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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The value of AI: How Microsoft’s customers and partners are reinventing how they do business today

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: The value of AI: How Microsoft’s customers and partners are reinventing how they do business today

    Organizational leaders in every industry around the world are evaluating ways AI can unlock opportunities, drive pragmatic innovation and yield value across their business. At Microsoft, we are dedicated to helping our customers accelerate AI Transformation by empowering human ambition with Copilots and agents, developing differentiated AI solutions and building scalable cybersecurity foundations. At Microsoft Ignite we made over 100 announcements that bring the latest innovation directly to our customers and partners, and shared how Microsoft is the only technology leader to offer three distinct AI platforms for them to build AI solutions:

    1. Copilot is your UI for AI, with Copilot Studio enabling low-code creation of agents and extensibility to your data.
    2. Azure AI Foundry is the only AI app server for building real-world, world-class, AI-native applications.
    3. Microsoft Fabric is the AI data platform that provides one common way to reason over your data —no matter where it lives.

    All three of these platforms are open and work synchronously to enable the development of modern AI solutions; and each is surrounded by our world-class security offerings so leaders can move their AI-first strategies forward with confidence.

    As we look ahead to what we can achieve together, I remain inspired by the work we are doing today. Below are a handful of the many stories from the past quarter highlighting the differentiated AI solutions our customers and partners are driving to move business forward across industries and realize pragmatic value. Their success clearly illustrates that real results can be harnessed from AI today, and it is changing the way organizations do business.

    To power its industrial IoT and AI platform, ABB Group leveraged Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to create Genix Copilot: a generative AI-powered analytics suite aimed at solving some of the most complex industrial problems. The solution helps customers analyze key functions in their operations —such as asset and process performance, energy optimization and emission monitoring — with real-time operational insights. As a result, customers are seeing up to 35% savings in operations and maintenance, and up to 20% improvement in energy and emission optimization. ABB also saw an 80% decrease in service calls with the self-service capabilities of Genix Copilot.

    Serving government healthcare agencies across the US, Acentra Health turned to Microsoft to help introduce the latest AI capabilities that maximize talent and cut costs in a secure, HIPAA-compliant manner. Using Azure OpenAI Service, the company developed MedScribe — an AI-powered tool reducing the time specially trained nursing staff spend on appeal determination letters. This innovation saved 11,000 nursing hours and nearly $800,000, reducing time spent on each appeal determination letter by about 50%. MedScribe also significantly enhanced operational efficiency, enabling nurses to process 20 to 30 letters daily with a 99% approval rate.

    To ease challenges for small farmers, Romanian agribusiness group Agricover revolutionized access to credit by developing MyAgricover. Built with help from partner Avaelgo, the scalable digital platform utilizes Microsoft Azure, Azure API Management and Microsoft Fabric to automate the loan process and enable faster approvals and disbursements. This has empowered small farmers to grow their businesses and receive faster access to financing by reducing loan approval time by 90 percent — from 10 working days to a maximum of 24 hours.

    Building on its status as a world-class airline with a strong Indian identity, Air India sought ways to enhance customer support while managing costs. By developing AI.g, one of the industry’s first generative AI virtual assistants built on Azure OpenAI Service, the airline upgraded the customer experience. Today, 97% of customer queries are handled with full automation, resulting in millions of dollars of support costs saved and improved customer satisfaction — further positioning the airline for continued growth.

    BMW Group aimed to enhance data delivery efficiency and improve vehicle development and prototyping cycles by implementing a Mobile Data Recorder (MDR) solution with Azure App Service, Azure AI and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). The solution achieved 10 times more efficient data delivery, significantly improved data accessibility and elevated overall development quality. The MDR monitors and records more than 10,000 signals twice per second in every vehicle of BMW’s fleet of 3,500 development cars and transmits data within seconds to a centralized cloud back end. Using Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service, BMW Group created an MDR copilot fueled by GPT-4o. Engineers can now chat with the interface using natural language, and the MDR copilot converts the conversations into KQL queries, simplifying access to technical insights. Moving from on-premises tools to a cloud-based system with faster data management also helps engineers troubleshoot in real time. The vehicle data covered by the system has doubled, and data delivery and analysis happen 10 times faster.

    Coles Group modernized its logistics and administrative applications using Microsoft Azure Stack HCI to scale its edge AI capabilities and improve efficiency and customer experience across its 1,800 stores. By expanding its Azure Stack HCI footprint from two stores to over 500, Coles achieved a six-fold increase in the pace of application deployment, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and enabling rapid innovation without disrupting workloads. The retailer is also using Azure Machine Learning to train and develop edge AI models, speeding up data annotation time for training models by 50%.

    Multinational advertising and media company Dentsu wanted to speed time to insights for its team of data scientists and media analysts to support its media planning and budget optimization. Using Microsoft Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service, Dentsu developers built a predictive analytics copilot that uses conversational chat and draws on deep expertise in media forecasting, budgeting and optimization. This AI-driven tool has reduced time to media insights for employees and clients by 90% and cut analysis costs.

    To overcome the limitations of its current systems, scale operations and automate processes across millions of workflows, Docusign created the Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform on Azure. Using Azure AI, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Logic Apps and AKS, the platform transforms agreement data into actionable insights to enhance productivity and accelerate contract review cycles. IAM also ensures better collaboration and unification across business systems to provide secure solutions tailored to diverse customer needs. For example, its customer KPC Private funds reported a 70% reduction in time and resources dedicated to agreement processes.

    Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) transformed its manufacturing operations by leveraging a hybrid environment with Azure Arc, Azure Stack HCI and Azure Kubernetes Service. This digital manufacturing platform resulted in 86% cost savings for AI image and video analytics and a 13-fold improvement in AI response times. The seamless hybrid cloud architecture has enhanced EGA’s operational efficiency and agility, supporting its Industry 4.0 transformation strategy.

    EY collaborated with Microsoft to enhance the inclusivity of AI development using Azure AI Studio. By involving neurodivergent technologists from EY’s Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence, they improved the accessibility and productivity of AI tools, resulting in more inclusive AI solutions, fostering innovation and ensuring that AI tools unlock the potential of all users. With an estimated 20% of the global workforce identifying as neurodivergent, inclusive AI solutions are crucial for maximizing creativity and productivity. Neurodivergent EY technologists also collaborated with Microsoft developers to make Azure AI Foundry more inclusive and help all users work productively to create innovative AI solutions.

    Colombian household appliance manufacturer Haceb integrated AI to optimize processes, reduce costs and improve service quality. Using Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure OpenAI Service, the company created a virtual technical support assistant, saving its 245 technicians 5 minutes per visit — a total of 5,000 minutes saved daily. This AI solution has enhanced efficiency and boosted customer satisfaction by allowing for faster issue resolution. Haceb’s AI adoption has also empowered employees, boosted productivity and positioned the company as a leader in AI innovation in Colombia.

    To better serve its global patients, Operation Smile — in collaboration with partner Squadra — leveraged Azure AI, Machine Learning and Microsoft Fabric to develop an AI-powered solution to predict surgical outcomes and optimize resource allocation. This innovation resulted in a 30% increase in surgical efficiency, a 90% reduction in translation errors and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, report generation is now up to 95% quicker, and repeated medical events have decreased by 15%, enabling Operation Smile to provide better care to more children worldwide.

    Ontada — a McKesson business dedicated to oncology data and evidence, clinical education and point-of-care technologies — needed a way to generate key insights across 150 million unstructured oncology documents. Using Microsoft Azure AI and Azure OpenAI Service, Ontada developed a data platform solution called ON.Genuity to provide AI-driven insights into the patient journey, enhance patient trial matching and identify care gaps. The company also implemented large language models to target nearly 100 critical oncology data elements across 39 cancer types, enabling the company to analyze an estimated 70% of previously inaccessible data, reduce processing time by 75% and accelerate product time-to-market from months to just one week.

    As the UK’s largest pet care company, Pets at Home sought a way to combat fraud across its retail operations — particularly as its online business continued to grow. Working closely with its fraud team, it adopted Copilot Studio to develop an AI agent that quickly identifies suspicious transactions. The agent autonomously gathers relevant information, performs analysis and shares it with a fraud agent to enable a manual, data-intensive investigative process while ensuring a human remains in the loop. With this low-code agent extending and seamlessly integrating into existing systems, the company’s fraud department can act more quickly; what used to take 20 to 30 minutes is now handled by the AI agent within seconds. The company is identifying fraud 10 times faster and is processing 20 times more cases a day. Now, the company can operate at scale with speed, efficiency and accuracy — with savings expected to be in the seven figures as it continues to build more agents.

    Revenue Grid, a technology company specializing in sales engagement and revenue optimization solutions, partnered with Cloud Services to modernize its data infrastructure and develop a unified data warehouse capable of handling unstructured, semi-structured and structured data. By migrating to Microsoft Fabric, Revenue Grid can now deliver data-powered revenue intelligence, driven by a unified platform, elastic scalability, enhanced analytics capabilities and streamlined operations. Revenue Grid has reduced infrastructure costs by 60% while enhancing its analytical capabilities to improve real-time data processing, empowering sales teams with accurate and diverse data. 

    To better manage and integrate employee data across diverse regions and systems, UST built a comprehensive Employee Data platform on Microsoft Fabric. In under a year, UST migrated 20 years of employee data with all security measures to enhance data accessibility and employee productivity. The Meta Data Driven Integration (MDDI) framework in Fabric also helped the company cut data ingestion time by 50% so employees can focus more on analysis than preparation. As a result of this implementation, the company has seen an increase in collaboration and innovation from employees, helping put its values into action.

    The Microsoft Commercial Marketplace offers millions of customers worldwide a convenient place to find, try and buy software and services across 140 countries. As a Marketplace partner, WeTransact is helping independent software vendors (ISVs) list and transact their software solutions — and find opportunities for co-selling and extending their reach to enterprise customers through development of the WeTransact platform. Powered by Azure OpenAI Service, the platform is changing the way partnerships are being built by using AI pairing to facilitate a “plug and play” reseller network. More than 300 ISVs worldwide have joined the Microsoft Commercial Marketplace using the WeTransact platform, cutting their time to publish by 75%.

    The opportunity for AI to create value is no longer an ambition for the future — it is happening now, and organizational leaders across industries are investing in AI-first strategies to change the way they do business. We believe AI should empower human achievement and enrich the lives of employees; and we are uniquely differentiated to help you accelerate your AI Transformation responsibly and securely. Choosing the right technology provider comes down to trust, and I look forward to what we will achieve together as we partner with you on your AI journey.

    Tags: AI, Azure, Azure AI, Azure AI Foundry, Azure AI Studio, Azure Arc, Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Stack HCI, Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Ignite 2024

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five reasons why vertical farming is still the future, despite all the recent business failures

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gail Taylor, Dean of Life Sciences, UCL

    Don’t believe the tripe. Amorn Suriyan

    Plant factories are failing, with multiple companies closing or going bankrupt in recent months. This includes the largest vertical farm on the planet, in Compton, Los Angeles.

    Owned by San Francisco-based startup Plenty, the farm opened in 2023 to grow salads in partnership with Walmart. It was mothballed at the end of 2024, with the company citing the rising cost of energy in California as a major problem.

    Despite raising over US$1 billion (£802 million) from investors, the company’s value has reportedly plummeted from US$1.9 billion to below US$15 million. It now aims to focus solely on strawberry production in Virginia.

    New York-based Bowery Farming also halted all operations in late 2024, having previously being valued at US$2.3 billion. Fellow American vertical farmers AeroFarms, Kalera and AppHarvest have similarly filed for bankruptcy in the past two years, as has the UK’s Growing Underground, among various others.

    Clearly these are major setbacks. Year-round illuminated greenhouses and stacked, controlled-environment warehouses for producing food have been hailed as a sustainable alternative to traditional farming, promising fresh food close to populations.

    This reduces the need for transportation, which together with other issues in traditional farming such as soil degradation and forest clearing see it contributing around 20% of the greenhouse gases that lead to planetary warming and climate change.

    Multiple new indoor-farming companies sprang into life in the past decade, driven by significant venture capital. They harnessed the latest in LED lighting and hydroponic and aeroponic growing systems, using land and water ten to 100 times more efficiently than in a field and with far fewer pesticides.

    Initially developed to grow leafy greens and microgreens, these farms have more recently turned to higher value produce including herbs, strawberries, tomatoes and grapes.

    Grow, baby, grow.
    Gorodenkoff

    Among the reasons for the business failures are rising energy costs; the fact that traditional farming is cheaper, making it hard to compete on price; and the fact that rising interest rates have made financing more expensive.

    Together with other challenges such as high energy consumption and finding enough skilled labour, many opponents are writing this sector off as a fad that is unlikely to ever make a big impact on food security.

    This ignores success stories, such as JFC and Grow-up Farms, which are regular suppliers to the UK supermarkets. But more broadly, there are various reasons why the critics are likely to be wrong:

    1. We’re still early

    Vertical farming has been proving itself by “learning by doing” for the past decade. Kicked off by Nasa space scientists seeking to grow food in hostile environments with zero gravity and heavy radiation, this field is still highly experimental.

    New technologies like this one often conform to the Gartner hype cycle, where big initial expectations are rarely met, leading to a trough of disillusionment. Following this, the benefits start to crystallise as new players enter the market and mainstream adoption begins.

    Vertical farming is only a very small proportion of total farming, but it looks very likely to flourish given the need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and the threats to food security from climate change and population growth. In addition, the costs are likely to be reduced by the arrival of much more renewable energy at cheaper prices in years to come.

    2. Heavy plant demand is coming

    Society stands on the edge of an unprecedented transformation as it shifts away from fossil fuels. We’re going to move to a circular bioeconomy, in which green plants will be central as feedstocks for everything from aviation fuels to alternative proteins to vaccine production to plant-based plastics.

    All this means greater pressure on land resources for food production, and an enhanced need for vertically stacked agriculture that recycles water and nutrients and requires fewer chemicals.

    3. Science is on its side

    Unexpected scientific discoveries continue to drive vertical farming. For example, tunable wavelength LEDs have shown that certain spectral bands can affect crops profoundly.

    Far-red light, which is just beyond visible red light, promotes growth and flowering, raising lettuce yields by 30%, for example. Blue light can improve shelf-life and nutritional quality, even enhancing certain plant chemicals known to help prevent cancers.

    The significance of these discoveries has yet to be fully realised, but by the complete control of the farming environment that indoor farming makes possible, we will be able to more easily tailor food quality for the betterment of people and the planet.

    4. It’s horses for courses

    Growing leafy greens indoors in California, as Plenty did, was always going to be challenging. This is the state where they invented the iceberg lettuce, where wall-to-wall sunshine and even temperatures enable farmers to grow enough salad greens to supply the whole of the US.

    Contrast Singapore, where only 6% of fresh produce is locally grown. This has prompted the government to develop the “30 x 30” goal to supply 30% of nutritional needs by 2030, with vertical farming a key part of the strategy.

    Similarly the United Arab Emirates imports over 90% of its food, and is looking towards a future that includes vertical farming. The UK and much of northern Europe, where the outdoor growing season is short and land is limited, can also benefit from these technologies (and indeed, do already).

    It’s a different story in Singapore.
    PrasitRodphan

    5. Baby and bathwater

    Unlike the cutting-edge LED-illuminated, stacked warehouses, intensive hydroponic greenhouses have been operating commercially for decades. The Netherlands leads the way in supplying year-round fresh produce from these structures, and is now the second biggest food exporter in the world.

    Even in the UK, its common for such greenhouses to supply potted herbs, tomatoes and strawberries all year round.

    These are a half-way house to vertical farming, and are also likely to be in greater demand in the coming decades. They could well extend their reach to supply fresh nutritious food to places where food security may be particularly challenged, such as Africa, south Asia and the Middle East.

    Gail Taylor has received funding for research on vertical farming from the John B. Orr Endowment from the University of California, Davis and gift funding from the company, Plenty. Between 2021 and 2024 she was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the company Plantible Foods.

    – ref. Five reasons why vertical farming is still the future, despite all the recent business failures – https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-why-vertical-farming-is-still-the-future-despite-all-the-recent-business-failures-248270

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tea ceremonies, pandas and xiangqi: the Chinese New Year festival in Moscow has begun

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Chinese New Year in Moscow festival has begun in the capital. It will last until February 9 and will unite two dozen venues, including Manezhnaya, Tverskaya and Bolotnaya squares, Kamergersky and Stoleshnikov lanes, Tverskoy Boulevard, Novy Arbat, VDNKh, Moscow Zoo and others. The festival is held as part of a cross-program dedicated to the mutual Years of Culture of Russia and China.

    The opening ceremony was attended by the Director of the Department of Information and Press, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui and the Deputy Mayor of Moscow Natalia Sergunina.

    “We invite everyone to celebrate the New Year in Moscow once again, this time according to the Eastern calendar. The January holidays were a great success, and the New Year’s venues welcomed millions of visitors. In the next two weeks, we will also have a rich and interesting program. More than 400 events are planned – theatrical performances, master classes, lectures, film screenings and tea ceremonies. The central streets are decorated with light installations,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    A bright discovery

    The festival opened with a procession of symbols of the outgoing and incoming year – a dragon and a snake. Participants set off from the monument to Kliment Timiryazev on Tverskoy Boulevard and reached Manezhnaya Square. Here a drum show was organized for the guests.

    “The festival’s events are aimed at getting Russians and Chinese to know each other’s customs and traditions better. Guests can expect a colorful program that will last 13 days. Last year, the festival was held for the first time, but already then it was visited by more than 700 thousand people. I think this year the record will be broken,” shared Maria Zakharova.

    In 2024, the holiday received many positive responses from city residents and tourists. Famous Chinese bloggers attended the event and told their subscribers about it. In total, their videos collected about 45 million views. Reports from the Russian capital were shown on China’s central television channel.

    “In 2024, a large-scale celebration of the Spring Festival was held for the first time in the center of the Russian capital. Russia also brightly celebrated Maslenitsa in Beijing, Xi’an and other Chinese cities, which was to the liking of the Chinese people. The holding of traditional holidays by China and Russia in each other’s countries contributes to further strengthening mutual understanding and ties between us. This year, the Chinese New Year in Moscow festival will be even larger and, I believe, will definitely attract even more Chinese tourists who will share the joy of this holiday with their Russian friends,” Zhang Hanhui emphasized.

    Immersive shows and tea ceremonies

    Manezhnaya Square, the festival’s central venue, will host performances featuring Chinese artists for two weeks. In festive pagoda-style chalets, visitors will be offered traditional cuisine, from Hong Kong waffles to Peking duck. Anyone can also play xiangqi, the Chinese equivalent of chess.

    On Tverskaya Square, Muscovites and tourists can expect tea ceremonies, culinary competitions and oriental music in a modern arrangement.

    At VDNKh, dance master classes will be held on the skating rink and themed excursions. During them, experts will talk about the similarities and differences in celebrating the New Year in Russia and China, about painting styles and the space programs of the two countries.

    The Moscow Zoo invites you to watch immersive shows and documentaries about its inhabitants, including the favorite of the capital’s residents – panda Katyusha. On February 1 and 2, admission will be free for all guests named Ekaterina or in a panda costume.

    More than 120 restaurants in the city will join the event’s gastronomic program. They will present special menus with authentic dishes prepared according to traditional Chinese recipes.

    You can view the event schedule and learn about the conditions for visiting individual venues in the online publication “Russpass-magazine”.

    Traditional lanterns and panda figurines: how the capital was decorated in honor of the Chinese New YearDragon on Ice, Guohua Painting, and Go: VDNKh to Celebrate Chinese New Year

    Guests from China

    Today, China is a confident leader among foreign countries in the number of travelers coming to Moscow. And their number is constantly growing. In just nine months of last year, 335 thousand people from the Celestial Empire visited the capital. For comparison: in all of 2023, 245 thousand Chinese guests came to Moscow.

    Many tourists choose independent travel, their share is up to 83 percent of all guests from China. This provides an additional economic effect, since they spend on average four to six times more than participants in tourist groups.

    In addition, the share of business tourism has more than doubled in five years: now every fifth tourist from China comes to the capital for business purposes.

    Chinese New Year Festival will become part of large-scale project “Winter in Moscow”, which unites over 1.9 thousand sites. City residents and tourists are invited to warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, participate in master classes, watch ice shows and theatrical performances, and show concern for those who need it.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149448073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: As the ‘digital oligarchy’ grows in power, NZ will struggle to regulate its global reach and influence

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Andhov, Chair in Law and Technology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    The images of President Donald Trump at his inauguration surrounded by the titans of the global tech industry is a warning of what could come: a global digital oligarchy dominated by a tiny tech elite.

    Companies like Meta, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, X Corp, and OpenAI (all based in the United States) now operate beyond the control of most governments. Countries like New Zealand are increasingly struggling to keep these companies in check.

    In the past decade, New Zealand has taken several measures to curb the influence of powerful tech companies through voluntary agreements and tax legislation.

    But the digital age has fundamentally changed national sovereignty – the right of individual countries to decide the rules within their own borders.

    Big tech companies are gradually taking on functions traditionally reserved for government institutions. For example, these companies have begun to function as the arbiters of speech, controlling the visibility of certain ideas and comments.

    As recently as this month, Meta obscured searches for left-leaning topics including “Democrats”, later blaming the issue on a “technical glitch”.

    And as was widely covered in the media, Amnesty International released a report claiming that Facebook’s algorithms “proactively amplified” anti-Rohingya content in Myanmar, substantially contributing to human rights violations against the ethnic group.

    New Zealand’s attempts to regulate big tech

    A number of governments are now facing the question of how to temper the influence of these companies within their current legal frameworks.

    As New Zealand (among others) has discovered in the past decade, influencing the behaviour of these companies is easier said than done. It has repeatedly found itself struggling to effectively manage big tech’s impact on its society and economy.

    In 2018, for example, New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner said Facebook had failed to comply with its obligations under the New Zealand Privacy Act. The company told the commission the Privacy Act did not apply to it.

    When the Christchurch terrorist attack was livestreamed on Facebook (owned by Meta), New Zealand authorities found themselves largely powerless to prevent the video’s spread across global platforms.

    This crisis prompted then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern to launch the Christchurch Call initiative aimed at combating online extremism by fostering collaboration between governments and tech companies.

    The goal was to develop and enforce measures such as improved content moderation, removal of extremist material, and the creation of safer online environments.

    While gaining support from more than 120 countries and tech companies, its effect depends on voluntary ongoing cooperation. Recent events suggest this ongoing cooperation is unlikely.

    In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to get rid of content moderation in the US and possibly elsewhere. Zuckerberg has also pushed back against European Union regulations, claiming the EU’s data laws censored social media.

    Taxing big tech

    In 2019, New Zealand proposed a 3% digital tax on big tech revenue. A similar measure was introduced by France in 2020 and by Canada and Australia last year.

    While these proposals signify important steps toward holding big tech accountable, their implementation remains uncertain.

    Although the relevant tax provisions have been adopted in New Zealand, the law includes clauses allowing tax collections to be deferred until as late as 2030.

    Meanwhile, big tech continues to push back aggressively against regulation in various ways. These have included threatening reduced services (such as the brief closure of TikTok in the US) to leveraging their relationships with the Trump government against other countries.

    Using competition regulation to rein in big tech

    In December 2024, the Australian government unveiled draft legislation on big tech to level the playing field.

    The proposed law seeks to foster fair competition, prevent price gouging, and give smaller tech and news companies a chance to thrive in a landscape increasingly dominated by global giants.

    The legislation would grant the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission the authority to investigate and penalise companies with fines of up to A$50 million for restricting competition.

    The targeted behaviour includes tactics such as restricting data transfers between platforms (for example, moving contacts or photos from iPhone to Android) and limiting third-party payment options in app stores.

    The proposed law aims to put an end to these unfair advantages, ensuring a level playing field where businesses of all sizes can compete and consumers have more choices.

    Democractic governance in the digital age

    The growing power of tech platforms raises critical questions about democratic governance in the digital age.

    There is an urgent need to reconcile the global influence of tech companies with local democratic processes and to create mechanisms that safeguard individual and national sovereignty in an increasingly digital world.

    Governments need to recognise these platforms are not immutable forces of nature, but human-created systems that can be challenged, reformed or dismantled. The same digital connectivity that has empowered these corporations can become the very tool of their transformation.

    Alexandra Andhov is conducting research on Big Tech Governance, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark under the Inge Lehmann Programme. The author is grateful for this support and wishes to acknowledge that the research was conducted entirely independently.

    – ref. As the ‘digital oligarchy’ grows in power, NZ will struggle to regulate its global reach and influence – https://theconversation.com/as-the-digital-oligarchy-grows-in-power-nz-will-struggle-to-regulate-its-global-reach-and-influence-247899

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: CMD Portal Awards 2025: AFL wins ‘Most Improved Bond Issuer’ award

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                 Press release
    28/01/2025

    CMD Portal Awards 2025: AFL wins ‘Most Improved Bond Issuer’ award

    AFL, the French local government funding agency, is rewarded for the second time by CMD Portal – a network of more than 35,000 bond market experts – and wins the “Most Improved Bond Issuer” prize, the most efficient bond issuer. This distinction reflects the bank’s proven ability to place its debt with a growing and diversified investor base across multiple currencies. Now well established as frequent bond issuer, AFL is on its way to become a significant borrower in the capital markets, offering investors the only diversified exposure to the French local public sector.

    A funding program in full expansion for 10 years

    Created 10 years ago by and for the French local authorities, AFL’s mission is to facilitate access to financing and is among the leading lenders to local governments.

    Since its creation, the bank has been able to maintain its financial strength while expanding its operations. It has doubled its financing program, diversified its issuance currencies, and increased the frequency of both private placements and benchmark transactions with the objective to improve liquidity for investors. AFL’s bond issues are now located nearly on the entire Euro curve, which allows it to broaden its access to the market.

    Ten years after the beginning of its activities, AFL’s balance sheet stands at nearly €11 billion, reflecting the dynamic growth in loan production granted to local authorities since its first bond issue in 2015.

    Issuance of new products and expansion into new international markets

    Since 2023, AFL has had the ability to issue callable bonds. On this segment, the bank has already and successfully completed six transactions of this type in 2024, with an average size of €37 million, totaling €221 million.

    In April 2024, AFL entered the public Swiss Franc (CHF) market with an inaugural transaction of CHF 110 million. This strategic bond issuance broadened AFL’s already diverse investor base, which now spans France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux, the UK, Northern Europe, and Asia.

    The institution now has a base of more than 300 international investors, including banks, private banks, fund managers, insurance companies, pension funds, and a growing number of central banks and official institutions.

    Lastly, in December 2024, AFL issued €50 million of subordinated debt securities, with the aim of enabling it to deploy its business plan while strengthening its equity base.

    2024 constitutes a pivotal year for AFL in two respects:

    • AFL was able to maintain its AA- rating when S&P downgraded France’s sovereign rating from AA to AA- in May 2024, leading the bank to now share the same as the French central government. AFL has thus strengthened its position compared to other public sector banking institutions.
    • Additionally, the HQLA 1 qualification granted by the ACPR in respect of for AFL’s debt on June 21, 2024, following the change in the risk weighting of French local authorities to 0%, has contributed to significantly enhancing the eligibility of AFL’s debt securities in the portfolios of investors, particularly banks.

    Key Takeaways:


    €11 billion in loans     granted over the past 10 years

    3rd largest lender to French local authorities

    Recognized as a public development bank in 2021

    HQLA 1 since June 2024

    AA-/AA- (S&P/Fitch)
    Same credit rating as the French government

    About AFL

    “The Company’s mission is to embody a responsible finance to strengthen the local world’s empowerment so as to better deliver the present and future needs of its inhabitants.”

    By creating our bank, the first one that we own and manage, we, French local authorities, have decided to act to deepen decentralization. Our bank, Agence France Locale (AFL), is not a financial institution similar to any other. Created by and for local authorities, it aims to strengthen our freedom, our ability to develop projects and our responsibility as local public actors. Its culture of prudence spares us from the dangers of complexity and its governance from downward slides of conflicts of interest. The main objective is to provide local world with an access to cost-efficient resources, under total transparency. The principles of solidarity and equity drive us. We are convinced that together we go further. We decided that our institution would be agile, addressing all types of local authorities, from the largest regions to the smallest municipalities. We see profit as a means to maximize public spending, not as an end goal. Through AFL, we support a local world committed to take up social, economic, and environmental challenges. AFL strengthens our empowerment: to carry out projects in our territories, today and tomorrow, to the benefits of the inhabitants. We are proud to have a bank whose development is like us, even more responsible and sustainable. We are Agence France Locale.

    Press contact
    Justine GUIGUES – Press Relation Officer
    justine.guigues@afl-banque.fr
    +33 6 74 94 29 66

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    • 2025.01.CP_AFL_Winner_CMD_Award

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sudan and Eastern DRC: Foreign Secretary’s statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Foreign Secretary made a statement to the House of Commons on the situation in Sudan and Eastern DRC on 28 January.

    With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the situation in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    The latest conflict in Sudan has now lasted twenty-one months.

    This weekend, the Rapid Support Forces attacked the last functional hospital in the besieged city of El-Fasher, in Darfur.

    The World Health Organisation assess some seventy patients and their families were killed.

    This attack is far from isolated.

    In recent weeks, the RSF shelled the ZamZam camp, where displaced people are trapped outside El-Fasher.

    While there are widespread reports of extrajudicial killings by militias aligned to the Sudanese armed forces in Wad Medani.

    The Government condemns these attacks in the strongest possible terms.

    They show a callous disregard for international humanitarian law and innocent Sudanese civilians.

    Exact figures for those killed and displaced in Sudan are hard to come by.

    But we know aid is being blocked from reaching those in need.

    And this is without a shadow of a doubt one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes of our lifetimes.

    I saw this for myself, Madam Deputy Speaker, last week in Adré, on the Chad-Sudan border.

    This was the first ever Foreign Secretary to visit Chad.

    I felt it was my duty to confront the true horror of what is unfolding.

    To bear witness.

    And raise up the voices of those suffering, mainly women, so horrendously.

    88 per cent of the refugees at Adré are women and children.

    I met nurses in a clinic, fighting to save the lives of starving children.

    I met a woman who showed me her scars.

    She had been burned.

    She had been beaten.

    She had been raped.

    Turning to DRC, conflict there has gripped the east for over thirty years.

    An M23 rebel offensive at the start of this year had already seized Masisi and Minova.

    This weekend saw them enter Goma, the region’s major city, which M23 last occupied in 2012.

    Brave UN peacekeepers from South Africa, Malawi and Uruguay have tragically been killed.

    And with hundreds of thousands having already fled M23 to Goma, there is potential for a further humanitarian catastrophe.

    I have not yet travelled as Foreign Secretary to meet those fleeing Eastern DRC

    But the reports speak for themselves.

    This is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman or girl with children as young as nine reportedly attacked and mutilated by machete-wielding militias. 

    Around a quarter of DRC’s population are facing acute food insecurity.

    And frequent bombardment of the makeshift camps which shelter those who have fled their homes.

    I regret to say, Madam Deputy Speaker, that Foreign Secretaries updating the House on conflicts in Africa is something of a rarity.

    As I discussed yesterday with African Ambassadors and High Commissioners, the surge of conflict globally includes the number in Africa almost doubling in the past decade.

    This is causing untold damage and holding back economic growth – the bedrock of our future partnership with African countries.  

    But where is the outrage?

    Again and again in Adré, I was asked:

    What is the world doing to help us?

    The truth is, if we were witnessing the horrors of El-Fasher and Goma on any other continent, or, for that matter, seeing the extremist violence in the Sahel and Somalia anywhere else in the world, there would be far more attention across the Western world.

    Indeed, one recent survey of armed conflict in 2024 contained spotlights on Europe, Eurasia, Asia and the Americas, but none on Africa.

    There should be no hierarchy of conflicts, but there is one.

    Every human life is of equal worth.

    The impact of these wars, Madam Deputy Speaker, is clear for all to see.

    You only have to be willing to look.

    I could not see atrocities such as these, and shrug my shoulders.

    However, the House will also understand the UK’s national interest in addressing these conflicts.

    Irregular migration from Sudan to Britain alone increased by 16% last year. 

    Unscrupulous smuggling gangs are looking to profit from the misery in places such as Sudan and DRC. 

    And the longer these wars last, the greater their ripple effects.

    Neighbours like Chad and many others are working hard to manage this crisis alongside others nearby.

    But further escalation only increases instability and the risks of conflict elsewhere.

    With Sudan sitting along the major trade routes of the Red Sea and eastern DRC one of the most resource-rich regions in the world.

    This is something we cannot tolerate.

    This Government therefore refuses to let these conflicts be forgotten.

    Working with Sierra Leone, the UK prepared a UN Security Council Resolution on Sudan to address the humanitarian catastrophe.

    Shockingly, despite support from every other member, including China, Russia wielded their veto.

    But Russian cynicism will not deter us.

    We will continue to use our Security Council seat to shine a light on what is happening and work with our African partners on broader UN reform.

    We have also doubled UK aid, supporting over one million displaced people.

    I saw our impact at the Adré crossing, and announced a further twenty million pounds to support food production and sexual and reproductive services.

    The UK is the third largest humanitarian donor on the crisis, having offered almost 250 million pounds in support this financial year.

    We have been redoubling our diplomatic efforts as well.

    In the spring, I am looking to gather Ministers in the UK to galvanise international support for peace.

    We need to see three things.

    First, the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces committing a permanent ceasefire and protection of civilians.

    Second, unrestricted humanitarian access into and within Sudan, and a permanent UN presence.

    And finally, an international commitment to a sustained and meaningful political process.

    Instead of new and even more deadly weapons entering the conflict, we want to see consistent calls for all political parties to unite behind a common vision of a peaceful Sudan.

    We will engage with all those willing to work on bringing the conflict to an end.

    On DRC, the UK, has also reacted quickly to the current crisis, we now advise British Nationals not to the Rubavu district in Western Rwanda on the border with Goma.

    And we are continuing our humanitarian assistance , having provided 62 million pounds this financial year.

    This enables lifesaving assistance such as clean drinking water, treatment for malnourished children, and support for victims of sexual violence.

    Ultimately however, we need a political solution.

    We know that M23 rebels could not have taken Goma without material support from Rwandan Defence Forces.

    My Noble Friend, Lord Collins of Highbury, and I have been urging all sides to engage in good faith in African-led processes.

    Lord Collins spoke to the Rwandan and Angolan Foreign Ministers last week.

    And in the last few days, I have spoken to both Rwandan President Kagame and South African Foreign Minister Lamola.

    For all the complexities of such a long-running conflict, we must find a way to stop the killing.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, civilians in Sudan and eastern DRC must feel so powerless.

    Power seems gripped by those waging war around them.

    The Government, our partners, cannot simply will a ceasefire into being.

    But this is not a licence for inaction.

    As we have seen in Gaza, it can take hundreds of days of diplomatic failure to reach even the most fragile of ceasefires.

    So for our part, Madam Deputy Speaker, the UK will keep doing all in our power to get the world focused on these conflicts.

    And, somehow, to bring them to an end.

    I comment this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier’s statement on Lunar New Year

    Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking Lunar New Year:

    “This year, Lunar New Year begins tomorrow and heralds the start of the Year of the Snake.

    “As we join people in B.C. and millions of celebrants around the world, we say goodbye to the Year of the Dragon and celebrate the beginning of a new year.

    “The Year of the Snake represents wisdom, transformation, calmness and creativity – all things that will help us meet the opportunities and challenges that we will see this coming year.

    “Beginning with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ending with the first full moon, Lunar New Year marks a time for people to gather with family and friends, enjoy traditional foods and hand out lucky red envelopes or ‘lucky money.’

    “Throughout the province, people will be celebrating Lunar New Year with banquets, festivals and other cultural events. Every year my family looks forward to the Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Celebration, which features a colourful procession with lion and dragon dancers and other cultural performers.

    “This is also a time for all the people in British Columbia to reflect and appreciate the cultural diversity that has strengthened our province for generations, and is a reminder of the incredible contributions that Asian Canadians make to B.C.

    “From my family to yours, I wish you a prosperous Year of the Snake!

    “Kung Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Atomicwork Secures $25M in Series A Funding to Transform Enterprise IT with Agentic AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atomicwork, a leading innovator in agentic service management solutions for Enterprise IT, today announced that it has raised $25 million in their Series A funding round. The round was led by Khosla Ventures and Z47, with participation from Battery Ventures, Blume Ventures, and Peak XV Partners. This new infusion of capital accelerates Atomicwork’s mission to transform IT service management (ITSM) with its innovative AI-native platform that modernizes how businesses operate and drive growth.

    A New Era for Enterprise IT Service Management
    Today’s enterprises face a pivotal moment. As operations expand globally and digital systems multiply, traditional ITSM tools are reaching their limits. These legacy solutions – built for an earlier era of process management – can’t keep pace with modern business demands. 

    CEOs and CIOs recognize the need for transformative change. The challenge isn’t just about managing IT anymore – it’s about empowering organizations to thrive in an increasingly dynamic digital landscape. 

    Atomicwork’s agentic service management platform combines an enterprise knowledge graph with agentic AI to offload work from IT teams, allowing them to focus on driving business impact rather than managing everyday processes. By radically simplifying enterprise workflows, managing incidents in real-time, and enabling self-healing, Atomicwork is helping businesses stay ahead in today’s fast-moving digital business environment. 

    Atomicwork founders: (L to R): Kiran Darisi, Vijay Rayapati and Parsuram Vijayasankar.

    “We are pioneering agentic service management to transform how companies manage their IT workflows and enterprise services. This investment is a significant milestone, validating our vision of a future where smarter IT teams drive business growth and companies are empowered by technology, not bogged down by it.” said Vijay Rayapati, co-founder and CEO of Atomicwork. “Our unified and adaptive self-service experience will enable businesses to move faster.” 

    Global businesses like Zuora and Pepper Money use Atomicwork to empower their teams with seamless service, intelligent automation, and actionable insights, driving productivity and transforming their digital workplace experience. 

    Backing by Industry Leaders 
    The funding round comes on the heels of strong product adoption and backing from 40+ global CIOs, CTOs and industry veterans. 

    “Atomicwork’s AI agents can autonomously handle everyday IT services, and employees can then focus on actually growing the business,” said Kanu Gulati of Khosla Ventures. “This is the AI innovation that large organizations need to radically transform how they work.”  

    “Atomicwork has built a remarkable team and proven technology, and we’ve witnessed firsthand how they’re transforming IT service management for global businesses. Their potential is immense to redefine the future of enterprise IT with Agentic AI.” said Pranay Desai, Managing Director at Z47.  “Having been part of their journey since the seed round, we’re thrilled to continue our partnership and support their next phase of growth. ”  

    Future growth and expansion 
    These Series A funds will be used to further scale and deploy Enterprise AI agents and invest in GTM expansion. The company plans to enhance its platform support for key enterprise integrations and ensure seamless scalability. 

    “Enterprise IT is undergoing a radical transformation and Atomicwork’s agentic service management platform is in a great position to innovate in this space,” said Neeraj Agrawal, General Partner at Battery Ventures. “We are excited to be a part of the company’s journey as it continues to scale and innovate for enterprise IT teams.”

    Ends

    Media images can be found here. 

    About Atomicwork 
    Atomicwork helps enterprises reduce IT service costs and boost productivity through its agentic service management platform. Built for modern businesses, Atomicwork eliminates manual IT tasks, reducing resolution times by 90%, and empowers IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth.

    Trusted by leading enterprises, Atomicwork transforms enterprise service management while delivering exceptional employee experiences and accelerating business success. Headquartered in San Francisco, Atomicwork also has offices in Singapore and India. For more information please visit: www.atomicwork.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Resolution comes after Trump pardons 1,500 criminals convicted of violently assaulting police officers
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced a new resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers.
    The resolution follows the reckless action by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged, and in many cases already convicted and incarcerated, with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th. During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
    The senators’ resolution, condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers, simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” This week, Senate Democrats will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
    “These criminals used flagpoles, fire extinguishers and bear spray to assault the police securing the Capitol on January 6. No one who assaults a police officer should be given a ‘get out of jail free card’ from the President,” said Heinrich.
    “What took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th is a stain on American history. The events of that have left a scar on many, including the law enforcement officers that defended the Capitol. President Trump’s pardons of violent criminals is a betrayal of the rule of law and our brave law enforcement officers,” said Luján. “I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in condemning this vicious attack on law enforcement and in showing the nation that political violence is unacceptable.”
    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in court, the weapons used and carried on the Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
    Among others, the individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers and were granted full, unconditional pardons by President Trump this week include:
    Rockne Gerald Earles, of Chama, N.M., who pled guilty last year to two felony assault charges on Capitol Police officers. In one attack, captured on video, Earles wrestled a police officer to the steps outside the Capitol Building. That officer was later hospitalized with a concussion and missed 45 days of work due to his injuries. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 52 months in prison for Earles.
    Taylor James Johnatakis, of Kingston, Washington, was convicted of three felonies in November 2023, including assaulting officers. Prosecutors said that he “coordinated a violent assault on a line of police officers defending” the Capitol and that video shows he “used a metal barricade to attack officers head on and grabbed one officer to prevent him from defending himself against other attacking rioters.”
    Julian Khater, who assaulted a U.S. police office—Brian Sicknick—and later pled guilty to assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon.
    Robert Palmer, who attacked police with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank, and a pole.
    Tyler Bradley Dykes of Bluffton, South Carolina, who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing a police riot shield and twice using it against officers. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.
    Devlyn Thompson, who hit a police officer with a metal baton.
    Andrew Taake, of Houston, Texas, who was sentenced to a little more than six years for assaulting law enforcement officers with bear spray and a metal whip.
    Christopher Quaglin, who federal prosecutors said “viciously assaulted numerous officers” and was one of the most violent rioters, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
    David Dempsey, who, according to prosecutors, “was one of the most violent rioters,” and received 20 years in prison. Prosecutors also said Dempsey had a “very significant history of arrests and convictions” prior to the January 6th attack.
    Daniel Rodriguez, of Fontana, California, who plunged a stun gun into the neck of Washington Police Officer Michael Fanone multiple times.
    Ryan Nichols, of Longview, Texas, who assaulted officers with pepper spray, and later on Jan. 6, at his hotel room, he called for additional violence.
    Howard Richardson, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, who struck a police officer three times with a flagpole, hard enough to break the flagpole.
    Robert Sanford, from Chester, Pennsylvania, who hit two police officers in the head with a fire extinguisher and threw a traffic cone at another officer.
    Jonathan Munafo, of Albany, New York, who punched a police officer, stole the officer’s riot shield, and struck a Capitol office window with two poles.
    The resolution is led by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    The text of the resolution is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump 2.0: the rise of an ‘anti-elite’ elite in US politics

    Source: The Conversation – France – By William Genieys, Directeur de recherche CNRS au CEE, Sciences Po

    US president Donald Trump is surrounded by a new cohort of politicians and officials. While one of his campaign promises was to overthrow the “corrupt elites” he accuses of flooding the American political arena, his second term in office has elevated elites chosen, above all, for their political loyalty to him.

    The media’s focus on Trump’s comments on making Canada the 51st US state and annexing Greenland and billionaire Elon Musk’s support for some far-right parties in Europe has obscured the ambitious programme to transform the federal government that the new political elite intends to implement.

    In the wake of Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the Republican elites most loyal to the MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) leader, who staunchly oppose Democratic elites and their policies, are operating amid their party’s control over the executive and legislative branches (at least until the midterm elections in 2026), a conservative-dominated Supreme Court that includes three Trump-appointed justices, and a federal judiciary that shifted right during his first term.

    However, the political project of the Trumpist camp consists less of challenging elitism in general than attacking a specific elite: one particular to liberal democracies.

    Castigating democratic elitism

    Typical anti-elite political propaganda, along the lines of “I speak for you, the people, against the elites who betray and deceive you,” claims that a populist leader would be able to exercise power for and on behalf of the people without the mediation of an elite disconnected from their needs.

    Political theorist John Higley sees behind this form of anti-elite discourse an association between so-called “forceful leaders” and “leonine elites” (who take advantage of the former and their political success): a phenomenon that threatens the future of Western democracies.

    Since the Second World War, there has been a consensus in US politics on the idea of democratic elitism. According to this principle, elitist mediation is inevitable in mass democracies and must be based on two criteria: respect for the results of elections (which must be free and competitive); and the relative autonomy of political institutions.

    The challenge to this consensus has been growing since the 1990s with the increased polarization of American politics. It gained new momentum during and after the 2016 presidential campaign, which was marked by anti-elite rhetoric from both Republicans and Democrats (such as senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren). At the heart of some of their diatribes was an aversion to “the Establishment” on the east and west coasts of the United States, where many prestigious financial, political and academic institutions are based, and the conspiracy notion of the “deep state”.

    The re-election of Trump, who has never admitted defeat in the 2020 presidential vote, growing political hostility and the direct involvement of tech tycoons in political communication –especially on the Republican side– further reinforce the denial of democratic elitism.

    Trump’s populism from above: a revolt of the elites

    The idea that democracy could be betrayed by “the revolt of the elites”, put forward by the US historian Christopher Lasch (1932-1994), is not new. For the anthropologist Arjun Appadurai, it is a particular feature of contemporary populism, which comes “from above.” Indeed, if the 20th century was the era of the “revolt of the masses”, the 21st century, according to Appadurai, “is characterized by the ‘revolt of the elites’.” This would explain the rise of populist autocracies (such as those currently led by Viktor Orban in Hungary, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey and Narendra Modi in India, and formerly led by Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil), but also the election successes of populist leaders in consolidated democracies (including those of Trump in the US, Giorgia Meloni in Italy, and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, for example).

    As Appadurai explains, the success of Trumpian populism, which represents a revolt by ordinary Americans against the elites, casts a veil over the fact that, following Trump’s victory in November, “it is a new elite that has ousted from power the despised Democratic elite that had occupied the White House for nearly four years.”

    The aim of this “alter elite” is to replace the “regular” Democrat elites, but also the moderate Republicans, by deeply discrediting their values (such as liberalism and so-called “wokeism”) and their supposedly corrupt political practices. As a result, this populism “from above” carried out by the President’s supporters constitutes an alternative elite configuration, the effects of which on American democratic life could be more significant than those observed during Trump’s first term.

    Beyond the idea of a ‘Muskoligarchy’

    The idea that we are witnessing the formation of a “Muskoligarchy” –in other words, an economic elite (including tech barons such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Marc Andreessen) rallying around the figurehead of Elon Musk, whom Trump asked to lead what the president has called a “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) –is seductive. It perfectly combines the vision of an alliance between a “conspiratorial, coherent, conscious” ruling class and an oligarchy made up of the “ultra-rich”. For the Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf, it is even a sign of the development of “pluto-populism”. (It is also worth noting that former president Joe Biden, in his farewell speech, referred to “an oligarchy… of extreme wealth” and “the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex.”)

    However, some observers are cautious about the advent of a “Muskoligarchy.” They point to the sociological eclecticism of the new Trumpian elite, whose facade of unity is held together above all by a political loyalty, for the time being unfailing, to the MAGA leader. The fact remains, however, that the various factions of this new “anti-elite” elite are converging around a common agenda: to rid the federal government of the supposed stranglehold of Democratic “insiders.”

    An ‘anti-elite’ elite against the ‘deep state’

    In his presidential inauguration speech in 1981, Ronald Reagan said: “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” The anti-elitism of the Trump elite is inspired by this diagnosis, and defends a simple political programme: rid democracy of the “deep state.”


    Although the idea that the US is “beleaguered” by an “unelected and unaccountable elite” and “insiders” who subvert the general interest has been shown to be unfounded, it is nonetheless predominant in the new Trump Administration.

    This conspiracy theory has been taken to the extreme by Kash Patel, the candidate being considered to head the FBI. In his book, Government Gangsters, a veritable manifesto against the federal administration, the former lawyer writes about the need to resort to “purges” in order to bring elite Democrats to justice. He lists around 60 people, including Biden, ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton and ex-vice president Kamala Harris.

    Government Gangsters, Kash Patel’s controversial book.
    Google Books

    The appointment of Russell Vought as head of the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, a person who is known for having sought to obstruct the transition to the Biden Administration in 2021, also highlights the hard turn that the Trump administration is likely to take.

    Reshaping the state around political loyalty

    To “deconstruct the administrative state”, the “anti-elite” elites are relying on Project 2025, a 900-plus page programme report that the conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation, which published it, says was produced by “more than 400 scholars and policy experts.” According to former Project 2025 director Paul Dans, “never before has the entire movement… banded together to construct a comprehensive plan” for this purpose. On this basis, the “anti-elite” elite want to impose loyalty to Project 2025 on federal civil servants.

    But this idea is not new. At the end of his first term, Trump issued an executive order facilitating the dismissal of statutory federal civil servants occupying “policy-related positions” and considered to be “disloyal”. The decree was rescinded by president Biden, but Trump on his first day back in office signed an executive order that seeks to void Biden’s rescindment. As President, Trump is also able to allocate senior positions within the federal administration to his supporters.

    The “anti-elite” elite not only want to reduce the size of the state, as was the case under Reagan’s “neoliberalism”, but to deconstruct and rebuild it in their own image. Their real aim is a more lasting victory: the transformation of democratic elitism into populist elitism.

    Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Trump 2.0: the rise of an ‘anti-elite’ elite in US politics – https://theconversation.com/trump-2-0-the-rise-of-an-anti-elite-elite-in-us-politics-248180

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Wintrust Financial Corporation Completes Integration with LPL Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC, a subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA), today announced that Wintrust Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: WTFC) has transitioned support of the wealth management business of Wintrust Investments and certain private client business at Great Lakes Advisors (collectively “Wintrust”) to LPL Financial and its Institution Services platform.     

    “This strategic relationship with LPL Financial is a significant step forward for Wintrust and our mission to provide exceptional wealth management advice and superior service to our clients across the country,” said Tom Zidar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Wintrust Wealth Management. “By leveraging LPL’s enhanced platform, we will deliver a more streamlined and personalized experience to our clients and a more intuitive, integrated experience for our advisors.”   

    “Wintrust’s advisors now have the capabilities, technology and centralized support to differentiate their service offering and grow their practices,” said Christopher Cassidy, Senior Vice President, Head of Institution Business Development at LPL. “This strategic relationship reflects the value LPL brings to help financial institutions scale their wealth management businesses and deliver personalized experiences for their clients.”    

    LPL and Wintrust Financial Corporation signed an agreement in February 2024. On January 25, about $15 billion of brokerage and advisory assets were onboarded to LPL. The remaining $1 billion of assets are expected to onboard over the next several months.   

    About Wintrust    

    Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $64.9 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its “Different Approach, Better Results®” philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges.  

    About LPL Financial   

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports more than 28,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of 6 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.  

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.  

    LPL Financial and its affiliated companies provide financial services only from the United States. LPL Financial and Wintrust are not affiliated.  

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.   

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.    

    Forward-Looking Statements  

    Certain of the statements included in this release, such as those regarding the expected onboarding of assets associated with the strategic relationship and the benefits anticipated of the relationship, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “assumes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “should,” “will,” “shall” or variations of such words are generally part of forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon Wintrust, LPL or both. In particular, no assurance can be provided that the assets reported as serviced by financial advisors affiliated with Wintrust will translate into assets serviced by LPL or that the benefits that are expected to accrue to Wintrust, LPL and advisors as a result of the strategic relationship will materialize. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including economic, legislative, regulatory, competitive and other factors, and there are certain important factors that could cause actual results or the timing of events to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include: difficulties or delays of LPL in transitioning advisors affiliated with Wintrust, or in onboarding Wintrust’s clients and businesses or transitioning their assets from Wintrust’s current third-party custodian to LPL; the inability of LPL to sustain revenue and earnings growth or to fully realize revenue or expense synergies or the other expected benefits of the transaction, which depend in part on LPL’s success in onboarding assets currently served by Wintrust’s advisors; disruptions to Wintrust’s or LPL’s businesses due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with financial advisors and clients, employees, other business partners or governmental entities; the inability of LPL or Wintrust to implement onboarding plans; the choice by clients of Wintrust-affiliated advisors not to open brokerage and/or advisory accounts at LPL; changes in general economic and financial market conditions, including retail investor sentiment; fluctuations in the value of assets under custody; and the effects of competition in the financial services industry, including competitors’ success in recruiting Wintrust-affiliated advisors. Certain additional important factors that could cause actual results or the timing of events to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements can be found in the “Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Statements” (in the case of Wintrust) or the “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” (in the case of LPL) sections included in each of Wintrust’s and LPL’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as required by law, Wintrust and LPL do not undertake to update any particular forward-looking statement included in this document as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release.   

    Contacts   

    LPL Media Relations   
    media.relations@lplfinancial.com   
    (704) 996-1840

    LPL Investor Relations   
    investor.relations@lplfinancial.com   

    Wintrust  
    David A. Dykstra 
    Vice Chairman & Chief Operating Officer 
    (847) 939-9000 

    Tracking: 686437 

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Illumio Research Reveals 58% of Companies Hit With Ransomware Have Been Forced to Halt Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ransomware attacks are disrupting and undermining business operations and draining revenue streams, according to new research from the Ponemon Institute, commissioned by Illumio, Inc., the leader in breach containment.

    Findings from The Global Cost of Ransomware Study reveal that 58% of organizations had to shut down operations following a ransomware attack, up from 45% in 2021. Forty percent reported a significant loss of revenue (up from 22% in 2021); 41% lost customers; and 40% had to eliminate jobs.

    The research examined the scope of ransomware threats confronting organizations and the measures being implemented to reduce the risks and their impacts. Key findings include:

    • Attackers are reaching critical systems to cause maximum disruption: Ransomware attacks impacted 25% of critical systems, with systems down for 12 hours on average.
    • Organizations continue to spend significant time and money containing ransomware: On average, it took 17.5 people, 132 hours each to contain and remediate their largest ransomware attack.
    • Costs associated with reputation and brand damage now exceed those from legal and regulatory actions: 35% experienced significant brand damage from an attack (up from 21% in 2021).
    • Failure to prioritize investments that boost resilience is costing businesses: 44% lack the ability to quickly identify and contain attacks, and only 27% have implemented microsegmentation – a vital control for stopping the spread of breaches.

    “Ransomware is more pervasive and impactful than ever, with more organizations forced to suspend operations or experiencing major business failure because of attacks,” said Trevor Dearing, Director of Critical Infrastructure at Illumio. “Organizations need operational resilience and controls like microsegmentation that stop attackers from reaching critical systems. By containing attacks at the point of entry, organizations can protect critical systems and data, and save millions in downtime, lost business, and reputational damage.”

    Cloud and hybrid environments remain weak links, with attackers exploiting unpatched systems
    The increased connectivity of business systems and devices is making it harder for organizations to defend against ransomware attacks. Organizations perceive the cloud as being the most vulnerable, and 35% say a lack of visibility across hybrid environments makes it difficult to respond to ransomware attacks.

    Desktops and laptops remain the most compromised devices (50%), with phishing and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) cited as top entry points for ransomware. Most attacks moved across the network to infect other devices. In over half of these cases (52%), attackers exploited unpatched systems to move laterally and escalate system privileges; up significantly from 33% in 2021.

    Organizations are investing heavily in ransomware defense, but efforts are falling short
    According to the research, nearly a third of IT budgets (29%) are allocated to staff and technologies meant to prevent, detect, contain, and resolve ransomware attacks, yet attacks are still successful. Eighty-eight percent of organizations have fallen victim to a ransomware attack, despite 54% being confident in their security posture.

    Organizations are also taking a chance on ransomware recovery and failing. Fifty-two percent of respondents believe having a full and accurate backup is a sufficient defense against ransomware. Yet only 13% were able to recover all impacted data following a ransomware attack.

    The report also found larger organizational challenges in defending against ransomware including:

    • Ransomware reporting is still not happening: 72% of those that experienced a ransomware attack didn’t report it to law enforcement. Top reasons for not reporting include fear of publicizing the incident (39%); a payment deadline (38%); and fear of retaliation (38%). 
    • Employees are more security conscious, but still a weak link: 40% are confident in the ability of employees to detect social engineering lures (up from 30% in 2021), however, insider negligence is the top challenge when responding to ransomware attacks.
    • Organizations are slow to adopt AI to combat ransomware: Only 42% have specifically adopted AI to help combat ransomware. More (51%) are concerned their organization may experience an AI-generated ransomware attack.

    To learn more, download the full Global Cost of Ransomware Study here or check out the blog here.

    Research Methodology  
    The research was conducted by Ponemon Institute on behalf of Illumio among 2,547 IT and cybersecurity practitioners in the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia and Japan. All participants have responsibility for addressing ransomware attacks within their organizations.

    About Illumio  
    Illumio, the most comprehensive Zero Trust solution for ransomware and breach containment, protects organizations from cyber disasters and enables operational resilience without complexity. By visualizing traffic flows and automatically setting segmentation policies, the Illumio Zero Trust Segmentation Platform reduces unnecessary lateral movement across the multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructure, protecting critical resources and preventing the spread of cyberattacks. 

    Contact Information 
    Comms-team@illumio.com 

    About Ponemon Institute 
    Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Our mission is to conduct high quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting the management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations.

    We uphold strict data confidentiality, privacy and ethical research standards. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or company identifiable information in our business research). Furthermore, we have strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant or improper questions.

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Exela Technologies Announces Strategic Partnership with Michael Page

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVING, Texas, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Exela Technologies, Inc. (“Exela” or the “Company”) (OTC: XELA, XELAP), a global business process automation (BPA) leader, has announced a strategic partnership between its Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) Business Unit and Michael Page, a leading recruitment firm specializing in leadership hiring for large enterprises.

    Michael Page, through this partnership, plans to expand Exela’s successful Center of Excellence across various corporate functions, including Finance Shared Services, by deploying Build-Operate-Transfer, Captive, and Business Processes as a Service to their enterprise customers. This collaboration is expected to further strengthen Exela’s position as a trusted partner for delivering tailored, scalable financial solutions.

    “Partnering with Michael Page opens up exciting new avenues for us,” said Sandeep Sapru, President, APAC, Exela Technologies. “This collaboration allows us to bring our deep expertise in finance outsourcing to a wider global audience, helping enterprise clients streamline operations, drive efficiency, and enhance financial outcomes.”

    The partnership reflects a rigorous, strategic process showcasing Exela’s expertise in consulting and executing BOT and captive models. Michael Page’s confidence in Exela was bolstered by the success of its Shared Services Center (SSC) and Full-Service Play (FSP) model, demonstrating Exela’s ability to meet the unique needs of enterprise clients.

    “India continues to be a hub of exceptional talent, with enterprises seeking innovative solutions to optimize their operations and drive strategic growth,” said Anshul Lodha, Managing Director of Michael Page India. “Our partnership with Exela Technologies combines our deep expertise in leadership recruitment with their proven capabilities in finance outsourcing, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of the Indian business landscape. Together, we are well-positioned to help organizations in India and beyond build resilient, high-performing teams that drive long-term success.”

    As Exela enters FY25, the partnership underscores its commitment to driving growth, innovation, and impactful collaborations that redefine finance outsourcing and shared services.

    About Exela

    Exela Technologies is a business process automation (BPA) leader, leveraging a global footprint and proprietary technology to provide digital transformation solutions enhancing quality, productivity, and end-user experience. With decades of experience operating mission-critical processes, Exela serves a growing roster of more than 4,000 customers throughout 50 countries, including over 60% of the Fortune® 100. Utilizing foundational technologies spanning information management, workflow automation, and integrated communications, Exela’s software and services include multi-industry, departmental solution suites addressing finance and accounting, human capital management, and legal management, as well as industry-specific solutions for banking, healthcare, insurance, and the public sector. Through cloud-enabled platforms, built on a configurable stack of automation modules, and approximately 15,000 employees operating in 21 countries, Exela rapidly deploys integrated technology and operations as an end-to-end digital journey partner.

    To automatically receive Exela financial news by email, please visit the Exela Investor Relations website, http://investors.exelatech.com/, and subscribe to Email Alerts.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “may”, “should”, “would”, “plan”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “seem”, “seek”, “continue”, “future”, “will”, “expect”, “outlook” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding our industry, future events, estimated or anticipated future results and benefits, future opportunities for Exela, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on the current expectations of Exela management and are not predictions of actual performance. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report and in subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition, forward-looking statements provide expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Exela anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause assessments to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Exela’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

    For more Exela news, commentary, and industry perspectives, visit:

    Website: https://investors.exelatech.com/
    X: @ExelaTech
    LinkedIn: /exela-technologies
    Facebook: @exelatechnologies
    Instagram: @exelatechnologies

    Investor and/or Media Contacts:

    ir@exelatech.com

    Source: Exela Technologies, Inc.

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: François Villeroy de Galhau: For a high speed and safe journey into the financial future

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Ladies and gentlemen,
    It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this high-level conference organised by the Banque de France on speed and innovation, and how they could be disruptive for financial markets and market infrastructures. Let me thank Emmanuelle Assouan and her teams for setting up this event. I would also like to extend my warm thanks to all participants from industry, public authorities and central banks who will give their views during three roundtables today, including my colleagues and friends Andrea Maechler, Piero Cipollone and Naoto Shimoda.

    It is a première for a Banque de France conference to be held here at the Cinémathèque française, which is definitely an excellent venue for our theme of today: we are here in the place where speed is made art. As you know, cinema was invented in France by the Lumière brothers in the late 19th century. During the projection in 1896 of one of their very first movies, The arrival of a train at La Ciotat station, the audience was so overwhelmed by the moving image of a train coming directly at them that people ran away. But we do not fear speed anymore, on the contrary: it has become a key success factor in financial markets and market infrastructures, yielding high benefits. Transactions and their settlement have already become dramatically swifter over the last decades – notably in France, which was at the forefront in dematerialising securities – and will continue gathering speed. I will first elaborate on the reasons why, in a fast-moving environment, resilience must be preserved in order to ensure financial stability (I). Our public-private partnership has to evolve, with a view to enhancing cross-border payments and the holistic project of creating a shared ledger (II). 

    I. A fast-moving financial system whose resilience must be preserved in order to ensure financial stability

    Markets are undergoing structural changes, all driven by increased speed aimed at achieving higher efficiency. Automation and high-frequency trading are driving a rise in daily trading volumes; new participants have emerged, and incumbents have evolved. Nowadays, robots and algorithms are unlocking new possibilities, while artificial intelligence offers the promise of value added in trading, customer relationships and investment decisions. From photography to digital movies, from local theatres to global web platforms, cinematography has gone through technological revolutions over the years. However, whether it’s in cinema or finance, speed is not a goal per se. The social utility of certain accelerations such as high-frequency trading remains to be seen, and they carry risks. We must reflect on new guardrails to protect against possible increased market volatility – and even potential flash crashes caused by poorly coordinated algorithms that can amplify massive sell-offs.
     
    Post-market processes are keeping pace with this acceleration in trading: settlement is getting ever faster. A few years ago, implementing T+2 (i.e. ensuring settlement within two days of transaction execution) was a major step forward for all players, as enshrined in the European CSDR regulation.i Nowadays we are once again aiming for more ambitious targets, with an objective of T+1 in Europe in 2027 – as has already been the case in the United States, Canada and Mexico since end-May last year. Interestingly, across the Atlantic, this evolution was driven by market players, who saw in the shortening of the settlement cycle an opportunity to further reduce liquidity, counterparty and operational risks. The American experience also shows that T+1 yields direct financial benefits, in particular a significant lowering of CCP margins. T+1 therefore received overall support in ESMA’s and the Commission’s public consultations. I trust that we are all well aware of the operational requirements and challenges to be met:ii  preparatory work must start now, with the adaptation of IT systems and further automation of processes. It is also important to coordinate with the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and to pay due attention to the consequences in terms of shorter cut-offs – notably for FX transactions.
     
    The tokenisation of assets is obviously another groundswell movement, which could further enhance the straight-through processing of trade and post-trade activities, and paves the way for yet another acceleration with a widespread implementation of T+0. It has the potential to generate even greater savings both for the financial industry and end-users. To date, the nascent DLTiii  finance has used new forms of commercial bank money as settlement assets, such as tokenised deposits or so-called stablecoins. As experience has shown in the last few years, they are far from immune, and Europe has made the right step by adopting the MiCA regulation. Failing to regulate crypto-assets and non-banks today would merely sow the seeds for tomorrow’s financial crisis.
     
    Beyond these regulatory issues, it has become more and more apparent that we currently lack the anchor provided by central bank money, which drastically reduces counterparty and liquidity risks, and crucially ensures the finality of payments. A wholesale central bank digital currency would ensure convertibility between tokenised assets, exactly as central banks currently ensure convertibility between commercial bank monies, allowing for delivery-versus-payment and payment-versus-payment. In short, tokenised central bank money would provide a “safety pivot”, and serve as a reliable basis of trust on which these new technologies could realise their full potential.

    II. A step further with the interlinking of fast-payment systems and a European shared ledger to meet the challenges of transition and growth

     
    Central banks must therefore keep up with these developments,iv  in order to explore the potential of DLT and foster innovation while preserving the anchoring role of central bank money. Building among others on the Banque de France’s pioneering experiments between 2020 and 2023,v  the Eurosystem conducted a series of new experiments on wholesale CBDC between April and November 2024,vi  with the active involvement of the Banque de France, Banca d’Italia and Bundesbank as solution providers. We witnessed active industry participation in the Eurosystem experiments, and I would like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to your strong commitment – which, I believe, also reflects the growing awareness of the need for a safe settlement asset.
     
    Together, we successfully tested numerous and very diverse use cases, ranging from primary issues to cross-currency payments, repos, margin calls and asset management, to give a few examples. Actual settlement was even tested for the lifecycle management of securities and secondary market transactions. With this ambitious programme, we have further delivered on our learning-by-doing approach, which is of the essence. As announced, the Eurosystem will draw lessons from the exploratory work, including on how to facilitate the provision of central bank money settlement for wholesale asset transactions on DLT platforms. Clearly, it is in the interest of both European commercial banks and the public sector to work together towards a tokenised European framework: money is and will remain a public-private partnership, which has to evolve.
     
    As regards cross-border payments, the Eurosystem has launched initiatives to help improve them, including exploratory work on linking TIPS with other fast-payment systems such as UPI in India. We thereby support the G20 roadmap for creating a faster, cheaper, more transparent and accessible global payments ecosystem, while ensuring secure and reliable instant payments. The G20 roadmap also foresees, in the longer term, the use of tokenisation to further enhance cross-border payments.
     
    We now need to bring all these advances together to create a global motion picture, in a holistic manner. Here, the idea of a “unified ledger” put forward by the BISvii  looks like more than a promising technology: a rallying concept, or even a utopia. This next-generation market infrastructure would take one day in the future the shape of a shared, seamless and programmable platform that integrates central bank money, commercial bank money and tokenised financial assets – which would call for redefined and improved public-private partnerships. Accordingly, in April 2024 the BIS launched Project Agorá,viii  to explore the tokenisation of cross-border payments to improve the existing correspondent banking model. This major project brings together seven central banks worldwide, including the Banque de France which represents the Eurosystem, and a large group of private financial firms. But a first and necessary step towards such a global infrastructure should be to build regional shared ledgers – one of which would be European.
     
    A European shared ledger could prove an efficient means to overcome European market fragmentation and current inefficiencies, by facilitating the provision of seamlessly connected services across Europe. It would therefore act as a catalyst for a Savings and Investments Union, and provide tools such as green bonds and securities to finance the green transition, at a time where we have to mobilise Europe’s private savings surplus of more than EUR 300 billion a year. In short, it would be an important lever for achieving our climate but also digital transformations, which are among our main challenges; it would also help Europe to gain in both size – by unifying its single market – and speed. Achieving this ambitious vision requires moving forward step by step, in a phased approach. Rather than replacing existing infrastructures which have already helped to reduce fragmentation in Europe – like the harmonised settlement system T2S –, this new shared infrastructure would tackle markets which still rely on manual processes and lack standardisation, such as OTC markets and unlisted stocks. A crucial first step will be to make central bank money available on this infrastructure: this makes it all the more important to offer a wholesale CBDC solution in the short term to prepare this long term target.

    Let me conclude with Billy Wilder, the director of Some like it hot. He once gave this sound piece of advice: “If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.” This leads me to a twofold conclusion: first, that it is the right time to engage in the design and experimentation of market infrastructures of the future; second, that fast-paced transformations should not be at the expense of past achievements in financial stability, and increase risks. Central bank money must remain the settlement asset at the core of the financial system, whether tokenised or not. Under this condition, our common technological breakthroughs could contribute to meeting our major challenges. Thank you for your attention. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donors are down, but dollars are up – how US charitable giving is changing

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Una Osili, Professor of Economics and Philanthropic Studies; Associate Dean for Research and International Programs, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University

    Although the pie is shrinking, the remaining slices are giving more.
     Say-Cheese/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Although the US$557 billion Americans gave to charity in 2023 marked a 2.1% decline in inflation-adjusted terms, U.S. donations have increased significantly over the past two decades. Giving has grown by about 42% since 2003, according to the annual Giving USA report – which our team at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy researches and writes in partnership with the Giving USA Foundation.

    While overall charitable funds have expanded according to the most recent data available, the share of Americans who give to charitable causes has fallen. It plummeted from 66.2% of all U.S. adults in 2000 to 45.8% in 2020, our team determined in a different study we released in 2024. In short, the number of dollars is up, while the share of Americans who are donors is down.

    As the second Trump administration gets underway, having fewer people donating more is one reason why scholars of philanthropy like us are watching how the federal government handles tax policy and other measures that could influence charitable giving.

    Decline continued when the COVID-19 pandemic began

    Our latest study regarding the donors’ side of the American giving equation included data from 2020 – the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    We found that a long-term decline in Americans’ participation in charitable giving accelerated during the first year of the pandemic. The share of Americans who gave to charity fell from 49.6% in 2018, the prior year for which data is available, to 45.8% in 2020 – a nearly 4-percentage-point decline in two years. This data is only available for every other year.

    Those findings may appear to contradict many anecdotal reports about charitable activity and other acts of generosity being on the rise at that time.

    The share of Americans who give to charity had fallen by 3.5 percentage points in the prior two-year period – a sign that the pandemic may have sped up the decline in the giving participation rate.

    Giving is growing more concentrated

    How can the total amount contributed rise while the share of donors declines?

    The answer is simple: The donors who still give to charity are giving more than they used to, even after adjusting for inflation.

    The total amount the typical U.S. donor gave in a year rose from $3,131 in 2018 to $3,651 in 2020. That’s an 16.6% increase in just two years.

    We also found that American donors with higher incomes, more education and more wealth are giving larger amounts than they used to.

    Bouts of economic volatility and, in recent years, inflation running at levels not seen since the 1980s may have left many American families with less money to donate to charities.

    Other factors include cultural shifts, a decline in religious affiliation and a loss of trust in institutions of all kinds.

    What’s around the corner

    Changes enacted during the first Trump administration have been reverberating in recent years, and the second Trump administration’s policies are also likely to influence giving trends.

    Most of the taxpayers who had previously been able to take advantage of the charitable deduction, which reduces taxable income in accordance to the value of a taxpayer’s donations, stopped itemizing and instead took advantage of the standard deduction after President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law in late 2017.

    That’s because the 2017 tax reforms increased the standard deduction. As a result, many people stopped itemizing their tax returns and started using the standard deduction instead.

    About 30% of taxpayers itemized in 2017, which meant they could benefit from the charitable deduction. But since 2018, only about 10% of them have been itemizing. A recent study one of us worked on determined that the tax changes reduced charitable giving by $20 billion in 2018 alone.

    The White House could attempt to address the sustained decline in the share of Americans making charitable donations by considering policies that have the potential to encourage more people to give to charity.

    The shrinking ranks of American donors matters because philanthropy plays a prominent role in fulfilling Americans’ spiritual, intellectual and material needs and aspirations for people of all backgrounds.

    Una Osili receives funding from Bill and Melinda Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, John Templeton Foundation, Google.org

    Xiao “Jimmy” Han receives funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, Google.org Charitable Giving Fund, and the John Templeton Foundation.

    – ref. Donors are down, but dollars are up – how US charitable giving is changing – https://theconversation.com/donors-are-down-but-dollars-are-up-how-us-charitable-giving-is-changing-246473

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Disaster evacuations can take much longer than people expect − computer simulations could help save lives and avoid chaos

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ashley Bosa, Postdoctoral Researcher, Hazards and Climate Resilience Institute, Boise State University

    Wildfire smoke rises beyond homes near Castaic Lake as another California wildfire spread on Jan. 22, 2025. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

    When a wildfire notification goes off on your mobile phone, it can trigger all kinds of emotions and confusion.

    You might glance outside and see no smoke. Across the street, your neighbors have mixed reactions: One is leisurely walking their dog, another is calmly packing a small bag, while a third appears to be preparing for an extended vacation.

    The notification advises you to grab your “go bag,” but then panic can set in as you realize you don’t have one ready. So, you scour the local emergency management website for guidance and discover how much you’ve overlooked: important documents such as birth certificates, an extra flashlight, your children’s medications, a phone charger.

    Before you can gather your thoughts, a second notification arrives – this time telling you to evacuate.

    Packing the car, wrangling children or a skittish cat, figuring out where to go – it can feel frenzied in the face of danger. As you pull out, you join a traffic jam on your street, with a black smoke plume rising nearby and neighbors still loading their cars.

    This chaos highlights a worst-case scenario for wildfire evacuations – one that can cause delays, heighten risks for evacuees and complicate access for emergency responders. It’s why researchers like me who study natural hazards are developing ways to help communities recognize where residents may need the most help and avoid evacuation bottlenecks in the face of future disasters.

    The importance of being prepared

    Confusion is common in the face of disasters, and it underscores the need for communities and individuals to be prepared.

    Delays in evacuating, or the inability to evacuate safely, can have catastrophic consequences, not only for those trying to flee but also for the first responders and emergency managers working to manage the crisis. These delays often stem from a lack of preparedness or uncertainty about when and how to act.

    A study of survivors of an Australian wildfire that killed 172 people in the state of Victoria in 2009 found that two-thirds of survivors reported that they had carried out an existing disaster plan, while researchers found the majority of those who died either didn’t follow a disaster plan or couldn’t. Forecasters had warned that high temperatures were coming with very low humidity, and public alerts had gone out about the high fire risk.

    Residents had little time to evacuate as the Eaton Fire spread into Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025. Source: NBC.

    How people perceive risks and the environmental and social cues around them – such as how much smoke they see, their neighbors’ choices or the wording of the notification – will directly affect the speed of their response.

    Past experience with a disaster evacuation also has an impact. Rapid population growth in recent years in the wildland-urban interface – areas where human development meets wildfire-prone areas – has meant that more people with little or no experience with wildfires are living in fire-risk areas. Wildland areas also tend to have fewer evacuation routes, making mass evacuations more difficult and time-consuming.

    Adding to the complexity is the fact that large wildfires are occurring in regions not historically prone to such events and during times of the year traditionally considered outside of wildfire season. This shift has left communities and emergency response teams grappling with unprecedented challenges, particularly when it comes to evacuations.

    Computer models can help spot risks

    To address these challenges, researchers are developing systems to help communities model how their residents are likely to respond in the event of a disaster.

    The results can help emergency crews understand where bottlenecks are likely to occur along evacuation routes, depending on the timing of the notice and the movement of the fire. They can also help fire managers understand where neighborhoods may need to be notified faster or need more help evacuating.

    Firefighters inspect burned out cars along a road in Paradise, Calif., after a deadly fire swept through the wooded area in November 2018. Some people abandoned their cars when they became trapped in traffic with few ways out.
    AP Photo/John Locher

    My team at the Hazard and Climate Resilience Institute at Boise State University is working on one of these projects. We have been surveying communities across Idaho and Oregon to assess how people living in the wildland-urban interface areas perceive wildfire risks and prepare for evacuations.

    Using those surveys, we can capture household-level decision data, such as which evacuation routes these residents would take, how many cars they plan to drive and where they would evacuate to.

    We can also gauge how prepared residents would be to evacuate, or whether they would likely stay and try to defend their home instead.

    Evacuating nursing homes takes time and special resources, including evacuation sites that can meet people’s health needs. When the Eaton Fire swept into Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025, a senior care facility had little time to get its residents safely away.
    AP Photo/Ethan Swope

    With that data, we can simulate how long it will take emergency response teams to evacuate an entire community safely. The models could also show where difficulties with evacuations might be likely to arise and help residents understand how they can adjust their evacuation plans for a safer escape for everyone.

    Bridging the gap between awareness and action

    One of the key goals of this research is to bridge the gap between awareness and action.

    While many residents in wildfire-prone areas understand the risks, translating that knowledge into concrete preparations remains a challenge. The concept of a “go bag,” for example, is widely promoted but often poorly understood. Essential items such as medications, important documents and pet supplies are frequently overlooked until it’s too late.

    Clear and timely communication during wildfire crises is also essential. Evacuation warning messages such as “Ready, Set, Go!” are designed to prompt specific actions, but their effectiveness depends on residents understanding and trusting the system. Delayed responses or mixed signals can create confusion.

    As wildfire risk rises for many communities, preparedness is no longer optional – it’s a necessity. Emergency notifications vary by state and county, so check your local emergency management office to understand what to expect and sign up for alerts. Being prepared can help communities limit some of the most devastating impacts of wildfires.

    Ashley Bosa receives funding from the National Science Foundation Grant No. 2230595 for the project titled “Collaborative Research: Household Response to Wildfire ? Integrating Behavioral Science and Evacuation Modeling to Improve Community Wildfire Resilience.”

    – ref. Disaster evacuations can take much longer than people expect − computer simulations could help save lives and avoid chaos – https://theconversation.com/disaster-evacuations-can-take-much-longer-than-people-expect-computer-simulations-could-help-save-lives-and-avoid-chaos-247668

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Waterpipe tobacco issue explained

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Health Bureau said that rather than banning waterpipe tobacco, the Government has proposed to prohibit flavours in conventional smoking products, including waterpipe tobacco.

    It made the clarification following a local media report today which claimed that the Government is considering a ban on waterpipe tobacco, and that the measure will dampen the desire of tourists from the Middle East to visit Hong Kong.

    In addition to expressing regret over the inaccurate information which is misleading to citizens and tourists, the bureau pointed out that in June last year, it did put forward a proposal to prohibit flavours in conventional smoking products, including waterpipe tobacco, but did not propose to ban all kinds of waterpipe tobacco.

    Separately, the bureau explained that the ban on adding flavours in waterpipe tobacco will have limited impact on the experience of Muslim tourists visiting Hong Kong.

    A waterpipe is a smoking device originating from regions including the Middle East, and is traditionally used without added flavour, the bureau elaborated, noting that while Islam is widely followed in the Middle East and alcohol consumption or bar patronage is not prevalent, venues offering outdoor waterpipes in Hong Kong are mostly bars.

    Furthermore, the Health Bureau remarked that in other regions, eg Singapore where the import and sale of all waterpipes is banned, the number of inbound tourists from the Middle East before and after the ban remained comparable.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu and His Family Attend New Year Gala Dinner Hosted by the Taiwanese Community in Sydney

    Source: Republic Of China Taiwan 2

    Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu and his family, along with the TECO Sydney team, were delighted to attend the New Year Gala Dinner of the Taiwanese community in Sydney, organized by the Association of Overseas Alumni in Australia.
    In his remarks, DG Wu highlighted:

    Taiwan’s resilience in 2024, standing firm against challenges and achieving remarkable progress despite threats to the rules-based international order and regional stability.
    A warm welcome to OCAC Director Ms. May Chiang and Council Members Mr. Johnson Hsiung and Ms. Shirley Chen. TECO Sydney remains committed to working with our community to turn Taiwan’s achievements into global opportunities.
    Australia’s role as CPTPP chair in 2025 and the hope for Taiwan’s early accession to strengthen democratic supply chains and complete the CPTPP.
     Gratitude to NSW Parliament for passing PMB No. 1414, countering China’s misinterpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758—the first and only state legislature globally to do so.
    The need for Taiwan and Australia to deepen cooperation and exchange ideas, talent, technology, and social initiatives for regional peace and prosperity.

    Leaders in the NSW Parliament, including Rod Roberts MLC, Dr. Hugh McDermott MP, Jacqui Munro MLC, and Tania Mihailuk MLC, along with Cr Alex Yang from Burwood Council, attended the gala dinner to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
    In their remarks, they praised Taiwan’s democratic and economic achievements and expressed hopes for a stronger and more dynamic TW-AU relationship in all aspects in the Year of the Snake!

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Renewable Power: TotalEnergies Will Supply 1.5 TWh to STMicroelectronics in France over 15 Years

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Renewable Power: TotalEnergies Will Supply 1.5 TWh to STMicroelectronics in France over 15 Years

    • 1stPPA in France for STMicroelectronics, aiming at 100% renewable sourcing by 2027
    • Power comes from 2 recent wind and solar farms of 75 MW operated by TotalEnergies

    Paris, Geneva – January 28, 2025 – TotalEnergies and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, have signed a physical1 Power Purchase Agreement to supply renewable electricity to STMicroelectronics sites in France. This 15-year contract, started in January 2025, represents an overall volume of 1.5 TWh.

    TotalEnergies will provide STMicroelectronics with the renewable power (including the guarantee of origin) produced by two recent wind and solar farms of 75 MW operated by TotalEnergies. This power comes with structuration services to transform intermittent production in a constant volume (“baseload”) of green electricity. It’s the first time in France that such a 15-year contract is provided. The positive impact of the wind and solar projects on the environment and on the communities was a key success factor in the signing of the deal.

    “We are delighted to sign this agreement with STMicroelectronics, which demonstrates our ability to provide long-term and innovative clean firm power solutions tailored to our customers’ needs,” said Sophie Chevalier, Senior Vice President Flexible Power & Integration at TotalEnergies. “TotalEnergies aims to be a preferred partner to support tech industry players towards their decarbonization efforts, and this agreement showcases our commitment and capabilities.”

    “This first PPA in France marks yet another important step towards ST’s goal of becoming carbon neutral in its operations (Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and partially scope 3) by 2027, including the sourcing of 100% renewable energy by 2027,” said Geoff West, EVP and Chief Procurement Officer at STMicroelectronics. “PPAs will play a major role in our transition, and we have already signed several to support ST’s operations in Italy and Malaysia. Starting in 2025, this PPA with TotalEnergies will provide a significant level of renewable energy for ST’s operations in France, which includes R&D, design, sales and marketing and large-volume chip manufacturing.”

    About STMicroelectronics
    At ST, we are over 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of the Internet of Things and connectivity. We are committed to achieving our goal to become carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2 and partially scope 3 by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.

    TotalEnergies and electricity
    As part of its ambition to get to net zero by 2050, TotalEnergies is building a world class cost-competitive portfolio combining renewables (solar, onshore and offshore wind) and flexible assets (CCGT, storage) to deliver clean firm power to its customers. By mid-2024, TotalEnergies’ gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity reached 24 GW. TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW in 2025 and more than 100 TWh of net electricity production by 2030.

    About TotalEnergies
    TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.

    For further information, please contact:

    STMicroelectronics

    MEDIA RELATIONS
    Alexis Breton
    Corporate External Communications
    Tel: +33 6 59 16 79 08
    alexis.breton@st.com

    INVESTOR RELATIONS
    Jérôme Ramel
    EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
    Tel: +41 22 929 59 20
    jerome.ramel@st.com

    TotalEnergies

    MEDIA RELATIONS: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

    INVESTOR RELATIONS: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com

    1 In the case of a “physical” Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the renewable electricity and the associated guarantees of origin are delivered to the customer, as opposed to the “virtual” PPA, where only the guarantees of origin are delivered to the customer, and the electricity produced is sold to the grid.

    Attachment

    • C3307C — Jan 28 2025 — ST_Total PPA PR_FINAL FOR PUBLICATION

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Exterro Schedules First-of-Its-Kind INFORM Webinar Series to Unite Global Forensic Experts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Exterro Inc. is launching INFORM, a global webinar series designed as a premier resource for digital forensics practitioners. This virtual event will feature independent industry luminaries and experts sharing actionable insights and fostering a community of excellence.

    “INFORM is an opportunity for digital forensics experts and practitioners across the globe to connect, learn, and grow,” says Harsh Behl, VP of Product for Digital Forensics at Exterro. “Participants will join an exclusive global community, gaining new ideas, sharing insights, and forging connections with peers and experts.”

    Actionable Insights and Strategies for Attendees

    Attendees will gain exclusive insights and strategies through deep dives with leaders who understand their biggest challenges. Each session provides real-world solutions and skills applicable immediately. From notable Organizations to leading industry voices, these trailblazers and innovators will showcase the latest in forensic investigation techniques and offer predictions that will shape the year ahead.

    “The series will explore challenges and best practices of conducting investigations that investigators face in their jurisdictions, strategies for navigating diverse laws, legal frameworks, and fostering cooperation,” says Justin Tolman, the forensic evangelist and subject matter expert at Exterro. “Attendees will receive valuable insights from experts on overcoming challenges like cross-border hurdles to ensure compliance while driving effective investigative outcomes. By spanning regional perspectives, we’re offering attendees a holistic view of digital forensics that reflects the complex, global nature of today’s investigations.”

    At this full-day event will, the experts will delve deeper into:

    • Strategies for tackling complex investigations, leveraging innovative tools and strategic collaboration to solve high-value crimes, and insights into dismantling intricate, cross-border criminal networks.
    • Approaches to help forensic teams focus on critical evidence, minimize review time, reduce costs, and implement best practices for refining forensic workflows to deliver results faster in complex investigations.
    • Advanced digital forensics techniques to identify, analyze, and mitigate insider threats and data exfiltration, including methods to uncover subtle indicators of compromise, trace unauthorized data movement, and implement robust prevention strategies.
    • Addressing unique cloud challenges, including multi-tenant architectures, data sovereignty, and dynamic environments, while ensuring compliance and minimizing downtime.
    • How police forces are reshaping their digital forensic processes through innovative cloud-based solutions, modernizing and streamlining investigations, and enhancing collaboration, scalability, and case resolution efficiency.
    • Challenges and considerations that digital forensic practitioners must address.
    • Various AI methods, such as image forensics, facial detection and recognition, and deep metadata analysis used for deepfake detection, the challenges posed by the rapid evolution of deepfake technology, and the importance of a multi-modal framework in safeguarding digital media integrity.
    • The interplay between eDiscovery and forensics in internal investigations, providing insights and tips for success and efficiency, including guidance on the admissibility of evidence and strategies for enhancing personal value.

    INFORM will feature some of the brightest minds in digital forensics, including:

    • Farand C. Wasiak: Senior Special Agent at the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), with extensive experience in cybercrime and child protection investigations.
    • Prof. Triveni Singh: Cybercrime expert and Superintendent of Police (SP) for Cyber Crime in Uttar Pradesh, India, presenting a comprehensive guide to incident response in cloud environments.
    • Rob Fried: SVP and Global Head of Forensics at Sandline Global, renowned for leadership in data collection, expert testimony, and investigative training.
    • David Williams: Director of Global Public Safety & Justice at Microsoft, exploring the critical fight against deepfake technologies and the need for multi-modal detection methods.
    • John Price KPM: Detective Sergeant with West Midlands Police, offering insights into revolutionizing case management with cloud-based forensics and digital scene triage.

    Why INFORM Matters Now

    The surge in cybercrime, increasing complexity of legal compliance, and rapid growth of data sources have reshaped the digital forensics landscape. As investigations grow more intricate, the need for global collaboration and knowledge-sharing has become paramount. INFORM seeks to break down silos and create a platform where forensic professionals, regardless of geography, can access the expertise they need to stay ahead of emerging threats.

    True to Exterro’s mission of accessibility and community-building, INFORM is a free-to-attend event. Participants can tailor their experience by selecting sessions that align with their interests or commit to the full day to experience the complete global narrative of digital forensics innovation.

    To register and view the full schedule of speakers and sessions, visit here.

    About Exterro:

    Exterro empowers organizations and law enforcement agencies to achieve better legal, regulatory, and investigatory outcomes, while saving money and minimizing the impact of data risk. Its data risk management software is the only comprehensive platform that leverages data discovery, automation, and workflow optimization, and one of the first to utilize responsible AI to give users insight into and control over the complex interconnections of privacy, legal operations, digital investigations, cybersecurity response, compliance, and data governance. Thousands of corporations, law firms, managed services providers, and government and law enforcement agencies trust Exterro to manage their risks and drive successful outcomes at a lower cost. For more information, visit www.exterro.com.

    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Anamika D. Kumar
    Email – anamika.dhirendrakumar@exterro.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Locus Technologies and Sophare AI announce partnership to integrate compensation analytics into leading CSRD and ESG software platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Locus Technologies, the sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) compliance software leader, proudly announces its strategic partnership with Sophare AI to tackle one of the most complex aspects of ESG: social and pay equity. This collaboration will empower organizations worldwide to address pressing regulatory and ethical challenges through innovative technology and unparalleled domain expertise–without jumping between multiple ESG apps and platforms, which adds time and expense to the disclosure process.

    As part of this partnership, Sophare will extend Locus’s ESG software platform with new capabilities designed to address three critical areas:

    1. European Union Pay Transparency Directive Compliance: Sophare’s AI-powered tools help organizations navigate and comply with the EU’s directive, which mandates companies with 100+ employees to disclose gender pay gaps and provide transparent pay structures by 2026.
    2. Global Gender Pay Gap Reporting: With reporting requirements spreading across the EU, UK, Australia, and beyond, Sophare centralizes reporting of multi-jurisdictional compliance and uses AI and automation to streamline reporting.
    3. Alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Sophare AI empowers companies to align with SDG 5 by shining a light on data related to gender equality in leadership and employee compensation.

    “This partnership aligns with Locus’s track record of working with professionals who bring deep domain expertise,” said Dr. Zvonimir Dadić, head of the CSRD Practice Group for Locus Technologies Europe. “Sophare’s founding team combines technical chops with a thoughtful approach to legal compliance, and we are pleased to be able to offer our clients this streamlined path to compliance.”

    Sophare AI CEO, Siena Duplan, brings a decade of experience developing pay equity algorithms as a data scientist for Salesforce, one of the world’s leading Fortune 500 companies. Sophare’s co-founder and CTO has led a distinguished career in the UK Civil Service and brings extensive engineering experience developing services in hand with legal, compliance, and policy teams. Together, Sophare AI and Locus Technologies will pursue their shared commitment to sustainability and equity, driven by data science.

    “Compliance in HR is often seen as a box-ticking exercise, but it’s actually a gateway to bringing organizations into the era of AI,” said Duplan. “HR compliance in particular is a prime opportunity to tap into AI and automation for both significant productivity gains and to deliver a transparent workplace where employees can thrive. Our next-gen data solutions put social and pay equity on par with financial and environmental health.”

    This partnership underscores Locus’s commitment to creating an integrated, end-to-end ESG software solution that stays ahead of a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and helps organizations surmount the biggest obstacles to compliance. Together, Locus and Sophare are transforming the “S” in ESG into a driver for meaningful, measurable impact. To learn more about Locus’s CSRD and ESG software, including the new Sophare AI functionality, please contact us. 

    About Locus Technologies
    Locus Technologies, the global environmental, social, governance (ESG), sustainability, and EHS compliance software leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to be credible with ESG reporting. From 1997, Locus pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS compliance, water management, and ESG credible reporting. Locus apps and software solutions improve business performance by strengthening risk management and EHS for organizations across industries and government agencies. Organizations ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, such as Sempra, Corteva, Chevron, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Seattle, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, have selected Locus. Locus is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For further information regarding Locus and its commitment to excellence in SaaS solutions, please visit https://www.locustec.com or email info@locustec.com.

    About Sophare AI
    Sophare AI uses advanced data analytics and machine learning to help organizations achieve lasting pay equity and comply with global pay transparency regulations. Sophare takes a thoughtful approach to legal compliance and business practices, relying on deep expertise in employment laws and regulations across different countries. The company carefully analyzes these requirements to develop the best data models and strategies to help customers meet compliance standards. Deciding how to adapt its services and operations to meet legal requirements is a core part of how Sophare operates. Sophare currently supports global gender pay gap reporting and other cross-border HR compliance requirements. Sophare AI is also seeking partners to co-develop an AI-driven workforce scenario planning tool. Sophare AI is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Please visit sophare.ai or email team@sophare.ai for more information.

    Media Contact:
    Brenda Mahedy
    Locus Technologies
    media@locustechnologies.net

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: 1GLOBAL taps Nokia voice and packet core solutions to enhance network operations in existing markets, expand new ones

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    1GLOBAL taps Nokia voice and packet core solutions to enhance network operations in existing markets, expand new ones 

    • Deal swaps out competitors and includes Nokia Evolved Packet Core (EPC), Nokia IMS Voice Core, and Nokia NetGuard security solutions.
    • EPC will be deployed in eight countries, including Australia, the UK, and the US, while Nokia IMS Voice Core will be rolled out in three markets, including the Netherlands.

    XX January 2025

    Espoo, Finland – 1GLOBAL, a leading communications services provider and MVNO active in nine major markets across the globe, has selected Nokia core and security solutions to help the operator enhance and optimize network operations in existing markets like the UK and US, while rolling out services in new territories such as Brazil, South America’s largest telecoms market.

    Hakan Koç, co-Founder & CEO of 1GLOBAL, said: “Our mission at 1Global is to offer device and communications solutions that connect people, networks, and devices instantly and at scale anywhere around the world. We are pleased to partner with Nokia to further strengthen 1GLOBAL’s network operations. This will enable us to roll out new services that elevate our network quality and the overall customer experience more quickly, securely, and flexibly. Technological excellence and delivering value to our customers are at the heart of everything we do at 1Global. Nokia shares this vision, which makes them a great partner for us as we execute the next phase of 1Global’s ambitious growth strategy.”

    1GLOBAL will use several Nokia products to enhance its networks, including Nokia Evolved Packet Core, Nokia IMS Voice Core, and Nokia NetGuard security solutions. 1GLOBAL will employ Nokia Evolved Packet Core to more effectively manage data traffic running through its networks, including internet access and data calls. It will be deployed in several markets, including Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.

    Nokia IMS Voice Core, a fully cloud-native architecture with flexible scaling, will improve 1GLOBAL’s time to market and provisioning of new voice, video, and messaging services. Nokia IMS Voice Core will help 1GLOBAL optimize its network management through automation while providing the company with the flexibility to choose the infrastructure of its choice, a key pillar of Nokia’s multi-cloud strategy.

    1GLOBAL will also utilize NetGuard Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to protect against rising cyber threats. NetGuard EDR is a telco-specific threat detection product that provides real-time, automated monitoring of network infrastructure for rapid detection and mitigation of security incidents.

    Erez Sverdlov, Vice President, Cloud and Network Services Market Leader for Europe at Nokia, said: “We are thrilled to take this important step of providing 1GLOBAL with several Nokia solutions that will upgrade its core network infrastructure and applications to be fully cloud-native, and deliver a more advanced, secure, and reliable network experience for its subscribers.”

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale.

    Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About 1 Global

    1GLOBAL empowers its partners and clients with transformative technologies, strategic communications solutions and future-proof connectivity. By pioneering global connectivity solutions, 1GLOBAL leads the new generation of digital transformation with a suite of products designed to revolutionize communication and compliance across borders. Every offering reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence for Enterprise Clients, IoT Customers, Mobile Operators, Financial Institutions and many more global businesses.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media
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    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Energy Expands Intellectual Property Portfolio with Acquisition of Key Worldwide Patents for Composite Moderator for Nuclear Reactor Systems

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, N.Y., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing clean energy solutions, today highlighted additional important patents recently acquired from Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC), which augment protections for NANO Nuclear’s modular microreactor technologies under development.

    Patent No. US 11,264,141 B2, titled “Composite Moderator for Nuclear Reactor Systems,” relates to the design and construction of composite moderators with a view towards improving safety and waste management by addressing graphite oxidation found in conventional, individual moderator systems. Additionally, the patented advanced design reduces waste and structural deterioration, enabling the moderator to serve throughout the fuel’s lifecycle without requiring replacement in the reactor core. This intellectual property is expected to enhance the protections for NANO Nuclear’s own proprietary advanced portable ZEUS and ODIN microreactors, as well the KRONOS MMR™ and LOKI MMR™ reactors, all of which are currently in development.

    The U.S. patent is accompanied by related patents issued in Canada, the Russian Federation, Japan, The People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and by the European Patent Office. An application with the World Intellectual Property Organization is currently in progress. Today’s announcement follows last week’s announcement of NANO Nuclear’s acquisition of patents from USNC supporting modular transportable reactors with variable operations and multiple core configurations and applications, including the generation of electric power and process heat.

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear expands intellectual property portfolio to protect proprietary advanced portable ZEUS and ODIN microreactors, as well the KRONOS MMR™ and LOKI MMR™ reactors, all of which are currently in development.

    “As our technical teams continue their deeper exploration of the various nuclear technology patents we acquired from USNC, the benefits that these pivotal patents will provide to our development plans becomes more apparent,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Regarding the composite moderator patent highlighted today, this innovative design is expected to reduce the maintenance requirements of our modular, portable nuclear reactors while improving overall performance. We believe it will also play a key role in eliminating excess waste byproducts, enabling NANO Nuclear to build cleaner, more robust and cost-effective energy systems.”

    “The addition of this world-class intellectual property to our portfolio is key in the development and eventual deployment of our innovative, portable and secure nuclear energy systems,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Improving the functionality of these critical parts enables us to cut down the waste produced during operation and create a safer and more efficient product. These important patents not only create the potential to improve performance but also underscores our commitment to sustainability and thoughtful design.”

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors. NANO Nuclear is also developing patented stationary KRONOS MMR™ Energy System and space focused, portable LOKI MMR™.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:
    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

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    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. In this press release, forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the recently acquired intellectual property described herein. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state or non-U.S. nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complimentary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating an early stage business a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    • NANO Nuclear Energy Inc.

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Rocket Software Transforms Hybrid Cloud Data Integration with Rocket® DataEdge™

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rocket Software, a global technology leader in modernization software, today announced Rocket DataEdge, its structured data suite for hybrid cloud data integration. Rocket DataEdge bridges the gap between core transactional applications, distributed systems, and cloud environments, providing seamless data discovery, integration, and management. Because data is the foundation of corporate growth strategies, this comprehensive suite underscores Rocket Software’s commitment to enabling organizations to capture the full value of data in AI and analytics initiatives.

    The hybrid cloud market is experiencing explosive growth, projected to reach an estimated value of $262 billion by 2027, up from $85 billion in 2021. As enterprises increasingly adopt hybrid cloud infrastructures, the real-time integration of mainframe, distributed and cloud data has become essential for informing AI models and unlocking fully actionable insights. Yet, vast amounts of critical data from core transactional systems remain largely unavailable to AI and analytics initiatives. From transactional and customer records to inventory information, recent research reveals that only 28% of IT leaders are fully capitalizing on this valuable resource. AI and analytics models that don’t leverage mainframe data are often unable to provide complete and accurate insights, seriously limiting their ability to drive business value. For this reason, comprehensively integrating data across infrastructures is critical to getting a complete and timely view of the business.

    “IT leaders recognize the tremendous value of data stored in core transactional applications but struggle to access and leverage the information effectively in the AI and analytics initiatives that drive growth,” said Michael Curry, President of Data Modernization at Rocket Software. “As a result, decision-makers often rely on incomplete information, missing key insights that would inform their strategies. While hybrid environments offer significant benefits, their full potential can only be realized by bridging data from these disparate sources. Rocket DataEdge enables data and analytics teams to execute an adaptive, forward-looking data strategy that drives maximum competitive advantage.”

    Rocket DataEdge builds diverse enterprise data sets into a single, scalable, high-quality enterprise data set. It is the most comprehensive data discovery, integration, and metadata management suite available, supporting more hybrid technology connections and targets than any other provider. Rocket DataEdge enables enterprises to:

    • Synchronize enterprise data in real time – Easily connect hard-to-reach mainframe, IBM® i and on-premises data with cloud applications, data lakes, lakehouses, and warehouses.
    • Access and analyze data faster – By automating the scanning and analysis of mainframe and cloud metadata, data becomes easily understood and mapped to cloud data initiatives.
    • Reduce operational costs and increase business agility – Enabling optimal hybrid cloud processing engines for data management, enterprises can lower costs, optimize operations, and speed delivery.
    • Improve workflows across infrastructure – Cohesive data management minimizes complexity, delays, errors, and compatibility challenges by seamlessly unifying data across environments.

    “Understanding and harnessing all enterprise data is critical to enable complete and actionable insights on customer needs, market trends, and operational effectiveness,” said Stewart Bond, Vice President, Data Intelligence and Integration Software, IDC. “But integrating data from core transactional, distributed, and cloud sources into a single, widely accessible repository is still a huge challenge. Rocket’s DataEdge vision and roadmap connects core transactional systems with cloud and distributed environments to deliver seamless, high-quality data access and governance across the enterprise.”

    Rocket DataEdge unifies metadata management and end user experience to advance AI and analytics initiatives that drive business outcomes. The suite includes Rocket®Data Replicate & Sync, Rocket® Data Intelligence, and Rocket® Data Virtualization. To learn more about Rocket DataEdge visit Rocket® DataEdge.

    About Rocket Software 
    Rocket Software is a global technology leader in modernization and a partner of choice that empowers the world’s leading businesses on their modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Trusted by over 12,500 customers and 750 partners, and with more than 3,600 global employees, Rocket Software enables customers to maximize their data, applications, and infrastructure to deliver critical services that power our modern world. Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity. Follow Rocket Software on LinkedIn and X or visit www.RocketSoftware.com. 

    IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

    Media Contact
    Lacey Darrow
    ldarrow@rocketsoftware.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/TANZANIA – Resignation and appointment of the Bishop of Iringa

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 28 January 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Iringa, Tanzania, presented by Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa.The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Romanus Elamu Mihali, of the clergy of Mafinga, until now episcopal vicar for the clergy of the diocese of Mafinga and parish priest of Ujewa, as bishop of Iringa, Tanzania.Msgr. Romanus Elamu Mihali was born on 10 June 1969 in Itulituli, Mufindi, and studied philosophy and theology at Peramiho Major Seminary in Songea.He was ordained a priest on 13 July 2000 for the clergy of Iringa.After ordination, he first served as deputy parish priest of Saint Paul the Apostle in Ilula, Iringa (2000-2003) and teacher and formator at Saint Kizito Minor Seminary in Mafinga (2003-2005). He carried out his studies for a degree in zoological sciences, a degree in natural sciences, and a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Kerala, India (2005-2011), and went on to hold the roles of deputy parish priest of Virgin Mary of Fatima in Usomaki, Iringa (2012-2015) and parish priest of Virgin Mary of the Assumption in Ujewa, Iringa (2015-2024).After the erection of the diocese of Mafinga in 2024, he was incardinated in the new diocese.Since 2024 he has served as parish priest of Virgin Mary of the Assumption in Ujewa, Mafinga, episcopal vicar for the clergy, and secretary for health of the diocese of Mafinga. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 28/1/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Law Library’s Newly Published Legal Report Titled, “Access to Information for Persons with Disabilities in Selected Jurisdictions”

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    The Law Library of Congress recently published a multinational report, Access to Information for Persons with Disabilities in Selected Jurisdictions, which provides individual surveys of selected jurisdictions and gives an overview of their legislation on access to information for persons with disabilities. Providing access constitutes one of the human rights protections specifically guaranteed under article 21 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

    Our research surveyed 27 jurisdictions, namely, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo (Democratic Republic), Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

    This report surveys how the rights of persons with disabilities are protected, notably, if a jurisdiction’s constitution expressly protects persons with disabilities. It further describes the rights to information, in particular legal information, access to justice, and culture, and includes current legislative proposals as they concern persons with disabilities. The report also surveys which jurisdictions offer publicly funded libraries that specifically serve the blind and visually impaired.

    A majority of the jurisdictions surveyed are parties to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled and the jurisdictions have adopted legislation and procedures to make convenience copies of copyrighted material available to persons with disabilities. Several jurisdictions are also part of networks facilitating such access, such as the Accessible Books Consortium, or provide access to Bookshare.

    The report is accompanied by maps and a table of primary resources. The maps reflect our findings on surveyed jurisdictions with the first map describing whether jurisdictions expressly protect persons with disabilities in their constitutions. The second map illustrates whether the jurisdiction has specific legislation that addresses access to information for persons with disabilities. Additional maps show which countries have ratified the Marrakesh Treaty and what countries have designated “NLS-style” libraries, specifically mandated to provide access and services to persons with disabilities.

    The report supported the Law Library’s Human Rights Day Webinar on Laws Governing Accessibility from Around the World.

    We invite you to review our report, here.

    The report is an addition to the Law Library’s Legal Reports (Publications of the Law Library of Congress) collection, which includes over 4,000 historical and contemporary legal reports covering a variety of jurisdictions, researched and written by foreign law specialists with expertise in each area. To receive alerts when new reports are published, you can subscribe to email updates for Law Library Reports (click the “subscribe” button on the Law Library’s website). The Law Library also regularly publishes articles related to human rights and civil liberties in the Global Legal Monitor.

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP receives three severe cases of influenza A infection in one day

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CHP receives three severe cases of influenza A infection in one day
    CHP receives three severe cases of influenza A infection in one day
    *******************************************************************

         Following a severe case of influenza A infection in a 10-month-old baby girl who had not received seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) yesterday (January 27), the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 28) received two more cases of severe paediatric influenza A infection in children who have not yet received the SIV. Another severe paediatric case of co-infection with influenza A and group A streptococcus was also reported.           The first case involved a six-year-old boy with good past health, who developed fever on January 26. He attended the Union Hospital yesterday and was later transferred to Prince of Wales Hospital, where he remains in the paediatric intensive care unit. His nasopharyngeal swab specimen tested positive for influenza A (H1) virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza A infection complicated with shock. So far, his household contacts show no upper respiratory symptom and there has been no recent influenza outbreak at his school.           The second case involved a twelve-year-old boy with underlying illness who developed fever and cough yesterday. He was admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital today, where he remains in the paediatric intensive care unit. His nasopharyngeal swab specimen tested positive for influenza A (H3) virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza A infection complicated with severe pneumonia and shock. He lives in a school dormitory and seven other students from the same school have recently developed upper respiratory symptoms. The CHP had conducted inspection at the school and provided health advice.           “The above-mentioned two boys had no travel history during the incubation period. An initial investigation revealed that they did not receive 2024/25 SIV. The CHP reiterated its call to the parents to bring their children to receive SIV as soon as possible,” a spokesman for the CHP said.           Furthermore, an eight-year-old boy with good past health developed fever since January 23, and cough and shortness of breath since yesterday. He was admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital on the same day, where he remains in the paediatric intensive care unit. His nasopharyngeal swab specimen tested positive for influenza A (H1) virus and his blood sample tested positive for group A streptococcus. The clinical diagnosis was co-infection with influenza A and group A streptococcus complicated with sepsis.           “Since the start of this influenza season in early January, the CHP has recorded eight cases (including three above-mentioned children) of severe influenza virus infection in children. Six of them were unvaccinated. Influenza vaccination has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, while significantly reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death from seasonal influenza. All persons aged 6 months and above (except those with known contraindications) who have not yet received SIV should act immediately, particularly the elderly and children who have a higher risk of becoming infected with influenza and developing complications,” he added.           Group A streptococcal infection is caused by bacteria, namely Streptococcus pyogenes, that can be found in the throat and on the skin. It can be transmitted by droplets and contact. The bacteria can cause mild diseases, including pharyngitis, impetigo and scarlet fever to invasive group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) such as necrotising fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Anyone can get iGAS disease, but the elderly and young children, persons with chronic illnesses (e.g. diabetes) or immunocompromised persons may be at higher risk. People with breaks in the skin or with recent viral infections (e.g. chickenpox, influenza, etc.) are also at higher risk of developing iGAS disease. On the other hand, the disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics and prompt treatment helps alleviate symptoms faster and prevent complications.                     The spokesman reminded the public that Hong Kong has entered the influenza season. As the seasonal influenza activity is expected to increase further while the activity of other respiratory infectious diseases may also increase. To protect their health and that of their family members, the public should not only receive SIV, but also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene, and take the following measures to prevent contacting influenza, Group A streptococcal infection and other respiratory illnesses:      

    Wear surgical masks to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
    High-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised) should wear surgical masks when visiting public places. The general public should also wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
    Avoid touching one’s eyes, mouth and nose;
    Practise hand hygiene frequently, wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
    When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
    Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
    Practise good wound care to reduce the chance of getting infected;
    Maintain good indoor ventilation;
    Avoid sharing personal items;
    When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, consider to refrain from going to work or school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
    Maintain a balanced diet, perform physical activity regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

              ???For the latest information, members of the public can visit the CHP’s group A streptococcal infection and seasonal influenza webpages.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, January 28, 2025Issued at HKT 21:07

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Turn it into a retirement village’: Inside the war of words over Eden Park

    After lengthy, torrid and emotional debate a critical decision for the future of Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau is being made in March. One party will celebrate; the other will slink back to the drawing board. But will it really settle the great Auckland stadium debate?

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Chris Schulz

    It resembles a building from Blade Runner. It looks like somewhere the Avengers might assemble. It is, believes Paul Nisbet, the future.

    “It’s innovative, it’s groundbreaking, it’s something different,” says the driving force behind Te Tōangaroa, a new stadium mooted for downtown Auckland.

    He has spent 13 years dreaming up this moon shot, and it shows. “We have an opportunity here to deliver something special for the country.”

    Located behind Spark Arena, Te Tōangaroa — also called “Quay Park” — is Nisbet’s big gamble, the stadium he believes Tāmaki Makaurau needs to sustain the city’s live sport and entertainment demands for the next 100 years.

    His is a concept as grand as it gets, a U-shaped dream with winged rooftops that will sweep around fans sitting in the stands, each getting unimpeded views out over the Waitematā Harbour and Rangitoto Island.

    Located behind Spark Arena, Te Tōangaroa is also called “Quay Park”. Image: Te Tōangaroa

    Nisbet calls his vision a “gateway for the world,” a structure so grand he believes it would attract the biggest sports teams, stars and sponsors to Aotearoa while offering visitors a must-see tourist destination. Nestled alongside residential areas, commercial zones and an All Blacks-themed hotel, designs show a retractable roof protecting 55,000 punters from the elements and a sky turret towering over neighbouring buildings.

    He’s gone all in on this. Nisbet’s quit his job, assembled a consortium of experts — called Cenfield MXD — and attracted financial backers to turn his vision into a reality. It is, Nisbet believes, the culmination of his 30-year career working in major stadiums, including 11 years as director of Auckland Stadiums.

    “I’ve had the chance to travel extensively,” he says. “I’ve been to over 50 stadiums around the world.”

    Tāmaki Makaurau, he says, needs Te Tōangaroa — urgently. If approved, it will be built over an ageing commercial space and an unused railway yard sitting behind Spark Arena, what Nisbet calls “a dirty old brownfields location that’s sapping the economic viability out of the city”.

    He calls it a “regeneration” project. “You couldn’t mistake you’re in Auckland, or New Zealand, when you see images of it,” he says.

    The All Blacks are on board, says Nisbet, and they want Te Tōangaroa built by 2029 in time for a Lions tour. (The All Blacks didn’t respond to a request for comment, but former players John Kirwan and Sean Fitzpatrick have backed the team moving to Te Tōangaroa.)

    Concert promoters are on board too, says Nisbet. He believes Te Tōangaroa would end the Taylor Swift debacle that’s seen her and many major acts skip us in favour of touring Australian stadiums.

    “It will be one of those special places that international acts just have to play,” he says.

    The problem? Nisbet’s made a gamble that may not pay off. In March, a decision is due to be made about the city’s stadium future. Building Te Tōangaroa, with an estimated construction time of six years and a budget of $1 billion, is just one option.

    The other, Eden Park, has 125 years of history, a long-standing All Blacks record and a huge number of supporters behind it — as well as a CEO willing to do anything to win.

    The stadium standing in Te Tōangaroa’s way
     Stand in Eden Park’s foyer for a few minutes and history will smack you in the face. It’s there in the photos framed on the wall from a 1937 All Blacks test match. It’s sitting in Anton Oliver’s rugby boots from 2001, presumably fumigated and placed inside a glass case.

    More recent history is on display too, with floor-to-ceiling photographs showing off concerts headlined by by Ed Sheeran and Six60, a pivot only possible since 2021.

    Soon, the man in charge of all of this arrives. “Very few people have seen this space,” says Nick Sautner, the Eden Park CEO who shakes my hand, pulls me down a hallway and invites me into a secret room in the bowels of Eden Park. With gleaming wood panels, leather couches and top-shelf liquor, Sautner’s proud of his hidden bar.

    “It’s invite-only . . . a VIP experience,” says Sautner, whose Australian accent remains easily identifiable despite seven years at the helm of Eden Park.

    The future of Eden Park if a refurb is granted. Image: YouTube

    This bar, he says, is just one of the many innovations Eden Park has undertaken in recent years. Built in 1900, the Mt Eden stadium remains the home of the All Blacks — but Eden Park is no longer considered a specialty sports venue.

    Up to 70 percent of the stadium’s revenue now comes from non-sporting activities, Sautner confirms. You can golf, abseil onto the rooftops and stay the night in dedicated glamping venues. It’s also become promoters’ choice for major concerts, with Coldplay and Luke Combs recently hosting multiple shows there. “We will consider any innovation you can imagine,” Sautner tells me. “We’re a blank canvas.”

    Throughout our interview, Sautner refers to Eden Park as the “national stadium”. He’s upbeat and on form, rattling off statistics and renovations from memory. His social media feeds — especially LinkedIn — are full of posts promoting the stadium’s achievements. He’ll pick up the phone to anyone who will talk to him.

    “Whatsapp is the best way of contacting me,” he says. Residents have his number and can call directly with complaints. After our interview, Sautner passes me his business card then follows it up with an email making sure I have everything I need. “My phone’s always on,” he assures me.

    He may not admit it, but Sautner’s doing all of this in an attempt to get ahead of what’s shaping up as the biggest crisis of Eden Park’s 125 years. If Te Tōangaroa is chosen in March, Eden Park — as well as Albany’s North Harbour Stadium and Onehunga’s Go Media Stadium – will all take a back seat.

    If Eden Park loses the All Blacks and their 31-year unbeaten record, then there’s no other word for it: the threat is existential.

    Called Eden Park 2.1, Sautner is promoting a three-stage renovation plan. Image: YouTube

    Ask Sautner if he’s losing sleep over his stadium’s future and he shakes his head. To him, Te Tōangaroa’s numbers don’t stack up. “If someone can make the business model work for an alternative stadium in Auckland, I’m all for activating the waterfront,” he says.

    Then he poses a series of questions: “How many events a year would a downtown stadium hold? Forty-five?” he asks. “So 320 other days a year, what’s going to be in that stadium?”

    He is, of course, biased. But Sautner believes upgrading Eden Park is the right move. Called Eden Park 2.1, Sautner is promoting a three-stage renovation plan that includes building a $100 million retractable rooftop. A new North Stand would lift Eden Park’s capacity to 70,000, and improved function facilities and a pedestrian bridge would turn the venue into “a fortress . . . capable of hosting every event”.

    He’s veering into corporate speak, but Sautner sees the vision clearly. With his annual concert consent recently raised from six to 12 shows, he already thinks he’s got it in the bag, “Eden Park has the land, it has the consent, it has the community, it has the infrastructure,” he says. “I’m very confident Eden Park is going to be here for another 100 years.”

    Instead of a drink, Sautner offers RNZ a personal stadium tour that takes us through the exact same doors that open when the All Blacks emerge onto the hallowed turf. There, blinking in the sunlight, Sautner sweeps his arms around the stadium and grins. “I get up every day and I think of my family,” he says. “Then I think, ‘How can I make Eden Park better?”

    The stadium debate: ‘It began when the dinosaurs died out’
     It is, says Shane Henderson, an argument for the ages. It never seems to quit. How long have Aucklanders been feuding about stadiums? “It began when the dinosaurs died out,” jokes Henderson.

    For the past year, he’s been chairing a working group that will make the decision on Auckland’s stadium future. That group whittled four options down to the current two, eliminating a sunken waterfront stadium, and another based in Silo Park.

    He’s doing this because Wayne Brown asked him to. “The mayor said, ‘We need to say to the public, ‘This is our preferred option for a stadium for the city.’” It’s taken over Henderson’s life. Every summer barbecue has turned into a forum for people to share their views.

    “People say, “Why don’t you do this?’” he says. Henderson won’t be drawn on which way he’s leaning ahead of March’s decision, but he’s well aware of the stakes. “We’re talking about the future of our city for generations to come,” he says. “It’s natural feelings are going to run high.”

    That’s true. As I researched this story, the main parties engaged in a back-and-forth discussion that became increasingly heated. Jim Doyle, from Te Tōangaroa’s Cenfield MXD team, described Eden Park’s situation as desperate.

    “Eden Park can’t fund itself . . . it’s got no money, it’s costing ratepayers,” he said. Doyle alleged the stadium “wouldn’t be fit for purpose”. “You’re going to have to spend probably close to $1 billion to upgrade it.” Asked what should happen to Eden Park should the decision go Te Tōangaroa’s way, Doyle shrugged his shoulders. “Turn it into a retirement village.”

    Eden Park’s Sautner immediately struck back. Yes, he admits Eden Park owes $40 million to Auckland Council, calling that debt a “legacy left over from the Rugby World Cup 2011”. But he denied most of the consortium’s claims.

    “Eden Park does not receive any funding or subsidies from Auckland ratepayers,” Sautner said in a written statement. He confirmed renovations had already begun. “Over the past three years, the Trust has invested more than $30 million to enhance infrastructure and upgrade facilities . . . creating flexible spaces to meet evolving market demands.”

    Sautner said Doyle’s statement was evidence of his team’s inexperience. “We are extremely disappointed that comments of this nature have been made,” he said. “They are factually incorrect and highlight Quay Park consortium’s lack of understanding of stadium economics.”

    Do we even need to do this?
     As the stadium debate turns into a showdown, major stars continue to skip Aotearoa in favour of huge Australian shows, with Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue and Oasis all giving us a miss this year. New Zealand music fans are reluctantly spending large sums on flights and accommodation if they want to see them. Until Metallica arrives in November, there are no stadium shows booked; just three of Eden Park’s 12 allotted concert slots are taken this year.

    Yet, Auckland City councillors will soon study feasibility reports being submitted by both stadium options.

    On March 24, Henderson, the working group chair, says councillors will come together to “thrash it out” and vote for their preferred option. There will only be one winner, and The New Zealand Herald reports either building Te Tōangaroa or Eden Park 2.1 is likely to cost more than $1 billion. Either we’re spending that on a brand new waterfront stadium, or we’re upgrading an old one.

    “Is that the best use of that money?” asks David Benge. The managing director for events company TEG Live doesn’t believe Tāmaki Makaurau needs another stadium because it’s barely using those it already has. He has questions.

    “I understand the excitement around a shiny new toy, but to what end?” he asks. “Can Auckland sustain a show at Go Media Stadium, a show at Western Springs, a show at Eden Park, and a show at this new stadium on the same night — or even in the same week?”

    Benge doesn’t believe Te Tōangaroa would entice more artists to play here either. “I’m yet to meet an artist who’s going to be swayed by how iconic a venue is,” he says. Bigger problems include the size of our population and the strength of our dollar.

    No matter the venue, “you’re still incurring the same expenses to produce the show,” he says. Instead, he suggests Pōneke as the next city needing a new venue. “If you could wave a magic wand and invest in a 10,000-12,000-capacity indoor arena in Wellington, that would be fantastic,” he says.

    Would a new stadium really lure big artists to NZ? Image: Te Tōangaroa

    Live Nation, the touring juggernaut that hosts most of the country’s stadium shows, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Other promoters canvassed by RNZ offered mixed views. Some wanted a new stadium, while others wanted a refurbished one. Every single one of them said that any new stadium needed to be built with concerts — not sport — in mind.

    “We’re fitting a square peg in a round hole,” one said about the production costs involved in trucking temporary stages into Eden Park or Go Media Stadium. “Turf replacement can add hundreds of thousands — if not $1 million — to your bottom line,” said another.

    Some wanted something else entirely. Veteran promoter Campbell Smith pointed out Auckland Council is seeking input for a potential redevelopment of Western Springs. One mooted option is turning it into a home ground for the rapidly rising football club Auckland FC. Smith doesn’t agree with that. “I think it’s a really attractive option for music and festivals,” he says. “It’s got a large footprint, it’s easily accessible, it’s close to the city … It would be a travesty if it was developed entirely for sport.”

    One thing is for certain: a decision on this lengthy, torrid and emotional topic is being made in March. One party will celebrate; the other will slink back to the drawing board. Will it finally end the great Auckland stadium debate? That’s a question that seems easier to answer than any of the others.

    Chris Schulz is a freelance entertainment journalist and author of the industry newsletter, Boiler Room. This article was first published by RNZ and is republished with the author’s permission. Asia Pacific Report has a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: GCM Grosvenor to Present at the UBS Financial Services Conference on February 11, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG), a global alternative asset management solutions provider, will present at the UBS Financial Services Conference on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 2:40 p.m. ET.

    A link to the live audio webcast of the presentation is available on GCM Grosvenor’s public shareholders website and the event website. For those unable to listen to the live audio webcast, a replay will be available for 180 days following the presentation. 

    About GCM Grosvenor 

    GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG) is a global alternative asset management solutions provider with approximately $80 billion in assets under management across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and absolute return investment strategies. The firm has specialized in alternatives for more than 50 years and is dedicated to delivering value for clients by leveraging its cross-asset class and flexible investment platform. GCM Grosvenor’s experienced team of approximately 550 professionals serves a global client base of institutional and individual investors. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney. For more information, visit: gcmgrosvenor.com. 

    Public Shareholders Contact 
    Stacie Selinger 
    sselinger@gcmlp.com 
    312-506-6583 

    Media Contact 
    Tom Johnson and Abigail Ruck
    H/Advisors Abernathy 
    tom.johnson@h-advisors.global / abigail.ruck@h-advisors.global 
    212-371-5999 

    The MIL Network –

    January 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Officials pay festive visits

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Principal officials, accompanied by District Officers, District Council members and District Services & Community Care Team members, paid visits to elderly and grassroots households in Kwun Tong, Eastern, Sham Shui Po and Wong Tai Sin Districts today.

    By distributing gifts in celebration of the Lunar New Year, the officials aimed to extend warmth and blessings from the Government to citizens.

    Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang spread festive joy by chatting with elderly individuals living in Kwun Tong District’s Lam Tin Estate.

    In Eastern District, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung visited an elderly household living in Hong Tung Estate.

    Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, meanwhile, met an ethnic minority grassroots family in Cheung Sha Wan, Sham Shui Po District, to learn more about their needs and everyday experience.

    Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong called on an elderly household and a grassroots family in Fu Shan Estate, Wong Tai Sin District.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 29, 2025
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