Category: AM-NC

MIL-OSI Russia: Development of fish markets “Moscow – on the wave” will be discussed on the platform “City of ideas”

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

On the platform “City of Ideas” the project has started, dedicated to the fish markets “Moscow – on the wave”. They invite you to share initiatives for the development of popular gastronomic spaces until January 30. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

“City residents will offer options for events and weekly promotions, ideas for introducing new services and filling social networks of “Moscow – on the Wave”. At the same time, participants will discuss the assortment and seasonal design of fish markets,” said Natalia Sergunina.

There are two Moscow-on-the-Wave fish markets in the capital. The first opened in November 2023 in the Kosino-Ukhtomsky District, the second in September 2024 in Mitino. Visitors can expect more than 600 items of goods from three oceans and 13 seas, as well as food courts, areas for master classes and an open kitchen. Chef competitions, concerts and theatrical performances are also held here.

In 2024, the City of Ideas platform turned 10 years old. Users share suggestions on how to make life in the capital even more comfortable. The project is being developed Department of Information Technology of Moscow and the State Institution “New Management Technologies”.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Triage system, digital X-ray and 11 operating rooms: how the flagship center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov is organized

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The triage system, modern equipment, the principle of a digital clinic and 11 multidisciplinary operating rooms – doctors flagship center of the City Clinical Hospital (CCH) No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov provide emergency and planned care to patients with a wide range of illnesses. During the first month of operation, the medical facility received almost six thousand people, its specialists performed hundreds of high-tech operations and thousands of diagnostic studies.

How the new flagship is designed and equipped, what are the advantages of the “doctor to patient” principle, how advanced equipment helps save lives, and how much the Moscow healthcare system has improved thanks to the opening of the fifth emergency care center – in a report by mos.ru.

Diagnostics and treatment in one place

Flagship center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov opened December 20, 2024 on Leninsky Prospekt (building 10, block 7). The seven-story building is located on the territory of the First City Hospital, one of the oldest and largest clinics in the capital.

One of the 27 buildings of the medical facility was completely reconstructed over the course of three years to become the new flagship; it is easy to find by the signs and the blue sign with the logo of the capital city. Department of Health— the letter M enclosed in a heart. Heated overground walkways connect the building with neighboring buildings.

The center’s patients undergo a full diagnosis and, if necessary, undergo surgery, followed by recovery in intensive care and hospital treatment, as indicated.

“Our flagship center represents almost all medical specialties: surgery, traumatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, gynecology, urology and others. The staff consists of 350 people, including academicians and doctors of science. To equip the center, we purchased about 2.8 thousand units of medical equipment and furniture, including an angiographic system, a magnetic resonance imaging scanner, a whole-body X-ray computed tomography system and a mobile C-arm X-ray machine. After providing the necessary assistance, patients are either discharged for outpatient observation or sent to inpatient departments for further treatment,” says Daria Tuul, head of the emergency medical care center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov.

Red Stream for Emergency Patients

The flagship center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov meets modern medical standards. In the lobby and emergency department there are soft chairs and sofas, boxes for patients’ personal belongings, water coolers and coffee machines, snow-white calla lilies bloom in wooden tubs. Navigation stripes are applied to the floor – red, yellow and green, showing the directions of the corresponding flows, on the walls – illuminated signs and large screens for educational videos. The doors open at the touch of a button.

To the right of the main entrance is the emergency medical care department, where patients are brought by ambulances. In a spacious heated vestibule, patients are transferred to gurneys. Red category patients who require urgent care are taken to the anti-shock room, where a team of resuscitators is already waiting for them, or to the operating room.

Such patients are immediately connected to monitors that track temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, lung saturation and other vital signs. Among the modern equipment that the anti-shock room is equipped with are artificial lung ventilation and ultrasound devices, an indirect heart massage system, an anesthesia and respiratory apparatus and an electric cardiac pacemaker.

“While the ambulance is transporting the patient, the doctors collect the anamnesis and transmit the information to us online, that is, we already understand with what preliminary diagnosis and in what condition the person will be admitted, whether he has chronic diseases, where he was taken from and how long it took. All this information is displayed on the screens in the anti-shock room and the admissions department. According to the regulations, red stream patients should receive assistance in the first minutes after admission,” explains Roman Emelin, an anesthesiologist-resuscitator at the flagship center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov.

Sobyanin spoke about the new standard of emergency medical care in flagship centers Sobyanin: Healthcare system undergoing its largest modernization Moscow approves algorithm for treating female infertility

Operating rooms with telemedicine

The “heart” of the flagship center is a multidisciplinary operating block located on two floors. For the first time, City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov has an integrated digital operating room with automated data transfer, visualization and intelligent control. Sensors and high-resolution video cameras allow you to observe the surgical process in great detail on large screens and broadcast it to anywhere in the world, consulting with experts and training colleagues from Moscow and other regions.

The hybrid operating room allows for simultaneous surgical interventions for various pathologies. Thanks to sophisticated angiographic equipment, doctors can penetrate the finest vessels and simultaneously perform operations on the head, chest, abdomen or limbs without moving patients.

“In addition to the digital operating room with telemedicine and hybrid, we have nine multi-profile operating rooms equipped with the most modern equipment. Anesthesia and respiratory devices, defibrillators, endoscopic video stands, surgical microscopes, portable scanners, artificial blood circulation devices, X-ray arc and other advanced equipment allow us to perform any surgical interventions,” explains Vadim Konstantinov, a resuscitation specialist and anesthesiologist at the flagship center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov.

After the operation, patients are transferred to the intensive care unit on the second floor. There are 11 beds, including two single boxes. Patients are under constant medical supervision for 24 hours. Each bed, which is separated by thick screens, has a syringe dispenser, an artificial lung ventilation device, a vital signs monitor, and for greater comfort, heated blankets powered by the electrical network are provided. The department is equipped with defibrillators, electrocardiographs, portable ultrasound machines, and pneumatic mail. Radiologists and endoscopists visit patients, so they leave the ward only to have a CT or MRI scan. After stabilization, patients are transferred to other hospital departments, where they stay until discharge.

New clinics, artificial intelligence and digitalization: how Moscow healthcare developed in 2024 Scientific projects of Moscow medical organizations will receive grant support — Sobyanin First flagship: how the center of the V.V. Veresaev hospital accepts its first patients

Bracelets with clips

The distribution of incoming patients is done using a digital triage system. At two medical stations, their temperature, blood pressure, and pulse are measured, and after a brief anamnesis, they are distributed into yellow and green streams. Each patient receives a bracelet of the corresponding color, and if necessary, clips. Red indicates a risk of falling, yellow indicates the presence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, and turquoise indicates an allergy to medications or food.

“The red line takes patients to the anti-shock ward, and the yellow and green lines take them to the examination rooms, which are located on the first floor. There are seven of them, each with a surgeon, traumatologist, neurosurgeon, ophthalmologist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, maxillofacial surgeon, urologist and gynecologist. The center has all the latest diagnostic equipment: a CT scanner, digital X-ray, expert-class ultrasound machines, vital function monitors,” says Marat Magomedov, deputy chief physician for emergency care at the flagship center of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov.

In addition to the six-bed examination and shock wards, the first floor houses a diagnostic ward, an isolation ward for infectious patients, and five multi-profile operating rooms for emergency interventions, including hybrid and digital ones. The second floor is occupied by six operating rooms for scheduled patients, as well as an intensive care unit with 11 beds. The hospital’s inpatient departments are located from the third to the sixth floors: neurosurgery, two traumatology departments, and cardiovascular surgery. The seventh floor houses a diagnostic complex. The minus first and minus second floors are allocated for technical premises.

The center provides care on a doctor-to-patient basis. After a quick check-in at the emergency department, further examinations and procedures, except for CT and MRI, are performed at the patient’s bedside. And digitalization provides specialists with online access to patients’ medical records using tablets.

The doctors are assisted in their work by employees of the capital’s government service centers. They perform administrative functions and also create a comfortable environment for patients and their accompanying relatives.

Construction of a new clinic in Kommunarka is planned to be completed in 2025 Sobyanin spoke about the first year of work of the new centers of the Botkin Hospital Testing, examination stations and interview. How to get the status of “Moscow doctor”From the triage system to the “space” operating room: how the flagship center of the O.M. Filatov Hospital No. 15 is organized

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Renovation program: more than 5.5 thousand residents of the South-East Administrative District received new apartments last year

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

In 2024, more than 5.5 thousand city residents living in 102 old houses in the south-east of the capital completed documents for comfortable housing under the renovation program. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of City Property Maxim Gaman.

“Over 5.5 thousand Muscovites from 102 old houses received keys to apartments in new buildings in the south-east of the capital in 2024. Of these, in Lublin, over 1.4 thousand city residents signed contracts with the Department for comfortable housing under the renovation program, in Kuzminki – over 1.2 thousand people, almost 900 – in the Nizhegorodsky district. The rest live in Vykhino-Zhulebino, Kapotnya, Lefortovo, Ryazansky, Yuzhnoportovy districts and in Tekstilshchiki,” he said.

In total, last year in the South-Eastern Administrative District, the paperwork for apartments was completed and residents of 73 old houses completely moved into new buildings.

“In 2024, about 1.9 thousand families who moved to the South-East Administrative District used the city’s help in moving. Thanks to the “Moving Assistance” service, residents can order movers and a truck for free. Specialists will help to disassemble and pack things, and then move them from the old apartment to the new one. You can use the service online by leaving a request on the mos.ru portal, or at resettlement information centers, which are located on the first floors of new buildings,” said the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy

Vladislav Ovchinsky.

As noted in Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow, will help you prepare for your planned move general instructions, available in the super service “Moving under the renovation program” on the mos.ru portal. With its help, you can find out how the move is organized and get information on the documents required to draw up a contract, as well as use links to useful services. If you configure the parameters of the move, the super service will provide the opportunity to read the instructions taking into account a specific life situation.

In total, since the start of the program, more than 31.1 thousand Muscovites from 173 old buildings in the southeast have received modern housing.

In the South-Eastern Administrative District of the capital, 818 buildings, in which more than 164 thousand city residents live, are included in the renovation program.

Renovation program approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin instructeddouble the pace of program implementation.

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 national project “Infrastructure for life” The volume of construction and commissioning of residential buildings in the capital has doubled – from three million to five to seven million square meters per year.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Vintage Trams and Soviet Taxis: Moscow Transport Museum Turns Five

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The Moscow Transport Museum is celebrating five years since its opening. On January 28, 2020, it received its name and became a subordinate organization of the capital’s Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure.

“In five years of work, the Moscow Transport Museum has become one of the key transport and technical museums of the capital. On behalf of Sergei Sobyanin, we are engaged in preserving the transport heritage and strive to increase interest in it through various projects. The museum is very popular – more than one million people have already visited our exhibitions, festivals, lectures, master classes and excursions,” said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry

Maxim Liksutov.

The museum is engaged in the restoration and storage of exhibits, exhibition, publishing, research and educational activities. Its collection contains 1,515 artifacts and 237 units of equipment. There are also exhibits that are unique in world history: for example, the only horse-drawn tram from 1872 recreated on the original chassis, one of the two surviving BF tram cars in the world, a KIM-10-50 passenger car, a SVARZ crane platform, a ZIS-154 bus, as well as the only surviving B.

Since 2020, the institution’s employees have restored 20 exhibits and 76 artifacts, and performed local repairs on 16 items. Most of them can be seen in the permanent exhibition. This year, the museum continues a large-scale program to restore unique equipment, including buses, trams, metro cars, and cars.

Over five years, 32 exhibitions were held here, 59 special projects were implemented, 626 educational events, 1845 excursions were organized, and eight books were published. The museum collection was replenished with 17.5 thousand archival files and more than six thousand publications.

“From the very beginning, we created the Moscow Transport Museum as a living public space that answers an important question: what moves the city? We consider transport as part of urban culture and study it as a system, the main aspect of which is the relationship with a person. This is a museum about people and for people – all our projects, from children’s master classes to festivals for thousands, are designed to unite a variety of visitors and show them the amazing world that the topic of transport opens up. Over the past five years, the museum team has done a huge amount of work, which can be expressed in numbers, but the most significant thing is the growing love and interest in our projects and the urban culture of movement,” added Oksana Bondarenko, Director of the Moscow Transport Museum.

Exhibitions and excursions

Many major projects were implemented in the USSR Transport Pavilion at VDNKh. In 2021, the exhibition “Muscovite’s Dream” opened there (it was visited by 140 thousand people), a year later – the exhibition “You are here. Always. Today. The day after tomorrow” (it attracted 85 thousand visitors). In November last year, the exhibition opened “You look 100%!”, over 25 thousand people visited it during 2.5 months of work. In addition, the museum regularly holds thematic exhibitions at the Northern and Southern river terminals.

Since 2021, the museum has had its own tour desk. In addition to tours of the exhibition and the storage facility, employees organize walks on the metro, as well as around the Northern and Southern river terminals.

“New Era of the Moscow Metro” is the most popular year-round tour of the stations of the Big Circle Line (BCL). During the walk, guides talk about the innovative technologies used in the design of the stations, reveal the meaning of hidden messages and symbols left by the architects. Participants will learn how the design of the platforms reflects the features of the areas where the stations are located, how new lines are built, and how the metro works in general.

In summer, visitors show great interest in exploring the museum’s collections. Here you can see over 100 exhibits of passenger cars, trucks and city vehicles from the USSR – taxis, police cars, rare Moskvichs, buses and legendary cars from the 1980s. Guests are also shown how museum employees restore equipment.

The Moscow Transport Museum has introduced virtual tours of its exhibitions Simulators, installations and virtual reality: how the Moscow Transport Museum will introduce its permanent exhibition

Festivals and conferences

In 2022, the first Retroreis festival took place — since then, it has annually brought together tens of thousands of people interested in transport culture. Since 2023, as part of the city’s Night at the Museum event, the Tour of Cultures museum rally has been held, in which the capital’s largest institutions participate.

That same year, the Moscow Transport Museum organized the first scientific and practical conference, “Museums of Movement — Museums in Motion.” Its goal was to unite museum and transport communities to discuss similar tasks, as well as expand professional interaction. After the conference, an annual experience exchange program was launched.

This year, the museum team continues to work on creating a permanent exhibition, which will be located in the garage of the architect Konstantin Melnikov on Novorizhanskaya Street (building 27). The building, which is a monument of avant-garde architecture, is currently undergoing restoration. It will be returned to its historical appearance.

Moscow Transport Museum — is an open urban space and research center. Its collections include more than 250 examples of passenger cars, trucks, buses, trolleybuses, taxis, city service vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles. The exhibits can be seen at exhibitions and transport infrastructure facilities.

Simulators, installations and virtual reality: how the Moscow Transport Museum will introduce its permanent exhibition Unique roof trusses restored in Konstantin Melnikov’s garage

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “Winter in Moscow”: “Chinese New Year” venues collected in one app

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The capital will host the Chinese New Year festival for the second time from January 28 to February 9. Residents and tourists will enjoy master classes, festive processions, drum shows, performances by artists, traditional Chinese dishes and themed souvenirs.

You can see all the festival sites in the Moscow Transport app. Thanks to this, guests will be able to easily plan a route to any of them and find out a description of each.

“For the second year in a row, we have added the Chinese New Year festival to the Moscow Transport app. We have posted a poster for each of its points and added the ability to build a route to the selected site – this will allow residents and guests of the capital to plan their time. At the request of Sergei Sobyanin, we are creating more convenient and useful functions in our mobile applications for the comfort of users,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry

Maxim Liksutov.

Finding festival sites in the app is easy. To do this, you need to move the bottom menu up, go to the “Interesting” section and click on the festival logo. After all the sites open, you should select the one you need and plot a route. You can download the app by link.

The Moscow Transport app was launched in 2017. During this time, it has been downloaded more than eight million times. It combines all city routes in one service. A single platform allows users to get the best solution based on their personal needs, budget, and preferences. The app is convenient for both drivers and passengers of public transport. It makes it easy to manage the Troika card, make biometric payments for travel, order trips, buy tickets (including for river cruises), activate charging for electric vehicles at city stations, and use many other services.

Project “Winter in Moscow”— the main event of the season, which until February 28 unites various events of the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, show care for those who need it.

Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The largest festivals of the capital are organically woven into the project: “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light”, “Snow and Ice in Moscow” and many others. All information about the project and winter season events can be found in a special section Mos.ru.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road blocked, Te Poi

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

State Highway 29 at Te Poi is blocked following a serious crash.

It involved one vehicle and was reported about 8:10pm.

One person is believed to be in serious condition.

The Serious Crash Unit is attending and the road is currently blocked at the intersections of State Highway 29 and State Highway 24.

Motorists are asked to take alternate routes.

ENDS

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Financial results for nine months ended December 31, 2024

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Financial results for nine months ended December 31, 2024
Financial results for nine months ended December 31, 2024
*********************************************************

The Government announced today (January 28) its financial results for the nine months ended December 31, 2024. Expenditure and revenue from April to December 2024 amounted to HK$524.2 billion and HK$349.7 billion respectively, resulting in a deficit of HK$70.5 billion after taking into account HK$114.6 billion received from issuance of Government Bonds and repayment of HK$10.6 billion principal on Government Bonds. 　 A Government spokesperson said that the deficit for the period was mainly due to the fact that some major types of revenue including salaries and profits taxes are mostly received towards the end of a financial year. The revised estimates for the current financial year will be published along with the 2025-26 Budget. 　 The fiscal reserves stood at HK$664.1 billion as at December 31, 2024. 　 Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2. TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)

Month endedDecember 31, 2024HK$ million
Nine months endedDecember 31, 2024HK$ million

Revenue
101,403.9
349,677.1

Expenditure
(52,635.2)
(524,217.4)

Surplus / (Deficit) before issuance and repayment of Government Bonds
48,768.7
(174,540.3)

Proceeds received from issuance of Government Bonds
23,934.7
114,588.2

Repayment of Government Bonds*
(38.0)
(10,555.5)

Surplus / (Deficit) after issuance and repayment of Government Bonds
72,665.4
(70,507.6)

Financing

Domestic

Banking Sector (Note 2)
(72,152.2)
67,227.5

Non-Banking Sector
(513.2)
3,280.1

External
–
–

Total
(72,665.4)
70,507.6

* Being repayment of principal on Government Bonds and does not include the associated interest and other expenses.

Government Debts as at December 31, 2024 (Note 3) HK$293,210 millionDebts Guaranteed by Government as at December 31, 2024 (Note 4) HK$132,387 million TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES

Month endedDecember 31, 2024HK$ million
Nine months endedDecember 31, 2024HK$ million

Fiscal Reserves at start of period
591,412.4
734,585.4

Consolidated Surplus / (Deficit) afterissuance and repayment of Government Bonds
72,665.4
(70,507.6)

Fiscal Reserves at end of period(Note 5)
664,077.8
664,077.8

Notes: 1. This Account consolidates the General Revenue Account and the following eight Funds: Capital Works Reserve Fund, Capital Investment Fund, Civil Service Pension Reserve Fund, Disaster Relief Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund, Land Fund, Loan Fund and Lotteries Fund. It excludes the Bond Fund, the balance of which is not part of the fiscal reserves. The Bond Fund balance as at December 31, 2024, was HK$229,943 million. 2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks. 3. The Government Debts, with proceeds credited to the Capital Works Reserve Fund, comprise: (i) the Green Bonds (equivalent to HK$203,686 million as at December 31, 2024) issued under the Government Sustainable Bond Programme. They were denominated in US dollars (US$9,950 million with maturity from January 2026 to January 2053), euros (5,330 million euros with maturity from January 2025 to November 2041), Renminbi (RMB39,000 million with maturity from January 2025 to July 2054) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$42,000 million with maturity from May 2025 to October 2026); (ii) the Infrastructure Bonds (equivalent to HK$34,597 million as at December 31, 2024) issued under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. They were denominated in Renminbi (RMB6,000 million with maturity from December 2025 to November 2034) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$28,230 million with maturity from November 2025 to December 2039); and (iii) the Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$54,927 million (with maturity in October 2027 and may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders) issued under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$178,169 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,764 million as at December 31, 2024) issued under the Government Bond Programme with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund. Of these bonds under the Government Bond Programme (including Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$96,669 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$53,357 million will mature within the period from January 2025 to December 2025 and the rest within the period from January 2026 to May 2042. 4. Includes guarantees provided under the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme launched in 2012, and the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Cross-boundary Passenger Transport Trade, the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Battery Electric Taxis and the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Travel Sector launched in 2023. 5. Includes HK$249,751 million, being the balance of the Land Fund held in the name of “Future Fund”, for long-term investments up to December 31, 2030. The Future Fund also includes HK$4,800 million, being one-third of the actual surplus in 2015-16 as top-up.

Ends/Tuesday, January 28, 2025Issued at HKT 16:30

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Advance release calendar for monthly financial results

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Advance release calendar for monthly financial results
Advance release calendar for monthly financial results
******************************************************

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region releases a monthly summary of its financial results and debts in compliance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard. The timetable for the release of the monthly data for the 2025-26 financial year is as follows:

Month
Release date

———-
—————–

April 2025
May 30, 2025

May 2025
June 30, 2025

June 2025
July 31, 2025

July 2025
August 29, 2025

August 2025
September 30, 2025

September 2025
October 31, 2025

October 2025
November 28, 2025

November 2025
December 31, 2025

December 2025
January 30, 2026

January 2026
February 27, 2026

February 2026
March 31, 2026

March 2026 (provisional)
April 30, 2026

In addition to press releases, the summary of financial results and debts will also be published on the Treasury’s website (www.try.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, January 28, 2025Issued at HKT 16:30

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP announces one new melioidosis case

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

CHP announces one new melioidosis case
CHP announces one new melioidosis case
**************************************

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 28) said that one new melioidosis case had been recorded in the past four days (January 24 to 27). The case involves a 70-year-old male with underlying illnesses who lives in Sham Shui Po. He developed dysuria with difficulty in passing urine on January 21. He attended Caritas Medical Centre the next day and was admitted for treatment. His clinical sample was confirmed to be positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei upon testing. The CHP is investigating the infection source of the case. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing. So far, two melioidosis cases have been recorded in Hong Kong this year. In 2024, 23 melioidosis cases were recorded. A spokesman for the CHP stressed that person-to-person transmission and animal-to-human transmission are rare, but the bacteria causing melioidosis can survive in the local environment. Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Hong Kong and melioidosis cases have been recorded in Hong Kong each year. According to literature, melioidosis cases are more common after typhoons or rainstorms. The bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei in soil and muddy water may become exposed to the ground after typhoons or rainstorms, and the bacteria could spread more easily with strong winds or rainstorms. As such, the number of melioidosis cases may increase. With this in mind, the spokesman reminded members of the public that, where practicable, people should stay indoors during typhoons and rainstorms, avoid travelling to areas with potential flooding, and do not wade in or have contact with muddy water and soil. In addition, high-risk individuals should avoid paths near stormwater drains where aerosols may be generated from contaminated water. Members of the public should also take the following preventive measures against infection:

Avoid contact with contaminated soil;
Wear appropriate protective clothing or footwear when participating in activities with possible contact with soil or water, e.g. using gloves and wearing boots. High-risk individuals may also consider wearing a surgical mask;
Wash or shower after exposure to contaminated water or soil;
Always clean any wounds as soon as possible and cover them with waterproof dressings;
Wash hands with liquid soap and water after handling soil or gardening;
Observe food hygiene and avoid drinking raw water; and
Travellers can contract the disease through outdoor water sports. Risk of infection can be minimised by avoiding exposure to water sources (such as rivers, ponds or lakes) that might be contaminated.

The CHP appealed to members of the public to seek medical advice if they develop symptoms, in particular people with diabetes or other immunocompromising conditions, in order to receive an appropriate medical diagnosis and treatment. For more information on melioidosis, please visit the website of the CHP at www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/24/101110.html.

Ends/Tuesday, January 28, 2025Issued at HKT 16:30

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stricter age-verification checks for all knife retailers
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Stricter age verification checks and a ban on doorstep drops will be introduced to greater protect young people from knife crime.
Image: Getty Images

These new measures will also prevent weapons getting into the wrong hands.

A stringent 2-step system will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online requiring customers to submit photo ID at point of sale and again on delivery. In addition, delivery companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it.

The government has an ambitious mission to halve knife crime within a decade as part of the Plan for Change and a core element of this will be addressing problems in the online sales space.

Under the new measures a person may need to submit a copy of a photo ID such as driving licence or passport, as well as proof of address such as a utility bill, before showing ID again when the package is delivered. This could also include a person submitting a current photo or video of themselves to an online retailer alongside their ID.

It will also be illegal to leave a package containing a bladed weapon on a doorstep when no one is in to receive it.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

It’s a total disgrace how easy it still is for children to get dangerous weapons online.

More than two years after Ronan Kanda was killed with a ninja sword bought by a teenager online, too many retailers still don’t have proper checks in place.

It’s too easy to put in false birth dates, parcels are too often being dropped off at a doorstop with no questions asked.

We cannot go on like this. We need much stronger checks – before you buy, before it’s delivered.

The measures I am setting out today will be crucial in addressing this problem and are part of our Plan for Change and mission to make streets safer.

Last year the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, the national police lead on knife crime, to carry out a full review into the online sale and delivery of knives.

The full report is expected at the end of the month and stronger ID checks are one of the recommendations.

We have also already announced that we will hold social media executives to account for knife crime related content which glorifies and incites violence amongst young people. Senior execs of social media companies will face significant fines in the region of £10,000 for failing to swiftly remove knife crime related content from their platforms.

The measures announced today are set to be included as part of the Crime and Policing Bill which is expected to be introduced to Parliament by spring, with more proposals still to come in the coming weeks.

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Published 28 January 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The main works on the renovation of the park in the Teply Stan district have been completed

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Specialists from the Moscow City Services Complex have completed the main renovation work on the park located at the intersection of Teply Stan and Akademika Vinogradova streets. They were carried out as part of improving the transport and pedestrian accessibility of the Generala Tyuleneva station on the Troitskaya metro line.

“The park’s special feature is its unusual small architectural forms – these are structures that resemble the crown of a palm tree, the “Oasis” swing, the canopy of which also resembles palm branches, as well as round benches and a pergola-arbor. In the spring, seasonal elements will be added to them, such as chess tables. In total, there will be more than 100 small architectural forms in the park,” said the deputy head of the capital’s Department of Capital Repairs

Anton Akulov.

The park, with an area of 15.1 thousand square meters, is located next to a residential area.

In addition to the arrangement of convenient approaches and entrances to metro stations, an important task was to create a comfortable urban environment for local residents.

Nearby is the Sergei Andriaka Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts. To play on the theme of the institution, the benches in the park were made in the form of multi-colored drops of paint.

Old worn-out tiles were replaced with new ones on areas with a total area of over four thousand square meters. For comfortable and safe evening walks, 95 modern street lamps of bright yellow color were installed.

A children’s science playground was created in the play area intended for children aged seven to 12 years. This new development appeared recently. It combines an educational approach with a game format. Children on such playgrounds not only have fun, but also learn something new and become familiar with physical phenomena.

The park has five themed elements of the scientific playground. By mastering the “Electric Maze” and “Electric Circuit” modules, children learn the principles of electrical engineering. The “Cinema” element fascinates even adults: by rotating the disks and looking into the window, a person immerses himself in the world of illusions created by the movement of the picture. With the help of the “Shadow Theater” element, children can create their own performances, choosing the silhouettes of animals and other images that they want to show. Another element is “Morse Code”, during the game, children can encrypt and transmit a message, and then ask their friends on the intercom whether they understood them correctly.

In 1941, the main line of the Moscow defense zone passed through the Teply Stan area, workers left for the front from here, and in 2022, a memorial sign dedicated to four divisions of the people’s militia was installed in the park. Patriotic events are now often held here. As part of the improvement, the area around the monument was tidied up.

In addition, specialists expanded the area around the dry fountain to use this place for various district events. Now there is a decorated New Year tree here.

In the spring, it is planned to lay a lawn in the park. The soil for it has already been prepared.

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.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University student joins leadership of St. Petersburg Youth Parliament

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

Varvara Bucherova, a Master’s student at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, a resident of the student association “Laboratory of Public Administration”, a member of the youth council of the Kalininsky district and an ambassador of Smolny in SPbPU, was elected Deputy Chairperson of the Youth Parliament of St. Petersburg.

The Youth Parliament is an advisory and consultative body under the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. The selection of candidates took place in three stages. 570 people submitted applications. A special commission, based on a number of criteria, determined 150 participants in the next stage – a business game, which helped to evaluate the skills and abilities of the candidates. Based on its results, a pool of 64 participants was formed for the third stage – voting for candidates. At this stage, the candidates were supported by more than 71 thousand people. 32 candidates entered the parliament.

Varvara told us in an interview how she achieved such heights.

— How did you prepare for the competition for this position? Did you have any doubts about whether you were ready to take on such responsibility?

— I was worried until the very end about whether I would be able to become deputy chairman or not. For the most part, everything depended on who would be the chairman, because I hoped that I would work with Filipp Chufistov, whom I already knew. In terms of preparation, I was required to do one thing — a speech for nomination, which was not difficult for me.

— Why did you choose the “State and Municipal Administration” program when you applied?

— In the eleventh grade, I attended preparatory courses at SPbPU, I think that gave me a push. There were many people there who recommended the direction “State and Municipal Administration”.

— How did the knowledge you gained at university help you adapt to your new responsibilities?

— At the university, I gained my first management experience, which will undoubtedly be useful to me. Thanks to the Polytechnic, my colleagues and I were able to create a student association, the Public Administration Laboratory.

— Have you had any moments of doubt or failure on your way to this position?

— Of course, I had my doubts, since the election of deputy chairmen is conducted by secret ballot, where a candidate must gain a majority of votes from the total number of members. In other words, if there was a quorum, it was necessary to gain at least 26 votes, regardless of the number of members of parliament present. I managed to gain 37 votes.

— What do you think is the most important quality of a successful leader?

— I believe that the most important quality of a successful leader is the ability to listen and hear his team. Of course, there is a whole set of qualities that are necessary for a leader, for example, the ability to speak correctly, organize the work process and delegate tasks, but it is the skill of building high-quality communication with the team that allows you to lead it and be 100% confident in it.

— What role do mentors play in your professional development?

— A huge role in most of my achievements and projects is played by mentors, to whom I can always turn. First of all, these are IPMEiT teachers, associate professors of HSAU Maxim Ivanov and Tamara Selentyeva. They are always ready to help, answer any questions, support in difficult times. In addition, another mentor of mine is Nikita Golubov, Chairman of the Youth Council of the Kalininsky District of St. Petersburg. He has his own, no less effective, mentoring methods. He always provides an opportunity to reach a completely new level, even if you are not ready for it. This gives the skill to find a way out of any situation.

— How do you plan to use this experience for further professional growth? Are there any specific goals you want to achieve in the near future?

— In the near future, I plan to organize work in the Youth Parliament, defend my master’s thesis, and try to enroll in graduate school. The experience I will gain will definitely help me in building my future career.

— What advice would you give to a young professional starting out in their career?

— My advice is to participate everywhere, always and in everything: olympiads, competitions, case championships. Sooner or later you will succeed. The main thing to remember is that you are gaining experience, which gives you an impetus for further development.

Vladimir Shchepinin, Director of IPMEiT, joined in the congratulations: I am proud that the students of our institute achieve such heights during their student years. Varvara Bucherova was elected to such a responsible position in the Youth Parliament under the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. This achievement demonstrates her leadership qualities, active civic position and desire to contribute to the development of our society. I am confident that she will successfully cope with her new responsibilities and will continue to benefit the city and the country.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Development Asia: Simple Interventions, Big Impact: Using Nudges to Promote Handwashing in Sri Lankan Primary Schools

Source: Asia Development Bank

The pilot provided proof of concept for school handwashing nudges in Sri Lanka. It demonstrated that nudges can significantly increase handwashing rates, even without behavior change communication.

A future scale-up of the pilot should explore whether adding nudge elements (e.g., painted “observing eyes” above the handwash area) could help reduce the impact difference between boys and girls.

Handwashing nudges must be adapted to the context of each school. The number, design, and placement of facilities vary greatly, making a one-size-fits-all approach impractical. Involving local stakeholders in the design process helps optimize this adaptation.

The timing of nudge installation is crucial to allow sufficient time for habits to take root. Research shows that habit formation can take from a few weeks to several months, depending on the behavior’s complexity and the individual’s context.

The project showed that three weeks were insufficient for some students to acquire a sustained habit, highlighting the need for extended periods to reinforce new handwashing with soap behaviors.

Repeated exposure to the nudges and longer sustained practice of handwashing may help solidify these behaviors into lasting habits.

Behavioral “nudges” should be a key tool for policymakers and program designers. Evidence from Sri Lanka demonstrates that nudges have the potential to drastically improve handwashing with soap in schools. They also require little to no additional time from teachers, unlike traditional hygiene-education methods, which often demand significant human resources to be effective.

Moving forward, collaboration across sectors will be essential to ensure the effective implementation and expansion of this strategy, driving improvements in both public health and education outcomes.

The pilot demonstrated the effectiveness of nudges to significantly increase student handwashing rates, contributing to public health in schools and their communities. By fostering these habits in educational settings, this can instill lifelong health practices and create healthier communities. A video of this initiative can be found here.

^[1] The five primary schools in the pilot projects are Baptist Primary School, Biyagama; Dharmadassi Primary School, Biyagama; Kudabuthgamuwa Primary School, Kolonnawa; Wellampitya Primary School, Kolonnawa (Western Province); and Kirindagama Primary School, Kirinda (Southern Province).

MIL OSI Economics –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “Winter in Moscow”: VDNKh became the venue for the “Moscow Tea Party” festival

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

VDNKh has become one of the venues for the Moscow Tea Party festival, which is being organized as part of the project “Winter in Moscow”Ice shows, folk festivals and traditional Russian games will take place here.

On February 1 at 11:00 and 13:00 and on February 2 at 11:00, 13:00, 17:30 and 19:30, the largest skating rink in the capital will host a performance with the participation of professional figure skaters. Spectators will enjoy a festive atmosphere, bright costumes, dancing and familiar melodies. Entrance by tickets to the skating rink.

Throughout the winter season, the skating rink hosts master classes, competitions, costume parties, themed performances, morning exercises, night skating and other events.

On weekends until February 22, from 12:00 to 15:30, open-air folk festivities are held behind pavilion No. 58 “Agriculture”. The program includes musical and theatrical performances by artists, as well as Russian traditional games. Admission is free. On January 24, the program was opened by the folklore ensemble “Slavyane” of the Moscow State Academic Theater “Russian Song” under the direction of People’s Artist of Russia Nadezhda Babkina.

This year, the VDNKh skating rink is located in its traditional location — between pavilions No. 1 “Central” and No. 58 “Agriculture”. The ice rink goes around the fountains “Friendship of Peoples” and “Stone Flower”. The area of the artificial surface is more than 20 thousand square meters. About five thousand people can be here at the same time.

Project “Winter in Moscow”— the main event of the season, which until February 28 unites various events of the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, show care for those who need it.

Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The project organically intertwined with the largest festivals of the capital “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light”, “Snow and Ice in Moscow” and many others. All information about the project and the events of the winter season can be found in a special section of mos.ru.

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https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149279073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: 16.7 thousand entrances of residential buildings to be repaired in the capital

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

This year, specialists from the city services complex will carry out repairs in 16.7 thousand entrances of apartment buildings. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

“Maintaining the entrances of residential buildings in a standard condition is under special control, therefore a unified approach to carrying out routine repairs of these premises has been developed in the capital,” noted Pyotr Biryukov.

The mandatory list includes painting of entrance groups, ceilings and walls. Electrical wiring will also be put away in special boxes. Specialists will renew the thermal insulation of pipelines, wall cladding, mailboxes, steps, railings, and other damaged elements and structures. If necessary, they will repair window and door units in halls and vestibules, railings and steps, replace floor signs and lighting fixtures.

The head of the city economy complex specified that residents are warned in advance about the dates of the start of repairs. The corresponding announcements will be posted on information boards and in public places.

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.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name release: Fatal crash, SH73, Arthurs Pass

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police can now release the name of the man who died following a crash on State Highway 73, Arthurs Pass on Sunday.

He was 54-year-old Paul Wilcock, of Kumara.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Funding applications available for National Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week events

Source: Government of Western Australia

The City is encouraging community groups hosting National Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week events to apply for community funding.

The Community Funding Program supports local activities, projects and events that benefit the wider community.

The City has up to $5,925 per grant for incorporated associations hosting National Reconciliation Week (27 May-3 June) and NAIDOC Week (6-13 July) activities and events.

Mayor Linda Aitken said she encouraged community groups and sporting clubs to apply for the funding to support events in the City.

“This program supports the City’s commitment to continuously working towards improving relationships, opportunities and respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians,” she said.

“Last year, through our Flagship Funding stream, we supported the Mookaroo Festival held by Ngulla Koort Indigenous Corporation.

“Over 2,000 people went along and enjoyed a wonderful family day out, with food stalls, performances, storytelling and children’s activities.”

Funding can also be used to facilitate Welcome to Country acknowledgements at events.

The National Reconciliation Week 2025 theme is Bridging Now to Next, reflecting the ongoing connection between past, present and future.

NAIDOC Week’s theme of ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,’ celebrates the achievement of the past and bright future ahead.

Find out more and submit your application at wanneroo.wa.gov.au/communityfunding.

NAIDOC Week grants are also open via the NAIDOC website and close on 20 February.

MIL OSI News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Vice Chair Murray, Ranking Member DeLauro Raise Alarm on New OMB Memoranda, Trump Administration’s Efforts to Defy Federal Law, Constitution to Withhold Approved Federal Funding

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
WASHINGTON — Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro today wrote to Acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Matthew J. Vaeth raising the alarm on President Trump’s unlawful executive orders and the new memoranda issued by OMB on Monday directing agencies to withhold vast swaths of approved federal funding.
In the letter, Murray and DeLauro wrote, “As leaders of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, we write with extreme alarm about the Administration’s efforts to undermine Congress’s power of the purse, threaten our national security, and deny resources for states, localities, American families, and businesses.”
“The President has issued a number of Executive Orders to unilaterally freeze or contravene critical funding provided in bipartisan laws, sowing chaos across states, families, and communities. In that vein, you have now issued a series of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memoranda that only further disarray and inefficiency—in particular, M-25-13, pursuant to which agencies will be ordered to stop vast swaths of federal financial assistance to states, families, and communities as of 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, January 28,” continued Murray and DeLauro. “The scope of what you are ordering is breathtaking, unprecedented, and will have devastating consequences across the country. We write today to urge you in the strongest possible terms to uphold the law and the Constitution and ensure all federal resources are delivered in accordance with the law.”
“While we may have strong policy disagreements, we should all be united in upholding our nation’s laws and the Constitution. We will be relentless in our work with members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to protect Congress’s power of the purse. The law is the law—and we demand you in your role as Acting OMB Director reverse course to ensure requirements enacted into law are faithfully met and the nation’s spending laws are implemented as intended,” concluded the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.
The full text of the letter is here. Fact sheets detailing how presidents lack power to unilaterally override spending laws and deny enacted funding to communities through impoundment can be found here and here.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Humor of the highest level. Polytechnicians performed brilliantly at the KiViN festival

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

From January 12 to 25, the 36th International KVN Team Festival “KiViN-2025” was held in sunny Sochi. The Polytechnicians returned from there with triumph – a ticket to the Central KVN League! The festival became a real arena, where 450 teams from Russia and neighboring countries competed for a place in one of the KVN leagues: Official, Central or Television.

The competition was incredible, and among the editors were KVN stars such as Dmitry Bushuev (First League), Mikhail Marfin (Major League) and Leonid Kuprido (International League). This added tension and excitement.

The Polytechnic University was represented by two teams at once: the daring and ambitious Cherchez la Femme and the already well-known in the vastness of St. Petersburg Velikim Byt. The Cherchez la Femme team debuted at the festival, but the girls already have two years of productive play in KVN on their native Polytechnic stage and successful seasons in the Malaya Neva and Fontanka leagues behind them. On the first day of the festival, the ladies in blue delighted the jury and spectators with a tightly assembled program and relevant jokes, becoming a real discovery!

We collected the best jokes of the season and tried to fit them into one performance. Our Masha even sawed a garbage can! It was cool! – shared 2nd year student of IPMET Daria Mukhtedinova.

On the fifth day of the festival, the legendary team “Velikim Byt’” (Great Will Be) took to the stage, known for its performances in the Murmansk, Samara and Moscow student leagues. Thanks to careful preparation and boundless love for creating large-scale props, the team in green uniform was remembered by the jury for its polished roles and jokes and received an “increased rating” – the coveted ticket to the Central League!

Preparations for KiViN began before the New Year. We sent our performance to the editors, and they helped collect the best. Coming up with the props was not as difficult as finding or making them. We had to travel around the resort town and meet the locals. The Sochi festival is the main event for every KVN player. We are glad that we were able to show our best material, – said 4th year student of IPMET Erika Patrusheva.

The student club is actively developing the KVN movement at the Polytechnic University, annually attracting many teams that from the first year begin to participate in the city leagues of St. Petersburg and win their first awards, – noted the deputy director of the SPbPU Student Club Angelina Kulanova.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Macao SAR hosts diverse celebrations for Chinese New Year

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is hosting a series of celebrations combining traditional and modern elements to welcome the Chinese New Year, or the Year of the Snake, which will fall on Wednesday.
The New Year Market, organized by the SAR’s Municipal Affairs Bureau at Tap Seac Square, started last Wednesday and will last seven consecutive days. In addition to booths offering New Year gifts, festive flowers, and snacks, the event also featured cultural performances, a large floral exhibition, and New Year decorations.
From the end of January to the end of February, in Macao’s Barra District, the “Barra Lucky Blessing Market” was to bring a selection of workshops for New Year prints from Beijing’s Prince Kung’s Palace Museum, popular music performances, and booths of trendy goods.
James Wong, a market participant and a representative of small and medium-sized enterprises, told Xinhua that the market had given him a platform to meet more people and expand his business.
Several cultural and artistic venues have exhibitions on display, adding to the festive vibe. For example, the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) held the “Palace of Double Brilliance: Special Exhibition from the Palace Museum,” lasting until March 2.
The MAM exhibition coordinator, Zhao Kaixin, told Xinhua that the MAM has been cooperating with the Palace Museum for many years. She said she hopes this year’s exhibition will provide residents and visitors with historical treasures and articulate the beauty of the Chinese culture.
According to the SAR’s tourism office, the Chinese New Year Parade will be held on Jan. 31 and Feb. 8 in the evening. The parade floats will also be displayed at the Macao Fisherman’s Wharf and Tap Seac Square.
As a signature celebration of Macao during the Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year fireworks displays will be performed on the Seafront of Macao Tower in three editions on Jan. 31, Feb. 4, and Feb. 12, said the tourism office.
As indicated by the SAR’s Public Security Police Force, during the Chinese Spring Festival holiday, it was estimated that Macao will see between 5.04 million and 5.36 million entries and exits, with an average of 630,000 to 670,000 people daily. This represents a 3 percent or more increase compared to 2024.
Ms. Shangguan, from Shanghai, traveled to Macao with her friends before the Spring Festival. She expressed that she was fortunate to participate in various New Year celebrations and had a great experience. “These past few days, I’ve felt the strong festive atmosphere,” she said.

MIL OSI China News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese celebrate Spring Festival with traditions, travels and shopping spree

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

With traditional fairs and shopping and travel booms over this year’s extended holiday, China is about to ring in the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake, the first since its inclusion into the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list.
For Chinese across the world, the Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, festive traditions, holiday shopping and diverse cultural and tourism activities. This year, it falls on Jan. 29 with hundreds of millions of people traveling to reunite with families in the world’s largest annual human migration.
Celebrations today highlight both traditional and modern elements, from temple fairs, lantern displays, lion dances and intangible cultural heritage bazaars to village galas, light and drone shows, museum exhibitions, and travels at home and abroad.
This year, festive glee and activities are further boosted by the UNESCO recognition, pro-consumption policies and the extension of the traditional seven-day holiday by an extra day.

A performance is staged at the Hetou ancient street scenic area in Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province, Jan. 26, 2025. China is alive with vibrant celebrations with the Spring Festival just around the corner. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)
FAMILY REUNIONS AND TRADITIONAL FESTIVITIES
For migrant workers like Zhang Changfu, a native of Baise in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, the Spring Festival offers a rare opportunity for a family reunion.
“I’ve been working away from home for 20 years, but I return home every Spring Festival,” said Zhang, 41, who works as a machinist in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, adding that he is looking forward to taking his family to the local temple fair.
The temple fair, a panoply of folk performances, local delicacies and traditional handicrafts, is a familiar sight at this time of year. While such activities contain more traditional elements in the countryside, large cities like Beijing and Shanghai have a tradition of holding large-scale fairs.
For others, like Lin Jia who works in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, Spring Festival is the perfect time for a family tour. Lin’s parents and grandmother have traveled from Hunan Province to join her for the holiday.
Lin plans to take them sightseeing around the city after a New Year’s Eve dinner at a hotpot restaurant. “It’s both a reunion and a mini vacation,” she said.
This year, many cities are holding more traditional festive activities, motivated by the inscription of the Spring Festival on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December. The southwestern megacity of Chongqing has planned more than 100 intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, bazaars and performances during the holiday.
“We hope visitors can feel the strong festive ambiance and the special charm of our cultural heritage,” said Tang Mao, the organizer of a cultural heritage bazaar in Chongqing’s bustling Jiefangbei commercial area, where over 40 artisans display traditional crafts like paper-cutting, New Year picture drawing and sugar-figure making.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING
For centuries, shopping has been a crucial part of Spring Festival preparations: from nice food to new clothes and carefully chosen gifts.
Liu Fengmei, a woman in her 70s in Shanghai, traveled over an hour by subway to First Foodhall, a time-honored food store on the iconic Nanjing Road, to stock up on traditional holiday snacks.
A long queue is seen outside the store, which, like many across the country at this time of the year, is filled with festive decorations and a dazzling array of traditional foods.
Following the UNESCO recognition, Chinese consumers also appear to be particularly interested in goods with a cultural festival flair.
Li Gang with the Ministry of Commerce said sales of neo-Chinese-style jewelry and goods featuring intangible cultural heritages have grown by 52.6 percent and 26.6 percent in the month-long online shopping event for the festival initiated by the ministry.
In recent years, the Spring Festival shopping lists have included more imported goods, reflecting Chinese people’s rising purchasing power and growing appetite for imported quality goods.
Earlier this month, a cargo ship loaded with 20,000 tonnes of Chilean cherries arrived at the Nansha Port in south China’s Guangzhou, perfectly timed to offer a festive treat for millions ahead of the Spring Festival.
“Chilean cherries, Australian lobsters and Russian snow crabs … the prices of imported products are quite attractive, so I plan to prepare a New Year’s Eve dinner that blends both Chinese and foreign flavors,” said a customer surnamed Guo at a store of fresh-food chain Freshippo in Beijing.
Driven by government-subsidized trade-in programs, mobile phones, wearable devices, and green and smart home appliances are also highly sought-after items ahead of the festival, according to the ministry.
“Spending on New Year’s goods can offer a glimpse into the resilience and vitality of consumption throughout the year,” said Hong Tao, director of the Institute of Business Economics at Beijing Technology and Business University, who expects a new wave of holiday consumption growth.
Tourists take a selfie at Jiangjunshan Ski Resort in Altay, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 21, 2025. As the Spring Festival approaches, Altay in Xinjiang has ushered in peak tourist season. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
HOLIDAY TRAVEL
In addition to local festivities, many are venturing farther afield to make the most of the eight-day Spring Festival holiday.
Fang Xue, a resident of Shanghai, plans to take her parents on a holiday trip to Shantou, a coastal city in Guangdong Province. “Traveling during the Spring Festival has become quite fashionable,” Fang said. “My parents in their 80s are very eager to travel.”
The extended holiday has given a boost to the travel industry. While tourist cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Chengdu are attracting large numbers of holidaymakers, smaller cities are also getting more travelers who wish to savor celebrations with local flavors, according to Fliggy, a leading online travel agency.
“Expectations for intangible cultural heritage activities are especially high during the first Spring Festival after the UNESCO recognition,” said Wang Liyang, operations manager at Fliggy.
Thanks to China’s further easing of visa policies, many Chinese cities are also witnessing an influx of international visitors, with many eager to experience the festival traditions.
“The UNESCO heritage status gives Spring Festival worldwide recognition and increases its appeal to international tourists,” said Zhou Huijie, an analyst at Trip.com research institute.
Trip.com Group has estimated that inbound bookings would jump by 203 percent during the Spring Festival, with tourists from the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Australia, Thailand and Britain topping the list.
Lukas Muller from Germany is traveling in northeast China’s Jilin Province for skiing and to experience the Spring Festival.
“My friends and I will experience Chinese New Year up close, including eating dumplings, putting up spring couplets, setting off fireworks, and many other customs I’m not familiar with yet,” he said, also praising China’s visa-free policy that facilitated his trip.
Spring Festival serves as the most direct cultural window to understand the Chinese people and it is also a traditional festival with the most Chinese cultural characteristics, said Feng Jicai, a renowned Chinese writer who has long championed intangible cultural heritage protection.

MIL OSI China News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Spring Festival: A Chinese tradition with growing global appeal

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Set against a vibrant orange backdrop, a bold green snake rises proudly on a commemorative stamp issued by La Poste Group, France’s postal service, earlier this month to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. 2025 marks the 21st consecutive year France has celebrated the Spring Festival with zodiac-themed stamps.

Actors perform the lion dance during the Lunar New Year celebration at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua)
At the close of 2024, UNESCO added the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year, to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A year earlier, the 78th UN General Assembly recognized the Chinese New Year as an official UN holiday, underscoring the festival’s growing global presence.
Spring Festival customs are now celebrated in nearly 200 countries and regions, with almost 20 nations designating it as an official public holiday. Each year, around one-fifth of the global population takes part in this cherished tradition.
CUSTOMS WITH GLOBAL APPEAL
Spring Festival’s core customs — celebrating family reunions, wishing for good fortune and creating traditional crafts — captivate cultural enthusiasts worldwide with its unique approach to welcoming the new year.
In the Hungarian capital of Budapest, the streets of Chinatown bustled with a two-day Spring Festival celebration. Visitors took part in dumpling-making, calligraphy workshops and lantern crafting. This vibrant celebration mirrors a global trend where Spring Festival traditions are increasingly embraced across diverse cultures.
“It’s amazing to see the performances and learn about traditions that are so different yet so universal,” said Kata Szabo, a local resident who attended the event with her young daughter.

People watch a demonstration of sugar figure art during a temple fair celebrating the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Hao)
To Giacomo Bechini, a 29-year-old web designer from Florence, Italy, this year’s Spring Festival is more than a holiday: It is an opportunity to connect with his wife’s Chinese heritage and immerse himself in the festival’s traditions.
His fascination with the Chinese Lunar Calendar, a lunisolar dating system, has deepened his appreciation even further. “It’s incredible how the Spring Festival is tied to a different calendar. I’ve been learning about its symbolic meanings and how the festivities last for days,” Bechini said.
For Tichaona Zimuto, a 34-year-old professional acrobat from Zimbabwe, Spring Festival traditions have evolved from a simple interest into a meaningful practice. About two weeks ago, Zimuto and his group, Blackstar Acrobatics, captivated a local audience in Harare with a rhythmic lion dance performance during a Spring Festival celebration.
The lion dance, which originated in ancient China, blends dance, music and martial arts, with performers mimicking a lion’s movements in elaborate costumes. This traditional art has grown on Zimuto over the past year.
“When I was wearing the lion dance costume, I just felt excited. I just felt great, something special. I just felt like a lion, a real lion,” he said.

A lion dance performance is staged at the 4th edition of the Chinese New Year cultural festival at the National Arts Center in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, Jan. 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)
The Chinese New Year and its rich cultural heritage are also being shared in exciting new ways. Disney California Adventure Park recently launched its 2025 Lunar New Year celebrations, offering a lively blend of Asian cultural performances. Legendary Chinese warrior Mulan and her quick-witted dragon sidekick, Mushu, led the Lunar New Year procession, celebrating family, friendship and the hope for a prosperous year ahead.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia recently hosted a one-of-a-kind Spring Festival Market at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh, which buzzed with energy during its two-day run. The Chinese e-sports zone was a standout attraction, featuring popular titles such as “Black Myth: Wukong” and “Honor of Kings.”
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, president of the Saudi National E-Sports Association, said e-sports are a powerful way to connect young people around the globe.
“We can create games about Saudi culture and bring them to China and the world,” he said.
VALUES OF UNIVERSAL RESONANCE
Beneath its traditional customs, the Chinese New Year carries a universal resonance of hope, family unity and aspirations for a better life — values that underpin its global appeal.
People believe that celebrating the Chinese New Year will bring them good luck, good fortune and happiness in the new year, said Heoun Thary, a 32-year-old Cambodian housewife.
She was referring to the recent Lunar New Year festivities in Phnom Penh, which drew hundreds of revelers. Thary noted that the event not only introduced Cambodians to Chinese traditions but also strengthened the bond between the two nations.
In Tanorn village, 60 km south of Phnom Penh, Cambodian villagers participating in a China-aided poverty alleviation project also embraced the spirit of the Spring Festival. The celebration featured red lanterns and couplets.
“People believe that celebrating the Chinese New Year can help increase their luck, promoting their business to make more money,” said Khlok Chamroeun, a 62-year-old deputy chief of the village.

People watch a lion dance performance at the 2025 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day in Auckland, New Zealand, Jan. 25, 2025. The event was held here on Saturday. (Photo by Wu Jiaxiang/Xinhua)
In New Zealand, a Year of the Snake concert put together Eastern and Western musical traditions. Musicians from China’s Yijing Chamber Ensemble of the Central Conservatory of Music and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra performed in Christchurch, blending the pipa, erhu and bamboo flute with classical symphonies. “Music knows no boundaries. The unique qualities of Eastern and Western music can truly resonate with each other,” said Chinese Consul General He Ying.
This vision of harmony came alive at the United Nations in New York on Friday night. At a Lunar New Year celebration, Miguel Angel Moratinos, UN under-secretary-general and high representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, delivered Lunar New Year wishes in Chinese, “Chunjie Kuaile (Happy Spring Festival),” in the lobby of the main building at the UN Headquarters.
“The Lunar New Year marked the beginning of the Year of the Snake, which is associated with characteristics like wisdom, caution and strategy, and signifies transformation and growth,” he said.
“With the numerous challenges the world is facing, the spirit embodied by the Lunar New Year offers us a beacon of hope and positivity,” Moratinos said.

MIL OSI China News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Tesla, BMW challenge EU tariffs on Chinese EVs

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

Tesla and BMW have joined Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in challenging the European Union’s (EU) tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, filing cases with the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), according to the court’s website.

The automakers’ lawsuits follow similar filings last week by Chinese EV manufacturers BYD, Geely, and SAIC, contesting the EU’s additional import tariffs of up to over 35 percent.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill confirmed at a press conference on Monday that the EU is prepared to respond to the case in court.

Despite strong opposition from industry stakeholders in EU member states, the Commission moved forward with its proposal to impose countervailing tariffs on Chinese EVs in October.

Under the EU tariff scheme, U.S. automaker Tesla, which manufactures vehicles in China, faces a duty of 7.8 percent after requesting an individual review. BMW, which also produces certain models in China, is subject to a 20.7-percent duty. Tariffs for Chinese manufacturers vary: 17 percent for BYD, 18.8 percent for Geely, and 35.3 percent for SAIC.

China appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November last year against the EU’s final ruling on countervailing measures targeting Chinese EVs.

MIL OSI China News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Race Discrimination Commissioner condemns neo-Nazi rally in Adelaide

Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, has condemned the neo-Nazi rally held in Adelaide on Australia Day, warning a National Anti-Racism Framework is the only way to adequately combat the rise of the white supremacy movement.

South Australian police arrested 16 men on Sunday, believed to be members of the National Socialist Network, following a march through Adelaide’s CBD. Most of the men were said to be from interstate, including a 25-year-old man from Western Australia who was charged with using a Nazi symbol.

“The neo-Nazi rally in Adelaide, that pointedly began at the War Memorial, was shocking. The rise of far-right movements in this country and their influence cannot be ignored,” Commissioner Sivaraman said.

“This was a day of national significance which is also a day of sorrow and remembrance for many First Nations people. The choice of these men to march on this specific day is a brazen act of hate and division which we must unite against.

“These rallies are a horrific manifestation of what happens when racism is normalised – to the extent that neo-Nazis are emboldened to be on our streets again and again as a threatening force. We must properly name and confront the racism ingrained across our society.

“Politicians and other prominent figures need to be careful that their language doesn’t embolden these acts of hatred. The media needs to be careful about which ideologies it platforms and how. We must never forget that the worst mass murder committed by an Australian in recent times was by a white supremacist in Christchurch in 2019.

“The far-right extremism of these white supremacists is a threat that must be taken seriously. First Nations peoples, Jews, Muslims, trans people, and migrants and refugees are on the frontlines of this hatred.

“If we really want to target these and other similar threats, the only way forward is national anti-racism action that addresses the roots of this ideology in Australia. It is the ultimate antidote to racism and its violence.

“The National Anti-Racism Framework we released last year recommends Australian governments develop and fund community-informed early intervention solutions to address far-right extremism and white supremacy at its roots.

“These solutions must focus on prevention and community wellbeing as well as providing redress for the harms experienced by targeted individuals and communities. There is still time to act before even more communities are harmed.”

Commissioner Sivaraman will deliver a keynote address on addressing racism at the Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia Harmony Day lecture on 18 March in Adelaide.

ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897 (only calls, no texts please)

MIL OSI News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: The Danes’ housing debt grew in 2024

Source: Danmarks Nationalbank

Housing debt increased by kr. 12.2 billion in 2024

Despite a reduction in the first quarter, Danes gradually increased their housing debt towards the end of the year. Of the total increase in housing debt of kr. 12.2 billion, kr. 4.1 billion is bank debt, while the remaining kr. 8.1 billion is mortgage bank debt.

In addition to the increase from new loans, private customers have also made fewer repayments on their mortgage loans in recent years. This is mainly due to the relatively higher interest rates on homeowners’ loans compared to a few years ago, which has meant that a larger share of the payment installments has gone to interest payments rather than repayments.

Lower interest rate on new housing loans in 2024

In 2024, many homeowners were able to take advantage of falling interest rates on new housing loans. The interest rate on new loans disbursed to private customers thus fell by 1.2 percentage points during the year to an average of just under 4 pct. including contributions in December. Particularly loan types with medium-term interest rate fixation, i.e., F1, F3, and F5 loans, as well as bank loans, which typically have a short interest rate fixation, experienced interest rate declines during the year. The interest rate on fixed-rate loans fell at the beginning of the year and then remained relatively stable.

Despite a lower interest rate on new housing loans, the average interest rate including contributions on private customers’ total housing debt increased by 0.1 percentage points in 2024. The increase has mainly been driven by interest rate adjustments on loans with an interest rate fixation of 3 years or longer.

F3 loan is the most popular among new variable-rate mortgage loans

In 2024, private customers received 129,000 new mortgage loans (including loan conversions) with a total value of kr. 249 billion. Fixed-rate loans were, as in previous years, the most common type of loan and accounted for about half of the value of all loans disbursed. Among the variable-rate loans, interest in the F3 loan increased during 2024, and F3 loans accounted for approximately 43 pct. of all new variable-rate loans in the fourth quarter. This was particularly at the expense of loans with very short interest rate fixation of 3 or 6 months, which only accounted for 13 pct. of disbursed variable-rate loans in the fourth quarter.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Private customers’ deposits continued to increase in 2024

Source: Danmarks Nationalbank

The increase in private customers’ deposits in 2024 was evenly split between demand deposit accounts and fixed term deposit accounts, at kr. 32 billion and kr. 31 billion, respectively. Of the increase in private customers’ fixed term deposits, kr. 18 billion was linked to pooling schemes. These typically include pension and children’s savings, which banks invest on behalf of customers. The returns from pooling schemes, which reflect the performance of the investments, are typically credited to private customers’ deposit accounts in December.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event to be held on February 23

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event to be held on February 23
15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event to be held on February 23
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The 2025 Shenzhen-Hong Kong marathon and the 15th National Games (NG) athletics (marathon) test event will be held in Shenzhen and Hong Kong on February 23 (Sunday) morning. The event is organised by the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, and hosted by the Executive Committee for the 15th NG, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG) in Shenzhen and the People’s Government of Nanshan District, Shenzhen, with the support of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), the Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen Municipality, as well as the Guangdong Athletics Association. The Chinese Athletic Association serves as an advisor, while the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates and a Shenzhen agency act as the executive units. The Shenzhen Bay Bridge will serve as a link connecting Shenzhen and Hong Kong during the event. A closed-loop arrangement will be adopted throughout the event. To ensure the smooth running of the event, operating hours of the Shenzhen Bay Port will be adjusted as appropriate on the event day. The Executive Committee for the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG in Shenzhen and the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) will announce later the details of closure time of the Bridge and arrangements for vehicles and traffic. Members of the public and visitors are advised to pay attention to the relevant announcements and duly arrange their itineraries that day.

Ends/Tuesday, January 28, 2025Issued at HKT 15:30

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 28, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: DeepSeek shatters beliefs about the cost of AI, leaving US tech giants reeling
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael J. Davern, Professor of Accounting & Business Information Systems, The University of Melbourne

Almost A$1 trillion (US$600 billion) was wiped off the value of artificial intelligence microchip maker Nvidia overnight on Monday, when a little-known Chinese start up, DeepSeek, threatened to upend the US tech market.

While Nvidia suffered the biggest one-day loss in sharemarket history, other tech giants – Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon, who are investing heavily in competing AI tools including ChatGPT and Gemini – were also hit.

The rout was caused by investors’ shock at the claimed performance of DeepSeek’s new R1 chatbot. The Chinese AI was reported to be more advanced than its competitors and less expensive to develop.

DeepSeek R1 has soared, becoming the top free downloaded app on Apple’s app store, as US technology and related stock prices fell dramatically.

Why tech stocks took a deep dive

The market was surprised by DeepSeek providing what amounts to cheaper technology but comparable performance.

This has dramatically changed the market’s expectations of computing power, showing more can be done for less. It has also compromised the competitiveness of the US tech companies’ existing AI products and developments.

Stock prices are driven by market expectations. The claimed performance of DeepSeek R1 prompted a major revision of expectations about what was technologically possible and about how cheaply AI could be developed and operated.

Investors have rapidly incorporated the news of a low-cost Chinese AI competitor into stock prices, anticipating this new entrant could disrupt the market and erode the competitive advantage of existing leaders.

Who is DeepSeek and what is R1?

DeepSeek was founded in 2023 by Chinese hedge fund High Flyer, which had been exclusively using AI in trading since 2021.

DeepSeek develops large language models (LLMs) that can underpin chatbots and other AI-based tools. R1 is the latest iteration of DeepSeek’s chatbot and underlying model. It builds on earlier versions of generative AI models developed by DeepSeek, and considerable amounts of data, but is a surprising leap forward in performance and cost.

CAPTION TO GO HERE.
Koshiro K/Shutterstock

Technology investors believe R1 matches or outperforms competitors, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4.o1 on numerous benchmarks.

However, there are some key differences:
1. The model underlying R1 operates in a much less intensive manner. It is much cheaper to develop and run, requiring less data and computing power.
2. The training of the model was possible despite the US export ban preventing Chinese companies such as DeepSeek from accessing chips from US companies such as Nvidia. The Biden administration had introduced laws restricting the sale of certain computer chips and machinery to China, in a move intended to block its rival from accessing some of the world’s most advanced technology.
3. The training data and data uploaded to R1 sit on servers in China. Given concerns about data privacy and intellectual property have already been raised about US-based companies, having data under jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is arguably even more concerning.
4. The chatbot program code is free to download, read and modify, unlike ChatGPT. This is however somewhat a false transparency – what matters more is the underlying model, not the Chatbot code.
5. R1 is known to censor its responses in line with Chinese Communist Party values.
The future of AI and tech stocks

It is unknown whether this crash in price of tech stocks is an irrational panic that will reverse, or whether it simply reflects correct pricing. The future costs and benefits of AI are still uncertain.

This is both a technological and an economic question.

In technological terms, it is yet to be seen whether R1 really does require less computing power and less data to train and use.

Economically, there are potential winners and losers. AI users may win with cheaper access to AI, and LLMs in particular, leading to increased adoption and associated productivity gains. Existing producers such as Nvidia may lose out in what was a market with few real competitors.

More broadly, society may benefit from less computationally intensive, and therefore more energy-efficient, AI. However, the geopolitical risk of a single country capturing the market, together with concerns about data privacy, intellectual property and censorship may outweigh the benefits.

Michael J. Davern has previously received funding from CPA Australia for industry research into Artificial Intelligence.

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

– ref. DeepSeek shatters beliefs about the cost of AI, leaving US tech giants reeling – https://theconversation.com/deepseek-shatters-beliefs-about-the-cost-of-ai-leaving-us-tech-giants-reeling-248424
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Integrates EMBIBE’s AI-Powered Learning Platform into the Samsung Education Hub App for Smart TVs & Smart Monitors

Source: Samsung

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, has partnered with EMBIBE, an AI-powered personalised learning outcomes platform, to integrate it into the Samsung Education Hub app, a designed-for-TV education app. The collaboration will help TVs become effective educational tools providing personalised learning experiences for students.

Through this partnership, EMBIBE, as part of the Samsung Education Hub app, will offer extensive educational coverage, supporting all major curricula, including CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge, all State Boards and major entrance exams such as IIT JEE and NEET. Students will benefit from a large collection of award-winning, immersive 3D explainer videos, designed to make even the most complex topics easier to understand and more engaging to learn.

“The Samsung Education Hub app aims to expand the role of TVs in homes, transforming them from mere entertainment hubs to a seamless platform for online learning. This innovative ‘designed-for-TV’ education app is set to revolutionise the online learning experience, making it engaging and accessible to all. Our vision is to create a future where education knows no boundaries and knowledge is within easy reach at the click of a button,” said Viplesh Dang, Senior Director, Visual Display Business, Samsung India.

“Our partnership with Samsung TV marks a significant leap in delivering a truly personal, engaging, learning experience through one of the most trusted and loved mediums. Samsung has partnered with EMBIBE because we’ve solved two critical challenges: creating stunning interactive, multi-modal content and delivering it through a deeply personalized experience powered by AI. The synergy between Samsung’s innovation and EMBIBE’s expertise in edtech is a powerful combination that sets a new standard for educational excellence, creating a transformative learning experience for everyone,” said Aditi Avasthi, Founder & CEO at EMBIBE.

At the heart of EMBIBE’s offering is its personalised, AI-driven adaptive practice, which adjusts to each student’s learning level. Through the Samsung Education Hub, students will be able to access EMBIBE’s video-based learning resources and also its AI-powered adaptive practice in English, Hindi and 10 major regional languages, backed by over 10 years of educational engagement data of more than two crore students. They can choose from 54,000 practice tests and use personalised score-improvement features that will provide useful insights for improvement. In addition, students can avail Samsung’s exclusive discount of a flat 50% on EMBIBE annual subscription purchased on TV.

EMBIBE content will be available on all 2024 Samsung TVs and smart monitors and will be gradually made available on earlier models. Existing subscribers of EMBIBE, who own Samsung TVs will have seamless login and access to this rich educational content, along with Samsung TV users who wish to subscribe to the platform. Earlier this year, Samsung had teamed up with the leading ed-tech platform, Physics Wallah for Samsung Education Hub on 2023 & 2024 Samsung TVs.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 28, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM and Partners Launch Project to Strengthen Environmental Health Awareness in Lebanon 

Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Beirut, Lebanon – December 2024 – In cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with Seed Global Health, has launched the “Environmental Health Capacity and Awareness Strengthening in Primary Healthcare Facilities” project. This initiative aims to empower healthcare workers at selected primary healthcare centers across Lebanon by addressing the growing challenges of climate-related health impacts.  

A recent study by the Lebanese Red Cross Climate Center highlighted the significant health risks posed by climate change in Lebanon. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events increase the risks of heat-related health issues, including heatstroke and dehydration, particularly in urban areas. Furthermore, climate change in Lebanon is expected to worsen water scarcity and quality, with more frequent droughts, variable rainfall, and disrupted agriculture. This will lead to higher risks of waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and food insecurity, further straining Lebanon’s already fragile healthcare system. 

The project, which will run from January to April 2025, is aligned with the Ministry of Public Health’s National Strategy and brings together interdisciplinary expertise to strengthen the health sector’s resilience. 

Dr. Firas Abiad, the Minister of Public Health in Lebanon stated: “Public, private and peripheral hospitals have proven their critical role during the Lebanese conflict, not only in providing care but also in addressing the broader health needs of the population. While the priority for international support to Lebanon remains the health sector, we must seize this opportunity to advance in all areas, including environmental health. Strengthening environmental health measures will ensure that facilities across Lebanon can provide safer, and more sustainable healthcare services. A resilient health system integrates environmental health into its foundations to safeguard the well-being of both residents of the region and the Lebanese population.”

Dr. Vanessa Kerry, CEO of Seed Global Health, said, “Health workers are our frontline defense against the impacts of climate change on health and it is crucial they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to better understand and respond to these impacts. Seed Global Health is proud to partner with IOM and others to ensure people in Lebanon and elsewhere are better protected against the growing threat of climate change on health.” 

The project will take a phased approach, starting with a comprehensive needs assessment to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of primary healthcare staff regarding environmental health and climate change. The results will inform tailored training programs, equipping healthcare workers with the tools to address climate-health challenges. Key activities include developing gender-sensitive, equity-focused survey tools, engaging stakeholders, and gathering actionable data to enhance preparedness and capacity. 

The project will be supported by technical experts from global and academic institutions, including the University of Melbourne and its Climate CATCH Lab, and will involve active collaboration with local stakeholders such as the Ministry of Public Health, PHCC managers, and NGOs. 

About the Project 

This initiative reflects IOM’s commitment to addressing the intersection of climate change and health. The project’s key outcomes include a final needs assessment report, recommendations for future capacity-building efforts, and a roadmap for sustained environmental health interventions. 

About Seed Global Health 

Seed Global Health partners with governments, health professional schools, hospitals, and clinics to educate health workers, strengthen the quality of health services, and support policies that enable health professionals to deliver high-quality services to those in need. To date, Seed Global Health has trained more than 45,000 health workers who work in health facilities serving over 76 million people. 

For more information, please contact:
In Lebanon: Joelle Mhanna, jmhanna@iom.int

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 28, 2025