NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 26th Webinar of the National Good Governance Webinar Series 2024-25 under the theme ‘Har Ghar Jal Yojana’ held on 24thJanuary 2025 for dissemination and replication of best practices

    Source: Government of India

    26th Webinar of the National Good Governance Webinar Series 2024-25 under the theme ‘Har Ghar Jal Yojana’ held on 24thJanuary 2025 for dissemination and replication of best practices

    Presentations made on initiatives taken by the Bathinda District, Punjab and Serchhip District, Mizoram to a national audience

    Posted On: 24 JAN 2025 4:21PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister has directed Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) to hold virtual conferences/ webinars with District Collectors and other officers in which past award winners of PM’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration be invited to present their experiences with the objective of greater dissemination and replication.

    In pursuance of the Prime Minister’s directions, the DARPG has conducted 25 National Good Governance Webinars, one Webinar every month, since April, 2022 to encourage dissemination and replication of the award-winning nominations under the Scheme of Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration. Each webinar is attended by about 1000 officials from Line Departments, State Governments, District Collectors, State Administrative Training Institutes and Central Training Institutes.

    These webinars not only present the current status of institutionalisation/sustainability of the initiative, but also provides insights into the status of its replication/expansion.

    The 26th Webinar was held on the 24th January 2025in which two initiatives, shortlisted by the Expert Committee for the PM’s Award for the year 2022, under the theme ‘Har Ghar Jal Yojana’, namely;

    1. Initiative in Bathinda District was presented by Shri Showkat Ahmad Parray, Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, Punjab;and
    2. Initiative in Serchhip District was presented by Smt. Nazuk Kumar, ATI, Mizoram.

    The Webinar was chaired by Shri Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG and was attended by senior officers of the Department. The Webinar was attended from more than 450 locations across India with Senior Officials of Administrative Reforms Departments of States/UTs, District Collectors, State and District officers, Officers of Central and State Administrative Training Institutes.

    ****

    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2095815) Visitor Counter : 82

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic arrangements during Lunar New Year

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    　　Police will implement special traffic arrangements in various districts to facilitate the public to celebrate the festive season.

    Hong Kong Island
    —————-

         The following arrangements will be implemented by phases on January 28, until the roads are safe for re-opening:

    A.    Road closure

         The following roads will be closed:

    From 4pm to 7am of the following day:

    – Sugar Street; and
    – Northbound Gloucester Road between Causeway Road and Great George Street.

    From 7.30pm to 7am of the following day:

    – Great George Street between Paterson Street and Gloucester Road;
    – Kingston Street;
    – Paterson Street; and
    – Cleveland Street.

         Depending on traffic and crowd conditions, the road closure area may be extended from 8pm to the following roads:

    – Southbound Gloucester Road between Cleveland Street and Causeway Road;
    – Northbound Gloucester Road between Gloucester Road Flyover and Victoria Park Road;
    – Hing Fat Street between Causeway Road and Lau Li Street, except for franchised buses and green minibuses (GMB);
    – Electric Road between Yacht Street and Hing Fat Street;
    – Eastbound Hennessy Road between Percival Street and Yee Wo Street, eastbound Yee Wo Street between Hennessy Road and Causeway Road, eastbound Causeway Road between Yee Wo Street and Tung Lo Wan Road, and westbound Causeway Road between Tung Lo Wan Road and Moreton Terrace, except for franchised buses, GMB and trams.

    B.    Pedestrian precincts

         The following road sections will be designated as pedestrian precinct from noon on January 28 to 7am of the following day:

    – Lockhart Road between Cannon Street and East Point Road;
    – East Point Road; and
    – Great George Street between East Point Road and Paterson Street.

    C.    Prohibition to learner drivers
     
         Learner drivers cannot use the following roads from 4pm on January 28 to 8am of the following day:

    – Leighton Road;
    – Tin Lok Lane;
    – Caroline Hill Road;
    – Eastern Hospital Road;
    – Tai Hang Road north of Lai Tak Tsuen Road;
    – Tung Lo Wan Road;
    – Electric Road south of Gordon Road;
    – Morrison Hill Road north of Queen’s Road East;
    – Hennessy Road;
    – Yee Wo Street;
    – Causeway Road;
    – King’s Road;
    – Gloucester Road Service Road;
    – Hing Fat Street;
    – Westbound Tin Hau Temple Road west of Cloud View Road; and
    – Eastbound Wan Chai Road.

    D.    Suspension of parking spaces and car parks

    – All on-street parking spaces on Lau Li Street between Hing Fat Street and Ngan Mok Street and disabled parking spaces on northbound Gloucester Road near Sugar Street will be suspended from 8am on January 28 to 7am of the following day;
    – All on-street parking spaces on Tung Lo Wan Road will be suspended from 8pm on January 28 to 7am of the following day; and
    – All parking spaces at Hing Fat Street Public Car Park will be suspended from 8am on January 28 to 7am of the following day.

         All car parks within the above closed road areas will be suspended and vehicles will not be allowed to enter or exit the car parks, until the roads are safe for re-opening.

    E.    Suspension of public transport interchange

         Tin Hau Station Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from 6pm on January 28.

    Kowloon
    ——–

    (1)    Wong Tai Sin Temple

         The following arrangements will be implemented from 6pm on January 28 to 7pm on January 29, from 7am to 7pm daily from January 30 to February 3, and from February 8 to February 9 to facilitate traffic and crowd control at Wong Tai Sin Temple during Lunar New Year:

    A.    Road closure

         The following roads will be closed:

    – Shatin Pass Road between Lung Cheung Road and Fung Tak Road, except for GMBs and designated vehicles; and
    – The unnamed road connecting Wong Tai Sin Temple and Wong Tai Sin Road, except for designated vehicles.

    B.    Traffic control

         All vehicles will be prohibited from parking or waiting at Wong Tai Sin Road (both directions) between Shatin Pass Road and Nga Chuk Street.

    (2)    Cheung Sha Wan

         All metered parking spaces in Hang Cheung Street will be suspended from 8am on January 26 to 7am on January 29.

         All vehicles will be prohibited from parking or waiting on Fortune Street, Hang Cheung Street and Fat Tseung Street from 10am on January 26 to 7am on January 29, except for picking up/setting off passengers and loading/unloading goods.

    (3)    Sham Shui Po Kwan Tai Temple

         Depending on traffic and crowd conditions, the following arrangements will be implemented from 11am to noon on January 30:

    A.    Road closure

         The following roads will be intermittently closed:

    – Wong Chuk Street between Yu Chau Street and Cheung Sha Wan Road;
    – Apliu Street between Nam Cheong Street and Wong Chuk Street;
    – Southbound Nam Cheong Street between Cheung Sha Wan Road and Hai Tan Street;
    – Hai Tan Street between Nam Cheong Street and Boundary Street;
    – Yee Kuk Street between Boundary Street and Shek Kip Mei Street; and
    – Shek Kip Mei Street between Yee Kuk Street and Apliu Street.

    B.    Traffic diversions

         Vehicles heading for southbound Nam Cheong Street and southbound Shek Kip Mei Street will be diverted via southbound Yen Chow Street and eastbound Lai Chi Kok Road.

    (4)    Mong Kok Fa Hui Park

    A.    Road closure

         The third lane of southbound Tai Hang Tung Road between Tat Chee Avenue and Boundary Street will be closed from 9am on January 23 to 8am on January 29.

    B.    Suspension of parking spaces

         The following parking spaces will be suspended from 8am on January 26 to 8am on January 29:

    – Metered parking spaces on Tong Yam Street (meter no. 9607 and 9608);
    – All metered and motorcycle parking spaces on Duke Street between Embankment Road and Knight Street;
    – All motorcycle parking spaces on Knight Street near its junction with Duke Street;
    – Metered parking space on Belfran Road (meter no. 13413); and
    – All metered parking spaces on Lincoln Road between Cumberland Road and Waterloo Road.

    (5)    Kwun Tong Recreation Ground

    A.    Road closure

         Kai Lim Road will be closed from 8pm on January 26 to 2am of the following day, from 3pm on January 27 to 2am of the following day, and from 3pm on January 28 to 4am of the following day.

         Fuk Ning Road and Fuk Tong Road will be closed from 3pm on January 27 to 2am of the following day, and from 3pm on January 28 to 4am of the following day.

    B.    Suspension of parking spaces

         The metered parking spaces, motorcycle parking spaces and disabled parking space on Kai Lim Road will be suspended from 8am on January 26 to 4am on January 29.

    (6)    Kwun Tong Hoi Bun Road

         The following parking spaces will be suspended from noon on January 30 to 1am of the following day:

    – All metered parking spaces on Hoi Bun Road;
    – Two disabled parking spaces on eastbound Hoi Bun Road near Hoi Bun Road Park; and
    – Ten motorcycle parking spaces on westbound Hoi Bun Road near Kwun Tong Promenade.

    New Territories
    —————

    (1)    Tsuen Wan

    A.    Road closure

         The following roads will be closed daily from 3pm to 5am of the following day on January 27 and January 28:

    – Kai Hong Close;
    – Kai Chi Close;
    – Hoi Pa Street between its junction with Lo Tak Court and Tai Ho Road.

    B.    Suspension of parking spaces

         The motorcycle parking spaces at Kai Hong Close will be suspended daily from 3pm to 5am of the following day on January 27 and January 28.

    (2)    Sheung Shui

    A.    Pedestrian precincts

        The following road sections will be designated as pedestrian precincts from 11am to 7pm daily on January 27 and January 28, during which all vehicles will be prohibited, except for vehicles with permit:

    – San Kung Street; and
    – San Hong Street between Tsun Fu Street and Fu Hing Street.

    B.    Road closure

        To facilitate the Lunar New Year Fair at Shek Wu Hui in Sheung Shui, the following roads will be closed from 6pm on January 28 to 4am of the following day, except for vehicles with permit:

    – San Lok Street, except for access to Pearl Vista;
    – San Tsoi Street; and
    – Fu Hing Street between San Hong Street and San Tsoi Street.

    C.    Suspension of parking spaces

    – The metered parking spaces (meter no. 25343A/B, 25342 A/B, 25341A and 25344B) at San Hong Street will be suspended from 11am to 7pm daily on January 27 and January 28; and
    – The motorcycle parking spaces on San Lok Street will be suspended from 6pm on January 28 to 4am of the following day.

    (3)    Tuen Mun

    A.    Road closure

         The following roads will be intermittently closed from 6pm to 2am of the following day on January 27, and 6pm to 7am of the following day on January 28, except for vehicles with permit:

    – Tin Hau Road;
    – San Hop Lane;
    – Hung Cheung Road from its junction with Tin Hau Road to its southern junction with San Ping Circuit;
    – Southbound Hung Cheung Road between its northern and southern junction with San Ping Circuit;
    – San On Street from its southern junction with Hung Cheung Road to a point about 50 metres north of the same junction; and
    – Hing Wong Street from its junction with Hung Cheung Road to a point about 50 metres north of the same junction.

    B.    Cycle track closure

         The cycle track along the western riverside of Tuen Mun River Channel between Pui To Road and Yau Oi Bridge will be closed from 6pm to 2am of the following day on January 27, and 6pm to 7am of the following day on January 28.

    C.    Traffic diversions

         The following traffic diversions will be intermittently implemented from 6pm to 2am of the following day on January 27, and 6pm to 7am of the following day on January 28, except for vehicles with permit:

    – Traffic along Yip Wong Road cannot turn to northbound Tin Hau Road;
    – Traffic along southbound Tin Hau Road cannot turn to Hung Cheung Road; and
    – Hung Cheung Road between its northern and southern junction with San Ping Circuit will be re-routed one-way northbound.

    D.    Suspension of parking spaces

         The overnight on-street parking spaces on the following roads will be suspended from 6pm to 2am of the following day on January 27, and 6pm to 7am of the
    following day on January 28, except for vehicles with permit:

    – Tin Hau Road; and
    – Hung Cheung Road from its junction with Tin Hau Road to its southern junction with San Ping Circuit.

    (4) Kwai Tsing

         The metered parking spaces and disabled parking spaces on Ko Fong Street will be suspended from 2pm on January 28 to 8am on January 29.

    (5)    Tai Po

         The cycle track on Ting Kok Road between Ting Tai Road and On Chee Road will be closed from 6pm on January 28 to 6am on January 29.

    (6)    Sha Tin

         The following traffic diversions will be implemented daily from 5pm to 1am of the following day on January 27 and January 28, except for vehicles with permit:

    – Fung Shun Street between Wo Che Street and Tak Hau Street will be re-routed one-way northbound. Vehicles will be diverted via eastbound Tak Hau Street, southbound Yuen Wo Road and westbound Wo Che Street; and
    – Traffic along Tak Hau Street cannot go straight to Sha Tin Sports Ground Car Park.

    (7) Tseung Kwan O

         The parking spaces on Wan Lung Road will be suspended from 7am on January 28 to 7am on January 29.

         A temporary vehicle pick-up and drop-off point will be set up at Hok Lam Lane from 7am on January 28 to 7am on January 29.

         Police will continue to enforce traffic regulations during the Lunar New Year period. All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.  

         Police will implement the above arrangements depending on the traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 15 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    15 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations (with photos)
    15 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations (with photos)
    ************************************************************************

         The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Twilight”, joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed “Champion” and “Windsand”, and joint operations with the Labour Department to combat illegal employment activities at Lunar New Year fairs for four consecutive days from January 20 to yesterday (January 24). A total of 10 suspected illegal workers, four suspected employers and one suspected aider and abettor were arrested.           During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided eight targeted locations including residential buildings, restaurants and retail shops. Four suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised one man and three women, aged 39 to 52. Among them, one woman was a holder of recognisance form, which prohibits her from taking any employment. One man and one woman, aged 53 and 59, who were suspected of employing the illegal workers, were also arrested.           During operation “Champion”, enforcement officers raided 15 target locations in Central district. Four suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised four women, aged 36 to 42. One man, aged 54, was suspected of employing the illegal workers and was also arrested.           Furthermore, during the anti-illegal worker operations at various Lunar New Year fairs, enforcement officers raided several stalls at  events. Two suspected illegal workers, one suspected employer and one suspected aider and abettor were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised two women, aged 30 and 34. One woman, aged 37, was suspected of employing the illegal workers. One woman, aged 35, who was suspected of aiding and abetting a person who breached the condition of stay in Hong Kong was also arrested. Apart from mounting enforcement operations, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute “Don’t Employ Illegal Workers” leaflets and convey the message to stall owners.       An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”           The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment.”           The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.           According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.           Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

     
    Ends/Friday, January 24, 2025Issued at HKT 19:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Work Central at World Economic Forum in Davos

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    “The work of the IAEA is at the centre of the debates. In particular, the nexus between nuclear energy and artificial intelligence has attracted a lot of attention,” the Director General said in Davos.  

    The IAEA held a session on nuclear’s role in meeting energy demands for artificial intelligence (AI), with experts from Bloomberg and technology venture capitalists DCVC. “Big tech needs nuclear to power energy-intensive AI data centres,” explained Mr Grossi.  

    A major event was also held on tripling nuclear energy, and the need for standardization, regulation, financing and collaboration in scaling up nuclear.  

    The Director General met with multiple world leaders to discuss development, energy and world peace, including Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, Austria’s Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Flanders’ Minister-President Matthias Diependaele.  

    Mr Grossi and Mr Mulino engaged on the IAEA’s Atoms4Food programme, as well as improving cancer care with the IAEA’s Rays Of Hope programme. “The IAEA is proud to stand with Panama in building a healthier, more resilient future for its people,” the Director General said. 

    The IAEA’s work on health, food and nutrition was a focus of multiple high-level dialogues. For example, Mr Grossi met with Viet Nam’s Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat to discuss the drought-tolerant, high-yield rice varieties that were developed with IAEA support, and with the CEO of Anglo American, Duncan Wanblad, on progress on a joint research project to fight soil salinity and advance sustainable farming practices. 

    Another key topic for the week was international security, particularly the IAEA’s role in ensuring nonproliferation worldwide. 

    The Director General was a speaker at the World Economic Forum’s Rubik’s Cube of Global Security, where he addressed pressures on nonproliferation amid rising geostrategic tensions, alongside Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid AlDabaiba, the International Crisis Group, Comfort Ero, Harvard Kennedy School’s Meghan O’Sullivan, and Foreign Affairs Magazine’s Dan Kurtz-Phelan. 

    Watch the recording of the session here.  

    The Director General was also active in closed sessions on artificial intelligence and sustainable energy in Latin America with leaders of the region, as well as an event on growing the African economy with leaders from the continent. 

    “The mission and the importance of the IAEA continue to grow. This is why we are here in Davos,” concluded the Director General. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 01/24/2025, 13-37 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the PIKK (PIK ao) security were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    01/24/2025 13:37

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC), on 24.01.2025, 13-37 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 774.4) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 839.55 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 25.0%) of the PIKK security (PIK JSC) were changed

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

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

    https://www.moex.com/n77118

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 01/24/2025, 11-26 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the RASP (Raspadskaya) security were changed.

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    01.24.2025 11:26

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC) on 24.01.2025, 11-26 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 332.2) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 355.418 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 25.5%) of the RASP (Raspadskaya) security were changed

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

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

    https://www.moex.com/n77110

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 01/24/2025, 12-15 (Moscow time) the values of the lower limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A0JT6B2 (VEB.RF 19) were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    01.24.2025 12:15

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC) on 24.01.2025, 12-15 (Moscow time), the values of the lower limit of the price corridor (up to 92.97) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 941.92 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 7.5%) of the security RU000A0JT6B2 (VEB.RF 19) were changed

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

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

    https://www.moex.com/n77113

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 01/24/2025, 10:39 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the RASP (Raspadskaya) security were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    01.24.2025 10:39

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC) on 24.01.2025, 10-39 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 320.15) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 343.382 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 21.25%) of the RASP (Raspadskaya) security were changed

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

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

    HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 01/24/2025, 10:21 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A105DN0 (FSK RS BO6) were changed.

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    01/24/2025 10:21

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 24.01.2025, 10-21 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 100.45) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1102.96 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 21.25%) of the security RU000A105DN0 (FSK RS BO6) were changed

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

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

    HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Three deposit auctions of UK FRT LLC will take place on 24.01.2025

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

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

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

    https://www.moex.com/n77105

    Categoris24-7, Miles, Moscow, Moscow Stotsk Exchang, Russians Savings, Russian Federation, Russians Language, Russian economy

    Post navigation


    Archives

    Archives Police Privces Proudly would trust WordPress

    Date of the deposit auction 01/24/2025
    Placement currency Rub
    Maximum amount of funds placed (in placement currency) 2,547,000,000.00
    Placement period, days 32
    Date of deposit 01/24/2025
    Refund date 02/25/2025
    Minimum placement interest rate, % per annum 21.00
    Conditions of imprisonment, urgent or special Urgent
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in placement currency) 2,547,000,000.00
    Maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1
    Auction form, open or closed Open
    Basis of the Treaty General Agreement
     
    Schedule (Moscow time)
    Preliminary applications from 12:00 to 12:10
    Applications in competition mode from 12:10 to 12:15
    Setting a cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid until 12:25
       
    Additional terms  

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: About 6.5 thousand students completed internships at Rosneft enterprises in 2024

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In 2024, about 6.5 thousand students completed internships at Rosneft subsidiaries, including those from the company’s key partner universities – Lomonosov Moscow State University, MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (National Research University), Far Eastern Federal University and others. Students get acquainted with the work of oil workers directly at the Company’s production facilities, which allows future specialists to apply the knowledge they gained at educational institutions in practice.

    Rosneft develops cooperation with higher and secondary educational institutions of Russia within the framework of the corporate system of continuous education “School-College/University-Enterprise”. The company cooperates with 203 educational partner organizations, including 82 Russian and foreign universities, 65 colleges and 56 schools. Rosneft annually invests more than 1 billion rubles in the development of educational partner organizations. The program has been in effect since 2005 and is aimed at forming a young external personnel reserve from among schoolchildren and students in the regions of the Company’s production activities, as well as at the constant growth of professional competencies of its employees.

    With the support of Rosneft, unique programs are being created in a number of areas of student training. Thus, with the support of RN-Vankor, 9 new specialized areas of training have been opened in technical schools and colleges. Rosneft’s Scientific Institute in Tyumen has created basic departments at Tyumen Industrial and Tyumen State Universities. The Company’s basic departments at the country’s leading universities implement specialized master’s programs, hold conferences and internships, and develop and publish educational and methodological materials.

    The Company’s enterprises also take an active part in equipping colleges and universities with modern equipment and creating laboratories. Thus, in 2024, Samotlorneftegaz equipped educational sites in two branches of Ugra State University – a multifunctional simulator for the development and operation of wells was installed at the Oil Institute, and a laboratory for assessing the chemical and physical quality of oil and gas was created at the Multidisciplinary College. In addition, a laboratory of geospatial technologies was opened at the Nizhnevartovsk Construction College with funds from the enterprise. “Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha” opened an educational and training complex “Factory of Full Cycle Oil and Gas Production Processes” on the basis of the Regional Technical College, and also equipped the “Digital Oil and Gas Field” research laboratory at the North-Eastern Federal University with high-resolution video panels . Verkhnechonskneftegaz equipped the Oil and Gas Engineering training center of the Irkutsk National Research Technical University with a training ground for conducting practical classes on safe work, and Orenburgneft allocated funds for the purchase of a mobile drilling rig for the Department of Geology of Orenburg State University. In addition, the Kuibyshev Refinery helped the educational laboratory of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the Samara State Technical University acquire modern pilot plants that are analogues of real industrial oil refining facilities, and the Syzran Refinery opened a class of computer simulators in the Syzran branch of the Samara State Technical University.

    In order to select and motivate the best students for practical training and subsequent employment, Rosneft enterprises implement career guidance events. Thus, Udmurtneft held Udmurtneft Days in oil universities in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Kazan and Izhevsk. SamaraNIPIneft organized a competition of scientific grants for students, postgraduates and master’s students of Samara State Technical University, 39 participants received cash grants to continue their research work. Specialists of Novokuibyshevsk Oil and Additives Plant together with teachers of Novokuibyshevsk Petrochemical College implemented a pilot project “Vector of Professionalism” aimed at identifying talented and promising young people from among students of the company’s specialized specialties.

    Rosneft also creates conditions for developing the competencies of scientific and pedagogical staff. Internships for teachers are organized at the Angarsk Polymer Plant, Saratov Oil Refinery, RN-Yuganskneftegaz and Samotlorneftegaz. These events allow teachers to gain valuable practical experience, get acquainted with modern technologies and see the production process with their own eyes.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft January 24, 2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Close Technologies”: HSE exhibition on digital sensorics at Tula Machine Tool Museum

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Today’s event industry, as a vector of the experience economy, combines design, theater, cinema, performance, music, food, health, tourism and other areas of human life. Professional design of art and lifestyle events is the main trend of the future, and an experience engineer is perhaps the main creative profession of our tomorrow, in which an event will be understood as designing and obtaining a new experience, and not a service, regardless of the scale and format of the event.

    The profile “Event. Theatre. Performance” trains professionals in the field of the experience industry at the intersection of directing, scenography, work with space, light, video, body, costume, make-up and performative practices in all their semantic, conceptual and artistic connections.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — News Release — Media Advisory — Governor Green Celebrates Opening Of Eighteenth Kauhale

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — News Release — Media Advisory — Governor Green Celebrates Opening Of Eighteenth Kauhale

    Posted on Jan 23, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 
     

    GOVERNOR GREEN CELEBRATES OPENING OF KŪLIA
    I KA NUʻU KAUHALE

    Blessing set for the Newest Kauhale by the Green Administration in Partnership with U.S.VETS 
     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    January 23, 2025

    HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., today announced the opening of the Kūlia I Ka Nuʻu kauhale. As with the 17 other kauhale Governor Green has opened, this community embraces people who are experiencing homelessness. In partnership with operator U.S.VETS, this kauhale implements an emergency bed program that addresses immediate shelter needs, food insecurities and access to care for residents.

    “Housing is health care, and the Kūlia I Ka Nu‘u project is a powerful step toward addressing the urgent houselessness crisis in Leeward O‘ahu. Inspired by Queen Kapiʻolani’s motto to ‘strive for the highest,’ this initiative reflects our commitment to lifting up our most vulnerable—providing not just shelter, but dignity, stability, and a path to independence and personal excellence,” said Governor Green. “Together, with the strength of this community, we are creating a future where every person has the opportunity to thrive.”

    The mission of U.S.VETS is to prevent and end veteran homelessness and to empower veterans and families through housing, comprehensive services and advocacy. Its vision is to have all veterans and their families have their needs met to regain and maintain independence. The residents will be people in the community who are experiencing housing instability.

    “Every bed at this site represents a chance for someone to start over,” said Darryl Vincent, president and chief executive officer of U.S.VETS. “By integrating immediate care with long-term housing solutions, Kūlia I Ka Nu`u is set to change lives and empower residents to thrive. It’s a testament to what we can achieve when we work together with urgency and purpose.”

    This initiative aims to support up to 19 individuals in their transition from houselessness to healthy independence. There will be 14 emergency beds for males and five for females, specifically designed for short-term stays. A crucial part of this transition is the use of 12 permanent housing units at Kūlia I Ka Nuʻu designed to facilitate a smooth move to stable living conditions. In addition to providing shelter, trained staff and volunteers will play vital roles in managing the facilities, ensuring safety, providing necessities, and linking individuals to relevant support services.

    “The program will adopt a Housing First approach, ensuring low barriers to entry and immediate access to shelter and housing without unnecessary prerequisites,” said John Mizuno, the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness and Housing Solutions. “The program also intends to focus on housing access and retention, assisting individuals and families in rapidly securing permanent housing and preventing the residents’ return to houselessness.”

    The kauhale will provide a comprehensive list of services, such as emergency shelter case management, housing-focused case management, and assertive engagement strategies. These services are designed to be trauma-informed, culturally competent, and recovery-based, emphasizing participant choice and community integration. Services will be available until permanent housing can be secured, with no arbitrary time limits on program participation.

    Kūlia I Ka Nu‘u has provided the state cost savings in that Mark Development and Sofos Realty renovated the existing structure that offers rooms, restroom and shower amenities, a dining room and office space, without having to build a new facility.

    Photos from today’s kauhale blessing at 85-296 Ala Hema St., courtesy Office of the Governor, can be found here.

    About U.S.VETS
    U.S.VETS is on a mission to end veteran homelessness in the United States. The organization was founded by veterans to serve fellow veterans and is the leading nonprofit dedicated to the work of helping veterans and their families transition from homelessness through tailored support to help them gain independence. 

    # # # 

    Media Contacts:   
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Phone: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected]

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom signs $2.5 billion bipartisan relief package to help Los Angeles recover and rebuild faster from firestorm

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jan 23, 2025

    What you need to know: Alongside community, city, county, and legislative leaders, Governor Newsom signed special session legislation to provide over $2.5 billion for Los Angeles to bolster ongoing response efforts and jumpstart recovery and rebuilding.

    LOS ANGELES – With recovery efforts already underway to support those impacted by the Los Angeles hurricane-force firestorm, Governor Gavin Newsom today joined community, city, county, and legislative leaders in near the fire-damaged community of Altadena and signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion in disaster relief. The funding will immediately help bolster ongoing emergency response efforts as well as jumpstart recovery efforts.

    The special session legislation – ABx1-4 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and SBx1-3 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – provides funding to expedite firestorm response and recovery efforts, streamline rebuilding efforts, and help rebuild fire-damaged school facilities.

    “Thanks to our partners in the legislature, we’re providing over $2.5 billion in immediate relief – expediting initial firestorm response and recovery efforts. We’re also directing millions of dollars to help local governments speed up building approvals – so folks can rebuild their homes faster.

    Unlike MAGA Republicans in Washington who talk about delaying relief for political purposes, California is supporting our people with no strings attached. Together, we’ll rebuild Los Angeles.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    “California leaders from both political parties are united and working together to provide L.A. with the immediate assistance and support they need,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. “Today, we approved billions of dollars to help clean-up devastated neighborhoods, rebuild schools and put communities on a path to recovery. I thank the Governor, Pro Tem and my colleagues for moving with urgency. This is a first step, but we are committed to a full recovery and will stand with Angelenos until this work is done.”

    “This $2.5 billion is a clear commitment that we’ve got your back LA,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast). “We’ve got your back now and we’ve got your back in the months and years to come. Your rebuild and your comeback is our priority. We’re grateful to Governor Newsom, Speaker Rivas and our legislative colleagues who moved with urgency to get this funding across the finish line. This downpayment is just the beginning.”

    How it works

    • $2.5 billion to expedite initial firestorm response and recovery efforts. This includes support for:

      • Emergency protective measures, evacuations, sheltering for survivors, debris removal and cleanup, post-fire hazard assessments (such as flash flooding and debris flows), traffic control, and other necessary emergency response activities.

    • $4 million to help expedite rebuilding. The Department of Housing and Community Development will allocate this funding to impacted local governments to provide additional planning review and building inspection resources for the purpose of expediting building approvals during the recovery period. 

    • $1 million to rebuild fire-damaged school facilities. The funding will provide technical assistance to impacted local educational agencies (Los Angeles Unified School District, Pasadena Unified School District, impacted charter schools).

    Supporting recovery, protecting survivors 

    Governor Newsom has issued a number of executive orders in response to the Los Angeles fire storms to help aid in rebuilding and recovery, create more temporary housing, and protect survivors from exploitation and price gouging:

    • Providing tax relief to those impacted by the fires. California postponed the individual tax filing deadline to October 15 for Los Angeles County taxpayers. Additionally, the state extended the January 31, 2025, sales and use tax filing deadline for Los Angeles County taxpayers until April 30 — providing critical tax relief for businesses. 

    • Rebuilding Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act.

    • Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants and homeowners. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms. For homeowners, California has worked with five major lenders to provide mortgage relief to their customers.

    • Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas. 

    • Safeguarding survivors from price gouging. Governor Newsom expanded restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials or construction. Report violations to the Office of the Attorney General here.

    • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.

    • Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase victims’ property. 

    Get help today

    Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government.  

    Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance:

    • Online at DisasterAssistance.gov

    • By calling 800-621-3362

    • By using the FEMA smart phone application

    • Assistance is available in over 40 languages

    • If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

    Recent news

    Jan 23, 2025

    News Los Angeles, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring January 23, 2025, as Ed Roberts Day. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONKnown as the “Father of Independent Living,” Ed Roberts was a…

    Jan 23, 2025

    News What you need to know: The state is helping expand in-person Disaster Recovery Centers with online resources designed to help survivors get the help they need faster. Los Angeles, California – California continues to secure critical resources for survivors of the…

    Jan 23, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced additional commitments to provide mortgage relief for property owners whose structures were damaged or destroyed by the LA firestorms, adding state-chartered banks, credit unions, and mortgage lenders and…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Identity fraud: BaFin warns consumers about the company Strategic Assets

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the company Strategic Assets and the services it is offering. BaFin suspects the unknown operators of the website strategicassets.pro of offering consumers financial, investment and cryptoasset services without the required authorisation.

    The unknown operators are contacting consumers, claiming that their offer is from Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse GmbH or Börse Stuttgart GmbH. In addition, when advertising its services, the company claims to be supervised by BaFin. However, none of this information is correct. This is a case of identity fraud. Moreover, BaFin does not supervise Strategic Assets.

    BaFin is issuing this information on the basis of section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG) and section 10 (7) of the German Cryptomarkets Supervision Act (Kryptomaerkteaufsichtsgesetz).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Galaxy Unpacked 2025] Galaxy Tech Forum ① Sustainability: Driving Innovation for a Sustainable Future

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung hosted the Galaxy Tech Forum on January 23 in San Jose, California. The panels provided an in-depth exploration of Samsung’s AI innovations and the challenges they address across four key areas — Sustainability, Health AI, Galaxy AI and Home AI. During the Sustainability session, experts explored how Samsung’s forward-thinking technology and strategic collaborations are building a more sustainable future.
     
     
    Following Galaxy Unpacked 2025, Samsung Electronics held its Galaxy Tech Forum event on January 23 in San Jose, California. Tech leaders and experts from around the world discussed the future of AI at Blanco, an Urban Venue, a three-story space located in the heart of Silicon Valley that blends historic architecture with a modern white design.
     
    ▲ Blanco, an Urban Venue
     
    The forum was organized into four sessions — Sustainability, Health AI, Galaxy AI and Home AI — each addressing the transformative changes and challenges innovation will bring to these areas. With around 100 media representatives and industry professionals in attendance, the panels centered on the disruptive potential of AI and offered blueprints for future technologies across various sectors.
     
    Samsung Newsroom visited the first Galaxy Tech Forum session, titled “How Mobile Technology Can Accelerate a Sustainable Future,” to learn about Samsung’s mobile innovations and partnerships that are contributing to a brighter tomorrow.
     
     
    Driving Mobile Innovation and Sustainability
    Samsung is committed to accelerating a sustainable future for both people and the planet.
     
    ▲ (From left to right) Tamara Gondo, Michael Stewart, Dr. Stuart Sandin, Daniel Araujo and Cassie Smith
     
    Despite the numerous benefits offered to modern society, the rapid growth of the mobile industry has also brought significant environmental challenges. To address those challenges, Samsung has made the actualization of a sustainable future a cornerstone of the company’s vision for mobile devices.
     
    ▲ Daniel Araujo from Samsung Electronics
     
    “We’ve made significant progress in fostering sustainable practices throughout our product lifecycle and this is only possible through open collaboration with like-minded partners. And there is even more to come,” said Daniel Araujo, Head of Sustainability Management Office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics.
     
    “Each device of the S25 series will include at least 50% recycled cobalt, and for the first time in Galaxy history, the battery of the S25 model will be made with recycled cobalt sourced from previously used Galaxy smartphones,” he continued, highlighting Samsung’s advancements in product circularity.
     
     
    Leveraging Galaxy Camera Technology To Restore Vital Marine Ecosystems
    Since the launch of the Galaxy S22 series in 2022, Samsung has incorporated over 150 tonnes of discarded fishing nets — equivalent to the weight of 15 million plastic water bottles — into Galaxy products. Along the way, the company has recognized the critical threat ocean-bound plastic poses to coral reefs and has taken a leading role in restoration efforts through strategic partnerships.
     
    Dr. Stuart Sandin, a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego said coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine life, and over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income and protection from storms and erosion. He added that with more than 50% of the world’s coral reefs already lost and ocean-bound plastic threatening the remaining marine ecosystems, new restoration methods using mobile technology are gaining traction.
     
    ▲ Dr. Stuart Sandin from the University of California San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography
     
    “We partnered with Samsung because of our shared commitment to innovation and collaboration. Our optimistic and technology-forward approach is contributing to new solutions for coral reef restoration,” said Michael Stewart, co-founder of Seatrees — a nonprofit dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems. His announcement of the organization’s partnership with Samsung was followed by a trailer for an upcoming documentary about the collaborative efforts between the companies.
     
    ▲ Michael Stewart from Seatrees
     

    ▲ Trailer for the documentary ‘Coral in Focus’
     
    Araujo explained that to support Seatrees’ efforts, Samsung developed Ocean Mode1 — a new camera setting that optimizes underwater photography on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. He discussed how the feature will provide valuable visual data that can be used to 3D map coral reefs to aid efforts for their restoration. The panelists acknowledged that mobile technology is making environmental conservation more accessible since high-quality data can now be collected with lightweight, user-friendly smartphones.
     
     
    Empowering Young Leaders Through Technology
    “Beyond environmental efforts, Samsung has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to empower future generations in achieving the Global Goals,” explained moderator Cassie Smith, Senior Manager of Corporate Sustainability and U.S. Public Affairs at Samsung Electronics America. The success of Samsung’s five-year partnership with the UNDP led to the launch of the Samsung Global Goals app and Generation17 initiative.
     
    ▲ Cassie Smith from Samsung Electronics America
     
    “Being part of Generation17 gave me confidence, access to resources and a global platform, which opened up a world of possibilities that inspired me to grow my business, Liberty Society, and its impact,” said Tamara Gondo, CEO of Liberty Society — a social enterprise that funds upskilling for marginalized women. “Participating in global events such as Mobile World Congress and the United Nations General Assembly gave me a seat at the decision-making table.”
     
    ▲ Tamara Gondo, CEO of Liberty Society and a Generation17 Young Leader
     
    Araujo underscored Tamara’s remarks and stressed the importance of young leaders in achieving the Global Goals, encouraging ongoing efforts and inviting attendees to look forward to the new group of Young Leaders later this year.
     
    The Sustainability session provided an in-depth exploration of how mobile technology can address environmental and social challenges. Samsung’s unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability is paving the way for meaningful change on a global scale.
     
     
    1 Exclusively developed for this project and only available to Seatrees and its partners.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Signature of MGCS Project Company shareholder agreement

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Signature of MGCS Project Company shareholder agreement

    Friday, January 24, 2025 – Thales, KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France and Rheinmetall Landsysteme signed the articles of association for MGCS Project Company GmbH, Cologne, on Thursday 23 January 2025 in Paris in the presence of the French Minister of Defence, Sébastien Lecornu, and the German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius.

    MGCS, which stands for Main Ground Combat System, is a German-Franco armament program designed to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks with a cross-platform combat system by 2040.

    The signing of the shareholder agreement marks an essential step in the forthcoming creation of the MGCS Project Company. After negotiating a contract with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), acting on behalf of the two states through a German-Franco Combined Project Team (CPT), this project company will be responsible as the industrial prime contractor for the implementation of the next phase of the MGCS program. In particular, it will consolidate the concept and the main technological pillars of the system.

    The company will be equally owned by the parties, 25% each, with a national workshare of 50% Germany and 50% France, and will be based in Cologne, Germany.

    The industrial partners in the MGCS program are delighted with this signature, which follows on from the impetus given by the French and German governments in the spring of 2024, with the signing of a Letter Of Intent (LOI).

    About KNDS:

    KNDS is the result of the association of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Nexter, two of the leading European manufacturers of military land systems based in Germany and France.

    KNDS forms a Group of around 10,000 employees, with a 2023 turnover of 3.3 billion euro, an order backlog of around 16 billion euro and incoming orders of 7.8 billion euro. The range of its products includes main battle tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, weapons systems, ammunition, military bridges, customer services, battle management systems, training solutions, protection solutions and a wide range of equipment.

    The formation of KNDS represents the beginning of consolidation in land defense systems industry in Europe. The strategic alliance between KMW and Nexter enhances both groups’ competitiveness and international positions, as well as their ability to meet the needs of their respective national army. In addition, it offers to its European and NATO customers the opportunity of increased standardization and interoperability for their defense equipment, with a dependable industrial base.

    KNDS headquarters are based in Amsterdam.

    Press contact: guillem.monsonis@knds.fr

    About Rheinmetall:

    Rheinmetall AG of Duesseldorf, a listed company, is a leading international defence contractor and a driver of future-oriented technological and industrial innovation in civil markets. With over 31,000 employees and 171 sites worldwide, Rheinmetall generated sales of €7.2 billion in 2023. With its technologies, products and systems, the company creates the indispensable basis for peace, freedom and sustainable development security. Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH is part of the Rheinmetall Division Vehicle Systems Europe and is one of the leading land system manufacturers.

    Media contact: oliver.hoffmann@rheinmetall.com

    About Thales:

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital. It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4bn.

    Media contact: camille.heck@thalesgroup.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Trade dynamics under geopolitical risk | Discussion paper 03/2025: Makram Khalil, David Osten, Felix Strobel

    Source: Bundesbank

    Non-technical summary

    Research Question

    In recent years, geopolitical tensions and associated risks have risen around the world. Global geopolitical risk surged after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At that time, geopolitical risk spiked particularly for Russia and its neighbouring countries. In addition, geopolitical risk rose sharply in China and Taiwan in recent years, due to the geopolitical rivalry between the US and China and mounting tensions around the political status of Taiwan. As some of these countries are important exporters in the global trade and production network, the question arises to which extent rising geopolitical tensions disrupt trade flows.

    Contribution

    In this paper, we use detailed customs data in a panel spanning 20 years to investigate the role of the import channel for the transmission of geopolitical risk in trading partner countries. Particularly, we take the perspectives of the US and the euro area and study the effects of trading-partner geopolitical risk on import volumes and import prices.

    Results

    We find that trading-partner geopolitical risk shocks lower import volumes and raise import prices. The decline in imports is particularly strong when geopolitical risk shocks hit countries that exhibit a greater geopolitical distance to the US and the euro area, or when geopolitical risk shocks hit countries that are under US sanctions. Thus, increasing geopolitical risk triggers dynamics that may be conducive to a fragmentation of global trade. A case in point are large effects of geopolitical risk shocks in China. We find that US and euro area imports from non-Chinese trading partners are also affected by such shocks, which also owes to US dollar and global oil price movements as well as trading-partner value chain linkages with China.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: ‘Ignorance is no match for the power of knowledge and education’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Robina Azizi,19, fled Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province in 2021, leaving behind her home, her belongings and her school after the Taliban took control. Conditions rapidly deteriorated; soon after, the Taliban barred girls and women from attending secondary schools and universities. An estimated 1.4 million girls have been deprived of their right to education under the Taliban’s three-year rule.

    Determined to create opportunities for Afghan girls, Robina, who now lives in Germany, founded Girls on the Path of Change (GPC), an organization and online community that empowers Afghan girls to share their stories and pursue online education. With support from organizations like Amnesty International, there is hope that these initiatives can be expanded further. However, sustained action from the international community is essential to increase the pressure on the Taliban to stop this cycle of repression.

    Before the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, I lived with my family in the Balkh province in northern Afghanistan. I was attending school without concern and aiming to graduate.

    I had lofty ambitions, promising myself I would study at a reputable university in the hope of one day helping my country, as well as girls who were deprived of a proper education. Every day, I aimed to achieve excellent grades. I would lie awake at night, eager to attend school the next morning.

    On 10 August 2021, I was due to travel home with my friends after finishing a school exam. However, I felt as though something bad was going to happen. On my way home, I looked down the streets and alleys of Mazar-i-Sharif as if I wouldn’t see them again. When I got home, my mother was packing our belongings. 

    “We’ve booked your flight ticket; we have to leave. The Taliban have taken control of the districts of Balkh. They might come into the city,” she explained. “The Taliban takes girls into captivity and forces them into marriage. The lives of your father, brother, and sister are in danger; we must go. You are a writer and have always written against the Taliban. If they find your writings, they’ll kill you too.”

    The next day, my family and I flew to Kabul. I left everything behind: my school, classmates, exams, dreams and books.

    Learning to survive

    When we arrived, Kabul had not yet fallen and girls were still attending school. I longed to join them. I wrote to myself: ‘I have come to survive.’ This sentence became my mantra. Every day brought news of the Taliban spreading fear and seizing more provinces. Yet I still hoped to return to Balkh so I could go back to school.

    However, five days later, on 15 August, we witnessed the return of the Taliban in Kabul. The President fled and the Taliban took control in hours, announcing a ban on education for girls of secondary school age a month later.

    Robina Azizi,19, fled Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province in 2021, leaving behind her home, her belongings and her school after the Taliban took control. Determined to create opportunities for Afghan girls, Robina, who now lives in Germany, founded Girls on the Path of Change (GPC), an organization and online community that empowers Afghan girls to share their stories and pursue online education.

    With any hope of returning to education taken away, I realized I had to do something. I returned to my books and started striving for a better future. I found courses in Kabul, started studying English and reading again. As it was dangerous to go outside to study, we tried take the course secretly.   I promised myself that, despite thousands of problems, I would fight for myself and the girls of my country. I started raising awareness among Afghan families, trying to make them understand the importance of their daughters’ education, urging them to let them continue their studies.

    Later, with the help of my instructors, I enrolled in an online school despite not having the required documentation. While there, I encouraged other girls to join me and helped them with their English courses. Days passed, and I started getting used to the deprivations of the Taliban’s hardline rule over the country. To nurture my talents and share my story, I spoke with media outlets like Tolo and other broadcast programs about the importance of girls’ education. 

    Give girls a chance

    We were eventually forced to leave Afghanistan to save our lives and to ensure I could still go to school. I knew I needed to support my classmates, friends, and those who had lost their morale and needed help. After all, I’d personally experienced what it was like to be deprived of an education in Afghanistan. I always thought about these girls and wanted to stand by them. I established Girls on the Path of Change to amplify their voices, share their challenges and stories with others, and create an avenue for them to access online education and continue their studies.

    Moving forward, I am working with organizations such as Amnesty International to ensure international pressure continues and that governments around the world are held accountable for their weak stance against the Taliban’s systematic abuse and discrimination [of women and girls], which amounts to gender persecution.

    As a girl who once lived in Afghanistan and was deprived of my right to education, I call on everyone to support girls’ education. Education is essential, and girls in Afghanistan must not remain illiterate. Afghanistan needs strong, educated women. We must not give up, even if we must fight from our homes. Together, we must stand firm, move forward with determination, and prove that the ignorance of the Taliban is no match for the power of knowledge and education.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Afghanistan: ICC Prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Taliban leaders is an important step towards justice for Afghan women, girls and LGBTQI persons

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to the application filed yesterday by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for arrest warrants against the Taliban Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the Taliban Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for their suspected responsibility for the crime against humanity of gender persecution in Afghanistan, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International, said:

    “The announcement by the ICC Prosecutor is an important development that gives hope, inside and outside the country to Afghan women, girls, as well as those persecuted on the basis of gender identity or expression, such as members of the LGBTQI community. This is a crucial step to hold accountable all those allegedly responsible for the gender-based deprivation of fundamental rights to education, to free movement and free expression, to private and family life, to free assembly, and to physical integrity and autonomy. Amnesty International also calls on the international community to recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law in order to strengthen efforts to combat institutionalized regimes of systematic oppression and domination imposed on the grounds of gender.

    The announcement by the ICC Prosecutor is an important development that gives hope, inside and outside the country to Afghan women, girls, as well as those persecuted on the basis of gender identity or expression, such as members of the LGBTQI community.

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International

    “The Prosecutor has acknowledged that the charges represent only a fraction of the victimization that has occurred all over Afghanistan for more than two years and affected much of the population. It is incumbent on the ICC and the whole international community to urgently and significantly scale-up efforts to address gender persecution and other crimes under international law committed in Afghanistan as access to justice in the country remains significantly overdue.

    “We strongly urge the ICC Prosecutor to also expand his investigations in Afghanistan to include all serious violations from May 2003 onwards that amount to crimes under international law, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearance, the massacre of civilians, and the ongoing systematic and widespread attacks against the Hazara ethnic group and religious minorities by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province.

    “Amnesty International also calls on the ICC Prosecutor to reconsider his 2021 decision to deprioritize investigations into war crimes allegedly committed by the US military, CIA personnel, and other international forces who had a presence in the country, and the former government security apparatus. This decision risks contributing to perceptions of a selective approach to international justice which prioritizes the interests of powerful states and their allies over the right to justice of victims of crimes under international law.

    Background  

    On 23 January, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC issued a statement announcing the applications for arrest warrants in the situation in Afghanistan. The Prosecutor’s applications for arrest warrants will be considered by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber judges, to determine whether they establish reasonable grounds to believe that the named individuals committed the alleged crimes. The Office of the Prosecutor also stated that investigations are ongoing. This means that further applications, both for other persons and alleged crimes, could still follow.

    In 2023, Amnesty International published its report, The Taliban’s war on women, on the crime against humanity of gender persecution against women and girls in Afghanistan. The 2022 report, Death in Slow Motion: Women and Girls Under Taliban Rule,alsodocumented the Taliban’s widespread, systematic, and intentional attacks on the rights of women, together with the use of torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance. The discriminatory restrictions on the rights of women and girls affect all spheres of their lives, and they are institutionalized through the Taliban’s policies, decisions, and laws.

    Afghanistan had been under preliminary examination by the ICC Prosecutor from 2007 to 2017. In 2022, the Prosecutor resumed its investigation into the situation of Afghanistan after the Court concluded that there was no genuine investigation at the domestic level. In fact, since the Taliban returned to power, they have destroyed avenues for access to fair trial and abolished the constitution and laws that were in force prior to their return.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Belarus: Authorities hold presidential election in climate of total fear and repression

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International calls on the Belarusian authorities to immediately end their vicious campaign of repression against any dissent, which denies the people of Belarus free speech in the run up to the presidential election scheduled for 26 January.

    “Ever since the 2020 presidential election, the already profound human rights crisis in Belarus has deepened even further. Through a brutal campaign against all dissent, the authorities have created a suffocating climate of fear, silencing anything and anyone who challenges the government,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director.

    “The systematic use of repressive measures, including arbitrary detentions, torture and other ill-treatment, and effective criminalization of critical speech, paints a bleak picture of the state of human rights in Belarus today.”

    The systematic use of repressive measures, including arbitrary detentions, torture and other ill-treatment, and effective criminalization of critical speech, paints a bleak picture of the state of human rights in Belarus today

    Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director

    “It is shameful that the international community has largely allowed the human rights crisis in Belarus to unfold and fade into the background. While attention is drawn elsewhere, thousands of people in Belarus remain imprisoned, tortured, or silenced simply for expressing their opinions. Governments and international organizations must act decisively to seek an immediate end to this ongoing crisis and hold the Belarusian authorities accountable for it.”

    Widespread repression

    Since the mass protests following the disputed 2020 presidential elections, Belarusian authorities have unleashed a relentless crackdown on dissent. Peaceful protests have been met with unlawful force by police and other law enforcement services.

    According to Belarusian human rights monitors, over 50,000 individuals have gone through arbitrary detention for taking part in or being associated with peaceful protests since 2020, with 6,550 prosecuted and convicted, and 3,697 given custodial sentences. Many were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. At least seven political prisoners have died in detention since 2021, five of them in 2024 alone. These deaths were avoidable and are the result of the conditions of detention and inadequate medical care.

    This campaign has only intensified in the lead-up to the 2025 presidential elections, with the authorities targeting dissenting individuals and groups across all sections of society, directly and via their relatives.

    The abuse of anti-extremism legislation has become the cornerstone of the government’s strategy to suppress dissent. As of late 2024, 6,565 online resources, from personal social media accounts to independent media outlets and international news organizations, had been arbitrarily labeled as “extremist.” Individuals face severe penalties including hefty fines, for any association with these entities.

    Human rights defenders have been particularly targeted, with 93 arbitrarily detained since 2020, including veteran human rights activist, Nobel peace prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Hundreds of activists, civil society leaders and at least 45 media workers are currently behind bars, and countless more have faced fabricated charges, forcing many to flee the country.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: USA: Rohingya survivor demands US regulator investigates Meta’s role in Myanmar atrocities

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty is supporting activist Maung Sawyeddollah in filing a complaint against Meta and its role in Myanmar violence

    Meta was warned repeatedly by activists and researchers that its algorithms were amplifying hateful content against the Rohingya

    The violence that unfolded in Myanmar in 2017 has been classified as a genocide

    ‘We hope the Securities and Exchange Commission will consider the submission and investigate Meta for any potential violations of federal securities laws’ – Mandi Mudarikwa

    Rohingya human rights activist, Maung Sawyeddollah, has filed a whistleblower complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), asking the agency to investigate Meta for alleged violations of securities laws stemming from the company’s misrepresentations to shareholders on its substantial contribution to what the US government has classified as genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya in Myanmar in 2017. 

    Amnesty International, the Open Society Justice Initiative and Victim Advocates International have jointly supported the submission. 

    Mandi Mudarikwa, Head of Strategic Litigation at Amnesty International, said: 

    “The submission provides information on Meta’s alleged role in the atrocities perpetrated against the Rohingya, and highlights misrepresentations to the SEC and public investors. We hope the SEC will consider the submission and investigate Meta for any potential violations of federal securities laws.”

    Meta: Repeatedly warned against amplifying harmful content

    The submission to the SEC, an independent US agency responsible for ensuring that shareholders are treated fairly and honestly, details how Meta was repeatedly warned by activists and researchers about the risk of Facebook being used to foment and incite violence against the Rohingya in the lead-up to 2017. The filing argues that, despite this, Meta continued leaving out key information on this risk of real-world violence in statements made to public investors. 

    A 2022 report by Amnesty  found that Meta contributed to the atrocities in Myanmar against the Rohingya through Facebook’s use of algorithms that amplify harmful content and inadequate moderation of harmful content, which breached its own Community Standards – rules that define permissible content on the platform. 

    The report revealed that Meta’s business model relied on invasive profiling and targeted advertising, which promoted the spread of harmful content including incitement to violence. Meta’s algorithmic systems are designed to maximize user engagement in order to increase its advertising revenue. As a result, these systems often have the effect of prioritising inflammatory, divisive, and harmful content. 

    Maung Sawyeddollah, recalling his frustration at his futile attempts to alert Meta about the proliferation of harmful content on Facebook, said:

    “I saw a lot of horrible things on Facebook, and I just thought that people who posted were bad. I didn’t realise then that Facebook was to blame. One day I saw a post that made me feel so bad. I tried to report that to Facebook. I said it was hate speech but I got a response that said…it does not go against Community Standards.” 

    Even though such content clearly violated Facebook’s Community Standards, which recently changed as part of a new policy shift, Meta did not sufficiently enforce these in Myanmar nor adequately remove anti-Rohingya content in the months and years before the 2017 atrocities in northern Rakhine State. The insufficient number of content moderators with necessary language skills, the result of the company’s budgeting and staffing choices, also contributed to Meta’s shortcomings. This reflects the company’s broader failure to adequately invest in content moderation across many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, notwithstanding its public claims. 

    Eva Buzo, Executive Director at Victim Advocates International, explained:

    “In Myanmar, where Facebook served as the primary social media platform and news source, the reckless deployment of Meta’s harmful algorithms, with negligible safeguards in place, promoted widespread anti-Rohingya online campaigns which contributed to offline violence.”

    The SEC complaint underscores Meta’s failure to heed multiple civil society warnings from 2013 to 2017 regarding Facebook’s potential role in fueling violence. During that time, civil society repeatedly warned Meta employees that the platform was contributing to a pending “genocide”, similar to the role radios played in the Rwandan genocide. 

    James Goldston, Executive Director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, added:

    “Although investors had asked Meta to look into the human rights implications of its business, Meta fell far short of being fully transparent towards them, even though by that time Meta had been warned multiple times about the escalating situation in Myanmar and Facebook’s role in it.”

    Despite these warnings, between 2015 to 2017, Meta told investors that Facebook’s algorithms did not result in polarization, despite having been warned of Facebook’s role in proliferating anti-Rohingya content in Myanmar. At the same time, Meta did not fully disclose in its financial reporting to shareholders the risks the company’s operations in Myanmar entailed. Instead, in 2015 and 2016 Meta objected to shareholder proposals to conduct a human rights impact assessment and to set up an internal committee to oversee the company’s policies and practices concerning international public issues, including human rights. 

    Violence in Ethiopia

    Public pressure in 2018 forced Meta to partially and belatedly acknowledge Facebook’s role in the Rohingya atrocities. However, between November 2020 and November 2022, Meta again failed to adequately curb the spread of content advocating hatred and violence, this time against the Tigrayans in Ethiopia, ultimately contributing to severe offline violence. This is despite the company’s public claims to the contrary. Plainly, Meta has neither learned its lesson nor taken meaningful steps to curb its role in fueling ethnic violence around the world. 

    Recent policy changes by Meta in the US abolishing independent fact-checking, which may well be rolled out internationally, risk even further exacerbating Meta’s contributions to human rights harms and offline violence, as egregious as the crimes against the Rohingya.   

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Go Greener Faster: Council grant funds community workshops for renewable energy.

    Source: City of Winchester

    Energise South Downs is running a series of renewable energy workshops for communities across the district, supported by the council’s Go Greener Faster grants scheme.

    Participants at the Future Energy Landscapes workshops can learn about the benefits of locally generated renewable energy, how it can power communities and help reduce their carbon footprint. They are open to everyone who wants to learn more about renewable energy, whether they are a supporter, or have concerns about what the transition away from fossil fuels may mean for their local area. Everyone is invited to join the conversation.

    Upcoming Future Energy Landscapes workshops are taking place in the following areas:

    Shedfield, Swanmore, Waltham Chase – 10am–12.30pm Saturday 25 January
    Otterbourne – 7pm–9.30pm – Tuesday 4 February
    East Meon – 7pm–9.30pm – Wednesday 5 March
    Denmead – 7pm–9.30pm – Tuesday 11 March

    Residents can find out more and book a place on Future Energy Landscapes: https://esd.energy/events/future-energy-landscapes/

    Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency said: “The brilliant thing about these workshops is that they truly put the community at the heart of their future energy options.  We know that many people across the district are keen to explore renewable energy and take action, and these workshops will help local communities learn more or even discuss their concerns.  We know it will take all our collective efforts to provide the greener, cleaner future we all hope for and reach our ambitious target of being a carbon neutral district by 2030. Our hope is that many people come along and join the conversation.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Teachers and a student of SPbGASU are among the winners of the Avtodor State Corporation competition

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – On an excursion to the Central Control Center of the Central Ring Road

    On January 23, the award ceremony for the winners of the All-Russian competition of design and research works “Development of the road construction complex of Russia” took place at the main office of the State Company “Avtodor” in Moscow. In the nomination “Bridges, tunnels and building structures” two works submitted by SPbGASU were noted.

    The winner in this nomination was the research project of Nikolai Kozak, associate professor of the Department of Transport Systems and Road and Bridge Construction, on the topic of expanding the capabilities of systems for assessing the technical condition of bridge structures by applying statistical approaches to determining reliability indicators; the head of the department, Stanislav Evtyukov, was awarded for leading this project.

    The prize place in this nomination was awarded to Igor Rudakov, a fifth-year student majoring in “Construction of Unique Buildings and Structures,” for his research, “Determination and comparison of design and actual reliability indices of reinforced concrete bridges in operation, taking into account their actual load,” completed under the supervision of Nikolai Kozak.

    The competition of works was organized by the State Company Avtodor at the end of last year to identify and support talented students and young scientists. The co-organizers of the competition were the Russian University of Transport (RUT (MIIT)) and the Moscow Automobile and Road State Technical University (MADI) with expert support from the Siberian State Automobile and Road University (SibADI).

    A total of 69 works by universities from 20 regions of Russia took part in the competition, and 15 works in seven nominations were awarded. As part of the daytime program, the laureates also visited such facilities of the state company as the central control center of the Central Ring Road (CRR) and the laboratories of the subsidiary company Avtodor-Engineering.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Global sci-fi writers celebrate Chinese New Year with original stories

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Sci-fi writers from various countries will debut original stories themed around the number “10” at the 2025 Science Fiction New Year Gala, which will celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year.

    A poster for the 2025 Science Fiction New Year Gala. [Image courtesy of the Future Affairs Administration]

    This year marks the 10th anniversary of the gala, and the theme of “10” was selected to reflect this milestone, according to the Future Affairs Administration, the event’s organizer and a company dedicated to producing and promoting sci-fi works while supporting new writers in China.

    This year is significant as it is the first since UNESCO added the Spring Festival – a traditional celebration of the Chinese New Year – to its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage last December.

    The number 10 is significant for numerous reasons. The organizers point out that both Eastern and Western cultures embrace the ouroboros – a symbol of a serpent eating its own tail that aligns with China’s Year of the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac – suggesting that the number 10 signifies the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Additionally, in decimal notation, 10 is seen as a node, while in binary, the numbers 1 and 0 represent foundational elements of code. The organizers also note that visually, the number 10 resembles a person standing before a stargate, poised to embark on a new journey.

    Twelve authors from four countries have submitted works inspired by the theme of “10.” These stories will be published daily from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4 on new media platforms operated by the Future Affairs Administration, including Xiaohongshu, WeChat, Weibo and Bilibili.

    The participating writers include China’s Han Song, Yang Ping, Jiang Bo, and Cheng Jingbo, as well as Canada’s Derek Künsken and Jiang Ai, Australia’s Samantha Murray and Japan’s Taiyo Fujii. They are a mix of award-winning authors and emerging stars in the global sci-fi literary scene.

    A tribute video is also being produced to commemorate the anniversary of the Science Fiction New Year Gala. Nearly 50 writers, artists, scholars, translators, readers, fans, critics and gala participants will share their memories and congratulations in the video.

    Over the past 10 years, the Science Fiction New Year Gala has invited 63 sci-fi authors from 10 countries across five continents to contribute to 145 novels, amassing an impressive 500 million views within the Chinese sci-fi community. The stories created for the event have garnered multiple awards both domestically and internationally, appearing in multilingual sci-fi collections and top magazines such as Clarkesworld, Asimov’s Science Fiction, and Lightspeed. Additionally, more than 10 artists have produced over 70 pieces of visual art, while 25 podcasts have collectively featured over 70 hours of programming. More than 150 partners have also given readers Chinese New Year gifts and benefits valued at over 170,000 yuan ($23,300).

    The writings showcased at the gala include sci-fi stories that explore themes such as homeward journeys reflecting the Chinese tradition of family reunions, reimaginings of China’s extensive transportation system, and various social issues. Some stories draw inspiration from the Chinese dragon, a mythical and auspicious creature in Chinese legend and the Zodiac.

    The gala also promotes cultural exchanges, allowing foreign writers to share their perspectives on China while gaining deeper insights into the emotions and experiences of the Chinese people.

    “Why are we celebrating Chinese New Year with sci-fi literature? This idea may seem crazy, but we believe that through sci-fi – a genre that expands human emotions – the atmosphere of the year will become richer between the lines and words,” said Ji Shaoting, founder and CEO of the Future Affairs Administration.

    Ji emphasized the challenge of maintaining focus on one project for 10 years. “The pain involved in pursuing what you love might be the most bearable. Ten years ago, we hoped this could become a fresh New Year tradition for our sci-fi enthusiasts. Perhaps we have achieved that now. However, the road ahead is still long, and we hope that one day everyone will recognize how deeply sci-fi is woven into life and into our very essence,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Exhibition sheds light on Chinese culture through U.S. photographers’ creative lens

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A photo exhibition was launched in Southern California on Thursday to showcase Chinese culture through the creative lens of award-winning American photographers.

    Four Southern Californian photographers had an 11-day journey to South China’s Guangdong Province last November to explore its essence.

    From daily life to traditional celebrations, the photographers visited different cities and experienced Guangdong’s vibrant heritage, artistry, and culinary delights during their trip.

    The exhibition, held in South Coast Plaza in Orange County of Southern California, features 48 photos from their creative lens into Guangdong’s dynamic culture, including the Yingge Dance, a traditional folk dance that originated from the Chaoshan area; the enduring Kung Fu practices in Foshan, a city known for its martial arts culture; and Dim Sum traditions from humble rural kitchens to upscale dining venues.

    “It is a very vibrant place,” Irfan Khan, one of the photographers, told Xinhua. “I’ve heard a lot about China before my trip. But when I was there, what I see is that how fast it is moving,” said Khan, part of a winning team of the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino.

    “The Chinese people are hard-working, open-minded to the world. China has disciplined culture. The whole society is in very good shape,” Khan told Xinhua.

    He said he expects to explore China more in the future, and showcase the Chinese culture and tradition to American audience through his pictures.

    Michael Nelson, winner of the U.S. National Press Photographers Association’s Best of Photojournalism, told Xinhua what impressed him most during his China trip was the contrasts and diversity of Chinese culture, especially in Guangdong Province.

    “You see traditional culture, dances, different kinds of people in mountain areas. You also see very modern, stylish and fast-paced side, like in cities such as Guangzhou. I found the contrasts very interesting. It’s important to get a full picture of the country,” he said.

    Nelson told Xinhua he hopes the photo exhibition will serve as a platform to bridge understanding between American and Chinese people, and to cement bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

    Wang Taiyu, cultural counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, said the photo exhibition will help American audience learn more about China, Chinese people’s lives, and China’s development, from the perspectives of well-known American photographers.

    The photo exhibition runs from Jan. 23 to Feb. 9. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Spring Festival box office heats up with 6 major titles, record presales

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The China Film Administration hosted a promotional event Wednesday to launch the upcoming Spring Festival film season, featuring six major films vying for box office dominance during the lucrative holiday.

    The cast and crew members of six Spring Festival blockbusters pose for a group photo at a promotional event at the China National Film Museum in Beijing, Jan. 22, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Movie Channel]

    The six upcoming films stand out for their diverse themes and genres, talented creative teams and casts, and noteworthy market anticipation. They have already set historical records for the season, including the fastest presale box office to surpass 100 million yuan ($13 million) in less than five hours, as well as the fastest to reach 200 million and 300 million yuan. The films have been hailed by both industry insiders and audiences as the “strongest ever Spring Festival lineup.”

    The event, titled “2025, See You at the Theaters,” took place at the China National Film Museum. Cast and crew members, along with performers dressed as characters from the featured films, paraded on stage to showcase the most compelling aspects of their projects.

    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Two more men in connection with murder and wounding case in Yuen Long arrested

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Two more men in connection with murder and wounding case in Yuen Long arrested
    Two more men in connection with murder and wounding case in Yuen Long arrested
    ******************************************************************************

         In connection with a murder and wounding case happened in Yuen Long on January 22, Police arrested two more men, aged 23 and 26, in Tin Shui Wai for murder and wounding yesterday (January 23).     In the murder and wounding case, a 24-year-old man died and a 28-year-old man was injured.     Concerning the aforementioned case, Police arrested another four men, aged 19 to 29, in Tuen Mun and at the Hong Kong International Airport for murder and wounding earlier.     Among the six arrested persons, Police laid holding charges against a 19-year-old man and a 27-year-old man each with one count of murder and one count of wounding. The 27-year-old man was also charged with one count of illegal possession of Part 1 poison. The case will be mentioned at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (January 25). The remaining four arrested persons are being detained for further enquiries.     Active investigation by the Regional Crime Unit of New Territories North is under way. Anyone who witnessed the case or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 3356.

     
    Ends/Friday, January 24, 2025Issued at HKT 19:37

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tough restrictions for Sheffield hairdresser and baker who falsely claimed £98,000 in Covid loans

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Bankrupt hairdresser claimed two separate loans totalling £98,000 for a new business which only traded for two weeks

    • Hannah Lucy Walker applied for two Covid Bounce Back Loans to claim a total of £98,000 
    • She took the loans for a new business which was not entitled to any money under the scheme and gave false information in her applications 
    • Walker is now subject to 12 years of sanctions which restrict her finance and business activities to protect the public from further harm 

    A bankrupt former hairdresser from Sheffield is subject to 12 years of stringent sanctions after the Official Receiver found she abused the Covid Bounce Back Loan scheme to claim almost £100,000 she was not entitled to. 

    Hannah Lucy Walker, 31, of Pollard Crescent in Sheffield, was originally a hairdresser. 

    But when Covid lockdowns were in operation during May 2020, she also began a baking business, trading as Something Sweet. 

    And on 25 June 2020, Walker applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for Something Sweet – which only ever traded for two weeks – declaring its turnover was £256,000. 

    The next day she applied to a different bank for another Bounce Back Loan of £48,000 for the baking business. This time she claimed the business had a turnover of £230,000. 

    Walker was made bankrupt in March 2024, with outstanding debts of around £109,000 including the full amount of both loans.  

    The Official Receiver, whose duty includes investigating the cause of a bankruptcy, found that Something Sweet had not been eligible to apply for a loan. 

    Samantha Crook, Deputy Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Hannah Walker blatantly abused a scheme designed to support existing businesses during one of the toughest times the country faced. 

    She breached the rules of the scheme by taking out not one, but two loans, for a business that was not even eligible for a loan. 

    These restrictions will curtail her business activities for a long time to help protect the public from further financial harm.

    Under the rules of the Bounce Back Loan scheme, businesses must have been trading by 1 March 2020 in order to apply for a loan.  

    The rules allowed applications for a single loan per business of up to 25% of its 2019 turnover – or of an estimated turnover if the business had started during the previous financial year – up to a maximum of £50,000. Any money claimed was to be used for the economic support of the business. 

    Walker’s baking business was not entitled to any money through the scheme. She did not apply for a loan to support her hairdressing business. 

    Walker signed a Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking in which she did not dispute that she had provided false information on two Bounce Back Loan applications to receive a total of £98,000 to which she was not entitled. 

    She must abide by the restrictions, which extend the terms of her original bankruptcy – usually a period of 12 months – for a further 12 years.  

    They prevent Walker from acting as a company director without permission from the court and from borrowing more than £500 without declaring that she is subject to the sanctions. She is also restricted from holding certain roles in public organisations while subject to the measures. 

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted the undertaking on 14 January 2025. The restrictions will run until 13 January 2037. 

    Further information

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Patricia Rubin appointed as Trustee of The National Gallery

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Prime Minister has appointed Patricia Rubin as Trustee of The National Gallery for a 4 year term from 29 November 2024 to 28 November 2028

    Patricia Rubin 

    Appointed from 29th November 2024 to 28th November 2028

    Patricia Rubin is an art historian, professor, and administrator. In addition to her decades-long teaching career in London and New York, she has been Deputy Director of the Courtauld Institute of Art and founding Head of the Courtauld Institute Research Forum (2004-9), Director of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University (2009-17), and Acting Director of Harvard University Center for Renaissance Studies/Villa I Tatti in Florence (1997). She is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft/Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence and an Honorary Research Fellow of the Courtauld Institute. Museum-based education and research have been fundamental to her work. She has been involved as co-curator, consultant, and catalogue contributor to numerous exhibitions and served on museum boards and committees at the Getty Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Morgan Library and Museum, and the Galleria dell’Accademia of Venice.

    She has written books on Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Artists and on art and society in Renaissance Florence (Giorgio Vasari: Art and History and Images and Identity in Fifteenth-century Florence), along with numerous essays and articles on related topics, including the co-authorship of the National Gallery exhibition catalogue Renaissance Florence: The Art of the 1470s. Her research interests range from altarpiece design to humbug and art history in the nineteenth century. She has recently written essays on Sandro Botticelli’s illustrations to Dante’s Divine Comedy, Anglo-American viewing of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, tomb sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarroti and Andrea del Verrocchio (“Michelangelo’s Monkey and the Melancholy of Death”), “‘Perverse Images’: Monstrous Beauty and Monkey Business in Italian Art from Botticelli to Bronzino,” and “Dangerous Liaisons: Compromising Positions and Provocative Allusions in Bronzino’s Martyrdom of St. Lawrence.”

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Trustees of The National Gallery are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Patricia Rubin has declared no significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –