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SINGAPORE A new code of practice will require social media platforms to promptly inform users of actions taken on their reports of online harms. This is in response to feedback from users here that they are often left in the dark after submitting their reports.

Advertisements that could have a harmful effect on young users mental health should be kept away from them, and platforms must submit online safety reports annually to be published on the Infocomm Media Development Authoritys (IMDA) website.

These requirements, which take effect on Tuesday, are among the dos and donts for social media platforms here, under the online safety code of practice that IMDA announced on Monday.

The designated social media services named in the code of practice are Facebook, HardwareZone, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, said IMDA, which added that Singapore is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to introduce laws for platforms to take preventive measures to ensure online safety.

The code of practice sets in stone how popular platforms should operate here following the introduction of the new law in February, the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act.

The law gives the authorities the power to direct social media platforms to remove online harms, like sexual and violent content, those that promote cyber bullying, vice, organised crime, suicide or self-harm, and those that may incite racial or religious tensions or endanger public health.

Failure to comply may attract a fine of up to $1 million, or a direction to have their social media services blocked here.

The regulations come amid a crackdown on online harms across app stores, social media platforms and messaging apps.

Under the code of practice, each platform must establish its own community guidelines that clearly state what content is allowed and not allowed on its services, said IMDA.

These rules should be enforced through effective content moderation, including the removal of content that violates its own community standards and blocking or banning users who break the rules.

Users should also be given tools to manage their own safety, like the option to hide harmful content and unwanted interactions, limit location sharing and the visibility of their accounts from other users.

Each platform must also create separate community guidelines for younger users, along with content moderation and online safety information that they can easily understand.

Accounts belonging to children must not receive advertisements, promoted content and content recommendations that designated social media services are reasonably aware to be detrimental to childrens physical or mental well-being, said IMDA.

Platforms are also required to include tools that allow children or their parents to manage their safety on these services, and mechanisms for users to report harmful content and unwanted interactions.

Parents and guardians must also be given tools to manage the content that their children can see, the public visibility of their accounts and permissions for who can contact and interact with them.

Users who use high-risk terms related to self-harm or suicide must be actively offered local safety information that is easy to understand. These include safety resources or information on support centres.

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Tighter control of ads on younger teens' social media accounts ... - The Straits Times

Opening remarks at provincial bridging workshop for rabies in Bali, 12-15 April 2023 (Credit: WHO/Endang Wulandari)

Endemic in 26 of 38 Indonesian provinces, including Bali, rabies presents a formidable challenge. In response, Bali has founded 103 rabies centres, stockpiled anti-rabies vaccine (VAR) and serum (SAR), empowered communities, and in 2022, convened a Stepwise Approach Rabies Elimination (SARE) workshop. Despite these efforts, gaps remain, from enforcement of provincial government Regulation No. 15, 2009, to the improvement of dog vaccination campaigns and the strengthening of multisectoral collaboration for rabies control.

To effectively combat human rabies in Bali, we must focus on a reliable estimation of the dog population, provision of rabies vaccine for dogs, funding for operations, provision of VAR and SAR stockpiles for humans, control of the dog population by reducing stray and providing shelters, and the establishment of Rabies Centres and risk communication," said Dr. Imran Pambudi, MPHM, Director of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, during his opening remarks.

Plenary group presentation on session identifies collaborative activities from SARE pending activities assessment (Credit: WHO/Endang Wulandari)

The SARE workshop engaged 50 participants from diverse sectors in Bali, along with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the National Disaster Agency, and the Coordinating Ministry of Human Development and Culture. The workshop aimed to bring among others the human and animal health sectors together in the fight against rabies. At the workshop, participants assessed the situation, identified shortcomings and best practices, and formulated a plan to bolster collaboration. This joint strategy prioritizes coordination, communication, resource sharing, local legislation implementation, and surveillance.

The joint work plan for rabies prevention and control lays out several priority measures: forming a coordination team, securing emergency funding for rabies control, amplifying risk communication via social media and podcasts, designing effective risk communication materials, executing Training of Trainers for better risk communication, speeding up the vaccination of animals bitten by rabies-infected creatures, incorporating local regulatory wisdom, and advancing surveillance and case management for rabid animals.

Development of priority collaborative activities during provincial bridging workshop for rabies, 12-15 April 2023, Bali(Credit: WHO/Endang Wulandari)

I Wayan Pujana, SKM, MPH, from the Bali Provincial Health Office emphasized "In this workshop, we draw upon existing documents and outcomes from prior rabies workshops to augment our current efforts. The output will strengthen our joint endeavour to eradicate dog-mediated human rabies cases by 2030."

Stakeholders are set to implement the agreed work plan for priority collaborative activities for rabies control, following the provincial bridging workshop on rabies in Bali. Furthermore, community participation and engagement in rabies control remains crucial in combating this issue. The Australian Government, in collaboration with WHO, bolsters these efforts by assisting the Ministry of Health in procuring rabies vaccines and serum for humans in high-risk provinces like Bali. They also advocate for the adoption of intradermal rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, a method promoted by WHO.

WHOs work on rabies is supported by DFAT, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), GARC, SEEG and USAID.

Written byDr Endang Widuri Wulandari, National Professional Officer for Epidemiologist

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Enhancing multisectoral collaboration to combat rabies in One ... - World Health Organization

By Tena Lee | on July 11, 2023

Sumner County Animal Control has temporarily closed its facility for intakes and adoptions after a suspected respiratory virus was detected in some of the shelters dogs.

Sumner County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Eric Craddock said the facility is closed temporarily as a precaution.

Our animal control staff noticed a few of our dogs appeared to be ill and coughing, he said. We contacted our vet who advised the cause was likely a respiratory virus that was going around. The vet recommended the temporary closure out of an abundance of caution, Craddock added. The facility has been closed to intakes and adoptions since July 6.

Sumner County Animal Control has been a division of the Sumner County Sheriffs Office since 2009. A state-of-the-art facility was built in 2011 with the capacity for nearly 100 intake kennels for both dogs and cats as well as nearly 50 adoption kennels.

The facility, located at 1033 Union School Road, serves as a shelter for stray, abused and relinquished animals.

Craddock said he wasnt sure how many dogs have been affected, or if there had been any deaths as a result of the illness.

The facility has deployed air scrubbers to try to minimize the spread, he noted. Weve taken every precaution we can to ensure the animals health and safety.

The shelters felines dont appear to be carriers or effected by the virus, Craddock added.

Craddock said the Sheriffs Office would continue to pick up aggressive dogs, if needed, for safety concerns, and would do their best to keep the canine isolated from the other dogs. The facility can be reached at 615-452-2400.

Craddock said the department would post on its social media pages when the shelter is back open for normal operations.

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Countys animal control facility closes temporarily due to illness - Main Street Media of Tennessee

LONDON, England 12 July 2023 Sompo International, a leading global provider of commercial and consumer property and casualty (re)insurance, today announced the appointment of Renata Barcellos as Head of Risk Control Services, Global Markets Insurance business. Ms. Barcellos will have oversight of all risk control teams and activities across Sompo Internationals Global Markets business and suite of products in support of corporate business goals, including account retention, new business growth, management of loss exposure, and overall profitability for the region. She will be based in Sompo Internationals new Madrid office, and report to Adam Bergen, Senior Vice President, Head of Client Management, Global Markets.

Mr. Bergen said, Renatas depth of experience across product lines, coupled with her strong leadership skills and ability to establish clear strategic direction in culturally different environments, will be an asset as we continue to build out Global Markets risk control team and offerings. Her adeptness at working with underwriters and clients to integrate risk control techniques and identify ways to improve and differentiate their business operations further reinforces Sompo Internationals commitment to the markets we serve.

Ms. Barcellos has nearly 25 years of risk control insurance experience spanning products and geographies. Prior to accepting this position, she served as Sompo Internationals Head of Risk Control Services, Latin America, where she was responsible for not only growing and leading a team of risk control experts in Mexico that was focused on client services and underwriting profitability, but also managed the Asian client risk control portfolio. Prior to joining the company in 2021, she held senior risk control and technical positions with other leading global insurers, building teams and risk control capabilities.

Sompo International nombra a Renata Barcellos Head of Risk Control Services, Global Markets Insurance

About Sompo International

Sompo International refers to Sompo International Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based holding company, together with its consolidated subsidiaries.Through its operating subsidiaries, Sompo International is a leading global provider of commercial and consumer property and casualty (re)insurance. Sompo International Holdings Ltd. is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sompo Holdings, Inc. (Sompo Holdings). With more than 9000 employees at Sompo International, 75,000 employees total worldwide, entities in over 46 countries and over USD 35 billion in Gross Written Premiums, Sompo Holdings is one of the leading property and casualty insurance groups in the world.Sompo Holdings maintains excellent financial strength as evidenced by the ratings of A+ (Superior) from A.M. Best (XV size category) and A+ (Strong) from Standard and Poors on its principal operating subsidiaries. For more information about Sompo International, follow us on LinkedIn or please visitwww.sompo-intl.com.

Sompo International contacts:

Cara Gallagher EVP, Global Head of Marketing & Communications Phone: + 1 917 421 4973 Email:[emailprotected]

Robyn Fonde VP, Global Head of Media, PR and Advertising Phone: +1 914 426 0241 Email: [emailprotected]

Nicola Burgoyne VP, Marketing & Communications, Global Markets Phone: +44 (0)7721 669129 Email:[emailprotected]

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Sompo International Appoints Renata Barcellos Head of Risk ... - Sompo International

THE HAGUE, Netherlands12 July 2023The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, and Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security of the United States (U.S.), Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, met on 10 July 2023 at the Organisations Headquarters in The Hague.

The United States completed the destruction of our chemical weapons stockpile in accordance with our obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Its a historic moment not only for the United States but also for the global community. As we mark this moment, we must also acknowledge that our job, as a global community, is not done. The threat of chemical weapons development, use and possession still exists and the job of the OPCW is as important as ever. With our active engagement and significant financial support, the United States will continue to support the OPCW, Ambassador Jenkins said.

I congratulate the United States on completing the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile on 7 July. This is a moment of historic importance for the United States and the international community, the Director-General said during the meeting. I commend the United States responsible work and long-standing commitment to fulfil its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

During the meeting, U.S. voluntary contributions to two OPCW trust funds were formalised in a signing ceremony. The amount of 183,400 will be allocated to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions. This contribution will be used towards the full elimination of the Syrian Chemical Weapons Programme as well as establishing facts surrounding the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and relevant decisions of the policy-making organs of the OPCW and resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

The amount of 124,000 will be allocated to the OPCW Trust Fund for Junior Professional Officers (JPO) and will be used to support a JPO from a developing country in an underrepresented region to get experience working at the Technical Secretariat.

The end of destruction of all chemical weapons stockpiles represents a historic success of multilateralism in the field of disarmament, and the work of a generation of diplomats and experts over the past 26 years. Yet, more challenges lie ahead of us. Addressing the use and threats of use of toxic chemicals as weapons will remain a priority for the Organisation, the Director-General said. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the United States for its continuous financial and political support to the OPCWs mission to permanently eradicate chemical weapons.

The United States was the last possessor State and completed the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile on 7 July 2023. The OPCW observed the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpiles declared by all State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and confirmed on 7 July 2023 that all declared chemical weapons stockpiles are verified as irreversibly destroyed.

The OPCW will continue to monitor the closure of the last two destruction facilities at Pueblo and Blue Grass in the U.S., including the disposal of waste resulting from the destruction process.

As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Conventions entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.

Since the Convention entered into force in 1997, the OPCW has verified the destruction of 72,304.34 metric tonnes of stockpiled chemical weapons, declared by countries around the world. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

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OPCW Director-General receives U.S. Under Secretary for Arms ... - Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons