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MIL-OSI United Nations: LAUNCH MEETING Master planning and innovative financial solutions to support the implementation of the Yashil Makon initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

The Yashil Makon Initiative is a nationwide program launched by the Government of Uzbekistan to transform environments across the country through sustainable development practices. This initiative seeks to expand and enhance green spaces, promote environmental stewardship, and improve the overall quality of life for citizens. It aligns with Uzbekistan’s broader commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its national strategy for environmental sustainability.

To support the successful implementation of the Yashil Makon Initiative of Uzbekistan, a collaborative project involving the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been established. This project focuses on integrating comprehensive master planning with innovative financial solutions, create income-generating opportunities for communities in Surkhandarya to ensure the initiative is not only sustainable but also scalable across Uzbekistan’s diverse landscapes.

The Launch Meeting was designed to formally introduce the project and bring together key stakeholders to discuss its strategic direction, objectives, and anticipated outcomes. This meeting provided overview of the project, detailing its goals, key components, and timeline. It served
as a platform to foster collaboration among the Government of Uzbekistan, UNDP, UNECE, UNHCR, and other essential partners, establishing a robust framework for cooperation. During the meeting, participants explored the master planning approaches that will be applied to the Yashil Makon Initiative, ensuring that afforestation activities are sustainable and aligned with the initiative’s goals. The meeting also emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement, facilitating dialogue
on the roles and contributions of various stakeholders, including government entities.

Photo credit: UNDP Uzbekistan

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: A graduate of the State University of Management is among the best athletes of Russia in BMX sports

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

A graduate of the Department of Management in the Sports and Fitness Industry of the IOM GUU, Alexander Katyshev, repeatedly takes the top step of the podium at BMX competitions.

This summer, Alexander won four gold medals at the Russian BMX Championship and became the winner of several stages of the Russian Cup.

“Every year the level of competitions grows, and I want to thank everyone involved in the creation and implementation of such a great event,” the athlete shared on his page.

In September, the GUU graduate once again added to his stock of gold medals by taking first place at the IX stage of the Russian Cup.

We congratulate Alexander on his well-deserved awards and wish him further victories and outstanding achievements!

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09/26/2024

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

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

A graduate of the State University of Management is among the best athletes of Russia in BMX sports

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: That’s a wrap: deal done for biggest sport and health investment in region
Source: City of Plymouth

A mind-boggling 26 leases and other legal agreements, three key sports teams, numerous sports funding and community organisations – the starting pistol has well and truly been fired on the biggest sport and health investment Plymouth has seen since the opening of the Life Centre.

Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Plymouth Argyle Community Trust, Plymouth Albion RFC, Plymouth City Council and Devonport Community Leisure Limited have now finished the negotiations and deals around parcels of land and buildings in and around the Brickfields site in Devonport.

With the complex paperwork complete, start on site for this transformational project is about to get underway.

Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sports and Leisure said: “It’s been a hugely complex scheme and is the most significant sports pitch hub development in Devon and Cornwall. All the players involved have been dedicated to the idea of this transformational sports regeneration scheme – not just for the elite super fit athletes but for creating revitalised facilities for the people of Plymouth – and Devonport in particular – to help them remain healthy and well.”

To give an idea of the complexities behind the scheme, Devonport Community Leisure Ltd had to relinquish their lease on the Brickfields building to enable the work on the hub to start. The hub is going to be run by Plymouth Argyle Community Trust, who have considerable experience of managing a community hub at Manadon. The athletic club is getting a new club house, but that means the old one will need to be demolished.

All the facilities had to comply with the exacting standards of the sports organisations in terms of ensuring the pitches are built to the right specifications. The timetabling of planned work is all designed to cause as little interruption as possible to programmed sporting events. Tied into all of these are funding agreements from organisations such as the Football Foundation and the Government’s Youth Investment Fund.

Part of this massive puzzle has included creating a pétanque terrain nearby for Plymouth Petanque club who had a terrain on the Brickfields site. Ensuring there is capacity for parking for visitors was also another consideration – and an underused car park is to be utilised at weekends for visitors.

Stoke Damerel Community College is to become the new home of hockey for the west of Plymouth, with a new, 2G sand pitch for both school and community use with modern flood lighting for all year round use. It will also be used for other sports and for the day-to-day PE needs of the college. A smaller rubber-crumb 3G surface is being built for football and contact rugby training and will replace the standing 20-year-old artificial surface. An improved grass playing pitch is also planned.

Work on these facilities is underway but for now all eyes are on the start of work at Brickfields. At the core of the proposals is a new permanent home for Plymouth Argyle’s youth wing, the Argyle Academy, and Plymouth Argyle Women.

Extensive community and sport facilities include new grass and all-weather 3G pitches, athletics facilities for the City of Plymouth Athletics Club and other users, play zones exclusively for public use, better public access, landscaped public areas, and parking.

Work on the community hub on the site of the former Brickfields sports centre has been progressing. The new hub, which will deliver much needed accessible and affordable community space to connect people and offer a wide range of wellbeing services.

Who is involved: the big players
- Plymouth City Council
- Plymouth Argyle FC
- Plymouth Argyle Community Trust
- Plymouth Albion RFC
- Devonport Community Leisure Ltd
On the team:
- Livewell South West
- City of Plymouth Athletic Club
- Plymouth Petanque
- Football Foundation
- Sport England
- Rugby Football Union
- England Hockey
- The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)
- Ministry of Defence
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preparations for the Guild Lounge underway

Source: City of Preston

It’ll be alright on the night – Work is full speed ahead at the Guild Lounge

A team of tradesmen are hard at work behind the scenes to make sure the Guild Lounge venue at the Guild Hall is glitterball ready, ahead of its official opening launch in October.

The Guild Lounge, formerly the Guild Hall Foyer, will open to the public on Thursday 3 October with its first show in an extensive Winter programme of events – Disco Inferno – an all singing, all dancing celebration of the best of 70’s disco!

Watch the promotional video and buy tickets for this high energy, Studio 54 revival.

Councillor Anna Hindle Cabinet Member for Arts and Culture at Preston City Council said:

“It’s full steam ahead behind the scenes as we prepare for opening night. There is a lot to do from new lighting, new heating, re-upholstering chairs, installing a new sound system, upgrading the lighting rigs, painting, woodwork, creating a new stage, new signage, branding, the list goes on, but the professional team are 100% dedicated and on schedule.

“This marks a new start for the Guild Hall, with a wide variety of shows and entertainment, there’s something here for everyone. Ticket sales are going well and we’re looking forward to sell out nights at the Guild Hall once again.”

The Guild Lounge is set to breathe fresh life into Preston’s entertainment scene, offering a carefully curated programme that spans a diverse range of performances. From chart-topping tribute acts and live music to theatre productions and community showcases, The Guild Lounge will host events designed to appeal to all audiences.

As part of the venue’s transformation, a 350-seat studio theatre has been developed to provide an intimate, dynamic setting for performances. A significant step in establishing Preston as a go-to destination for quality live events, helping to re-engage audiences and bring vibrancy back to the city’s nightlife.

This redevelopment plays a crucial role in the city’s efforts to revitalise its entertainment landscape, ensuring the venue remains a cornerstone of Preston’s cultural scene.

More shows continue to be added to the Winter programme, and a full list of currently available shows, how to buy tickets and to sign up to a free Guild Lounge newsletter with event news and updates:

Visit the Guild Hall website for a full list of available shows

Additional Information

Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NDA group investing in our communities
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group has today published its 2023 to 2024 socio-economic report detailing a record investment in projects across the UK.
NDA socio-economic report 2023 to 2024

Over the last five years, the NDA group has invested £60 million in projects that enable permanent and sustainable change in its site communities, leveraging many millions more from partners.

The NDA is tasked with decommissioning the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and sustainably. Its mission is unique in that it’s required to have regard for the impact of its activities on communities living near its sites.

NDA Director of Socio-Economics, Jamie Reed, said: “We believe that decommissioning activities should benefit local communities and that we must provide a positive legacy once our work is completed.

“We work in partnership with local stakeholders to better understand the economic priorities I their area and how we can deliver maximum value.

“We are immensely proud of our work with local communities to date and the vast variety of projects we’ve supported, and are very ambitious to make further progress.”

In 2023 to 2024, the NDA group invested over £14 million of direct socio-economic funding. The report details how and where this money has been invested, including case studies reflecting how the NDA group works with communities, stakeholders and colleagues to use its funding to maximum effect.

These include:

Growing Well – a charity in West Cumbria supporting the recovery of adults suffering from mental ill health through engagement in horticultural activities. NDA is providing £195,000 in grant funding to support the extension of the project into Egremont – supporting people close to its sites whilst also providing a source of locally grown fruit and vegetable produce.

SOFEA – enabling disadvantaged young people in South Oxfordshire to engage with learning, skills development and work, and providing a number of social purpose projects, including community larders for those experiencing food poverty. A new training kitchen has been installed thanks to a £608,000 grant co-funded between Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) and NDA.

Willie Mackie Skills Hub – the primary location in North Ayrshire for college students, primary and secondary school pupils, employers and their workforces, and residents to access high quality STEM vocational skills training. It received £499,000 in funding from the NDA and NRS, and in its first year 219 students enrolled in construction technology, trades and renewables courses.

The report follows the publication of the NDA group’s new Social Impact and Communities Strategy in April 2024 which set out how it works to deliver the maximum positive social impact based upon the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and independently produced economic impact assessments.

The Social Impact and Communities Strategy aims to deliver against the following six strategic themes:

Resilient economies – enabling and supporting the conditions for local economic output, improved productivity, and growth.

Thriving communities – enabling and supporting the conditions for social cohesion, supporting disadvantaged groups and other social benefits.

Sustainable incomes – improving aspirations and access to work through a programme of high impact education, skills, personal development and employability support activities.

Sustainable growth – reflecting the importance of the climate agenda and working to achieve economic, social and competitive advantage for nuclear communities by integrating sustainable growth into socio economic interventions.

Social value chains – working closely with suppliers to create social impacts with the supply chain.

Collective impact – leveraging social impact and investment by working with stakeholders, partners and communities to practice an integrated approach and culture of delivery.

You can read the full report here NDA socio-economic report 2023 to 2024.

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Published 26 September 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST’s speech at Bloomberg Buy-Side Forum Hong Kong (English only) (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, at the Bloomberg Buy-Side Forum Hong Kong today (September 26): Jeffrey (Global Head of Buy-Side Enterprise Sales of Bloomberg, Mr Jeffrey Leckstein), Manju (APAC Head of Buy-Side Product Sales of Bloomberg, Ms Manju Sakhrani), Irene (Head of Sales, Greater China Buy-Side of Bloomberg, Ms Irene Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good morning. I am very delighted to join you all at the Bloomberg Buy-Side Forum Hong Kong. This flagship event brings together influential business leaders and decision makers to explore timely and transformative topics that are reshaping the asset and wealth management industry. And this is very timely. Just last week the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.5 percentage points. Hong Kong quickly followed suit and the news was cheered by investors and financial markets. Also, Hong Kong ranked third globally in the Global Financial Centres Index 36 Report published two days ago, up by one place from the previous issue. Back in April this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Michael Bloomberg in New York to discuss global financial trends. During my visit to the Big Apple, I also spoke about the “ABCs” of Hong Kong’s role as a global financial centre: an “anchor” for financial stability, a “buffer” against risk and a “capstan” with a strategic location in Asia. Today I would like to focus on the “D” word – “dividends”Overview Today’s agenda explores new prospects for growth and innovation in the Asia Pacific markets, covering key topics including risk management, automation, data and technology, and more. A common factor is that all of these topics are conducive to long-term, sustainable growth and dividends for investors and the industry. As with our ongoing efforts to boost Hong Kong’s position as the region’s premier international financial centre, Hong Kong offers three distinct types of dividends, namely “diversification”, “succession” and “silver” dividends. These will surely help investors and the industry embrace new opportunities and unleash their potential. Let me tell you how.Diversification dividend First, Hong Kong is well poised to provide a diversification dividend with our unique geographical, functional, product and service offerings. All this ensures an excellent platform for diversification, supported by our “one country, two systems” advantages and our role as a financial “super connector” linking Mainland China and global markets. We offer abundant investment opportunities, a full suite of professional services and a top-notch regulatory framework. In terms of investment opportunities, last year the AUM (assets under management) of Hong Kong’s asset and wealth management business reached about US$4 trillion (HK$31.193 trillion). What’s more, over half of the funds were sourced from international investors outside Hong Kong and the Mainland. In fact, in 2023, Hong Kong was the world’s second-largest cross-boundary wealth management centre, after Switzerland. Hong Kong is also Asia’s largest hedge fund hub and our private equity capital under management ranks second in Asia after the Mainland. As China’s hub for offshore Renminbi (RMB) business, Hong Kong holds about one trillion in RMB deposits, and processes about 80 per cent of the global offshore RMB payments. We will continue to expand our RMB-denominated investment and risk-management products to suit users’ needs. For the wider financial market, we will also continue to diversify and deepen the products and services we offer, ranging from new fund structures to listing platforms.Mutual access Mutual market access between the Mainland and Hong Kong continues to expand in scope and capacity. Up to August this year, the total turnover (including buy and sell trades) of northbound trading of Stock Connect reached about RMB20,000 billion, while that of southbound trading exceeded HK$5,600 billion. This demonstrates our pivotal role for international and Mainland enterprises as well as investors to raise funds and make investments. The Hong Kong stock market has also seen many recent achievements. The average daily turnover of ETFs (exchange traded funds) listed in Hong Kong reached HK$11.8 billion in 2023, an increase of 20 per cent compared to 2022 (HK$9.8 billion). The derivatives market also saw the average daily trading volume of futures and options reaching 1.35 million contracts last year, further rising to over 1.5 million contracts in the first half of this year. This showcases Hong Kong’s ongoing development as an international risk management centre. In April, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced five new measures to support the development of Hong Kong’s financial sector. These include expanding the scope of ETFs under Stock Connect as implemented in July. The measures would also bring long-term structural enhancements to the Hong Kong market, such as including REITs (real estate investment trusts) under Stock Connect, further enriching the choice of products available.Green and sustainable finance Meanwhile, sustainable development and technology are the emerging major forces shaping the financial industry. Demand for green finance is growing worldwide, as part of the global green transformation. Statistics show that the Asian region will require some US$66 trillion in climate investment over the next 30 years. Zooming into Hong Kong’s green and sustainable finance market, the total green and sustainable debt (including both bonds and loans) issued in Hong Kong amounted to US$50 billion. Among which, the volume of green and sustainable bonds arranged in Hong Kong topped the Asian market, accounting for 37 per cent of the total share. We will continue to develop Hong Kong into an international green technology and green finance centre through five key directions, namely building a green technology ecosystem; green finance application and innovation; green certification and alignment with international standards; training talents; and enhancing exchanges and co-operation with the Greater Bay Area and international markets.Virtual assets and fintech Hong Kong is a prime destination for the development of digital finance and for fintech companies to establish or expand their business locally, regionally and globally. We are home to eight virtual banks, four virtual insurers and two licensed virtual assets trading platforms. There are also around 1 000 fintech companies operating in Hong Kong. They cover a variety of businesses including mobile payment, cross-border wealth management, AI (artificial intelligence) financial consultancy, wealth and investment management, regulatory technology and many more. With the rapid development of the virtual asset market, Hong Kong issued the Policy Statement on Development of Virtual Assets in October 2022. We are also among the first jurisdictions to adopt a comprehensive framework to regulate virtual asset activities with robust investor protection. Premising on a balance between appropriate regulation and market development, we will continue to provide an enabling environment and support measures. This will help to sustain the development of digital and decentralised finance, and facilitate responsible and healthy industry development. For example, we are actively establishing regulatory regimes for both stablecoin issuers and over-the-counter (OTC) trading of virtual assets. We will introduce the bill for regulating stablecoin issuers into the Legislative Council within this year. We are also reviewing the consultation feedback for virtual asset OTC trading to examine ways to improve the proposed regulatory framework.Succession dividend Moving on to succession dividend, which is growing in prominence here. That’s because Hong Kong is home to over 2 700 single-family offices and 12 500 ultra-high-net-worth individuals. These figures speak of the city’s appeal for family offices and asset owners looking to diversify their asset portfolios and sustain family wealth for future generations. Last year, we published the Policy Statement on Developing Family Office Businesses in Hong Kong. Since then, a series of measures have been implemented to create a favourable environment for wealth management and succession planning, adding to the already diverse investment opportunities available in the city. To name a few, the profits tax exemption regime for single family offices’ eligible investments was introduced last year, to provide tax certainty and attract family offices to set up in Hong Kong. We also launched the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) in March this year, offering a clear pathway for asset owners to reside and pursue development in Hong Kong. The new scheme has been well-received by asset owners and talents outside Hong Kong. So far, we have received over 550 applications, potentially bringing HK$16.5 billion of capital to the city. Besides attracting professionals, we are also committed to nurturing talents for the family office sector. Last year, we established the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy. The Academy not only provides training but also fosters collaboration, networking and knowledge-sharing between the industry and next-generation asset owners. This brings me to a fast-emerging category of impact investing. We are working to foster charitable endeavours that would make a positive impact on society. The Academy will launch the “Impact Link” later this year. It will provide a repository platform to connect family offices and asset owners with high-potential and high-social impact charitable programmes. This will further enhance family offices’ engagement in charitable projects to create positive change and realise the full potential of philanthropy. Art collections and investments are also gaining popularity among family offices, and Hong Kong is an ideal hub for this with our simple tax system and zero tariff on art trading. We are the second-biggest city for contemporary art sales after New York, recording US$414 million in the year 2022-23. By leveraging Hong Kong’s rich art and culture scene, we will continue to consolidate our position as a leading art exhibition and trading centre to create a dynamic ecosystem for art collection and investments for family offices and other investors. Beyond creating a thriving family office ecosystem, we recognise that each family office has its unique needs and preferences. The dedicated family office team of Invest Hong Kong is here to offer one-stop support services specifically catered to the needs of each family office. Through key events such as the annual Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit, we will continue to deepen our connections with global family offices, supporting their evolving needs and garnering dividends from succession and legacy planning.Silver dividend My third topic today is the silver dividend. Similar to many developed economies, Hong Kong faces the challenge of a rapidly ageing population. By 2046, over one-third of our population will be aged 65 or above. While this trend poses significant challenges, it also creates opportunities. Among other things, an ageing population underscores the importance of accumulating sufficient savings to support post-retirement life. With this in mind, the Government launched the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) system back in 2000, to help our workforce save up for their retirement. As of June this year, our MPF system was managing a total of HK$1,230 billion of assets, representing an increase of about 126 per cent over the past 10 years. MPF investment with stable returns Enabling the general public to feel and share the benefits brought about by the development of financial services has always been our goal. In recent years, our society, particularly among those who will soon retire, has clear aspirations for financial products that offer stable returns amid a changing economic environment. This is evident in the overwhelming response to the Silver Bond issuance last year – where the total application amount (around HK$71.7 billion) and the number of applications (323 789 valid applications) were at record highs. Likewise, our MPF scheme members have similar aspirations. The Government and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) persistently strive to widen the scope of permissible investments to improve risk-adjusted returns. For instance, in June 2022, the Central People’s Government, the People’s Bank of China, and the three Mainland policy banks were added to the list of “exempt authority” to facilitate MPF investment in sovereign bonds. It provides scheme members with greater access to one of the world’s largest bond markets. In June last year, we also put in place a mechanism to earmark a certain proportion of Government green bonds for priority investment by MPF funds. These measures allow MPF fund managers to consider more investment instruments with stable returns in their portfolio management for the benefit of scheme members. As of June this year, MPF funds invested HK$8.3 billion and HK$600 million in sovereign bonds and government green bonds respectively, representing an increase of 159 per cent and 50 per cent respectively before the facilitative measures were put in place.Diversification and optimisation of MPF investment We believe that our robust asset and wealth management industry is serving the MPF system well. It offers world-class investment management services along with a diverse range of financial products and innovative market arrangements. In view of the growing internationalisation of the Mainland’s equity market, back in 2020, we included the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges in the list of “approved stock exchanges”, facilitating MPF investments into Mainland A-shares. Since the inclusion of the two stock exchanges, the exposure of MPF funds to Mainland A-shares has soared by 111 per cent to HK$24 billion as of June this year. Not only has this been welcomed by the market, it also provides more diversified investment opportunities for MPF assets.Fee reduction and eMPF Platform Apart from offering a more diversified range of investment products for MPF scheme members, the Government and the MPFA are determined to explore and take forward more cost saving initiatives by leveraging innovation and technology. Launched in June this year, the eMPF Platform is a good example of how innovation and technology could resolve long-standing pain points in MPF scheme administration. They also create room for fee reductions for the ultimate benefit of scheme members. We expect that the eMPF Platform will be fully implemented by end-2025. Through standardising, streamlining and automating different MPF administration processes, this first-of-its-kind centralised platform will significantly reduce the average MPF administration fee. This publicly funded digital infrastructure will also lower the entry barrier for newcomers to the MPF industry. Closing Ladies and gentlemen, I know you have a busy day ahead. So let me conclude by stressing the importance of joining hands in building, investing and enjoying the diversification dividend, succession dividend and silver dividend in Hong Kong. This forum is the perfect opportunity to share ideas and strengthen collaboration to achieve a more stable, sustainable and prosperous financial future in Hong Kong and far beyond. I wish you all a rewarding forum today and the best of health and business. Thank you.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: AUT design students have renewed their own backyard

Source: Auckland Council

St Paul Street has been upgraded by the people who use it most – students of AUT.

It’s the first of two semi-permanent street upgrades enabled by Auckland Council, which give design students the chance to influence the renewal of a street in their own neighbourhood.

The redesign of St Paul Street in the city centre’s Learning Quarter, by AUT spatial design students from the Master of Design programme, is now in place.

Last year Claire Davis, Principal – Urban Design from Auckland Council’s Tāmaki Makaurau Design Ope (TMDO), joined creative forces with the Material Imaginaries Research Collective at AUT. The task was for students to collaboratively develop a concept design for a new St Paul Street installation, replacing the existing equipment.

An initial trial helped show how students and staff used the street and what activities needed to be provided for. This month council contractors delivered their innovative, semi-permanent solution, keeping the scope and budget to a ‘no dig’, low disruption execution.

Waitematā Local Board Chair Genevieve Sage is pleased to see Auckland’s next generation of urban designers has helped shape their university environments.

“It means we’re creating uni neighbourhoods that better reflect the everyday needs of students and staff, and we’re also giving future spatial designers and planners real world experience as they begin their careers,” she says.

The students’ design for St Paul Street is anchored by two main elements: a ‘wandering line’ and a series of bench seats. The wandering line echoes the line of the Rangipuke ridge meeting the upper stream of Te Waihorotiu, re-enacting the slow pooling motion of waterways that were once present in the area. Concrete benches rise and fall in wave-like forms.

“Working on a live, quick-response project in collaboration with Auckland Council was a great way to ground our research students’ practice-based inquiries,” says Dr Carl Douglas, Head of Department at AUT University.

“Taking part in the St Paul Street project has been an invaluable experience for me. The project provided opportunities to collaborate with various real-life professionals, and as one of the main users of St Paul Street, I enjoyed contributing to the street’s vision to become a more pedestrian-friendly place,” says participating AUT student Emma Choi.

Alfred Street

In a second design school partnership, a group of third year planning students from the University of Auckland are working on concepts for the renewal of Alfred Street.

Auckland Council’s design team (TMDO) collaborated with the Architecture & Planning School at the University of Auckland to build a concept for the next phase of the Alfred Street project, replacing the temporary plastic planters.

Their brief was to create a medium-term, people-focused, healthy and biodiverse streetscape while delivering a lighter, quicker, cheaper execution.

In April, twelve student groups presented their concept designs to a panel of teaching staff and Auckland Council guest critics. The TMDO will review the student presentations and consolidate them into one streetscape design to be taken forward through detailed design and implementation.

“Our students have described this project as enlightening and enjoyable. It is fantastic for the students to get to work on a real-world solution and work with not only creativity but also constraints. I hope that we can continue this collaboration further,” says Zoe Avery, University of Auckland Associate Director of Design.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: A two-section house with underground parking is being built under the renovation program in Kuzminki

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

On Yunyh Lenintsev Street (land plot No. 97/4) in the Kuzminki district, construction of a residential complex under the renovation program continues. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky.

“Work is underway in the new building to install monolithic structures at the seventh floor level. It will consist of two sections of variable number of storeys. The building also includes underground parking for 57 cars,” Vladislav Ovchinsky specified.

The sections will contain 188 apartments with improved finishing, fully in line with renovation standards, approved by the decree of the Moscow Government. In order for the house to fit harmoniously into the architectural ensemble of the area, its facades will be made of suspended three-layer wall panels faced with sawn bricks of beige shades. In addition, metal baskets for air conditioners will be installed on the facades, and the entrance groups will be decorated with stained glass.

The area around the house will be improved and landscaped: trees and bushes will be planted, lawns will be laid and flower beds will be laid out, a children’s playground with a safe rubber surface, a sports ground, as well as an area for quiet recreation for adults will be built.

The construction of residential buildings under the renovation program is monitored throughout all stages by the Committee for State Construction Supervision of the City of Moscow (Mosgosstroynadzor). As its head noted Anton Slobodchikov, the construction of the house has been underway since May 2023. During this time, inspectors carried out five on-site inspections, during which they assessed the quality of the work and materials used.

“In addition to concreting, the site is performing waterproofing of the underground parking floor slab and installation of internal utility lines,” added Anton Slobodchikov.

All information about the renovation program is presented on the mos.ru portal. You can find out more about apartments and houses under the program by link.

The renovation program was approved in August 2017. It covers about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. In 2023 alone, 59 new buildings in the capital were handed over for settlement, which allowed the resettlement of over 47 thousand people. Sergei Sobyanin instructed speed up the implementation of the renovation program by two times.

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 housing has doubled: from three million 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/144475073/

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Modern technologies and high-class care: the medical and diagnostic complex of the A.S. Loginov Moscow Scientific Center turns one year old

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The capital’s oncology service is a shining example of how new standards and approaches improve the quality and accessibility of medical care in the city. Moscow standard of oncological care, which was introduced just a few years ago, has shown very good results. For example, thanks to it, the detection rate of oncological diseases has grown to 67 percent, and it is increasing every year. And thanks to the creation of anchor oncology centers based on the leading capital clinics, the oncology service has received not only a powerful technological base, but also the ability to ensure continuity at each stage of patient treatment – from the moment of suspicion of the disease to subsequent dispensary observation.

Despite the excellent results, the city does not stop there and continues to actively develop this area. Specialists develop new methods and algorithms, client paths that make the treatment process as transparent and understandable as possible for the patient. The most modern equipment is supplied to hospitals, existing hospital buildings are reconstructed according to uniform standards, new treatment and diagnostic complexes are built.

A year ago, the new ultra-modern treatment and diagnostic complex of the Moscow Clinical Research Center (MCRC) named after A.S. Loginov received its first patients. Its opening was a key stage in the modernization of the capital’s oncology service. The area of over 75 thousand square meters houses a 24-hour and day hospital, an outpatient oncology care center, rheumatology and endoscopic centers, radiation therapy and radioisotope diagnostics departments, a modern pathomorphology laboratory, a powerful operating block with 18 operating rooms and other services. During the first year of operation, more than 180 thousand patients were treated in the new complex.

Full cycle of oncological care, high-tech operations and radiation therapy

The A.S. Loginov MCNC operates an outpatient oncology care center. A full cycle of multidisciplinary oncology care is organized here, from diagnostics and treatment to subsequent lifelong patient monitoring. Since the opening of the new building of the A.S. Loginov MCNC, oncologists of the outpatient oncology care center have conducted about 330 thousand appointments.

Every week, doctors perform more than 200 high-tech operations in the surgical hospital. Doctors use robotic technologies, X-ray surgical systems and navigation stations. The most complex interventions are performed in a hybrid operating room equipped with an angiograph. Thanks to gentle anesthesia methods, minimally invasive operations and active postoperative recovery, patients return to full life in the shortest possible time.

The unique technological equipment of the complex made it possible to conduct radiation therapy, which had not been performed at the A.S. Loginov Moscow Scientific Center before. Now there is a radiotherapy department with three state-of-the-art linear accelerators and a brachytherapy system. About 270 patients receive treatment daily. Since the opening of the department, more than 1.7 thousand people have undergone radiation therapy, and over 30 thousand radiotherapy sessions have been conducted. The new complex has modern linear accelerators for antitumor 3D and 4D radiation therapy. They allow procedures to be performed with the highest precision, without affecting the patient’s healthy tissues.

From a pathomorphological laboratory to an inter-district rheumatology center

A centralized pathomorphological laboratory operates on the basis of the A.S. Loginov MCNC complex. It conducts histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies, biopsy. The results of the studies allow doctors to establish an accurate diagnosis, determine the stage of the disease, and also correctly and quickly select treatment tactics. Every day, the laboratory receives materials from 300-400 patients and conducts up to 1.5 thousand studies of glass preparations.

Since the opening of the new medical and diagnostic complex The employees of the pathological anatomy department of the A.S. Loginov Moscow Cancer Research Center have performed more than 100 thousand biopsies (about 450 thousand slides), and the time it takes to obtain the results of such studies has been reduced by one and a half times. The pathomorphological laboratory operates in a digital format: all research materials are scanned and securely stored in a single digital archive, which is replenished with studies from all the anchor oncology centers of the capital. The formation of the largest database has become the basis for the development of artificial intelligence technologies.

In addition, an inter-district rheumatology center operates on the basis of the A.S. Loginov MCNC. Thus, the patient receives all the necessary assistance – from a comprehensive examination to effective therapy and observation – in one medical organization. Residents of the Eastern, South-Eastern and North-Eastern administrative districts of Moscow receive treatment here. During the time of work in the new building, specialists of the rheumatology center have held appointments approximately 60 thousand times.

High-tech endoscopy center, multidisciplinary care and more

At the end of 2023, the A.S. Loginov Moscow Scientific Center began operating Endoscopy center. Specialists perform diagnostic procedures there and, if possible, immediately remove neoplasms or refer the patient for surgical treatment. New modern equipment has been installed in 12 manipulation rooms, ensuring the most accurate diagnostics. Over 10 thousand studies have been conducted in the endoscopic center.

The consultative and diagnostic department has all the capabilities to provide multidisciplinary care at the highest level. Over the year of work in the new building, more than 85 thousand patients received expert care in various areas, including gastroenterology, proctology, surgery, neurology, urology, gynecology, endocrinology, traumatology, pulmonology and cardiology.

The most comfortable conditions for patients have been created in the hospital of the new complex of the A.S. Loginov Moscow Scientific Center. In small wards with panoramic windows, a shower and a toilet, multifunctional beds with an electric drive are installed, there is a button to call medical personnel, air conditioning and ventilation systems. A barrier-free environment has been created for people with limited mobility.

More than 31 thousand patients have already received inpatient treatment in the new complex. In addition, about five thousand people received treatment as part of the day hospital.

The team of the A.S. Loginov MKNC is represented by the best medical specialists. Among them are world experts, academicians, professors, doctors and candidates of medical sciences.

Since 2019, a new standard of oncology care has been implemented in the capital. Five anchor oncology centers have been organized on the basis of the A.S. Loginov Moscow Scientific Center, Oncology Center No. 1 of the S.S. Yudin City Clinical Hospital, S.P. Botkin City Clinical Hospital, the Kommunarka Moscow Multidisciplinary Clinical Center, and the Moscow City Oncology Hospital No. 62.

Sobyanin spoke about the new stage of modernization of the Loginov Clinical Center At the level of world standards: how oncological diseases are treated at the A.S. Loginov Scientific Center

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/144461073/

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Butler Applauds Key Committee Passage of Legislation to Strengthen Natural Disaster Preparedness

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for California – Laphonza Butler
Washington, D.C. – Today, during National Preparedness Month, U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), secured passage of her Investing in Community Resilience Act of 2024 (S. 4900). This legislation is designed to incentivize investments in community resilience projects to alleviate damage from natural disasters. The bill passed out of committee overwhelmingly by a vote of 14-1.
During today’s HSGAC markup, Senator Butler thanked Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee of Government Operations and Border Management which holds jurisdiction over this issue, for his co-sponsorship and collaboration in advancing this legislation.
“We are putting this forward because 4 in 10 Americans are now living in communities that have been impacted by climate disasters or natural disasters,” said Senator Butler. “This bill encourages FEMA to ensure that all communities are doing the work to support community-led preparedness initiatives, including by supporting Community Emergency Response Teams across the country.”
The Investing in Community Resilience Act aims to reduce the financial burden of disasters on local communities, enhance individual and community preparedness, and promote participation in federally-supported resilience programs.
S. 4900 would amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by expanding the types of pre-disaster resilience measures that FEMA may incentivize state or Tribal governments to adopt. FEMA may recognize such resilience investments through an increased federal cost-share from the standard 75% federal cost-share up to 85% for post-disaster public assistance restoration and repair projects and associated expenses.
The Investing in Community Resilience Act has been endorsed by 73 organizations. See the full list of endorsing organizations HERE.
Read the one-pager HERE.
Read the full text of the bill HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Rojas Op-Ed For Hearst Connecticut: The Housing Crisis Is Holding Back CT

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

September 25, 2024

HARTFORD–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Connecticut State Representative Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford) on Wednesday co-authored an op-ed for Hearst Connecticut arguing that Connecticut’s housing crisis requires all levels of government – local, state, and federal – to work together and take action. Murphy and Rojas lay out the scope of this nationwide problem that has acutely impacted people in Connecticut and propose a range of potential policy solutions to spur the construction of more affordable homes, help first-time home buyers, and drive down costs.
“There is a housing crisis all across America today, but there’s no doubt the situation is especially dire in our state,” the members wrote. “A new report shows that Connecticut has one of the tightest rental markets in the country, with just a 3.5 percent vacancy rate. That kind of inventory shortage does two things. First, it drives up prices. Nationally, half of all renters have to set aside more than 30 percent of their paycheck each month for housing, but in Connecticut, nearly 500,000 of our citizens are spending more than 50 percent of their income on rent. Second, it makes it very hard for renters without good credit to find any landlord who will rent to them. At the end of last year, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Connecticut hit a record high. Homeownership — the core of the American dream — is also increasingly out of reach for the people we represent. Connecticut ranks 49th in the nation in new housing construction, and the slow pace of construction combined with high interest rates means it’s harder than ever for a young family to buy their first house.”
Murphy and Rojas argued for more tax credits to build new affordable housing stocks – a proven policy incentive: “Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed a first-ever tax incentive for developers who build starter homes sold to first-time buyers and an expansion of existing tax credits to spur construction of more affordable rental housing. Combined these two policies could add 3 million new homes to the marketplace. We should also increase support for other existing, effective programs such as the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and National Housing Trust Fund that have been underfunded but are crucial in helping finance affordable housing projects. House Bill 5474, which passed both chambers of Connecticut’s legislature in May, encourages the development of duplexes, triplexes, and similar ‘middle’ housing, with the hope of increasing affordable housing stock. Public Act 23-207 created financial incentives for the development of workforce housing aimed at Connecticut’s middle class.”
On getting more people into stable homes quickly, Murphy and Rojas urged greater investment in voucher programs, along with incentives to increase landlord participation and reduce waitlists: “The Choice in Affordable Housing Act would incentivize more landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 program through one-time incentive payments to landlords, security deposit payments, and bonuses to public housing agencies employing a landlord liaison. There’s no doubt we also need to increase our investment in voucher programs to get more people off waitlists and into homes. Connecticut currently boasts a waitlist of more than 6,700 applicants to its premier rental voucher program, the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), despite it not having been open for new applicants for over a decade. State and federal resources should be levied to tackle this crisis and move people into safe, stable homes.”
On Connecticut’s zoning laws, Murphy and Rojas wrote: “But the reality is that no amount of incentives for developers or voucher programs can overcome Connecticut’s restrictive zoning laws. About 90 percent of the state is zoned for single-family housing. The federal government has a limited role in changing zoning rules, but the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act would encourage localities to eliminate discriminatory and burdensome zoning and land use policies to increase supply of affordable housing. It would also increase transparency around why a community is not adopting anti-discriminatory policies. The Majority Leaders’ Roundtable on Affordable Housing, a group comprised of interested legislators and subject-matter experts, has held meetings since 2023 and is working toward a solution that will loosen restrictions for developers while still preserving the character of Connecticut’s many unique towns.”
They concluded: “Every community is different and there is no easy fix or one-size-fits-all solution for this crisis. It will require all levels of government to summon the political will and courage to engage in difficult conversations, pursue wholehearted reform, and make serious investments in affordable housing. We should be honest that sweeping progress won’t happen overnight. Driving down costs and completing construction takes time, but that makes our action — and partnership — all the more urgent.”
Read the full op-ed HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Introduces Legislation To Protect Noncitizen Witnesses And Hold Criminals Accountable

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

September 25, 2024

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday introduced the Witness Assistance and Criminal Accountability Act, legislation to improve public safety by holding criminals accountable, encouraging witnesses of criminal activity to participate in the justice system, and ensuring noncitizens who assist police and prosecutors are not punished for their participation. Current law provides limited protections for noncitizens who witness criminal activity and wish to help law enforcement by providing credible information, testimony, or evidence. As a result, noncitizen witnesses who wish to come forward are forced to weigh their desire to help against the risk of deportation.
“Our criminal justice system only works if individuals feel safe coming forward when they witness or have information about a crime. But for many of our neighbors, participating in the justice system comes with an understandable fear of deportation, possibly resulting in some people staying silent. This legislation would make our communities safer by giving these witnesses the protections they need to help police and prosecutors hold criminals accountable without the fear of being deported for doing the right thing,” said Murphy.
The Witness Assistance and Criminal Accountability Act would protect witnesses and encourage cooperation with law enforcement to help prosecute crimes. Specifically, the bill would:
Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a new nonimmigrant classification – the W Visa – for individuals who are in possession of critical information regarding criminal activity and who are willing to assist with law enforcement’s prosecution of eligible crimes;
Ensure noncitizens who step forward to participate in the criminal justice system have access to immigration protection; and
Facilitate communication and cooperation between state and local law enforcement and the communities they serve, by ensuring that members of the community are not afraid to participate because of their immigration status.
A one-pager is available HERE. Full text of the bill is available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Applauds Senate’s Unanimous Consent Decision to Hold Dr. Ralph de la Torre in Contempt of Congress

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Senate’s first passage of criminal contempt resolution in more than 50 years
Washington (September 25, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, released the following statement today after the U.S. Senate agreed to hold Steward Health Care CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt of Congress. The HELP Committee voted unanimously on September 19 to hold de la Torre in civil and criminal contempt of Congress – a first in modern history.
“Over the past decade, Steward, led by its founder and CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre, and its corporate enablers, looted hospitals across the country for profit, and got rich through their greedy schemes. Hospital systems collapsed, workers struggled to provide care, and patients suffered and died. Dr. de la Torre and his corporate cronies abdicated their responsibility to these communities that they had promised to serve. Extracting hundreds of millions in profit, de la Torre used the suffering of people under Steward’s care to finance his luxury lifestyle, filling his garages and hangars with fancy cars and private planes, and becoming the posterchild of callous corporate greed.
“I’ve requested Dr. de la Torre’s appearance multiple times in front of members of the HELP Committee to answer for his corporate greed, but time and time again, he has refused and hid behind excuses. I applaud the Senate’s actions today to hold Dr. de la Torre in criminal contempt of Congress. It is long past time that he be held accountable.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Bill to Stop Secret Spending Advances with Unanimous Support

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs passed Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) Stop Secret Spending Act unanimously with bipartisan support to shine a light on billions of dollars of spending that taxpayers are currently being kept in the dark about.
Washington is hiding the details about billions of dollars of secret spending deals inconspicuously labeled as “other transaction agreements” (OTAs). This legislation provides an accounting of how all taxpayer dollars are being secretly spent and requires OTAs, like other government expenditures, to be publicly available on USAspending.gov.
“We all know there is wasteful spending everywhere you look in Washington, but we can’t stop what we can’t see. Americans have a right to know where their hard-earned dollars are going, and I’m making sure the public is informed of any other secret schemes. As my Stop Secret Spending Act moves forward, we get closer to being able to review the hidden receipts and request some refunds,” said Senator Joni Ernst.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Annual Meeting Opening Remarks by AIIB President

Source: Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank

Your Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Distinguished Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Assalomu alaykum.

It is my great honor to welcome you all to the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. On behalf of AIIB, I extend my deepest appreciation to the Republic of Uzbekistan for the gracious hospitality shown to the delegations for this Annual Meeting, the first in Central Asia.

Your Excellency President Mirziyoyev, it is with the greatest of pleasure that AIIB has invited its Members to Uzbekistan to witness the accelerating prosperity that is gaining increasing momentum under your visionary leadership and ambitious reform agenda. Your historic visit to AIIB’s Headquarters in January this year was most significant for our bilateral relationship. With your Government’s ambitious program of nation building projects such as New Tashkent, major investments in transport, social infrastructure like hospitals and schools, and boundless potential in renewable energy, I look forward to AIIB doubling or even tripling its investment in Uzbekistan over the next 5 to 10 years.

Distinguished Governors, we meet today at a storied center of cultural, economic and intellectual exchange. Standing at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, Samarkand’s rising prosperity began with the emergence of the Silk Road which wove across continents, tying Eurasia ever-tighter together.

With free trade and cross border investment came a steady flow of new wealth, new ideas and new technology – stimulating scientific understanding of the world as it was then known. Underpinning this flourishing prosperity was connectivity: not just physical but, more importantly, intellectual and societal.

Well-known are the underground ‘karez’ wells which nourished life in this dry climate, and the caravanserai that provided haven for intellectual exchange between travelers beyond commercial and business interests. Along these ancient arteries of infrastructure an intellectual lifeblood pulsed, circulating between nations of this region and spilling over into the wider world.

It was only several hours from here that the father of algebra,

Al-Khwarizmi, was born around 780. His ideas and writings spread to nations along the Silk Road, profoundly influencing the advance of mathematics in Europe. Indeed, his Latin name of Algoritmi is the root word for ‘algorithms’, the computations which energize today’s digital economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the ancient Silk Road serves as an inspiration to us all. Such great intellectual achievements remind us that humanity is most productive, most innovative, and most prosperous when human minds meet and mingle. When people come into contact with each other, brilliant ideas sparkle.

AIIB’s investments intend to bring regions together to ensure that global trade, technology and capital flows will continue without disruption. This helps us push the boundaries of human potential to still further distant areas. In an era of creeping geo-fragmentation, escalating climate chaos, and a hold-up in development, investing in infrastructure that connects Asia with the rest of the world is more important than ever.

Since its inception nine years ago, AIIB has resolutely supported members amidst the rough-and-tumble of global events. Over this period, AIIB has approved financing to the tune of USD54.7 billion for 285 projects across 37 members. The development outcomes are multifold, and astounding. Our projects have connected people, 710 million strong, to urban mass transport and upgraded over 49,000 kilometers of transportation infrastructure. Thanks to our projects, there are 8.7 million people who now have access to safe drinking water. Less visibly but no less important, 22.8 million tons of CO2 emissions have been quietly averted annually.

AIIB’s financing growth has been remarkable by historical standards. This is a great credit to the guidance to the Board of Governors and the Board of Directors. It is also a credit to the Bank’s management and staff, who deserve to be fully recognized and appreciated. Let us give them a big round of applause.

AIIB’s funding position continues to be firmly based on triple-A ratings by all three major credit rating agencies. This year to date, the Bank has successfully issued bonds equivalent to USD 9 billion and AIIB bonds trade in line with MDB peers. Since 2022, the Bank’s administrative expenses have been fully covered by operating income. The Bank’s financial discipline strengthens its enduring ability to grow financial support for Members over time, complementing other measures under consideration from the MDB CAF review.

Distinguished Governors, AIIB continues to double down on its client centric approach. In June this year, the structure of our investment operations was fine-tuned so as to streamline the Bank’s deployment of technical and financial expertise, and to heighten client relationships with a particular focus for private-sector financing and mobilization.

AIIB has remained laser focused on developing financial tools which help members withstand shocks and enhance resilience. In June, Climate Policy-Based Financing (CPBF) was introduced to support Members’ efforts to improve the enabling environment for climate action, helping to mobilize private capital to push for national climate plans. The introduction of CPBF marks a new milestone in the Bank’s journey towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

This new initiative underscores our dedication to building resilient infrastructure for all, and our growing role in addressing global challenges. The Bank’s climate financing is expected to exceed 60% of its lending in 2024, well above the target of 50%.

Excellencies: AIIB is truly a 21st century Bank. It is majority-owned by emerging and developing countries, follows the highest governance standards and relations between its governing bodies and clients are based on trust and client-centricity. This Bank is your Bank! AIIB’s most cherished principle is accountability. We in AIIB hold ourselves, each and every one of us, accountable for our decisions and actions. We adhere firmly to our most ardent vow made at the launch of the Bank’s operations that we will consistently live up to the expectations of our shareholders and stakeholders.

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: As we convene for our Ninth Annual Meeting, let us remember that we are building a future for generations to come. The theme of this Annual Meeting, “Building Resilient Infrastructure for All,” is not just a watchword, a call to action. It is the action! As we gather here along the ancient Silk Road, let us strive together to pave the path for sustainable development, regional and global integration, and prosperity for all.

Thank you very much.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

Remarks as Delivered

Thanks, Todd, and thanks for the warm welcome.

I am very happy to be here in Mississippi.

In just a few moments, Todd and I will meet with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to talk about the work that everyone is doing to keep Mississippi safe.

I am grateful that I have the chance to meet with our law enforcement partners here today. You do the work, the most dangerous work, protecting people in Mississippi. You are indispensable partners for us.

I am very happy to hear that the sheriff’s investigator is okay, and that the perpetrators have been arrested. Just another piece of evidence about how dangerous the work that local law enforcement does, and we are grateful for everything that you do to protect the citizens of these communities and to work with our law enforcement and our U.S. Attorney’s Office on the same mission. Thank you.

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

This U.S. Attorney’s Office is the face of the Justice Department here in the Southern District of Mississippi. When people in this District look to see what the Justice Department stands for, they look to this U.S. Attorney’s Office. I have been consistently impressed with the work that you guys do.

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

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

Just earlier this week, the FBI released a report noting an 11.6% drop in homicides last year and one of the lowest violent crime rates nationwide in 50 years.

And newly released data indicates that this trend is continuing. Earlier this month, the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee announced data from across 88 cities that indicates that violent crime has continued to decline considerably in 2024. That included a further 16.9% drop in homicides.

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

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

Last month, working with the DEA, this office secured a guilty plea from a member of a drug-trafficking organization in California that sent packages of narcotics to Mississippi. During the investigation, we seized more than 5,700 grams of methamphetamine, 236 grams of fentanyl, and 84 grams of cocaine.

In July – following a joint operation with ATF, DEA, and other federal agencies – this office secured guilty pleas from five men who participated in a scheme to purchase firearms, machinegun conversion devices, and explosives for delivery to Mexico. Three of the men sought to barter the weapons in exchange for cocaine.

In March – working with the ATF and the Clinton Police Department – this office secured a 10-year sentence for a man who illegally possessed a firearm and fired a weapon at a law enforcement officer during a high-speed chase in Jackson.

As we work together to reduce violent crime, we know that building and maintaining public trust is essential to public safety. That is why the Justice Department has taken action when that trust has been violated.

Earlier this year, the Department worked to secure [10 to 40-year] sentences against six law enforcement officers in Rankin County who violated the civil rights of Black men.

The officers kicked in the door of a home where the men were residing; handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause; called them racial slurs; and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the officers fired his gun in the mouth of a victim, the group went outside to come up with a cover story.

Those actions were a betrayal of the community the officers were sworn to protect, a betrayal of their profession, and a betrayal of their fellow officers.

To help the community rebuild trust, the Justice Department launched a civil pattern or practice investigation to examine allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department systematically violates people’s constitutional rights. We are committed to working with local officials, deputies, and the community to conduct a comprehensive investigation.

The Justice Department is also committed to providing resources necessary to support public safety here in Mississippi.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department added Jackson to its Violent Crime Initiative. That initiative surges law enforcement tools and resources to target gangs and other violent groups that threaten our communities. In particular, it directs prosecutors from the Justice Department’s headquarters Criminal Division to partner with our prosecutors here on the ground in Jackson to target the individuals who are most responsible for the violence.

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

For example, today, the Justice Department awarded nearly $300,000 to enhance the City of Jackson’s forensic science capabilities. We also awarded nearly $900,000 under our Coordinated Tribal Assistance Program, which funds Tribes’ efforts to develop comprehensive and coordinated approaches to public safety.

These grants are part of the more than $29 million that the Justice Department is awarding to organizations and government agencies in Mississippi this month to support law enforcement activities and community initiatives.

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

We remain committed to providing our law enforcement and community partners with the resources they need to protect their communities.

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

I am very proud of the public servants who make up this office. And I am equally proud of the relationships that they have built with the law enforcement agencies around this table. Those partnerships are the essence of the way in which we combat violent crime and protect our communities.

I thank you. I am looking forward to our meeting now.

MIL Security OSI –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This must stop.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And recent data indicates this trend is continuing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I look forward to our meeting.

Thank you.

MIL Security OSI –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer Delivers Remarks at the 2024 Hate Crimes Grantee Conference

Source: United States Attorneys General 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Update on postal services to Poland

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Update on postal services to Poland
Update on postal services to Poland
***********************************

Hongkong Post announced today (September 26) that, as advised by the postal administration of Poland, due to the impact of heavy rain, mail delivery services to the areas with postcodes 32xxx, 43xxx, 45xxx, 46xxx, 47xxx, 48xxx, 49xxx, 55xxx, 57xxx, 58xxx, 59xxx, 67xxx and 68xxx are subject to delay.

Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2024Issued at HKT 12:15

NNNN

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “My id” will help the winners of the “

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

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

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

Department of Information Technology Moscow.

Participants of the action “

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Funding Stopgap Through December 20, Averts Government Shutdown

US Senate News:

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

***Click here to download audio.***

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) by a vote of 78 to 18 today, extending Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations levels for federal agencies through December 20. The measure, which previously passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 341 to 82, also provides funding for the U.S. Secret Service in addition to extending expiring programs and authorities.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after voting for the short-term funding measure:

“While we averted a shutdown for next week, this CR just really punts September’s work to December,” said Cramer. “It’s a terrible way to run the government and instead of putting appropriations bills on the floor when we had plenty of time to do it, plenty of good bills that passed the Appropriations Committee, Chuck Schumer opts for political show votes and then short-term extensions. Keeping the government open is literally the least we can do, and the American people deserve a lot better than this.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Cramer: NPS Awards More Than $4 Million to Support Park Projects in Grand Forks, Turtle Mountain
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Park Service (NPS) announced an award of $4,490,000 through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) to support redevelopment projects at parks across North Dakota. The award will be distributed for the following projects:
- $3,490,000 for the Grand Forks Downtown Gateway and Greenway, an outdoor recreational area consisting of 2,200 acres.
- $1,000,000 to support the Turtle Mountain Family Recreation Areas.
The ORLP program, managed by the NPS and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, provides grants for community sponsored park projects where population is greater than 30,000 residents. Since 1965, the NPS has provided more than 40,000 LWCF grants, primarily funded with federal offshore oil and gas lease revenue, to states and local communities. LWCF awards allow states to further allocate these funds to support local public parks projects and state conservation, and expand outdoor recreation access.

In 2019, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) helped pass the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The legislation reauthorized and reformed the LWCF program to ensure states receive at least 40 percent of its funding. Grants distributed through the LWCF program are locally determined and reviewed at the state level through a process designed and managed by state partners of the NPS.
MIL OSI USA News –
January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Cramer: Department of Energy Awards Initial Funding to Project Tundra

US Senate News:

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

***Click here for audio***

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

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

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

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on Senate passage of continuing resolution

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate voted to avoid a government shutdown by continuing existing funding levels through December 20, 2024:

“This bipartisan continuing resolution prevents a catastrophic government shutdown for our country at a time when the eyes of the world are already firmly upon us. A shutdown isn’t just some federal offices closing for a few days. Service members, law enforcement officers, and federal employees work without compensation. Small businesses depending on government contracts don’t get paid. Many critical services that our government provides simply stop.

“That’s why I’m glad we were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to keep the lights on and stop playing fast and loose with the American people’s livelihoods.

“At a moment of increased threats and tension, I am glad to see that the agreement – in addition to maintaining current funding levels – provides an additional $231 million to the U.S. Secret Service to better protect presidential candidates. Candidates for office should be able to freely campaign without the fear of violence, and the Secret Service must have all the resources it needs to keep them safe. I am also pleased that this agreement provides critical resources to facilitate the presidential transition process, a bedrock principle of our democracy.

“While I am currently attending meetings alongside the U.N. General Assembly and was unable to return to Washington for this evening’s vote, I would have proudly supported this legislation on the Senate floor. Going forward, I am eager to finish the fiscal year 2025 appropriations process and fully fund our government.”

Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS).

MIL OSI USA News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI: EFI Expands Relationship with Global Strategic Partner DPI

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDONDERRY, N.H., Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electronics For Imaging, Inc. today reported its subsidiary, EFI Cretaprint S.L.U., has licensed its Building Materials digital printing business to its current global strategic partner, DPI, an innovative technology company with a network of dealers that specializes in research, development, production, sales, and service for high-speed industrial digital printing solutions.

“This strategic partnership strengthens DPI’s role as the exclusive provider of service and support for EFI’s ceramic digital printers and spare parts, leveraging EFI’s renowned know-how, trademarks, and uncompromising quality standards,” said Scott Schinlever, Chief Operating Officer for EFI’s global inkjet business. “DPI’s expanded role in delivering support to our global customer base reflects the trust and expertise they’ve demonstrated over the years. As part of this agreement, DPI will manage both current and future product and service needs, ensuring that customers continue to receive the high-quality support they have come to expect from EFI.”

With this agreement, DPI’s global network of dealers and services technicians will take on an expanded service footprint, further enhancing its capacity to meet the evolving needs of customers around the world. “This latest stage in our relationship with EFI allows us to bring comprehensive coverage for customers using these cutting-edge technologies,” said Eddie Cheng, General Manager of DPI. “We’re excited to continue building on our partnership and look forward to showcasing these products and our expanded role at the upcoming TECHNA Expo.” DPI will be exhibiting in Hall 4, Booth 104 at the TECHNA Expo, taking place 24 to 27 September in Rimini, Italy.

To learn more about EFI’s portfolio of innovative digital inkjet products and support services, visit http://www.EFI.com.

About EFI
EFI™ is a global technology company, leading the worldwide transformation from analog to digital imaging. We understand our customers want breakthrough technologies to lead them through their digital journey. That’s why we’re passionate about driving their business growth with a scalable portfolio of products, solutions, services, support, and world-class partnerships for the manufacturing of signage, packaging, textiles, ceramic tiles, building materials, commercial print, and personalized documents with a wide range of printers, inks, digital front ends, and workflow software. They work together to increase profits, cut costs, improve productivity, and optimize efficiency – job after job, year after year. We are devoted to our customers. And we definitely believe we have the right people, technology and experience to help them achieve their business goals. (http://www.efi.com)

Follow EFI online:

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EFIPrint
Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EFIPrint
View us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/EFIDigitalPrintTech

NOTE TO EDITORS: The EFI logo is a registered trademark of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. in the U.S. and/or certain other countries. EFI is a trademark of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. in the U.S. and/or certain other countries.

Nothing herein should be construed as a warranty in addition to the express warranty statements provided with EFI products and services.

Contact:
Holly O’Rourke, EFI
News3@efi.com

The MIL Network –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 211-2024: Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme: treatment provider suspended – PT. Fumindo Mandiri Sejahtera Cabang Surabaya (AEI: ID0169MB)

Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

Who does this notice affect?

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

What has changed?

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

MIL OSI News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Youth inspiring at Beaconsfield Upper

Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Submitted by CFA media

MIL OSI News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – Reserve Bank of New Zealand releases banking competition select committee submission

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua

26 September 2024 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua supports efforts to improve competition in banking services, including in agricultural and business banking. Competition is a fundamental contributor to the efficiency of the financial system, supporting broader economic prosperity and well-being.

Our submission to Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry into Banking Competition, published today, outlines the RBNZ’s financial stability mandate, and highlights areas where we can support competition in the banking sector.

We agree with the Commerce Commission’s problem definition that a more competitive banking market is desirable, Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby says.

“The Deposit Takers Act that passed in 2023 requires us to take into account competition, and we are doing so by ensuring we take a proportionate approach to regulation while focusing on managing the biggest risks to banks and the financial system.”

“We keep our rules and standards under review to ensure they can best deliver on our mandate. This includes striking the right balance between stability and competition. An example of this is our active consideration on how we can progress the recommendations for the Reserve Bank from the Commerce Commission’s market study into personal banking services,” Mr Hawkesby says

“Competition is also relevant to our other roles as a central bank, including our stewardship of the money and cash system. We are currently reviewing the access policy for our inter-bank settlement system, and investigating the potential role digital cash could play in supporting innovation in the financial system. Together with our co-regulators and industry, are working to improve Māori access to capital and basic bank accounts.”

The submission also details the Reserve Bank’s approach to setting capital requirements for different types of bank lending. These requirements are an essential tool to promote banks’ financial resilience. Capital is the funding of a bank from its owners, and acts as the buffer protecting creditors such as depositors from losses.

Our framework is based on matching the level of capital required with the underlying risk of a bank’s lending through the use of risk weights. This is consistent with global practice. We have published a new RBNZ Bulletin article alongside our submission that analyses how risk weights affect bank lending. The Bulletin highlights domestic and international evidence showing the impact of risk weights on the availability and pricing of loans is low compared to other factors.

“The Commerce Commission’s market study highlighted high levels of customer inertia as a key barrier to competition. Efforts to reduce real and perceived barriers to switching banks and supporting innovation through open banking is key to promoting competition,” Mr Hawkesby says.

More information

Submission on Finance and Expenditure Select Committee Inquiry into banking competition (PDF, 378KB) https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=4d1c93a0a3&e=f3c68946f8
Reserve Bank Bulletin: How risk weights affect bank lending https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=651ca9ee10&e=f3c68946f8
Parliament Select Committee Inquiry into Banking Competition https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=e6c8d5275e&e=f3c68946f8
Keynote speech by Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby: Resilience as a pathway to prosperity https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=b05e115364&e=f3c68946f8
RBNZ Submission on Personal banking services market study: Draft report (PDF, 355KB) https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=1163a8498b&e=f3c68946f8

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s water conservancy projects create 2.1M jobs

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

China’s investment in water conservancy projects totaled 801.94 billion yuan (114.23 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of this year, up 10.7 percent year on year, a government official said on Wednesday.

At a press conference on water conservancy infrastructure construction held in Beijing, Wang Bao’en, vice minister of water resources, said that water conservancy project construction on a massive scale has contributed to employment. Construction of such projects created nearly 2.1 million jobs in the first eight months, up 6.9 percent year on year.

Wang said that during the period, the five provinces of Hebei, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong and Anhui each posted investment exceeding 40 billion yuan in the sector.

Government data also shows that since the beginning of this year, a total of 42,000 water conservancy projects have been implemented nationwide, up 14.1 percent year on year. Among them, 28,000 are newly started projects, up 18.7 percent.

Wang said that in the next step, the Ministry of Water Resources will continue to make solid efforts to promote water conservancy infrastructure construction after the main flood season.

MIL OSI China News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China, US to keep law enforcement dialogue

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong had candid, professional and pragmatic exchanges with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas via video link on Wednesday.

Wang said that the two sides earnestly implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, adhere to mutual respect, dispute management and mutually beneficial cooperation, and have achieved many visible outcomes in areas such as drug control, repatriation of illegal immigrants and cooperation on individual cases.

China is willing to maintain communication with the U.S. at all levels, and push for steady and long-term law enforcement cooperation between the two countries. The U.S. side should attach importance to addressing China’s concerns, demonstrate sincerity with concrete actions, and remove obstacles for deepening cooperation, Wang noted.

The two sides agreed to stay in communication on important issues in the field of law enforcement.

MIL OSI China News –

January 22, 2025