Times Square regenerated with new pedestrian plazas improving public safety, air quality and economic output
Sadiq given tour by former New York Transport Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan
Mayor says scheme can provide inspiration for his plans to transform Oxford Street
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today visit Times Square to see at first-hand how the iconic New York landmark could provide inspiration for the future regeneration of Oxford Street.
Times Square and its surrounding areas have been comprehensively regenerated since 2009 to create a series new and enhanced spaces to walk, sit, and cycle, transforming it from one of New York’s most notoriously congested spacesinto a world-class civic space that has boosted economic activity and improved safety.
Accompanied by Janette Sadik-Khan, a principal with Bloomberg Associates who was New York Transport Commissioner and the driving force behind the Times Square scheme under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor learnt how the project has doubled the amount of pedestrian space and led to improvements in public safety, air quality, and economic output. As a result, 93 per cent of visitors said that the pedestrian plaza makes Times Square a more pleasant place to be. The number of pedestrians in Times Square soared by nearly a quarter in just five years, to 482,000 people a day in 2013, helping spur a more than doubling in the value of retail space in Times Square as major retailers opened new stores. Within two years of the project being implemented, Times Square was made the list of the 10 most desirable locations to do business, according to Cushman and Wakefield.
In total, more than 110,000 square feet of pedestrian space has been created, leading to a 40 per cent reduction in pedestrian injuries and a 15 per cent drop in road traffic casualties. Crime in the area fell by 20 per cent and more than 80 per cent of visitors said that they feel safer. While it comprises only 0.1 per cent of New York City’s land area, Times Square supported nearly 10 per cent of the city’s jobs before the pandemic, generating 15 per cent of its economic output.
Last week, Sadiq set out proposals to transform Oxford Street to ensure it can be a catalyst of London’s economic prosperity for decades to come. These proposals include transforming it into a traffic-free pedestrian boulevard and delivering an enhanced experience for shoppers, residents, employees, visitors and tourists.
Sadiq believes that Times Square can provide inspiration for the future regeneration of Oxford Street, creating new jobs and economic prosperity.
The Mayor is in New York this week to encourage US businesses to expand and invest in London, and promote the capital as an unrivalled destination for tourists and sporting events.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted to visit Times Square to see how the incredible regeneration here can provide inspiration for our plans for Oxford Street.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Oxford Street to deliver a safer, greener part of the capital that creates new jobs and boosts growth for London and other parts of the UK.
“If we can replicate some of the aspects of Times Square on Oxford Street, I am sure we can create a high street destination that will be the envy of the world once again.”
Former New York Transport Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, said: “Great streets make great cities. Bringing new life to old streets like Broadway and Oxford Street offers new possibilities for a city that is healthier and more prosperous for millions of people. Reimagining Broadway showed that this can be done quickly, inexpensively and that it can be wildly popular.”
John Dickie, Chief Executive at BusinessLDN, said: “Oxford Street is one of the world’s most celebrated shopping destinations and, like Times Square, needs modernisation to keep it a truly twenty-first century global destination. The Oxford Street Mayoral Development Corporation, working with local stakeholders and learning from other global cities, is a powerful vehicle to deliver the change that Oxford Street needs, to make it cleaner, greener and more attractive to visitors and Londoners alike.”
Dee Corsi, Chief Executive of New West End Company, the body representing 600 businesses in London’s West End, said: “The regeneration of iconic spaces like Times Square offers valuable insights as we work towards Oxford Street’s transformation and secure its place as a world-class flagship retail and leisure destination. By learning from successful projects in global cities, including New York, we can ensure that Oxford Street continues to deliver for visitors, residents, and businesses alike. It is crucial that we maintain momentum to deliver this transformation swiftly, realising its benefits for Londoners and the wider UK economy as soon as possible.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Marine traffic control and safety measures to be implemented at 2024 National Day Fireworks Display Marine traffic control and safety measures to be implemented at 2024 National Day Fireworks Display ******************************************************************************************
With regard to the 2024 National Day Fireworks Display to be held on October 1, the Marine Department (MD) will strictly enforce marine traffic control and strengthen the inspection of spectator vessels on the event day to ensure that safety requirements are met. The MD will establish a Closed Area in the waters off the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, where barges and pontoons for the fireworks will be anchored, from 2pm to about 11pm on the event day. All vessels will be prohibited from entering the area. The two Restricted Areas will be established in two stages. The Restricted Area 1 will be established in the waters off the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui from 6.30pm to about 10pm to facilitate the drone performance, while the Restricted Area 2 in the Central Harbour will be established from 8pm to about 10pm. Other than authorised vessels, no vessels will be allowed to enter. Scheduled ferry vessels with permission may continue services until 8.30pm. Spectator vessels could stay inside the Specified Area other than the Restricted Areas and the Closed Area for viewing from 7pm to about 10pm on the event day. To enhance marine safety during a major event at sea, coxswains of spectator vessels in the Specified Area during the specified period must ensure that children on board are accompanied by an adult and wear a lifejacket at all times. Coxswains must also keep a passenger and crew list on board for emergency purposes. The MD will enhance enforcement work and initiate prosecution if any vessel fails to meet with these requirements. In addition, to ensure vessels disperse in an orderly manner, the Eastern and Western Cordon Lines of the Restricted Area will be lifted in stages after the event. The Western Cordon Line will be lifted first at about 10pm. Spectator vessels behind the Western Cordon Line and those wishing to move to the east must follow the instructions of officers from the MD and the Police at the scene. The Eastern Cordon Line will be lifted later depending on traffic conditions in Victoria Harbour. It is anticipated that the Restricted Areas will be lifted by about 10.15pm. For landside crowd control, public landing steps at Kowloon Public Pier will be closed temporarily from 7pm to about 10pm, while other public landing steps within the Restricted Areas will be closed temporarily from 7.30pm to about 10pm. Buffer Zones at Kowloon Public Pier, Kwun Tong Public Pier and Central Piers 9 and 10 will be established immediately after the event for safe and orderly disembarkation of passengers. Officers from the MD and the Police will also maintain order at major landing facilities after the event. Coxswains and crew members should remind passengers to pack their personal belongings early before the vessels arrive alongside the landing steps, as well as assisting passengers to disembark. Coxswains and passengers should follow the guidance of the MD and the Police at the scene. The MD and the Marine Police will also strengthen law enforcement, especially on conditions of life-saving appliances, speeding and overloading. Coxswains and persons-in-charge of vessels should check again and reconfirm that the operating licence, the certificate of survey and the third-party risk insurance are valid before setting sail. MD Notice No. 175 of 2024 on the marine traffic control and safety measures has been issued and is available for viewing on the MD’s website (www.mardep.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 16:35
For decades, the rapid urbanisation and industrial growth experienced by many nations, had come at a high environmental cost. Landfills overflowed, plastic waste contaminated rivers and oceans, and emissions from improper waste disposal intensified the climate crisis.
The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Congress 2024, themed “Waste to Wealth: Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” signalled a turning point, with the idea that waste could be transformed into wealth resonating deeply.
The congress brought together global experts, policymakers, and business leaders to share cutting-edge practices in waste management and the circular economy. But more importantly, it showcased South Africa’s commitment to turning its waste challenges into economic opportunities.
The government’s introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations and the accent of the Climate Change Bill into an Act marked a significant shift in how the nation approached waste. The EPR Regulations require manufacturers to take responsibility for the lifecycle of their products, from production to post-consumer waste. This policy forces businesses to rethink how they design, produce, and manage products, pushing them toward more sustainable practices.
The Climate Change Act further aligns the nation’s policies with its environmental goals. It ensures that South Africa’s response to climate change, particularly in transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy is supported by robust legislation. This act not only aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also promotes the creation of green jobs and investments in the emerging circular economy.
However, one of the most remarkable aspects of South Africa’s waste management evolution is the active role the private sector plays. While government policies set the framework, it is private companies that help drive real change. Faced with regulatory requirements, businesses are beginning to take ownership of their waste, investing in recycling technologies, sustainable product designs, and waste-to-energy initiatives.
The idea that waste could be a resource, rather than a burden, has begun to reshape industries. For instance, South Africa’s plastic manufacturing sector was forced to adapt to new requirements mandating the inclusion of recycled content in products. This sparked a wave of innovation, as companies began developing new methods to incorporate recyclates into their production processes. Similarly, the construction industry began embracing the reuse of demolition waste, reducing its dependence on raw materials and lowering its environmental footprint.
While these changes are promising, the waste crisis is still far from being resolved. This is due to municipalities across South Africa being overwhelmed and lacking the necessary infrastructure to handle the growing volume of waste. Many cities and towns have inadequate waste collection services, let alone the advanced recycling and waste-to-energy facilities needed to close the loop in a circular economy. Additionally, the waste management sector is in dire need of investment, and the ISWA Congress offered a unique platform for South Africa to engage with international experts and potential investors.
What made the congress particularly significant was its global scope. Waste management has long since ceased being a local problem; it is a global one, particularly in the fight against plastic pollution. South Africa found itself in the unique position of contributing to international discussions on the issue, especially through its involvement in the development of a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The country is increasing its recycling capacity for plastic waste, and it supports global efforts to eliminate plastic pollution by regulating product design and prioritizing recyclates.
As South Africa prepares for its G20 presidency in 2025, the outcomes of the ISWA Congress took on even greater importance. The country has an opportunity to set the agenda on sustainability for some of the world’s most powerful economies. The government-to-government (G2G) session held during the congress provided a critical forum for sharing best practices with other nations, many of which were facing similar challenges. These exchanges were crucial, as they not only helped shape South Africa’s preparations for the G20 but also fostered greater international cooperation in addressing global waste and sustainability issues.
One of the most pressing priorities for the South African government remained job creation. The waste management sector, particularly through the circular economy, offers a promising avenue for addressing the nation’s high unemployment rate. Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are already benefitting from government and private sector support to enter the waste management space.
Bernice Swarts is the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.
“Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”
Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.
OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.
OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.
OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.
“We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”
OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.
“The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Canton of Neuchatel Switzerland
09/26/2024
Federal Affairs
The Council of State responded to seven federal consultation procedures:
Amendment of the Civil Code (facilitated adoption of the spouse’s or partner’s child); Measures to strengthen higher vocational training: amendment of the Federal Law on Vocational Training (LFPr) and the Ordinance on Vocational Training (OFPr); Amendment of the Financial Market Infrastructure Act; Partial revision of the Ordinance on Road Signs (OSR) to integrate the most important contents of certain technical standards into the Federal Law on Road Signs and the Ordinance Regulating Admission to Road Traffic (OAC) with regard to the road traffic theory course; Amendment of ordinances due to the adoption and implementation of Regulations (EU) 2021/1133 and (EU) 2021/1134 on the Central Visa Information System (developments of the Schengen acquis); Amendment of Ordinance 2 on Asylum on financing; Amendment to the Federal Act on Radio and Television (LRTV) (shares of the licence fee allocated to local radio and regional television stations and support measures for electronic media).
Increase in family allowances from 1 January 2025The amounts of family allowances, the purpose of which is to partially offset the financial burden represented by one or more children, have been the same since 2015. In a context marked in recent years by high inflation and an increase in charges in family budgets, and after having conducted a dialogue with the family allowance funds active in the canton, the Council of State has decided to increase the amount of family allowances by 20 francs per month and per child from 1 January 2025. Child allowances will amount to 240 francs per month and per child for the first two children and to 270 francs per month and per child from the third child. Training allowances will amount to 320 francs per month and per child for the first two children and to 350 francs per month and per child from the third child. This increase, the consequences of which for the economy are moderate, provides support to families in the canton.
BodyRight
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Canton of Neuchatel Switzerland
09.26.2024
Upgrading the railway facilities on the Le Locle – Les Brenets line required the analysis of different scenarios. The one chosen involves the creation of a new electric bus link at the end of 2031, connecting the Place du 1er Août to the Pargots car park on the banks of the Doubs via the Col des Roches industrial zone. An extension to Villers-le-Lac is planned in the long term. The current railway route will be reassigned as a greenway.
The railway facilities on the 3.8-kilometre Le Locle – Les Brenets line need to be completely renovated. The rolling stock and stops do not comply with LHand standards and several infrastructure works are reaching the end of their life.
Various alternative service scenarios were examined, in accordance with the Federal Ordinance on Concessions, Planning and Financing of Railway Infrastructure. Studies conducted in partnership between the canton, the Confederation, transN and the city of Le Locle show that service by a new electric bus line provides the best cost-benefit ratio.
The first project planned to reassign the railway platform between Le Locle station and the cantonal road at the bottom of Les Frêtes for the passage of the electric bus. The preliminary project carried out in 2023 revealed, following additional geological surveys, significant additional costs, in particular for the resumption of the profile of the Combe-Monterban tunnel at the exit of Le Locle station, as well as a longer duration of the works. It was therefore decided to adapt the route of the electric bus via the cantonal road to the west of Le Locle. The commissioning from 2031 of the developments related to the N20 bypass tunnels will ensure good commercial speed. The current railway platform will be redeveloped into a greenway, allowing a significant development of soft mobility.
The new electric bus line project will be implemented in two phases. The first will include a terminus at the Parking des Pargots in Les Brenets, thus offering an alternative to motorized commuter flows from the end of 2031. The second phase, which will have a terminus in Villers-le-Lac, will eventually expand the user base.
In the immediate future, the maintenance work carried out by transN will ensure railway operations until 2031, the deadline for commissioning the developments related to the N20 Le Locle bypass motorway tunnel.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, of Catonsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and a concurrent sentence of 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Those who seek to attack our country’s critical infrastructure will face the full force of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Sarah Beth Clendaniel sought to ‘completely destroy’ the city of Baltimore by targeting five power substations as a means of furthering her violent white supremacist ideology. She will now spend the next 18 years in federal prison. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively counter, disrupt, and prosecute those who seek to launch these kinds of hate-fueled attacks that target our critical infrastructure, endanger entire cities, and threaten our national security.”
“The defendant plotted to disable the power grid around the entire Baltimore region and cause harm to thousands of people in pursuit of a racially motivated violent extremist agenda,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Her plan failed thanks to the great work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to others that you will be held accountable if you attempt to carry out violent attacks on our infrastructure or threaten the safety of those in our communities.”
“Such cowardice, designed to disrupt and endanger the lives of Maryland’s citizens, will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “My office remains committed to protecting the security and well-being of the community by prosecuting such conduct to the full extent of the law.”
According to her plea agreement and other court documents, in 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse.
According to court documents, from at least December 2022 through February 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million.
As set forth in her plea agreement, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (ECA) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore region power grid to a confidential human source (CHS-1).
Their plans began to coalesce on Jan. 12, 2023, when CHS-1 and Russell discussed the planned substation attack in Maryland with a goal of working with Clendaniel to “maximize impact” and “to coordinate to get multiple [substations] at the same time.” Later that same day, Clendaniel, using the moniker “Nythra88,” sent a message to CHS-1 on ECA confirming her support of the attack.
In the ensuing conversation, which continued through Jan. 14, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she lived near Baltimore. She also stated that she was a felon, and had previously, but unsuccessfully, attempted to obtain a rifle. She asked CHS-1 to purchase a rifle for her, stating that she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” and that she wanted the rifle “within the next couple of weeks” to “accomplish as much as possible before June, at the latest.” On Jan. 18, 2023, on ECA, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she had identified a few potential locations to target in her attack. CHS-1 stated that CHS-1 would have to be the “driver” and Clendaniel would have to be the “shooter” in the attack. Clendaniel confirmed that she was “determined to do this” and stated she would have done something earlier on her own if she had not lost her rifle “a few months ago.” The conversation continued with CHS-1 and Clendaniel discussing the specifics of the desired rifle and agreeing that Clendaniel would send CHS-1 a “wish list,” which she did the following day.
At various times from Jan. 21, 2023, through Jan. 29, 2023, CHS-1 exchanged encrypted messages, separately with Clendaniel and with Russell, in which they discussed in detail the rifle and specific firearms accessories that Clendaniel wanted and potential targets for their attack.
On Jan. 29, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that the five substations she planned to target included “Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall.” Clendaniel described how there was a “ring” around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city.” She added that they needed to “destroy those cores, not just leak the oil . . . ” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” Further, she stated that: “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” When CHS-1 asked if it would accomplish a “cascading failure,” Clendaniel replied, “[y]es . . . probably” and that the attack targets are all “major ones.” Clendaniel also said that the most difficult target that they would have to do together has “fire walls on three sides.”
During that conversation, Clendaniel sent CHS-1 five links to the “Open Infrastructure Map” which showed the locations of five specific Baltimore, Gas and Electric (BGE) electrical substations in Maryland. BGE is an energy company that utilizes substations, like the five targeted sites, to produce, convert, transform, regulate and distribute energy. Three of the five substations were located near the towns of Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall. The remaining two substations were in the vicinity of Baltimore City. Each location is a BGE substation with significant infrastructure.
On or about Jan. 31, 2023, Russell discussed with CHS-1 the attack of the targeted substations on ECA, including how to “make sure it’s done right,” how “it has been studied,” and how to make it “cascading” so as to maximize damage. Russell and Clendaniel believed that attacking these five electrical substations in the greater Baltimore area would serve accelerationism.
On Feb. 3, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland. During the search, law enforcement agents recovered from Clendaniel’s bedroom various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County, Maryland, for robbery in 2006 and robbery and attempted robbery in 2016.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is a partner in the Justice Department’s United Against Hate community outreach program. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to directly connect federal, state, and local law enforcement with traditionally marginalized communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. Attorney General Garland announced the nationwide launch of the initiative and its expansion to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.
“Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”
Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.
OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.
OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.
OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.
“We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”
OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.
“The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.
View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.
View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.
View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.
View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.
View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.
View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Since the beginning of the year, the capital’s exporters, with the support of the city, have visited 11 international exhibitions in friendly countries. Among them are Gulfood in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tibo in Belarus, Gitex Africa in Morocco and Vietnam Expo in Vietnam. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.
The costs of renting and building the negotiation area, delivering exhibits and organizing business meetings were covered by the Moscow Export Center (MEC).
“Since January, more than 180 Moscow brands have presented their products at the Made in Moscow stand. Another 122 companies have joined foreign business missions in nine countries,” said Natalia Sergunina.
Delegations from Indonesia, Mexico, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt came to the capital on a return visit.
“As a result of participation in exhibitions and business missions, city entrepreneurs found new partners in 24 friendly countries. Among them are the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Thailand, India and Uruguay. The total amount of contracts exceeded 1.5 billion rubles. Foreign buyers were interested in Moscow digital solutions, technology and equipment, food products and cartoons,” noted Natalia Sergunina.
Successful experience of participants
Thus, the adventure series about the magical girl Yesenia found a response from the foreign audience. Commercial director of the animation bureau Marina Povkh said that the story is universal and understandable to children from any corner of the world, but without the support of the city, it would have been more difficult for the company to reach the international level.
“If we went to exhibitions ourselves, we would have a small, unremarkable stand. But the Moscow Export Center pavilion provides us with scale, because we become part of the Made in Moscow brand,” said Marina Povkh.
The authors signed one of the contracts for the delivery of the series during the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival.
“The story about the sorceress is now being broadcast on children’s channels in Latin America, and will soon be shown in Thailand. The city does not forget about our successes, talks about them, and we are becoming more recognizable in the domestic market. Our bureau will continue to use the capital’s tools to develop its business, we are sure that this will bring new results,” the commercial director concluded.
Another active participant in the MEC programs is a manufacturer of innovative simulators for students of medical universities. The hybrid dental simulator allows practicing manipulations on a jaw model. Unique software monitors the accuracy of work due to electromagnetic tracking technology.
“With the support of the city, we attend leading industry events, it is completely free. After the exhibition in Alma-Ata, our simulators appeared in medical universities of Kazakhstan and the UAE,” shared the company’s founder Zalim Balkizov.
The capital will organize other trips before the end of the year.
Extensive toolkit
The Moscow Export Center was created seven years ago with the aim of creating a single window of support for businessmen engaged in foreign economic activity. Since the beginning of the year, over two thousand entrepreneurs have used its services. In addition to participation in exhibitions and business missions, educational programs have been developed for the business community of the capital, grants, expert support, and placement of products on the largest marketplaces and retail chains are available.
Before entering new markets, entrepreneurs should familiarize themselves with the rules of conduct at the international level. Legislation, culture, and mentality are unique in each country. Key aspects of working in specific markets can be learned during training at the Moscow School of Exporters.
Lectures, master classes and conferences tell about which goods are in demand in a particular region, how to find a common language with potential partners, what are the features of customs clearance and logistics. Each event focuses on a particular topic: opportunities in the Persian Gulf market, certification in Mexico or export of IT solutions to Malaysia. The current schedule is published on the MEC website.
Another convenient format for acquiring knowledge is accelerators. For example, within the framework of the program “Exporters 2.0” students analyze the competitive environment, develop a strategy, create a portrait of a future buyer and adapt the product to their needs. The course takes four months.
The “Accelerator for High-Tech Companies and Technology Export” lasts three months. During this time, participants go from choosing a foreign market to increasing turnover. More than 85 percent of the cost of training in accelerators is subsidized by the city.
Export cashback
Cooperation with foreign partners and the first experience in a new country require not only comprehensive preparation, but also financial investments. High-tech and manufacturing industries can cover part of the costs by receiving an export grant. The maximum amount is 10 million rubles per year (or 50 percent of the amount of taxes paid to the city budget).
The capital’s manufacturer of laser equipment for various industries, including surgical operations and microprocessing of materials (diamonds, sapphires and silicon), has had several applications approved in recent years for a total of more than 10 million rubles.
“The funds were used to develop technologies and production. Entering the foreign market is not easy, especially given the current situation in the world. But the grants motivate us not to slow down,” said the company’s deputy director Matvey Konyashchenko.
The enterprise cooperates with partners from the Eurasian Economic Union and China. This year, the size of grants for new and active exporters has been doubled — from 10 to 20 percent of the contract amount. Applications for them are open until October 31.
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.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The capital’s metro has begun preparations for the winter season. This was announced by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov.
“On behalf of Sergei Sobyanin, we ensure comfortable travel for passengers on public transport. The Moscow Metro prepares the infrastructure for the change of seasons twice a year – summer and winter. We start work in advance so that when the weather changes, the temperature at stations and in trains remains comfortable,” said Maxim Liksutov.
Every autumn, about six thousand second vestibule doors are returned to the metro. By the end of October, they will be installed at all stations. In addition, air-heat curtains are being tested: they are located at the entrances and exits and provide air heating.
When cold weather sets in, tunnel ventilation and air conditioning in trains are switched to winter mode. In addition, many metro stations have stairs with heating systems that prevent ice from forming.
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.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The capital will put up for auction a property with a free designation in the Troparevo-Nikulino district. Anyone can take part in the auction.
“In the fall, investors will be able to take part in an auction to purchase a space of almost 590 square meters. The property is located on the first floor of building 127 on Vernadsky Avenue, which is a 15-minute walk from the Yugo-Zapadnaya station of the Sokolnicheskaya metro line. Any type of activity can be carried out there: opening a pick-up point, a store, a catering outlet. Due to its large area, it is suitable for implementing several business ideas at once,” said the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the Moscow Department of City Property
The premises are equipped with offices, which will allow the future owner to organize a shopping and office center or rent out the available space, for example, for travel agency offices, hairdressers and other types of services that are in demand among the population.
In addition, you can open a business providing household services. Next to the residential building, on the ground floor of which there is a commercial space, there is a hotel.
The non-residential facility has three separate entrances, two of which face the intersection of Leninsky and Vernadsky Avenues. This arrangement will allow separating the flows of customers, workers and residents of the apartment building.
All information about the premises put up for auction is presented on the Moscow investment portal. You can learn more about the property being sold by the capital, study the lot documentation and the rules for conducting auctions in the section “Property from the city”.
Development of electronic services for business corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Digital Economy”. You can find out more about this and other national projects being implemented in Moscow Here.
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.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Within the framework of 22 integrated territorial development projects (ITD) located within the boundaries of the capital’s transport framework, 25 sports facilities will be built. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.
“Implementation of integrated development projects for areas near the stations of the Big Circle Line, Moscow Central Circle and Moscow Central Diameters will create new places for sports in 22 districts of the capital. It is planned to build 25 sports complexes on sites with a total area of 406.6 hectares. Their area will exceed 138 thousand square meters. Among the sports facilities are physical education and health complexes, including swimming pools, as well as a rock climbing center and a complex for team sports,” said Vladimir Efimov.
The locations for the placement of sports facilities and their parameters will be determined based on the results of the approval of territorial planning projects.
“According to the KRT project, a sports complex with an area of at least four thousand square meters is planned to be built on Novaya Ipatovka Street in Koptevo. Based on the results of the approval of the territory planning project, the construction dates of the facility and its exact parameters will be established. In the north of the capital, it is planned to build a built-in and attached sports and recreation complex with a swimming pool with an area of more than three thousand square meters. It will become part of a new residential quarter in the Begovoy District,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of City Property
More than 80 percent of KRT projects involve the construction of real estate near major transport facilities, told earlier Sergei Sobyanin.
According to the program of integrated development of territories in the capital, multifunctional city quarters are being created, where roads, comfortable housing and all necessary infrastructure are being designed on the site of former industrial zones and inefficiently used areas. Currently, 236 KRT projects with a total area of more than 3.1 thousand hectares are at various stages of implementation in Moscow. Their development is carried out on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin.
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.
Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Francis in Luxembourg and Belgium (26 to 29 September 2024) – Departure from Rome and Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, 26.09.2024
Departure from Rome
Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic
Departure from Rome
This morning, Pope Francis began his 46th international Apostolic Journey, this time to Luxembourg and Belgium.
Shortly after 7.00, a group of around ten homeless people, men and women, who shelter at night beneath the colonnade in Saint Peter’s Square or in the streets around it, accompanied by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Almoner of His Holiness, greeted Pope Francis at Santa Marta before his departure.
The Holy Father then transferred by car to Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome-Fiumicino, from where he departed at 8.29 on board an ITA Airways A321 bound for Luxembourg.
The aircraft carrying the Holy Father is expected to land at Luxembourg-Findel International Airport at 10.00.
Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic
At the moment of leaving Italian territory, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, the Honorable Sergio Mattarella:
HIS EXCELLENCYHON. SERGIO MATTARELLAPRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLICQUIRINAL PALACE 00187 ROME
AS I AM ABOUT TO EMBARK ON AN APOSTOLIC JOURNEY IN LUXEMBOURG AND BELGIUM, MOVED BY THE KEEN DESIRE TO MEET BROTHERS IN FAITH AND THE INHABITANTS OF THOSE DEAR NATIONS BEARING A MESSAGE OF PEACE AND HOPE, I AM PLEASED TO ADDRESS TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MY RESPECTFUL GREETING, WHICH I ACCOMPANY WITH FERVENT PRAYERS FOR THE GOOD AND PROSPERITY OF THE ENTIRE ITALIAN PEOPLE.
FRANCISCUS
China has built the world’s largest social security network, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Tuesday. Vice Minister Li Zhong told a press conference that the number of people covered by basic old-age insurance, unemployment insurance, and work-related injury insurance had reached 1.07 billion, 245 million, and 301 million, respectively. China’s social security system has been optimized since the 18th Communist Party of China National Congress held in 2012, with the basic old-age insurance for enterprise employees being coordinated nationwide and that for urban and rural residents being implemented uniformly. A multi-tiered social security system has been established, Li said. According to Li, 98 percent of China’s population possess social security cards, showcasing the improved social security services. Li also noted that the ministry would further optimize the coordination of basic old-age insurance for enterprise employees and promote the private pension system nationwide while continuing to expand social insurance coverage. In the meantime, Li said, efforts will be made to improve the fund safety supervision system and strengthen risk control, adding that the national unified social insurance public service platform will be optimized. The vice minister said that social security-related laws and regulations will also be improved and revised in a timely manner as required.
In the past months, the planet has experienced the hottest months of June and August, boreal summer and day on record, with a global average temperature of 17.16°C on 22 July. While many have been getting on with their lives as best as they can, there are many more who are feeling the heat, as levels of climate anxiety continue to rise. At risk are people experiencing climate impacts in the Global South, but also professionals in the Earth sciences documenting and modelling them.
So, how can we channel our alarm in a way that doesn’t paralyse us, but propel us into action? To answer this question, The Conversation Europe spoke to one of the world’s most public-facing climate scientists, the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Diána Ürge-Vorsatz.
Could you start off by describing your work? According to you, what have been the highlights of your career as a climate scientist?
So I mostly work in the area of energy efficiency. I have done a lot of modelling, including to demonstrate how higher efficiency buildings could reduce carbon emissions. Among others, I have alerted the world of what we call the carbon lock-in risks of inefficient building retrofits — when fossil fuel-intensive systems perpetuate, delay, or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.
I’ve always tried to concentrate on solutions which not only allow us to solve environmental issues, but also to increase human well-being and meet other societal goals. That’s because I come from a country [Hungary] where I see that while the environment and climate change are important, they typically play second fiddle to other priorities. Hence, I believe we have to solve these things in a way that makes it worthwhile.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, 2024. Fourni par l’auteur
My work therefore prompted lawmakers to revise the EU’s legislation to boost building energy efficiency – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – in 2010. On the first day the Fidesz government was reelected that year, I showed them how many jobs could be created through high efficiency building retrofits. Based on our research, they committed that the entire building stock would be refurbished to slash energy consumption by 60 %, which would have been really very ambitious, the first such commitment in the world. Unfortunately, a few months later, they changed their direction and they rather went into other energy policy priorities.
That’s one of my concerns, yes, because it’s amongst the tipping points that would exert its impact the earliest.
If we look at other Earth system tipping points, most of them require a century, several centuries, if not several millennia until they exert a full impact. If AMOC collapses, it would exert its full impact within two to three decades, potentially. These are very strong impacts predicted clearly, on Europe as well as other regions. More and more papers have shown evidence that its collapse could already be underway. That’s definitely been alarming.
When you started on this career path, would you describe yourself as prey to eco-anxiety? And if not, was there a turning point when it appeared?
No, when I started I don’t think we had any knowledge that would have amounted to any existential threat, and it was still not so tangible that so many things could go wrong.
I was studying for my PhD at UCLA, at UC Berkeley from 1992-96. In the LA Times, there was a two page advertisement calling for artists to design artwork that would scare anyone away, which they could put above the Yucca Mountain deep high-level based nuclear repository so that even if people didn’t speak English or they didn’t understand our script anymore, they could still understand that there was something really dangerous under that.
At that point, I remember thinking: “Oh my God, if you just can’t dig or walk wherever you want anymore, that’s just wrong. We cannot do that to future generations.”
Then there’s the never-ending news cycle, making it hard to pinpoint specific moments that alarm you. One that comes to mind has been the discovery over time that forever chemicals – Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are everywhere, even in the most remote parts of the earth and rain is no longer of drinking water quality even in Antarctica. This isn’t going to go away — precisely because PFAS are what we call forever chemicals. We will never be able to vacuum clean the planet from PFAS. Likewise with microplastics. When you start looking ahead with your eyes open, it can be really scary.
And how do you experience the intimate knowledge of that alarming data on the one hand, and the public’s, and above all the elites’, climate inaction on the other?
Well, I wouldn’t quite call it “climate inaction”. It’s easy to dwell on the idea that the glass is half empty. But in fact, the glass is half full. Lots has been done since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was itself a miracle.
You were there when the deal was struck, weren’t you? Could you tell us what it was like?
Well, it was truly euphoric, because before that, if a scientist dared mentioning [the threshold of] 1.5°C [of warming above pre-industrial levels], you were a tree-hugger and an advocate, not a scientist. You did not get funding.
And suddenly that became a political reality, or at least a political goal. I think that was really amazing for me because that time we didn’t have science clearly backing that you actually could achieve 1.5°C. So in the run-up to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked the IPCC to produce a report on 1.5°C. I remember talking about it with colleagues at the time, who told me: “That’s crazy, this train is gone, let’s not do it”.
Then the months went by and and those voices faded. By the time we got to the plenary meeting in January there was not a single voice saying “We shouldn’t do this report”. Scientists changed course and put so much effort in on trying to say “Okay can this be done well? Let’s actually see”. Then they ran their models to figure out that actually not only can it be done — but there are so many ways we can get there. Yes, I know that it’s now increasingly unlikely that we still will meet it, but it still created a lot of momentum.
One fact that we don’t emphasize enough: we have prevented the world from warming by five to six degrees by the end of the century, and we are now at worst saying perhaps four degrees, but more likely 2.5°C to 3.5°C.
How do you communicate with your children about the climate crisis? For example, are there things that you choose not to tell them in order to protect them?
I don’t hide anything from them. We quite frequently talk about the gravity of the situation because I cannot help bearing on them in the evening all the negative experiences and facts I learned during the day and I just have to unload these for them at dinners and so on.
One of my daughters did experience quite severe environmental anxiety for almost two years when she was about nine years old. She had come with me to a TV shooting and they allowed her into the studio. And before my interview, they just played this intense clip about storms and fires – typical climate impacts. But after that, she was really very afraid for a long time.
How did that fear translate itself?
She couldn’t sleep very well. She was constantly afraid physically. She would tell me: “My god, is this going to burn around us? Are we going to have floods?”
And it’s that a nine year old cannot, of course, fully comprehend yet how these risks will unfold in the future. I think she was put in this state of fear and anxiety. So that’s why it was also hard to manage because it wasn’t anything concrete or anything that she could verbally express or phrase nicely.
And I couldn’t say, “Look darling, it’s not going to happen.”
And how did she manage to surface from that state of paralysis?
After a while, I think she understood that it wasn’t yet threatening her life. But all of my children are still concerned and many of them want to contribute to fighting climate change in some way.
For example, my eldest daughter was studying medicine, but after her second year, she spent the entire summer in tears. She was deeply passionate about climate action and believed there were only two paths forward. Either she could still save the planet by becoming an architect to design zero-energy buildings, or, if it was too late, she should focus on mitigating the damage by remaining in medicine. After two months of struggling with this dilemma, she abandoned her dream of architecture and decided to continue with medical school. It was heartbreaking for me to see how little hope they had of solving the climate crisis.
What would your advice be for parents whose children are suffering from eco-anxiety?
I think the best way is to turn anxiety into action — to explain to them that they have and we still have agency. Even though we are small, we have a very important impact. We can vote. We can choose a profession where we can change the world. We can be role models and we can influence our peers through social media and many other ways.
So if we tell them the five scenarios that the IPCC presents (investor, consumer, citizen, role model, professional) in the 6th Assessment Report as individual roles we can play to curb climate change, it’s not only through whether we choose to take a plastic bag or not. The future isn’t something that happens to us, but in our hands. We are all part of systems where each of us can influence more than we think.
If your children were to start striking for the climate, would you support them?
Yes, I think protests are one of the very important ways how we can have an impact. Besides, children often don’t have any other tools. And that’s why they also feel anxiety because they don’t yet have influence. They don’t have any money to spend, or any voting rights yet. They don’t yet have a profession through which they can influence the world. They feel powerless.
And often children’s only power is to protest. If we give them other means to where they can influence the processes, that’d be even better.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
In the past months, the planet has experienced the hottest months of June and August, boreal summer and day on record, with a global average temperature of 17.16°C on 22 July. While many have been getting on with their lives as best as they can, there are many more who are feeling the heat, as levels of climate anxiety continue to rise. At risk are people experiencing climate impacts in the Global South, but also professionals in the Earth sciences documenting and modelling them.
So, how can we channel our alarm in a way that doesn’t paralyse us, but propel us into action? To answer this question, The Conversation Europe spoke to one of the world’s most public-facing climate scientists, the Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Diána Ürge-Vorsatz.
Could you start off by describing your work? According to you, what have been the highlights of your career as a climate scientist?
So I mostly work in the area of energy efficiency. I have done a lot of modelling, including to demonstrate how higher efficiency buildings could reduce carbon emissions. Among others, I have alerted the world of what we call the carbon lock-in risks of inefficient building retrofits — when fossil fuel-intensive systems perpetuate, delay, or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.
I’ve always tried to concentrate on solutions which not only allow us to solve environmental issues, but also to increase human well-being and meet other societal goals. That’s because I come from a country [Hungary] where I see that while the environment and climate change are important, they typically play second fiddle to other priorities. Hence, I believe we have to solve these things in a way that makes it worthwhile.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, 2024. Fourni par l’auteur
My work therefore prompted lawmakers to revise the EU’s legislation to boost building energy efficiency – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – in 2010. On the first day the Fidesz government was reelected that year, I showed them how many jobs could be created through high efficiency building retrofits. Based on our research, they committed that the entire building stock would be refurbished to slash energy consumption by 60 %, which would have been really very ambitious, the first such commitment in the world. Unfortunately, a few months later, they changed their direction and they rather went into other energy policy priorities.
That’s one of my concerns, yes, because it’s amongst the tipping points that would exert its impact the earliest.
If we look at other Earth system tipping points, most of them require a century, several centuries, if not several millennia until they exert a full impact. If AMOC collapses, it would exert its full impact within two to three decades, potentially. These are very strong impacts predicted clearly, on Europe as well as other regions. More and more papers have shown evidence that its collapse could already be underway. That’s definitely been alarming.
When you started on this career path, would you describe yourself as prey to eco-anxiety? And if not, was there a turning point when it appeared?
No, when I started I don’t think we had any knowledge that would have amounted to any existential threat, and it was still not so tangible that so many things could go wrong.
I was studying for my PhD at UCLA, at UC Berkeley from 1992-96. In the LA Times, there was a two page advertisement calling for artists to design artwork that would scare anyone away, which they could put above the Yucca Mountain deep high-level based nuclear repository so that even if people didn’t speak English or they didn’t understand our script anymore, they could still understand that there was something really dangerous under that.
At that point, I remember thinking: “Oh my God, if you just can’t dig or walk wherever you want anymore, that’s just wrong. We cannot do that to future generations.”
Then there’s the never-ending news cycle, making it hard to pinpoint specific moments that alarm you. One that comes to mind has been the discovery over time that forever chemicals – Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are everywhere, even in the most remote parts of the earth and rain is no longer of drinking water quality even in Antarctica. This isn’t going to go away — precisely because PFAS are what we call forever chemicals. We will never be able to vacuum clean the planet from PFAS. Likewise with microplastics. When you start looking ahead with your eyes open, it can be really scary.
And how do you experience the intimate knowledge of that alarming data on the one hand, and the public’s, and above all the elites’, climate inaction on the other?
Well, I wouldn’t quite call it “climate inaction”. It’s easy to dwell on the idea that the glass is half empty. But in fact, the glass is half full. Lots has been done since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was itself a miracle.
You were there when the deal was struck, weren’t you? Could you tell us what it was like?
Well, it was truly euphoric, because before that, if a scientist dared mentioning [the threshold of] 1.5°C [of warming above pre-industrial levels], you were a tree-hugger and an advocate, not a scientist. You did not get funding.
And suddenly that became a political reality, or at least a political goal. I think that was really amazing for me because that time we didn’t have science clearly backing that you actually could achieve 1.5°C. So in the run-up to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked the IPCC to produce a report on 1.5°C. I remember talking about it with colleagues at the time, who told me: “That’s crazy, this train is gone, let’s not do it”.
Then the months went by and and those voices faded. By the time we got to the plenary meeting in January there was not a single voice saying “We shouldn’t do this report”. Scientists changed course and put so much effort in on trying to say “Okay can this be done well? Let’s actually see”. Then they ran their models to figure out that actually not only can it be done — but there are so many ways we can get there. Yes, I know that it’s now increasingly unlikely that we still will meet it, but it still created a lot of momentum.
One fact that we don’t emphasize enough: we have prevented the world from warming by five to six degrees by the end of the century, and we are now at worst saying perhaps four degrees, but more likely 2.5°C to 3.5°C.
How do you communicate with your children about the climate crisis? For example, are there things that you choose not to tell them in order to protect them?
I don’t hide anything from them. We quite frequently talk about the gravity of the situation because I cannot help bearing on them in the evening all the negative experiences and facts I learned during the day and I just have to unload these for them at dinners and so on.
One of my daughters did experience quite severe environmental anxiety for almost two years when she was about nine years old. She had come with me to a TV shooting and they allowed her into the studio. And before my interview, they just played this intense clip about storms and fires – typical climate impacts. But after that, she was really very afraid for a long time.
How did that fear translate itself?
She couldn’t sleep very well. She was constantly afraid physically. She would tell me: “My god, is this going to burn around us? Are we going to have floods?”
And it’s that a nine year old cannot, of course, fully comprehend yet how these risks will unfold in the future. I think she was put in this state of fear and anxiety. So that’s why it was also hard to manage because it wasn’t anything concrete or anything that she could verbally express or phrase nicely.
And I couldn’t say, “Look darling, it’s not going to happen.”
And how did she manage to surface from that state of paralysis?
After a while, I think she understood that it wasn’t yet threatening her life. But all of my children are still concerned and many of them want to contribute to fighting climate change in some way.
For example, my eldest daughter was studying medicine, but after her second year, she spent the entire summer in tears. She was deeply passionate about climate action and believed there were only two paths forward. Either she could still save the planet by becoming an architect to design zero-energy buildings, or, if it was too late, she should focus on mitigating the damage by remaining in medicine. After two months of struggling with this dilemma, she abandoned her dream of architecture and decided to continue with medical school. It was heartbreaking for me to see how little hope they had of solving the climate crisis.
What would your advice be for parents whose children are suffering from eco-anxiety?
I think the best way is to turn anxiety into action — to explain to them that they have and we still have agency. Even though we are small, we have a very important impact. We can vote. We can choose a profession where we can change the world. We can be role models and we can influence our peers through social media and many other ways.
So if we tell them the five scenarios that the IPCC presents (investor, consumer, citizen, role model, professional) in the 6th Assessment Report as individual roles we can play to curb climate change, it’s not only through whether we choose to take a plastic bag or not. The future isn’t something that happens to us, but in our hands. We are all part of systems where each of us can influence more than we think.
If your children were to start striking for the climate, would you support them?
Yes, I think protests are one of the very important ways how we can have an impact. Besides, children often don’t have any other tools. And that’s why they also feel anxiety because they don’t yet have influence. They don’t have any money to spend, or any voting rights yet. They don’t yet have a profession through which they can influence the world. They feel powerless.
And often children’s only power is to protest. If we give them other means to where they can influence the processes, that’d be even better.
Diána Ürge-Vorsatz ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
Atos récompensé pour la cinquième année consécutive par une médaille ‘EcoVadis Platine’ pour son engagement en matière de développement durable
Paris (France), le 26 octobre 2024 – Atos annonce aujourd’hui avoir reçu une nouvelle fois, pour la cinquième année consécutive, la médaille ’Platine’ d’EcoVadis pour sa performance en matière de Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise (RSE), avec 80 points sur 100.
Atos confirme ainsi sa position aux côtés des 1% des entreprises les plus performantes évaluées par EcoVadis dans son secteur (programmation informatique, conseil et activités connexes).
L’évaluation d’EcoVadis porte sur quatre catégories : Environnement, Travail et Droits de l’homme, Éthique, Achats durables. Atos a obtenu d’excellents résultats dans chacune d’entre elles, en particulier dans la catégorie Environnement.
Après avoir reçu pendant huit années consécutives la médaille d’or EcoVadis, Atos s’est vu décerner, depuis 2020, une médaille de platine, en reconnaissance de son engagement durable. Cette médaille, associée à un excellent score dans la catégorie Environnement, confirme le rôle d’Atos en tant que leader mondial de la décarbonation numérique et reflète son engagement à atteindre des objectifs climatiques ambitieux.
Le leadership d’Atos pour les sujets climatiques et son programme environnemental ont été récompensés année après année par des organisations et des classements internationaux, telles que l’indice DJSI et le Carbon Disclosure Project.
Atos est un leader international de la transformation digitale avec environ 92 000 collaborateurs et un chiffre d’affaires annuel d’environ 10 milliards d’euros. Numéro un européen du cloud, de la cybersécurité et des supercalculateurs, le Groupe fournit des solutions intégrées pour tous les secteurs, dans 69 pays. Pionnier des services et produits de décarbonation, Atos s’engage à fournir des solutions numériques sécurisées et décarbonées à ses clients. Atos est une SE (Société Européenne) cotée sur Euronext Paris.
La raison d’être d’Atos est de contribuer à façonner l’espace informationnel. Avec ses compétences et ses services, le Groupe supporte le développement de la connaissance, de l’éducation et de la recherche dans une approche pluriculturelle et contribue au développement de l’excellence scientifique et technologique. Partout dans le monde, Atos permet à ses clients et à ses collaborateurs, et plus généralement au plus grand nombre, de vivre, travailler et progresser durablement et en toute confiance dans l’espace informationnel.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with photos) SCS tours Government Career Fair at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (with photos) **********************************************************************************
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, attended the Government Career Fair at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (September 26) and reminded those interested in applying for four civil service graduate posts to submit their applications through the online application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) website by next Friday (October 4). Mrs Yeung toured the career fair with the Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) of PolyU, Professor Ben Young. It is the first time for the career fair to take place at PolyU, with the participation of officers from various departments and civil service grades to introduce the entry requirements of respective grades and share their personal work experience, as well as to encourage students to join the civil service. “Thirty government bureaux and departments took part in the career fair today, covering over 50 civil service grades. Apart from the general grades, there are also professional grades and the disciplined services. In view of the characteristics of the courses offered by PolyU, we have arranged officers from the relevant departments to introduce their grades to students. For instance, today’s career fair highlights civil service job opportunities relating to surveying and maritime fields, so that PolyU students who are currently enrolled in the relevant courses can gain a better understanding of the grades concerned. We hope that students will join the Government after graduation and put their knowledge and skills in the relevant professional fields to good use,” Mrs Yeung said. The CSB is organising Government Career Fairs at 10 local universities from mid-September to early October. In addition to PolyU, Government Career Fairs were held at City University of Hong Kong, the Education University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hong Kong Baptist University. The remaining two career fairs will take place at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Mrs Yeung encouraged those who are aspiring to serve the community to join the civil service to unleash their potential, pursue their dreams and contribute to Hong Kong. She pointed out that since July 2022 all candidates for civil service jobs must attain a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) in order to be considered for appointment. By the end of 2023, the number of applicants for the BLNST had reached nearly 140 000. The Government has strengthened its recruitment efforts in recent years and a number of grades have recorded a noticeable increase in the number of applicants. In particular, the number of candidates applying for Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII) and other grades under the joint recruitment exercise in 2023-24 had surged by nearly 40 per cent, showing that a career in the Government is quite attractive to job seekers. The Government has launched a joint recruitment exercise for the appointment of four civil service grades, namely AO, EOII, Assistant Trade Officer II and Transport Officer II. Students graduating in the years of 2025 or 2026 may also apply this year. The deadline for submitting applications is 11.59pm on October 4. Candidates interested in applying for posts under the joint recruitment exercise must attain the requisite results in the relevant paper(s) of the Common Recruitment Examination and the BLNST. For details, please refer to the CSB website.
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 16:15
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, September 18, 2024
BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced yesterday for tampering with liquid oxycodone syringes at a local rehabilitation center.
Jaclyn McQueen, 44, of Dedham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to three years of probation. In January 2024, McQueen pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. McQueen was charged by Information on Dec. 7, 2023.
From approximately February through May 2020, McQueen worked as a registered nurse at a rehabilitation center in Dedham that provided long-term chronic and post-acute care to patients. In her capacity as a nurse, McQueen had access to oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic, prescribed to patients at the rehabilitation center. During her work shifts, McQueen removed liquid oxycodone from syringes intended for use by patients, consumed the oxycodone herself and refilled the syringes with water to avoid detection. McQueen returned the diluted syringes to the medication carts where they could have been administered to patients.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Begg Lawrence, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Company Agrees to Pay More than $1.1M in Criminal Penalties
A Mississippi seafood distributor and two company managers pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to mislabel seafood and to commit wire fraud by marketing inexpensive and frozen imported substitutes as more expensive and premium local species.
Quality Poultry and Seafood Inc. (QPS), the largest seafood wholesaler on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has agreed to pay the United States $1 million in forfeitures and a criminal fine of $150,000. QPS sales manager Todd A. Rosetti and business manager James W. Gunkel, both of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, also pleaded guilty to misbranding seafood to facilitate QPS’ fraud.
QPS admitted to participating in this fish substitution scheme from as early as 2002 and continuing through November 2019. The indictment alleges that QPS recommended and sold to its restaurant customers foreign-sourced fish that could serve as convincing substitutes for the local species the restaurants advertised on their menus. QPS also labeled the cheap imports that it sold to customers at its own retail shop and café as premium local fish.
“QPS and company officials went to great lengths in conspiring with others to perpetuate fraud for more than a decade, even after they knew they were under federal investigation,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mislabeling seafood harms local wholesalers and fishermen who compete to sell locally sourced, premium fish in a market unfairly flooded with less expensive fish, frozen and imported from overseas.”
“When imported substitutes are marketed as local domestic seafood, it depresses the value of authentic Gulf Coast seafood, which means that honest local fishermen and wholesalers have a harder time making a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This kind of mislabeling fraud hurts the overall local seafood market and rips off restaurant customers who were paying extra to eat a premium local product. These convictions should serve as a warning: restaurants and wholesalers will face criminal prosecution if they are not honest with customers about what they are actually buying.”
“U.S. consumers expect their seafood to be correctly identified. When sellers purposefully substitute one fish species for another, they deceive consumers and cause potential food safety hazards to be overlooked or misidentified by processors or end users,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above public health.”
The indictment alleges that even after agents from the FDA executed a criminal search warrant at QPS to investigate its sale of mislabeled fish, QPS continued for over a year to sell frozen fish imported from Africa, South America and India for use as substitutes for local premium species.
Mary Mahoney’s, which pleaded guilty in May, admitted that between December 2013 and November 2019, it fraudulently sold, as local premium species, approximately 58,750 pounds (over 29 tons) of fish that was not the species identified on its menu. QPS supplied seafood to Mary Mahoney’s and many other restaurant restaurants and retailers.
QPS, Rosetti and Gunkel will be sentenced on Dec. 11. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy F. Korzenik of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, August 29, 2024
BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant Etizolam over the internet.
Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2024.
Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it would be shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail. Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the Encern.com website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it cannot be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China and imported those drugs into the United States and sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy.
According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity, and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants.
The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead provides for a sentence up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, August 26, 2024
Dillon Breeding Will Serve 24 Months in Federal Prison
ABINGDON, Va. – A Gate City, Virginia pharmacist who tampered with oxycodone and hydromorphone was sentenced last week to 24 months in federal prison.
Dillon West Breeding, 34, pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of tampering with consumer products.
“Ensuring the integrity of our prescription drugs is vital to maintaining the public’s confidence in our healthcare system,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When patients go to the pharmacy, they trust the medicines they receive are legitimate, and prosecutions like this one go a long way towards ensuring that trust. I am grateful to the FDA, Virginia Department of Health Professions, Virginia State Police, and the Gate City Police for bringing this important matter forward.”
“FDA-OCI remains committed to safeguarding the drug supply chain from individuals who endanger public health and safety by tampering with products,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metropolitan Washington Field Office. “When pharmacists betray their customers’ trust by tampering with narcotic medications, they not only risk causing needless suffering from ineffective substitutes but also put lives at risk by introducing potentially harmful substances into the drug supply chain. The foundational work of the Gate City Police Department and our valued partnership with the Virginia State Police were integral to our efforts in safeguarding public health and safety in this case.”
According to court documents, Breeding swapped oxycodone tablets with prednisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation, and replaced hydromorphone tablets with leflunomide, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Additionally, Breeding would dispense medication to patients and short them pills, keeping the additional pills for himself.
Because Breeding tampered with these products, a pharmacist could have filled and dispensed the wrong drug to a customer, placing them in danger of death or bodily injury.
The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, along with the Gate City Police Department and the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted the case for the United States.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The founder and chief executive officer of a California-based company that marketed stem cell-based products linked to multiple hospitalizations pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
John W. Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Orange County, California, pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in custody serving a sentence for a separate, unconnected conviction. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II for the Central District of California presided over the hearing pursuant to a plea agreement with the government. The court set Kosolcharoen’s sentencing for Sept. 23.
According to court documents, beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, Liveyon LLC and Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.” In pleading guilty, Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness.
In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.
As part of the plea agreement, Kosolcharoen admitted that to mislead FDA about Liveyon’s activities, he directed Liveyon’s purchase orders to falsely state that the stem cell products were being sold “for research purposes only.” In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients, and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. According to FDA records, that inspection documented evidence of significant deviations from good manufacturing and tissue practices.
“Unapproved stem cell treatments not only endanger public health but also exploit the hopes of patients who seek relief from the most serious of diseases,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to safeguarding the public from these schemes and will vigorously pursue legal action to hold accountable those who unlawfully market and sell these unproven therapies.”
“This defendant recklessly put people’s lives in danger, giving false hope to patients with serious illnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Today’s guilty plea shows that we will hold accountable corporate executives and healthcare professionals who put profits over patients.”
“We are grateful for the work by the Department of Justice to hold accountable establishments that prey upon vulnerable populations by marketing potentially dangerous stem cell products with false and misleading claims about their safety and effectiveness,” said Director Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D. of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
“When unscrupulous providers offer umbilical cord blood stem cell products and treatments that are both unapproved and unproven, they put consumers’ health at risk, and multiple users of this firm’s products in fact suffered adverse events,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “FDA will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who endanger the public’s health for material gain.”
“This investigation was a joint effort between multiple federal agencies and state and local health departments to quickly put a stop to the distribution of unsafe, contaminated products,” said Director Michael Bell, M.D. of CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “The rapid response by our public health system identified products marketed as stem cell treatments to be the source of serious infections in dozens of patients. Our message to all consumers and providers is to heed the warning against the use of unapproved products like these with unproven claims of effectiveness for conditions like joint disease, chronic pain, or COVID-19. Please don’t let products like these put you or your patients’ health at risk.”
FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration and California Department of Health Care Services investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aveis and David Chao for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly from HKeToll Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly from HKeToll **************************************************************************************
The Transport Department (TD) today (September 26) alerted members of the public to fraudulent SMS messages purportedly issued by the HKeToll. The SMS messages spoofed the name of “HKeToll” and provided hyperlinks with the domain names (https://hketollio[.]top/hk, https://hke-toll[.]top/hk and https://hketoll[.]info/hk) that lead to fake HKeToll websites, which seek to deceive recipients into making payments to obtain their credit card information. The TD clarifies that the SMS messages were not issued by the HKeToll, and has referred the case to the Police for follow-up. Members of the public are reminded that the HKeToll will not send SMS messages or emails to vehicle owners with hyperlinks which direct them to the websites to carry out transactions. If a vehicle owner wishes to pay an outstanding toll online, they must log in to the HKeToll website (hketoll.gov.hk) or mobile app. Members of the public should stay alert when receiving unidentified messages. They should not visit suspicious websites and disclose any personal information. Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites concerned should contact the Police. For enquiries about the HKeToll, please call 3853 7333.
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 15:31
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, August 15, 2024
FRESNO, Calif. — The operator of a Reedley lab, who was indicted in November 2023, faces additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud after a federal grand jury returned a 12-count superseding indictment today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs. The superseding indictment also charges Zhu’s romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, 38, a citizen of China, who operated the biolabs Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) in Fresno and Reedley along with Zhu. UMI and PBI distributed COVID-19, pregnancy, and other types of test kits.
According to court documents, from August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu and Wang conspired to defraud buyers of UMI and PBI’s COVID-19 test kits. They imported hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits from Ai De Ltd., which was a company in China that they controlled, and falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were made in the United States. They illegally imported the COVID-19 test kits, which they were not approved to import, by falsely declaring them as pregnancy test kits, which they were approved to import.
Zhu and Wang also falsely represented to the buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States and that the test kits were made in connection with other labs that were certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finally, they falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zhu and Wang made over $1.7 million through their fraud.
When buyers requested to inspect UMI and PBI’s facilities in Fresno and Reedley, Zhu and Wang denied them access and fabricated reasons for the denial. The fabricated reasons included that the facilities were undergoing construction and renovation, and that proprietary and confidential information and technology was inside. In reality, however, they did not want the buyers to know that UMI and PBI were obtaining the COVID-19 test kits from China.
Zhu is currently detained in custody pending his federal trial. His next status conference is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2024. Wang is not in custody.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis Clemente, Joseph Barton, and Henry Carbajal III are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Zhu and Wang each face maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges, and an additional three years in prison for the distribution of adulterated and misbranded medical device charges. Zhu also faces another five years in prison for the false statements charge. Any sentences, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations. Zhu and Wang are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (September 26) conducted an open lot drawing and computer balloting for applications for new extendable niches at Wo Hop Shek Columbarium Phase VI in Fanling and Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium in Eastern District, and the results have been released. Niches were allocated to all 9 703 eligible applicants.
A spokesman for the FEHD said, “For this annual allocation exercise, regardless of whether the option of a niche at Wo Hop Shek Columbarium or Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium, the applicant will be allocated with an extendable niche at the venue. The FEHD conducted drawing of lots and computer balloting today to determine the exact location of the niches to the applicants and the priority of all eligible applications.
“The ballot results have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) for applicants’ checking by using their application number and identity card number. Applicants can also visit the FEHD’s Hong Kong or Kowloon Cemeteries and Crematoria Offices, Public Niche Allocation Office or call the hotline 2841 9111 to check the results from tomorrow (September 27). The FEHD will also notify the applicants by WhatsApp/SMS and email of the location of the niche allocated. Afterwards, the FEHD will inform the applicants in batches, according to their priorities, through letter/WhatsApp/SMS and email about the detailed arrangements for completing the allocation procedures and making payment.”
The spokesman reminds applicants that the FEHD will not include any hyperlinks related to payment or website when sending messages and emails to notify them. Applicants should check the information and go through the procedures through the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) to deter scammers.
In addition, the public who missed the annual allocation may consider applying for the monthly allocation of niches at Tsang Tsui Columbarium in Tuen Mun. The FEHD also encourages the public to adopt green burials, including scattering of cremated ashes in Gardens of Remembrance or designated waters for supporting environmental sustainability and enduring love. For details, please browse the FEHD green burial thematic website (www.greenburial.gov.hk/en/home/index.html).
The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, attended the 11th China Air Finance Development (DFTP) Summit in Tianjin today (September 26). This year’s summit, with the theme “Openness Leads, Multi-dimensions Surge, New Chances for China’s Air Finance”, brings together representatives from various sectors of the aviation industry to exchange views on topics including the opportunities and challenges of China’s air finance, as well as the current status and future trends of international aircraft leasing enterprises. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the Summit, Mr Lam said that the global aircraft leasing market has changed rapidly in recent years. The Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone is the largest aircraft leasing hub in China and the second largest in the world. The delivery of the domestic C919 aircraft has also brought greater momentum to Dongjiang’s rapid growth. The co-operation between Hong Kong and Dongjiang will provide new driving forces and opportunities for the development of the aircraft leasing industry. “With the support of our motherland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been leveraging the strengths of its sound legal and banking systems, well-developed and diversified capital markets, excellent aviation infrastructure and talent as well as the city’s proximity to the huge Mainland market to help Mainland enterprises go global while attracting foreign investments. Hong Kong, together with the Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone, will establish closer co-operation to jointly promote the development of the aircraft leasing industry, offering more opportunities and options for airlines around the world and making more contributions to the global air transport industry,” Mr Lam said. Mr Lam then met with representatives of the Administrative Commission of the Tianjin Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone and aircraft leasing and financing companies to introduce Hong Kong’s advantages in the aviation industry, including the latest developments in aircraft leasing policies and the preferential tax regime. ???Mr Lam concluded his two-day visit to Beijing and Tianjin and will return to Hong Kong this evening.
Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 15:30
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The selection of the 100 best projects for the fourth stream of the “Academy of Innovators” has been completed. Most of the ideas can become import-substituting solutions that will later be implemented in the city and business infrastructure. Applications were accepted from June 17 to September 15 on the project website.
“Moscow pays special attention to comprehensive support for aspiring technology entrepreneurs – the “Academy of Innovators” project was created in the capital specifically for this purpose, which was recently completely updated. Since the relaunch, interest in the program has increased significantly. 517 projects from 115 cities in Russia were submitted for the fourth stream. As a result, experts selected 100 best participants and teams who began implementing their ideas,” she said.
Kristina Kostroma, head of the capital’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.
The most popular areas of the program were information technology, as well as innovations in education, medicine, e-commerce and creative industries. Among the applications for acceleration, the number of projects using cross-cutting technologies increased: artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual and augmented reality.
Not only Muscovites, but also residents of other Russian cities have shown interest in the program. In particular, the project is popular with aspiring entrepreneurs from St. Petersburg, Kazan, Perm and Samara. In addition, representatives of Armenia, Belarus, Nigeria and Kazakhstan have registered on the platform.
Participants who pass the selection will develop their ideas together with personal mentors. As part of the acceleration, they will have access to coworking in the Lomonosov cluster and training sessions in the field of innovation and business, as well as meetings with potential investors and customers.
Residents of the “Innovators Academy” will be offered to test the final product on city and business platforms. On the project platform, they have the opportunity to select requests from large corporations, refine the idea and bring it to the finished product with the support of personal mentors and experts from companies and the Moscow Innovation Agency.
From drones to exoskeletons: the most interesting projects of the fourth stream
Among the participants of the new stream of the “Academy of Innovators” is Vadim Skvortsov, the inventor of an intelligent platform for creating a digital twin of the production of mechanical engineering enterprises. The development allows optimizing production processes, increasing their efficiency and reducing costs. With this project, Vadim has already become a laureate of the award “Innovator of Moscow” in the nomination “Changing Reality” in the “Industry” direction.
Gleb Kim is the author of the first project in Russia that allows the use of artificial intelligence in cardiac surgery and cardiology. The solution helps improve the quality of medical care and speed up diagnostics by 10 times.
Marina Letovaltseva has developed modular systems based on conductive fabrics to protect against hypothermia at low temperatures. Their effectiveness has been proven in extreme situations – when climbing Elbrus and in the climate of the Far North.
Anton Moskaluk has created a robotic exoskeleton for the knee joint. It helps people with leg injuries restore their mobility and gradually return to an active life.
Nikita Usachev has developed an unmanned surface vehicle with machine vision modules. The device is designed to monitor protected areas and the state of the environment, it helps ensure safety and environmental protection.
The Innovators Academy has been running since 2021, but was relaunched in 2023 with significant changes. It is now a continuous program for the intensive development of technology projects, which can be joined at any time and at any stage. It no longer has restrictions on accepting applications by industry, and the age limit for participants has been reduced to 14 years.
Since its relaunch, more than 20,000 developers, scientists, and entrepreneurs from Russia and friendly countries have joined the Innovators Academy. They have created over four thousand innovative projects and over 290 startups, and attracted over 200 million rubles in investments and grants. The total revenue of the program residents exceeded 260 million rubles.
Moscow Innovation Agency— the Institute for Innovative Development of the Capital, subordinate to the city Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development. The institution offers a range of programs for businesses at different stages of development – from the implementation of an idea to the moment when the company has a finished product and a desire to enter new markets. The organization’s projects help technology companies develop, test and implement their products, attract investment, scale up and find large customers.
The agency brings together aspiring innovators, startups and technology companies from the capital and other regions. For those who are just starting out and are just planning to found a startup, the organization offers three large-scale projects. These are the “Digital Transformation Leaders” and “Moscow Innovator” competitions, as well as the ongoing program for the development of technology projects “Academy of Innovators”.
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.
by Paolo AffatatoImphal (Agenzia Fides) – “Peace and reconciliation in Manipur cannot be based on the separation of ethnic communities; they will not be achieved by building a new dividing wall on the border with Myanmar, the one that the state plans to build for over 1600 kilometres”. It is the vision of Msgr. Linus Neli, Archbishop of Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur. “Peace – continues the Archbishop – will not be achieved even through the rearmament of ethnic groups, as is dangerously happening among the Kuki and Meitei communities. Peace will be achieved by reactivating dialogue, starting negotiations, proceeding on a path of equality and justice that overcomes atavistic rivalries and ethnic claims”. In an interview with Agenzia Fides, the Archbishop re-reads the crisis that has been year grips the state of north-eastern India. The Archbishop frames the issue in the ethnic and cultural configuration of the north-eastern region of India, “a region with its own specific dimension, characterized by ethnic, linguistic and cultural pluralism”. North-eastern India includes the seven states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, as well as the Himalayan state of Sikkim, and the Jalpaiguri division, legally part of West Bengal. “It is also geographically secluded – he notes – if you consider that it is connected to the rest of the country via a narrow corridor between Bhutan and Bangladesh, the Siliguri corridor. This geographical characteristic is not irrelevant, even with respect to relations with the central government in New Delhi”, he observes. The region has often been crossed in the past by conflicts and social, ethnic and political tensions. At the time of their establishment, “the North-Eastern States – recalls the Archbishop – were created to allow their respective indigenous communities to safeguard their identity and make their specific contribution to the Indian Federation, with the particular resources of their cultural heritage. Furthermore, some tribal groups are infinitely small communities and are only now entering the highly competitive world of modern India”. Furthermore, north-eastern India is one of the regions where, overall, the concentration of citizens of the Christian faith is greatest in India: Of the approximately 27.8 million Christians in the whole of India, approximately 7.8 million are found in the Northeast region. “This also entails our responsibility in promoting peace, justice, brotherhood between people and groups of different faiths, languages, cultures and ethnic groups”, states the Archbishop. Neli then outlines the internal situation of Manipur where “there are three main ethnic groups: the Kuki, the Meitei, the Naga. Coexistence and intercommunity relations have not been easy in the past. There is a discussion about ‘who was there originally’, therefore about who can claim greater rights in social life, as the Kuki came centuries ago (starting from the 16th century, ed.) from neighboring Myanmar (where they are called Chin, ed.). The confrontation, and even the conflict, has always had a central theme: the possession of land, which is the source of sustenance and prosperity. Even today’s clash between Kuki and Meitei is no exception: it is fundamentally a clash over the land and the politics of the land”, he explains. “Geographically – always the element of geography which cannot be ignored, he is keen to say – the Meitei today hold about 10% of the land and are based in the valley where the capital Imphal is located. The other groups, Naga and Kuki, are in the hilly and mountainous areas, occupy around 90% of the territory, and are included in the list of ‘recognised tribes’.” They are those historically marginalized tribes to which the Indian Constitution recognizes specific property rights, and indicates them as recipients of specific development, education and land allocation programs. In March 2023, an order of the High Court of Manipur recommended to the central government to also include the Meitei community among the “recognized tribes” and this generated the protest which then resulted in clashes and generalized conflict. “It must be said that the Meiteis are a numerical minority but they are a political majority, controlling the local government (the Prime Minister of the state is N. Biren Singh, member of the Baratiya Janata Party, that of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ed.), and over the years they have carried out policies that, according to other groups, discriminate against tribals.” Added to this is the religious element, given that the Meitei are of the Hindu religion and live – an exception in India – as a minority in a state with a majority Christian population. “There has also been, in recent years, an attempt to colonize the territory by Hindu extremists”, notes the Pastor of the Catholic community of Imphal. “Among other things – he adds, providing an element that complicates the picture, which did not emerge in the mass media – the destruction of Christian chapels during the conflict is due to the religious clash within the Meitei community, which then reunited to turn to the ‘common enemy’, the Kuki”. of community and fraternity and help to see the other not as an enemy, but as a brother and sister with whom to coexist peacefully. Faith in Christ helps to bring peace and justice”. The Archbishop recounts the current situation of absolute separation, with military checkpoints between the areas inhabited by Meitei and Kuki, who cannot go to each other’s areas: ” This division, in the short term, interrupted the spiral of conflict, but it is not enough, because it has not healed the traumas and wounds (over 220 victims and 67,000 displaced persons), nor has it calmed the hatred and revenge: in fact currently all the communities they are proceeding to rearm, organizing themselves with increasingly heavier armaments. Which gives the sense of the powder keg ready to respond. And, if that were the case, with the use of those weapons, it would be an even bloodier conflict”, he notes. In this context, Archbishop Neli, who is of the Naga ethnic group, considered “neutral”, can visit the parishes in the different areas , where there are priests (76 in the diocese) who are also divided by ethnicity. “Being a Naga I can visit and comfort various communities. Some religious people and priests who come from the Indian state of Kerala (in southern India) can also do so, and therefore are not parties to the proceedings. I can say that, from my visits, I have drawn a clear will: people are hungry and thirsty for peace. It is urgent to seek and pursue a political solution with all our energies,” he says, recounting the situation of over 1,000 Kuki Catholic refugees, who have had to leave areas such as the city of Imphal, where they lived in the past. “The Catholic community is offering them assistance and sustenance and we have also built small wooden houses where they can stay,” he reports. At a political level, the Archbishop expresses doubts about the road map for solving the crisis, presented by the central government , by Interior Minister Amit Shah because “the central government has neglected Manipur and the response to the management of the violence has not been adequate, there has not been a clear political vision, while now the social, employment and economic crisis of the country is worsening ‘entire state, blocked in the stalemate of lack of communication between regions and groups, with negative consequences for businesses, schools, socio-economic activities”. Furthermore, fearing infiltration of Kuki militants from Myanmar, the government has begun to build a barrier to border that should seal a frontier of 1600 kilometres, “which means institutionalizing separations, reasoning according to the logic of division which exasperates souls and foments hatred”, he notes. Politics, adds Archbishop Neli, “should think about concrete solutions such as the possible creation of two different autonomous administrative units or – another proposal that has emerged – that the Kuki districts become a Union Territory, i.e. directly dependent on the central government. But every proposal can only start from a dialogue, from a mediation, from a negotiation, which takes into account the need to find geographical and then socio-cultural harmony”. “This process – concludes Neli – starts from a basic assumption which must be welcomed by all: recognizing the other as a ‘brother in humanity’, the ground that allows coexistence even between peoples different in language, history, ethnicity, culture, religion. For this reason we are also inspired by Pope Francis’ document ‘Fratelli tutti’, whose spirit we hope can be welcomed by Christians and non-Christians”. (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2024)
Archbishop Linus Neli
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French
On August 19, 2024, the President of the Council of State, Ms. Nathalie Fontanet, met with Ms. Taïba Rahim, President of the Nai Qala association, an organization supported by the canton which manages education projects for populations living in isolated areas of Afghanistan.
This meeting provided an opportunity to review the general situation in the country and more specifically that of women and girls, and to better understand the realities experienced by the inhabitants of rural and remote regions of the country. The approach of the organization, created in 2007, aims to strengthen the dignity, self-confidence and sense of initiative of the population and women in particular.
Since 2017, the canton of Geneva has supported various community education projects in several regions in the centre of the country, notably through the construction of schools. The project currently funded by the canton includes various activities, such as the opening of community classes and the provision of materials. The project also includes a training component for teachers from local communities, as well as workshops to prevent violence against children and within families.
Taïba Rahim, a life for education.
Taïba comes from a rural and precarious region of Afghanistan. Born into a family of 8 children, it was her father who insisted that all his children, including his daughters, could go to school. This humble man of modest means had a very clear vision: to give a different future to his nine children, especially his daughters, and to lift them out of poverty. To achieve his mission, there was only one watchword: study. Since there was no school in the region where they lived, her father decided to leave their village, his job and his status to settle in the city, where his children could go to school. Life there is very difficult, but the children can finally go to school.
Taïba then continued her studies, until she became a secondary school teacher. Life then led her to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan, then in Bosnia and Geneva, where she remained for many years.
In 2007, when she felt like she was drifting away from her father’s mission and from Afghanistan, she decided to create an association to promote education in her home country. This is how Nai Qala was born. The association is named after her father’s native village, and also means “calligraphy castle”. Through her education project, Taïba shares a message of hope for Afghanistan. She wants to show the world that Afghanistan is the country of calligraphy, not war and poverty. She regrets that the world has a brutal vision of her country. Taïba is deeply grateful to her father, because it is thanks to him that she was able to realize and achieve her professional aspirations.
Today, Nai Qala is one of the few women-led organizations in Afghanistan. Through its educational projects, it has a significant impact on hundreds of women and girls, and offers hope in the face of the current challenges facing the country. Taiba strongly believes that Nai Qala is a key player in the Afghan community, led by Afghans for Afghans, with the guiding principle of always “getting involved in difficult times.” According to her, the various supports she receives for the Nai Qala project exemplify the true essence of humanity and inspire hope that Afghanistan, in these difficult times, will move towards a brighter future.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.