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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST’s speech at ASIFMA’s 5th Annual Sustainable Finance Conference: Enabling Transition Finance in Asia (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the speech by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, at ASIFMA’s 5th Annual Sustainable Finance Conference: Enabling Transition Finance in Asia today (October 30):

    Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

         It is both an honour and a privilege to stand before you today at ASIFMA’s 5th Annual Sustainable Finance Conference. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to ASIFMA (Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association) for hosting this significant event, now in its fifth year, and for bringing together an impressive gathering of leaders and advocates in the realm of sustainability. We are here to engage in critical discussions about how we can collectively scale and enable transition finance in Asia – a topic that has never been more urgent.

         Today’s theme, “Enabling Transition Finance in Asia”, reflects a vital aspect of our collective effort to combat climate change. As we know, climate change poses unprecedented challenges to our societies and economies. We must take bold steps to address these challenges. Hong Kong serves as a crucial financial gateway in Asia, bridging the East and West. This unique position makes it an ideal location for managing and channelling investments aimed at sustainable development. With our robust banking system, flourishing financial market, and strong regulatory framework, Hong Kong is well-positioned to facilitate transition finance.

         As we gather here today, we are acutely aware of the challenges that climate change poses to our societies and economies. Today, I would like to outline Hong Kong’s efforts in driving sustainability, encapsulated in four key “C” pillars: Capital, Creation, Commitment, and Collaboration.

    Capital – A vital tool for green financing

         The first “C” is Capital, which highlights Hong Kong’s well-developed capacity for green investment. This is not just a financial mechanism; it is a vital tool for green financing that underpins our commitment to sustainability. Hong Kong has set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with a target to halve carbon emissions by 2035. To realise these goals, we are implementing a range of policies and initiatives designed to promote green finance and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

         As Asia’s leading international financial centre and green finance hub, Hong Kong stands ready to channel international investment toward sustainable purposes. Our financial ecosystem is equipped to facilitate a robust green transition. Recent market research estimates that sustainable bond issuance will approach US$1 trillion in 2024. Moreover, it is projected that annual climate investments must reach US$9 trillion by 2030 and US$10 trillion by 2050, underscoring the immense demand for green finance.

         To this end, we launched the Government Green Bond Programme (renamed Government Sustainable Bond Programme) in 2019. This initiative aims to raise funds for government green projects that contribute to sustainable development. I am pleased to report that our issuance has been attracting strong interest from both local and international investors. For example, for the issuance in July this year, our offer of HK$25 billion of bonds attracted more than HK$120 billion equivalent in orders, about five times of the offer size. So far a total of HK$220 billion in government green bonds has been successfully issued, including a diverse array of bonds – retail, institutional, and tokenised – across multiple currencies and tenors. These efforts have effectively raised funds for the Government’s green projects, reinforcing our commitment to fostering a greener future for Hong Kong.

         The momentum towards sustainable investment has gained unprecedented traction in our financial markets. Over 230 ESG (environmental, social, and governance) funds have been authorised by our Securities and Futures Commission, collectively managing over HK$1.3 trillion in assets. This represents a significant year-on-year increase of 19 per cent in the number of funds and an 8 per cent rise in assets. These encouraging statistics reflect a growing recognition among investors of the importance of sustainable finance and their commitment to supporting responsible investment initiatives.

    Creation – innovating the green fintech market

         The second “C” is Creation, which emphasises Hong Kong’s role in innovation for adoption of green fintech. In addition to capital, technology plays a crucial role in green transition. The global shift toward sustainability is not just creating new markets; it is also driving innovation and opening up investment opportunities. The Government recognises that sustainable development and financial innovation must go hand in hand. By positioning Hong Kong as a leader in sustainable finance, we can attract capital, stimulate innovation, and contribute to a more sustainable future for all.

         As we strive to integrate fintech with green finance and accelerate our green transformation, we are actively expanding the green fintech ecosystem. This year in June, we launched the Green and Sustainable Fintech Proof-of-Concept Funding Support Scheme. This initiative aims to provide early-stage funding to technology companies or research institutes conducting green fintech activities, allowing them to collaborate with local enterprises to co-develop new projects that address industry pain points. By facilitating the completion of the commercialisation and proof-of-concept stages, this scheme aims to enable wider adoption of green and sustainable fintech solutions in our local business landscape.

         Fostering partnerships that drive innovation in financial products is another crucial element in promoting sustainable practices and ensuring that our financial systems are resilient and future-ready. Earlier this year, in March, we launched the Prototype Hong Kong Green Fintech Map, developed in collaboration with various stakeholders. This map serves as a one-stop resource, providing comprehensive information on the current status of green fintech companies in Hong Kong and the related services available. By enhancing the visibility of these companies, we support their growth and ultimately contribute to our vision of a greener and more sustainable financial ecosystem.

    Commitment – building a comprehensive foundation

         The third “C” is our commitment to building a comprehensive green finance ecosystem. Recent market studies indicate that approximately 90 per cent of issuance in the green bond market relates to financing climate transition projects. Transition finance encompasses more than just capital; it empowers various industries to evolve towards sustainable practices while acknowledging that the journey to a low-carbon economy varies across sectors.

         The time is ripe for Hong Kong to seize the opportunities ahead in developing a sustainable community. We are committed to enabling transition finance in Asia and working towards a more sustainable future. As part of this commitment, Hong Kong is a forerunner in setting regulatory requirements and guidance for the financial sector. In the recent Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced significant steps towards enhancing our financial reporting framework.

         We will soon launch a roadmap for the full adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards). Our goal is clear: We aim for Hong Kong to be among the first jurisdictions to align our local requirements with these internationally recognised standards. This initiative not only underscores our commitment to transparency and sustainability but also positions Hong Kong as a leader in the global financial landscape.

         Transparency and accountability are essential for the success of sustainable finance. As a crucial initial step, Hong Kong Stock Exchange has introduced new climate-related disclosure requirements. These requirements, developed based on the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 Climate-related Disclosures, will be implemented for listed companies under a phased approach starting next year. These initiatives reflect our ongoing efforts to foster a sustainable environment that resonates throughout our financial ecosystem.

    Collaboration – the key to a sustainable future

         The last “C”, but certainly not least, is collaboration. While government initiatives are crucial, the transition to a sustainable economy cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires collaboration among all stakeholders – the Government and regulators, financial institutions, corporations, and the community.

         In 2020, the Government established the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group, comprising representatives from various sectors. This group is working diligently to formulate strategies that enhance Hong Kong’s role as a green finance hub and engage industry participants and relevant stakeholders to advance sustainable finance in Hong Kong.

         As we look ahead, we are also mindful of the international context.  In just a few weeks, the global climate challenge will be front and centre at COP29 (29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Azerbaijan. This conference presents an opportunity for world leaders to ramp up climate action and provide stronger protections for those on the frontlines of climate change. COP29 is being billed as the “finance COP”, a pivotal moment for countries to establish a new global climate finance goal. We look forward to actively exploring collaboration with other regions on zero-carbon projects and initiatives, enhancing our collective capacity to address these urgent challenges.

    Closing

         In closing, the journey to a sustainable future is one that requires capital, creation, commitment, and collaboration. As we gather here today, we reaffirm our shared responsibility to enable transition finance in Asia and harness the power of finance to drive meaningful change. Together, we can create a better world for future generations.

         Your commitment to advancing the agenda of sustainable finance in Asia is truly inspiring. I am grateful for your attention to this pressing global issue, and I look forward to the fruitful discussions and insights that will emerge from today’s conference. Together, let us turn our vision of a sustainable future into a reality.

         Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: Combating sales activities of duty-not-paid cigarettes

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Ngan Man-yu and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that the sales activities of duty-not-paid cigarettes (illicit cigarettes) have become increasingly rampant in recent years. Lawbreakers have employed adolescents with little life experience to distribute illicit cigarette leaflets, commonly known as “dim sum sheets”, in public housing estates, and there are even “cheap whites promotion teams” wearing tops printed with the brand names of “cheap whites” (i.e. illicit cigarettes packaged in the same way as duty-paid cigarettes) to promote illicit cigarettes to smokers in busy areas. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the following information on illicit cigarette cases intercepted at source by the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) in the past three years: the number of such cases, the number of persons involved in such cases, and the market value of the illicit cigarettes involved; what measures the authorities have put in place to step up efforts to intercept at source the smuggling of illicit cigarettes into Hong Kong;
     
    (2) of the following information on the law enforcement operations conducted by C&ED to combat illicit cigarette activities in the past three years: the number of such operations, the number of cases detected, the number and dutiable value of the illicit cigarettes seized, the number and age distribution of persons arrested (with a breakdown by seller and buyer), and the penalty imposed on the convicted persons;
     
    (3) regarding the recruitment of young people by lawbreakers to promote illicit cigarettes, whether C&ED and the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health have received the related reports, and of the relevant follow-up situations; what measures C&ED and TACO have put in place to prevent young people from participating in the promotional and trafficking activities of illicit cigarettes;
     
    (4) as it has been reported that lawbreakers have set up websites to advertise illicit cigarettes on the Internet, and to advertise and sell illicit cigarettes through social media platforms and instant messaging applications (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Telegram), what measures C&ED and TACO have put in place to intercept such advertising and sales activities, and whether it has assessed the effectiveness of such measures;
     
    (5) of the total number of reports on suspected illicit cigarette activities received by C&ED through its 24-hour hotline, dedicated crime-reporting email account or online form in the past three years, and the relevant follow-up situations; and
     
    (6) whether C&ED and TACO have considered, by drawing reference from the policy on combating abuses of public housing, setting up a financial reward mechanism for reporting to encourage members of the public to report the sale of illicit cigarettes, so as to reduce the promotional and trafficking activities of illicit cigarettes in public housing estates?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         Tobacco products are dutiable commodities. Tobacco duty is payable by importers or manufacturers according to the specified rates under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). To protect Government revenue, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) has been combating smuggling and trading of illicit cigarettes on different fronts. As for matters relating to tobacco control, they are mainly enforced by the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health according to the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371).
     
         Upon consultation with the Health Bureau, the consolidated reply to the question is as follows:
     
    (1) C&ED has been closely monitoring the control points and illicit cigarettes activities in the city closely, and has strengthened intelligence exchange with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies with a view to intercepting illicit cigarettes at source. The relevant numbers on interception of illicit cigarettes at various control points by C&ED from January 2021 to September 2024 are set out below:
     

    Year
    Number of cases
    Number of persons arrested
    Number of illicit cigarettes seized
    (million)
    Estimated market value
    ($million)

    2021
    3 156
    2 856
    247
    678

    2022
    2 575
    2 246
    634
    1,753

    2023 (Note 1)
    10 452
    10 276
    554
    1,896

    2024 (Note 1)
    (Up to September)
    14 198
    13 783
    191
    841

    Note 1: The significant increase in the number of cases and arrests as compared with 2022 is mainly due to the large increase in the number of incoming passengers intercepted at control points for possessing tobacco products exceeding the duty-free quantity after the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
     
    (2) From January 2021 to September 2024, C&ED has conducted 11 large-scale special operations to combat illicit cigarette activities at various control points, as well as telephone-ordering activities for or distribution of flyers of illicit cigarettes at public rental housing estates (PRH). In addition, C&ED has been closely monitoring the latest development in the market and strengthened intelligence gathering. If a retailer is found to be selling duty-not-paid cigarettes, C&ED will take resolute enforcement actions. The enforcement figures of C&ED in combating illicit cigarettes through various channels (including daily inspections, interception at various control points, large-scale special operations, etc.) from January 2021 to September 2024 are set out below:
     

    Year
    Number of cases
    Number of persons arrested
    Number of illicit cigarettes seized
    (million)
    Estimated market value
    ($million)
    Duty payable
    ($million)

    2021
    4 009
    3 555
    427
    1,176
    815

    2022
    3 438
    2 813
    732
    2,017
    1,395

    2023Note
    11 806
    10 994
    652
    2,256
    1,541

    2024 (Note 2)
    (Up to September)
    15 014
    14 397
    367
    1,639
    1,208

    Note 2: The significant increase in the number of cases and arrests as compared with 2022 is mainly due to the large increase in the number of incoming passengers intercepted at control points for possessing tobacco products exceeding the duty-free quantity after the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and the seven large-scale special operations conducted by C&ED in 2023 and 2024.
     
         The number of arrested persons involved in buying or selling illicit cigarettes from January 2021 to September 2024 are set out below:
     

    Year
    Arrested persons
    Age distribution

    Sellers
    Buyers
    Total
    20 or below
    21 to 40
    41 to 60
    61 or above

    2021
    259
    206
    465
    13
    99
    172
    181

    2022
    117
    301
    418
    26
    98
    165
    129

    2023
    185
    401
    586
    28
    145
    222
    191

    2024
    (Up to September)
    244
    262
    506
    15
    86
    207
    198

     
         During the above period, the penalties imposed by the court on illicit cigarette cases ranged from a minimum of $200 (involving 200 illicit cigarettes) to a maximum of imprisonment of 18 months (involving about 12 million illicit cigarettes).
     
    (3), (4) and (6) According to the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (the Ordinance), no person shall display or cause to be displayed any smoking product advertisement in any form. Any person who contravenes the prohibitions is liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000, and in the case of a continuing offence, to a further penalty of $1,500 for each day during which the offence continues. The distribution of smoking product advertisements in PRH not only involves peddling of suspected duty-not-paid smoking products, but also affects the law and order and management of the estates. Hence, TACO has all along been co-operating with the relevant departments with a view to combating these illegal activities more effectively. A co-operation mechanism has been established among TACO, the Police and the Housing Department to conduct enforcement actions against illegal activities of distributing smoking products advertisements in PRH. Since January this year, the relevant departments have conducted over 220 joint operations in PRH in Hong Kong. During the operations, in addition to patrolling the estates, officers from TACO also provided information to the estate security workers and residents on how to deal with suspected violation. They were also reminded to observe the laws and not to purchase smoking products from unknown sources. TACO will refer any suspected cases of illicit cigarettes that involve violations of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance to C&ED for further investigation.
     
         Regarding the allegation that some people are distributing illicit cigarettes on the streets, under the Ordinance, no person may give smoking product to another person for promotion or advertisement. Any person who contravenes the prohibitions is liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of $25,000. TACO has conducted multiple proactive inspections at relevant locations. No illegal activity has been found so far. TACO will closely monitor activities contravening the Ordinance (including those promoting or advertising smoking products), which include arranging covert inspections and taking enforcement actions on an ongoing basis. In addition, TACO will also conduct online inspections. If online smoking product advertisements suspected of contravening the law are found, TACO will request the relevant internet service providers and social media platforms to remove the relevant content.
     
         From January 2023 to August 2024, TACO issued 124 summonses and 43 warning letters regarding offences of displaying or distributing smoking product advertisements, and removed around 2 550 websites and social media accounts/posts involving advertisements of smoking products. Since 2021, 14 offenders have been convicted of the offence related to distributing smoking product advertisements, with a maximum penalty of $8,000.
     
         In addition, C&ED has also been conducting online inspections targeting suspected sale of illicit cigarettes. When suspected cases are found, C&ED will immediately express concerns to and follow up with the relevant websites or social media platforms, including blocking the accounts concerned and removing the relevant illicit cigarettes advertisements. From January to September 2024, a total of 429 relevant advertisements have been removed.
     
         In order to combat illicit cigarettes in a more effective manner and protect non-smokers from tobacco hazards, the Government announced its plan in June this year to implement the next-phase tobacco control measures. They include the introduction of a duty stamp system in order to differentiate duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones; to require proofs that tobacco products sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty are duty-paid; and to increase the maximum penalty for dealing with, possession of, selling or buying duty-not-paid cigarettes. The Government expects that the above measures will strengthen the deterrent effect and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in combating illicit cigarettes. At present, the Government has no plan to introduce financial incentives for reporting illicit cigarette cases. However, C&ED will seriously follow up on reports of suspected illicit cigarette activities.
     
    (5) The numbers of reports on suspected illicit cigarettes activities received by C&ED through different channels from January 2021 to September 2024 are set out below:
     

    Year
    Reports

    2021
    3 054

    2022
    3 526

    2023
    3 476

    2024
    (Up to September)
    5 640

         C&ED will follow up each report and refer it to frontline staff for investigation if necessary. Since the investigations are confidential, C&ED will not disclose their progress and details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 2024 Edition of “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” published

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    2024 Edition of “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” published
    2024 Edition of “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” published
    ***************************************************************************

         The 2024 Edition of the “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” was published by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (October 30). The Digest is available for downloading at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010003&scode=460).      The Digest is a comprehensive and convenient collection of official statistics. It contains some 300 statistical tables on a wide range of topics, including: – Population- Labour- External trade- National income and Balance of Payments- Prices- Business performance- Innovation and technology- Energy- Housing and property- Government accounts, finance and insurance- Transport, communications and tourism- Education- Health- Social welfare- Law and order- Culture, entertainment and recreation- Environment, climate and geography      This Digest aims to provide key annual statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic developments of Hong Kong. Most of the data series presented reflect the latest situation covering a time span of the last decade, enabling readers to understand the trends of development in recent years. Descriptions of the scope of the statistical data and definitions of the terms used in this Digest are provided in the “Concepts and methods” in each chapter.      Enquiries about the “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5073; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 16:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Land Registry releases Trading Fund Annual Report

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Land Registry (LR) today (October 30) released the Land Registry Trading Fund (LRTF) Annual Report 2023/24.
          
         â€‹The Land Registrar, Ms Joyce Tam, said, “Due to an overall decrease in business volume of registration of documents, searches, copying, reports on title and e-Alert services, the LRTF recorded a loss from operations (i.e. before interest income) of $36.1 million and a negative return on fixed assets of -10.5 per cent for the financial year ending March 31, 2024. After taking into account interest income, the LRTF achieved a profit of $18.3 million.”
          
         The total number of documents delivered for registration and searches of land registers decreased by 12.6 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively when compared to the financial year of 2022/23.
          
         Ms Tam said the LR continues to implement initiatives to reform the land registration system and is working on the amendment bill on the Land Titles Ordinance (Cap. 585) (LTO). The target is to introduce the amendment bill into the Legislative Council (LegCo) in the first quarter of 2025. The implementation of the title registration system under the LTO aims to provide better assurance and greater certainty of property titles and simplify conveyancing procedures.
          
         The LR is also committed to promoting digitalisation and enhancing services to support the property market and the economy. Ms Tam said that the LR is working with the Digital Policy Office and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on land data interchange through the secure data gateway of the Government and the HKMA to facilitate enhancement of banking services. The initiative is targeted to be implemented progressively in 2025.
          
         The report was tabled in the LegCo today. It can also be viewed or downloaded from the LR’s website (www.landreg.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Netcompany – Final transactions in connection with share buyback programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement
    No. 47/2024

                                                     30 October 2024

    On 14 August 2024, Netcompany Group A/S (“Netcompany”) announced that a share buyback programme of up to DKK 150m and a maximum of 1,000,000 shares had been initiated with the purpose of adjusting Netcompany’s capital structure and meeting its obligations relating to share-based incentive programmes.

    The share buyback programme is executed in accordance with EU Market Abuse Regulation, EU Regulation no. 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 and the provisions of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the “Safe Harbour Regulation”). The share buyback programme was set to end no later than 29 October 2024.

    Today, Netcompany announces the final transactions carried out under the current share buyback programme.

    The following transactions have been executed in the period 25 October 2024 to 29 October 2024:

      Number of shares Average purchase price, DKK Transaction value, DKK
    25-10-2024  4,000  308.07  1,232,280
    28-10-2024  4,000  308.59  1,234,360
    29-10-2024  6,500  309.67  2,012,855
    Accumulated for the period 14,500 –  4,479,495
    Accumulated under the programme 495,800 – 149,990,713

    Detailed information on all transactions under the share buyback programme during the period is included in the attached appendix.

    Following the above transactions, Netcompany owns a total of 2,228,909 treasury shares corresponding to 4.5% of the total share capital.

    Additional information
    For additional information, please contact:

    Netcompany Group A/S
    Thomas Johansen, CFO, +45 51 19 32 24
    Frederikke Linde, Head of IR, +45 60 62 60 87

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: INVL Technology Interim unaudited information for 9 months of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Equity of the Company and the Company’s net asset value as of 30 September 2024 was EUR 44.44 million or EUR 3.71 per share. At the end of 2023, these figures were EUR 43.53 million and EUR 3.61 respectively.

    Investments of the Company into managed companies amounted to EUR 44.83 million at the end of September 2024 and EUR 34.20 million at the end of September 2023.

    The net profit of the Company for 9 months of 2024 was EUR 1.11 million, the net loss of the Company for 9 months of 2023 amounted EUR 538 thousand.

    Additional information:

    INVL Technology, a company that invests in IT businesses, had an equity and a net asset value of EUR 44.44 million at the end of September this year, which is 2.1% more than at the start of the year. Their per share value of its equity and NAV was EUR 3.7067 and was up 2.8% from the start of the year.

    INVL Technology had an unaudited net profit of EUR 1.11 million in nine months of 2024, compared to a loss of EUR 0.538 million in the same period last year.

    “INVL Technology’s portfolio companies, which work in the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the development and deployment of supercomputers and information systems, are growing their revenues and profit. In selling the business, we hope to attract the interest of international and regional investors,” says Kazimieras Tonkūnas, INVL Technology’s managing partner.

    In mid-March this year, the company announced that it had signed an agreement with the Zurich branch of M&A intermediation service provider Corum Group’s Luxembourg-based unit Corum Group International, to advise and serve as M&A intermediary on the sale of the company’s portfolio of businesses.

    Performance of INVL Technology’s portfolio companies

    INVL Technology’s portfolio companies had aggregated revenues of EUR 47.60 million in the January-September, which is 12.5% more than in the same period last year. Their gross profit increased 14.5% in the same period of comparison to EUR 13.22 million, while their aggregated EBITDA grew 2.2 times larger to EUR 3.45 million.

    INVL Technology owns and manages the cybersecurity company NRD Cyber Security, the GovTech company NRD Companies, and the Baltic IT company Novian.

    NRD Cyber Security, which also owns NRD Bangladesh, in January-September of 2024 increased its consolidated revenue by 26.74% from the same period last year to EUR 5.853 million. The company’s gross profit grew 14.9% in the period of comparison to EUR 3 million, while its EBITDA rose 28.9% to EUR 941,000.

    NRD Companies had consolidated revenue of EUR 6.88 million in the first nine months of this year, which is 17.9% less than in the same period of 2023. The company earned a gross profit of EUR 3.3 million, or 9.3% more than in January-September last year, while the group’s EBITDA decreased by 2.1% to EUR 0.69 million. Norway-based NRD Companies has the subsidiaries Norway Registers Development in Norway, with a branch in Lithuania, and NRD Systems and Etronika in Lithuania.

    Novian had aggregated revenues of EUR 31.54 million in January-September 2024, 18.6% more than in the same period of 2023, while its gross profit of EUR 6.12 million was 24.2% larger than a year earlier. The Novian group’s EBITDA for the first three quarters of this year increased 6.7 times versus the same period of 2023 to EUR 1.799 million. The group consists of Novian in Lithuania with the technology-area businesses Novian Technologies, Zissor in Norway, Novian Eesti in Estonia, Andmevara in Moldova, and Novian Rwanda (earlier Norway Registers Development Rwanda) in Rwanda, and the software services businesses Novian Systems and Novian Pro in Lithuania.

    INVL Technology’s managing partner Kazimieras Tonkūnas notes that the companies are expected to deliver good results for the full year 2024 as well.

    INVL Technology, which is managed by INVL Asset Management, the leading alternative asset manager in the Baltics, is a closed-end investment company which must exit its investments no later than mid-July 2026 and distribute the money to shareholders.

    The person authorized to provide additional information:
    Kazimieras Tonkūnas
    INVL Technology Managing Partner
    E-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Announcement of the net asset value of INVL Technology as of 30 September 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    As provided in Section XI ‘Calculation of the Net Asset Value’ of the Articles of Association of INVL Technology, the net asset value of the Company was EUR 44,443,264 or EUR 3.7067 per share on 30 September 2024.

    The person authorized to provide additional information:
    Kazimieras Tonkūnas
    INVL Technology Managing Partner
    E-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City Centre Remembrance commemorations announced

    Source: City of Derby

    Preparations are well underway for this year’s Remembrance commemorations.

    The city’s Annual Remembrance Sunday Service and Parade will return on Sunday 10 November, with troops from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 148 Divisional Support Company, as well as members of local veteran and youth organisations, parading through the city centre onto the Market Place.

    A short service, led by The Very Revd Dr Peter Robinson, Dean of Derby, is scheduled for 11am, during which a two-minute silence will be observed. Following this, wreaths will be laid at the War Memorial.

    For the first time this year, Surtal Arts Community Choir, a Derby-based South Asian performing arts organsation, will be performing on the Market Place at around 10:15am, before the arrival of the Parade. 

    Members of the public are invited to observe the proceedings and pay their respects. There will be dedicated public viewing areas on the Market Place and the ceremony will be streamed onto a large screen. 

    Those who are unable to travel into the city centre can also watch the parade and service live on the Council’s YouTube channel.

    Citizens will also have a chance to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during a short service held at the War Memorial at 11am on Armistice Day (Monday 11 November).

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy said:

    “Remembrance is an incredibly important event within the Civic calendar and I’m very proud that partners from across the city are once again working together to host city centre events on both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.

    “Remembrance is not only about remembering British soldiers who were involved in the World Wars and subsequent conflicts, but the sacrifice of those from across the Commonwealth. It’s fantastic that we’re able to highlight the contribution made by South Asian nations through a performance by the Surtal Arts Community Choir before this year’s parade.

    “I encourage as many citizens as possible to take part in and observe this year’s commemorations.”

    To protect members of the public and parade participants, there will be road closures on Sunday 10 November, from 8am until 1pm:

    • Sowter Road from its junction with St Michael’s Lane
    • The junction of Queen Street and Full Street
    • Derwent Street
    • Corporation Street and Tenant Street
    • St James Street, Corn Market and Iron Gate (from its junction with Sadler Gate)

    Several parking restrictions will also be in place:

    • The Council House car park will be closed to members of the public from 6.00pm on Saturday 9 November until 2pm on Sunday 10 November.
    • On-street parking will be suspended on Full Street and Tenant Street from 7pm on Saturday 9 November to 1pm on Sunday 10 November.
    • The on-street parking bays on Derwent Street will be reserved for Blue Badge parking on Sunday 10 November.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Sampo Group’s results for January–September 2024 will be published on 6 November 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Sampo plc, press release, 30 October 2024 at 10:00 am EET


    Sampo Group’s results for January–September 2024 will be published on 6 November 2024

    Sampo Group will publish the Interim Statement for January–September 2024 on 6 November between 9:30 am and 10:00 am Finnish time (7:30-8:00 am UK time). The report, the investor presentation, and a video review with Group CEO Torbjörn Magnusson will be available at www.sampo.com/result.

    Conference call

    6 November at 2:30 pm Finnish time (12:30 pm UK time)

    To ask questions, please join the teleconference by registering using the following link:  https://palvelu.flik.fi/teleconference/?id=50048816.

    After the registration, you will be provided with phone numbers and a conference ID to access the conference. To ask a question, please press #5 on your telephone keypad to enter the queue.

    Group CEO Torbjörn Magnusson, Group CFO Knut Arne Alsaker, CEO of If P&C Morten Thorsrud, CEO of Hastings Toby van der Meer, and Head of IR Sami Taipalus will attend the conference call for investors and analysts.

    The conference call can also be followed live at www.sampo.com/result. A recorded version and a transcript will later be available at the same address.

    SAMPO PLC
    Investor Relations and Group Communications


    Further information:

    Maria Silander
    Communications Manager, Media Relations
    tel. +358 10 516 0031


    Distribution:
    The principal media
    www.sampo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Catapult Signs New Multi-Year Deal with the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Boston, MA, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Catapult (ASX: CAT), the global leader in sports technology solutions for professional teams, today announced a new deal with the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby that will bring Catapult’s innovative athlete monitoring technology and video integration to rugby union in England. The strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing athlete performance with the national England men’s and women’s rugby teams, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby.

    As the preferred provider of athlete monitoring technology, Catapult will make available to the men’s and women’s national teams, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby teams its full performance analysis suite, including the Catapult Vector System, offering a comprehensive understanding of both team and individual performance. The integration of Catapult Vector with MatchTracker gives coaches a detailed visualization of on-field dynamics, allowing them to sort, filter, and rapidly access insights enabling practitioners and coaching staff to identify patterns and trends in player performance. Additionally, Focus captures multi-angle video and data during games and practices, enhancing decision-making and tactical adjustments. Together, these tools will empower the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby practitioners and coaches to make informed choices on strategy, athlete performance, and injury management.

    The agreement also includes the Catapult Vector Rugby Analytics Suite, Elite Vests with integrated heart rate, and ClearSky Local Positioning System (LPS) to further enhance player performance tracking and analysis. The Catapult Vector Rugby Analytics Suite is specifically designed for rugby, employing advanced algorithms to monitor key actions such as scrums, kicks, lineout jumps, and contact involvements. The Elite Vest for women athletes optimizes sensor placement for improved heart rate signal quality, while the Elite Vest for men athletes enhances fit and data accuracy with an inlaid chest band that stabilizes sensors during intense movement. ClearSky LPS will be installed in national team venues including the Allianz Stadium and Honda England Rugby Performance Centre in addition to a number of domestic training venues including for teams such as Bristol Bears and Gloucester Rugby providing low-latency, real-time data during training and matches.

    “We are excited to begin this new partnership with three of the world’s most respected rugby organizations, the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby,” said Kieran Dannatt, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Development of Catapult. “By investing in Catapult’s technology, the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby are building a sustainable model for the future of rugby. This partnership ensures that the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby teams have cutting-edge technology that enhances both team and individual athlete performance and player care, further solidifying English rugby’s position as a leader in rugby innovation.”

    With Catapult, the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby will gain significant advantages in data management and sharing across club, league, and game levels. Each national and domestic team using Catapult will establish its own performance thresholds and operational zones, enabling tailored training strategies throughout the season. This data will seamlessly synchronize with the league’s and domestic team’s overall data architecture, enhancing information flow and improving insights across all levels of rugby. Additionally, Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, and Premiership Women’s Rugby players will benefit from consolidating their performance data directly to Catapult OpenField Cloud. This integration will enable enhanced performance analysis, strategic planning, and collaboration across teams, leagues and the National Governing Body.

    “It has been a long-time objective to align player tracking technology across all areas of the professional game,” said Duncan Locke, Head of Technical Performance at the Rugby Football Union. “The partnership between the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, Premiership Women’s Rugby and Catapult will provide players and practitioners access to a range of best in class products to optimize how players are managed and drive game-wide insights through standardized data capture and integrated data and video analysis. Utilizing Catapult ClearSky technology we can now monitor performance with unprecedented precision. This not only elevates individual and team performance understanding, but also supports player management through consistently and efficiently capturing and monitoring player workloads and movement patterns across all club and international environments, aligning with the Rugby Football Union’s commitment to player welfare and safety.”

    ”Premiership Rugby is excited to partner with Catapult Sports, making available the latest player tracking technology to our teams,” said Matt Cross, Head of Science and Medical Operations at Premiership Rugby. “By providing practitioners with comprehensive and individualized data using Catapult technology, we empower them to make informed decisions to prioritize player performance and safety. It has been a long-term ambition to align player-tracking technology across the elite game in England, and this partnership provides the opportunity to make this technology available to clubs, allowing for seamless data sharing to support players transitioning across different environments from both a performance and welfare perspective.”

    “As a player, having access to detailed performance insights like this is a game-changer for us and ensures every player in Premiership Women’s Rugby can operate at the highest level,” said Marlie Packer, Co-Captain for the Saracens Women. “Catapult athlete monitoring technology will allow us to track our progress, manage our workload, and refine our skills in ways we couldn’t before as we play in the best women’s league in the world. It’s exciting to know that we’re supported by tools designed to prioritize both our performance and our long-term health. This partnership is helping us elevate our game and align with the highest standards in rugby.”

    To learn more about Catapult’s solutions for Rugby, visit https://www.catapult.com/sports/rugby. 

    About Catapult 

    Catapult exists to unleash the potential of every athlete and team on earth. Operating at the intersection of sports science and analytics, Catapult products are designed to optimize performance, avoid injury, and improve return to play. Catapult works with more than 4,200 elite teams in over 40 sports across more than 100 countries globally. To learn more about Catapult or to inquire about accessing performance analytics for a team or athlete, visit us at catapult.com. Follow us at @CatapultSports on social media for daily updates.

    About Rugby Football Union
    The RFU is the national governing body for rugby union in England.  The organisation aims to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union and develop the sport for future generations. The goal is to achieve this by strengthening and uniting rugby union in England and producing consistently winning England teams.

    The RFU is a members’ organisation of professional and amateur rugby clubs, referee societies and Constituent Bodies (geographic or national unions of clubs) that reinvests all profits back into the sport.

    About Premiership Rugby
    Premiership Rugby is the organisation that manages the top league in English club rugby – Gallagher Premiership Rugby.

    It acts for its shareholder clubs in all major commercial and strategic negotiations with media and sponsorship partners of the league, as well as with other rugby governing bodies.

    About Premiership Women’s Rugby
    Premiership Women’s Rugby has been established to deliver a ten-year strategy for women’s rugby in England. As part of that strategy a new, nine-team, Premiership Women’s Rugby league has been launched as a partnership with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the clubs.

    The ambition for Premiership Women’s Rugby is built on a new vision and mission to carry the organisation through the next decade and create a generation of players and fans inspired by world-class club competition.

    In the first, historic, season Gloucester-Hartpury were crowned champions, beating Bristol Bears 36-24 in an unforgettable Final at Sandy Park.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HERE Navigation Powers Connected Driving Experience in Dacia’s All-New Duster and New Spring

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • HERE Navigation provides a connected in-car navigation solution with a seamless user experience integrated into the digital cockpit.
    • Over-the-air updates ensure Dacia All-New Duster and New Spring drivers have access to the latest map and service updates for a premium driving experience.

    HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, today announced that Dacia, a Renault brand and the leading retail brand in Europe last year, has selected HERE Navigation to power the All-New Duster, Dacia’s iconic sport utility vehicle (SUV), and New Spring, Europe’s most affordable electric car.

    HERE Navigation is a cloud-based navigation application for connected vehicles. With it, Dacia All-New Duster and New Spring drivers will benefit from automotive-grade maps, online and offline search, real-time traffic information, and turn-by-turn voice guidance in an easy-to-use interface. The application’s over-the-air update capabilities deliver drivers the freshest map content and latest service updates.

    With its simple interface, clear design, and connectivity, HERE Navigation delivers the ease-of-use of smartphone applications while providing a seamless experience through its integration into the car’s digital cockpit. HERE Navigation is optimized to meet a vast array of hardware needs and enables a comparatively low data footprint with its option to cache maps.

    “Thanks to HERE Navigation, Dacia customers now benefit from online navigation with an always up-to-date map and traffic information,” said Damien Laplane, Dacia Cross Car Line and Brand Experience Leader.

    “We are proud that the Renault Group has chosen HERE Navigation for its Dacia All-New Duster flagship model and New Spring electric car, so that drivers will get to enjoy an all-inclusive navigation experience that stays up to date,” said Gino Ferru, SVP and General Manager EMEA at HERE Technologies. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration with Dacia and Renault for additional models in the future.”

    Media Contacts
    Dr. Sebastian Kurme 
    +49 173 515 3549 
    sebastian.kurme@here.com

    Aurélie André 
    Dacia Press Officer
    +33 6 82 13 50 76 
    aurelie.andre@dacia.com

    About HERE Technologies
    HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for almost 40 years. Today, the HERE location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at here.cohttps://www.here.com/m.

    About Dacia
    Born in 1968 then relaunched by the Renault Group from 2004 all across Europe and Mediterranean countries, Dacia has always offered the best value for money cars, by constantly redefining the essentials. As a game-changer, Dacia proposes simple, multi-purpose, reliable cars in tune with customers’ lifestyles. Dacia models became a reference on the market: Sandero, the most sold car to European private customers each year since 2017; Duster, on the podium of SUVs sold to private customers in Europe since 2018; Spring, 3rd electric vehicle sold to private customers in Europe for the second year running; Jogger, 1st non-SUV C-segment vehicle sold to private customers in Europe for the first time. Present in 44 countries, Dacia has sold over 8 million vehicles since 2004.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) Commits Eur 40 Million to Nakkas- Basaksehir Section of Türkiye’s Northern Marmara Highway Project

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

    ISTANBUL, Turkey, October 30, 2024/APO Group/ —

    • ICD is investing EUR 40 million in the Nakkaş-Başakşehir section as part of a EUR 1.04 billion funding package.
    • The project incorporates solar energy and LED lighting, aiming to cut energy use and emissions significantly.
    • It’s backed by a consortium led by Rönesans Holding, with support from MDBs and ECAs.

    The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (www.ICD-ps.org) has signed a EUR 40 million to co-finance the Nakkaş-Başakşehir section of Türkiye Northern Marmara Highway Project.

    The Project  aimes to enhance Istanbul’s east-west connectivity, improve road safety and reduce congestion. It is being developed under a build-operate-transfer agreement by a consortium led by Rönesans Holding A.Ş. in partnership with Samsung C&T Corporation and other Korean investors. It involves a 31.3-km toll road, including a 1.6-km cable-stayed bridge and multiple overpasses and underpasses.

    ICD’s EUR 40 million contribution is part of a broader EUR1.04 billion senior debt package, fully financed by international institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), alongside Atradius and SERV as European export credit agencies, ICIEC, and a consortium of commercial lenders.

    Thanks to Solar Energy Production System to be installed within the scope of the Nakkaş-Başakşehir project, which has “sustainability” at the center of its design, the clean energy obtained from solar panels will meet the energy needs of the highway’s operation and management (O&M) center and service stations.

    The installation of over 4,500 LED lamps, replacing sodium lamps, will cut energy consumption by 37.5%, saving over 35 MWh. Within the scope of the project, in which all O&M highway vehicles are planned to be hybrid or electric, it is expected to save approximately 112 thousand liters of fuel annually.

    While the Nakkaş-Başakşehir Highway Project is expected to prevent 7.9 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 30 years, in particular, it will reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions by 1,399 tons, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 58,699 tons and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 95 tons. tons reduction is aimed.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Video: AMGFC24: The Nexus of Innovation

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, foundational technology domains are converging to create new opportunities. In addition to their breakthrough potential, the simultaneous development of quantum, robotics, AI and more are accelerating mutual advancements.

    What are the driving forces behind this convergence and how can organizations position themselves strategically within it for future growth?

    This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 in Dubai on 17 Oct, 2024. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/events/annual-meeting-of-the-global-future-councils-2024/sessions/the-nexus-of-innovation/
    Speakers:

    Chantal Shen, Chief Scientist, Synthetic Biology, BGI Research

    Hoda Al Khzaimi, Director, Centre for Cybersecurity, New York University Abu Dhabi

    Freeke Heijman, Founder and CEO

    Azeem Azhar, Chief Executive Officer, Exponential View

    Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts (http://wef.ch/podcasts) :

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef

    Radio Davos (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos) – subscribe (https://pod.link/1504682164) : https://pod.link/1504682164

    Meet the Leader (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader) – subscribe (https://pod.link/1534915560) : https://pod.link/1534915560

    Agenda Dialogues (https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/agenda-dialogues) – subscribe (https://pod.link/1574956552) : https://pod.link/1574956552

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAvep3poxK4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Press conference by President Ursula von der LEYEN and Former Finnish President Sauli NIINISTÖ

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    Press conference by European Commission President Ursula von der LEYEN and Former Finnish President Sauli NIINISTÖ

    Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
    Follow us on:
    -X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
    -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancommission/
    -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
    -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
    -Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission

    Check our website: http://ec.europa.eu/

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cinema Park “Moskino” invites you to a historical program in honor of National Unity Day

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On November 3 and 4, the Moskino Cinema Park will present a large-scale historical reconstruction for National Unity Day. The holiday is dedicated to an important event in Russian history that united the country — the liberation of Moscow from Polish-Lithuanian occupation in 1612. City residents and tourists will be able to travel back to those times, get acquainted with the daily life of the residents and see how the militia of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky defeats the invaders in a decisive battle.

    “150 reenactors from Moscow, Vologda, Nizhny Novgorod, Tolyatti and Kaluga will take part in recreating the atmosphere and events of the 17th century. Visitors will be treated to more than 60 historical shows, master classes, lectures, concerts and performances,” she said.

    Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    The main part of the program will take place in the Cathedral Square decorations. At 11:00 on November 3 and 4, guests are invited to watch the troop parade, at 12:00 — the performance of horsemen, at 13:00 — maneuvers and drill training of riflemen and pikemen. The largest will be the reconstruction of the decisive battle of the second people’s militia led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky with the Polish-Lithuanian army, the victory in which helped lead the country out of the Time of Troubles. The event will begin at 17:00.

    Craft classes and interactive activities will be held from 10:00 to 18:00. The territory will house a camp, command headquarters, folk theater, archery range, as well as mints and printing houses. Craftsmen will offer to master the art of blacksmithing and pottery, calligraphy, practice throwing a lasso and pikemanship. Also planned are performances by artists of the court and puppet theaters, lectures on musical instruments of those times and old Russian games.

    Tours of exhibitions of national costumes, military equipment and the everyday life of Muscovites in the 17th century will help you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the era.

    On the Gonzaga Theatre site, folk music and dance groups will perform at 12:00 on the weekend. On Sunday at 17:00, there will be a meeting with producer and director Eduard Boyakov. In December, he will organize a multimedia show in the cinema park, the plot of which is connected with the events of the Time of Troubles.

    On November 3 and 4, the Uyezdny Gorod set will host an immersive performance based on the novel by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov, The Twelve Chairs. In addition, at various venues, those wishing to do so will be able to take part in filming scenes based on cult films such as The Man from Boulevard des Capucines and Buratino, as well as take photos as the characters from the films.

    Additional information and conditions of visit are published on the websitecinema park “Moskino”.

    How to get there, where to buy a ticket and what to take with you: instructions for guests of the Moskino cinema park

    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.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145912073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Technograd opens free courses on programming and protection against cyber threats

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Muscovites can get a profession in the field of programming and information security for free, as well as master design and marketing on free courses at the Technograd innovation and educational complex, subordinate to the capital’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development. Training will begin in November.

    During the classes you can learn programming languages C

    In the same language with the IT sphere

    Python is considered an ideal language for starting a career in programming. It will suit students who are attracted by web development and data analysis, machine learning, simplicity of code and a variety of ready-made solutions. Course “Python for Web Development. Flask and Web Application Development” will start on November 1st.

    Students will be introduced to the Flask software platform, style templates and writing code to create a request form, databases and much more. Students will learn the basics of web development using Python and the Flask framework, learn how to manage database storage and build user authentication on websites.

    Classes under the program will begin on November 3 “Functional Programming in Python. Basic Level”. The teacher will tell about the structure of the language, teach how to write and read program code, solve algorithmic problems and create flow charts. As a result, students will be able to analyze other people’s programs and work with data arrays.

    On the same day, November 3, classes on the course will begin. “Functional programming in C. Learning a universal programming language will be useful for students who want to create games, desktop applications for Windows, web services, neural networks or graphics for metaverses. This language is used by banks, digital agencies, communication providers and large IT companies. Choosing this direction of study will help beginners find a job in a short time. During the classes, students will master the language structures, learn to use branches and cycles, work with the selection operator and data arrays.

    Well “JavaScript. Basic Level” will start on November 6. Webinars will help expand knowledge in the field of web technologies for designers and marketers, as well as those who are already mastering programming in a comprehensive manner. JavaScript does not require complex concepts and technical details from beginners. The visual part of most websites on the Internet is written in it. Therefore, programmers who have studied this language are always in demand. The course program includes training in the principles of object-oriented programming, working with control structures and data structures, as well as familiarity with the logic of program execution.

    In addition, Technograd is opening courses and for advanced JavaScript users. Training will begin on November 6th.

    Future mobile developers for iOS and macOS, as well as gamedev and ackend developers will find this useful Webinars on the basic level of programming in Swift. Starting November 16, the teacher will introduce students to the basics of the language, the Xcode development environment, data collection, and user interface elements. During the training, students will create the To-Do List and Exchange Rates applications and test them in the iPhone Simulator.

    Russian companies are always in demand for specialists who can find and eliminate vulnerabilities in the system and minimize the consequences of cyber attacks. From November 1, it will be possible to study the specifics of the profession and solve real problems on the course “Computer networks and information security”. Students will learn about the structure, topology, infrastructure and security of networks, protocols and network services. Particular attention will be paid to threat analysis and vulnerability detection, cryptography and advanced security methods.

    Creativity and self-realization

    Marketing and design are traditionally popular areas among young professionals. These areas offer creative freedom, the opportunity for self-realization and a dynamic career. Given digitalization and the development of new media formats, social networks and online trade, the demand for employees in these areas remains high.

    In November, Technograd offers 11 specialized programs, where you can master the graphic editors Figma and Photoshop, the website builder Tilda, the 3D engine Blender, animation and video in After Effects. And also learn how to set up targeted advertising, engage in promotion in social networks and create selling photo and video content.

    Upon completion of the training, a certificate or certificate of advanced training is issued. The project is supervised by Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of the City of Moscow.

    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/145917073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: History, culture and traditions: the Great Ethnographic Dictation will be held from November 1 to 8

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Big Ethnographic Dictation will take place from November 1 to 8. This all-Russian educational event is being held for the ninth time and is attracting more and more participants. In 2023, over 3.4 million people from 89 regions of the Russian Federation and 228 foreign countries tested their knowledge.

    Traditionally, the dictation will be held in offline and online formats. Each subject of the Russian Federation will organize sites: one of them will be unique, reflecting the specific cultural characteristics of the region. Online participants will be asked to answer questions on the official website, by selecting the “Take dictation” tab.

    Residents of Russia and foreign countries who speak Russian, English or Spanish will be able to assess their knowledge of the history, culture and traditions of the peoples of the Russian Federation.

    The tasks consist of 20 federal questions for participants under 16 years old. All those over this age will answer 30 questions. 20 of them are federal and 10 are unique to each region. Participants at foreign sites will test their knowledge of places that are connected with our country, but are located outside of it.

    In total, you can get 100 points for your answers, the maximum time to complete the tasks is 45 minutes. The online format participant certificate indicating the results will be available immediately after the end of the dictation in electronic form.

    The correct answers will be published on the official website until November 13.

    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.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145939073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Muscovites from 83 old houses completed the paperwork for the renovation program in the third quarter of 2024

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    All residents of 83 old buildings signed documents in July-September 2024 to receive new apartments under the renovation program. The resettlement of these five-story buildings has been completed or is still ongoing. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, the head of the capital’s Department of City Property Maxim Gaman.

    “In the third quarter of 2024, 100 percent of Muscovites from 83 old buildings completed the paperwork for housing in new buildings under the renovation program in 10 administrative districts. Thus, about 14 thousand people became owners of equivalent apartments. Most of them live in the east of the capital. There, almost 2.7 thousand Muscovites from 16 old buildings received the keys to new apartments. In the southeast, more than 2.6 thousand people from 14 buildings signed contracts for modern housing, and in the west, more than 2.6 thousand city residents from 13 buildings,” said Maxim Gaman.

    New buildings will be erected on the site of the old buildings, intended for the subsequent resettlement of city residents under the renovation program.

    “From July to September of this year, 23 new buildings were handed over for settlement. The areas around the residential complexes were landscaped. Trees and shrubs were planted there, and children’s and sports grounds were equipped for the leisure of city residents. Residents of 80 old houses have already begun moving to new residential complexes,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy of the capital

    Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    Earlier Sergei Sobyanin reported, that 1.2 trillion rubles have been allocated in the draft budget for three years to implement the renovation program.

    The program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Last year alone, 59 new buildings were handed over for settlement in the capital and over 47 thousand people were resettled. Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin instructed to double the pace of implementation of the renovation program.

    Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction rates and volumes. Over the past five years, within the framework of the federal project “Housing” of the national project “Housing and Urban Environment” the volume of construction and commissioning of residential properties in the capital has doubled – from three to five to seven million square meters per year. More information about this and other national projects being implemented in Moscow can be found Here.

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

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

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145936073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government will finance the renovation of public transport in the Kaliningrad region and Ingushetia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Order of October 23, 2024 No. 2971-r and order of October 29, 2024 No. 3054-r

    Documents

    Order dated October 23, 2024 No. 2971-r

    Order dated October 29, 2024 No. 3054-r

    The public transport fleet in the Kaliningrad Region and Ingushetia will be replenished with new equipment. The orders to allocate a total of 668.3 million rubles for these purposes were signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    418.3 million rubles will be sent to the Kaliningrad region. It is planned to purchase trolleybuses that will operate on routes in Kaliningrad using funds from the Government’s reserve fund, on a co-financing basis.

    The decision taken will increase the share of environmentally friendly transport operating in the city. Trolleybuses have an increased reserve of autonomous running. Thus, they can be used as electric buses on previously operating trolleybus routes. The vehicles will be equipped with media systems. This will make it possible to provide passengers with information in audio and video format.

    Speaking about the decision taken during a meeting with deputy prime ministers on October 28, Mikhail Mishustin noted that such vehicles will provide a better level of transport service and make trips more comfortable and reliable.

    “The President emphasized that the invested resources should bring maximum benefit to people. We expect that such work will continue in the future,” said the Prime Minister.

    For the purchase of 30 medium-class buses for Ingushetia, 250 million rubles will be allocated from the Cabinet’s reserve fund, also on a co-financing basis. The buses are equipped with a cashless fare payment system, as well as equipment for counting passengers. These devices will make the bus schedule more convenient for people.

    The work is being carried out within the framework of the state program “Development of industry and increasing its competitiveness.”

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Preparations for the 2025 admission campaign have started: the Academic Council of the State University of Management discussed all the nuances

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On October 29, 2024, a meeting of the Academic Council of the State University of Management was held. Those gathered discussed the results of the 2024 admissions campaign and preparations for organizing admissions in 2025.

    The meeting began traditionally with a formal part. Irina Merkulova and Nikolay Malyshkin received associate professor certificates, Sergey Lenshin was awarded a diploma of the national Father’s Recognition award in the nomination “Scientific Works and Research in the Field of Demography and Culture”. Of course, they did not forget to congratulate the birthday boys of the month, after which the council members began the official part.

    The first issue on the agenda was the nomination of GUU teachers for the academic title of associate professor. Council Secretary Marina Zhukova reported on the documents submitted by the candidates and the decisions made following their consideration. Those gathered made their choice by secret ballot.

    Acting Vice-Rector Nikolai Mikhailov made a proposal to petition for the nomination of SUM employees for departmental awards of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, which was unanimously supported.

    Head of the International Cooperation Department Inessa Bogatyreva informed those gathered about the development of the university’s international activities and the organization of training foreign students at our university.

    “The most popular areas of study among foreign citizens are management and economics. Significantly fewer applicants enter law, state and municipal administration, personnel management, advertising and public relations, business informatics and hotel business,” noted Inessa Yuryevna.

    Head of the Department for Organizing Admissions of Applicants Vadim Dikikh presented a report on the results of the admissions campaign for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs in 2024.

    “This year, we used new tools for accepting applicants on a targeted basis, new practices for working with applicants. As in the previous year, the vast majority of applications were submitted digitally. Among the interesting facts, I would like to note the reluctance of applicants to answer phone calls, preferring to communicate exclusively via messengers, which is also worth considering in future work,” the speaker emphasized.

    Continuing the topic, Vadim Dikikh presented for approval regulatory and legal acts on the organization of admission in 2025 for bachelor’s and master’s degree educational programs and training of scientific personnel in postgraduate studies.

    The meeting also discussed structural changes at the State University of Management, approved new continuing education programs, and agreed on student nominations for the E. T. Gaidar scholarship and tuition discounts.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/30/2024

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

    3 mins ago

    EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science is focused on accelerating health outcomes for the community, with lecturers conducting meaningful local research.

    Accelerating health outcomes in the community is a focus for EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science, with lecturers conducting meaningful local research.

    Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science and until recently the acting Head of the School of Health and Sport Science, says like many tertiary institutions, research is important to EIT. Research helps lecturers stay up-to-date on the latest developments in their field, ensuring they provide students with the most current and relevant knowledge. It can also provide an important community link to address local challenges.

    Helen’s role as the Head of School has been taken by Dr Andrew Garrett, who comes to EIT with a research pedigree, having been Sport, Health and Exercise Science Programme Director and Graduate Research Director at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom.

    Andrew’s main area of research expertise is the markers of fatigue in temperature regulation during exercise in the time of climate change and he was an Associate Member of the Hull York Medical School (HYMS). His PhD work was funded by the Australian Military based at the University of Otago in New Zealand (Induction and decay of heat acclimation) and in collaboration with the Otago Medical School. His current research interest focuses on practical methods for the prevention of heat injury in older populations.

    Helen says that research will continue to be an important part of the School. At present the School has a combined research committee with the School of Nursing, which has resulted in health being a focus for research.

    “The research we do has a health science focus and anything that we were going to do would be aimed at accelerating health outcomes in our community.”

    A significant project which is having an impact on the Hawke’s Bay community is research that is addressing the epidemic of youth vaping among intermediate and high school students.

    The project has been led by  Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing and was funded by Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay and EIT. It also received a funding boost from Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand. The initial project was  entitled Actions to Vaporise Rangatahi Vaping in Te Matau-a-Māui. Recently the project was extended outside the region following interest from a Bay of Plenty High School.

    A project in the early stages of development, is being conducted by researcher and lecturer Dr Patrick Lander. It looks at green spaces in urban areas and how people use those for well-being and health.

    Helen says that while the School has a strategy around health research, there are also researchers who focus on sport and exercise. Working in this field is Mike Schofield, a lecturer in strength and conditioning, who is the coach of New Zealand shot-putter Maddison-Lee Wesche, who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games earlier this year.

    Mike’s area of research is biomechanics and it is about evolving a technical model from a theoretical basis. His research is aimed at allowing top-level athletes to reach their full potential.

    Another lecturer who is an active researcher is Associate Professor Carl Paton, who is involved in a number of research projects with students. These projects are focused on high performance cycling.

    Helen says it is important that academic staff are research active.

    “Degrees in institutions such as ours should be taught by staff active in relevant applied research. Sport, exercise and health is focused on application to the real world. So we have to enable our academic staff to do research that’s relevant to the field, the discipline that they’re teaching. That keeps them current, and gives students real-world examples of how they could apply their knowledge.”

    “And that’s really important from my perspective.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ4: Healthcare services provided by unregistered persons

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chan Wing-kwong and a reply by the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that there are currently many premises in the community claiming to be pain treatment centres, etc., boasting that they can provide clients with services such as “bone manipulating” and pain treatment, but some members of the public are injured after receiving services provided by persons who are suspected to be non-healthcare professionals at these premises. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether it knows the number of the aforesaid premises and, among them, the number of those which have applied for licences for private healthcare facilities (PHFs);
     
    (2) of the number of complaints made against the aforesaid premises and the follow-up situations in the past three years; among them, the number of cases involving unlicensed medical practice, and the respective numbers of persons prosecuted and convicted; and
     
    (3) as it is learnt that some premises which have not applied for PHFs licences are presenting an image of licensed healthcare facilities through means such as promotion and furnishings in order to mislead consumers, of the measures the authorities have put in place to caution members of the public against seeking inappropriate treatments for certain medical conditions, so as to safeguard their health?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         In consultation with the Security Bureau, I provide a consolidated reply as follows:
     
         Premises providing pain relief services in the community can be classified into three categories:

    (1) involving healthcare services which should be provided by registered medical practitioners and/or dentists, e.g. prescription of painkillers or performance of surgical procedures etc.;
     
    (2) involving healthcare services which should be provided by healthcare professions of other different disciplines; and
     
    (3) not providing healthcare services, say conducting only massage which do not concern the practice of healthcare professionals.
     
         These three categories of services are regulated by different legislations. As the premises under the aforementioned categories 1 and 2 provide healthcare services, they are regulated by relevant legislations on healthcare facilities and healthcare professions.
     
         Since 2018, the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) regulates premises where registered medical practitioners and/or dentists practise. Operators are required to obtain a licence or letter of exemption in order to operate private healthcare facilities. The existing law specifically covers premises of these two healthcare professions as their daily operation may very likely involve high-risk issues such as infection control and blood management, thereby requiring the most stringent regulatory system under a risk-based principle. In this connection, apart from being regulated by the specific legislations on healthcare professions, such premises are also regulated by the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance. As of the third quarter of 2024, there are 14 licensed private hospitals and 259 licensed day procedure centres in Hong Kong. The Government is also preparing to implement the clinic licensing regime under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance and will make an announcement shortly.
     
         Premises under category 2 involve healthcare services which are provided by healthcare professions of other multiple disciplines. By nature, services commonly known as “bone-manipulating” and “pain management” may be similar to the treatments provided by Chinese medicine practitioners, physiotherapists and chiropractors under their respective scope of practice. Depending on the actual services performed, relevant ordinances would come into play when healthcare services which must be provided by registered healthcare professionals are involved. This serves to prevent non-professionals from performing such acts so as to safeguard public health.
     
         The provision of a service will be considered as practising Chinese medicine if it involves the performance of any act or activities on the basis of traditional Chinese medicine in general practice, acupuncture or bone-setting as stipulated in the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549). Any person who is neither a registered nor listed Chinese medicine practitioner providing such service commits an offence and is liable to a fine at level 6 and imprisonment for three years. By the same token, any person who practises the profession of a physiotherapist as stipulated in the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap. 359) without registration commits an offence and is liable to a fine at level 2 and imprisonment for six months; whereas any person who is not listed in the register of registered chiropractors under the Chiropractors Registration Ordinance (Cap. 428) but practises chiropractic as defined in the Code of Practice by the Chiropractors Council commits an offence and is liable to a fine at level 5 and imprisonment for one year.
     
         During the period of 2021 to the third quarter of 2024, available records show that there were a total of 35 suspected cases of providing “bone-manipulating” or “pain management” services in contravention of the various ordinances on healthcare professionals. Of these, 3 cases were successfully prosecuted with conviction, while the others are still being processed or could not be successfully prosecuted possibly due to the individuals involved being subsequently proven to be registered healthcare professionals, etc. Members of the public should report to the Police if they suspect that someone is practising without registration or falsely using the title of a registered healthcare professional. The Department of Health (DH) as well as the statutory boards and councils of relevant healthcare professions will provide professional support to the Police as appropriate.
     
         To prevent the public from seeking improper treatment of certain conditions regardless of the type of premises which provides such services, the Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance (Cap. 231) prohibits/restricts the publication of advertisements that will likely lead to the use of any medicine, surgical appliance or treatment for the purpose of treating or preventing diseases or conditions specified in Schedules 1 and 2 to the Ordinance. These include any disease of the musculo-skeletal system, including rheumatism, arthritis and sciatica. The DH has put in place an established mechanism for screening advertisements. Appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with the law against any contravention of the Ordinance.
     
         The Government urges members of the public not to casually believe the claims of being able to offer so-called “treatment” from random persons who are not registered or accredited as healthcare professionals. Since the professional qualifications and standards of these persons have not been attested, the safety and effectiveness of the so-called “treatment” cannot be assured. It may even worsen the condition or cause injury. Before receiving healthcare services, members of the public can browse the online registers of the statutory boards and councils of relevant healthcare professions to ascertain the qualifications of service providers. If members of the public have doubts about the qualifications of the healthcare professionals, they can also request the person concerned to provide relevant certification documents in order to better protect their safety.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Housing Department urges public to be alert to fraudulent website of Cash Allowance Trial Scheme

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Housing Department (HD) today (October 30) alerted members of the public to a fraudulent website (https://cashalwaysget_hk2024.site), which purports to be the website of the Cash Allowance Trial Scheme.
     
         The fraudulent website seeks to obtain the personal and credit card information of members of the public. The HD emphasises that the fraudulent website has no connection with the Cash Allowance Trial Scheme” and has referred the case to the Police for follow-up.
     
         Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned should contact the Police. For enquiries, please call the Cash Allowance Office hotline of the HD at 3105 3333.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China strongly opposes US rule on investment restrictions against China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China strongly opposes the U.S. final regulations on investment restrictions aimed at China, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

    China has lodged solemn representations with the United States and reserves the right to take action, said the spokesperson in a statement published on the ministry’s website.

    The United States has overstretched the concept of national security to adopt discriminatory investment restrictive measures against China, which is a typical non-market practice, the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson noted that the U.S. restrictions target sectors like chips, AI and quantum computing. Most industries related to these fields are not connected to national security, yet they will all be affected by the U.S. ban.

    This will disrupt normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and U.S. companies, harming the interests of businesses in both countries, the spokesperson said.

    China has noticed that many U.S. business associations and companies have expressed concerns that U.S. investment restrictions against China will cause American companies to give up the Chinese market to competitors from other countries, severely damaging U.S. interests, the spokesperson stated.

    It is hoped that the United States will respect market economy laws, properly define the boundaries of national security in economic and trade fields, and stop politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues, the spokesperson added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour urged to use wealth tax on super-rich to fund green transition

    Source: Scottish Greens

    30 Oct 2024 Finance

    By taxing the super wealthy we can fund our shift to a fairer, greener and better economy.

    More in Finance

    The Labour government must tax the super-rich and polluters to fund our green transition and tackle the climate and nature emergencies, say the Scottish Greens.

    Speaking ahead of today’s UK Budget statement, the party’s Co-leader, Lorna Slater, has urged the Chancellor to apply a wealth tax on the wealthiest 1% of households in the UK – those with assets worth £3.4 million and above.

    Analysis from the University of Greenwich suggests that this tax would raise over £70 billion a year and potentially up to £130 billion. 

    Ms Slater said:

    “The world is burning around us. We urgently need to see climate leadership from Downing Street.

    “There is more than enough money to support our transition to a greener future and create thousands of high quality, well paid green jobs, but so much of it is being hoarded by a tiny number of extremely wealthy people who don’t need it.

    “The solution is staring us right in the face. By asking the richest people and corporations to pay their fair share we can transform our economy and protect future generations.

    “Making the change is essential for our climate, but it is also crucial for our economy. The UK has a huge opportunity, but it has been squandered by 14 years of a Tory government that actively undermined our climate efforts while giving handouts and tax breaks to its super-wealthy friends and donors.

    “Labour must show the level of ambition that is needed by making a generation-defining investment in clean, green renewable energy and nature restoration and ending the climate vandalism of the Tories.”

    Ms Slater added:

    “The pain that households and families have suffered over the last 14 years was not inevitable. The cuts and austerity were a political choice, and one that Labour has doubled down on by cutting Winter Fuel Payments and refusing to lift the cruel two child cap. Labour can put an end to the cuts and support vital services like our NHS and schools.”

    The tax, supported by the Scottish Greens, would start at a marginal rate of 1%, rising to 5% for those with £5.7 million or more (the richest 0.5%), and 10% for those with £18.2 million (the richest 0.15%). 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese able to receive meteorological alerts up to 8 minutes in advance

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

    BEIJING, Oct. 30 — With the improvement of China’s meteorological disaster risk warning capability, meteorological alerts can be delivered to the public within three to eight minutes, covering 98.8 percent of the country’s population, China Science Daily has reported.

    Xiong Shaoyuan, deputy chief of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), told a press conference on Tuesday that the accuracy of heavy rain warnings has reached 93 percent, and the lead time for severe convective weather warnings has increased to 43 minutes, marking a significant improvement for the country’s disaster control.

    China’s emergency response mechanism, led by meteorological disaster warnings, has been continuously strengthened. A comprehensive national survey of 10 major types of meteorological disaster risks has been completed, and 45 types of meteorological disaster risk products are now released on a daily basis, said Xiong.

    Additionally, the services for warning against risks such as flash floods, geological disasters, and forest and grassland fires have been digitized with high precision, said the official.

    Xiong further said that meteorological services have been extended to more than 70 sectors of the national economy, contributing to smooth transportation, stable energy supply, improved livelihood and the development of new quality productive forces.

    For example, the meteorological service system for agriculture covers the entire chain of grain production, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the CMA issued 12 types of agricultural meteorological disaster risk warnings, said Xiong.

    This year, in response to the CMA’s hot and dry wind warnings, the country’s wheat producing regions have taken various measures of disaster control, which have brought an increase in the yield of winter wheat by about 1.5 billion kilograms, he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese mainland to further enhance access for Taiwan compatriots

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

    BEIJING, Oct. 30 — A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said that the mainland would continue to make it easier for Taiwan compatriots to visit, urging the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to remove obstacles to cross-Strait exchanges.

    It is a shared aspiration of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to expand exchanges and deepen cooperation, said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

    According to data from the National Immigration Administration, 994,000 travel permits have been issued for Taiwan residents to visit the mainland this year. Additionally, a total of 2.96 million entries have been made by Taiwan individuals into the mainland, a year-on-year increase of 68.4 percent.

    The data shows that the mainstream opinion in Taiwan society continues to prioritize peace, development, exchange, and cooperation with the mainland, said Zhu.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Religion and Faith – Shincheonji Zion Christian Mission Center Holds Record-Breaking 110,000 Graduation Ceremony

    Source: NewzEngine.com

    Zion Christian Mission Center and Chairman Young-Jin Tan, from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony by Chairman Man-Hee Lee held their ‘115th 110,000 Joint Graduation Ceremony’ at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church Branch on Wednesday 30th October, with many overseas graduates flying in to attend the ceremony.

    A total of 111,628 graduates graduated at the ceremony, marking the fourth time that over 100,000 graduates have graduated – this record-breaking number follows the 103,764 graduates in 2019, 106,186 graduates in 2022, and 108,084 graduates in 2023.

    Originally planned to be held at the Imjingak Peace Park, the location was unilaterally cancelled the day before by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation. However, the many attendees that came followed suite to the location change at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church Branch.

    Whilst many graduates from both domestic and abroad arrived, the event was also attended by foreign religious leaders who visited Korea specifically to visit the graduation ceremony. The graduation’s online attendance was also met by many graduates from other domestic branches, as well as multitudes tuning in online from all other overseas churches.

    – Published by MIL OSI in partnership with NewzEngine.com

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCST begins visit to Cascais (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SCST begins visit to Cascais (with photos)
    SCST begins visit to Cascais (with photos)
    ******************************************

         The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, arrived in Cascais, Portugal, on the evening of October 28 (Cascais time) and began his itinerary yesterday (October 29, Cascais time). In the morning, together with the President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), Mr Timothy Fok, Mr Yeung exchanged views with various members of the Executive Council of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), including the ANOC President, Dr Robin Mitchell; the Secretary General, Mrs Gunilla Lindberg; the Vice-President for Africa, Mr Mustapha Berraf; the Vice-President for Europe, Mr Spyros Capralos; and Member for Asia Mrs Li Lingwei.           Attending the Executive Council Meeting alongside a delegation from the SF&OC in the afternoon, Mr Yeung made a presentation on the bid to host the 2026 ANOC General Assembly in Hong Kong. He illustrated that Hong Kong is the ideal place for hosting international events. Mr Yeung said that Hong Kong has a fair and mature legal system thanks to the successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, enabling the city to maintain its social stability. Hong Kong is also an Events Capital of Asia and the World’s Meeting Place. As an international city, Hong Kong is widely connected with the rest of the world, which underlines another strength of Hong Kong.            Mr Yeung added that Hong Kong has been actively advancing the development of sports in the community, supporting elite sports, promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing sports professionalism and developing sports as an industry. In recent years, Hong Kong athletes have achieved impressive results in major international games. Mr Yeung also shared with the meeting the imminent commissioning of the Kai Tak Sports Park in the first quarter of 2025, making it the largest sports infrastructure project in Hong Kong’s history.            Mr Yeung attended a reception hosted by the City of Cascais, during which he exchanged views with City Councillor (Sports and International Affairs) Mr Francisco Kreye and other leading figures in the world of sports, including the International Olympic Council President, Mr Thomas Bach.            Mr Yeung will continue his visit to Cascais, Portugal, today (October 30, Cascais time).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 16:35

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “M” Mark status awarded to Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2024

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Major Sports Events Committee:
     
         The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded “M” Mark status to the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2024, which will be held at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground from November 1 to 3.
          
         The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (October 30), “We are delighted to award the ‘M’ Mark status to the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2024. Hong Kong is hosting this tournament again after seven years. We look forward to bringing in more visitors from abroad, thereby strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a centre for major international sports events.
          
         The “M” Mark System aims to encourage and help local “national sports associations” and private or non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be granted “M” Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events.
          
         For details of “M” Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –