 30th September, 2024 has organized 13 core group meetings and 06 open house discussions on varied themes of human rights and two national consultations.

    The NHRC, India is actively caring for all 47 Government mental health hospitals across the country. It continues to collaborate with central and state governments, parastatal organizations, academic institutions, NGOs, and human rights defenders to protect and promote human rights for all. Since last year, the Commission started a new program of sensitizing All India Services officers, including IAS, IPS, and IFS officers. The goal is to equip officers with a deeper understanding of human rights, enabling them to share this knowledge within their respective organizations for imparting human rights training to the other personnel.

    The Commission has also collaborated with various institutions to conduct human rights awareness programmes. During the last one year w.e.f. 1st October, 2023 to 30th September, 2024, it organized 69 collaborative workshops and 08 moot court competitions with financial support of over Rs. 130 lakh to various institutions. Additionally, the Commission also organized on-site winter and summer internships and 06 online short-term internships which have benefitted hundreds of students from far-flung areas at zero costs on their travel expenses to help them evolve as human rights ambassadors. During this period, students and faculty from 45 institutions visited the Commission to learn about various aspects of human rights and the functioning of the NHRC. Besides, annual debate competitions for Central Para-military forces and State Police organizations on various aspects of human rights for sensitization of security personnel.

    The Commission has issued notices to various sports bodies to establish Cells to deal with cases of harassment of women in the workplace. It has been issuing regular directions to provide free housing to thousands of homeless persons as per the government scheme. Victims of communal riots and internal conflicts are compensated. The Commission constantly endeavours to rehabilitate persons displaced due to natural disasters, land acquisition, and other causes. In the cases of suicide by debt-ridden farmers, the Commission successfully intervened.

    Some of the other important interventions of the Commission include recommending amendments to 97 laws that discriminate against persons with Hansen’s disease. The Government has enhanced compensation for bonded labour based on NHRC advisory at the pre-trial stage.

    The Commission has also been playing an active role at international human rights forums including the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), and UN Human Rights Council, among others with the participation of the Chairperson, Members, and senior officers. Last month, it successfully hosted a two-day conference of the NHRIs of Asia Pacific.

    Twelve Thematic Core Groups involving various experts have helped the Commission to formulate mechanisms to evaluate the schemes initiated by the Govt. and make recommendations thereof. The Special Monitors and Special Rapporteurs who are the eyes and ears of the Commission are adding value to the mandate of the Commission.

    The Commission has taken several new initiatives to expand its outreach including linking its HRCNet Portal with all the State authorities and the majority of State Human Rights Commissions. Any person can file complaints directly through online mode in a fast and efficient manner and can track the real-time status of their complaint on the Commission’s portal. The online complaint filing system is also linked with over five lakh Common Service Centers and the National Government Services Portal.

    *****

    NSK/ VCK

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet approves construction of Varanasi-Pt.Deen Dayal Upadhyaya multitracking including a new Rail-cum-Road Bridge across Ganga River : To provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, minimize logistics cost, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Cabinet approves construction of Varanasi-Pt.Deen Dayal Upadhyaya multitracking  including a new Rail-cum-Road Bridge across Ganga River : To provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, minimize logistics cost, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions

    The proposed project will improve logistical efficiency by connecting the unconnected areas, and enhancing transportation networks, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth

    The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,642 crore (approx.) and will be completed in Four years

    The project will also generate direct employment for about 10 lakh human-days during construction

    Posted On: 16 OCT 2024 3:18PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today has approved One project of Ministry of Railways with total estimated cost of Rs. 2,642 crore (approx.). The proposed multi-tracking project will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways. The project traverses through Varanasi and Chandauli districts in Uttar Pradesh.

    Varanasi Railway Station, a crucial hub in Indian Railways, connects key zones and serves as a gateway for pilgrims, tourists and the local population.  The Varanasi-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction route, vital for both passenger and freight traffic, faces heavy congestion due to its role in transporting goods like coal, cement, and foodgrains, as well as serving growing tourism and industrial demands.  To address this issue, infrastructure upgrades are needed, including a new rail-cum-road bridge over the Ganga River and the addition of 3rd and 4th railway lines.  These enhancements aim to improve capacity, efficiency and support the region’s socio-economic growth.  Apart from relief in congestion in the stretch, 27.83 MTPA freight is anticipated on the proposed stretch.

    The project is in line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Vision of a New India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment/ self-employment opportunities.

    The project is result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which has been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.

    The  project covering 2 Districts in Uttar Pradesh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 30 Kms.

    The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country and lower CO2 emissions (149 Crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 6 Crore trees.

    *****

    MJPS/BM/SKS 

    (Release ID: 2065312) Visitor Counter : 44

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Support for Member States after extreme weather events (including rebuilding road and bridge infrastructure) – P-002024/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    11.10.2024

    Priority question for written answer  P-002024/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Dariusz Joński (PPE)

    In response to the recent extreme weather events, including the floods that impacted many EU countries, particularly Poland, I would like to know what measures the Commission will take to help Member States rebuild their road and bridge infrastructure.

    The flooding caused severe damage in many regions, which is substantially impacting the safety and mobility of people living there and the functioning of the local economy. Rebuilding the damaged infrastructure will require action to be taken swiftly and promptly as well as substantial financial investment.

    In view of the above, could the Commission answer the following questions:

    • 1.What financial support instruments will the Commission mobilise to help countries hit by the calamity (including Poland) rebuild their road and bridge infrastructure?
    • 2.Does the Commission envisage additional funds or the possibility of more flexibility in using existing mechanisms, such as the EU Solidarity Fund, to quickly repair the damage and rebuild?
    • 3.In view of the increasing threat, will action be taken to effectively prepare and safeguard transportation infrastructure from the effects of natural disasters?

    Submitted: 11.10.2024

    Last updated: 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Targeted help set for the needy

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee said in his 2024 Policy Address that he attaches great importance to building a caring and inclusive society, providing targeted assistance to the underprivileged and families in need, in addition to strengthening labour support.

    To direct resources to those most in need to alleviate poverty, the Government will expand the Strive & Rise Programme by recruiting 4,000 mentees this year and set up three additional community living rooms in areas clustered with sub-divided units.

    Mr Lee also outlined various measures to strengthen elderly services, such as increasing the total number of vouchers under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly by 20% to 6,000, allowing more frail seniors to be admitted to residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) of their choice and receive subsidised care services without waiting.

    Additionally, the Government plans to enhance the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong by increasing the number of participating RCHEs from the existing four to 11 in November of this year, sharing part of the elderly participants’ medical expenses and engaging organisations to provide care services to help the elderly adapt to living in Guangdong.

    Furthermore, Mr Lee noted that the Government will launch a three‑year pilot scheme next year to subsidise elderly recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance retiring in Guangdong to reside in designated RCHEs in Guangdong Province, with each eligible elderly person receiving a monthly subsidy of $5,000, subject to a quota of 1,000.

    To strengthen support for persons with disabilities, the Government will establish 14 Integrated Community Rehabilitation Centres across the city. Apart from providing 1,280 additional service places to support such individuals, an additional district support centre in New Territories East will be set up.

    For ethnic minorities, the Government will engage one more support service centre to provide interpretation and translation services next year, on top of the two additional centres which will begin operation by the end of this year. 

    The Education Bureau plans to strengthen Chinese learning support and parental assistance for non‑Chinese speaking students, Mr Lee added.

    He also announced the setting up of one more child care centre to support working parents. Service places under the Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project will be increased by 25%, to 2,500, with the estimated number of beneficiaries reaching 25,000.

    As for the District Services & Community Care Teams, the Chief Executive revealed that the Government will regularise the funding provision and increase funding by 50% in the next term of service in support of their work.

    It will also expand the Pilot Scheme on Supporting Elderly & Carers to cover all 18 districts in the next year, identifying and reaching out to households in need.

    Regarding measures to strengthen labour support, Mr Lee emphasised that the Employees Retraining Board will be reformed, from providing employment‑related training targeted at low‑skilled workers to devising skills‑based training programmes and strategies for the entire workforce.

    Other measures to protect employees include enhancing the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund, implementing the new annual review mechanism of the statutory minimum wage and amending the continuous contract requirement under the Employment Ordinance.

    Mr Lee explained what the Government is doing to encourage employment among middle-aged and elderly people.

    “The three‑year Re‑employment Allowance Pilot Scheme was launched in July, with more than 20,000 participants to date. The Labour Department will continue the scheme and, through the Good Employer Charter 2024, encourage employers to adopt family‑friendly employment practices such as flexible work arrangements.”

    He stressed that promoting occupational safety and health is of key importance to his administration.

    “The Government has been encouraging the industry to provide a safer working environment.  Among other things, it mandated, in July, the adoption of the Smart Site Safety System (4S) for mobile plants in designated private‑building works, and issued the first batch of 4S labelling. 

    “We will strengthen the protection of workers’ safety under a three‑pronged approach, formulating safety guidelines, promoting optimal use of robotic technology and enhancing industry training.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine – A10-0006/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

    on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

    (COM(2024)0426 – C10‑0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD))

    (Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0426),

    – having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 212 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C10‑0106/2024),

    – having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    – having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

    – having regard to the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 9 October 2024 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    – having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the letter from the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

    – having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade (A10-0006/2024),

    1. Adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal;

    2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

    3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

     

     

    EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

    The ongoing war of aggression by Russia has significantly increased Ukraine’s financial needs. To address these challenges, both the European Union (EU) and the international community are being called upon to provide additional funding.

     

    In response, the European Commission has put forward a legislative proposal aligned with a G7 initiative. This proposal aims to utilize the extraordinary revenues from immobilized Russian assets to cover Ukraine’s urgent financial needs. Specifically, the proposal seeks to establish the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism (ULCM), which will enable Ukraine to service and repay loans of up to €45 billion. These loans will be repaid using the windfall profits generated from frozen Russian assets. The EU’s proposed macro-financial assistance (MFA) includes an amount of up to €35 billion, intended to support Ukraine’s immediate financing needs. This assistance will be delivered in a predictable, long-term, and timely manner.

     

    A key feature of this MFA is that Ukraine will not be required to repay the loan directly. Instead, repayments will be covered by windfall profits generated from interest accrued on immobilized Russian assets. Additionally, the terms of this loan will align with the conditions under the Ukraine Facility.

     

    The rapporteur emphasizes the importance of a swift procedure in order for the EU to adopt this proposal by the end of October 2024 to ensure that the MFA loan can be released by the end of 2024.

     

     

     

    ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

    Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee:

    Entity and/or person

    Bálint Ódor, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, Council of the European Union

    The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

    Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

     

     

    BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT (11.10.2024)

    for the Committee on International Trade

    on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

    (COM(2024)0426 – C10‑0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD))

    Rapporteur for budgetary assessment: Janusz Lewandowski 

     

    The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

    – having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 of 15 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[1],

    – having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 of 29 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[2],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/792 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishing the Ukraine Facility[3],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2022/2463 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 establishing an instrument for providing support to Ukraine for 2023 (macro-financial assistance +)[4],

    – having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/335 of 28 February 2022 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine[5],

    – having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/577 of 12 February 2024 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine[6],

    – having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1470 of 21 May 2024 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine[7],

    – having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union[8],

    – having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources[9],

    A. whereas the Commission proposed a draft amendment to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 that made it possible to allow contingent liabilities stemming from financial assistance to Ukraine for 2023 and 2024 only to be treated in the same manner as financial assistance for Member States;

    B. whereas there is a need for greater sustained budgetary support to Ukraine;

    C. whereas Ukraine’s financing needs are expected to significantly outstrip current IMF projections and total at least USD 38 billion for 2025, making the amounts available under previous rounds of macro-financial assistance (MFA), the Ukraine Facility and the current round of MFA insufficient to ensure the required level of support, particularly for 2026 and 2027;

    D. whereas Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/577 provides rules for allocating extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian state assets to the Ukraine Peace Facility and the Ukraine Facility, considering that EUR 210 billion of Russian Central Bank assets are currently held by financial institutions in the EU;

    E. whereas the G7 leaders announced the launch of Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine, which would make USD 50 billion available to Ukraine and would be secured through immobilised Russian state assets;

    F. whereas the next tranche of the IMF’s loan to Ukraine is also linked to the entry into force of the proposed regulation;

    1. Takes note of the proposal for the creation of the new Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which will provide non-repayable financial support with a view to assisting Ukraine to repay loans provided for its support and will be endowed mainly by the amounts transferred in accordance with Annex XLI to Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014[10], as well as by any potential amounts stemming from voluntary contributions from Member States, third countries or other sources, for up to EUR 45 billion;

    2. Takes note of the conditions and obligations that Ukraine must fulfil in order to receive and use the non-repayable financial support provided by the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, particularly the obligation for the repayment of the principal, interest and any other costs of the MFA loan or eligible bilateral loans;

    3. Takes note of the proposal for the creation of a new MFA instrument for the benefit of Ukraine, providing support of up to EUR 35 billion, pending other contributions under the G7 agreement on Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine, over a duration of 45 years; takes note of the fact that the Commission’s proposal seems to be based on the assumption that the Russian state assets will remain immobilised for 45 years and on various assumptions regarding the future flows of extraordinary revenues stemming from the immobilisation of Russian sovereign assets held in the EU;

    4. Takes note of the fact that there is no grace period for the repayment of the principal or interest for the MFA instrument;

    5. Takes note of the fact that the MFA instrument, unlike previous instruments, does not give Ukraine the option to request interest rate subsidies covered by Member States;

    6. Takes note of the preconditions for support, such as effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system and the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including for those of minorities, and takes note of the consequences of not meeting, or no longer meeting, these preconditions;

    7. Takes note of the future negotiation between the Commission and Ukraine on the Memorandum of Understanding containing the guidelines that will underpin all future disbursements to Ukraine and must be consistent with the qualitative and quantitative steps contained in the Annex to Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1447 of 14 May 2024 on the approval of the assessment of the Ukraine Plan[11] and any amendments thereto; takes note of the fact that the assessment criteria for the funds allocated through the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism are aligned with the assessment criteria established in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 in order to guarantee effective support and optimal use of resources for Ukraine’s recovery and development; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to consulting the Verkhovna Rada and involving relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations;

    8. Takes note of the derogation from Article 31(3), second sentence, of Regulation (EU) 2021/947[12], which implies that the External Action Guarantee will not be used to guarantee the borrowing of the amounts to be lent in the framework of this MFA and that, therefore, the guarantees for this MFA will be provisioned by the headroom; calls for caution in extending borrowing without a clear guarantee mechanism, with a view to ensuring that any additional borrowing does not jeopardise the Union’s financial stability;

    9. Takes note of the derogation from Article 214(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/2509, preventing the establishment of a provisioning rate, because of the use of the headroom for the provisioning of guarantees;

    10. Recalls all the mandatory provisions to be included in the MFA Loan Agreement, particularly those related to the early repayment of the amounts borrowed should it be recognised that Ukraine has engaged in any act of fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity detrimental to the financial interests of the Union;

    11. Takes note of the repayment arrangements, and particularly of the waterfall structure to be established in the MFA Loan Agreement and the potential implications for the EU budget;

    12. Takes note of the provisions on the transmission of information to Parliament and the Council, as laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on good interinstitutional cooperation and governance and specifically within the framework of the annual budgetary procedure, ensuring full accountability and oversight of how funds are managed and disbursed; acknowledges the urgent need to implement the proposed regulation and calls for the relevant draft amending budget to include only the changes arising from the entry into force of the proposed regulation; expects the proposal to provide an update on the borrowing plan as per Article 52(1)(d)(iii), third indent, of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509; expects to be informed, in a timely manner, of the implementation of borrowing as per Article 223(4)(b) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, including of any potential early repayments and the construction of a buffer, if applicable;

    13. Takes note of the fact that, according to the financial legislative statement, the implementation of the proposal does not require any additional human resources or administrative expenditure; reiterates its understanding that new policy priorities or tasks must be accompanied by adequate resources and staff to properly implement them;

    14. Regrets the proposal’s lack of clarity about whether the Union budget has final liability, particularly in the framework of a loan guaranteed solely by the headroom, independently of the support from the Ukraine Loan Mechanism, for example in the event of significant changes to the sanctions regime underwriting the mechanism;

    15. Requests that the Commission clarify the potential interplay and complementarity in the funding provided by the Ukraine Facility, in particular under Pillar I for 2025, and by the MFA, and explain how the latter will be linked to relevant political and reform-related conditions that are consistent with and support the conditionality under the Ukraine Facility, in particular the Ukraine Plan;

    16. Requests that the Commission provide the budgetary authority with details of the aggregation of liabilities to the headroom, contingent on borrowing and lending operations;

    17. Recalls that a further amendment to the MFF, adopted by unanimity in the Council, would be required in order to extend the ability of the Union to treat the financial assistance to Ukraine in the same manner as financial assistance to Member States until the end of the current MFF;

    18. Regrets the urgency of this proposal, stemming partly from the lack of flexibility granted by the Commission proposal on the amendment of the MFF, and the subsequent Council decision pressuring Parliament to co-legislate in a very limited time frame;

    19. Calls on the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible, to recommend the approval of the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

     

     

    LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS (2.10.2024)

    Mr Bernd Lange

    Chair

    Committee on International Trade

    BRUSSELS

     

     

    Subject:  Opinion on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine (COM/2024/426 final) (2024/0234(COD))

     

     

     

    Dear Mr Lange,

     

    Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Foreign Affairs has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. By way of a written procedure, the committee Coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter. Due to the extreme urgency of the procedure, the committee Coordinators adopted the opinion at their meeting on 30 September 2024.

     

    Yours sincerely,

     

     

     

     

     

    David McAllister

     

     

      

    SUGGESTIONS

     

    The Committee on Foreign Affairs:

     

    1. Expresses its complete solidarity with the people of Ukraine, along with its full support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders;

    2. Welcomes the commitments of the EU and its Member States to provide humanitarian assistance, military support, economic and financial aid and political support in every possible way until Ukraine’s victory;

    3. Commends the Commission’s proposal to establish the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which contributes to answering Parliament’s call on the EU and its Member States to achieve the broadest possible international support for Ukraine, and builds upon the decision of the Council to direct extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian state assets to the Ukraine Assistance Fund and the Ukraine Facility as well as upon the G7’s decision to offer Ukraine a USD 50 billion loan secured through immobilised Russian state assets;

    4. Expresses its conviction that the new Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism is a substantive step towards making Russia financially compensate for the massive damage it continues to cause in Ukraine; insists that this should not preclude the establishment of a sound legal regime for the confiscation of Russian state assets frozen by the EU, to be used for the benefit of Ukraine; urges the Commission and the EEAS to step-up their work in that direction;

    5. Acknowledges that the Commission’s proposal is based on the assumption that Russian assets will remain immobilised until Russia definitively and irreversibly ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine.  Therefore urges the Council to adopt swiftly a decision to that effect;

    6. Invites the Commission, when evaluating whether Ukraine has met the precondition set out in Article 11 of the proposal, to apply the same standards it applies when it evaluates whether Ukraine has met the precondition set out in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 on the establishment of the Ukraine Facility; in particular, in its assessment, the Commission shall also take into account the context in Ukraine and the consequences of the application of martial law in Ukraine; invites the Commission to transmit its assessment simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council;

    7. Calls on the Commission to ensure that, when it agrees with Ukraine the policy conditions to be set out in the MoU pursuant to Article 12 of the proposal, it is satisfied that Ukraine has complied with (i) the provisions set out in Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 and provided all the relevant explanations, as appropriate; and (ii) the qualitative and quantitative steps provided for in Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1447 and its annex. At the same time, calls on the Commission to make sure, when deciding on the release of funds pursuant to Article 13 of the proposal, that its assessment complies with Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2024/792 and, in particular, takes into account the criteria listed in paragraph 3 thereof, where relevant; urges the Commission, in that context, to make sure that all decisions adopted by Ukraine on the use of the funds allocated to it in the framework of the proposed regulation respect democratic procedures and are supported by meaningful consultations with all relevant institutions and stakeholders, including the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, anti-corruption institutions and representatives of the civil society;

    8. Calls on the Commission to transmit the MFA Loan Agreement to the European Parliament as soon as it will be signed;

    9. Requests that the Commission include by default in its yearly report on the implementation of the proposed Regulation a review of the adequacy of the arrangements contained in the Regulation itself.

     

    PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

    Title

    Establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine

    References

    COM(2024)0426 – C10-0106/2024 – 2024/0234(COD)

    Date submitted to Parliament

    20.9.2024

     

     

     

    Committee(s) responsible

    INTA

     

     

     

    Committees asked for opinions

     Date announced in plenary

    AFET

    10.10.2024

     

     

     

    Not delivering opinions

     Date of decision

    AFET

    27.9.2024

     

     

     

    Rapporteurs

     Date appointed

    Karin Karlsbro

    30.9.2024

     

     

     

    Simplified procedure – date of decision

    30.9.2024

    Discussed in committee

    14.10.2024

     

     

     

    Date adopted

    14.10.2024

     

     

     

     

    BUDG

    7.10.2024

     

     

     

    Result of final vote

    +:

    –:

    0:

    31

    4

    0

    Members present for the final vote

    Brando Benifei, Lynn Boylan, Udo Bullmann, Raphaël Glucksmann, Bart Groothuis, Céline Imart, Karin Karlsbro, Rihards Kols, Sebastian Kruis, Bernd Lange, Ilia Lazarov, Thierry Mariani, Gabriel Mato, Ştefan Muşoiu, Daniele Polato, Majdouline Sbai, Francesco Torselli, Catarina Vieira, Jörgen Warborn, Iuliu Winkler, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski

    Substitutes present for the final vote

    Mika Aaltola, Dan Barna, Nina Carberry, Anna Cavazzini, Hana Jalloul Muro, Ľubica Karvašová, Marina Mesure, Branislav Ondruš, Pierre Pimpie, Jessika Van Leeuwen

    Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

    Peter Agius, Marie Dauchy, Elio Di Rupo, Virginie Joron

    Date tabled

    15.10.2024

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Google.org announces $15 million in AI training grants for the government workforce

    Source: Google

    The public sector is already transforming government services using AI, from improving cancer detection systems for service members, to advancing water conservation, to identifying disaster relief areas. That’s why today at Google Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C., we’re announcing $15 million in total new Google.org funding to two leading public sector organizations — the Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS — to further upskill the U.S. government workforce in responsible AI.

    The Partnership for Public Service: leading the charge in federal AI training

    A $10 million grant to the nonpartisan nonprofit the Partnership for Public Service will help establish the Center for Federal AI, a hub launching in Spring 2025 that is dedicated to cultivating AI leadership and talent within the federal government. At the Center, everyone from interns to executives can learn how to use AI responsibly in their government agencies. As part of this, the Center will offer a federal AI leadership program, federal AI internship program, and initiatives to foster a vibrant learning community for federal AI leaders.

    The Partnership for Public Service has been instrumental in promoting AI adoption within the federal government. With the support of Google.org and other partners, the organization has been working since 2019 to train 550 of the most senior career government leaders — representing more than 50 agencies across 35 states and overseeing hundreds of thousands of federal employees — in AI skills.

    “AI is today’s electricity — it’s a transformative technology that is fundamental to the public sector and to our society,” says Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “Google.org’s generous investment will enable the Partnership to expand our current programming and research, and offer innovative new programming to empower agencies to capitalize on AI and better serve the public. We appreciate Google.org’s commitment to effective government, and we are excited to partner with them to launch the Partnership’s new Center for Federal AI this spring.”

    InnovateUS: addressing skills gaps across state and local governments

    An additional $5 million of funding will go to InnovateUS, supported by a consortium of federal, state, and local government partners. This organization has been at the forefront of providing no-cost AI training to public sector workers through at-your-own-pace courses, live workshops, and training programs. InnovateUS has trained more than 40,000 learners and has more than 100 agency partners.

    With Google.org’s support, InnovateUS will expand its reach, providing AI courses, workshops and coaching programs tailored to state and local government to more than 100,000 public sector workers across more than 30 states. Curriculum will include custom AI training for government workers developed by InnovateUS, as well as access to the Google Career Certificates program which includes AI training. New Jersey, a founding member of InnovateUS, has already seen the benefits of AI training, with thousands of state employees embracing AI to improve service delivery.

    “For government to work better and be more accessible to the people it serves, our workers must have the opportunity to take advantage of the latest tools and technologies,” said Beth Simone Noveck, Founder of InnovateUS and Chief AI Strategist for the State of New Jersey. “By continuing to invest in upskilling programs for public sector professionals offered through InnovateUS, we can improve the effectiveness of how we solve problems while restoring much-needed trust in our government.”

    The future of AI in government

    The funding announced today is a part of Google.org’s $75 million AI Opportunity Fund, which aims to help Americans learn essential AI skills. This funding, along with the efforts of organizations like the Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS, are paving the way for AI to play a central role in improving government services and addressing societal challenges. By investing in AI training and upskilling, we can help ensure the public sector harnesses the full potential of AI to support critical needs such as healthcare access, infrastructure management and public safety, which benefit us all.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NAMRU San Antonio highlights Olivia Cruz during National Hispanic Heritage Month

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – (Oct. 15, 2024) – National Hispanic Heritage Month marks a time to showcase and honor the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the nation.

    Possessing a diverse workforce is important to NAMRU San Antonio as it acknowledges individual strengths of each Sailor, Soldier, civilian and contractor, and the potential they bring to accomplishing the command’s mission.

    Olivia Cruz, a budget analyst lead assigned to the command’s Resource Management and Acquisitions Directorate (DRMA), is a representation of the highly professional and diverse civilian workforce within Navy Medicine.

    A 2014 graduate of Texas A&M University at San Antonio, Cruz directly supports the allocation and execution of all Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funding received by NAMRU San Antonio. This includes performing or advising on work in any of the phases or systems of budget administration of funds required for command programs. Additionally, she serves as the command’s Time and Attendance clerk.

    A San Antonio native, Cruz began her Navy civilian career in 2021 with Naval Medical Forces Development Command serving as the regional labor and budget analyst.

    “At my previous command, I was the only person on board who was born and raised in San Antonio,” said Cruz. “Most of the times, the comptroller would refer newly arriving personnel to me for places in the city to visit and eat. Eventually, I joked with telling people that I was the unofficial San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.”

    According to Cruz, who has been maintaining and executing government budgets for 15 years, there are countless opportunities to serve locally, out of state and even overseas within Navy Medicine.

    “Working for NAMRU San Antonio has provide me with insight on the numerous opportunities available for my son in science research as he begins his journey in biology,” said Cruz, whose goal is to complete her career at the federal level. “When I initially came on board with the command, I didn’t realize that I would be working directly with some of the Navy’s smartest research scientists.”

    “As analysts, we don’t see the type of research that is being conducted. Usually, all we see is the money side,” added Cruz. “Is there funding? Are the funds committed? The list goes on, but we never see the scientists at work.”

    Cruz feels that being able to observe some of the work being done at NAMRU San Antonio enables her to understand how important her role is in the command.

    “Being able to know how my job directly supports research has motivated me to be a more knowledgeable analyst which allows our scientists to efficiently research projects that will essentially save countless lives,” said Cruz. “Our DRMA team doesn’t allow setbacks and limited staff to stop us from hindering our scientists from their research mission.”

    Perseverance is one of Cruz’s strengths.

    “I have always persevered; however, working for the Navy has instilled in me the motivations to keep going even if I feel that I am not performing to my personal standards,” said Cruz. “However, I have the great opportunity of working with so many diverse personalities and professionals from whom I continue to learn from. They have shown me that there is more for me to learn and how to overcome challenges.”

    Continuing to listen, learn, and apply shared knowledge from others has enhanced Cruz’s importance of her role as an analyst with NAMRU San Antonio. In the future, she wants to share her knowledge with others to guide and help make them better in their profession.

    NAMRU San Antonio’s mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of DoD personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations.

    NAMRU San Antonio is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordinate research commands in the global network of laboratories operating under the Naval Medical Research Command in Silver Spring, Md.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: POET Wins “Best in Artificial Intelligence” Honors at 2024 Global Tech Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of the POET Optical Interposer™, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, has been named the winner of the “Best in Artificial Intelligence” category at the prestigious 2024 Global Tech Awards, announced on October 14. The honor is the third top prize the Company has received in 2024, following recognition by the AI Breakthrough Awards for “Best Optical AI Solution” and the Gold Prize for “AI Innovator of the Year” from the Merit Awards.

    POET Technologies was chosen as the Best in the Artificial Intelligence category due to “its innovative approach to powering AI networks and hyperscale data centers.” “POET’s commitment to improving the performance and scalability of AI infrastructure sets it apart as a leader in the industry,” commented Sirisha Lanka, Managing Director of the Global Tech Awards. Founded in 2022, the awards’ mandate is to “recognize and celebrate excellence in technology.” Among the judges were executives from enterprises such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle. 

    “We’re thrilled to be recognized by industry experts who acknowledge the groundbreaking nature and positive commercial impacts of the POET Optical Interposer™ platform technology and the growing suite of products we are building from it,” said Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, POET Chairman & CEO. “Winning the Best in Artificial Intelligence honor from the Global Tech Awards is another stellar indication of why an increasing number of the leading companies in our industry are turning to POET for solutions that will help them grow their market share and assist them in developing new products that address the demand for AI networking and data center connectivity.”

    About POET Technologies Inc.
    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical modules, optical engines and light source products to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers.  POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems.  POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges in 5G networks, machine-to-machine communication, self-contained “Edge” computing applications and sensing applications, such as LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles.  POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore.  More information about POET is available on our website at http://www.poet-technologies.com.

    About Global Tech Awards
    The Global Tech Awards is a prestigious platform that recognizes and celebrates the very best in technology. With a focus on innovation creativity and excellence, the Global Tech Awards aims to identify and reward the most exceptional technology solutions and services from around the world. The awards are open to businesses, organizations and individuals who are creating and delivering innovative technologies that are driving progress and shaping the future. If you are developing cutting-edge technology and want to showcase your achievements to the world, consider entering the Global Tech Awards today. http://www.globaltechaward.com


    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include the Company’s expectations with respect to the success of the Company’s product development efforts, the performance of its products, the expected results of its operations, meeting revenue targets, and the expectation of continued success in the financing efforts, the capability, functionality, performance and cost of the Company’s technology as well as the market acceptance, inclusion and timing of the Company’s technology in current and future products and expectations regarding its successful penetration of the Artificial Intelligence hardware markets.

    Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the size, future growth and needs of Artificial Intelligence network suppliers, management’s expectations regarding the success and timing for completion of its development efforts, the introduction of new products, financing activities, future growth, recruitment of personnel, reorganization efforts, plans for and completion of projects by the Company’s consultants, contractors and partners, availability of capital, and the necessity to incur capital and other expenditures. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the failure of Artificial Intelligence networks to continue to grow as expected, the failure of the Company’s products to meet performance requirements for AI and datacom networks, lack of sales in its products, lack of sales by its customers to end-users, operational risks in the completion of the Company’s projects, risks affecting the Company’s ability to complete its products, the ability of the Company to generate sales for its products, the ability of its customers to generate sales for products that incorporate the Company’s products, the ability to attract key personnel, the failure of its reorganization efforts and the ability to raise additional capital when needed. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96c01282-3fb8-4e31-b9b1-b8c12e73564d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: GITEX GLOBAL 2024: Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution unveiled to the world on “AI Super Tuesday”

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 16, 2024/APO Group/ —

    • International exhibitors presented the most groundbreaking innovations helping shape the future of society and industry
    • “Cybersecurity Day” next up as world’s largest and best-rated tech event reaches halfway stage on Wednesday

    Hot on the heels of a memorable first day where GITEX GLOBAL 2024 (http://apo-opa.co/4hlR7gj) opened the doors for its biggest-ever international edition, the entire global tech ecosystem experienced another action-packed agenda on Tuesday at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

    Taking place from 14-18 October, GITEX GLOBAL presents a record-breaking edition in its 44th year – welcoming over 6,500 exhibitors, 1,800 startups, 1,200 investors alongside governments from more than 180 countries.

    With five themed days locked in across the 2024 event programme, a technology taking the world by storm was the focal point as “AI Super Tuesday” presented the most groundbreaking innovations helping shape the future of society and industry.

    A technology with vast transformative potential

    As AI takes centre stage in drug discovery, the world could soon witness the most significant shift in medicine since the advent of modern pharmaceuticals. But with such rapid advancements, a mesmerising Tuesday session – ‘The Next Leap in Medicine: Are we on the Edge of a Breakthrough?’ – saw experts discuss whether AI transformation is fast approaching or further away than some anticipate.

    Dr. Shameer Khader, Global Head and Executive Director – Computational Biology Cluster, Precision Medicine and Computational Biology at global pharmaceutical company Sanofi, gave AI an emphatic endorsement. He said: “Drug discovery on average takes 10-15 years and one project around $1.5-2 billion in cost. Is that something sustainable? The model must change, and we should harness AI capabilities and value across the ecosystem. We should optimise every single process to reduce development costs, streamline the drug discovery lifestyle, and build data disease models and infrastructure.”

    In a special case study, audiences became acquainted with ‘BabyX’ – an interactive simulation of a lifelike infant through AI. This virtual animated baby learns and reacts like a human infant with a built-in virtual brain with detailed likeness to that of a human. Functioning through biological AI and an operating system called Brain Language, stimulated neurochemical reactions help BabyX decide how she will react – something that could prove revolutionary in the future AI economy.

    Elaborating on the significance of BabyX, Dr. Mark Sagar, its creator who co-founded New Zealand-based Soul Machines, pointed out the defining difference between human and AI intelligence, adding: “As humans, we learn from a young age though exploring the world and experimenting. Play is such a key part of making intelligence open-ended and inventive, but it’s one thing what’s missing from current AI. If we’re ever going to regulate general AI intelligence, we need to build cognitive architecture that yields intelligent behaviour through a comprehensive approach.”

    A catalyst for forward-facing collaboration

    Alongside the profound transformative potential of AI, GITEX GLOBAL’s status as a catalyst for collaboration and forward-facing projects was on full display. A number of exciting high-profile partnerships were officially unveiled at the world’s largest and best-rated tech event, with one involved KAOUN – the world-leading organiser of business events and trade fairs, leading all GITEX events outside the UAE.

    Tuesday saw KAOUN sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Digital Dubai Authority to grow the GITEX ecosystem, support Dubai’s internationalisation strategy, and explore new partnership opportunities. Additionally, AWS and e& entered into a $1 billion-plus agreement as part of new strategic alliance to deliver cloud solutions and supporting AI deployment and digital transformation across the region. 

    Tuesday casts spotlight on AI’s cross-sector impact and demands

    Elsewhere on the Super AI Tuesday agenda, another applauded show illustrated how high-performance computing is steering humanity’s quest for the next generation of aircraft. During ‘Quantum Maturation: Introducing The “Quantum Mobility Quest”’, companies were urged to move beyond the physical limits of present-day computing today and scale up future-focused solutions to unlock aviation’s vast potential.

    Isabell Gradert, Vice President of Central Research & Technology, Airbus, Germany, said: “Aviation is embedded in the tapestry of our global-leading industries and is one with the highest computation needs. Quantum computing is seen as the next big gamechanger in the aviation industry and has the potential to solve the most complex aerospace challenges and create a paradigm shift in the way aircrafts are built and flown. This is a very exciting time.”

    Additionally, audiences familiarised themselves with a wide of services and solutions being showcased by GITEX GLOBAL exhibitors. UAE-based Presight, the region’s leading big data analytics company powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), unveiled its Intelli Platform, an AI-powered management and operations platform that lets cities, transport, energy, and infrastructure organisations immediately use Generative AI.

    AWS also cast a spotlight on AWS Bedrock, a fully managed service that enables enterprises to easily build, customise, and deploy generative AI applications using foundation models from top AI providers, all through the AWS platform.

    GITEX GLOBAL 2024 continues Wednesday as “Cybersecurity Day” welcomes an ensemble cast of thought leaders and experts to explore the emerging threats landscape, counter-infringement strategies, and tools organisations require in an increasingly digital world.

    GITEX Editions (https://apo-opa.co/4h8xBn9) also presents Intelligent Connectivity (https://apo-opa.co/4hayjAy) with visitors set to explore how industry leaders can bridge digital divides and harness emerging technology to drive innovation and economic growth. The World Future Economy Digital Leaders Summit (https://apo-opa.co/4hlR8kn) also continues with another star-studded cast of world-renowned experts and innovative minds.  

    GITEX GLOBAL is seamlessly connecting with the world’s largest network of tech events, including GITEX EUROPE Berlin, GITEX ASIA Singapore, GITEX AFRICA Morocco, and GITEX NIGERIA. These events are fostering collaboration and driving innovation to shape the tech landscape of tomorrow.

    More information on GITEX GLOBAL, please visit http://www.GITEX.com

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESS RELEASE – NZDF and Government of Samoa Joint Press Statement – HMNZS MANAWANUI Grounding

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

    Share this:

    Experts from Maritime New Zealand, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and various Samoan agencies are assisting with understanding the environmental impacts following the sinking of HMNZS MANAWANUI and preparing for clean-up actions.

    As part of this marine scientists are conducting sample testing of the nearby waters and beaches for any traces of oil. New Zealand Navy divers were on the water at first light today to assess the wreckage of the ship and have confirmed the stability of the ship. The ship is in water about 30m deep.

    A range of equipment was sent to Samoa with NZDF personnel to assist with the initial response and help address environmental impacts to the area. This equipment includes remotely operated vehicles used to establish the debris field, and also Maritime NZ spill response equipment, which can be used both in the water and on the land.

    NZDF personnel have begun clearing flotsam from the beach area and have retrieved some equipment from the Ship as well as debris from the water.

    A light oil sheen from the ship’s initial capsizing is being dispersed by wind and waves. So far no oil has been detected on the nearby beach or reefs.

    Work on the site will continue this week and information will be communicated with the public as the operation progresses.

    Share this:

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Record Number of delegates attend the ITU WTSA-24

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Record Number of delegates attend the ITU WTSA-24

    R.R. Mittar from India unanimously electedas Chair Designate for WTSA-24

    Union MinisterJyotiraditya M. Scindia launches multiple cutting-edge Make in India telecom products

    Posted On: 16 OCT 2024 6:49AM by PIB Delhi

    The Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24)yesterday, alongside the India Mobile Congress (IMC), Asia’s largest technology expo. Detailed press releases are available at:

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2064957

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2064942

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2064936

    This year’s WTSA-24 witnesses3300 delegates, including 36 ministers, from over 160 countries, the highest ever for any WTSA assembly. The forum will focus on next-generation technologies, including 6G, satellite communications, quantum technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), all essential for a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

    The inaugural session of WTSA was followed by opening plenary meetings where various committees were formed for carrying out different functions during the assembly. The delegates of WTSA-24unanimously elected Shri R.R Mittar from India as the Chair for WTSA-24. He is an eminent telecom expert and former Advisor at Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. He was spearheading the standardisation work at Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC).

    At the side-lines of WTSA and India Mobile Congress(IMC) 2024, many events have been scheduled. Yesterday a roundtable conference of Chief Ministers, State Government IT Ministers and IT Secretaries was heldat IMC 2024 by Sh. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Communications and Development of the Northeastern Region along withSh Pema Khandu, Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh, Sh Conrad Kongkal Sangma, Chief Minister Meghalaya, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communication and Rural Development,Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Ministers from Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana, Assam, Sikkim, Odisa, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Bihar, Goa, Punjab and Andaman & Nicobar.

     

    Minister Scindia apprised the respective state ministers and dignitaries about the advancement that countryis making in the area of telecommunications along with new initiatives that the Ministry is undertaking to take the telecom sector to a new high. He urged states for 100% scalable execution andassured them that the central government stands with the states not only shoulder to shoulder but also before them to help them achieve their goals.

    Minister of State Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar exhorted states to create environment for Digital Innovation to provide best of the services to every citizen of the country.

    The States were also sensitized about the issues of Cyber Security of State IT infrastructure and IoT security, requirement of the States support for implementation of Bharatnet and 4G saturation project including Right of Way, space/land allotment, power and utilization of the network. 

    The ways to promote State startups and the role of States and UTs in the rollout of 4G/5G use cases, promotion of State Startup for next level of investment by DoT, business opportunities, were also discussed. 

    Later in the day Minister Sh Jyotiraditya M. Scindia visited various stalls at India Mobile Congress(IMC) 2024and inaugurated multiple cutting-edge Make in India telecom products. He launched indigenously developed highly complex 6G wireless link in Sub THz with 10 GBPS data over the air at Bharat Pavillion of SAMEER (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research). Other Make in India products launched included AI-DC Optical Solution by STL,which will connect GPUs in AI-led data centres and 2 Gbps Point to Multipoint UBR Radio by HFCL which offers affordable last mile connectivity. Additionally, global launch of an affordable Snapdragon 5G chipset by Qualcomm was done by the Minister.

    ITU- Expo at WTSA24 and India Mobile Congress are showcasing innovative solutions, services and state-of-the-art use cases for industry, government, academics, startups and other key stakeholders in the technology and telecom ecosystem. These are open for public to experience.

     

     

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    *****

    SB/DP/ARJ

    (Release ID: 2065188) Visitor Counter : 77

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESS RELEASE – LAUNCH OF NEW BOOK ON SAMOAN WOMEN AND RELIGION at NUS

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    Apia, Samoa – Wednesday 9th October 2024

    The National University of Samoa invites the public to a Special Seminar presentation by Dr. Maureen Sier, Director of Interfaith Scotland (https://interfaithscotland.org) on Thursday 10th October at 12pm in the CSS Seminar Room (Niule’a Building).

    Dr. Sier is a graduate of Aberdeen University where she earned First-Class Honors in Cultural History and a PHD in Theology. While undertaking her doctoral research in Samoa, she taught Sociology at the National University of Samoa’s Faculty of Arts. It was during her time in Samoa that she developed her love of community engagement and interfaith dialogue.

    Dr. Sier’s doctoral research explored women’s lives in Samoa through the complex interplay of religion, history and culture. During 4 years in Samoa (1997-2001) the research question was asked: ‘What is it about religion in Samoa that empowers women and what constrains them?” The initial answers to this question open doors to rich, engaging, challenging and enlightening lives. They also demonstrate Samoan women’s resilience the way of life.

    As part of the Seminar. Dr. Sier will also launch her published thesis, “Women and Religion in Samoa: Empowerment and Constraint”. Copies will be available for purchase directly from the Author. Dr. Sier is in Samoa to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia later this month and will facilitate two interfaith services during the event.

    END

    SOURCE – The National University of Samoa

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MARINE POLLUTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATE ON HMNZS MANAWANUI SITUATION

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    09 October 2024/Press Release/Apia, Samoa – The Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) continues to assess the situation relating to the run aground HMNZS Manawanui at Tafitoala.

    On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, the Chairman, Afioga Fui Tupai Mau Simanu, Chief Executive Officer of Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure conducted a meeting with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) DMO Division, Samoa Fire Emergency Services Authority, NZ Defense Force, Maritime New Zealand as well as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Samoa, Her Excellency, Sialei Van Toor.

    The meeting discussed initial findings as well as continued efforts from all parties involved since the occurrence in the early hours of Sunday October 6, 2024. Divers from the NZ Defense Force and Samoa Response team have been deployed since Monday, October 7 to carry out an assessment of the wreck and possible risks to the marine environment.

    It was during this meeting the NZ Defense Force confirmed that there are no explosives onboard.

    As of 8AM on Wednesday, coastal assess

    ment carried out from Safata to Matafa’a by the Committee confirms that there continues to be no oil contamination on the Coast, although diesel sheens have been observed near the wreck, it has drifted out to the high seas.

    Initial assessments suspected fuel leakage and further information of this will be provided today as the weather continues to improve, aiding in the diving teams’ operation this evening. For now, water samples have been collected for chemical analysis to confirm contaminations in the water.

    It is confirmed that there is damage to the reef from the NZ Navy shipwreck and anchor chain. Assessments show that physical destruction to the reef Is approximately 5000 square meters.

    The MPAC Chairman thanks the village of Tafitoala and members of the public for the support and cooperation while the operation is in place.

    CONTACT PERSON:

    Afioga Leulua’ialii Tualamaalii Wendy Pogi

    ACEO Legal, MWTI

    wendy.pogi@mwti.gov.ws

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The regional program of the VII youth forum “Heritage” was launched in partnership with the HSE

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    © Higher School of Economics

    On October 11, the opening ceremony of the regional program of the VII Youth Forum “Heritage” was held in the White Hall of the Durasov House of the HSE campus on Pokrovka. Starting from the second forum, educational institutions from all over the country joined the capital’s universities in this educational project of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage. This year, teams from ten regions of Russia are taking part in “Heritage” – Vladimir, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk, the Republic of Crimea, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, St. Petersburg, Saratov, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk.

    The goal of the forum is to stimulate interest in the history and traditions of their native land among young people, to instill a careful attitude towards ancient monuments and to show that this is not just a valuable fragment of history, but a part of modern life and culture. Each student team must submit a project-concept for the competition for the development and adaptation to modern realities of any architectural monument of their city or region. The most successful ideas can be used in a real restoration project.

    The opening ceremony of the forum was attended by the First Deputy Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow, the city’s chief archaeologist Leonid Kondrashev. Welcoming the participants of the forum, he said: “The Youth Forum “Heritage” has become the largest educational project of the department. Even compared to last year, when representatives of eight cities took part in the regional program, this year ten joined us. The number of participants is growing, the quality of the projects that students are working on is growing. On behalf of myself, the head of our department and our entire team, which is organizing this forum for the seventh time, I wish everyone success. We expect an honest, fair fight. And of course, all this is beneficial to cultural heritage.”

    The partner of the regional program of the forum, which this year was again the Higher School of Economics, was represented by Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Irina Martusevich. “We are happy to once again act as partners of this wonderful event. Our university is located in four cities of Russia. We actively participate in the development of the territories where we are present, and, in addition, we consult and provide expert assistance to dozens of different regions,” said Irina Martusevich. “In the current regional program, as in the last one, the Higher School of Economics will be represented by the St. Petersburg campus. Naturally, I wish good luck not only to our students, but also to all participants. It is pleasant to see that the competition has brought together universities representing cities from various parts of Russia, and each of these cities can boast of a glorious history, culture, heritage.”

    The forum was created as a platform for exchanging ideas, experiences and best practices among young people who care about the preservation of cultural heritage. In addition, the organizers have prepared an extensive educational and business program, within the framework of which the best Russian and international experts in the field of urban studies, architecture, restoration, as well as representatives of government bodies and the media will speak to the participants. They will hold master classes, round tables and professional consultations designed to help the competition participants improve their project and achieve victory. In the final, five finalist teams will go to Moscow. Here, the winners will be offered the most intense program in terms of cultural heritage.

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

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

    http://vvv.hse.ru/nevs/edu/975605631.html

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pobol y Cwm: BBC’s longest running TV soap celebrates 50 years on air

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jamie Medhurst, Professor of Film and Media, Aberystwyth University

    “We had a special kind of audience in mind: the Welsh who have never read Barn or Y Faner (two popular Welsh-language publications written in a scholarly tone) but live their lives every day in the natural sound of the Welsh language.” That’s how dramatist Gwenlyn Parry described the target audience of the new BBC Wales soap opera, Pobol y Cwm, which was broadcast for the first time 50 years ago ago, on October 16 1974.

    Pobol y Cwm – which means “people of the valley” – is set in the fictional village of Cwmderi, in the Gwendraeth valley, south-west Wales. It was originally filmed at Broadway Studios in Cardiff, then on a purpose-built lot at BBC Broadcasting House, also in the Welsh capital. But since 2011, the programme has been mainly filmed at the BBC’s drama studios at Roath Lock in Cardiff Bay.

    BBC Wales’ television service had been in existence for ten years by the time the series was broadcast. Television producer John Hefin felt there was a need for a long drama series in Welsh, which would meet the needs of audiences in the same way as Coronation Street had been doing on ITV since 1960.

    Hefin and Parry’s vision was evident. In planning meetings for the series, it was noted that “the main aim of the series is pure entertainment and from a mathematical analysis it will require 70% easy, humorous lightness, and 30% personal and social problems”.

    Other guidelines for the series were clear from the start – no preaching about the state of the Welsh language, the evils of drugs, the dangers of sex, or theological dogma. The main aim was to “develop a story line full of seemingly insignificant events but conveying a believable whole of Welsh village life”.

    The Welsh language soap first began on BBC One Wales in October 1974 before moving to S4C in 1982, where it continues to this day.

    Soap history

    Soap operas can be traced back to the early days of US radio, when drama series were sponsored by washing powder manufacturers, hence the word “soap”. The BBC launched drama series, or soap operas, on the radio after the end of the second world war. Examples include Mrs Dale’s Diary in 1948 and, of course, The Archers in 1951.

    But audiences had to wait until 1954 until the first soap opera was launched on the BBC’s television service, The Grove Family. But the life of this series was short-lived, ending in 1957.

    In December 1960, ITV Granada launched Coronation Street, a series about everyday street life in the Manchester area. It soon became extremely popular among viewers across Britain. The appeal of the series was in its simplicity. It focused on the normal lives of working class people. The plot was derived from the setting and personalities, especially the strong female characters.

    Tony Warren was the man who sold the idea of Coronation Street to the Granada company. He realised, at the end of the 1950s, that the way of life in that part of England was changing. Warren wanted to capture and preserve traditional spirit and show it to the rest of the country.

    I wonder, then, when proposing an idea for a soap opera to the BBC at the beginning of the 1970s, whether Hefin and Parry had the same feeling. The Wales of the time was changing, after all. The 1971 census showed that the Welsh language was under siege.

    It was felt by many within the BBC that a series reflecting old Welsh values was needed. And yet it also needed to be contemporary, with an element of realism. This is the trick for successful soap opera producers – the series must be “real” enough so that people can believe in the characters, and can identify with them in times of joy and sadness.

    Pobol y Cwm was a success from the outset, and that continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s. When musician John Lennon died in December 1980, a film about the Beatles was broadcast on BBC Wales as a tribute instead of Pobol y Cwm. It resulted in hundreds of loyal soap opera viewers flooding the switchboard of Broadcasting House in Cardiff with complaints.

    The BBC also received complaints that there were too many scenes taking place in the pub because this was not a “Welsh” thing to do. And yet, according to Parry, there were no complaints when a scene was shown with one of the main characters, Reg Harries, having an affair with the schoolmaster’s wife in the early 1980s.

    Famous faces

    Pobol y Cwm has nurtured the talent of several actors who have become more widely known. Among them Ioan Gruffudd, Iwan Rheon and Alexandra Roach. And several other celebrities have made cameo appearances in the series over the years, including actor Michael Sheen, presenter Michael Aspel and wrestler Giant Haystacks.

    In an article in the Welsh newspaper Y Cymro in 1975, Parry said: “The aim was to produce stuff that a natural Welsh person would watch, not because it was in Welsh, but because it was entertaining. The kind of stuff that will be needed to draw viewers to the fourth channel when it comes.”

    Still produced by BBC Wales, the series moved to Wales’ new fourth channel, S4C, in 1982 and the viewers followed. It remains among the channel’s most popular programmes.


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

    Jamie Medhurst has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the British Academy, and the Leverhulme Trust.

    – ref. Pobol y Cwm: BBC’s longest running TV soap celebrates 50 years on air – https://theconversation.com/pobol-y-cwm-bbcs-longest-running-tv-soap-celebrates-50-years-on-air-241390

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Vive L’impressionnisme! at the Van Gogh Museum: a compelling, eco-conscious celebration of impressionism

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Frances Fowle, Personal Chair of Nineteenth-Century Art, History of Art, University of Edinburgh

    Despite its corny title, Vive L’Impressionnisme!, which recently opened at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, is well worth seeing. Marking the 150th anniversary of the first impressionist exhibition, the show tells the story of how one of the movement’s founders, Claude Monet, and his contemporaries were supported by a few enlightened Dutch collectors and their pictures absorbed into Dutch institutions.

    It brings together numerous works that are rarely, if ever, seen together, assembled from ten museums and seven private collections across the Netherlands. The result is a fascinating reflection of Dutch taste over the past century and a half.

    Vive L’Impressionnisme! is cleverly curated. The exhibition is arranged thematically, with landscapes on the first floor and modern life paintings on the upper level. The potential monotony of a continuous hang on a long wall is avoided by the introduction of sculpture, as well as aesthetic “ensembles” of paintings or works on paper.

    Upstairs, the normally cavernous exhibition space is divided into discrete rooms, in order to allow the visitor a more intimate viewing experience. Among the most remarkable aspects of the show is the decision to display paintings, sculpture and works on paper side-by-side. It’s a democratisation of art that mimics the way the impressionists themselves exhibited their work.

    On one wall you can see four states of Camille Pissarro’s etching The Old Cottage (1879), three of which were exhibited at the fifth impressionist exhibition in 1880. In each successive state, Pissarro observes the way in which the cottage and surrounding landscape are affected by the changing light and atmosphere, anticipating Monet’s later series paintings. In both oil painting and printmaking, these artists privileged experimental techniques and the analysis of light and colour over academic finish.

    In the second half of the 19th century, Dutch collectors and critics were more attuned to the overcast skies and earthy tones of the local Hague School painters than to the broken brushwork and high-keyed palette of impressionism. The new art was dismissed by critics as the “ravings of madmen, drunks and children”.

    Encouraged by his brother Vincent, Theo van Gogh’s efforts to sell impressionist art via the Goupil Gallery in the Hague were sadly thwarted. However, he did influence his wealthy brother-in-law, Andries Bonger, who became the first Dutch collector to develop a taste for the work of Paul Cézanne. Dutch lawyer Cornelis Hoogendijk also acquired around 25 Cézanne works before 1900, while another pioneer collector, Helene Kröller-Müller, specialised in the work of Van Gogh as well as the impressionists.



    Read more:
    Van Gogh Museum at 50: Vincent van Gogh and the art market – a brief history

    As the exhibition unfolds, visitors learn that, while Monet’s landscapes were greatly admired by the Dutch, the figurative work of Edgar Degas was less appreciated.

    Monet, a pupil of the Dutch artist Johan Jongkind, travelled more than once to the Netherlands. In 1871, he painted the Windmills Near Zaandam on an overcast day, and was delighted to make a sale. His Portrait of Miss Guurtje van de Stadt was acquired by a wealthy timber merchant and became the first impressionist work to enter a Dutch private collection. Returning for a last visit in 1886, Monet painted the more strident Tulip Fields Near the Hague, this time clearly with an eye for the market.

    Early acquisitions

    The first impressionist work to enter a public collection in the Netherlands was, perhaps unsurprisingly, another work by Monet. La Corniche Near Monaco (1884) was donated to the Rijksmuseum in 1900 by Baroness Van Lynden-Van Pallandt.

    Painted at Cap Martin on the French Riviera, it is remarkable for the bold orange scar of road that bisects the canvas, leading the eye towards the brooding blue-and-violet cliffs in the distance. This warm Mediterranean scene is flanked by two Monet canvases evoking the cooler atmosphere of the Normandy coast: Cliffs Near Pourville (1882) and Fisherman’s Cottage, Varengeville (1882).

    While Monet’s paintings are well-represented in the exhibition, along with oils by Pissarro, Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Gustave Caillebotte and others, some artists are represented only by works on paper. Astonishingly not a single oil painting by Degas has found itself into a Dutch collection, either private or public. Édouard Manet, too, is virtually absent from the exhibition.

    Female artists were predictably underappreciated, or perhaps unavailable on the market. In recent years, the Van Gogh Museum and other Dutch institutions have tried to rectify that imbalance, though the market price for impressionism continues to rise, making new aquisitions a challenge.

    The exhibition includes recent purchases of works by pioneering female impressionist painters Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt. And there are also several gems from private collections, such as an exquisite Little Bowl with Parsley by Eva Gonzalès and decorative plates by Marie Bracquemond.

    The exhibition is aesthetically beautiful and intellectually compelling. It also delivers a sound environmental message, demonstrating that it is possible to create world-class exhibitions without flying works of art across the globe.

    Those pictures that were once in Dutch hands but later left the country are reproduced virtually, and lamented in the final section of the exhibition, titled Boulevard of Broken Promises. It provides a fascinating and thought-provoking coda to the show.

    Vive L’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections will be on show at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam until January 26 2025.


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

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

    – ref. Vive L’impressionnisme! at the Van Gogh Museum: a compelling, eco-conscious celebration of impressionism – https://theconversation.com/vive-limpressionnisme-at-the-van-gogh-museum-a-compelling-eco-conscious-celebration-of-impressionism-241395

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Eplontersen approved to treat adults with rare inherited nerve disease or polyneuropathy

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved eplontersen (Wainzua) to treat adults with polyneuropathy associated with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv), which is a rare progressive condition that runs in families caused by a protein called transthyretin (TTR).

    In people with this disease, small fibres of TTR protein clump together to make deposits called ‘amyloid’. Amyloid can build up around or within the nerves, heart and other organs, stopping them from working properly.

    Eplontersen is specifically indicated for use when the disease is causing polyneuropathy, which is damage to multiple nerves outside of the brain and central nervous system, resulting in pain, discomfort, progressive weakness and loss of sensation in the legs and arms, and mobility difficulties.

    Eplontersen works mainly by lowering the amount of TTR protein made by the liver. As a result, there is less TTR protein in the blood to form amyloid deposits. That can help reduce the effects of the disease.

    The recommended dose of eplontersen is one 45mg dose every month, administered as an injection under the skin using a pre-filled pen. Treatment with eplontersen lowers the amount of vitamin A in the blood and patients will need to take vitamin A supplements during treatment.

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Enabling safe access to high quality, safe and effective medicines is a key priority for us.

    We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this new formulation have been met.

    As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review. 

    The MHRA’s approval of the medicine is supported by evidence from a NEURO-TTRansform study. In this trial 168 adult patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis received a subcutaneous injection of eplontersen 45 mg every 4 weeks compared to an historical placebo arm from the older NEURO-TTR study completed in 2017 as well as patients who received another medicine called inotersen 284 mg weekly.

    The study looked at levels of TTR in the blood of patients to measure the levels of this protein that contributes to the disease. It also used questionnaires to rate the changes that patients reported in the symptoms of their nerve damage. This study tracked these changes from the start of the trial (baseline) to 35 and 66 weeks after the patients had received eplontersen.

    Patients in the trial receiving eplontersen experienced greater reductions in TTR levels and less worsening of the disease from baseline compared to the placebo group.

    A full list of all side effects reported with this medicine is available in the patient information leaflet or from the product information published on the MHRA website. 

    If a patient experiences any side effects, they should talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the product information leaflets.

    Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine is encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors  

    • The new marketing authorisation was granted for eplontersen (Wainzua) on 14 October to AstraZeneca via National Procedure.
    • More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.
    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    Experience Operations Center leverages proactive, AI-driven efficiencies to drive new levels of productivity and employee satisfaction

    Boston, United States and Paris, France – October 16, 2024 – Atos today launches in partnership with Nexthink their state-of-the-art Experience Operations Center (XOC) offering. The joint XOC delivers digital workplace operations that enhance end-user experience through enabling real-time, AI-driven efficiencies and boosting workplace productivity. Atos was one of Nexthink’s first managed services partners; this new offering builds on their 8-year partnership rooted in helping organizations create employee-centric workplaces that drive innovative and sustainable business value.

    Powered by Atos Real-Time Data Processing Framework (RTDPF) which captures billions of workplace and devices data, and Nexthink Infinity, XOC integrates data from sources such as IT service management, endpoint, contact center and identity management platforms within the digital workplace, to provide a unified, real-time performance overview. Beyond the analytical insights provided by standard workplace analytics, the XOC command center proactively pinpoints user experience issues, 24/7 and in real time.

    Its serverless architecture reveals hidden patterns and forecasts based on historical data and Atos 10-year expertise in digital experience management, allowing agile and responsive decision-making and problem resolution before users are affected.

    Leon Gilbert, Senior Vice President Digital Workplace Atos, said: “Focusing on employee experience is crucial for organizations to drive performance, streamline efficiency, and boost profitability. Our innovative Experience Operations Center helps achieve this ambition by leveraging state-of-the-art automation and AI that put humans at the heart of their problem-solving capabilities”.

    Atos leverages Nexthink’s digital workplace observability and automation platform to streamline issue detection, diagnostics and remediation. By helping companies to go from proactive incident identification to automated fixes in minutes, Nexthink’s platform supports XOC offering to deliver cost reduction, time savings, improved sustainability and increased employee performance. Going forward, Atos and Nexthink continue to collaborate to enhance the employee experience offered to their clients.

    Yassine Zaied, Chief Strategy Officer, Nexthink, said: “Atos has long been an innovator in the end user computing space, and this latest offering will once again challenge the status quo for the better. Today, the Digital Employee Experience is no longer just a consideration, it’s central to every successful digital transformation. It demands a systematic, not ad-hoc, approach. Atos XOC has such transformative potential and we’re proud to play a pivotal role in driving this evolution forward”.

    The Experience Operations Center compliments Atos’ Digital Workplace portfolio offerings by real-time insights in the digital workplace experience, proactive issue detection and accelerated resolution. Atos teams provide end-to-end employee experience solutions through digital collaboration and productivity tools, as well as intelligent customer care services. They currently deliver workplace analytics services to 1.8 million devices globally. In March 2024, Gartner positioned Atos as a Leader in its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Outsourced Digital Workplace Services (ODWS) for the eighth consecutive year.

    ***

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 92,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    About Nexthink

    Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,200 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 15 million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide.

    Press contacts

    Atos: Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net | +33 (0) 6 64 56 74 88

    Nexthink: press@nexthink.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Applied Systems, Ivans and EZLynx Recognized in the 2024 PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems today announced that the company and two of its subsidiaries, Ivans and EZLynx, have been named to PropertyCasualty360’s Insurance Luminaries Class of 2024 in the categories of Technology Innovation and Innovation in Workplace Culture. The Technology Innovation category recognizes those advancing the insurance industry through digitalization and customer experience improvements. The Innovation in Workplace Culture category honors those enhancing the industry’s reputation as a career choice and promoting employee satisfaction through diversity, wellness, ESG initiatives, and community service.

    • Applied Systems – Innovation in Workplace Culture
    • Ivans – Technology Innovation – Company Category
    • Applied Pay – Technology Innovation – Product Category
    • EZLynx Management System – Technology Innovation – Product Category

    “My colleagues and I are thrilled to be able to recognize pace-setting insurance organizations, programs, practices, teams, and individuals as part of the annual PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries recognition program,” says Elana Ashanti Jefferson, executive editor, NU Property & Casualty. “This year’s honorees pay homage to the industry’s mission to make insureds whole after a major loss while adapting to challenging business conditions created by historic storms, inflation, and litigation trends.”

    This recognition celebrates innovation in the property and casualty insurance industry. The program spotlights top professionals, teams, organizations, programs, practices and products within the sector that strive to modernize and humanize the business. The 2024 honorees were selected by a panel of industry experts based on how well they stated and achieved goals with regards to the nomination category; how impactful their work has been; how dedicated the nominee has been to furthering modernization and humanization in the P&C insurance business; and how committed and dedicated the nominee has been to high ethical standards, service and excellence.

    “We are honored to be recognized in the 2024 PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries Awards,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “This recognition is a testament to the people across our organization and our commitment to being Indispensable Partners to one another, our customers and our industry.”

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

     

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Energy Appoints Former Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy, John G. Vonglis as Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing portable, clean energy solutions, is proud to announce today that it has appointed The Honorable John G. Vonglis, former Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Acting Director of DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, as the Chairman of NANO Nuclear’s Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives.

    Mr. Vonglis joins a growing, world-class, bipartisan Executive Advisory Board comprised of high ranking and distinguished military, political and scientific leaders which is assisting NANO Nuclear by leveraging their professional networks and relationships to connect the Company with key industry stakeholders, potential partners, clients and other valuable contacts.

    “It is a pleasure to join NANO Nuclear’s advisory team and leverage my expertise in navigating a myriad of DOE and private energy-related projects to advance the development of the Company’s microreactor and other nuclear technology solutions,” said John G. Vonglis, Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives of NANO Nuclear Energy. “During my time with the Department of Energy, I was exposed to numerous high-impact inventions, and I believe that technologies such as NANO Nuclear’s ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN’ microreactors represent the innovative spirit of the United States at an important moment for nuclear energy.”

    Mr. Vonglis served as the Senate-confirmed Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer of the DOE from 2017 to 2019. As Chief Financia Officer, Mr. Vonglis oversaw all financial matters for the DOE. He was also appointed by the President as Acting Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a federal agency focused on advancing early-stage, high-potential, high-impact energy technologies while minimizing risk to taxpayers.

    Prior to his tenure at the DOE, Mr. Vonglis held several key roles at the U.S. Department of Defense from 2002 to 2009, initially as Director of Management Initiatives for the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness (P&R) and lastly as Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, where he also served as the first Chief Management Officer, performing the duties of the Under Secretary.

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Appoints Former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Department of Energy (DOE) John G. Vonglis as its Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives.

    Mr. Vonglis’ private sector experience includes senior financial and operational roles at prominent advisory, aerospace/defense, financial services, and high-technology firms. Mr. Vonglis is a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel with 34 years’ experience in Army and Joint special operations, where he also advised ‘SOFWERX’ and the Army Cyber Institute at West Point. He holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from Fordham University and a Master’s in International Public Policy from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

    “Attracting an exemplary leader like John to serve on our Executive Advisory Board, with his years of experience on the inside of complex government processes and working on cutting edge innovations, is a validation of our vision and mission for NANO Nuclear,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “John’s addition brings credibility, valuable insight and a multitude of important contacts to NANO Nuclear and allows us to better position our company to fully capitalize on the significant momentum within the nuclear energy industry. We are honored to welcome him to the team.”

    “We are confident that John’s contribution as an Executive Advisory Board member for NANO Nuclear will be invaluable as we continue to progress our microreactor and other technology solutions through design, testing, regulatory processes and ultimately to market,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Recent natural disaster events, such as the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, highlight the critical need for reliable and portable energy solutions. Our portable nuclear microreactors, ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN,’ are designed to provide power for rescue operations and shelters in the aftermath of such natural disasters. We are committed to advancing these technologies to market and delivering cutting-edge solutions to those who need them most.”

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across four business lines: (i) cutting edge portable microreactor technology, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation and (iv) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s products in technical development are “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

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    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release or related events contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements (including statements related to the anticipated benefits of Mr. Vonglis joining the Company’ Executive Advisory Board) related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the business of a start-up business operating a highly regulated industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and the NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Advertise Purple: Affiliate Management Company Announces Key Insights From Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Santa Monica, CA, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Award-winning affiliate management strategy and technology, Advertise Purple, is thrilled to announce the key insights from Q3 2024 on the affiliate marketing industry.

    Advertise Purple has generated over $4.6B in affiliate revenue for more than 5,000 brands across 23 verticals, establishing its spot as a leader in partnership marketing management. By leveraging its vast experience and unique affiliate partnership technology with Bloom, Advertise Purple provide top-notch affiliate program management. The service is designed for large businesses, small and medium-sized companies, and international e-commerce brands looking to boost customer acquisition through performance-based strategies. The newly released report with key insights from Q3 2024 from advertisepurple.com allows brands to understand which verticals performed best industry-wide.

    “Q3 2024 was a period of growth, with summer holidays playing a key role in driving affiliate traffic and sales,” said a spokesperson for the company. “As we move into the final quarter of the year, our team is well-prepared to capitalize on this momentum and continue optimizing strategies for maximum impact.”

    Affiliate marketing is where affiliates, usually bloggers, influences, individuals or other businesses, promote a company’s services or products and earn a commission for each successful sale or lead generated.

    Affiliate managers are essential to the success of affiliate program campaigns, acting as the link between the brand and its affiliate partners to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial relationship. Many people mistakenly believe that simply adding affiliate links to their website will lead to automatic commissions. However, significant optimization is necessary for this to happen, and this is where affiliate managers come in. They not only coach and support affiliates to enhance the quality and quantity of their referrals but also recruit and onboard potential affiliates aligned with the brand’s vision and goals. Additionally, they maintain compliance with industry regulations, particularly on social media platforms, and report on performance to measure campaign success.

    At Advertise Purple, performance tracking is key to ensuring that brands achieve a positive ROI. The latest Q3 2024 Affiliate Insights report highlights trends and opportunities for brands, underscoring the importance of an affiliate manager in driving successful outcomes. Without their expertise, achieving desired results can be challenging, as it relies heavily on the publisher’s efforts alone.

    Home & Living ranked as the top vertical by revenue, bringing in an impressive $24,636,948. Other notable verticals in the top five for revenue included Apparel & Fashion, Education, Travel & Hospitality, and Games & Toys.

    In terms of clicks, Education took the lead, generating a substantial 3,445,826 clicks. Beauty closely followed in second place with 3,110,578 clicks. Other significant verticals in the top five for revenue were Home & Living, Apparel & Fashion, and Health & Wellness.

    Holidays played a pivotal role in performance for driving affiliate traffic and sales for Advertise Purple’s customer base. Labor Day Weekend accounted for the highest click volume of the whole quarter, whilst other dates including July 4 (Independence Day) and July 28 drove high sales. This highlights the impact of holidays in boosting traffic and sales through affiliate channels.

    Advertise Purple encourages brands to discover the full-service and self-service affiliate management options by getting in contact through the form on the website.

    About Advertise Purple

    Advertise Purple is an award-winning affiliate management strategy and technology company based in Santa Monica, California. Advertise Purple works with over 300k partners and has helped generate $4.5 billion+ in sales for brands across 23 verticals.

    More Information

    To learn more about Advertise Purple and its report on the affiliate marketing sector in Q3 2024, please visit https://www.advertisepurple.com/.

    Source: https://thenewsfront.com/advertise-purple-affiliate-management-company-announces-key-insights-from-q3-2024/

    The MIL Network –