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  • MIL-OSI Security: Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer Delivers Remarks at the 2024 Hate Crimes Grantee Conference

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Thank you, Liz Ryan, for that introduction and thank you also to Director Karhlton Moore and the Bureau of Justice Assistance for putting together this week’s conference. This inaugural conference has brought together grantees of the Justice Department’s hate crime grants, which includes law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, and national civil rights organizations, for important discussions on best practices for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes, supporting victims of hate, and preventing hate crimes and hate incidents.

    I also want to take a moment to thank Houston Police Department Senior Officer Jamie Byrd-Grant, daughter of James Byrd Jr., and Judy and Dennis Shepard, the parents of Matthew Shepard, for being part of this week’s conference and for their strength and advocacy for so many years after the murder of their loved ones.

    I remember vividly when both of those heinous crimes were committed in 1998. I was almost exactly the same age as Matthew and, like him, was a young gay man living in a small college town. So Matthew’s murder in particular struck a fearful chord in me.

    But thanks to the Byrd and Shepard families’ commitment, and the advocacy of many people in this room, Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act 15 years ago. That law gave the Justice Department some of the most important tools it has today.

    So we can both acknowledge how far we have come in the last 26 years but also recognize how much more needs to be done to make sure everyone feels safe in this country.

    The latest FBI hate crime statistics released on Monday demonstrate just how much work remains to do. There were a record number of hate crimes in 2023, and we know that hate crimes are underreported. Nearly 30% of all reported hate crimes were anti-Black or African American. Anti-Latino hate crimes increased from 2022, and there was a record number of hate crimes because of the victim’s sexual orientation. There were also a record number of anti-Arab and anti-Jewish hate crimes, with increases of 34% and 63% respectively, and anti-Muslim hate crimes increased by 49%. Yet the numbers alone do not tell the full story. Behind each of the 11,862 hate crimes is a tragic or traumatic story of intimidation and bigotry.

    Hate crimes instill fear in communities and undermine our democracy. The Justice Department has and will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to combat hate in this country.

    That includes prosecuting those who perpetrate these terrible crimes. Earlier this month, for example, the Justice Department charged two leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where they promote a white supremacist ideology. Among other charges, the defendants are charged with soliciting users to commit hate crimes against those in the United States and abroad that they deemed to be enemies of the white race, with the goal of igniting a race war.

    But prosecutions are not the only tool available to us to help promote public safety. We also provide financial support to communities through grants to combat hate. Those grants go to a range of recipients, including state and local law enforcement and prosecution agencies, community-based organizations, and civil rights groups.

    I am thrilled to announce that this year, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs is awarding close to $30 million to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, and national civil rights organizations to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. Over the last four fiscal years, the Department has given over $100 million in anti-hate crime grants, a number that demonstrates our strong commitment to this work.

    Through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program, we are awarding nearly $12 million to local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, as well as to collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.

    For example, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Police Department and Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence will launch a project across the University of Colorado system. That project will educate students, faculty, and community members about hate crime prevention and intervention and train campus officials on strategies for addressing hate crimes and hate-based incidents on campus.

    The 9th Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Orlando, Florida, will use its grant funds to establish an online complaint system for hate crimes to be reported, vetted, and referred to the proper law enforcement agency. It will also provide mediation where appropriate for non-violent hate crimes and provide trauma-informed mental health services to victims of hate crimes.

    Through the Community-based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crime Program, the Department is also awarding more than $7.6 million to 11 different community-based and civil rights organizations. That money will fund projects dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.

    For example, the Faith-Based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization will implement a hate crimes preparedness program for approximately 350,000 religious congregations to better prepare for and mitigate the threat from hate crimes and incidents. The No al Odio (or “No to Hate”) project will work with Hispanic communities in California to understand and report hate crimes through a comprehensive education and outreach strategy. And the Global Peace Foundation will use funds to work with Black and African immigrant populations in Maryland to train participants in conflict resolution and to build trust between diverse community members.

    To improve hate crime reporting and access to services for victims, the Department is awarding $1.1 million under the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines. That funding, awarded to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, will support the launch of its statewide hate crimes and bias incidents hotline by investing in partnerships with LGBTQI+, Latino, Black, immigrant, and refugee organizations.

    Both California and Illinois received hate crime reporting hotline grants in FY2022, and both states now have active hotlines for victims to report incidents in multiple languages, speak to trained professionals, and seek support and trauma-informed services.

    Also through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding, the Department is providing $2.5 million to its research and analysis project that evaluates FBI crime data and hate crime reporting patterns within and across states, as well the variation among state laws on hate crimes. The Department is also providing $650,000 to its project on NIBRS data and police service calls, with a focus on identifying hate crimes.

    And through the Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program, we are awarding $1 million to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office (D.A.’s Office) to continue its work identifying, researching, and cataloguing Jim Crow cold case homicides, as well as unsolved homicides of LGBTQI+ victims, particularly those killed during the late 1970s.

    Through a previous grant under this program, the D.A.’s Office is investigating nearly 175 racial terror homicides in New Orleans and over 300 cases statewide.

    In addition to these grants, the Department is also combating hate by supporting resource centers. This includes the launch of a new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center through a $2.7 million award to RTI and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The Resource Center will serve as a hub for resources, training, and education, and it will support practitioners who are countering hate crimes and supporting victims in local, state, federal, and Tribal jurisdictions across the nation.

    Additionally, in June, through funding by the Department, the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Training and Technical Assistance Program announced the launch of a website that provides resources for law enforcement, prosecutors, community groups, and the public on how to identify, investigate, prosecute, and prevent hate crimes, as well as on how to address the needs of victims and communities.

    We know that a key tool to combat hate and support victims of hate crimes and incidents is research. To that end, the Department is providing over $2.5 million in funding for three research projects to advance the understanding of law enforcement responses to hate crimes and the needs of survivors and survivor communities. The studies will generate new information to improve specialized law enforcement bias crime units, the use of LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to anti-transgender hate crimes, and outcomes for survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    This research will also lead to the development of recommendations and guidance to help practitioners and policymakers improve responses to hate crimes.

    In addition to these new grant awards, I am pleased to announce two new trainings. First, the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is releasing a new Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum, designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors, and others who work with them.

    The curriculum was informed by 19 roundtable discussions with youth across seven states, along with pilot testing in many communities. It is designed to empower young people to change attitudes and behaviors and make them less likely to engage in or be victimized by hate crimes or bullying.

    The curriculum is also designed to educate adults who work with youth about the potential use of online technologies to break down cultural barriers and bias. The Department is dedicated to continuing to provide more resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents, and bullying among youth. You are going to hear more about the training from Director Ryan momentarily.

    Second, the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (or the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes. That training was developed in conjunction with the International Association of Chiefs of Police and other subject matter experts. It builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes aimed at line-level officers. Both trainings can be requested at no cost by state and local agencies.

    I have touched on the importance of the Justice Department’s prosecutions, grants, and trainings to combat hate. Another critical pillar to our work is our engagement with the communities we serve. The Department’s Community Relations Service (or CRS) is working with communities across the country who are victimized by hate crimes and hate incidents. Using facilitated dialogues and programs, CRS is in communities responding to threats of violence against community members because of who they are and where they are from.

    CRS is also involved in many of the United Against Hate Programs that the Justice Department launched in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. Those programs connect federal, state, and local law enforcement with communities to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes, build trust between communities and law enforcement, and create stronger alliances to prevent and combat hate crimes.

    Over the past two years, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, in close partnership with FBI, CRS, and the Civil Rights Division, have held over 550 United Against Hate events nationwide with over 18,500 participants. Just yesterday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama and the FBI Office here in Birmingham hosted a United Against Hate symposium at Alabama A&M University for students and faculty.

    As the many programs and tools I have mentioned today underscore, the Justice Department remains committed to combating and preventing hate crimes and incidents. The partnerships that we have built across the country and continue to build with everyone here this week are indispensable to that work. I am grateful to stand with you as we work together to reject bigotry used to justify hate-fueled threats and violence and attempts to divide us. We are stronger together. Every person deserves to feel safe in their communities, and we will continue to fight back against hate in all its forms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

    Good morning. Thank you, Adair, for that warm welcome.

    Before we get started, I want to address a major development that took place late yesterday.

    The Justice Department secured a federal indictment of Ryan Routh, charging him with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

    These new charges returned by the grand jury build on the firearms felony charges we filed last week, which permitted the defendant’s arrest and detention as our investigation continued.

    Immediately after the assassination attempt on September 15th, I made clear that the Justice Department would bring every available resource to bear in this investigation.

    Over the last 11 days, the Department has done just that.

    As alleged in the indictment, and as reflected in court documents filed in this case, evidence uncovered in the investigation sheds new light on the defendant’s actions in the days leading up to this crime, and supports the charge of attempted assassination. This evidence includes:

    A handwritten list seized from the defendant’s car cataloging the dates and venues of the former President’s past and expected appearances.

    A box the defendant left with a witness several months ago, which contained a handwritten letter addressed to “the World,” stating: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you.”

    And cell site records indicating that on multiple days and times in the weeks leading up to the assassination attempt, the defendant was repeatedly in the immediate vicinity of the Trump International Golf Club and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.

    This investigation is still in its early stages and remains active and ongoing. And as in all cases, the allegations we make in our filings are just that until we prove them in court beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The Justice Department is committed to using the full force of our authorities to thoroughly investigate every lead and ensure accountability in this matter.

    Our nation has now experienced two assassination attempts against the former President in just the last three months. That is abhorrent.

    Violence and threats of violence targeting public officials are dangerous to their safety, the safety of their families, and the safety of the people who protect them. They are dangerous to everything this country stands for.

    The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy. And we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it.

    This must stop.

    Now, I want to turn to the topic of today’s meeting, the work of this office and its law enforcement partners.

    In just a few moments, U.S. Attorney Boroughs and I will meet with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners about our work to keep communities across South Carolina safe.

    I am grateful to have the chance to thank our partners today, in person, for the difficult and often dangerous work they do to protect communities here in Columbia and across the state.

    I am also grateful to have the chance to recognize the public servants of this Office for their extraordinary work.

    This U.S. Attorney’s Office is the face of the Justice Department here in South Carolina. When people across the state look to see what the Department stands for, they look to this U.S. Attorney’s Office. I have been consistently impressed not only with the work you do, but with the way you do that work.

    That work, together with the work of our state and local law enforcement partners, is making a difference.

    Three-and-a-half years ago, the Justice Department launched an ambitious strategy to combat violent crime. That strategy is rooted in exactly the kinds of partnerships that are represented in this room. Today, we are seeing results.

    According to the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina’s violent crime rate decreased by 5.8% from 2022 to 2023, making 2023 the third consecutive year of decline. That included a 5.9% decrease in the murder rate.

    We have also seen encouraging trends on the national level. Just earlier this week, the FBI released a report indicating we saw an 11.6% drop in homicides last year and one of the lowest violent crime rates in 50 years.

    And recent data indicates this trend is continuing.

    Earlier this month, the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee announced new data from across 88 cities, which indicates that violent crime has continued to decline considerably in 2024. That included a further 16.9% drop in murders.

    But we know that progress in many communities is still uneven. And, of course, there is no acceptable level of violent crime.

    That is why the Justice Department is continuing to work with our partners here in South Carolina and across the country to combat violent crime, drug and gun trafficking, and gang violence.

    For example, on a single day earlier this month, this office announced three significant developments in our work to combat drug trafficking and the fentanyl crisis.

    First – in partnership with ATF, Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and local law enforcement in Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Greenville counties – the office secured guilty pleas from six members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring responsible for distributing at least 250 kilograms of meth in the Upstate.

    Second – together with ATF, DEA, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department – the office secured 10-year and seven-year prison sentences, respectively, for two individuals on fentanyl and gun charges.

    Third, together with DEA and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, this Office secured a 10-year prison sentence for a man who provided a syringe loaded with drugs, including fentanyl, to a victim who later died of fentanyl poisoning.

    And, just last month, the office worked with federal law enforcement partners – as well as law enforcement in Spartanburg, Greenville, and Anderson counties – to secure a 23-year prison sentence for a cocaine and meth dealer.

    The dealer also conscripted others to buy guns for him so that he could modify them into fully automatic weapons. He sold some of the machine guns, and he kept at least one of them with him during his drug deals.

    And this spring, this office – in partnership with federal law enforcement, the Duncan Police Department, and several Canadian law enforcement agencies – secured sentences for three international gun traffickers. As part of that scheme, two of the defendants recruited straw purchasers to buy  guns on their behalf and then smuggled them to Canada.

    Finally, earlier this year, this office announced the results of a months-long investigation conducted in partnership with 19 federal, state, and local public safety agencies. That investigation resulted in charges against 13 defendants and the seizure of multiple firearms, ammunition, and drugs, including fentanyl.

    That investigation came after the FBI identified communities in Myrtle Beach that were experiencing high levels of gang and narcotics-related violence; in response, federal, state, and local law enforcement concentrated resources and personnel in those areas.

    In addition to using our investigative and prosecutorial resources to protect communities here in South Carolina, we are also committed to using our grantmaking capabilities to invest in public safety.

    For example, today, the Department is awarding $3 million in funding through the National Criminal History Improvement Program, which provides funding to states and localities to improve the quality, timeliness, and immediate accessibility of criminal history records and related information.

    This grant is part of the more than $36 million that the Department is awarding to organizations and government agencies in South Carolina this month to support law enforcement activities and community initiatives.

    These funds will, among other things, help law enforcement agencies in South Carolina hire more officers, prevent and combat violent crime and drug trafficking, and improve services for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other crimes.

    We remain committed to providing our law enforcement and community partners with the resources they need to protect people across this state.

    The examples I have shared today are just a snapshot of the work this office is doing every day to protect people in this state, and to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to keep our country safe, to protect civil rights, and to uphold the rule of law.

    I am very proud of the public servants who make up this office.  And I am equally proud of the relationships they have nurtured with the people and agencies around this table. They are the Justice Department’s indispensable partners.

    I look forward to our meeting.

    Thank you. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “My id” will help the winners of the “

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Winners of the ” “My id”. QR code of an order placed in exchange for points on the website “A Million Prizes”, will be displayed in the application and will be at hand when needed.

    “With the help of the mobile application “My id” QR codes of completed orders can be used for presentation in stores, museums, theaters and other partners of the program. They are easy to use: for example, if you have a promo code for a discount in a cafe, you can open it on the smartphone screen with just a couple of taps and show it when paying the bill,” the press service noted.

    Department of Information Technology Moscow.

    Participants of the action “

    You can exchange your points for a promo code until December 14, and use it with program partners until December 15, 2024. Reward points make it possible to pay for part of a purchase in stores, restaurants and cafes, buy tickets to concerts and amusement parks, top up your Troika transport card, and make a donation to a charity.

    Information about orders placed for points on the Million Prizes website is presented in the My ID application in the form of QR codes. When you click on the Million Prizes card in it, a list of all orders will open. From it, you can select the one you plan to use at the moment.

    Detailed information about the My ID application and download links can be found on the special project page “Mobile applications and services of Moscow”.

    Mobile application “My id” appeared in July 2023. With its help, city residents can quickly access information from personal documents and documents of their children, including passports, taxpayer identification numbers, insurance numbers and compulsory medical insurance policies. The application allows you to share information with trusted persons if necessary. Digital versions of some documents, such as a single library card, are presented in the form of QR and bar codes. They can be used to receive city services.

    The service is being developed Department of Information Technology the city of Moscow together with the State Institution “New Management Technologies”.

    The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life of city residents corresponds to the objectives of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”. More information about the national projects implemented in Moscow can be found on a special page.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144468073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Cramer: Department of Energy Awards Initial Funding to Project Tundra

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    ***Click here for audio***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an award of $4.2 million to Project Tundra. This is the first installment of up to $350 million to Project Tundra. These funds will be distributed through the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program, which supports the development of community-informed integrated carbon capture, transport, and storage projects.

    “This initial award really brings Project Tundra one step closer to being the first user of carbon capture utilization storage technology at a coal plant with on-site storage in the country, and how appropriate that it would be done in North Dakota,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). “This project demonstrates our state’s ingenuity and decades of energy development, experience, and dominance.  Obviously, more work lies ahead, but this is really welcome progress.”

    Project Tundra will capture up to 4 million metric tons of CO2 annually from the Milton R. Young Station, a lignite coal-based power plant. The CO2 would then be safely stored in geologic formations, roughly a mile underground. The facility’s commercial operation is set to begin in 2028. In June 2023, he announced Project Tundra entered into the final stage of development and congratulated the effort to deploy carbon capture at scale in North Dakota. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 211-2024: Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme: treatment provider suspended – PT. Fumindo Mandiri Sejahtera Cabang Surabaya (AEI: ID0169MB)

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    Who does this notice affect?

    Stakeholders in the import and shipping industries—including vessel masters, freight forwarders, offshore treatment providers, Biosecurity Industry Participants, importers, customs brokers, principal agents and master consolidators.

    What has changed?

    Following identification of critical non-compliance, we have suspended PT. Fumindo Mandiri Sejahtera Cabang Surabaya (AEI: ID0169MB) from the…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Youth inspiring at Beaconsfield Upper

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Beaconsfield Upper Fire Brigade members Steve Martin (left) and Axel Martin (right)

    Where others may look to their parents for inspiration, Beaconsfield Upper father-son pair Axel and Steve Martin are bucking the trend, with father Steve following in his son’s footsteps .

    Where others may look to their parents for inspiration, Beaconsfield Upper father-son pair Axel and Steve Martin are bucking the trend, with father Steve following in his son’s footsteps.  

    At 17 years old, Axel Martin is a member of the Beaconsfield Upper Fire Brigade.  

    He joined Juniors at 14 years old, and last year completed his General Firefighter Training to become a senior firefighter. 

    “One of my mates used to do juniors with the Beaconsfield Fire Brigade and he said to come along one night, so I came along and then from there on I was pretty much hooked,” Axel said.  

    “I joined with the Beaconsfield Upper Fire Brigade as a proper service member and then got my dad into it. 

    “I didn’t really know much when I first joined, but it didn’t take long until I was friends with everyone. It is such a fun environment and I’ve developed so many skills.” 

    It was driving his son to training that inspired Axel’s father, Steve, 52, to eventually begin his General Firefighter Training.  

    “I would drive down there for 25 minutes, drop him off at Juniors, and then I would drive home, get out of the car, virtually sit on the couch, get up, get back in the car, drive down, pick him up. I don’t know why I didn’t stay down there,” Steve said.  

    “Eventually, spending time in and around the fire station made me think a bit more about it. 

    “I enjoyed Thursday nights going down there to drop him off because I got to see all the equipment they’ve got, and I thought about all the jobs they did. 

    After completing General Firefighter Training together last year, the pair have been paged to several incidents.  

    “The amazing thing to me was as a parent you spend your whole life teaching your child how to walk, how to talk, telling them that they’re not doing this right, they’re not learning this, they need to do their homework, ‘you should be studying more,’” Steve said. 

    “This is the first time that we have actually learned something side by side and he put me to shame with his knowledge compared to mine, so he’s more qualified than me at the moment.” 

    For Axel, he has enjoyed helping the community and said volunteering with the CFA gives you responsibility at a young age.  

    “I love it, to be honest. I love it so much,” Axel said.  

    “It’s made me feel like I’m really helping out the community – It’s also given me a goal for my future because I want to become a paid firefighter. 

    “I love how at CFA we are more than just father-son, we are a part of a team learning and helping the community together.” 

    Steve, who wants to become a driver, pictures himself as a firefighter well into the future. 

    “I should have volunteered years ago,” Steve said.  

    “We’re giving back to the community, that’s the biggest thing.  

    “If you’re not in the CFA and you’re reading this, go and spend a morning with the CFA, have a look and get involved.” 

    The Juniors program is run for children from 11 to 15 years old. 

    You can find more information on the Junior Volunteer Development Program here. 

    Axel took to the panel at the August Volunteer Forum with his dad during Victorian Youth Fest (from 1-30 September). Youth Fest is a month-long celebration which highlights the contributions of young people in their communities, with Axel sharing his story coming up through the ranks. 

    Submitted by CFA media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The vacuum cleaner principle and the envelope method: what technologies are used in the analytical laboratory of MosEcoMonitoring

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    What kind of air do we breathe, how clean is the water in Moscow’s rivers, is the soil suitable for planting, and what substances are contained in the first snow? The specialists of the GPBU testing center can answer these questions. “MosEcoMonitoring” Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection.

    On the eve of World Environmental Health Day, which is celebrated on September 26, mos.ru correspondents visited one of the largest environmental laboratories in the country, saw how it is set up, and learned what methods and equipment specialists use to determine the quality of air, water, and soil in the city.

    Laboratory “kitchens” for natural research

    The MosEcoMonitoring Testing Center occupies a two-story building at the address: Dalniy Pereulok, Building 2, Block 1. Here, water, soil, air, and precipitation samples are examined for more than 400 indicators. The specialists have the most modern equipment at their disposal, which allows them to obtain accurate data in a short time. Just as doctors diagnose diseases in the human body using tests, so ecologists and chemists analyze the composition of the natural environment and the level of impact of the metropolis on it.

    “This is one of the few universal laboratories of its kind in Moscow, which uses both innovative and classical research methods. The specialists are engaged not only in scheduled monitoring: they go to the site in response to requests from residents received on the hotline of the Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection,” says Marina Petrova, head of the analytical inspection department of the State Budgetary Institution MosEcoMonitoring.

    All work processes in the testing center are subject to strict regulations. In one room, air samples are analyzed, in another – water, in a third – soil. The laboratories resemble huge kitchens – with refrigerators, cabinets, sinks, various bottles, containers and flasks, and chemists in white coats resemble chefs conjuring up another dish.

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    Blue is ammonia, pink is nitrogen oxides

    An important indicator of environmental well-being is air quality. In the laboratory for studying samples taken from the atmosphere, the shelves are lined with flasks and test tubes of various shapes and sizes, and measuring equipment is placed on the tables: titrators, gas analyzers, aspirators and various probes.

    One of the main methods used to determine the composition of the air environment is chromatography. Special tubes filled with sorbent are used to collect samples. The aspirator they are connected to sucks in air like a vacuum cleaner, and the sorbent holds certain substances and does not release them. The sample is then sent to the laboratory.

    “We regularly monitor the areas where industrial production is located and respond to citizens’ requests. If complaints are received about air pollution in a certain area, we promptly go out to check the information and take samples. Mobile laboratories are equipped with gas analyzers, which can be used to take measurements on site, which allows us to search for the source of air pollution,” explains Marina Petrova.

    The content of various substances in the air is also determined by the classical photometric method. Various chemicals are added to test tubes, which react with the sample and produce different colors. For example, blue indicates the presence of ammonia in the air, pink indicates nitrogen oxides, pale yellow indicates the content of formaldehyde, bright yellow indicates chlorine, and red indicates hydrogen fluoride. To determine the concentration of solid particles in the air, it must be passed through a special filter, and then this filter must be weighed. This method is called gravimetric.

    “We also conduct sampling at industrial enterprises. Sampling equipment helps with this. Specialists also conduct direct measurements. For this, there are gas analyzers, probes of different lengths and diameters. The direct measurement method allows us to determine the concentration of pollutants immediately on site, other studies are conducted in the laboratory,” says Dmitry Pakhomov, Deputy Head of the Analytical Inspection Department.

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    Distinguish between text and smell

    Another area of activity of the testing center is the study of the quality of water in Moscow rivers, ponds and underground waters. Samples are taken in different places of the objects with special equipment in the form of a narrow cylinder, poured into a common container for mixing, and then poured into bottles of different types – depending on the type of study. Special fixing reagents are added to some containers. After the sample arrives at the laboratory, it is registered and assigned a specific number, under which it “lives” from one to 10 days.

    “Specialists conduct water research on 42 indicators, including general chemical analysis, determination of the content of hydrogen sulfide, metals, organic substances, oil products, biochemical oxygen consumption. Gravimetric, photometric, potentiometric, titrimetric, spectral and other methods of analysis are used,” notes Marina Petrova.

    The organoleptic method is used when it is necessary to determine the smell of water. Using a water bath, the sample is heated to 20 or 60 degrees, then the specialist examines it, like a perfumer, and assigns marks on a five-point scale. In order to correctly evaluate the smell, you cannot use perfume or cosmetics.

    The transparency of water is also determined in an interesting way: it is poured into a narrow flask fixed on a stand, and printed text is placed under it. A specialist looks into the flask without glasses and drains the water using a tap until he can clearly distinguish the letters. The more water remains in the flask, the higher its transparency, and vice versa.

    Moscow Presents Analytical Study of BRICS Cities’ Climate AgendaMore than 1.5 million water quality tests have been conducted in Moscow since the beginning of the year

    Crayfish do not live in bad water

    The purity of water can be checked using biological testing. It is performed using two test objects: green protococcal algae, which are grown in a special climatostat cabinet in the laboratory, and ceriodaphnia crustaceans.

    “We usually use both methods, they complement each other. The prepared test object is placed in a sample of water or aqueous extract from soil or waste. Based on the lifespan and behavior of the test object in the sample, a conclusion is made about its toxicity,” says Maria Guzova, head of the biological analysis department.

    As part of the monitoring programs and at the request of residents, the testing center specialists also conduct soil sampling. They are collected using the envelope method. Up to five kilograms of soil must be collected from the corners and center of the designated square area using metal shovels and drills. The soil is then dried, cleared of stones and foreign fragments, crushed, sifted through a sieve and placed in bags. Samples collected using various methods are delivered to the laboratory, after which they are prepared for testing. This includes drying, crushing and sieving. Further testing is carried out using both the above methods and unique ones (for example, the X-ray fluorescence method).

    Moscow has a program for monitoring urban soils, which includes more than 1,300 permanent monitoring sites, and at least 300 are surveyed annually. Based on the results of the research, specialists assess the anthropogenic and technogenic load, as well as the suitability of the soil for plants.

    How does the analytical laboratory of MosEcoMonitoring work?Water meters: how to verify them and which devices require a laboratory300 kilograms of batteries collected by visitors to Moscow fairs over the summer

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144478073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The capital’s road workers have improved two major highways in Lugansk and Donetsk

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital’s road workers repaired two major highways in Lugansk and Donetsk.

    On one of the busiest highways in Luhansk, almost eight kilometers long, the asphalt concrete pavement of the roadway was renewed, sidewalks were installed, manholes were repaired, and markings were applied. In addition, public transport stops were placed there, a lighting system was installed, and the area was landscaped. For the safety of motorists, delineators with signal posts were installed and safety buffers were made.

    Benches, park swings and lanterns were installed on the sidewalks, and flower beds were planted. A bicycle path of almost seven kilometers was laid from the city center to the residential areas. In addition, three bicycle parking areas were equipped.

    Last year, the capital’s road workers implemented a similar comprehensive improvement project on another central street in Lugansk. Its length is 6.7 kilometers. On an area of 37.1 hectares, they replaced utility networks, sidewalk and road surface, changed the traffic organization, completely updated public transport stops, made children’s and sports playgrounds, and landscaped the area.

    In Donetsk, this year, work was also carried out on one of the central and longest streets. It passes through two districts, and was last improved more than 15 years ago. The city’s main medical institution is located here, and now specialists from the capital are restoring it.

    The work was carried out along the entire length of the street – about six kilometers, as well as on the boulevard part, which is more than 1.5 kilometers long. The capital’s road workers repaired the roadway and sidewalks, applied markings, replaced traffic lights, trans-barrier and pedestrian fences, installed bus stops, mounted a lighting system, and also expanded one parking zone and equipped three new parking lots.

    In addition, small recreation areas with benches surrounded by flower beds have appeared. Later, additional trees and shrubs will be planted.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144417073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Place for meetings and walks: the portal “Discover Moscow” has published a route along the embankments

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the portal and in the mobile application “Get to Know Moscow” a new walking route has appeared. The path goes through the Krymskaya, Prechistenskaya, Bersenevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Raushskaya and Kremlevskaya embankments. Thanks to the audio guide, you can put the excursion in the background and enjoy a leisurely promenade through the capital without being distracted by the screen.

    City residents and tourists will be able not only to admire the colorful views and ancient buildings, but also to learn interesting facts about their history and architecture. In addition to familiar places, participants will discover completely new routes. For example, during a walk along the Krymskaya Embankment, you can walk along the pedestrian bridge over the Vodootvodny Canal of the Moscow River, which opened this summer.

    “The capital’s embankments are among the favorite walking places of Moscow residents and guests. Each of them has its own history, style and architectural features. The new route is an opportunity to look at familiar, well-known places from a different point of view, learn more about them and experience the atmosphere of the capital in a new way. Users can study their favorite embankment in detail or devote a day to a leisurely stroll around all the points. And the audio guide will make the excursion more exciting and memorable,” the press service said.

    Department of Information Technology the city of Moscow.

    In the mid-19th century, there were meadows on this site where horses were grazed, and in architectural plans the location appeared as the Crimean Dam, the rampart from the Crimean Bridge, or the passage from the Crimean Bridge.

    It is suggested to start your acquaintance with the Krymskaya Embankment with a look at the monument to Peter I at the confluence of the Moscow River and the Vodootvodny Canal. The impressive sculpture made of steel and bronze weighs over two thousand tons and rises 98 meters above the ground. It was installed in 1997, when Moscow celebrated its 850th anniversary.

    This summer, a new pedestrian bridge across the Vodootvodny Canal of the Moscow River was opened near the monument to Peter the Great. It is 58 meters long and eight meters wide. The bridge connects Balchug Island with the Krymskaya and Yakimanskaya embankments, adding beauty and convenience to walks in the city center. There is a long bench on the bridge where you can rest and admire the scenery.

    Prechistenskaya Embankment is located on the left bank of the Moskva River in the Khamovniki district. It owes its name to the street of the same name, which appeared on the map of Moscow back in the 16th century. The pedestrian Patriarch’s Bridge, located next to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, connects it with Bersenevskaya Embankment.

    The architectural pearls of Prechistenskaya Embankment have been mansions for many years. For example, the building of the patron Ivan Tsvetkov, designed by the famous Viktor Vasnetsov. Or the house of Alexander Levenson, designed by Fyodor Shekhtel. And not without the city estate of Ivan Mazurin, decorated with a turret.

    The main attraction of the embankment is the apartment building of Z.A. Pertsova. The building with majolica, resembling a fairy-tale tower, is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding buildings of the capital in the neo-Russian style. Each of these mansions has its own stories, legends and ancient secrets.

    Bersenevskaya Embankment is located opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It starts near the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, curving towards the monument to Peter I. According to one version, the embankment owes its name to gooseberries: once upon a time, there were Bersenevskaya gardens on this bank of the Moscow River.

    The legendary Krasny Oktyabr factory is located in the Bersenevskaya Embankment area. The old brick buildings are an example of industrial architecture from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The famous House on the Embankment, immortalized in Yuri Trifonov’s novel, is also located in the historical Yakimanka area.

    Sofiyskaya Embankment stretches along the right bank of the Moskva River directly opposite the Kremlin. It starts from Serafimovich Street and ends near the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. This place is famous for its beautiful view of the Kremlin.

    The name of the embankment is associated with the Church of St. Sophia the Wisdom of God in Srednie Sadovniki, one of the oldest buildings in Zamoskvorechye. The wooden church itself was destroyed in a fire in 1493, and in 1682 a stone St. Sophia Church was built here.

    Walking along the embankment, listeners will pass by the legendary Kokorevsky Podvorye. The old hotel building with shops and wholesale warehouses was built in the early 1860s on the initiative of the entrepreneur and philanthropist Vasily Kokorev.

    Raushskaya Embankment runs along the Moskva River in the Zamoskvorechye district. It is located between Balchug Street and the Bolshoy Ustinsky Bridge. The name of the embankment is presumably associated with the ravushki — canals that used to drain water from the floodplain lands of Zamoskvorechye.

    In 1896, the Raushskaya power plant, which is still operating today, appeared here. Built by order of Emperor Alexander III, it was the first station to produce alternating current. The building of GES-1 of PAO Mosenergo supplies energy to the center of Moscow. The oldest power plant in Russia is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique object of industrial architecture. The appearance of the Raushskaya Embankment is complemented and decorated by the Church of St. Nicholas in Zayatskoye, built in the middle of the 18th century under the supervision of the famous master Prince Dmitry Ukhtomsky.

    The Kremlin Embankment, the first stone embankment in Moscow, has long been depicted on all city postcards and is still the most recognizable symbol of the capital. It is about one kilometer long. The embankment offers a good view of Red Square and Vasilievsky Spusk, as well as the southern wall of the Kremlin with its unique ancient towers. In addition, the embankment overlooks the Alexander Garden, as well as the Zotov Estate, an architectural monument of the 18th–19th centuries.

    “Discover Moscow” is a joint project of the departments of information technology, culture, cultural heritage, education and science. The interactive guide contains photographs and descriptions of more than 2.3 thousand buildings, 704 monuments, 410 museums, 490 places, over 270 walking routes, as well as information about 333 historical figures. All this is also available in the mobile application “Get to Know Moscow”.

    The implementation of digital solutions in the cultural sphere corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Culture” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Culture”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow can be found on a special page.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144474073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Potential US port strike could cripple global supply chain

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Containers are seen in the process of logistics operations at Maher Terminal owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in Bayonne, New Jersey, the United States, on Oct. 19, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), a North American labor union, recently threatened to go on strike if a new agreement cannot be reached before the existing contract expires on Sept. 30.

    Experts worry that a potential large-scale port strike could have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy and cripple the global supply chain.

    According to media reports, the ILA is advocating for significant wage increases in the new six-year agreement, arguing that inflation has completely eaten into any raises and wages over the past six years.

    The ILA also demands a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates, and container movements used to load freight at over 30 U.S. ports.

    As the deadline approaches, there is increasing concern that a large-scale port strike in the United States could become a reality. This could potentially be the first major strike to occur along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports since 1977.

    About three-fifths of container shipments to the United States are transported through the East and Gulf Coasts, and according to logistics experts, it is not feasible for the West Coast ports to handle the entirety or a significant majority of these shipments if they were redirected.

    “Even a two-week strike could disrupt supply chains until 2025,” Grace Zwemmer, associate U.S. economist with Oxford, warned in a new report.

    According to transportation analysts at JPMorgan, a strike could cause a daily economic loss of 5 billion U.S. dollars, equivalent to approximately 6 percent of the country’s daily gross domestic product.

    Even if shippers turn to West Coast ports, congestion may occur, leading to cargo delays and significant increases in shipping costs.

    In response to the situation, some international shipping companies are preparing for a shutdown of all ports along the East Coast.

    Market expectations of a breakdown in labor negotiations causing another disruption in the supply chain have led to an increase in stock prices for shipping giant Maersk Group, which has risen nearly 20 percent in the past two weeks as of Tuesday.

    Mike DeAngelis, the senior director of international solutions for freight visibility platform FourKites, believes the potential port strike will only exacerbate the current difficulties.

    “We’re facing a perfect storm — with the Red Sea disruptions preventing normal access to the Suez Canal, and the Panama Canal’s still-reduced capacity, an ILA strike would effectively choke off major arteries of global trade,” DeAngelis said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Emergency preparedness: Solid progress made by Auckland Council following reviews

    Source: Auckland Council

    Auckland Council has made large steps towards enhancing our emergency preparedness and response capabilities, since the extreme weather events of early 2023.  

    That’s according to the Auditor-General’s report: Improving Aucklanders’ emergency preparedness, which was tabled in Parliament today. 

    Councillor Sharon Stewart, Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management chairperson says the uptake on the OAG report recommendations shows the council is committed to being better prepared for future emergencies. 

    “The flooding and cyclone events in early 2023 had a devasting toll on Auckland, with many people losing their homes and some people suffering the loss of a loved one. 

    “In the aftermath of these tragic events it was clear the council needed to become better prepared to help Aucklanders in future emergencies. 

    “We commissioned three independent reviews which all made a number of recommendations about enhancing our emergency response systems and processes. 

    “I’m heartened by the progress made by Auckland Emergency Management in considering and implementing the recommendations of the reviews. 

    “Continually striving to enhance our emergency preparedness will ultimately result in a safer region and could save lives.”  

    Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson says last year was incredibly challenging and it was important to him that Auckland Council had a good honest look at how it did, and how well prepared it is.   

    “A number of internal and independent reviews, including this one carried out by the Office of the Auditor General, contributed to a prioritised programme of work. 

    “But we can’t take our foot off the pedal – the risk is too high. With complex and difficult recovery efforts continuing, the work is by no means over and our community continues to suffer. 

    “We do not and will not shirk from the central role that Auckland Emergency Management and the council needs to play, but event after event shows us that as critical as our preparations are, we are not the only answer – every household in Tāmaki Makaurau needs to have a plan. 

    “If you haven’t already, check your risk on Auckland Council’s

    Flood Viewer and use the many guides available on Auckland Emergency Management’s website to put that plan in place for your home and whānau,” says Mr Wilson. 

    The council engaged the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) to report on how effectively Auckland Emergency Management has addressed the recommendations of three reviews following the early 2023 extreme weather events. 

    These were: the Auckland Flood Response Review: Independent, External Review of Events, January 27-29, 2023 by Bush International Consulting (The Bush Review); the Auckland Severe Weather Events 2023 Debrief by Toa Consulting (The Toa Review) and the Auckland Council: Preparedness for responding to an emergency, Controller and Auditor-General, June 2023, (The OAG review). 

    John Cranfield, Acting General Manager Auckland Emergency Management says he welcomes the OAG review and outlines the progress the council has made around enhancing emergency preparedness. 

    “Since the flooding and cyclone events in early 2023, the council has been working tirelessly to improve how we respond to future emergency events and we have acted on the recommendations of the reviews. We have made real progress across a number of emergency preparedness areas. 

    “Sites for new Civil Defence centres across Auckland have been identified to increase their number and geographical spread. They are now being provisioned and resourced.  

    “In the training space, we conducted two large scale exercises (in October 2023 and March 2024), which gave us an opportunity to test our Emergency Coordination Centre, procedures, and response staff. Almost 400 Auckland Council staff have completed foundation level emergency management training through our ACES programme and new emergency response standard operating procedures and guides have been put in place for all staff, the Mayor and elected members. 

    “Getting local communities emergency ready is a crucial element in Auckland’s emergency preparedness. A new team of community advisors are working with local boards to develop readiness and response plans and provide support to local boards to increase readiness capabilities. 

    “Communications support has been enhanced within AEM, focusing on digital platforms, accessibility, increasing public awareness and keeping the Mayor, elected members and key stakeholders informed, during and after an emergency response. 

    “The welfare coordination group has been reviewed and the terms of reference re-established to ensure a planned and well-coordinated cross agency approach to Auckland’s future emergency responses.” 

    The OAG report found that Auckland Council is better placed today than it was in early 2023 to respond to the next major emergency, noting “there is more work to do to fully address and keep working to implement the recommendations of the three Auckland reviews.” 

    The OAG report also stated that Auckland Council, “accepted the recommendations of the three reviews and developed plans to implement them” and once fully implemented the OAG “considers that all 51 recommendations [across the three reviews] have been met.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chang’e-6 lunar samples to be displayed at Airshow China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Lunar samples collected by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the far side of the moon will be on display at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense announced Wednesday.
    The Chang’e-6 return capsule will also be showcased, allowing the public to witness the advancements of China’s space industry, said Li Yang, an official with the agency.
    The airshow is scheduled for Nov. 12-17 in Zhuhai, a city in south China’s Guangdong Province, and will feature various types of aircraft and carrier rockets.
    According to Hao Changfeng, spokesperson for China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the company will present nearly 200 high-tech products, including first-time exhibits such as the Chang’e-6 probe and the Long March-8A carrier rocket. “About 150 items will be debuting, with new exhibits making up 75 percent of the display,” said Hao.
    Wu Jiwei, spokesperson for the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, announced that the company will showcase more than 260 products, emphasizing advancements in new quality productive forces.
    Since its inception in 1996, Airshow China has become an important window for showcasing advanced aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment from home and abroad. It has also become an international platform for promoting business cooperation in aviation and aerospace technologies and equipment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health Provision – New Dunedin hospital: Southerners deserve better – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    The Government’s announcement today that it will scale back the new Dunedin hospital will negatively impact patient care, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa says.
    “Southerners deserve more than half a hospital or a slow rebuild of the old hospital,” says NZNO delegate Linda Smillie.
    “These decisions will negatively impact patient care. There is a real risk that nurses will not be able to provide the appropriate level of care their patients need.”
    The Government knows the cost of infrastructure projects always blow out because of rising building costs, she says.
    “This is cost cutting by stealth. The Government must find the additional funding needed to build this much-needed health facility.
    “If the Government can find $3 billion to give to landlords and $216 million for tobacco companies, they can find the additional funding needed to build the new Dunedin hospital.
    “Repurposing the existing hospital doesn’t make sense because it is not fit for purpose, and inpatient and outpatient areas need to in close proximity. This option has been well investigated previously and deemed to be unfeasible,” Linda Smillie says.
    NZNO urges Dunedin residents to join them and march on Saturday against the decision to stop the construction and to show the Government how important the new hospital is.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Win for SA sport with new SASI up and running

    Source: University of South Australia

    26 September 2024

    UniSA’s Prof Jon Buckley and Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing Katrine Hildyard with SASI athletes.

    South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) athletes have had a first look at their new, state-of-the-art Mile End facility, ahead of operations commencing next week.
     
    The nearly $90 million SASI build has been designed to give South Australian and SA-based athletes a competitive edge, featuring nation-leading spaces including:

    • Strength and conditioning gym, fit with five lane synthetic turf testing space (three lanes are 60 metres and two lanes are 40 metres) and anti-gravity treadmill.
    • Environmental chamber for athlete testing under a range of temperature, hypoxic and humidity conditions.
    • Full sized indoor sprung timber court and half court movement studio, designed for instant performance analysis under individual and team modes.
    • Ergometer training space, home to the SASI rowing and canoe/kayak programs.
    • Physiology laboratory and athlete health rooms, fit out for our allied health partners.
    • Athlete recovery centre, complete with athlete nutrition zone.
    • Biomechanics and exercise physiology laboratories fit for our allied health partners and for students to learn about the role that forces play in movement and physiological responses to exercise and training.

    The Malinauskas Government has invested $68 million towards the development, which provides a world-class sport, research and education hub to high performance athletes, coaches and university students.

    UniSA Prof Jon Buckley and SASI athlete and weightlifter Callum Thomas

    Project partner UniSA has contributed a further $20 million for capital costs, which will see the UniSA Sports Science Hub open on the second floor in the coming months, with high performance sport science laboratories and teaching spaces for students undertaking a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
     
    The building will also be home to the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, which was instrumental in the design and building process, working alongside COX Architecture and Hansen Yuncken.
     
    The new facility launches as one of the best high-performance sports precincts in the country. Its Mile End location sits right on the doorstep of Adelaide’s CBD, and is co-located with the pioneering National Centre for Sports Aerodynamics, upgraded SA Athletics Stadium, and the SA Netball Centre.
     
    The Mile End sports precinct is set to be a drawcard for international sports teams with world-renowned organisations having already expressed their interest in basing themselves in Adelaide to use these amenities.
     
    A SASI open day event will be held early next year where members of the public will be invited to come along and take a tour of the new facility.
     
    Quotes attributable to Katrine Hildyard
     
    Through this remarkable new SASI, our Government is proudly ensuring South Australia is at the forefront of world-class sport performance and research, and empowering more athletes to chase their sporting dreams.
     
    The new SASI and its state-of-the-art features will be a key site in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Games and beyond, supporting the work of our South Australian athletes and coaches and also attracting national and international teams to Adelaide.
     
    This almost $90 million development is a key part of the brilliant sporting precinct we are developing at Mile End with our National Centre for Sports Aerodynamics, upgraded Athletics Stadium and soon to be redeveloped SA Netball Centre all neighbours.
     
    We know that the new SASI will enable every athlete who uses this facility to have the best possible support around them as they strive to realise their ambition to compete at the highest level.
     
    Quotes attributable to SASI Director Keren Faulkner
     
    SASI’s new home in Mile End is something I am extremely proud of where we will help athletes develop into the best version of themselves, both in their sporting pursuits and in their everyday lives.
     
    As an organisation that is at the heart of South Australia’s sporting success, I’m thrilled that this space has been designed to be inclusive and support every type of elite athlete.
     
    It will also enable our coaches and staff to power greatness in their work where we’ve always had a world class team and now, we have the facilities to match this – the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can achieve.
     
    Our partnership with UniSA will also give us great opportunities to promote the way research, science and academia can work together with sport.
     
    Quotes attributable to UniSA Professor Jon Buckley, Executive Dean: UniSA Allied Health and Human Performance Academic Unit
     
    UniSA is very pleased to partner with the State Government and South Australian Sports Institute in this world-class development.
     
    The collaboration draws upon the expertise of SASI and UniSA to dually advance the preparation of high-performance athletes and educate the elite sports workforce of the future.

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen-Backed Bill to Reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act Passes Congress, Heads to President’s Desk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    The Authorization Of The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act Was Set To Expire On October 1, 2024
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that legislation she helped pass in the Senate to extend the authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act for 10 years has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation is led by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and also cosponsored by Senators Laphonza Butler (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) in the Senate. The Senate passed this bill in July, and it now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
    “For the last two decades, lawmakers from both parties have come together and worked in a bipartisan way to protect Lake Tahoe and the surrounding communities,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to continue this legacy by working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act and reauthorize this much-needed funding to help preserve one of Nevada’s most unique natural wonders for generations to come.”
    “I was thrilled to pass the reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through the Senate this summer, and today’s vote means this critical legislation is officially on its way to becoming law,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud of our bipartisan work to deliver funding for vital programs that keep the lake clean, support local jobs, and support our tourism economy. It is an honor to help lead Team Tahoe and fight for the resources the basin needs to thrive.” 
    “The Lake Tahoe Region is grateful to Congress for their leadership in passing this critical piece of legislation to continue the collaborative work to protect and restore Lake Tahoe,” said Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Julie Regan. “Extending the federal investment in the EIP will leverage millions of dollars in state and local funding to implement the top priority projects for the lake and our communities.”
    The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act is bicameral, and is cosponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-03), Dina Titus (D-Nev.- 01), Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), John Duarte (R-Calif.-13), and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.-06). It will allow critical funding to support environmental protection and habitat restoration programs across the basin for the next ten years. This law has delivered millions in federal dollars to Lake Tahoe since the original law passed in 2000.
    Senator Rosen has consistently worked across the aisle to protect Lake Tahoe and ensure it has the federal resources it needs to thrive. She also delivered critical funding to protect Lake Tahoe in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and recently helped secure $24 million to extend the popular East Shore Trail around Lake Tahoe.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Peer Mental Health Service Launched, Further Support Planned

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the new peer support service launched in Middlemore’s Emergency Department today is a positive step towards improving mental health outcomes.

    “Having someone with lived experience available to support someone in mental distress can make a crucial difference. With the right training and clinical supervision, I am confident that the peer workforce will help with some of the pressures that exist within mental health and addiction services,” Mr Doocey says.

    Middlemore is the first of eight hospitals set to trial the new service, with Auckland City, Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch all in the planning stages with a further three hospitals to be added over the next two years.

    “Today I am also announcing:
    •    Six new Crisis Recovery Cafés will be rolled out around the country over the next two years.  
    •    The first Child and Youth Mental Health and Addiction Prevalence Survey ever undertaken in New Zealand.
    •    $6.6 million for Infant Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (ICAMHS) over two years, which will be used for additional frontline FTE.

    “I am committed to trialling new and innovative solutions to help address unmet need. Crisis Recovery Cafés are safe, welcoming places where people can go when they need support. It’s an alternative model of care that can prevent people ending up in ED.”

    Health New Zealand is working to have the first Crisis Recovery Café in place early to mid-next year and a further five will be rolled out over the next two years once locations are selected and tenders have been completed.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lake Tuggeranong closed due to sewage contamination

    Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory

    On 13 September 2024, the ACT Government assumed a caretaker role, with an election to be held 19 October 2024. Information on this website will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the election and conclusion of the caretaker period.

    Released 26/09/2024

    Lake Tuggeranong is closed until further notice due to sewage contamination. The cause of the contamination is currently being investigated.

    Action has been taken under section 22 of the Lakes Act 1976 (the Act) to close all areas of Lake Tuggeranong based on the advice from Health Protection Services (HPS).

    The lake is closed to all water activities pending water sample testing. The results of the tests will determine the next course of action.

    This includes primary and secondary activities such as swimming, windsurfing, rowing, fishing, boating and canoeing.

    Contact with water should be avoided and clothing that has been in the water should be washed immediately. Pet owners should not allow their animals to swim in or drink the water.

    Water users should look for signage which indicates the status of all waterways and lakes in the ACT. Warning signs are located at public access areas.

    For more information, please visit http://www.cityservices.act.gov.au.

    – Statement ends –

    ACT Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Directorate Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Next steps on the New Dunedin Hospital

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is seeking advice on two options for delivering the New Dunedin Hospital project within its existing funding appropriation to ensure the people of Dunedin get the modern, fit-for-purpose medical facilities they need.

    At the same time, Ministers have warned that much-needed upgrades to other regional hospitals could be at risk if budget blow-outs at New Dunedin Hospital aren’t addressed, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Health Minister Dr Shane Reti said today.

    “The project had approved funding of $1.59 billion under the previous government. In March this year, Cabinet agreed to authorise a further $290 million in capital funding due to cost pressures. The current appropriation is therefore $1.88 billion,” Mr Bishop says.

    “We now know that the New Dunedin Hospital, as currently designed, can’t be delivered within that appropriation. In fact, despite the project’s original 2017 cost estimates of $1.2 – $1.4 billion, it’s now possible it could approach $3 billion, which would make it one of the most expensive hospitals ever built in the southern hemisphere. 

    “This cost simply cannot be justified when hospitals around New Zealand are crying out for maintenance, upgrades and new facilities. Dr Reti and I are concerned that badly needed infrastructure upgrades to Whangarei, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North and Tauranga hospitals may be put at risk if New Dunedin continues to go so far over budget. 

    “Because of our concerns regarding the project, earlier this year Cabinet commissioned a one-off independent review into the project which was undertaken by independent expert Robert Rust, former chief executive of Health Infrastructure New South Wales.

    “Today we are releasing Mr Rust’s report and its findings to the public. The people of Dunedin deserve transparency about this problematic and poorly-managed project – and so do all the taxpayers who are funding it.”

    The Rust Review found that ‘the delivery of the NDH project as currently scoped and planned is probably not achievable within the approved budget and that there remains significant uncertainty as to the cost of the Inpatients Building.’

    Dr Reti says the uncertainty is due to several factors that not only impact its financial achievability but also go to the heart of whether the new hospital can deliver the health outcomes promised. 

    “The Rust Review makes it clear that, even now, the specifics and scope of the project are still being debated,” Dr Reti says.

    “To make matters worse, insufficient money had been set aside for other associated costs such as a pathology lab, refurbishment of the existing facilities and car parking which are collectively estimated at an additional $400 million. No business cases have been prepared for any of these additional elements of the project. 

    “Compounding our concerns is the fact that recent project pricing came in several hundred million dollars over the hospital’s appropriation, even without including the pathology lab, refurb of existing facilities or car parking.

    “Health NZ and Infrastructure Commission advice has made it clear that this project was troubled from the moment the site was selected in 2018 and has been trapped by this poor decision making ever since.

    “The extraordinary cost premiums associated with the land purchase and demolition costs, contaminated ground, piling difficulty, flood level risk, and an extremely constrained construction site flanked on three sides by state highways made it an unattractive project for contractors and suppliers, further driving up construction costs. Since the 2017 Business Case, the cost per square metre to build the hospital has increased by 200% from $10,000 per sqm to $30,000 per sqm.”

    Ministers have instructed Health NZ that the project is to be delivered within its current appropriated budget of $1.88 billion, and to provide urgent advice on two options for delivering it:

    1. Revision of the project’s specification and scope within the existing structural envelope, such as reducing the number of floors, delaying the fit-out of some areas until they’re needed, and/or identifying further services that can be retained on the existing hospital site or in other Health NZ buildings within Dunedin among other possible solutions.
    2. A staged development on the old hospital site including a new clinical services building and refurbishing the existing ward tower.

    Officials will deliver this advice in the coming weeks.

    “We’re incredibly frustrated by the challenges in delivering these much-needed, modern, fit-for-purpose hospital facilities, just as the people of Dunedin and its surrounding regions are. We remain committed to finding a solution, but we must now take urgent steps to apply the long overdue rigour which all taxpayers would rightly expect,” Mr Bishop says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 3rd global digital trade expo highlights AI innovations, low-altitude economy

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The exhibition area of humanoid robots is pictured at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. The third Global Digital Trade Expo opened in Hangzhou on Wednesday, showcasing the latest technological innovations and business development of the digital economy sector. [Photo/Xinhua]

    HANGZHOU, Sept. 25 — The third Global Digital Trade Expo opened in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday, showcasing the latest technological innovations and business development of the digital economy sector.

    Themed “Digital Trade, Global Access,” this year’s edition has attracted more than 1,500 enterprises from home and abroad, among which over 300 are international companies. Over 30,000 purchasers have signed up for the event, with more than 6,000 of them from foreign countries and regions.

    A total of 446 new products and technologies are scheduled to be showcased at the five-day expo. Notably, this year’s expo has set up special exhibition areas for robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) innovations and the smart traffic solutions of the low-altitude economy.

    The size of China’s low-altitude economy is estimated to have exceeded 500 billion yuan (about 70.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

    Co-hosted by the Zhejiang provincial government and China’s Ministry of Commerce, the event is currently China’s only digital trade themed expo at the national level. China’s digital industry has seen robust growth in recent years, reporting a total revenue of 32.5 trillion yuan in 2023.

    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the launching ceremony of the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Sales staff promote African products via livestreaming during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the China Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A visitor poses for photos at the booth of “Black Myth: Wukong” during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members promote products via livestreaming at the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Smart City Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People use VR devices to enjoy virtual concerts during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Thailand Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Visitors try the games at the booth of “Black Myth: Wukong” during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the main entrance to the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A visitor learns about a driverless aircraft at the Smart Mobility Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members promote products at the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows a view outside the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A foreign merchant consults about a small intelligent translation device at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members showcase a smart office desk at the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Screening, medicine, and MRI access will avoid hundreds of deaths from prostate cancer, MPs told

    Source: Prostate Cancer Foundation

    A prostate cancer screening programme starting with simple blood tests will halve the number of deaths from prostate cancer, MPs heard last night.

    At a Parliamentary event to mark prostate cancer awareness month, about 20 Ministers and MPs were encouraged to support pilots that would guide an eventual national screening programme for at-risk men.
     
    Prostate Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Peter Dickens said a diagnostic pathway which starts with a PSA blood test carries the promise of a 50 percent reduction in prostate-cancer specific mortality in New Zealand men.
     
    “Pilots are important for learning the lessons on how to optimally engage with and screen New Zealand men in the same way that women are successfully screened for cervical and breast cancer.”
     
    The Prostate Cancer Foundation is asking the Government to fund two PSA screening pilots which would test men based on age and familial and genetic risk. The cost is relatively low at an estimated $6.4 million, and learnings would inform an eventual national population-based screening programme.
     
    “Pilots will help us develop a comprehensive, optimum clinical care pathway for prostate cancer, which if done properly will take care of any issues with diagnosis and overtreatment.”
     
    “But we really need to move now on piloting so we learn the lessons we need to learn. The number of prostate cancer cases is likely to double by 2040. The clock is ticking. We need to pay attention to that now and start piloting prostate cancer screening.”
     
    Dickens said that medicines and access to MRI screening were also important for reducing prostate cancer deaths.
     
    “MRI is an absolute game changer. It’s a vital part of diagnostic pathway. The vast majority of men who are diagnosed in the public health service don’t have access. We need greater availability of MRI, and not just for prostate cancer.”
     
    And while there has been a lot of focus this year on funding for medicines, there’s been little good news for men with prostate cancer.
     
    “There hasn’t been a new drug funded for prostate cancer in last 10 years. People are paying up to $8000 a month to maintain their quality and length of life. We would encourage MPs  to keep a focus on access to medicines for a wide range of treatments,” Dickens said.
     
    Blue September is prostate cancer awareness month.  The Prostate Cancer Foundation offers a portfolio of services to help 42,000 men with a prostate cancer diagnosis and their families to fight their cancer battle.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Issues Statement on FAFSA Update: Urges Careful Implementation and Accessibility for All Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Education’s update on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

    “I wrote the FAFSA Simplification Act to make it easier for students to get the financial aid they deserve—it should be uncomplicated for students and parents to navigate this form and figure out what kind of federal aid they’re eligible for. And I want to be clear: I wrote this law to make the FAFSA accessible for everyone, including students who are unhoused, low-income, or first-generation—it’s important to me that I continue to see serious progress on this front. I will be closely following the Department’s implementation of these newly announced improvements to make sure a truly simplified FAFSA is the end result.”

    In May and February, Murray led Congressional oversight efforts of the newly simplified FAFSA form’s implementation and she has continued to stay in close contact with the Department of Education since then. The Senate Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill, authored and negotiated by Murray, which funds the Department of Education includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs—the funding will support a wide range of activities including implementation of the FAFSA. The bill also directs the Department of Education to undertake various activities related to the FAFSA, including conducting outreach to students who have uncompleted FAFSA applications, providing weekly updates to Congress on FAFSA implementation, and correcting errors that have made it difficult for unaccompanied homeless youth to access the FAFSA application. Murray’s funding bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee 25-3.

    As the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), in 2020, Senator Murray successfully negotiated—and got signed into law—bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid. Now, the changes are taking effect—making the financial aid application process easier to navigate for families and getting more federal support to more students.

    The bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act that Senator Murray negotiated was signed into law in December 2020. In particular, Senator Murray secured policies that, among other things:

    • Restore Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, students who have been defrauded, and students with drug-related offenses;
    • Significantly expand who is eligible to receive Pell Grants and the maximum award; simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
    • Make the financial aid process easier to navigate for students experiencing homelessness and students formerly in foster care.

    More about the changes Senator Murray secured HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fraudulent websites, internet banking login screens and phishing emails related to Dah Sing Bank, Limited

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

         The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Dah Sing Bank, Limited relating to fraudulent websites, internet banking login screens and phishing emails, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

         The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

         Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites, login screens or emails concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Listening to feedback: changes to York’s sexual health service

    Source: City of York

    A number of changes have now been agreed to the way sexual health services are provided in York, which follows a consultation on proposed changes and listening to respondents’ feedback.

    The consultation ran between July and September and saw over 100 people respond.

    The sexual health service in York is delivered through YorSexualHealth, provided by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

    The council has worked closely with the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to review the service and its partnership, as part of the re-procurement of the service for the next 10 years.

    The consultation highlighted the need for a number of changes, following a 30 per cent reduction in the public health grant since 2015, which funds the service.

    The provision of free, comprehensive, open access sexual health and contraceptive services is a mandated Public Health function of local authorities, as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

    A report was taken to an Executive meeting in June to outline what these changes could mean, before going out to consultation.

    The contract with the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was renewed in July, and following Executive approval was extended for an additional 12-month period.

    In order to deliver the new contract, the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the council identified that some efficiencies would need to be made to the service. These will now be introduced soon, through a staged approach during the 12-month extension period, to ensure robust monitoring and evaluation.

    The changes include these staged service reductions over a 12-month period:

    1. A reduction in the number of clinic hours the service is open for: The council and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust listened to feedback on the Saturday closure proposals, which was unpopular with respondents. We have revised our thinking on this and are looking at closing the service at a different time to lessen the impact. Instead, the clinic will now close on a Wednesday morning.
    2. A further cap on activity relating to Preventx for York residents. (online STI testing): The service will now offer an ‘enhanced triage’ or clinician recommended approach, to ensure that service users get the right test for them, which is better for both the service user and the cost efficiency of the service. This also brings the online testing provision in line with the testing that is offered when attending the service in person.
    3. A cap on activity relating to LARC (Long-Acting Reversible Contraception) including contraceptive coils and contraceptive implants: York has a high number of LARC fitted per head of population, well above the national average. This means we are building from a strong position in access to contraception in the city, and need to ensure that this remains a specialist service available to those who need it. However, last year over 3,000 people attended for basic contraception needs, which GPs and Pharmacists can support with. Pharmacists can also issue repeat contraception and initial contraception. So our contraception activity will be focussed and prioritised according to need.

    Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health, said: “We’d like to thank everyone for their feedback during the consultation. We’ve listened to everyone’s comments and have made some changes to the proposals as a result. These service changes are not being made lightly – we know there will be impacts, and its our role to mitigate these as much as we can.

    “Sexual health services are vital, and we are proud of the quality of what has been available to people in York in recent years, and of the staff who deliver these vital services.

    “Sexual and reproductive health is not just about preventing disease or infection. It also means promoting good sexual health in a wider context, including relationships, sexuality and choices around conception. It is a vital aspect of overall health and wellbeing and of public health.

    “We are determined that we will meet York’s future needs to the same level, but there are always opportunities to make changes and do things more efficiently.

    “That is reflected in our performance figures, which reflect very well on those involved in delivering the services.”

    Jo Mannion, Consultant and Care Group Director for Family Health at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have successfully provided a range of high-quality, easily accessible sexual health services over the last few years, and we welcome the opportunity to build on this success in strong partnership with York.”

    The council and the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are continuing its analysis and work towards potential commencement of a new contract (under a section 75 partnership agreement) in 2025/6,

    Sexual health services are a key part of public health and are funded via the ring-fenced Public Health Allocation.

    The current contract with York and Scarborough NHS Trust and Nimbuscare Limited was extended earlier this year, following discussions with the providers through the Sexual Health Joint Management Board, chaired by the Director of Public Health.

    A benefit of a new service contract with the current Integrated Sexual Health Services contract with York and Scarborough NHS Trust, is that they have a proven track record and have been a provider of sexual health services in York for over 10 years.

    Following this consultation, a new legal agreement between two organisations will be agreed.

    View the findings of the consultation here

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828 renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of feed containing, consisting of and of food and feed products produced from genetically modified maize MON 810 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1207 – B10-0146/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Members responsible: Martin Häusling, Biljana Borzan, Anja Hazekamp

    B10‑0146/2024

    European Parliament resolution on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828 renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of feed containing, consisting of and of food and feed products produced from genetically modified maize MON 810 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1207 (2024/2840(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828 renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of feed containing, consisting of and of food and feed products produced from genetically modified maize MON 810 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1207[1],

    – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed[2], and in particular Article 11(3) and Article 23(3) thereof,

    – having regard to the vote of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, on 26 April 2024, at which no opinion was delivered, and the vote of the Appeal Committee on 29 May 2024, at which again no opinion was delivered,

    – having regard to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers[3],

    – having regard to the opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 30 November 2023, and published on 19 January 2024[4],

    – having regard to its previous resolutions objecting to the authorisation of genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’)[5],

    – having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety,

    A. whereas, on 6 October 2022, Bayer Agriculture BV, based in Belgium, submitted on behalf of Bayer CropScience LP, based in the United States, an application to the Commission for the renewal of Commission Implementing Decisions 2013/649/EU[6] and (EU) 2017/1207[7]; whereas, in accordance with Article 11(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, the period of authorisation of genetically modified pollen produced from genetically modified maize MON 810 (the ‘GM maize’) for food uses covered by Implementing Decision 2013/649/EU has been automatically extended until a decision is taken on the renewal application;

    B. whereas, on 30 November 2023, EFSA adopted a favourable opinion, which was published on 19 January 2024;

    C. whereas the GM maize has been modified to produce insecticides (‘Bt toxins’);

    Outstanding questions concerning Bt toxins

    D. whereas a number of studies show that side effects have been observed that may affect the human immune system following exposure to Bt toxins and that some Bt toxins may have adjuvant properties[8], meaning that they can increase the allergenicity of other proteins with which they come into contact;

    Bt crops: effects on non-target organisms

    E. whereas, unlike the use of insecticides, where exposure is at the time of spraying and for a limited time afterwards, the use of Bt GM crops leads to continuous exposure of the target and non-target organisms to Bt toxins;

    F. whereas the assumption that Bt toxins exhibit a single target-specific mode-of-action can no longer be considered correct and effects on non-target organisms cannot be excluded; whereas an increasing number of non-target organisms are reported to be affected in many ways; whereas 39 peer-reviewed publications that report significant adverse effects of Bt toxins on many ‘out-of-range’ species are mentioned in a recent overview[9];

    Member State comments

    G. whereas Member States submitted many critical comments to EFSA during the three-month consultation period[10], including that the compositional data for the GM maize should be checked and re-analysed and that the analysis should fulfil the present EFSA requirements, inter alia equivalence testing, and that the literature review did not include studies on the fate of Cry1Ab in the environment or on potential effects of Bt-crop residues on non-target organisms, which is problematic because publications indicate that a carryover from GM maize feed to manure may lead to exposure of soil organisms to Cry1Ab and that this may trigger negative effects on soil organisms with consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services;

    H. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 states that GM food or feed must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment, and requires the Commission to take into account any relevant provisions of Union law and other legitimate factors relevant to the matter under consideration when drafting its decision; whereas such legitimate factors should include the Union’s obligations under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD);

    Reducing dependency on imported feed

    I. whereas one of the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing war in Ukraine is the need for the Union to end the dependencies on some critical materials; whereas in the mission letter to Commissioner-elect Christophe Hansen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asks him to look at ways to reduce imports of critical commodities[11];

    Undemocratic decision-making

    J. whereas the vote on 26 April 2024 of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 delivered no opinion, meaning that the authorisation was not supported by a qualified majority of Member States; whereas the vote on 29 May 2024 of the Appeal Committee again delivered no opinion;

    K. whereas, in its eighth term, Parliament adopted a total of 36 resolutions objecting to the placing on the market of GMOs for food and feed (33 resolutions) and to the cultivation of GMOs in the Union (three resolutions); whereas, in its ninth term, Parliament adopted 38 objections to placing GMOs on the market;

    L. whereas despite its own acknowledgement of the democratic shortcomings, the lack of support from Member States and the objections of Parliament, the Commission continues to authorise GMOs;

    M. whereas no change of law is required for the Commission to be able not to authorise GMOs when there is no qualified majority of Member States in favour in the Appeal Committee[12];

    N. whereas, on 2 July 2024, the Commission renewed the authorisation for the placing on the market of the GM maize;

    1. Considers that Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828 exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003;

    2. Considers that Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828 is not consistent with Union law, in that it is not compatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, which is, in accordance with the general principles laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council[13], to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, in relation to GM food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market;

    3. Calls on the Commission to repeal Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828;

    4. Welcomes the fact that the Commission finally recognised, in a letter of 11 September 2020 to Members, the need to take sustainability into account when it comes to authorisation decisions on GMOs[14]; expresses its deep disappointment, however, that, since then the Commission has continued to authorise GMOs for import into the Union, despite ongoing objections by Parliament and a majority of Member States voting against;

    5. Urges the Commission, again, to take into account the Union’s obligations under international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN CBD and the UN SDGs; reiterates its call for draft implementing acts to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum explaining how they uphold the principle of ‘do no harm’[15];

    6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s message on World Maritime Day: “Navigating the Future, Safety First” [scroll down for French version]

    Source: United Nations – English

    hipping is vital to keeping our economies and societies afloat.

    It is the lifeblood of global supply chains, stretching across oceans, connecting goods and communities.

    Today, the maritime sector is undergoing a profound transformation as it steers towards greater digitalization, automation and decarbonization.

    New technologies and designs offer the opportunity to make important contributions to climate action. I count on the commitment of regulators, seafarers and ship operators alike.

    As this year’s theme reminds us, safety must remain a priority. While conflicts rage around the globe, targeted attacks have turned key global shipping routes into danger zones, killing seafarers and threatening their well-being. Such attacks are totally unacceptable and must be rejected by all.

    Safe navigation for the women and men who anchor this crucial industry must not be compromised.

    On this World Maritime Day, let’s play our part to ensure a safe, sustainable and prosperous maritime sector for all humanity.

    ***
    Les transports maritimes sont essentiels pour maintenir nos économies et nos sociétés à flot.

    Ils sont l’élément vital des chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales, qui s’étendent sur tous les océans et permettent d’acheminer les biens aux populations.

    Aujourd’hui, le secteur maritime connaît une transformation profonde et se dirige vers une plus grande dématérialisation, automatisation et décarbonation.

    Grâce aux nouvelles techniques et aux nouveautés en matière de conception, il est possible de contribuer fortement à l’action climatique. À cet égard, je compte sur la mobilisation des responsables de la réglementation, des gens de mer et des exploitants de navires.

    Le thème de cette année nous rappelle que la sécurité doit rester une priorité. Alors que des conflits font rage dans le monde entier, de grands axes maritimes sont devenus des zones dangereuses dans lesquelles des attaques ciblées tuent des gens de mer et menacent leur bien-être. Ces attaques sont totalement inacceptables et doivent être universellement dénoncées.

    La sécurité de la navigation des femmes et des hommes indispensables à ce secteur essentiel ne doit pas être compromise.

    En cette Journée mondiale de la mer, jouons notre rôle afin de garantir la sécurité, la durabilité et la prospérité du secteur maritime, pour l’humanité tout entière.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message on World Maritime Day: “Navigating the Future, Safety First” [scroll down for French version]

    Source: United Nations

    Shipping is vital to keeping our economies and societies afloat.

    It is the lifeblood of global supply chains, stretching across oceans, connecting goods and communities.

    Today, the maritime sector is undergoing a profound transformation as it steers towards greater digitalization, automation and decarbonization.

    New technologies and designs offer the opportunity to make important contributions to climate action. I count on the commitment of regulators, seafarers and ship operators alike.

    As this year’s theme reminds us, safety must remain a priority. While conflicts rage around the globe, targeted attacks have turned key global shipping routes into danger zones, killing seafarers and threatening their well-being. Such attacks are totally unacceptable and must be rejected by all.

    Safe navigation for the women and men who anchor this crucial industry must not be compromised.

    On this World Maritime Day, let’s play our part to ensure a safe, sustainable and prosperous maritime sector for all humanity.

    ***
    Les transports maritimes sont essentiels pour maintenir nos économies et nos sociétés à flot.

    Ils sont l’élément vital des chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales, qui s’étendent sur tous les océans et permettent d’acheminer les biens aux populations.

    Aujourd’hui, le secteur maritime connaît une transformation profonde et se dirige vers une plus grande dématérialisation, automatisation et décarbonation.

    Grâce aux nouvelles techniques et aux nouveautés en matière de conception, il est possible de contribuer fortement à l’action climatique. À cet égard, je compte sur la mobilisation des responsables de la réglementation, des gens de mer et des exploitants de navires.

    Le thème de cette année nous rappelle que la sécurité doit rester une priorité. Alors que des conflits font rage dans le monde entier, de grands axes maritimes sont devenus des zones dangereuses dans lesquelles des attaques ciblées tuent des gens de mer et menacent leur bien-être. Ces attaques sont totalement inacceptables et doivent être universellement dénoncées.

    La sécurité de la navigation des femmes et des hommes indispensables à ce secteur essentiel ne doit pas être compromise.

    En cette Journée mondiale de la mer, jouons notre rôle afin de garantir la sécurité, la durabilité et la prospérité du secteur maritime, pour l’humanité tout entière.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Statement on Steward Hearing and Ralph De La Torre

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on Steward Healthcare CEO Ralph De La Torre’s refusal to comply with a subpoena to appear before Congress today. Congresswoman Pressley represents many patients and workers served by Carney Hospital in Dorchester as well as St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton.

    “We cannot allow companies like Steward Health Care and their CEO Ralph De La Torre to get away with ravaging our healthcare system and leaving our hospitals, patients, and workers behind. But De La Torre’s refusal to come before the Senate today is the latest in a series of cowardly attempts to avoid responsibility, and he must be held in contempt of Congress.

    “I’m grateful to the Senate HELP Committee, Chairman Sanders, and Senator Markey for holding this critical hearing, and for the Massachusetts nurses who came forward to expose the shameful impact of Steward’s greed. We won’t stop fighting to hold Steward and De La Torre fully accountable for the public health crisis they created.”

    In Congress, Rep. Pressley has repeatedly demanded accountability and transparency from Steward executives, and she has been worked with her colleagues at the federal and local levels to ensure care remains accessible and Steward’s other facilities remain open.

    • In July 2024, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Lynch rallied with colleagues, patients, and providers to speak out against Steward’s abrupt closure of Carney Hospital in Dorchester.
    • In July 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the announcement by Steward Health Care of the closure of hospitals in Massachusetts, including Carney Hospital in Dorchester.
    • In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Steward’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and failure to protect patients and workers.
    • In February 2024, Rep. Pressley joined members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation in seeking answers from Cerebrus on the private equity firm’s role in creating the current financial challenges at Steward hospitals, which threaten access to medical care for thousands of people in eastern Massachusetts.
    • In January 2024, following a Boston Globe report indicating that Steward Health Care System is in dire financial condition, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Warren, and the Massachusetts congressional delegation pressed Steward to brief them on Steward’s financial position, the status of their Massachusetts facilities, and their plans to ensure the communities they serve are not abandoned. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Taumaranui

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    One person has died following a crash in Taumaranui this afternoon.

    Police were alerted to the single vehicle crash on Kururau Road just before 3pm.

    The car had gone down a bank and the driver was located deceased.

    Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are under way.
     

    ENDS
     

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ChatGPT is changing the way we write. Here’s how – and why it’s a problem

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ritesh Chugh, Associate Professor – Information and Communications Technology, CQUniversity Australia

    Shutterstock

    Have you noticed certain words and phrases popping up everywhere lately?

    Phrases such as “delve into” and “navigate the landscape” seem to feature in everything from social media posts to news articles and academic publications. They may sound fancy, but their overuse can make a text feel monotonous and repetitive.

    This trend may be linked to the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs). These tools are designed to make writing easier by offering suggestions based on patterns in the text they were trained on.

    However, these patterns can lead to the overuse of certain stylistic words and phrases, resulting in works that don’t closely resemble genuine human writing.

    The rise of stylistic language

    Generative AI tools are trained on vast amounts of text from various sources. As such, they tend to favour the most common words and phrases in their outputs.

    Since ChatGPT’s release, the use of words such as “delves”, “showcasing”, “underscores”, “pivotal”, “realm” and “meticulous” has surged in academic writing.

    And although most of the research has looked specifically at academic writing, the stylistic language trend has appeared in various other forms of writing, including student essays and school applications. As one application editor told Forbes, “tapestry” is a particularly common offending term in cases where AI was used to write a draft:

    I no longer believe there’s a way to innocently use the word ‘tapestry’ in an essay; if the word ‘tapestry’ appears, it was generated by ChatGPT.

    Why it’s a problem

    The overuse of certain words and phrases leads to writing losing its personal touch. It becomes harder to distinguish between individual voices and perspectives and everything takes on a robotic undertone.

    Also, words such as “revolutionise” or “intriguing” – while they might seem like they’re giving you a more polished product – can actually make writing harder to understand.

    Stylish and/or flowery language doesn’t communicate ideas as effectively as clear and straightforward language. Beyond this, one study found simple and precise words not only enhance comprehension, but also make the writer appear more intelligent.

    Lastly, the overuse of stylistic words can make writing boring. Writing should be engaging and varied; relying on a few buzzwords will lead to readers tuning out.

    There’s currently no research that can give us an exact list of the most common stylistic words used by ChatGPT; this would require an exhaustive analysis of every output ever generated. That said, here’s what ChatGPT itself presented when asked the question.

    Possible solutions

    So how can we fix this? Here are some ideas:

    1. Be aware of repetition

    If you’re using a tool such as ChatGPT, pay attention to how often certain words or phrases come up. If you notice the same terms appearing again and again, try switching them out for simpler and/or more original language. Instead of saying “delve into” you could just say “explore”, or “look at it closely”.

    2. Ask for clear language

    Much of what you get out of ChatGPT will come down to the specific prompt you give it. If you don’t want complex language, try asking it to “write clearly, without using complex words”.

    3. Edit your work

    ChatGPT can be a helpful starting point for writing many different types of text, but editing its outputs remains important. By reviewing and changing certain words and phrases, you can still add your own voice to the output.

    Being creative with synonyms is one way to do this. You could use a thesaurus, or think more carefully about what you’re trying to communicate in your text – and how you might do this in a new way.

    4. Customise AI settings

    Many AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Claude allow you to adjust the writing style through settings or tailored prompts. For example, you can prioritise clarity and simplicity, or create an exclusion list to avoid certain words.

    By being more mindful of how we use generative AI and making an effort to write with clarity and originality, we can avoid falling into the AI style trap.

    In the end, writing should be about expressing your ideas in your own way. While ChatGPT can help, it’s up to each of us to make sure we’re saying what we really want to – and not what an AI tool tells us to.

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

    – ref. ChatGPT is changing the way we write. Here’s how – and why it’s a problem – https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-changing-the-way-we-write-heres-how-and-why-its-a-problem-239601

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wodonga West hosts Fijian locals

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    Last Thursday night, 19 September, Wodonga West Fire Brigade members and members from other brigades in the Wodonga Group hosted a community engagement event for the local Fijian community.

    As part of our roles as volunteers and the Community Safety team, we have experienced many magic moments and this event reinforced to us why it is such a pleasure to be part of community engagement.

    After a community safety session facilitated by AWECC (Albury Wodonga Ethnic Community Council) several months ago, a number of Fijian community members living and working in Wodonga expressed interest in volunteering with CFA.

    As a result, on 19 September 2024, we arranged for them to visit Wodonga West Fire Station, where brigade Captain Gary Lockhart and five brigade volunteers hosted the AWECC Fijian community’s introduction to CFA volunteering.

    More than 20 Fijian men and women attended the information session, discussed the benefits of volunteering, then moved into the engine bay to be shown all the vehicles and equipment.

    There was lots of laughter, a lot of water sprayed around, warning lights activated and some went for a ride in the Wodonga West tanker. There were many questions about how it all works and what it is used for.

    The brigade volunteers also demonstrated the difference between ‘structure’ and ‘wildfire’ personal protection equipment, with the outfits being tried on and paraded around the station.

    The camaraderie that was born at this event bertween the Fijians and Wodonga West members was palpable, and as brigade Captain Gary Lockhart said, “We have an open-door policy for all to join the Brigade and CFA”.  

    After eating, a pastor with the Fijian community began to sing and all the Fijians joined in. The station reverberated with song, and it bought a tear to my eye, as with most of the CFA volunteers. What a joy to listen to them sharing their culture.

    Gary thought it was a wonderful evening.

    “After sharing some pizza, the magic happened and the meeting room erupted into song with the Fijians sharing some of their culture with us,” Ross Coyle said.

    “It was fantastic to be involved, especially as members from other brigades in the group joined in to make it a group event.

    “Events such as this make me a very proud CFA member.”

    Not all the Fijians are interested in becoming firefighters, though some of them will become part of the CFA family as a way for them engage and give back to the wider community.

    The event reinforced to us that CFA needs to keep encouraging and welcoming the multicultural members of our community to join us as we would all benefit.

    Submitted by Maureen Piera and Will Vale

    MIL OSI News –