Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rat-infested Leeds sandwich shop shut down by council and owner prosecuted

    Source: City of Leeds

    A rat-infested sandwich shop in Armley has been shut down by Leeds City Council’s environmental health team and its owner banned from running a food business again.

    Emma’s Sandwich Shop on Wortley Road, Armley, has permanently closed after officers discovered a raft of food hygiene failures including evidence of an active widespread rat infestation.

    The team found the premises and equipment were covered in thick filth and clear signs that rodents had been gnawing at the lids of food containers.

    Rat droppings also littered the area, including where open food was being handled and among soft drinks containers, and a rat was observed on one inspection running behind fridges and freezers in the kitchen.

    Officers also discovered the sink had a lack of hot running water for washing hands.

    Proprietor Dawn Smith pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to 14 food safety offences, including breaching a closure order when she continued to open for business despite the council issuing a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice (HEPN) requiring the premises to close with immediate effect.

    After twice failing to attend court, a warrant was also issued for Ms Smith’s arrest.

    The sentencing took place today (Friday February 28) at Leeds Crown Court where the judge handed Ms Smith a 16-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, and approved Leeds City Council’s application for a Hygiene Prohibition Order, banning her from participating in the management of any food business. 

    She was also ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity days and pay a victim surcharge of £187.

    Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “Our officers took swift action against this business as soon as it became clear there was an imminent risk to public health.

    “These are incredibly serious offences and the operator’s repeated failure to improve standards and comply with improvement notices show a flagrant disregard to food safety.

    “I’d like to thank the environmental health officers for their hard work in prosecuting this case and preventing this operator from managing any food business in the future.

    “It is absolutely vital that food businesses are kept clean and in good repair in line with stringent food safety legislation. A failure to do so could potentially result in terrible consequences for the public and we will always take action against any owners not abiding by these laws.” 

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sophie Le Sueur appointed as Chief Officer for Employment, Social Security and Housing28 February 2025 The Government of Jersey is pleased to announce the appointment of Sophie Le Sueur as Chief Officer for Employment, Social Security and Housing. Sophie has been acting as Interim Chief Officer since… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    28 February 2025

    The Government of Jersey is pleased to announce the appointment of Sophie Le Sueur as Chief Officer for Employment, Social Security and Housing. 

    Sophie has been acting as Interim Chief Officer since September last year and was successful in securing the role permanently following a robust recruitment process, independently overseen by the Jersey Appointments Commission.

    Educated at Beaulieu Convent School, Sophie joined the Government in 2005 as a Careers Advisor. Over the years, she has held eight different roles across the Government of Jersey gaining valuable experience across operations, policy development, and leadership, with a strong focus on improving customer experience and colleague engagement. 

    Sophie said: “I’m honoured to be appointed as Chief Officer for Employment, Social Security and Housing. Having spent my career in Government, I’m passionate about delivering services that truly make a difference to Islanders. I look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to drive positive change and create meaningful opportunities for our community.” 

    Minister for Social Security, Deputy Lyndsay Feltham, said: “I congratulate Sophie on her appointment as Chief Officer for Employment, Social Security and Housing. Her extensive experience, leadership skills, and commitment to public service make her an ideal person to lead the department. I look forward to working with her to continue improving services and delivering real benefits for Islanders.”​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor to light council buildings purple in support of International Women’s Day and…

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    In a vibrant display of solidarity and support, the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Sarah Duffy will illuminate key council buildings in purple on Saturday 08 March to mark International Women’s Day.

    This year, the initiative holds special significance as it also aims to raise awareness for Women’s Aid Armagh Down, the Lord Mayor’s chosen charity of the year.

    The buildings bathed in purple will include The Palace, Armagh Gaol, Banbridge Old Town Hall and Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre.


    “International Women’s Day is a crucial moment to celebrate the achievements of women and girls around the world, and to reflect on the work that still needs to be done to achieve true gender equality,” said the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy.

    “I am incredibly proud to support Women’s Aid Armagh Down during my term. Their tireless work providing refuge, support, and advocacy for women and children experiencing domestic abuse is vital to our community. Lighting our borough purple is a visual reminder that we all have a role to play and demonstrates our commitment to promote positive behaviours and end violence against women and girls.”


    Women’s Aid Armagh Down provides crucial services to women and children affected by domestic abuse, including confidential support, information and emergency accommodation.


    Eileen Murphy, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid Armagh Down said:

    “On behalf of Women’s Aid Armagh Down, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Lord Mayor for illuminating the council buildings in purple to mark International Women’s Day and to raise awareness of Women’s Aid Armagh Down. This powerful gesture not only sheds light on the vital issues faced by women but also highlights the importance of our mission to support those affected by domestic abuse.

    “It brings us great pride that the Lord Mayor selected Women’s Aid Armagh Down as her chosen charity for the year. This is a huge honour for us as a local grassroots organisation and we feel this is a genuine and real commitment from the council to take decisive actions in creating a safer, securer and more supportive environment for women and girls.”


    This initiative highlights Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s commitment to the ‘Strategic Framework to End Violence against Women and Girls’ and its support for organisations that are dedicated to changing behaviours and creating safer and welcoming places for all.

    The Lord Mayors of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council have been granted the exceptional authority to request a building light up and host related events in support of charitable organisations, community groups or bodies to enhance community spirit and raise awareness for important issues within our society.

    Help and support

    Help and support is available by contacting Women’s Aid on 028 3025 0765 or the Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline on 0808 802 1414.

    Learn more about the work of Women’s Aid Armagh Down, click here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs

    UK and French Interior Minister launch new police and enforcement plans including state of the art surveillance technology to disrupt smuggling gangs in France.

    New measures to tackle people-smuggling gangs have been agreed by the UK and France, with over £7 million of existing funds redirected towards a stronger law enforcement response on migrant channel crossings, as ⁠Yvette Cooper meets with French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, the first Home Secretary visit to Northern France in almost 5 years.

    As part of the ongoing Sandhurst agreement and new joint working between the 2 governments, the ministers have agreed a series of new, stronger enforcement plans from spring, including:

    • a new specialist intelligence and judicial police unit in Dunkirk to speed up the arrest and prosecution of people-smugglers
    • a new Compagnie de Marche of specialist enforcement officers, similar to the arrangements that were put in place during the Paris Olympics which reduced crossings, supported by increased local policing
    • training additional drone pilots to increase operations and intercept planned boats before they reach the sea

    The Home Secretary and her French counterpart met in Calais on 27 February to agree new law enforcement action as part of their renewed partnership on tackling small boat crossings in the English Channel.  

    This builds on renewed efforts to tackle people smuggling from the two countries, which has seen the UK set up the new Border Security Command led by former Police Chief Martin Hewitt, and the French government appoint a new Special Representative on Migration, Patrick Stefanini.

    More than €1.3 million in reallocated funds will provide 12 specialist intelligence officers as part of the judicial police unit, the Groupe d’Appui Operationnel, stationed in Dunkirk. 

    This highly specialised unit will focus on disrupting organised immigration crime activity and the flow of small boats equipment, with dual powers to investigate and prosecute people-smugglers, enabling more convictions at a faster rate and ensuring that those responsible face justice.  

    Another €2.67 million has been reallocated to mobilise a new policing unit, the Compagnie de Marche. Taking inspiration from the operational response during the Paris Olympics, the unit’s officers have elite public order powers to address increases in violence on French beaches. This will enable more dynamic patrols of the shoreline to apprehend smugglers, intercept crossings and prevent loss of life in the channel. 

    Additional French reservist officers have been deployed along the coastline since 1 January 2025, showing better co-operation and use of resource between UK and France under the Sandhurst Agreement, which was signed in 2018. In addition, the French Interior Minister has announced police and enforcement presence on transport routes towards the French coast, and €3,980,000 has been reallocated to further increase the number of deployed reservists.  

    As the Home Secretary has made clear, and as this new funding approach demonstrates, the UK government is determined to increase cooperation to go after the criminal gangs who are undermining border security and putting countless lives at risk.

    While visiting Calais and Le Touquet, the first Home Secretary to do so since 2020, Yvette Cooper met with law enforcement officers and local officials to thank them for their work to prevent boat crossings and to deal with the growing disgraceful violence from criminal gangs against police officers along the coast.

    As part of these enhanced measures, €326,500 funding will also be reallocated to supplying crucial safety of life at sea (SOLAS) equipment including surveillance cameras, drones and life jackets.  

    Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:  

    Criminal smuggler gangs are running an appalling and dangerous trade in people – undermining UK and French border security, causing huge damage and putting lives at risk. The gangs operate across borders, so law enforcement needs to operate across borders too. That is why our joint work with France is so important and we are strengthening our cooperation, with new specialist enforcement teams to go after these dangerous gangs. 

    These criminal networks operate right across Europe and beyond, and we are determined to increase our joint action working with other countries to stop the gangs and boats before they reach the French coast

    I am grateful to my friend and colleague Minister Bruno Retailleau for the close cooperation between our teams and for his continued support and leadership in tackling organised immigration crime. The violence from criminal gangs against French police along the coast is a total disgrace, and I want to thank the French police and authorities for the work they are doing to respond to that violence, to prevent boat crossings and to save lives.

    Between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, both illegal working visits and arrests have soared by around 38% compared to the same 12 months prior. During the same period, the Home Office issued a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices to those employing illegal workers. Employers could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found liable. 

    In addition, nearly 19,000 foreign criminals and people with no right to be in the UK have now been removed since the government took office.

    This renewed co-operation comes amid the introduction of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill under the government’s Plan for Change, which creates a framework of new, enhanced powers and offences to improve UK border security and to strengthen the asylum and immigration system.  

    It also comes ahead of the government’s Border Security Summit, due to take place in London on 31 March and 1 April, to which France and over 40 other countries are invited to discuss solutions to organised immigration crime.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Starmer must stop cruel aid cuts

    Source: Scottish Greens

    These cuts undermine claims that the UK government is a force for good.

    Keir Starmer should listen to his resigning International Development Minister, Anneliese Dodds, and reverse his cruel cuts to cuts to foreign aid, says Scottish Green Co-leader Patrick Harvie.

    Ms Dodds has called for any extra military spending to be funded by fair taxation, rather than through cutting life-saving aid for some of the most marginalised people in our world.

    Mr Harvie said:

    “I commend Anneliese Dodd’s decision to resign from her role in protest of this shameful decision. The stakes are high and there are people who will die as a result of these cuts.

    “I hope that Keir Starmer will listen to her and to the many aid organisations who have condemned these cuts.

    “Instead of being a friend to people and nations destroyed by famine and war, the Prime Minister is following in the footsteps of Donald Trump while showing a total disregard for people in need of support.

    “These cuts will take support away from some of the world’s most marginalised people. It is a cynical and cruel decision that completely undermines any claims that the UK government has to be a force for good on the world stage.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Bitdeer Announces New US$20,000,000 Share Repurchase Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BTDR), a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing, today announced that it has conducted share repurchase for a total amount of approximately US$9.0 million on February 27, 2025, fully utilizing its US$10,000,000 share repurchase program approved in September 2024. The board of directors of the Company has approved a new share repurchase program to repurchase up to additional US$20,000,000 worth of its Class A ordinary shares (“Shares”), effective from February 28, 2025 through February 28, 2026.

    Under the new share repurchase program, Bitdeer may purchase its Shares through various means, including open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, any combination thereof or other legally permissible means in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), Regulation M under the Exchange Act, as well as certain at market issuance sales agreements. The number of Shares repurchased and the timing of repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, price, trading volume and general market conditions, along with Bitdeer’s working capital requirements, general business conditions, compliance with applicable federal securities laws (including Regulation M), compliance with the Company’s obligations under the at market issuance sales agreements referred to above and other factors. Bitdeer’s board of directors will review the share repurchase program periodically, and may modify, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time. The Company plans to fund repurchases from its existing cash balance. By gradually executing the share repurchase program, Bitdeer seeks to minimize the impact on its share price and generate greater long-term returns for its shareholders.

    About Bitdeer Technologies Group

    Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for blockchain and high-performance computing. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive computing solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan. To learn more, visit https://ir.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @ BitdeerOfficial and LinkedIn @ Bitdeer Group.

    Investors and others should note that Bitdeer may announce material information using its website and/or on its accounts on social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Therefore, Bitdeer encourages investors and others to review the information it posts on the social media and other communication channels listed on its website.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    Orange Group
    Yujia Zhai
    bitdeerIR@orangegroupadvisors.com

    Public Relations
    BlocksBridge Consulting
    Nishant Sharma
    bitdeer@blocksbridge.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Stifel Celebrates Mikaela Shiffrin’s Historic 100th Win With Donation to Her “MIK100” Initiative

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ST. LOUIS, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stifel (NYSE: SF), the official team naming partner of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team, is proud to celebrate the 100th career World Cup victory for Mikaela Shiffrin this past weekend as she captured first place in slalom in Sestriere, Italy, by supporting her efforts to raise $100,000 for the Share Winter Foundation.

    Shiffrin broke the all-time record for World Cup wins (86) back in March 2023 and has continued to build on that incredible record before notching her historic 100th win on Sunday in Italy. This season, she picked up wins 98 and 99 in late fall, before an abdominal injury at the Stifel Killington Cup in Vermont sidelined her for nearly two months.

    The historic 100th win came as she led by just 0.09 seconds after the first run. But a clean and relaxed second run allowed Shiffrin to claim victory by .61 seconds over Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic with Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski teammate Paula Moltzan placing third.

    In honor of the milestone, Stifel will contribute a $10,000 donation to Shiffrin’s “MIK100: Reset the Sport” initiative to support learn-to-ski programs for youths in partnership with the Share Winter Foundation.

    “Mikaela continues to raise the bar and set new standards, not just in skiing but in the history of sport,” said Stifel Chairman and CEO Ronald J. Kruszewski, who was in attendance in Killington when Shiffrin last had the 100 milestone in her sights. “To have her win number 100 by coming back from injury like she has with resilience and determination this winter is amazing to watch. And for Mikaela to use the milestone to raise money for learn-to-ski initiatives through the Share Winter Foundation is a testament to who she is as a person and athlete, looking to spread the passion and access to skiing to more people.”

    In recognition of her accomplishment, Stifel created a new broadcast spot celebrating the historic moment that will run nationally, highlighting the uniqueness of Shiffrin’s outsized talent yet humble character. There are also online digital and social executions with Stifel print ads celebrating Shiffrin set to run in select markets over the coming weeks as the World Cup circuit returns to North America in late March. Creative production was handled by Known, Stifel’s agency on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team partnership.

    “We are proud of our multiyear association with such an amazing athlete and global ambassador,” added Kruszewski. “Mikaela has changed the game and is building a legacy that goes beyond her results as she looks for ways to use this platform of 100 wins and create opportunities for others to engage in the sport.”

    Shiffrin and the rest of the women of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team have upcoming races in Norway, Sweden, and Italy before returning to the U.S. for the Stifel Sun Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, March 22-27, to finish the World Cup calendar for this season.

    Stifel Company Information
    Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners and Miller Buckfire business divisions; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; in Canada through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc.; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at www.stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit https://www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.

    For further information,
    contact Brian Spellecy
    (314) 342-2000        

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: AB Amber Grid Operating Results for the year 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AB Amber Grid
    Legal entity code: 303090867
    Address: Laisvės pr. 10, LT-04215 Vilnius, Lithuania

    AB Amber Grid Operating Results for the year 2024
     
    28 February 2024
     
    AB Amber Grid delivers unaudited results for the year 2024 prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards:
    • Revenue for the year 2024 EUR 74.6 million (the year 2023 EUR 81.3 million);
    • Net profit for the year 2024 EUR 8.3 million (the year 2023 EUR 13.4 million);
    • EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) for the year 2024 EUR 26.5 million (the year 2023 EUR 25.7 million);
    • Return on equity (ROE) for the year 2024 4.6% (the year 2023 7.2%).

     Adjusted financial indicators for the years 2024:
    • Adjusted net profit for the year 2024 EUR 10.1 million (the year 2023 EUR 9.2 million);
    • Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for the year 2024 EUR 27.4 million (the year 2023 EUR 24.7 million);
    • Average return on equity (ROE) for the year 2024 5.5% (the year 2023 5.0%).

    The adjustment of regulated income, costs and profitability indicators is carried out due to temporary regulatory difference from the regulated profitability approved by National Energy Regulatory Council (NERC). When calculating adjusted indicators, the correction of income is assessed due to previous periods, which is already approved by the decision of NERC in determining the regulated prices of transmission services for the reporting period. Also, the indicators are adjusted by the deviation of the NERC approved (regulated) and actual profitability of the reporting period, which NERC will evaluate when determining the transmission service prices for the coming period. Non-recurring (one-off) transactions are also eliminated.

     
     

    Attached:
    1. AB Amber Grid condensed interim financial statements as of 31 December 2024.
    2. Press release.

    More information:
    Laura Šebekienė, Head of Communications of Amber Grid,
    Ph. +370 699 61 246, e-mail: l.sebekiene@ambergrid.lt

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: White House spat with AP over ‘Gulf of America’ ignites fears for press freedom in second Trump era

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Murrell, Full Professor in Journalism, Dublin City University

    A federal judge in the District Court of Columbia will shortly decide if the US president, Donald Trump, is allowed to dictate the terms of service of the Associated Press (AP), the US wire agency that proudly proclaims it is read by 4 billion people every day.

    In a (typically for this administration) knee-jerk decision on February 11, White House officials informed AP that its journalists would be barred from entering restricted areas such as the Oval Office and Air Force One until it stops using the geographic term “Gulf of Mexico” – in contravention of an executive order renaming it the “Gulf of America”.

    AP’s style guide explains that the Gulf of Mexico has carried this name for more than 400 years, and that Trump’s order only holds authority within the US. It notes that as a global news agency, it “must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences”.

    But the style guide adds that, while AP will continue to refer to the body of water by its original name, it will do so “while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen”.

    According to AP’s executive editor, Julie Pace: “Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the first amendment” – which covers freedom of speech and the press.

    In seeking to overturn the ban, AP brought a lawsuit (AP-v-Budowich-Complaint) against the White House chief of staff, Susan Wiles, the deputy chief of staff, Taylor Budowich, and its press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, in their official capacities.

    After a short hearing, Judge Trevor N. McFadden – who was appointed by Trump – declined to restore AP’s access immediately, and instead set another hearing date for March 20. According to the Washington Post, the judge was “not sufficiently convinced the situation was ‘dire’ enough to warrant such an intervention” – and therefore was “not inclined to act precipitously on the executive office of the president”.

    Following this decision, the White House denied access to Trump’s first cabinet meeting on February 26 to an AP photographer, as well as reporters from Reuters, HuffPost and German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. Instead, officials allowed in cameras from ABC and Newsmax, plus reporters from Axios, the Blaze, Bloomberg and NPR.

    Pick and mix

    But can the president be allowed this pick-and-mix approach to access to the seat of power?

    The White House press pool has been in place for more than a century, with the seating allocation in the press briefing room decided by the board of the White House Correspondents’ Association. As the major American news agency, AP has traditionally held the coveted middle front-row seat, which it still retains – even though senior officials have tweeted veiled threats to rescind AP’s entire White House credentials.

    The press briefing room holds 49 seats, with some seats shared between two companies on rotation, and a few journalists or photographers permitted to stand in the aisles when there is room. Meanwhile, Air Force One (in reality, two Boeing 747s used on rotation) only has room for 13 people to represent the entire White House press corps. The pool on the plane is ordinarily made up of three agency reporters (AP, Reuters and Bloomberg), four photographers (including from AP), three network TV journalists, a radio reporter and two print reporters.

    Trump has an ongoing fight against “legacy” news outlets that dominated coverage before the advent of the internet. These media often have strict editorial guidelines, but the president has regularly dismissed them as “fake news”. During the election campaign, he ignored well-known programmes such as CBS’s Sixty Minutes in favour of Joe Rogan’s podcast.

    At the Pentagon, Trump’s new military brooms have also been sweeping legacy media companies out of their briefing rooms. This list includes NBC, the New York Times, Politico, CNN and The Washington Post. In their place will go Trump-friendly outlets such as Newsmax and the Washington Examiner.

    ‘Privilege, not a right’

    Meanwhile, a petition by media companies is calling on the US government to “honor its commitment to freedom of expression” by upholding “a nonpartisan defense of a free press”. Included on this petition are the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute, and the Society of Professional Journalists.

    Members of the press pool are usually the only reporters that get to throw questions at senior members of the administration. Its members follow the president on important trips both nationally and internationally. AP is a widely trusted non-profit news organisation, and its reports get syndicated to media organisations throughout the world, with any profits used to pay for its staff and its newsgathering.

    CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins questions the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt over the banning of AP from White House briefings.

    The White House released a statement on February 24: “As we have said from the beginning, asking the president of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right.”

    However, having an independent arbiter making decisions about press pool representation is surely preferable in maintaining a free press and accountability than allowing each administration to pick its own reporters – or even its own facts.

    Colleen Murrell received funding from Irish regulator Coimisiún na Meán (2021-4) for research for the annual Reuters Digital News Report Ireland.

    ref. White House spat with AP over ‘Gulf of America’ ignites fears for press freedom in second Trump era – https://theconversation.com/white-house-spat-with-ap-over-gulf-of-america-ignites-fears-for-press-freedom-in-second-trump-era-251163

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Emmanuel Macron used every diplomatic trick in the book at the White House – but Trump writes his own rules

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Drake, Professor of French and European Studies and Director of Loughborough University London’s Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Loughborough University

    If there was a book of diplomacy, then French president Emmanuel Macron threw it at US president Donald Trump in their joint press conference in Washington DC. Macron delivered quite the masterclass in the diplomatic arts. Unthreatening body language and public displays of affection? Check.

    Meeting your interlocutor on any and every inch of common ground? Check. Macron’s willing use of fluent English was a key tactic here. Other than when answering French-language questions (when to have responded in English would have brought Macron yet more domestic grief), he adapted to the language of his hosts.

    Macron and Trump’s press conference.

    Recalling shared memories of happier, shared times? Check. It was smart to remind Trump of his time as a guest at the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris just a few months previously.

    Gently correcting a friend in danger of veering too far from reality (here, regarding the extent and type of European aid to Ukraine) as you would expect from a true ally? Again, check.

    These are the soft skills of diplomacy as communication between human beings to which Macron typically brings his heart, body and soul. On this occasion and on this criterion he outperformed even himself, and outclassed his host by some degree.

    At times, Trump looked enraptured by this performance from such an interesting specimen of utter Europeanness. At others, the host fidgeted and listened stony-faced to the halting interpretation of Macron’s rapid-fire French. He tried a few gauche niceties of his own (“say hello to your beautiful wife”) and dialled up to the max his personal brand of touchy-feely diplomacy.

    Behind the scenes

    Beyond the memorable set pieces of diplomatic theatre lies, of course, the message itself. This must represent the voice, the interests and the concerns of the state or other diplomatic actor. But it may well go against the flow, disrupting the smooth surface of diplomatic pleasantries.

    Former French president Charles de Gaulle notoriously ruffled cold-war feathers in the 1960s with rousing speeches to stir non-aligned countries and French-speaking people to contest the existing world order. Former foreign minister Dominique de Villepin will be remembered for his eloquent, impassioned plea to the United Nations security council in 2003 against the allied invasion of Iraq.

    Macron has dabbled in free-wheeling diplomacy himself. He claimed in 2019 that Nato was close to “brain death” and maintained a dialogue with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Macron’s account at the press conference with Trump, he closed this line of communication when he learned of the atrocities being perpetrated by Russian forces.

    Articulating France’s global, strategic interests is where Macron feels most comfortable and probably where he is best suited (judged by the standards of his domestic political failings). His trip to Washington at such a pivotal moment in Trump’s second presidency, with the fate of Ukraine in the balance, was a natural move for a leader who, since the beginning of his first mandate in 2017, has sought to lead the European conversation about the continent’s security.

    His sense of urgency to secure greater European autonomy and capacity in its defence lies behind his willingness to talk to all parties. France does, after all, go by the fiendishly untranslatable label of a “puissance d’équilibres” (which means an actor with the power to strike a balance but also perhaps to bring others into balance or even, simply, to keep the peace).

    Macron’s readiness to confront the cold, hard facts of contemporary international relations – he has already told the French they need to put themselves on a wartime footing in economic terms – gives him a track record of sorts in the diplomatic negotiations now to come: between Europeans themselves, and between Europe and the US.

    But facing down Macron’s fancy optics is one particularly awkward fact – namely that Trump does not do diplomacy by the book, or at least not the one he was metaphorically gifted by president Macron. Where the point of diplomacy is to establish a common language with shared codes and expectations in order to ease tensions and bridge differences between parties, Trump’s diplomatic how-to guide boasts new chapters on the arts of bullying, harassment, gaslighting and, of course, the deal.




    Read more:
    Trump and Europe: US ‘transactionalism on steroids’ is the challenge facing leaders now


    For now, the US president is tolerating the quaint diplomatic overtures of these curious Europeans and given the ultra-high stakes of what couldn’t be further from a game, that is diplomacy itself.

    Helen Drake 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. Emmanuel Macron used every diplomatic trick in the book at the White House – but Trump writes his own rules – https://theconversation.com/emmanuel-macron-used-every-diplomatic-trick-in-the-book-at-the-white-house-but-trump-writes-his-own-rules-250832

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Video: Adam Grant: Future leaders won’t succeed without this key trait

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    Big shifts must happen to ready teams for a work future that requires agile thinking and collaborating with emerging tech. Organizational psychologist, best-selling author and Wharton professor Adam Grant shares research-backed strategies that help develop leaders and work relationships across an organization as well as help teams practice critical soft skills like analysis and creativity that are often overlooked and undervalued. He explains why future workers will need to become “job crafters,” and the one trait leaders won’t be able to work without. He’ll also share what a college job as a magician taught him about engaging skeptics (and prompting critical thinking) and why he swears by keeping a “To-Don’t” list.

    This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland

    About this episode:
    Adam grant: https://www.youtube.com/@adammgrant
    Future of Jobs Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/

    Related Podcasts:
    Meet The Leader – How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShvNPomJ4mE&t=508s
    Meet The Leader – Upskilling, tapping human talents, and what’s really needed for the future of work: Cognizant CEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEfNr3mizBY

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
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    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Video: Presidential Lecture: Angela Merkel, Former Chancellor of Germany

    Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)

    As part of the WTO’s Presidential Lecture Series, the WTO welcomes Angela Merkel, Former Chancellor of Germany, on the eve of International Women’s Day.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eA5avwzm3o

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Diplomas were awarded at the Institute of Continuous Education

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Sergey Shirshikov and IBFO graduate Anastasia Podolskaya

    The Institute of Continuous Education of SPbGASU awarded diplomas to graduates. Documents on successful completion of the university were received by 627 people: 480 bachelors, 25 specialists, 122 masters. 33 people received diplomas with honors.

    “By combining study with work, our graduates have demonstrated their determination, strength of character, and that they truly deserve to have a higher education. I would like to wish them all success in their professional activities. I would also like to remind you that at SPbGASU you can improve your qualifications, undergo retraining, and receive higher education in other areas. Our doors are always open!” said IBFO Director Sergei Shirshchikov.

    Professor of the Department of Construction Organization Alexander Rudenko shared his opinion about the final qualifying work of his student, a graduate of the bachelor’s degree in the field of training “Construction” Yulia Taranova. The State Attestation Commission noted the high level of Yulia’s final qualifying work on the topic “Design and construction of the building of the puppet theater in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky” and its defense.

    “The process of completing the final qualifying work by Yulia Gennadievna was an example of such an attitude to the educational process, which is typical for a researcher and designer, which is what the teachers of our department are trying to teach students. Yulia approached the development of the final qualifying work in the most motivated way, demonstrating the ability to independently work with regulatory literature, high speed of perception of information, erudition, the ability to improve her competencies as the final qualifying work is completed, the ability to develop complex technical solutions independently. I would also like to mention her ability to concentrate at the right moment, which she demonstrated during the defense.”

    The members of the State Examination Commission noted the depth of development and practical significance of the master’s thesis by Yulia Amoskova on the topic “Strategy for an organization’s entry into the warehouse real estate construction market”, completed under the scientific supervision of the head of the construction management department Natalia Pletneva. As Natalia Gennadievna explained, the work analyzes the warehouse real estate market in Russia and, in particular, in St. Petersburg. Possible directions for the development of construction and engineering companies in the warehouse infrastructure construction and operation market are substantiated: custom construction, construction with subsequent leasing of warehouse facilities, construction of warehouses with subsequent provision of warehouse services. Using the example of a specific organization, costs and incomes were calculated in all three areas, while the construction of a warehouse in Shushary and Fyodorovskoye was considered and the best option for the organization was selected.

    In addition, the commission highly appreciated the work of Maria Zolotova, a graduate of the Master’s program in the field of training “Management”, on the topic “Development of a strategy for the implementation of information modeling technologies in the construction project management system”. The strategy considers key aspects related to the integration of information modeling technology (IMT) in the design, construction and operation of facilities. The main focus is on the creation of an organizational structure of the enterprise and a project management system, which include the distribution of roles and responsibilities, the establishment of hierarchies, and the definition of relationships between different departments. Maria Vladimirovna, using the example of creating an evacuation map of a building using IMT, justifies the effectiveness of the solutions proposed in the work. The master’s student’s supervisor, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Galina Tokunova noted her creative activity, initiative and high potential for research work. Guided by the significance of the study and the master’s student’s ability to conduct research, the commission recommended publishing the results of the study, and Maria Zolotova continuing her education in graduate school.

    A graduate of the bachelor’s degree in the field of “Construction” Anastasia Podolskaya was awarded a red diploma. Anastasia works in her specialty, and the knowledge she gained has already come in handy.

    “I studied easily, with pleasure – I also finished school with excellent grades. After school, I immediately entered SPbGASU. Everyone in my family is a programmer, I had no idea what awaited me. In my third year, I went to Finland for six months on an exchange. When I returned, I went to work and continued my studies at IBFO. My plans are to continue working. That’s one hundred percent for sure!”

    Artem Zholobov, a graduate of the bachelor’s degree in the field of “Construction”, has many positive emotions associated with the university. He warmly remembers his mentors and their lectures.

    “The more you work, the more you understand the importance of studying. At work, you do something, and at university you understand why you do it, how everything interacts with each other. Thanks to the university, I work at Atomenergoproekt. If I hadn’t studied here, I wouldn’t have gotten there!”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students attended a lecture by representatives of the Samolet company

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Students at a lecture

    The Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career of SPbGASU organized a lecture by representatives of one of the largest Russian developers, Samolet. Senior students were among the audience.

    “We hold regular meetings between students and representatives of industry companies. In this way, students get a unique opportunity not only to learn about professions, but also to personally meet the largest construction companies in the country. The dialogue format allows students to ask questions and receive valuable recommendations from professionals, which will certainly help them in their future employment,” noted Veronika Nikiticheva, Deputy Director of the Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career at SPbGASU.

    Director of Human Resources and Sustainable Development of Samolet, Alexandra Gorchakova, spoke about the company’s history and culture, team values and career opportunities.

    “In terms of construction volumes and land bank, our company ranks first in the country and has over a hundred projects at various stages in its portfolio. With such indicators, we occupy a leading position not only in the domestic market, but also in the European one. We are focused on constantly improving efficiency, for which we are developing new initiatives, introducing automation tools and new digital solutions. This year, we continue to develop the youth direction. We support special projects for young people: hackathons, excursions, career days,” explained Alexandra Gorchakova.

    Maxim Shinkarev, the head of the development project at Samolet, spoke in detail about the development cycle: what stages it includes, what are the responsibilities of each specialist, and what skills are in demand. The presentation allowed students to clearly see the entire cycle, from the selection and registration of land plots to the settlement of new residents.

    Fourth-year student of the construction faculty Egor Vinogradov admits that he learned in detail and directly from industry specialists about how a structure is built and put into operation, about possible risks, about the problems that have to be faced at different stages of construction. “Perhaps, I will contact this company for industrial practice,” Egor concluded.

    Fifth-year construction student Ekaterina Ponomareva intends to develop professionally now, combining studies with work. It turns out that this is also possible at Samolet.

    “I came to the lecture to learn more about construction processes directly from practitioners. I am quite well informed about the company, its large-scale projects and constant development, so I would like to get a job there, especially since I have heard about good salaries,” said Ekaterina.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stoke-on-Trent to host major Star Wars toy exhibition

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Friday, 28th February 2025

    A major exhibition showcasing one of the UK’s largest collection of vintage Star Wars toys and collectables has arrived in Stoke-on-Trent.

    The must-see display, which opens this weekend, features action figures and ships including the legendary Millenium Falcon. There will be mannequin displays including Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi master Yoda and infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett, as well as props including a rare Stormtrooper helmet and blaster from the first Star Wars film.

    Also on display will be dioramas of famous scenes as well as vintage board games, children’s lunchboxes, thermos flasks and more.

    The touring exhibition – called The Toys Strike Back – will be at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley between Saturday 1 March and Sunday 1 June.

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery has played host to many great exhibitions over the years and we are delighted to be welcoming this latest display to Stoke-on-Trent.

    “It will be with us for three months and we expect this exhibition to be extremely popular with visitors from our city and beyond.”

    Sean Szmalc, exhibition director, said: “The Toys Strike Back is a celebration of vintage toys and collectables which have captured our imaginations and will bring childhood memories back to life. Visitors are guaranteed to discover many rare treasures.”

    The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and between 11am and 4pm on Sundays.

    Tickets for The Toys Strike Back are Adults £6, Concessions £4, Children £4, Under 5s free.

    For more information visit: https://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council approves 2025/26 budget and sets out priorities to keep improving Manchester

    Source: City of Manchester

    Manchester City Council has today (Friday 28 February) set its budget for 2025/26 outlining its spending plans to deliver services, make lives better and improve the city.

    The allocation of the £894 million revenue budget highlights the Council’s priorities, as well as the demands on services that councils across the country are seeing.  In common with councils across the land, Manchester City Council remains under significant financial pressure as it grapples with the difficult legacy of 14 years of national Government cuts to our budgets. Manchester was one of the areas hardest hit by cuts in central Government funding and a Council Tax increase of 4.99% (2% of which is specifically earmarked to support adult social care) has been required to help balance the budget.  

    However, improved funding for 2025/26 under the new Government – which saw Manchester receive one of the biggest increases in the country – and indications that future funding will be more closely linked to challenges such as deprivation have left grounds for optimism. 

    The 2025/26 budget prioritises supporting those most in need with a significant spend on children and adults social services; helping residents out of poverty and support with the cost of living crisis; building new genuinely affordable homes and reducing homelessness; protecting and investing in Manchester’s libraries and leisure centres, investing in our 148 parks and green spaces; and investing in local neighborhoods and high streets. The council is allocating an extra £5 million to tackle fly tipping, clean up our streets and make sure the city is clean, green and tidy 

    Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said:

    “Our top priority is making sure that everything we do works towards making our city, and the lives of our residents, better. We’re pleased to be able to set a budget which continues to work hard for the people of Manchester – not just delivering the essential functions which they expect but also investing in making lives better and improving the city. 

    “We won’t forget the difficult cuts forced on us by previous governments since 2010 that left us £460 million worse off, but despite this we are putting residents first. From investing in new libraries and leisure centres, helping thousands of Mancunians with the cost of living crisis, expanding our youth offer, building much needed council and social housing to investing in neighborhoods and high streets right across the city, we will always spend what we have in a way that helps Manchester.  

    “Clean, green, safe and well maintained neighbourhoods are the bedrock of a great city, and that’s why we are investing an extra £5million in these much-needed services to reduce litter and flytipping that blights too many communities and make sure our streets are clean and tidy.” 

    Cllr Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Finance, said:

    “It’s been a tough few years for local government finances and the impact of cuts since 2010 can’t be turned round overnight.  

    “But thanks to careful planning and taking some difficult decisions early, Manchester has withstood the buffeting and is able to bring forward positive plans for how we’ll use the spending power which we still have.” 

    Supporting the most vulnerable 

    • Providing assistance, support and protection to around 5,500 children (including 1,351 looked after children, 842 of them in foster care.) 
    • Supporting more than 3,500 vulnerable adults through care at home or residential placements, with thousands more benefitting from equipment and home adaptations to help them live independently.  
    • Supporting around 2,700 homeless households and helping others avoid becoming homeless 

    Providing good quality everyday services 

    • Carrying out 31 million waste collections a year and providing street cleaning and other environmental services.  
    • Maintaining and investing in almost 150 parks and other green spaces. 
    • Providing 23 libraries and 25 leisure centres. 
    • Maintaining almost 2,500 miles of roads and pavements. 

    Investing in the future of the city to make it an even better place to live 

    • Major regeneration schemes are progressing across the city – from the transformation of Wythenshawe Civic Centre in the south to the enormous opportunities being opened up in North Manchester through initiatives such as Victoria North and Holt Town.  
    • In the past year 600 new council, social and genuinely affordable homes were completed with another 1,500 on site and a further 1,450 with planning permission in the pipeline. 

    Continuing to lend a helping hand to people struggling with the cost-of-living while tackling the underlying causes of poverty.  

    • Last year alone we spent £42m on measures to tackle poverty and support Mancunians with the cost of living. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Budget delivers investment in frontline services to residents

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Liverpool City Council is set to invest an additional £15.3 million in the delivery of frontline services for residents over the coming year.

    The Council’s ‘core spending power’ – the Government’s measure of how much local authorities have to spend – has increased by 10.3 per cent in cash terms as a result of Government funding and a proposed Council Tax increase of 4.99 per cent.

    The Council is to benefit from a £20 million Government ‘recovery grant’ to help areas with greater deprivation and need.

    The budget includes an extra £1.5 million for neighbourhood services to help tackle issues such as flytipping, street cleansing and blight.

    The aim is to build on improvements which have seen a 25 per cent drop in complaints about street cleansing and weeding over the last year.

    Changes have included regular maintenance, litter picking and cleansing at 58 new locations, including central reservations, roundabouts and traffic islands; additional litter picks in areas including Kirkdale, Anfield, Picton and Dingle; and monthly cleansing of 850 communal bin stations.

    There is also £500k for the School Streets programme to improve road safety around primary schools.

    An additional £52 million is being set aside to deal with increased demand for adult and children’s social care, temporary housing and home to school transport. The Council has a legal duty to provide adult and children’s services, and they account for 63 per cent of spending.

    The Council’s financial resilience has been boosted thanks to an improvement programme which has increased the cash total of Council Tax collected in-year by 13 per cent, reduced arrears by £18 million and cut Business Rates debt by £5.3 million.

    In addition, a review of single person Council Tax discount has increased the amount of Council Tax that can be collected by £1.8 million, and changes to empty property premiums is bringing in an additional £8 million per year.

    We have also:

    • Reduced the time taken for an invoice to be paid from 51 to 38 days
    • Cut the amount of debt owed to the Council by £10.7 million in the last quarter,
    • Rolled out electronic invoicing to save on postage.

    The Benefit Maximisation Team has increased income for the most vulnerable households by £7,643,529 – up £433,583 compared to January 2024, and in this budget its staffing will be increased by 50 per cent.

    Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “This is the most positive budget we have been able to present for some time due to the new government giving greater certainty to councils including future multi-year settlements and a bigger share of funding towards cities like Liverpool.

    “The budget continues our investment in the issues we know local people care about such as street cleansing, waste management and improving recycling rates, which is why we are bringing these services back in-house.

    “Like all councils, we continue to face real pressures in areas such as adult and children’s social care, temporary housing and home to school transport, and will continue to work with sector partners to suggest longer term solutions to the Government.“

    Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation, Councillor Ruth Bennett, said: “We are continuing to make great strides in improving our own financial management to drive up income and make the most of every pound. This is helping manage the demand pressures we face in areas such as social care.

    “This rigorous approach is increasing Council Tax collection levels, reducing outstanding Business Rates and cutting the amount of outstanding debt we are owed. “We are determined to become a financially resilient organisation which provides services that are sustainable in the long-term.”

    At the Budget Council meeting on Wednesday 5 March, councillors will be asked to approve a rise of 4.99 per cent in Council Tax, including two per cent ringfenced for adult social care. The majority of households in Liverpool – 59 per cent – live in Band A properties, and will see the charge for the council services element of their bill rise by £84.04 per year. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Join dazzling bike parade and help to Light Up Leicester!

    Source: City of Leicester

    A DAZZLING bike parade is being planned as part of next month’s Light Up Leicester festival – and everyone is invited to join in the pedal-powered fun!

    Leicester city centre will be lit up with some extraordinary illuminated artworks and nightly performances from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 March, as the world-class Light Up Leicester festival returns to the city for a third time.

    The Light Up Leicester Bike Parade takes place on Thursday 13 March and gives participants the chance to be part of the event! The route takes riders on a vibrant 1.5km tour of the city centre, featuring some of the stunning art installations that will be in place for the Light Up Leicester festival.

    Arrive at 5pm at Town Hall Square to ‘bling your bike’ at one of the workshops run by local artists from Graffwerk and Cyclone Works, where you can add lights, colours or sparkle to your bike and get creative, as well as watch live art being created by local street artists. Participants might also like to arrive with their own fairy lights or other novelty lights attached to their bikes, to form part of a glittering cycle parade!  

    Parades will start at 6.30pm, 7pm, 7.30pm and 8pm. Sign up for your chosen start time and meet at Town Hall Square to join the parade.

    Assistant city mayor for environment and transport Cllr Geoff Whittle said: “We are inviting people of all ages to join together and experience the city in a whole new light.

    “The circular bike parade route will meander through the heart of the Light Up Leicester Festival, showing glimpses of the fabulous installations. Our focus is on it being a family-friendly ride, inclusive of all ages and abilities.

    “This will also show people how easy it can be to navigate the city centre by bike – and after the ride, you can use the bike park at Town Hall Square to securely store your bike while you look around on foot. It promises to be a great showcase of our city and a really enjoyable experience for those on the rides – and it’s all free.”

    Leicester city mayor Peter Soulsby said: “We are really looking forward to this festival, which will bring together our diverse communities and promises to be great experience for people of all ages.  

    “Leicester will come alive with light and colour, with extraordinary performances and installations by international artists that people will be able to enjoy free of charge.

    “More than 80,000 people enjoyed Light Up Leicester last time we hosted this festival, in 2022. Thanks to the generous support of our funders and sponsors, this free festival will brighten up the dark winter nights for many thousands more.”

    Presented by Leicester City Council, BID Leicester, Leicester Cathedral and Art Reach, and with additional backing from headline sponsor Highcross Leicester and PPL PRS, Light Up Leicester 2025 will feature four nights of family-friendly performances and activities. Schools and communities are getting involved too, with partners Inspirate and Art Reach working with local groups on projects that will celebrate the city’s diversity and bring an extra dimension to the festival.

    A full festival programme is available at lightupleicester.com/home

    Sign up for the bike parade at www.letsride.co.uk/rides/light-up-ride-leicester-bike-parade and plan your journey into the city by bike at choosehowyoumove.co.uk/

    Light Up Leicester is committed to being a welcoming and accessible event for everyone. A range of adapted bikes, e-cycles and piloted rickshaws can be booked in advance for free by people who need extra support to take part – please email cycle-city@leicester.gov.uk before 6 March to arrange this. Find out more at lightupleicester.com/accessibility/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Educational Improvements for Dundee Primary Pupils

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    Dundee’s primary pupils are making significant educational progress during the earliest stages of their learning journey.

    The Children, Families and Communities Committee will hear that since 2018/19 primary pupils living in the most deprived areas of the city have continued to show higher levels of literacy and numeracy attainment compared to the Scottish average.

    There has also been improvement across all Primary 1, 4 & 7 pupils in the city in reading, writing, listening and talking, literacy, and numeracy.

    The gap between pupils from the most and least deprived areas has remained relatively steady. This is mainly because of increased performance of pupils living in the least deprived areas.

    There are several key strategies and actions to build on this success, actions are being taken to embedding ‘Every Dundee Learning Matters’ (EDLM) improvement strategy, redesigning Head Techer Learning Together Days, and creating stronger working links with Education Scotland Attainment advisors.

    Children, Families and Communities Convener Stewart Hunter said: “This report highlights the great work going on in the city to make sure our primary pupils get good quality education from the start of their learning journey.

    “It’s encouraging to see that the poverty-related attainment gap in Dundee is smaller than the national average and continuing to narrow, highlighting the great work taking place in our schools.

    “We know how important it is to get it right for every pupil and we are committed to ensuring best practice across all our schools, we have several ways in which we are looking to achieve this, including using data to drive improvement and investment with our schools.

    “I want to thank the staff who are doing a great job delivering for our young people and getting their education off to the right start.

    “We will not become complacent, and we will continue to work to give every Dundee learner the best start to their learning journey.”

    This Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels 2023/24 update provides information on the proportion of primary school pupils who have achieved the expected Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) levels in literacy and numeracy relevant to their stage in academic session 2023/24.

    The report is focused of the % of P1, P4 and P7 pupils combined achieving expected Curriculum for Excellence Levels in both literacy and numeracy.

    The Children, Families and Communities Committee will meet on Monday 3rd March.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “A Journey into the World of Research and Discovery”: HSE Introduces Schoolchildren to Become Future Professionals

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    © Higher School of Economics

    On Science Day, the Higher School of Economics hosted a ceremonial event, “Initiation into Future Professionals,” for 10th-grade students in the pre-professional education projects, “Engineering Class in a Moscow School,” “IT Class in a Moscow School,” “Entrepreneurial Class in a Moscow School,” and “Media Class in a Moscow School.”

    At the HSE Culture Center Laboratory of Media Communications in Education met almost three hundred tenth-graders — participants of the project “Media class in a Moscow school”. Director of strategic work with applicants, Deputy Vice-Rector Alexander Chepovsky opened Science Day with the following words: “Science is not just a set of facts and theories. It is a fascinating journey into the world of research, experiments and discoveries. Each of you has the opportunity to become a part of it. We hope that Science Day will inspire you to new achievements and help you discover the world of media. Do not be afraid to experiment and try new things. Each of you is unique, and it is your individuality that will make this world brighter and more interesting. Set ambitious goals and always strive for new heights. You are the future of the media industry, and we believe that you can change this world for the better. I wish you good luck and hope to see your achievements!” He also invited everyone to get acquainted with the prospects of studying at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, after which a series of interesting and useful speeches were held for the visitors.

    Deputy Dean Faculty of Creative Industries Tatyana Tikhomirova spoke about media programs and training areas, as well as about the teachers, many of whom are active media specialists. Press Secretary of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences Oleg Voloshin held a master class, where he examined cases of media coverage of research by scientists who ensure the health of astronauts working in orbit. In addition, a media quiz prepared by Anastasia Chesnokova, an expert of the Laboratory of Media Communications in Education, helped the children test their knowledge gained during their studies in media classes.

    The initiation into future professionals for students of Moscow’s entrepreneurship classes began in the atrium of the main building of the HSE on Pokrovsky Boulevard, 11. Director Center for Academic Development of Students of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Andrey Kozhanov gave an opening speech, after which congratulatory letters were read from the President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Higher School of Economics, Alexander Shokhin, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All-Russian Public Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship “OPORA RUSSIA” Sergey Borisov.

    On behalf of the business, the participants were congratulated by the Director of Innovation and Ecosystem Development at Wildberries

    However, Science Day did not end with this fiery dance. According to the already established tradition, four business trainings were organized for schoolchildren.

    1. General Director of the Prospect company Olga Barinova held a unique master class on the topic of “Creating and implementing a business idea,” focusing specifically on the implementation of creative ideas.

    2. Lyudmila Bulavkina, serial entrepreneur, business angel, strategic consultant and leading expert at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, conducted a training session in a game format called “Roles in Business, Roles in a Team”.

    3. Angelina Akatova, business trainer of the department for work with educational organizations of the Wildberries company

    4. Co-owner of the IT company RiskProf Alexander Bragin told schoolchildren in accessible language about the opportunities that the use of neural networks in business opens up today.

    The icing on the cake was the speeches of the finalists of the Science for Life conference (in the Step into Business nomination) 2023 Alena Adoratskikh and Veronika Gileva (school No. 1799) and student MIEF, graduates of Irina Balberova’s entrepreneurship class.

    MIEM HSE hosted more than 200 tenth-graders from six Moscow schools participating in the projects “Engineering Class in a Moscow School” and “IT Class in a Moscow School”, who immersed themselves in the world of advanced technologies and engineering professions.

    The official part of the ceremony was opened by the performance of the Russian anthem. The Vice-Rector and Director of MIEM HSE Dmitry Kovalenko addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. He congratulated the schoolchildren on the Day of Russian Science, noted the importance of engineering and IT specialties in the modern world and invited them to continue their education within the walls of the university.

    Leading specialists from HSE partner companies, such as ScanEx Group, Aquarius, and YADRO, as well as MIEM employees, spoke to the participants. They presented current trends in engineering, geoinformatics, IT, computer technology, and artificial intelligence, shared professional insights, and talked about the in-demand competencies of the future.

    The program also included an intellectual quiz “Interesting facts from the engineering and IT industry”, the winners of which received souvenirs from the university. The event ended with a lecture “Professions of the Future and AI”, which aroused keen interest among the audience.

    Throughout the day, there was a thematic photo zone where schoolchildren could take memorable photos with the HSE symbol – a crow.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Special Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Special Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan

    UK Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan. Delivered by UK Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN, Eleanor Sanders.

    Thank you, Mr Vice President,

    Special Rapporteur,

    Thank you for your valiant efforts to shine a light on the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan. The UK Government fully supports your mandate.

    As you have said, the Taliban continues to oppress women and girls, in particular denying them employment, freedom of movement and expression, and education. The latest ban on women accessing medical education is appalling. Courses in nursing, midwifery and dentistry were some of the few educational avenues left open to women in Afghanistan – their removal violates their human rights. The Taliban must reverse these inhumane restrictions to ensure a brighter future for all Afghans.

    We, the international community, must maintain collective pressure and stay committed to the people of Afghanistan. The UK’s current £171 million aid programme provides lifesaving support, and access to assistance and services, to the most vulnerable. The UK will continue its unwavering commitment to Afghanistan and to promoting the human rights of all Afghans.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: Core Group Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: Core Group Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan

    Core Group Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

    Thank you, Mr President. 

    I am pleased to speak on behalf of the Item 2 core group for South Sudan – Albania, Norway, Ireland and the UK. 

    We thank the Commissioners for their important report. We also welcome South Sudan’s continued cooperation with the Commission and the Minister of Justice’s presence today.

    The Commission’s report demonstrates the scale of ongoing human rights violations and abuses committed in South Sudan. Civic space and media freedom are severely restricted. Appalling acts of conflict-related sexual violence are being committed frequently, and with impunity, across the country. 

    While the recent passing of legislation on transitional justice institutions represents some progress, only fully resourced and operational institutions can deliver justice and accountability for the South Sudanese people.

    During this extension period, the Revitalised Agreement must be fully implemented, including operationalising the Chapter Five transitional mechanisms and holding peaceful, inclusive and credible elections in 2026.

    We remain committed to continuing our support to the people of South Sudan and their path to peace, reconciliation and accountability.

    The Commission plays a vital role in supporting such efforts. Its mandate must therefore be extended in full in this Session, to ensure continued, robust scrutiny of the human rights situation. 

    We will continue to engage with South Sudan in the hope that this extension can be agreed by consensus.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan

    UK Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

    Thank you Mr Vice President.

    And thank you to the commission and the ASG for their poignant interventions today. Your ongoing work is vital to securing long-term peace and reconciliation in South Sudan.

    We also welcome the presence of the Honourable Justice Minister of South Sudan.

    Mr President, as this report makes clear, the human rights situation in South Sudan remains grave. Violence continues to escalate. Elections have been delayed. Media freedom is severely restricted. And journalists are being arbitrarily detained under the National Security Service Bill.

    We are particularly concerned by appalling reports of conflict-related sexual violence. Victims being left without access to essential medical care or recourse to justice. The Anti-Gender-Based Violence Bill, drafted five years ago, must be put into full and immediate action.

    What we’ve read and heard underlines why we need to maintain this Council’s attention on South Sudan, and why the work of the Commission must continue. It is essential to achieving the inclusive, democratic future promised to the people of South Sudan. The Commission’s robust scrutiny of South Sudan’s human rights situation must continue.

    Commissioners, what more can the international community do to help South Sudan end this devastating cycle of conflict-related sexual violence?

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rouge Bouillon closure – progress update27 February 2025 The latest update is that the Jersey Demolition Company, JDC, site visits have been taking place this week to assess the stability and make preparations for the construction of the scaffolding, as… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    27 February 2025

    The latest update is that the Jersey Demolition Company, JDC, site visits have been taking place this week to assess the stability and make preparations for the construction of the scaffolding, as part of the first step in our four-step plan. 

    This highlights the complexity of the response needed to carry out the repairs, as investigations continue into the stability of the building, affected by a burst water main.

    Four-step plan 

    • first, we’re installing a steel strapping system to keep the building stable. 
    • then, a Geotechnical Engineer will check the soil conditions under the foundations.
    • after that, we’ll move on to demolishing external structures, including boundary walls. 
    • and finally, we’ll keep reviewing timelines, but right now, we’re aiming to reopen after Easter. 

    Timeline update: 28 Clarendon Road 

    The owner of 28 Clarendon Road has been working with an engineering team and a Geotechnical Engineer, to take action to ensure the building is made safe and restored efficiently. 

    We want to thank the owner for working with all parties to come to the fastest possible resolution. 

    Next steps

    • Step 1: Manufacture and install steel strapping system to stabilise the building. 
    • Step 2: Geotechnical Engineer to then assess soil conditions beneath the foundations. 
    • Step 3: The wider team can then proceed with necessary demolition of external structures, including boundary walls affecting neighbouring properties. 
    • Step 4: We continue to monitor progress and review timelines for the safe reopening of Rouge Bouillon, currently expected after the Easter holidays. 

    The project remains under constant review to ensure the best and safest outcome. 

    Rouge Bouillon continues to remain closed between Clarendon Road and Palmyra Road as investigations continue into the stability of an adjacent building wall, affected by a burst water main. 

    The Government of Jersey is monitoring and facilitating ongoing meetings held with all relevant stakeholders to ensure public safety. These include Highways, Network Management, Drainage, Building Control, Jersey Water, CYPES and other key parties, alongside property owners impacted by the issue. 

    Current status with investigatory and repair work

    • private parties, residents and private owners, responsible for the affected buildings are undertaking detailed investigations and repair work, which are expected to take some time 
    • The situation is highly complex with several adjacent walls and buildings that are unsafe and severely cracked
    • Multiple parties are involved, including Infrastructure and Environment, Jersey Water, structural engineers, building surveyors, loss adjustors, and insurance companies. 

    Alternative routes and safety assurance 

    We have considered other options to manage the traffic around the closure however, the decision to retain the current traffic arrangement is based on the following factors: 

    • reversing Clarendon Road poses additional safety risks for residents and pedestrians 
    • allowing right-turn access onto Clarendon Road from Val Plaisant could cause severe traffic congestion, particularly near the Gyratory 
    • reversing Midvale Road, while potentially useful, would necessitate signal junction changes, creating confusion, complications, and further safety concerns. We advise the traveling public to continue to avoid the area and use alternative routes to access town where possible. 

    Public impact 

    We understand that the closure has significant impacts on daily travel and local businesses. The road will only reopen once the buildings are stabilised and all risks of structural collapse have been mitigated.

    Next steps 

    A further update on the situation will be provided in seven days.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services28 February 2025 Please see below a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, in response to the publication of the Hospital Review Panel’s report. Minister for Health and Social Services,… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    28 February 2025

    Please see below a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, in response to the publication of the Hospital Review Panel’s report. 

    Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Binet, said: ”Today, the Hospital Review Panel released their 117-page review. Along with the New Healthcare Facilities Programme, Health and Care Jersey and Treasury teams and Minister, I will study it carefully over the coming days and respond to the findings and recommendations as soon as possible. Having read Deputy Renouf’s Forward and the Executive Summary, it is clear that the report is likely to cause a good deal of unnecessary concern. 

    “For the avoidance of doubt, there is nothing in it to suggest that progress towards the delivery of New Healthcare Facilities should be slowed and I am confident that the team will be able to address all the key findings and recommendations and assuage any public misgivings. Even the Chair of the Panel himself says that they are not saying the new healthcare facilities will fail to meet the needs of Islanders or that they are definitely unaffordable. 

    “Everyone knows the new Acute Hospital at Overdale and other healthcare facilities are desperately needed, and having worked with the highly competent delivery team for almost three years, I’m satisfied that sufficient information has been generated in this specific, Jersey context to justify the expenditure, and that the Outline Business Case will be refined to a Full Business Case in the same, appropriate way.”​​​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Upcoming changes around York Station as project progresses

    Source: City of York

    In the coming weeks, people will notice a lot of changes to the area to the front of York Station as progress on the Station Gateway project continues.

    The new image reveals paving that will form the new public spaces in the area where Queen Street Bridge used to be, as well as give a feel for how the segregated cycle lane will look.

    Earlier this month, contractors John Sisk & Son (Sisk) confirmed night time works were to take place to dig out existing footways and roads, so that they can be resurfaced and improved as part of the changes to public spaces in the area.

    In March, people will notice a number of changes around the station. These include:

    Changes to bus stops outside York Station

    4 bus stops on the city walls side of Station Road will be relocated from Monday 10 March. Stops RF, RG, RH and RJ* will move to a new, more spacious location approximately 50m away. This will create a better waiting environment for passengers and drivers, while making room for improved public spaces.

    Buses will continue to serve and stop at the station but from 10 March will use the new stops as illustrated in the map.

    People will notice that the temporary road will be realigned to accommodate these changes. This will happen during the night works. A temporary accessible pedestrian diversion will run behind where the current bus stops are and connect to the new stops.

    Find information on bus routes and timetables.

    Other work taking place

    • Blossom Street lane closures – 24 February to 12 April (two-way traffic will be maintained).
    • Night work – Ongoing throughout March. From 17 March, Sisk will be installing a new water main outside the RI building. This work will be done over 10 nightshifts on weekdays only, with the last night of work taking place on 28 March.
    • Long-stay car park closure – Network Rail has announced that the long-stay car park will be closed permanently from 11.59pm on 14 March. This is to allow Network Rail to begin work on a new multi-storey car park.

    Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said:

    “It’s fantastic to see the changes now happening which are transforming the area into a more open, accessible and pedestrian-friendly space with improved public transport links.

    “I would like to reassure people that buses will continue to serve the station and that the changeover of the bus stops will happen overnight, so please do continue to use our local bus services to travel into and around the city.

    “We are hugely grateful for everyone for their patience and understanding while these works take place. We are working closely with our contractor and partners to minimise disruption as much as possible.”

    Sisk Regional Director Robin Metcalf said:

    “We’re proud to be delivering this important project which will transform the area around York Station.

    “It’s also created valuable employment opportunities for local people, as well as local businesses and suppliers from the region. As we move into the next phase of construction, we remain committed to completing the work efficiently and with as little disruption as possible.”

    Find more information on the Station Gateway project.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Exercises at the Polytechnic: Readiness Check

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On February 27, the Polytechnic University held an object training. This time, the Polytechnicians worked out algorithms for actions in the event of an attack by an unmanned vehicle and a fire.

    Activities in the field of anti-terrorist security, fire safety, civil defense and emergency prevention and response are held at SPbPU regularly.

    The head of the training, Vice-Rector for Security at SPbPU Alexander Airapetyan informed the participants of the initial situation and the plan of the training.

    At the first stage, workers and students practiced taking cover in basements (ground) upon receiving the signal “Attention everyone!” with a voice message about the danger “Attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle.”

    According to the scenario, an air raid siren sounded. After receiving the signal, everyone began to descend to the basement. Staff and students responded quickly and moved to shelter in place within eight minutes.

    The second stage was devoted to evacuation from the building in case of fire. According to the plan, the criminal, who was on the territory of the university, decided to arrange a provocation by using an incendiary mixture to set fire to the security post of the third academic building. However, the criminal failed to enter the building, and he set fire to the entrance door (model), after which he tried to escape.

    The attacker was quickly detained by a patrol group of the security organization “Yu-Piter”, and the fire was quickly localized by volunteers of the student fire and rescue squad “Pyotr Velikiy”, which is part of the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps.

    At the end of the event, SPbPU Vice-Rector for Security Alexander Airapetyan thanked all the participants of the exercises, highly appreciating their organization, and emphasized the importance of conducting such training for students and staff.

    Photo archive

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/LESOTHO – Resignation and appointment of bishop of Leribe

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Friday, 28 February 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Leribe, Lesotho, presented by Bishop Augustinus Tumaole Bane, O.M.I.The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Vitalis Sekhonyana Marole, O.M.I., until now parish priest of Moya and Saint Matthew in the metropolitan archdiocese of Pretoria, as well as consultor in the same archdiocese and provincial consultor of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in South Africa, as bishop of the diocese of Leribe, Lesotho.Bishop Vitalis Sekhonyana Marole, O.M.I., was born on 10 December 1954 in Semonkong, in Lesotho, in the metropolitan archdiocese of Maseru. He studied philosophy at the Oblate Scholasticate in Lesotho and theology at the Saint John Vianney National Major Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa.He was ordained a priest on 3 December 1988, and gave his perpetual vows on 9 December 1996.He has held the following offices: parish priest of Saint Elizabeth’s in Mamaneng, Pretoria (1988-1992), parish priest of Saint Peter in Kagiso 1, Johannesburg (1993-1994), member of the formative team for the prenovitiate of Rayton, Pretoria (1994-1998), parish priest of Saint Raphael in Mamelodi, Pretoria (1994-2000), vicar forane of the Eastern Deanery (1999-2000), master of novices at the International Oblate Novitiate, Johannesburg (2002-2009 and 2015-2016), parish priest of Saint Anne in Atteridgeville and chaplain of Holy Trinity High School, Pretoria (2011-2013), chaplain of Saint Benedict’s College in Bedfordview (2013-2014), parish priest of Saint Peter’s in Cullinan and Saint Eugene of Mazenod in Refilwe.Since 2018 he has served as parish priest of Moya and Saint Matthew in the metropolitan archdiocese of Pretoria and consultor of the same archdiocese, as well as provincial consultor of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in South Africa. (Agenzia Fides, 28/2/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: The third wave of selection of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence is starting

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Ministry of Economic Development is launching a competitive selection of the “third wave” of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence.

    Previous news Next news

    The Ministry of Economic Development is launching a competitive selection of the third wave of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Grants to universities and research organizations for scientific research in the field of artificial intelligence technology development for the period 2025–2026 will be distributed within the framework of the federal project “Artificial Intelligence” of the national project “Data Economy”. The four-year cycle of work of six research centers of the first wave ended at the end of 2024.

    “President Vladimir Putin set the task of ensuring the availability of our own developments of a new generation of artificial intelligence, emphasizing that this is one of the key conditions for the scientific, technological and ideological sovereignty of the country. To strengthen breakthrough scientific discoveries within the third wave, at least six research centers will be selected, which will be allocated about 4.5 billion rubles in grants. They will focus on the development of strong AI, technology forecasting and attracting industrial partners, forming a basis for fundamental scientific research and accelerating the emergence of innovative solutions that can provide Russian science with leading positions in the world,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    In particular, the new centers will work in such areas as “Elements of Strong AI”, “Control, Decisions, Agent/Multi-Agent Systems”, “Fundamental and Generative Models”, and others.

    The specific achievements of the recipients of support will contribute to the development of the potential of Russian science and the technological growth of the economy, noted First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Maxim Kolesnikov.

    “The task of the research centers is to conduct breakthrough scientific research at the world level. Each center that passes the selection procedure will be able to receive about 336 million rubles in 2025, and up to 422 million rubles in 2026. At the same time, the volume of extra-budgetary co-financing should be at least 30% annually,” commented Maxim Kolesnikov.

    He expressed confidence that it would be possible to support the best teams with the most ambitious programs. On the instructions of the President, support for research centers in the field of AI will continue until 2030.

    The first wave of selection of research centers in the field of AI took place in 2021 within the framework of the federal project “Artificial Intelligence” of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation”. Six scientific and educational organizations received state support for the implementation of programs in the field of AI: Skoltech, Innopolis University, ITMO University, HSE University, MIPT and V.P. Ivannikov Institute of System Programming of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The total amount of support exceeded 8 billion rubles.

    Research center staff have published 165 articles on AI topics in first quartile journals indexed in WoS/Scopus systems, made 206 publications at A* level conferences in the field of artificial intelligence, and created and maintain 15 frameworks.

    Research centers, together with 36 industrial partners, including Sber, Yandex, MTS, Gazprom Neft, Sibur, KhimRar, and Kaspersky Lab, have already launched about 50 applied solutions.

    As part of the second wave of selection of research centers, programs of industry centers in the field of AI were supported at the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, S.P. Korolev Samara University, MEPhI, N.I. Lobachevsky UNN, St. Petersburg State University, and Novosibirsk State University.

    Expert support for the competitive selection and subsequent support for the implementation of research center activity programs will be provided by the Strategic Agency for Support and Formation of AI Developments, a project office created on the basis of the Skolkovo Foundation. You can get advice on preparing applications for the competition by contacting the e-mail address aicenters3@sk.ru.

    Documentation for participation in the selection is posted on the portal Rinse. Bujet.gh.ru.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: The microfinance market in 2024 grew due to companies associated with the largest marketplaces and banks

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    The volume of loans issued by microfinance organizations (MFOs) increased by more than 50% in 2024. The largest increase was shown by companies from the banking MFO segment. Moreover, 65% of loans in this segment are accounted for by MFOs, the basis of whose financial groups are the largest marketplaces and non-banking settlement credit organizations.

    Such dynamics of banking MFIs is largely connected with more accessible funding at the expense of the group’s funds, which allows them to issue loans at rates on average a quarter lower than other MFIs. This makes them attractive to citizens.

    The quality of the MFI portfolio in 2024 improved both due to the growth of new loans and as a result of the consistent tightening of macroprudential limits restricting issuance to high-risk borrowers. The share of loans from individuals with a DTI of 50–80% decreased to 11%, with a DTI of more than 80% — to 3%.

    They will be introduced in stages from 2025 further measures, to limit the over-indebtedness of citizens. The main ones are reducing overpayments on MFO loans from 130 to 100% and limiting the number of simultaneously active expensive loans. Currently, 22% of citizens – MFO borrowers have 3 or more loans on hand at the same time. The debt of such borrowers reaches almost half of the MFO consumer portfolio.

    Read more in the article “Trends in the MFI Market for 2024”.

    Preview photo: nimito / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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