NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 9.25.24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Sep 25, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

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

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

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

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

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

    Recent news

    Sep 25, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Moving to support the ongoing recovery from July wildfires in Kern, Butte and Tehama counties, Governor Gavin Newsom has requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to further assist recovery efforts in communities impacted by the Park and…

    Sep 25, 2024

    News What you need to know: New laws will give local communities more authority to protect their neighborhoods from oil and gas operations and drive faster plugging of old oil and gas wells.  INGLEWOOD, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed three bills into law…

    Sep 24, 2024

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Steve Juarez, of Truckee, has been appointed to the California State Teachers’ Retirement Board. Juarez served as a Deputy State Treasurer at the California State Treasurer’s Office…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – KAULUNANI PARTNERS CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FORESTRY, Sept. 24, 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – KAULUNANI PARTNERS CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FORESTRY, Sept. 24, 2024

    Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

     

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    NEWS RELEASE

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Sept. 24, 2024

    KAULUNANI PARTNERS GATHER TO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FORESTRY

     

    (HONOLULU) – Community forestry efforts brought the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) Kaulunani program together with partnering educators, nonprofits, agency representatives, cultural practitioners and students at the UH West Oʻahu campus for an empowering, role-celebrating event.

     

    The September 20 occasion started with gentle and cooling nāulu rains and an ānuenue (rainbow) that arched over the space just as people were arriving, setting the stage for a special time. The multi-generational group representing multifaceted programs across the state were in attendance to strengthen each other’s roles in this space, learn from each other, deepen their relationship to ‘āina, and have fun. Participants shared their passion for trees, communities and the environment through art, culture, sustainable practices, and lessons learned in their work. 

     

    “Today is about celebrating our partners and the amazing work that they’re doing around growing trees, growing canopy, but also growing the wellbeing of our communities together,” said Heather McMillen, Kaulunani’s program coordinator. 

     

    Topics covered at the event included project purpose and evaluation, nurturing partnerships, ritualizing tree planting and care and preventing the spread of invasive species. Artists and cultural practitioners included Nalu Andrade, Emma Broderick and Jesse Mikasobe-Kealiinohomoku, who shared their skills with bamboo stamping (ʻOhe kāpala), weaving (Ulana), and coconut shell cup (ʻApu) making. 

     

    “This gathering of many different folks with plenty mana (power) and responsibility is really special,” said Mikasobe-Kealiinohomoku. He explained that this ʻaha (meeting) is not a conference but more a place to come together and be present. “It’s a time to be vulnerable, a time to share your work. It’s a time to also learn and listen.” 

     

    Kaulunani’s purpose is to support community collaboration in efforts to establish, manage and protect trees, forests and green spaces across Hawaiʻi. This event was an example of how it’s about much more. McMillen added, “This work is not only about trees. We think about trees as an entry point, not an end point. It’s an entry point to be able to engage aroundissues of community well-being, education, transportation, health and culture.” 

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES

    HD Video – Kaulunani Celebration – media clips (Sept. 20, 2024):

    https://vimeo.com/1011514371

    Photographs – Kaulunani Celebration (Sept. 20, 2024):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/i40tii8a18suq688p9gyw/ACEOJlvIfADtlJbDLQzJoQM?rlkey=sco2eyxd20x724q9ndc6noxr2&st=831b9hl4&dl=0

    Kaulunani website:

    https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/

     

     

    Media Contacts:

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    [email protected]

    808-587-0396

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Interim Director of Housing Transformation

    Source: City of Salford

    Salford City Council has announced the appointment of Alan Caddick to the post of Interim Director of Housing Transformation. 

    Alan joins the council having held a similar role at a local authority in the North East. Previously in his career, he served as the Director of Housing for two of the London authorities and was the Director of Housing and Residential Growth at Manchester City Council. It is also a welcome return for Alan who worked for the council some years ago in the role of Lead Officer for the Charlestown and Lower Kersal New Deal for Communities. 

    Councillor Tracy Kelly, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty said “Alan brings with him an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience of the housing sector, within local authorities, so I’m looking forward to working with him to deliver the quality affordable housing our residents and communities deserve.

    Alan said “I am really pleased to be rejoining Salford City Council. Salford is a vibrant and dynamic place to live, work and visit, so I am looking forward to being a part of the team that helps to transform our communities and provide a range of housing opportunities for all of our residents”.

    “Across the city the demand for suitable housing remains one of our main priorities and I am looking forward to the challenges, and the opportunities that we will encounter as the renaissance of our communities continues.”

    Share this

    Date published
    Thursday 26 September 2024

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Key Carbon & Marex Group Announce Carbon Financing and Investment

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia and LONDON, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Key Carbon and Marex Group Plc (“Marex”) today announce a partnership whereby Marex will take a minority stake in Key Carbon and provide financing for carefully-sourced offset projects.

    Key Carbon sources and finances carbon credit projects and provides ongoing governance, monitoring and operational support to ensure its projects are held to the highest quality and integrity standards. The funding from Marex will predominantly be used to help finance the production and distribution of low-emission, affordable cookstoves within Africa through the project developer Global Cookstoves, Key Carbon’s joint venture with BURN Manufacturing (“BURN”). To date, Key Carbon has provided US$45 million in funding to Global Cookstoves to expand the roll out of critical projects across eight African countries.

    This partnership will allow Marex to gain access to a wider carbon client base as well as streams of carbon credits, as it seeks to grow its environmental business and support clients as they transition to a low carbon economy.

    Inclusive of this latest funding from Marex, Key Carbon will have funded over 1.5 million biomass-fuelled cookstoves across 8 countries in Africa, improving the lives of an estimated 7.5 million people. These highly efficient cookstoves, along with other projects funded by Key Carbon, are expected to avoid or remove more than 46 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (“CO2”) or CO2 equivalent.

    Luke Leslie, Co-Founder and CEO of Key Carbon, said: “This latest partnership is a powerful endorsement of our approach to investing in the VCM and demonstrates our ongoing ability to attract meaningful funding in a challenging market through our robust approach to sourcing and governance. Partnerships like this will be critical to accelerating climate action and delivering tangible benefits to vulnerable communities.”

    Bastien Declercq, Head of Environmental at Marex, said: “This partnership will allow us to further diversify our emissions offering and give us access to a new range of market participants that we can service through our comprehensive platform. Reliable access to trustworthy sources of carbon credits has held the market back in the last few years. By moving up the value chain we can play a more relevant role for our clients in helping them to transition to a greener future.”

    About Key Carbon

    Founded in 2021, Key Carbon is a permanent capital vehicle, building a large, diversified portfolio of high-integrity carbon credit streams and royalties for corporates and other organisations on their journey to Net Zero. Since incorporation, the Company has financed several critical projects including the planting of 3.75 million trees and the distribution of clean cookstoves to an estimated 7.5 million people across Africa. The company’s mission is to help combat climate change, improve local biodiversity, soil health and water quality, and benefit some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. For further information, please visit our website at http://www.key-carbon.com.

    About Marex
    Marex Group plc (NASDAQ: MRX) is a diversified global financial services platform providing essential liquidity, market access and infrastructure services to clients across energy, commodities and financial markets. The Group provides comprehensive breadth and depth of coverage across four core services: Clearing, Agency and Execution, Market Making and Hedging and Investment Solutions. It has a leading franchise in many major metals, energy and agricultural products, executing around 129 million trades and clearing 856 million contracts in 2023. The Group provides access to the world’s major commodity markets, covering a broad range of clients that include some of the largest commodity producers, consumers and traders, banks, hedge funds and asset managers. Headquartered in London with more than 35 offices worldwide, the Group has over 2,000 employees across Europe, Asia and the Americas. For more information visit http://www.marex.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Xtract One Technologies Teams Up with UBS Arena, Home of the NHL’s New York Islanders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xtract One Technologies (TSX: XTRA)(OTCQX: XTRAF)(FRA: 0PL) (“Xtract One” or the “Company”), a leading technology-driven threat detection and security solution that prioritizes the patron access experience by leveraging AI, today announced that its SmartGateway screening solution was selected to secure UBS Arena in New York. This contract is enabled through the Company’s partnership with Oak View Group (OVG), a global sports and entertainment company. UBS Arena, an 18,000-seat capacity venue located in New York’s historic Belmont Park, is home to the National Hockey League’s (NHL) New York Islanders.

    Xtract One will provide fast and frictionless fan screening to optimize UBS Arena’s patron experience while bolstering safety and security. The SmartGateway will secure key entrances for sports games, concerts, family shows and other live events held at UBS Arena. Together with Oak View Group, Xtract One is working towards providing high-quality experiences for customers while enhancing the comfortability and safety they feel when attending high capacity events.

    “We are pleased to have been selected by UBS Arena and the New York Islanders to secure their premises, another noteworthy accomplishment after recently achieving DHS certification,” said Peter Evans, CEO of Xtract One. “We are in active communication with many NHL teams and are excited by the rapid increase in interest that the DHS award has helped facilitate. This latest deployment, expected to be completed in the current quarter, perfectly blends the historic backdrop of the venue with our next-generation SmartGateway AI technology. Xtract One’s advanced systems will enhance and strengthen UBS Arena’s mission to provide safe, entertaining events for millions – giving patrons the best time possible. We’re excited to have them as a client and look forward to continue revolutionizing the customer experience.”

    Xtract One’s SmartGateway system leverages AI-powered sensors to detect threats without invading guest privacy and comfort, making the screening process for high throughput venues more efficient without compromising accuracy. The SmartGateway scans patrons for weapons and other prohibited items as they enter the space in a discreet manner, enhancing patron experience by reducing security line wait times while still prioritizing their safety.

    “At UBS Arena, guest experience is always paramount. We want our guests to have a best in class experience every time they walk through our doors,” said Mike Sciortino, General Manager of UBS Arena. “For your safety and the safety of others, our screening process is now frictionless using Xtract One technology. There is no need to remove any items, including small bags and coats. Guests will be able to walk directly through the screening system for an expedited security process.”

    To learn more, visit http://www.xtractone.com.

    About Xtract One
    Xtract One Technologies is a leading technology-driven threat detection and security solution leveraging AI to provide seamless and secure patron access control experiences. The Company makes unobtrusive threat detection systems that enable venue building operators to prioritize and deliver improved patron experiences while providing unprecedented safety. Xtract One’s innovative Gateway product enables companies to covertly screen for weapons at points of entry without disrupting the flow of traffic. Its AI-based software allows venue and building operators to identify weapons and other threats inside and outside of facilities, and receive valuable intelligence for optimizing operations. For more information, visit http://www.xtractone.com or connect on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.

    About UBS Arena
    UBS Arena is made for music and built for hockey. New York’s newest premier entertainment and sports venue and proud home of the New York Islanders is developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Jeff Wilpon. The state of the art arena has welcomed top artists from around the globe since opening in November 2021 including Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Stapleton, Dua Lipa, Drake, Harry Styles, Marc Anthony and Suga. The venue delivers an unmatched live entertainment experience for guests including clear sightlines and premier acoustics.

    UBS Arena is at the forefront of sustainability, recently achieving Zero Waste TRUE Silver certification in May 2024 in addition to its LEED Green Building Certification and carbon neutrality for operations.

    Located on the historic grounds of Belmont Park, UBS Arena is located just 30 minutes by LIRR from Grand Central or Penn Station and is easily accessible from across the region via mass transit or car. To plan your trip, please visit UBSArena.com/plan-your-trip.

    For additional information, please visit UBSArena.com or @UBSArena on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    About Oak View Group
    Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment, and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across five global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, Philadelphia, and Toronto). OVG oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, and Moody Center in Austin, TX as well as arena development projects for Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA; Co-op Live in Manchester, UK; and projects for Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a New Arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a New Arena in Cardiff, Wales. More information at OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks detailed from time to time in the continuous disclosure filings made by the Company with securities regulations. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company has no obligation to update any forward looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

    For further information, please contact:
    Xtract One Inquiries: info@xtractone.com, http://www.xtractone.com
    Investor Relations: Chris Witty, Darrow Associates, cwitty@darrowir.com, 646-438-9385
    Media Contact: Kristen Aikey, JMG Public Relations, kristen@jmgpr.com, 212-206-1645
    UBS Arena inquiries: press@ubsarena.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Viva Gold to Present at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference October 1st

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Viva Gold Corp (TSXV: VAU, OTCQB: VAUCF) (“Viva”), with operations in Nevada, focused on gold mining development, today announced that Jim Hesketh, CEO, will present live at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference, hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on October 1st & 2nd 2024.

    DATE: October 1st
    TIME: 10:00 AM ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/3z584tW
    Available for 1×1 meetings: October 1st to 4th

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at http://www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Viva will be resuming drilling activities at its Tonopah Gold Project in Nevada
    • Baseline study work to continue to prepare for project permitting
    • An updated resource and preliminary economic study is due after completion of the upcoming drill program

    About Viva Gold Corp

    Viva’s Tonopah gold project sits in the middle of gold mining country and controls a major land position on the prolific Walker Lane Trend in Western Nevada. Viva has consistently grown its resources since 2017 and has commenced a new, fully funded drill program to further define and grow the current resource base. The Company plans to update the resource model and initiate Preliminary Economic Analysis Study in late 2024, both of which are major catalysts and value creation events for shareholders.

    Viva Gold is led by CEO Jim Hesketh, a 40-year veteran in the mining space who has led the development and construction of eight other mines around the world throughout his career. Jim has surrounded himself with equally experienced mining professionals both on the management team and the board.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Viva Gold
    Name: Jim Hesketh
    Title: CEO
    Phone: (720) 291-1775
    Email: jhesketh@vivagoldcorp.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Westhaven Receives Commitment for Strategic Investment from Rob McEwen of C$1.5 Million as Part of Previously Announced Brokered Private Placement Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Westhaven Gold Corp. (TSX-V:WHN) (“Westhaven” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce, further to its press release dated September 25, 2024 announcing a $5,000,000 brokered best efforts offering (the “ Marketed Offering”) with Red Cloud Securities Inc. (the “Agent”) acting as agent, the Agent has received overnight a commitment from Rob McEwen for participation in the Marketed Offering as a subscriber.

    As previously announced, the Company entered into on September 25, 2024, an agreement with the Agent to act as sole agent and bookrunner in connection with the Marketed Offering to raise gross proceeds of C$5,000,0000 from the sale of the following:

    • 10,000,000 units of the Company (each, a “Unit”) at a price of C$0.15 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to C$1,500,000 from the sale of Units; and
    • gross proceeds of up to C$3,500,000 from the sale of any combination of (i) common shares of the Company that will quality as “flow-through shares” within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, a “Traditional FT Share”) at a price of C$0.175 per Traditional FT Share and (ii) flow-through units of the Company to be sold to charitable purchasers (each, a “Charity FT Unit”, and collectively with the Units and Traditional FT Shares, the “Offered Securities”) at a price of C$0.22 per Charity FT Unit.

    Rob McEwen has agreed to make a strategic investment of C$1.5 million in Offered Securities, through his private holding company Evanachan Ltd. Mr. McEwen is the founder and former Chairman of Goldcorp, is currently the Executive Chairman and largest shareholder of McEwen Mining Inc. and is a member of the Mining Hall of Fame.

    Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”), the Offered Securities will be offered for sale to purchasers in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan (the “Canadian Selling Jurisdictions”) pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106 (the “Listed Issuer Financing Exemption”). The Offered Securities are expected to be immediately freely tradeable under applicable Canadian securities legislation if sold to purchasers resident in Canada.

    The Agent was granted the option, exercisable in full or in part, up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Marketed Offering, to sell up to an additional C$1,000,000 in any combination of Units, Traditional FT Shares and Charity FT Units at their respective offering prices (the “Agents’ Option” and together with the Marketed Offering, the “Offering”).

    Any Units and Charity FT Units sold in excess of gross proceeds of C$5,000,000 as well as the Traditional FT Shares (collectively, the “Non-LIFE Securities”) will be offered by way of the “accredited investor” and “minimum amount investment” exemptions under NI 45-106 in the Canadian Selling Jurisdictions, or in the case of the Units, also in offshore jurisdictions and the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to one or more exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. The Non-LIFE Securities will be subject to a hold period ending on the date that is four months plus one day following the closing date of the Offering under applicable Canadian securities laws.

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of Units for working capital and general corporate purposes. The gross proceeds from the issuance of the Traditional FT Shares and the Charity FT Units will be used for Canadian exploration expenses on the Company’s mineral projects in British Columbia and will qualify as “flow-through mining expenditures”, as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the “Qualifying Expenditures”), which will be incurred on or before December 31, 2025 and renounced to the subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2024 in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the Traditional FT Shares and Charity FT Units.

    The Offering is scheduled to close on or around October 15, 2024, or such other date as the Company and the Agent may agree, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

    The Company will pay to the Agent a cash commission of 6% of the gross proceeds raised in respect of the Offering (the “Agents’ Commission”). In addition, the Company will issue to the Agent warrants of the Company (each warrant, a “Broker Warrant”), exercisable for a period of 24 months following the Closing Date, to acquire in aggregate that number of common shares of the Company which is equal to 6% of the number of Offered Securities sold under the Offering at an exercise price equal to C$0.15 per Common Share.

    There is an amended offering document related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Company’s profile at http://www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at http://www.westhavengold.com. Prospective investors should read this amended offering document before making an investment decision.

    On behalf of the Board of Directors
    WESTHAVEN GOLD CORP.

    “Gareth Thomas”

    Gareth Thomas, President, CEO & Director

    Neither the 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.

    About Westhaven Gold Corp.

    Westhaven is a gold-focused exploration company advancing the high-grade discovery on the Shovelnose project in Canada’s newest gold district, the Spences Bridge Gold Belt. Westhaven controls ~60,950 hectares (609.5 square kilometres) with four gold properties spread along this underexplored belt. The Shovelnose property is situated off a major highway, near power, rail, large producing mines, and within commuting distance from the city of Merritt, which translates into low-cost exploration. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5558 or visit Westhaven’s website at http://www.westhavengold.com

    Forward Looking Statements:

    This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws, which is based upon the Company’s current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs. The forward-looking information included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the Company’s expectations with respect to the Offering, including the proposed participation by Mr. McEwen and the size of that participation; the use of proceeds of the Offering; completion of the Offering and the date of such completion. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information relate to future events and future performance and include statements regarding the expectations and beliefs of management based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “potential”, “is expected”, “anticipated”, “is targeted”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.

    Forward-looking information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, and without limitation: that the Offering may not close within the timeframe anticipated or at all or may not close on the terms and conditions currently anticipated by the Company for a number of reasons including, without limitation, as a result of the occurrence of a material adverse change, disaster, change of law or other failure to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Offering; the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to complete its planned exploration program; that the Company will not derive the expected benefits from its current program; the Company may not use the proceeds of the Offering as currently contemplated; the Company may fail to find a commercially viable deposit at any of its mineral properties; the Company’s plans may be adversely affected by the Company’s reliance on historical data compiled by previous parties involved with its mineral properties; mineral exploration and development are inherently risky industries; the mineral exploration industry is intensely competitive; additional financing may not be available to the Company when required or, if available, the terms of such financing may not be favourable to the Company; fluctuations in the demand for gold or gold prices generally; the Company may not be able to identify, negotiate or finance any future acquisitions successfully, or to integrate such acquisitions with its current business; the Company’s exploration activities are dependent upon the grant of appropriate licenses, concessions, leases, permits and regulatory consents, which may be withdrawn or not granted; the Company’s operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation, policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; there is no guarantee that title to the properties in which the Company has a material interest will not be challenged or impugned; the Company faces various risks associated with mining exploration that are not insurable or may be the subject of insurance which is not commercially feasible for the Company; the volatility of global capital markets over the past several years has generally made the raising of capital more difficult; inflationary cost pressures may escalate the Company’s operating costs; compliance with environmental regulations can be costly; social and environmental activism can negatively impact exploration, development and mining activities; the success of the Company is largely dependent on the performance of its directors and officers; the Company’s operations may be adversely affected by First Nations land claims; the Company and/or its directors and officers may be subject to a variety of legal proceedings, the results of which may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business; the Company may be adversely affected if potential conflicts of interests involving its directors and officers are not resolved in favour of the Company; the Company’s future profitability may depend upon the world market prices of gold; dilution from future equity financing could negatively impact holders of the Company’s securities; failure to adequately meet infrastructure requirements could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business; the Company’s projects now or in the future may be adversely affected by risks outside the control of the Company; the Company is subject to various risks associated with climate change, the Company is subject to general global risks arising from epidemic diseases, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising inflation and interest rates and the impact they will have on the Company’s operations, supply chains, ability to access mining projects or procure equipment, supplies, contractors and other personnel on a timely basis or at all is uncertain; as well as other risk factors in the Company’s other public filings available at http://www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in the Company’s expectations, except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this offering document is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Defiance Announces Shift to Weekly Distributions and Name Change for 0DTE Income ETF Suite

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Defiance ETFs, a leading innovator in thematic and income-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is excited to announce the renaming and strategy update for its suite of Daily Options Income ETFs to better reflect the adoption of same-day expiration options (0DTE) and an enhanced income strategy.

    Effective September 26th, the following changes have been implemented:

    • Defiance Nasdaq 100 Enhanced Options Income ETF (Ticker: QQQY) has been renamed to Defiance Nasdaq 100 Enhanced Options & 0DTE Income ETF.
    • Defiance S&P 500 Enhanced Options Income ETF will now trade under the new ticker symbol WDTE and has been renamed to Defiance S&P 500 Enhanced Options & 0DTE Income ETF.
    • Defiance R2000 Enhanced Options Income ETF (Ticker: IWMY) has been renamed to Defiance R2000 Enhanced Options & 0DTE Income ETF.

    Revised Income Strategy: Targeting Weekly Distributions

    Each Fund has revised its principal investment strategy to target weekly distributions rather than monthly. This shift is designed to better align with the income generation opportunities provided by the daily options strategy.

    About Defiance ETFs

    Founded in 2018, Defiance ETFs has emerged as a leading ETF issuer dedicated to income and thematic investing. Defiance’s actively managed options ETFs are designed to potentially enhance income for investors, with distributions now targeted on a weekly basis.

    Media Contact:
    David Hanono
    Defiance ETFs
    Tel: 833.333.9383

    Defiance ETFs LLC is the ETF sponsor. The Fund’s investment adviser is Toroso Investments, LLC (“Toroso” or the “Adviser”). The Fund Administrator is Tidal ETF Services LLC. The investment sub-adviser is ZEGA Financial, LLC (“ZEGA” or the “Sub-Adviser”). JEPY, QQQY, and IWMY are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

    “Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call 833.333.9383. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.”

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. As an ETF, the funds may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

    The Distribution Rate is the annual yield an investor would receive if the most recently declared distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by multiplying an ETF’s Distribution per Share by twelve (12), and dividing the resulting amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. Distributions are not guaranteed.

    An Investment in the Funds is not an investment in the Index, nor are the Funds an investment in a traditional passively managed index fund.

    QQQY Index Overview: The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization. This makes it a large-cap index, meaning its constituents have a high market value, often in the billions of dollars. The Index includes companies from various industries but is heavily weighted towards the technology sector. This reflects the Nasdaq’s historic strength as a listing venue for tech companies. Other sectors represented include consumer discretionary, health care, communication services, and industrials, among others.

    JEPY Index Overview: The S&P 500 Index is a widely recognized benchmark index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest U.S.-based companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. These companies represent approximately 80% of the total U.S. equities market by capitalization, making it a large-cap index.

    IWMY Index Overview: The Russell 2000 Index is a widely recognized benchmark index that tracks the performance of approximately 2000 small-cap companies in the United States. These are the smallest companies listed in the Russell 3000 Index, representing about 10% of that index’s total market capitalization.

    QQQY Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization. This makes it a large-cap index, meaning its constituents have a high market value, often in the billions of dollars.

    JEPY Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    IWMY Indirect Investment Risk. The Index is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way. Investors in the Fund will not have the right to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the companies that comprise the Index but will be subject to declines in the performance of the Index.

    Index Trading Risk. The trading price of the Index may be highly volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors. ­The stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies.

    S&P 500 Index Risks: The Index, which includes a broad swath of large U.S. companies, is primarily exposed to overall economic and market conditions. Recession, inflation, and changes in interest rates can significantly impact the index’s performance. Furthermore, despite its diverse representation, a downturn in a major sector such as technology or financials could notably affect the index. Geopolitical risks and unexpected global events, like pandemics, can introduce volatility and uncertainty.

    The Nasdaq 100 Index Risks: The Index’s major risks stem from its high concentration in the technology sector and significant exposure to high-growth, high valuation companies. A downturn in the tech industry, whether from regulatory changes, shifts in technology, or competitive pressures, can greatly impact the index. It’s also vulnerable to geopolitical risks due to many constituent companies having substantial international operations. Since many of these tech companies often trade at high valuations, a shift in investor sentiment could lead to significant price declines.

    The Russell 2000 Index Risks: The Index, which includes a broad swath of large U.S. companies, is primarily exposed to overall economic and market conditions. Recession, inflation, and changes in interest rates can significantly impact the index’s performance. Furthermore, despite its diverse representation, a downturn in a major sector such as technology or financials could notably affect the index. Geopolitical risks and unexpected global events, like pandemics, can introduce volatility and uncertainty.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of in-the-money put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the Index over the Call Period (typically, one day, but may range up to one week). This means that if the Index experiences an increase in value above the strike price of the sold put options during a Call Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and may significantly underperform the Index over the Call Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in increases in value experienced by the Index over each Call Period, but has full exposure to any decreases in value experienced by the Index over the Call Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given time period.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil. This risks greater for the Fund as it will hold options contracts on a single security, and not a broader range of options contracts.

    Distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

    The MIL Network –

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

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)
    Secretary for Health commences visit to Beijing (with photos)
    *************************************************************

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

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

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TRAI Mandates Whitelisted URLs, APKS, or OTT links for SMS Traffic

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 26 SEP 2024 1:54PM by PIB Delhi

    In a major step to curb the misuse of URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) in messages, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a Direction on 20th August 2024, instructing all Access Providers to block any traffic containing URLs, APKs (Android Package Kit), or OTT (Over The Top) links that have not been whitelisted. The Direction is set to be implemented by 1st October 2024.

    To ensure smooth flow of SMS traffic containing URLs, TRAI advises registered senders to promptly upload their whitelisted URL/APK/OTT links to the portal of the respective Access Providers. So far, over 3,000 registered senders have complied with this requirement by whitelisting more than 70,000 links. Senders who fail to whitelist their links by the due date will not be able to transmit any messages containing URL/APK/OTT links.

    This initiative by TRAI is designed to safeguard consumers from unsolicited messages containing malicious links while fostering a transparent and secure communication system. By complying with these new rules, both Access Providers and registered senders can help in creating a more reliable and safe messaging environment.

    ***

    MG/SB/DP

    (Release ID: 2058943) Visitor Counter : 60

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: ICC joins Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance as founding member at UNGA 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: ICC joins Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance as founding member at UNGA 

    As the world’s largest business organisation, ICC will leverage its global network in 170 countries to help respond to global disasters and humanitarian crises, in line with its purpose to enable peace, prosperity and opportunity for all.  

    “We must see improved integration of the private sector into the humanitarian architecture to sustain peace and security in the face of increasingly complex global challenges.”

    ICC Secretary General, John W. H. Denton AO.

    Despite the generosity of the international community, humanitarian emergencies remain a major challenge today. Globally, 1 in 11 people face malnutrition and food insecurity. More than 130 million people have been forced to leave behind their homes, families, and their lives in search of safety. With far-ranging consequences, sometimes for generations to come.

    PSHA is designed to bridge the divide between the humanitarian ecosystem and global businesses. With its unique platform for humanitarian coordination, PSHA has established the technological infrastructure needed to manage complex humanitarian efforts among different stakeholders, both public and private. This ensures vital resources reach those who need them most.  

    Reshaping humanitarian efforts through technology 

    PSHA’s innovative platform integrates cutting-edge data analytics, crisis intelligence, and algorithmic matching of business resources with humanitarian needs. This unique use of technology helps deliver humanitarian aid as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Improving the efficiency of humanitarian efforts not only redirects vital help toward those in need – it also ensures donors that their donations are used wisely. 

    In its first year of operation, PSHA has already demonstrated its potential to reshape global giving. PSHA successfully directed cross-sector coordination during the Caribbean hurricane season, saving lives. It led efforts to mobilise private sector resources for the Sudan crisis. It has also strengthened private sector support for humanitarian efforts in the Middle East. 

    PSHA is incubated at Schmidt Futures and operationalised under Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. It has signed Memoranda of Understanding with USAID, the US Department of State, and The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Private sector partners include Google, BCG, Vodafone Foundation, Mastercard, Henry Schein International, Miyamoto International and Flexport. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ingrid Yeung attends Govt career fair

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung today attended a Government Career Fair at the Polytechnic University (PolyU) and called on those who aspire to serve the community to join the civil service.

    The fair was the first to have taken place at PolyU. Thirty government bureaus and departments, covering over 50 civil service grades, took part.

    Besides the general grades, professional grades and the disciplined services were included in the fair.

    In view of the courses offered by PolyU, Mrs Yeung outlined that the Government has arranged for officers from relevant departments to introduce their grades to students.

    She said the fair highlighted civil service job opportunities related to surveying and maritime studies and would give PolyU students who are studying these subjects a better understanding of the relevant grades.

    The Government has strengthened its recruitment efforts in recent years. Mrs Yeung stressed that a number of grades have seen a noticeable increase in the number of applicants.

    She highlighted that the number of candidates applying for Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII) and other grades under the joint recruitment exercise in 2023-24 surged by nearly 40%, adding that this illustrated that job seekers view a career in the Government as attractive.

    The Government has launched a joint recruitment exercise for the appointment of four civil service grades, namely AO, EOII, Assistant Trade Officer II and Transport Officer II. Students graduating in 2025 or 2026 may also apply this year.

    Mrs Yeung reminded those interested in applying for four civil service graduate posts to submit their applications by 11.59pm on October 4.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

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

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

    FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Descartes Showcases Supply Chain and Logistics Technology Innovations at 2024 Innovation Forum

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA and WATERLOO, Ontario, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, will showcase supply chain and logistics technology innovations for transportation management; routing, mobile and telematics; and freight forwarders, customs brokers and air cargo at its 2024 Innovation Forum event, which takes place October 8-10, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago.  

    “In a time with many logistical challenges and opportunities, Descartes is focused on bringing leading software solutions and capabilities to market to help our global customer base drive higher levels of supply chain efficiency, security, resilience and competitive advantage,” said Ken Wood, Executive Vice President, Product Management at Descartes. “This event not only gives us an opportunity to share our latest technology advancements with customers, partners and industry leaders, it also creates a unique forum to explore new trends and strategies shaping the industry with a diverse group of logistics professionals.”  

    Technology innovations and enhancements that will be showcased at the event include:  

    • Transportation Management Solutions
      • Fraud prevention and advanced security to help safeguard customers as they ship freight
      • Big data–enabled insights to improve collaboration, agility and supply chain performance
      • Advanced process automation to optimize the productivity of knowledge workers
      • Enhanced interoperability and network reach via one point of access for increased control and scale
      • Ease-of-use, end-user adoption and engagement enhancements to accelerate time-to-value and improve results

    Learn more about innovations for transportation management here.

    • Route Planning & Execution, Driver Safety, and Customer Experience Solutions
      • Greater interoperability for more efficient and cohesive workflows that improve customer and driver satisfaction
      • Artificial Intelligence to enhance safety compliance and further refine route plans and how they’re executed
      • Route optimization benchmarking for better delivery performance
      • Next-generation strategic route planning to create accuracy and responsiveness

    Learn more about innovations for fleet management here.

    • Broker, Forwarder, Customs & Air Solutions
      • Enhanced digitization and automation to increase operational efficiencies and help companies scale with growth
      • Increased de minimis compliance and security that facilitates legitimate trade
      • Advanced tracking capabilities to improve shipment and customer visibility
      • Expanded integrations with ocean and air carriers, which enable centralized access to more booking options

    Learn more about innovations for these logistics service providers (LSP) here.

    Descartes’ technology innovations will be showcased at a unique and interactive Technology Fair on October 8 from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM CT, offering attendees hands-on experience with its latest software solutions and product enhancements. After the Technology Fair, the company plans to donate the monitors and flat screen televisions used at the event to several local Chicago schools to help them support educational goals for students.

    To learn more about the 2024 Innovation Forum, please visit: https://www.descartes.com/innovation-forum.

    About Descartes

    Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at http://www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

    Global Media Contact
    Cara Strohack
    Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025
    cstrohack@descartes.com

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ transportation management; routing, mobile and telematics; and broker, forwarder, customs and air solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Two-Thirds of Healthcare Organizations Hit by Ransomware – A Four-Year High, Sophos Survey Finds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OXFORD, United Kingdom, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today released a sector survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024,” which revealed that the rate of ransomware attacks against healthcare organizations has reached a four-year high since 2021. Of those organizations surveyed, two-thirds (67%) were impacted by ransomware attacks in the past year, up from 60% in 2023. The rising rate of ransomware attacks against healthcare institutions contrasts with the declining rate of ransomware attacks across sectors; the overall rate of ransomware attacks fell from 66% in 2023 to 59% in 2024.

    Alongside an increase in the rate of ransomware attacks, the healthcare sector reported increasingly longer recovery times. Only 22% of ransomware victims fully recovered in a week or less, a considerable drop from the 47% reported in 2023 and 54% in 2022. In addition, 37% took more than a month to recover, up from 28% in 2023, reflecting the increased severity and complexity of attacks.

    “While we’ve seen the rate of ransomware attacks reach a kind of “homeostasis” or even declining across industries, attacks against healthcare organizations continue to intensify, both in number and scope. The highly sensitive nature of healthcare information and need for accessibility will always place a bullseye on the healthcare industry from cybercriminals. Unfortunately, cybercriminals have learned that few healthcare organizations are prepared to respond to these attacks, demonstrated by increasingly longer recovery times. These attacks can have immense ripple effects, as we’ve seen this year with major ransomware attacks impacting the healthcare industry and impacting patient care,” said John Shier, field CTO, Sophos.

    “To combat these determined adversaries, healthcare organizations must adopt a more proactive, human-led approach to threat detection and response, combining advanced technology with continuous monitoring to stay ahead of attackers.”

    Additional findings from the report include:

    • Ransom Recovery Costs Surge: The mean cost of recovery in a healthcare ransomware attack was $2.57 million in 2024, up from $2.2 million in 2023 and double the 2021 cost
    • Ransom Demands vs Payments: 57% of healthcare institutions that paid the ransom ended up paying more than the original demand
    • Root Cause of Attack: Compromised credentials and exploited vulnerabilities were tied for the number one root cause of attack, each accounting for 34% of attacks
    • Backups Targeted: 95% of healthcare organizations hit by ransomware in the past year said that cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backups during the attack.
    • Increased Pressure: Organizations whose backups were compromised were more than twice as likely to pay the ransom to recover encrypted data (63% vs. 27%)
    • Who Pays the Ransom: Insurance providers are heavily involved in ransom payments, contributing in 77% of cases. 19% of total ransom payment funding comes from insurance providers

    The latest Sophos report on real-world ransomware experiences explores the full victim journey, from attack rate and root cause to operational impact and business outcomes, of 402 healthcare organizations. The results for this sector survey report are part of a broader, vendor-agnostic survey of 5,000 cybersecurity/IT leaders conducted between January and February 2024 across 14 countries and 15 industry sectors.

    Learn More About Ransomware

    Read the full State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024 report on Sophos.com for additional global findings and data by sector.

    About Sophos

    Sophos is a global leader and innovator of advanced security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, including Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and incident response services and a broad portfolio of endpoint, network, email, and cloud security technologies. As one of the largest pure-play cybersecurity providers, Sophos defends more than 600,000 organizations and more than 100 million users worldwide from active adversaries, ransomware, phishing, malware, and more. Sophos’ services and products connect through the Sophos Central management console and are powered by Sophos X-Ops, the company’s cross-domain threat intelligence unit. Sophos X-Ops intelligence optimizes the entire Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem, which includes a centralized data lake that leverages a rich set of open APIs available to customers, partners, developers, and other cybersecurity and information technology vendors. Sophos provides cybersecurity-as-a-service to organizations needing fully managed security solutions. Customers can also manage their cybersecurity directly with Sophos’ security operations platform or use a hybrid approach by supplementing their in-house teams with Sophos’ services, including threat hunting and remediation. Sophos sells through reseller partners and managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at http://www.sophos.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Bispecific Antibodies Clinical Trials Market Size FDA Approved Bispecific Antibodies Insight

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Delhi, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Bispecific Antibody Market, Drugs Sales, Patent, Price and Clinical Trials Insight 2029 Report Highlights:

    • Bispecific Antibodies Development Proprietary Platforms Insight: > 30 Platforms
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Market Size Yearly and Quarterly Sales (2018 till 2023)
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Market Size 2023: > USD 8 Billion
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Market Forecast Till 2029
    • Approved Bispecific Antibodies Yearly and Quarterly Sales (2018 till 2023)
    • Approved Bispecific Antibodies Regional Sales (2018 till 2023)
    • Clinical and Commercial Insight On Approved Bispecific Antibodies: 14 Antibodies
    • Approved Bispecific Antibodies Pricing and Dosage Analysis
    • Global Bispecific Antibodies Clinical Trials By Company, Indication and Phase: > 800 Antibodies
    • FDA and EMA Fast Track Approval, Orphan Designation, Priority Status Insights

    Download Report:

    https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-bispecific-antibody-market-bispecific-antibodies-market

    Before the advent of immunotherapy, the focus was primarily on targeting agents and inhibiting their functions. However, to unlock the full potential of immunotherapy, researchers have begun to move beyond just targeting immune checkpoints. Early attempts at immunotherapy concentrated on enhancing the immune system’s response. As cancerous cells transformed from healthy ones, several cell-based therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and vaccines emerged that exploited tumor-associated antigens. The success of monoclonal antibodies opened the door for novel bispecific antibody immunotherapies, leading to dynamic research and development activities in the field.

    The development of bispecific antibodies began when scientists recognized the potential of monoclonal antibodies. This marked the start of a new era in therapeutics in the late 1990s. Bispecific antibodies offer multiple benefits, including dual targeting of different antigens, improved specificity, enhanced targeting ability, reduced dose-limiting toxicities, and the potential for drug-drug or drug-to-protein conjugates. These antibodies provide diversity by targeting two different antigens or epitopes simultaneously.

    Bispecific antibodies represent a promising approach in the field of immuno-oncology therapy. They have garnered significant attention from healthcare professionals who are dedicated to developing improved therapies and providing cures for patients suffering from cancer worldwide. As a result, several bispecific antibodies—such as Blincyto, Hemlibra, Rybrevant, Vabysmo, Tecvayli, and Lunsumio—have made their mark in the commercial market, receiving FDA and EMA approval over the past decade for various indications, including hemophilia A, B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, uveal melanoma, multiple myeloma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

    Furthermore, the success of bispecific antibodies, exemplified by the granting of fast track approval for the GPCR5D-targeted bispecific antibody by the EMA in 2023, has spurred significant growth in preclinical and clinical trials. Currently, more than 400 clinical trials are underway in the field of immunotherapy, with the primary objective of developing innovative therapies to reduce the cancer burden. For example, the experimental anti-TIGIT/anti-PD-1 bispecific antibody Rilvegostomig (AZD2936) is currently in clinical research for the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma. This study is in the Phase I/II clinical stage and is sponsored by AstraZeneca.

    Due to its groundbreaking mechanism of action, bispecific antibody therapy can be used either as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs. For instance, in an umbrella study, Elranatamab (PF-06863135) is being researched in combination with lenalidomide, dexamethasone, or Nirogacestat for the treatment of multiple myeloma, and is currently in Phase II clinical trials.

    The presence of major pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and Pfizer in clinical trials has attracted numerous companies, research centers, and universities, including Beijing Cancer Hospital, Sharp Memorial Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Institute for Medical Research-Mbeya Medical Research Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Hoffmann-La Roche. These institutions are addressing various indications such as solid tumors, metastatic melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Hodgkin disease, and CD30-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

    The bispecific antibody market is growing at an exceptional pace, as evidenced by the increasing number of antibody approvals. In 2023, two additional therapies—Epkinly (epcoritamab-bysp) and Columvi (glofitamab-gxbm)—received FDA approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Currently, the US dominates the market, as indicated by the rising number of approvals and ongoing clinical trials. However, China is emerging as the fastest-growing nation in terms of advancements and clinical trial activities.

    The MIL Network –

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

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

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

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

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

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

    Reference:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex as part of the Russian Energy Week

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex at the site of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW)

    September 26, 2024

    Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex at the site of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW)

    September 26, 2024

    Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex at the site of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW)

    September 26, 2024

    Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex at the site of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW)

    September 26, 2024

    Alexander Novak and participants of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW) exhibition of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex

    September 26, 2024

    Previous news Next news

    Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex at the site of the International Forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW)

    Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak inspected the exhibition display of equipment and technologies for the fuel and energy complex at the site of the international forum “Russian Energy Week” (REW). He visited the stands of the United Energy Company, the energy complex of the Moscow government, Mosgaz, the Institute of Oil and Gas Technological Initiatives (INTI), Rosstandart, TD Vzlyot, Transneft, “Gas Stations and Logistics – Innovative Solutions for Business Management”, Pipe Metallurgical Company, as well as the exposition of companies from China.

    At the JSC OEK stand, the Deputy Prime Minister was shown a branded Moskvich electric car with a charging station, energy-efficient LED smart lights with built-in lamp control modules, which are currently being installed in Moscow, as well as architectural and artistic lighting devices that transform the facades of the capital’s buildings at night.

    The Mosgaz site displays samples of the latest Russian gas distribution equipment and heat supply sources – from design and documentation development to 3D modeling and production of finished products. The gas workers’ exposition features models of a gas control station, a boiler room, and a mobile boiler room.

    INTI has established itself as an effective mechanism in import substitution and achieving technological sovereignty of Russia. Its task is to approve and further apply professional standards in the production and procurement activities of oil and gas companies together with representatives of business and government. The institute is also working on the implementation of “road maps” for import substitution adopted within the framework of the Coordination Council for Import Substitution of Oil and Gas Equipment in accordance with the formed action plan.

    At the Rosstand, Alexander Novak was shown a model of a laboratory that is part of a universal reference testing center designed to test various products, including electrical equipment, using climatic and resource tests and technical means for electromagnetic compatibility parameters.

    TD Vzlet, a Russian developer and manufacturer of devices and systems for metering the flow of liquids, thermal energy and gases, demonstrated the latest models of flow meters for gas metering at REN.

    The Transneft site features the latest anti-corrosion equipment that ensures the operation of freight and pipeline transport.

    At the stand “Gas stations and logistics – innovative solutions for business management”, Alexander Novak was shown digital solutions for modern gas stations in three areas: logistics, equipment monitoring and gas station management system.

    The stand of the companies from China presents products and technical solutions from 15 companies of the friendly country in the petrochemical and gas chemical industry, including equipment, parts and service solutions.

    The Pipe Metallurgical Company demonstrated technologies for thermochemical impact on unconventional oil-bearing horizons. This is a well assembly complex for the extraction of hard-to-recover reserves. The solution, developed entirely in Russia, will significantly increase the percentage of hydrocarbon extraction and the profitability of developing hard-to-recover reserves.

    In total, the exhibition features stands from 34 participants from various regions of Russia, the Republic of Belarus and China.

    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://government.ru/nevs/52800/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Applications now open for residents to get a free one-tonne community salt bag

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Residents across Aberdeen can now apply for a free one-tonne community salt bag to treat icy roads and pavements in their neighbourhood during the winter months.

    The applications have been opened earlier than normal this year and, although it has been an unusually warm September, winter is fast coming and the deadline for applying for the one-tonne community salt bags is 31 October, 2024, after which applications will not be processed.

    The scheme is designed to help communities help themselves when winter starts and in addition, there will again be big community salt bins in strategic locations around the city.

    Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “The weather has just turned autumnal and winter will be here before we know it.

    “As always, the Council’s gritting teams will be working hard to treat roads and pavements, often under challenging conditions. On icy days, almost half of Aberdeen’s roads and the city’s busiest pavements on Union Street are treated before 7.30am.

    “Unfortunately though, Council staff can’t be everywhere all the time. There are 620 miles of roads in Aberdeen, slightly more than the distance from the city to Paris, and 1,242 miles of pavements, the distance from here to Rome. That’s why the one tonne community salt bag scheme and yellow salt bins are so important – they help local communities to help themselves.”

    The one-tonne community salt bags, like the salt provided in grit bins, will be for use only on public areas. A secure and accessible area, like a driveway, would have to be available for storing the one-tonne community salt bags.

    Any residents or groups which would like a one-tonne bag should apply via One-tonne salt bags | Aberdeen City Council before 31 October. The community salt bags are delivered free of charge and are removed at the end of winter.

    The locations for the big community salt bins are Bridge of Don (Laurel Drive), Garthdee (Asda car park – next to recycling facilities), Torry (Girdleness Road), Union Row, Crown Terrace (next to bins), Justice Street (next to recycling bins), Seaton Drive (car park on entry to Seaton Walk), Regent Court (car park), Northfield (Byron Square), Hilton (at the top of Anderson Road, next to Stewart Park), Rosemount (Leadside Road), Kingswells Park & Ride (next to recycling point and bins), Craibstone Park & Ride (west car park), Bridge of Don Park & Ride (next to recycling point and bins), Countesswells Road, Dyce (Asda car park-next to recycling facilities), Fernhill Drive (near Fernhill Road), Johnston Gardens North (at turning area), Tillydrone (Pennan Road beside the library).

    More information about gritting routes and winter maintenance from Aberdeen City Council is available from http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/winter 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK constrains Russia’s future LNG plans 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK has sanctioned 5 ships and 2 entities involved in the Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) sector. 

    • The UK has sanctioned 5 ships and 2 entities involved in the Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) sector. 

    • This is the first time the UK is using its new ship specification power to target LNG vessels directly. 

    • Today’s action builds on efforts alongside allies to bear down on Russia’s attempts to bolster its future energy revenues – the most critical source of funding for Putin’s war in Ukraine. 

    The UK has today, 26 September, taken decisive action to sanction 5 vessels and 2 associated entities involved in the shipping of Russian LNG, including from Russia’s flagship Arctic LNG 2 project. 

    LNG is an important source of funding for Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. Russia has plans to expand its LNG revenues, aiming to grow their global LNG market share from 8% to 20%.  

    Earlier this year, the UK sanctioned Arctic LNG 2, alongside our allies in the US and EU. Since then, the project has been forced to slash production. Today’s action builds on this by targeting ships and entities involved in the Russian LNG sector, which engage with projects important to Russia’s future energy production. 

    The UK has now sanctioned 15 vessels and entities involved in the Russian LNG sector and we will continue to bear down on this important source of funding for Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.   

    The vessels sanctioned today are: 

    • PIONEER (IMO 9256602) 

    • ASYA ENERGY (IMO 9216298) 

    • NOVA ENERGY (IMO 9324277) 

    • NORTH SKY (IMO 9953523) 

    • SCF LA PEROUSE (IMO 9849887)  

    We are also sanctioning the following entities associated with the vessels: 

    • OCEAN SPEEDSTAR SOLUTIONS OPC – The operator and manager of PIONEER and ASYA ENERGY. 

    • WHITE FOX SHIP MANAGEMENT – The operator and manager of NORTH SKY  

    Notes to Editors  

    • Ships specified under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 are prohibited from entering a port in the UK, may be given a movement or a port entry direction, can be detained, and will be refused permission to register on the UK Ship Register or have its existing registration terminated.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

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

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: This year, more than 70 modern elevators were installed in the capital’s medical institutions

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Specialists from the city services complex have installed more than 70 modern elevators in the capital’s medical institutions. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

    “As part of the implementation of city programs, this year 21 elevators were replaced in clinics undergoing major repairs, and 52 elevators whose service life had reached the end of their service life were replaced in operating hospitals. Healthcare facilities are equipped with new elevator equipment that fully meets safety requirements. The replacement of elevators in hospital buildings was carried out in stages so that employees and patients would not experience difficulties when moving between floors,” noted Petr Biryukov.

    Elevators were updated in the City Clinical Hospital (CCH) named after F.I. Inozemtsev, City Clinical Hospital No. 29 named after N.E. Bauman and City Clinical Hospital named after S.S. Yudin.

    Lifts for medical institutions are characterized by high load capacity and increased door openings, which allows transporting patients on gurneys and intensive care beds. The cabins are made of high-strength stainless steel, resistant to constant treatment with antiseptics, and are equipped with high-precision stopping systems.

    For visitors with limited mobility and patients with hearing and vision impairments, handrails, a device for voice announcements and buttons with Braille alphabet are provided.

    The elevators have ventilation and disinfecting UV recirculators, they are equipped with an uninterruptible power supply system and a special evacuation mode: in an emergency, the elevator does not stop, but goes down to the nearest floor and opens the doors. All parts and components are domestically produced, which simplifies maintenance.

    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.mos.ru/nevs/item/144505073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Other events – The Activities of the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) – 30-09-2024 – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    Mr Ladislav Hamran, the President of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation since 2017, will present to LIBE Committee Members the Agency, its role and current activities.

    Created in 2002 and headquartered in The Hague, its mission is to support coordination and cooperation among national investigating and prosecuting authorities in order to tackle “serious crimes” that affect two or more Member States.

    Following the adoption of the Eurojust Regulation ((EU) 2018/1727), three significant amendments have been introduced, providing the agency with the legal authority to collect, preserve and share evidence on war crimes, reinforce its powers to combat serious crimes (digital exchange in terrorism cases -and establish a platform to support the functioning of Joint Investigation Teams. An evaluation of the Eurojust Regulation’s implementation must be carried out by the European Commission by the end of the current year.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Security of energy supply – 26-09-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Energy supply security is often defined as the availability of an adequate supply of energy at a reasonable cost. Even a partial supply disruption can have severe consequences, which the European Union has experienced on several occasions. Over the years, energy market developments have affected the EU’s economic situation time and again, from the 1970s oil crisis to the 2009 gas crisis and 2022 energy price crisis following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With the exception of coal, the EU’s energy resources are limited, leaving it particularly vulnerable to disruption, particularly for oil and gas supplies. The EU has a relatively high dependency on energy imports (62.5 % in 2022) and this rate has been increasing since 1990. The EU has built a legislative framework to ensure the security of its energy supplies. The electricity sector is subject to a regulation on risk-preparedness that mandates Member States to implement tools for preventing and managing potential electricity crises – and to work together once such crises occur. The Oil Stocks Directive requires Member States to hold a minimum reserve and inform the European Commission about the stock they hold. The EU Regulation concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply (‘Security of Gas Supply Regulation’) introduces a solidarity mechanism between Member States and a supply standard ensuring continuous gas supply to protected customers. Despite this comprehensive framework, significant challenges remain on the road towards a fully-fledged EU energy security strategy. The planned revision of the EU regulation, expected for 2025, could provide the impetus to adapt the existing security framework to new challenges resulting from the decarbonisation of the energy market and new import patterns. The security framework could be broadened to reflect a new way of perceiving energy supply security, based not only on energy sources, but also on the ability to produce energy domestically (including through renewable energy). The issue of energy security will likely remain a long-term challenge for the EU. Scope remains for stronger coordination between Member States and legislative intervention to complete the framework.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Children get creative with plants and poetry to illustrate their hopes as child rights mark 100 years

    Source: Save The Children

    Photo: Oksana Parafeniuk/Save the Children
    LONDON/GENEVA, 26 September 2024 – Using flowers, shells, leaves, and paper clips, children from Indonesia, Syria and Ukraine have created photo montages and written poems to show what is most important to them to mark 100 years of the global recognition of child rights.
     
    Working with three award-winning photographers, children were encouraged to get creative by combining photos of themselves with everyday items for mixed media projects that celebrate their optimism and hopes for the future but also risks if progress on their rights stalls or is reversed.  

    The montages and poems are being used to commemorate the agreement on 26 September 1924 of the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child, the groundbreaking document drafted by Save the Children founder Eglantyne Jebb that affirmed for the first time the existence of rights specific to children.  

    Elin, 15 from Sumba, Indonesia, said she was passionate about protecting the ocean but worried about the impact of climate change. She collected sand and shells while swimming and combined them with her photo portrait, writing the following poem. “In this scorching world, I have the right to be happy. I have the right to breathe fresh air. I have the right to access clean water, because my study time is not to fetch water. Together, we can protect the nature, because I am human, you are human, we are human.”

    Anjar,18, from Indonesia tackles the lack of access to clean water in his friend Sandi’s village. Together, they designed a borehole that brought running water to the village for the first time. Anjar is worried about the impact of deforestation and used his artwork to portray himself as a warrior protecting the trees that he loves, using rocks and plants he has gathered. 

    “We have to learn and guard our nature, so it won’t be destroyed”, said Anjar, who was supported by Save the Children’s Inclusive Incubator for Young Changemakers (i2Change) programme which gives young people the chance to learn how to create a project that will change their community. 

    In Romania, eight-year-old Marko* is trying to rebuild his life and make new friends after he fled Ukraine with mother when the war broke out.  

    It took him months to settle into school, but with support from Save the Children’s hub in Romania, he is now more at ease. He made a collage by decorating his printed portrait with colourful clips and pegs. His montage represents his personality, his big dreams for the future and how important his homeland and school are to him.

    “I want to be a captain because I would like to travel all over the world”, he said. 

    Shehab*, 16, is living in Za’atari, Jordan, the world’s largest camp for displaced Syrian refugees. She was born with a disability and bullied at school which made her drop out. At the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Centre, run by Save the Children and the United Nations Population Fund, Jordan  is learning self-defence, art and yoga which is helping her find her inner strength. 

    Her portrait shows the importance to her of the rights to education and protection and includes a caption saying, “Women of the world, unite!” 

    “I was destroyed before I came to the centre, now I have more self-esteem and confidence” she said. “When I came here, I learned what children’s rights are and I started raising awareness for others and the younger ones. It’s a very good feeling because I felt like I was doing something for society, I was changing something. I felt like I was a leader for those children.”

    The project that ran over three months involves the photographers Ulet Ifansasti from Indonesia, Kate Stanworth from the UK and Oksana Parafeniuk from Ukraine. 

    Despite much progress over the last century, children’s rights are today at risk of being eroded and inequality is growing.

    One in five children globally is growing up in a conflict zone [1] and one in 50 is forcibly displaced- twice the number a decade ago, according to Save the Children analysis. [2] Thirty-three children were born into hunger each minute last year [3], while every year, extreme weather events interrupt learning for about 40 million children, a figure likely to rise as the intensity and frequency increase due to climate change [4]. 

    Inger Ashing, Save the Children International’s Chief Executive Officer said:     “So much has changed for children in 100 years. Most children now live to see their fifth birthday. Almost nine in 10 primary and six in 10 secondary-age school children complete their education. The vast majority are no longer forced to engage in the kind of work that deprives them of their childhood and harms their development.  “Today, every child has rights – including the right to health, to education, to protection, and to security. They have the right to be themselves, to have their voices heard and to design their futures.  “But this wasn’t always accepted or supported – and still isn’t in many places around the world.  Children currently face a world in crisis where their rights are systematically undermined and violated. The vital progress made over the past 100 years is being reversed with catastrophic conflicts for children while children also experience all-too-frequent climate disasters, poverty and inequality. “Standing up for children’s rights is our history, present, and future. Our work to support children to claim their rights is just as urgent and relevant today as it was 100 years ago and we will not stop until children’s rights are respected, supported, and protected worldwide.”Save the Children is calling on leaders to listen to children and to provide safe, meaningful, child-friendly spaces where children can speak freely and their ideas are respected.  
    The child rights organisation is also calling for: 
    •  States to hold perpetrators of crimes against children in conflict to account and ensure adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law.  
    • At the upcoming Ministerial Conference to Ending Violence against Children, states should  make concrete, ambitious and funded commitments to protect children and end all forms of violence against them 
    • Children’s rights and views to be prioritised in climate policy and financing, including climate loss and damage and adaptation, 
    • Leaders to put children’s rights and the Sustainable Development Goals at the centre of policy and financing decisions to create a safer, greener and more sustainable world.  
    For further enquiries please contact:  
    Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409. Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ramirez Slams Republican Efforts to Benefit the Predatory For-Profit Bail Industry at the Expense of Low-Income People, People of Color, Individuals Seeking Reproductive Care

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    Rep Ramirez pointed out the irony of advancing a bill that strengthens the position of the predatory for-profit bond industry one year after Illinois successfully eliminated cash bail

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), the Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, voted “NO” on the Republican H.R. 8205, Detaining the Disadvantaged Act. Ramirez’s decisions came after carefully analyzing that the legislation fails to address public safety or economic inequity, instead benefiting insurers and the corporate for-profit bail industry. 

    “Today marks one year and one week since Illinois eliminated cash bail. The passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act made Illinois the first state to end the practice of holding people in jail simply because they could not buy their freedom. A year later, the preliminary research on Illinois shows that the failure-to-appear rate has not increased, there is no documented increase in crime as a result of defendants being released without posting bond, and approximately $140 million that was posted in bond now remains in the community,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “Today’s bill is a conservative attack on grassroots efforts to resist and disrupt the predatory for-profit cash bail industry and remove the influence of money on our criminal legal system. That’s why I voted NO on H.R. 8205. Until all states end the unjust practice of pretrial bond, we must protect and defend community bond funds.”

    BACKGROUND:

    According to data by the Center for American Progress, the for-profit bail industry has long profited from the criminal justice system’s targeting of low-income people, people of color, and now individuals seeking reproductive care. In Illinois, the law to end cash bail, the Pretrial Fairness Act, passed the General Assembly in January 2021 with Congresswoman Ramirez’s advocacy and vote. It was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Feb. 22. The bill was part of the SAFE-T Act, a broader criminal justice reform package. According to reports of the data analyzed by the Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University in Chicago, the state has not seen dramatic changes in the security and justice process.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Ramirez Statement on Passage of Continuing Resolution to Keep Government Open

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) released the following statement:

    “During this Congress, just in two years, the House has considered at least six different Continuing Resolutions all because extreme Republicans have hijacked the government funding process to advance Trump’s Project 2025 agenda.

    Today, once again, my Democratic colleagues and I showed up to keep the government open and ensure families receive their services: government services for the people, funded by the people. But make no mistake, what we passed is only a temporary fix until December 20. The government is still not funded, and extreme Republicans have NO intention of funding it on former President Trump’s orders. The fringe of the Republican party will come back after the election and keep hijacking the appropriations process to push extreme, unpopular, vile policies: a national abortion ban, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and the erosion of our democratic institutions. For the families in IL-03 and around our nation, I challenge my Republican colleagues to put the American people first, abandon Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, and come to the table to fund our government when session resumes.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: HHS Maternal Health Briefing | September 2024

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

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) host a briefing on Maternal Health policies and programs. Speakers included senior officials and subject matter experts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and others. For more information, contact the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at partnerwithus@hhs.gov for more information.

    —

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov

    http://www.Twitter.com/HHSGov | http://www.Facebook.com/HHS http://www.Instagram.com/HHSGov
    http://www.LinkedIn.com/company/us-department-of-health-and-human-services

    HHS Privacy Policy: http://www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf39Cz784Ho

    MIL OSI Video –

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

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

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

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

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

    Credit: NASA

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

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: RBC iShares Expands Access to BlackRock’s Award-Winning Investment Platform with Active ETFs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Today, RBC iShares expands access to BlackRock’s award-winning investment platform with the launch of two active bond ETFs (collectively the iShares Funds).1 The iShares Funds provide clients with the best of BlackRock’s fixed income investment insights in liquid, transparent and cost-effective ETFs.

    The iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF (XFLI, XFLI.U) invests in the BlackRock Flexible Income ETF (BINC)2, managed by Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income at BlackRock. The strategy will also be available hedged to the Canadian dollar with the listing of the iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF (CAD-Hedged)(XFLX). The iShares Funds seek to deliver monthly income by primarily allocating to hard-to-reach global fixed income sectors, such as high yield, emerging markets debt and securitized assets.

    The iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF has now closed the initial offering of its units and the units will be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) when markets open today. The units of the iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF (CAD-Hedged) are expected to be listed on the TSX when markets open on October 1, 2024.

    The iShares Funds are designed to complement core bond exposures by providing enhanced yield across the global fixed income opportunity set, unconstrained by traditional benchmarks. They leverage the scale of BlackRock’s US$2.8 trillion fixed income platform,3 providing clients with unparalleled market access.

    Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, BlackRock:

    “Today’s investment environment presents a golden age for fixed income. Investors can achieve high yields without taking on excessive risk. By staying active, agile, and well-diversified, these ETFs aim to capture historic opportunities across fixed income markets whenever and wherever they become available.”

    Helen Hayes, Head of iShares Canada, BlackRock:

    “The launch of these ETFs brings the alpha generation capabilities of BlackRock’s global fixed income platform to Canadian investors. The deep resources and specialized market insights of our Fundamental Fixed Income Team will provide investors exposure to less accessible sectors of fixed Income, further enabling opportunities to capitalize on the strong yield environment.”

    The new iShares Funds are noted in the table below and will be managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (“BlackRock Canada”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.

    Fund Name Ticker Management Fee4 Listing Date
    iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF XFLI
    XFLI.U    		 0.55 % September 26, 2024
    iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF (CAD-Hedged) XFLX 0.55 % October 1, 20245

    RBC iShares aims to help clients achieve their investment objectives by empowering them to build efficient portfolios and take control of their financial futures. RBC iShares is committed to delivering a truly differentiated ETF experience and positive outcomes for clients.

    For more information about RBC iShares, please visit https://www.rbcishares.com.

    About BlackRock        

    BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit http://www.blackrock.com/corporate.

    About iShares ETFs

    iShares unlocks opportunity across markets to meet the evolving needs of investors. With more than twenty years of experience, a global line-up of 1400+ exchange traded funds (ETFs) and US$3.86 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2024, iShares continues to drive progress for the financial industry. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock.

    iShares® ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited.
      
    About RBC

    Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 100,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 18 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

    We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.

    About RBC Global Asset Management
    RBC Global Asset Management (RBC GAM) is the asset management division of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). RBC GAM is a provider of global investment management services and solutions to institutional, high-net-worth and individual investors through separate accounts, pooled funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds and specialty investment strategies. RBC Funds, BlueBay Funds, PH&N Funds and RBC ETFs are offered by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. (RBC GAM Inc.) and distributed through authorized dealers in Canada. The RBC GAM group of companies, which includes RBC GAM Inc. (including PH&N Institutional) and RBC Indigo Asset Management Inc., manage approximately $660 billion in assets and have approximately 1,600 employees located across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

    RBC iShares ETFs are comprised of RBC ETFs managed by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. and iShares ETFs managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

    ® / TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license. iSHARES is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc., or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. Used under license. © 2023 BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited and RBC Global Asset Management Inc. All rights reserved.

    Contact for Media:
    Reem Jazar
    Email: reem.jazar@blackrock.com

    1 Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income at BlackRock, was awarded the U.S. Morningstar Award for Investing Excellence: Outstanding Portfolio Manager on March 21, 2023.
    2 Currently, the iShares Funds will, directly or indirectly, invest all or substantially all of their assets in BINC.
    3 Source: BlackRock Q2 2024 Earnings, as of June 30, 2024.

    4 As an annualized percentage of the iShares Fund’s daily net asset value. If applicable, BlackRock Canada or an affiliate is entitled to receive a fee for acting as manager of each iShares ETF in which this iShares Fund may invest (an “underlying product fee” and together with the management fee payable to BlackRock Canada, the “total annual fee”). As the underlying product fees are embedded in the market value of the iShares ETFs in which this iShares Fund may invest, any underlying product fees are borne indirectly by this iShares Fund. BlackRock Canada will adjust the management fee payable to it by this iShares Fund to ensure that the total annual fees paid directly or indirectly to BlackRock Canada and its affiliates by this iShares Fund will not exceed the percentage of the NAV set out above. The total annual fee is exclusive of HST. Any underlying product fees borne indirectly by this iShares Fund are calculated and accrued daily and are paid not less than annually.
    5 Listing date is subject to regulatory approvals.

    The MIL Network –