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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin approved priorities for the development of the Moscow education system

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Presidium of the Moscow Government considered the issue of priorities for the development of the education system in the capital for 2025. Based on its results, Sergei Sobyanin decided to increase the standards for per capita financing of general education schools to improve the quality of education while simultaneously leveling the standards for grades 5-11. 46 billion rubles will be allocated for these purposes. In addition, a decision was made to develop a system of mathematical and natural science training for schoolchildren, increase the number of budget places in colleges for Muscovites – ninth-grade graduates to support the growing interest in secondary vocational education, and to build five advanced schools of the future.

    The capital is among the top five world leaders in the quality of school education. The decisions taken will help maintain and improve these positions, as well as ensure the competitiveness of Moscow school graduates in the context of the transformation of the labor market and the development of digital technologies.

    Increased funding and regulations

    In 2025, funding for school education will be further increased by 13 percent. 46 billion rubles will be allocated from the city budget for these purposes.

    High results and success of students in high school, college and university largely depend on basic fundamental training in elementary school and in grades five to nine, since it is during this period that interest in learning is formed, and the talents and abilities of the child are revealed. Therefore, today it is important to pay the same attention to elementary and basic school as to high school. This will become an important factor in the further growth of the quality of capital education and the success of students.

    In this regard, the Moscow Government decided to introduce a single high standard of financing in grades 5-11 instead of two different ones for the middle and senior levels, and also to increase its size. It will amount to 197 thousand rubles per year per student.

    In basic school (grades 5–9), the standard will increase by almost 20 percent, and for grades 10–11, by 5.4 percent. The per capita standard in primary school (grades 1–4) will increase by almost 15.7 percent, to 171,000 rubles per year.

    Strengthening the natural science and mathematics areas in school

    In addition, additional budget funds will be allocated to improving the quality of mathematical and natural science training for schoolchildren, which determines the achievement of the capital’s technological leadership.

    Starting from the new 2025/2026 academic year, schools will organize city-wide courses in mathematics, science, and technology for grades one through six. Students will solve creative problems, developing logic, spatial, and analytical thinking. New city Olympiads will also appear, including experimental ones, for the early identification of children’s talents and their subsequent individual support. Already in April next year, at the “Ready for Life in a Smart City” Olympiad, students in grades three through four will be able to demonstrate the skills they acquired in additional classes.

    Conducting such classes will also require a more advanced level of teacher training and acquisition of new competencies. From April 1 of this year, teachers will be offered a new system of training and advanced training in special courses.

    The decision to develop additional courses for schoolchildren was made taking into account the growing interest of schoolchildren in mathematical and natural science education. In 2025, a record 60 percent of eleventh-graders will take the advanced level mathematics course on the Unified State Exam — more than 32 thousand graduates.

    Over the past five years, interest in computer science has grown by 46 percent, with 16,000 people taking the exam this year. In addition, physics has become a popular subject for the first time in the last few years, with more than 10,000 graduates choosing it.

    Building schools of the future and upgrading educational infrastructure

    Systematic development of education is impossible without the formation of a high-quality educational environment. The capital has begun implementing an unprecedented project to update school infrastructure and material and technical base.

    Since 2024, a large-scale program “My School” has been implemented, within the framework of which it is planned to modernize up to 100 school buildings per year. Now, after reconstruction, the first four buildings have been opened. By the beginning of the new academic year, about 50 schools in Moscow will be modernized. More than 35 thousand children will study in modern, comfortable and high-tech classes.

    At the same time, the city continues to build new school buildings. In particular, a decision was made to create five advanced schools of the future in Presnensky, Meshchansky, Basmanny and Tagansky districts. New educational buildings will be built according to innovative standards, including the creation of comfortable spaces for scientific experiments, group and individual work, exhibition areas for projects, a media library with an atrium and recreation areas. Particular attention will be paid to visual openness and filling the space with light.

    By 2032, about a thousand school buildings will be built or modernized in the capital.

    Expanding educational choice for young people

    The priority task in the field of education is to provide young people with the widest possible choice of educational trajectory in accordance with the interests and talents of each student.

    Schoolchildren who continue their education in grades 10-11 study at least two subjects in depth to better prepare for entering a university. The capital’s pre-professional education standard, which is based on the “school-college-university-enterprise” model, has also proven its effectiveness.

    Traditionally, after completing the ninth grade, many graduates choose to continue their education in college, which allows them to quickly obtain a sought-after profession and begin an independent life. More than 75 percent of vacancies on the Moscow labor market are aimed at specialists with secondary vocational education. The share of graduates of city colleges who get a job in their specialty is 95 percent.

    The 2024 admission campaign showed a growing interest among ninth-graders in secondary vocational education. The allocated 16 thousand additional target places were filled by 100 percent. Twice as many ninth-graders became college students — about 36 thousand people.

    Among the most popular areas are information technology and programming, graphic design, cooking and confectionery, tourism and hospitality. Demand among applicants for specialties in finance and trade, education and the social sphere is growing.

    Taking this trend into account, in 2025 the Moscow Government decided to increase the number of budget places in city colleges for ninth-grade graduates according to need.

    Starting in 2023, the city will implement a set of measures to modernize and systematically develop secondary vocational education. It is based on two basic principles:

    — relevance and demand (educational programs are developed with the direct participation of employers and professional associations);

    – practical orientation (students are immersed in a professional environment from the first year of study at college, and practical classes make up at least 70 percent of the total training time and are conducted under the guidance of experienced mentors and industrial training masters).

    One of the key elements of change is constant interaction with employers, working according to their requests. Today, city colleges have more than three thousand partners from all sectors of the economy.

    Another important area of modernization of secondary vocational education in Moscow is the large-scale re-equipment of colleges. Over the course of several years, it is planned to re-equip or create anew more than two thousand laboratories and workshops. This will allow practical and laboratory work to be carried out at a modern technological level using equipment that operates at city enterprises.

    Three flagship practical training centers will also be built on the basis of modern production facilities. One of them, located in the Rudnevo industrial park, opened in October 2024.

    The plans include building seven innovative educational campuses with a total area of over 400,000 square meters to accommodate over 60,000 students by 2031. Among them are colleges in the creative industries, information technology, healthcare, hospitality, industry, transport, construction, and others.

    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.

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    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12423050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Church hymns and social beers: how Australia is reviving the magic of singing together

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hargreaves, Senior Learning Advisor, University of Southern Queensland

    State Library of Victoria

    It was 2009. John Farnham walked on stage at the disaster relief concert for the most devastating bushfires in Australian history. He belted out You’re The Voice to 36,000 people at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Then, as he lowered his microphone, 36,000 voices belted it right back.

    Farnham knew the real star that day was not himself, but the thousands of everyday Australians singing in solidarity with their hurting nation.

    Singing together is electrifying, but can Australians tap into this magic without the tragedy?

    We’re all the voice.

    The science behind the magic

    Group singing has a proven ability to produce positive social bonding and help us tune in to others’ feelings.

    That sense of connecting and relating can boost our mental health; particularly crucial given many Australians seriously neglect self-care.

    After taking part in a year-long community singing program, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander adults reported reduced depression, increased resilience and a greater sense of social connection.

    Physiologically, research shows group singing can increase the hormone oxytocin which helps us bond with people and feel good. It can decrease cortisol levels to positively modulate our immune system. Making music together may also release endorphins that help our tolerance of pain.

    Rewinding on Australian singing

    Australia’s identity as a singing nation has never quite matched countries like Wales, “the land of song”. Centuries-old singing traditions are well-suited to huddling indoors in snowy northern hemisphere villages.

    Indeed, the tradition of singing Christmas carols was devised as a cure for the European winter blues. Our warmer Australian climate, in contrast, coaxes us outdoors for other activities in wide open spaces.

    Hymn singing at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building in 1882.
    State Library of Victoria

    Australia’s choral tradition grew initially through church music; printed on tiny 12x7cm pages, books from the early 1800s provide a glimpse at the hymns church choirs and congregations once sang.

    Music researcher Dianne Gome reports these books were also used for official state occasions and in the home. They were so popular, Australians began to create their own versions.

    Singing was part of 19th century Australian life. At home, pianos were treasured for family singalongs and a sign of wealth and culture. Choirs blossomed, such as the The Brisbane Musical Union (now The Queensland Choir) which formed in 1872 with 112 members. Singing was valued, and local journals critiqued technique. Even The Wireless Weekly reported a radio poll “to decide the worst singer” in 1942.

    Work songs – morale boosters as workers labour through repetitive tasks – also showed our early singing culture. One Queensland man recently described life as a 14-year-old in a 1930s tram track foundry:

    Every night I came home exhausted. It was hard work, but we used to sing […] How many people sing at their work today?

    Alongside its presence in churches, work places and social gatherings, singing became a pillar of Australian education.

    A book on education history in Victoria reports singing was introduced in the 1850s for “harmonising and refining the mind” and as a “most favourable influence […] on the moral associations of the goldfields”.

    While some traditions in schools continue today, claims of a crowded curriculum and de-valuing of the arts have pushed school singing from essential to optional.

    There also exists a social pressure on Australian boys to play sport rather than sing in choirs.

    Today’s Aussie group singing style

    A fair dinkum Aussie singing style is well established in sporting circles.

    The 1978 World Cricket Series jingle C’mon Aussie C’mon was so simple and catchy its tune still rings through stadiums today. Likewise, Mike Brady’s Up There Cazaly – inspired by the 1910s footballer whose name was used in World War II battle cries – has been a favourite crowd singalong at AFL Grand Finals for decades.

    Footy club theme songs aside, Brisbane Lions fans will be particularly familiar with a modern opportunity for sports singing: goal songs. After every goal at a Lions’ home game, a snippet from a player-chosen track blares across the stands.

    Not all of these song selections make successful singalongs, but Charlie Cameron’s choice of Take Me Home Country Roads is a clear favourite. Tellingly, the crowd keeps singing after the music stops.

    At the other end of the spectrum of group size and vocal expertise is the small Australian-bred a capella group The Idea of North. Their expert musical arrangements and blended sound perfectly encapsulates collaborative singing with unity, harmony and joy.

    For a quirky Australian choral option, a group of men from Mullumbimby formed the “fake” Russian choir, Dustyesky (a wordplay on the famous Russian writer Dostoevsky). They don’t speak the language, yet their energy and passion for singing made them a hit in Russia and brought about an invitation to sing in Moscow.

    With millions of internet views, another highly successful Australian response to group singing came from Astrid Jorgensen, creator of Pub Choir. With laughter and a drink, members of the public meet at a licensed venue to learn a song in three-part harmony.

    Jorgensen’s tailored musical arrangements of popular songs suit untrained singers, don’t require music reading skills and make singing in harmony with complete strangers easy and fun. Jorgensen found the key to motivating Aussies to sing together is crowds, humour and a social beer.

    Wendy Hargreaves 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. Church hymns and social beers: how Australia is reviving the magic of singing together – https://theconversation.com/church-hymns-and-social-beers-how-australia-is-reviving-the-magic-of-singing-together-250254

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergey Netesov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU: “The new coronavirus does not pose a visible danger to people yet”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Sergey Netesov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU: “The new coronavirus does not yet pose a visible danger to people”

    — Having studied the primary sources — articles published in February 2025 in the journals Cell and Nature — I can say that the discovery of the HKU5-CoV-2 virus, which is a type of the HKU5 virus, is an interesting fact, but so far this virus does not pose a visible danger to humans.

    The HKU5 virus was first identified in bats in China back in 2006. The above-mentioned articles indicate that one of its variants seems to have a binding site in the S protein for the same human cell receptors as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. However, this virus has not yet caused disease in any human, although it has the potential to do so. However, almost any animal virus has this potential.

    It should be noted that the bats from whose organisms it was isolated are carriers of hundreds of different viruses, but only a few are capable of infecting people. This means that the danger of the newly discovered virus to people is highly questionable.

    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: “Winter in Moscow”: wedding ceremonies were held on the skating rinks at VDNKh and Vorobyovy Gory

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the largest skating rink in Moscow and for the first time on the skating rink of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory on a beautiful date – February 25, 2025 – the capital’s registry offices held off-site wedding ceremonies. The newlyweds exchanged rings on the ice and made the event truly unforgettable. The skating rinks are operating within the framework of the project “Winter in Moscow”.

    “Winter wedding ceremonies on skates have become our good tradition for the last few years. During this time, 12 capital couples tied the knot on skates in the company of friends and family. On this beautiful date, over 800 couples got married in Moscow, four new families were created on the skating rinks at VDNKh and on Vorobyovy Gory. The ceremonies were held in different formats – at VDNKh, the newlyweds exchanged rings during the day against the backdrop of the exhibition’s architecture and the Friendship of Nations fountain, on Vorobyovy Gory the celebrations took place in the evening with cozy lighting and wedding decor,” said

    Svetlana Ukhaneva, Head of the Civil Registry Office of Moscow.

    Ice skating wedding

    Marriage registration on ice rinks has become a good tradition of winter seasons. On Tuesday, two wedding ceremonies took place on the largest skating rink in the capital at VDNKh. The newlyweds were on skates and in festive outfits that matched the entourage of the ice rink. The official marriage registration was carried out by employees of the capital’s registry offices.

    The largest skating rink at VDNKh this year is located in its traditional place — along the Main Alley between pavilions No. 1 “Central” and No. 58 “Agriculture”. The ice rink goes around the fountains “Friendship of Peoples” and “Stone Flower”. The area of the artificial ice surface is more than 20 thousand square meters.

    In addition, the evening ceremonies were held for the first time on the skating rink of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory. It was decorated with modern wedding decor, and the names of the newlyweds were displayed on the multimedia screen during the ceremonies. Natural evening and artistic lighting added coziness to the ceremony.

    Love reigns here

    In addition, on the beautiful date of February 25, 2025, the Wedding Palace at VDNKh celebrated its 11th anniversary since its opening. The building was constructed in 1939 according to the design of the famous architect Nikolai Kolli. The historic mansion has a large hall and living rooms, which are ideal for gathering guests, holding receptions, photo and video shooting.

    The area of the ceremonial hall is 100 square meters, which allows for more than 30 people to be accommodated, ensuring a comfortable and solemn event. The interval between registrations here is twice as long as in other wedding palaces in Moscow.

    The solemnity of the marriage registration ceremony is provided by the musical accompaniment of a string trio. The newlyweds are offered to choose any of 60 compositions. During the buffet, guests can order a harp performance.

    An application for marriage registration is submitted in person at the Wedding Palace at VDNKh, as well as at any government services center “My Documents” or online through the public services portal or Mos.ru.

    It is also possible to organize an off-site marriage registration. Among the venues are the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center, the Moscow Sun Ferris Wheel, and the Moskvarium. These places are included in the project “New Addresses of Happiness”.

    There are more than 50 venues available for holding ceremonies in Moscow, including wedding palaces, museums, metro stations, estates and restaurants. The service will help future newlyweds make their choice “Our Wedding” on the mos.ru portal. This is a detailed guide to wedding ceremony locations in the capital. Using filters, you can set the necessary parameters, such as the type of venue, interior style, and other features. In addition, the service allows you to specify the desired registration date, the nearest metro station, the maximum number of guests, and much more. The pages of the venues contain detailed descriptions and contact phone numbers.

    You can apply for marriage registration on the public services portal or on mos.ru, as well as in wedding palaces. The state fee is 350 rubles.

    The first wedding ceremonies of 2025 took place at Mayakovskaya metro station

    The Winter in Moscow project is the main event of the season, which until February 28 brings together various events in the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go ice skating, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, and show concern for those who need it.

    Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The largest festivals of the capital are organically woven into the project: “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light” and many others. All information about the project and the events of the winter season can be found in a special section of mos.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.

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150504073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Capital fairs offer Maslenitsa treats and pancake fillings

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital’s weekend fairs offer customers fresh products for the family table on Maslenitsa. The shelves offer various fillings for pancakes and holiday treats. This includes farm honey, fresh homemade cheeses, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish products, cottage cheese and much more.

    The most popular sweet fillings include honey, jam, condensed milk and butter. In addition, customers often choose chicken with mushrooms, apples and pears with homemade cheese, feta cheese with spinach and beets with basil and goat cheese for their pancakes.

    Among dietary ones, vegetable fillings are in demand – these are fried pumpkin, carrots, zucchini and sweet peppers – as well as spinach with grated low-fat cheese with the addition of garlic or berries with coconut condensed milk.

    Farmers suggest diversifying the holiday menu and experimenting with ingredients. For example, you can serve cream cheese with herbs and walnuts, chicken with mushrooms and cream, feta with olives and finely chopped tomatoes, and caramelized apples with cinnamon with pancakes. In addition, customers will be offered to try cream cheese with horseradish, pumpkin filling with soft cheese, as well as nut, chocolate and many others.

    The capital’s fairs present high-quality farm products from more than 40 regions of Russia. Specialists Veterinary Committee of the City of Moscow They check the goods immediately before sending them to the shelves; 18 mobile laboratories operate on site, which guarantees the safety of the products.

    The fair pavilions are located near metro stations and other crowded places. They are equipped with commercial and refrigeration equipment, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and video surveillance systems, so that visitors feel comfortable at any time of the year.

    The indoor winter markets are open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 08:00 to 20:00.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150557073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow schoolchildren can prepare for the Unified State Exam with the help of “MESh”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the platform “Moscow Electronic School” (MES) provides services for students and their parents, allowing them to competently organize preparation for the Unified State Exam and Basic State Exam (USE and OGE), as well as consciously choose a suitable educational institution.

    “The Moscow Electronic School has become an important assistant for Moscow schoolchildren in their studies. The platform includes a wide range of content, including for preparing for final exams, so students can save time and quickly find the topics they need. This approach simplifies preparation and makes it more structured,” the press service of the Moscow

    Department of Education and Science.

    Thus, the service “Exams” is available for graduates, where all the necessary materials for successfully passing the Unified State Exam are collected. During this academic year, more than 80 thousand schoolchildren used it almost 320 thousand times. Here, graduates can familiarize themselves with the content of exercises in all subjects and recommended materials for preparation. In particular, these are annually updated video analysis of Unified State Exam assignments, in which the best teachers of the capital share their experience and analyze examples from previous years. This format helps children to better understand complex topics, avoid common mistakes and increase their self-confidence before exams. Teachers can use the materials in workshops to prepare for the Unified State Exam or attach them to homework so that students repeat the topic covered and better assimilate the material.

    Video analysis of Unified State Exam assignments in all subjects has appeared in the MES library

    This year, 424 video analyses have already been created. They are available in the “Exams” service in the web version of the electronic diary on the website Shul.mos.ru and in the mobile application “MESH Diary”, as well as on the home page of the MES library in the selection “Preparation for the Unified State Exam-2025”. In this section, 281 video analysis for preparation for the unified city test appeared. The materials were published in advance so that graduates had enough time to fully work through the topics.

    To consolidate the material studied, the Exams service offers about 1,600 tests with automatic checking. Students can study at a comfortable pace, devoting more time to those tasks that cause difficulties. In addition, MES has more than 100 videos with recommendations on how to manage time during the exam and fill out the Unified State Exam forms, as well as with advice from psychologists on stress management and memory development.

    In order for the students to understand what they should focus on during their preparation, the topics that may be encountered on the Unified State Exam and the Basic State Exam are marked with special icons in the MESH electronic diary. They are displayed in the lesson cards in the schedule and help to find the necessary materials faster. These functions can be used in the web version of the electronic diary on the website Shul.mos.ru and in the mobile application “MESH Diary”.

    In addition, everything necessary for preparing for exams is collected in the MES library. Thus, the service provides educational materials on mathematics, which were developed by specialists of the electronic educational system “Gipermatika”. Graduates can use collections of problems to prepare for the Unified State Exam, and students in grades 6-11 can take mathematical courses, including theoretical and practical parts.

    A virtual laboratory will help you prepare for the OGE and USE in computer science on your own “MESH Informatics”. A selection of courses and practical tasks will allow you to consolidate or improve your knowledge of the subject, as well as understand how much time it takes to solve a particular test.

    In addition, the children can use the materials of the online service “Cloud of Knowledge”. They include 430 simulators and 142 assignment options for preparing for the Unified State Exam and the Basic State Exam.

    You can get help in choosing a college in the service “Student Portfolio”. This contains the results of professional testing and personal recommendations from career mentors. Ninth-graders can learn more about their abilities, identify their inclinations for certain professions, and decide on the direction of their further education.

    “Moscow Electronic School”— a joint project of the capital’s Departments of Education and Science Andinformation technology, created in 2016. A single digital educational platform is available to Moscow teachers, students and their parents. Among the main services of “MES” are a library of educational materials, an electronic diary and journal, “Moskvenok”, “Student Portfolio” and “Olympiads”.

    Providing the capital’s schoolchildren with modern digital services increases the efficiency of the educational process, helps children to plan their school and personal time wisely and corresponds to the objectives of the “All the Best for Children” national project “Youth and Children”.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150570073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 20 thousand fragments: how 19th century mosaic icons were restored

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Specialists have restored mosaic panels with the faces of St. Olga and St. Panteleimon on the facades of the buildings of the former St. Olga Children’s Hospital. This is one of the stages of complex work to preserve the architectural ensemble of the late 19th century, located at 2a Orlovo-Davydovsky Lane. It includes four buildings and a park.

    A mosaic panel with the face of the healer Panteleimon decorates the facade of one of the buildings (it once housed an outpatient department), and an icon of St. Olga decorates another building (this building historically housed the main hospital building). All buildings in the ensemble are made of red brick in the eclectic style according to the designs of architects Konstantin Bykovsky and Vasily Barkov.

    “The smalt mosaic panels are an important part of the facade decoration of the former hospital buildings. Special attention was paid to their restoration. The icons are made of 20 thousand fragments of colored opaque glass, which are dated 1897-1899. The icon of St. Panteleimon is well preserved, so the work was carried out directly on the facade. And the condition of the panel with the image of St. Olga was critical, so it was dismantled and moved to a restoration workshop. There, specialists carefully cleaned the icon, made up for the losses, and then returned it to its historical place,” said the head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the city of Moscow.

    Alexey Emelyanov.

    The comprehensive restoration of the architectural ensemble, the first in its entire existence, began in 2022. At the same time, they began to put the historical icons in order. Specialists did a large amount of work: they selected and agreed on the restoration technique, conducted a chemical analysis of the mosaic material at the Ilya Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting.

    It is planned to fully complete all work for the architectural ensemble of the former St. Olga Children’s Hospital in 2025. It is a cultural heritage site of regional significance, so the restoration is being carried out under the supervision of specialists from the Moscow City Department of Cultural Heritage.

    The complex of buildings is located in the Meshchansky district. It was built according to the design of the architect Konstantin Mikhailovich Bykovsky using funds from Count Sergei Vladimirovich Orlov-Davydov. This is how he decided to perpetuate the memory of his beloved mother, Olga Orlova-Davydova. The institution was named in honor of her patroness, Saint Olga.

    It was a small hospital town, on the territory of which there was a two-story brick building with one-story buildings adjoining it on the sides, as well as several wooden buildings of the outpatient building, auxiliary services and a chapel.

    In May 1885, the foundation stone of a large stone building for a children’s hospital was laid; outpatient treatment began in December 1886, and an inpatient department was opened in January 1888.

    Ten years after the medical institution was founded, Count Sergei Orlov-Davydov petitioned the committee of the Imperial Philanthropic Society to begin expanding the hospital. The design for the new buildings was commissioned from Moscow architect Vasily Vasilyevich Barkov. The wooden buildings were replaced with stone ones. At the same time, mosaic panels with images of the healer Panteleimon and the patroness of the hospital, Saint Olga, appeared on the facades of the buildings. The grand opening of the new buildings took place on December 11, 1899.

    Thus, by the beginning of the 20th century, the ensemble of stone buildings of the St. Olga Children’s Hospital was formed in the then widespread style of red-brick eclecticism. A characteristic feature of this architectural trend is decorative elements made of white brick and stone.

    Over the past 14 years, more than 2.3 thousand cultural heritage sites have been restored in Moscow. The restoration of the historic buildings of the former St. Olga Children’s Hospital in Orlovo-Davydovsky Lane fully complies with the goals and objectives of the national project “Culture”.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150591073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Walk in an ancient oak grove and watch animals: how to spend Wildlife Day at VDNKh

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    March 3 is World Wildlife Day. The holiday is designed to show people the beauty of animals and plants, and also to remind them of the importance of preserving biological diversity on the planet. On this day, it is worth going for a walk in the picturesque corners of forests and parks, enjoying their beautiful views. One of the best places for such walks in Moscow can be VDNKh. Here you can meet squirrels, as well as tits, woodpeckers, nuthatches, jays, magpies, ducks, owls and other birds. VDNKh invites you to take a break from the bustle of the metropolis and enrich your knowledge of wildlife.

    Wander through an ancient oak grove and treat curious squirrels

    To see and study the habits of birds and animals, VDNKh guests need to go to the Kamensky ponds cascade, the Sheremetyevskaya oak grove, and Ostankino Park. Many trees grow in these places and there are ponds, so most of the feathered inhabitants have chosen them.

    You can start your walk from the Sheremetyevskaya oak grove. This is a unique place on the territory of VDNKh. There is a natural broad-leaved forest here, which has been preserved for many centuries. In the 18th-19th centuries, the oak grove belonged to the possessions of one of the most prominent noble families – the Sheremetevs. However, a dense forest was on this territory in the 16th century. Today, pedunculate oaks, as well as larch, pine, Manchurian walnut and other trees grow in the grove. The average age of oaks is 150 years, but there are also 200-year-old specimens.

    The Sheremetyevskaya oak grove is one of the squirrels’ favorite habitats. In winter, their fur is bluish-gray, and in summer, it is red. You can bring healthy treats for the friendly rodents: walnuts and pine nuts, dried fruits, sunflower seeds or wheat crackers. The main thing is that the treat is not salty, fried or sweet, and does not contain aromatic or flavor additives.

    Another place where hundreds of squirrels live is Ostankino Park. In addition, you can watch the nimble fluffy animals and listen to the birds singing by climbing the eco-trail. This half-kilometer walking path is above the ground. Its height reaches 6.5 meters. Walking along the path is safe for both adults and children. The structure is completely fenced with railings, and the boards have an anti-slip coating. From above, visitors can admire the beautiful views of nature and notice squirrels and birds in the tree branches. The path has many twists and turns, so the walk will not seem monotonous. In the evenings, the lighting is turned on here.

    After the Sheremetyevskaya oak grove, it is worth heading to the cascade of Kamensky ponds. It was created in 1803. In 1954, all four ponds became part of the territory of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (later VDNKh). During the reconstruction in 2018, the reservoirs were drained, cleaned and refilled with water. The most notable object here is the Golden Ear fountain. It is located in the center of the Third Kamensky pond and is considered the most spectacular at VDNKh. In early spring, it is pleasant to admire the beautiful views here. And when it gets warmer, there is a chance to meet common newts, toads, grass and sharp-nosed frogs, viviparous lizards and snakes.

    Meet the red duck and other birds

    According to ornithologists, more than 70 species of birds live at VDNKh in the warm season, including rare species listed in the Red Book. Most of them fly away to the southern regions for the winter when the cold weather sets in. But there are also those that live in the exhibition park area all year round. For example, tits, sparrows, woodpeckers, crows, nuthatches, jays, magpies. Most of the birds live near the Kamensky ponds cascade, the eco-trail in the Sheremetyevskaya oak grove and in Ostankino Park.

    Common mallards live on the VDNKh ponds. They have frost-resistant paws with few nerve endings. Thermoregulation is arranged in a special way. The arteries that bring blood to the ducks’ paws are closely intertwined with the veins, which ensures the exchange of heat between the hot arterial and colder venous blood. Thanks to this, mallards can easily walk on ice and snow.

    And in the Ostankino Park lives the common shelduck, or red duck. These birds are listed in the Red Book of Russia under the third category of rarity. During wintering, shelducks gather in small groups with other birds.

    Owls live in Ostankino Park and the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These birds are nocturnal, so they can only be seen at night. Four species of owls can be found at VDNKh: the gray owl, the long-eared owl, the long-tailed owl, and the pygmy owl. These places are also home to two species of hawks that lead an exclusively diurnal lifestyle: the sparrowhawk and the goshawk.

    Anyone going for a walk around VDNKh should take bird food with them. Stationary and hanging feeders can be found in Ostankino Park. Winter feeding will help birds survive the cold. In addition, this is a great opportunity to watch them and study their habits. Different treats in the feeder will attract certain types of birds. For example, if you put cereals, sparrows will flock there. Pine cones, nuts, and acorns will interest woodpeckers and jays. Bullfinches will come to taste dried rowan or hawthorn berries.

    However, it is important to remember that birds should not be given fresh and rye bread, smoked and fried foods, chips and salted seeds. The amount of food should not be excessive. In addition, do not put in the feeders what you were going to throw away, you need to put only fresh products. You can feed them with unsalted seeds, oatmeal, fresh and dried fruits and berries.

    Before the walk, it is recommended to study the “VDNKh Bird Book”. The publication contains interesting information about different species and behavioral characteristics of birds, including those wintering in their native lands. In addition, a map of the exhibition and Ostankino Park is published here, where the most convenient places for bird watching are marked. The electronic version of the book is posted on the VDNKh website.

    With the arrival of spring, migratory birds will return to VDNKh. The first to arrive here after wintering will be rooks, starlings and finches. Guests will be able to see them very soon – in March. In April, thrushes, warblers and robins usually return. And in May, the park will be filled with the delightful singing of nightingales and the ringing chirping of orioles and lentils.

    The Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh) is one of the largest green areas of the capital. Its ensemble is a unique object of landscape architecture, a monument of garden and park art of the mid-20th century.

    Today VDNKh is a major international exhibition center, a museum city and a modern platform for education and recreation of city residents and tourists. Many important cultural, scientific and economic events are held here, which are visited by tens of thousands of people. The total area of the territory is more than 325 hectares.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Developments by enterprises of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ have won grants from the Russian Science Foundation

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Developments by enterprises of the special economic zone (SEZ) Technopolis Moscow have won grants from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) in the field of Microelectronics. Seven companies of the SEZ Technopolis Moscow presented projects in the field of microelectronics. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Investment and Industrial Policy Anatoly Garbuzov.

    “The Technopolis Moscow Special Economic Zone is a center for the development of high technologies. Here, companies create unique and innovative products that have no analogues either in Russia or in the world. Seven Moscow enterprises became winners of the competition held by the Russian Science Foundation. They presented 10 scientific and scientific-technical projects. According to the terms of the competition, the foundation will conclude agreements on further cooperation with the winners. At the next stage, contractors will be selected for the work on proposals that will be financed by the RSF. The projects must be implemented within three years,” said Anatoly Garbuzov.

    The Russian Science Foundation allocates grants for fundamental research and supports applied developments within the framework of strategic initiatives defined by the President of Russia. According to Deputy Chairman of the Scientific and Technological Council of the Russian Science Foundation, Doctor of Technical Sciences Sergey Gavrilov, one of the criteria for assessing the results of scientific activity can be the level of science intensity and demand for products manufactured by enterprises of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ. According to this indicator, companies based in the Technopolis Moscow SEZ occupy leading positions in their fields, he added. They become winners of the RSF competitions, which confirms the high scientific level of research and development of companies. Subsequent implementation of scientific and technical projects on selected technological proposals will make a breakthrough in the development of the radio-electronic industry and raise it to a new level of competence and capabilities.

    “The development and implementation of these proposals will allow Russia to achieve technological sovereignty in the field of microelectronics. In addition, the active replacement of foreign software and equipment allows companies to increase their profits,” emphasized Gennady Degtyarev, General Director of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ.

    For example, the Elta company, one of the winners of the competition, proposed the development of silicon CMOS photodetectors and an optoelectronic unit for the rapid determination of glycated hemoglobin in the blood. As General Director Yuri Glukhov noted, today in Russia they produce devices that analyze it and are necessary for monitoring and screening in clinics to detect diabetes or prediabetes. The development of an optoelectronic unit for the creation of a domestic portable medical analyzer will allow for the import substitution of such medical equipment.

    Another resident of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ, the Research Institute of Molecular Electronics, presented a project to create domestically produced ultra-pure materials for the microelectronics industry. As noted by General Director Alexander Kravtsov, precursors (organometallic compounds) will be used to develop structures for ferroelectric and resistive memory, as well as to form a gate dielectric in transistors of a topological level of 45 nanometers and less.

    In addition, the winners of the RSF competition included such companies as NM-Tech, Epiel, Proton Plant, Zelenograd Nanotechnology Center, and Lassard.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: The city has put eight premises in the Basmanny district up for auction

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Eight commercial properties free-use in the Basmanny District was put up for auction. This was reported by the head of the capital’s Department of Competition Policy Kirill Purtov.

    “Real estate in the center of the capital is especially in demand among investors, as it allows doing business in areas with high traffic and good business and tourist activity. Premises with an area of 37.5 to 409.9 square meters have a flexible purpose and are suitable for implementing various business projects. Application campaigns for them will end between March 4 and 26. Bidding will begin on March 13 and will last until April 4, depending on the selected lot,” said Kirill Purtov.

    The premises are located in residential buildings and office buildings. Seven of them are located on Zemlyanoy Val, Myasnitskaya, Novaya Basmannaya streets and on Chistoprudny Boulevard, they are connected to electricity, water supply and sewerage. The premises on Armyansky Lane are connected only to electricity.

    To participate in the auction, you will need registration on the Roseltorg platform and an enhanced qualified electronic signature. The organizer of the auction is Moscow City Department of Competition Policy.

    Moscow is a city that develops entrepreneurship. The capital puts various properties up for auction, and the showcase of the offered objects is Moscow Investment Portal. More than 400 non-residential premises and buildings are currently available to investors. In the section “Property from the city” All necessary information about the lots is published: photographs, documentation, conditions and form of implementation. Here you can also take a 3D tour of the objects. Participating in city auctions is convenient – the entire procedure takes place online.

    Development of electronic services for business corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Residents of the building on Litvina-Sedogo Street received new apartments under the renovation program

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    About 150 Muscovites, who previously lived in a five-story building on Litvina-Sedogo Street, have become the owners of comfortable apartments in a new building in the Presnensky District. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, the head of the capital’s Department of City Property Maxim Gaman.

    “All residents of house 10 on Litvina-Sedogo Street received comfortable apartments in a short time under the renovation program in a new building at 19 Presnensky Val Street. This is about 150 people who signed contracts with the Department. Their neighbors in the new building will be Muscovites from two five-story buildings on Podvoiskogo Street and one on Strelbishchensky Lane. They are also completing the paperwork. In total, more than 600 city residents will move to the new residential complex,” said Maxim Gaman.

    Participants in the program are provided with equivalent apartments with finished repairs and necessary equipment: plumbing, electric stoves, lighting fixtures. The total area of the new housing is no less than the previous one or even more due to wide corridors and spacious kitchens.

    “The new building on Presnensky Val will have 344 apartments with finished, improved finishing. The entrance hall has rooms for concierges and pram storage. The first floor is non-residential. Currently, there is a resettlement information centre there. Later, social and household infrastructure facilities may open in its place. The area around the residential complex has been landscaped: comprehensive landscaping has been carried out, recreation areas have been equipped, as well as children’s and sports grounds. The metro stations “Ulitsa 1905 Goda” and “Belorusskaya” are within walking distance from the new building,” the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy, specified.

    Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    In total, about eight thousand people from 53 old buildings are planned to be resettled in Presnensky District under the renovation program. All city residents living in 22 of them, including house 10 on Litvina-Sedogo Street, have already become owners of apartments in new buildings. Residents of four more five-story buildings continue to process documents.

    Previously Mayor of Moscow told on the results of the renovation program implementation in 2024.

    The renovation program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Sergei Sobyanin instructed to double the pace of implementation of the renovation program.

    Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction volumes. High rates of housing construction correspond to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists are the first in the world to use a time-projection chamber for accelerator mass spectrometry

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Researchers of the Center for Collective Use “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry of NSU-NNC” have tested for the first time an ion detector based on a low-pressure VPK on the MICADAS accelerator spectrometer and obtained the first results. This device was installed instead of the native MICADAS detector (ionization chamber), in which the ions of the C14 isotope are counted, based on the results of which the dating of the studied sample is performed.

    In 2023, this time-projection chamber was installed for the first time on a domestic accelerator mass spectrometer, which is made and maintained by the G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS and is located in the Cenozoic Geochronology Shared Utility Center of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS. It was successfully tested on a beam of 14C ions with an energy of 4 MeV and proved to be operational. Later, this chamber was tested on a beam of 14C ions with an energy of 0.4 MeV at the MIKADAS UMS. If the experiments are successful, a smaller VPK will be created in the future for installation on the prototype of the first domestic low-voltage universal accelerator mass spectrometer, which is being created by NSU scientists within the framework of the Priority-2030 program.

    Time-projection chamber (TPC) — in application to accelerator mass spectrometry, this is a method of identifying low-energy heavy ions based on measuring their path lengths in gas. The principle of operation is as follows: ions fly into the chamber through a thin entrance window. Then they lose energy due to ionization losses. As a result, a trail of gas ions and electrons is formed along the track. These electrons, under the influence of an external electric field, drift in the gas at a constant speed in the direction of the GEM, where they are amplified. At the end, the amplified electrons are collected on a collector and digitized by the data acquisition system. Thus, the electron collection time corresponds to the ion path length.

    — Previously, the time-projection chamber was developed for the INP UMS to separate ions with the same atomic masses and different nuclear charges. This gas detector will separate Be10 (beryllium) ions from B10 (boron). Since the nuclei of boron and beryllium have different charges, with equal initial energies, their path lengths in a gas environment are different and the VPK will separate them. Be10 has a longer half-life (1.39 million years) compared to 14C (5730 years), so measuring the 10Be content will allow scientists to date geological samples, — explained Ekaterina Parkhomchuk, Director of the UMS NSU-NNC Collective Use Center.

    The MICADAS accelerator mass spectrometer, unlike the domestic multiisotope, is aimed only at detecting and determining the amount of the rare isotope C14 in the samples being studied. C14 ions pass through the entire accelerator mass spectrometer and then enter the gas detector, where they are identified and counted.

    — Accelerator mass spectrometers are equipped with various types of detectors. For example, the MICADAS UMS has an ionization chamber. We replaced it with a time-projection chamber. One of the important parts of the MICADAS ionization chamber is the preamplifier. If it fails, MICADAS will stop, and we will have to either buy a new preamplifier, which is very difficult in the current circumstances, — said Alexey Petrozhitsky, engineer at the Center for Collective Use “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry NSU-NNC”.

    It is important that ionization chambers have one significant drawback – they operate in a mode where the signal-to-noise ratio is far from optimal. In addition, the preamplifier is very demanding of electronics, unlike the gas analyzer, which is equipped with a time-projection chamber.

    — In our detector, we amplify the signal using a gas electron multiplier, which significantly reduces the requirements for the electronics of the data acquisition system. In addition, our VPK produces a much better signal-to-noise ratio, is easy to manufacture, operate and repair. We needed to find an answer to the question: is it possible to use the VPK as a detector of 14C ions with an energy of 0.4 MeV? And in the course of our work, we came to a positive answer. We are confident that the time-projection chamber we have developed can be used as the final detector in the first domestic universal low-voltage accelerator mass spectrometer, which we are currently working on. The experiments we are currently conducting are aimed precisely at testing the detector for the first domestic UMS, and the MICADAS setup acts as an ion beam source available to us. This can be called the first brick for building our own setup. When a project already has a detector that registers particles, it means that a significant area of problems has already been covered and other specialists can join in the creation of a new UMS, ensuring the execution of work at the next stage, commented Tamara Shakirova, a junior researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, the Center for Collective Use “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry NSU-NNC”.

    Currently, tests of the time-projection chamber at MICADAS are carried out on two types of samples: the ANU standard sample (IAEA-C6, sugar) with a 14C content close to the modern level and a “blank” (polyethylene CH – Elemental Microanalysis B2024 standard) with a 14C content of 0.002 of the modern level. The purpose of the tests is to optimize the operating parameters: working gas pressure, gain, electron drift velocity.

    — We have collected a sufficient amount of data, and are currently processing and analyzing it. The main thing is that we have made sure that the time-projection chamber works in the mode we expect and produces clearly readable signals above background values. We can certainly say that we can read C14 from them, which is quite suitable for conducting radiocarbon analysis of samples, — said Alexey Petrozhitsky.

    Reference:

    Accelerator mass spectrometry is a method for measuring the concentration of rare long-lived cosmogenic isotopes in a sample: 10Be, 14C, 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 129I. It is based on the extraction of atoms from the sample with subsequent “piece by piece” counting of the isotopes of interest. The high accuracy of AMS analysis allows measuring the concentration of a rare isotope. This method is used in many sciences, for example, in archeology, geology, biomedicine, ecology, astrophysics. It is most widely used in radiocarbon dating of archaeological objects, that is, recording the concentration of the carbon-14 isotope. The time interval of dating for 14C goes back as far as 50 thousand years. Determining the concentration of another cosmogenic nuclide 10Be is also of interest, since the time interval of dating is much wider – up to 10 million years.

    Currently, the NSU-NSC Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Shared Utility Center has two UMS installations. The first was created by scientists from the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS more than 10 years ago. The second Swiss-made MICADAS accelerator mass spectrometer was purchased in 2019. Scientists from Novosibirsk State University, the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS, and the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis as part of the Center’s research group are working on creating a domestic low-voltage universal accelerator mass spectrometer that will combine the advantages of the first two installations. The project is designed for five years and is being implemented with the support of the Priority-2030 program.

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  • MIL-OSI China: New light shed on diversity of plateau’s plants

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Aerial photo shows the scenery at Mt Nyanpo Yutse in Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Golog of Northwest China’s Qinghai province. Qinghai province, located in Northwest China, much of which lies on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is the home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese scientists have discovered what determined the distribution of unique high-altitude plants across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, thereby answering a major global scientific question.
    Known as the “Roof of the World” and the “Third Pole of the Earth”, the plateau hosts exceptionally rare plants, with over one-third of them found nowhere else on Earth.
    “This makes it a global biodiversity hot spot,” said Wang Tao, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and the lead author of a related study published recently in the journal Nature Communications.
    “For decades, scientists have tried to understand how these mountain-specific plants developed their unique distribution patterns,” he said.
    Working with researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, Wang’s team found that historical shifts in tree growth limits — the highest altitude at which trees can survive — played a crucial role.
    The study re-created a model to show how the plateau’s tree line, the upper forest limit, moved over time since the last Ice Age 22,000 years ago.
    Wang said it is widely accepted that the uplift of the plateau played a key role in the origin of its flora, while periodic climate fluctuations during the Quaternary Period 2.6 million years ago drove the diversification of species.
    Earlier studies have warned that global warming pushes trees higher up mountains, squeezing the habitat of alpine plants. This new research reveals that past tree line shifts also left a lasting mark.
    In addition to the Quaternary climate fluctuations, the fluctuations regarding past tree line shifts “have also influenced the diversity of endemic alpine species in alpine areas, a factor that had not been explored before”, Wang said.
    The study found that the average elevation of the tree line in the distant past on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was lowest — roughly 3,426 meters — during the Last Glacial Maximum, which lasted from 29,000 to 19,000 years ago, and highest — about 4,187 meters — during the Holocene Thermal Maximum about 8,000 years ago. The average present-day tree line is at 4,009 meters.
    The fluctuation in tree line elevation between glacial and interglacial periods reached up to 850 meters, causing the habitat area for endemic alpine species during interglacial periods to be about 50 percent of the habitat area during glacial periods.
    “Areas with stable environments over time developed more unique plant mixes. In contrast, regions with frequent tree line changes had simpler, more uniform plant communities,” Wang said.
    Team member Xu Jinfeng said: “Think of environmental changes as a sieve — only the toughest species survive repeated shifts, making plant groups look similar. Stable areas let plants develop special traits, creating richer diversity.”
    According to the study, rapid warming and rising tree lines could threaten the plateau’s unique plants.
    “These species aren’t built to handle double pressures from climate change and invading trees,” said Wang. “Our findings help design better protection plans.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Iran rejects nuclear talks ‘under pressure’

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (R) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a joint press conference in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Iran will not negotiate over its nuclear program while facing external pressure or sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared Tuesday during a joint press conference with his visiting Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Tehran.

    Araghchi reiterated Iran’s refusal to hold direct talks with the United States unless Washington ends its “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign.

    The U.S. reimposed sanctions after abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, prompting Tehran to scale back its nuclear commitments under the accord.

    “Negotiations under pressure, threats, and sanctions are meaningless,” Araghchi said, emphasizing that Iran had engaged in “close consultations” with Moscow on reviving the JCPOA. Efforts to restore the pact commenced in 2021 but resulted in no substantial progress.

    For his part, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s backing for diplomatic measures to salvage the agreement, stating, “We believe the diplomatic capacity still exists to revive the deal without threats or coercion.”

    He pledged Moscow’s support for solutions and asserted that “the crisis had not been created by Iran.”

    The ministers also addressed regional conflicts, including in Gaza and Syria, with Iran voicing support for Syria’s territorial integrity.

    Lavrov described talks with Araghchi as “comprehensive, fruitful, and constructive,” noting progress in cooperation between the two countries by highlighting a 13-percent surge in bilateral trade in 2024.

    He also criticized unilateral sanctions on Tehran as “unacceptable,” according to Russian state media. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation to counter the sanctions’ effects.

    Lavrov visited Tehran earlier Tuesday for talks spanning energy, trade, and regional security. He then headed to Qatar to continue his working visit in the Middle East.

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  • MIL-OSI China: Macron-Trump meeting highlights divide on Ukraine between Europe, US

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Feb. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    French President Emmanuel Macron, following extensive discussions with European leaders over the past few days, met with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in the White House on Monday in a bid to let the collective voice of Europe on the Ukraine crisis be heard.

    Despite the outwardly cordial atmosphere, the meeting underscored a noticeable divide between Europe and the United States on how to achieve a comprehensive resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

    Noticeable divide

    Trump and Macron on Monday agreed on realizing lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia, but Macron publicly refuted Trump’s claim that the situation was “unfair” to the United States in terms of how the country and its European allies provided aid to Ukraine.

    “Just so you understand, Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They’re getting their money back,” Trump said as he made the case for Washington’s ongoing effort to press Ukraine into signing a deal that would give the United States the right to extract Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as a way to recoup the aid money provided by Washington during the conflict.

    Grabbing Trump’s arm to interject, Macron said, “No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60 percent of the total effort.” He went on to clarify that European aid to Ukraine was structured similarly to American aid. “It was like the United States: loans, guarantees, grants.”

    Shrugging off Macron’s interjection, Trump said, “If you believe that, it’s OK with me. They get their money back, and we don’t. But now we do.”

    Coveting Ukraine’s mineral wealth

    On Monday, Trump said that he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “this week or next” at the White House, and that a final deal on “rare earths and various other things” was very close.

    Separately, European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Sejourne said on Monday that during a visit to Kiev, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he offered Ukrainian officials a mutually beneficial agreement on critical minerals.

    “Twenty-one of the 30 critical materials that Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine as part of a mutually beneficial partnership,” Sejourne said after a meeting with Ukrainian officials, AFP reported.

    “The added value that Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that is not mutually beneficial,” he added.

    A stronger partner

    During his talks with Trump in Washington, Macron said that Europe is ready to become a stronger partner and do more in terms of defense.

    “As Europeans, we have committed to being stakeholders in these security guarantees,” Macron told the press conference.

    For Macron, European peacekeeping troops could be one of the guarantees for a long-standing peace in Ukraine.

    “We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak,” he said, adding Europeans understand they need to do more to strengthen regional security.

    For Trump, the cost and burden of security must be borne by Europe and not the United States alone.

    He has made clear that no U.S. boots will be on the ground in Ukraine. However, he assured his French counterpart that Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept the presence of European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

    After almost three decades of reducing defense spending, Europe has been stepping up its own defense in recent years.

    According to statistics published by the European Council, between 2021 and 2024, the European Union (EU) member states’ total defense expenditure rose by more than 30 percent. In 2024, it reached an estimated 326 billion euros (341.3 billion U.S. dollars), about 1.9 percent of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP). Expenditure is expected to rise by more than another 100 billion euros (105 billion dollars) in real terms by 2027.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Germany business sectors vow to boost cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Around 200 Chinese and German business leaders came together in Stuttgart, Germany this week with the goal of boosting cooperation between the two nations.

    Representatives from business associations and enterprises met at the China-Germany Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum on Monday.

    The theme of the forum, organized by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), was “New Opportunities for China-Germany Economic and Trade Cooperation in the Context of Global Supply Chain Restructuring.”

    It has been five months since CCPIT organized a Chinese business delegation to visit Germany, said Ren Hongbin, chairman of CCPIT. He emphasized that the visit aims to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and to deepen practical cooperation between the two nations’ business communities, he said.

    The CCPIT is willing to join hands with German partners to tap into the potential of trade cooperation, and to continue providing opportunities for high-quality German products such as autos and agricultural machinery to enter the Chinese market and strengthen cooperation in industrial and supply chains, Ren said.

    The CCPIT intends to promote the development of bilateral investment, create a good environment for business cooperation, and encourage more competent Chinese companies to invest in Germany, Ren added. This will begin a new chapter in high-level China-Germany economic and trade cooperation, he said.

    Despite the rise of trade protectionism, the trend of economic globalization is irreversible, and all parties should strengthen international cooperation based on trust, said Johannes Jung, director of strategy, commercial law, foreign trade and Europe at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs.

    Increased face-to-face exchanges between the business communities of both countries will help enhance mutual understanding, deepen practical cooperation, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, said Jung.

    “As the second and third largest economies in the world, China and Germany have always been trustworthy partners. They have achieved fruitful cooperation in high-end manufacturing, green energy, technological innovation, finance, and pharmaceuticals,” Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt Huang Yiyang said.

    The economies of China and Germany are highly complementary, and their development philosophies are deeply aligned, allowing both countries to make greater contributions to global economic development, said Huang.

    Also at the forum, Lin Shunjie, chairman of China International Exhibition Center Group Limited, presented the third China International Supply Chain Expo, which is set to kick off on July 16 in China.

    The company signed letters of intent and cooperation memorandums for the exhibition with German partners like Wolqe GmbH and the China Network Baden-Wuerttemberg. Enditem

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pedestrian dies following Courtenay Place crash

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    A 66-year-old woman from Germany has died in hospital following a crash on Courtenay Place on Monday night (24 February).

    The woman was a pedestrian and was hit by a vehicle as she crossed the street about 8.25pm. Sadly, she passed away in hospital this afternoon.

    The victim’s family have travelled to New Zealand. Police are providing them with support and liaising with the German Embassy.

    An investigation into the crash and its cause remains ongoing.

    No charges have been laid at this time.

    We would still like to hear from anyone with footage of the incident. If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online or call 105. Please use the reference number 250224/0187.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cruise ship ‘Europa 2’ arrives at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port

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

    Cruise ship ‘Europa 2’ arrives at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port

    Updated: February 26, 2025 08:54 Xinhua
    Foreign tourists are ready for their entry process in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 25, 2025. With more than 460 passengers from Germany, Australia, Austria and other countries and regions, the cruise ship “Europa 2” arrived at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port on Tuesday, marking the first cruise ship visiting ports in Tianjin this year. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Foreign tourists line up for entry process at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A foreign tourist is attracted by lion dance performance at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Foreign tourists take a shuttle bus at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port to visit scenic spots in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Foreign tourists take a shuttle bus at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port to visit Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 25, 2025 shows the cruise ship “Europa 2” berthing at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China’s Tianjin Municipality. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 25, 2025 shows the cruise ship “Europa 2” entering Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China’s Tianjin Municipality. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on Stephen Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today chaired a hearing examining the nomination of Mr. Stephen A. Feinberg to be the next Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    In his opening statement, Chairman Wicker discussed the catastrophic national security environment, in which China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly aligned. He added that Feinberg’s experience in the private sector offers an opportunity to advance an agenda prioritizing speed, accountability, and efficiency at the Department, and that Feinberg would play a key role in refocusing the Department on those values.
    Chairman Wicker also raised his landmark defense policy reports – “21st Century Peace Through Strength” and “Freedom’s Forge” as examples of the kind of work required to reform the Pentagon to restore our military and rebuild our defense industrial base.
    Stephen Feinberg is the CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, one of the nation’s top private equity firms. Feinberg also served as Chairman of President Trump’s Intelligence Oversight Board, as well as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board from 2018 to 2021.
    Read Senator Wicker’s opening statement as delivered below.
    I thank our guest for being here. And we are here this morning to consider the nomination of Stephen Feinberg, who’s been nominated to be Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    If confirmed, Mr. Feinberg would join the Department of Defense during the most dangerous security environment since World War II. He would oversee the operations of the Department as it faces an emerging Axis of Aggressors. This dangerous coalition, which is characterized by military cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, presents a complex and far-reaching set of threats. Make no mistake: our enemies do not want a 21st century defined by peace and prosperity for the American people.
    Mr. Feinberg would be a crucial part of the team task with meeting those threats. Unfortunately, the defense investments we’ve made during the Cold War have long since evaporated. Defense spending is near record lows as a percentage of our gross domestic product, and all aspects of our military forces are now in dire need of repair or replacement.
    Our Navy, once the envy of all seafaring nations, is now too small and too old to meet the growing demands of our combatant commanders. Our nuclear forces used to be the most robust and effective on the planet. Now they are decades older than their intended service lives. Our Air Force continues to shrink. We have yet to figure out how to scale innovative weapons into mass production. We have a $200 billion backlog in basic maintenance that leaves our troops living and working in substandard conditions — $200 billion just dealing with living and working conditions. And I could go on.
    Clearly, there are many things that need fixing at the Department of Defense. Fortunately, Mr. Feinberg has spent his entire career fixing things. I believe he will make a very fine Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    Mr. Feinberg ran a highly successful large organization for three decades, making him eminently qualified to run the Pentagon effectively. He brings extensive experience at the intersection of international economics and national security. Mr. Feinberg is remarkably attuned to the scope and scale of the challenges we face, as well as the opportunities we might exploit. His work on National Defense is significant, and has ranged from Subic Bay acquisition to counter-Huawei efforts, and from spectrum sharing to hypersonic testing.
    Unlike the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy does not often make high-profile policy speeches or travel around the world to engage with allies and adversaries. I do not expect to see much of Mr. Feinberg in the news if he is confirmed. But make no mistake: the Pentagon cannot function without a capable Deputy.
    In many ways, the Deputy runs the day-to-day operations of the department – driving the budget process, managing the principal staff assistance, and ensuring the Secretary of Defense is provided with data-driven and thoughtful options.
    In Mr. Feinberg, President Trump has found a deputy who combines cutting-edge private sector skills with a thorough understanding of U.S. national security interests and the Department of Defense.
    Today, we will hear Mr. Feinberg’s views on issues facing the Department of Defense. I look forward to his thoughts on my proposals. Last year I released a report entitled “21st Century Peace Through Strength.” I hope this can serve as a blueprint to reinvigorate and rebuild our military.
    Additionally, I released a Pentagon reform and innovation plan called “Restoring Freedom’s Forge: American Innovation Unleashed.” I hope it brings much needed reforms and fundamentally changes the way the department does business. We must cut red tape and get better weapons to our troops faster, all while maximizing taxpayer dollars.
    So, I thank Mr. Feinberg and his family and his friends for being here today. I believe he has a lot to offer as the Department of Defense directs its focus to lethality, efficiency, speed, and accountability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Men Plead Guilty In Bribery And Fraud Investigation At Newark Airport

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, N.J. – Three men have pleaded guilty in connection with a bribery and fraud investigation pertaining to business at Newark Liberty International Airport (“Newark Airport”), Caroline Sadlowski, Attorney for the United States, announced.

    Edward Dolphin, 65, of Tomball, Texas, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Quraishi in Trenton federal court, to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. James Wajda, 59, of Cement City, Michigan, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2025, before District Judge Quraishi, to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ronald Delucia, 70, of Wayne, New Jersey pleaded guilty today before District Judge Quraishi to a two-count Information charging conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (Count One) and conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Count Two).

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Dolphin was an employee of an airline that operated at Newark Airport. From at least as early as 2014 through in or about April 2017, he was an Airport Operations Hub Vendor Manager, and from in or about April 2017 through in or about November 2022, he was a Manger of Hub Business Partners. In his positions at the airline, Dolphin was able to influence which companies would be awarded certain contracts. Dolphin traded this influence for bribes and kickbacks. For example, Dolphin received bribes from Delucia, who was Chief Operating Officer and later Chief Executive Officer of a company that provided a range of services to airlines at Newark Airport, including the airline for which Dolphin worked. Delucia’s company paid Dolphin up to $31,500 per month, totaling $1 million, in exchange for Dolphin’s assistance in securing work for Delucia’s company. In addition, Dolphin received approximately $70,000 from another vendor in exchange for Dolphin’s influence in the process of awarding a busing contract. Dolphin received approximately $278,000 from another vendor in exchange for his influence in the process of awarding a snow removal contract. Finally, Dolphin received approximately $262,000 in exchange for his influence in the process of awarding an aircraft cleaning contract. In total, Dolphin received over $1.6 million in bribes and kickbacks.

    Wajda was the Chief Operating Officer for a Des Plaines, Illinois based company that provided various services to an airline at Newark Airport, including cabin cleaning services. In or about December 2021, the company had a contract with the airline to load provisions onto the airline’s planes. In or about March 2022, Wajda conspired with Delucia, agreeing that Delucia’s company would invoice Wajda’s company for a “dispatcher” to assist in the transportation of the provisions, as if Wajda’s company had subcontracted Delucia’s company to assist in dispatching the trucks transporting provisions to the aircraft. Delucia’s company then fraudulently invoiced Wajda’s company for work that Delucia’s company did not in fact provide, and Wajda’s company paid the invoices. Delucia then kicked back a portion of the fraudulently obtained funds to Wajda through Wajda’s personal limited liability company. Pursuant to this agreement, Delucia’s company invoiced Wajda’s company $150,000 for services that were never rendered. Wajda, in turn, received approximately $38,600 from this scheme.

    In addition to pleading guilty to the conduct involving Dolphin and Wajda, Delucia also admitted his role in conduct involving Alok Saksena, Anthony Rosalli, and Lovella Rogan, who each previously pleaded guilty in this investigation. Rosalli, Saksena, and Rogan all held positions with the airline that enabled them to influence which companies the airline would award certain contracts to at Newark Airport. The defendants conspired to receive bribes and kickbacks from Delucia’s company in exchange for helping Delucia’s company obtain lucrative airline contracts at Newark Airport.

    For example, in or about September 2021, Delucia’s company bid on a contract to renovate restrooms at Newark Airport. Saksena, Rosalli, and Rogan sat on the selection committee and each of them voted to award the contract to the company. In exchange for their  help in obtaining the $19.7 million restroom renovation contract, and with the expectation that they would use their positions to help the company obtain future contracts, Delucia’s company agreed to pay for significant renovations at their personal residences, including renovating and building bathrooms, renovating a deck, installing floors and sheetrock, and renovating a kitchen. Delucia’s company also gave them valuable items, including electronics and jewelry. The total value of the bribes paid was approximately $539,000 to Saksena; approximately $276,000 to Rosalli; and approximately $409,000 to Rogan.

    “The defendants exploited their positions within their respective companies to enrich themselves while defrauding others. Defendants’ commercial bribery and fraud corrupts the fairness of our economic system. We will hold to account those who break the law to line their own pockets.”

    Attorney for the United States Caroline Sadlowski

    “The schemes conceived and executed by these individuals to defraud the airline operating out of Newark Airport are reprehensible. The individuals who benefited with monetary and other high-value gain are being held responsible for the bribery and corruption they had hoped would fly under the radar,” Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said.

    “Blatant corruption like this erodes public trust and robs honest businesses of fair opportunities,” said Port Authority Inspector General John Gay. “This case is a stark example of individuals exploiting their positions for personal gain, putting greed ahead of the public good. We’re grateful for the partnership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI as we root out fraud, hold bad actors accountable, and protect the integrity of the systems that keep our region moving.”

    Dolphin, Wajda, and Delucia each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Sentencing for Dolphin is scheduled for June 24, 2025. Sentencing for Wajda is scheduled for June 24, 2025. Sentencing for Delucia is scheduled for July 1, 2025.

    Attorney for the United States Caroline Sadlowski credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, investigators from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General John Gay, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the charges.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine J. Calle and Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

    All other co-conspirators identified in the Informations are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: David Wikstrom, Esq., Counsel to Edward Dolphin

                                Paul Flannery, Esq., Counsel to James Wajda

                                Paul Faugno, Esq., Counsel to Ronald Delucia

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ocean protection policy “hangover” must be addressed by both parties: Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY, Wednesday 26 February 2025 – In response to the major political parties indicating election promises to protect Australia’s oceans, Greenpeace Australia Pacific says a crucial protection framework of a ratified Global Ocean Treaty is still missing.

    Georgia Whitaker, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner, said:

    “We applaud the intention of both major parties to protect the ocean and tackle the disastrous impacts of industrial fishing, but if either is serious, they must ratify the Global Ocean Treaty; it’s a no-brainer.

    “Australia’s oceans are in crisis, facing serious threats of industrial fishing, climate change and plastic pollution. Our beloved and protected coral reefs are cooking in historic bleaching events, and now the Pacific Ocean is facing the threat of an emerging deep sea mining industry – the ocean needs every lifeline and ally it can get.”

    Australia adopted the historic Global Ocean Treaty–also known as the High Seas Treaty–in 2023, but has yet to ink it into law. To date, 110 countries have signed the treaty, and 17 countries have ratified it, including the Pacific nations of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. Once ratified by 60 countries, governments will have the power to propose and create marine sanctuaries in the high seas.

    “Australia is perfectly positioned to be an ocean protection leader on the global stage by ratifying the treaty this June at the UN Ocean Conference. We signed the treaty in 2023, but without action, the new government will lead with the hangover of a policy unfulfilled,” Whitaker said.

    “Aussies love the ocean, and many depend on a healthy, thriving ocean for their livelihoods. We want to see serious commitment to protecting not just our domestic waters, but the international waters that flow into them.”

    —ENDS—

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hospices receive multi-million pound boost to improve facilities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Hospices receive multi-million pound boost to improve facilities

    The government has confirmed the release of £25 million for upgrades and refurbishments today for hospices across England,

    • An additional £75 million will be available from April as part of the largest investment in hospices in a generation.
    • The funding will modernise facilities, improve IT systems and ensure patients receive the highest quality care.   

    Families across England will start to see improved end-of-life care as the government brings in major upgrades to hospice services nationwide. 

    New investments in hospices will make sure people receive compassionate care in comfortable, dignified surroundings during their most vulnerable moments by creating outdoor gardens where memories can be shared and upgrading patient rooms, so they feel more like home.

    Every change is focused on supporting families when they need it most.

    The improvements will help ensure that during life’s most challenging moments, patients and their loved ones receive the highest quality care in the most appropriate and comfortable settings.

    Hospices will begin receiving £25 million for facility upgrades and refurbishments from today as part of the biggest investment into hospices in a generation.

    The cash will be distributed immediately for the 2024/25 financial year, with a further £75 million to follow from April. More than 170 hospices across the country will receive funding, including those run by Marie Curie and Sue Ryder, as well as independent hospices like Zoe’s Place in Liverpool. 

    This cash forms a key part of the government’s Plan for Change, improving care in the community where people need it most.

    Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said:  

    This is the largest investment in a generation to help transform hospice facilities across England. From upgrading patient rooms to improving gardens and outdoor spaces, this funding will make a real difference to people at the end of their lives. 

    Hospices provide invaluable care and support when people need it most and this funding boost will ensure they are able to continue delivering exceptional care in better, modernised facilities.

    The immediate cash injection, allocated through Hospice UK from the department, will enable hospices to purchase essential new medical equipment, undertake building refurbishments, improve technology, upgrade facilities for patients and families and implement energy efficiency measures.  

    The larger £75 million investment will support more substantial capital projects, including major building works and facility modernisation, throughout the next financial year.  

    Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said:

    The announcement before Christmas of £100m of additional funding for hospices in England was a significant boost, and today’s news of the allocation of the first £25m of this funding will be a huge relief for our members.

    Several years of rapidly rising costs have curtailed the extent to which hospices have been able to invest in their infrastructure for the longer term. This additional support will enable them to do so – and relieve the immediate pressures on hospice finances.

    The hospice sector is ready to support the government’s ambition to shift more care into the community. This couldn’t be more important for people approaching the end of life, when it’s vital to have the right care, in the right place.

    The greater stability provided by the government’s funding injection this year and next gives us a golden opportunity to now reform the palliative and end of life care system, so it’s fit for the future.

    Nick Carroll, Chief Executive of children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives, said:

    We’re really pleased that the Department of Health and Social Care has moved quickly to finalise the details of this much-needed funding and ensure it is ready for distribution. 

    We know that children’s hospices across England face an increasingly challenging funding landscape, with costs continuing to rise significantly. This investment will help children’s hospices continue to deliver essential care for seriously ill children and their families across England.

    A key focus of the investment will be digital transformation, enabling hospices to modernise their IT systems and improve data sharing between healthcare providers. The funding will also support the development of outreach services, allowing hospices to extend their care beyond their physical buildings. This includes investing in mobile equipment and technology that will help support people who wish to receive end-of-life care in their own homes.  

    Creating more welcoming spaces for families is another priority, with funding allocated for the renovation of family rooms and outdoor areas. These improvements will provide peaceful, comfortable spaces where families can spend precious time with their loved ones during difficult periods.  

    The funding forms part of the government’s commitment to improving end-of-life care services across England, so hospices can continue providing exceptional care in the best possible environments.  

    It also supports the government’s ambitions in the 10 Year Health Plan to shift healthcare out of hospitals into the community and from analogue to digital, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting.  

    NOTES TO EDITORS:  

    • Hospice UK is managing the distribution without charging administration fees.
    BREAKDOWN OF FUNDING
    Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust 302,003
    Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service 47,956
    Arthur Rank Hospice Charity 235,374
    Ashgate Hospicecare 211,820
    Barnsley Hospice 80,039
    Bassetlaw Hospice 7,274
    Beaumond House Community Hospice 32,852
    Birmingham – adjusted for 12 months 345,224
    Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice 73,256
    Blythe House Hospice 39,958
    Bolton Hospice 107,466
    Bury Hospice 61,674
    Butterfly Hospice 12,215
    Butterwick Hospice Limited 60,656
    Campden Home Nursing 23,060
    Children’s Hospice South West 275,928
    Claire House Children’s Hospice 172,160
    Community Hospice for Greenwich & Bexley 231,143
    Compton Hospice 217,778
    Cornwall Hospice Care 161,125
    Demelza Hospice Care for Children – Demelza Kent 242,135
    Derian House Children’s Hospice 115,875
    Dorothy House Hospice Care 297,862
    Douglas Macmillan Hospice 328,758
    Dove Cottage Day Hospice 9,309
    Dove House Hospice 111,822
    Dr Kershaw’s Hospice 92,588
    Earl Mountbatten Hospice 332,433
    East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices 222,453
    East Cheshire Hospice 130,738
    East Lancashire Hospice 85,513
    Eden Valley Hospice 92,849
    Ellenor 137,518
    Farleigh Hospice 268,268
    Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice 75,232
    Francis House Children’s Hospice 152,127
    Garden House Hospice 124,170
    Great Oaks, Dean Forest Hospice 25,137
    Halton Haven Hospice 55,394
    Harlington Hospice Association 116,191
    Hartlepool & District Hospice 60,881
    Haven House Children’s Hospice 88,446
    Havens Hospices 261,310
    Heart of Kent Hospice 97,348
    Helen & Douglas House 136,890
    Hope House Children’s Hospices (Hope House) 144,966
    Hospice at Home West Cumbria 33,871
    Hospice at Home, Carlisle and North Lakeland 31,287
    Hospice Care for Burnley & Pendle 95,256
    Hospice in the Weald 199,653
    Hospice of St Francis (Berkhamsted) 121,619
    Hospice of the Good Shepherd 81,185
    HospiceCare North Northumberland 18,653
    Hospiscare (Exeter) 180,911
    Isabel Hospice 120,401
    Jessie May 22,929
    John Eastwood Hospice 12,573
    Julia’s House Ltd. 131,315
    Kate’s Home Nursing 8,843
    Katharine House Hospice (Banbury) 35,454
    Katharine House Hospice (Stafford) 97,658
    Keech Hospice Care 189,753
    Kemp Hospice Trust 21,942
    Kirkwood Hospice 160,020
    Lakelands Hospice 9,251
    Lawrence Home Nursing 9,586
    Lewis-Manning Hospice 49,050
    Lindsey Lodge Hospice 78,577
    Longfield 50,229
    LOROS Leicestershire & Rutland Hospice 302,751
    Marie Curie unadjusted 1,250,000
    Martin House Children’s Hospice 148,596
    Mary Ann Evans Hospice 37,177
    Mary Stevens Hospice 83,256
    Naomi House & Jacksplace Children’s Hospice 122,736
    Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice 114,605
    North Devon Hospice 104,128
    North London Hospice 283,640
    Nottinghamshire Hospice 72,123
    Oakhaven Hospice 157,402
    Overgate Hospice 85,938
    Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice 280,455
    Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent, Canterbury 290,911
    Primrose Hospice 29,035
    Princess Alice Hospice 264,319
    Priscilla Bacon 3,958
    Prospect Hospice 127,153
    Queenscourt Hospice 137,157
    Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People 145,128
    Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care 278,579
    Richard House Children’s Hospice 85,846
    Rosemary Foundation – Hospice at Home 17,247
    Rossendale Hospice 25,229
    Rotherham Hospice 121,115
    Rowcroft – The Torbay & South Devon Hospice 158,301
    Royal Trinity Hospice 318,609
    Saint Catherine’s Hospice (Scaraborough) 104,720
    Saint Francis Hospice 191,131
    Saint Michael’s Hospice (Harrogate) 140,243
    Severn Hospice 229,964
    Shipston Home Nursing 10,206
    Shooting Star CHASE 169,787
    Sidmouth Hospice at Home 16,934
    Sobell House Hospice 78,633
    South Bucks Hospice 19,251
    Springhill Hospice 111,983
    St Andrew’s Hospice (Grimsby) 92,589
    St Ann’s Hospice (Cheadle, Cheshire) 228,447
    St Barnabas Hospices (Sussex) 368,232
    St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice 236,601
    St Catherine’s Hospice (Crawley) 203,142
    St Catherine’s Hospice (Lancashire) 166,720
    St Christopher’s Hospice 526,754
    St Clare Hospice (West Essex) 144,945
    St Cuthbert’s Hospice 68,486
    St Elizabeth Hospice 239,262
    St Gemma’s Hospice 225,450
    St Giles Hospice 213,793
    St Helena Hospice 237,083
    St John’s Hospice, Lancaster 126,624
    St Johns, London 147,500
    St Joseph’s Hospice Association 66,973
    St Joseph’s Hospice, HACKNEY 313,531
    St Leonard’s Hospice 144,606
    St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice 84,318
    St Luke’s Hospice (Basildon) 256,843
    St Luke’s Hospice (Harrow & Brent) 129,220
    St Luke’s Hospice (Sheffield) 223,481
    St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth 176,616
    St Margaret’s Hospice – SOMERSET 204,046
    St Mary’s Hospice 86,382
    St Michael’s Hospice (Hereford) 166,755
    St Michael’s Hospice (North Hampshire) Basingstoke 86,086
    St Michael’s hospice, Hastings 146,943
    St Nicholas Hospice Care 97,852
    St Oswald’s Hospice 252,524
    St Peter & St James Hospice & Continuing Care Centre 78,032
    St Peter’s Hospice (BRISTOL) 251,252
    St Raphael’s Hospice 131,769
    St Richard’s Hospice (WORCESTER) 172,108
    St Rocco’s Hospice 88,421
    St Teresa’s Hospice 76,912
    St Wilfrid’s Hospice (EASTBOURNE) 179,191
    St Wilfrid’s Hospice (SOUTH COAST) – Chichester 141,670
    Sue Ryder unadjusted 1,250,000
    Teesside Hospice Care Foundation 74,899
    Thames Hospice 224,843
    The Martlets Hospice 253,129
    The Myton Hospices 223,905
    The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House 81,531
    The Prince of Wales Hospice 70,669
    The Rowans Hospice 171,289
    The Shakespeare Hospice 32,216
    Treetops Hospice Care 65,496
    Trinity Hospice & Palliative Care Services 205,071
    Tynedale Hospice at Home 16,145
    Wakefield Hospice 78,381
    Weldmar Hospicecare Trust 177,100
    Weston Hospicecare 71,633
    Wigan & Leigh Hospice 123,224
    Willen Hospice 143,687
    Willow Burn Hospice 24,014
    Willow Wood Hospice 60,478
    Willowbrook Hospice 99,908
    Wirral Hospice St John’s 131,516
    Woking Hospice 160,768
    Woodlands Hospice 20,172
    Zoe’s Place – Baby Hospice 75,336
       
       

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the Seventh Carbon Budget, published by the Climate Change Committee. 

    Prof John Barrett, Professor in Energy and Climate Policy and Director of the Climate Evidence Unit at the University of Leeds, said:

    “This is a very welcome report with a robust analysis that lets the Government, industry and citizens know that the pathway to net zero is possible and very much needed. However, it does place enormous responsibility on some key technologies and their rapid roll out to achieve these goals. As the UK Government digests the findings, we would suggest greater consideration of the “social” transformation that examines how we travel and what we buy.”

    “While the report acknowledges some upfront costs, it confirms that acting now will reduce expenses in the long run, with cost savings emerging by the late 2030s and beyond.”

    “The key takeaway from today’s report is clear: the transition to net zero is not only possible but highly beneficial. Independent academic analyses consistently supports this conclusion, showing that it will strengthen the economy, deliver widespread co-benefits, and position the UK as a leader in global climate action.”

     

    Dr Sean Beevers, Reader in Atmospheric Modelling, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, said:

    “A National Institute for Health and Care Research project examined the effects of net zero policies on air quality, active travel, health, and associated economic benefits in the UK.

    “Our cost benefit analysis showed that net zero transport and building policies deliver substantial co-benefits, including improved indoor and outdoor air quality, better health, increase active travel, lessening inequalities and with long-term economic gains. We estimated an overall monetised air quality and active travel benefit of £46.4 billion by 2060 and £153 billion by 2154.

     “Net zero policy analyses should include benefits from the air pollution reductions and physical activity increases. These benefits apply to current and future generations and failure to act will lead to worse health outcomes and higher costs for attaining net zero.”

    Dr Edward Gryspeerdt, Research Fellow at the Department of Physics, Imperial College London, said:

    “The CCC’s advice highlights that aviation will become the highest emitting sector in the UK by 2040. Clean alternatives, such as low-carbon fuel and technology for low emission flights are currently limited and a range of measures will be needed to meet net-zero – there is no silver bullet.

    “The government has described ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ as a ‘game changer.’ However, to have a significant impact on the climate impact of flying, they will need to be produced at a huge scale. It is not yet clear how this will be achieved. To reach net zero, the CCC also note that a switch from flying to other modes of transport will be required, especially for flights with an easy rail alternative. 

    “These measures alone won’t solve the problem. The CCC’s report highlights that a significant amount of carbon capture will be needed, highlighting the simple fact that the technological solutions to eliminate the climate impact of flying don’t yet exist. Any expansion of the UK’s aviation infrastructure will have to be coupled with improved sustainable transport options.”

     

    Dr Caterina Brandmayr, Director of Policy and Translation at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said:

    “Today’s advice marks an important milestone in charting the UK’s path to net zero. Public opinion surveys continue to show that climate change remains a key issue of concern for a large majority of people in the UK.

     “To put us firmly on track to deliver the deep emission cuts needed from 2038 to 2042, the UK government needs to strengthen its action in the near term, giving confidence to businesses and households to invest in clean alternatives in sectors like housing, transport and energy. 

    “There is strong public support for the benefits that emission reduction interventions can bring, such as warmer homes, energy security and cleaner air. 

    “Effectively communicating these benefits, while ensuring fairness and choice in policy design, will be key to sustaining public support for the transition and driving change in harder to decarbonise sectors, such as aviation and land use.”

    Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, Imperial College London, said

    “People shouldn’t forget why we need these targets – we’re already feeling the pain at 1.3°C of warming and things will keep getting worse until emissions are reduced to net zero. 

    “Here in the UK, we’ll experience even wetter winters that could wipe out crops, threaten our food security and turn sports pitches into miserable bogs. In summer, more frequent heatwaves will contribute to thousands of premature deaths, could put additional strain on the NHS, and reduce economic productivity. Overseas, extreme weather could disrupt supply chains we depend on and could contribute to worsening political instability and conflict. 

    “Arguments that climate action is too costly are dangerous, short-sighted and disproportionately harm poorer people. If governments don’t cut emissions, both now and in the future, our children will live in an increasingly hostile climate and even more inequal society. 

    “The UK needs to push ahead and lead the way in emission reductions for a safer, healthier future.”

    Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

    “The government’s climate advisors make clear that tackling climate change requires significant action from all sections of society in the coming years. A third of emission reductions will come from household behaviour change alone. Low-carbon choices include switching to electric vehicles and heat pumps, eating more plant-based foods, and shifting to cleaner forms of transport. Many of these changes offer wider benefits, like improved health and lower bills. The report also highlights the need for government to reduce the barriers for the public to make these changes and to engage the public more actively in the net zero transition. The citizens panel that fed into these recommendations highlight that measures need to be fair and reduce the cost of low-carbon options.”

    Dr Christina Demski, Deputy Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

    “The latest CCC progress report makes it clear that decisive action is needed now to ensure we meet the net zero target, and that action to reduce emissions also has other benefits like economic security, better health and reducing fuel poverty. While the UK is on track to reduce emissions substantially from energy supply, the report clearly shows that action is also needed in sectors like transport, buildings and agriculture, and that this requires widespread uptake of essential low-carbon technologies like EVs and heat pumps.

    “We have long called for a comprehensive engagement strategy, so it is great to see this included as one of the key recommendations, especially the recommendation to go beyond one-way communication strategies.”

    Dr Sam Hampton, Research Fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

    “The Climate Change Committee’s 7th Carbon Budget provides a comprehensive account of the changes required across UK society to address the increasingly alarming impacts of climate change. As we have largely exhausted the low-hanging fruit of decarbonising our electricity supply, the focus in the 2030s and 2040s must shift towards demand-side changes. This includes changes in how we eat and travel, as well as the technologies we adopt. The report highlights key solutions including the adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps, as well as the need for innovation to rid fossil fuels from industry. Another important takeaway is that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is not a viable solution to decarbonising air travel. This comes just weeks after government expressed its support for airport expansion, and highlights the need for more radical solutions to limit flying, especially amongst the rich.”

     

     

    The Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget was published at 00:01 UK Time Wednesday 26 February 2025. 

    Declared interests

    Prof John Barrett: Deputy Director for Policy, Priestly Centre for Climate Futures, University of Leeds, Theme Leader for the UKRI Energy Research Demand Centre

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plan to increase digital skills to deliver growth and opportunity for all

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Plan to increase digital skills to deliver growth and opportunity for all

    Government sets out first steps to break down barriers to digital inclusion affecting 1 in 4 Britons to help put more money into people’s pockets.

    Digital Inclusion Action Plan. We’re making sure everyone can be included in our digital world.

    • Tech Secretary: Improving digital skills essential to economic growth and success of Plan for Change 
    • Government sets out first steps to break down barriers to digital inclusion affecting 1 in 4 Britons to help put more money into people’s pockets 
    • Comes as Ministers secure backing of business, with Google vowing to deliver intensive digital skills training to support adults with low digital skills

    Millions of people in Britain are set to gain greater digital skills, as ministers tackle the scourge of digital exclusion currently holding too many people back from boosting their employability and accessing vital services.

    With daily tasks like speaking to a GP, applying for jobs, or renting and buying a house becoming increasingly digitalised, improved digital skills and access to technology hold the key to many of the government’s commitments in the Plan for Change. Businesses are also set to gain from greater skills, with too many employers currently struggling to recruit candidates with the digital skills required to help them grow their business and ultimately boost economic growth.  

    Research shows that people who are digitally excluded can face higher costs for things like home insurance, train travel and food – with people paying up to 25% more than consumers who are online.   

    The Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has set out today (26th February) urgent actions to begin fixing digital exclusion, publishing a new Digital Inclusion Action Plan that will help people in Britain reap the benefits of the online world.  

    This includes funding for local initiatives targeted to the most digitally-excluded groups, including the elderly and low-income households and partnering with inclusion charity Digital Poverty Alliance to provide laptops to people who are digitally excluded. 

    Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: 

    The technological revolution we are living in is not only transforming everyone’s lives, but is advancing at breakneck speed, and will not slow down any time soon. 

    Leaving people behind in the process could threaten our mission to maximise technology for economic growth and better public services, which is central to our Plan for Change. 

    Only by making technology a widely accessible force for good can we make it a positive catalyst for societal change – whether that means helping a sick patient speak to a GP remotely or giving a young person the devices they need to apply for online jobs or renting a flat.  

    Charities, local and combined authorities will have access to funding for digital inclusion programmes, boosting communities’ digital access, skills and confidence in the online world. This new funding will empower Mayors and other local leaders to develop local solutions for the most digitally excluded groups in their areas, recognising the challenges they face will be different across the country. 

    It also includes pledges by key technology companies to help the government achieve its mission of breaking down the digital divide. Google and BT have pledged to deliver digital skills training to thousands in the UK while Vodafone has committed to help one million people by donating connectivity and technology, affordable services, and upskilling communities.   

    Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant said: 

    Digital services are a key part of everyday life. Banking, parking your car, searching for the best value insurance, these are all part of modern life. But digital innovation cannot be a privilege of the wealthy or the young. 

    From boosting digital skills to improving access to laptops, today we are setting out clear actions to give everyone across the UK the skills, confidence, and opportunity to make the most of the digital world and thrive in our modern society.

    Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said:

    There is still too much digital exclusion in the UK.  Technology should be accessible to all, and I welcome the recognition of Mayoral Combined Authorities as leaders in driving locally-led solutions. In Greater Manchester, we aim to empower every resident with the essential skills and tools to thrive in a digital world.

    Through a deeper collaboration with the government, we will unlock the potential of technology, building a fairer, more prosperous future for all, ensuring no one gets left behind.

    Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: 

    Digital inclusion is not just about providing access to technology; it’s about unlocking opportunities for everyone. In the Liverpool City Region, we’ve seen first-hand the transformative power of ensuring that nobody is left behind in the digital age. 

    With this new`government initiative, we are taking a giant step forward in closing the digital divide, giving individuals the tools they need to succeed and thrive, whether that’s through education, employment, or improving their everyday lives.

    Figures show that many in Britain risk being left behind if no action is taken, with 1.6 million people in the UK currently living offline, meaning they lack the devices, connection or skills to get online, and around a quarter of the UK population struggle to use online services. 

    Widespread access to technology will boost economic growth and raise living standards in every part of Britain, equipping people with better skills to enter a competitive workforce and giving investors the confidence that the British public will exploit tech innovation.

    Notes to editors

    Industry pledges

    Google

    Google will develop a new partnership with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to deliver intensive digital skills training to support adults with low digital skills, helping them succeed in the modern work environment.

    CityFibre

    CityFibre has committed to installing 170 connections to 170 premises in Norfolk, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Kent, East and West Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas by 2030. As part of this, these premises — including residential and community hubs — will be given their first 6-month broadband package for free.

    Virgin Media O2

    Virgin Media O2 has already connected over 350,000 digitally excluded people. It is committing to increasing this to 1 million people by the end of 2025, through expanded provision of data and devices to those that need it.

    Vodafone

    Vodafone will help 1 million people cross the digital divide in 2025 through donating connectivity and technology, affordable services, and upskilling communities. This includes a commitment to maintain their social tariff product offerings. To support closing the digital infrastructure divide, Vodafone will continue to invest in rolling out their network to the whole of the UK.

    WightFibre

    WightFibre commits to providing free or discounted broadband to community groups and charities, including community centres, digital hubs and village halls, on the Isle of Wight. These community organisations will promote that they have free Wi-Fi available on-site for public use.

    Good Things Foundation, Vodafone and Deloitte

    Good Things Foundation, Vodafone, and Deloitte are working together with the government to lead the development of a charter for responsible device donation. This will establish common principles for businesses and organisations to commit to: increasing the number of devices donated to digitally excluded people; reducing electronic waste; and promoting circularity.

    BT

    Connectivity:

    • BT has already connected over 300,000 digitally excluded households through its social tariffs, which also include a lower £15 tariff for ‘zero income’ households, and will continue to offer these tariffs to millions of people on Universal Credit who are eligible for them.

    Community WiFi:

    • BT Group has the country’s largest public WiFi network, with some 5.5 million EE and BT hub locations (in households and commercial premises) available for eligible customers to connect to. BT and EE have agreed to pilot 2 new approaches to extend the use of this network to a much larger number of digitally excluded households:

      1. by providing log-ins for free WiFi to eligible families through charity and public sector partnerships
      2. by providing community WiFi services, free at the point of use, at a much larger number of libraries and community centres, including working with government to identify and prioritise connections to 500 community hubs in deprived areas

    • To succeed, this initiative will need support from local partners, which the pilot phase of the project will seek to ensure.

    Skills:

    • BT commits to providing digital training to thousands of older people and children in 2025, through their partnership with AbilityNet and their Work Ready programme.
    • BT commits to providing 500 adults with disabilities with digital devices, data and support in 2025, through their partnership with Keyring.

    Openreach

    • Openreach is building ultrafast ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband to 25 million premises by December 2026 and ultimately aiming to reach as many as 30 million by 2030 if the right investment conditions exist.  

    • As we build, we’ll work with the government to upgrade connectivity to at least 500 community hubs in deprived areas, helping people across the country to get online, with the majority delivered by the end of 2026. We’ll also work with our communications provider customers to offer the services these sites need, as soon as our network’s been built.

    Sky

    Through Sky Up — Sky’s social impact programme — Sky will commit to supporting 70 Sky Up Hubs across the UK help people bridge the digital divide by providing reliable internet connections, tech equipment and digital training in partnership with local charities in 2025.

    Three

    • To support those facing digital exclusion, Three will donate over 2 million GB of data to an estimated 80,000 people by 2026.
    • To help bridge the digital divide, Three’s Discovery digital-skills training programme seeks to reach over 270,000 people by 2030.
    • Through the Reconnected scheme, Three aims to save around 30,000 unused devices to help disadvantaged people get connected.

    Supportive quotes:

    Helen Milner OBE, Group Chief Executive, Good Things Foundation, said:

    For the first time ever, digital inclusion is firmly on the national agenda. It’s fantastic to see recognition from the heart of government that urgent and joined-up action is needed to enable millions of people to overcome barriers to good work, good health and realising their full potential. As the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation is delighted to see recognition of the vital role hyper local community organisations and civil society has played in fixing the digital divide, and a clear vision for how the national and devolved government can amplify and build on that. This is a major milestone in our push for an inclusive and prosperous society where no-one is left behind.

    Debbie Weinstein, President of Google EMEA and Interim Head of Google UK, said:

    It’s essential that we bridge the digital divide and equip everyone with the skills they need to harness the opportunities of the online world. We’re excited to be a part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan – building on our legacy of training over 1 million Brits in digital skills. Ensuring that everyone benefits from helpful, productivity boosting AI-powered technologies is key to growth and to what we do.

    Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Vodafone UK, said:

    Vodafone has long been an advocate of greater digital inclusion across society. During our time working in this space, we have learnt that the scale of our progress is directly linked to the success of our partnerships. Which is why we are delighted to be joining forces with Good Things Foundation, Deloitte and the UK government.

    Through the Digital Inclusion Action plan, we are establishing a common set of principles for businesses and organisations to commit to when it comes to responsible device donation. Not only will this help increase the number of devices donated to those who are digitally excluded, but it will also help reduce electronic waste and promote circularity. All while laddering up to Vodafone’s pledge to help 1 million people cross the digital divide by 2025, as part of a wider 4 million target through our everyone.connected programme.

    Councillor Abi Brown OBE, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said:

    Councils are critical to tackling digital inclusion, providing strategic leadership of local support, and running council-led initiatives, such as digital skills improvement support and refurbishing old equipment to donate or lend to residents who rely on devices.

    Our world is increasingly digital by default, with banking, democratic functions, job applications, benefits and other public services being moved online. Digital skills, equipment and reliable connectivity, as well as the confidence to be online, are crucial to enable people to fully participate in society and engage in education and employment.

    Given their role as local leaders, councils want to go much further, building on their work with local voluntary and community sector organisations to reach socially excluded groups.

    The Digital Inclusion Action Plan recognises that local authorities are key to the delivery of digital inclusion ambitions, and we look forward to helping government empower all areas to support all those who are underserved by the move to a modern digital society.

    Elizabeth Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Poverty Alliance, said:

    The Digital Poverty Alliance is delighted to be playing a practical role by distributing government devices to those in need – and more widely we’re pleased to see so many key aspects of digital inclusion tackled in a comprehensive way in this Action Plan. Leadership from government, combined with tangible support for charities and local authorities and firm commitments from industry, sets a firm basis towards tackling an issue that prevents millions of people from accessing key services online and achieving their potential. Our work together on this pilot programme will provide real help right now and demonstrate the huge impact that device redistribution schemes have on families and households.

    Antony Walker, Deputy CEO, techUK said:

    Everyone, regardless of their background, should have access to the digital skills they need to be empowered not just at work but also in their day-to-day life. In the digital age we live in today, it is imperative that everyone is at ease using digital technologies.

    The UK tech sector stands behind the government’s mission to close the digital divide. Many of our members are already tackling digital exclusion head on and this Action Plan will support their efforts and enable businesses to do even more.

    Liz Williams MBE, Chief Executive, FutureDotNow, said:

    Today 21 million adults of working age don’t have the full suite of digital essentials. Leading businesses are already working with FutureDotNow, coalescing around the Workforce Digital Skills Charter to ensure everyone has the essential digital capability for work today and our rapidly evolving digital future. This clear direction from government will help accelerate progress as we work to close the workforce essential digital skills gap.

    Nicola Green, Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: 

    We welcome the government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan and its leadership to drive digital inclusion across the UK.

    I’m proud that Virgin Media O2 is recognised in the Action Plan, having already connected more than 350,000 digitally excluded people through our pioneering programmes, such as the National Databank and Community Calling, which have provided devices, data, and digital skills to help people access essential online services – from applying for work, booking medical appointments, accessing training courses and keeping in touch with loved ones.

    We look forward to working with government to further tackle digital exclusion so more people can access the internet and transform their lives.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 300

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study suggesting high dietary fish intake linked to slowed disability progression in Multiple sclerosis (MS)

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry looks at fish intake and slowed disability progress in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). 

    Dr Shelly Coe, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition Science, Oxford Brookes University, said:

    “It is great to see more research into MS and diet approaches for managing symptoms and disability progression, with the current research showing that higher lean and oily fish consumption is associated with a reduced risk of MS disability progression. Benefits of this study include the high sample size and that people with MS have a confirmed diagnosis and are recruited from clinics throughout Sweden.

    “Fish consumption is assessed with a 4-point scale for oily or lean fish intake, and therefore this could result in some limitations; however considering the study design this is overall a suitable method for assessing diet in this population.

    “Those with higher lean and oily fish intake overall showed an association with lower disability progression. More benefits were found in those who consistently had a higher fish consumption over time, however those who increased their fish consumption over time also had an associated reduced disability progression, although less pronounced. This therefore highlights that even if someone with MS changes their diet later in their condition to a diet richer in oily and lean fish, there is still a beneficial association with disability progression to some extent. Overall, analysis seems thorough considering all aspects of the data.”

     

    Dr Aravinthan Varatharaj, Clinical Lecturer in Neurology, University of Southampton, said:

    “This is a well-conducted study with robust findings. Sweden has an excellent registry where most people with multiple sclerosis include their data. Using this data, the researchers found that people eating more fish were relatively protected against worsening of their disability.

    “There could be lots of reasons for this. All fish contain important nutrients and amino acids which are beneficial for health. Oily fish contain essential omega-3 fatty acids which cannot be otherwise produced by the human body. UK guidelines recommend we eat at least two portions of fish per week, with at least one of oily fish. However, most people in the UK eat less than this, and only a minority regularly eat oily fish. People with multiple sclerosis already know the importance of a healthy balanced diet, and this study is another bit of evidence to say that eating more fish is good for you.

    “The study also showed that for people who didn’t each much fish and were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, if they started eating more they still benefited. This goes to show that making a lifestyle change after diagnosis can have a positive impact.

    “However, previous studies done in the 1970s looking at fish oil supplementation did not show a strong benefit for people with multiple sclerosis. Dietary studies can be at risk of confounding by hidden factors. One thing this study didn’t look at is whether people who ate less fish were also less well-off. Fish can be expensive, so this could be a factor. We know that people with lower incomes have worse health outcomes (for multiple sclerosis and many other conditions).”

    Dr Ruth Dobson, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Neurology (Multiple Sclerosis), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

    “The Swedish EIMS study has done a lot to enhance our understanding of MS epidemiology. The question about fish consumption playing a role in MS susceptibility and/or severity is one that has been hypothesised for some time from a biological basis. Diet is of significant interest to people living with MS, and high quality studies to investigate the effect of diet are hard to do; this study provides a really useful avenue for investigation.

    “There appears to be a consistent dose-response relationship between fish consumption and MS severity, the first time this has been reliably described. Notably, the same is true for physical activity and smoking behaviour, which has been shown before.

    “I don’t think this fully answers the question about whether it is fish consumption directly that influences MS (although this is completely plausible), whether it is synergistic with other lifestyle traits (I think this is most likely), or whether it is purely acting as a surrogate for other lifestyle traits (less likely). They do adjust for some of these but residual confounding remains a concern in all studies like this. But the paper as presented is fair and does discuss this.”

    ‘Impact of fish consumption on disability progression in multiple sclerosis’ Eva Johansson et al. was published in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry at 23:30 hours UK time Tuesday 25 February 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2024-335200

    Declared interests

    Dr Aravinthan Varatharaj: I am involved in trials of disease-modifying treatments for progressive multiple sclerosis. I am also an investigator on the UK MS Register. I have received funding from Roche who make pharmaceuticals for MS.

    Dr Ruth Dobson: No COIs relating to this research.

    For all other experts, no response to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News to Discuss Trump’s Peace Negotiations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News to discuss President Donald Trump’s peace negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine: “President [Emmanuel] Macron flew here yesterday. You’re going to see [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer from the [United Kingdom] here later this week. [President Volodymyr] Zelensky is trying to get to the United States. I think we’re on the precipice of a deal, and Scott Bessent said yesterday, our Treasury Secretary, that he feels we’re on the one-yard line. So, I think we’re about to get there. President Trump wants to see an end to the carnage; he’s certainly changed the dynamic and the conversation around all of this, from [Former President] Joe Biden’s blank check, ‘as long as it takes’, to bring an end to this now, and I think it’s coming […] I think what President Trump, again, is doing is he is shifting the conversation completely. He’s trying to get to a deal with Russia. He’s not just continuing the Joe Biden process of sticking a stick in Russia’s eye. You see the European leaders that want to just continue down this path. What President Trump wants to do is bring an end to this now, and he’s trying to bring resolution to this. I think what we’re seeing is a shifting [of] sands. Again, you see these European leaders coming to the United States—again, I feel we’re at the precipice of a deal—President Trump is trying to make something happen here, not just go back to talking points that haven’t worked in the past.”
    Hagerty on Trump’s strong negotiating position against Putin: “What I would say is that President [Trump] is actually trying to shift the conversation. President Trump has not lifted any sanctions on Putin. In fact, he’s talking about getting back in the energy business, putting Keystone Pipeline back in. It was Joe Biden that killed the Keystone XL Pipeline and okayed [the] Nord Stream 2 [Pipeline], which funded Russia’s war efforts. So, I think what you’re seeing is still plenty of pressure on Vladimir Putin, but President Trump, again, is shifting the dialogue right now trying to get to a deal.”
    Hagerty on economic opportunities in a deal that could benefit the U.S.: “It’s a situation where I think President Trump is trying to think about this differently. He’s talking about economic development. He’s talking about getting our interests to align more economically. There are critical minerals in Russia, critical minerals in Ukraine. All of this could benefit the United States. China’s licking its chops right now. I think President Trump sees that as well and wants to make certain that the United States taxpayer benefits from what comes out of this, as opposed to the [Chinese Communist Party].”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Noting Ukraine’s People Have Endured Three Years of Relentless Death, Destruction, Displacement, Senior Official Tells Security Council ‘It Is High Time for Peace’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    ‘We Cannot Have the Aggressor Impose a Deal on the Victim,’ Stresses Special Envoy

    “It is high time for peace in Ukraine,” a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as Member States echoed that call and outlined contrasting visions of ending the three-year conflict.

    “For three long years, the people of Ukraine have endured relentless death, destruction and displacement,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, adding that the resolution the Council adopted earlier on 24 February urges a swift end to the conflict.  The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified that, since 24 February 2022, at least 12,654 Ukrainian civilians — including 673 children — have been killed and 29,392 — including 1,865 children — have been injured.

    The war has created the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War, she observed, adding that over 10 million Ukrainians remain uprooted — 3.6 million displaced within Ukraine and 6.9 million seeking refuge abroad.  Furthermore, the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure impacts millions. For three consecutive winters, repeated strikes on the energy grid have left communities without power, heating or other essential services.  At least 790 attacks have damaged or destroyed medical facilities, putting the lives of countless patients at risk.  In 2024 alone, attacks on medical facilities tripled compared to 2023.  The education system has also been decimated, preventing 600,000 children from attending in-person classes.

    Over the past three years, the conflict has expanded into parts of the Russian Federation, she said, pointing to reports of increased civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions due to alleged Ukrainian attacks.  The war’s impact is also felt globally, destabilizing economies, disrupting food security and threatening international peace.  The further internationalization of the conflict is deeply alarming, particularly with the reported deployment of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea into the conflict zone.  Moreover, she cautioned that the risk of a nuclear incident remains “unacceptably high”.

    Detailing the systematic and widespread use of torture — including sexual violence — by Russian Federation authorities against Ukrainian prisoners of war, as documented by OHCHR, she said 95 per cent of them and three quarters of Ukrainian civilian detainees interviewed have suffered torture or ill-treatment in captivity. Additionally, at least 71 Ukrainian prisoners were executed since February 2022, with an alarming spike in executions since August 2024.  Meanwhile, about half of the 469 Russian Federation’s prisoners of war interviewed by OHCHR described torture and ill-treatment, and 26 of those interviewed reported having been subjected to sexual violence.  The human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has also verified the execution of 26 Russian Federation prisoners of war.  “These crimes must not go unpunished,” she asserted, underscoring that “accountability is not optional — it is an obligation under international law”.

    “We recognize it will be challenging to get an agreement, but the time for Moscow to make difficult choices and end fighting is now,” stated the representative of the United States, underscoring her country’s commitment to ending the war.  Washington, D.C., has been in close contact with Ukrainian counterparts throughout the conflict and will continue to do so.  It has also opened a direct dialogue with the Russian Federation in the past week. Following discussions in Riyadh, the United States and the Russian Federation have committed to negotiating towards an end of the conflict, which is enduring and acceptable to all engaged parties.  She called on all Member States to push for a durable peace “to bring stability to Europe and deter further aggression”.

    The Russian Federation’s delegate noted significant dissonance in European support for Ukraine, with ministers reading out “cookie-cutter statements”.  Calling the meeting an “open attempt to thwart the positive progress that has been made which will soon help result” in a lasting settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, he emphasized that the “Kyiv regime and its European sponsors are interested not in peace, but in pursuing war until the last Ukrainian”.  Welcoming the new positive policy of the Administration of United States President Donald J. Trump, he pointed to emerging details about what “took place and continues to take place under the [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy regime” despite Moscow’s persistent efforts to prevent this.

    Condemning Ukraine’s “anti-Russian project”, financed from the beginning by the West, he noted that, from 2021 to 2024, the United States Agency for International Development spent $30.6 billion in Ukraine, without which Ukrainian gross domestic product (GDP) “independently did not exist”.  He stated that up to 90 per cent of Ukrainian media outlets were financed by the Agency, with payments for public opinion leaders to appear on social networks, compelling “everybody to believe in the universal popularity of the erstwhile comic”, which “turned out to be a lie”, but was shaping Ukraine’s political landscape.  He noted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, upon election, immediately abandoned his promises regarding the East and for the defence of the Russian language.

    Meanwhile, Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said the Council resolution just adopted “lacks the qualification” of the war as an aggression of one Member State against another.  Despite the disparity in military strength — with over 600,000 Russian Federation troops deployed on Ukraine’s territory today — Ukraine’s defence forces continue to stand firm.

    “We gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in the hope of making the world a safer place,” she said, citing the Budapest Memorandum as “a deal without viable security guarantees”.  Meanwhile, Moscow has significantly expanded Soviet-era stockpiles, and today, it is capable of striking Ukrainian front-line positions and residential areas, with thousands of guided aerial bombs every month.  In 2024 alone, its aviation launched 40,000 such bombs.  Moreover, the Russian Federation engaged Tehran and Pyongyang in its war of aggression.

    Nonetheless, she said the Russian Federation has failed to break Ukraine on the battlefield.  “There is nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and there is nothing about Europe without Europe,” she asserted.  And while Ukraine wants peace “more than anyone”, that doesn’t mean just any peace, she emphasized, calling for clear security guarantees.  She added that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union are indispensable elements of regional security, and “Ukraine is eager to be part of them”.

    Many speakers highlighted the devastating and long-lasting consequences of Moscow’s aggression on food security, the environment and nuclear security, calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace — not an agreement imposed under duress on the victim.

    “We cannot have the aggressor impose a deal on the victim, an aggressor who continues to intensify its attacks on civilian population and infrastructure,” underscored Erica Schouten, the representative of the Netherlands and Special Envoy for Ukraine.  She called for “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and for Europe — whose security is directly impacted — to be involved, too.  This war must end, not just for the sake of Ukraine and Europe but for the sake of the world, she stressed.

    In the same vein, France’s delegate stressed that Europe — whose security is at stake — must participate in any negotiations and affirmed that any resolution to the conflict without Ukraine will be a dead letter and “lay the groundwork for future wars”.  He recalled that the Russian Federation alone decided on 24 February 2022 to bring war back to European soil — carrying out deliberate strikes against the Ukrainian civilian population and energy infrastructure, using sexual violence as a weapon of war and forcing deportations of Ukrainian children.

    A war Russian Federation President Vladimir V. Putin said would take three days is now three years on, concurred his counterpart from the United Kingdom.  Ukraine is more than ready for the war to end, but its voice must be at the heart of any talks towards a peace that “shows aggression does not pay, and ends forever Putin’s imperialist ambitions”, she stressed.  By contrast, President Putin “only wants capitulation”.  The strength and courage shown by Ukraine must be underpinned by robust security agreements from the outset, she stated, adding that President Putin has repeatedly demonstrated that he will break a weak deal and has long denied Ukraine’s right to exist as a free State.

    Georgios Gerapetritis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, affirmed that his Government’s stance on Ukraine “has been crystal clear from the very beginning of the war, which now enters its fourth year”. All Member States must work towards an end to the suffering and destruction in Ukraine; however, it is incumbent to explicitly refer to international law and the Charter of the United Nations in the resolution.  He stated it was not easy to understand why amendments proposed by European Council members were not upheld — including that the Council would employ a swift end to the conflict, urging a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

    Radosław Sikorski, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, also speaking for the High Representative of the European Union, urged Moscow to “stop the killing and leave territories it illegally occupies”. Calling on Member States to never forget the crimes committed by Russian Federation troops in Bucha, Mariupol and many other places across Ukraine, he also acknowledged the far-reaching repercussions beyond Ukraine.

    “We will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk or any other region of Ukraine,” echoed Baiba Braže, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, also speaking for Estonia and Lithuania.  Underlining that borders must not be altered by force, she recalled that, three years ago, the International Court of Justice ordered the Russian Federation to stop its military activities in Ukraine.  “Three years on, Ukraine has stopped a nuclear-armed State of 140 million from realizing its imperialist goals,” she added.

    Pasi Rajala, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Finland, also speaking for Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, demanded the immediate return of thousands of children who have been unlawfully deported or transferred by the Russian Federation, which violates the laws of war at every turn.  Hailing the General Assembly’s decision earlier today to support just and fair peace in Ukraine, he affirmed that Ukrainians want peace and love freedom, and the Council must advance these goals.  Any solution for lasting peace will necessitate a strong European involvement as Member States have “a collective interest to prevent a resurgence of violence and destruction”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Minority Leader Harold Jones II and Sen. Max Burns Applaud Unanimous Passage of SB 145 by Senate Committee on Judiciary

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (February 25, 2025) — Yesterday, Senate Bill 145 passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. Sen. Harold Jones II (D–Augusta), Leader of the Democratic Caucus, co-sponsored the measure with Senators Max Burns (R–Sylvania) and Lee Anderson (R–Grovetown). SB 145 would provide a sixth judge to the superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

    “The Augusta Judicial Circuit serves over 200,000 people in Richmond and Burke counties, providing essential public safety services to our community,” said Leader Jones. “Adding a sixth judge will help our judges to ensure a fair and speedy trial for those accused of a crime, and in clearing the current backlog of cases in the circuit. This is not a partisan issue, but something that will better everyone in the Greater Augusta area. I look forward to seeing this legislation pass swiftly through the Senate and House.”

    Sen. Burns, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education and sponsor of the legislation, added, “I have advocated for a sixth judge since 2023. As the bill’s sponsor, I’m happy to see this necessary piece of legislation pass through committee with unanimous support, and look forward to favorable consideration in the Rules Committee.”

    The additional position would be appointed by the Governor for a term beginning on January 1, 2026.

     SB 145 can be found here.

    # # # #

    Sen. Harold V. Jones II serves as the Democratic Leader. He represents the 22nd Senate District, which includes portions of Richmond County. He may be reached at 404.656.0036 or via email at harold.jones@senate.ga.gov.

    Sen. Max Burns serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education. He represents the 23rd Senate District, which includes Burke, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, McDuffie, Screven, Taliaferro, and Warren County as well as portions of Columbia and Richmond County. He may be reached at (404) 463-1376 or by email at max.burns@senate.state.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Condor Production in Uzbekistan Surpasses 12,000 boepd

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Condor Energies Inc. (“Condor” or the “Company”) (TSX: CDR), a Canadian based energy transition company is pleased to announce daily gas and condensate production has averaged 12,004 boepd during the past six days on the production enhancement project it operates in Uzbekistan. This represents a 5% increase from the previous five day average of 11,455 boepd that was disclosed on February 19, 2025.

    Workover operations continue that are focused on Carbonate formation intervals where material production gains have been realized. At least five additional well candidates have been identified with similar geologic characteristics using a combination of legacy data and reprocessed 3-D seismic data. Over the coming weeks, these wells will be evaluated to identify potential pay intervals and perforated accordingly. The Company is currently operating two workover rigs and a wireline unit. A third workover rig and second wireline unit with advanced evaluation tools from a North American based services provider is mobilizing to Uzbekistan.

    ABOUT CONDOR ENERGIES INC

    Condor Energies Inc is a TSX-listed energy transition company that is uniquely positioned on the doorstep of European and Asian markets with three distinct first-mover energy security initiatives: increasing natural gas and condensate production from its existing fields in Uzbekistan; an ongoing project to construct and operate Central Asia’s first LNG ‘lower carbon fuel’ diesel substitution facility in Kazakhstan; and a separate initiative to develop and produce critical minerals from brines in Kazakhstan. Condor has already built a strong foundation for reserves, production and cashflow growth while also striving to minimize its environmental footprint.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as “anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “budget”, “outlook”, “scheduled”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “in the process of” or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, information concerning: the timing and ability to identify candidates with similar geologic characteristics; the timing and ability to identify potential pay intervals; the timing and ability to perforate the identified wells; the timing and ability to complete workovers on the next five well candidates and have them produce at commercial gas rates; the timing and ability to mobilize a third workover rig and second wireline unit; and the timing and ability to access and evaluate future Cretaceous channel sands.

    ABBREVIATIONS

    The following is a summary of abbreviations used in this news release:

    boepd                barrels of oil equivalent per day*

    * Barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) are derived by converting gas to oil in the ratio of six thousand standard cubic feet (“Mscf”) of gas to one barrel of oil based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6 Mscf to 1 barrel, utilizing a conversion ratio at 6 Mscf to 1 barrel may be misleading as an indication of value, particularly if used in isolation.

    The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    For further information, please contact Don Streu, President and CEO or Sandy Quilty, Vice President of Finance and CFO at 403-201-9694.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Greets Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Khalid bin Salman at the Pentagon

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: Well, welcome, your royal highness. Thank you very much for being here. It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Pentagon, although you’re no stranger to the Pentagon. I also want to welcome your delegation, including her highness, Princess Reema bint Bandar. Did I get that right? 

    REEMA BINT BANDAR: Indeed. Thank you.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Thank you. The kingdom’s ambassador to Washington. Glad to have you. And on behalf of President Trump, welcome. And as you know, he’s made it clear in his administration, we’re going to pursue peace through strength and put America first, but that does not mean ignoring partnerships. And in fact, it requires greater attention to the ones that matter the most, and our partnership with Saudi Arabia matters a great deal. President Trump demonstrated this when he made his first overseas phone call to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on January 23rd. He also made his first visit in his first term, as you, I know, recall in his first term.

    We’ve got tremendous opportunities to pursue security and stability in the Middle East, combat terrorism and increase mutual prosperity. Our cooperation, as you know, has been long standing. Eighty years ago, last week, our heads of state held their first historic meeting aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal. And since then, we’ve worked to take on terrorism and all of its manifestations. Today, with the groups like the Houthis, build interoperability and forge multilateral approaches in many ways, through Saudi leadership.

    Today, our relationship is a critical center of gravity in a very turbulent region in the world. So I want to thank the kingdom, also, more specifically, for hosting important discussions between the United States and Russia as we pursue one of President Trump’s top priorities, which is bringing peace to the war in Ukraine. And I also want to continue deepening and strengthening our partnership to pursue security and prosperity for both Americans and Saudis. So I’m very much looking forward to a great discussion. Thank you for joining us today, you and your entire delegation. Thank you. 

    HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS KHALED BIN SALMAN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I would like to begin with by conveying the greetings of [inaudible] and the countless [inaudible]. It’s a great pleasure to be among you today, and I look forward to continuing our joint effort to advance the long-standing relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. As you mentioned, Mr. Secretary, we live in a turbulent region, and our relationship and our work together and cooperation is vital. It has always been vital, and it’s even more important these days to continue to coordinate and work together to make sure the region is stable and the world is stable, and we are looking forward to having a very constructive discussion today to reach our mutual rules. And I’m pretty sure that with our strong relationship, we will achieve a lot together.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Absolutely. I know you feel comfortable here too. I know you’re a fighter pilot. Got some pilots here too. So, I appreciate that. We have a couple questions today.

    Q: Mr. Secretary, why did you select an underqualified retired lieutenant general to be the next chairman of joint chief of staff, given that–

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: I’m going to choose to reject your unqualified question.

    Q: How did the three JAGs that you say you’re replacing present roadblocks, as you said, to what the president is wanting to do? 

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: It’s not about roadblocks to an agenda. It’s roadblocks to orders that are given by a commander in chief. So ultimately, I want the best possible lawyers in each service to provide the best possible recommendations, no matter what, to lawful orders that are given. And we didn’t think those particular positions were well-suited, and so we’re looking for the best. We’re opening it up to everybody to be able to be the top lawyer of those services. 

    UNKNOWN: Two more questions. 

    Q: Mr. Secretary, will the U.S. help defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Iran and its proxies? 

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, certainly that’s a topic we’re going to talk about today. Iran is a big concern in the region. Saudi Arabia has been a great partner, and that’s something we’re going to discuss today. 

    UNKNOWN: Last question.

    SECRETARY HEGSETH: No more questions. All right. There we go.

    UNKNOWN: Great. Thank you. 

    UNKNOWN: Thank you. We’re leaving now.

    MIL OSI USA News –