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  • MIL-OSI USA: RSVP REQUIRED: Pennsylvania Department of State to Host Election Night Media Briefings in Harrisburg After Polls Close

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    November 05, 2024 – Harrisburg, PA

    ADVISORY – RSVP REQUIRED: Pennsylvania Department of State to Host Election Night Media Briefings in Harrisburg After Polls Close

    Members of the media interested in credentials for the Pennsylvania Department of State’s press briefings on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, MUST RSVP HERE with the names and contact information for each person requesting to attend. Individual RSVPs are required for each member of a team (reporter, photographer, etc.) – group RSVPs will not be accepted.

    LINK TO REQUEST CREDENTIALS

    Only credentialed media with an RSVP will be permitted in the event space. Credentialed media with an RSVP will receive a confirmation email Monday, November 4, by 8:00 PM ET with more logistical information, including specific location.

    All briefings will be livestreamed, and a PACast with audio and video will also be available afterwards.

    WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, beginning at 8:30 PM ET (doors will open at 6:30 PM ET)

    WHERE: Please request credentials to receive the address and arrival instructions.

    MANDATORY RSVP: Press MUST RSVP HERE with the name of any photographer, reporter, or producer attending. RSVPs and valid press credentials will be required to gain entrance. All media attendees will go through a security screening upon initial entry and each subsequent reentry.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Broadcast outlets will be allowed only one TV camera per outlet. Broadcast media will not be able to run cables from inside the building to their trucks outside. Mult box, power, WiFi, restrooms, and workspaces will be available on site.

    SATELLITE COORDINATES:
    DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024
    TIME: 20:30 to 21:30 (Eastern)
    FORMAT: 16 x 9 HD
    SATELLITE: SES 02 (KU-Band – DIGITAL)
    ORBITAL POSITION: 87 Degrees West
    TRANSPONDER: K01
    CHANNEL: A9 (9Mhz)
    SYM RATE: 6.333 msps
    FEC: 3/4
    BIT RATE: 8.754441
    VIDEO CODEC: MPEG-4 (H.264)
    DOWNLINK POL: Horizontal
    DOWNLINK FREQ: 11723.50 MHz
    MODULATION: DVB-S, QPSK
    TROUBLE: 717-772-4282

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Titan Fund Management Services Expands Investment Offerings to Meet Growing Demand for Tailored Wealth Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Titan Fund Management Services, a respected financial services provider in the global market, is excited to announce the expansion of its service portfolio to meet the evolving needs of individual, corporate, and institutional clients. This expansion highlights Titan’s dedication to offering comprehensive, client-centered financial strategies that align with a variety of wealth goals.

    Titan Fund Management Services is committed to delivering personalized, diversified wealth management solutions. This includes innovative approaches to asset management, comprehensive retirement planning, and IPO advisory services, each carefully tailored to align with specific client needs. The firm’s service expansion is driven by its core philosophy of responsible wealth building, combining expertise with a focus on long-term client success.

    Titan Fund Management Services has announced an expansion aimed at providing clients with a broader range of choices tailored to their individual financial goals. The company emphasizes that each investment strategy is crafted to foster long-term relationships grounded in trust, transparency, and results-oriented planning.

    A key component of Titan’s approach is its commitment to fostering informed decision-making. Titan’s experienced financial specialists work closely with clients, offering insights and guidance tailored to each unique financial journey. By providing clarity and transparency in its services, Titan enables clients to navigate complex financial landscapes confidently.

    Titan Fund Management Services has been dedicated to excellence in client service since its inception. The firm’s commitment to staying ahead of industry trends allows it to provide clients with leading-edge solutions that address current and future financial needs. By expanding its capabilities, Titan remains dedicated to fostering secure, sustainable growth, empowering clients to make informed choices in every stage of wealth management.

    The firm’s robust array of offerings is backed by a knowledgeable team with significant expertise across various financial sectors. The diverse skill set of Titan’s professionals ensures successful, long-term wealth planning.

    For further details, please visit our website to explore how our comprehensive approach to wealth building accommodates a range of investment objectives and planning horizons.

    About Titan Fund Management Services:

    Titan Fund Management Services, remains committed to identifying and fostering innovative companies that are set to shape the future of the financial markets through disruptive technologies and transformative growth strategies. As Titan Fund Management Services continues to expand its investment portfolio, the firm remains focused on innovation and adaptability. The financial markets are constantly evolving, and the firm is committed to pushing the boundaries towards innovation and enhancing its investment offerings and strategies.

    CONTACT INFORMATION:
    Head of Media: Richard Clarkson
    Company Name: Titan Fund Management Services
    Address: 555 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000
    Tel: +61 3 6317 3722
    Email: info@titanfundmanagement.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by the sponsor. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information shared in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment, financial, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended that you conduct thorough research and consult with a professional financial advisor before making any investment or trading decisions. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e34e0821-1986-4ed3-8fba-6ab917b50bc6

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Helps Secure $49.1 Million from Drug Companies over Illegal Coordination to Inflate Prices

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a bipartisan multistate coalition of 50 attorneys general in announcing settlements with Heritage Pharmaceuticals (Heritage) and Apotex Inc. (Apotex) totaling $49.1 million for their roles in a massive, long-running scheme to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrict trade for dozens of generic prescription drugs. The companies in the scheme, some of which increased prices by 1,000 percent, manufactured essential medications to treat diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer to ADHD. As part of the settlements, both companies have agreed to cooperate in ongoing multistate investigations against 30 corporate defendants and 25 individual executives. Both companies have also agreed to implement internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws. 

    “Affordable generic drugs are a lifeline for millions of New Yorkers who rely on them every day to treat everything from diabetes to heart conditions,” said Attorney General James. “The companies involved in this scheme engaged in a massive conspiracy to illegally coordinate prices, driving up costs for consumers as much as 1,000 percent. These two settlements will help enable the victims of this scheme to get compensation, and will hopefully ensure this type of illegal price fixing will not happen again. I thank my fellow attorneys general for their hard work and collaboration to protect consumers from this unfair anticompetitive conduct.” 

    The settlements are the result of two lawsuits filed by the Office of the Attorney General and a coalition of attorneys general against some of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies. The first complaint, filed in 2016, included Heritage and 17 other corporate defendants, two individual defendants, and 15 generic drugs. Two former executives from Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Jeffrey Glazer and Jason Malek, have since entered into settlement agreements and are cooperating with the states’ investigations. The second complaint was filed in 2019 against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers. The complaint names 16 individual senior executives as defendants. The third complaint was filed in 2020 against Sandoz and 18 other of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers, in addition to 10 individual defendants.

    The lawsuits allege these companies engaged in a broad, coordinated, and systematic conspiracy to fix prices, avoid competition, and rig bids for more than 100 different generic drugs. The companies maintained an interconnected web of industry executives where these competitors met with each other during industry dinners, “girls’ nights out,” lunches, cocktail parties, and golf outings, and communicated via frequent telephone calls, emails, and text messages that sowed the seeds for their illegal agreements. Defendants used terms like “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and “responsible competitor” to describe how they unlawfully discouraged competition, raised prices, and enforced an ingrained culture of collusion. 

    The drugs included in the scheme span all types, including tablets, capsules, creams, and ointments; and classes, including antibiotics, anti-depressants, contraceptives, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They treat a range of diseases and conditions from basic infections to diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV, ADHD, and more. In some instances, the coordinated price increases were over 1,000 percent. Digoxin, an essential heart medication manufactured by Heritage, tripled in price, causing patients to pay hundreds of dollars more for the drug. 

    The cases stem from an investigation built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of the conspiracy, a massive database of over 20 million documents, and a phone records database containing millions of call detail records and contact information for over 600 sales and pricing individuals in the generics industry. 

    A motion for preliminary approval of the $10 million settlement with Heritage was filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut in Hartford. A settlement with Apotex for $39.1 million is contingent upon obtaining signatures from all necessary states and territories and will be finalized and filed in the U.S. District Court.  

    Consumers who purchased a generic prescription drug manufactured by either Heritage or Apotex between 2010 and 2018 may be eligible for compensation. To determine your eligibility, call 1-866-290-0182, email info@AGGenericDrugs.com or visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com.

    Joining Attorney General James in announcing the settlements are the attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

    These settlements are the latest example of Attorney General James taking action to stop companies from engaging in anticompetitive conduct and harming New Yorkers. In May, Attorney General James joined 40 other states and the Department of Justice in suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for monopolizing the live music industry. In October 2023, Attorney General James secured $4.5 million from one of the nation’s largest title insurance companies for using illegal no-poach agreements with competitors to keep employees from switching jobs. Attorney General James has now ended the use of no-poach agreements by the five largest commercial underwriters in the United States, including First American, Fidelity, Old Republic, Stewart, and Amtrust. In 2022, Attorney General James sued a ski resort company in Syracuse for buying its main competitor and shutting it down in order to monopolize the local market. 

    New York’s investigation has been led by Assistant Attorneys General Bob Hubbard and Saami Zain and Legal Assistant Arlene Leventhal of the Antitrust Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Amy McFarlane and Bureau Chief Elinor Hoffmann of the Antitrust Bureau. The Antitrust Bureau is part of the Division for Economic Justice, overseen by Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher D’Angelo and First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: New Zealand celebrates diversity through Asia Pacific films

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The New Zealand Asia Pacific Film Festival (NZAPFF) 2024, showcasing films from China, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand, was launched on Friday night.

    Chairman of NZAPFF Bo Li stressed the festival’s commitment to diversity in his opening speech.

    “At this year’s festival, we have maintained strong international inclusion, inviting filmmakers and artistic panels from all backgrounds to share their unique stories. This commitment to diversity enriches our festival and deepens our understanding of the world through the lens of the film,” Li said.

    Glen Katu from the NZ Maori Tourism said the festival is “a remarkable celebration of the diverse cultures and stories that shape our vibrant Asia Pacific region.”

    “Storytelling is foundational in both Maori and Asian cultures, serving not only as a bridge between generations but also as a heritage. This connection is visible tonight as we gather to share stories, a universal language that transcends boundaries and brings us all together,” said Katu.

    The opening ceremony concluded with lucky draws and a film screening of the award-winning movie “A Place Called Silence.”

    This year marks the 12th anniversary of the NZAPFF. It also features the first New Order Youth International Film Festival (NOYIFF), which is the brand of the NZAPFF short film unit to encourage young filmmakers to participate in the event and discover their talent. The NOYIFF has received 5,691 submissions from 120 countries, with the award to be given at the closing ceremony of the NZAPFF next week.

    The New Zealand Asia Trust, the New Zealand Culture and Arts Foundation, and the New Zealand Maori Tourism co-organized this year’s festival. The opening ceremony was attended by over 600 people including representatives from the Maori Tourism Board, diplomatic envoys, community leaders, movie lovers, celebrities and artists. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s homegrown C919 aircraft completes first engine replacement

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s domestically developed large passenger aircraft C919. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China Eastern Airlines (CEA) has successfully replaced the first engine for the world’s first delivered C919 aircraft, filling a gap in the maintenance capability for the country’s homegrown large passenger aircraft.

    The engine replacement is one of the most complicated tasks in aircraft maintenance. The main purpose of the engine replacement was to verify the feasibility of the C919’s engine replacement process to improve aircraft safety.

    The CEA maintenance engineers completed 60 routine tasks and more than 10 non-routine tasks over nine days, with all test parameters normal, successfully completing the first engine replacement of the C919 aircraft numbered B-919A.

    The engine replacement “will ensure the sustainable operation of the C919 aircraft in CEA in the future and enhance its performance,” said Dong Haoyang, manager of the C919 engine replacement project at China Eastern Xibei Airlines as cited by CCTV+.

    The CEA has seven C919 aircraft in operation, serving five commercial routes connecting Shanghai with Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an and other cities.

    Other airlines, including Air China and China Southern Airlines, have also conducted commercial operations with the aircraft.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKETO Brussels supports Hong Kong films during Asian Film Festival Barcelona in Spain

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    HKETO Brussels supports Hong Kong films during Asian Film Festival Barcelona in Spain
    HKETO Brussels supports Hong Kong films during Asian Film Festival Barcelona in Spain
    *************************************************************************************

         The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) supported the 12th Asian Film Festival Barcelona, which is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from October 24 to November 3, 2024.      Seven Hong Kong movies are supported by Brussels ETO in the Festival, namely “The Narrow Road”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Dust to Dust”, “Love Lies”, “Where the Wind Blows”, “Cinema Strada” and “Time Still Turns the Pages”. “Time Still Turns the Pages” has been selected as the closing film of the Festival this year.      Brussels ETO hosted a reception on November 2 (Barcelona time) for about 100 guests from the local film, cultural and business sectors. Speaking at the reception, Assistant Representative Mr Paul Leung said that Hong Kong is an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and an Asian front-runner in global film history.       “To enhance the development of the film industry, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been supporting the film industry through the Film Development Fund in four strategic directions, namely nurturing talent, enhancing local production, expanding markets and building audiences,” added Mr Leung.     He highlighted the recently launched Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme, which subsidises film projects co-produced by filmmakers from European and Asian countries to produce films featuring Hong Kong, European and Asian cultures. The scheme aims to support Hong Kong films in expanding to overseas markets.      The Asian Film Festival in Barcelona is celebrating its 12th anniversary this year. It is one of the major film festivals in Barcelona dedicated to Asian movies.

     
    Ends/Sunday, November 3, 2024Issued at HKT 13:55

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Halifax — RCMP warns Retailers of increased credit card scams

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Nova Scotia RCMP’s Commercial Crime Section is reminding retailers that a province-wide trend continues where scammers are using stolen or compromised credit cards to pay for high-volume or expensive orders.

    Retailers should exercise extra caution when conducting sales over the phone, particularly in accepting credit card payments without the cardholder present. Recent incidents have included the fraudulent purchase of furniture, ATVs, tires, and other high-value items.

    Many credit card vendor agreements make the retailer responsible for purchases where it is determined the credit card was used without authorization from the true cardholder, even in cases of fraud. A charge-back dispute can be made against the vendor by the credit card company for such fraudulent transactions, in some cases after the product has already been shipped. This results in retailers losing both the product that was purchased fraudulently and the fraudulent payment.

    For more information on this, and other common scams, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm.

    Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a scam is encouraged to contact their local police. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Education and Media – News is good for Ara journalism grads – Ara

    Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

    In 2024, the media landscape has been described as bleak, with major headlines focusing on the closure of Newshub and significant cutbacks for TVNZ.
    These developments have raised concerns about the future of traditional media roles, reflecting broader industry challenges associated with shifting audience preferences towards digital platforms and customised, OnDemand content.
    It’s prompted academics and former industry professionals now teaching at Ara’s New Zealand Broadcasting School (NZBS) to be inundated with interview requests about the supposed demise of journalism.
    But the current demand for NZBS journalism grads belies that narrative.
    Right now, the current cohort are securing industry placements that both complete their studies and springboard them into their media careers. And the NZBS reports that opportunities abound for their highly skilled multi-media professionals who are industry ready.
    Placement Lead Simon Tuck said it’s the time of year when “the rubber hits the road”.
    “This is the time our learners truly realise their dream of getting into their chosen field. In recent weeks we’ve been delighted to host industry here as they seek to recruit our talented learners into their many and varied businesses.”
    Tuck said mainstream outlets NZME, Sky, Stuff, TVNZ, Radio New Zealand, MediaWorks and Newstalk ZB as well as smaller or more niche outlets had been in touch about placements.
    “Stuff is an exciting new outlet for us. We’ve enjoyed having them on campus as we’ve built our relationship with them this year and in recent weeks they’ve interviewed 30 learners across our journalism, radio and screen streams for the multiple places they’re offering,” he said.
    “They’re looking for cross-stream capable journalists with strong audio and video skills. Their feedback was that they were ‘spoiled for choice’ and if they could take everyone, they would.”
    Second-year journalism tutor (and foundation Newshub staffer) Jeff Hampton’s long-held view that there would always be demand for quality content creators was ringing true.
    “Whether it’s video audio or written, journalism is simply being delivered in a different form. There’s always going to be a need for journalism and there will always be work for people who can produce quality content,” Hampton said.
    “We’re seeking to be ahead of trends here at Broadcasting School, adopting technologies like our Mojo kits, to ensure our graduates have relevant skillsets.
    NZBS Programme Leader Karen Neill said another example was the newly devised “Extravaganza”, this year’s final project for Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications learners.
    Industry experts had been involved alongside learners in the creation of the on-screen, on-air and online offering due to go live next month. Communications experts and content creators from several production houses and agencies had also had input.
    “Our learners are being challenged to come up with an audience-grabbing product that crosses all information platforms. Be it audio, visual, online or social media – developing this crossover skillset makes them equipped for everything,” Neill said.
    Industry guests will be invited to observe the live Freeview broadcast showcasing the learner-led approaches to news in a multimedia context.
    At the end of the Extravaganza season the next step for NZBS students will be their industry placements. Records show 93% of NZBS journalism graduates will continue in their chosen field following their first foray into the workplace.
    As he prepares to oversee the next cohort’s initial industry experience, Tuck sees no reason that will change.
    “We find that our industry partners who invest in the future of our graduates with paid placements do their all to look after them. That’s been the case even amid the challenges of 2024,” he said.
    “With all this in mind, I can only encourage anyone who has a desire to be among New Zealand’s next content creators to apply to study at Ara. We’re ready to foster their talent and continue to work to satisfy industry demand.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More than nine million Australian homes and businesses can now make the switch to ultrafast NBN

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Government is lifting the nation’s digital capacity with more than nine million homes and businesses able to access the fastest broadband speeds on the National Broadband Network (NBN).
     
    This is an important milestone on the way to enabling ten million premises – or up to 90 per cent of the NBN fixed line network – to access the NBN’s fastest speeds of up to one gigabit per second by the end of 2025.
     
    World-class fibre broadband enables gigabit speeds, allowing for faster upload and downloads, more connected devices, and better reliability for consumers – whether they are videoconferencing for work, enjoying high-definition movies or next-level gaming.
     
    Fibre upgrades are being delivered across the country thanks to the Albanese Government’s significant $2.4 billion investment to roll out fibre to 1.5 million more premises across Australia.
     
    Full fibre connections are delivering productivity benefits, with NBN users saving more than 100 hours and $2,580 per year working from home and undertaking tasks online.   
     
    Research shows the NBN has delivered $122 billion in economic uplift since 2022, and has supported the creation of approx 169,000 jobs – the equivalent of a 1.3 per cent increase in Australia’s labour force.
     
    Fibre upgrades are available on-demand to eligible households and businesses who take out an eligible higher speed tier plan. 
     
    For more information on NBN Co’s Fibre Upgrade program, visit: https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/network-technology/fibre-to-the-premises-explained-fttp.
     
    Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
     
    “The Albanese Government is delivering on its vision for Australia to become the most connected continent.
     
    “We are delivering a better NBN for Australia, with nine million homes and businesses now able to access gigabit speeds thanks to Labor’s significant investment in the network.
     
    “Average data usage in Australia has increased ten times over the past ten years, with the average home now hosting 22 internet-connected or smart devices.
     
    “Faster speeds provide a world-class experience for consumers whether they are connecting for work, study or entertainment.

    “As Australia’s connectivity needs continue to grow, the Albanese Labor Government will deliver the nation-building infrastructure for the future. And we will ensure the NBN remains in public hands.”
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Popular flea market returns to city centre

    Source: Auckland Council

    The city centre’s first regular ReUse Market in 40 years is attracting people from all over Auckland as buyers and sellers.

    On the second Sunday of each month, the ground floor of the Victoria Street Carpark becomes a different hive of activity when a diverse group of Aucklanders of all ages and backgrounds come together to sell and swap preloved items.

    “The ReUse Market brings together people who are at a stage when they are downsizing or wanting to pass on items they no longer use, young people who love thrifting and everyone in-between,” says ReUse Market organiser Suzanne Kendrick.

    Organiser Suzanne Kendrick and fairy helper Phoebe.

    “Shoppers range from city centre residents to tourists. We also get a lot of curious people who park their cars in the building on their way to a city event and are pleasantly surprised to discover the market,” she says.

    “People love a bargain, but they also love coming across retro things that remind them of their childhood, iconic toys like the Buzzy Bee.”

    Vivien, a resident in the city, says she was passing when she saw the bright orange signs for the Reuse Market. She remembers frequent visits to flea markets with her aunts many years ago.

    Now with her own extended family, including plenty of grandchildren, Vivien keeps an eye out for toys and bric-a-brac to use as prizes for the games they play at family get-togethers.

    “With a large family there are birthdays every month and we like to play games for entertainment. Markets are perfect places to pick up toys and prizes,” Vivien says.

    First-time stall holders Jo and Nodoka sell clothes and a wide range of items from their homes.  “We saw spaces to sell from the Reuse Market advertised on social media and decided to give it a try. It’s fun!” says Nodoka.

    Like Jo and Nodoka, most stall holders come in from the suburbs to sell or give away second-hand items.  

    Jo and Nodoka say selling at the market is fun.

    Some, like Lyn, a long-time car-booter, sell items that have been passed onto them. Lyn specialises in preloved, quality linen, clothing, jewellery and homewares.

    “I love the affordability and how reuse is catching on, especially amongst young people,” says Lyn.

    When ReUse Market organiser Suzanne Kendrick was looking for a space for a central city flea market, her wish list included a space big enough to accommodate anyone who wanted to sell or buy preloved goods, protection from the weather, and ample parking.  It seemed like a tall order, but Auckland Council’s City Centre Place Activation principal Barbara Holloway knew the perfect spot – the ground level of the Victoria Street Carpark.

    “We’re continuing to support initiatives like the ReUse Market that bring people into the city centre; it gives people a new reason to come and enjoy this exciting part of town, wander the lanes and rediscover midtown,” says Barbara. 

    With support from the city centre targeted rate, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport, the ReUse Market, which launched in March 2024, is now thriving.

    And with Christmas around the corner Suzanne wants to see Aucklanders try the latest social trend of ‘buy nothing new’ – at least for some of their gifts. 

    “If you’ve got something to sell or give away, or you’re after Christmas gifts, you can make some money, save some money and help the environment,” says Suzanne.

    City centre resident Vivien searching for gift prizes.

    Auckland Council General Manager Waste Solutions Justine Haves says the ReUse Market is an important initiative for the council to support to help achieve our environmental goals for Auckland.

    “The ReUse Market keeps valuable resources out of landfill and aligns with our Zero Waste strategy as we enable Aucklanders to reconsider what they see as waste towards more reuse, repair and repurposing.  

    “It’s a great to have a ReUse Market in the city centre, joining the many new and established markets around the region,” she says.

    For more information on the ReUse Market events at the Victoria Street Carpark visit ReUse Market.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Burkina Faso

    Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Safe Travel

    • Reviewed: 4 November 2024, 14:48 NZDT
    • Still current at: 4 November 2024

    Related news features

    If you are planning international travel at this time, please read our COVID-19 related travel advice here, alongside our destination specific travel advice below.

    Do not travel to Burkina Faso due to the volatile security situation and the high threat of kidnapping, terrorism and armed banditry (level 4 of 4). 

    Burkina Faso

    Terrorism
     There is a high threat of terrorism in Burkina Faso, particularly in border areas with Mali and Niger. States of emergencies remain in place in several border regions. In 2018, terrorist groups released a statement declaring their intention to target westerners and western companies in the Sahel. There have been multiple attacks in the capital and elsewhere in the country since 2016, including:

    • On 11 June 2022, over 100 people were killed in an attack in Seytenga, Seno Province.
    • On 4 and 5 June 2021, over 160 people were killed in attack on Solhan village, in the northeast.
    • On 26 April 2021, 3 foreign nationals were killed in an ambush on the PK 60 road between Fada-N’Gourma and Pama.
    • On 1 December 2019, at least 14 people were killed in a shooting attack inside a church in Hantoukoura.
    • On 5 November 2019, 37 people were killed and a further 60 injured in an attack on a convoy carrying workers to a Canadian gold mine near Boungou.
    • On March 2, 2018, extremists attacked the French Embassy and Burkina Faso’s military headquarters in downtown Ouagadougou. Eight security force personnel, including soldiers and police officers were killed and over 80 others were injured.
    • On 13 August 2017, gunmen attacked the Aziz Istanbul restaurant in Ouagadougou, killing at least 18 people.
    • On 15 January 2016, armed gunmen attacked the Splendid Hotel and Café Cappuccino in Ouagadougou resulted in 30 deaths, a large number of whom were foreign nationals.

    Terrorist attacks could occur at anytime, anywhere in Burkina Faso and may be directed at locations with foreign interests or known to be frequented by foreigners, such as embassies, hotels, bars, restaurants, markets, airports, shopping areas, tourist sites, public transport facilities, mining operations and places of worship.

    New Zealanders throughout Burkina Faso are advised to maintain a high degree of security awareness at all times, particularly in public areas. Avoid all large gatherings, including music festivals, concerts, sporting events and any public demonstrations or protests. Keep yourself informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring the media and other local sources of information and follow the instructions of local authorities at all times.

    Kidnapping
     There is a heightened threat of kidnapping in Burkina Faso. Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have stated their intention to kidnap foreigners and may cross the borders from Mali and Niger to carry out kidnappings.

    A number of foreigners have previously been kidnapped in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region. In April 2022, a Polish national was kidnapped in north-eastern Burkina Faso and in September 2022, a US national was kidnapped in Yalgo, also in north-eastern Burkina Faso. The threat is likely to continue.

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are strongly advised to seek professional security advice or protection before travelling to areas of particular risk.

    Political Situation/Civil Unrest
     The security situation has deteriorated significantly in recent years. The political situation continues to evolve following the military coup on 30 September 2022. 

    Demonstrations occur regularly and have taken place in major cities. They have the potential to result in violence or clashes, gunfire has been reported in Ougadougou. Expect an increased security presence country-wide and comply with any instructions issued by the local authorities, including any curfews or restrictions of movement. Continued disruptions to internet and other telecommunication services are possible.

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are advised to avoid all protests, demonstrations and large gatherings. 

    Banditry
     Banditry is a security concern in Burkina Faso. There continue to be reports of attacks by armed criminals on vehicles, including buses, travelling on a variety of main and secondary roads across the country. Criminals have used road blocks to stop and rob travellers and have been known to open fire on vehicles that refuse to stop. While bandits mainly steal valuables, they may physically harm victims during the course of a robbery.

    The highest number of incidents occur in the eastern region but there have been a number of attacks in other regions and the threat exists throughout Burkina Faso. Remote and border regions are especially vulnerable.

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are advised to travel in convoy if possible, stay on clearly marked roads and avoid travel by night outside major centres. You should seek local advice before setting out and follow a police patrol where possible.

    Crime
     Street crime is prevalent in Burkina Faso and foreigners may be specifically targeted due to their perceived wealth. Bag-snatchings, muggings and theft from hotel rooms are common, particularly in Ouagadougou. The central market and the area around the United Nations circle are often targeted by thieves. Theft is often perpetrated by one or two people on motorbikes.

    Criminals in urban areas may carry knives in order to cut straps on bags and can become violent if the victim is non-compliant. Sexual assault occurs periodically in smaller towns and within Ouagadougou.

    New Zealanders are advised to exercise particular vigilance in crowded or public areas, avoid showing signs of affluence and keep personal belongings secure at all times.

    When driving you should keep doors locked, windows up and keep any valuables out of sight. Avoid travelling alone at night, as risks increase after dark.

    Scams
     Commercial and internet fraud is a common problem in Burkino Faso. New Zealanders in Burkina Faso should be wary of any offers that seem too good to be true, as they may be a scam. For further information see our advice on Internet Fraud and International Scams and Internet dating scams.

    General Travel Advice
     As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Burkina Faso, the ability of the government to provide consular assistance to New Zealand citizens is extremely limited.

    We offer advice to New Zealanders about contingency planning that travellers to Burkina Faso should consider.

    New Zealanders are advised to respect religious and social traditions in Burkina Faso to avoid offending local sensitivities.

    Modern medical services in Burkina Faso are very limited, New Zealanders travelling or living in Burkina Faso should have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place that includes provision for medical evacuation by air. 

    New Zealanders in Burkina Faso are strongly encouraged to register their details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

     

    Travel tips

    See our regional advice for Africa

    Top of page

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Path of Friendship’ event promotes Chinese culture in Vladivostok

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese Consul General in Vladivostok Piao Yangfan delivers a speech during the event entitled Path of Friendship at the Gorky Public Library in Vladivostok, Russia, Nov. 2, 2024. The event promoting traditional Chinese culture was held here on Saturday, drawing over 100 participants, including Chinese culture enthusiasts, students, and local residents. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

    An event promoting traditional Chinese culture was held in Vladivostok, Russia on Saturday, drawing over 100 participants, including Chinese culture enthusiasts, students, and local residents.

    Chinese Consul General in Vladivostok, Piao Yangfan, said that the event, entitled Path of Friendship, is part of a series of cultural exchange programs to celebrate the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations and the China-Russia Cultural Year.

    Such events will help further unleash the potential for bilateral cultural cooperation, and inject new impetus into the growing bond between the people of the two countries, he added.

    Vladivostok Deputy Mayor Daria Stegniy praised the event for reinforcing the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

    Activities included presentations on Chinese ethnic groups, traditional music, Baduanjin aerobic exercises, a tea ceremony, and hands-on experiences in calligraphy, painting, and paper-cutting.

    The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Vladivostok, the Representative Office of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vladivostok, the Gorky Public Library of Primorsky Krai, and the Confucius Institute at Far Eastern Federal University. 

    Guests write Chinese calligraphy during an event entitled Path of Friendship at the Gorky Public Library in Vladivostok, Russia, Nov. 2, 2024. The event promoting traditional Chinese culture was held here on Saturday, drawing over 100 participants, including Chinese culture enthusiasts, students, and local residents. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Director Emphasizes the Ecosystem’s Growth at TON Gateway in Dubai

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial Web3 wallet, recently sponsored the TON Gateway event held in Dubai. The ecosystem attributes its widespread adoption to the growing TON community. The Web3 wallet was represented in a panel discussion titled “Perspective Sectors on TON for VC and Exchanges,” by Jamie Elkaleh, Marketing Director at Bitget Wallet, alongside industry leaders from TON Ventures, Binance, KuCoin, Kenetic, and Pantera Capital. In the panel, Elkaleh emphasized the unique opportunities presented by the TON ecosystem and how the newly launched Bitget Wallet Lite, a multi-chain Telegram wallet, addresses existing TON ecosystem and infrastructure challenges which helped them onboard over 6 million users in just three days after its launch.

    Elkaleh highlighted that the integration of TON with Telegram—a platform boasting nearly 1 billion users—provides an expansive user base that can effectively bridge Web2 and Web3. However, he noted significant challenges within the TON ecosystem, particularly the underdeveloped DeFi sector. Compared to leading blockchains, TON’s DeFi projects lag in both quantity and quality, limiting the potential for growth. Although the primary user base is driven by Telegram mini-apps, the lack of a robust DeFi infrastructure restricts the overall development of the TON ecosystem, hindering its growth potential.

    Recently, Bitget Wallet has launched Bitget Wallet Lite, a non-custodial multi-chain wallet integrated within Telegram, that helps tackle TON’s challenges. This innovative wallet allows users to seamlessly purchase, manage, and transfer crypto assets directly within the messaging app, facilitating cross-chain DeFi activities, and will support more activities token swap, staking, and liquidity mining in the future. By enhancing user interactions and transactions, Bitget Wallet Lite promotes ecosystem integration, making crypto operations more efficient and user-friendly directly within Telegram. Furthermore, the wallet empowers developers by providing tools for encrypted payments and trading flows, creating new revenue streams and fostering the development of high-quality mini-game applications within the Telegram ecosystem. Looking ahead, Bitget Wallet Lite is bound to onboard more Web2 users into Web3 seamlessly and contribute to the growth of the TON ecosystem.

    Bitget Wallet has seen remarkable growth this year, now surpassing 40 million users globally and becoming the most downloaded Web3 wallet. Its integration with Telegram and the TON ecosystem has been pivotal to this success, enabling users to manage assets and interact with DApps effortlessly. Recent statistics show a staggering 4886% quarterly growth in TON chain addresses among Bitget Wallet users. The company’s proactive initiatives, including being the first to fully integrate with the TON ecosystem, launching the first MPC wallet supporting TON and partnering with over 40 TON ecosystem projects, have established Bitget Wallet as a leader in driving ecosystem growth and simplifying user access to TON.

    Looking to the future, Elkaleh envisions a bright trajectory for the TON ecosystem. “The growth of the TON ecosystem will continue to be driven by Telegram mini-apps integrating more social, DeFi and gaming activities, simplifying the experience for new users,” he stated. “With the rise of PayFi initiatives and the expansion of the ecosystem, TON is well-positioned to leverage its connection with Telegram for significant user adoption. We estimate that the stablecoin transfers on TON will also continue to grow over the next year, underscoring the vast potential for growth within this dynamic ecosystem.”

    Experience Bitget Wallet Lite: https://t.me/BitgetWallet_TGBot

    About Bitget Wallet

    Bitget Wallet is the home of Web3, uniting endless possibilities in one non-custodial wallet. With over 40 million users, it offers comprehensive on-chain services, including asset management, instant swaps, rewards, staking, trading tools, live market data, a DApp browser, and an NFT marketplace. Designed for everyone from beginners to advanced traders, it supports mnemonic, MPC, and AA wallet options. With connections to over 100 blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and 500,000+ tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges, along with a $300 million protection fund for your digital assets.

    Experience Bitget Wallet Lite to start your Web3 journey.

    For more information, visit: Twitter | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord

    For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/220a53bb-0462-484e-95a0-2060ffadf51c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Woman of the Hour: Anna Kendrick’s unflinching directorial debut reframes true crime for a post-#MeToo era

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cantrell, Senior Lecturer — Writing, Editing, Publishing, University of Southern Queensland

    At first glance, Netflix’s Woman of the Hour is yet another true crime fictionalisation that plays to our preoccupation with American serial killers of decades past.

    Directed by Anna Kendrick, who also plays the female protagonist Sheryl Bradshaw, the film reconstructs the crimes of serial rapist and murderer Rodney Alcala, aka the “dating game killer”. Alcala famously appeared on (and won) a television matchmaking show in 1978 amid a years-long killing spree.

    The film examines historical sexual violence at both the individual and institutional level. It exposes the intense physical and psychological cruelty Alcala inflicted on his victims, as well as the cruelty and misogyny of the patriarchal culture that enabled such behaviour.

    Woman of the Hour is a groundbreaking text: it’s the first feminist true crime film to achieve commercial success since the #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017.

    Rodney Alcala reportedly killed up to 130 people, including men, women and children.
    Netflix

    Seeing and being seen

    Woman of the Hour inverts the sadistic and voyeuristic “male gaze” of traditional true crime by obliging viewers to identify with the female victim rather than the male perpetrator.

    As film theorist and gender studies expert Sarah Projanksy observed in her influential book Watching Rape:

    Depictions of sexual violence in most horror and crime thrillers run the risk of extending and reproducing eroticised violence against women, even when victims fight back.

    But Kendrick’s directorial debut doesn’t romanticise Alcala or glorify his crimes. There are no cowering or moaning victims shown in various stages of undress.

    Instead we see, through careful framing and close-up shots, the panicked discomfort of Alcala’s victims as they navigate the dangers of dating, the damaging effects of casual misogyny and the ever-present threat of male fragility.

    As Margaret Atwood once said, men are afraid women will laugh at them, while women are afraid men will kill them.

    ‘No matter what words they use,’ a make-up artist tells Sheryl, ‘the question beneath the question remains the same […] which one of you will hurt me?’
    Netflix

    “Did you feel seen?” Alcala asks Sheryl, after the aspiring actress appears with Alcala on The Dating Game in an attempt to be “seen”.

    “I felt looked at,” Sheryl responds.

    The tense interactions between predator and prey build an almost unbearable suspense for viewers, who have already seen through Alcala’s superficial charisma and charm.

    Alcala was an amateur photographer who often exploited his victims’ desire to be understood and “seen”, and would lure them under the pretence of taking their photo.

    The film’s unsettling dialogue and intelligent use of visual metaphor frames women as objects to be looked at, but with a twist: the female characters are aware they’re being tracked and entrapped (even if the realisation comes too late).

    In subtle but devastating ways, Kendrick presents the horrific rape and torture committed by Alcala from the viewpoint of the victim. The camerawork underscores the victims’ feelings of shock and disorientation, but never in a voyeuristic or gratuitous way.

    Rodney Alcala died of natural causes in 2021, aged 77. He was on death row at the time.
    Netflix

    A game of murder and romance

    Woman of The Hour implicitly suggests part of Alcala’s perverted pleasure in killing came from his gamification of this process.

    In the film, Alcala strangles and then revives his victims, sometimes several times, before resubjecting them to the horror of his violence and the knowledge of their own death. His appearance on The Dating Game is the ultimate power move in his game of murder and romance.

    “I always get the girl,” Alcala smirks at a fellow contestant.

    His challenge extends not only to Sheryl, the blind date on the other side of the screen, but to the entire studio audience and the viewers at home.

    However, the film makes clear that romance was never Alcala’s goal. Instead, he leverages the game of romance to exploit his victims’ vulnerability and trust. In this respect, the game is rigged in his favour.

    When a woman in the audience recognises Alcala as the man who raped and killed her friend years prior, she attempts to report her concerns to the show’s producers, only to be fobbed off by a security guard. In another act of cruel male deception, the guard tells her to wait for a “senior executive” who he knows is actually the night janitor.

    Women, it seems, are simply pawns in the patriarchal game of 1970s America – an era when women’s testimonies of sexual abuse and harassment were distrusted and their safety routinely overlooked.

    Woman of The Hour lays bare the systemic failings that let Alcala get away with his crimes for so long.
    Netflix

    Alcala after #MeToo

    The women who survive Alcala’s violence in Woman of The Hour are those who perceive the artifice of his romance script, before inverting that script and presenting it, equally convincingly, back to him.

    When teenage runaway Amy wakes in the remote desert after Alcala has brutally raped and assaulted her, she outwits him by coyly asking him to keep what has happened a secret.

    By luring Alcala into a false sense of security, Amy convinces him to spare her. When Alcala pulls into a gas station, she flees to a nearby diner and alerts the police, who arrive and arrest him.

    Kendrick is careful to not adopt the voyeristic male gaze that is so common in the true crime genre.
    Netflix

    In the end, Kendrick’s message is explicit: “There’s no happy ending with a story like this.”

    This post-#MeToo take on Alcala’s violent crimes is a commentary on the systemic misogyny – including the failings of the police and judicial systems – that allowed a serial killer who went on national television to evade detection.

    Kendrick, the woman of the hour, refuses to look away.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Woman of the Hour: Anna Kendrick’s unflinching directorial debut reframes true crime for a post-#MeToo era – https://theconversation.com/woman-of-the-hour-anna-kendricks-unflinching-directorial-debut-reframes-true-crime-for-a-post-metoo-era-242302

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Apart from Chris Martin’s fall, here are 10 other examples of onstage accidents. Can we keep performers safe?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Analytics & Resilience, UNSW Sydney

    In recent months, Australian concertgoers have witnessed plenty of unexpected onstage drama.

    The latest example came from Coldplay’s sold-out Sunday show in Melbourne. Lead singer Chris Martin took a sudden plunge through a trapdoor, catching fans off guard, before reemerging with a laugh and reassuring wave.

    Just weeks prior, also in Melbourne, singer Olivia Rodrigo abruptly fell into an unexpected opening mid-performance.

    While such slips may seem like isolated moments of bad luck, they signal at one aspect of live shows that often goes unnoticed: performer safety.

    As stages become increasingly elaborate – with intricate set designs and high-tech moving parts – the line between awe-inspiring production and potential hazard grows thin.

    A thin line between spectacle and risk

    Performer safety mishaps aren’t isolated accidents. They are part of a recurring pattern in live music in both Australia and overseas, with falls and slips being one of the most common setbacks. For instance,

    Beyond losing one’s footing, audience aggression and inappropriate behaviour towards artists have also been on the rise in recent years:

    • in October, The Weeknd was grabbed by a Melbourne concertgoer who evaded security and rushed onto the stage and towards the artist, stunning him momentarily

    • last year, Bebe Rexha was struck in the face by a phone thrown from the audience during a concert in New York City. This resulted in a laceration that required stitches

    • Harry Styles was hit by various objects during his 2023 world tour. In one show in Los Angeles, a skittle struck his eye

    What’s behind this trend?

    From falls, to fans rushing onstage, to objects flying from the crowd, it’s clear artists are facing a unique set of safety challenges. These challenges are driven by two factors: audience behaviour and increasingly complex stage designs.

    While audience misbehaviour poses a significant risk, it seemed to have peaked post-pandemic. This may have reflected a collective frustration – or perhaps it was audiences failing to remember proper concert etiquette after spending so much time in lockdowns.

    Social media also arguably played a role, by turning disruptive actions into “viral moments” and potentially inspiring copycats. Fortunately, these incidents seem to be declining as live music crowds settle back into pre-pandemic norms.



    Read more:
    Chaotic scenes at Travis Scott’s Melbourne concert: what is the role of artists in crowd behaviour?

    Stage-related mishaps, however, appear to be on the opposite trajectory. As artists strive to create unforgettable experiences, they’re confronted with stages that are riskier than ever before.

    Delivering the “wow factor” has led to stages becoming multi-layered landscapes with high-tech trapdoors, platforms, dazzling lights and immersive visuals that may be difficult for the performer to navigate.

    This raises a significant but often overlooked element in safety discussions: the human factors. Even the most seasoned performers can only process so much sensory input at once. As stage productions grow more complex, the cognitive load on artists also intensifies.

    We’re seeing similar phenomenons in other high-stakes settings, such as with pilots who manage complex flight instruments, or drivers who must respond to multiple road cues. Mistakes happen when there’s too much information to process.

    Artists already spend much of their mental energy on trying to engage their audience, leaving fewer resources to safely navigate a maze of lighting rigs, trapdoors and moving platforms. In this context, stage mishaps aren’t accidents; they’re byproducts of an environment where human attention is stretched to its limits.

    As the demand for spectacle increases, so too does the risk of artists facing disorientation or injury.

    Why does it matter? And what should be done?

    Major artists are humans, too. Their safety is just as important as that of the audience – and is also an occupational safety matter.

    But even beyond artists’ wellbeing, the effects of an onstage mishap can be felt by the entire audience. An accident can pause or even cut a show short, leaving fans frustrated.

    While recent incidents have been limited to minor injuries or brief disruptions, these recurring patterns point to a growing issue that shoudn’t be ignored.

    It’s time to bring performer safety into the spotlight – and there are a few ways we can do this. For instance:

    • tour operators and production teams have a responsibility to conduct thorough safety audits to identify every possible risk element an artist may encounter on stage

    • venues should prioritise security and make sure major events are adequately staffed

    • fans should be reminded that a stage is a performer’s workplace – and not an interactive free-for-all.

    At the end of the day, ensuring a performer’s safety is a responsibility that falls on everyone, from the tour operator, to venue staff – and yes, even to the fans.

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

    – ref. Apart from Chris Martin’s fall, here are 10 other examples of onstage accidents. Can we keep performers safe? – https://theconversation.com/apart-from-chris-martins-fall-here-are-10-other-examples-of-onstage-accidents-can-we-keep-performers-safe-242757

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: News Corp lies to Australian Parliament in lobbying putsch to change media laws

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has misled the Australian Parliament and is liable to prosecution — not that government will lift a finger to enforce the law, reports Michael West Media.

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Michael West

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has misled the Australian Parliament. In a submission to the Senate, the company claimed, “Foxtel also pays millions of dollars in income tax, GST and payroll tax, unlike many of our large international digital competitors”.

    However, an MWM investigation into the financial affairs of Foxtel has shown Foxtel was paying zero income tax when it told the Senate it was paying “millions”. The penalty for lying to the Senate is potential imprisonment, although “contempt of Parliament” laws are never enforced.

    The investigation found that NXE, the entity that controls Foxtel, paid no income tax in any of the five years from 2019 to 2023. During this time it generated $14 billion of total income.

    The total tax payable across this period is $0. The average total income is $2.8 billion per year.

    Foxtel Submission to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Inquiry into The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (2021 Measures No.1) Bill. Image: MWM screenshot

    Why did News Corporation mislead the Parliament? The plausible answers are in its Foxtel Submission to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Inquiry into The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment.

    In May 2021 — which is also where the transgression occurred — the media executives for the American tycoon were lobbying a Parliamentary committee to change the laws in their favour.

    By this time, Netflix had leap-frogged Foxtel Pay TV subscriptions in Australia and Foxtel was complaining it had to spend too much money on producing local Australian content under the laws of the time. Also that Netflix paid almost no tax.

    Big-league tax dodger
    They were correct in this. Netflix, which is a big-league tax dodger itself, was by then making bucketloads of money in Australia but with zero local content requirements.

    Making television drama and so forth is expensive. It is far cheaper to pipe foreign content through your channels online. As Netflix does.

    The misleading of Parliament by corporations is rife, and contempt laws need to be enforced, as demonstrated routinely by the PwC inquiry last year. Corporations and their representatives routinely lie in their pursuit of corporate objectives.

    If democracy is to function better, the information provided to Parliament needs to be clarified, beyond doubt, as reliable. Former senator Rex Patrick has made the point in these pages.

    Even in this short statement to the committee of inquiry (published above), there are other misleading statements. Like many companies defending their failure to pay adequate income tax, Foxtel claims that it “paid millions” in GST and payroll tax.

    Companies don’t “pay” GST or payroll tax. They collect these taxes on behalf of governments.

    Little regard for laws
    Further to the contempt of Parliament, so little regard for the laws of Australia is shown by corporations that the local American boss of a small gas fracking company, Tamboran Resources, controlled by a US oil billionaire, didn’t even bother turning up to give evidence when asked.

    This despite being rewarded with millions in public grant money.

    Politicians need to muscle up, as Greens Senator Nick McKim did when grilling former Woolies boss Brad Banducci for prevaricating over providing evidence to the supermarket inquiry.

    Michael West established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker. This article was first published by Michael West Media and is reopublished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Spartan Capital Securities Successfully Completes Multiple Key Transactions in October 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Nov. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, a full-service investment banking firm, is proud to announce its successful completion of several notable transactions throughout October 2024. The deals demonstrate Spartan’s expertise and unwavering commitment to supporting clients’ growth and capital needs across diverse sectors.

    In October, Spartan Capital Securities served as the placement agent for 1847 Holdings LLC’s follow-on offering, raising $11,099,985. This capital infusion will enable 1847 Holdings LLC (NYSE American: EFSH), a diversified holding company, to continue its growth strategy, enhance operational flexibility, and pursue acquisition opportunities. Ellery W. Roberts, CEO of 1847 Holdings LLC, and his team are positioned for significant growth. Special thanks to the legal teams at Bevilacqua PLLC and Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP for their expert representation throughout this offering.

    In another strategic role, Spartan Capital Securities acted as the sales agent in an at-the-market offering for Trio Petroleum Corp (NYSE: TPET), an oil and gas exploration and development company. Trio Petroleum Corp holds substantial working interests in key oilfields across Monterey and Uintah counties. Spartan’s involvement in this transaction reinforces its support for the energy sector’s expansion. Special thanks to Scott Miller at Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, who served as Trio Petroleum’s counsel.

    Spartan served as the sole placement agent for Inspire Veterinary Partners Inc. (Nasdaq: IVP) in a $2.5 million registered direct offering. The transaction will fuel Inspire’s expansion of veterinary healthcare services nationwide, allowing it to meet growing demand and make strategic investments. Spartan extends its appreciation to the legal teams at Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP and The Crone Law Group, P.C., for their contributions to this successful offering.

    Spartan also acted as a Selling Group Member in SAG Holdings Limited’s initial public offering on Nasdaq, raising $7 million. SAG Holdings, a leading Singapore-based distributor of OEM and branded replacement parts, is now listed under the symbol “SAG.” Spartan congratulates SAG Holdings on this significant milestone and is pleased to support their vision of quality and reliability in the automotive and industrial sectors.

    About Spartan Capital Securities, LLC

    Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, is a premier financial services firm providing expert investment banking and advisory services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. With a focus on tailored financial solutions, Spartan Capital is a trusted leader in delivering value and growth for its clients.

    Contact:

    Spartan Capital Securities, LLC
    45 Broadway, 19th Floor
    New York, NY 10006
    investmentbanking@spartancapital.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Announces New Funding to Enhance Community Safety in Dauphin

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 21, 2024

    Manitoba Government Announces New Funding to Enhance Community Safety in Dauphin

    – – –
    Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund Supports Additional CCTV Cameras: Wiebe

    The Manitoba government, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police, is assisting the City of Dauphin in addressing crime by using funds from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund to help install 15 additional CCTV cameras, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.

    “Every Manitoban deserves to feel safe in their community and our government is tackling crime as well as the root causes of crime,” said Wiebe. “The Criminal Property Forfeiture Act has been an invaluable tool to support local efforts to fight crime and continues to make a difference in the lives of Manitobans who are victims of crime. This program is a win-win. We can make communities safer while making drug traffickers and organized crime pay the price.”

    Approximately $24,000 from the fund will support the installation of 15 new high-resolution cameras at additional city-owned or city-affiliated facilities in Dauphin, the minister noted. This builds on previous initiative to upgrade seven existing cameras to high-resolution and adding 10 high-resolution cameras on city-owned property.

    “We are grateful for the continued support from the Manitoba government through the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund,” said Mayor David Bosiak, City of Dauphin. “These additional CCTV cameras will strengthen our efforts to enhance public safety in Dauphin, providing valuable tools for crime prevention and for protection for city-owned facilities. This investment not only helps deter crime but also promotes a greater sense of security for our residents. We are proud to partner with the Manitoba government to make Dauphin a safer place for everyone.”

    Since its inception in 2009, the Criminal Property Forfeiture Branch has disbursed more than $30 million to promote safer communities throughout Manitoba. The program seizes and liquidates criminal assets and redirects funding to projects and initiatives designed to protect Manitobans and enhance public safety. The funds are provided to organizations across Manitoba whose important initiatives build community, prevent crime, invest in youth and support victims of crime.

    For more information about criminal property forfeiture, visit https://gov.mb.ca/justice/commsafe/cpf/index.html.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Roundup: November 1, 2024

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    For Immediate Release:

    Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency: 

    • Today, the FDA published the FDA Voices: “FDA Takes Exciting Steps Toward Establishing the Rare Disease Innovation Hub,” by Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). The FDA Rare Disease Innovation Hub (the Hub) is an FDA cross-center program that will act as the single point of engagement and connection with outside parties for drug and biological product development and as a forum for CBER and CDER to collaborate on cross-cutting rare disease-related issues. Through the Hub, we plan to foster a community at the FDA for open dialogue and knowledge sharing to identify new approaches to drug and biologic development and overcome hurdles that have traditionally impeded progress for rare disease treatments.
    • Today, the FDA published a final Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) intended to provide the FDA’s current thinking on the adulteration of fish and fishery products with Scombrotoxin (histamine). The CPG will assist the FDA in addressing adulteration associated with decomposition and histamine identified during surveillance sampling and testing. It also will increase consumer protections related to scombrotoxin (histamine) fish poisoning (SFP) by lowering the levels of histamine in fish at which the FDA indicates that it may take action.
    • On Thursday, the FDA announced it will host a public meeting on Nov. 20, 2024, on recommendations for reauthorization of the OTC Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA). Registration information for this event can be found at the meetings page. The FDA welcomes comments from the public until Dec. 20, 2024. Details on how to submit to the docket can be found at the Federal Register notice. 
    • On Thursday, the FDA announced approval of a modification to the Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (OA REMS). With this approval, companies participating in the OA REMS Program have been notified that they will be required to begin providing pre-paid drug mail-back envelopes upon request to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers of opioid analgesics by March 31, 2025. This approval follows an April 2023 letter FDA sent to manufacturers of opioid analgesics used in outpatient settings, informing them that they were required to submit a proposed modification to the OA REMS within 180 days of the date of the notice.
    • On Wednesday, the FDA’s Human Foods Program (HFP) released its 2025 Priority Deliverables, which highlights activities the HFP plans to focus on during its first year following a reorganization of the program’s design and responsibilities that went into effect on October 1, 2024. These priority deliverables are being shared while the HFP works on a more comprehensive multi-year strategic plan to advance its vision and mission.  
    • On Wednesday, the FDA updated the outbreak advisory for E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to slivered onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. The FDA continues to work with CDC, USDA FSIS, state partners and involved firms to investigate the outbreak. 

      As of Oct. 30, 90 people from 13 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Of 83 people with information available, 27 have been hospitalized, and 2 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado. This person is not one of those who developed HUS. 

      More illnesses have been reported but they are from before McDonald’s and Taylor Farms took action to remove slivered onions from food service locations. Epidemiologic and traceback data show that slivered onions served at affected McDonald’s locations are the likely source of this outbreak. USDA FSIS conducted a thorough investigation in response to this outbreak, including traceback and testing of beef patties served on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s, and evidence does not point to ground beef as the likely source of contamination. Testing on beef patties by the Colorado Department of Agriculture is complete and all samples were found to be negative for E. coli.

      Additionally, the FDA is working with Taylor Farms and their direct customers to determine if additional downstream customer recalls are necessary after Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions that were supplied to McDonald’s and other food service customers on Oct. 22, 2024. According to available information, it is unlikely that recalled yellow onions were sold to grocery stores or directly to consumers. Food service customers who received recalled onions were contacted and should no longer be using or serving recalled onions. In addition to recall activities, the FDA has initiated inspections at a Taylor Farms processing center in Colorado and an onion grower of interest in Washington state. The FDA’s investigation is ongoing.

    • On Wednesday, FDA announced that the agency issued warning letters to nine online retailers and one manufacturer for selling and/or distributing unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes with designs and functionalities that resemble smart technology, including phones and gaming devices. The products cited in the warning letters are advertised as having a variety of designs and functions that may appeal to youth, such as the ability to play games, connect to a smartphone, receive text or call notifications, play music, or personalize products with custom wallpaper. This latest round of warning letters marks another step in FDA’s continued efforts to remove unauthorized e-cigarette products from the market, particularly those that appeal to youth. 
    • On Wednesday, the FDA posted a new video in the “FDA In Your Day” series. In this video, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hilary Marston discusses food safety.
    • On Wednesday, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health published the fall edition of the Digital Health Center of Excellence Newsletter. This edition features the Digital Health Advisory Committee that will hold a meeting on Nov. 20-21, 2024, a Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Glossary, another update to the list of medical devices that incorporate AR/VR or AI/ML, and more.
    • On Tuesday, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Scemblix (asciminib, Novartis AG) for adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase (CP). In the pooled safety population in patients with newly diagnosed and previously treated Ph+ CML in CP, the most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were musculoskeletal pain, rash, fatigue, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The most common laboratory abnormalities (≥40%) in patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in CP were decreased lymphocyte count, decreased leukocyte count, decreased platelet count, decreased neutrophil count and decreased calcium corrected. Full prescribing information for Scemblix will be posted on Drugs@FDA. 

    Related Information

    Related Information

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    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Inquiries

    Consumer:
    888-INFO-FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Crown LNG Announces Execution of Final Agreements to Acquire Kakinada and Grangemouth LNG Import Terminal Assets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Nov. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crown LNG Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: CGBS) (“Crown” or “Crown LNG”), a leading provider of LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal technologies for harsh weather locations, today announced the conclusion of two strategic acquisition agreements forming the basis of Crown LNG’s entry into the global LNG infrastructure network: KGLNG and Grangemouth. The KGLNG agreement finalizes the acquisition of all shares of KGLNG, which owns the operating license for the Company’s planned LNG import terminal in Kakinada, India. The Grangemouth agreement finalizes the acquisition of LNG import terminal assets in Grangemouth, Scotland from GBTron Lands Limited.

    The Kakinada project, located on the East coast of India, is licensed to operate 365 days a year, a first for the harsh weather prone area. Imported gas from the planned terminal would reach demand centers via the East-West Pipeline, helping to support the Indian government’s drive to more than double the share of natural gas in the country’s energy mix to 15% by 2030.

    Total consideration for the KGLNG acquisition will be made in shares of Crown LNG equal to $60 million.

    The Grangemouth project, located on the East coast of Scotland, seeks to support the UK’s increasing drive for energy security post-Brexit and in the context of geopolitical impacts on energy markets. Currently, the UK relies on just three facilities for all of the country’s LNG imports, which increased 74% from 2021 to 2022.

    Total consideration for the GBTron acquisition will be made in shares of Crown LNG equal to $25 million.

    “We are excited and proud to announce the execution of these two transactions and move these two projects down the path,” said Swapan Kataria, Chief Executive Officer of Crown LNG. “With Crown LNG and our subsidiaries now firmly in control of the Kakinada and Grangemouth projects, we look forward to driving the success of these two transformative projects for both India and the UK.”

    Crown remains dedicated to delivering exceptional LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal infrastructure solutions services that cater to the evolving needs of the under-served markets across the globe. As we focus on expanding our operations in Europe and South Asia, we continue to forge strategic partnerships and explore new opportunities to provide efficient and reliable solutions.

    About Crown LNG Holdings Limited
    Crown LNG is a leading provider of offshore LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal infrastructure solutions for harsh weather locations, which represent a significant addressable market for bottom-fixed, gravity based (“GBS”) liquefaction and floating storage regasification units, as well as associated green and blue hydrogen, ammonia and power projects. Through this approach, Crown aims to provide lower carbon sources of energy securely to under-served markets across the globe. Visit www.crownlng.com/investors for more information.

    Forward-Looking Information and Statements

    Certain statements in this announcement are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “could,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “plan,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “future,” “outlook,” “potential,” “project” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other performance metrics and projections of market opportunity. They involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release and on current expectations of Crown’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Crown. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements could include changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

    Crown LNG Holdings Limited Contacts

    Investors
    Caldwell Bailey
    ICR, Inc.
    CrownLNGIR@icrinc.com

    Media
    Zach Gorin
    ICR, Inc.
    CrownLNGPR@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MTA Seeking Proposals to Redevelop Parking Lot

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority issued a Request for Proposals to transform a surface parking lot adjacent to the Beacon Metro-North Station into a residential development with about 300-units of mixed-income housing and replacement parking for commuters, the latest milestone in the Governor’s ongoing efforts to repurpose State-owned sites for new housing. The project aims to address the City of Beacon’s efforts to foster greater connectivity between the waterfront, the Beacon Station and its Main Street. Metro-North’s Hudson line connects Beacon to midtown Manhattan in just 78 minutes. The RFP is available on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority website. Proposals are due by Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

    “Good quality housing for all New Yorkers is one of my top priorities as Governor, and I’m committed to doing all I can to make that a reality for everyone in this great state,” Governor Hochul said. “Along with the achievements made in my FY25 Enacted Budget, the MTA’s recent Request for Proposals to transform a surface parking lot adjacent to Beacon Metro-North Station not only increases housing stock, but also uplifts the local economy by attracting businesses and creates a healthier community.”

    MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “The MTA has long been a leader in the movement for Transit-Oriented Development that creates dynamic, walkable communities. This project will not only enliven Beacon, it responds to Governor Hochul’s commitment to address the housing crisis.”

    MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “New Yorkers deserve more housing near great transit options. This opportunity gets us a step closer to hundreds of new units in one of our state’s iconic towns, right near great Metro-North service.”

    MTA C&D Transit-Oriented Development Senior Vice President Robert Paley said, “MTA’s TOD team pursues development opportunities where MTA utilizes its assets to support thoughtful, contextual development that generates revenue for MTA’s Capital Program. All while increasing Metro-North ridership and advancing regional planning objectives. This RFP works towards that mission.”

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Creating homes near the Beacon Metro-North station will give hundreds of households a place to live while also enhancing the family-friendly community. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is prioritizing transit-oriented developments that address the housing crisis, boost the local economy and improve access to low-emission transportation.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “This transit-oriented development project at Beacon Station exemplifies smart growth that connects housing with transportation infrastructure. By leveraging State resources through Governor Hochul’s RUSH initiative, we’re creating new housing opportunities while strengthening the economic ties between the Hudson Valley and New York City, demonstrating how strategic development can enhance both local communities and regional connectivity.”

    The RFP will facilitate the construction of as-of-right waterfront housing units in a community celebrated for its vibrancy and natural beauty, within walking distance to all the dining, entertainment and amenities that Beacon’s Main Street has to offer. It is one more example of MTA’s ongoing commitment to transit-oriented development. Working with the State, the City of Beacon, and the development community, the MTA is creatively leveraging an existing asset to generate new housing units, increase ridership and support the City’s economic development and land use goals.

    Governor Hochul and the MTA last summer opened Metro-North’s first TOD project, Avalon Harrison, at the Harrison Metro-North station. The development promotes downtown revitalization and improves the environment and healthy lifestyles by providing residents access to shops, amenities and rail stations within walking distance.

    Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
    Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives for Upstate communities, new incentives and zoning relief to create more housing in New York City, a $500 million capital fund to build up to 15,000 new homes on State-owned property, including supporting the project at Beacon, an additional $600 million in funding to support a variety of housing development statewide and new protections for renters. These measures follow the historic funding the Governor secured in the FY23 Enacted Budget for a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to build and preserve 100,000 units of affordable housing across the State. The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro-Housing Certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. To date, more than 200 communities have been certified, including the City of Beacon.

    For specific questions related to the RFP, please contact Nicholas Roberts at [email protected].

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement on Russian Election Influence Efforts

    News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the following statement:

    “The IC assesses that Russian influence actors manufactured a recent video that falsely depicted individuals claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in multiple counties in Georgia. This judgment is based on information available to the IC and prior activities of other Russian influence actors, including videos and other disinformation activities. The Georgia Secretary of State has already refuted the video’s claims as false.

    Russian influence actors also manufactured a video falsely accusing an individual associated with the Democratic presidential ticket of taking a bribe from a U.S. entertainer.

    This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates. In the lead up to election day and in the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rhode Island Department of Education Awards $5 Million in ARTS Initiative – Act II Grants

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Governor Dan McKee, Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) Commissioner Ang�lica Infante-Green, Providence Public School District (PPSD) Superintendent Dr. Javier Monta�ez, and Rhode Island state, city, and school leaders gathered with students today at Hope High School for the Arts to announce the awarding of $5 million in grants as part of the Art Reengages Talent in Students (ARTS) Initiative Act II. The latest round of grants will provide school districts statewide with funds to bolster their arts programming and professional development.

    The event, which featured student performances, also highlighted Hope’s newly renovated auditorium, which is part of the PPSD’s historic $1 billion school construction plan to ensure that 100 percent of PPSD students are learning in new or like-new school facilities by 2030. On Election Day, question 6 will ask City of Providence voters to consider a $400 million local bond referendum to support additional facility improvements. Hope High School for the Arts is also one of five PPSD schools that engaged in a rigorous, data-driven process to redesign their academic programs to meet student and family interests and prepare students for postsecondary success.

    “High-quality art programs are critical for deeply engaging students in learning and helping them develop their creative talents and skills to succeed beyond the classroom,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Education is a top priority for my Administration, and we know that investments like ARTS grants will improve the learning experiences of students across the Ocean State. I look forward to seeing how these funds make a positive impact in our school communities.”

    “With our innovative grant program, RIDE is investing in the arts statewide because they are essential to the overall school experience and success of our students,” said Education Commissioner Ang�lica Infante-Green. “Whether it be through performing, visual, or culinary arts, investments in creative disciplines empower students to use their imagination, develop their talents, and enhance their critical thinking skills. I am thrilled we are able to award a second round of grants to ensure all students have a positive and well-rounded education that sets them up for long-term success.”

    RIDE launched Act I of the ARTS Initiative in spring 2022, providing local education agencies (LEAs) with grants totaling $4.5 million to support arts in their schools. The awards for the first round ranged from $10,000 to nearly $700,000.

    For Act II, $5 million from the School Building Authority (SBA) Capital Fund will be allocated to local education agencies on a per-student basis. A full list of recipients of Act II can be found here. Top recipients include:

    Providence: $928,985 Pawtucket: $381,404 Cranston: $358,956 Warwick: $280,543 Woonsocket: $269,550

    “Every student in Rhode Island deserves access to educational opportunities that meet their interests, fuel their creativity, and promote academic excellence,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “The Council is committed to ensuring our schools have the support they need to set up students for success. This latest round of ARTS grants will support students’ creative processes and help them flourish in their education.”

    “The R.I. State Council on the Arts is thrilled and grateful to the Governor, RIDE, PPSD and our municipalities, for acknowledging the value of arts education and enhancing these programs in our schools,” said Todd Trebour, Executive Director of RISCA. “We know that learning institutions that participate in arts education report increased student engagement and attendance, and students show improved critical thinking and collaboration skills.”

    PPSD leveraged more than $690,000 in ARTS Act I funding to empower students interested in arts education. The grant program supported student and educator travel to Washington, D.C., where Mount Pleasant High School’s marching band, the Marching Kilties, performed in the National Memorial Day Parade.?They were the first Rhode Island high school to march and perform as part of the event.

    Students across PPSD were also able to experience firsthand the creative processes of local artists such as djembefola Sidy Ma�ga and the University of Rhode Island’s Alta DeChamplain and Dr. Emmett Goods, as well as engage with local art enterprises such as RI Latin Dancers, Portland Pottery, and more. The District’s arts programs also saw many equipment upgrades such as new ceramic kilns, lights and audio equipment, and new musical instruments. The grant also supported the creation of a new Film Production Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Hope.

    “With funding from both rounds of RIDE’s ARTS Initiative, and our brand-new auditorium at Hope High School for the Arts, we are showing our students that we are committed to their education and their futures,” said PPSD Superintendent Dr. Javier Monta�ez. “Under the PPSD redesign process, and with a new CTE program and equipment, Hope has been transformed into the artistic hub for students in the Creative Capital. We are grateful to RIDE for helping PPSD create more opportunities that will benefit students.”

    In Cranston, thanks to nearly $330,000 in ARTS Initiative Act I funding, the district?purchased brand-new musical instruments, replaced decades-old choral risers, and commissioned a choir piece by renowned composer Ryan Main. In line with state college and career readiness goals, Cranston leveraged funds to establish a new audio production CTE program that allows students to gain hands-on experience in recording, editing and mixing as well as gain four college credits from Rhode Island College’s early enrollment program.?The Chariho Regional School District invested in equipment for its ceramics, visual arts, music, and video production programs, and provided access to and collaboration with professional artists and performers through an artist-in-residence program.?At the Rhode Island School for the Deaf, ARTS funding was used to bring in deaf artists and performers for students to engage. This included a deaf mime, deaf magician and theatrical dance group.

    The event also featured a reception hosted by the Providence Career and Technical Academy’s (PCTA) Good Eats & Treats student-operated food truck, which is part of RIDE’s Menu for Success Food Truck Initiative that allows students to gain real-world, hands-on experience in culinary arts, entrepreneurship, graphic design, automotive and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Election anxiety doesn’t need to win − here are 3 science-backed strategies from a clinical psychologist to rein in the stress

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Associate Professor of Psychology & Licensed Clinical Psychologist, University of Kentucky

    The world won’t end if you stop scrolling. georgeclerk/E+ via Getty Images

    Uncertainty about the election getting to you? Is anxiety the dominant feature of your emotional landscape, maybe with a small sprinkling of impending doom?

    You are not alone. A recent survey found 69% of American adults are seriously stressed about the 2024 presidential election.

    It’s difficult not to be worked up about politics in today’s polarized climate. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you sit on, you may find yourself glued to your browser or TV, gobbling up every tiny tidbit of news and feeling your stress levels skyrocket.

    I’m a psychologist who develops and tests strategies for combating anxiety. As I constantly tell my stressed-out clients, when it comes to election news, there’s a fine line between being well informed and being oversaturated with information.

    If you’re ready to short-circuit your stress spiral, here are three science-backed strategies for coping with anxiety in times of uncertainty.

    Approach your emotions with mindfulness

    Being mindful refers to the quality of awareness you bring to your experiences – specifically, nonjudgmental attention focused on what’s happening right now.

    Mindfulness practices originated in Eastern spiritual traditions, including Buddhism. Over the past several decades, mindfulness has gained popularity as a powerful tool for managing anxiety. For instance, meditation apps such as Headspace and Calm incorporate it. Even if meditation isn’t your thing, though, you can still apply nonjudgmental awareness, focused on the present, to election-related anxiety.

    Be present. Anxiety can draw you into an uncomfortable spiral of “what-ifs” about the future. When you make a point to be present, you remind yourself what is actually happening right now, rather than letting hypothetical fears take over.

    Although you may have serious concerns about the fate of the nation, those outcomes have not yet come to bear. As I tell my patients, “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it. For now, focus on the step right in front of you.”

    If you notice yourself getting carried away by thoughts of the future, you can pull yourself back to the present by bringing awareness to simple sensations – the feel of your feet on the floor, the rhythm of your breath, or the sounds around you – and remind yourself that you are safe in the current moment.

    Pay nonjudgmental attention. Many people are hard on themselves for feeling strong emotions. This critical mindset might look like telling yourself that you’re overreacting, or that it’s weak to let others see that you’re upset. You might even view that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach as evidence that negative outcomes are right around the corner.

    Making judgments about your emotions only serves to make you feel worse. In fact, researchers find that pushing away emotions or beating yourself up for having them leads to more frequent and stronger anxiety.

    Instead, try giving yourself a break. Tell yourself, “This election is high stakes, so it makes sense I’m anxious.” Then, notice if your anxiety is driven by a fear about the future, and bring yourself back to the present.

    Pull your thoughts back to the here and now.
    supersizer/E+ via Getty Images

    Get flexible with your thinking

    Cognitive flexibility is the ability to shift away from rigid, all-or-nothing thinking about the future.

    When people are anxious, they tend to focus on the worst-case scenario. For example, you might be telling yourself, “With this candidate in office, things will be terrible and I won’t be able to cope.”

    In this scenario, I encourage my patients to move past that initial thought of how awful it will be and instead consider exactly how they will respond to the inauguration, the next day, week, month and so on.

    Cognitive flexibility allows you to explore how you will cope, even in the face of a negative outcome, helping you feel a bit less out of control. If you’re experiencing a lot of anxiety about the election, try thinking through what you’d do if the undesirable candidate takes office – thoughts like “I’ll donate to causes that are important to me” and “I’ll attend protests.”

    Choose your actions with intention

    Another tool for managing your anxiety is to consider whether your behaviors are affecting how you feel.

    Remember, for instance, the goal of 24-hour news networks is to increase ratings. It’s in their interest to keep you riveted to your screens by making it seem like important announcements are imminent. As a result, it may feel difficult to disconnect and take part in your usual self-care behavior.

    Try telling yourself, “If something happens, someone will text me,” and go for a walk or, better yet, to bed. Keeping up with healthy habits can help reduce your vulnerability to uncontrolled anxiety.

    It’s not on your shoulders to solve every single problem in the world.
    AP Photo/John Hanna

    Post-Election Day, you may continue to feel drawn to the news and motivated to show up – whether that means donating, volunteering or protesting – for a variety of causes you think will be affected by the election results. Many people describe feeling guilty if they say no or disengage, leading them to overcommit and wind up overwhelmed.

    If this sounds like you, try reminding yourself that taking a break from politics to cook, engage with your family or friends, get some work done or go to the gym does not mean you don’t care. In fact, keeping up with the activities that fuel you will give you the energy to contribute to important causes more meaningfully.

    Shannon Sauer-Zavala receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health.

    – ref. Election anxiety doesn’t need to win − here are 3 science-backed strategies from a clinical psychologist to rein in the stress – https://theconversation.com/election-anxiety-doesnt-need-to-win-here-are-3-science-backed-strategies-from-a-clinical-psychologist-to-rein-in-the-stress-242717

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Inter-departmental help desk stood down

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Inter-departmental help desk stood down
    Inter-departmental help desk stood down
    ***************************************

    Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:     The inter-departmental help desk set up by the Central and Western District Office at Queen Mary Hospital today (November 1) in response to the ferry accident occurred in the Central Pier No. 9 has now been stood down.

     
    Ends/Friday, November 1, 2024Issued at HKT 13:47

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Bank “ROSSIYA” entered the top 50 credit organizations in the rating of “Medialogiya”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Bank “ROSSIA” Russia Bank –

    Press Releases and Events

    01.11.2024

    Bank “ROSSIYA” entered the top 50 credit organizations in the rating of “Medialogiya”

    Bank “ROSSIYA” was included in the top 50 credit institutions based on the results of September 2024 in the media rating compiled by the authoritative monitoring platform “Medialogia”.

    Media rating is based on an analysis of publications covering more than 88 thousand sources, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, news agencies and online media.

    The basis for constructing the rating was the media index – an indicator of the qualitative state of the information field formed by the media around the brand. Analysts took into account the influence of each source of information, the nature of brand mentions in messages and other factors.

    In September, key events in the Bank’s information field were related to the improvement of deposit conditions, as well as participation in socially significant events.

    Reference:

    Medialogia is an independent research company based on information technology, specializing in real-time media and social media analysis.

    Back to list

    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.

    http://abr.ru/about/nevs/13773/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Aktsiaselts Infortar subsidiary AS Eesti Gaas acquires a 100% shareholding in EWE Polska

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aktsiaselts Infortar subsidiary AS Eesti Gaas acquires a 100% shareholding in EWE Polska

    AS Eesti Gaas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aktsiaselts Infortar (Infortar) and the German energy group EWE AG have entered into an agreement on the 31st of October 2024, under which EWE AG will sell 100% of the shares of its wholly owned subsidiary EWE Polska sp. z o.o. (EWE Polska) which operates in Poland. EWE Polska has two wholly owned subsidiaries, EWE Energia sp. z o.o. and EWE Przesył sp. z o.o. (altogether EWE Polska group).
    Chairman of the Management Board of Infortar Ain Hanschmidt:
    “Our ambition is to expand beyond the Baltic-Finnish region into Central and Western Europe, implementing our proven model and experience as a gas supplier and network operator Poland, thereby delivering the best service to consumers. The acquisition of an energy company in Poland provides us with the necessary momentum in this large and important growing gas market, while also ensuring an additional steady cash flow for the company’s shareholders.”

    The fields of activity of EWE Polska group include a natural gas distribution network in Western Poland and all business lines of energy sales (including gas and electricity sales).

    The completion of the transaction requires approval from the Polish Competition Authority (Polish: Urząd Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów), as well as corporate approval by the EWE AG Supervisory Board (German: Aufsichtsrat).

    The acquisition of shares in EWE Polska constitutes a significant transaction under Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange Rules and Regulations. Therefore, the Stock Exchange Release includes comprehensive information on the transaction’s circumstances and EWE Polska’s financial results.

    EWE Polska is the second-largest privately-owned network operator in Poland. The company operates a natural gas distribution network of 2,316 km in western Poland, mainly around Poznan, serving over 25,000 clients. In addition to infrastructure management, the company sells natural gas and electricity, with energy sales totaling 1.2 TWh last year.

    The aim of the transaction is to significantly expand Infortar’s energy business in the Polish market, with the impact on the Infortar’s consolidation group being adding estimated revenues of more than 100 million euros.
    The acquisition of EWE Polska group increases our market presence in this large and important growing gas market, while also ensuring steady cash flow from regulated assets to our shareholders.

          1.   Terms of payment of purchase price for the shares of EWE Polska
    The purchase price for shares of EWE Polska is 120 000 000 euros payable as monetary payment.
    The purchase price will be paid at the completion of the transaction after being adjusted based on accrued interest and occurred leakage (if any).

          2.   EWE Polska’s financial results
    EWE Polska group total revenues in year 2023 amounted to 141.1 mEUR (2022: 133.2 mEUR and 2021: 76.4 mEUR) which is 6% higher than the year before and 85% higher than in year 2021. In 2023, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) was -2.2 mEUR, compared to 15.6 mEUR in 2022 and 15.0 mEUR in 2021. In 2023, the consolidated net profit was -3.7 mEUR, compared to net profit of 10.5 m EUR and 10.0 mEUR in years 2022 and 2021 respectively.

    EWE Polska group total assets in 2023 were 170.0 mEUR (2022: 182.4 mEUR and 2021: 156.5mEUR) including total fixed assets 115.8 mEUR that is 68% from total assets (2022: 63% and 2021: 69%). Total current assets in 2023 were 54.2 mEUR, including cash and equivalents 22.9 m EUR. In 2022 respective numbers were 66.7 mEUR and 20.7 mEUR. In 2021 the numbers were 48.1 mEUR and 16.2 mEUR.

    Total Equity in 2023 was 115.5 mEUR (in 2022 total equity was 121.5 mEUR and in 2021 114.6 mEUR).
    For more detailed information, please see appendix.

    Based on the additional information provided to Infortar, there have been no adverse changes in the business operations of the EWE Polska group since the close of the 2023 financial year. Unaudited consolidated figures for the first eight months of 2024 have been presented to Infortar, showing consolidated sales of 74.6 mEUR (2023 8 months: 94.2 mEUR), an EBITDA of 15.2 mEUR (2023 8 months: 5.9 mEUR), and a net profit of 12.3 mEUR (2023 8 months: -2.6 mEUR).

          3.   Overview of the loans undertaken by EWE Polska
    EWE Polska group has no outstanding loans in its consolidated balance sheet.

          4.   The structure of shareholders of EWE Polska
    EWE Polska is 100% owned by EWE AG. Upon completion of the transaction 100% of EWE Polska shares will be acquired by Infortar’s wholly owned subsidiary AS Eesti Gaas.

          5.   Information on significant court or arbitration proceedings involving EWE Polska
    According to information provided to Infortar, the companies within the EWE Polska group are not engaged in any significant court or arbitration proceedings. While certain legal proceedings related to their regular business activities are ongoing, Infortar has grounds to believe that the outcomes of these proceedings are unlikely to have a material impact on the business activities of EWE Polska group companies.

          6.   Information on valid contracts between Infortar and EWE Polska
    Currently there are no valid contracts between Infortar and EWE Polska group.

          7.   The composition of managing bodies of EWE Polska
    The Management Board of EWE Polska currently consists of Mr. Krzysztof Noga and Ms. Agnieszka Bielewicz. The Supervisory Board has not been formed.

    The contemplated transaction is not a transaction between related parties and the members of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar have no personal interest in the transaction in any other way.

    Aktsiaselts Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are energy, maritime transport, and real estate. Aktsiaselts Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Aktsiaselts Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in AS Eesti Gaas and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 113,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Aktsiaselts Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, taxi business and other areas. A total of 104 companies belong to the Aktsiaselts Infortar group: 95 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Aktsiaselts Infortar employs 6,625 people.

    Additional information:
    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    Appendix Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Statements of EWE Polska group

    BALANCE SHEET      
    Amounts in millions of euros
    FX rate of 4.35 has been used for conversion    		 31.12.2021 31.12.2022 31.12.2023
    Cash and equivalents 16,2 20,7 22,9
    Derivatives 14,3 16,3 6,0
    Receivables 14,7 24,7 15,1
    Inventories 2,5 4,8 4,3
    Other current assets 0,4 0,3 6,0
    Total current assets 48,1 66,7 54,2
    Total fixed assets 108,5 115,7 115,8
    TOTAL ASSETS 156,5 182,4 170,0
           
    Trade payables 14,4 23,0 16,0
    Derivatives 8,8 9,9 7,3
    Tax Liabilities 1,3 2,1 3,4
    Advances Received 1,8 7,1 6,2
    Connection fees 0,1 0,1 0,1
    Other current liabilities 2,6 3,4 6,4
    Total current liabilities 29,0 45,6 39,5
    Derivatives 0,0 0,2 0,2
    Other non-current liabilities 1,5 3,3 2,8
    Connection fees 11,4 11,8 12,1
    Total long-term liabilities 12,9 15,3 15,1
    Total Equity 114,6 121,5 115,5
    of which share capital 105,1 104,9 105,8
    TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 156,5 182,4 170,0
    PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT    
    Amounts in millions of euros 2021 2022 2023
    Sales revenues 76,0 132,9 139,3
    Other revenues 0,4 0,3 1,7
    TOTAL REVENUES 76,4 133,2 141,1
    Cost of goods sold -55,1 -104,3 -117,4
    Staff costs -4,6 -5,7 -6,4
    Other operating costs -6,5 -7,6 -8,1
    Other costs -1,9 -1,1 -1,4
    Derivatives 6,6 1,2 -9,9
    EBITDA 15,0 15,6 -2,2
    Depreciation and Amortisation -2,5 -2,6 -3,1
    EBIT 12,5 13,0 -5,2
    Financial costs and revenues 0,1 0,5 0,7
    Income tax -2,6 -3,0 0,8
    NET PROFIT 10,0 10,5 -3,7

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Provisional statistics of retail sales for September 2024

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (November 1).     The value of total retail sales in September 2024, provisionally estimated at $29.6 billion, decreased by 6.9% compared with the same month in 2023. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in August 2024 decreased by 10.0% compared with a year earlier. For the first 9 months of 2024 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales decreased by 7.6% compared with the same period in 2023.     Of the total retail sales value in September 2024, online sales accounted for 10.4%. The value of online retail sales in that month, provisionally estimated at $3.1 billion, decreased by 11.8% compared with the same month in 2023. The revised estimate of online retail sales in August 2024 decreased by 0.7% compared with a year earlier. For the first 9 months of 2024 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of online retail sales decreased by 2.0% compared with the same period in 2023.     After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in September 2024 decreased by 8.7% compared with a year earlier. The revised estimate of the volume of total retail sales in August 2024 decreased by 11.7% compared with a year earlier. For the first 9 months of 2024 taken together, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales decreased by 9.2% in volume compared with the same period in 2023.     Analysed by broad type of retail outlet in descending order of the provisional estimate of the value of sales and comparing September 2024 with September 2023, the value of sales of commodities in supermarkets decreased by 1.1%. This was followed by sales of electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (-7.6% in value); jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (-17.9%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-3.2%); wearing apparel (-8.7%); medicines and cosmetics (-2.5%); commodities in department stores (-11.4%); motor vehicles and parts (-26.7%); fuels (-8.6%); furniture and fixtures (-14.4%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-3.8%); Chinese drugs and herbs (-17.7%); and optical shops (-10.6%).     On the other hand, the value of sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified increased by 2.9% in September 2024 over a year earlier. This was followed by sales of books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (+20.3% in value).     Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of the value of total retail sales decreased by 1.0% in the third quarter of 2024 compared with the preceding quarter, while the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales decreased by 2.0%.Commentary     A government spokesman said that the value of total retail sales continued to decline in September from a year earlier, but the rate of decline narrowed. On a seasonally adjusted month-to-month comparison, the value of total retail sales recorded an increase.     Looking ahead, the spokesman said that the near-term performance of the retail sector would continue to be affected by the change in consumption patterns of residents and visitors. Nevertheless, an improved outlook for the Mainland economy following the recent introduction of a wide range of stimulus measures, and a possible easing of the Hong Kong dollar alongside the US dollar with the commencement of the US interest rate cut, would be conducive to boosting sentiment and supporting spending. In addition, the Central Government’s various measures benefitting Hong Kong, the SAR Government’s various initiatives to boost market sentiment and increasing employment earnings would also benefit the retail sector.     The spokesman added that the Policy Address this year includes various measures that would benefit the retail sector, such as developing new tourist hotspots, relaxing visa application criteria for some ASEAN countries, and boosting “silver consumption”. The Policy Address has also launched a series of measures to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including those in the retail sector, in addressing the challenges encountered in the process of economic restructuring. These include relaunching the principal moratorium under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme to ease the repayment pressure of enterprises, expanding the geographical coverage of E-commerce Easy to the 10 ASEAN countries, and relaunching the Hong Kong Shopping Festival in the next two years to help SMEs develop e-commerce business to expand their markets. These measures would help the retail sector in transitioning through the economic restructuring period and improve its prospects.Further information     Table 1 presents the revised figures on value index and value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for August 2024 as well as the provisional figures for September 2024. The provisional figures on the value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet as well as the corresponding year-on-year changes for the first 9 months of 2024 taken together are also shown.     Table 2 presents the revised figures on value of online retail sales for August 2024 as well as the provisional figures for September 2024. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first 9 months of 2024 taken together are also shown.     Table 3 presents the revised figures on volume index of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for August 2024 as well as the provisional figures for September 2024. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first 9 months of 2024 taken together are also shown.     Table 4 shows the movements of the value and volume of total retail sales in terms of the year-on-year rate of change for a month compared with the same month in the preceding year based on the original series, and in terms of the rate of change for a three-month period compared with the preceding three-month period based on the seasonally adjusted series.     The classification of retail establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.     These retail sales statistics measure the sales receipts in respect of goods sold by local retail establishments and are primarily intended for gauging the short-term business performance of the local retail sector. Data on retail sales are collected from local retail establishments through the Monthly Survey of Retail Sales (MRS). Local retail establishments with and without physical shops are covered in MRS and their sales, both through conventional shops and online channels, are included in the retail sales statistics.     The retail sales statistics cover consumer spending on goods but not on services (such as those on housing, catering, medical care and health services, transport and communication, financial services, education and entertainment) which account for over 50% of the overall consumer spending. Moreover, they include spending on goods in Hong Kong by visitors but exclude spending outside Hong Kong by Hong Kong residents. Hence they should not be regarded as indicators for measuring overall consumer spending.     Users interested in the trend of overall consumer spending should refer to the data series of private consumption expenditure (PCE), which is a major component of the Gross Domestic Product published at quarterly intervals. Compiled from a wide range of data sources, PCE covers consumer spending on both goods (including goods purchased from all channels) and services by Hong Kong residents whether locally or abroad. Please refer to the C&SD publication “Gross Domestic Product by Expenditure Component” for more details.     More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Monthly Survey of Retail Sales”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080003&scode=530).     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of C&SD (Tel. : 3903 7400; E-mail : mrs@censtatd.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding for UK’s growth-driving creative industries confirmed in the Budget

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has welcomed confirmation in the Budget of the government’s commitment to support the creative industries – as part of the Industrial Strategy – recognising the key role it can play in economic growth.

    • Budget funding to help thousands of creative businesses grow across the UK
    • £3m scheme to improve awareness of creative career paths for school children 
    • £25m devolved local growth funding, which the North East plans to use for new Crown Works film studio to be built in Sunderland
    • Grants to continue for start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and for regional clusters of creative firms outside of London
    • New VFX tax credit confirmed, UK’s world-leading film,TV, theatre, orchestra and museums tax reliefs continue

    The creative industries are worth £125 billion to the UK economy and were named as one of the government’s eight growth-driving sectors in its Industrial Strategy.

    At the Budget yesterday the Chancellor confirmed that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s spending programmes to grow the creative industries will continue, with additional funding to improve access to creative careers for young people across the country.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

    This was a Budget to fix the foundations, stabilise our economy and put us on the path to prosperity for years to come.

    The Creative Industries will play a critical role in helping us turn the corner and deliver on the national missions of this Government – driving economic growth into our towns and cities; drawing on the wealth of talent that exists everywhere; and flying the flag for British culture and values on the world stage.

    The Chancellor’s Budget underscored just how important these sectors are going to be with funding extended for vital programmes and tax reliefs, an expansion of the Creative Careers Programme and a £25 million investment in the CrownWorks Studio in Sunderland that will make the city one of the centres of our TV and film industry for years to come.

    This Government recognises that for millions of people, geography has become destiny. That while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. This Budget has put the Creative Industries front and centre of how we write those people back into our national story and drive opportunity, jobs and prosperity into every community, in every region.

    The government will continue to broaden and diversify the talent pipeline in the creative industries by expanding the Creative Careers Programme, providing 11-18 year olds with the opportunity to learn more about the full range of jobs in the creative industries and directly engage with the workplace.

    The programme has helped 25,000 students meet industry professionals in 2023, trained over 200 careers professionals on roles in the sector and registered over 500 employers to take part in the annual Discover! Creative Careers Week.

    Funding for the Creative Careers Programme will be increased to £3 million, meaning it can boost its awareness-raising efforts and provide even more schoolchildren with information, advice and guidance on creative career routes.

    The £25 million funding for the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) has been confirmed. NEMCA plans to use the funding to remediate the Crown Works Studio site. 

    The North East is already a backdrop for major blockbusters – with Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Transformers all filmed in the region. Crown Works is set to be one of the largest film studios in Europe and is expected to lead to around 8,000 new jobs in the region.

    The DCMS will also continue to fund the following creative industries programmes:

    • The Create Growth Programme, which supports thousands of businesses, enabling them to convert their creative potential into creative growth, boosting their access to private finance and helping turn today’s creative entrepreneurs into tomorrow’s CEOs.
    • The BFI’s Global Screen Fund helps innovative independent filmmakers showcase the best of Britain’s screen sectors on the global stage by boosting international development and distribution opportunities. 
    • The Dundee-based UK Games Fund, which develops talent and awards grants to high-potential, early-stage video game studios, helping them turn their drawing board ideas into working prototype games and unlock private investment. 
    • The Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, which enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for millions of gig-goers across the UK. 

    More details will be set out in due course by DCMS on the specific funding for its programmes going forward. 

    Elsewhere the Creative Industries Clusters programme, supported with at least £50 million and delivered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council on behalf of UKRI, will continue to fund creative clusters in new sub-sectors and regions over the next six years. The first round of the scheme supports nine regional hubs of business specialising in creative subsectors, such as film and high end TV in Cardiff’s Clwstwr and fashion in the Future Fashion Factory in Leeds, helping entrepreneurs and businesses in these areas innovate with new technologies, secure investment, and access global markets, with further clusters to be announced. 

    DCMS will also continue to contribute funding towards the hosting of the London Film Festival and London Fashion Week, as well as providing continued funding for the British Film Commission, National Film and Television School and the BFI’s Certification Unit.

    The Budget has confirmed that the government remains committed to the UK’s regime of highly-competitive tax reliefs for film, high-end TV and video games, including the recently-announced Independent Film Tax Credit, as well as reliefs for animation and children’s TV production.

    Yesterday the government also confirmed that a new VFX relief will go ahead in April 2025, with costs incurred by VFX firms from 1 January 2025 eligible. It will incentivise more film projects to draw on the UK’s post-production expertise – potentially generating hundreds of millions of pounds in additional revenues and creating thousands of jobs.

    The UK’s visual effects industry has grown substantially in recent years and it is now home to six of the world’s biggest visual effects studios. British firms have created CGI and visual effects for global box office hits such as Barbie and Wonka.

    In addition, the Chancellor has increased support for the national museums and galleries by raising their Grant-in-Aid to help support their long-term sustainability. A package of cultural infrastructure funding will also support cultural organisations across the country. 

    The Chancellor also announced yesterday that the government will continue to provide generous tax reliefs to museums, galleries, theatres and orchestras, which will support cultural sectors and help to ensure they can share their world-class productions and collections with more audiences up and down the country. 

    From 1 April 2025, theatres, orchestras and museums and galleries will benefit from higher tax relief rates of 40 percent for non-touring productions, and 45 percent for orchestral and touring productions.

    ENDS

    Notes to Editors

    Creative Careers Programme

    • The Creative Careers Programme (CCP), launched in 2018, tackles information and coordination barriers to providing specialist information, advice and guidance about creative careers to young people, targeting 11-18 year olds, as well as their parents, carers, teachers and careers advisors. 
    • The programme delivers Discover! Creative Careers Week annually in November, alongside a website with lesson plans and resources, monthly online insight Q&A panels, and training for careers advisors.
    • The programme operates UK-wide, with current priority focus given to areas in England where young people face particular challenges in accessing information about the Creative Industries
    • It is delivered by ScreenSkills, with co-delivery partners Creative UK and Speakers for Schools. Further partners include: National Careers Service, Careers and Enterprise Company, Design Council, Into Film, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Advertising Association, the Publishers Association, UK Fashion and Textiles Association, YouTube, UK Music and UK Theatre/Society of London Theatre.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Noise nuisance neighbours brought to book by tireless work of council officers

    Source: City of Norwich

    Unwavering action by the city council has led to the successful prosecution of two Norwich residents for making the lives of nearby neighbours a misery because of persistent noise.

    The successful court action for breaches of a Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) came after the council received numerous complaints from residents* about excessive noise, which severely impacted their ability to work, sleep and live peacefully.

    The ongoing loud music caused significant disruption to neighbours who had to endure sleepless nights. Some residents were even forced to find alternative accommodation, such as sleeping in a vehicle, to escape the disturbance.

    Despite multiple warnings, the offenders continued their behaviour, prompting the council to take further action. Council officers personally witnessed the excessive noise on several occasions, leading to the installation of specialist Norsonic equipment to record noise levels. This led to residents recording 747 separate noise incidents over 18 months using the council’s noise app.

    Earlier this year, the individuals appeared before Norwich Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of the NAN, which had been issued earlier this year. Both were fined £400, with additional costs including a £160 victim surcharge, £100 in legal fees, and £50 in enforcement and investigation costs, bringing the total to £710, payable in monthly instalments of £100.

    This dogged determination by the city council to pursue offenders through the court helps deliver one of its priorities ‘A fairer Norwich’, as set out in the organisation’s community-led plan ‘We Are Norwich’ which advocates for all residents to have a good quality of life.

    As part of the court proceedings, the council applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), which will be reviewed at a hearing Spring 2025. If granted, the CBO will prohibit the individuals from playing loud music and will remain in place for a minimum of two years, any breach of its conditions could lead to severe penalties, including imprisonment.

    The court issued a strong warning to the defendants, emphasising the serious consequences of their actions and the potential for further legal action if the disturbances continue.

    Councillor Beth Jones, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said:
    “This case highlights the importance of being considerate towards neighbours. Excessive noise can have a devastating impact on people’s lives, particularly when it prevents them from getting the rest they need or from working. We take noise complaints very seriously and will continue to take legal action against those who disrupt the peace of their communities.”

    We encourage residents affected by noise pollution to report issues through the council’s noise complaint service. Residents can also use the noise app, which allows them to record and submit evidence of noise disturbances directly to the council.

    *We have removed names and addresses in this article so that neighbours cannot be recognised.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –