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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: Announcement of New Revolving Credit Facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COCONUT CREEK, Fla., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC” or the “Company”) today reported that on October 31, 2024, the Company entered into a new, $1.0 billion, five-year, revolving credit facility (the “Credit Agreement”) among WLFC, certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of WLFC, as guarantors, the lenders party thereto from time to time (the “Lenders”), and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, collateral agent, swing line lender, and letter of credit issuer. The Credit Agreement replaced the existing $500.0 million revolving credit agreement, dated as of June 7, 2019 (as amended and restated, the “Existing Credit Agreement”), among WLFC, the lenders party thereto from time to time and MUFG Bank, Ltd. as agent.

    Under the Credit Agreement, WLFC may request an additional increase of the aggregate commitments from time to time up to an aggregate additional $250.0 million from the lenders, who may elect to make such increase available, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions.

    Proceeds from the revolving credit facility may be used for general corporate purposes. The credit facility will be available on a revolving basis until October 31, 2029, and WLFC may request to extend the maturity, subject to lender approval.

    Loans under the Credit Agreement will bear interest based on a floating rate (Term SOFR) plus a margin. In addition, WLFC has agreed to pay Bank of America, N.A. an unused line fee, quarterly in arrears, as well as pay other fees to Bank of America, N.A. and to the Lenders as separately agreed upon in writing.

    The Credit Agreement also requires WLFC to maintain, as of the last day of each Measurement Period (as defined in the Credit Agreement), commencing with the last day of the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2024, a Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of no less than 2.25 to 1.00, and a Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement ) of no greater than 4.25 to 1.00 through June 30, 2025 and no greater than 4.00 to 1.00 thereafter.

    “We are very excited to have closed our new, expanded revolving credit facility,” said Scott B. Flaherty, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our new facility will provide incremental capital to support the growth we are experiencing across the WLFC platform.”

    Willis Lease Finance Corporation

    Willis Lease Finance Corporation (“WLFC”) leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair and overhaul providers worldwide. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services through Willis Asset Management Limited, as well as various end-of-life solutions for engines and aviation materials provided through Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc. Additionally, through Willis Engine Repair Center®, Jet Centre by Willis, and Willis Aviation Services Limited, the Company’s service offerings include Part 145 engine maintenance, aircraft line and base maintenance, aircraft disassembly, parking and storage, airport FBO and ground and cargo handling services.

    Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements, which give only expectations about the future and are not guarantees. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the effects on the airline industry and the global economy of events such as war, terrorist activity and pandemics; changes in oil prices, rising inflation and other disruptions to world markets; trends in the airline industry and our ability to capitalize on those trends, including growth rates of markets and other economic factors; risks associated with owning and leasing jet engines and aircraft; our ability to successfully negotiate equipment purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to control costs and expenses; changes in interest rates and availability of capital, both to us and our customers; our ability to continue to meet changing customer demands; regulatory changes affecting airline operations, aircraft maintenance, accounting standards and taxes; the market value of engines and other assets in our portfolio; and risks detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other continuing reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     CONTACT: Scott B. Flaherty
      EVP & Chief Financial Officer
      561.413.0112

    The MIL Network –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. Sets Reporting Date for its 2024 Third Quarter Results and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Midland, Texas, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:NGS), a leading provider of natural gas compression equipment, technology and services to the energy industry, will host a conference call to review its third-quarter financial results on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. (EST), 7:30 a.m. (CST). The Company’s Q3 2024 financial and operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 will be disseminated via press release and made available on the Company’s website (www.ngsgi.com) after market close on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

    To join the conference call, kindly access the Investor Relations section of our website at www.ngsgi.com or dial in at (800) 550-9745 and enter conference ID: 167298 at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Please note that using the provided dial-in number is necessary for participation in the Q&A section of the call. A recording of the conference will be made available on our Company’s website following its conclusion. Thank you for your interest in our company’s updates.

    About Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

    Natural Gas Services Group is a leading provider of natural gas compression equipment, technology and services to the energy industry. The Company designs, rents, sells and maintains natural gas compressors for oil and natural gas production and plant facilities, primarily using equipment from third-party fabricators and OEM suppliers along with limited in-house assembly. The Company is headquartered in Midland, Texas, with a fabrication facility located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a rebuild shop located in Midland, Texas, and service facilities located in major oil and natural gas producing basins in the U.S. Additional information can be found at www.ngsgi.com.

    For Additional Information:

    Anna Delgado-Investor Relations
    (432) 262-2700
    ir@ngsgi.com
    www.ngsgi.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: CFC Launches New Investment Product to Retail Investors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DULLES, Va., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) is excited to announce the launch of a Retail Subordinated Notes program, which will allow CFC to issue subordinated deferrable notes from time to time to retail investors.

    “Adding retail subordinated notes to our funding mix allows us to diversify our investor base and access the market more frequently,” CFC Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Ling Wang said. “This additional funding source provides CFC with greater financial flexibility, enhancing our ability to meet our members’ financing needs.”

    The offerings will be made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by means of a prospectus and prospectus supplement. A pricing supplement describing the terms of the offering will be filed with each issuance. Prospective investors should read the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus included in the registration statement and other documents CFC has filed with the SEC for more complete information about CFC and the offering of the Subordinated Notes. Copies of the prospectus and the prospectus supplement may be obtained by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Interested investors should contact their broker to obtain additional information.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any offer or sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification thereof under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About CFC

    Created and owned by America’s electric cooperative network, the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC)—a nonprofit finance cooperative with over $36 billion in assets to serve the needs of our member-owners. CFC is an equal opportunity provider. www.nrucfc.coop.

    Contacts:   Brad Captain
        Corporate Relations Group
        publicrelations@nrucfc.coop
        800-424-2954

    The MIL Network –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings with Maria to Discuss Failed Economic and Foreign Policies of Biden-Harris Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees, today joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss the failed economic and foreign policies of the Biden-Harris Administration and their sharp contrast with the successful policies of the Trump Administration. 

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial TranscriptHagerty on the failed economic policies of the Biden-Harris Administration: “Well, the economic policies of this Administration under Kamala Harris have been an absolute disaster for America. If you look at it, 72 percent of American people think that this country is on the wrong track, and the number one issue, Maria, is the fact that real wages have gone down. Inflation has destroyed and devastated families here in America, and I think the only thing keeping the market up right now is the anticipation, and frankly, the sheer hope that President Trump gets reelected on Tuesday.”
    Hagerty on the failed foreign policies of the Biden-Harris Administration: “Well, if you look at the foreign policy of this Administration, it’s absolutely pathetic. Under President Trump, we had no wars. Under [Joe] Biden and [Kamala] Harris, this has been a complete disaster. It goes back to the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan where Kamala Harris was the quote, ‘last voice in the room.’ That was an absolute disgrace and a disaster that embarrassed our nation like nothing in our lifetimes, Maria. And that invited and precipitated, I think, and emboldened our adversaries around the world. You look at what happened with Iran: the day that this Administration came into office, they stopped enforcing sanctions against Iran. I worked very closely with President Trump and in his Administration to impose maximum sanctions on Iran, to put maximum pressures on them, to get our allies to stop buying oil from Iran. It worked. What we did was we made Iran basically broke. We stopped the funding of Hamas, stopped the funding of Hezbollah, the Houthis had no funds. We saw peace break out in the Middle East. President Trump was able to move our embassy to Jerusalem. He was able to take out Soleimani and Al-Baghdadi. He even did the Abraham Accords, which was the foundation, I think, of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. Iran could do nothing about it. As soon as [Joe] Biden comes into office, as soon as [Kamala] Harris comes into office, they start allowing the funds to flow, and we have terrible wars outbreaking in the Middle East.”
    Hagerty on Kamala Harris running conflicting advertisements on Israel stance: “Well, she wants to [have it both ways]. It’s a complete lack of integrity. And if you talk about having it both ways, we have seen her flip-flop on every major policy. It’s like an avatar, Maria. The media have helped support this. Again, the partisan media, not yourself, have helped support creation of a candidate that’s nowhere close to where Kamala Harris from San Francisco, the most liberal Senator in the United States Senate, has been for her entire political career. Now they’re trying to create something entirely different, entirely false. They send one message into Michigan. They’ll send a completely different message into Pennsylvania to try to appeal to Jewish voters. I think the American public can see right through this.”
    Hagerty on Iran changing its nuclear policy to produce nuclear weapons: “Well, I remind you, we wouldn’t be in a position for Iran to respond at all were President Trump in office because we brought Iran to its knees. That’s got to happen again. If Kamala Harris gets into office, I think Iran’s going to have free range to do whatever they want to do, because they’re going to continue to allow Iran to bring billions of dollars in. They’re going to continue to allow them to pump [oil]. They’re going to continue to allow Iran to sell weapons to Russia. Iran has had free reign under Kamala Harris, and at the same time, you see her bringing in people like Liz Cheney, others that all want to see war breakout in the Middle East. I think what we’ve got to do is look directly at what the past has shown us. We’ve got a track record with President Trump That has delivered peace and prosperity. We’ve got a track record with Kamala Harris that has delivered nothing but agony and war in the Middle East and around the world.”
    Hagerty on the top priority of a second Trump Administration: “Well, for me, Maria, our foreign policy is derived directly from the strength of our economy. We have the most amazing, the most prosperous economy in the world. Access to that economy is absolutely critical. President Trump understands that. Let’s get our economy moving again. That’s what the people of America need to see. We need to see security at our southern border. We have a national security risk like we’ve never seen before. No one’s better than you in reporting on this. But then we’ve got to turn around and deal with strength and credibility with our adversaries. No one in the world believes that Kamala Harris can deal with Vladimir Putin, can deal with Xi Jinping, can deal with the Ayatollah. She has no credibility whatsoever. President Trump has and will.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Friends like these: What a second Trump term may mean for the CDC, and how it affects Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kevin Quigley, Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, Dalhousie University

    Should Donald Trump be re-elected on Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is likely facing a major shake-up. Many Republicans were frustrated by the CDC’s performance during the pandemic. Project 2025, authored by leading Republicans with ties to Trump, describes the CDC as incompetent and arrogant.

    In fact, no matter who wins the United States presidential election on Nov. 5, the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a cautionary tale for Canada.

    While there is significant and justifiable criticism to be leveled at Trump about his administration’s handling of the pandemic in the early stages, as former chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci noted to Congress in 2024, the U.S. health system is not designed for an effective co-ordinated response to a health crisis.

    Trump and the CDC

    There was clearly a disconnect between Trump and the CDC during the pandemic. For weeks in early 2020, President Trump had described the threat as low risk; he said that the situation was under control in the U.S. and that only a few cases had been reported.

    While the president was on a return flight from India, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, announced that the situation in the U.S. was about to change quickly and severely. Officials say that Trump was very upset by the announcement and concerned about potential lockdowns causing panic and disruption to financial markets.

    Throughout the early stages of the pandemic, the actions of the CDC sparked a high degree of politicization. The Trump administration was criticized for interfering with the CDC’s operations and censoring internal experts. Disagreements between federal and state political leaders and public health experts led to inconsistencies in public health messaging, reporting, enforcement of directives and timing of public health restrictions.

    The CDC itself was not above criticism. The agency’s infrastructure had been neglected for decades, and years of declining funding resulted in insufficient preparations for a possible pandemic. The CDC had also been criticized for being too insular and academic.

    The CDC made key mistakes, particularly regarding surveillance and testing. It was criticized for underestimating the threat of the virus and overestimating its ability to design, manufacture and distribute a test quickly.

    Rapid responses are crucial during such events, and the early stages of the U.S.’s pandemic response provides salient lessons for Canada, both about its relationship with the U.S. and to global threats more generally.

    Pre-event planning is necessary, but audits and world rankings of emergency preparedness can be unreliable. In 2019, Johns Hopkins University ranked the U.S. as the best prepared country in the world to address a health crisis. The pandemic demonstrated that it was not.

    Canada needs to establish a strong and independent capacity to assess health threats. Trump’s early handling of the pandemic has been widely criticized, yet the Canadian government’s speaking points in the early stages were the same: the virus was low risk. It was only when the CDC and the World Health Organization increased its threat assessment that Canada followed suit.

    Lessons from the pandemic

    Borders can re-assert themselves. Despite decades of global political and economic agreements that saw a freer flow of goods, services and people, many western governments were unable or unwilling to assume the risks associated with letting those from other jurisdictions cross their borders, and as such, imposed strict rules to prevent non-citizens from entering. This aggressive stance was ironic and unforeseen, as during previous public health crises such as the H1N1 flu episode in 2009-10, many governments underscored that closing borders had little impact on disease spread.

    The weaknesses of supply chains were highlighted as the global economy shut down in March 2020. Canada’s Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland described competition for medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) as resembling the “wild west.” Shipment delays, order shortages, trade restrictions and defective or contaminated items prevented governments from effectively procuring supplies.

    Global manufacturing capabilities for vaccines were below what was needed, with only about a dozen countries able to produce COVID-19 vaccines early on, including the U.S. More than any other country, the U.S. enabled the rapid development and production of the vaccine, highlighting Canada’s considerable dependence on the U.S. Canada has since funded vaccine manufacturing initiatives, but the investments have produced little to-date.

    The adage “When the U.S. sneezes, the world catches a cold” applies nowhere more than in Canada. Should Trump be re-elected, the CDC will likely exist on a smaller budget with a reduced role internationally. This will increase Canadian vulnerabilities.

    Whatever the criticisms, the CDC has more capacity and influence than any other health agency in the world. If Canada cannot depend on strong and co-ordinated response from the U.S. administration during a health crisis, Canada has to be better prepared to adapt. Lessons from the pandemic provide a powerful to-do list.

    Kevin Quigley is the Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, an independent, non-partisan research institute located at Dalhousie University.

    – ref. Friends like these: What a second Trump term may mean for the CDC, and how it affects Canada – https://theconversation.com/friends-like-these-what-a-second-trump-term-may-mean-for-the-cdc-and-how-it-affects-canada-242673

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Updated fiscal statutes benefit Albertans

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    [embedded content]

    If passed, the Financial Statues Amendment Act would provide alternative financing options to help expand mortgage financing options for all Albertans. The bill also includes amendments to provide more support for parents who have lost a child, and standardizes indexing across government to help Albertans with the cost of living by creating a consistent and stable system. In addition, a new annual adjustment system would enable a more consistent and flexible approach to determining the amount that benefits and taxes will be impacted. The legislation would also introduce a new tax on electric vehicles, as was announced in Budget 2024.

    “This bill proposes a number of important changes. I’m particularly pleased that if passed, Alberta would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to make legislative changes that would permit provincial financial institutions to offer alternative financing options.”

    Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

    Alternative financing options would provide homebuyers with more options for mortgage financing. All Albertans who want to buy a home can apply for this financing option.

    Additional changes being proposed in the Financial Statutes Amendment Act include continuing Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments to parents of deceased children for six months after their child passes away. These amendments would align with similar federal changes under the Canada Child Benefit program.

    “Families experiencing the unimaginable loss of a child face enough challenges. The proposed changes to the Alberta Child and Family Benefit will not only help lighten the financial burden, but offer a measure of comfort during their darkest moments.”

    Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services

    Other changes in the proposed bill include:

    • Standardizing indexation rates across government. Government is also introducing a system to enable a more consistent and flexible approach for these annual enhancements. This change ensures Albertans continue to receive annual cost-of-living increases to personal income taxes and important support programs.
    • Amendments to the Fuel Tax Act to implement an electric vehicle tax of $200 annually. This is in line with what drivers of a typical internal combustion engine vehicle pay in fuel tax and is a fair way for all drivers to contribute to public services, such as keeping our roads and highways safe and smooth.
    • Technical changes to align Alberta’s taxation of multi-jurisdictional tax filers who have a split income with that of other provinces in order to meet the requirements of the federal-provincial Tax Collection Agreement.

    Related information

    • Updating financial laws
    • Bill 32: Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2024

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference
    • Listen to the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: African Development Bank-backed research highlights potential of health tech to boost Africa’s health systems

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    A new study co-funded by the African Development Bank finds that applying technology to healthcare delivery, management, and research could provide more Africans with universal health coverage and significantly advance Africa’s progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

    The report, titled Policy Blueprint to Fast-Track Healthtech Innovations in Public Health in Africa, examined the potential of health technology innovations – called healthtech to benefit patients, health systems and communities across the continent. Commissioned by HealthTech Hub Africa and produced by VillageReach, the study was funded by UBS Optimus Foundation and the African Development Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab with financing from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

    The study, conducted between May 2023 and February 2024, involved data collection and stakeholder consultation with innovators, startups, investors, civil society, and government and civil society representatives across 11 African countries — Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Cameroon.

    The findings offer policy guidance, specific actions and practical examples to accelerate healthtech in Africa while supporting innovation development, testing and sustainability.

    Dr. Babatunde Omilola, the African Development Bank’s Manager for Public Health, Security and Social Protection, emphasized the timeliness of the report. “This policy blueprint comes at a very opportune time as it gives policy directions to governments across Africa who are witnessing increased entrepreneurs involved in developing innovative healthtech products. The policy guidance will help create an enabling environment for products that can improve healthcare access and quality while reducing costs for millions.”

    The report identified several challenges hindering mainstreaming health tech in Africa, including:

    • Lack of unified, comprehensive and updated policies
    • Complex licensing processes
    • Fragmented and poorly digitized health data systems
    • Insufficient funding and innovation incentives

    To address these issues, the report recommends:

    • Strengthening dialogue and coordination among healthtech stakeholders
    • Refining policies on health data access and interoperability
    • Accelerating innovation while safeguarding data

    The study aligns with the African Development Bank’s broader efforts to improve healthcare across the continent. In 2022, the Bank approved its Strategy for Quality Health Infrastructure for Africa 2022-2030, which supports facilities like connection to water and sanitation, energy, transport, and communications services. In 2020, it adopted the Pharmaceutical Sector Action Plan to enhance local production capacities of medicines and vaccines and support research and development of pharmaceutical products.

    Click here to read the report.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Revelton Distilling Company

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Revelton Distilling Company of Clarke County. Throughout this Congress, Ranking Member Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    “Revelton Distilling Company has found a neat way to keep spirits high with award-winning bourbon created from Iowa-grown corn,” said Ranking Member Ernst. “For the last four years, master distillers Robert and Christi Taylor have supported local farmers and found new ways to stay dedicated to their old fashioned craft. Let’s raise a toast and celebrate this Clarke County business earning international recognition!”
    After learning that Kentucky bourbon producers source their corn from Iowa farmers, Robert and Christi Taylor decided to attend distillery school in 2016 and opened Revelton Distilling Company in 2020. Revelton Distilling Company offers a wide variety of spirits, including their barrel-aged bourbon whisky and their award-winning mulberry gin. The taste and design of Revelton Distilling Company’s products have earned them multiple international awards from the Micro Liquor Spirit Awards and San Francisco Spirit Awards. Today, over 600 bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and grocery stores carry their spirits.
    Stay tuned as Ranking Member Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Brings Early Access to Zircuit (ZRC) with Pre-Market Launch Ahead of Spot Trading

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the listing of Zircuit (ZRC) on its pre-market trading platform, providing early access to this new token before it enters spot trading. Users can now engage in ZRC/USDT trades on Bitget’s platform, giving traders an exclusive opportunity to interact with ZRC ahead of its full listing.

    Bitget’s pre-market trading platform allows users to engage in over-the-counter transactions of new tokens before their official listing. This feature offers a peer-to-peer marketplace where buyers and sellers can negotiate prices, facilitating advanced liquidity and strategic investment opportunities. Participants can secure coins at favorable prices, allowing for optimized investments without the immediate need for sellers to possess the coins.

    Zircuit, a fully EVM-compatible protocol, leverages zero-knowledge rollup technology to provide a highly efficient, scalable environment for transactions. This new addition aligns with Bitget’s focus on integrating advanced blockchain solutions, enhancing user experience, and expanding digital asset availability. With a total supply of 10 billion tokens, ZRC represents Bitget’s commitment to broadening its offerings and introducing technologies that support secure and effective blockchain interactions.

    Through Bitget’s pre-market trading platform, users can explore trades and set prices before an asset’s public listing. This OTC (over-the-counter) setup enables buyers and sellers to agree on terms and reserve liquidity in advance, offering flexibility and access to price discovery prior to market entry. Unlike typical spot trading, pre-market trades on Bitget allow sellers to complete transactions even if they do not initially hold the required coins, as long as they acquire them before the final delivery time. This unique structure is designed to empower both parties to achieve optimal trading results.

    The pre-market launch of Zircuit highlights Bitget’s continuous efforts to provide flexible, user-centric solutions in the evolving digital asset landscape. This initiative reaffirms Bitget’s drive to offer innovative trading opportunities that accommodate diverse user needs and enhance accessibility within the crypto sector.

    Bitget has established itself as one of the leading crypto spot trading platforms, offering a diverse selection of over 800 coins and more than 900 trading pairs across various ecosystems, including Ethereum, Solana, Base, and recently, TON. The pre-market platform, launched in April 2024, has facilitated early access to over 150 high-profile projects such as EigenLayer (EIGEN), Zerolend (ZERO), Notcoin (NOT), and ZkSync (ZKSYNC), providing a unique opportunity for investors to engage with emerging tokens at an early stage. The addition of ZRC to this lineup further enhances Bitget’s commitment to offering users access to promising Web3 projects.

    For more information on Zircuit tokens on Pre-market, please visit here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 45 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more. 

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices may fluctuate and experience price volatility. Only invest what you can afford to lose. The value of your investment may be impacted and it is possible that you may not achieve your financial goals or be able to recover your principal investment. You should always seek independent financial advice and consider your own financial experience and financial standing. Past performance is not a reliable measure of future performance. Bitget shall not be liable for any losses you may incur. Nothing here shall be construed as financial advice.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d74c17b-7ff1-480e-860e-8637bed3ed20

    The MIL Network –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Urge Federal Agencies Expand Outreach on Discharging Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Urge Federal Agencies Expand Outreach on Discharging Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy

    New data shows vast majority of borrowers using the new guidance received recommendations for either full or partial debt discharge
    ICYMI from Business Insider: More student-loan borrowers are taking advantage of an updated route to get rid of their debt in bankruptcy court, top Democratic senators say
    Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “We encourage your agencies to continue to expand awareness of the guidance so that the 43 million borrowers in the United States… may be able to access relief if they need to file for bankruptcy”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) to continue expanding awareness to student loan borrowers who are struggling financially about available resources to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy.
    In November 2022, the DOJ and ED issued guidance to DOJ attorneys that sought to streamline the process of discharging student loans in bankruptcy. Prior to this change, borrowers had to undergo a confusing, invasive, and time-consuming process in bankruptcy court to prove repayment would constitute an “undue hardship.”
    “The ‘undue hardship’ standard historically set an unnecessarily high bar that essentially required borrowers to demonstrate a certainty of hopelessness to obtain relief,” wrote the senators.
    99.9% of borrowers who filed bankruptcy from 2011 to 2019 did not have their student loans discharged — borrowers came to believe that there was no way out of the crushing weight of student loans, even through bankruptcy. Since DOJ and ED’s new process was announced, more and more borrowers have received relief. New data obtained by Senator Warren’s office show that, under the Biden administration’s new guidance, 85% of borrowers who sought relief received recommendations for either full or partial debt discharge.
    The high rates of total or partial discharge for those who have applied through the new guidance suggest that many other borrowers could also qualify if they applied. The senators are pushing to expand awareness on the more transparent, fair, and accessible process.
    “We thank you for your agencies’ ongoing commitment to helping borrowers struggling with student debt and urge continued outreach to expand awareness of the streamlined process for qualified borrowers,” concluded the senators.
    Senator Reverend Warnock has long advocated for comprehensive action to address the student loan crisis and has continued pushing the Administration to deliver meaningful student debt relief. Most recently, Senator Warnock led the first Senate Banking committee hearing in over a decade to focus on private student loans and explored the lack of data and transparency in that market and loan servicing concerns while highlighting the potential legislative and regulatory recommendations and measures to stop these abusive practices and to better protect students and taxpayers. Additionally, in August of 2023, the Senator pushed President Biden to swiftly fulfill his promise to deliver targeted student debt cancellation to working and middle-class families following the misguided SCOTUS decision overturning the President’s student debt cancellation.
    The letter can be found HERE and text of the letter is below:
    Dear Attorney General Garland and Secretary Cardona:
    We are writing today to highlight and support your agencies’ progress in making it easier for borrowers struggling financially to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy. In November 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) released guidance to DOJ attorneys that sought to streamline the process of discharging student loans in bankruptcy. In the time since, more and more borrowers have taken advantage of this guidance and received relief.
    The 1978 Bankruptcy Code allowed borrowers to discharge their federal student loans by demonstrating that repayment would impose an “undue hardship” on the borrower or by showing that the loan became due at least five years before the borrower’s bankruptcy filing. Subsequent amendments benefitting lenders, however, removed the second option. Further, the “undue hardship” standard historically set an unnecessarily high bar that essentially required borrowers to demonstrate a certainty of hopelessness to obtain relief. The federal government’s aggressive challenges in bankruptcy court against students who pursued undue hardship claims only exacerbated the issue. The lack of clarity resulted in a situation where 99.9% of borrowers who filed bankruptcy from 2011 to 2019 did not have their student loans discharged and remained burdened by student loans even after exiting the bankruptcy process.
    In November 2022, after we advocated for a more simplified and transparent process, DOJ and ED published new guidance to make it easier for borrowers to discharge student loans through bankruptcy. The guidance outlined a more transparent, fair, and accessible process designed to empower borrowers burdened with crippling student loan debt who previously had no clear pathway for relief.
    Previously unpublished data obtained by our offices show the impressive growth of the program thus far. For example, while only roughly 200 borrowers attempted to discharge student debt in each of Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 and 2022, that number rose to 648 in FY 2023. In less than eight months in FY 2024, nearly 900 borrowers sought to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy, adding up to 1,520 borrowers since the guidance was implemented.
    Equally important, both unpublished and publicly available data show that the overwhelming majority of those who sought discharge using the new guidance were provided debt relief through full or partial discharge. The Biden Administration recommended approximately seven in 10 borrowers who filed using the updated guidance for full student loan debt discharge. The Administration recommended another 15% of borrowers receive partial debt discharge, meaning 85% of borrowers using the new guidance received recommendations for either full or partial debt discharge. Critically, courts accepted those recommendations in 98% of cases, meaning borrowers received real relief at the end of this process.
    ED and DOJ deserve praise for the complete turnaround of student loan bankruptcy outcomes and you should continue to build on the successes of the streamlined guidance so that more borrowers with crushing student loan debt can find relief. We encourage your agencies to continue to expand awareness of the guidance so that the 43 million borrowers in the United States, who carry a total of $1.6 trillion dollars in student loan debt, may be able to access relief if they need to file for bankruptcy. The high rates of total or partial discharge for those who have applied through the new guidance suggest that many other borrowers would also qualify if they have applied. For years, borrowers came to correctly believe that there was essentially no way out of the crushing weight of student loans, even through bankruptcy. ED and DOJ have changed this narrative and you should continue to educate potentially qualifying borrowers, their attorneys, and other individuals and organizations who work to help borrowers. 
    We thank you for your agencies’ ongoing commitment to helping borrowers struggling with student debt and urge continued outreach to expand awareness of the streamlined process for qualified borrowers. Further, for Congress and the public to better assess your agencies’ plans to increase borrowers’ access to relief through bankruptcy, please provide responses to the following questions by November 12, 2024:
    What types of education and outreach have your agencies already used to reach borrowers regarding the new guidance?
    What are your agencies’ plans for continued and improved education and outreach about the streamlined process to borrowers who may benefit from it? 
    What specific goals do your agencies have for measuring the success of increased education and outreach to borrowers who may benefit from the streamlined process? How will these goals change over time if at all? 
    Do your agencies have systems in place so that borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy can track their filing? If a system does not yet exist, what resources do your agencies need to create one? 
    How much time elapses, on average, between a borrower’s bankruptcy filing and a discharge determination entered by a court under the new process? Please provide a timeline of the different phases of the process (e.g., filing of an adversary proceeding, review by the assigned DOJ attorney, review by ED, recommendation filed by DOJ and ED) and how long each phase typically takes.
    Do your agencies track or record the reasons for denial of discharge based on the factors considered under the guidance? If so, please describe the 3-5 most common reasons you have identified.
    Do your agencies track or record student loan discharge outcomes by region? If so, please describe any regional trends you have observed.
    How can Congress support your agencies as you increase your education and outreach efforts to borrowers?

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Virginia Company and Two Senior Executives Charged with Illegally Exporting Millions of Dollars of U.S. Technology to Russia

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.

    “As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.”

    “This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.”

    “We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.”

    “Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.”

    According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), allegedly a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.

    As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly, Virginia. The defendants then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.

    As part of the conspiracy, the defendants engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine.

    In the Finland scheme, the defendants exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.

    In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled dual-use items.

    If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The BIS and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.

    The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Justice and Commerce Departments designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Protecting children, families and vulnerable from tobacco harms

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Professor Sir Chris Whitty writes for The Times on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

    Written on:
    5 November 2024

    No smoker wants to harm other people, but with second-hand smoke they unintentionally do. Despite efforts by the tobacco industry to undermine the evidence on this, it is overwhelming. The risk of getting or accelerating diseases such as cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are significantly increased by second-hand (passive) smoke, including in non-smokers who now make up over 88% of the UK adult population.

    Some people are especially vulnerable to tobacco chemicals: children, pregnant women, people with common pre-existing but usually invisible health conditions like asthma, diabetes or coronary heart disease. There are now more people with serious medical conditions that can be made worse by second-hand smoke than there are smokers and they do not choose to be exposed to risk from smoke in a public place.

    By addicting people at a young age, tobacco companies ensure that millions of people who smoke will suffer substantial health harms throughout their life. These range from stillbirth through to significantly higher rates of dementia, including stroke, heart attacks lung disease and many cancers. Smokers are more likely to need NHS services, be admitted to hospital, drop out of work and need social care years before they otherwise would.

    Most smokers wish they had never started, want to quit and should be supported to do so but are find they are trapped, their choice taken away by the addiction deliberately induced in them by the industry at an early age. To prevent this the last government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smokefree generation in current children, with wide cross-party and public support, and the Bill being introduced builds on that.

    Many non-smokers are harmed simply by being near smoking. The health harms are lower than for an active smoker but still substantial. Recognising that, the UK stopped smoking in indoor public spaces 17 years ago. This led to rapid improvements in health including around 1200 fewer heart attack admissions and many fewer asthma admissions in children in the first year alone.

    There is no safe level of smoking, but in bringing forward new legislation ministers have considered outdoor public places children, families and medically vulnerable people are most exposed to the risk of second-hand smoke.

    Three things particularly predict harm: the concentration of smoke; the amount of time being exposed; the vulnerability of the individuals. Although outdoor spaces generally have lower concentrations of the toxic chemicals from tobacco than indoors studies show they can still be significant near or downwind of smoking or in areas like a walled or covered outdoor space. If you can smell smoke, you are inhaling it in appreciable amounts.

    Smoke near schools and playgrounds exposes children. Hospitals grounds have very high numbers of medically vulnerable people. This Bill will help protect them from the effects of second-hand smoke. 

    The Bill will also address the tricks used to make vapes attractive to children. The message on vapes is clear; if you smoke swap to vapes; if you don’t smoke don’t vape; it is utterly unacceptable to market vapes to children. Because smoking is so dangerous, smokers moving to vapes is safer, but best of all is not to smoke or vape.

    Anywhere someone can smoke, they should therefore be able to vape as a quit aid but the long-term effects of vaping, including passive vaping, are unknown. If passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the advertising and sponsorship of vapes and also allow the government, after consultation, to protect children from marketing techniques vaping companies use to addict them including through bright colours, flavours and cartoons. The government has already moved to ban disposable vapes used by many children. 

    The tobacco industry drives health inequality, harms the economy through ill health including during the working age and causes a burden on the NHS – far outweighing the tax receipts. Ensuring a smokefree generation, protecting families and vulnerable people from involuntary second-hand smoke and preventing some of the tricks used to market cigarettes and vapes to children will have substantial long-term benefits to the health of the public.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB, Partners Mark Start of Construction of Tina River Hydropower Project in Solomon Islands

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS (5 November 2024) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today joined project partners in Solomon Islands for a ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the Tina River main dam structure.

    Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele led the commissioning ceremony. He was joined by ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez, World Bank Country Director for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands Stephen Ndegwa, Australia’s High Commissioner to Solomon Islands Rod Hilton, other senior government officials, and representatives from Korea Water Resources Corporation, Hyundai Engineering Corporation Limited, and Tina Hydropower Limited.

    “This transformational project will support the development of renewable energy to supply electricity to the capital, Honiara,” said Ms. Gutierrez. “This project is a testament to the power of partnerships that has prioritized climate change action, sustainability, and community development.”

    The 15-megawatt hydropower plant will be developed on the Tina River, just outside Honiara, which will reduce the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.

    Tina Hydropower Limited, a special project company, consisting of Korea Water Resources Corporation and Hyundai Engineering Corporation Limited, implements the project through a build-operate-own-transfer scheme.

    ADB supports the project with a $18 million loan from its concessional ordinary capital resources and a $12 million grant from the Asian Development Fund, which provides grants to ADB’s poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.

    Other project partners include the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, Australian government, Export–Import Bank of Korea, and the Green Climate Fund. 

    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 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Strengthening Local Government Engagement in the Greater Mekong Subregion: A Strategic Approach

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The report explains how the GMS Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030, endorsed by the GMS leaders, builds upon the program’s focus on connectivity and project-led development. It details how to utilize the existing GMS Economic Corridors Forum and the Governors’ Forum effectively to boost local government engagement. It recommends piloting smaller sub-corridor forums, better engaging cities, and boosting local government capacity to better tackle regional development challenges.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The Nexus of Peer-to-Peer Lending and Monetary Policy Transmission: Evidence from the People’s Republic of China

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Using state-dependent local projection methods, the results of the paper indicate a weaker transmission during boom phases. Stricter regulation on P2P lending since 2017 in the PRC and the substantial scaling back of P2P lending could positively impact the monetary management of the economy.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Joint Statement from CISA and EAC in Support of State and Local Election Officials

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) issued the following statement today.

    “Tens of millions of Americans will cast their ballot tomorrow as we elect the next President and Vice President of the United States, as well as decide numerous congressional, state, and local races.  None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of state and local election officials in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories.  They have been working for years to get ready for tomorrow, and they will continue working long after the polls close in the evening.  They are the heroes of our democracy, and CISA and the EAC are proud to support them.

    “We appreciate the partnership of the National Association of Secretaries of State and National Association of State Election Directors.  These organizations represent election officials serving every American.  We echo the sentiment in the statement they issued today.”

    The full statement issued by NASS and NASED is as follows:

    “We are proud to represent state and territorial election officials in all 50 states, the District of Co­lumbia, and the five U.S. territories. Election officials make it possible for Americans to safely and securely participate in tomorrow’s general election. Planning for tomorrow’s election began four years ago, and the election community is prepared. Our members, along with their colleagues at the local level, have devoted extensive time, energy and resources to safeguard America’s elec­tions.

    “As with any Election Day, it is important to note operational issues may arise: for example, voting locations could open late, there could be lines during busy periods, or an area could lose power. These are inevitable challenges that will arise on Election Day, but election officials have contin­gency plans for these and other scenarios. Americans can have confidence the election is secure, and the results will be counted accurately.

    “Remember election night results are always unofficial. While the focus on election night is on who won and who lost, those races are called by the media, not election officials. In the days and weeks to come, election officials will count every eligible ballot, including ballots cast in-person on or before Election Day, mail ballots, provisional ballots, and ballots cast by military and overseas voters. Accurately counting millions of ballots takes time and it is important to be patient. Some races will be close and may require a recount or a recanvass. Many election officials will also con­duct audits to verify the accuracy of the results. We implore all Americans to understand these pro­cesses are normal and done in accordance with state and territorial law.

    “There are thousands of state and local races on the ballot across the country, in addition to the presidential race. We encourage eligible voters who have not already cast their ballots to do so tomorrow.”

    ###

    About CISA 

    As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

    Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Quincy Jones mastered the art of arrangement, transforming simple tunes into epic soundscapes

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jose Valentino Ruiz, Associate Professsor of Music Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Florida

    Quincy Jones left his indelible touch on some of the 20th century’s most iconic albums. Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Netflix

    On the sleeve notes of some of the most memorable and best-selling albums of all time, you’ll find the words “Produced and arranged by Quincy Jones.”

    It was a hallmark of quality.

    Jones, who died on Nov. 3, 2024, at the age of 91, transformed our understanding of musical arrangement. His work spanned decades and genres, from jazz and pop to hip-hop and film scoring. He worked with pop icons like Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, and also collaborated with lesser-known artists such as Lesley Gore and Tevin Campbell.

    Each of his projects, collaborations and forays into new genres redefined what it meant to arrange music.

    As a music business and entrepreneurship professor, I’ve studied and taught Jones’ techniques, which I hope can inspire the next generation of musicians.

    A master musical architect

    Musical arrangement might seem like an abstract concept.

    Simply put, it’s the art of deciding how a song unfolds. While a composer writes the melody and harmony, an arranger shapes the experience, choosing which instruments play when, how textures build and where dynamics shift.

    Arrangement transforms a song from notes on paper into a fully realized piece of art that resonates with listeners. In essence, an arranger acts as a musical architect, designing the structure of a song to tell a compelling story.

    Jones brought a visionary approach to arranging. He wasn’t merely filling in the gaps around a melody with a drum beat here and a horn section there; he was crafting a musical narrative that gave each instrument a purpose, guiding listeners through an emotional journey.

    From his early work in the 1950s and 1960s with jazz greats like Count Basie and R&B star Ray Charles, to his blockbuster productions with Michael Jackson, Jones saw arrangement as a tool to guide listeners from one musical moment to the next.

    Elevating voices

    His work on “Sinatra at the Sands” is but one example.

    Jones created lush, energetic big-band arrangements that perfectly complemented Sinatra’s smooth, warm voice. The choice of brass swells and the dynamic shifts amplified Sinatra’s charisma, turning the album into a lively, almost-cinematic experience. Unlike many arrangements, which often stay in the background, Jones’ took center stage, blending harmoniously with Sinatra’s vocals while adding depth and excitement to the entire performance.

    In Ray Charles’ “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” Jones used orchestral swells and background vocals to bring out the soul in Charles’ voice, creating a richly emotional experience for listeners. By intelligently pairing Charles’ gospel-tinged vocals with a polished, orchestral arrangement, Jones captured the tension between sorrow and resilience – a demonstration of his ability to communicate complex emotions through arrangement.

    Ray Charles, left, shares a laugh with Quincy Jones in 2004.
    George Pimentel/WireImage for NARAS via Getty Images

    Turning songs into stories

    Jones’ skill at using arrangement as a storytelling device was exemplified by his collaboration with Jackson.

    Albums like “Thriller” and “Off the Wall” showcased Jones’ knack for inventively layering sounds. On “Thriller,” Jones combined electronic and acoustic elements to create a multidimensional soundscape that set a new standard for production.

    His ability to incorporate textures, background vocals and unique instrument choices – such as horror actor Vincent Price’s iconic narration on the song “Thriller” – transformed pop music, setting the stage for future producers to experiment with storytelling in their own arrangements.

    In Jackson’s “Bad,” Jones pushed the boundaries of genre by blending funk rhythms with pop structures, giving Jackson’s music a timeless appeal.

    The title track’s arrangement has layers of rhythm and harmony that build a feeling of tension and power, enhancing Jackson’s message of confidence and defiance. Each instrument and background vocal in “Bad” serves a purpose, creating a sound that is bold, exciting and engaging.

    Lessons for educators

    For educators teaching music production and commercial music, Jones’ approach provides a gold mine of practical lessons.

    First, his commitment to genre fusion teaches students the importance of versatility. Jones’ career demonstrates that blending jazz, pop, funk and even classical elements can create something innovative and accessible. Students can learn to break free from the constraints of single-genre production, seeing instead how various musical styles can work together to create fresh, engaging sounds.

    Quincy Jones, pictured here with Michael Jackson, won 28 Grammys during his career.
    Chris Walter/WireImage via Getty Images

    Second, Jones’ emphasis on storytelling through arrangement offers students a framework for making music that resonates.

    In my classes, I encourage students to ask themselves: How does each musical element support the emotional arc of the song? By studying Jones’ arrangements, students learn to think of themselves as storytellers, not just sound engineers. They can begin to see arrangement as an art form in itself – one that has the power to captivate audiences by drawing them into a musical journey.

    Finally, Jones’ work shows the power of collaboration. His willingness to work across genres and with a variety of artists – each bringing unique perspectives – demonstrates the value of open-mindedness and adaptability.

    His life’s work serves as a reminder that music is more than just sound; it’s an experience shaped by careful, intentional decisions, with every sound and silence in a piece of music serving a purpose.

    Jose Valentino Ruiz is the CEO of JV Music Enterprises.

    – ref. Quincy Jones mastered the art of arrangement, transforming simple tunes into epic soundscapes – https://theconversation.com/quincy-jones-mastered-the-art-of-arrangement-transforming-simple-tunes-into-epic-soundscapes-242877

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government science cuts take New Zealand even further backward

    Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

    NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is deeply concerned about the future of investment in science, following the latest announcement of another 60 jobs cuts at Environmental Science and Research (ESR). The Government has now axed more than 500 jobs in the public science sector.

    “The Government doesn’t seem to believe in the value of science and isn’t interested in making the investment required. Instead, it is taking us backwards and slashing funding in favour of tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies,” said Wagstaff.
     
    “We should be increasing investment in science and properly funding Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and universities. New Zealand is only spending about half the OECD average on science and research and development (R&D) already.
     
    “It’s well known that countries that invest a higher proportion of GDP directly in R&D (both private and public) see greater returns economically, socially and environmentally.
     
    “The decision to make these cuts has been made even though the report of the Science System Advisory Group report is due out shortly, which demonstrates the lack of commitment there is to listen to the evidence on the importance of science investment.
     
    ‘The Government talks about the need to tackle our poor productivity performance, and the need for a longer-term plan to arrest our decline, but their actions continue to take us in the opposite direction.
     
    “It’s time we had a serious conversation about science, and we urgently need a government that is prepared to have that conversation and not just bury it’s head in the sand,” said Wagstaff.
     
    Note:
    The CTU and several affiliated unions are member organisations of the Save Science Coalition. The Save Science Coalition released a report in July this year about the cuts to science funding and staffing so far, which can be found here. The group is now working on an update to this report, to account for the ongoing cuts we are seeing at GNS, ESR and elsewhere. The report will contain more detailed numbers and information and is expected to be released before the end of the year.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Questor Announces Departure of Vice President of Operations and Engineering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questor Technology Inc. (“Questor”, the “Company”), (TSX Venture Exchange: QST) would like to announce Mr. Quentin Kyliuk is no longer with Questor Technology Inc., effective October 28, 2024.

    On behalf of the employees and Board of Directors, the Company thanks Quentin for his contribution to Questor and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.

    ABOUT QUESTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.

    Questor Technology Inc., incorporated in Canada under the Business Companies Act (Alberta) is an environmental emissions reduction technology company founded in 1994, with global operations. The Company is focused on clean air technologies that safely and cost effectively improve air quality, support energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions. The Company designs, manufactures and services high efficiency clean combustion systems that destroy harmful pollutants, including Methane, Hydrogen Sulfide gas, Volatile Organic Hydrocarbons, Hazardous Air Pollutants and BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene) gases within waste gas streams at 99.99 percent efficiency per its ISO 14034 Certification. This enables its clients to meet emission regulations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address community concerns and improve safety at industrial sites.

    The Company also has proprietary heat to power generation technology and is currently targeting new markets including landfill biogas, syngas, waste engine exhaust, geothermal and solar, cement plant waste heat in addition to a wide variety of oil and gas projects. The combination of Questor’s clean combustion and power generation technologies can help clients achieve net zero emission targets for minimal cost. The Company is also doing research and development on data solutions to deliver an integrated system that amalgamates all of the emission detection data available to demonstrate a clear picture of the site’s emission profile.

    The Company’s common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “QST”. The address of the Company’s corporate and registered office is 2240, 140 – 4 Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 3N3.

    QUESTOR TRADES ON THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE UNDER THE SYMBOL ‘QST’

    Investor Relations Contact

    Aly Sumar – Chief Financial Officer

    investor@questortech.com

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    This document is not intended for dissemination or distribution in the United States.

    The MIL Network –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Visits Schwan’s Salina Pizza Production Plant

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Salina, KS – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. visited Schwan’s pizza plant in Salina, KS this week. 
    Schwan’s is a national food production company with plants across the country. Senator Marshall toured Schwan’s Salina production facility, where he saw the almost completed cold-storage expansion and watched their pepperoni pizzas be made. Schwan’s is now the largest pizza manufacturer in the United States, producing over 100 million pizzas per year. The new cold storage facility at the Salina plant will make this location a hub for distribution across the country. 
    “Schwan’s is known for its high-demand, top-quality food products,” said Senator Marshall. “I am grateful for the jobs they have brought to western Kansas, and look forward to their continued success.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I can make a band play like a singer sings’: Quincy Jones shaped our listening for seven decades

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leigh Carriage, Senior Lecturer in Music, Southern Cross University

    The legendary composer, musical arranger and producer Quincy Jones has died at 91.

    Over his long career, Jones arranged and produced for a broad range of genres. His work blended the traditions of jazz, popular, world music and Western classical music.

    This was perhaps most present in his 1989 album Back on the Block. It features jazz improvisation, Zulu language, gospel and rapping. The album won seven Grammy Awards, including album of the year.

    But even more than his own albums, Jones will be familiar to listeners across decades of popular music, for his work as a producer and arranger with legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.

    Finding his feet in jazz

    Jones was born in Chicago in 1933, right in the middle of the depression. Around 11 years old, Jones found music.

    In high school, Jones sang in a capella groups and played in school bands on the trumpet.

    By 13, he was beginning to demonstrate a strong musical ability and musicianship skills, writing arrangements for his bands.

    When Jones was a teenager, his family moved from Chicago to Seattle. In these early years, Jones had two pivotal mentors. One was the jazz trumpeter Clark Terry; the other was his contemporary and friend Ray Charles.

    By the late 1940s, Jones was working as a trumpeter and as composer and arranger for bandleaders such as Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton.

    A jazz big band bandleader in the 1950s, Jones quickly became a sought-after arranger.

    Over his career, he worked on numerous jazz recordings with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan (including a great swingin’ arrangement of the song
    Witchcraft), Frank Sinatra (with popular favourites Fly Me To The Moon and Mack the Knife) and the Dinah Washington recording They Didn’t Believe Me with the Quincy Jones Orchestra.

    The move into pop

    By the 1960s Jones began transitioning into popular music.

    In 1961 Jones became the first African American in the position of vice president at a major label, Mercury Records. In 1963 Jones selected and produced Lesley Gore’s hit song It’s My Party from more than 200 demos.

    Elements of the previous decades expertise in jazz arranging are apparent with touches of brass and reharmonising (or modifying the harmonic structure – the chords) of a song. Jones’ production approach here was to double-track the melody (duplicating, and placing the second track with a slight delay), enhancing the richness of Gore’s voice.

    In 1968, Jones received his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for the soundtrack to In Cold Blood. The following year his composing and arranging versatility was demonstrated when he wrote the music for The Italian Job.

    In 1979 Jones began working with Michael Jackson on the album Off The Wall.

    By the 1980s, Jones was receiving high acclaim and success immersed in many diverse projects including Jackson’s Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987), in which Jones masterfully fuses pop with rhythm and blues, rock and funk.

    His innovation in producing was in his broad understanding of multiple genres of music, adoption of technology and his constant musical invention.

    ‘A great gift’

    In 1985 Jones and Michael Omartian were asked to produce the song We Are The World, written by Lionel Richie and Jackson. It was released to worldwide acclaim.

    Jones conducted the recording and left a sign on the studio door: “Check your egos at the door”.

    Also in 1985, Jones wrote the original score and produced the music for Steven Spielberg’s The Colour Purple, including the song Miss Celie’s Blues, written collaboratively with Jones, Rod Temperton and Richie. The score and Miss Celie’s Blues each received another Oscar nomination for Jones.

    Jones was requested on many large projects as a conductor. A great example is Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration (1992) conducted by Jones. This album featured some of the music industry’s best arrangers Mervyn Warren and Shelton Kilby as well as a stellar list of vocalists such as Gladys Knight, Take 6, Sounds of Blackness, Pattie Austin, Johnny Mathis, Chaka Khan and Al Jarreau.

    In an interview with culture journalist David Marchese in 2018, Jones was asked what he was proudest of in his musical career. He told Marchese:

    That anything I can feel, I can notate musically. Not many people can do that. I can make a band play like a singer sings. That’s what arranging is, and it’s a great gift.

    Beyond his own work as an artist, Jones undertook humanitarian work, mentored new generations of musicians, and was often a commentator on jazz history or the significance of African Americans in the entertainment and recording industry.

    Jones’ artistic innovation and highly effective collaborations, spanning a 70-year career, has made an indelible contribution to music and culture globally.

    Leigh Carriage 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. ‘I can make a band play like a singer sings’: Quincy Jones shaped our listening for seven decades – https://theconversation.com/i-can-make-a-band-play-like-a-singer-sings-quincy-jones-shaped-our-listening-for-seven-decades-242813

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: What Kamala Harris’ Converse All-Stars tell us about how shoes shape our identity

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University

    Like most public figures, Kamala Harris adapts her footwear to different occasions. While her wardrobe includes traditional choices such as formal black heels, it was her appearance in Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars on the February 2021 cover of Vogue that drew particular notice.

    As Democratic nominee for president, these sneakers once again became a focal point of her campaign.

    Through her choice of sneakers, Harris signals a new era in female political leadership – and demonstrates how footwear choices can shape a leader’s identity and ability to connect with voters.

    Embracing all-American values

    We may know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but all politicians – especially women – know that we inevitably do. The appearance of others is how we categorise people to make sense of the world and our place in it.

    Clothing is a key medium through which we identify ourselves and others. Shoes are particularly layered with meaning: when we observe someone’s footwear we are using them to know whether or not we identify with that person.

    This is something that politicians and their teams know and manipulate to win votes.

    One famous scene that illustrates this beautifully is Brooklyn Democratic congressman David Norris’s concession speech in the movie The Adjustment Bureau (2011).

    Played by Matt Damon, the character reveals the significant work that goes into curating the perfect outfit:

    Shiny shoes, we associate with high-priced lawyers and bankers. If you want to get a working man’s vote, you need to scuff up your shoes a little bit, but you can’t scuff them up so much that you alienate the lawyers and the bankers […] So what is the proper scuffing amount? Do you know, we actually paid a consultant $7,300 to tell us that THIS is the perfect amount of scuffing?

    While Harris’ Chuck Taylors generally look pristine, she is transparent about her awareness of the style’s significance to potential voters, explaining in a 2020 interview:

    Whatever your background or whatever language your grandmother spoke, we all at some point or another had our Chucks, right?

    An all-American shoe worn by people of all ages, races, genders and sexualities, the relatively inexpensive and utilitarian Converse All-Star is a social leveller – a smart choice for a politician wishing to identify with a broad electorate.

    As others have identified, Harris’ choice of sneakers signals her American values and no-nonsense attitude.

    In these shoes, she’s ready for anything.

    Shoes change us

    Interviewed in 2018, Harris’ relationship with the sneakers goes back several years and certainly appears authentic.

    Whether the initial choice to wear them was hers – or, like Norris, that of a team of consultants – is now irrelevant. Through the process of wear, shoes change us.

    Not only do they affect how we move through the world physically, but they also shape how we relate to others socially.

    Anyone who has selected a particular pair of shoes for an interview or special occasion will be familiar with their transformative effect, one that helps you to feel the part.

    Identity can be understood as something that is performed. When a performance is received as convincing, we become the part we are playing and the identity is incorporated into our sense of self.

    Harris’ shoes are relatable. In them, she is perceived as – and may therefore feel – approachable and down-to-earth.

    On the campaign trail, the social interactions they afford increase her ability to relate to and connect with other people. Through this process, her performance and her identity become one.

    One might say she has become her shoes; in doing so, she has come to embody the all-American values they represent. And at only 5 feet 4 ¼ inches, the choice not to compensate for her height with heels exudes a self-assurance more women are discovering.

    This woman knows who she is and is reassuringly at ease with herself.

    Finding authenticity

    Aside from ongoing speculation about Trump’s height and whether he wears elevating insoles, his choice of footwear has attracted comparatively less attention, as is often the case for male politicians.

    According to Footwear News, he rarely diverts from black leather dress shoes, signifying his corporate associations. This didn’t stop Trump launching a line of gold sneakers, named “Never Surrender High-Tops” and priced at US$399 in February. A new design, with the words “Fight, fight, fight”, was released after the July assassination attempt.

    This represents quite a different use of shoes to connect with voters.

    In an era when authenticity in politics is increasingly valued, Harris’ footwear choice represents more than a campaign strategy. It reflects changing expectations around power and leadership.

    Her Converse sneakers challenge the notion that women must literally elevate themselves to command authority.

    Instead, they suggest a new kind of political performance where power comes not from height or traditional status symbols, but from the ability to connect genuinely with voters.

    Alexandra Sherlock 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. What Kamala Harris’ Converse All-Stars tell us about how shoes shape our identity – https://theconversation.com/what-kamala-harris-converse-all-stars-tell-us-about-how-shoes-shape-our-identity-242777

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Avoid ‘All Out War’ in Lebanon, Stop ‘Tit-for-Tat Violence’ Engulfing Middle East, Secretary-General Tells Security Council

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, in New York today:

    The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno.  Exactly one week ago, I briefed the Security Council about the alarming situation in Lebanon.  Since then, things have gone from bad to much, much worse.

    As I told the Council last week, the Blue Line has seen tensions for years.  But since October, exchanges of fire have expanded in scope, depth and intensity.

    I stated that the almost daily exchanges of fire by Hizbullah and other non-State armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces are in repeated violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

    I emphasized that the daily use of weapons by non-State armed groups is in violation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

    And I stressed that Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and the Lebanese State must have full control of weapons throughout Lebanon.

    In the few short days since then, we have seen a dramatic escalation — so dramatic that I wonder what remains of the framework this Council established with resolution 1701 (2006).

    Israeli forces have conducted relentless air strikes across Lebanon — including Beirut.

    The United States and France — with the support of several other countries — have proposed a temporary ceasefire, allowing for the restart of negotiations.

    Israel refused that proposal and stepped up its strikes, including bombing the Hizbullah headquarters where its leader was killed.

    Hizbullah has continued rocket and missile attacks on Israel.

    And yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces conducted what it stated were “limited incursions” into southern Lebanon.

    UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] peacekeepers remain in position, and the UN flag continues to fly despite Israel’s request to relocate [it].

    I reiterate our deep appreciation to the military and civilian members of our UN peacekeeping force — UNIFIL — and to troop-contributing countries.  The safety and security of all UN personnel must be ensured.

    Civilians are paying a terrible price — which I utterly condemn.  Since last October, more than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon — including over 100 children and 194 women.

    Over 346,000 people are confirmed to have been displaced from their homes.   Government estimates put this number as high as 1 million.  Another 128,000 people — both Syrian and Lebanese — have crossed into Syria.

    The UN has mobilized all its capacities to provide urgent humanitarian aid in Lebanon and I ask the international community to fully fund our appeal.

    Since 8 October 2023, Hizbullah attacks on Israel have killed 49 people — with over 60,000 people displaced from their homes.

    It is absolutely essential to avoid an all out war in Lebanon which would have profound and devastating consequences.

    Yesterday, Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles towards Israel.  It stated it was in response to the killings of Hassan Nasrallah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp commander, Abbas Nilforoushan, last week — as well as that of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July.

    Millions of people across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory were forced to seek shelter.  One person was killed from the Iranian strikes — a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.

    As I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April – and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed — I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.

    These attacks paradoxically do nothing to support the cause of the Palestinian people or reduce their suffering.

    Almost one year has passed since the atrocious 7 October 2023 acts of terror by Hamas and the taking of hostages.

    Since last October, Israel has conducted in Gaza the most deadly and destructive military campaign in my years as Secretary-General. The suffering endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza is beyond imagination.

    At the same time, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate with Israeli military operations, construction of settlements, evictions, land-grabs and intensification of settler attacks — progressively undermining any possibility of a two-State solution.

    And simultaneously, armed Palestinian groups have also used violence.  Hamas has continued to launch rockets, and just yesterday seven Israelis were killed in a terror attack in Jaffa.

    The events of the past week, the past month and indeed nearly the past year make it clear:

    It is high time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, the effective delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and irreversible progress to a two-State solution.

    It is high time for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, real action towards full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006), paving the way for diplomatic efforts for sustainable peace.

    It is high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff.

    Each escalation has served as a pretext for the next.  We must never lose sight of the tremendous toll that this growing conflict is taking on civilians.

    We cannot look away from systematic violations of international humanitarian law.  This deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop.  Time is running out.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4352-4354: Halloween Fright Night on Mars

    Source: NASA

    3 min read

    Earth planning date: Friday, Nov. 1, 2024

    Yesterday evening (Thursday) was Halloween for many of us here on Earth. My neighborhood in eastern Canada was full of small (and not so small!) children, running around in the dark collecting sweets and candy but also getting scared by the ghostly decorations hung at each house. Little did we suspect that our poor rover on Mars was also getting spooked. Curiosity completed about a meter (about 3 feet) of the planned drive before becoming unsettled … scared, if you will! … when its left front wheel got hung up on a rock and stopped moving.

    Luckily, we understood this kind of frightened behavior and were able to resume planning today as per usual. That meter was enough to give us a whole new set of targets to choose from. As APXS Strategic Planner this week, I had chosen darker-looking targets in the workspace — “Ladder Lake” and “Reds Meadow” (shown in the accompanying MAHLI image) — earlier in the week. I was happy that bumping backwards by a meter allowed us to reach some of the more typical pale colored bedrock at “Eureka Valley” and a second APXS analysis on “Black Bear Lake,” which is a mixture of both pale bedrock and some darker layers. MAHLI added in a bonus set of images on “Stag Dome,” focusing on small, rougher patches on the pale bedrock.

    ChemCam is taking advantage of the short bump, too, adding a passive observation on the brushed Reds Meadow target, analyzed by APXS and MAHLI in Monday’s plan. A ChemCam LIBS target “Hoist Ridge” focuses on a small vertical face of dark material. Two long distance images planned for ChemCam’s Remote Micro Imager (RMI) look at the distribution of rocks along the Gediz Vallis ridge in the distance.

    Mastcam is taking several mosaics this weekend (must have gotten extra energy from the Halloween sugar!). Close to the rover, Mastcam will acquire single-frame images of the targets Hoist Ridge and Eureka Valley, and a small mosaic of some surficial troughs just a little further away. Moving further afield, a small 3×1 mosaic (three images in one row) will image the same area as the ChemCam RMI of the Gediz Vallis ridge, and a larger 9×2 mosaic will focus on the faraway yardang unit, where we hopefully will be in a few years.

    Then for the really big images: Mastcam will image the whole landscape in a special 360-degree view, so big it needs to be broken into two parts. The first will have 43×4 frames, the second 34×5 frames. These mosaics are huge, so we save them for when we are at a really good vantage point to allow us to capture as much detail as possible for science and engineering planning.

    As ever, we continue our environmental monitoring of conditions, with Mastcam and Navcam movies and images looking at dust in the atmosphere above and around us in Gale crater, and watching out for dust devils.

    Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodia, China eye stronger digital economy cooperation

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

    PHNOM PENH, Nov. 4 — The 2024 China-Cambodia Digital Economy Cooperation Forum was convened here in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Monday, exploring ways to boost stronger digital economy cooperation between the two countries.

    In an opening speech, Cambodian Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth said the forum was vital to further promoting cooperation between Cambodia and China, especially in the fields of technology, innovation, and digital economy.

    “For Cambodia, the development of the digital economy is considered an important driver in the process of economic development,” he told the forum with approximately 250 participants.

    Pornmoniroth, who is also a Cambodian deputy prime minister, said the development of digital technology is one of the top priorities in the Cambodian government’s Pentagonal Strategy Phase 1 and that digital technology will help Cambodia achieve its vision of becoming a high-income country by 2050.

    “In recent years, digital technology has been rapidly developed, becoming a new stand for supporting and ensuring economic resilience,” he said.

    “The digital technology has spurred new innovations that contribute to value added creation, productivity increase, and work efficiency, as well as become a catalyst for global trade and economic connectivity,” he added.

    Pornmoniroth said Cambodia and China have been working closely to promote digital economy and that the Southeast Asian country has collaborated with Alibaba to boost e-commerce and with UnionPay International and Ant International’s Alipay+ to bolster cross-border QR code payments.

    At the event, the Digital Economy Professional Association of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia was launched.

    Pornmoniroth hopes that the association will play a leading role in promoting digital innovations, producing digital talents, and enhancing the use of digital technology.

    Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin praised Cambodia for its rapid development of digital economy, and was amazed by the significant rise of mobile payments with smartphones.

    He was pleased to see that China-Cambodia digital economy cooperation has progressed well, saying that China will continue to help Cambodia achieve the goal of 100 percent high-speed Internet coverage in urban areas and 70 percent coverage in rural areas by 2025.

    “Chinese companies in Cambodia have fully utilized their own technological advantages to promote emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and mobile payments in Cambodia, helping the kingdom improve its digital level and promote digital transformation,” he said.

    Lin Shiqiang, president of the China Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, said China Unicom, Huawei and other companies have played a crucial role in constructing Cambodia-China submarine cable, providing strong support for the deep integration and connectivity of the digital economy of the two countries.

    Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said China has been a great supporter of digitalization of Cambodia, gradually transforming Cambodia’s present system into digitalization.

    “China has a policy. They are sharing their wealth and their technology with countries and with their friends like Cambodia,” he told Xinhua.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China holds wide appeal for investors

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

    Motivated by China’s complete removal of market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector, executives from multinational corporations attending the seventh China International Import Expo said they will deploy more resources in the country, with a particular focus on high-end manufacturing.

    This year’s CIIE, scheduled in Shanghai from Tuesday to Nov 10, will debut more than 400 new products, technologies and services across advanced sectors, including high-end equipment, advanced materials and marine engineering products, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

    The latest edition of China’s national negative list for foreign investment, which took effect on Friday, has removed the last two manufacturing-related restrictions, further opening the sector to global investors, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

    Attracted by China’s innovation capability, business model transformation and bilateral and multilateral free trade deals, many global manufacturers are increasingly inclined to invest in new innovation centers, expand production capacities and advance digital transformation initiatives within the country, said Sun Xiao, secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce.

    For China, the manufacturing industry is the earliest sector to open up to foreign investors, and it is also the most competitive, with a high level of integration with the global industrial division of labor, said Sun.

    Schneider Electric, a French industrial and technology group and a seven-time participant at the CIIE, will present at this year’s event new concepts, products, services and applications that combine digital, automation and electrification technologies, underscoring its commitment to China through its “China Hub” strategy.

    Yin Zheng, executive vice-president of Schneider Electric’s China and East Asia operations, said that China has become Schneider Electric’s second-largest market in the world and one of its four global research and development bases.

    “Through the CIIE, a world-class communication platform, we aim to continuously deepen ecosystem cooperation and work with more Chinese industrial partners to jointly build new quality productive forces,” he added.

    Arthur Xu, president for China at Danfoss Group, a Danish engineering company, said that Danfoss will bring its products and solutions in the data center, water and wastewater treatment, marine, food and beverage, and heat recovery fields, among others, to the CIIE this year. These proven solutions will offer unique value for China’s green transition, he said.

    In addition to plans to begin construction in April in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, on its new manufacturing facility, which will be one of the biggest production sites in Danfoss’ history, the company also announced in September that it has completed construction of a work campus in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

    The new campus is dedicated to the innovation and production of specialized transistor modules as well as electric and hybrid power train systems.

    With the structure of foreign investment continuing to be optimized, China saw the high-tech manufacturing sector use 77.12 billion yuan ($10.87 billion) in foreign direct investment in the first three quarters of 2024, accounting for 12 percent of the national total, according to the Ministry of Commerce. That is an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the same period last year.

    Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, said that China’s well-developed industrial system, commitment to continued openness, and efforts to scale up high-tech manufacturing remain key drivers for foreign manufacturers’ investment in the country.

    Nipsea Group, a Singapore-based paint and coating manufacturer, will make its debut as a participant at the CIIE this week with a 300-square-meter booth.

    “This year, we have officially transitioned from being a witness to a participant at the CIIE, presenting our latest products and technology solutions,” said Eric Chung, CEO of Nippon Paint China, a subsidiary of Nipsea Group.

    “This move not only underscores our unwavering commitment to the Chinese market, but also reflects our firm determination to contribute to the high-quality development of China’s economy,” Chung said, adding that the company will showcase its newest automotive coatings and marine paint products at the expo.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Int’l petroleum expo opens in UAE

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The 2024 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), a premier oil and gas industry event, kicked off on Monday, highlighting the themes of artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable energy transition.

    In his keynote address, United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan Al Jaber, emphasized the transformative impact of AI, describing it as an “era-defining innovation” reshaping productivity and accelerating energy transition.

    The ADIPEC 2024 has introduced a new “AI Zone” featuring top tech companies, including Microsoft and Accenture, to showcase solutions for sustainable energy management.

    Sharif Al Olama, undersecretary for energy and petroleum affairs at UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, added that despite the growth of renewable energy, traditional oil resources continue to play a critical role in ensuring global energy stability.

    “Even as renewables grow, oil remains the largest fuel source,” Al Olama said, highlighting UAE’s approach to maintaining a balanced energy mix.

    The four-day event is anticipated to attract 184,000 participants from 164 countries, including ministers, more than 200 industry leaders, and over 2,200 exhibitors representing key energy players.

    Hundreds of Chinese companies, including PetroChina, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, are participating the exhibition, showcasing technological advancements in digitalization, decarbonization, and renewables in the evolving landscape of the global energy industry.

    Key topics at the ADIPEC this year also cover decarbonization, digital innovation, and mobilizing capital for clean energy projects, with an emphasis on bridging financing gaps in emerging markets to support a sustainable and equitable energy future.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: 136th Canton Fair wraps up with record int’l buyer attendance

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Buyers select massage machines at the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The 136th Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, concluded on Monday in Guangzhou, south China, recording a historic high in terms of overseas buyer attendance, according to data from the organizers.

    As of Sunday, a total of 253,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions had attended the event, marking an increase of 2.8 percent compared to the previous edition held from April 15 to May 5 this year, setting a new record, Zhou Shanqing, deputy director of China Foreign Trade Center and head of the fair’s media center, told a press conference held on Monday.

    Buyers from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) accounted for over 60 percent of the attendance. The number of buyers from Middle East countries grew the most, reaching 34,000 or a surge of 32.6 percent compared with the previous edition. There was also a notable rise in the number of buyers from the United States and European countries, with 54,000 attending, an 8.2-percent increase from the previous edition.

    The intended turnover of export transactions at this session reached 24.95 billion U.S. dollars, 1 percent higher than the previous session. Notably, transactions with Belt and Road partner countries accounted for more than half of this total, while transaction volumes involving buyers from Europe and the United States both logged growth.

    Yang Zhusong, an associate professor at the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, said that the growing number of exhibitors at the fair is a microcosm of China’s influence in global import and export trade.

    The increase in buyer attendance from Europe and the United States is attributable not merely to their confidence in China’s huge market potential but also to China’s efficient manufacturing prowess, which provides a complete industrial chain of services, Yang said.

    The attendance of increasing number of enterprises from Belt and Road partner countries indicates that China’s cooperation with these countries is pragmatic and the benefits are mutual, according to Yang.

    Christian Noll, a buyer from Germany, was still busy on the last day of the fair. Focused mainly on garments, he browsed some booths and settled on a cooperation plan with a partner from Fuzhou in east China’s Fujian Province.

    “It is the biggest trade show I’ve ever seen. Normally trade shows happen every two years or at most once a year, to allow companies to innovate in between. This show occurs twice a year and each time the size is amazing, and there is a lot of new stuff. This is the coolest show on the planet,” said Noll.

    Having attended the fair for four consecutive years, Moulay Elkamel, a buyer from Morocco, described his latest trip to China as “beyond delightful.”

    “I’ve met great friends and partners and have seen many interesting products. It’s a pity the fair only lasts for half a month. I plan to come back for the show next year in April. There are already some orders ready for settlement,” Elkamel said.

    Themed “Serving high-quality development, promoting high-level opening up,” the 136th Canton Fair featured more than 30,000 exhibitors showcasing 1.15 million new products.

    Yang said international buyers are leveraging the Canton Fair as a platform to forge deeper, more mutually advantageous and promising partnerships with Chinese companies.

    The continuous development of “Made in China” and “Created in China” is also injecting fresh impetus into the growth of global industrial and supply chains, Yang added.

    Chu Shijia, deputy director and secretary general of the fair and head of China Foreign Trade Center, said that the continuous expansion of the Canton Fair reflects the growth and strength of China’s foreign trade, and demonstrates China’s unwavering determination to open wider to the outside world, providing new opportunities for the world with the country’s new development and contributing to the development of an open global economy.

    Founded in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trading events in China, and is hailed as the barometer of China’s foreign trade.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: CIIE attracts record-breaking participating countries, exhibitors

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo shows the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), in east China’s Shanghai, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    On Tuesday morning, the Chinese commercial hub of Shanghai will once again assume its role as the host for the newest edition of the globe’s first national-level exposition dedicated to imports.

    Now, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) stands as a telling example of China’s steadfast opening up and an unmissable opportunity for foreign enterprises to tap into the Chinese market.

    Despite challenges and uncertainties in the global economic landscape, over the past seven years, CIIE has steadily grown.

    The first six editions of CIIE have generated a total intended transaction amount exceeding 420 billion U.S. dollars. Additionally, over 1,130 foreign enterprises and investment promotion organizations have conducted targeted connections across the country.

    This year, the business exhibition will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), covering more than 360,000 square meters — equivalent to 50 standard soccer fields — and hosting 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions.

    Both the number of participating countries and exhibitors have surpassed previous records.

    Notably, 297 exhibitors from Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders will attend, marking a historic high. Among all participants, 186 enterprises and institutions have achieved full attendance across all seven editions of the expo.

    Besides, this year’s event is also commanding the attention of global journalism. More than 400 media outlets are participating in the coverage of this event, including 220 foreign media organizations.

    China’s vast market has become one of the most attractive destinations for global players, with the CIIE serving as the “golden gateway” to this opportunity.

    For the CIIE frequenter of Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido, the event serves as a second-to-none magnet.

    “Over the past years of participating in CIIE, we have seen firsthand just how influential the expo can be for our business,” said Toshinobu Umetsu, president and CEO of Shiseido China.

    According to the company, visitors will be able to see over 30 new product debuts from 12 different brands in their portfolio.

    Umetsu described the expo as a boon for their growth in China’s thriving market, noting that many new skincare technologies, brands, and products have gained substantial attention and recognition from consumers after being featured at CIIE.

    “CIIE successfully transformed our ‘exhibits’ to ‘products,’” Umetsu added.

    Seizing the opportunity, new participants are eager to try their luck. Among the trendsetters is Canadian sportswear magnate Lululemon.

    “A digital innovation here is leading the world, quite frankly, in terms of adoption and opportunities,” said Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon during an interview with Xinhua.

    Impressed by the market’s speed, agility and resilience, McDonald said the opportunity to move fast and accomplish big initiatives in the market is incredibly exciting, seeing CIIE as a precious opportunity to bring awareness to the brand.

    “In the dynamic and healthy market, we are learning not just how we drive and see success here,” he said, adding that what Lululemon learned from the Chinese mainland consumers and innovation can help their business in other markets as well.

    After years of development, the CIIE has become a symbol of China’s new development pattern, a platform for high-level opening-up, and an international public good shared by the world.

    At its third plenum, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China renewed the country’s commitment to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world and continuing to promote reform through opening up.

    Serving as another fine example, China removed all market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector on Nov. 1, a landmark move made by the world’s second-largest economy as it opens its doors wider.

    “Reflecting on the past six editions of the CIIE, ‘high-level opening up’ has been a consistent theme. The expo has continually showcased an image of an ‘open China’ that shares opportunities and future with the world,” said Wu Zhengping, deputy director general of the CIIE Bureau.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 26, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland News – Beacons of Light Return to Parnell for Christmas

    Source: Parnell Business Association

    A vibrant art installation featuring works from two esteemed New Zealand artists will be on display in Heard Park, Parnell, for the festive season.
    ‘Beacons of Light’, which debuted in the city-fringe suburb last year, is a work of art in the form of five lightboxes standing tall in Heard Park that play with colour, darkness, light, and speak to a quintessential Kiwi Christmas. This year, the beacons are adorned by works of art by renowned landscape painter Tony Ogle, represented locally by Parnell Gallery, and esteemed cubist painter James Watkins, who is also Gallery Manager at Parnell’s International Art Centre. Each artist has selected five artworks which will stand at 2.5 metres tall and be illuminated by night.
    Last year saw a successful launch of this installation, with many visitors pausing in the park to admire the art and take photos to share online. The Parnell Business Association, who commissioned this installation, cannot wait to see ‘Beacons of Light’ return to the area, updated with new artworks for the coming Christmas season.
    ‘Beacons of Light’ will be on display in Heard Park, Parnell from 20 November-6 January, and are free to visit for the duration of this period.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 26, 2025
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