Category: Business

MIL-OSI: Periodic announcement on the acquisition of the Bank‘s own shares and its results (week 12)

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

This announcement contains information on transactions of the acquisition of own shares of AB Šiaulių bankas (the Bank) carried during the period specified below under the Bank’s own share buy-back programme announced on 31 October 2024.

The period during which the acquisition of the Bank’s own shares under the programme was carried out – 04.11.2024 – 24.01.2025.

Period covered by this periodic report – 20.01.2025 – 24.01.2025.

Other information:

Transaction overview
Date	Total number of shares purchased on the day ( units)	Weighted average price (EUR)	Total value of transactions (EUR)
2025.01.20	125,000	0.914	114,229.88
2025.01.21	125,000	0.914	114,187.70
2025.01.22	125,000	0.915	114,329.92
2025.01.23	125,000	0.914	114,250.00
2025.01.24	125,000	0.913	114,080.01
Total acquired during the current week	625,000	0.914	571,077.51
Total acquired during the programme period	5,092,863	0.853	4,345,207.01

The Bank’s own bought-back shares: 11,717,863 units. Following the above transactions, the Bank will own a total of 12,342,863 units of own shares representing 1.86 % of the Bank’s issued shares. Further detailed information on the transactions is attached. This information is also available at: www.sb.lt

Additional information:
Tomas Varenbergas
Head of Investment Management Division
tomas.varenbergas@sb.lt

Attachment

Additional detailed information about transactions (week 12)

The MIL Network –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI: Winvest Group (WNLV) Strategically Enters GameFi and SocialFi: Redefining Decentralized Entertainment and Social Interaction

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RENO, NV, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Winvest Group Limited (OTC: WNLV), an innovative leader in the entertainment and investment industry, has officially entered the blockchain financing space and is aggressively optimizing and upgrading the future of contents, film, gaming, and social interactions in a unique, yet in-demand way. This strategic move reflects the company’s mission to integrate advanced technologies into its core business, creating a decentralized ecosystem that bridges the gap between traditional audiences and digital asset enthusiasts.

As part of its disruptive strategy, Winvest Group announced a partnership with WMM to develop a virtual platform called “Joyous Island,” which is scheduled to launch in 2025. “Joyous Island” combines the innovations of GameFi and SocialFi to provide users with a unique interactive experience with the ‘I Ching’ element, which symbolizes cultural depth. Users can participate in daily activities, pledge assets and interact with the integrated NFT ecosystem through game passes. The platform not only caters to the needs of the digital gaming community, but also opens up new paths for traditional market participants to connect to digital assets, offering the possibility of diversified approaches to passivization.

In addition to Joyous Island, Winvest Group’s strategic vision extends to the entire entertainment sector, exploring the in-depth application of blockchain technology. In the future, the company plans to use blockchain to empower every stage of film production, from pre-production to post-distribution, promoting transparency and efficiency. In addition, Winvest is committed to establishing broader partnerships with Web3 and blockchain technology companies to unlock new revenue growth points in the movie industry through innovative entertainment models such as NFT-driven pre-sales and digital merchandise trading.

This expansion comes at a time when decentralized finance and digital entertainment are experiencing explosive growth. According to a new market research report by For Insights Consultancy, the GameFi market is expected to exceed $50 billion by 2030, a statistic that further validates the market potential of platforms such as Joyous Island. While the rise of the SocialFi space is accelerating as users demand transparent, decentralized, and monetized platforms, Winvest Group’s strategic development not only allows it to stay on top of industry trends, but also provides new value experiences for both traditional investors and digital pioneers.

With its innovative approach, Winvest Group is not only embracing blockchain technology, but also paving the way for a new era of entertainment and investing. As the company continues to expand its presence in GameFi and SocialFi, it remains committed to empowering creators and audiences, fostering meaningful connections, and redefining the entertainment industry.

About Winvest Group

Winvest Group Limited (OTC QB: WNLV) is an innovative U.S.-based company dedicated to driving innovation at the intersection of media, entertainment and technology. By leveraging blockchain and Web3 technologies, Winvest aims to build sustainable decentralized solutions that drive growth in the digital economy.

Media Contact

Company: Winvest Group Limited

Contact: Fiona Ng

Telephone: 775-996-0288

Email: fiona.ng@winxglobal.com

Website: http://www.winvestgroup.co

Address: 50 West Liberty Street, Suite 880, Reno NV 89501

SOURCE: Winvest Group Limited

The MIL Network –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI: Šiaulių Bankas AB own shares acquisition programme completed

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

24 January 2025 Šiaulių Bankas AB (the Bank) has completed its own share buy-back programme on the regulated market, which was carried out from 4 November 2024. During this period, the Bank acquired 5,092,863 treasury shares, i.e. 74 % of the maximum number of shares within the limit set at the time of the programme’s expiry, for a total amount of EUR 4,345,207.01 million, at an average price of EUR 0.853 per share.

“We are the first bank in the Baltic market to implement an open market buy-back programme for its own shares. The successful implementation of this programme has increased the Bank’s attractiveness to investors by increasing the liquidity of its shares on the stock exchange and the return to shareholders. In the long term, we plan to continue to optimise and efficiently manage the Bank’s capital in order to increase shareholder value. We will continue to use a variety of financial instruments, including buy-backs”, says Tomas Varenbergas, Board Member, Head of Investment Management Division of Šiaulių Bankas.

On 15 August 2024, the Bank received authorisation from the European Central Bank (ECB) to buy back up to 13,745,114 of its own shares. The Bank has already purchased 11,092,863 treasury shares on the basis of this authorisation. The remaining unused limit amounts to 2,652,251 shares. The Bank will make efforts to use the remaining share buy-back to the full limits before the expiry of the authorisation period, i.e. by 15 August this year, taking into account the Bank’s market value and other circumstances.

The Bank will inform about further buy-backs of its own shares in a separate announcement once the Management Board of the Bank will take a decision. This will be done no earlier than after the publication of the 2024 results and the drafting resolutions by the Management Board of the Bank for the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Šiaulių Bankas to be held on 31 March 2025.

Additional information:
Tomas Varenbergas
Head of Investment Management Division
tomas.varenbergas@sb.lt

The MIL Network –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: DRC creates a reserve force to fight the M23 – why this may backfire

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Judith Verweijen, Assistant professor, Utrecht University

After nearly three decades of warfare, armed conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seems only to intensify. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion has been at the centre of attention in recent years. However, eastern DRC is home to more than 100 other armed groups, which are a major source of instability too. The question of their demobilisation has haunted the country ever since the end of the Second Congo War in 2003.

A new chapter in this long-standing conundrum seems to have started. In 2022, the government decided to form an alliance with armed groups to fight their common enemy, the M23 and its Rwandan backers. At around the same time, it launched an initiative to create an army reserve, known as the Reserve armée de la défense (RAD). This formalised the Congolese army’s established practice of using armed groups as auxiliaries.

The creation of the reserve army allows the government to reward armed group allies with integration while bringing them under institutionalised control. But will this actually work?

Our past and ongoing research on army integration and demobilisation in eastern DRC casts doubt on the plan, for three reasons.

The first risk is that armed groups will boost their numbers to gain a stronger bargaining position once integration does occur.

Secondly, reservist forces may compete with the army over territorial control and limited resources and turn against those who created them.

Finally, merely absorbing armed groups into a reserve force does little to address the long-standing grievances that underlie conflict in the east.

The Wazalendo: eastern DRC’s predatory patriots

On 9 May 2022, in a secretive meeting in the town of Pinga in North Kivu, the Congolese armed forces and several Congolese armed groups agreed to cease hostilities against each other and instead form an alliance to fight their common enemy, the M23.

As a result, these groups became quasi-official and increasingly presented themselves as defenders of Congo’s territorial integrity. They started to call themselves Wazalendo or patriots in Kiswahili. Fuelled by President Félix Tshisekedi’s supportive rhetoric, the Wazalendo became symbols of Congolese resistance against foreign aggression. This benefited the president’s 2023 electoral campaign.

Across North and South Kivu provinces, armed groups have rebranded themselves Wazalendo, even when not part of the coalition fighting the M23.

As the Congolese army’s attention is on the M23, these armed groups have benefited from the lull in operations against them. Most Wazalendo groups are allowed to roam around freely and have dramatically expanded their zones of influence and violent systems of revenue generation.

This includes taxation at markets and rapidly proliferating roadblocks, but also ransom kidnappings and contract killings. There is also evidence that Wazalendo groups are engaged in torture, sexual violence and arbitrary arrests, and frequently recruit child soldiers.

Chequered history of integration

A few months after the Pinga meeting, Congo’s government launched a new national defence policy that mentioned the establishment of the reserve army. Though it was passed unanimously in parliament in April 2023, MPs voiced concerns that the new army reserve risked repeating mistakes of the past.

The army is itself the product of the painstaking integration of former belligerents after the Second Congo War (1998-2003). But rebel-military integration became an open-ended process. Armed group officers alternately integrated into and deserted from the army in the hope of gaining higher ranks and positions in a next round of integration.

Unending rebel integration also weakened the national army. It reinforced parallel command chains, facilitated intelligence leaks and created a lopsided hierarchy.

The first iteration of the M23 rebellion in 2012 was the result of rebel integration gone wrong. In its aftermath, the Congolese government banned the wholesale negotiated integration of armed groups into the army.

Hurdles to integration

The reserve army risks unleashing the same dynamics of rewarding rebellion by doling out positions to armed group leaders and granting them impunity for past violence. In April 2024, the leaders of many Wazalendo groups were flown to Kinshasa where the army reserve leadership told them to start preparing lists of their combatants ahead of their integration.

This has prompted numerous armed groups to step up recruitment.

The prospect of integration has also triggered fierce competition for positions between Wazalendo commanders. This risks worsening animosities between groups.

Other hurdles, some of which have been faced before, include:

Unity of command. Forcing smaller armed groups into a hierarchical mould doesn’t always work. Most have deep local roots, with their recruitment and influence limited to a relatively small area. Used to calling the shots in their home areas, these commanders tend to be reluctant to take orders from higher-placed outsiders.

Ethnic competition. Armed groups may resist full integration if they feel their rank and positions in the reserve army will be lower and that this will hamper their ability to protect members of their ethnic community. Such “local security dilemmas” have obstructed army integration and demobilisation efforts in the past.

Resources. Armed groups currently enjoy substantial income, and considerable freedom in obtaining it. Will the reserve army command allow its members to engage in illegal taxation, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and ambushes? If not, how will it compensate for their lost opportunities? In addition, the reserve army is likely to compete with the army over revenue-generating opportunities. And some of its members may leak intelligence to fellow armed groups.

Painkiller or cure?

The army reserve may be read as the latest attempt at solving the decades-old problem of getting rid of the many armed groups in eastern DRC, this time by bringing them into the fold of the state yet not into the army.

However, this solution does risk unleashing many of the same detrimental dynamics as army integration. It may fuel armed mobilisation and militarisation rather than contain it.

Wazalendo groups are currently in a comfortable position and there are no repercussions for not integrating the reserve force. To contain them, both the DRC’s army and the military justice system would need to be professionalised.

Even if the reserve army did not have negative ripple effects, it would be an unlikely cure for armed mobilisation. That requires comprehensive, bottom-up peace efforts that tackle deep-seated grievances related to past violence and conflict over belonging, territory and local authority. Barring such efforts, the reserve force will remain a painkiller at best.

Michel Thill is a Senior Program Officer for swisspeace, a Basel University affiliated practice and research institute dedicated to advancing effective peacebuilding. swisspeace receives funding from research funding bodies, and bilateral and multilateral organizations. Michel is also a Fellow of the Rift Valley Institute.

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

– ref. DRC creates a reserve force to fight the M23 – why this may backfire – https://theconversation.com/drc-creates-a-reserve-force-to-fight-the-m23-why-this-may-backfire-247476

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on January 25, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India


(Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

	Volume (One Leg)	Weighted Average Rate	Range
A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV)	0.00	–	–
I. Call Money	0.00	–	–
II. Triparty Repo	0.00	–	–
III. Market Repo	0.00	–	–
IV. Repo in Corporate Bond	0.00	–	–
B. Term Segment
I. Notice Money**	0.00	–	–
II. Term Money^@@	0.00	–	–
III. Triparty Repo	0.00	–	–
IV. Market Repo	0.00	–	–
V. Repo in Corporate Bond	0.00	–	–

	Auction Date	Tenor (Days)	Maturity Date	Amount	Current Rate / Cut off Rate
C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
I. Today’s Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Sat, 25/01/2025	1	Sun, 26/01/2025	3,351.00	6.75
	Sat, 25/01/2025	2	Mon, 27/01/2025	0.00	6.75
4. SDF^Δ#	Sat, 25/01/2025	1	Sun, 26/01/2025	53,679.00	6.25
	Sat, 25/01/2025	2	Mon, 27/01/2025	52.00	6.25
5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				-50,380.00
II. Outstanding Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo	Fri, 24/01/2025	14	Fri, 07/02/2025	1,62,096.00	6.51
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	2,00,011.00	6.52
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Fri, 24/01/2025	2	Sun, 26/01/2025	0.00	6.75
	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	83.00	6.75
4. SDF^Δ#	Fri, 24/01/2025	2	Sun, 26/01/2025	52.00	6.25
	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	7,705.00	6.25
D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI^$				9,556.48
E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				3,63,989.48
F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				3,13,609.48
G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
(i) Cash balances with RBI as on		January 25, 2025		9,28,263.56
(ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending		February 07, 2025		9,12,544.00
H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on^¥		January 24, 2025		2,53,500.00
I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on		January 10, 2025		40,102.00
^@ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
– Not Applicable / No Transaction.
** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
^@@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
^$ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
^& As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
^Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
* Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
^¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
# As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Press Release: 2024-2025/2009

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on January 26, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India


(Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

	Volume (One Leg)	Weighted Average Rate	Range
A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV)	0.00	–	–
I. Call Money	0.00	–	–
II. Triparty Repo	0.00	–	–
III. Market Repo	0.00	–	–
IV. Repo in Corporate Bond	0.00	–	–
B. Term Segment
I. Notice Money**	0.00	–	–
II. Term Money^@@	0.00	–	–
III. Triparty Repo	0.00	–	–
IV. Market Repo	0.00	–	–
V. Repo in Corporate Bond	0.00	–	–

	Auction Date	Tenor (Days)	Maturity Date	Amount	Current Rate / Cut off Rate
C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
I. Today’s Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Sun, 26/01/2025	1	Mon, 27/01/2025	3,459.00	6.75
4. SDF^Δ#	Sun, 26/01/2025	1	Mon, 27/01/2025	54,345.00	6.25
5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				-50,886.00
II. Outstanding Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo	Fri, 24/01/2025	14	Fri, 07/02/2025	1,62,096.00	6.51
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	2,00,011.00	6.52
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Sat, 25/01/2025	2	Mon, 27/01/2025	0.00	6.75
	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	83.00	6.75
4. SDF^Δ#	Sat, 25/01/2025	2	Mon, 27/01/2025	52.00	6.25
	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	7,705.00	6.25
D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI^$				9,556.48
E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				3,63,989.48
F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				3,13,103.48
G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
(i) Cash balances with RBI as on		January 26, 2025		9,27,585.94
(ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending		February 07, 2025		9,12,544.00
H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on^¥		January 24, 2025		2,53,500.00
I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on		January 10, 2025		40,102.00
^@ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
– Not Applicable / No Transaction.
** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
^@@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
^$ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
^& As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
^Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
* Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
^¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
# As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Press Release: 2024-2025/2010

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Nike’s Q4 advertising strategy focuses on innovation, dedication, and inspiration to strengthen brand, reveals GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Nike’s Q4 advertising strategy focuses on innovation, dedication, and inspiration to strengthen brand, reveals GlobalData

Posted in Business Fundamentals

NIKE Inc’s (Nike) YouTube advertising campaigns spanning from October to December (Q4) of 2024 demonstrates a multifaceted approach to brand building, combining motivational storytelling, innovative product showcases, and cultural celebrations to engage a wide range of consumer segments. These campaigns, which feature themes of athletic dedication and playful nostalgic collaborations, emphasize Nike’s expertise in athletic apparel and footwear. By blending authentic, gritty visuals with compelling narratives, Nike strengthens its position in sports while highlighting its commitment to innovation, according to the Global Ads Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Sagar Kishor, Ads Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Nike’s advertising analysis highlights its strategic focus on creating campaigns that resonate deeply with both athletes and everyday consumers. By alternating between powerful messages of perseverance and showcasing cutting-edge product technology such as 3D-printing technology in Nike Air Max 1000, the company positions itself as both a source of inspiration and a provider of superior athletic gear. The brand’s strategic use of collaborations and endorsements further amplifies its reach, connecting with diverse communities through shared values of ambition, innovation, and cultural relevance.”

Below are the key focus areas of Nike’s advertisements, revealed by GlobalData’s Global Ads Platform:

Innovation and Technology: Nike showcases its commitment to cutting-edge design and technology in advertisements like the “Nike Air Max 1000: Behind the Design.” This ad provides a behind-the-scenes look at the 3D-printing technology used in the shoe’s creation, emphasizing the brand’s focus on pushing the boundaries of footwear innovation and providing superior comfort and responsiveness.

Dedication and Perseverance: The “Winning Isn’t Comfortable” ad showcases everyday individuals pushing their limits, while the “It Only Takes Everything” ad featuring Rafael Nadal highlights the intense dedication of a top athlete, reinforcing Nike’s association with grit and determination. These campaigns inspire viewers by illustrating the sacrifices and efforts behind extraordinary achievements.

Motivation and Inspiration: Nike’s campaigns inspire resilience and ambition, encouraging viewers to overcome challenges and push their limits. By emphasizing hard work, preparation, and perseverance, Nike reinforces its connection to self-belief, determination, and the pursuit of excellence in every aspect of life.

Cultural Relevance and Nostalgia: Nike’s “Wu-Tang Forever | Dunk High” ad taps into cultural nostalgia by celebrating iconic hip-hop influences, specifically engaging Wu-Tang fans. Through playful imagery and exclusive appeal, it resonates with sneaker enthusiasts and music lovers, blending heritage with modern hype.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Result of the Daily Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction held on January 27, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India

Tenor	1-day
Notified Amount (in ₹ crore)	2,00,000
Total amount of bids received (in ₹ crore)	1,93,661
Amount allotted (in ₹ crore)	1,93,661
Cut off Rate (%)	6.51
Weighted Average Rate (%)	6.52
Partial Allotment Percentage of bids received at cut off rate (%)	NA

Ajit Prasad
Deputy General Manager
(Communications)

Press Release: 2024-2025/2008

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: What color is solar plasma emission?

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

At the beginning of 2025, we are still at the peak of solar activity, which is beginning to decline. However, still at the peak and throughout 2025, “twists” of magnetic fields are possible at different levels of the Sun, starting from the polar regions to the regions of the Sun’s equator. These twists outside their level in turn generate areas of increased and decreased activity, which results in the emergence of areas of strong instability, and from these areas, as a rule, plasma emissions are “squeezed out”. They, breaking out from the surface of the compressed solar gas ball, fly apart into a huge inflated “fist” of ionized particles, which, reaching the ionospheric cap of the Earth, beats on it, causing in the best case the Northern Lights, and in the worst case – breakdowns of the earth’s infrastructure associated with electricity and magnetism.

“The images from the EIT (Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) give scientists their usual weather maps of the Sun. Four different colours represent different wavelengths of ultraviolet light emitted by the Sun – invisible to our eyes but detected in stunning detail by the EIT. Each colour, or wavelength, is produced by hot gas at a different temperature: yellow shows gas at about 2 million degrees Celsius, green at 1.6 million degrees, blue at 1 million degrees and red at 80,000 degrees.” HTTPS: //VVV.Sa. Ent/ Scenes_exclotion/spasy_ Sculpt/liva_viev_Of_THE_SON_FROM_SOOO

This excerpt from the text, accompanying daily photos of the Sun from the SOHO Solar Observatory. Photos for different areas of the spectrum, taken using special filters. It is clear from the text that COLOR = wavelength of radiation = the “fingerprint” of a certain chemical under certain conditions. No more and no less. Plasma containing neutral hydrogen has a color corresponding to a specific transition in the hydrogen atom. Transition from an ionized state to become a neutral hydrogen atom. Neutral hydrogen emits its bright red line = red color, which is designated as the H-alpha line in the spectrum of the hydrogen atom. The photo, which has been often featured in publications lately, was taken using a filter for the red H-alpha line. As a result, the radiation of neutral hydrogen, of which this plasma emission consists, is absorbed by this filter and we do not see this red color, which corresponds to one of the wavelengths of radiation of a neutral hydrogen atom (in total, atomic hydrogen emits 4 wavelengths in the visible range). As a result, we see only the contour of the plasma ejection, visible to us as a dark field inside the contour. Some call this phenomenon a “black” plasma emission, but from the explanation above we conclude that there is no such thing as a “black” plasma, since solar plasma consists mainly of atomic hydrogen, which emits different wavelengths: the visible spectrum is the Balmer series of 4 lines H-alpha, H-betta, H-delta, H-gamma, infrared spectrum – Paschen series; and ultraviolet spectrum – Lyman series.

The H-alpha filter is present in all special telescopes for observing total solar eclipses, Coronado is one of such telescopes. It is the filter that allows us to clearly see what is happening on the Sun.

Author: Alfiya Rashidovna Nesterenko, Head of the Educational Astrophysical Automated Complex, Leading Engineer of the Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy Department of General Physics Physics Department of NSU

Photos taken by the SOHO Solar Observatory and taken from the website Ta europian saved agencies.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH enhances enforcement actions against illegal use of pharmacy logo and title with approach of Chinese New Year holidays

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

DH enhances enforcement actions against illegal use of pharmacy logo and title with approach of Chinese New Year holidays
DH enhances enforcement actions against illegal use of pharmacy logo and title with approach of Chinese New Year holidays
******************************************************************************************

With the Chinese New Year holidays approaching, the Department of Health (DH) today (January 27) reminded members of the public and travellers to verify the pharmacy logo in the prescribed form when purchasing medicines. The DH will continue to enhance enforcement actions against the illegal use of logos and titles of Authorized Sellers of Poisons (ASP) (commonly known as pharmacies) and carry out follow-up investigations of suspected violations. Last year (2024), six limited companies and a proprietor of a retailer, which were not pharmacies, were convicted of displaying a logo, which so resembled the logo in the prescribed form of a pharmacy, at their premises, and were fined from $2,000 to $16,800. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) (the Ordinance), only persons authorised by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (the Board) as ASPs are allowed to conduct the relevant retail business of selling poisons at premises registered by the Board, including poisons listed in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Poisons List at Schedule 10 to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A). Displaying a logo in the prescribed form of a pharmacy or a logo which so resembled the logo in the prescribed form at a premises other than the registered premises of a pharmacy, or using the Chinese term “藥房” or the terms such as “pharmacy”, “dispensary”, “drug-store” in connection with any business engaged in the retail sale of poisons commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment. The use of a pharmacy logo or its title as stipulated by the Ordinance is applicable to all retailers, including those that are not licensed by the Board. The DH has been collecting intelligence through different channels. If any retailer is suspected of illegally displaying a pharmacy logo in the prescribed form or pharmacy title, the DH will follow up and carry out an investigation immediately and conduct joint operation with relevant departments when necessary. To enable the public to identify registered pharmacies, the DH has formulated a label (see Annex) for identification of ASPs, and the labels have been sent to each pharmacy for display in a conspicuous position in the pharmacy. Users can obtain information of the registered pharmacy by scanning the QR Code on the label displayed in the pharmacy. Members of the public can also visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH for educational materials on “‘Pharmacies’ in Hong Kong”, and names and addresses of all licensees (including ASPs).

Ends/Monday, January 27, 2025Issued at HKT 12:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on January 24, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India


(Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

	Volume (One Leg)	Weighted Average Rate	Range
A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV)	5,48,443.86	6.59	5.10-6.90
I. Call Money	11,569.87	6.57	5.10-6.70
II. Triparty Repo	3,81,193.75	6.58	6.50-6.70
III. Market Repo	1,53,863.34	6.61	5.84-6.78
IV. Repo in Corporate Bond	1,816.90	6.86	6.80-6.90
B. Term Segment
I. Notice Money**	253.00	6.48	6.05-6.65
II. Term Money^@@	665.00	–	6.60-7.50
III. Triparty Repo	1,030.00	6.67	6.55-6.70
IV. Market Repo	327.21	6.78	6.65-6.80
V. Repo in Corporate Bond	0.00	–	–

	Auction Date	Tenor (Days)	Maturity Date	Amount	Current Rate / Cut off Rate
C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
I. Today’s Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo	Fri, 24/01/2025	14	Fri, 07/02/2025	1,62,096.00	6.51
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	2,00,011.00	6.52
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Fri, 24/01/2025	1	Sat, 25/01/2025	3,149.00	6.75
	Fri, 24/01/2025	2	Sun, 26/01/2025	0.00	6.75
	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	83.00	6.75
4. SDF^Δ#	Fri, 24/01/2025	1	Sat, 25/01/2025	85,117.00	6.25
	Fri, 24/01/2025	2	Sun, 26/01/2025	52.00	6.25
	Fri, 24/01/2025	3	Mon, 27/01/2025	7,705.00	6.25
5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				2,72,465.00
II. Outstanding Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#
4. SDF^Δ#
D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI^$				9,556.48
E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				9,556.48
F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				2,82,021.48
G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
(i) Cash balances with RBI as on		January 24, 2025		8,96,788.46
(ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending		January 24, 2025		9,10,251.00
H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on^¥		January 24, 2025		2,53,500.00
I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on		January 10, 2025		40,102.00
^@ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
– Not Applicable / No Transaction.
** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
^@@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
^$ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
^& As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
^Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
* Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
^¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
# As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Press Release: 2024-2025/2007

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Social security payments to be raised

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Social security payments to be raised
Social security payments to be raised
*************************************

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced today (January 27) that starting from February 1 this year, the standard payment rates under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme as well as the rates of the Old Age Allowance (OAA), Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) (including OAA and OALA under the Guangdong Scheme and the Fujian Scheme) and Disability Allowance under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme will be raised. An SWD spokesman said, “On December 6 last year, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council gave approval for the Government to adjust the above rates upwards by 1.3 per cent with effect from February 1 this year in accordance with the established mechanism, i.e., on the basis of the year-on-year rate of change of the Social Security Assistance Index of Prices, benefiting around 1.6 million people in total.” The adjusted CSSA standard payment rates and the SSA rates of allowances are set out at Annex I. The spokesman added, “Furthermore, taking into account the movement of the Consumer Price Index (A) rent index for private housing, the Government will raise the maximum rent allowance (MRA) under the CSSA Scheme by 0.2 per cent, also with effect from February 1 this year.” The adjusted MRA under the CSSA Scheme is provided at Annex II. CSSA and SSA recipients may contact their respective social security field units or call the SWD hotline 2343 2255 for enquiries.

Ends/Monday, January 27, 2025Issued at HKT 11:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: ADB, Ayala Sign $100 Million Financing Deal to Support Electric Mobility in the Philippines

Source: Asia Development Bank

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (27 January 2025) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a financing package of up to $100 million to support Ayala Corporation’s contributions to the development of an electric mobility ecosystem in the Philippines. This funding will be used to procure and install electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) and to purchase electric vehicles for commercial distribution.

The package includes a concessional loan from the Canadian Climate and Nature Fund for the Private Sector in Asia (CANPA). ADB’s financing, along with the concessional loan, will be used to develop a network of EVCS in the Philippines. This blended financing features an innovative pricing structure aimed at accelerating deployment of EVCS infrastructure. A portion of the ADB financing will be allocated to procure electric vehicles from leading manufacturers for distribution across the country.

“This project is a significant step towards a sustainable and low-carbon future for the Philippines,” said ADB Country Director for the Philippines Pavit Ramachandran. “By fostering the development of a robust electric mobility ecosystem, we are not only addressing critical environmental challenges such as air pollution, but also driving economic growth through the creation of green jobs, enhancing energy security, and promoting inclusive and resilient urban development.”

Electric vehicle (EV) development is still nascent in the Philippines. High initial costs, limited charging infrastructure, and evolving technologies have posed significant barriers to adoption of EVs in the country. But the Philippine government’s Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act and various tax incentives are helping create a more favorable environment for the growth of the EV sector.

The creation of an EVCS network is crucial for electric vehicles to become more popular. The EVCS to be set up with the ADB financing package will address gaps in EV charging infrastructure, thereby facilitating faster adoption of electric vehicles.

“This innovative blended financing comes at an opportune time as Ayala, through ACMobility, continues to ramp up its electric mobility investments. As we help build a comprehensive EV ecosystem for the Philippines, we wish to thank like-minded institutional partners like ADB for helping us expand our electric mobility initiatives, accelerate our contribution to the Philippines’ climate goals, and reaffirm our purpose of building businesses that enable people to thrive,” said ACMobility’s President and CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala.

Established in 2024, CANPA is a trust fund managed by ADB, supported by a commitment of Can$360 million from the Government of Canada. The fund builds on the success of the two previous funds, namely the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia II (CFPS II) and its predecessor CFPS. CANPA aims to support private-sector projects in Asia and the Pacific that focus on climate and nature-based solutions, while also promoting gender equality.

Ayala Corporation is one of the Philippines’ largest and most enduring conglomerates. With a diverse portfolio that includes real estate, banking, telecommunications, and renewable energy, the company is well-positioned to lead the development of the electric mobility ecosystem in the Philippines. Key to Ayala’s growing sustainable business portfolio is its access to innovative financing options such as blended finance, which is supported by public, private and philanthropic funds.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s foreign investment, cooperation remain stable in 2024

Source: China State Council Information Office

This photo taken on Sept. 2, 2024 shows the skyline of the central business district (CBD) at dusk in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

China’s foreign investment and cooperation saw steady growth in 2024, an official with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Sunday.

The country’s non-financial outbound direct investment rose 10.5 percent year on year to $143.85 billion last year, with investments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries increasing by 12.6 percent year on year, according to the official.

Investments in leasing, business services, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail sectors drove the growth. The turnover of China’s foreign contracted projects totaled $165.97 billion in 2024, an increase of 3.1 percent year on year, the official said.

In 2024, the number of workers dispatched abroad reached 409,000, a 17.9 percent increase year on year, with a total of 594,000 Chinese workers employed overseas by the end of the year.

Non-financial investment in countries along the Belt and Road increased by 5.4 percent year on year to $33.69 billion last year, MOC data showed.

MIL OSI China News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China approves 52B yuan in 2nd batch of pilot programs for long-term stock investments

Source: China State Council Information Office

China’s financial regulatory authority has approved the launch of the second batch of pilot programs for long-term stock investments, with a scale of 52 billion yuan ($7.25 billion).

China Pacific Life Insurance Co., Ltd., Taikang Life Insurance Co., Ltd., Sunshine Life Insurance Co., Ltd., and relevant insurance asset management firms are authorized by the National Financial Regulatory Administration to participate in the pilot through contractual funds, engaging in long-term stock investments to leverage long-term capital and patient capital, thereby supporting the stable operation of the capital market.

On Wednesday, Chinese financial authorities unveiled a plan outlining measures to encourage medium- and long-term funds to move into the capital market to further stabilize stock performance.

Wu Qing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, elaborated that public offering funds would increase their A-share holdings of circulating market capitalization by at least 10 percent annually over the next three years.

Efforts are being made to ensure large state-owned insurance companies allocate 30 percent of their newly added annual premium incomes to invest in A-shares starting in 2025, which is expected to inject hundreds of billions of yuan of long-term capital into the A-share market each year, he said.

The second batch of pilot programs for long-term stock market investment from insurance funds will be implemented in the first half of 2025, with a minimum scale of 100 billion yuan, gradually expanding thereafter, Wu added.

In March 2024, China Life Insurance and Xinhua Insurance jointly launched the country’s first private equity securities investment fund established by insurance companies to enter the stock market, with an investment scale of 50 billion yuan, which marks one of the first pilot projects for the long-term stock investment reform of insurance funds.

MIL OSI China News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Open Market Operations No.20 [2025]

Source: Peoples Bank of China

Announcement on Open Market Operations No.20 [2025]

(Open Market Operations Office, January 27, 2025)

In order to keep liquidity adequate before the Spring Festival, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB298 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on January 27, 2025.

Details of the Reverse Repo Operations

Maturity

Volume

Rate

14 days

RMB298 billion

1.65%

Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

2025年01月27日

MIL OSI China News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Going for Growth: New rules for visiting tourists

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say.

“The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto a faster growth track,” Nicola Willis says.

“Tourism is New Zealand’s second largest export earner generating revenue of almost $11 billion and creating nearly 200,000 jobs.

“Making the country more attractive to ‘digital nomads’ – people who work remotely while travelling – will boost New Zealand’s attractiveness as a destination.”

Erica Stanford says updating the visitor visa reflects the realities of the modern, flexible working environment.

“This is a brand-new market of tourist New Zealand can tap into. We want people to see our country as the ideal place to visit and work while they do it.

“From today, visitor visas will allow people to work remotely for a foreign employer while they are holidaying here. Anyone who intends to work remotely for more than 90 days should look at possible tax implications.

“The change will enable many visitors to extend their stays which will lead to more money being spent in the country.”

Tourism Minister Louise Upston says digital nomad visas are becoming more common as ways of working become increasingly more digitised and flexible.

“Many countries offer digital nomad visas and the list is growing, so we need to keep pace to ensure New Zealand is an attractive destination for people who want to ‘workcation’ abroad.

“Compared to other kinds of visitors, international remote workers have the potential to spend more time and money in New Zealand, including during the shoulder season.”

The change applies to all visitor visas, including tourists and people visiting family, as well as partners and guardians on longer-term visas.

Only remote work which is based overseas is allowed. Visitors whose employment requires them to be in New Zealand such as sales representatives of overseas companies, performers and people coming to work for New Zealand employers must still obtain visas relevant to their circumstances.

“This Government is committed to supporting a smarter, efficient and predictable immigration system to grow our economy. Delivering economic growth is critical to improving our quality of life, strengthening local businesses, lifting incomes, and creating opportunities for Kiwis,” Erica Stanford says.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Emergency Measures to Provide Water Resources in California and Improve Disaster Response in Certain Areas

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Policy. For weeks, residents of the Los Angeles area have watched raging fires consume their homes, belongings, beloved pets, and childhood memories. Almost immediately, firefighters were unable to fight the blaze due to dry hydrants, empty reservoirs, and inadequate water infrastructure. Today, at least 28 people have lost their lives and thousands more have lost everything else, with some damage estimates calculating hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.
This tragedy affects the entire Nation, so it is in the Nation’s interest to ensure that California has what it needs to prevent and fight these fires and others in the future. Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to provide Southern California with necessary water resources, notwithstanding actively harmful State or local policies. And it is the policy of the United States to assist Americans in disaster areas through responsive policies that more effectively empower them to rebuild and regain their livelihoods.
Sec. 2. Overriding Disastrous California Policies. (a) The Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture shall expeditiously take all measures, consistent with all applicable authorities, to ensure adequate water resources in Southern California. Each shall report to me within 15 days on all authorities, including emergency authorities, available to ensure, require, maintain, or use infrastructure necessary to fight and prevent massive wildfires in Southern California.
(b) In particular, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall immediately take actions to override existing activities that unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries. The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall consider actions including those consistent with the “No Action Alternative” in the Final Environmental Impact Statement issued November 15, 2024, by the Bureau of Reclamation on Long-term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior, including through the Bureau of Reclamation, shall utilize his discretion to operate the CVP to deliver more water and produce additional hydropower, including by increasing storage and conveyance, and jointly operating federal and state facilities, to high-need communities, notwithstanding any contrary State or local laws. The Bureau of Reclamation shall take all available measures to ensure that State agencies — including the California Department of Water Resources — do not interfere with the Bureau of Reclamation’s operation of the project to maximize water delivery to high-need communities or otherwise, including but not limited to the issuance of a new Record of Decision maximizing water deliveries and consistent with the 2020 Record of Decision.
(d) In accordance with section 6 of the Executive Order of January 20, 2025 (Declaring a National Energy Emergency), the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, and in accordance with section 1536 of title 16 United States Code, shall expedite action related to any exemption under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq., for the Long-Term Operation of the CVP and the State Water Project for all applicable threatened and endangered species.
(e) The Secretary of the Interior shall promptly review, revise, or rescind any regulations or procedures specific to implementation of section 1536 of title 16 United States Code, as needed and consistent with applicable law, to conform with the plain meaning of the statute.
(f) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall identify all ongoing or potential major water-supply and storage projects within the State of California for which they have joint responsibility under the ESA or individual responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
(g) For each such project identified under subsection (f), the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall each designate one federal official to coordinate each agency’s respective NEPA and ESA compliance responsibilities. Within 30 days from the date of this order, each designated official shall identify any regulatory hurdles that unduly burden each respective water project, identify any recent changes in state or Federal law that may impact such projects from a regulatory perspective (including Public Law 118-5), and shall develop a proposed plan, for review by the Secretaries, to appropriately suspend, revise, or rescind any regulations or procedures that unduly burden such projects and are not necessary to protect the public interest or otherwise comply with the law. In so doing, each designated federal official will coordinate and share all appropriate information that will enable improved efficiencies. For the purposes of this order, “unduly burden” means to unnecessarily obstruct, delay, curtail, impede or otherwise impose significant costs on the permitting, utilization, transmission, delivery, or supply of water resources and water infrastructure.
Sec. 3. Ending the Subsidization of California’s Mismanagement. (a) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall review all Federal programs, projects, and activities for all relevant agencies that impact land management, water availability, water supply, water storage and delivery, water infrastructure, and disaster preparedness and response.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this order, to ensure that State and local jurisdictions promote sensible land management practices and reliable water supply for all Americans, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Commerce shall jointly report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, regarding California State and local policies or practices inconsistent with sound disaster prevention and response.
(c) The Director of OMB, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall recommend appropriate action to the President, regarding:
(i)   any lack of compliance by California with the terms of existing Federal grants, contracts, or other financial assistance to States or localities; and
(ii) beneficial additional terms that may be added with respect to any future Federal programs, projects, or activities to ensure sound disaster prevention and response.
Sec. 4. Additional Actions to Help Los Angeles Families. (a) Housing Displaced Families. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Administrator of FEMA, shall expeditiously provide an Integrated Federal Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan to the Director of OMB and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs that expedites options for housing relief to survivors displaced by wildfires in California.
(b) Expediting Waste Removal. Within 5 days from the date of this order, to accelerate the rebuilding of areas devastated by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Administrator of FEMA, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall develop and execute a plan to expedite the bulk removal of contaminated and general debris.
(c) Effectively Using Grants to Improve Fire Preparedness. The Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Administrator of FEMA, shall immediately implement a plan to enable the timely and appropriate use of Federal preparedness grants for the City of Los Angeles. As of the date of this order, the city has yet to use the majority of its $213 million allotment that has accrued since fiscal year 2021. These Federal preparedness grants shall not be used to support illegal aliens. The Attorney General, in coordination with the FEMA Administrator, shall investigate the misuse of these grants by the City of Los Angeles and take appropriate action to address such misuse.
Sec. 5. Additional Actions to Help North Carolina Families. (a) Clearing Roads. To accelerate rebuilding and community recovery, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Administrator of FEMA, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall immediately take all necessary and appropriate measures, including through direct assistance, loans, and other available means, to expedite roadway clearance or rebuilding, including the section of Interstate 40 in North Carolina that remains closed, and the repair or rebuilding of roads and bridges on private property in areas of North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
(b) Housing Displaced Families. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall immediately provide an Integrated Federal Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs that expedites options for housing relief to survivors displaced by Hurricane Helene.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
    January 24, 2025.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government to clean up communities with deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Introduction of deposit return scheme will be a step forward in ending the throwaway society and cleaning up Britain
The Government has today (Monday 27 January) pledged to end the throwaway society and clean up Britain, as it implements legislation for the deposit return scheme for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland.

Once the scheme launches in October 2027, consumers will have a financial incentive to return empty containers to a collection point, such as at their local supermarket, so that the bottle or can will be recycled.

Used in more than 50 countries worldwide as a common-sense means of encouraging people to recycle more single-use bottles and cans, a DRS sees people being paid back for returning the container.

Countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland have successfully implemented schemes, ensuring valuable materials are collected, recycled and made back into new drinks containers – a truly circular approach easily grasped by the public. The average return rate for European countries with a DRS is 90%, according to global eNGO Reloop, with Germany showing the best results at 98%.

Introducing such a scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland is a simple yet hugely effective way of addressing problems with rubbish building up on our streets and in our rivers and oceans, while also ensuring the public gets money back on their bottle.

Across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, consumers buy an estimated 30 billion single-use drinks containers each year – including 12 billion plastic drinks bottles and 13 billion drinks cans. An estimated 6.5 billion single-use drinks bottles and cans per year go to waste rather than being recycled, with many ending up littered. Research from the Marine Conservation Society shows 97% of surveyed beaches were polluted with drinks-related items in 2023.

Encouraging everyone to get involved in recycling, the DRS will be introduced in October 2027, with 150ml to three-litre single-use drinks containers made from plastic and metal included in the scheme.

Delivering these reforms and driving investment in the recycling sector delivers on the Government’s Plan for Change through kickstarting growth, ensuring economic stability, greater efficiency, and jobs fit for the future.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:

This Government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.

This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife. Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains, and new green jobs.

Northern Ireland’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said:

I have ambitious goals to protect our climate, drive green growth and reduce unnecessary waste. The creation of a Deposit Return Scheme plays a key part in delivering those goals.

The introduction of the new parliamentary regulations is a significant step in that process and signals our commitment to move forward together to make those ambitions a reality.

New legislation for England and Northern Ireland has now come into force, enabling the appointment of the scheme administrator – known as the Deposit Management Organisation – in April 2025. This will be a not-for-profit, industry-led body responsible for the administration and day-to-day running of the scheme.

With Scotland’s own regulations also progressing, this marks a major step forward for the introduction of the scheme across the three nations.

The three governments will ensure the scheme is implemented effectively, working closely with businesses to provide the infrastructure and investment to make it a success.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said:

A Deposit Return Scheme really is a silver bullet that will get plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans out of our parks, off our streets and away from our rivers and seas.

Depressingly we litter, burn or bury millions of drinks containers each and every day. This legislation will end all that, save the taxpayer millions in clean-up costs and give recycling a real shot in the arm.

Backed and paid for by producers, this method of retrieval and recycling is tried and tested the world over so at Keep Britain Tidy we are putting out the bunting that this government is committed to make it happen, for us all.

Stephen Moorhouse, Vice President and General Manager of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB Business Unit, said:

We’ve been supportive of launching a DRS across the UK for a number of years as they are a proven way of increasing recycling, reducing waste and tackling litter. Therefore, we welcome the clarity provided by the regulation for England and Northern Ireland and are encouraged by recent developments that will ensure an aligned scheme with Scotland, despite wider challenges around a UK-wide approach.

Delivering to the timelines will be challenging but achievable, and now is the time for industry to roll up its sleeves to create a well-designed system that works for businesses, shoppers and the environment.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said:

We are pleased to have certainty on the DRS regulations so local shops can start to prepare for October 2027 and our communities can realise the benefits of reduced litter and higher quality recycled materials.

Now the real work begins to make the deposit return scheme a success through cross-industry partnership and a planned network of return points that work for customers.

Sandy Luk, Chief Executive at the Marine Conservation Society, said:

Today marks a fantastic win for our seas, as MPs voted in favour of a deposit return scheme in England and Northern Ireland. With plans already in motion in Scotland and the Welsh Government exploring an ambitious scheme to include reuse, this is a great step towards schemes starting across the UK in October 2027.

Last year, 97% of surveyed UK beaches were polluted with bottles and cans, posing threat to marine life like seabirds and seals. Deposit return schemes will not only boost recycling and move us towards a circular economy where nothing is thrown away but also significantly reduce this kind of beach pollution.

We’re excited to support governments and industry in launching these schemes as soon as possible.

Hitting this milestone is another big step forward for the Government’s collection and packaging reforms, which together will support 21,000 new jobs and stimulate more than £10 billion of investment in recycling over the next decade.

The action to clean up Britain doesn’t end there – there is more to come as the Government moves to ensure the throwaway society is ended for good.

Legislation has been laid to ban the sale of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025 and prevent the waste of precious resources – eNGO Material Focus estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in 2023.

In December 2024, the Government moved to stop recycling rates stagnating and the reliance on the burning of household waste by announcing that new waste incinerators will only receive planning approval if they meet strict new local and environmental conditions.

The Government has also announced that a £15 million government fund will help deliver thousands of tonnes of food from farms which would otherwise go to waste to those who need it most.

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Published 27 January 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Albanese records worst Newspoll ratings this term; Victorian Labor’s primary plunges

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

A national Newspoll, conducted January 20–24 from a sample of 1,259, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, a one-point gain for the Coalition since the previous Newspoll in early December. Primary votes were 39% Coalition (steady), 31% Labor (down two), 12% Greens (up one), 7% One Nation (steady) and 11% for all Others (up one).

In three of the last four Newspolls, the Coalition has had a 51–49 lead. This is the consensus of the polls at the moment, as can be seen from the graph below. The federal election is not due until May, and this position is recoverable for Labor, but they would probably lose now. I had more comments on this last Thursday.

The worst news from Newspoll for Labor was Anthony Albanese’s ratings, which slumped six points since December to a term-low net approval of -20, with 57% dissatisfied and 37% satisfied.

Peter Dutton’s net approval increased one point to -11. Albanese led Dutton by 44–41 as better PM (45–38 in December). This three-point margin for Albanese is a term low.

The graph below shows Albanese’s Newspoll ratings this term. The individual polls are marked with plus signs and a smoothed line has been fitted.

There have been five polls in January of leaders’ ratings from Freshwater, YouGov, Resolve, Essential and Newspoll. On average, Albanese is at -15 net approval and Dutton at -3.2. If not for a net zero approval from Essential, Albanese’s ratings would be worse.

Additional Resolve questions

I previously covered the mid-January Resolve poll for Nine newspapers that gave Dutton a 39–34 preferred PM lead over Albanese. In additional questions, by 61–24, voters supported keeping Australia’s national day on January 26 over changing to another date (47–39 in January 2023).

The thumping defeat of the October 2023 Voice referendum has damaged the push to change the date. By 52–24, voters supported legislating so that January 26 is enshrined in law as Australia’s national day.

By 54–9, respondents thought there had been more antisemitism over more Islamophobia in recent months (32–14 in October). By 51–24, they thought the conflict in the Middle East had made Australia a less safe place (45–26 in October).

Victorian Resolve poll: Labor’s primary plunges to 22%

A Victorian state Resolve poll
for The Age, conducted with the federal December and January Resolve polls from a sample of over 1,000, gave the Coalition 42% of the primary vote (up four since November), Labor 22% (down six), the Greens 13% (steady), independents 17% (up three) and others 6% (down one).

Resolve doesn’t usually give a two-party estimate, but The Age’s article said that on 2022 election preference flows, the Coalition would have a 55.5–44.5 lead. Independents would be unlikely to get 17% at an election, but they are on the readout everywhere in Resolve polls until after nominations close.

In late December, Brad Battin was elected Liberal leader in a party room vote, replacing John Pesutto. From just the January sample, Battin led Labor incumbent Jacinta Allan as preferred premier by 36–27 (30–29 to Pesutto in November).

Victorian Labor’s unpopularity is hurting federal Labor in Victoria. The Poll Bludger’s BludgerTrack has a 5.3% swing against Labor in Victoria, with swings in the other mainland states at 2% or less.

By the November 2026 election, Labor will have governed in Victoria for 12 successive years and for 23 of the 27 years since 1999. An “it’s time” factor is probably contributing to Labor’s woes.

State byelections will occur on February 8 in Labor-held Werribee and Greens-held Prahran. At the 2022 election, Labor won Werribee by a 60.9–39.1 margin against the Liberals, while the Greens won Prahran by 62.0–38.0 against the Liberals.

In Prahran, which Labor is not contesting, Tony Lupton, who was the Labor MP from 2002 to 2010, is running as an independent. The Liberals and Lupton will swap preferences on their how to vote material. Voters can choose their own preferences instead of following their candidate’s recommendations, but many will follow those recommendations.

Germany and Canada

I covered German and Canadian electoral developments for The Poll Bludger on Saturday. The German federal election is in about four weeks, on February 23. Polls are bleak for the left, with big gains likely for the far-right AfD.

Justin Trudeau announced he would resign as Canadian Liberal leader and PM on January 6 once a new Liberal leader had been elected, which will occur on March 9. The Conservatives had a big lead in last Monday’s update to the CBC Poll Tracker, but there’s a new poll that gives the Conservatives just a 3.8-point lead. Trudeau promised to reform Canada’s electoral system before he won the October 2015 election, but did nothing.

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

– ref. Albanese records worst Newspoll ratings this term; Victorian Labor’s primary plunges – https://theconversation.com/albanese-records-worst-newspoll-ratings-this-term-victorian-labors-primary-plunges-248222

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI: Orezone Intercepts High-Grade Mineralization Below North Zone Life of Mine Pits Including 2.55 G/T Gold Over 23.00m and 1.14 G/T Gold Over 29.50m

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (the “Company” or “Orezone”) is pleased to provide additional drill results from its recently announced multi-year exploration campaign at its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine. The new results are centered on the North Zone, with high grades intercepted below both the North Zone Footwall and North Zone Hill resource and reserve pits.

Selected Drill Highlights:

2.55 g/t Au over 23.00m, including 5.54 g/t Au over 5.00m (BBD1324)
1.14 g/t Au over 29.50m, including 2.30 g/t Au over 4.50m (BBD1320)
1.20 g/t Au over 23.80m (BBD1323)
1.01 g/t Au over 18.70m (BBD1319)
1.80 g/t Au over 15.00m (BBD1318)
1.59 g/t Au over 9.80m (BBD1318)
1.69 g/t Au over 6.85m (BBD1322)
24.74 g/t Au over 2.00m (BBD1323)

Patrick Downey, President and CEO stated, “These latest drill results further underscore the significant exploration upside at Bomboré, and the potential to materially expand the resource base from the current global 5.1 million gold ounces, to a targeted 7 to 10 million gold ounces longer term. Given Bomboré’s 14km long reserve defined strike length at an average reserve pit depth of less than 40m, we have been aggressive in our pursuit of illustrating this potential. Towards this goal, we are accelerating the Phase I exploration campaign and planning a comprehensive 30,000m drill program through 2025. Recent drilling from only 12 wide spaced drill holes in the North Zone Footwall has successfully extended mineralization 100m to 250m below the reserve pit bottoms along a strike length of over 800m. This has clear implications in terms of extending current life of mine pits to depth and increasing the future production profile at Bomboré.

The discovery potential of the orogenic gold setting at Bomboré is also highlighted by the multiple higher-grade sub-zones, which we believe may host the potential to transition into an underground mining scenario beneath the existing life of mine open pits. This prospect continues to be an area of focus at North Zone Hill, as well as at P16 and P17 where drilling has recently commenced.

Together with our ongoing production expansion, which is currently ahead of schedule, this renewed focus on exploration at Bomboré, and testing the overall size and scale of the broader system, represent a truly exciting time for Orezone on multiple fronts.”

North Zone Footwall – Extending Mineral System to Depth

Initial drilling last year, targeting the North Zone Footwall at depth, was successful in extending high-grade mineralization 240m below the current reserve pit, with intercepts of 1.02g/t Au over 57.00m (BBD1313) and 1.64g/t Au over 46.00m (BBD1314). Wide spaced follow-up drilling was successful in extending mineralization 100m to 250m below the reserve pits along a strike length of over 800m (Figure 2). This was marked by several broad high-grade intercepts including 1.17g/t Au over 29.50m (BBD1320), 1.20g/t Au over 23.80m (BBD1323), 1.01g/t Au over 18.70m (BBD1319) and 1.80g/t Au over 15.00m (BBD1318).

While early-stage, the main takeaways from this recent round of drilling along the North Zone Footwall include:

1) The potential, with subsequent infill drilling, to materially extend the North Zone Footwall resource and reserve pits to depth. If successful, this would have positive implications in terms of further expanding the production profile at Bomboré.

2) Given the initial results at the North Zone Footwall, there are comparable opportunities to extend the mineralized system at depth across the greater 14km long reserve defined trend, where the average reserve pit depth is currently less than 40m.

North Zone Hill and Higher-Grade Sub-Zone Targeting

As part of the exploration campaign to test the broader size and scale of the Bomboré mineralized system, a second focus of the current drill program is to further delineate a number of higher-grade sub-zones within, and extending below, the current life of mine open pit resource and reserves. The Company believes that these higher-grade sub-zones may host the potential to transition into underground mining beneath the open pits in the future. This is a well demonstrated mine sequence in-country, and if successful, would not only serve to increase the operating head grade at Bomboré, but also increase the overall production profile.

With exploration efforts initially concentrated in the northern end of the project, initial testing of this thesis was centered on North Zone Hill, where at open pit drill spacing, there is a defined trend of higher-grade mineralization. As detailed in Figure 3, this sub-zone is marked by multiple high-grade intercepts including 8.75g/t Au over 7.20m (BBD1246), 7.17g/t Au over 7.00m (BBD0903), 13.44g/t Au over 2.80m (BBD1249), and 6.92g/t Au over 6.00m (BBD0911). Initial drill testing down plunge along this trend intercepted a broad interval of 2.55g/t Au over 23.00m, with a higher-grade sub-interval of 5.54g/t Au over 5.50m (BBD1324). Follow-up testing at North Zone Hill in the future will focus on additional step-outs down plunge and on tighter spaced drilling along trend to further resolve the controls on this higher-grade mineralization.

The Company’s objective to further delineate such higher-grade sub-zones has extended to the P16 and P17S deposits at the southern end of the mining permit, in advance of the start of the rainy season in May. As outlined below, and detailed in Figure 4 and Figure 5, the P16 and P17S deposits host a number of higher-grade sub-zones. Initial testing at these deposits will focus on the down plunge continuity of the high-grade sub-zones and the potential for limb extensions to the East and West. Follow-up drill programs will further reduce the drill spacing towards the base of the pits and down plunge, as well as to test for repeats of the system along strike, a prospect that is well supported by historical drilling.

P16 – selected high-grade historical intercepts:

10.63g/t Au over 14.0m (BBD0448)
16.50g/t Au over 5.0m (BBD0448)
9.03g/t Au over 12.0m (BBC3241)
6.69g/t Au over 15.5m (BBD0443)
5.91g/t Au over 15.0m (BBD0447)
7.82g/t Au over 9.0m (BBD0213)
58.91g/t Au over 3.0m (BBD0768)

P17S – selected high-grade historical intercepts:

14.67g/t Au over 6.0m (BBD1066)
16.58g/t Au over 4.6m (BBD0991)
11.52g/t Au over 10.6m (BBD1081)
9.44g/t Au over 10.0m (TYD0041)
8.47g/t Au over 6.0m (BBD1132)
7.08g/t Au over 7.0m (TYC0123)
7.62g/t Au over 5.5m (TYD0035)

Figure 1: Bomboré Gold Mine Property Map

Figure 2: North Zone Footwall Long Section Looking Southeast

Figure 3: North Zone Hill Long Section Looking Northwest

Figure 4: P16 Long Section Looking North-Northwest

Figure 5: P17 Long Section Looking North-Northwest

Bomboré Drill Results

Table 1: Highlight Drill Intercepts from the North Zone

Hole	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Dip	Azimuth	EOH (m)	From (m)	To (m)	Length (m)	Grade (g/t Au)	Type
BBD1315	729390	1354119	282	-51	313	414	322.00	325.00	3.00	0.70	HR
and							336.00	345.00	9.00	1.06	HR
and							363.00	368.00	5.00	1.02	HR
and							386.30	393.00	6.70	1.40	HR
BBD1316	729160	1354057	286	-52	313	300	188.00	191.00	3.00	0.69	HR
and							271.00	282.60	11.60	0.78	HR
and							292.00	293.00	1.00	2.68	HR
BBD1317	729234	1353990	284	-51	313	429	14.00	18.00	4.00	0.44	OX
and							20.80	24.20	3.40	1.02	OX
and							45.50	48.60	3.10	0.37	OX
and							65.00	75.00	10.00	0.75	OX
and							303.00	314.00	11.00	0.95	HR
and							328.00	339.00	11.00	0.75	HR
and							380.10	387.40	7.30	1.53	HR
incl.							382.25	387.40	5.15	1.92	HR
and							398.00	401.00	3.00	1.73	HR
BBD1318	729062	1354011	284	-56	312	317	167.20	177.00	9.80	1.59	HR
and							254.00	269.00	15.00	1.80	HR
incl.							261.00	267.90	6.90	2.52	HR
and							286.00	287.00	1.00	2.95	HR
BBD1319	729009	1353921	282	-53	313	330	282.00	300.70	18.70	1.01	HR
incl.							293.70	300.70	7.00	1.23	HR
and							305.65	309.75	4.10	1.29	HR
and							318.00	323.00	5.00	1.04	HR
BBD1320	729492	1354296	289	-56	312	321	88.00	93.30	5.30	1.55	HR
and							259.00	288.50	29.50	1.14	HR
incl.							261.50	266.00	4.50	2.30	HR
and							275.00	281.20	6.10	1.93	HR
BBD1322	729569	1354228	289	-55	311	456	5.50	9.80	4.30	0.56	OX
and							58.15	61.50	3.35	0.47	OX
and							364.00	367.00	3.00	0.75	HR
and							391.00	402.00	11.00	0.95	HR
and							409.00	415.85	6.85	1.69	HR
incl.							411.90	414.80	2.90	3.07	HR
BBD1323	729136	1353944	282	-56	311	429	4.50	6.75	2.25	0.86	OX
and							12.80	15.10	2.30	0.54	OX
and							209.00	211.00	2.00	24.74	HR
and							244.25	247.00	2.75	0.99	HR
and							364.00	387.80	23.80	1.20	HR
incl.							371.00	375.00	4.00	1.79	HR
and							391.30	394.00	2.70	0.96	HR
BBD1324	728995	1353667	280	-52	310	312	20.20	23.20	3.00	1.23	OX
and							193.00	216.00	23.00	2.55	HR
incl.							196.00	201.00	5.00	5.54	HR
and							277.95	280.00	2.05	0.91	HR
and							382.00	385.00	3.00	2.42	HR
BBD1325	728983	1353576	276	-54	311	381	233.00	237.00	4.00	1.94	HR
incl.							235.00	236.00	1.00	5.40	HR
and							243.00	248.00	5.00	1.46	HR
BBD1326	729674	1354502	286	-52	314	335	6.00	8.15	2.15	0.71	OX
and							189.00	191.00	2.00	5.42	HR
and							253.00	254.00	1.00	2.11	HR
BBD1327	728991	1353806	281	-51	312	468	13.50	17.50	4.00	0.54	OX
and							21.60	23.80	2.20	1.38	OX
and							33.55	34.50	0.95	1.48	OX
and							360.00	362.00	2.00	0.99	HR
and							372.20	373.10	0.90	8.81	HR
and							384.70	396.00	11.30	0.86	HR
BBD1328	728976	1353684	281	-51	313	282	24.00	31.75	7.75	0.58	OX
and							59.25	63.90	4.65	0.46	OX
and							172.20	173.10	0.90	5.53	HR
and							210.25	212.15	1.90	2.44	HR
and							253.60	257.55	3.95	1.39	HR

^{True widths for North Zone drilling are approximately 85% of drilled lengths.}
^{HR – Hard Rock, OX – Oxide}

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its flagship Bomboré Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bomboré mine achieved commercial production on its oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now focused on its staged hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets and M&A.

The technical report entitled Bomboré Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Company’s website.

Contact Information

Patrick Downey
President and Chief Executive Officer

Vanessa Pickering
Manager, Investor Relations

Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663
info@orezone.com / www.orezone.com

For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945 8977 or visit the Company’s website at www.orezone.com.

The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Alastair Gallaugher (CGeol), Exploration Manager for Orezone, is the Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

QA/QC

The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.28g/t in the Oxide+Upper Transition zone, and 0.45g/t Au in the Lower Transition+Hard Rock zone. The true width of the mineralization is approximately 85% of the drill length in the North Zone. The half-core drilling samples were cut using a diamond saw by Orezone employees. The samples were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. (“BIGS Global”) and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (“RSDs”). A 1-kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade greater than or equal to 0.25g/t Au were prepared by BIGS Global and then split by Orezone to 50 g using RSDs. A 50-g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at BIGS Global.

Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for most of the drill intercepts reported.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain information that may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “potential”, “possible” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may”, “will”, “could”, or “should” occur.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the exploration program (including the significant exploration upside at Bomboré, and the potential to materially expand the project’s resource base from the current global 5.13 million gold ounces, to a targeted 7 to 10 million gold ounces longer term; implications of extending the current life of mine pits to depth, and increasing the project’s production profile; the potential with subsequent infill drilling to materially extend the North Zone Footwall resource and reserve pits to depth; opportunities to extend the mineralized system at depth across the greater 14km long reserve defined trend; the belief that the higher-grade sub-zones may host the potential to transition into underground mining beneath the existing open pits and that this is a well demonstrated mine sequence in-country, and if successful, would not only serve to increase the operating head grade at Bomboré, but also increase the overall production profile; and historical drilling supporting P16 and P17S deposits’ down plunge continuity of the high-grade sub-zones, the potential for limb extensions to the East and West and repeats of the system along strike); the potential expansion of mineral reservices and resources; exploration activities; interpretations of drilling results; future production; project development timelines (including the ongoing production expansion being ahead of schedule); and anticipated economic benefits.

All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management and the qualified persons believe are appropriate in the circumstances.

All forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, delays caused by pandemics, terrorist or other violent attacks (including cyber security attacks), the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company’s most recent annual information form and management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d80c26f-8efa-478f-a74e-2d4f292f47d6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/182737de-3097-4ef3-b36b-f69e5e9cfb57

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ca17fad-8644-4d58-9376-8aecb7afd1a9

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8cbcbc8e-f7e5-4daf-8f1c-0676b7fa1a59

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da4f18c1-e76f-4817-b50c-53dece8ff50d

The MIL Network –

January 27, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: International Day of Clean Energy January 26th: African Development Bank promotes women’s empowerment through sustainable energy business development

Source: African Development Bank Group

When Grace Akingurwaruh signed up to become a seller of coal-efficient, improved-cooking stoves, she had no idea that she’d be successful enough to purchase her first smartphone – a godsend which enables her to remain in regular contact with her customers and get new business.

Akingurwaruh is a farmer in Hoima, Uganda, a four-hour bus ride from the capital Kampala. The 40-year-old says she was looking for ways to increase her monthly income when a neighbor told her about an African Development Bank-financed training program promoting clean energy businesses like selling stoves that retain heat longer than traditional stoves or open fires.

“They taught us how to make business, so when we finished the training, I started advertising…At times I can have customers that want to buy five or more stoves to put in their shops. So, I [give them] a discount. That’s why I have managed to sell more than my colleagues,” Akingurwaruh said of how she applied the knowledge she learned in the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project.

Financed by the Bank’s Africa Climate Change Fund, the programming was organized by civil society organizations AVSI Foundation and CIDR Pamiga in Uganda.

Akingurwaruh says her roughly 22 percent commission on sales of coal-efficient stoves enabled her to not only buy a smartphone but also a goat – another source of income and nutrition for her family. She is now working as a senior agent for the same company she was linked to through the project and oversees a team of 5 youth agents. She not only sells directly to customers but also earns commissions from the sales generated by the agents she supervises.

Akingurwaruh is one of more than 2,300 people considered sales agents and retailers and participants in the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project. AVSI Foundation says 75% of these beneficiaries are women and young girls aged 18 or above and that the initiative through its sales training and outreach also provided clean cooking technologies and renewable energy solutions for lighting to more than 55,000 new customers.

“By connecting civil society organizations like AVSI Foundation to funding opportunities within the Bank, we have delivered sustainable energy solutions that have transformed lives in Uganda. This collaboration has led to the empowerment of communities, enabling businesses to thrive and households to access clean, reliable power,” said Dr. Martha Phiri, the Bank’s Acting Director of the Gender, Women and Civil Society Department.

About 250 kilometers north of Hoima in the city of Aura, training graduate Gloria Dunia sources coal-efficient stoves from a massive container, then carries them to her roadside stand to sell to passersby.

“I have been trained on customer service and entrepreneurship, and this has greatly helped me,” Dunia said.

Overall, the project supported communities in 14 districts across Uganda and 16 counties in Kenya on how to transition to low-carbon development and to scale up climate finance across through the promotion of jobs from micro, medium and small enterprises in the sustainable energy sector.

The Africa Climate Change Fund also noted the project strengthens the financial service provider capacity to deliver sustainable energy finance as well as improve availability and accessibility of energy products for communities.

Maria Ossola, the project coordinator with the AVSI Foundation, said that the project permitted them to discover the key role that entrepreneurs and the private sector plays in promoting clean energy.

“Through the Green Energy for Women and Youth Resilience project, we gained invaluable knowledge about the critical importance of private sector partnerships in achieving universal access to clean energy. We invite like-minded companies and financial institutions to join us in advancing this mission,” said Ossola.

Clean cooking is one of the African Development Bank Group’s priority areas. In May 2024, the Bank pledged $2 billion over 10 years towards clean cooking solutions in Africa – a move towards saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children estimated who die each year from the effects of secondary smoke from partial combustion of biomass, fuel wood and charcoal.

The Bank is also a key organizer of The Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, scheduled for 27 and 28 January in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It will bring together cross-sector leaders, decision makers in the public and private sector sharing a passion for boosting access to electricity to more homes and businesses across Africa.

The Government of Tanzania is hosting the event in partnership with the African Union, the African Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group. At this two-day summit, government officials, business leaders, funders, and community organizations will chart a path towards Mission 300’s ambitious goal of bringing power to 300 millions Africans by 2030.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Lighting Up Africa: The Transformative Power of Mission 300

Source: African Development Bank Group
Across Africa, nearly 600 million people live in energy poverty, deprived of reliable access to electricity—a fundamental prerequisite for modern life. This staggering statistic represents more than just a lack of power. Significantly, it translates to limited opportunities for education, healthcare, gender equality, and…

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Mission 300 Energy Summit to Gather Africa’s Leaders and Partners to Transform Energy Sector

Source: African Development Bank Group
African heads of state, business leaders, and development partners will converge tomorrow in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit where they will commit to ambitious reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to 300 million people in Africa by…

MIL OSI Economics –

January 27, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Storm recovery operation continues

Source: Scottish Government

Considerable progress made but impacts continue.

Considerable progress has been made to restore services following Storm Éowyn but some impacts are set to continue, a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) chaired by the First Minister has heard.

Extensive work by utility companies, national agencies and local authorities has continued at pace over the weekend to respond to the significant damage caused by the storm.

More than 265,000 customers have had their electricity restored since Friday, with the road, ferry and aviation networks resuming a near normal service.

The scale, extent and severity of the storm has made the recovery operation a significant challenge, with issues remaining on the power and rail networks.

There are around 16,000 properties without electricity, with utility companies continuing to provide support to affected customers.

The rail network is recovering from multiple, major issues particularly in the Central Belt. Network Rail are working to repair the damage, with lines opening when safe to do so, enabling ScotRail to run services as soon as they are able.

While most schools are expected to reopen following the weekend, damage to some buildings will mean at least 20 will remain closed until repairs are made.

First Minister John Swinney said: 

“I want to thank those working in the public, private and third sector who continue to work tirelessly in difficult conditions to get Scotland fully back on its feet following this extremely serious storm.

“I also appreciate the continued patience of the public while this work continues, and encourage them to take extra care and look out for each other, particularly those who are supporting vulnerable neighbours and family members.

“The severity of the damage caused by this major event has had a considerable impact across a wide area of the country. While every effort has been made over the weekend to fully restore services, unfortunately it is clear some disruption can continue to be expected.

“Utility companies are doing all they can to return power to the remaining affected properties as soon as possible. They continue to provide support to customers, including ensuring provisions are in place for the most vulnerable.

“Network Rail has been dealing with more than 500 incidents, including significant treefall, and some routes are still affected, particularly in the Central Belt. I understand that every possible resource is being used to ensure services are up and running as soon as possible.

“I would therefore urge rail commuters to plan their journeys ahead. The latest information can be found on Network Rail and ScotRail social media accounts and websites.

“While most schools will reopen, a small number are expected to be closed so buildings can be made safe. I expect Local Authorities to be giving advance warning to parents, pupils and staff, where this is necessary.”

Background

SGoRR was attended by Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Contance, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, Rural Affairs and Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon, Acting Net Zero and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs Culture Angus Robertson and Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and resilience partners.

The latest Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website. 

Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website. 

Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.

Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online. 

To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on the SP Energy Website.

During a power cut firefighters can be called to fires started by candles or portable heaters. For advice on how to stay safe during a power cut visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Website.  

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The ‘singles tax’ means you often pay more for going it alone. Here’s how it works

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alicia Bubb, Research & Teaching Sessional Academic, RMIT University

lightman_pic/Shutterstock

Heard of the “singles tax”? Going it alone can also come with a hidden financial burden you may not be aware of.

Obviously, this isn’t an official levy paid to anyone in particular. It simply refers to the higher costs single people face compared to couples or families.

Single-person households have been on the rise in Australia. It’s projected they’ll account for up to 28% of all households in 2046.

People are marrying later, divorce rates remain high and an ageing population means more people live alone in older age. Many people also make a conscious decision to remain single, seeing it as a sign of independence and empowerment.

This is part of a global trend, with singledom increasing in Europe, North America and Asia.

So, how does the singles tax work – and is it worse for some groups than others? What, if anything, can we do about it?

Why does being single cost more?

One of the biggest drivers of the singles tax is the inability to split important everyday costs. For example, a single person renting a one-bedroom apartment has to bear the full cost, while a couple sharing it can split the rent.

Being single can mean not being being able to split living costs like groceries.
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Singles often miss out on the savings from bulk grocery purchases, as larger households consume more and can take better advantage of these deals.

Fixed costs for a house like electricity, water and internet bills often don’t increase by much when you add an extra user or two. Living alone means you pay more.

These are all examples of how couples benefit from economies of scale – the cost advantage that comes from sharing fixed or semi-fixed expenses – simply by living together.

My calculations, based on the most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), show that singles spend about 3% more per person on goods and services compared to couples.

Compared to couples with children, single parents spend about 19% more per person. While government support mechanisms such as the child care subsidy exist, many single parents find them insufficient, especially if they work irregular hours.

Beyond the essentials

The singles tax extends beyond our “essential needs” and into the costs of travel, socialising and entertainment.

Solo travellers, for example, may encounter something called a “single supplement” – an extra fee charged for utilising an accommodation or travel product designed for two people.

Streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify offer family plans at slightly higher prices than individual ones, making them more cost-effective for larger households.

Couples and families can easily split fixed costs, such as streaming subscriptions.
Vantage_DS/Shutterstock

A global phenomenon

Reports from around the world paint a similar picture.

In the United States, research by real estate marketplace Zillow found singles pay on average US$7,000 ($A11,100) more annually for housing, compared to those sharing a two-bedroom apartment.

In Europe, higher living costs and limited government supports put singles at a disadvantage. And in Canada, singles report feeling the pinch of rising rent and grocery prices.

The tax systems of many countries can amplify the financial burden of being single, by favouring couples and families.

In the United States, for example, tax policies intended to alleviate poverty often exclude childless adults, disproportionately taxing them into poverty.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) reduces tax liabilities by providing refundable credits to low-income workers. It’s had some significant benefits for families, but offers minimal support to single, childless individuals.

Many tax structures disadvantage single-person households.
WPixz/Shutterstock

As economist Patricia Apps argues, tax and transfer policies often fail to account for the complexities of household income distribution.

These systems favour traditional family structures by providing benefits like spousal offsets or joint income tax breaks. Single individuals and single-parent households are left bearing a disproportionate financial burden.

Who is affected the most?

The singles tax disproportionately impacts women, who are more likely to live alone than men.

This can compound existing financial pressures such as the gender pay gap, taking career breaks, and societal expectations leaving them with lower retirement savings.

For older women, the singles tax adds another layer of difficulty to maintaining financial security.

And it can seriously exacerbate financial pressures on single mothers. Many rely on child support payments, which are often inconsistent or inefficient, leaving them financially vulnerable.

Working part-time or in casual roles due to caregiving responsibilities further limits their earning potential.

Single mothers may be disproportionately impacted by the singles tax.
Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

There are unique challenges for single men, too, who may lack the same access to family-oriented subsidies and workplace flexibility. Single men may also face societal expectations to spend more on dating or socialising.

Alarmingly, men are disproportionately represented among the homeless population, making up 55.9% of people experiencing homelessness, and single men have a higher risk of premature death.

Growing recognition

While the singles tax highlights big systemic inequities, there are signs the issue is receiving more attention.

Some advocacy groups are pushing for better financial protections and child support reforms for single mothers.

Similarly, efforts to address homelessness have gained momentum, with increased attention to advocacy and services for single men facing housing insecurity.

There is also the potential to design tax systems to reduce these inequities. Tax systems that treat individuals as economic units, instead of basing benefits on household structures, could mitigate the singles tax and create a fairer system for all.

Nothing to disclose.

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

– ref. The ‘singles tax’ means you often pay more for going it alone. Here’s how it works – https://theconversation.com/the-singles-tax-means-you-often-pay-more-for-going-it-alone-heres-how-it-works-247578

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: 3 reasons to fear humanity won’t reach net-zero emissions – and 4 reasons we might just do it

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Rowley, Honorary Associate Professor, The Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

UNIKYLUCKK/Shutterstock

Within hours of taking office last week, President Donald Trump made good on his pledges to wind back the United States’ climate action – including withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement.

This political show comes barely a week after 2024 was revealed as the world’s hottest year and following the catastrophic Los Angeles fires. The fires directly killed 20 people; potentially many more will die from toxic smoke and other after-effects.

The science is clear: achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is humanity’s only hope of achieving some measure of climate security. It’s time to think deeply on our chances of getting there.

Here, I outline a few reasons for pessimism, and for hope.

Reasons for pessimism

1. The data doesn’t lie

The landmark Paris Agreement, signed by 196 nations in 2015, aimed to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Achieving that requires reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century.

Yet nearly a decade after the agreement, global emissions continue to rise. The Global Carbon Budget estimates a record-high 37.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ was emitted last year.

And 2024 was not just the hottest year on record – it was the first year to exceed the 1.5°C temperature threshold.

It’s not too late to change trajectory. But sadly, the data show the bathtub is fast filling, and the tap is still running hard.

2. Renewable energy rollout is too slow

Renewable energy deployment is increasing and the price is falling. But it’s not happening fast enough.

According to the International Energy Agency, clean energy investment must more than double this decade if the net-zero goal is to be reached by 2050. In particular, clean energy investment in developing countries must increase significantly.

Richer nations – which are largely responsible for the stock of emissions in the atmosphere driving the climate problem – are failing to help developing countries make the clean energy shift. At the COP29 climate talks in Baku last year, developed nations agreed to give only US$300 billion (A$474 billion) a year in climate finance to developing countries by 2035. It is nowhere near enough.

Richer nations have not provided the funds the developing world needs to make the clean energy shift.
PradeepGaurs/Shutterstock

3. The net-zero smokescreen

Net-zero emissions is not the same as zero emissions. It allows some industries to keep polluting, if equivalent emissions are removed from the atmosphere elsewhere to keep the balance at zero.

This means nations that are purportedly committed to the net-zero goal can continue with business as usual, or worse.

In 2023, for example, then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced 100 new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, saying it was “entirely consistent” with his government’s net-zero goal. The same logic has allowed Australia’s environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, to approve new coal mines.

Both decisions came from governments that have pledged commitment to reaching net-zero – yet both are clearly making the goal harder to achieve.

These are just a few of the reasons to feel pessimistic about getting to net-zero – there are many more.

Barriers exist to extracting the critical minerals needed in low-emissions technology. Differences in human relationships to nature means we will never reach full agreement on how to respond to environmental risk. And globally, there is rising mistrust in international agreements and institutions.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Here’s why.

Reasons for hope

1. Renewable energy is cheap

Renewable energy has become the cheapest form of new electricity in history. The technologies are now less expensive than coal and gas in most major countries.

The International Energy Agency projects global renewable capacity will increase by more than 5,520 gigawatts between 2024 and 2030. This is 2.6 times more than the deployment over the six years to 2023.

The growth in rooftop solar is expected to more than triple, as equipment costs decline and social acceptance increases.

Renewable energy has become the [cheapest form of new electricity in history.
Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock

2. Commitments to net-zero are many

Global support for the net-zero goal is significant. According to Net Zero Tracker, 147 of 198 countries have set a net-zero target. Some 1,176 of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies by revenue have also adopted it.

Without seeing the plans, numbers, laws, regulations and investments required to achieve these ambitions, one should be sceptical – but not cynical.

3. Tech innovation and climate response are in lock-step

Twenty-five years ago, smartphones did not exist, email was new and we “surfed” a new thing called the worldwide web with a slow dial-up modem.

Similarly, our technologies will look very different 25 years from now – and many developments will ultimately help deliver the net-zero goal.

Smart electricity grids, for example, use digital technologies, sensors and software to precisely meet the demand of electricity users – making the system more efficient and reducing carbon emissions.

The European Union, United States and China are all investing vast sums to support their development.

Already, we can use smart meters to monitor electricity generation from our roofs to our cars and home batteries. This allows zero-emissions electricity to both be used and sold back to the grid.

Tech innovation is not confined to the electricity sector. As Australia’s Climate Change Authority has stated, technology offers pathways to reduce emissions across the economy – in transport, agriculture, industry and more.

We already have the means to monitor electricity generation and use at home.
aslysun/Shutterstock

4. Human talent and capacity

Many of humanity’s best minds are now focused on reducing climate risk.

Climate change mitigation is attracting remarkable professionals in roles unimaginable 25 years ago – from engineers developing breakthrough renewable technologies to financial experts designing green investment products, policy specialists crafting new regulations, and climate scientists refining our understanding of climate risk.

And among much of the public, global support for climate action is strong.

No time for despair

The fact that humans caused climate change is an enabling truth: we also have the capacity to make decisions to address the problem.

Our choices today will make a difference. It will be a bumpy road – but to achieve some measure of climate security, net-zero is a goal we must achieve.

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

– ref. 3 reasons to fear humanity won’t reach net-zero emissions – and 4 reasons we might just do it – https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-to-fear-humanity-wont-reach-net-zero-emissions-and-4-reasons-we-might-just-do-it-247992

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Too many Australians miss out on essential medical care every year. Here’s how to fix ‘GP deserts’

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute

Zhuravlev Andrey/Shutterstock

Some communities are “GP deserts”, where there are too few GPs to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it. These communities are typically sicker and poorer than the rest of Australia, but receive less care and face higher fees.

At the 2025 federal election, all parties should commit to changing that. The next government – whether Labor or Coalition, majority or minority – should set a minimum level of access to GP care, and fund local schemes to fill the worst gaps.

People in GP deserts miss out on care

About half a million Australians live in GP deserts. These are communities in the bottom 5% for GP services per person. Most GP deserts are in remote Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and some are in Canberra.

People in GP deserts receive 40% fewer GP services than the national average. This means less of the essential check-ups, screening and medication management GPs provide.

Nurses and Aboriginal health workers help plug some of the gap, but even then GP deserts aren’t close to catching up to other areas.

And some people miss out altogether. Last year, 8% of people older than 65 in these areas didn’t see the GP at all, compared to less than 1% in the rest of the country.

Poorer and sicker places miss out, year after year

GP deserts are in the worst possible places. These communities are typically sicker and poorer, so they should be getting more care than the rest of Australia, not less.

People in GP deserts are almost twice more likely to go to hospital for a condition that might have been avoided with good primary care, or to die from an avoidable cause.

Most GP deserts are in the bottom 40% for wealth, yet pay more for care. Patients in GP deserts are bulk billed six percentage points less than the national average.

These communities miss out year after year. While rises and falls in national bulk billing rates get headlines, the persistent gaps in GP care are ignored. The same communities have languished well below the national average for more than a decade.

Policies to boost rural primary care don’t go far enough

Most GP deserts are rural, so recent policies to boost rural primary care could help a bit.

In response to rising out-of-pocket costs, the government has committed A$3.5 billion to triple bulk-billing payments for the most disadvantaged. Those payments are much higher for clinics in rural areas. An uptick in rural bulk billing last year is an early indication it may be working.

Older people in GP deserts are much less likely to see a GP than their peers in other parts of the country.
Theera Disayarat/Shutterstock

New rural medical schools and programs should help boost rural GP supply, since students who come from, and train in, rural areas are more likely to work in them. A “rural generalist” pathway recognises GPs who have trained in an additional skill, such as obstetrics or mental health services.

But broad-based rural policies are not enough. Not all rural areas are GP deserts, and not all GP deserts are rural. Australia also needs more tailored approaches.

Local schemes can work

Some communities have taken matters into their own hands.

In Triabunna on Tasmania’s east coast, a retirement in 2020 saw residents left with only one GP, forcing people to travel to other areas for care, sometimes for well over an hour. This was a problem for other towns in the region too, such as Swansea and Bicheno, as well as much of rural Tasmania.

In desperation, the local council has introduced a A$90 medical levy to help fund new clinics. It’s also trialling a new multidisciplinary care approach, bringing together many different health practitioners to provide care at a single contact point and reduce pressure on GPs. Residents get more care and spend less time and effort coordinating individual appointments.

Murrumbidgee in New South Wales has taken a different approach. There, trainee doctors retain a single employer throughout their placements. That means they can work across the region, in clinics funded by the federal government and hospitals managed by the state government, without losing employment benefits. That helps trainees to stay closely connected to their communities and their patients. Murrumbidgee’s success has inspired similar trials in other parts of NSW, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.

These are promising approaches, but they put the burden on communities to piece together funding to plug holes. Without secure funding, these fixes will remain piecemeal and precarious, and risk a bidding war to attract GPs, which would leave poorer communities behind.

Australia should guarantee a minimum level of GP care

The federal government should guarantee a minimum level of general practice for all communities. If services funded by Medicare and other sources stay below that level for years, funding should automatically become available to bridge the gap.

The federal and state governments should be accountable for fixing GP deserts. These regions typically have small populations, few clinicians, and limited infrastructure. So governments must work together to make the best use of scarce resources.

Some states have introduced schemes where doctors can work in a range of locations.
Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock

Funding must be flexible, because every GP desert is different. Sometimes the solution may be as simple as helping an existing clinic hire extra staff. Other communities may want to set up a new clinic, or introduce telehealth for routine check-ups. There is no lack of ideas about how to close gaps in care, the problem lies in funding them.

Lifting all GP deserts to the top of the desert threshold – or guaranteeing at least 4.5 GP services per person per year, adjusted for age, would cost the federal government at least A$30 million a year in Medicare payments.

Providing extra services in GP deserts will be more expensive than average. But even if the cost was doubled or tripled, it would still be only a fraction of the billions of dollars of extra incentives GPs are getting to bulk bill – and it would transform the communities that need help the most.

GP deserts didn’t appear overnight. Successive governments have left some communities with too little primary care. The looming federal election gives every party the opportunity to make amends.

If they do, the next term of government could see GP deserts eliminated for good.

Peter Breadon and Wendy Hu do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

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– ref. Too many Australians miss out on essential medical care every year. Here’s how to fix ‘GP deserts’ – https://theconversation.com/too-many-australians-miss-out-on-essential-medical-care-every-year-heres-how-to-fix-gp-deserts-245253

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Elon Musk now has an office in the White House. What’s his political game plan?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Maher, Lecturer in Politics, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney

Shutterstock/The Conversation

Elon Musk has emerged as one of the most influential and controversial powerbrokers in the new Trump administration. He spent at least US$277 million (about A$360 million) of his own money to help Donald Trump win re-election, campaigning alongside him around the country.

This significant investment of time and money raises the question of what the world’s wealthiest person hopes to receive in return. Critics have wondered whether Musk’s support for Trump is just a straightforward commercial transaction, with Musk expecting to receive political favours.

Or does it reflect Musk’s own genuinely held political views, and perhaps personal political ambition?

From left to alt-right

Decoding Musk’s political views and tracking how they have changed over time is a complex exercise. He’s hard to pin down, largely by design.

Musk’s current X feed, for example, is a bewildering mix of far-right conspiracy theories about immigration, clips of neoliberal economist Milton Friedman warning about the dangers of inflation, and advertisements for Tesla.

Historically, Musk professes to have been a left libertarian. He says he voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.

Musk claims that over time, the Democratic party has moved further to the left, leaving him feeling closer politically to the Republican party.

Key to Musk’s political shift, at least by his own account, is his estrangement from his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson.

After Vivian’s transition, Musk claimed she was “dead, killed by the woke mind virus”. She is very much alive.

He’s since repeatedly signalled his opposition to transgender rights and gender-affirming care, and diversity, equity and inclusion policies more broadly.

However, if the mere existence of a trans person in his family was enough to cause a political meltdown, Musk was clearly already on a trajectory towards far-right politics.

Rather than responding to a shift in the Democratic Party, it makes more sense to understand Musk’s changing politics as part of a much broader recent phenomenon known as as “the libertarian to alt-right pipeline”.

The political science, explained

Libertarianism has historically tended to be divided between left-wing and right-wing forms.

Left libertarians support economic policies of limited government, such as cutting taxes and social spending, and deregulation more broadly. This is combined with progressive social policies, such as marriage equality and drug decriminalisation.

By contrast, right libertarians support the same set of economic policies, but hold conservative social views, such as opposing abortion rights and celebrating patriotism.

Historically, the Libertarian Party in the United States adopted an awkward middle ground between the two poles.

The past decade, though, has seen the Libertarian Party, and libertarianism more generally, move strongly to the right. In particular, many libertarians have played leading roles in the alt-right movement.

The alt-right or “alternative right” refers to the recent resurgence of far-right political movements opposing multiculturalism, gender equality and diversity, and supporting white nationalism.

The alt-right is a very online movement, with its leading activists renowned for internet trolling and “edgelording” – that is, the posting of controversial and confronting content to deliberately stoke controversy and attract attention.

Though some libertarians have resisted the pull of the alt-right, many have been swept along the pipeline, including prominent leaders in the movement.

Making sense of Musk

While this discussion of theory may seem abstract, it helps to understand what Musk’s values are (beneath the chaotic tweets and Nazi salutes).

In economic terms, Musk remains a limited-government libertarian. He advocates cutting government spending, reducing taxes and repealing regulation – especially regulations that put limits on his businesses.

His formal role in the Trump administration as head of the “Department of Government Efficiency”, also known as DOGE, is targeted at these goals.

Musk has suggested that in cutting government spending, he will particularly target diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This is the alt-right influence on display.

Alt-right sensibilities are most evident, however, in Musk’s online persona.

On X, Musk has deliberately stoked controversy by boosting and engaging with white nationalists and racist conspiracy theories.

For example, he has favourably engaged with far-right politicians advocating for the antisemitic “Great Replacement theory”. This theory claims Jews are encouraging mass migration to the global north as part of a deliberate plot to eliminate the white race.

More recently, Musk has endorsed the far-right in Germany. He’s also shared videos from known white supremacists outlining the racist “Muslim grooming gangs” conspiracy theory in the United Kingdom.

Whether Musk actually believes these outlandish racist conspiracy theories is, in many ways, irrelevant.

Rather, Musk’s public statements are better understood as reflecting philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s famous definition of “bullshit”. For Frankfurt, “bullshit” refers to statements made to impress or provoke in which the speaker is simply not concerned with whether the statement is actually true.

Much of Musk’s online persona is part of a deliberate alt-right populist strategy to stoke controversy, upset “the left”, and then claim to be a persecuted victim when criticised.

Theory vs practice

Though Musk’s public statements might fit nicely into contemporary libertarianism, there are always contradictions when putting ideology into practice.

For example, despite Musk’s oft-stated preference for limited government, it’s well documented that his companies have received extensive subsidies and support from various governments.

Musk will expect this special treatment to continue under a quintessentially transactional president such as Trump.

The vexed issue of immigration also presents some contradictions.

Across the campaign, both Musk and Trump repeatedly criticised immigration to the US. Reprising the themes of the far-right Great Replacement theory, Musk claimed illegal immigration was a deliberate plot by Democrats to “replace” the existing electorate with “compliant illegals”.

However, after the election Musk has argued Trump should preserve categories of skilled migration such as the H1-B visas. This angered more explicit white supremacists, such as Trump advisor Laura Loomer.

Musk’s motives in arguing for the visas are not humanitarian. H1-B visas allow temporary workers to enter the country for up to six years, making them entirely dependent on the sponsoring company. It’s a situation some have called “indentured servitude”.

These visas have been used heavily in the technology sector, including in companies owned by both Musk and Trump.

An unsteady alliance

So what might we expect from Musk now that he has both political office and influence?

Musk’s stated aim of using DOGE to cut $2 trillion from the US budget would represent an unprecedented transformation of government. It also seems highly unlikely.

Instead, expect Musk to focus on creating controversy by cutting DEI initiatives and other politically sensitive programs, such as support for women’s reproductive rights.

Musk will clearly use his political influence to look after the interests of his companies. Shares in Tesla surged to record highs following Trump’s re-election, suggesting investors believe Musk will be a major financial beneficiary of the second Trump administration.

Finally, Musk will undoubtedly use his new position to remain in the public eye. This last part might lead Musk into conflict with another expert in shaping the media cycle – Trump himself.

Musk has already reportedly fallen out with Vivek Ramaswamy, who will now no longer co-lead DOGE with Musk.

Exactly how stable the alliance between Trump and Musk is, and whether the egos and interests of the two billionaires can continue to coexist, remains to be seen.

If the alliance persists, it will be a key factor in shaping what many are terming the emergence of a “new gilded age” of political corruption and soaring inequality.

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

– ref. Elon Musk now has an office in the White House. What’s his political game plan? – https://theconversation.com/elon-musk-now-has-an-office-in-the-white-house-whats-his-political-game-plan-248011

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Online privacy policies can be 90,000 words long. Here are 3 ways to simplify them

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Andreotta, Lecturer, School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University

Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock

Think about the last app you downloaded. Did you read every word of the associated privacy policy? If so, did you fully understand it?

If you said “no” to either of these questions, you are not alone. Only 6% of Australians claim to read all the privacy policies that apply to them.

Don’t blame yourself too much, though. Privacy policies are often long – sometimes up to 90,000 words – and hard to understand. And there may be hundreds that apply to the average internet user (one for each website, app, device, or even car you use).

Regular reviews are also required. In 2023, for example, Elon Musk’s X updated its privacy policy to include the possibility of collecting biometric data.

For these reasons, some privacy scholars have argued that it’s nearly impossible for us to properly manage how our personal data are collected and used online.

But even though it might be hard to imagine, we can regain control over our data. Here are three possible reforms to online privacy policies that could help.

1. Visuals-based privacy policies

One way to shorten privacy policies is by replacing some text with visuals.

Recently, the Australian bank Bankwest developed a visual-style terms and conditions policy to explain one of its products. A consulting engineering company also used visuals in its employment contract.

There is evidence that suggests this promotes transparency and helps users understand the contents of a policy.

Could visuals work with online privacy policies? I think companies should try. Visuals could not only shorten online privacy policies, but also make them more intelligible.

2. Automated consent

Adding visuals won’t solve all the problems with privacy policies, as there would still be too many to go through. Another idea is to automate consent. This essentially means getting software to consent for us.

One example of this software, currently being developed at Carnegie Melon
University in the United States, is personalised privacy assistants. The software promises to:

learn our preferences and help us more effectively manage our privacy settings across a wide range of devices and environments without the need for frequent interruption.

In the future, instead of reading through hundreds of polices, you might simply configure your privacy settings once and then leave the accepting or rejecting of polices up to software.

The software could raise any red flags and make sure that your personal data are being collected and used only in ways that align with your preferences.

The technology does, however, raise a series of ethical and legal issues that will need to be wrestled with before widespread adoption.

For example, who would be liable if the software made a mistake and shared your data in a way that harmed you? Furthermore, privacy assistants would need their own privacy policies. Could users easily review them, and also track or review decisions the assistants made, in a way that was not overwhelming?

3. Ethics review

These techniques may have limited success, however, if the privacy policies themselves fail to offer user choices or are deceptive.

A recent study found that some of the top fertility apps had deceptive privacy policies. And in 2022, the Federal Court of Australia fined Google for misleading people about how it used personal data.

To help address this, privacy policies could be subject to ethical review, in much the same way that researchers must have their work reviewed by ethics committees before they are permitted to conduct research.

If a policy was found to be misleading, lacked transparency, or simply failed to offer users meaningful options, then it would fail to get approval.

Would this really work? And who would be included in the ethics committee? Further, why would companies subject their policies to external review, if they were not required to do so by law?

These are difficult questions to answer. But companies who did subject their polices to review could build trust with users.

In 2022, the Federal Court of Australia fine Google for misleading people about how it used personal data.
JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

Testing the alternatives

In 2024, Choice revealed that several prominent car brands, such as Tesla, Kia, and Hyundai, collect people’s driving data and sell it to third-party companies. Many people who drove these cars were not aware of this.

How might the above ideas help?

First, if privacy polices had visuals, data collection and use practices could be explained to users in easier-to-understand ways.

Second, if automated consent software was being used, and users had a choice, the sharing of such driving data could be blocked in advance, without users even having to read the policy, if that was what they preferred. Ideally, users could pre-configure their privacy preferences, and the software could do the rest. For example, automated consent software could indicate to companies that users do not give consent for their driving data to be sold for advertising purposes.

Third, an ethics review committee may suggest that users should be given a choice about whether to share driving data, and that the policy should be transparent and easy to understand.

Some car companies, such as Tesla, collect people’s driving data and sell it to third-party companies.
Jure Divich/Shutterstock

Benefits of being transparent

Recent reforms to privacy laws in Australia are a good start. These reforms promise to give Australians a legal right to take action over serious privacy violations, and have a greater focus on protecting children online.

But many of the ways of empowering users will require companies to go beyond what is legally required.

One of the biggest challenges will be motivating companies to want to change.

It is important to keep in mind there are benefits of being transparent with users. It can help build trust and reputation. And in an era where consumers have become more privacy conscious, here lies an opportunity for companies to get ahead of the game.

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

– ref. Online privacy policies can be 90,000 words long. Here are 3 ways to simplify them – https://theconversation.com/online-privacy-policies-can-be-90-000-words-long-here-are-3-ways-to-simplify-them-247095

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 27, 2025

Category: Business

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1. Visuals-based privacy policies

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Benefits of being transparent